One Eyed Yaks

This Is The Part Where I Start To Cry

2010-10-08T04:40:00.000-07:00

The internet at our house has been cut off, my suitcase is starting to fill up and I've called a farewell dinner. Sunday morning I get up (or stay awake as the case may be), put on my boots, say goodbye to B, cry for an extended period of time then get on a very, very early flight with Samuel. It ain't gonna be pretty. Last night I looked how I currently feel: like a ghost.

But hey, you gotta jump again some time, right?

Goodbye Ulaanbaatar, hello Melbourne.

The Lost Posts...

2010-10-04T10:14:00.000-07:00

I've got five days left in this crazy.sexy.cool country but no time for anything but lots of B's (buuz/byes/babes/brutalworkschedules). As such, I went back into the archives to examine the 'draft' posts I started but never finished in the hope there would be something I could quickly throw online to prove I am all cutting edge + quick. Alas, there were just more photos of strange things I've eaten and ramblings about snow + frozen snot. Among the whining + wining I also found something that will fit surprising well with my next online incarnation. It's a piece about a little dance called the Melbourne Shuffle, and it will be finished when I ride my bike to a cafe to type while drinking a flat white.

I expect to have a fair amount of free time for cycling + caffeine, so you will be able to find my laments about the lack of yaks at (much ado about) melbourne. I also expect I will be attempting to reconcile my relationship with the city I grew apart from via words, photos and a song+dance if you're well-behaved. See you there soon...

My Life Right Now: East Meets West Film Forum + Festival

2010-09-30T02:36:00.000-07:00

So sometimes, in between eating strange animals and getting my nails done, I work. Who would have thought? Lately, my working life has been all about this:

Yes, the wonderful Arts Council of Mongolia is hosting the inaugural East Meets West Film Forum + Festival here in Ulaanbaatar next week. Everyone has been working solidly on this for some time now + we've got filmmakers and film-type characters from Asia, Europe, Central Asia + the USA visiting us next week.

It will be epic. And awesome. And exciting. Then I will get on a plane + leave. If you're in town (or even if you're not) please look at the site we've put together + come along/wish you were here.

Things I Will Miss About Mongolia #1

2010-09-28T05:49:00.000-07:00

With less than two weeks to go until I set sail for (much ado about)melbourne, it's time I recap on the wonders of Mongolia I have yet to 'big up' before now. This week's Things I Will Miss About Mongolia post is a shout out to...

MONGOLIAN MYSTERY MEAT GOODS

aka Meat I Have Eaten That I Possibly Should Not Have Eaten. This post is slightly more poignant given that I (very gently) embraced vegetarianism before getting on a Mongolian Airlines flight almost a year ago. As a general rule, when I go to a place that isn't Sydney/Melbourne/Brisbane, I like to eat the food that everyone else eats. In Texas I eat deer jerky, in Dandenong I eat Dandee Donuts and in Mongolia I eat mountains of mutton. Case in point below. Yes, that is one big, old, fatty sheep.

I like to sample the local delicacies, like bull penis in hot pot.

I like to support the manufacture of processed meat goods, particularly those with delicious gelatinous hearts.

I like to eat animals that possibly have the Bubonic Plague.

And, of course, I like to eat the animals most revered by the country I am visiting, particularly in curries or garlic soups. They go faster.

My Clever Friends

2010-09-24T05:06:00.000-07:00

So I've been 'makin videos' lately about my holiday exploits and my dad getting pissed. Sure, they might have scored a few chuckles + proved me and iMovie are making friends, but I actually know people who can really, really make videos, like for real. It is here I bow down before them + say, YOU RULE.

First up, my buddies Jess + James prove UB really is a State Of Mind with some help from Mongolian Bling's Benj. Our apartment even makes an appearance at the end of the clip. Tuesday night house parties are the best house parties.

Aaaaaand here are some videos Amelia the Legendary put together about a few issues here in Mongolia. Amelia is my hero. Please watch + learn. I did.

Flyin' In Four

2010-09-12T05:10:00.000-07:00

In four weeks exactly, I will be boarding a plane to Australia. This is frightening / awesome / wtf. I have a number of things I need to do before then. They include:

Learning to play my tovshuur
Publicising an international film festival + forum
Getting a new tattoo
Packing a year of belongings into one suitcase
Plotting a course for, um, what next?

I expect many of my upcoming posts will be recaps / shout outs / pleas for help. You have been warned.

P.S. If anyone has requests for things I should do before I leave, please note them in the comments section. I will act accordingly.

P.P.S. GETTING SENTIMENTAL. These are the people I could not have survived without. More on them later. Photo in the interim. Legends.

Why My Uncle Tomi Rules

2010-09-06T20:40:00.000-07:00

My Uncle Tomi, who resides in Melbourne, is a very smart guy. He works as a translator and lived in Russia once upon a time. He politely investigated the items in my fridge I posted earlier and shared some info with me. Thanks U. Tomi.

Dear Alicia,

I have really enjoyed your latest blog. You have a very good style; one can see the journalist schooling.

For your edification:

The bottle of pomegranate states that it is "a gigt from Azerbajdjan" and it is a "pomegranate juice" (COK = juice).

The next one with the cow on it states that it has a "delicate plum flavour".

And the cheese spread states that it is "molten pateurised cheese with smoked meat products".

Now you know what is (or was) in your fridge.

Look forward to seeing you soon and hearing all your stories.

Love,

U. Tomi

Yes, I am very concerned about the "molten pateurised cheese with smoked meat products" and no I do not know what "a gigt from Azerbajdjan" means.

Marmots, Mountains + Mosques

2010-09-05T05:31:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I hit the western-most province of Mongolia, Bayan-Ulgii, with my buddy Katherine. The area borders both China + Russia and is very close to Kazakhstan. Its population is largely Kazakh Mongols and as such, Mongolian isn't the first language for many people out there. It is many kinds of awesome.

We spent a night with a beautiful Tuvan family near the Tavan Bogd mountain range before riding horses to scope a glacier. We watched our driver (who spoke Mongolian, Russian, Kazakh, Tuvan, Uzbek, Kyrgyz + some Chinese but no English) attempt to shoot and kill a marmot. Apparently many have the plague (yes, the mutha trucking bubonic plague best known for its appearance in ye olde medieval England) but we ate one anyway that was cooked in the traditional khorkhog manner. Mmmm. Plague flavour. Delicious.

I got to shoot a gun for the first time and we also warded off potential serial killers and a whole lot of mosquitoes with pepper spray... the gun probably would have been more effective.

It's clearly obvious I have just discovered iMovie on my computer, so here's a video extravaganza of our trip:

And a few shots of the town of Ulgii + Tavan Bogd. Many more pics on Flickr.

