Merryn

The daily battle is almost over I am not sure which volunteer once said to me that every day in Mongolia is a battle. It is. Just to walk around UB is a battle. The temperature, the dust, the crowds - especially the drunks, the uneven and slippery footpaths, crossing the road on green pedestrian lights cars rarely heed, and the strange language all make for a difficult commute. And working? The lack of urgency, planning and organisation is hard to cope with each and every day. And as a result of these battles, I have never held so many negatively-themed conversations in my life. It will be a definite relief for me to return home and shed this overt cynicism. But first....one final vignette to sum up......My final day in Mongolia was a highly ... read more

Bad Karma Upon reflection, I should never have published my last blog that included reference to the negative events surrounding me in UB. I was only asking for trouble - and I got plenty of it! On Sunday, the day before leaving for the Ice festival, I withdrew a heap of cash from an ATM which ate my Australian VISA card (thankfully after I had the cash in my hand). After a minor hissy fit in front of the ATM, I was able to speak with Jo's interpreter and arranged for her to contact the bank on my behalf and request for the card to be held for me at the central branch upon my return from the festival. I also sorted out with my Australian bank to temporarily block my VISA card and have some ... read more

Spring has sprung! I am probably speaking too early but there is nothing like seeing (and more importantly, feeling) temperatures in the negative teens (and single figures during the warmest part of the day) rather than negative twenties and thirties! Even the ice melted off my apartment windows! The lead up to Tsagaan Sar (Цагаан сар, literally 'White Month', Mongolian Lunar New Year) felt so much like Christmas at home. There was a major shopping frenzy, work slowed down, including work days being unofficially shortened, and the black market seemed to be brimming with more sheep carcasses than usual. Why? See my photos - all families cook up a whole sheep for the four day event. Tsagaan Sar is all about family, honoring the elderly, visiting, and celebrating the end of 81 days of winter! The ... read more

I had a memorable Christmas/New Year period - not likely to ever be repeated as I will now describe in more detail! Pre-Christmas in UB For the first time since August, I caught up with my Mongolian 'foster mum'. I stayed with Duya and her family as part of the VSO In country training 'home stay' program. Since then, we have been in touch my email only. We had a great lunch at a Chinese hotpot chain restaurant called 'The Bull'. I, of course, opted for the chilli soup option for my hot pot and was rewarded with the hottest meal I have experienced in Mong - it was sensational to have tasty, hot food. Staying at Farrah's apartment in UB (whilst she was having a break at home in the Philippines), I was lucky to ... read more

11 and 12 December 2010 represent 28 hours worthy of their own entry! Whilst I will give a comprehensive run down of the weekend, the photographs tell the story much better than my words. Warren, the only Australian I know living in Darkhan, chose to spend his final weekend in Mongolia with me, 2 Swiss girls, Brigitte and Rita, and a German, Ramona, at a little ranch in the Darkhan soum (district) of Orkhon, about an hour's drive from home. As we met at the Darkhan post office at midday on Saturday, they was a low muttering of "why are we doing this?" on this very wintry weekend but we had made a commitment so off we went. The drive was fantastic as I got to see my first bactrian (2 humped) camels in Mongolia. There ... read more