Sunday, December 31, 2006

Where I was for the New Year

One of my students from school had invited me to to his house for New Year. So I went to Nomin and braved the line to get some childrens' champaign, some orange juice and a little toy car for the boy. then I returned home and watched a movie. Around 7:40 pm I left for the store next to building #27 because he and his family lives behind building #27. He and his older sister speak English pretty well. I was able to speak with his mother and grandmother in Mongolia. I had a goodl dinner, drank various liquids, played Tarzan on his computer and took a practice TOEFL test with him and then returned to the living room at 11:50 or so. After the year turned, I took some pictures of the family and some with me in them. His mother has a car so she drove me home around 12:30.

Pre-Holiday Bash/ Today's another

Last night I hung out with this dude I met from Dubai. He is working in the 10th District like me. We went to a bar owned by his friends who are a Mongolian couple that lived in the SF Bay area for many years going to school and working. on the way to the bar we were approached by two women who offered to go to a hotel with us. They were really beautiful as most Mongolian women are but they seemed to have a certain goal in mind and I wasn't interested in them. Also I didn't know them and what diseases they might have so I told them we were going to a house party and that we were almost there and that it is a private party. Wished them a Happy New Year and they were out of there.

We made sure they didn't know which bar we entered before we entered the one we were heading for. It the one near the Ginza Bar which is near the Ulaanbaatar Circus. we went there had a little party and that went to the couple's clothing store. They import clothing from the US. It is near the long distance bus station. Overall it was a good night. Tonight I will go to one of my student's house for to celebrate the New Year. bi margaash bayar tuukhai bichene. Tomorrow I will write about the celebration.

Monday, December 04, 2006

The Major returned

Mike Major had ventured out to the countryside to visit friends in Erdenet and Khuvsgol. He travelled by train to Darkhan to be with his son, wife, and her family. After that he took a microbus to Erdenet and met up with former
co-workers. He stayed in Erdenet for awhile and then travelled by furgon to Moron. He called me one night from Moron to get Serdamba's phone number and to find out Serdamba's location. I told him that Serdamba doesn't have a cell phone but that he is in Khatgal. Mike ended up finding Serdamba. Mike called yesterday during one of my classes and I said "Mike, can you call me after 6 PM?"


So I found myself travelling at 7PM to the Buddhist Stupa cafe. The Buddhist Stupa/ Cafe is near where the old Millie's was back in 2000. the taxi driver I rode with was an ok guy. sometimes I'm a little leary getting taxis in UB after dark. It can sometimes be a fairly iffy propisition. But this guy was cool. When I entered, Mike was meditating. I ate the buuz I bought from Zochin Buuz 999 and had a black coffee. Mike had a tea. They close up at 8. After that we crossed the street and went to Nayra cafe where one of my students works. She is a former student from Tarialan. They close at 9 so we stayed there and talked about various topics for an hour. We still wanted to do something as it was early so we walked towards State Department Store. there's a cool bar/ restaurant called Alaska. So we went in there. Mike called a friend named Ganbold. He's a body building trainer and aerobics instuctor at a gym. He's a good guy because he doesn't drink to excess and he has a good character. it was time for me to go around 10:30 pm as sometimes the building jijuur (watchperson) locks the entrance to the building in which I live. That can be annoying. After that I returned to my apartment after stopping off at an internet cafe and reading an email from my Dad.

Overall it was a good night out and about. Mike says that he's leaving Mongolia on December 17th.