Nayra Cafe: Don't judge the store by the storefront

Or, in this case, the cafe by the building.

Nayra Cafe (outside), originally uploaded by Wanderings.

The truth is there isn't much in Mongolia that looks good on the outside. And I still haven't adjusted to that. Maybe I place too much value on appearance. I enjoy attractive storefronts and well-designed window displays. I'm picky about my book covers. I think the presentation of food matters almost (almost!) as much as its taste. So it's a good thing I have friends like Christine and David who somehow keep themselves in the cafe loop here in UB.

Not only had I never heard of this cafe, which is a favorite among ex-pats because of its wi-fi and real espresso, I probably would never have braved ("braved"? really? yes, really!) walking into it had I passed it on the street. (I've discovered or perhaps been reminded that I am a wimp when it comes to trying new places. Places, not things. The distinction is important. Something to do with walking into an unfamiliar building. Apparently I need to know what I'm walking into. Apparently I like to feel confident about my surroundings. Apparently I'm slightly neurotic.)

Thank goodness for Christine and being treated to breakfast. The omelettes were fairly tasty, the muffins amazing, the coffee rich and dark, the interior bright and cheery. It's almost enough to make me wish I lived in the center of the city. I'm not willing to give up my happy home in the 13th district, but if I had to -- I'd want to be within a few blocks of this place (or this place).

Nayra Cafe (inside), originally uploaded by Wanderings.

ice tracks

Spring has made its presence known in every corner of the world except Mongolia. Or so it feels. Although the ice has mostly melted, it was cold and windy outside today, which means its more than appropriate to post this video my friend Rachel and I made back in January. Right? RIGHT?

From bad to worse

Then

UB in the summer, originally uploaded by Wanderings.

Now

UB in the winter, originally uploaded by Wanderings.

These were both taken from the hill at Zaison monument overlooking the city. The one on top is just a bit further to the left than the one on the bottom. UB isn't a very pretty city to begin with, but when the winter takes away what little green there is and fills the sky with coal smoke, you can understand why we yearn for summer.

A VISITOR!!!

About a month ago, we were blessed with a visit from our dear friend Pat. Pat was serving at a conference in Thailand and decided to come spend a few days with us since she was already over on this side of the world. YAY!!! We couldn't have been more grateful! There is something so rejuvenating about seeing a familiar face (not to mention being blessed with extra hugs and laughter and messages and goodies from home).

I had the privilege of playing the hostess (and a poor one at that) by offering Pat one of the beds in my living room. We spent most of our days downstairs hanging out with the fam or traipsing around UB. It was fun to unwind the day with her after we'd left the rest of the family to get ready for bed and I am so thankful for all the help she gave me as I processed through a handful of experiences and emotions. It was great to be able to unload and even cry a bit. Pat also helped me rearrange my apartment. What a difference those few small changes made! I've never before needed a safe haven like I do now. Thank you, Pat!!!

Though we only got to have her for a few short days, we managed to squeeze in some sight-seeing, a couple days at the school (so that she could see Mike and I in action), church, and a lot of fun just hanging out and talking.

cold friends, originally uploaded by Wanderings.

Pat was very brave and allowed us to take her out into the cold to show her a few of the sights. We took her to Sukhbaatar Square (above) and Zaison Monument (below).

the girls at Zaison, originally uploaded by Wanderings.

Instead of going to language lessons on Thursday morning, Mike invited our language teacher over for breakfast so that she and Pat could meet. Mike, CB, and I are all privileged to take lessons from Bayarmaa. She is WONDERFUL! And we're so glad Pat got to meet the woman who helps us to persevere in language learning.

old friend/new friend, originally uploaded by Wanderings.

She did some grocery shopping with us...

grocery store, originally uploaded by Wanderings.

...and even sat in on two of my lessons.

teaching, originally uploaded by Wanderings.

The time flew by, but we're so grateful for her and her willingness to come visit us in this cold and remote place. If you've thought about coming, but aren't so sure, get in touch with Pat and let her talk you into it. We'd love to have you come! :)

Note: The picture from the grocery store and of me teaching both came from Pat's camera. She got some great shots of things I see and do every day, but never take pictures of.

scenes of winter

frozen river I, originally uploaded by Wanderings.

untitled, originally uploaded by Wanderings.

Tastes Like Horse (ed. 8): Hot Dutch Pie

Hot Dutch Pie, originally uploaded by Wanderings.

Mmmmm ... nothing says Mongolian food like a Hot Dutch Pie. :) I went to this coffee shop/cafe with a new friend a week or so before Christmas. It's owned and operated by a Dutch ex-pat and has a small selection of tasty sandwiches and Dutch foods as well as really good coffee (as evidenced by the "illy" logo below). So what does it taste like? Well ... it was a flakier, more pastry-like version biscuits and gravy, which is pretty much EXACTLY what I want when I've been wandering around the city in sub-zero temperatures.

Cafe Amsterdam, originally uploaded by Wanderings.

What do you do when the weather drops below 0?

You go shopping. You go out for coffee. You take a walk. I never thought I'd be doing any of the things I'm doing in this cold, cold weather. Actually, I never thought I'd be living in a place that gets this cold. But here I am. And I'm surprised by how easily I'm able to proceed with business as usual. Life goes on. I just have to wear more layers.

first solo cab ride, originally uploaded by Wanderings.

