squash and squash

there was a farmers' market set up near my flat just beside the state department store. at this time this would be common around the city since generally the harvest season would be over soon with the onset of autumn. it usually starts to get cold during this season.

i went there and felt like being in the fresh market back home in the philippines. there was a variety of vegetables. i bought green tomatoes, carrots and potatoes. but most of all, i got hooked on the squash family. i usually buy the pumpkin variety but this time i tried the others which were not very frequent to see. it was a very good buy - two bags of vegetables for Tg 2,500!

the sendoff treat

i was told before the weekend that we will be heading off to the countryside as a farewell treat for those who will be leaving soon. that included an american trainer for a wb-funded project, a colleague going for masters education in south korea, staffmembers leaving for a 2-week training in japan, and me finishing off my 1-year placement.

the gathering was set at 8 am, that sunday and departure will be at 810 am. i even asked jokingly if it was mongolian time (knowing that if that is the case, it will be much later). a colleague assured me it was going to be on time. at that sunday morning, we left at about 915.

first stop along the way was at an ovoo. offered some vodka to the sky. and some for us too.

it was a clear and sunny day

we visited a herder family. and that's where we stayed.

guard dogs of the family

some of the horses grazing the nearby hills

lunch starter - rice with milk - budaatsai

my boss serving of course the classic local drink - chinggis vodka

the herder's wife. used to be a schoolteacher but had to stop because of sickness. she helps in the management of the cattlestock. she never had experience of doing it. hard at first she said. but learned to love it.

tsetsegmaa - she is leaving for south korea to do further studies. behind her was the herder who also works in the academy of the ministry of defense.

more appetizers - boiled liver

taking a rest from hillclimbing with suzy, the american accounting trainer, and one of the guard dogs

khudree - my translator

just up on a horse

after lunch, we gathered under the trees for songs, poetry and more vodka

the whole group for a souvenir pic

the affair was for leavers. there were display of emotions - happy and sad. i will still be around for a few more weeks. i cannot feel it yet but i know it is forthcoming. well, i will keep my eyes dry and my heart light until then.

flowers of tame and wild

they add color to the concrete monotones and common ger district settings of UB, and to the predictable curves of the steppes in the countryside. at least, some time in the summer and autumn i got to see flowers intentionally planted and others just prompted by the late rainshowers for the year.

in the philippines, this is commonly known as vietnam rose, and we only got purple and white varieties of this kind. but in the ger districts of UB i was able to see a wider range of colors.

a zinnia

i have seen these flowers growing near a residential building. wild and floriferous.

the flowers of the steppes...

edelweiss

these flowers and plants just thrive in patches along the troughs and crests of the mongolian terrain. in one of my walks, i even saw some herbs and chives - their scent filling the air.