The New Christine

Last night I received a call from another of Anita's contacts who arrives in UB on Monday, preparing to teach English to primary-school age kids at the Goethe Institute. She just wanted some assurance from someone who was here, or had been here recently, that things were good and that she could survive. Her name is Christine; she lives in Ann Arbor, MI. She asked what she needed to bring and I assured her that she could find everything she needed here. I've been pleasantly surprised by the variety of things available, so if she isn't dependent upon a particular brand of shampoo, or whatever, she'll do just fine. I only brought 3 shirts, 3 pairs of socks and underwear, and I wash them out every night, so you don't need a lot of clothes. Prices are good, here, too. For example, the taxi ride to the Black Market last weekend was only 3,000 togrog - about $2. (I did give him a 500 togrog tip because of the waiting he had to do for me while I was in the bank getting my dollar bills rejected. Otherwise, there is no tipping in Mongolia.)

I got adventurous at the Minii the other day and bought a couple of things just to try them. One was a brand of soda called Selenge, advertised as a mixture of "medicinal plants, herbal grass, wild oats, and pine needles." It was better than it sounds - and certainly better than the maple syrup soda I bought in Maine once. (Peter and Christopher will remember that experiment.) I also bought sliced kiwi in a jar (no fresh kiwi in the market), and some marinated carrot salad in a jar. I thought I'd branch out a little from my usual cheese, bread, eggs and fruit.

P.S. I haven't seen the original (male) cashier back at the Minii since he left. The (female) cashier gives me change right away. Bummer!