I kill you already...you wrong...wrong...I kill you...

Went to a kick boxing session with a private trainer tonight.  It was awesome but my trainer Alkhaa wont let me keep my Muay Thai technique.  He's trained in Muay Thai before but I learnt quickly it has to be his way!  He's hilarious..."Muay Thai lazy...slowly slowly...BAM...I kill you (as he kicks me in the head) before you even know it...Muay Thai relax relax...WRONG...you wrong...I kill you already...kick boxing better."

In pain already...had the shakes over dinner but loved every minute of it.  Feels good to get back into it...Have trained in 30 degrees in Thailand and will be training in -30 degrees over winter!  Made me miss Thailand a little bit while training with Alkhaa...big love to my Thai peeps xxx

Boys break dancing out the front of the Louis Vuitton store

  

Random UB shots...

language lessons begin...

Learning Mongolian is hard...learning Cyrillic and all the tones and pronunciations is so tricky.  I've found that if I say the words and pretend that I'm really angry people understand me more.  I think the pollution helps to get that phlegmmy throat sound too...too much information??  Hahaha!

Shopping or should I say supporting the local economy...

Today we hit the black market knows as Naran Tuul.  Serious shopping there.  Funny thing was that the snow from the previous few days had turned to ice.  It is not easy to walk on ice.  No falls yet but lots of recoveries from little back slips.  I know it will eventually happen but for now I’m standing tall. 

MOVING DAY!!!  Liz and I moved into our sweet little apartment.  Due to the excessive central heating set up here in UB we have nick named our place the hot house…we need to walk around in shorts and t-shirts inside its ridiculous!  Feels soooooo great to unpack my suitcase.  Liz is also an AYAD and will be working as a physio at a kindergarten for children with special needs.  Will post some apartment photos soon!  

I’m ready to unveil the magic that is a star baby…

The kids here look so awesome in their winter outfits.  Mongolians know how to dress that’s for sure.  Fashion here is great.  I was told that I wouldn’t be able to find any clothes etc here but that is totally not the case.  The markets and department stores have everything and anything you could want.  Getting back to star babies…they melt your heart.  I love the floppy star babies…the little kids that have fallen asleep in their winter gear while their parents are holding them.  Bless!  

First walk home in the snow...

First night out in UB!  Dinner in one of the V.I.P rooms at the micro brewery.  Then a hop skip and a jump to a club called riversounds.  It was an unreal night.  Lots of vodka and lots of out of control crazy dance floor action.  To top it off as we left the club it was SNOWING!!  It was unbelievable.  I couldn’t believe how excited I was.  Liz, Ben, Karina and I walked home together and took over an hour to walk the normal fifteen minute trip as we took a million photos and had fun skating through the streets.  The night ended at the hotel with a bit of stacks on action in the hallway and a few running wall chest bumps.  Loving life...

Em, Liz, Karina and I @ riversounds

Liz, Waz and I cutting it up!

Ben, Liz, Karina and I ecstatic over our first snow since we arrived!

dancing in the square

work visit, schmoozing and Ultan Urag

Finally got to go out to my new workplace.  It is amazing.  Fell in love multiple times and left with the feeling that it is amazing how life takes you exactly where you need to be.  

Seriously Mongolian children are sooooooooo fricken gorgeous.  Need to work out with my boss how much I can actually discuss the orphanage etc on here so until then all I can say is that I'm more than ready to start working. I think there are going to MANY challenges to this job but an amazing experience none the less.  

Thursday night we had an event held for us that brought a few different volunteer organisations together and gave us an opportunity to introduce ourselves and network with other agencies out there.  Funny thing was I met a Mongolian lady who had studied at Flinders University back home and was dying to talk about Adelaide.  Ulzii and her family miss their life there and she was over the moon to have that connection.  After the meet and greet a few of us headed to a local night spot and were lucky enough to hear a famous Mongolian band called Ultan Urag play.  They are a folk rock band and they are SICK!  Haha it's the only way to describe them.  

Check out their website...

http://www.altanurag.mn/en.html

They play traditional instruments and even incorporate throat singing.  Love that they have a female drummer also.  

 

Apartment...tick!

APARTMENT SORTED...now just need to move in over the weekend.  Wait to you see the photos...lovely Russian-esque tack.  It's wonderful.  Nice chunky velvet furniture and a courtyard to roller blade with Mongolian star babies...what more could you ask for?  What are star babies I hear you ask...I will keep you in suspense but  when I fill you in on the wonder that is a star baby you will explode with shear happiness and joy when you see them.

Random shots around UB...

Food, vodka and apartment shopping

So its actually Wednesday morning while I'm writing this however I'm trying to keep it day by day so bear with me...I am a tad hungover.  Here's the low down...

We have had a fairly busy schedule since arriving.  Lots of meals and catch ups with the other AYAD's that are living here.  Tuesday was apartment shopping day.  There are some great options but just need to work out what is best location wise.  Most things seem like they are walking distance which is fine now as the weather is not so cold (you know only above zero degrees!) but once winter hits we want to be in an easy position.

So that brings me to the cold...So I think its been around 4-6 degrees this week.  Night time I'm not sure but it is definitely below zero degrees celsius.  Having never lived in such temperatures its surprising how nice its been.  Ask me in a few months and it will most likely be a different story but right now its fun.  I think it helps that the sun is always out.  Getting dressed to go outside is a fair effort and then whenever you come into a building its a rush to get the layers off before you over heat.  There are a few patches of ice on the ground but nothing to hardcore just yet.

Last night we had planned to see a cultural show with throat singing, contortionists, dancing etc however the power wasn't working so it was cancelled.  We ended up at a place called square which is in the big Louis Vuitton building.  Lots of drinking followed.  Unfortunately so did our first lesson in personal security.  While we were sitting at the large table we all put our coats on the back of our chairs.  This place was fairly upmarket and I think maybe we all had our guard down a little bit...perfect opportunity really I guess.  So James had his wallet taken from his coat pocket and then put back inside minus about a whole stash of cash.  They also managed to leave with his camera.  Pretty good score for the thieves.  They walked away with the dollar equivalent to what most Mongolians earn in three months!  Police reports followed for James and Holly while the rest of us managed to consume copious amounts of Chinggis Khan vodka.  An impromptu 2 hour karaoke session followed which resulted in our group being asked to leave...not before we belted out one last classic, Stand by me.  Great night with great people.  Loving life...

Vegan meal at Luna Blanca...awesome!

it's all about the vodka

Karina, Liz, Ben and I on our walk home...love xx

Sukhbaatar square

chillin with Chinggis

you know it!

      

My new home...

Okay so already so much has happened but I'm too tired to update.  Ulaanbaatar is RANDOM but in the very best of ways...I know its only day two but I'm loving things here already.  Yes I know I still have a long way to go but I'm feeling great about what is to come.  I think it was about 4 degrees today and definitely feels a tad...fresh.

Some photos from the Zaisan monument...