I got tick’ed

Steppe Riders - May 2011 VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

I got a tick in my hair! It’s the second tick I’ve ever had and it was totally not welcome. Luckily it got pulled out within a few hours of it trying to make home on my head.

Horse riding was great. But I don’t think it’s as great as I imagined. There’s a lot of skill that I don’t have (i.e. none) and there’s a lot more physical exhaustion and pain involved than I had ever imagined.

It was still really cool. The landscape is as beautiful as it looks in the photos, but better. It’s sparse and dotted with the occasional ger and wild horses. And we were only about 15km out of UB.

We rode for a couple of hours; I wish I had worn two sports bras like I considered this morning. My horse was pretty responsive. For half of the year the horses go wild; for the other half they’re herded and saddled up. They’re not trained as such. Mine didn’t like going the direction I wanted it to but I got better at telling it what to do. It stopped and started when I wanted though. And all that was running through my mind was dad saying ‘motorbikes don’t have temperaments’. And now I understand why. Cranky bastards they are!

I walked a lot and then I started to trot. Turns out trotting is probably the most uncomfortable thing in the world, and if you canter (or gallop, I don’t know – the one that’s faster than the trot) it is way more comfortable! You just have to hold on real tight and trust the horse a bit more.

We ate lunch there and then drove home. I’m pooped! And I’ll be SO sore tomorrow! I’m heading out for all you can eat Brazilian food right now. Hopefully it’s delicious.

My first plan-free weekend!

Today marks the first day we've had free since we arrived. It also marks 1.5months since I finished work in Brisbane. It ALSO marks 2 days til I start my new job.

SCARY! I know they're all lovely, but looking at my schedule for the next year, I don't think I'll have much time to do anything other than work.

Last night I went to bed at 8:30pm. There was a party on that I wanted to go to. It's a real hassle to get anywhere at night here. You can't walk out alone, and you're not suppose to catch a taxi alone - so how do you get anywhere? You've got to have others in on the deal. And I don't have any good enough friends to say 'if you come with me tonight, I'll go to the next party you want to go to'. Nevermind, I'm not far off it - we finally have time to ourselves and I can start sorting myself out.

Yesterday was one of those days. I needed some hiking boots, some comfy everyday shoes, tea towels, towels, bowls and of course some new earrings. I was actually looking for a sewing machine and definitely did not find one.

The plans for this weekend: making pancakes for breakfast and leftovers to take for morning tea (no muesli bars in the Mong). Heading off to horseriding in the steppes at 10am. Spend the evening reading documents for work. Tomorrow I will be organising my wardrobe for work, reading some work documents, reading some journal articles for work and making some lunch for work.

Learn the Mongolian alphabet with me!

 

 

Learn the Mongolian alphabet with me!

 

 

Above: A video of me saying the alphabet (most exciting thing you’ll ever see; I suggest you watch it at least twice).

Below: the cyrillic alphabet written out for you to refer back to after you’ve familiarised yourself with the above video.

 

Cyrillic alphabet for Mongolians:

http://www.omniglot.com/writing/mongolian.htm

Post-shopping reflection

Post-shopping reflection

Above: Some photos the other guys took in Terlej. I’m looking 100% trendy. I was definitely warm. The little boy lives at the ger on the weekends, and goes to school in UB during the week. He’s very bossy and super cute! The photo on the right actually has two kid goats in it; a blacky and a browny. He was trying to pry them both off me and was pulling at their heads so hard I thought their necks would pop out! Hence my “surprised” face.

Talking last night over dinner (we had a Mongolian friend over), Ryan mentioned the snake’s blood he drank fresh in Japan. The Mongolian friend was mortified, thought it was really weird – and when I said ‘but sheep head/palette is totally normal, right?’ – he agreed. Note to self: I’m sure I do things that are totally weird and wacky and disgusting to other cultures. I will make an effort to figure these things out.

The no-mercy massage

Sorry my updates have been few and far between of late. I haven't even been busy - that's the problem. I mean, yes - I have been busy. But I haven't had things organised for every minute of every day. Which means I've been doing other things, like writing letters to people, buying things for the house, eating at different restaurants to find my favourite, baking things to get the ingredients right. Those sorts of things.

So - to describe my week: language classes at our house at our dining table, til lunch time. Lunch at home or at a local cafe to test out local cuisine. Afternoons: writing letters, practicing Mongolian language, reading things for my new job that starts on Monday, organising house. Etc etc.

Today I made dinner. Our Mongolian friend whom we met in Canberra came over for dinner and we had a stir fry (a little too hot; not enough colour; not enough cashews; slightly overcooked in part) and then an apple pie (pastry too thick; apples too dry - note to self: Mongolian apples need to be stewed with extra sugar before being baked as they are not moist enough to make their own pie mince). But we drank some vodka, chatted, laughed, played a board game (and was yet again reminded of why I should always follow my rule of playing board games and card games with only family including the Stokes'........ I am so impatient and bossy).
It was really lovely! Now it's midnight and I'm still away. Bugger.
Also: find of the night. Ryan was looking for a 'drain snake' or something of the sorts to unblock our sink, and found a very random collection of pornography - not very well disguised and definitely not belonging to us! I didn't believe him (so naive - I know). I do now. It's definitely what he says it is. And it can go right back in the cupboard it came from! But, good story.

