Garbage Post

Here are some quick notes that maybe didn't all deserve their own post:

1. That Russian jeep ride was way more surreal than we had described it. Take a look at this picture again. We load into this Russian Jeep that we happened to find in the middle of nowhere after our jeep broke down. Believe it or not, the first thing I noticed was not the lipstick on my fellow passenger; it was the van interior. It had been fitted with sky blue leather with black studs. Also notice what I can only guess is cheetah print on the seats and the blue curtains that filtered all light coming in an eery, dull blue daylight, palpable in the dust blowing everywhere (like one of those movies shot with a filter - think Traffic. So, we are sitting backwards, watching the rocky and desolate landscape of Western Mongolia fly by at 120 km/hr with the car radio cracked in and out (traditional Mongolian warbling) as it bounced on the floor between the driver and front passenger, complete with its own car battery. Add to this the Bowie-esque character, sitting quietly in flannel and ravishing red lipstick, exchanging furtive glances with us. If that all weren't enough, the driver stopped the van, opened the console serving as an armrest between him and the passenger to expose the running engine sputtering inside the cabin. He added some oil as it ran, then shut the lid and hit the gas. I don't know when I've felt more out of touch with reality while actually being present and lucent in it.


2. ANTHRAX. One of our first stops was in the ancient capital of Mongolia - Kharkhorin. We were supposed to go see the veterinarian here, but he had been called to a nearby soum because of an anthrax outbreak. A quarantine was soon established, but we were already on the road. I haven't been that close to a verified anthrax threat since we lived in Capital Hill.

3. Our milk is better than your milk! Here is one of the additions some bold young chinese exec in the marketing department decided to add to our carton. If it is good enough for the chinese cosmonauts, I guess it is good enough for us...


4. Real Business Challenges. When interviewing businesses and herders in rural Mongolia, I asked each participant what are the biggest challenges they face in operating their businesses. One herder said, as if it were perfectly natural, "wolves, eagles, and thieves."