Folk of the Faraway Fridge

2010-09-02T07:34:00.000-07:00

I realised tonight that our fridge is currently hosting a fantastical array of fabulous but freaky goods. I say goods because I am slightly concerned about calling some of these things 'food' or 'drink'. Here's a little look at the residents of the fridge Clare and I call 'ours':

I will now attempt to explain some of the curiouser items.

Once upon a time we had a Belgian housemate. He hosted an xmas dinner party at our place while we were out of town. This was all that remained. The "25% foie gras" label has had me running scared since it appeared on the scene. It's the longest standing item in the fridge, having clocked up an impressive nine months in there and still going strong. GO WEIRD TINNED ITEM!

So fresh + so clean. Everything I look for in a beer really. This takes second place in the battle for longevity in our fridge. It appeared one day and never left. I think we're subconsciously waiting for its owner to come and reclaim it, lest we get accused of snaffling someone's last beer. Is it yours? You clearly know where we live, so please come and rescue your lonely little friend.

Russian pomegranate juice is delicious. I don't know the word for 'pomegranate' or 'juice' in Russian but I do know the first gold Cyrillic word here says 'Sok'... which is funny.

Look at this fucking rainbow connection. Rainbows + cows = Russian butter. Did you learn nothing at farm school?

Seabuckthorn wine. No really. 16% alcohol and counting. Sweetly satisfying.

I thought this was Russian cheese spread when I bought it. Then I ate it. I am still no closer to knowing what it is.

A friend brought me back some camel cheese from the Gobi Desert. Over a month ago. The Mongolians sure know how to build things that last.

Luckily this veritable smorgasbord of Russian roulette, French faux pas and Mongolian madness isn't all we've got - somehow Clare and I have managed to keep a tomato plant alive long enough to each grow our own tasty tomato. Just like us, with only a month to go before we ship out of here, they've just about grown enough to jump off their cosy tomato branch and find a new home. *Insert collective 'aw' or 'vomit' here* depending on your predilection.

Parent Party

2010-08-25T10:11:00.000-07:00

My parents, the wonderful Sue + Steve, recently paid me a visit here in Mongolia. They took in most of the usual hotspots - the National History Museum, Gandan Monastery and the souvenir section on the 5th floor of the State Department Store. They also embarked upon a journey with me north to Lake Khuvsgul, a huge body of fresh water up near Russia.

Oh what an adventure it was. We trucked along in a Russian jeep, narrowly avoided a hail storm while riding horses and wondered if we'd ever make it home while stranded in the middle of nowhere with no phone reception and only three tires to our name. We also drank a lot of vodka and played a lot of cards. I put together a little video of some of our (well, mostly Steve's) escapades:

There are a few more pics on Flickr, but this one is particularly awesome. It's Sue. And an eagle.

BYE SUE + STEVE. SEE YOU SOON. YOU WERE EXCELLENT VISITORS x

Beers, Bands + Babes

2010-08-13T08:46:00.000-07:00

A week ago, I bought a glockenspiel. It looks like this:

Later that afternoon, I attempted to play the glock and a shaker on stage with a pared back version of UK band We Aeronauts at a Mongolian music festival called Playtime. It looked like this:

A few more photos here really only serve to highlight the fact that many beers were drunk + it was kinda cold. For some more insight into what went down just outta Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, when a few thousand people + us converged on a lovely outdoor site to hear local bands and a couple of dudes intent on bringing post-rock-prog to the masses came together, please enjoy 1:29 minutes of video starring The Lemons, Cam, Stefan, Katherine, James, Greg + a bonfire conga line.

FEED ME

2010-07-26T02:32:00.000-07:00

I just watched a Mongolian film where a woman killed a sheep then cooked it and ate it, as in gnawed every skerrick of life off massive hunks of bone. And it made me hungry, very hungry, for meat. What have I become?

Real Mongolian Art

2010-07-23T21:48:00.001-07:00

Blogging has become a casualty of summer. Instead of hiding behind the Macbook, I've been out riding horses, drinking beer in the sunshine and watching men in minimal clothing wrestle each other. Yeah, summer is so very, very difficult here. This weekend however, I intend to up the word count and reconnect with the internet (and the kitchen for that matter. I have not cooked in months).

So, here I present the first in a number of posts set to grace your screen this weekend. Here are the four seasons of Mongolia packaged and presented in the form of nail art, as created by four different nail technicians on my street. I am currently rocking out the yellow + pink combo. It is 37 degrees + watermelon weather after all...

SPLAYED

2010-06-27T10:25:00.000-07:00

This was my day today. How was yours?

I Gave Birth...

2010-06-16T07:41:00.000-07:00

... to winter. Then I forgot about how hideous it was because summer is so glorious that any of the pain associated with releasing winter disappeared with the arrival of sunshine and an abundance of dandelion seeds in the air. Check the pics on my Flickr for lots of delightful dandelions and frolicking:

Super summer also means the REAL Mongolian BBQ comes into play. This sucker is called KHORKHOG, and from what I have gathered (and tasted) it involves heating up some rocks until they're red hot (literally glowing) then throwing a sheep or maybe a cow? into a metal pot with oil + vegetables, sealing that puppy + allowing it to pressure cook for a while. Evidence thus:

Francis is below demonstrating how one might lose an arm to the wonders of Khorkhog. There's no holding back: get in there and retrieve some meat or risk being stuck with bones + spring onion.

Then smash that meat like you've never smashed meat before...

Following said BBQ, you are entitled to retire to a delightful Mongolian beach + feel the sand between your toes... while avoiding broken glass and prickles. On a riverbank.

More BBQ adventures to come this weekend when it's slated to hit 36 again. BRING IT.

I Camped + Did Not Die

2010-06-07T07:21:00.000-07:00

Yes, I camped in the Mongolian countryside, and no, I did not die from the experience. I actually had a lovely time. Even more surprising was the fact that it was hot + the waterfall we visited was blasting out the good stuff (ie water). There were 12 of us who visited this wondrous region as a bit of a farewell adventure for our buddy Bec who is heading back to AU soon.

The trip was not without drama. On the first day we busted a tyre + had to play rugby while we waited for the tyre to be changed. Rugby? OHGOD moment #1. I did get taught how to correctly throw the 'ball' though... then I stacked it on the grass and scored a million prickles in my hands and tights. Awesome.

OHGOD moment #2 occurred some hours after this when we arrived at the campsite after a detour to pick up a spare tyre in Kharkhorin. Dudes in the first car had set-up the camp site down in a gully by the river. It was nighttime when we arrived and there was a drop of many, many, many, many metres to the tents. I was tired, hungry and concerned for my well-being ergo I firmly but politely refused to rock climb to get down there. Sonja said it was the first time she had heard my scary voice. With some coercion, I schlepped my many, many, many bags down the mutha truckin cliff face. It was not fun but I did not die.