Re: our weekend in Terelj. The ger was SO hot - the fire was SUPER efficient. Especially with the pre-cut pine that was the only wood available. So it would light, go absolutely CRAZY, almost cook us and go out within a few minutes. Horseriding would have been fun if he let go of the reigns and actually let me do my own thing. I did find two really cool rocks though - gypsum with what I could only think would have been obsidien underneath it (but of course, my lack of technical geological knowledge is well know). It could have been anything. But it was cool.
While we were waiting for our horses, two school students got in a fight over a girl (who was also hit, kicked, punched and slapped in the course of the fight) - that was broken up by a school teacher who came racing in and elbowed one of the students in the head. Owch.
So - re: the no-mercy massage. Sarah and I finally got around to getting a massage today. It was INSANE. So much poking and prodding and pulling. I had fingers in my ears, deeper than any wet-willy should go. I was sat on so much that I couldn't breathe. You get the drift.
But you know what - I feel great!
Oh. I didn't mention the no-mercy bit. WHOLEY DOOLEY it was painful! And when it was painful, she just used more force the next time. An elbow instead of a thumb. OWCH!

We're going horseriding again this weekend. I can't wait. And there's about 6 of us meeting in the square on Wednesday night to take some night time photos. I'm going to teach some people how to take long exposures. If I can put my patient boots on, it'll be great. I'm sure I can - that's what my anti-stress tablets are for! :)

I have a constant sore throat. If it stays at that, I'll be happy.

Work on Monday. I'm excited but scared. Same same as a normal job. The fact that I have a job to go back to in Australia is such a relief though. It just makes me feel that a year isn't that long. And I haven't said goodbye to the lifestyle (and friends!) that I love. And that my career isn't at a standstill - it's being helped along. It kind of just feels like I'm on a massive holiday. Which is all it is up til now. I haven't worked since April 1. That's 1.5months of holidays before I actually start work again! It's going to be a massive shock to the system. Especially with the lack of flexibility that I so loved at Origin. I guess it will make me appreciate it that much more.
Much more to say; must get some sleep. xox

A little embarrassing… I can take it.

My room–in UB

Now, we all know I’m not afraid of being the centre of attention. But when it comes to putting my video camera on a tripod and pressing play – well….. it’s slightly nerve racking. Ever since I heard my own voice on 2MG radio in Mudgee in year 1, I’ve not been particularly fond of the recorded version of my own voice. Couple that with actually going ahead and filming myself. Well. Look. I’ll get over it. I might even get good at it.

But for now, here’s a video of ME and MY room in UB.

Have I mentioned that ‘Ulaanbaatar’ means ‘red hero’? Probably not. It’s the only reason I remember how to pronounce the colour red in Mongolian. ‘ulaan’ means red. Too easy, 99!

A video is worth a thousand words–is it not?!

I still haven’t got around to writing about my weekend in Terelj. I have been fighting with Windows Live Moviemaker; it keeps freezing on me – I’ve uninstalled, reinstalled and it’s still driving me nuts.

Anyway, I got far enough to create the movie – it just has no comments (except for a couple at the beginning). The quality of this move is - pardon my French - shithouse, because I've had to reduce the size so it would upload. Believe it or not, I have actually spent every spare minute/hour since Sunday night trying to upload this. It's the best I can do: just watch it on a small screen and you should be able to get the picture.And I’m not fighting anymore so I will commentate:

The movie starts with the journey to the ger. Then you see inside the ger where we are served milky, salty tea (tastes and funny as it sounds) and the women start to make our lunch – of carrot, potato and home made noodles.

From there you see the grandfather using a blowtorch to get rid of the wool off the sheep head. It was pretty stinky because wool doesn’t like to be burned. Then we’re back inside the ger and there’s more food making going on. Then there’s a game of ankle bones – man vs man. I think what’s next is the horse – a close up for anyone keen on little Mongolian horses and their riding gear.
 
There’s some footage of little kids and lambs being fed and then the view from the hill we clambered up (so spectacular). From there it would cut quite quickly to the ger camp we stayed at for the night – a bit further down the road, in a very touristy ger camp.

I am so not making another video until someone else figures out how to fix my dumbass moviemaker. So enjoy this one while it lasts.

Today: language lesson at my apartment. I made scones that turned out okay – not amazing as I haven’t figured out the potency of the baking soda yet but they were pretty edible. Post – language lesson I had a nap then Tsegi from work picked me up and we sorted my work visa out. Wholey dooley, what an effort. An hour of running around in the same place from one counter to another – paying a lot of money, getting receipts, taking fingerprints and photos. Finally it was done and I get my passport back next week. Woohoo.
I came home to watch another episode of Hellcats (courtesy of Tegan) and turns out the episodes finished at number 4 which was super duper disappointing. They must not have downloaded properly. Nevermind, someone might have more of them for me. I hit the gym – not the gym at the school down the road as it costs $150/month. Yup.

I walked 15mins down the road (too far for winter so I’ll have to sort something else out) and paid 6000tugs to get in. I know why it was cheaper too. Most equipment was for sale. It wasn’t often plugged in. Weights didn’t work; they didn’t have much of anything and then other things were broken. Anyway, there will be enough to keep me occupied for a little bit. Hopefully.

Came home and wrestled with my stupid new computer for hours and hours and hours and hours. Enjoy the video – it may well be the last.
xox

Terelj et al

My computer seems to have a heart attack every time I try to make a movie. I have two great (albeit Sally-style) videos I want to make and upload but I can’t seem to do it. Will figure it out ASAP and let you know.

Busy busy weekend; lots happened – lots of photos. I’m too tired to write so will make a picture story and will update you in words later.

		Terelj et al VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL