Green Thumb

We've been enjoying the product of Jim's green thumb this month. He planted Cosmos on our balcony. Its blooming really late and since it snowed this morning, he moved the planters inside. We have also collected a large jade plant, a bonsai, 2 spiders, several English ivy, and a few others. Nice to have some growing greenery.

First Snow 9.25.10

View from our living room window. Just a dusting this morning and melted by noon. But everyone says winter is on its way. What happened to Fall? In fact there are still yellow green leaves on the tree outside our bedroom window.

Countryside

Some things are very different in the countryside. This is Gobi Altai's garbage truck.

9.5.10

Ramblings

7 days of work at the shelter under my belt after 6 weeks in the U.S.

Already, there have been days of much laughter, chatter, times wasted, beads rolled and products created. Lots of listening, increased understanding, plenty of confusion and some bonding. In the context of poverty, money is the central character even tho mostly absent. It is elusive, desired, idolized, much pondered yet seldom seen. Without cash, a body is hungry, cold, sick, stuck, and distracted. There is never enough. To buy: meat, school books, coal, cinema tickets, cigarettes, shoes, jacket, water, soap, flour, oil, make-up, dental appointment, pencils, glue, bus fare, pills . . . endlessness. Are we creating opportunity or dependency? Are we teaching character and work ethic or are we being manipulated and bossy? Do we offer another chance or draw the line? Love and grace are easy words to say and much harder to live. Am I working for the Lord or for reward? Do I pray as much as I complain? Do I focus on history or possibility? When I look at the ladies, do I see need? A face?  A challenge? A friend?                                                Yes 

Ulaanbaatar "suburbs"

From a hilltop North of the city, you can see the sudden transition from 21st century skyscrapers to 13th century gers (felt tents).
40% of the residents of Ulaanbaatar (UB), (400,000 people) live in gers surrounding and within the city.  No plumbing, refrigeration or solid walls.  It gets to -40F every winter.

No checks or credit cards accepted

So if you need to pay a big bill in the countryside, you can't use a check or credit card.  The largest bill in Mongolia is a 20,000 Tugrik bill worth about $17.00.  So you need to take a LOT of bills.  Try finding a wallet that can carry this.  Of course, inside your del (Mongolian traditional robe) no one would notice, except to say,"You've gained a few pounds!"  Clever Mongolians.

A Ger is a Home

A ger is a traditional Mongolian dwelling. It is made from a frame of wooden slats and covered with wool felt. There are many customs connected with living in a ger like where the furniture is placed and where you should sit. The doors are only about 4-5 feet tall so you have to bend down to step in but stepping on the thresh hold is forbidden. Water is carried in from a neighborhood well. Usually, electricity is strung. The family I visited yesterday had 2 small children and even a washing machine but not much other furniture. 40-50% of the million, population of Ulaan Bator (capital of Mongolia) live in gers.

Ger Build

II

Buttons

We posted a new video on You Tube showing how the Mongolian deel buttons are made.
Check it out. A link is on the Video bar on the side bar here on our blog.
Just click on the picture of a hand.

7- Eleven Conjecture

It is Monday morning and little Bat (boy) just swallowed the last cup of milk. Altai (little girl) is screaming that she is hungry. Uck. Now what? Of course, you are running late and then you hear it.
"SUE AVARAY SUE AVARAY SUE AVARAY"
A teen age girl is hollering at the top of her lungs.
You run down the 5 flights to the front of your apt building with your baggie in hand.
Out of the trunk of the car (or outside the city, horse cart), a couple lugs a blue 10 gallon barrel.
With a long handled ladle, she scoops out your fresh-from-the-cow (or horse, or camel, or sheep & goat or a mixture) MILK.
Yum, yum. Breakfast is saved.
We hear the milk sellers almost every morning, tho they are not the same people each day. They come in from the countryside or edge of town to sell the freshly milked liquid. At first the calling sounded like a yodle but now I can hear the sentence: "Please buy milk." or more like "Milk! Come and get it!"