Happy White Moon, Everyone!

The day started especially nicely with the sounds of 2 people playing stringed instruments in the apartment next door. I left the apartment about 12:00 in order to give me plenty of time to walk to the place where I was scheduled to meet Beree for the visit to her parents' home for the New Year's celebration. The streets were so empty! I couldn't believe it was the same city. There were very few people around, but those that were out were dressed primarily in dels and traditional clothing. Everyone looked so striking. I met up with Beree, and we walked to her apartment where I met her family and ate some dumplings (buuz) and potato salad and drank some milk tea. Bill, I'm convinced I can eat just about anything now. Her uncle, aunt and 2 cousins joined us, but of course I couldn't follow any of the conversation. Luckily her father had the Olympics on the TV, so I could glance over there occasionally and keep my mind going. I saw the Finnish women's hockey team beat the Russians. Beree and I talked a bit, mostly about her trips to Germany and the difficulties of learning Mongolian as an adult. She speaks beautiful German (she works for the Goethe Institute) and lovely English, and it was very kind of her to invite me to her home for this holiday. I was wondering what the polite length of time to stay was when her uncle et al. began to leave, so I decided that was my cue to go, too. I had a nice walk home and that's where we are now.