tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36725225772239722272024-03-14T00:10:36.691-07:00One Eyed YaksDo They Have Twin Peaks In Mongolia?Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725344654882791321noreply@blogger.comBlogger72125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672522577223972227.post-45062096872019406672010-10-08T04:40:00.000-07:002010-10-08T04:41:51.707-07:00This Is The Part Where I Start To CryThe 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.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw_gLzIGlrGp5YH_erXZtZzMjOrbxVJSz5cg3eUkl1T9g2sNfleyjp0n0FQdhnyTM4GOMBX1meQeB9HfKnKWVjSUFXf2t8otxMLtBFG29OSzTEb8-6j9ANupHdjliX87253r1Khl1PvDE/s1600/z1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw_gLzIGlrGp5YH_erXZtZzMjOrbxVJSz5cg3eUkl1T9g2sNfleyjp0n0FQdhnyTM4GOMBX1meQeB9HfKnKWVjSUFXf2t8otxMLtBFG29OSzTEb8-6j9ANupHdjliX87253r1Khl1PvDE/s320/z1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
But hey, you gotta jump again some time, right?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6PMYNPlosdqBzPzVsRnicFionCIyMEqGzaRNFrtwVV3hgqKRJDEgXjm_4OwgNyu9LIQ50ioLFgQoSLrWc-gXR9BTmuc-5mK1-730rXcK61GKLUuuTtFsyWcSSwpkTP_QC-R4Xj4yKvRs/s1600/z2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6PMYNPlosdqBzPzVsRnicFionCIyMEqGzaRNFrtwVV3hgqKRJDEgXjm_4OwgNyu9LIQ50ioLFgQoSLrWc-gXR9BTmuc-5mK1-730rXcK61GKLUuuTtFsyWcSSwpkTP_QC-R4Xj4yKvRs/s320/z2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Goodbye Ulaanbaatar, hello Melbourne.Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725344654882791321noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672522577223972227.post-75807118065214269652010-10-04T10:14:00.000-07:002010-10-04T10:17:05.828-07:00The Lost Posts...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. <br />
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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 <a href="http://muchadoaboutmelbourne.tumblr.com/">(much ado about) melbourne</a>. 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...Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725344654882791321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672522577223972227.post-90158080158332615742010-09-30T02:36:00.000-07:002010-09-30T02:38:39.761-07:00My Life Right Now: East Meets West Film Forum + FestivalSo sometimes, in between eating strange animals and <a href="http://www.oneeyedyaks.com/2010/07/real-mongolian-art.html" target="_blank">getting my nails done</a>, I work. Who would have thought? Lately, my working life has been all about this:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.eastmeetswest.mn/"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhONdIr2ogTDNfiLms35-hiknMCWZYaFTzfEv5du8sIlW3oMU3IighRH4swyESJQ9_No39vAx2i2kk77WnF4MrdFna0kRwHQ1jBF9ZicxuYbSWYKdstypydhFv_UyvjcqWIhwa9TxgFmCU/s1600/EMWeng.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div><br />
Yes, the wonderful <a href="http://www.artscouncil.mn/">Arts Council of Mongolia</a> 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. <br />
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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<a href="http://www.eastmeetswest.mn/"> the site we've put together</a> + come along/wish you were here.Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725344654882791321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672522577223972227.post-46797919212205961202010-09-28T05:49:00.000-07:002010-09-28T08:19:28.666-07:00Things I Will Miss About Mongolia #1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: left;">With less than two weeks to go until I set sail for <a href="http://muchadoaboutmelbourne.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">(much ado about)melbourne</a>, it's time I recap on the wonders of Mongolia I have yet to 'big up' before now. This week's <b>Things I Will Miss About Mongolia </b>post is a shout out to...</div><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><b>MONGOLIAN MYSTERY MEAT GOODS</b></div><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: left;">aka <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #93c47d;">Meat I Have Eaten That I Possibly Should Not Have Eaten</span></b>. 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 <a href="http://settransmission.tumblr.com/post/87608134/dearest-deers-i-do-apologise" target="_blank">I eat deer jerky</a>, in Dandenong I eat <a href="http://www.dandenongmarket.com.au/Default.aspx?ItemID=26&TabID=62&uc=info&mode=dir" target="_blank">Dandee Donuts</a> and in Mongolia I eat mountains of mutton. Case in point below. Yes, that is one big, old, fatty sheep. </div><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyfKFciHtSJ7TNY7zk0-ZRgJsdkWkmGsueGLMe5yoLxANjgQJkLL21Ec8RtICvrzEoDtUqZUPrUHMpBLIQRRJWddMsByDZpkLm4uGjwa6a4tKcZsKvS2fYML5su3PFObbaV7hSyAZl8fY/s1600/sheep.jpg" target="_blank" /></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">I like to sample the local delicacies, like bull penis in hot pot.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCALjvrdgNGHMrktkhOt2ZgtFQgIz9EcV9qhFnVTwb5U8cXk5TEhj97KA5dIT3IajfgTlDq7wudb4r0xIH_9sbxbkCBRXzXVmgl0o1IKSFAyj3JudF_7EA2b5WAaoRarBFbpglAxKbKyU/s1600/bull.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCALjvrdgNGHMrktkhOt2ZgtFQgIz9EcV9qhFnVTwb5U8cXk5TEhj97KA5dIT3IajfgTlDq7wudb4r0xIH_9sbxbkCBRXzXVmgl0o1IKSFAyj3JudF_7EA2b5WAaoRarBFbpglAxKbKyU/s320/bull.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
