I got home. Come back for further updates starting after August 20, 2008.
I will be in Canada until that time. If you are in Ontario and would like to get together, drop me a line.
Have a great summer everyone.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Welcome to Mudgolia
The rainy season officially began yesterday. We actually saw more rain yesterday than we have in the entire time that I have been in the country. The term "rainy" is, of course, relative. For a country that sees such little precipitation, a seven minute shower counts as a rainstorm. Our rain has not been anything that resembles a downpour, rather you can go out for a significant walk, and still be reasonably dry.
The biggest problem lies in the amount of dirt/dust that is present in the country, and more specifically, in the city. since there is little vegetation, the ground is actually just dust.... until it rains. Now, it's mud. Everywhere. Also, the majority of roads, especially those in the ger districts (somewhere I have had the pleasure of visiting a couple of times recently) are not paved, and are really just tracks visible in the dirt, several districts are quickly becoming mud pits. Since much of these areas are located on the sides of the mountains, that mud travels downhill and begins to collect in the city centre. Aiding this mud collection is the lack of anything that even resembles storm drains.
I look forward to the next 4 days of predicted rain, which is expected to capped off with a significant thunderstorm.
The biggest problem lies in the amount of dirt/dust that is present in the country, and more specifically, in the city. since there is little vegetation, the ground is actually just dust.... until it rains. Now, it's mud. Everywhere. Also, the majority of roads, especially those in the ger districts (somewhere I have had the pleasure of visiting a couple of times recently) are not paved, and are really just tracks visible in the dirt, several districts are quickly becoming mud pits. Since much of these areas are located on the sides of the mountains, that mud travels downhill and begins to collect in the city centre. Aiding this mud collection is the lack of anything that even resembles storm drains.
I look forward to the next 4 days of predicted rain, which is expected to capped off with a significant thunderstorm.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Saying Goodbye... Over and Over
This is hard. When I came to Mongolia, I knew that people would be in and out of my life. What I didn't expect was that so many would be leaving at the same time.... or at least planning to. As it turns out, I get to say goodbye to the same people multiple times as flights continue to get delayed. So far, no one has made it out of Mongolia at their scheduled departure time, with at least one person being stuck her for an extra 48 hrs when she is trying to get to St. Petersburg, Russia, where her family is awaiting her arrival.
To those who are leaving Mongolia for good,
Thank you for all you have done and all you have been. This is a year that will remain entrenched in my memories and in my day-to-day outlook on life. I would not trade a moment of this year for anything. I will think of you everytime I look at the mountains, sit on a rooftop and mostly any time anything odd happens. I will miss you all. I look forward to the opportunities to catch up whenever and wherever that may be. As a good friend of mine once said, "I'll see you then." I've always felt that simple sentence captured the idea perfectly. I wish you all the best of luck. Enjoy your new adventures and stay safe in your endeavours.
Your friend,
Colin
To those who are leaving Mongolia for good,
Thank you for all you have done and all you have been. This is a year that will remain entrenched in my memories and in my day-to-day outlook on life. I would not trade a moment of this year for anything. I will think of you everytime I look at the mountains, sit on a rooftop and mostly any time anything odd happens. I will miss you all. I look forward to the opportunities to catch up whenever and wherever that may be. As a good friend of mine once said, "I'll see you then." I've always felt that simple sentence captured the idea perfectly. I wish you all the best of luck. Enjoy your new adventures and stay safe in your endeavours.
Your friend,
Colin
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Mongolian Weather
Having grown up and spent pretty much my entire life in Canada, weather was pretty consistent in my experience. I could never have imagined the insane weather patterns of a country like Mongolia. We have weather here that defies logic. To illustrate my point, here are some examples.
1. On a given day, the difference between the high and low temperatures can be in excess of 30 degree. I can wake up at 6:30 and we will have fairly chilly -5 (the coldest part of the day is around 7 am). by the warmest part of the day (4 or 5 pm) the temperature can be as high as 25-30 degrees.
2. During the winter, it was not uncommon to look at the forecast on weather.com or theweathernetwork.com and see that the day's weather was listed as "smoke". This is not from forest fires, but from the gers. Seriously? Smoke? Does that even count as weather?
3. A couple weeks ago, we experienced 32 degrees on Sunday. On Monday, we had snow squalls all day long.
4. Last night, in what was the most bizarre weather I've ever seen, we experienced a combination of 2 different storms at the exact same time. All day it had been sunny and well over 30 degrees (which isn't so bad since we get little to no humidity). Suddenly, at 9:30 the skies turned the darkest black (the sun hadn't quite set yet), and a massive storm came through. Sand/dust storms are not particularly uncommon as anyone in Korea, Northern China and Mongolia will attest to. What was odd about this dust storm was that we also got a rain storm at the same time. As a result, it turned into a mudstorm. Seriously. Mud fell from the sky. After a day with no wind, the storm also brought winds of greater than 80 km/h.
1. On a given day, the difference between the high and low temperatures can be in excess of 30 degree. I can wake up at 6:30 and we will have fairly chilly -5 (the coldest part of the day is around 7 am). by the warmest part of the day (4 or 5 pm) the temperature can be as high as 25-30 degrees.
2. During the winter, it was not uncommon to look at the forecast on weather.com or theweathernetwork.com and see that the day's weather was listed as "smoke". This is not from forest fires, but from the gers. Seriously? Smoke? Does that even count as weather?
