Where The Streets Have No Name

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

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

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

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...

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...

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

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...

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...

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

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...