I like to support the manufacture of processed meat goods, particularly those with delicious gelatinous hearts.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvJkRUoAxdpY1khOpAPFbxTxHzotY5bioyds0PmFOJ7lSJm4x7MicBgLBxd_8ZNA9rDd-LwjcVsRl9gzI7d2g9-RLeZANFyyYkFs6HujQ9Sro9hy9Z0bpwlBQFFMSVt4P4EpOz2owQkRQ/s1600/mystery+meat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvJkRUoAxdpY1khOpAPFbxTxHzotY5bioyds0PmFOJ7lSJm4x7MicBgLBxd_8ZNA9rDd-LwjcVsRl9gzI7d2g9-RLeZANFyyYkFs6HujQ9Sro9hy9Z0bpwlBQFFMSVt4P4EpOz2owQkRQ/s200/mystery+meat.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">I like to eat <a href="http://www.pilotguides.com/destination_guide/asia/mongolia/marmot.php" target="_blank">animals that possibly have the Bubonic Plague</a>.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijJjLf_0-kvGgGKL71bdT5c216Po_lQF9MIE0QtuC4ZUMnHzZqvBJqYMoEo4ARvPo-SyHTIv2D_oobCiEuEjef7UlJJtJo1wsc-3QXa4XFz5GmqNKKIWfj6ddcKvKnmt_XgbbVvz_S6B4/s1600/marmot.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijJjLf_0-kvGgGKL71bdT5c216Po_lQF9MIE0QtuC4ZUMnHzZqvBJqYMoEo4ARvPo-SyHTIv2D_oobCiEuEjef7UlJJtJo1wsc-3QXa4XFz5GmqNKKIWfj6ddcKvKnmt_XgbbVvz_S6B4/s400/marmot.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">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.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0c5H9ohTYxthVjlkxUdb3FjcOEO9Cj9IXBXGje0jotONQIW0la23nCcbo4ybDhgtZqyky8sNLHr6h8aiYCkv8CC90QWT9lx6ffRDnnysPuyOZyhTvtQ3IWWYHI70gYjTRCWFw1zCKzAw/s1600/horse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0c5H9ohTYxthVjlkxUdb3FjcOEO9Cj9IXBXGje0jotONQIW0la23nCcbo4ybDhgtZqyky8sNLHr6h8aiYCkv8CC90QWT9lx6ffRDnnysPuyOZyhTvtQ3IWWYHI70gYjTRCWFw1zCKzAw/s200/horse.jpg" width="140" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyfKFciHtSJ7TNY7zk0-ZRgJsdkWkmGsueGLMe5yoLxANjgQJkLL21Ec8RtICvrzEoDtUqZUPrUHMpBLIQRRJWddMsByDZpkLm4uGjwa6a4tKcZsKvS2fYML5su3PFObbaV7hSyAZl8fY/s1600/sheep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a></div>Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725344654882791321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672522577223972227.post-23584645659251629162010-09-24T05:06:00.000-07:002010-09-27T08:14:53.008-07:00My Clever FriendsSo 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.<br />
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First up, my buddies Jess + James prove UB really is a State Of Mind with some help from <a href="http://www.mongolianbling.com/">Mongolian Bling</a>'s Benj. Our apartment even makes an appearance at the end of the clip. Tuesday night house parties are the best house parties. <br />
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<div align="center"><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/15041403?byline=0&portrait=0&color=f70a16" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><p>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.</p><br />
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<div align="center"><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/15180111?byline=0&portrait=0&color=f70a16" width="400" height="300" frameborder="0"><br />
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<div align="center"><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/15146153?byline=0&portrait=0&color=f70a16" width="400" height="265" frameborder="0"><br />
</iframe></div>Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725344654882791321noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672522577223972227.post-20153011131614395232010-09-12T05:10:00.000-07:002010-09-12T07:25:14.091-07:00Flyin' In FourIn 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:<div><ol><li>Learning to play my <a href="http://www.oneeyedyaks.com/2009/11/mongol-mania.html">tovshuur</a></li><li>Publicising an <a href="http://culture360.org/news/mongoliainternational-film-forum-and-festival/" target="_blank">international film festival + forum</a></li><li>Getting a new tattoo</li><li>Packing a year of belongings into one suitcase</li><li>Plotting a course for, um, what next?</li></ol><div>I expect many of my upcoming posts will be recaps / shout outs / pleas for help. You have been warned.</div><div><br /></div><div>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.</div><div><br /></div><div>P.P.S. GETTING SENTIMENTAL. These are the people I could not have survived without. More on them later. Photo in the interim. Legends.</div><div><br /></div></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqYZmdw0wrfFiAyx-xBiQe5JzKCNbw1GL88N4IfT2_sYCUdeQH14E8hzzV-JSaeTml1Z6NKD6mo0Kao3thi74X6tudnzrtjzE8PaMGrCurmC2_RUgzXaBSMjWbctbAiAPbIkD9Sc8zHIE/s1600/t26.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 171px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqYZmdw0wrfFiAyx-xBiQe5JzKCNbw1GL88N4IfT2_sYCUdeQH14E8hzzV-JSaeTml1Z6NKD6mo0Kao3thi74X6tudnzrtjzE8PaMGrCurmC2_RUgzXaBSMjWbctbAiAPbIkD9Sc8zHIE/s320/t26.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516028815391032482" /></a>Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725344654882791321noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672522577223972227.post-45439944292503964332010-09-06T20:40:00.000-07:002010-09-06T21:20:20.018-07:00Why My Uncle Tomi RulesMy 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 <a href="http://www.oneeyedyaks.com/2010/09/folk-of-faraway-fridge.html">I posted earlier</a> and shared some info with me. Thanks U. Tomi.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Dear Alicia,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I have really enjoyed your latest blog. You have a very good style; one can see the journalist schooling.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">For your edification:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The bottle of pomegranate states that it is "a gigt from Azerbajdjan" and it is a "pomegranate juice" (COK = juice).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The next one with the cow on it states that it has a "delicate plum flavour".</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">And the cheese spread states that it is "molten pateurised cheese with smoked meat products".</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Now you know what is (or was) in your fridge.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Look forward to seeing you soon and hearing all your stories.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Love,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">U. Tomi</span><br /><br />Yes, I am very concerned about the<span style="font-weight: bold;"> "molten pateurised cheese with smoked meat products"</span> and no I do not know what <span style="font-weight: bold;">"a gigt from Azerbajdjan"</span> means.Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725344654882791321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672522577223972227.post-21895920628065609292010-09-05T05:31:00.001-07:002010-09-05T18:35:46.304-07:00Marmots, Mountains + Mosques<div>A couple of weeks ago I hit the western-most province of Mongolia, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayan-%C3%96lgii_Province" target="_blank">Bayan-Ulgii</a>, with my buddy <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/reeling/4933777223/in/set-72157624699435859/" target="_blank">Katherine</a>. 