Be Flexible

Adapting to change, flexibility, creativity . . . needing to use all 3 on my route to work these days. So many of my normal routes to work have been blocked . . . by construction, new fences, freshly dug ditches and plain old barricades. Sigh . . .

Incremental Changes

Trash Pile in Front of our Apt. Bldg

New buildings are popping up everywhere, some very western looking. We see fewer horse carts going past our building and more massive dump trucks. The landscape is changing. Jim just read an article that said in the last two years 23 schools have been built and 400 city buses have been added to the UB fleet. The buses we've noticed, the schools we haven't. For some, Mongolia's increasing wealth means luxury and extravagance. For others it means only inflation and hardship. One of the ladies at Streams must move because the owner of her small wooden shack in the ger district, is selling the land. So she's been shopping. But the prices even in the ger district are beyond her means. She is needing to get creative and suggested she may need to move back to the countryside. It will be too expensive to commute to work with us. Perhaps she will start a small grocery shop out of her home, she said.

New Trash Bin Added this Week

Whole new neighborhoods are growing up around the capital city. Closer to home, the changes are happening on a much smaller scale. Our trash collection site has become a crudely constructed bin. Though minimal, it is improvement, none the less.

Locked Out!

                       After turning the lock, my key just broke in half. We started looking for help about 10 in the morning. Land lord was out of the country. The apt maintenance man was in the countryside. Maintenance man's nephew could help but not until after 7 p.m. 2 locksmiths said they couldn't leave their shops. Finally Jim found someone to follow him home and attempt to fish out the broken half. After 2 hours of patiently probing the lock with wire and a small screwdriver, the young guy called his mentor. Together they took out the peep hole, bent down the frame, stuck a wire thru super narrow spaces, pounded, plotted, and failed to release the key or gain entrance for us. Having tried everything, they brought out a drill, asked a neighbor for power and drilled the whole lock out of its nook. At 8:30 p.m we were exhausted but thrilled to be back in home :) We had been advised that the cost should have been from 15,000 - 30,000 togrogs. They asked for 35,000 (about $30). When I challenged him on the fee, he said, "It was a lot of work!" We readily agreed and paid up.

Unpacking in UB

 The UB customs agent assumed this parcel was a musical instrument. If you're patient enough to scan these sideways picture, accolades. Sorry. We corrected her and she didn't blink when we said it was a bicycle. Seemed to be no problem. They moved onto the metal beads and so much wire "аймар олонг". While drilling us about those items, they discovered lots of medicine & vitamins which we've heard often get assessed a hefty fee. But then 2 huge boxes owned by another traveler started bumping thru the x-ray machine into ours still on the conveyor. To solve the problem, she just waved us on. So, now we are gratefully pedaling away on our personal solution to getting exercise in this polluted city. We're hoping it will help to remedy the pounds we're gaining (maybe partly due to thyroid issues) and allow us to multi-task.

. . . Tacos, lasagna, salad, cereal, crackers, asparagus, brussel sprouts, fresh strawberries (not canned), grapes, lettuce, lettuce, lettuce, spinach, chips, chowder, artesian well water, Easter candy, B&J's, and a million kinds of crunch . . .
. . . Purple, blue, yellow, cream, orange, deep red, silver, pure white, peppermint pink . . .
. . . Rivers, lakes, parks, streams, bay, parks, ocean, yard . . .
. . . Rhodies, daffodils, narcissus, hyacinth, windflowers, azalea, plum blossoms, shamrock . . .
. . . Bed, pillow, overstuffed couch, dryer, garage, car, hammock swing . . .
. . . Doctors, nurses, x-ray techs, waitresses, dentist, dental assistants, bankers, accountant, tax expert, pastors, committees, grocer, postman, computer technicians, artisan, lawyer, social worker, office assistant & hair dresser . . .
So much to do, so many people to see, so much beauty,
Spring bursting forth, gentle rain, lush lawns and mysterious mountain.
Grateful for the wonders, sights & flavors of being home in the Pacific NW.
Thankful for people willing to hear our stories.
Last minute lists, errands, purchases, tasks, & visits.
Time in Olympia always goes by at warp speed.

Pollution free sunshine and fresh pineapple at every meal would have been enough. Add a nap or 2 and the rare treat of snorkeling in tropical waters; we were in heaven for 2 weeks in February. 

 'Twas great to connect with other Asia planted folk, which was the motivator for going in the first place.

 We were worried for a short while about Jim's heart. But he had a full range of tests in Bangkok before we left Thailand. Everything checked out fine, still don't know why he fainted but were assured it was not due to a heart issue.

Check out the Streams in the Desert catalog of products:Streams in the Desert Catalog for Customer U.S. Catalog PDF

              Last summer, this statue was built in the middle of an intersection close to our apt. Today (happens to be -40 out, but this is an unrelated fact), we ventured thru the traffic to visit the Four Friendly Animals. A dove sits on a rabbit who sits on a monkey who sits on the back of an elephant. The dove has successfully plucked an apple from the tree. To me, the moral of this fable is that we must work together to accomplish a task. 

             But Jim just handed me a book that tells the Mongolian interpretation. The animals are stacked according to age: the elephant being the youngest and the dove, the oldest.  The 3 youngest are helping the oldest, the dove, to reach the apple. It’s all about respect for elders not about mutual cooperation. Different world view. 

            We've thought a life sized elephant was a strange thing to build in UB but with either interpretation maybe it was a good idea, after all.

This is the top of a huge ancient oak that used to stand in the cul-de-sac beyond our Olympia home's driveway. It is now blanketing our yard and kissing the front door. It blocks the garage so that our daughter is stuck but she is safe. The only damage done was to the metal eaves and maybe a corner of the roof. Grateful. But also sad to lose the tree, yard, and potentially the other oaks in that stand.