Casual Friday

It was okay that my work clothes weren't properly ironed (because I had to iron on the floor as we don't have a board) because it was casual Friday.
Tsegi picked me up yesterday morning. She works at the World Bank. She has a permed wavy bob and speaks amazing english. She's probably a few years older than me and I think we'll be good friends. It was snowing yesterday - the temperature dropped due to that snow storm. It was quite chilly outside! I ended up wearing my new grey pants and my pink polo shirt. I felt like a boy because I am so used to wearing dresses and skirts, and at the very maximum jeans. So grey pants weren't amazing but it had to be done due to weather constraints.

The view out our hotel window on Friday morning - SNOW!

We got to work at about 9:30am. It's a 'normal' looking office building (as in, no different to any office building in Australia). Except I'll have to sign in and out every day with a finger print I think. The office is open plan and has a spectacular view of the mountains. It's a 2mth old building, so it's all lovely inside. Plants and all. My desk is smallish I guess and my computer screen is dismal in comparison to my massive two screens I had at Origin. Nothing to complain about; it's all lovely!

Everyone was excited to meet me. And they were apparently impressed that I was younger than they thought I'd be. For no other reason that I'll probably go out and get drunk with them more often, I imagine. In the couple of hours there yesterday there were multiple references to drinking, getting drunk, vodka, dancing and parties. The Mongols seem to love their parties!

The all speak fluent English. As in they studied in Australia or the UK. They're all great friends (so it seems) and they crack in jokes ALL the time (sometimes in English, sometimes in Mongolian).

The director has an ipad and chews gum but is impeccably dressed. She made a joke that she had no technical knowledge re: pastural management until she got the job (as she's a city girl, not a nomad) and now when she goes to the hairdresser she can chat to them about pastural management (as in, they have something in common to talk about now).

My role is totally set out. How I'll get it all done is beyond me. It's quite overwhelming but I'll take it as it comes and hope that I can do a good job! I mentioned something or other about something (yeah, details) and the director got on the phone and then told me she'd organise for me to go out to the eastern provinces soon when some people go out as it sounds like I'm interested in farming (they farm wheat out east I think). I said I'd LOVE to, of course!

Everyone seems so scared of the director! I think bosses are SUPER important here. Nothing like sitting next to Grant and Jamie at work and giving them shit all day. Hashaa has a massive office with a round table that no one likes to enter - they all cower as they knock on the door. I'm not sure why; she's amazing! She's very similar in character to the lady we met the previous day. Apparently she's very bossy. I'm happy with that, because that's what bosses are suppose to do!

We had a staff meeting that I was introduced at - briefly and then they all started chatting in Mongolian. I was given a 100page report from last year's findings in Mongolian - and told that I should be able to read that by next week. Yeah, RIGHT!

I start work on the 9th May, half days. That week we have language training in the morning so they want me to work in the afternoon. Eek. I'm going to be so tired! Language training is pretty full on.

My contract says I'll be going out field either 3-7days/month or 7-10days/3months. Sounds great to me. I'll just have to get over my fear of no showers, sleeping on the floor and eating offal and fat.

That's kind of all that happened at work. I left for lunch at 12:30 and we had vegan. Again. Nevermind. After lunch we got our phones unlocked. Mine was obviously locked to Australia. It cost me about $30 to get it unlocked - they took it apart and hooked it up to a computer, read the locking code, entered it and it was all mine. So now I've got a Mongolian phone number. We went downstairs and managed to get internet put on it too. I realise it'll get stolen but I hope it's not for a little while because I do really like my phone.

Anyway, post lunch we had a look at ONE more apartment. It was a 3br place, with a little bit of potential. We walked in and were suitably impressed. The main bedroom (mine now) has a massive bed and a tv. The other two rooms are big enough and the spare room is big enough for another bed anyway. There are 2 bathrooms (rare), an open kitchen (big thing here as most are separate rooms), a double door fridge/freezer (the deal was sealed) with an ice machine, an 8 person dining table, massive, super comfy couches......

blah blah. It was great.

It didn't have a lot of things we needed. So I started a list. Moral to that story is that Sally's an awesome negotiator and we're getting a fully decked out kitchen and house with a spare bed and desk - just because I asked (maybe slightly demanded).

The landlord is the best part. He's Israeli and is a photographer. He's got a very dry sense of humour, speaks perfect English and Mongolian (big deal as things go wrong a lot here, so it'll be easy to contact him)....... Once we'd decided, Sarah (new housemate) and I went downstairs to the French bistro and had a coffee with him. He talked for about 2 hours about a. using Mongolian elders to gain knowledge and increase sustainability of pastures because they know shit (aka the indigenous Australians that are only just starting to be recognised as having legit knowledge of the land) and b. about Israeli military.

I didn't stop smiling the whole time. That guy knows his shit! As in, he totally understood everything we said, cracked jokes, made reference to things, used analogies and just totally knew how to captivate his audience (me) and tell me in the exact way I like to learn things - and exactly WHAT I need to know/learn for this role I've taken in Mongolia.

Oh man, once we left I couldn't stop bouncing up and down with excitement. Literally. It's always a bit embarrassing when I get that excited but I didn't even care!

We finished coffee and walked to the house we were meeting people at. Said hi, tried to watch the Royal Wedding but couldn't as the channels were down and the electricity off.



Chinese for dinner - our own private room!

Had Chinese for dinner, walked to an open mic night at the Xanadu gallery and had a lovely night! It was the majority of UB's expat community in one room with lots of smoke, art on the wall (eek, I'd die if my artwork was in there getting smoked on) and a microphone + guitar. People everywhere. I was sleepy but so happy to people watch. I'll start getting roudier once I know how things work, once I've organised myself and can iron my clothes.



Open mic night at Xanadu



All in all, a freaking fantastic day. My job - as I see it today, is freaking amazing. The World Bank, the European Union, some Japanese aid agency and the Mongolian government seem to have their head totally screwed on. I'm sure I'll find faults or whatever, but at face value - what they're doing, and what I'm now a part of is SUPER freaking EXCITING.

Today is a shopping day. I also have to manage to get me 1.6million tugriks out of the ATM to pay for our bond tomorrow. Not sure how I'll do that.

Oh yeah, the third person moving in to our house is the American geo that I was so excited to meet. He seems really nice.