Did you see the total eclipse… and other questions?

I had noticed mention of a total lunar eclipse on the web and it looked as if I might be able to see it but I couldn’t find any specifics about Mongolia.  Last Saturday evening, the PCVs and I had dinner together and I mentioned we ought to look it up after dinner but we didn’t and later I headed for home with just a bright full moon overhead.

Total eclipse 12/10/11 An amazing sight

After I got home, I looked again on the web, but still couldn’t figure it out.  Then I sent a message to a Mongolian friend asking if he knew anything.  He replied he could find nothing in Mongolian about it on the web.  At that point, I went outside and LO AND BEHOLD the moon was in total eclipse!  I could see the dark red color and a penumbral glow. I ran to tell Bold and Tsermaa (whose home I live in) to come outside and see it and then proceeded to call everyone I knew here who spoke some English to go outside and look.

No one knew anything about it—what a shame.  It was magnificent.  And although it was too cold to hang around outside watching it, I went back outside every few minutes to check its progress—all the way to the end.  It’s the last total moon eclipse until 2014 so I’m glad I caught it.  Look online for more photos…

http://www.space.com/13894-photos-total-lunar-eclipse-december-2011.html

 

Do you recognize this image?

Yep, it's the Eiffel Tower, right here in Muron

Yep, it’s the Eiffel Tower right here in Muron outside my window.  For the last week, men have been outside all day on the main square working on ice sculpture to celebrate Shin Jiil (New Year’s) and any other holiday you want to celebrate at this time of year.  I marvel that they can stay outside in the cold all day working with these big ice blocks.  Boston’s First Night (New Year’s Eve) has a big ice sculpture exhibition but there’s never a guarantee the sculptures will survive very long—or even be able to be created.  Here in Muron, that’s never a problem and if they wait for them to melt, it will be well into the spring before they disappear.

 

 

 

 

 

What are these people doing?

Everyone's chopping up and clearing the ice outside my office building!

Although we haven’t had a lot of snow here, we do have a lot of ice.  And last Thursday, was the day everyone was supposed to go outside and remove ice from in front of their businesses or from the road, or from the parking lots in front of their buildings (like ours).  All day long I heard the pounding and scraping of people trying to get rid of the ice.  I was just feeling grateful that our office hadn’t been called upon to help, when my boss said that on Friday, it would be our turn to help clear the big square out in front of the government offices.  I dressed as warmly as I could only to find out the next day that we were off the hook!

 

Are your feet warm?

Judy's furry warm boots

Warm feet are important in this climate.  I had hoped the boots I brought with me would keep me warm enough until I got home—but a few weeks ago they weren’t doing their job.  So I went with a friend to a bootmaker and ordered a new pair.  I wanted some just like my friend’s, knee high as everyone wears, simple, tailored and a little short black fur on part of the boot.  The bootmaker gave me my choice of two furs (both artificial I thought) and I recklessly chose the funky one.  When I picked them up and put them on, it looks as if I have two furry animals on my feet!  Even my hosha dog did a doubletake.  But no one else seems to think there’s anything strange about them and with 2 pairs of socks and warm felt innersoles they keep my feet warm.  That’s what’s important, isn’t it?

 

Are there better ways of doing things?

You won’t be surprised that I do a lot of thinking over here about all kinds of subjects.   I can access news from home and around the world via my little G-Mobile modem.  And Google gives me access to all kinds of information.  One subject that concerns me is the role of capitalism in today’s world.  A system that focuses exclusively on enhancing shareholder value to the exclusion of everything else now seems shortsighted to me.  I’ve come across an idea called the “B Corporation.”  I urge you to take a look at it.  Here’s the link:

http://www.bcorporation.net/

And then take a look at the video from the TED/Philly video you’ll find on the site under News & Media.  If I can start a little export/import business, I’d like it to be a B Corporation.

Advertisement