New years eve in the Mong...

great way to start a party - flooded toilet

Karina, Tanya, Carl and I

running to the square for fireworks

champas in the square

can I get a hap-py!!

Sukhbaatar square

D-floor action at Dorgios

New years concert @ Lotus

Great day at Lotus.  The new years concert was held at the school and it was a day full of cute costumes, brave singers and dancers and a lot of lollies....I was even interviewed and starred on the local news.  My five minutes of fame was nothing compared to these superstars...

Dinner time I finally got some quality mash...anyone who knows me well knows that I love my potatoes.  Dinner at square bar followed by a masquerade party...got to love a random Thursday night out:

A little Christmas cheer all the way from A-town

Thanks Lozza!!!

Perspective is a wonderful thing...

Yesterday one of my best friends here (another AYAD) got punched in the face on her way to work.  10.30 am in the morning, ipod in, minding her own business and was sucker punched twice in the side of the head for no obvious reason....well I guess there was a reason and unfortunately it's not one that's easy to understand...no he was not drunk, no she did not antagonise him, no it was not at 4am in the morning out the front of club and no she has never knowingly crossed paths with him before.

There are a few opinions going around on why this happened...most of them revolving around racism, Nationalism and the recent surge in neo-nazi groups in Mongolia.  Most of their anger is directed towards the Chinese however there are a few people here that would like any foreigners to get the hell out of Mongolia.   You can read more about that if you follow this link...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/aug/02/mongolia-far-right

Who really knows exactly why this happened and I don't want to make assumptions but nevertheless this horrible incident swung me into some Erin question time...why am I here, do Mongolians want or actually need me here, is it right that I am here working in a job that a Mongolian could do, am I actually doing anything of purpose or is this all a bit good press for the Australian government???

Cue my mate Naranbayar...

What a face huh...I spent the day at the baby house today.  I'm glad I did as perspective is a wonderful thing.

Yes, there may be racism in Mongolia...so what, we all know there is a truck load of it in Oz and people still work their way through it.  Yes, some people may think its pointless me being here...that's fine it's not their approval I'm after.  Yes, a Mongolian may be able to do the job that I am doing however I have knowledge and experience that I can actually share and hopefully improve the very new and slowly developing field of Social Work in Mongolia....and finally yes, this program may be about putting young Australians into areas where there are foreign interests for our Government but that doesn't mean there isn't a huge opportunity to make a positive impact on others lives...including my own.

Now I'm sure this will not be the last time I will be in my own little question time session however I will remind myself again that perspective is a wonderful thing and I dont need to go far to find it.

Erin x

P.S. Luckily my friend is one tough cookie and I pity the next person who tries to take her on as she is ready.  I'm sorry that this happened to her but she is taking it with grace and she is definitely rocking the swollen/bruised look well.    

bus stop love

Nutcracker sunday

The chandelier at the Opera and Ballet theatre

Boxing day at the ballet and dessert at sky bar....

view from sky bar

A mongo crimbo...

Christmas day in UB 2010 to me equals...

• a hangover from dancing the night away on Christmas eve
• finding an empty cheese container and pickle jar from a 3am hot house binge
• also finding a car bumper in my lounge room
• the best orange juice I have ever tasted (imported of course!!)
• present swapping with my mongo family
• an awesome lunch with the AYAD crew
• party games including musical chairs and limbo
• champagne and red wine 
• ice skating without skates
• Karina being inappropriately touched by Santa
• a drunken skype date with my family back home & to Tonga
• and finally a movie marathon sleep over in a jam packed lounge room

Christmas morning

Liz and I power through our shady heads

my aggressive technique failed me...first one out

Em the limbo champ

the crew improvising without skates 

Tanya and I - Sukhbaatar square

bad santa

how many girls does it take to open a bottle of red??

An open letter to my family...

Well it’s Christmas eve and I want you all to know I’m thinking of you.  I’m so happy here in Mongolia however if I could teleport myself home to spend Christmas with you I would.  There is nothing like a McGarvey Christmas. 

I love the feast at Oma's on Christmas eve, I love seeing everyone walk through the back gate of whoever is hosting Christmas day that year, the random lucky dip presents, the copious amounts of champagne, the hugs, the ham, my little and big cousins, Abba blasting from the stereo, having a birthday cake for Uncle Ian, the telling of old and new stories, swapping shoes and trying on everyones jewelery, sing star, potato salad, interstate mobile phone calls and of course I love the feeling that when we are together in that moment there is no where else I would want to be...

Sending you all big hugs and kisses all the way from mighty Mongolia.  Enjoy that Aussie weather and know that while you are basking in the sun I will be in thermals and enjoying my first white Christmas.

I love you xxx

     

  

Let her eat cake...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LIZ!!!!  

So happy to share your quarter of a century with you my dear housie.  Big love xxx

The nine nines of winter...

The nine nines of winter began today.  Yep technically winter only began today...Ummmm yeah right.  The winter solstice began today and continues for 81 days.  Mongolians break these 81 days into 9 sets of 9....