Next day I saw why we were down there. It was pretty.

We played many games of 500, burned things in a fire, ate, drank, rambled and sucked up some seriously fresh air. We also saw a whole lot more colour than we'd seen in a long time. Look! The grass is green! The sky is blue!

Day after we trekked up a pine forest mountain to visit Tuvkhun Monastery where Sonja and I were excited to see Zanabazar's rock chair. Dude had a killer view.

Interesting flora was on display in the region.

On the trip, some of the team also rode camels, burned down a house, ran naked up the cliff face (clearly money was involved), gave dating advice and barked non-stop for four days (yeah, we had canine companions too). I avoided sharing a car with the OHGOD moment #3 canine companion that was on heat, but I did get sandwiched between Sam + Pete for the majority of the car journey. Enlightening is one way to describe it. But yes, I will go camping again this summer. I'll just avoid steep inclines, bleeding dogs and tents that don't have doors.

Throne Me

2010-05-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

I'm going on a four-day camping trip tomorrow. I'm really not very good at the whole 'being outside with only a bit of canvas for a roof' affair. I am, however, hoping to catch a fish, climb a mountain and find an animal throne. Wish me luck.

Blooming

2010-05-16T10:28:00.000-07:00

I'm still not sure this is really happening. Did I take the red pill + fall into a marmot hole? Is jesus's dad screwing with me because I don't take his son's birthday seriously anymore? Are the beetroots I've been living on for the past week actually magic? I ask all of these questions because the temperature has been in the 20s the past few days and:

Today I saw flowers in the Mongolian countryside for the first time.

Clearly a career in botany beckons.

Today, I smelt + felt rain in Mongolia for the first time. The ground looked like this before that happened though.

Today I rode a horse bareback for the first time. Its spindly winter battered frame supported my winter fattened body, and I felt like the most evil giant in the world... until I scored a saddle and galloped for the first time.

Yesterday, I drank beer outside in Mongolia for the first time. Andrew + Julian did too and were clearly very excited to be involved.

I think I like this floral, beetroot fuelled, springtime equine wonderland.

2010-04-29T20:11:00.000-07:00

I scanned.

We conquered.

Acting My Age

2010-04-25T18:51:00.000-07:00

Last week I turned old. I know this because I attempted to play basketball yesterday and I could hardly walk afterwards. I am faring a little better today but my body is still terribly confused about what it went through yesterday. It's also possible this is the result of five months of virtual hibernation where the closest I got to moving my limbs was walking to the shops to buy a cabbage and a bag of biscuits each night. Battered body aside, I am not one for major birthday celebrations, but luckily, some amazing people were on hand this year to ensure that I had a lovely day without too much trauma.

My wonderful work colleagues bought me a beautiful dress, I had dinner with some super special friends, I got a crazy cat lady mug + some stunning plastic cherry blossoms, I crammed into a car with seven people and I did three hours of karaoke. Good friends of UB (and special guests from Berlin), I salute you + thank you for a wonderful birthday. Many arigatos also to everyone who called, texted or engaged in online communication to send wishes. It made growing up far more palatable.

P.S. I'm still finding sand in all my belongings so have been too busy using the washing machine to write about Gobi Trip #2. No need though really - the photos tell the best parts of the story (except for when we taught kids in Sainshand the Nutbush. That was kinda cool.)

BIUB

2010-04-18T18:52:00.000-07:00

Me + Ria got back from an amazing whirlwind trip to the Gobi Desert this morning. More pics + stories about baby camels, Ria's foray into muttonville + getting our spirit on to come soon...

We Got Couch

2010-04-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

Me + Ria are partying hard right now... on the couch. That's not tea we're drinking.

Yeah, it's kinda wild.

Last Drinks

2010-04-13T08:27:00.000-07:00

Lozzie + Meg are currently holed up at Chinggis Khan airport waiting to fly to LA via Seoul while Ree and I recline on the couch watching Gossip Girl. We had last drinks before they scooted off though. Happy travels LK + MH xox

Day #8/9

2010-04-12T07:49:00.000-07:00

Day confusion still ensues, but today, we dressed as Mongols then watched others dressed as Mongol deities dance. Pics of us as Mongols to grace this here weblog once I access a scanner. Until then, here's us with our new best Tsam friends from Tumen Ekh.

Day #7?

2010-04-11T18:49:00.000-07:00

I have lost my ability to count. I think we're up to Day 7, but I probably missed another one in there somewhere. Ria and I went to see some metal bands on Saturday night and thanks to excessive Chinggis consumption, some severe memory malfunctioning may be in effect. I did have an epiphany that night though, thanks to the presence of some interesting characters at the gig, but more on that later...

Yesterday, Clare and I attempted to take all of our visitors to see Mongolian wrestling. We went to the Wrestling Palace excited by the prospect of large men wearing minimal clothing, but instead we were duped by some kind of TV magazine's 100th issue party. There was a hideous array of Mongolian pop on display (M-Pop - thanks Loz):

Some men 'playing' guitars (note the absence of any kind of connection to an amplification unit. No they were not plugged in...)

And these guys, who saved the afternoon:

We left early, so we didn't find out if we won the car they were offering as a prize in their raffle. We later discovered that the car was a used 90s Toyota Corrolla though, so we weren't overly fussed...

Day #6

2010-04-10T05:33:00.001-07:00

Yes, I skipped Day #5. I forgot to take my memory card out of my computer + put it back in my camera before heading to the countryside. Genius. Hopefully someone else will guest post about our lovely days riding horses, staying in a ger and playing cards. Instead here's a photo of Lauren + Ria winning karaoke last night.

Day #4

2010-04-07T09:15:00.000-07:00

After welcoming Ria to Mongolia with a bottle of Chinggis and some quality time on my windowsill until 4am, we put on Russian hats (in our minds) and visited the Zaisan memorial. We walked around an ovoo three times to invoke the shaman spirits to bring us luck... and vodka.

Ria + Meg then put on matching hats to cruise across Sukhbaatar Square en route to the radio station where we were excellent to each other and played music. Wyld.

Tomorrow we hit the countryside. Will Lauren remain a vegetarian? Tune in Friday to find out.

Day #3

2010-04-06T10:23:00.000-07:00

We found Ria! The planets have now aligned and we are one. Or four. Life is good. xoxo

Day #2

2010-04-05T07:44:00.000-07:00

The protests in Ulaanbaatar today proved to be peaceful, so Lauren and Meg were able to pop into my office for some cake and a chat with my lovely colleagues. Lozzie, however, is still super tired, and for the third night in a row, has passed out on the couch.

Even Bill + Ted's Excellent Adventure won't keep her awake...

Day #1

2010-04-04T09:56:00.000-07:00

We schlepped on a bus to a monastery in a beautiful forest type setting.

