Our new place

One thing I do not like is apartment shopping. The prices are usually depressing, the choices, at least here, can be terrifyingly tacky, and there is always the worry that once the landlord sees a foreigner’s face that the price will magically increase. This time around though it was a fairly quick and painless process thanks to Brian’s new employer who helped us. Zula and I first searched online and in the paper for perspective apartments and then passed on the information to a wonderful woman at Brian’s office. She not only made all the appointments for us but drove us around to see the apartments. I could get used to this life :)

Anyway to get to the point we found a place that is not too far from Brian’s work, near a grocery store, and has no tiger themed wallpaper, orange kitchen cabinets, or wall to wall indoor-outdoor carpeting (something which was featured in our first UB apartment). We still need to move a bunch of things up from the Gobi including the fur babies but after a good cleaning it is starting to feel like home. Come and visit-we have lots of room!

The front entrance way. We plan to get a rug, a bench, and a table at some point so it won't look so barren.

The hallway which is also screaming for a carpet or two.

Our bedroom.

The ceiling leaves me speechless.

Tsendee's room.

Just too much princess for Brian and me.

I don't care if the washing machine takes up half the bathroom-it is the first we have ever had in a home.

Our fancy shower pod.

Our tiny toilet room.

I love the kitchen. Refrigerator! Stove! Running water! What more could I ask for?

Our dining area. The table and chairs are the only furniture we have had to buy so far.

The world's largest couch! (I fear for its safety once the cats show up).

I wish the TV wasn't so small though. I can barely see it from across the street.

The view to the north east. We are right next to an old Soviet era spa which is nice.

On the distant hill is a Chinggis outline made out of rocks. Looking south east.

We are close enough to walk to the Zaisan monument and the Tuul river to our south.

And we’re off!

Brian and I have never lived in one place for more than three years in a row, and all our moves, except one, have lasted for only two years. Therefore, now that we have been living in the Gobi for two years, it is only right that we are moving again. We have loved our two years in Hanhongor with its peace and quiet, friendly people, and, frankly, cheap living expenses, but we are ready for a new adventure. Starting at the end of the month Brian will be consulting full time for a company in Ulaanbaatar which means a move to the coldest capital in the world. (Don’t believe me? Check out this highly informative piece). This week we will be heading up to UB to look for an apartment, and at the end of the month we will be taking a quick trip to Korea to get new visas.  We are excited about Brian’s new job, running water, and well stocked grocery stores, but Hanhongor will always be our hometown in Mongolia.

Goodbye for now sweet ger.

Children’s Day 2013

Children’s day 2013 was celebrated with a concert at the kindergarten and an all school obstacle race. I didn’t attend the kindergarten show, but I got these cute pictures from a friend.

All dressed up on their big day.

A shy kid is a rare one here.

Mini Blues Brothers

Best Reader, Hardest Working, Most Polite, Most Helpful, Best Dancer, and Best Singer

The all school obstacle race consisted of four teams each with one kid from each grade for a total of 11 members per team. After an opening ceremony outside, each team raced through some pretty funny obstacles in the gym including bike riding, jumping rope, puzzles, bouncing pencils into jars, blowing up a ballon until it burst, and bouncing a ping pong ball onto a buttered piece of bread. The winning team did it in just a little over 5 minutes!

Teams sizing each other up.

Tungalagtamir was by far the fastest at the block puzzle.

Enkh-Amgalan had to blow a ball from one water filled jar into another.

Super Jumper

Lkhagva on his bike.

Waiting for the ballon to pop was terrible.

Suger-Erdene bouncing a ping pong ball onto buttered toast for the win!