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.</div><div><br /></div><div>We spent a night with a beautiful Tuvan family near the <a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Altai_Tavan_Bogd_National_Park" target="_blank">Tavan Bogd</a> 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 <a href="http://china.globaltimes.cn/society/2010-06/542589.html" target="_blank">many have the plague</a> (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 <a href="http://www.oneeyedyaks.com/2010/06/i-gave-birth.html">khorkhog</a> manner. Mmmm. Plague flavour. Delicious.</div><div><br /></div><div>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.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's clearly obvious I have just discovered iMovie on my computer, so here's a video extravaganza of our trip:</div><br /><div align="center"><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/14517065?byline=0&portrait=0&color=f70a16" width="400" height="300" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><br />And a few shots of the town of Ulgii + Tavan Bogd. Many more pics on <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/reeling/sets/72157624699435859/">Flickr</a>.<div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNNgS1JrjEYfCL9Dvt7dDPxT2dob7AVvD8yEcE6kB-kFKUEjBtT6duuatMrp4jJro5BdvdO2sGiL-0INWlCW0RVNy3eTZPdkaMQZqIQkIBdaLVt1ixAM2Z224KT5J1ha7jOQ_I8o0PlPo/s1600/IMG_3512.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNNgS1JrjEYfCL9Dvt7dDPxT2dob7AVvD8yEcE6kB-kFKUEjBtT6duuatMrp4jJro5BdvdO2sGiL-0INWlCW0RVNy3eTZPdkaMQZqIQkIBdaLVt1ixAM2Z224KT5J1ha7jOQ_I8o0PlPo/s320/IMG_3512.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510824790431370898" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4LD7x38AQz-OTjHGRRBHWQppRlcWsuqd8jJwy5zQ5MgY5kQgGcrpmcwwfUrkeRMR7fMrVfwowC7aNulFE_SfkFp_WRA8RMfYA9Zi9SN2V6pkKSk-VmrZwJiqcGYPRf90ZsNeaAcmKmxw/s1600/IMG_3481.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 238px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4LD7x38AQz-OTjHGRRBHWQppRlcWsuqd8jJwy5zQ5MgY5kQgGcrpmcwwfUrkeRMR7fMrVfwowC7aNulFE_SfkFp_WRA8RMfYA9Zi9SN2V6pkKSk-VmrZwJiqcGYPRf90ZsNeaAcmKmxw/s320/IMG_3481.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510824785224400002" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-CuceWgpJFnb9GUzYat7czKBBHaHFACE-3xmCeAGH3h8ZThzj__b5IbJGc8S_I4zq0E8uLVZBvk3e0OXlNyLvQrJtwZpq8k4U2tAlizInIpQ0a0HH4x5lK87-9BrlUIXBEToXBuyGTko/s1600/IMG_3445.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-CuceWgpJFnb9GUzYat7czKBBHaHFACE-3xmCeAGH3h8ZThzj__b5IbJGc8S_I4zq0E8uLVZBvk3e0OXlNyLvQrJtwZpq8k4U2tAlizInIpQ0a0HH4x5lK87-9BrlUIXBEToXBuyGTko/s320/IMG_3445.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510824781052308082" /></a></div>Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725344654882791321noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672522577223972227.post-80481306640493758962010-09-02T07:34:00.000-07:002010-09-02T08:56:15.291-07:00Folk of the Faraway FridgeI 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':<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwL8rWWJlnHSdOnGPkIweT3hX5Eg27fGvAEBcXd3KU7dJgAWrU5NC_A7HPX0uFabmm3jPlWMO0ke7SMlyaWZfL8OfMHnU35VRZiOjeJT3DwgHpP9ynIj1EAPLdgRvhY7_fLtPybvdTRgo/s1600/IMG_3541.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwL8rWWJlnHSdOnGPkIweT3hX5Eg27fGvAEBcXd3KU7dJgAWrU5NC_A7HPX0uFabmm3jPlWMO0ke7SMlyaWZfL8OfMHnU35VRZiOjeJT3DwgHpP9ynIj1EAPLdgRvhY7_fLtPybvdTRgo/s320/IMG_3541.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512336203614627522" /></a>I will now attempt to explain some of the curiouser items.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwjjlyWSXBkE1aSXhHOdeeLD-791lT28CDlwhFFzcccnxRjV3Em76A_-ABJ3WOSyQZpqset-cA9t516Zzt6CCItBRHmv1b5ZySxScj6yQO0Wm97oUcHLpp36e0R01ouBc1z5W-vEy4uA0/s1600/IMG_3550.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwjjlyWSXBkE1aSXhHOdeeLD-791lT28CDlwhFFzcccnxRjV3Em76A_-ABJ3WOSyQZpqset-cA9t516Zzt6CCItBRHmv1b5ZySxScj6yQO0Wm97oUcHLpp36e0R01ouBc1z5W-vEy4uA0/s320/IMG_3550.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512341713840971906" /></a>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!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL8AkrrzxLHDmmjdOIUwF3qrVgweY3t842RvUp31jSTvgqtHm5WZq-vdmc7mCYV1P-XpmLG3TYGikufeEW4OkM_pVQaciWBh_ARpwZVyaKrMO1xF8ehyHEgLdRVbWOJg-devzePqJQw2M/s1600/IMG_3562.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL8AkrrzxLHDmmjdOIUwF3qrVgweY3t842RvUp31jSTvgqtHm5WZq-vdmc7mCYV1P-XpmLG3TYGikufeEW4OkM_pVQaciWBh_ARpwZVyaKrMO1xF8ehyHEgLdRVbWOJg-devzePqJQw2M/s320/IMG_3562.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512337870040256482" /></a>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.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL8LisAQ1SgsGU1uHOkVBX5LR8UftIzfXHq6yzjsHMUgaRs6CUHVM5TdAtmnzm-D9V8t61uR3ZtMh1QNFAriNhAC6pTNkWOXPa1L4yLGh898WYIIgbhKXp0mt3qxHSEtm6gazhyphenhyphenaST8-g/s1600/IMG_3560.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL8LisAQ1SgsGU1uHOkVBX5LR8UftIzfXHq6yzjsHMUgaRs6CUHVM5TdAtmnzm-D9V8t61uR3ZtMh1QNFAriNhAC6pTNkWOXPa1L4yLGh898WYIIgbhKXp0mt3qxHSEtm6gazhyphenhyphenaST8-g/s320/IMG_3560.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512337863633990754" /></a><br />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.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjauDOcnd0Pa77Z9UEx-lLvvGawC0lDlOdz5x0ILhl2ew0SoDU8Iyy2QM8O_evKyYN9SSfd5wfF2SABZDqjCABqryFELsadS6bLTkiz7JLp5aYIhOVhd7UKpPNmG_1mR9i56am645V8Y40/s1600/IMG_3554.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjauDOcnd0Pa77Z9UEx-lLvvGawC0lDlOdz5x0ILhl2ew0SoDU8Iyy2QM8O_evKyYN9SSfd5wfF2SABZDqjCABqryFELsadS6bLTkiz7JLp5aYIhOVhd7UKpPNmG_1mR9i56am645V8Y40/s320/IMG_3554.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512336243751390914" /></a>Look at this fucking rainbow connection. Rainbows + cows = Russian butter. Did you learn nothing at farm school?