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| 6th June 2008 Rupert | *chuckles* - From: My Gobi Journal So that's why you were silent for so long... I look forward to hearing more after you settle down late next week! ;) |
| 1st June 2008 Laura | - From: A wonderful Saturday! Post more!!! It's been like a week and a half. |
| 25th May 2008 Vicky | :) - From: A wonderful Saturday! What an adventure!!!! It looks like you're really enjoying yourself. I'm so stoked for you! Savor it cuz everyone says its over before you know it. :) |
| 25th May 2008 Vicky | - From: Luck of the Irish The difference between Chinese and Japanese is that in Chinese, only kanji are used. Japanese uses a combination of Chinese characters (kanji) and two more of their own alphabet mixed in with the kanji arranged in a way that represents their spoken language. It's just like Lindsay says - Chinese characters are bulky, and usually kinda squished together and it always looks really busy. Japanese characters are simpler, more spread out - it resembles English sentences a lot more than Chinese. :) |
| 19th May 2008 Rup | *grins* - From: A wonderful Saturday! FINALLY, you got out of the city! *smiles* Now you are starting to get a taste of why I truly love Mongolia. |
| 16th May 2008 bishgaa | mongolia - From: Mongolian Animals List #2 mongol |
| 14th May 2008 LinzTrotter | A ger... - From: Visa Resolutions Is the traditional home of nomadic communities in Mongolia. They are domed, circular homes (think sweat lodge) and layered with felt and canvas. I think I have a couple pics of them somewhere posted... but don't feel bad, lots of people don't know what they are! :-) |
| 13th May 2008 Daria | Maybe defined earlier, but my memory sucks - From: Visa Resolutions What are gers? |
| 6th May 2008 LinzTrotter | Woleep! - From: US Elections A wolf-like sheep. Yeah, I am very impressed with Obama's grassroots support. It's something that has been so lacking in many previous elections. That being said, Obama and Hillary are CLOSE. Neck and neck even in the last two states Indiana and N. Carolina. Hillary is supposed to take Indiana and Obama should win Carolina which puts us at a reeeeeally close call. Does Obama have enough clout to convince the super-delegates that he can beat McCain in a general election? I hope so. Political strategists have been saying that "Hillary is the one Democrat that could lose this election." I would have to agree since Hillary has lovers but a lot of haters out there too. She is far too divisive of a candidate while Obama has proved that he can get votes from both sides of the line. Ah! Makes my head spin :-) |
| 6th May 2008 LinzTrotter | Indeed. - From: Snow!! Yes so I've been hearing... even Olympia had a snow day on April 19th, supposedly setting some records for latest day of snowfall. |
| 6th May 2008 LinzTrotter | Heh. - From: Visa Resolutions Yeah but now I'm finding out from Carrie (an evangelist who works in UB) that the fine is bullshit. She has a friend who works in immigration who said thats not right soooooo not quite sure what the heck is going on. But at least I'm legal :-D As for my contract, I have to write 4 papers, conduct interviews, read two books, and then do a visual anthropology presentation on visual representations of ethnicity and modernity in women's clothing. .... I'll need clarification on that last bit since my professor and I kinda threw it in last minute to make sure it got past the Dean. So my contract is about halfway done thus far. |
| 5th May 2008 Rupert | Snowww - From: Snow!! Yep, global warming is having grave implications for the whole planet. San Diego, famous for its stable weather, has become quite unpredictable... hot/cold/hot/cold, etc. |
| 5th May 2008 Rupert | Woman vs African American - From: US Elections I like your assessment and concurs. There is quite a fascinating undercurrent to the grassroots movement that has rallied behind Obama. I think he modeled his campaign somewhat like Ron Paul who broke records in raising millions completely online in a single day. Many feels that the problem with Clinton is that she is essentially a Republican in a Democrat clothing. They may be right. |
| 5th May 2008 Rupert | Hmmmm.... - From: Visa Resolutions I'm reallllyyyy glad you are able to stay on longer but surprised the org decided to swallow the fines. Perhaps the cost of the train tickets for 2 does not quite break even. What does your academic contract involve, besides collecting an unspecified # of interviews? |
| 5th May 2008 Rupert | HILARIOUS - From: Adventures in Plumbing Land thanks for the comic relief - I definitely would not consider a career in plumbing... at least not in the former Soviet Union states. *chuckles* |
| 29th April 2008 Rebecca | Sorry to hear about your visa troubles! - From: Visa Troubles But enjoying your blog. Hope the visa situation gets resolved soon. |
| 21st April 2008 Rupert | Apple-smoked bacon - From: Sunday LOL, now that merits a real investigation! :) |
| 21st April 2008 Daria | - From: Sunday As for the beetle-destroying pigs, I suppose it's just a faster method to get the highly desired apple-smoked bacon =p |
