I finally went up to see the Zaisan monument. It’s a Russian monument for something or other, and looks over the city. It’s where the super rich of Mongolia live. Some apartments go for around one million US dollars, which is just crazy for UB. My friends and I had dinner at iloft, usually a nightclub venue. They have a wonderful menu so we went to test it out. I splurged on a steak – a decent fillet. It’s the first steak I’ve bought here and the first meal over $10 that I’ve bought. When you don’t earn money you have to be careful what you eat! I had a fantastic day. I thought – why not celebrate. And the meal was totally worth it. Yum! The mashed potato left a bit to be desired but you can’t ask for everything.
We drove up to Zaisan monument to check it out. I took my camera and again took some lacklustre photographs. I’m beginning to blame my equipment and I really don’t think it’s too far from the truth. I may have outgrown my Canon EOS450D but I’m not complaining. It’s still fantastic and can’t afford another one anyway.
I met with the founder and director of a Mongolian tour company called Ger to Ger. If you’re ever considering being a tourist in Mongolia (highly recommended), be sure to check them out. Their website is www.gertoger.org. It’s an amazing company. They’re not-for-profit and they’re 138% passionate about their work. The project I’m working on looks at diversifying the income for herder groups (nomadic farmers) in Mongolia. Currently they rely on the weather to be nice so their animals don’t die. Their livestock is even used as their bond/collateral if they want to borrow money for something as it’s all they’ve got. Most banks don’t accept animals as they’re likely to die and be worthless.
So Ger to Ger have been diversifying income for some specific areas in Mongolia since 2005. They work extremely hard to ensure that ‘geotourism’ is the main purpose. Nomads get the money they deserve, tourists get an amazing experience of working nomadism and communities can develop as they become more developed with a various source of income. It’s a long story, but in short I see no fault in what they’re doing and admire their achievements. I did some research on Mongolia before I moved here so when my boss mentioned she wanted to look in to tourism as a diversification for herder groups (her words: like Aboriginal communities in Cairns), I knew where to go. I just have to create a relationship between the two parties that sees benefit for both. There is every reason for them to symbiotically advance and no reason that they shouldn’t work together.
That’s my opinion, and as a foreigner who’s here to give a varied opinion, that’s what I’m forcing down the throat of my project. I took one of my friends from work with me because she knows about our project. As well she’d see what they’re doing first hand. And it worked a treat. She thinks it’s amazing and wants to work with them. We’ve got some work to do to spread the word, but I’m hoping a bilateral relationship (ger to ger’s words) will develop. This way the existing network of my project can form the basic network to start implementing Ger to Ger’s work nationwide. Ger to Ger get more tourists in to their organisation which means more money brought in to remote communities which means positive development because of the work my project is already doing to ensure this.
So my steak was a double whammy celebration. I opened an avenue for potential nationwide geotourism and I got offered another job.
I’ve been researching in to this job. The recruitment consultant job. I think it’s a wonderful step towards making an exciting career out of geology. Other people think it’s stupid to leave Origin and that recruiting is a sales role that is a waste of obtaining any qualifications (in this case geology).
I have nothing to lose if Origin’s looking at putting me in to a role similar to what I left. I just have to find out what they’ve got in stall for me (if anything).
So, either way, today my thoughts go along these lines: Leave my volunteer position on October 28 when I fly back to Australia. Stay in Australia for a few weeks to meet Mister Nate Edward Curry and then head to Croatia to start a two month long journey towards London for Christmas with my sisters. And once I’m done there, I’d come back to Australia and start work back with Origin or as a recruitment consultant.
My plans were different yesterday and I imagine they’ll change again tomorrow. It’s fun to dream and I may as well: my job isn’t going to get any better and I may as well make the most of my super-freaking-exciting tax return (thanks dad, you’re amazing) instead of spending it on a red Jeep Wrangler and starting work. Mind you, I’ve dreamt about owning a red Jeep Wrangler for as long as I can remember. There are two things I’ve actually desperately wanted and worked specifically towards in my life: owning a red Jeep Wrangler and becoming the first female Prime Minister. I’ll never forget how the audience laughed when I was strutting my stuff in 2000 on the ModelQuest catwalk. The compere read out things about you: name, favourite things to do, what you want to be. I wanted to be PM. I did, until I realised how much PM’s were generally hated even though you’d only ever become PM to help people. I didn’t want to be hated, plus I’d met some people who were much more worthy of the position than myself.
So it makes sense for me to stay home and buy a Jeep. But you can’t swim in the Adriatic Ocean or drink wine in Tuscany when you’ve spent your money on a Jeep.
Blah blah blah, I could go on all day.
Our house: the heating’s finally on but it’s still bloody cold inside. It keeps coming on and off. It’s just hot water that flows through pipes and drip drip drips all bloody night. We have no light in our bathroom – I have to use a camping lamp. Our friend was assaulted at our front door the other day. I caught a man pissing in to a chip packet just across from our front door. I’ve been sleeping with my doona and my sleeping bag because it’s cold. Our microwave still isn’t fixed and I don’t want to go food shopping because, courtesy of learning from my mother, I can’t shop for one person, nor can I shop for one week. I end up with enough food to last three people for one month. It’s stupid. And if I’m going to getthaf*ckouttahere very soon, there’s no point buying food I have to give away.
My 28 degrees mastercard didn’t work today. I tried 5 different ATMs as well as two different restaurants. You can never be too sure. I called the help guys and it turns out the credit card they sent me as a replacement to the one that got stolen was returned to sender FROM MONGOLIA and they marked that as weird so put a hold on my account. All well and good except I NEED that card and I NEED to get money from that account.
Anyway, we sorted it eventually and hopefully it’ll work by tomorrow. Else I’ll be eating the remains of my shopping trips for the next while.
Friday was no special day. I didn’t do my presentation again. It’s scheduled for Monday. Which is also the day we’re scheduled to meet my volunteer managers that I think are going to argue that I haven’t done any work which justifies my assignment being cut short. It’ll only add to that argument which I am secretly happy for. If someone else justifies me leaving earlier, it saves me feeling guilty.
Saturday: lazy day. I ate out for lunch and dinner. Pancakes for breakfast. Washed my hair.
Sunday: I’m going to Terelj with a guy I met at the mining conference. He’s checking out a conference venue and I’m going along for the drive. I’m hoping he has amazing career advice and can tell me a definitive answer. Hah. If only it were that easy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
xoxox
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