Monday, March 8, 2010
Tuesday morning
This morning when I went to feed my doggies, another puppy was missing! This time it was one of the younger puppies. I want to know what's happening to my babies!
One of life's perplexities: SOLVED!
"They" have long maintaned that there is no rhyme for the word "orange." Well, I'm here to prove "them" wrong. Depending on how you pronounce "orange", here are the rhyme possibilities, for all you would-be-poets.
If you say OR-INGE: door hinge
Eeyore binge
Days-of-Yore binge
gore-tinge
carnivore binge
nor whinge
If you say OR-ANGE: floor flange
more Ange (like the nickname for Angie, Angela)
Rhyme "Sore flange damn fox" with "Orange salmon lox"
What does that mean? I don't know. It's YOUR poem.
If you say OR-ENGE: for venge(ance), which you can then rhyme with "Orange Ents" (Thank you, JRR Tolkien) or "orange ants".
Soren's (there should be a vertical line through the "o")
born henges
You can rhyme "pour Ganges" with "orange knees (or bees, or seas)
Rhyme "ignore singe" with "pig orange"; rhyme "more ginger" with "oranger"; "injure" with "orange ger".
You can substitute any of the following for the first syllable, depending on the subject of your poem: bore, core, door, floor, for, four, gore, whore, lore, more, nor, ignore, pour, roar, soar, sore, tore, wore, yore or your.
No, you don't have to thank me. I derive my satisfaction just knowing what a contribution I've made to literature. Of course, if you want to put my name in a footnote, or in the dedication, I can't stop you.
Next stop: SILVER!
And you wonder what I did on Women's Day!
If you say OR-INGE: door hinge
Eeyore binge
Days-of-Yore binge
gore-tinge
carnivore binge
nor whinge
If you say OR-ANGE: floor flange
more Ange (like the nickname for Angie, Angela)
Rhyme "Sore flange damn fox" with "Orange salmon lox"
What does that mean? I don't know. It's YOUR poem.
If you say OR-ENGE: for venge(ance), which you can then rhyme with "Orange Ents" (Thank you, JRR Tolkien) or "orange ants".
Soren's (there should be a vertical line through the "o")
born henges
You can rhyme "pour Ganges" with "orange knees (or bees, or seas)
Rhyme "ignore singe" with "pig orange"; rhyme "more ginger" with "oranger"; "injure" with "orange ger".
You can substitute any of the following for the first syllable, depending on the subject of your poem: bore, core, door, floor, for, four, gore, whore, lore, more, nor, ignore, pour, roar, soar, sore, tore, wore, yore or your.
No, you don't have to thank me. I derive my satisfaction just knowing what a contribution I've made to literature. Of course, if you want to put my name in a footnote, or in the dedication, I can't stop you.
Next stop: SILVER!
And you wonder what I did on Women's Day!
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Weekend update
It looks like my days of free wi-fi at the apartment have come to an end. I never understood how I was getting it, anyway, but I haven't been able to use it for several days. My guess is that it came from one of the internet cafes around my building and that they have finally caught on that they've been giving away service because there now is a firewall around it. Right now I'm at one of those cafes (although they don't serve any food or beverages here, so how is it a cafe?) and will need to come here on weekends from now on, I assume. Boo!
Friday I got a taste of Mongolians' appetite for nightlife. Monday (tomorrow) is International Women's Day, and in honor of it the men in the office prepared dinner for the women. My class was over at 6pm and I assumed that we'd be having dinner around 7pm because I saw all the men being very busy making things and preparing rice, etc. Around 8pm I finally asked one of the receptionists when we might be having dinner and she said it would probably be around 9:30. She was right, and the women sat down for a nice meal at 9:30 with the men acting as waiters. After we had eaten the men ate and then it was time for champagne, toasts and gifts. Our "bartender" kept moving around the room and when he'd come to me I tried to shoo him away since I still had something in my cup, but everyone insisted that he couldn't and that I HAD to finish up my cup and try the next drink. I drank up twice (anyone ever try to guzzle champagne?), but on the third go-round I just put my hand over my cup and made him pass me by. Then we had cake and they talked - in Mongolian, of course. I sat there as long as I could, but the effects of the late hour, guzzled champagne and sheer boredom got to me and I moved quietly into the faculty office so that I could use my computer and play some games, at least. Finally at 11:30 the party began to break up, but they announced they were going out for karaoke! I made my excuses and went home.