Lauren did not spew on the bus, but snow did flow from the mouth of the sky. Cloud spew.

Meg made friends with many cows... and peeked through a hole.

Amelia came prepared with drinks.

We walked for miles and miles back to the town of Zuunmod, but it was all worth it for the short ride we hitched on the back of a blue truck while trying to avoid mud and horse skeletons.

One day down, not enough to go...

Warmth...

2010-04-03T03:44:00.000-07:00

In approximately three hours, Lauren and Meg will touch down in Ulaanbaatar. Ria will be here next Tuesday. They're the first people I've had visit here and they are also three of my most favourite people in the whole entire world. Needless to say, I am somewhat excited about their imminent arrival, so much so that I am actually cleaning the house. If you know me, you'll know I don't do this for just anyone, so yes, they are all very special indeed. I have also purchased a few other supplies for their visit:

To mark this wondrous event, I plan to post a new photo every single day they're here. They deserve nothing less than a clean house and daily recognition that they rule the world. Check back in tonight for bleary eyes, big hugs + bewilderment...

Slow News Day...

2010-03-18T08:17:00.000-07:00

There's not a whole lot going on right now. Well, not much worth writing about, and difficult to write given that my computer is currently on holiday in Melbourne where it had a little operation (read: got a muthatrucking new motherboard). So yes, it's been a little difficult to postulate / be petulant / post without my special technical friend to lend a hand.

Yesterday, however, something quite extraordinary occurred: the temperature rose above 0 degrees. It was the first time this had happened in something like 4.5 months, ergo it was a momentous occasion. My friend James and I inadvertently live tweeted this outstanding phenomenon because it was really all we could do. It's possible we also uncovered some truths about the TV series 'Lost'.

It also emerged that friends across the world were experiencing similar unexpected jumps in temperature. Most shared in my joy.

Oh spring. You are indeed delightful.

P.S. I promise to NEVER EVER discuss the weather again (if I do it will be on a completely separate weather blog. Do drop me a line if you'd care to be involved.).

Spring, You Say?

2010-03-14T05:26:00.000-07:00

We are officially a few weeks into spring. I took these photos yesterday after it pissed down with snow.

Tomorrow's predicted low is -30 but weather forecasters are suggesting a high of +4 for Thursday. I'll believe it when I feel it.

It's Just How They Roll Here...

2010-03-12T02:43:00.000-08:00

As seen on Twitter today (yes, posted and RT'ed by Mongolian folk):

Stop the vegetarians, they eat the animals food!

Broke

2010-03-09T04:52:00.000-08:00

Turns out my finger got broken five weeks ago in 'the incident'. I have never broken anything before, so I found the x-rays quite fascinating:

Ultimately though, it's all a-ok.

Any medical practitioners, please feel free to share any advice on how to deal with a fractured finger. At the moment I'm armed with a roll of tape and the hope that I don't end up with 'wicket keepers fingers' a la Steve.

Camel Country

2010-03-01T05:59:00.001-08:00

I gambled on a camel race in the Gobi Desert. My life is now complete. Winning a Quinella at the dogs ain't got nothing on throwing down 1000₮ for a hairy two-humped beast ridden by a 12-year-old to run faster than other hairy two-humped beasts ridden by 12-year-olds... and maybe a few 42-year-olds. Nat's chosen camel had a slow start:

Mine sure as hell didn't win, but the race to the finish line was rather exciting indeed:

So yes, a group of us headed south to the Gobi Desert for a while. After driving for two days in a Russian van in an experience I can only liken to giving birth (I have friends you know) we hit a little town called Bulgan for its annual camel festival. Here's our friendly van:

The festival was quite wondrous. The camels (or temee in Mongolian) were definitely kitted out for winter, and put on a lovely show for us non-desert dwelling types. There was the aforementioned race, a parade, a competition for best looking couple on camels and then some kind of unfettered camel taming competition involving teams of five. How does one tame a camel, you ask? I wish I didn't know the answer to that question, because I think I saw and heard a camel cry for the first time, and that was not really pleasant for either party.

First up, the camel is effectively lassoed, then like a tree that's spent too much time with a lumberjack, taken down. Observe here:

Next up, like a lumberjack who has decided to shun his true stylistic calling, the camel's beard is removed. Unlike a lumberjack's beard (although this could prove to be an interesting use for excess facial hair), the camel's beard is instantly turned into a rope that will be used as its harness. Then someone stands on the camel:

Then a wooden peg is stuck in the camel's nose. I'm no camel or horse expert, but I think it's the equivalent of a horse's 'bit'. It is here and now that the camel cries and I squeal like I have had something shoved in my nose. The camel was not happy about the situation, but once the deed was done, it got to chill on the ground for a while while a herder dude used it as a seat:

Finally, the camel is brought upright and a stellar herdsmen jumps on its back and 'tames' it, ie rides a wild beast. At this point, all those within a 100m radius of the camel should move out of the way. It wasn't until the camel came hurtling towards us that we realised it cared not for our safety, and we ran screaming into the desert (actually, we hid behind a van until the camel ran in another direction).

While in the Gobi we also visited the Flaming Cliffs at Bayanzag, where the first ever dinosaur eggs were found in the 1920s. Excessive sandy wind meant we probably ate a raptor each, or at the very least took one home in our bags.

And yes, there was snow in the desert. Life in the Gobi is far from easy, as this lil guy unfortunately discovered:

I met lots of other lovely dogs and cats in the desert though, and there are some more pics of them + the super sexy camels over at Flickr.

P.S. I have no idea where the obsession with lumberjacks came from. Lack of good beards on parade in Mongolia?

Signing Off for the Summer

2010-02-15T08:26:00.000-08:00

I'm off to the Gobi Desert until Sunday for a camel festival. BRB.

Seeing Things...

2010-02-14T06:56:00.000-08:00

Today was one of the most important days on the Mongolian calendar. Цагаан сар (Tsagaan Sar) is a festival celebrating the lunar new year. More about how it's celebrated later (and photos of the whole sheep that hangs out on the table during the festival), but in the interim, here's a new friend I created today. While according to the Tibetan calendar the Year of the Iron Tiger began today, I hereby declare 2010 to also be the Year of the Ice Ghost.

Bargain Bones

2010-02-12T02:48:00.000-08:00

Glad I don't ever buy + cook meat. Apparently people are "selling dog meat as ‘boned goat meat’, at a cheaper price" in Ulaanabaatar's markets. Lucky it's cheaper.

When I Grow Up...

