Ploofle

It’s been quite a week - sort of. As mentioned previously, my Khovd flight was delayed, but I was very kindly treated - so I think I’ll bring a poundcake or some such back to their office on my way in next time. I’m still recovering from the massive walking-about and general lack of time (and money) that is UB, not to mention Francine the puppy being her puppyish self. Today my supervisor helped administer vaccines - I bought them in UB and was going to do it myself, but why when there are dozens of experienced injectors at my office location? She was very good and only whined a little bit. 2 more in the next 6 weeks, and also I need to figure out how this deworming medicine works - oral or injection? The power has been out lately due to apparent nonpayment of bills aimag-wide or some such. The times they’re off are random to me, though, so perhaps it’s something else, like repairs. Needless to say it’s helped to add more uncertainty in my life. The internet has also been bad out here, and Bonnie hasn’t been able to really call in several days, so it’s a bit rough going cold turkey…hopefully things’ll be better during the weekend.

My bread has been bad lately - not as bad as in the US, but more dense than I would like. As I’m feeling rather short on money at the moment, I may make some more tonight. Also Suzie passed on to me various lamb recipes from her parents, one of which is…korma? That middle eastern ground meat thing? As I have both yogurt and and mutton, I thought it’d be a good time to try it. Too bad I won’t have some super tasty pilaf to go with it…lately I’ve been grazing, so it will be nice to really eat something. UB’s Indian and Chinese food spoiled me. I’m also testing out a concoction to prevent Francine from chewing on, say, my insulated inner door. I boiled some hot dried peppers and orange peel and daub the liquid on things. I think it works, but I don’t know how long it remains potent once it dries out. Adding oil to it may help, but then Francine thinks it’s a snack. Booo….

Think I’ll read some research articles or something for the remainder of work. I’m tired and prolly would make mistakes doing anything else…

Tags: bread, electricity, francine?, khovd

It is indeed payday…not that I will be going to the bank or anything. I took out my budgeted amount for the week yesterday. Nothing much has happened in the past…12 hours? or so, other than this morning some shallow pools of water had a thin layer of ice on them. Maybe I should buy a thermometer to put outside…but maybe I don’t want to know. I saw one at the Peace Corps office and it’s crazy - its scale goes from like -60 to +120 fahrenheit.

…

Today (aka, the 26th) I put on my lightweight long underwear for the first time. And my work area smells vaguely of hyam.

Tags: cold, khovd, underwear

It is snowing, or sleeting, or something, outside as of an hour and a half ago when I went to run errands.

>_____<

Tags: khovd, snow

I found out the quick google maps search doesn’t put you in Khovd aimag center proper, but rather the literal center of Khovd aimag, and I am certainly not in the middle of a mountain range.  Well, not exactly.  Bah, here: googlemaps hybrid view of Khovd.

That is all.

Tags: khovd, maps, mongolia

Here I am finally in Khovd. I flew in about 1pm on Tuesday and it’s been a whirlwind since.

The flight was surprisingly nice given some of the stories other PCVs were telling about domestic flights here. It was the size of a commuter jet or so with rows of 2 and 3. The flight was about 1 1/2 hours, and we even got an in-flight meal of a hyam (kind of like fatty goat bologna) sandwich and some cookies. I spent my time talking to my boss, looking out the window, and re-reading Robert Jordan books. I’m re-reading them mostly because they’re all in the PC reading library and because they take so much time - which I figure I’ll have a lot of. The scenery out the window was interesting - mostly uninhabited with a few white gers dotting the steppe. We flew over the edge of the desert too - you could see the sand dunes as they gradually transitioned into foothills and then mountains. Right around Khovd were some pretty tall mountains that have snow on their peaks year-round. The mountains in general here seem to be pretty old - they look more like eroded mountains you see in the Appalachians - but bare too. Maybe the erosion has been accelerated by the wicked wind they can have out here, though.

Landing in Khovd we pretty much walked off the tarmac and were out the door. Actually, the UB airport was maybe 1 1/2 times the size of the Lubbock, TX airport and the Khovd airport was definitely smaller than Love Field in Dallas. They hauled the luggage out and handed it out by number - so pretty important to not lose your claim tickets. In domestic flights they weigh literally everything so with my backpack of electronics and all I tipped the scales at over 150 pounds >_< I probably left the US with about 115 if they had weighed my carry-ons so I’ve been procuring stuff here left and right. I mostly blame the books and the heavy-duty sleeping bag PC issues, though I know I’ll be grateful for both. Essentially, about $160 in overage charges, of which PC paid for about $120.

The scenery here is kind of similar to what you might imagine on Mars - reddish brown gray sand and dirt and gravel that leads into brownish barren foothills that leads into craggy and barren reddish mountains. There are non-Mars parts too - there are rivers around here, and along those I presume there are green things and definitely small trees, not to mention actual human habitation. Fewer livestock roaming about than in Sukhbaatar.

My apartment is pretty nice. It’s essentially a bedroom and a kitchen, both about the same dimensions. I have the essentials - sink, stove, tables, bed, TV with cable. The extraneous stuff, like a fridge, I don’t have. Also interestingly, the heat here doesn’t kick citywide on until mid-October. It’s pleasant outside and I don’t mind, but since the hot water is linked to when the heat comes on I don’t have that either. When I get my hot pot thingy for boiling water I may take an improvised bucket bath - or maybe I’ll try bathing normally in the evening when presumably the water in the pipes has had all day to warm up a bit.

Anyway, that’s about it for life now. Working hard to settle in and looking forward to the weekend…

Tags: airplanes, khovd, mongolia