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3hgZuhyphenhyphenjBO7Qj80hsqHIehExRiHjafHIR8Itb09WPGj2Fs5VqAOZ_5IkF4GbFER01TZ5lWHC8-9qc7iWIVY4p6gpQ1AJaUUKOYhuSDXbYp5r1VwyZ2Lb6I3rRgTzxuToY3J47w3ExLpw/s1600/IMG_3553.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3hgZuhyphenhyphenjBO7Qj80hsqHIehExRiHjafHIR8Itb09WPGj2Fs5VqAOZ_5IkF4GbFER01TZ5lWHC8-9qc7iWIVY4p6gpQ1AJaUUKOYhuSDXbYp5r1VwyZ2Lb6I3rRgTzxuToY3J47w3ExLpw/s320/IMG_3553.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512336235206502546" /></a>Seabuckthorn wine. No really. 16% alcohol and counting. Sweetly satisfying.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ANYMxptX5fiSOj0OirZ0tb9aO25su26nWZRL9jndh-B1R_e19gLBxTc_iW0Kq3i0JW1jLAoq48Wx59ZAlqJgH8bTu5addGNxdx5HFCuMO2PVG2AZqidHYdesrmjsErlDtPlM1IPN9c4/s1600/IMG_3551.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ANYMxptX5fiSOj0OirZ0tb9aO25su26nWZRL9jndh-B1R_e19gLBxTc_iW0Kq3i0JW1jLAoq48Wx59ZAlqJgH8bTu5addGNxdx5HFCuMO2PVG2AZqidHYdesrmjsErlDtPlM1IPN9c4/s320/IMG_3551.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512336226421547938" /></a><br />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.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrzmwzzAzjcNHMsMngx1kstsemqD4Oy0Ux9Gb0zlHU6uIBvXtIDFokNqKFhQTN3zX1BJA4vmZ1GlBFboATB1xXS7uzZcuouUwSy62YvykE9iYmZz-usRsiySEQFSzL3a6hD5WeiLnx3iY/s1600/IMG_3565.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrzmwzzAzjcNHMsMngx1kstsemqD4Oy0Ux9Gb0zlHU6uIBvXtIDFokNqKFhQTN3zX1BJA4vmZ1GlBFboATB1xXS7uzZcuouUwSy62YvykE9iYmZz-usRsiySEQFSzL3a6hD5WeiLnx3iY/s320/IMG_3565.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512337876809974610" /></a><br />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.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGP0Dt56h7Ftz0rboAMMjHp5YCPZQm8LvtPXkZdXAUGdFqxS_cUXbfrysUsk0VM3TKMhfTfFQovcUqoyHjTjLEubsIc7flSh9Gw7UuqWro2R7z613bfficUj_5J9SNc0hfOArVO8lRWQ/s1600/IMG_3569.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGP0Dt56h7Ftz0rboAMMjHp5YCPZQm8LvtPXkZdXAUGdFqxS_cUXbfrysUsk0VM3TKMhfTfFQovcUqoyHjTjLEubsIc7flSh9Gw7UuqWro2R7z613bfficUj_5J9SNc0hfOArVO8lRWQ/s320/IMG_3569.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512337881682267842" /></a><br />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.Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725344654882791321noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672522577223972227.post-49968116052634546632010-08-25T10:11:00.000-07:002010-08-25T11:18:45.232-07:00Parent PartyMy 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 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kh%C3%B6vsg%C3%B6l_Nuur" target="_blank">Lake Khuvsgul</a>, a huge body of fresh water up near Russia.<br /><br />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:<br /><br /><div align="center"><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/14423220?byline=0&portrait=0&color=f70a16" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><p></p><br />There are a few more pics on <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/reeling/sets/72157624805428912/" target="_blank">Flickr</a>, but this one is particularly awesome. It's Sue. And an eagle.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCcYrusFDz86jeaYwIc8c-br3asmHkGN1BgwEjOcyNB5xPiLcTCNmoD_CEM0TyxjXkm5IGkFqScnfckb1TlkNDOH8r3mRf1hF2r-4tYV7aiD3MgJvX61kjS24mH_UB80DoxN8zBeTFGSM/s1600/IMG_3305.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCcYrusFDz86jeaYwIc8c-br3asmHkGN1BgwEjOcyNB5xPiLcTCNmoD_CEM0TyxjXkm5IGkFqScnfckb1TlkNDOH8r3mRf1hF2r-4tYV7aiD3MgJvX61kjS24mH_UB80DoxN8zBeTFGSM/s320/IMG_3305.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509398008979005170" /></a><br /><br />BYE SUE + STEVE. SEE YOU SOON. YOU WERE EXCELLENT VISITORS xAliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725344654882791321noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672522577223972227.post-46183481314495163532010-08-13T08:46:00.000-07:002010-08-13T10:20:43.268-07:00Beers, Bands + BabesA week ago, I bought a glockenspiel. It looks like this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheI8VXKLDJnxTFIho9_wjuFZYUid0-oKcYNoRrahkEo8FNWdr14IYrvY5mYqEwyImXUAm1WTSusmgRHiWB2kdIeFVw2tIC7blqiCdb4jCuVGi9E1V32eXsskFu4ynYW1f5qjbApj8OIbE/s1600/glock.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheI8VXKLDJnxTFIho9_wjuFZYUid0-oKcYNoRrahkEo8FNWdr14IYrvY5mYqEwyImXUAm1WTSusmgRHiWB2kdIeFVw2tIC7blqiCdb4jCuVGi9E1V32eXsskFu4ynYW1f5qjbApj8OIbE/s320/glock.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504937936975026434" /></a><br />Later that afternoon, I attempted to play the glock and a shaker on stage with a pared back version of UK band <a href="http://www.myspace.com/weaeronauts">We Aeronauts</a> at a Mongolian music festival called Playtime. It looked like this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKUhNuhgCx75LYreyd2tT8VU80XoApyzqVAQ0eGQCA4cFrYTHg86gIUP1Khh1nqpTeabEwW1gwFjsUe2LDSTdIof0H2aBcMmBgqZZy_l_2l5rVr-MbjK96tKg0DDWY0oX6ZQjSTNHppVI/s1600/playtime.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKUhNuhgCx75LYreyd2tT8VU80XoApyzqVAQ0eGQCA4cFrYTHg86gIUP1Khh1nqpTeabEwW1gwFjsUe2LDSTdIof0H2aBcMmBgqZZy_l_2l5rVr-MbjK96tKg0DDWY0oX6ZQjSTNHppVI/s320/playtime.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504939877924088386" /></a><br />A few more photos <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/reeling/sets/72157624585638165/" target="_blank">here</a> 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.<br /><div align="center"><br /><object width="400" height="225"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=14107092&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=f70a16&fullscreen=1&autoplay=0&loop=0"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=14107092&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=f70a16&fullscreen=1&autoplay=0&loop=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="225"></embed></object><p style="text-align: center;"></p></div><br /><p></p>Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725344654882791321noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672522577223972227.post-89844290777859931712010-07-26T02:32:00.000-07:002010-07-26T02:36:53.693-07:00FEED MEI 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?Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725344654882791321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672522577223972227.post-66150863177431630232010-07-23T21:48:00.001-07:002010-07-23T22:18:09.914-07:00Real Mongolian ArtBlogging 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). <br /><br />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...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjGo1O3Pdouy_D8I7-xGrY_V96XTkwVc4dMgAc11GJBNQIGx6WInY0khQL_xEjbqj_cQonFmBL48f4whQHrB6VRYvPLkUVdJ8iDL3F32cxf66ocxTG9rzIWhKLhfwVXxLza4wHlHNiWJg/s1600/summer.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjGo1O3Pdouy_D8I7-xGrY_V96XTkwVc4dMgAc11GJBNQIGx6WInY0khQL_xEjbqj_cQonFmBL48f4whQHrB6VRYvPLkUVdJ8iDL3F32cxf66ocxTG9rzIWhKLhfwVXxLza4wHlHNiWJg/s320/summer.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497335397086252962" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvj0sLy4Iw5jU-Acdfw5kXTf-TWvHQRAyLlAc8s__L1SM3u6d-jT2osbGdXfdwxh09GEnqXnvmClz-eGKvPjkGU8SjgIIhRGRvFzCNqpbW65X4DOOKIT5oQZemJ0PMrTagJjgAkz2oWCE/s1600/autumn.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvj0sLy4Iw5jU-Acdfw5kXTf-TWvHQRAyLlAc8s__L1SM3u6d-jT2osbGdXfdwxh09GEnqXnvmClz-eGKvPjkGU8SjgIIhRGRvFzCNqpbW65X4DOOKIT5oQZemJ0PMrTagJjgAkz2oWCE/s320/autumn.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497335381252373234" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC1_P09GKdJpuifXM6gApjoC98VlBxxqB2kw1RpDxhDZUGTpxFvdwivuVas-aArAleu1RNXLxYcKcV8TV3zhUnpQ9zQv40vgOP97MuM5azs8Hkqly0rSbXkWFTJAKemdDooz7CKkd48as/s1600/winter.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC1_P09GKdJpuifXM6gApjoC98VlBxxqB2kw1RpDxhDZUGTpxFvdwivuVas-aArAleu1RNXLxYcKcV8TV3zhUnpQ9zQv40vgOP97MuM5azs8Hkqly0rSbXkWFTJAKemdDooz7CKkd48as/s320/winter.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497335398994639650" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_rZnOAsX5DKMMB-JIfXeB_LcCLS4RlRjhCMIwIOKb1xGBmVgo6yCqEJrVXr6WR0xdItjWp_URDSrodMYeyXfom9dZJv2nO0BlixdlBFQIlrIPP1JDKkMrgh2XOmfRHC5_RAyFZAtC_0/s1600/spring.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_rZnOAsX5DKMMB-JIfXeB_LcCLS4RlRjhCMIwIOKb1xGBmVgo6yCqEJrVXr6WR0xdItjWp_URDSrodMYeyXfom9dZJv2nO0BlixdlBFQIlrIPP1JDKkMrgh2XOmfRHC5_RAyFZAtC_0/s320/spring.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497335385743237682" /></a>Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725344654882791321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672522577223972227.post-23903220201035643202010-06-27T10:25:00.000-07:002010-06-27T10:26:50.382-07:00SPLAYED<div style="text-align: center;">This was my day today. How was yours?</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpCFZlxUG7e0lTcntMRb_F7cO8fSoaKnM49DImFW0vN07FgoLSgVDko6U0th879tXf7fK39bl42Qod3T3Pdns9akJACHkJmIS9mc7bZFO2n2z_kXkebeQJyCpPskcDnGWB694BSi0OGWQ/s1600/sheep.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 271px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpCFZlxUG7e0lTcntMRb_F7cO8fSoaKnM49DImFW0vN07FgoLSgVDko6U0th879tXf7fK39bl42Qod3T3Pdns9akJACHkJmIS9mc7bZFO2n2z_kXkebeQJyCpPskcDnGWB694BSi0OGWQ/s320/sheep.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487506034922130162" /></a>Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725344654882791321noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672522577223972227.post-46071929215997710602010-06-16T07:41:00.000-07:002010-06-24T12:31:15.615-07:00I Gave Birth...... 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 <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/reeling" target="_blank">Flickr</a> for lots of delightful dandelions and frolicking:<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/reeling/4703815788/" title="Dandelions by reeling, on Flickr" target="_blank"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1283/4703815788_6566241727.jpg" width="500" height="376" alt="Dandelions" div="" align="center" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>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:</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKG9zKVWH-nuHWDrypLmZ_lEfWiQhvexornW9pDqhkS17WmX1Rfn_YRjus7dYGN_X-InElMjkbH4B3-BtDyzuGsB_c8cKebeV38MU640YmZBau3u6yWeW9wlNb034BRVEoxNs0L0fwd3A/s1600/khorhog.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKG9zKVWH-nuHWDrypLmZ_lEfWiQhvexornW9pDqhkS17WmX1Rfn_YRjus7dYGN_X-InElMjkbH4B3-BtDyzuGsB_c8cKebeV38MU640YmZBau3u6yWeW9wlNb034BRVEoxNs0L0fwd3A/s320/khorhog.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486396377387569474" /></a>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.<br /><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgExX_l6Tc3oktfXv8BCCef7pS2giUNieXGHHQxnApy5nV5hmNDO4PNgq7n4VNvw4qYvRJ98KkQHdoHSkaWG97ZygShEcNJuHgfQoJkuQ5-UbF45Pzb2fDVl2XIzAC3HfD7aYIyI4-c2uk/s1600/handdive.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgExX_l6Tc3oktfXv8BCCef7pS2giUNieXGHHQxnApy5nV5hmNDO4PNgq7n4VNvw4qYvRJ98KkQHdoHSkaWG97ZygShEcNJuHgfQoJkuQ5-UbF45Pzb2fDVl2XIzAC3HfD7aYIyI4-c2uk/s320/handdive.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486396359531429666" /></a>Then smash that meat like you've never smashed meat before... </div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj56qEiAfVPKJUz0lWh-Ruy1fSTwvfsUG4SqlHFKAOKZkIher4_srvgT_In6fLJ6eh-YkJKdr8YJo62itl-aBKRWzMs66jeUk1zSYpgTPeVET3YgMJ87tXE6klnH93MFKRehQST7QN4hB4/s1600/francis.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj56qEiAfVPKJUz0lWh-Ruy1fSTwvfsUG4SqlHFKAOKZkIher4_srvgT_In6fLJ6eh-YkJKdr8YJo62itl-aBKRWzMs66jeUk1zSYpgTPeVET3YgMJ87tXE6klnH93MFKRehQST7QN4hB4/s320/francis.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486396354688786914" /></a>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.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBIRXa_4F8wzG5oGWV12pyVc1LhMZ7lUxg9Jlt5mL9-GD2TnEJq8HdgBOicAuYhik9oMYxjHx3kcbNvUhGiOmRwNowQ4deNc7r4FPfwyKMnrQtIWY_KCBtdMMWfv3tST0IHa5nENOoHnQ/s1600/beach.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBIRXa_4F8wzG5oGWV12pyVc1LhMZ7lUxg9Jlt5mL9-GD2TnEJq8HdgBOicAuYhik9oMYxjHx3kcbNvUhGiOmRwNowQ4deNc7r4FPfwyKMnrQtIWY_KCBtdMMWfv3tST0IHa5nENOoHnQ/s320/beach.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486396347199204642" /></a>More BBQ adventures to come this weekend when it's slated to hit 36 again. BRING IT.