3. A couple weeks ago, we experienced 32 degrees on Sunday. On Monday, we had snow squalls all day long.
4. Last night, in what was the most bizarre weather I've ever seen, we experienced a combination of 2 different storms at the exact same time. All day it had been sunny and well over 30 degrees (which isn't so bad since we get little to no humidity). Suddenly, at 9:30 the skies turned the darkest black (the sun hadn't quite set yet), and a massive storm came through. Sand/dust storms are not particularly uncommon as anyone in Korea, Northern China and Mongolia will attest to. What was odd about this dust storm was that we also got a rain storm at the same time. As a result, it turned into a mudstorm. Seriously. Mud fell from the sky. After a day with no wind, the storm also brought winds of greater than 80 km/h.
A dust storm as seen from our school. You would normally have a view of the entire city without the dust. Instead, you can barely see 60m away.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Clarification
It turns out that it was a Chinese fortune teller that predicted the earthquake for last night. She was (obviously) wrong. The Russian fortune teller was much less specific. She predicted that it would happen in the month of June. So she has a few more weeks to be right. Let this be a lesson to us all.... don't believe Chinese fortune tellers who are that specific... only the vague Russian ones.
Also, this allows us to continue with our belief that Russian fortune tellers are better than scientists.
Also, this allows us to continue with our belief that Russian fortune tellers are better than scientists.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Forcasting Earthquakes
Keep your eye on Mongolian news. It seems that an earthquake is being predicted for sometime between 8:00 and 11:00 tonight for Ulaanbaatar. Now, I realize that seismologists still proclaim that they can't accurately predict earthquake activity, but that is irrelevant. As the story has been told to me (by several Mongolians), a Russian fortune-teller predicted it. For those of you wondering, it is, in fact, the same fortune-teller that was crowned champion at a recent national (Russian) fortune-telling competition.... I had no idea that fortune-telling was a competitive sport... I think I may have a new career path in mind. Now, this may not seem like a reasonable cause for concern, but the Mongolians seem to be giving it the same attention and concern as an American might if NASA said that a meteor was going to strike the earth.
Now, for this to be reality, we may need to suspend our disbelief. Firstly, it is completely irrelevant that Ulaanbaatar does not sit anywhere near a major fault line (We didn't even feel the quake in Sichuan). Second, the only volcanoes in the country are far in the west, and they have been extinct for millenia, so it is reasonable to believe that one may erupt. Third, Mongolia hasn't even felt the slightest hint of seismic activity since 1957, so there is clearly a long tradition of earthquakes shaking Mongolia. Fourth, Buddhist tradition believes that earthquakes release demons into the world (okay, that has nothing to do with anything, but I had to fit it in somewhere).
So, if you don't hear from me again, it is possible that I am buried in Ulaanbaatar under the rubble. Fear not, however, I have stocked up on beer, so I'll be fine if I'm still alive. Also, if this happens, it is time to stop listening to scientists who do not claim to have the answers, and begin putting our faith in old kooks that we previously would only listen for entertainment purposes.
Now, for this to be reality, we may need to suspend our disbelief. Firstly, it is completely irrelevant that Ulaanbaatar does not sit anywhere near a major fault line (We didn't even feel the quake in Sichuan). Second, the only volcanoes in the country are far in the west, and they have been extinct for millenia, so it is reasonable to believe that one may erupt. Third, Mongolia hasn't even felt the slightest hint of seismic activity since 1957, so there is clearly a long tradition of earthquakes shaking Mongolia. Fourth, Buddhist tradition believes that earthquakes release demons into the world (okay, that has nothing to do with anything, but I had to fit it in somewhere).
So, if you don't hear from me again, it is possible that I am buried in Ulaanbaatar under the rubble. Fear not, however, I have stocked up on beer, so I'll be fine if I'm still alive. Also, if this happens, it is time to stop listening to scientists who do not claim to have the answers, and begin putting our faith in old kooks that we previously would only listen for entertainment purposes.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Still No Luck
Two weeks ago, we commenced upon our second trek in an attemp to get to the elusive Manzushir Khiid. Now, you are probably expecting a tale of dramatic failure, and I will not disappoint.
We left at 8:30 am. Now, it has become illegal to climb the mountains to the east of our school, which posed a small problem, since it is necessary to do so to get to our destination. Through a little cunning and stealth, we made our way through the forest to avoid the less than overwhelming guard. once we were at the top of the mountain, the thick forestry was a plesant change of pace to the wide open plains that the majority of the country is comprised of. We continued on until noon, when we stopped for a nice lunch, protected by a large rock formation. After lunch we continued along our planned route, when dilemma struck. There is a single pass between two valleys that is essential to take. This pass, however, is covered with gigantic boulders and the pile is about 100 m wide, 200 m across and about 70 m high. After a brief attempt, we decided that it wasn't worth crossing, and we would try to go around. Unfotunately, "around" resulted in going down the mountainside.
Where do you think we ended up? The exact same valley as the last time. Not willing to climg back up the mountain, we followed the valley right to the same ger camp where our last trip ended. It seems that this ger camp is located in the gravitational centre of the universe, unknowingly pulling us toward it, despite taking a completely different route than the first time. As for the elk, there was no attack this time, but there were signs of them everywhere. We did see one in the distance, but it took off before any of us could even get a camera out.
To conclude, Manzushir Khiid cannot be reached on foot from Zaisan.
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