When I left the house on a Saturday just before Christmas, it was -17ºF. When I returned, it was -20ºF, but the weather widget at the bottom of this page said that due to wind chill I was feeling it at -39ºF. As far as I'm concerned, anything below 0ºF is a new kind of cold, but that felt especially cold. We're thankful for the wind, because it clears away a bit of the pollution, but it is coooold.

On days like that -- when its already unbelievably cold and then the wind steps in a takes it down another 20 notches -- the warm woolen hat/scarf/gloves suddenly don't feel as warm as they usually do. I'm beginning to understand why all the Mongolian women are wearing down coats with fur-lined hoods. I've figured out that in order to keep my thighs from burning for 30 minutes after coming inside, I have to wear long underwear any time I'm going to be outside -- even for the 5 minute walk to the co-op.

Would you believe me if, after all that, I told you it isn't as bad as it sounds?

To paraphrase a friend of mine:

It's not bad.
It's mind-numbingly, breath-catchingly, face-searingly freezing.
But it's not bad.

Smoky Skies

smoky skies, originally uploaded by Wanderings.

The dropping temperatures of the past few days means the smoky skies are finally here. Did you know that Ulaanbaatar is the most polluted capital in the world? Did you also know that the vast majority of this smoke comes from the gers that have set up camp around the outskirts of the city? The air smells of wood and coal smoke all the time now and so does my hair after walking home from the store. I usually love that smell -- it reminds me of campfires and backpacking trips and s'mores -- but those things also usually mean fresh mountain breezes and clean mountain air. Now that smell means smoky skies and a burning throat when you wake up every morning.

For the sake of comparison...

This was taken a few days after my arrival in mid-November

sunrise, originally uploaded by Wanderings.

This was taken a week or so ago, just after the first snow

snowy skies, originally uploaded by Wanderings.

I WENT OUT FOR COFFEE THIS WEEKEND!!!

Best'Presso, originally uploaded by Wanderings.

Never mind the fact that my hat is crooked ... I got to go out for coffee this weekend! It's the most normal thing I've done in a month and it felt great. C -- a new friend -- picked me up around 11 and we headed over to one of her favorite coffee shops -- Best'Presso. (Nice name, huh? Never heard that one before.) It's a favorite of hers because it actually has a non-smoking area and when you come in off the smoke-filled streets of UB, you like to be able to breath clean air while you drink your coffee. We grabbed a table and a couple couches while her girls settled down at another table behind us. We ordered coffee and lunch and talked. Then we did some grocery shopping and picked up some decorations for the girls' Christmas tree. And that was that. A pretty simple day when it's all typed out like that, but it was exactly what I've been needing.

Chess at the Black Market

chess at the Zax, originally uploaded by Wanderings.

This isn't your mom's JoAnn Fabrics store

Today five us headed over to the Zax (pronounced zahh) to do some shopping. Heather needed to get someone a birthday present and CB and one of the other moms at the co-op needed to find some fabric to outfit the younger girls for a dance they'll be performing in the Christmas program.

Zax translates as "Black Market" bit is basically an old airline hanger that functions as a sort of farmer's-market-meets-mall-meets-street-hawker's-dream. Every morning (except Tuesdays), people roll in here with their carts and containers and set up shop at their preassigned stall.

One of the great things about the Zax is that it seems to have everything and, since all business is conducted street-vendor-style, you can haggle for prices and usually come away with a pretty good deal.

It helps to have someone with you who speaks Mongolian because things aren't always easy to find and you could spend all day wandering around in that hanger. To buy ribbon for the dresses, we had to walk out of the fabric area, all the way through the clothing section, and past the hats and shoes until we reached the area that had shops selling del ornaments. (A del is the traditional Mongolian garment.)

A few hours after we began, we walked out of there a bit colder than we had been walking in, but with our arms laden with fabric and ribbon and even a birthday present for one of Heather's friends. That is what we call a successful day at the Zax.

Saturday shopping

me and heather
Originally uploaded by Wanderings

Today, Heather and I went out to run some errands and do some shopping by ourselves!!! I don't think this was a big deal for Heather, but it was a big deal for me. My first time out in UB without a grown-up to hold my hand!

It went a little something like this:

-- head out of the apartment. stop by a supermarket (which is really more of an indoor farmer's market) to look for broccoli. try to avoid the people pulling recently skinned animal carcasses out of the trunk of their compact car. especially avoid the blood dripping from said carcasses.

-- navigate through windy back streets, cross the busy Peace Avenue (see picture), and make our way to the Chinggis Khan hotel.

-- wait nearly an hour to pay for plane tickets. watch Mongolian man step in front of us to pay for his tickets first. sigh.

-- head to the other side of the building to find the Sky supermarket (which is really more like a very small mall).

-- once inside, deliberate gift options (for CB -- birthday tomorrow!) and veggies, make decisions and purchase.

-- visit three different cell phone kiosks in search of minutes only to return to the first and discover that he does indeed have what we were looking for, but mistook the word "minutes" on our list for the mobile phone company "unitel". easy mistake, right?

-- wander back down to peace avenue. hail a cab (go Heather!). direct the cab towards are next destination (again, go Heather!). arrive at destination. get overcharged by seemingly nice cabbie.

-- finish shopping and hail another cab. arrive home. not overcharged. huzzah!

-- head out again to finish shopping at two neighborhood stores: the supermarket down the street and the American Food Shop around the corner at the Bubbling Springs building.

-- arrive home again and to stay. pat ourselves on the backs. mission(s) accomplished.

out on the town

originally uploaded by Wanderings.