Pondering the future...

This week I have been mostly pondering the future. What should I do when I return to the UK? I'm applying for various things, but the question of what my "end goal" should be is very much in my mind. I know I'm still young, but I still feel like I should be working towards something. It's frustrating to not have a clear idea of what I should do with my life, so I'm trying to take some time out in the evenings just to sit and think. Hopefully I'll get some inspiration soon! Anyway, I've got my Dad visiting me next Thursday, so perhaps he can help. Anyway - yes, my Dad is coming!!! I'll fill you in on his trip in a future blog entry...

Introvirus hits Mongolia! People are wondering around with masks covering their faces, and public buildings have all their door handles covered with cloths. This can only mean one thing - Mongolia is currently under attack from a horrible virus! The virus is quite dangerous for small children, so primary schools are currently shut down (much to the delight of the pupils!). The net affect of this is that both the elderly and small children are nowhere to be seen – grandparents have the task of keeping their grandchildren occupied during this period of “quarantine”. For the past week non-essential public facilities have been closed down, so the cinema and internet cafes have been out-of-action. Things are starting to return to normal now, but it was quite interesting to see how the nation reacted to this outbreak.

Hash House Harriers – Last Tuesday I went on my first “hash”, which was quite an experience. For the uninitiated, the Hash House Harriers are group of people who go for walks and drinks in the countryside (the HHH have groups all over the world). As they themselves claim, it’s “a drinking club for people with a walking problem”! The “H3” is very much for ex-pats, but still quite fun! We went for a “hash”/walk around the mountains outside of the city, and then finished off with a few beers by our minibus. I was pleasantly surprised by the whole experience – I thought that the people would be snobby and not very welcoming towards Mongolians. I was proved wrong much to my delight. It was great to relax in the countryside and get out of the metropolis; I plan to take part in future “hashes” in the coming weeks.

Random observations about Mongolia – I thought I’d write some of these down over the weeks ahead, just in case I forget them. Number 1: Mongolians hate the Chinese! Hate is a strong word, and generalizing Mongolians is often not wise, but in this case the previous statement is true. 99% of people would openly say that they dislike the Chinese, and would be sad if their family members married a Chinese person. Mongolians blame most things on the Chinese (for example last January’s vodka poisoning scare – see http://rob-in-mongolia.blogspot.com/2008/01/its-very-cold.html), and are very negative about Chinese products. This negativity is due to historical factors (years of being occupied and badly treated) and recent developments (Chinese people are taking Mongolian jobs). It never ceases to surprise me how open the Mongolians are about this – people will openly say that they would never marry a Chinese person and that they hate the Chinese (this includes very liberal people working in NGOs!). During my previous visit to Sukhbaatar City a six year old girl said that she hated Chinese people – I was particularly shocked, as she was so young and had never met a Chinese person before. A group called “Hoch Mongol” has been known to attack Chinese people and shave the hair off of any Mongolian women who are seen mixing with Chinese men. I guess I’m lucky not to be Chinese…

Lots of love to you all,

Robert