| 18th April 2008 LinzTrotter | It's all about nuances - From: Luck of the Irish I can't read a lick of either but China always seems more "bulky" to me while the Japanese characters always make me think of delicate strokes. Weird I know but I can usually differentiate if I take the time to look at it :-) |
| 18th April 2008 Rupert | hehe - From: Luck of the Irish I was wondering how you'd know whether if its Jap or Chinese! I spent 1 month in China and still cant tell the difference, ha. |
| 18th April 2008 Rupert | *chuckles* - From: AND THEY CAN TAKE THEIR SPACE NOODLE CREEPY TENTACLEY THINGS WITH THEM!! :) |
| 15th April 2008 LinzTrotter | A note for Clay - From: AND THEY CAN TAKE THEIR SPACE NOODLE CREEPY TENTACLEY THINGS WITH THEM!! Actually, it looks a bit like Mars if you're talking about wide open spaces with little vegetation and LOTS of dirt and dust :-) But actually, UB enjoys quite a lot of infrastructure thanks to the Soviets. It's only when you hit the countryside do you really gain and understanding of what the old world of Mongolia must have been like. |
| 15th April 2008 LinzTrotter | Well they're still gross - From: AND THEY CAN TAKE THEIR SPACE NOODLE CREEPY TENTACLEY THINGS WITH THEM!! Heh. Yeah those noodle things don't taste bad they just... yeah. Well anyways, mutton is very tasty. And why Mongolia? I started out last summer wanting to study international women's rights and I did a lot of research on different areas before I came across Mongolia. I chose Mongolia because when I looked up "women Mongolia" under Amazon, I found ONE, count it, ONE, book dedicated to the subject. I thought that was appalling considering Mongolia's rather influencial history (Huns, Chingis Khan, silk roads, etc etc etc.) So I decided it would be better to choose a place that I and so many others know NOTHING about, instead of going to say Europe or Thailand. Not that those places are less deserving, just well traveled :-) |
| 12th April 2008 Daria | - From: AND THEY CAN TAKE THEIR SPACE NOODLE CREEPY TENTACLEY THINGS WITH THEM!! You're awesome Linds. That's all I have to say about that. |
| 12th April 2008 Vicky | LOL - From: AND THEY CAN TAKE THEIR SPACE NOODLE CREEPY TENTACLEY THINGS WITH THEM!! Hahaha you're as silly as ever I see. Those are gluten noodles, they are found in allllll kinds of different asian countries and thus all kinds of different asian cuisine. They don't have any flavor really, they just absorb the flavor of whatever they're in, but their texture does take a little getting used to LMAO. When you get some free time and are all adjusted, I am dying to know.... why Mongolia? Its kinda like, the BFE of Asia so I'm ultra curious! I hear they have one of the lowest GDP's in the world, Clay was shocked they have actual buildings LOL! I told him they are in Asia not Mars but he was still beside himself hahahaha. Anywhoo, hope there is truly yummy things in your near future, so you don't starve!! ;) |
| 11th April 2008 LinzTrotter | Ahahah! - From: Luck of the Irish Awesome you're going to Japan!! But you speak Japanese fairly well don't you? Yeah my bf informed me it was chinese and when I looked at it again I was like "duh." I guess i threw Japanese out there cuz there is this big Japanese looking cartoon thingy on the front, lol! |
| 11th April 2008 Vicky | OMGPON1ES!!!!111!!1!1! - From: Luck of the Irish LINDSAY IS IN MONGOLIA WTF!!!?!?! That is the coolest thing EVAR!!! It looks like you are adjusting to things well, you are doing awesome! I'll be studying abroad this fall in Japan for a semester, and I understand!! Learning the basics of the language when you get the chance will help (just yes, no, want, thank you, etc) but you'll pick it up in time. I hope you have an awesome time, I'll keep reading your blog, its very well written and -fascinating-! PS. Your washer/dryer has directions in Chinese, not Japanese. ;P |
| 9th April 2008 LinzTrotter | Oh! - From: Day #2 in UB Well I'm glad I'm not alone! I felt very silly and now need to investigate my camera battery charger as well... luckily I haven't needed to plug it in yet. And NO I don't but now I'm very sad that I didn't take pictures of it! Ugh, well maybe there will be another :-) |
| 8th April 2008 Naomi | Blowing up stuff on your travels - From: Day #2 in UB Congratulations on the first blow-up. I blew up my camera battery recharger a few years ago so had to buy regular batteries. I learned that it took about 2 days on 4 regular AA batteries. Not good. Things like that make us seasoned travelers anyway. Do you have pictures of the damaged goods? :-) |
| 8th April 2008 LinzTrotter | HA! - From: Day #2 in UB You think I'd dare drink in a country where I barely know where my own apartment is?! Uhh yeah no thanks. :-) At least my office has good internet and I feel confident that I am at least capable enough to do the projects they have proposed. |
| 7th April 2008 Rupert | Patience... - From: Day #2 in UB You're doing an awesome job of adapting to the circumstances in a country very different in so many different ways from ours. I know. I have been there. Just try to eat something soon and stay away from their booze in the meantime! :) |
