Cutting across this field shortens our walk a bit, but we're faced with possibly changing our route due to construction that's started and the lesser of two evils, attacking dogs or traffic. So far it is still the dogs only because we can protect ourselves with a stick as opposed to being helpless against a driver wanting to inch forward in the daily traffic jams. I have noticed that the traffic does appear less congested since the cold freezes up engines quickly. People that own cars need to garage them, which is not cheap, or periodically start them during the day and let them idle. We were patting ourselves on the back today for not buying a vehicle which was a consideration when we first got here.
The snow that falls periodically turns to ice which tests balance, decision making (is there any snow to walk on?) and reaction time. There have been a few moments when I possibly look like I'm having a grand mal seizure while trying to stay on my feet. Pam has what is equivalent to tire chains for her shoes that were bought in Seoul. I did see a way to reduce unemployment the other day on a walk to the market. On the back of a truck filled with sand was a man shoveling it onto the road. The temp fortunately was in the low -20's.
Fur is a huge seller here: fox, rabbit, mink and many others that I haven't learned the words to positively identify them. The fox hat I have is by far the warmest hat I've ever owned and gives me the false impression that I again have a full head of hair. Wearing the hat and all suited up for the cold, I was actually mistaken for a Mongolian last night. There are some Mongolians that must have very different DNA. We've seen them without hats or gloves and only wearing fur-lined leather jackets walking around town or shopping at the Black Market. We are dumbfounded when we consider our arsenal of clothing. What we do have does the trick most of the time unless there is a breeze blowing. Fortunately, that is not very often, but there are moments when our eyelashes freeze together or snotcicles develop.
The Mongolians do have their tried and true pieces of warmth. Yak, camel, sheep and goat wool (cashmere) are fantastic. The fur items do the trick, and felt is a staple for combating the cold. The folks that sell their wares at the open air Black Market also wear felt boots which make one wonder if they are related to Big Foot. To give one more standard of how tough Mongolians are against the cold, people were shooting pool outdoors last weekend.
In addition to the cold, we also contend with pollution. There are many gers (yurts) in and around UB that heat with a low grade coal. My understanding is that a couple of winters ago it was brutally cold and there was an abnormal amount of snow that prevented livestock from feasting on the dried grass. Many Mongolian herders lost so much livestock that they decided to move to the capital to try and make a living. We have been told by some of the vets that on the bad days, which happen often in the winter, breathing the local air can be like smoking up to 4 packs of cigarettes. However, some of our colleagues who have lived in Hong Kong and Beijing claim that those places surpass the worst UB can muster. What a title to hold!!! Fortunately, we live and work on the south side of the city, so the sky looks a lighter shade of grey. When the airflow changes, usually in the afternoon, the beautiful blue Mongolian sky reemerges along with the mountains.
My friend Andy from Alaska preparing mentally to combat the dogs as we cross THE FIELD.
The pollution has dissipated. This is looking in the opposite direction of the above pic.
Bye, honey! See you when I get home.
The Black Market
Let's see...which hat will be the warmest?