</div>Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725344654882791321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672522577223972227.post-33617618059266496212010-06-07T07:21:00.000-07:002010-06-07T09:33:14.037-07:00I Camped + Did Not DieYes, 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 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orkhon_River" target="_blank">wondrous region</a> as a bit of a farewell adventure for our buddy Bec who is heading back to AU soon.<br /><br />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.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXECusq37emwU39SR-g2iOi_QZEsqloP4QCTDqi2Zv8MekY1GAYw60wmcQXcWaKVwLhGwutMhXgm96T5bk8wSY60Dia_yCA1K7kTwUAhD1gGq-CPzFogzAAH2JMhGNR8_6co3QEy6NGWA/s1600/rugby.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXECusq37emwU39SR-g2iOi_QZEsqloP4QCTDqi2Zv8MekY1GAYw60wmcQXcWaKVwLhGwutMhXgm96T5bk8wSY60Dia_yCA1K7kTwUAhD1gGq-CPzFogzAAH2JMhGNR8_6co3QEy6NGWA/s320/rugby.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480043621105151298" /></a><br />OHGOD moment #2 occurred some hours after this when we arrived at the campsite after a detour to pick up a spare tyre in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karakorum" target="_blank">Kharkhorin</a>. 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.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5kNpwCEe1R2bm8jm4s67XzJoDJNg_JSGtmOas-oCfcRs4cxMonWjfBZxIuwJ4XvoPTC0ftW8mOE6zFch-p0G6zdzGVTxEjTM3-CE7MH8TEnOWG0pVfL7PM04U1R96lzuJ0dpORA-ads8/s1600/camping.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5kNpwCEe1R2bm8jm4s67XzJoDJNg_JSGtmOas-oCfcRs4cxMonWjfBZxIuwJ4XvoPTC0ftW8mOE6zFch-p0G6zdzGVTxEjTM3-CE7MH8TEnOWG0pVfL7PM04U1R96lzuJ0dpORA-ads8/s320/camping.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480043607408303490" /></a><br />Next day I saw why we were down there. It was pretty.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvuMz5Y9xqaVK5zU9RbQ2k1pMCrjxsDT1qGk5EZlpPTeifkUmgWzzrN-RHNYs3szEKfrRIkYmGVqkZKCaAEBzVx651xlnpU6y1_Yo_ijIBO4Dd4OGHtjDEQcd59vwLum355SIJ0Yn1kd4/s1600/waterall.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvuMz5Y9xqaVK5zU9RbQ2k1pMCrjxsDT1qGk5EZlpPTeifkUmgWzzrN-RHNYs3szEKfrRIkYmGVqkZKCaAEBzVx651xlnpU6y1_Yo_ijIBO4Dd4OGHtjDEQcd59vwLum355SIJ0Yn1kd4/s320/waterall.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480064055701943218" /></a><br />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!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUzmCvx0qaRhpDfX3v1RKkndSmqPKbYsmyfdJktxQ4iZ9cF-3Xw84hrgiwxI-6tqfk_0Jh7XDfmwUPIBAisnyPOEdKU4rJdZxsMSMJTD0DBuawWalO_lCv_vXR2fXtiCMFHj8uIbL0dA0/s1600/grass.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUzmCvx0qaRhpDfX3v1RKkndSmqPKbYsmyfdJktxQ4iZ9cF-3Xw84hrgiwxI-6tqfk_0Jh7XDfmwUPIBAisnyPOEdKU4rJdZxsMSMJTD0DBuawWalO_lCv_vXR2fXtiCMFHj8uIbL0dA0/s320/grass.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480043611266653010" /></a><br />Day after we trekked up a pine forest mountain to visit Tuvkhun Monastery where Sonja and I were excited to see <a href="http://www.zanabazar.mn/" target="_blank">Zanabazar's</a> rock chair. Dude had a killer view.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie3TCeA72JkKuxM44xcwwAhKoEdjYp5sjG76UQF21s6rIhwh-ce3lP5BS908iDv6RklD91tqrEcgFqJM4FRd4D5rPdXfO59ClSRxqIpVtZIXevygfLHoCknRd48o3eDj-9Cfvq8P2M9R8/s1600/sonja.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie3TCeA72JkKuxM44xcwwAhKoEdjYp5sjG76UQF21s6rIhwh-ce3lP5BS908iDv6RklD91tqrEcgFqJM4FRd4D5rPdXfO59ClSRxqIpVtZIXevygfLHoCknRd48o3eDj-9Cfvq8P2M9R8/s320/sonja.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480043632897394418" /></a>Interesting flora was on display in the region.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUrotPRqUwweRbJby0JylO73k1j2OaLonO8cw2stcKNx_bys6l8xQI4DMKkIs0bawP7vXBQWDnEUQIU8X0pJAaeMYarSNjE_uZByVIdnr8gHybXx9MSO7c0f7KBAIvKKlVrVfieYWb3eM/s1600/plants.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUrotPRqUwweRbJby0JylO73k1j2OaLonO8cw2stcKNx_bys6l8xQI4DMKkIs0bawP7vXBQWDnEUQIU8X0pJAaeMYarSNjE_uZByVIdnr8gHybXx9MSO7c0f7KBAIvKKlVrVfieYWb3eM/s320/plants.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480043617183854162" /></a><br />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.Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725344654882791321noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672522577223972227.post-80387698858303027082010-05-28T10:00:00.000-07:002010-05-28T10:07:15.797-07:00Throne MeI'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.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfYH_ZXCDKE80pKbcezLI9ID42KbSKEduvxpg0-TT6bGz4Hb9TXuNhPr40-e1Hbk6Lfj8V9TlDTLX_54_F0fHBdFHQ1Ah4V3vu9-sGMGmYGIbu6xmLJd8Fbi42AYHC7c8hl-qNZwzZDwI/s1600/throne.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfYH_ZXCDKE80pKbcezLI9ID42KbSKEduvxpg0-TT6bGz4Hb9TXuNhPr40-e1Hbk6Lfj8V9TlDTLX_54_F0fHBdFHQ1Ah4V3vu9-sGMGmYGIbu6xmLJd8Fbi42AYHC7c8hl-qNZwzZDwI/s320/throne.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476367113828876562" /></a>Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725344654882791321noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672522577223972227.post-51882767825813413022010-05-16T10:28:00.000-07:002010-05-16T11:29:19.955-07:00BloomingI'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:<br /><br />Today I saw flowers in the Mongolian countryside for the first time.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbmPRLVd5zfO7cVIn-mfXRgvGJ4R2x0h105MAVU_PbetMSd3NyAAzVZDADWm12s7DR03709FasdhMNqWGbhghN_by-CuUfse8h9vhFbHSEclRc3PYOJSD-KmZDiqQl4kyJ_s52S26xmEs/s1600/wflower.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbmPRLVd5zfO7cVIn-mfXRgvGJ4R2x0h105MAVU_PbetMSd3NyAAzVZDADWm12s7DR03709FasdhMNqWGbhghN_by-CuUfse8h9vhFbHSEclRc3PYOJSD-KmZDiqQl4kyJ_s52S26xmEs/s320/wflower.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471921977561955586" border="0" /></a><br />Clearly a career in botany beckons.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZRntZg5pSxQEr7COliYk0xH8MtPHvw-whLlClBPr4_BdJrtVIwAoaeqRg5Zprr259l0IlLy1qbpO4C4gUea-ns3MFAmXTcPTimeZD1pS9F4SCvSX14W7pL3SEWTrs3iodju2kwEHEpXY/s1600/yflower.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZRntZg5pSxQEr7COliYk0xH8MtPHvw-whLlClBPr4_BdJrtVIwAoaeqRg5Zprr259l0IlLy1qbpO4C4gUea-ns3MFAmXTcPTimeZD1pS9F4SCvSX14W7pL3SEWTrs3iodju2kwEHEpXY/s320/yflower.