2010-02-10T08:36:00.001-08:00

When I was 11, I auditioned to be on a kids game show called Double Dare. I made the contestant list, but unlike my friend Mikey, the show was canned before I actually got to compete on TV for glory + a Swatch watch. Point is though, at some point during the audition, I had to run into the middle of a circle and finish the sentence, “When I’m 30, I will be…”

What did I say? Lord knows why I remember this, but I said something to the effect of, “When I’m 30, I’ll be working as a journalist in LA.” How close did I get to my 11-year-old Magic 8 ball type prediction? Put it this way. I was in LA with Lauren last year JUST before I turned 30 and now, at the delightful age of 30-and-something months, here I am WRITING about things. OMG. It’s like I was channeling the future when I opted in for a Physical Challenge!*?!!* ☺ :? emoticon emoticon.

And hey, guess what? I also write for an English language newspaper here in Mongolia. Seeing as Ulaanbaatar might as well be Compton, it would appear I am psychic.

Here’s a few pages from this week’s Mongol Messenger. I’ve got the arts sector covered, Nat pops up in a photo and Clare (Shh. She’s ghost writing or something. She took the pics too) has tackled some of the more pressing matters in Mongolia, which, all else aside, are actually extremely important, so please have a read if you get the chance.

P.S. MC Loud: Do you still have a tape of that time we went to see the REAL psychic?

English: Good For Something

2010-02-03T06:52:00.000-08:00

I haven't quite given up on learning Mongolian, but truth be told, my interest is waning a little as I realise that a) All the words sound the same, and b) Considering all the words sound the same, if you can't even pronounce one properly, you're pretty much screwed in general.

The words for leg, tongue and food might as well be one and the same for all I can decipher, same goes for cat, horse and bad. This bodes not so well for me when I try to tell people I have a cat back home.

Lucky for us, an FM radio station here wanted some English language speakers to program a full day, so we are now all radio presenters extraordinaire. Considering the last time I did radio properly we were still using reel-to-reel to record interviews (Google it youth type people), I was concerned things these days might be a little 'hi-tech' for my aged mind. Not so.

It's all pretty straight forward really. So every second week, between the hours of 3pm and 4.30pm, Sonja and I present an arts and culture show where we channel David + Margaret and talk art (luckily she is learned about such things). Then from 7.30pm - 8.30pm Clare and I play new music. If you play in a band, speak English and I know you, I'll probably hit you up for an interview in the coming months - when else will you get the chance to talk to the good citizens of Ulaanbaatar? That's right, probably never. Unless you decide to trade in music for goat herding. You'd probably make more money actually...

This week, Clare chose songs from bands she saw at Falls Festival when she was back in Melbourne for xmas. There were some excellent selections, including Chairlift, Blasko and YYYs, however I think in the pic below, she's attempting to explain to me why Lisa Mitchell, former Australia Idol contestant, is good. I just shut up and played the song.

The Hive @ ZOGII 107FM - Engligh language radio

Every Wednesday from 12noon - 12mdnight*

*No, of course you can't stream it online. Did you see the mixer?

Extra Layers Are Your Friends

2010-01-31T06:38:00.000-08:00

Hey whales, I geddit! I understand the whole concept of this blubber business you hold so dear. Fat is an excellent thermal insulator and as such, I have cultivated myself a tidy little layer to keep me going through this winter, as your good mammal selves tend to do. It has served me well so far, and I have even been enjoying my morning walks to work in -35 degress. So cheers for the inspiration good friends. That said, I don't quite want to become one of you, so I have been attempting some forms of activity here in Ulaanbaatar.

I learned to ski for the first time last week, and I also intend to spend much time at this wonderful place in the near future:

It is a warehouse skate rink right in the city. They only have inline skates, but I have great intentions to order roller skates from Texas so roller derby training can kick off in UB. Some people are good at inline skating. I'm not one of them. Plus the skates are kinda ugly.

I'm expecting more than a few collisions with the concrete and the snow in the coming weeks, but I don't think any of them will result in injuries as spectacular as those I sustained last night when some dude tried to steal my bag. Although I really don't like digital cameras, I have come around to my little Canon friend, so I decided I wanted to retain my bag, and the camera residing in it. Therefore he grabbed, I held on... and went for a derby-style knee slide sans knee pads.

Now that you've seen my spew, I feel it's only fair to share my bruises:

Who needs roller derby when you've got bag thieves?

Mongolian Metal

2010-01-23T04:28:00.000-08:00

I've been to a few gigs since I got here way back in October, but none compare to the one we went to last night. It had it all: Cheap Russian beer in brown plastic bottles (a Russian longy, if you will), a raffle with a tattoo session as the main prize, squat toilets (complete with leaky pipes that sprayed a fine mist on you as you peed) and about 10 bands on the bill.

Squeezed in between more straight up indie rock bands were these legends:

This guy was clearly a fan:

Sam was perhaps a little less amused:

Katy won a prize in the raffle, but to her dismay, it wasn't a tattoo. She scored five plastic bottles of the Russian beer. Great for us, not so good for her, considering she doesn't drink beer. Nonetheless, she was very excited:

We later celebrated her win by dancing on stage with bands and then climbing a speaker stack for elevated dancing. Katherine and I further celebrated Katy's win by drinking her beer. Straight Arrows also represented:

As an aside, it should also be noted that Katherine is a winner herself. She's a winner not only because she's amazing, but also because she was given a giant novelty cheque. It's the stuff that dreams are made of. She won a raffle at a shopping centre. I see a trend emerging. Hey Crea, if you read this, can you please buy me a Lotto ticket?

Sketchy squat toilets: we survived! And lived to tell the tale! Or take a photo as the case may be. Here's Katy with the lovely Happiness after conquering toilets that make the Hopetoun's (RIP) look like bejeweled thrones:

More metal please. And maybe a meat tray.

Projectiles

2010-01-19T21:43:00.000-08:00

I started feeling unwell yesterday afternoon, but couldn't throw up. So I left work with the aim of making it home for some quality couch time. Unfortunately, I didn't quite make it the whole way home without a small incident. I projectile vomited onto a tree. It was truly an exceptional force - I even impressed myself. Because it was -40 degrees last night, my spew had some time to freeze. I returned to visit it this morning, in all its frozen glory.

Sorry tree. Maybe it will serve as a lovely fertilizer? For the record, I am feeling much better today thankyouverymuch. I will not, however, be visiting the lunch establishment I visited yesterday for some time...

Extreme Sports #1: WALKING

2010-01-15T22:53:00.000-08:00

Ulaanbaatar is an ice skating rink right now. In order to walk anywhere, one must add an extra 15 minutes to total journey time to allow for small steps, drawn-out road crossings and unpredicted ice spills. No shoe is good enough, although if anyone has any golf shoes, I'd be happy to give them a whirl. Mongolian women, ever-resilient, still manage to get around in stiletto boots, so my respect level for them has trebled since the frozen streets of doom appeared.

There are a number of techniques employed to survive the extreme sport of 'Walking in Mongolia in Winter'. I have outlined a few.

