the birds

This is a no comment post. From my window in the evening I can see a lot of birds, so you can watch them flying! And you also see my view, ok the building is not so nice, but I like the mountain :-)

UB's kitchen

With my friends (japanese and mongolian) we have a mission: try all the restaurant in UB!
So we went to a mexican/indian restaurant
I had some fajitas with chicken, this was really great!

Then on the next day, guess what this is ….

yeah french creperie!
I had the complete

and some chocolate milk!

And on that same day evening and mainly because I had no electricity at home which means: no fridge, no light, no cooking, no hot water (life is not always easy…)
so it was georgian restaurant!

yeah very good
BUTTTTTTT
From Sunday night until now I was so sick, which restaurant is responsible for that????
Advantage, I lost the weight I have taken with the restaurant, disadvantage, I look like a zombie!
But this is over now, so I will continue my testing :-)

Salary

At the beginning they were giving me my salary cash (actually just once!).
And my salary was XXXXXXX1 Tugrik.
So they gave me 1 Tughrik which is around: 0.000544935 euro!

This is the first time I have seen it, so I am keeping it! Anyway even in Mongolia I can not use it anywhere!

But now they are paying me in my bank account, so I have open an account by Haan Bank and I have a credit card!
I think I am really becoming mongolian.
Now I also have to pleasure to queue to get my money!
Great!

And as you may see on the card is my first name, because in Mongolia people use their first name and not really their last name!

my japanese friend

With my friend Iijima san (he is japanese :-)) we meet every saturday. The idea was for me to practice my japanese and he, his french. But it turns out that we only speak in japanese!

So what do we do? We go to a restaurant, a new one every time and then we do something.
For example last time we went to Merkurin a market.
As you may see he bought some vegetables (this green toxic thing :-))

and I bought some cheese, this is better!
This is emmentale and this is delicious !!!!
Or we go to some shops, to some bakeries, yes eating is important in life!

So speaking about the restaurant were we go: this was an occidental one, I had a club sandwich, I love that!

Another time it was again a restaurant for foreigners, I had a panini!

and a hot chocolate, sometimes we go to mongolian restaurant too!
But next week we will try a mexican one!
I love UB so many things to eat:-)

Tsaagan again!

On Saturday I was invited by some teachers in their home.
I went with 2 other teachers.
This is near my home, in a ger district.

This is their door, I just love the color!

This is the district, a mix of small houses and ger, on the small mountain, just behind my place.

And just for me they get dressed with their deels.
These are so beautiful, white one, and same for the man and the woman, so romantic!!!!

As you can see I am also classy with my mongolian t-shirt.
Right and left are the 2 other teachers, Dolly (working with me) and Zolboo!
As usual I have eaten a lot (buuz), drunk a lot (vodka with cranberry taste) and also some camel milk!
This is a very fat milk, supposed to be very healthy and the taste is quite strong, but well I will be healthy after!!!

After that and being very red, I needed some rest!

Tsagaan sar at school

Yesterday was the last day of tsagaan sar and we had a lunch at school.
Many people were wearing the deel and some other nice clothes!

Here are the most important person from school. Each of us went to great them, same process, hand and arms under theirs and kind of kiss/smell (they don't kiss, they smell your skin) and the greeting.

Of course there was the soutetse, the milk, salty tea that I love!

andddddd, yeahhhhh a morin khuur player in traditional clothe!
So great!

And look at the guitar so beautiful!!!

Ok for the video, don't look at them, they are bad, just listen to the music!
I always forget that I shouldn't turn the camera!!!!

Then of course we were eating!
This is a soup with meat, and the important point there is with meat!!!!!

This is the traditional cake that you eat with tea, otherwise be careful with your teeth :-)

And this is my other colleague Dolly, beautifully dressed!

and of course I have received meat to eat!
Now I need to do some sport, did I mentioned that I am eating too much, and people say they don't like mongolian food, I don't understand!!!

I have received a tv

I was at the canteen to have my lunch, then came a "teacher" (I assumed) and start to talk with me in english. And then he said, you don't have a tv, I have one that I give to you. (How does he know?????). Well anyway he gave me this tv, isn't it great?
Now I can watch some mongolian news and wrestling and music!
Youpi, but still how did he know????

Tsagaan sar

This is a long holiday in Mongolia: tsagaan sar, white month, the new year's eve.
I was invited by some friends of mine.
On the sunday night we eat and drink  and mongolian people they talk, but I don't understand!
We eat a lot of buuz, meat, sweets, when I say a lot this is really a lot!!!
On the monday morning we show our respect to older people. So we went to the mother of my friends to present our respect, saying: Амар байна уу? (Amar baina uu?), meaning "Is there peace?", and we usually give some money.
In return you receive some presents: these are mine: sweet, cream for the hand and some tights: great!!!!

On the evening I was also dressed nice and the mother was wearing a great deel.
Many people buy new clothes for this occasion, because you start the new year, so the shopping malls and shops were really full!
Once again I have eaten too much and tomorrow the school organize a lunch for the teachers, mamamia

But as you may see it very warm here in UB, so you can digest all the food :-)

And this new year is the year of the snake. And as you can see I think coca cola has done a great publicity with it!
Really mongolian!

Foood

I am really happy because  I finally found some food that I was missing: Mac apple tea, all fake and sweet but delicious, then the Süütei Tsai, the milk tea and some mongolian cakes (Boortsog), that are just too good!

There are also many japanese restaurants, there I had a great soup

But with some mongolian bread called малх, talch, very good
hehe yes I like to eat!!!!