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471932366986460178" border="0" /></a><br />Today, I smelt + felt rain in Mongolia for the first time. The ground looked like this before that happened though.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8-DT6RJshF9gVWDG6gJ0EH6686hWztATaX3pcBQTtBhvsuuMQ0A72zEWxNyjIBWUMh_YHOe9AyHN3wzU1HxBxJks478Gxm7DwFEgeDmspb7zY5E7KJPl-GgT0bTTwL3nUITcvtL8zapQ/s1600/me.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8-DT6RJshF9gVWDG6gJ0EH6686hWztATaX3pcBQTtBhvsuuMQ0A72zEWxNyjIBWUMh_YHOe9AyHN3wzU1HxBxJks478Gxm7DwFEgeDmspb7zY5E7KJPl-GgT0bTTwL3nUITcvtL8zapQ/s320/me.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471933086649768818" border="0" /></a><br />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.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWt6mzD81TbzBKKtqOw6pmpRfoQWfJraRwG4JZiFSCFqGgUC5BiK8pfNYHQcb_xnjpWqbY1wo2NUohcflccTZh_j3wVRotFxZNAjvFCjhHZrZlK7og1Ai9QKVJywbATQitcIU83zC9Zj8/s1600/horsie.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWt6mzD81TbzBKKtqOw6pmpRfoQWfJraRwG4JZiFSCFqGgUC5BiK8pfNYHQcb_xnjpWqbY1wo2NUohcflccTZh_j3wVRotFxZNAjvFCjhHZrZlK7og1Ai9QKVJywbATQitcIU83zC9Zj8/s320/horsie.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471921987585738114" border="0" /></a><br />Yesterday, I drank beer outside in Mongolia for the first time. Andrew + Julian did too and were clearly very excited to be involved.<br /><br /><div align="center"><img src="http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a144/aliciak/aj.gif" /></div><br />I think I like this floral, beetroot fuelled, springtime equine wonderland.Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725344654882791321noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672522577223972227.post-40551364795425582362010-04-29T20:11:00.000-07:002010-04-29T20:15:58.722-07:00<div style="text-align: center;">I scanned.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTWa0at0n_l17bCr9YpZJAtlzF3kGv9q0adTCxDVY59HHgP-RGxJ0lp3VvuSUUlzVq59NnFAftWXuGnK2MerG5kTyK5DCCaC6yCaIOX1skuroauVxseyQFfHXV1BmDsyy6BLWIwdudGdY/s1600/ladies1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 233px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTWa0at0n_l17bCr9YpZJAtlzF3kGv9q0adTCxDVY59HHgP-RGxJ0lp3VvuSUUlzVq59NnFAftWXuGnK2MerG5kTyK5DCCaC6yCaIOX1skuroauVxseyQFfHXV1BmDsyy6BLWIwdudGdY/s320/ladies1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465763066181491682" border="0" /></a>We conquered.<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_AobzuAz7Bw2yhJVAZc7_RrSHPcpsMQWQjl4piFyd1ZO3T3E3MpFWy5JiTWpDhSeaG8kIzwszTunmHv5I4bp1qo9cDglt1sLxul7RhdSG8buSq8mUO5ebhDX8xss7W1OOujr0fnI7qzI/s1600/ladies2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 230px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_AobzuAz7Bw2yhJVAZc7_RrSHPcpsMQWQjl4piFyd1ZO3T3E3MpFWy5JiTWpDhSeaG8kIzwszTunmHv5I4bp1qo9cDglt1sLxul7RhdSG8buSq8mUO5ebhDX8xss7W1OOujr0fnI7qzI/s320/ladies2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465763068298249698" border="0" /></a>Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725344654882791321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672522577223972227.post-78422224730143598882010-04-25T18:51:00.000-07:002010-04-26T08:51:14.596-07:00Acting My AgeLast 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. <div><br /></div><div>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.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw5y3l1lZzW8l6oCEVT8cVE3J42aAU9cXKtSxJajrD32Ya-HsCoGp6WoUeGJrjOzzE_knUvc8fyiqhyphenhyphen9qnEIY5CmmDW59k7Peu-IosQdq3x2fFo6YDTmW9gVWZCW8NZ5UtjIKzLlweUzg/s1600/samsquish.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw5y3l1lZzW8l6oCEVT8cVE3J42aAU9cXKtSxJajrD32Ya-HsCoGp6WoUeGJrjOzzE_knUvc8fyiqhyphenhyphen9qnEIY5CmmDW59k7Peu-IosQdq3x2fFo6YDTmW9gVWZCW8NZ5UtjIKzLlweUzg/s320/samsquish.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464258255630422962" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFOAlUwWGlpKe92JOtVK1f9qhzKGNcgFkpCBxz7LsbVDvmtotgVQVlOIuxAZw6hfXlXjfomFxZ4hgfPwQbO8Yk5QkpDYxzeQJMrTmskn_vv-qYVzmHQSrVKmDFwEpcohW0lJbyaKLqoDU/s1600/cram.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFOAlUwWGlpKe92JOtVK1f9qhzKGNcgFkpCBxz7LsbVDvmtotgVQVlOIuxAZw6hfXlXjfomFxZ4hgfPwQbO8Yk5QkpDYxzeQJMrTmskn_vv-qYVzmHQSrVKmDFwEpcohW0lJbyaKLqoDU/s320/cram.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464472733574845970" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisKQxAB5fMRuVUkakLSeOjc92urUyFQ1cN83W0r1mErgHi1clN5vmKq0fBepF-bWcPZrkXCSffwK8LtlmPJy90vUG2_aehIWC6k_goV8s6LWqn5921vPa4Ppw3seyamoBqK3Wkl9L1BIM/s1600/kathcar.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisKQxAB5fMRuVUkakLSeOjc92urUyFQ1cN83W0r1mErgHi1clN5vmKq0fBepF-bWcPZrkXCSffwK8LtlmPJy90vUG2_aehIWC6k_goV8s6LWqn5921vPa4Ppw3seyamoBqK3Wkl9L1BIM/s320/kathcar.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464258283725273554" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFpQCOyF-Nfk0ipPen1zy8sX6_aWHhZbFHAQ6LUXwlp1fFIMSD1u_qW2JZxVef3aq2SYVTetc87i01ZV4lz-_AsPC-PJOwouFL4Td23jo34M41bjuyak7qEpTXTJpSBG327cpZXCNmy64/s1600/b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFpQCOyF-Nfk0ipPen1zy8sX6_aWHhZbFHAQ6LUXwlp1fFIMSD1u_qW2JZxVef3aq2SYVTetc87i01ZV4lz-_AsPC-PJOwouFL4Td23jo34M41bjuyak7qEpTXTJpSBG327cpZXCNmy64/s320/b.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464258261788567218" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJlr-IAeS8ye916nl7YVUwRatPmXLxxRfkBANbf1qwVHClUAL89vBWrvkCVMhkqQ6fMNRJQwHSprWwuPnIUlsYCq_LGMpZnxX-KtSzhXevuWFYqMVcoJ_qvvJQ6TR__x12ev5D2OiWlUs/s1600/rvak.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 276px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJlr-IAeS8ye916nl7YVUwRatPmXLxxRfkBANbf1qwVHClUAL89vBWrvkCVMhkqQ6fMNRJQwHSprWwuPnIUlsYCq_LGMpZnxX-KtSzhXevuWFYqMVcoJ_qvvJQ6TR__x12ev5D2OiWlUs/s320/rvak.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464258280053053922" /></a><br />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 - <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/reeling/sets/72157623889919878/" target="_blank">the photos</a> tell the best parts of the story (except for when we taught kids in Sainshand the Nutbush. That was kinda cool.)