2022.11.24-27. Started preparations for going home (centered around Naran tuul)

We finally have our flight tickets! And we also went souvenir hunting.

2022.11.24 – Chinggis Khan’s birthday

Today’s a national holiday in Mongolia for Chinggis Khan’s birthday – although it didn’t really make a difference for us. Well, we wanted to go to Naran Tuul and couldn’t because of this, but apart from that, a normal day. We got up, had breakfast, ordered two nice salads (bc of our suspected vitamin deficiency; and we really do not get enough greens and veggies here) for a pre-lunch snack. Then we spent some time chilling (and I also did some tidying up in the kitchen and my husband did the laundry). Then I went for a swim. Spent the evening and night procrastinating, mostly, but I also updated this blog (still mighty behind, mind you).

Finally, we’ve also bought our flight tickets home! We are supposed to leave Mongolia on December 13. We’ll see if I can get everyone to let me go at that date.

This is how snow is cleared away from the roads here - by tire-tracks

Loving these Korean plant milk boxes from CU
(as a post-swim boost)

2022.11.25 – making plans

Had a class, came home, spent the rest of the day chilling and trying to organise and prepare stuff for when we go home (itinerary, date of surgery, negotiating possible flights within Europe with my husband who really wants to travel in January and get some more miles, also thinking about souvenirs and how and when to get them, etc). I also talked to the embassy guy about the pre-Christmas event they plan on organising and how we could contribute – we’ll have a meeting about it at the embassy next Monday. We’ll also go to Naran Tuul tomorrow afternoon, and we need to check out the Christmas Gift Fair on Sunday too, so we’ll have a busy weekend. I’ll also need to do some lesson planning. And some research. Shoot, it’ll be a lot.

Btw, I’ve read 10 pages of HP today – the most I’ve done in one sitting so far!

Thanks to Chinggis Khan's birthday, they had the national flags up for a few days at Sukhbaatar square.

2022.11.26. – Christmas Gift Fair

It has been snowing quietly all day. Went to swim practice, then to Naran Tuul but it was closed, to our surprise, so we went to the Christmas Gift Fair instead. They were selling amazing handmade products, supporting Mongolian women. We bought some really cool stuff for souvenirs. I made a veggie and bean rice for lunch and we also ordered a naan and samosas for dinner. In the evening, I did my lesson plan for Monday’s class.

Some stuffed gers and patch-horses

Look at all these soft and hand-made things

Started doing the Barcelona puzzle in the evening

2022.11.27. – Naran tuul (we finally got there)

We went to Naran Tuul again – this time is was actually open, even though it was really cold (about -16 degrees but it felt colder after more than an hour of walking around the market, outside). Our toes were freezing, mine actually lost feeling after a time (which felt nice because they weren’t hurting anymore after that), but we got the intern girl (she was also with us, and the Mongolian guide too) a warm coat and also bought a few souvenirs (finally got rings for my lil bro, hope at least one of the two will be the right size and also to his liking), shower gel, and an immersion blender; now I can finally make a warm soup and sauces and banana shake! It was only 45k MNT, a reasonable price. We didn’t get potted plants (they don’t seem to sell them) or an office chair though (the later being too expensive). In the evening, I finished the Barcelona puzzle I started yesterday.

I also came across a rumour on FB about online school on Monday, asked Otgontuya, and she said there was no official info so it’s up to me, I wrote an email to the students (asking if they will be home or at the uni, how on Earth could it be up to me if there are no students in the classroom?), in the evening it turned out it will be online tomorrow. So I have to slightly change my plans and had to send an email with info and the meeting link. I would have preferred in-person but hey, understandable.

People didn't seem bothered by the cold and snow

They sell so many things here, it's kinda crazy

A Hungarian word on a box at Naran tuul!