News from Ulan Baatar - Mongolia

My nephew in his winter attire

I have been on a daily chat with my nephew who is now working on an assignment at Ulan Baatar, the capital of Outter Mongolia. It must be rather hard for someone grew up in a tropical weather and suddenly have to go through a severe winter in a far and away land.

I envy him because I have been to most part of China but I never step in to Outter Mongolia. Below is a edited chat script with him today, to read you need to be in tuned to 'Malish' aka Malaysia English.

The Irish pub in Outter Mongolia

BertJacko zegt:

Hi, i'm in an Irish pub... tons of ppl here...

and i gotta work a distance jes to find a place with wifi...

it has a coffee section...

BertJacko zegt:

so i'm sitted there...

its jes too cold... even now...

when i walked here jes now... my palms were freezin.. though it is covered with glove...

eLv!rA @ Rotterdam zegt:

so you are in a Starbuck cafe?

BertJacko zegt:

no... there's no starbucks here....

eLv!rA @ Rotterdam zegt:

make sure you cover your head and ears

there is a saying that your ears will crack and drop

if you don't cover them...

because it has been frozen and you don't have any feeling anymore

BertJacko zegt:

yea.. yea... i m havin it covered with my... "snow" cap...

BertJacko zegt:

this irish pub has 2 sections... one if the pub.. n the other the cofee...

BertJacko zegt:

hmmm... prolly i take a pic for u to see...

BertJacko zegt:

but the pic aint tat clear cos... its kinda dark...

but i'll send it anyway...

eLv!rA @ Rotterdam zegt:

so, are you happy with the food there?

BertJacko zegt:

hmmm.. the thing i love bout this city is tat.. the foods are yummy...

yea... extremely happy with the food here...

last nite we went to this restaurant cum pub... and had lasagna...

it is heaven!!! the portion's huge... and it is darn cheap..

it only costs me 4k tugrug=USD4

BertJacko zegt:

and there are lots of variety...

BertJacko zegt:

the pub n clubbin scene is unbelivable...

it is pack even on weekdays...

eLv!rA @ Rotterdam zegt:

do they speak Chinese or Mongolia

BertJacko zegt:

the ppl here don speak chinese...

they only speak mongolian...

eLv!rA @ Rotterdam zegt:

and English?

BertJacko zegt:

a lil bit of english....not fluent...

BertJacko zegt:

even i have a hard time tellin the lady who is sharing this table with me.. tat the chair is vacant...til she has to lower her head and ask me again... and again.. til i jes point the chair to her n nod my head...

eLv!rA @ Rotterdam zegt:

you mean they use a different currency and not RMB?

BertJacko zegt:

no.. its called Tugrug....or MNT in short...

eLv!rA @ Rotterdam zegt:

funny, thought they are part of China, what is the exchange rate with USD?

BertJacko zegt:

the exchange rate is USD1=1146 Tugrug.. approximately

oh.. i think Mongolia is not part of China...i think la...

cos there is not even a slight resemblance of any chinese values here

eLv!rA @ Rotterdam zegt:

you are in inner mongolia or outter mongolia?

BertJacko zegt:

inner mongolia...

eLv!rA @ Rotterdam zegt:

up load your pic on the multiply lah, like brenda did with the US trip on a daily basis

BertJacko zegt:

Ulan Baatar.. the capital...

eLv!rA @ Rotterdam zegt:

sharing your life in Mongolia with us ma

BertJacko zegt:

haha...

i will i will...

BertJacko zegt:

wait til i get everything settled.. have all the photos uploaded from my cam.. then i will upload them...

BertJacko zegt:

yea yea.. i do...

eLv!rA @ Rotterdam zegt:

so are you at the pub alone or with ur colleageus?

BertJacko zegt:

alone...my colleagues are all worn off from the work...

eLv!rA @ Rotterdam zegt:

so lonely meh

BertJacko zegt:

like u last time lo... independent ma...

eLv!rA @ Rotterdam zegt:

but you need to learn to enjoy even on your own

yea, I even booked a table at San Francisco to see the sunset myself

the waiter think I am gila

BertJacko zegt:

yea.. i m learning.. tat's why i chose to come here on my own.. not havin to relyin on them...

BertJacko zegt:

cool!!!

eLv!rA @ Rotterdam zegt:

so long as you bring a book or laptop

BertJacko zegt:

it must be a very nice sunset.. i reckon...

eLv!rA @ Rotterdam zegt:

and enjoy ur life to the fullest

BertJacko zegt:

yup...

eLv!rA @ Rotterdam zegt:

oh yes

BertJacko zegt:

hmm.. there's not much sunset to watch here...

hahaha

eLv!rA @ Rotterdam zegt:

that was beautiful and how I wish uncle tony was with me

BertJacko zegt:

it is jes a dream...

BertJacko zegt:

and i wanna make it happen...after i got bek from this mongolia assignment in march...

i will apply for transfer to other offices...hopin my exposure here brightens up my resume a lil...

eLv!rA @ Rotterdam zegt:

surely it will. hey, I gotta catch up with my work now

talk to you tomorrow yea

BertJacko zegt:

keep in touch ay?byee!!!

eLv!rA @ Rotterdam zegt:

bye