First days in UB

SO!  here I am in UB, a city that has to be seen to be believed.  Very soviet in appearance, some very battered depressed appartment blocks (one of which will be my new home soon) but yet some absolutley majestic buildings.  There is a big road , Peace Avenue (which always makes me think of Neil from The Young Ones), running east to west through the cuty, and in the middle the large central landmark, Sukbataar Square, with the sublimely impressive parliament building, and other stately buldings.

parliament building

i have only been here for two day, and am jet lagged into incapability.  I have struggled through today, being nudged awake by my colleague during a meetng, and crashing out at 6pm as soon as we got home, awaking at 9.30pm to come and join the melee out in the sitting room.

'home' at the moment is a guet house north of Peace Av.  It is teeny but very cosy and cute.  there are ten of us here, all vso volunteers, from the UK, INdia, The Phillipines and Kenya.  I am sleeping in the 'traditional room' with three others.  we have wooden cot beds, painted bright orange with colourful patterns.  I am SO glad I brought my pillows, I am very cofy in my bed, although sleeping in crimson satin sheets has taken a little getting used to. And the bed is actually one inch shorter than I am.

my bed (the messy one)

We have been out and about in the city - and all agree it is a surreal experience.  Small colourful shop fronts line the street, but there are no windows into them, so they appear as if cardboard cut outs.  Then abrubtly, you will see a big brand shop, like Addidas, North face or Nike.

The super State Department Store is an imposing building of 6 floors, inside it very classy and high end, with - I was shocked to see - an IKEA store, and a huge collectin of playmobil. It has a supermarket on the first floor, which is very well stocked, and I have been spending many Tugruks on snacks here.

state department store

In the city I have seen a range of people, from the young beautiful mongolian women in very snazzy skinny jeans, high heeled boots and shiny tight puffa jackets, to the scruffy drunks with yellow wizened faces, arguing with eachother and if they chance to spot you, calling 'hello hello!  money!', to the young boys posing and posturing, playing tinny music off their mobile phones, like POKER FACE!! Is there no where the ga ga hasnt reached?  to the mongolians in their traditional dress, a full length Deel, with large fur hats.  And the cutest kids I have ever seen.

Tomorrow, my language classes start, and I hope I will begin to emerge from the fug of jet lag, and write somehting a little more coherent.
Oh and the food is LUSH. 
Ciao for now.