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