We're spending Christmas in Japan where the trees are green, the flowers are blooming and Venita is within talking and touching distance. Japanese food in Japan is heaven.
Mongolia can wait.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Off to the rising sun
We're spending Christmas in Japan where the trees are green, the flowers are blooming and Venita is within talking and touching distance. Japanese food in Japan is heaven.
Mongolia can wait.
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Party, party, party!
Aaron's in bed at the moment and it's almost 2 pm Sunday... Our weekend really started Thursday night with some live jazz at a restaurant. One of Mongolia's more famous singers, Naraa, sang a few songs. It was nice to hear live jazz. We'll definitely go back. And they have fish'n'chips...
Glitter
Friday night was the New Year's party* for Aaron's work. We had been warned that the women would be wearing ball gowns and the men tuxes but we hadn't been warned about all the hair glitter. Unfortunately, I didn't pack my ball gown or any hair glitter so my outfit of cashmere sweater and black pants was a little boring. The place was packed with some 250 Mongolians dressed-to-the-nines and two Canadians dressed-to-the-fives. There was food, chocolates and several rounds of vodka going around. There was a lot of dancing. Enkhtuya, Aaron's coworker, dragged us to the dance floor when participants were requested for a game. There we were, in front of a huge crowd, acting out a chicken wooing scene. Aaron was pretty funny. We got second place. The best outfit of the night had to be the woman wearing a wedding dress. There was no mistaking it as anything other than a white, frilly wedding dress. Honourable mention goes to the Jennifer Lopez dress, remember the one requiring double-sided tape? We had a fun night. Mongolians know how to party.
*Most Mongolians don't celebrate Christmas so their parties are for New Year's. The decorations are still Christmasy with Santa and the ubiquitous decorated coniferous tree.
Bloody Party
The party was at our place on Saturday night. It was a Bloody Caesar, Bloody Mary party in honour of the clamato juice I brought back from Canada. The VSO crowd (and a few non-VSOers) filled our apartment. Many of our guests had never had a caesar (caesars being Canadian) before last night and the majority quite enjoyed them. Our "living room" even served as a dance floor. Our guests left and Aaron and I finally crashed at 3 am.
Glitter
Friday night was the New Year's party* for Aaron's work. We had been warned that the women would be wearing ball gowns and the men tuxes but we hadn't been warned about all the hair glitter. Unfortunately, I didn't pack my ball gown or any hair glitter so my outfit of cashmere sweater and black pants was a little boring. The place was packed with some 250 Mongolians dressed-to-the-nines and two Canadians dressed-to-the-fives. There was food, chocolates and several rounds of vodka going around. There was a lot of dancing. Enkhtuya, Aaron's coworker, dragged us to the dance floor when participants were requested for a game. There we were, in front of a huge crowd, acting out a chicken wooing scene. Aaron was pretty funny. We got second place. The best outfit of the night had to be the woman wearing a wedding dress. There was no mistaking it as anything other than a white, frilly wedding dress. Honourable mention goes to the Jennifer Lopez dress, remember the one requiring double-sided tape? We had a fun night. Mongolians know how to party.
*Most Mongolians don't celebrate Christmas so their parties are for New Year's. The decorations are still Christmasy with Santa and the ubiquitous decorated coniferous tree.
Bloody Party
The party was at our place on Saturday night. It was a Bloody Caesar, Bloody Mary party in honour of the clamato juice I brought back from Canada. The VSO crowd (and a few non-VSOers) filled our apartment. Many of our guests had never had a caesar (caesars being Canadian) before last night and the majority quite enjoyed them. Our "living room" even served as a dance floor. Our guests left and Aaron and I finally crashed at 3 am.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
How to carry meat in Mongolia
1. Loose in a shopping bag
If your boss owns a horse farm and kills one of his horses on the weekend, you may find yourself carrying horse meat home on the Monday. The meat will come in an ordinary grocery shopping bag slightly smeared with blood and will contain various cuts of meat, including two ribs. You will be told of the healthiness of horse meat before being sent on your way. You will walk the fifteen minutes home with a bag that clearly contains meat and you won't be able to contain your smile while thinking: "Look everybody! A foreigner is carrying a bag of meat!"
2. On your shoulder
Toss a sheep thigh over your shoulder and be on your way. Pass by a herd of cows on a busy street.
3. In the back seat of your car
Kill and clean a few sheep then pile them in your backseat--plastic covering sheet optional. Drive to the city.
4. Loose in a shopping bag, take two
Buy some meat at the market. Go to the market's meat grinder and have your meat ground. As you leave the market, the plastic bag handle breaks and you find yourself carefully kneeling toward the pavement to prevent your ground meat from spilling onto the street. You are not entirely successful.
If your boss owns a horse farm and kills one of his horses on the weekend, you may find yourself carrying horse meat home on the Monday. The meat will come in an ordinary grocery shopping bag slightly smeared with blood and will contain various cuts of meat, including two ribs. You will be told of the healthiness of horse meat before being sent on your way. You will walk the fifteen minutes home with a bag that clearly contains meat and you won't be able to contain your smile while thinking: "Look everybody! A foreigner is carrying a bag of meat!"
2. On your shoulder
Toss a sheep thigh over your shoulder and be on your way. Pass by a herd of cows on a busy street.
3. In the back seat of your car
Kill and clean a few sheep then pile them in your backseat--plastic covering sheet optional. Drive to the city.
4. Loose in a shopping bag, take two
Buy some meat at the market. Go to the market's meat grinder and have your meat ground. As you leave the market, the plastic bag handle breaks and you find yourself carefully kneeling toward the pavement to prevent your ground meat from spilling onto the street. You are not entirely successful.
Return to Mongolia
During the two weeks I spent in Canada, Mongolia was a fast-fading memory. Aaron was still vivid but the rest of Mongolia seemed like a dream and it would have been very easy to just fall back into a Canadian routine and not return to Mongolia. But I did make it back.
On the way home from the UB airport, the sun shone bright and the air felt crisp; Mongolia became real again. I was happy to be in sunny Mongolia after Ottawa and Montreal's rain, ice rain and snow.
Beijing is a huge city. I didn't see much because I was exhausted and I got into the city as dusk was falling. The parts I saw were quite modern. We will go there on our way out and explore a bit more.
Aaron uploaded the latest photos; the captions are all his handiwork.
On the way home from the UB airport, the sun shone bright and the air felt crisp; Mongolia became real again. I was happy to be in sunny Mongolia after Ottawa and Montreal's rain, ice rain and snow.
Beijing is a huge city. I didn't see much because I was exhausted and I got into the city as dusk was falling. The parts I saw were quite modern. We will go there on our way out and explore a bit more.
Aaron uploaded the latest photos; the captions are all his handiwork.
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