My boss is quitting smoking and drinking because she wants to have a baby next year and she needs to prepare her body. She is quitting today because the 1 September marks the first day back at ‘work’ (from summertime) and it’s the beginning of autumn. She’s adamant she’ll do it without any help. Vodka’s a big deal here – including for ceremonial purposes. The implications of a director not drinking vodka during a ceremony of any sorts would be disastrous. I was interested that she’d made this decision. So I asked: what about vodka, you won’t be drinking any vodka anymore either? Her reply: Hah! Of course I will still drink vodka. Vodka doesn’t count. It is good for you.
Right. Interesting.
Today is Teachers Day (I think). It’s back to school for teachers and children and it’s back to uni for students. I woke this morning to very loud music blaring from downstairs (I stayed at Claire’s last night). It was for the kindy kids, on their first day. There were balloons and music and a big ceremony when they arrived. On my way home to get changed there were lots of cute little kids in their uniforms with bunches of flowers presumably for their teacher. Lots of kids sat on their father’s shoulders while mum carried the school bag. At university, hundreds of students gathered out the front to mark the occasion with another ceremony.
It was still too early to go to work (8:30am is too early for work here!) so I went to the creperie for breakfast. It’s the new digs just down stairs and it’s pretty good. Expensive, but good. I sat there on the balcony watching hoards of young adults walk to meet their friends at uni and congregate out the front. Everyone was bouncy and chirpy and the aura of the place was amazing. The air has turned – it’s definitely coming in to autumn. It feels just like a beautiful sunny day in Canberra. The same smell is in the air and it’s just awesome. My breakfast was awesome. I raced up to my house for a better photo taking vantage point. I’m collecting some photos for the Mongolian WB database. This counted as a good photo opportunity. Below: me eating breakfast this morning; my view while I was eating breakfast this morning; my breakfast!
I eventually got to work and was pulled in to a meeting where I sat and assumed I had to take notes. Lucky I did, because I was suppose to take notes. Phew! Turns out the guy we were meeting was the advisor to the President and is highly important – but was asking for our help!? That was an interesting meeting anyway. After lunch (where I ate fried chicken drumsticks with my workmates) I met with an old volunteer who has stayed on in Mongolia. We chatted for an hour and a half about my position and the options I have with it. There’s a lot of avenues I can take.
I’m going to start the three things that they want me to look at, and see how things progress during the month. At the end of the month, I will reassess. And that’s it. They will have had their chances by then. I’m quite certain I don’t really want to do pastural management. I love to learn about it and talk about it but I am not too interested in the details. Then again, details of any sort bore me to tears.
My work trip this weekend to Arkhangai has been cancelled. I am cheering because I don’t want to go. However I know it was important for my workmates so it’s disappointing it was cancelled after all things were organised and funding was approved.
Still no baby.
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