2010

I'm back on the blogger baby and its bigger and more exciting than ever. Start uploading the 8 minute epic now:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9a4y-NW7X8

and then read this...

[I would have embedded the video but blogspot isn't talking to youtube at the moment.]

It was my 30th birthday on Wednesday and it was probably the finest way to spend a 30th. I went for a swim, had a coffee with Karina, lunched at a fancy pants restaurant, got a hug from my colleague Munguu and then had an outrageously fun dinner party at my new apartment with my awesome housemates along with my closest friends.

My mixed feelings about my last house mate has made me appreciate my new ones even more. As one of my friends said following the departure of my old housemate, "UB just got a little less crazy". Indeed, heheee.

My new housemates Francis and Ju Lin. We are wearing our Mongol Deels - only to be worn in the countryside unless you want to get funny looks from people in UB and possibly a punch in the face

Unfortunately my wish of not being a pizza face at the age of 30 has not come true and its really shit you know because I prayed to God and instead he gave me my 6th cold. The all seeing and all knowing knows very well that I haven't set foot in church for reasons other than a wedding or to listen to a choir. Perhaps my relationship with God might change this Easter. My friend Francis is going to start a modest choir and I will hopefully be able to sing the soprano parts. We are belting out latin tunes about Judas being a total prick to Jesus and that he should never have been born. Hmmm, that sounds pretty unchristian to me.

With more snow in recent weeks, UB is looking more like a winter wonderland among the concrete soviet buildings (which looks kinda hard core and indie alternative anyway - its funny how a failed regime can become trendy).

How to keep your feet warm particularly if you have bad circulation like me. However, its totally possible to just wear normal looking shoes. I get funny looks for wearing these but I think the Mongolians secretly love it (and me).

Unfortunately the winter makes a few Mongolians go a little crazy, racist and violent. My friend Karina was attacked on this very street seen below now referred to by Karina herself as "punch in the face street".

I was also with Karina when some young douche tried to pick pocket her. She caught him out and he was like "What?". I tell you what if my cousins were with me we would have taken him. The most irritating this is that he looked well off - I guess pick pocketing pays.

Winter also means fun on the ski slopes for a mere $30 including clothes hire! The bus on the way to the slopes is only 30 cents. The low cost means I can practice as much as I like. I am still rubbish at it because "no fear" is not a phrase I understand. Having said this, I am getting better despite my purple knees.

I thought the worst was over when I finished snowboarding. A little bruised and battered from the ski slopes, little did I know the stack of my life was yet to come. Walking out to the bus and over some ice my feet flew from under me, I was airbourne for about 2 seconds before landing with a massive thud on my side. It was pretty damn loud that people 5 metres in front turned around to see what the hell was going only to see me laying on my side saying "hello, just thought I'd take a rest". The coat padding helped to take the edge of the fall but the impact was so hard, I think my brain got a little shaken up. On bus ride home, I kept giggling at how funny the stack was cos it was really really funny. People thought I was going mental. During my delirious giggle fits and feeling sorry for myself, there was a sudden "oh fuck" from the Mongolian bus driver before the bus collided into a turning car. I stopped laughing after that, or least until we changed buses.

Another bus incident! Before Waz left, a few of went night skiing with him and we all piled into the bus which broke down so we had to wait 40 minutes for a replacement bus. We all piled on and off we went. After about 20 minutes the bus stops again. Unbeknownst to us, a car had blocked the bus from moving forward. The doors open and these young men in their 20s head towards a group of young teenage boys sitting right next to me and started laying into them. A little concerned after the fight had moved over the top of me, I decided to change seats. After 10 minutes the bus driver stopped the skirmish and ushered the men off the bus again.

And I thought snowboarding was dangerous.

Some cool things to look at:

Best cake ever courtesy of Ben and Karina for JL's birthday

Wrestlers

My volunteer intake

Well I hope I haven't lost my blogging mojo in my old age. Enjoy the video.