• First nine – shimijn arkhi (mild alcoholic beverage made of milk) freezes
• Second nine – arkhi (vodka) freezes (second distillation, also sometimes, they say Russian vodka freezes)
• Third nine – tail of three-year-old yak freezes
• Fourth – horns of four-year-old yak freeze
• Fifth nine – boiled rice does not congeal any more
• Sixth nine – roads blacken (ie, snow melting on blacktop)
• Seventh nine – hilltops blacken (snow melting on the lower hills)
• Eighth nine - ground becomes damp (snow melting on grass)
• Ninth nine – warm days set in

Liz and I are going to do some experiments.  We've been told that if you throw a cup of hot water out the window when it is -40 degrees it will turn to snow.  I will let you know how that goes.  Accidental experiment of the day goes to our cleaner Deggie.  She washed Liz's woolen blanket and left it over our balcony to dry.  Liz forgot about it and brought it in after six hours and it was solid as a rock.  It actually had icicles dangling from the bottom of it.  I think if we dropped it over our balcony it would smash into tiny pieces.  It is now standing up on its own defrosting near our heater.   

Bring on the ninth nine is all I can say!  Walking home from my new years party (yes you heard me not christmas but new years....duh that's what all the trees and decorations are for right?????) I thought I was literally going to freeze in my boots.  Weather reports state it was -35 while I was sliding along icy Sukhbaatar square.  I had another 'OMG I'm in Mongolia' moment when I was scooting down icy Peace Avenue with my fur hood wrapped tightly around my face trying not to fall on my thermal padded butt while watching two old men in their Mongol boots smoking pipes stumble home after what looks like a few after work drinks.

Speaking of drinks....my new years party for Lotus staff.  Wow.  Mongols know how to party that's for sure.  Imagine copious amounts of alcohol, mixed meats, women in ball gowns and sequin cocktail numbers, party games and scheduled disco time.  Yep strobe light and all!!  

Disco time...this is about 3.30pm!

traditional waltz to techno music

some of the Lotus crew

Mongol Santa

Didi, Bolor, Tuul and I

Dana White to pay for Tuptims surgery xx

It's been confirmed!!!!

Dana White pays for infant's life-saving surgery

By Maggie Hendricks December 20, 2010 UFC president Dana White has a brash exterior. He's known for being a tough negotiator, saying what he thinks, and dropping f-bombs at will. It turns out that he also has a heart of gold. White stepped up to pay for a life-saving surgery for the 7-month-old daughter of a popular Thai MMA trainer at Tiger Muay Thai in Phuket. UFC fighters like Mike Swick and Jon Fitch have relied on Tiger Muay Thai to improve their striking game, and instructor Kru Nai has helped several top fighters. His daughter Tuptim was diagnosed with bilary obstruction, a serious liver condition. A surgery could save her life, but it cost $50,000. Without it, she was given just weeks to live. The MMA community came together to try to raise money for her surgery. To bring attention to the issue, a poster onthe Underground, a popular MMA message board, asked White to give the cash: Mr. DANA WHITE, If you are a true ambassador for the sport.....PAY FOR THIS SURGERY!!! Please help, no donation to small........the clock is ticking That's exactly what White is doing. He confirmed to Yahoo! Sports on Monday that he will pay for Tuptim's surgery. "I was reading the Underground and saw it and clicked on it and I don't know, I just did. She needs it fast, so I did it,"  White said via text. Kudos to the White for stepping up and helping out. White's generosity to the Nai family makes him better than Santa Claus. http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news?slug=yhoo-ept_sports_mma_experts-298359 How exciting huh!!  Donations are still being taken though as medical care after the surgery will still be needed and quite costly.  Christmas miracle I think!  Big love to Nai, Nit and ofcourse baby Tuptim xxx

The people you meet...

little preppies sing-a-long

Rolf showing the kids photos of them
from a few years back

Today I had the privilege of showing Rolf around Lotus.  Rolf is a German business man who lives in Switzerland and who had just been in Africa and was about to catch the train from UB all the way back to Europe.  What a mouthful huh!  He is a really awesome guy who has started his own organisation that funds projects for charities all around the world.  He has made donations to Lotus in the past and hopefully after this visit many more into the future.

 The two on the eclipse are twinnies

love my lunch dates

just chilling 

Baisa and I

lunch time lads

little superstars

deel time

little tear abouts

love my job!

The last few days for me have really been a reminder that there are so many amazing people in my life who do outstanding things for others.  That may sound corny but its energising to be around individuals who want to make a positive impact on the world.  I'm not just talking about UB either...

To those friends back home and abroad who have rallied together to get the word out about Tuptim it is honestly breath taking.  It warms my heart at the response has taken place.  Fund raising is going well and there have been strong rumors that Dana White (UFC) is going to make a large donation that will cover the rest of the costs.  This is yet to be confirmed but I will keep you posted either way.

Much Love,

Erin x