MONGOLIAN SHUFFLE
The #1 move in town, the Mongolian Shuffle bears some resemblance to its globally renowned cousin the Melbourne Shuffle. Consisting of small, simple foot movements where the feet remain firmly planted to the ground, it's the easiest way to cruise along an icy street with little fear of connecting a coccyx with the concrete. Allow me to demonstrate below.

WHO NEEDS A SKATEBOARD?
Use your shoes as makeshift ice skates and just slide along the ice to your destination. It's quicker and a whole lot more entertaining. Allow Sam + Clare to demonstrate below:

OFF-ROADING
The practice of walking through dirt, debris and trees to avoid actual paths and streets, thereby reducing exposure to ice. I employ this technique at every opportunity.

GRAB A STRANGER
Women often walk arm-in-arm and strangers at intersections have been known to grab unfamiliar elbows when crossing the road. This would seem to be a measure employed to aid stability, but I have another theory that it's just in practice to distribute the humiliation of a face plant a little more evenly, should one occur.

I have collided with the ice on four occasions to date. I'm still counting.

Good News Monday

2010-01-11T00:30:00.000-08:00

On one of my early adventures around the city to hunt + gather my lunch, I lucked upon a wonderful place. Small, bustling and full of locals chowing down on traditional food like buuz, khushuur and one of my favourites, tsuivan, it was cheap, quick and tasty. The woman taking cash would ignore my order until I said it properly in Mongolian (or a fellow diner took pity on me and enunciated correctly on my behalf), and much of the time I had no idea what I was ordering, but I persevered anyway and hoped it would be the outside flesh of an animal rather than its insides I scored on my plate. Then I'd push my way to the front of the canteen style window to collect my food before finding an old lady or some Mongolian sparkies to share a table with. It was my favourite solo lunch-eating establishment until I was dealt a life changing blow on December 1, 2009.

Sender:

Sam Wearne

Received:

14:31:59

01-12-2009

I don't know how to say this but... your favourite restaurant has been demolished. Maybe we shouldn't have given them the mullah to consider some renos. Damn it!

To:

Sam Wearne

Sent:

14:33:07

01-12-2009

WHAT? SAY IT AIN'T SO. Where the fuck am I going to get lunch now?

Cue feelings of devastation and a hefty grieving period. Just to be sure Sam wasn't being a heartless bastard and messing with my fragile food-loving heart, I visited the site. I fell to my knees, sobbing when I saw a giant, gaping hole between two money changers where the restaurant once served unidentifiable meat goods and soggy steamed bread.

But today, I discovered that sometimes, (not that often) things happen very quickly in Mongolia, and that miracles can actually occur.

Sender:

Sam Wearne

Received:

13:30:52

11-01-2010

You're gonna love this. They rebuilt the restaurant already. I'm eating goulash and buuz as we speak.

To:

Sam Wearne

Sent:

13:39:33

11-01-2010

Holy shit. Life is good. I love this country!

How Cold?

2010-01-07T07:12:00.000-08:00

See how my eyelashes are white? That ain't mascara. And those white frosty looking bits to the side? They're strands of my mother truckin' hair. Yes, yes they are. This was after I walked to work the other day. NEVER COMPLAIN ABOUT A MELBOURNE WINTER AGAIN PEOPLE. If you click on the pic, you can probably get a bit more detail. I cut off my nose because no-one needs to see frozen nose hairs. No, really.

I Ate This #2

2010-01-06T08:14:00.000-08:00

If you happen to follow my Twitter (yes, the internet and I are unhealthily close), you will note that over the new year celebratory period, I was coming home after many wonderful sessions with my friend Chinggis (he of the vodka variety) and eating fish cheese. I really don't think the cheese is made from fish, but fuck me if it doesn't reek of the ocean and taste a bit rank. I cracked open my 1L duty-free bottle of Jameson this evening and three minutes ago got a little peckish. Although I vowed not to do it again, I revisted my old friend, Mr Fishkäse. Here it is in all its resplendent, plaited glory:

And for the record, I did not purchase this smoked cheese monstrosity. My temporary Belgian housemate did. He also applauds foie gras and is about to go camping in the middle of a Mongolian winter, so it's possible his brain is a little confused.

Hibernate Me

2010-01-01T18:38:00.000-08:00

It's well and truly winter here so I intend to spend much of January in hibernation. That means if you don't hear from me for a while, please don't be alarmed - I will be having the time of my life with Mad Men season 3, Woody Allen and the plethora of English language books I purchased in Berlin. I'll still post stuff here though - I'll just be avoiding other aspects of the internet. Here's a nice photo of some birds I took near Gandan monastery the other day after I went for my second ever stack on the ice. Consider it my photographic interpretation of the year ahead. Or just a pretty picture. More Berlin pics here with photos of New Years Eve in -30 on a frozen square to come soon. Шинэ жилийн баярын мэнд хvргэе.

Do You Care What I Like?

2009-12-29T08:39:00.000-08:00

If you do, my list of top musical things from 2009 appears below. If you'd also like to see what my excellent former colleagues and cohorts found enjoyable last year, please peruse this fine newsletter, as compiled by my compadre + the dude currently finding Starburst lollies under my ex-keyboard, Lil Pat. Nice work Pat.

Top Releases + songs

Nite Jewel – Good Evening
The xx - xx
Jack Penate – Everything Is New
The Mess Hall – For The Birds
Miike Snow – Miike Snow
Health – Get Color
DZ – Ruined My Life
The Middle East – The Recordings Of The Middle East
megastick fanfare – brain tooth
Bat For Lashes – Daniel

Kid Sister - Get Fresh
Super Wild Horses – We Don’t Believe It

Gigs I lost a little bit of my mind at

ATP Mt Buller… all of it
PJ Harvey + John Parish, Future Of The Left, The Bronx, Nite Jewel + Spindrift at SxSW
Seekae remix EP launch w/ megastick fanfare, Parades, Ghoul + Bearhug
Ivy League FBi fundraiser w/ The Mess Hall, Red Riders, Cloud Control + more
Spunk FBi fundraiser
Talons + SPOD at Clare’s bday warehouse party

Top Four Mongolian bands I expect to see a lot in 2010
Khusugtun, Altan Urag, Starfish, Mohanik

P.S. If you enjoy the musical selections of Mr Martin Doyle as expressed in the Ivy League newsletter, do take a stroll to Dusty Fingers, Dirty Palms. It's education + inspiration all rolled into one lovely page on the internet.

I Ate This In Berlin #2

2009-12-28T08:20:00.000-08:00

My expat friends living in Berlin say they are BIB* when they get home after being out of town. I am now BIUB# after spending a week IB^. (I am currently working for an NGO. Acronyms are becoming my life). I had a lovely time with the beautiful Ria + Chris and ate + drank many delicious things.

