FACE LIFT!

Not in the grand Los Angeles style, remember, we're still in UB. So I returned from two weeks of travel to Cambodia and Beijing in May to a greener, not as meaner, Ulaanbaatar. Cars would actually stop for pedestrians, green shoots came through the plastic bags and bottles in the river bed, and flowers opened up for the superflousness of butterflies - that's right, butterflies abound in Mongolia. What lovely surprises. I tried to reflect the new feeling of hope and upliftment in our blog design. Don't worry, soon as October hits, we'll be back to greys and browns.

I decided Mongolia had turned into a Chia Pet. If i were a bit more savvy I could digitize this. I haven't had my camera on me when walking home from work, but I will, if only to catch the guys who insist on passing out on the middle of the sidewalk, by the river and under lamps. What the heck, it's summertime in Mongolia.

And with summer, comes short shorts, higher heels and Nadaam. Nadaam is the summer festival where Mongolia's three manly sports (horses, bows n' arrows and fat men in little bikini bottoms wrestling) come into full display. The festival is opened up with an extravaganza of corporate sponsorship, and historical reenactments of the fierceness of Mongolian horses, warriors and rockbands. Pictures will of course be forthcoming, but in the meantime, here are some pics from Patrick and his Dad's recent trip to the country, and my favorite, a photo of LV suitcases in the desert have become the favored backdrop of summer strollers in Sukhbataar square.