to the edelweiss

(in Manzhir)
by joe

what a beauty
i thought
you had.
yet the cotton-like
delicateness
of your white
petals
caught me
unaware
of the symbol
you have.
eternal love
i was told
is what
you mean.
are you
for lovers
wanting more?


a girl i met
caught my eyes.
she is as
delicate
and pure
as you
i thought.
wrong i was.
i stumbled.
love (maybe)
it was
not.
but here
i kept thinking
of her smile
which struck me
- haunting
my memories
like the ruins
where i first
plucked you
from the
steppes
i walked.
she is
just like you
i want
and more.
i have
fallen
for that smile.
she stays
in my dreams
i would not
dare
to wake up from.
i wish
she will be
there
as you are
in the eternity
of my consciousness.
i wish
i can have her
just like you
even
for a moment
not just
in my dreams.

picture courtesy of www.scenequest.co.uk

volunteers' conference: the checklist

this was the last day of the conference.

it started with the checklist.

talked about the checklist.

listened about the checklist

still about the checklist...

IT WAS A LONG DELIBERATION ABOUT THE-----

WELL, THERE WERE OTHER THINGS DISCUSSED. and it was OK after the -----....

Indian meal for lunch and 'twas great!

after lunch - 'twas about World AIDS Day...

medicinal remedies - local prescriptions

for a bad cold

a fellow volunteer was suffering from a bad cold. she was told to get a wolf's tongue and have it wrapped around her neck. cover it with bandage or gauze. leave it there for a few days. remove it when it begins to stink. and that is very effective as mentioned.


for an upset stomach

take about 50 ml of vodka or whisky. straight and no chasers. i have never tried it though.

a farewell party for a volunteer

one of the filipinos - a lady volunteer had already spent more than two years of service in mongolia. now she has decided to go back to the philippines. this was a send-off party for her. we had filipino beefsteak, lumpiang shanghai (fried spring rolls) from scratch (wraps and all), fresh lumpia, vegetable salad and steamed rice.

the supposed buffet table with candles. however after all have taken servings, we started swarming around and just ate on it as well.

dance time!

opposite directions....why?

singing duo

karaoke time

go! feel!

watched tv too (or was it a movie?)

people

a bystander standing in front of a variety store. it's like the mongolian version of the filipino 'sari-sari' store.

a closer look - together

woman vendor at gandan

sunset at zaisan tolge

a view of ulaanbaatar from zaisan tolge

sunset

dusk

















twilight
















vesper

all the same, the visual panorama at sunset gives a sense of unusual tranquility

ulaanbaatar on a saturday tour

the meeting place was at sukhbaatar square, 10:00 a.m. we boarded two buses in front of the opera house. the itinerary consists of visits to different museums, the central library, the gandan monastery, and the russian memorial monument.

this is the main square at the heart of the city. a large statue of sukhbaatar, the famous patriot characterizes the square which was named after this historic figure.

the UB city hall facing sukhbaatar square

an edifice nearing completion to house the monuments of chinggis khan and his sons

the parliament building

at National Museum of Mongolian History

http://www.nationalmuseum.mn/

gandan monastery

the view that welcomes you as you enter the gandan complex - the temple doves flying amidst visitors to the monastery...

guests cannot help but to be friendly with the birds too. here they feed them with some nuts available upon purchase at the entrance.

the janraisig datsan

this imposing building has become a symbol of independence for the mongolians. it is a temple for the veneration of janraisig, the bodhisattva of compassion. it ws built in 1911 at the time of bogd khan, the 8th jebzundamba. the janraisig statue stands inside this building, at 26.5 meters. it is made of copper from erdenet mine and is gilded in gold.

for more information visit http://www.gandan.mn

the central library of mongolia

the central library is found along chinggis avenue. it houses about 3 million books and boasts of several antique records.

at the lobby

the main staircase

one of the reading areas

shelves in a room for european books

the storage rooms have been sectioned like this for easier access by the librarians

shelves for old and delicate books and records. they are covered with silk-like materials similar to or if not the same as the textile used for 'dels' (mongolian costume)

writings on wood

some writings on old paper, delicately bound and covered

zaisan memorial and russian monument

the imposing statue on zaisan tolge

the mongolian logo

entrance to the russian monument

incense lit by visitors and pilgrims

the incense stall

the statue at close range

the peak can be reached through a walk on a 612-step concrete stairway, or a drive on a paved road.




















a view from below

few steps to the top

the monument

an 'ovoo' on top of the hill

sunset at zaisan tolge