a wonderfully random day in UB...

This is why I love my life here...no day is ever the same.  You just go with the flow and hope for the best!

We are lucky to currently have an Australian volunteer at Lotus who has come over for two weeks to run a bakers course.  Paul has worked at 2 star Michelin restaurant in Paris, 5 star hotels in Sydney and is now teaching some of our lovely staff and older teens at Lotus what he knows about bread.  Lotus may be a little different to Paris but interesting none the less.  Two days in and I am already loving the smell of bread through the orphanage.  I however randomly spent the morning running around Bayanzurich with the Lotus doctor trying to find electronic scales.  Ducking in and out of cabs and shops with the fifty year old doctor who doesn't speak English was an adventure in itself but finally we found what we were looking for and practically both jumped for joy at the sight of these scales.  Who needs language when you can share tears of excitement and exhaustion with someone in the department store.   I could tell from this moment that my day was going to be interesting!    

After our successful return it was time for some run around action before lunch...

Enke the kindergarten teacher said that all the little ones slept so well last night after spending time outside yesterday so we made sure as a favour to the house mothers to take them out again to tire them out!

Little Giltma...

my love...Interee.

Second random moment....phone call from my friend Dunu stating that he is on his way to my work.  Dunu comes to see the baby house and meet the kids and then says I have to come see his work also.  I wonder in my head...have I missed the memo about Tuesday being 'come and see your friends work' day?  Dunu owns two companies, one that sends Mongolian students overseas to study through the Mongolian university of music and dance and the other is a coal export business.  Yes he himself is random also.  Things were wrapping up at Lotus so we headed to the University in Dunu's car listening to Mongolian top 40 music and trying not have an accident in the ridiculous UB traffic.

Dunu also plays the Morin Khuur.  He teaches at the university and has traveled Europe and Asia playing in a Mongolian orchestra.  I told you he is random...he was the friend who gave Liz and I our bathroom back before heading off on a drunken wolf hunting trip.

On my way home my phone rings and it is Michael (a fellow AYAD) asking if I know where he can buy a second hand ger door from.  Once again, swerving through traffic listening to Dunu sing his heart out in between business phone calls I find myself wondering with smile on my face...'how has this become my life?'

 

Final stop for the day...material shopping for Karina's birthday.  My dear K bird is turning 30 and holding an Alice in Wonderland themed party.  It will be epic and costumes are a must.  After visiting our favourite dressmaker who is the one responsible for the amazing ninja turtle shells we squeeze in a shared meal at our local Japanese restaurant and of course the usual D & M's that we naturally seem to find ourselves in.  Bliss.