As I said, tomorrow is Women's Day, so school is closed. I may not update this blog again until Tuesday.
Friday I got a taste of Mongolians' appetite for nightlife. Monday (tomorrow) is International Women's Day, and in honor of it the men in the office prepared dinner for the women. My class was over at 6pm and I assumed that we'd be having dinner around 7pm because I saw all the men being very busy making things and preparing rice, etc. Around 8pm I finally asked one of the receptionists when we might be having dinner and she said it would probably be around 9:30. She was right, and the women sat down for a nice meal at 9:30 with the men acting as waiters. After we had eaten the men ate and then it was time for champagne, toasts and gifts. Our "bartender" kept moving around the room and when he'd come to me I tried to shoo him away since I still had something in my cup, but everyone insisted that he couldn't and that I HAD to finish up my cup and try the next drink. I drank up twice (anyone ever try to guzzle champagne?), but on the third go-round I just put my hand over my cup and made him pass me by. Then we had cake and they talked - in Mongolian, of course. I sat there as long as I could, but the effects of the late hour, guzzled champagne and sheer boredom got to me and I moved quietly into the faculty office so that I could use my computer and play some games, at least. Finally at 11:30 the party began to break up, but they announced they were going out for karaoke! I made my excuses and went home.
As I said, tomorrow is Women's Day, so school is closed. I may not update this blog again until Tuesday.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
After the train station
After my visit to the railway headquarters, I stopped at the Russian Embassy because I'll need a transit visa to get to Moscow. Unfortunately I was too late for the one hour per day that they are open for visa applications, but I made a note to return next week. After leaving the vicinity of the embassy I was stopped at an intersection waiting to cross the street when a car came barreling down the street, running the red light. There was a policeman at the intersection and he blew his whistle and pulled the guy over. I rejoiced, thinking that I was finally going to see some enforcement of traffic laws, but all the cop did was make the driver wait to proceed through the intersection until the drivers he was letting turn left into that lane had gotten through. I wonder what, if anything, they do give tickets for?
In addition, on my way to the embassy, I passed a fashion mall where, to my amazement, they had huge billboard signs of Michelle and Barack advertising clothing! The captions on the signs had them expressing how much fun fashion is. I wonder if the US Consul has seen these.
In addition, on my way to the embassy, I passed a fashion mall where, to my amazement, they had huge billboard signs of Michelle and Barack advertising clothing! The captions on the signs had them expressing how much fun fashion is. I wonder if the US Consul has seen these.
The train station
Yesterday I went to the train station to get my ticket for my Trans-Mongolian Railway trip to Moscow at the end of this adventure in UB. Five days on the train, rolling through Siberia and Russia and an overnight in Moscow before meeting up with Bill in Iceland seems an especially wonderful way to leave UB behind. So, as I said, I went to the station to figure out the schedule and buy the ticket. Wrong! They don't sell tickets at the train station. For that, you have to walk across the street and go down 3 blocks to the office of the railroad. When I got there I looked around and saw several signs, one said Peking, which I know is the end of the line going east and south and another sign said Moscow, so that's where I headed. I waited in line for several minutes while the man ahead of me was finishing up his business. When I got to the head of the line and made my request, the woman at the window indicated that I needed to go to the information booth in the lobby.
So, I went to the booth, and THAT woman (with the help of a roaming young man who spoke quite decent English) said I needed to go to the International Office down the hall. They told me that they couldn't sell me a ticket now, but that I could order one. I went to the office indicated, and THAT woman (who also spoke good English) said I needed to go to room 212 upstairs. Soooo, I did and then I seemed to make progress. I took out my calendar and we settled on a date and she gave me the total for the ticket: less than $200, which I thought was a very good deal, considering that Amtrak once wanted to charge me $100 per person to go from Madison, CT to Boston when I wanted to take the kids to an Indians game at Fenway Park.
I took out my debit card, but was told that I needed to pay cash. Luckily there is a bank branch in the building, so I got in line in that office. After making my way to the head of the line and handing over my debit card, I was informed that there was a "programm eror", as the note the teller passed to me said, and it should be about 20 minutes before it was resolved. Either that, or I could go back to the railway station to the ATM machine there. I went into the hallway to wait out the 20 minutes, when it hit me! My money belt! I surreptitiously loosened the buckle and slid out 2 $100 bills and tried to flatten them out as well as I could, remembering how they were rejected the last time I tried to change dollars for togrogs. I got back in line, the teller took the bills, gave me my togrogs and all was well!