At a delightful xmas market we drank glühwein with Harriet. Not too much though - spewing warm red wine is no fun for anyone.

We drank Russische hot chocolate (go for one part cocoa and 17 parts vodka and you're on your way. Hello Moscow).

Christo gave a duck a bath before roasting it for xmas lunch. That duck sat on my knee in the train on the way home from the market. It had a bony butt. Its mother should have told it to eat more.

I saw these in the local booze shop. Of course I purchased them. Wouldn't you?

*Back In Berlin

#Back In Ulaanbaatar

^In Berlin

I Ate This In Berlin #1

2009-12-22T04:15:00.001-08:00

I am in Berlin, Germany this week. It is like being on summer holidays, only there's snow instead of sand and glühwein instead of sangria. The temperature is an almost tropical 3°C as opposed to -45°C in Ulaanbaatar. I came here excited by the prospect of lots and lots of fresh vegetables and fruits from mystical islands. Instead I got currywurst.

Cheer Up Charlie Winter Warmer Recipe

2009-12-11T02:38:00.000-08:00

Partly inspired by Indira's excellent Saucy Onion and partly the result of a very uncomfortable sleepless night, here is my 'Cheer Up Charlie Winter Warmer' recipe, also known as 'Colonic Irrigation For Those On A Budget'. If you ever watched the original version of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, (and hopefully fast-forwarded through the torture of said song) you may recall Charlie and his bed-sharing grandparents survived on cabbage and Wonka Bars. My soup pays homage, sans the golden ticket...

INGREDIENTS

1 x cabbage
1 x onion
Garlic cloves (however many you like, depending on the evening's plans)
Chilli
Paprika
Assorted root vegetables found in the fridge / cupboard
Salt + pepper
Water
Random stock cubes purchased at the market (I like these because they have pictures. I assume one is chicken and one mushroom. For obvious reasons).

DIRECTIONS

1. Head to local store.
2. Recoil in horror at sheep's heads sitting in open fridge type contraption.

3. Bypass sheep and find a nice head of cabbage instead.

4. Head home and assess fridge and cupboard situation. Usually there will be a random potato or carrot floating around. Peel and chop those suckers. Chop up the onion + garlic too, then fry them with some chilli. Chuck in the chopped cabbage and random vegetables, give them a quick fry, then throw in boiling water, stock cubes, paprika and whatever else takes your fancy.

5. If you want to give the soup a decidedly Mongolian edge, consider throwing some buuz into the mix. The Buckets would lose their Wonkafied minds over these things. While the soup is doing the business on one hot plate, steam some pre-bought mutton dumplings on the other. If you don't own a steamer, never fear - a strainer can serve more than one purpose.

6. Throw the buuz into the soup when it's fully cooked, stir + serve. A tasty winter treat for those on a budget / living in a country where a tomato probably costs more than a whole sheep.

Diseases May Now Spread After 9pm

2009-12-07T08:20:00.000-08:00

Yes, we can rejoice - the H1N1 curfew has indeed been lifted. This actually happened last week, but I failed to mention it because I was too busy not being in the house after 9pm. I will miss meetings and training sessions where participants looked like this:

WHY SKYPE IS GOOD

2009-12-06T00:11:00.000-08:00

It is Sunday afternoon in Mongolia, the day after we hosted an excellent party for Clare's birthday at our happy home. I have not left the house, the floor is sticky and I'm still wearing a nightie. I have spent the past three hours on the couch, on an amazing date with my friend Grace who lives in NYC. It is approximately 3am in NYC and Grace has been drinking beers. She convinced me join in. I now have to go have a shower before I go watch some ballet. I LOVE SKYPE.

Happy Birthday Clare!

2009-12-03T08:35:00.000-08:00

It was Clare's birthday today, so we had cake. Mongolian cake is special. See below.

I chose the cake because it had elephants, a fence and some fetching green grass. The woman in the supermarket tried to explain what kind of cake it was. I did not understand. Then again, I don't quite know how to describe this exceptional baked good in English either, except to note that it had a layer of green and a layer of orange on the inside too. I do admire colour co-ordination in a cake.

We are having a party at our house on Saturday night in Clare's honour. If you or one of your sheep herding uncles resides in Ulaanbaatar, do come along... with fangs.

Getting Out Of Town

2009-11-29T02:46:00.000-08:00

We got out of town this weekend. Given that we are currently residing in one of the most polluted cities in the world and side-stepping frozen vomit is par for the course on a morning walk to work, it is very nice indeed to get out of the city every now and then. It was also Laura The Lovely's™ birthday, so 11 of us packed into the back of a van on Saturday morning and schlepped to a ger camp 50km out of Ulaanbaatar.

Some people shot arrows. Some people got shot at with arrows. I was not good at either so I shot some vodka instead.

We walked to the top of a hill. And then back down. Although it really looked like this:

It felt a lot like this:

There was an ovoo up there.

Something died to get involved.

I rode a horse through the snow with the help of this champ. We did have to take a break while he had a snow pee though. I averted my eyes. We had only just met.

We slept in these lovely gers.

And a snow dog had his morning stretch to welcome daylight with me. His fur was frozen. Poor dog dude. Amelia swears she saw a snow cat around somewhere too.

More pics on Flickr.

Next week Clare is going to teach me to ski at Mongolia's first and newly opened ski resort. Yes, I have medical insurance.

The ARIAs... Doing It Mongol Style

2009-11-26T17:18:00.000-08:00

So it was a public holiday in Mongolia yesterday, an independence day of some description. This meant I went to the gym, ate an egg white omelette, and had a lovely Skype date with Meg. GOOD TIMES. Day got better though, because some clever cats organised an afternoon gig to buck the 9pm curfew. Legends, I say, and our first chance to finally see some local bands. Here are a couple of them:

Yes, homeboy is wearing a face mask while playing bass.

Yes, that is a roll of tape

While watching said bands, news came through that my homie Josh Pyke won an ARIA award. CONGRATULATIONS JOSH! He is a gem among men + musos alike and deserves a trillion awards.

Me and my friend Sam had a celebratory vodka in Josh’s honour.

Yes, that is 100ml of straight vodka. That’s how they roll in Mongol town…

Oddly enough the DJ in between + after bands played Empire Of The Sun, The Vines + Jet. AU represent much?

After the vodka, we required some eatings. So we ate buuz, Mongolian dumplings of goodness containing mutton and maybe some onion. Sorry Hungry Jacks veggie burger, you have been usurped by these little pockets of joy.

P.S Please buy this Josh Pyke DVD here. It was the last thing I worked on at Ivy League and it’s pretty cool.

Mongol Mania

2009-11-24T18:48:00.000-08:00

Although we have found ways to circumvent the 9pm curfew (these guys are particularly good at it when they're around), I have been indulging my 'cultured' side a little more of late. This weekend just gone I did many things.

