Mongol Surprise

I must rebut some of my previous statements on this blog. I was overcome with a nasty case of ethnocentrism. Also, I was just plain irritated. These things will get ironed out as time goes on.

Today I tried to find an English bookstore (and failed) but I did manage to look up the schedule of the Mongolian Opera house. A lady saw me squinting at the Cyrillic and asked me to come with her for a full summer schedule. I got to walk across the stage...WHOA! It's not as big as some of the Operas in the world (or even the States) but from what I saw in the dimly lit theatre, it was perfectly intact from the communist days. I probably won't be allowed to take my camera to a show (I plan on seeing Puccini's La Boheme and another opera simply titled "Chinggis Khan"), but I made friends with the box office lady. She said to come back to her a week before the show for an "invitation" to a show...so I may score some free tickets, plus I can take my camera and take pictures during the day when performers are just practicing.

I haven't taken many photos of Mongolia yet. Just a few from my balcony of the sunset hitting the apartment buildings. Once I get a large amount (probably after the national Naadam summer games festival) I will download them to computer and send a few of my best in an email.

Yesterday I ate khuurshuur. It's basically a doughy pancake stuffed with rice and mutton. They were delicious! Though today the grease isn't sitting too well in my stomach. Khuurshuur is a traditional Mongolian dish eaten by the nomads out on the steppes. You won't find it at the local Mongolian BBQ restaurant in the States. In fact, BBQ is rare in Mongolia. You're just as likely to find something fried or boiled than BBQ'ed. Hardly anything is baked here. Though the bread I eat every morning for breakfast (with butter, jam, and honey imported from Germany and Russia) is standard to superb.

Tea drinking is incessant. I think I drink about 3 cups a day. Plus one coffee. At home and at Mongol TV, boiled water is constantly "Ready" (they have special machines that look like coffee pots that boils and dispenses about 4 liters of water). And this is pretty good quality tea...as good as Liptons. A good cup of coffee, however, is only served at fine restaurants and hotels (and will be grossly overpriced).

I'm thinking I could be the next updater to the Lonely Planet Mongolia guidebook. So much of the information in it is no longer true (and it was updated in 2001!). But it's still been a godsend of information.

Yesterday evening I sat down and wrote (and finished) a short story. Suddenly I had a creative outburst, and so I capitalized on it. I hope I have more of them.

Tomorrow I will explore UB a little more with my host family (I'll politely ask to be driven out of town a little ways). On Sunday, I go to their Protestant church to meet some new friends.

On Monday I am giving Mongol TV workers a short test to see if they should be taking my "Beginner" English class or my "Advanced" English class. I have no idea what I'm doing!

Ahhh...it feels good to be flying by the seat of my pants.

p.s. I need mailing addresses for the following people (please email me your address): - Renia Ydstie - Debbie Sartwell - Graham Davis - Casey Smith - Harmony Piccuica (and other relatives in Chicago) - Pearl Rasmussen - Andrew Fick

You may have given me your mailing addresses before, but I forgot to bring my address book with me to Mongolia...so if you would like a postcard...