<br /></div>Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725344654882791321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672522577223972227.post-82613795957000761942010-04-18T18:52:00.000-07:002010-04-18T18:57:06.748-07:00BIUBMe + 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...<div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJoovOjFo47ZdZ3cvDEAlpEc1SO9jn_BNdxXlNxY5AZ7BuziFoFu73qt5K-wY8bYBK9GGBI-RDH1k5xOv1TUTyRSuqMri71wFRG5r42plNmAZaBpQxWglo-drOcxwfFED9LAlwKU-7b0/s1600/reedesert.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJoovOjFo47ZdZ3cvDEAlpEc1SO9jn_BNdxXlNxY5AZ7BuziFoFu73qt5K-wY8bYBK9GGBI-RDH1k5xOv1TUTyRSuqMri71wFRG5r42plNmAZaBpQxWglo-drOcxwfFED9LAlwKU-7b0/s320/reedesert.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461661045195660018" /></a><br /></div>Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725344654882791321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672522577223972227.post-74856395078587632472010-04-15T09:00:00.000-07:002010-04-15T09:10:09.903-07:00We Got CouchMe + Ria are partying hard right now... on the couch. That's not tea we're drinking.<br /><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9wmAHElCVcVTKezFi6x6rw9fBlAzcT0VpOuGCH1P2aARnakDENh9PKeUejLlMx_mOb-npgbmKzim7f6Kwz39eV5zGPWJSQkMg5yoi6L9SStvAQH8OQLpfwwTdeQ2X6SLgnZ0s5FzH7j8/s1600/Photo+51.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9wmAHElCVcVTKezFi6x6rw9fBlAzcT0VpOuGCH1P2aARnakDENh9PKeUejLlMx_mOb-npgbmKzim7f6Kwz39eV5zGPWJSQkMg5yoi6L9SStvAQH8OQLpfwwTdeQ2X6SLgnZ0s5FzH7j8/s320/Photo+51.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460394884391652114" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Yeah, it's kinda wild.</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcgDHSFqLH5kTWy-IuQkrjnKJbDm-4boBrogLKUcMt-wZ3N3pdjQO8d1DmelLAyML5tKQSyMyvs6x590vG6JSGctAFq6Xb9XDHqE3pUTLBHsd3cPp90PgNuAEkrT_DKG7P6AGa2cYb5Vk/s1600/Photo+56.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcgDHSFqLH5kTWy-IuQkrjnKJbDm-4boBrogLKUcMt-wZ3N3pdjQO8d1DmelLAyML5tKQSyMyvs6x590vG6JSGctAFq6Xb9XDHqE3pUTLBHsd3cPp90PgNuAEkrT_DKG7P6AGa2cYb5Vk/s320/Photo+56.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460394894471900162" /></a><br /><br /></div>Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725344654882791321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672522577223972227.post-21925123801409304332010-04-13T08:27:00.000-07:002010-04-13T08:47:51.855-07:00Last DrinksLozzie + 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<div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQvi8fzbj-lqCWrlJ5AtQUqhaOfx4cnee9UbEMsIBKbHJMacszSK5gVTSelzxGX3en7dal-fyRJqgphES4EJXaGd6uKQeFJQ0isPH1WBakLIwgtdXP2QVz7Y6pfUQ-fisUi9t9RwxTzH0/s1600/last+day.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 237px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQvi8fzbj-lqCWrlJ5AtQUqhaOfx4cnee9UbEMsIBKbHJMacszSK5gVTSelzxGX3en7dal-fyRJqgphES4EJXaGd6uKQeFJQ0isPH1WBakLIwgtdXP2QVz7Y6pfUQ-fisUi9t9RwxTzH0/s320/last+day.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459644743985958322" /></a><br /></div>Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725344654882791321noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672522577223972227.post-69449718423535364852010-04-12T07:49:00.000-07:002010-04-12T08:23:50.792-07:00Day #8/9Day 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 <a href="http://www.face-music.ch/tsam/tsammask_en.html">Tsam friends</a> from Tumen Ekh.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiElHRN7HzQgffrVv2hh4vhhC3cOcMxvHP1Og1XCtuKVSCYlj3-xWyxHHLneYdg2MfX1HeHTvbc2OIIhdpjnrXEGQ2hnGUJbR7CAGdD2dzmROJ3mTHQaE_KFCUhhbm8jS8TFhE3OYbggLw/s1600/day8.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 244px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiElHRN7HzQgffrVv2hh4vhhC3cOcMxvHP1Og1XCtuKVSCYlj3-xWyxHHLneYdg2MfX1HeHTvbc2OIIhdpjnrXEGQ2hnGUJbR7CAGdD2dzmROJ3mTHQaE_KFCUhhbm8jS8TFhE3OYbggLw/s320/day8.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459263443475673826" /></a>Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725344654882791321noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3672522577223972227.post-28419006861022760582010-04-11T18:49:00.000-07:002010-04-11T20:42:09.085-07:00Day #7?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...<br /><br />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 <a href="http://resources0.news.com.au/images/2009/02/13/va1237353158413/Mongolian-wrestler-6485124.jpg" target="_blank">large men wearing minimal clothing</a>, 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):<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj05H85jEJzKHTz9XBIuTFi83c9MVGLaPXTqw3IlPysaPuA8QSEKKEctIR0nnjlT_5TkBXijYb-feqK_-D9pZQZGMYDQaslZ2aeYV3SL_wgDb9b0wEb_w8zZJbnO7tv9YI4Tv8BhhJThbU/s1600/day7b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 237px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj05H85jEJzKHTz9XBIuTFi83c9MVGLaPXTqw3IlPysaPuA8QSEKKEctIR0nnjlT_5TkBXijYb-feqK_-D9pZQZGMYDQaslZ2aeYV3SL_wgDb9b0wEb_w8zZJbnO7tv9YI4Tv8BhhJThbU/s320/day7b.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459088783151723234" /></a><br />Some men 'playing' guitars (note the absence of any kind of connection to an amplification unit. No they were not plugged in...)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKFMc3g0HqZrywN8kNhX11e1ZRBu_qKeNrRjrEl_1HLx6M5h1b6Oc_xO8ntLO_teKJmb69SDxPsfznxwEFBaCssg0FSFxpGo6HUBsHq3HZKedmIFDCK714AFmZAU8xssu8vp6p5uPE03g/s1600/day7.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKFMc3g0HqZrywN8kNhX11e1ZRBu_qKeNrRjrEl_1HLx6M5h1b6Oc_xO8ntLO_teKJmb69SDxPsfznxwEFBaCssg0FSFxpGo6HUBsHq3HZKedmIFDCK714AFmZAU8xssu8vp6p5uPE03g/s320/day7.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459088772355831282" /></a><br /><br />And these guys, who saved the afternoon:<br /><br /><div align="center"><object width="400" height="300"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=10855884&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=f70a16&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=10855884&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=f70a16&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="300"></embed></object></div><br />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...Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07725344654882791321noreply@blogger.com0