I learned to make felt from wool:

I made a giant bow

I may choose to wear it like this... but probably not.

I purchased a traditional instrument called a 'tovshuur':

I will attempt to play it over the next few months (or just allow it to sit in my room and look pretty.)

I saw some well crafted + thought out Mongolian street art:

I considered purchasing a hobby fish:

Stuck And The City

2009-11-11T08:10:00.000-08:00

So we're kind of in lockdown here in Ulaanbaatar. Swine Flu aka H1N1 has sent officials into some kind of porked out spin. Schools are closed, public transport outta the city has halted and everything closes at 9pm. Markets have been shut down, galleries too, and you can't play sport after 9... or something like that. Even more interesting is the revelation that horsemeat may help to keep the flu at bay. Because not much else is going on, here are some photos. A whole stack more over on Flickr.

Recycling... the Mongolian way

2009-11-08T06:19:00.000-08:00

I got my legs waxed this afternoon. It was quite the experience. Instead of using fabric strips, as is generally the case in other waxing salons, the waxer used strips of paper torn from magazines to rip my hair out. It took a good couple of hours and hurt a heck of a lot. If this is standard waxing practice in Mongolia, I doubt many women utter the words 'one Brazilian please'.

On a more positive note, I also got a manicure for $5 and made a friend who was getting a facial while my legs were brought up to speed with the latest gossip straight from the pages of the local rags.

Perhaps Mongolia is really ahead of the times when it comes to recycling?

Raccoonwear

2009-11-01T07:09:00.000-08:00

Today I bought my winter jacket. Today I wore a raccoon around my face for the first time.

He died so I might retain my ears this winter. Cheers lil buddy.

Tomorrow is my first full day of work after a week of language classes and half work days. Here's my business card in Mongolian.

No, I can't read it either.

Where The Streets Have No Name

2009-10-30T03:18:00.000-07:00

I am going to a house party tonight. I realised how interesting directions are here when I went to write them down just now. No, the streets don't have names, but there are landmarks... From the email:

DATE: Friday, 30th Oct

TIME: from 9pm

WHERE: Our apartment

Directions from the main Trade & Development Bank (with the mosaic clock): Walk one block north, cross to the north side of the intersection, turn west and walk about 75 metres past the 5 little hexagonal pod shops and along a 3-storey pink building (past Nara Japanese restaurant, the hunsni neg grocery store and then the Mongolian National Fast Food Restaurant). Our balcony is on the third storey at the far western side of that pink building (above the Goyol
Korean Restaurant). Entrance around the back. Third floor, blue door on the right.

GETTING IN: we don't have a doorbell or doorcode ... so please call us on one of the numbers listed below so we can let you in.

I will report back tomorrow as to whether I ever actually make it there or freeze in a gutter, bottle of Chinggis vodka in hand, when it hits tonight's low of -14, as predicted by Weather Underground.

P.S. Please note tomorrow's expected low of -22. Welcome to Happiness Land.

Swine Flu... Mongolian Ninja Style

2009-10-26T07:23:00.000-07:00

Swine Flu hit Mongolia just after we got here + people have been freaking out. Schools have closed and every second person is wearing a face mask. We have decided the masks are better used as face warmers + to keep out the impending winter air pollution. Last night we had a black-out in our area (happens a whole lot apparently) so me + my flatmate Clare kicked it ninja style by candlelight.

I Ate This #1

2009-10-24T19:02:00.000-07:00

Dairy products are kinda popular here. Apparently traditionally, in the summertime, nomads were effectively vegetarian and ate only dairy and no meat. We tried some of the extensive dairy selection yesterday. I kept it all down, although some of it would have been better out of my belly...

Mystery Dairy Product (name recollection failure)

Dried Curds

Garbage Flavoured Gelato

2009-10-23T07:22:00.000-07:00

In Ulaanabaatar, the garbage trucks play a happy tune, but they don't sell ice-cream... at least I don't think they do.

I Am Sick...

2009-10-20T01:38:00.000-07:00

and we haven't had internet installed in our apartment yet, therefore I am not particularly good at communicating right now. Happy to talk to you between throwing up milk tea and pizza, but it's probably a situation best avoided right now. See you on the other side of the toilet bowl + barren internet wasteland...

Two Major Things Happened Today...

2009-10-15T09:53:00.000-07:00

1. It snowed in Ulaanbaatar (UB is the equivalent of Woolloomooloo - it'll take me a year of being here before I can actually spell it correctly)

Cute kid in tuxedo outfit

Happiness Land, apparently...

Lovely Laura + Amelia

2. I saw a whole lot of live music

They have a throat singing Decoder Ring in Mongolia (with a nod to doom metal)

They have Jay Kay in Mongolia

They have awesome bass playing dudes in Mongolia

I'll actually be posting a whole lot more photos here if you're interested. Do note: I have no photo editing software as yet so these pics are straight up live + direct from my camera...

Minus Me

2009-10-13T18:52:00.000-07:00

The weather forecast for UB on Sunday is a high of -5 and a low of -10. Saturday night is meant to get to -14. And it's not even winter yet...

My First Mongolian Cat...

2009-10-12T01:45:00.001-07:00

I am very pleased to report that there are cats in Mongolia. I spied this fine fellow from my hotel window in Ulaan Baatar.

I think I might avoid meeting him in person though, considering this lovely space seemed to be his happy home.

I would quite like to see him cruise along the rooftops opposite our hotel though.

The Journey So Far...

2009-10-10T05:27:00.000-07:00

As this is my last night in Australia, Melbourne to be exact, I thought it only useful to reflect upon my journey towards Mongolia so far, and give some shout outs...

Shout Out #1: Steve Kish. For driving to Sydney to collect half my wardrobe (that's many, many dresses in case you were wondering). He did get something in return though - a lesson in Jenga at the Old Fitzroy. Thanks Steve.

Shout Out #2: Scout. For helping to pack.

Shout Out #3: Andy C. For discovering Don McLean in a lettuce leaf at my leaving dinner. And everyone else for confirming the sighting + not blaming the sake.

Shout Out #4: Dead echidna I ran over while driving down the Hume from Sydney to Melbourne with Lauren the best sister in the world ^TM. For reminding me not to fuck with Australian fauna, even when in a Rav 4.

WELCOME TO ONE EYED YAKS

2009-10-01T07:39:00.000-07:00

I am about to move to Mongolia for a year. Although I will be spending a lot of time working for this fine organisation, I also intend to discover whether:

1. One-eyed yaks really do exist

and

2. Twin Peaks ever made it to Mongolia.

Along the way, I plan to see a lot of excellent local bands, eat a lot of delicious animal products and wear some seriously awesome clothes. Do come along for the ride...