| 7th April 2008 Daria | - From: Day #2 in UB Glad to see you've arrived and are already getting into mischief... have fun and be safe. |
| 30th March 2008 Rupert | Goooooood luck!! - From: Crazy spring break You'll recover quite nicely in Mongolia... with all the stunning views, it will be good for your soul. Just keep an eye on the news in case China and Russia gets into an armed dispute before the Olympics in August. It's very likely that if this does happen at all, it will happen long after you are back. Most important thing is to have fun, study the women, and take a few memorable photos. I envy you!!! :) |
| 24th March 2008 Tulga | Rent - From: GRR! It IS that expensive in here. Especially for foreigners it will be really expensive. You need to get a local to rent apartment for you. But still that local needs to know the real estate situation very well to find you a good apartment. For example, most apartments will not rent for less than 3 months and will demand the payment upfront. Not sure how long you are staying but keep in mind. Also, besides that rent money, you'll need to pay the bills which are considerable. On the other hand, your coordinator is right about apartments being safe. So, hotels - expensive, hostels - risky,dirty, apartments - lots of trouble but the most balanced choice. If you can find a decent guest house, it can be actually better than most choices for slightly more money. |
| 7th March 2008 Rupert | $5 0 0 ? ! - From: GRR! That's crazy. You should investigate their housing market! |
| 7th March 2008 Rupert | Cheers - From: Coming to a Conclusion I'll drink to that! |
| 7th February 2008 LinzTrotter | - From: Getting Ready And actually I just found out that I can borrow a laptop and nice SLR camera for my trip instead of shelling out the $$$ myself. yay! |
| 7th February 2008 LinzTrotter | - From: Getting Ready I'm leaving April 5th!! I actually got away with spending very little on my prep items (lots of winter clearance stuff! yay!) so I will be going there with $3,000 in my pocket (well not literally). My NGO will help me find an apartment to rent while I am there but I would like to arrange time spent in the countryside if possible. And damn it!! I WILL RIDE A CAMEL! |
| 7th February 2008 LinzTrotter | hey! - From: Plane Tickets Wow okay thats a lot of good information. Now I'm kicking myself for not asking you before I bought the ticket! I will call the airport to make sure my ticket is there and I have my electronic information printed and ready to go. I will actually be flying to Beijing and then non-stop to Ulaanbaatar. So only one stop though on the way back its a 6 hour layover!! Oy :-) |
| 22nd January 2008 Rupert | Haha... - From: Getting Ready Your list is a partial one for sure! I would be taking my whole apartment... almost... if I were staying there that long. Just kidding but seriously, it is a great place... when a shrink tells you to imagine a happy place, my time in Mongolia comes to mind. Their fields are incredible... I'm jealous and can't believe you're leaving so soon... like a month or so? :) |
| 22nd January 2008 Rupert | Yummy - From: Khushuur (Meat Pie) This recipe sounds absolutely yummy! |
| 22nd January 2008 Rupert | Tips on Consolidator Fares... $1,300? - From: Plane Tickets Some snippets from some quick research I did: 1) "Consolidator fares are the only way to go for international tickets. Remember to deal only with a consolidator that takes credit cards. Also after you get a ticket (electonic or paper) call the airline and confirm your seats. If there is a problem call your credit card company to cancel. Also keep in mind some consolidator fares do not earn frequent flyer miles. Ask in advance (if the miles are important for you). For example, Singapore airlines has two types of fares, one that earn FF miles and one that does not." 2) "I have traveled RT to China 15 times, agent who has very good connections with United will allow you to avoid the hassle of stopping at Narita. NorthWest has a new service direct to Guangzhou but I have never seen a decent price on those tickets. If you need to fly into China, do not fly from Hong Kong. Cross the border from Hong Kong to Shenzhen(bus) ,or Guangzhou (train), and fly from there. The prices are 1/3 of those from HKG. ***Buy your Chinese domestic tickets in China.*** Everything is a walk up price. No advance purchase required. You can't buy at the same low rates in the US. Ask right upfront for a discount on air tickets in China, whether from a travel agent or the airline. You can always get 20% off, sometimes up to 40%. You can not buy a ticket in the US for flights that do not originate in the US. Talk that one over with the airline and your travel agent." 3) Bestfares.com shows fares as low as $586... why don't you email me your destination cities, dates, and how flexible you are about them? I'll do it for fun even if your ticket is not refundable. It's not that big of a deal since it's scholarship monies covering it. :) |
| 22nd November 2007 Chi | - From: Getting Ready ohhh Mongolia!!!!!! I wanna go to Mongolia too! :( |