Back to room 212 - the sign read "VIP Room" - the woman took my money, wrote out my ticket and wagon and seat assignment and I was on my way! When I got back downstairs, I returned to the International Office (my 3rd stop in my original travels) and asked the woman there about the ticket out of Moscow that I'll need. She said I'd have to buy that ticket in Moscow, but that they could make a reservation for me at - The Information Booth! I went back to the Information Booth, paid 500 togrog for the reservation out of Moscow and went on my way. I'm fairly sure that everything is right. At least I have papers in my hands that have the correct dates on them and the correct city names, so that's all reassuring. If not, I'll be texting someone from somewhere in Europe or Russia and giving you updated dates for my return home.
So, I went to the booth, and THAT woman (with the help of a roaming young man who spoke quite decent English) said I needed to go to the International Office down the hall. They told me that they couldn't sell me a ticket now, but that I could order one. I went to the office indicated, and THAT woman (who also spoke good English) said I needed to go to room 212 upstairs. Soooo, I did and then I seemed to make progress. I took out my calendar and we settled on a date and she gave me the total for the ticket: less than $200, which I thought was a very good deal, considering that Amtrak once wanted to charge me $100 per person to go from Madison, CT to Boston when I wanted to take the kids to an Indians game at Fenway Park.
I took out my debit card, but was told that I needed to pay cash. Luckily there is a bank branch in the building, so I got in line in that office. After making my way to the head of the line and handing over my debit card, I was informed that there was a "programm eror", as the note the teller passed to me said, and it should be about 20 minutes before it was resolved. Either that, or I could go back to the railway station to the ATM machine there. I went into the hallway to wait out the 20 minutes, when it hit me! My money belt! I surreptitiously loosened the buckle and slid out 2 $100 bills and tried to flatten them out as well as I could, remembering how they were rejected the last time I tried to change dollars for togrogs. I got back in line, the teller took the bills, gave me my togrogs and all was well!
Back to room 212 - the sign read "VIP Room" - the woman took my money, wrote out my ticket and wagon and seat assignment and I was on my way! When I got back downstairs, I returned to the International Office (my 3rd stop in my original travels) and asked the woman there about the ticket out of Moscow that I'll need. She said I'd have to buy that ticket in Moscow, but that they could make a reservation for me at - The Information Booth! I went back to the Information Booth, paid 500 togrog for the reservation out of Moscow and went on my way. I'm fairly sure that everything is right. At least I have papers in my hands that have the correct dates on them and the correct city names, so that's all reassuring. If not, I'll be texting someone from somewhere in Europe or Russia and giving you updated dates for my return home.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Missing puppy
Yesterday, when I fed the dogs in the morning, all 5 were there. When I went out after work, there were only 4: one of the puppies was missing. I walked all the way back to the end of the parking area: no puppy. I whistled for him/her: still no puppy. I did discover several interesting things, however. One: someone has built a dog house at the end of the alley and covered it with some blankets and there is evidence that someone else feeds them. Two: (and most importantly) there are 4 other puppies! These are much younger than the ones I've been feeding, in fact they are still nursing. What I can't figure out is where did they come from? (Yeah, I know...when a girl doggie and a boy doggie really like each other...) No, what I mean is - there are 2 adult male dogs and one adult female dog. I estimated my 2 puppies as being 8-10 weeks old when I got here in January, and these puppies are about 8 weeks old, which puts their birthday in December to January sometime. Momma dog couldn't possibly have reproduced again so quickly after the first litter, so...? 'Tis a mystery - just another one of many I've run across here.
This morning I came again to feed the pack (it has become a pack) and the original puppy is still missing. In addition, I'm concerned about the future of all of them because I doubt that this small area can support 8 (or 9) dogs, and surely there are more to come, considering the history of our lovers.
This morning I came again to feed the pack (it has become a pack) and the original puppy is still missing. In addition, I'm concerned about the future of all of them because I doubt that this small area can support 8 (or 9) dogs, and surely there are more to come, considering the history of our lovers.
Oh no!
The worst has happened! Involuntarily, I found myself creating lyrics to the garbage truck's theme song. Now I find myself repeating the words to myself the ENTIRE time the truck is within hearing distance. I am doomed!
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