I spent 8,000Tg to make my hands and nails look pretty for one night. Others spend more on their haircuts, make-up, dress and more for their NY party. I do not blame women. I just state the fact. Average glam dress would cost us around 50-100 USD, haircut, make-up, and manicure around 35 USD. Unfortunately, we would “wear” it for only one night, for few hours. We waste 100-200 USD for one night party. Are we that rich? Well, at least I am not. Mongolians have inherited so many things from communist era and from Russian culture. One of them is the way to celebrate New Year. Most young spirited Mongolians love New Year, more than Tsagaan Sar. I agree with them 100%. New Year is more young spirited, more glamorous, and more fun holiday. However, the money wasted on such celebration is just seems bit excessive. Do not even start with Tsagaan Sar! kekeke.

Happy Holidays!

Favourite and Useful websites

1. Sample Business Letters
Thought it would be useful for those who write corporate and business letters daily and need guidance.
http://www.4hb.com/letters/

2. Writing Center Handouts (University of North Carolina, USA)
It is very useful when you need to write something academic and official in English.
http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/index.html

3. Snipshot (Free Online Picture Editor)
You do not need to have photo manipulation software just to do simple changes to your photo now. Presenting FREE Online Editor. Very cool one, I use it very often. Give it a try!
http://snipshot.com/
Also, if you need to crop or resize your photo, there is another useful site www.picresize.com. Besides resizing, it can do simple modifications like rotate, put some nice frames etc.
Let me add another one http://www.picnik.com/. Just give it a try!

4. Zedge.com (Free Mobile contents)
If you want to Pimp Up your mobile phone, please visit this site. It contains paid and free stuff, like themes, ringtones etc. Plus it has Theme, voice. screen saver makers, all for free. You need to sign-up first.

5. Free Online Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus
This one is very useful for people who use English daily. Free contents includes:

• Dictionary / Thesaurus
• Medical Dictionary
• Legal Dictionary
• Financial Dictionary
• Acronyms
• Idioms
• Encyclopedia
• Wikipedia Encyclopedia

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/

Dear Boss

Dear Bo$$,
A$ all of u$ know, the United $tate$ i$ coming out of the rece$$ion.
I hope you will be under$tanding to the need$ of u$ worker$, who gave $o much $upport and $weat during the hard time$. I am $ure you will gue$$ what I mean and re$pond $oon.
$incerely,
Norman $mith
--------------*---------------------------*-----------------------*----------------
Dear NOrman,
I kNOw you work hard, but NOthing much has changed. You must have NOticed that our company is NOt doing well as of yet.
NOw they're saying they're NOt sure if we're NOt going into aNOther recession. I have NO more to add right NOw. You kNOw what I mean.
NOw get back to work.
Management

This happens in my office too :)

Newspapers in Mongolia

My early morning was spent reading some newspapers. I have to point out that I hate reading Mongolian newspapers and watching TV news programs. Maybe I am that shallow minded, however I do not like to spend my time reading depressing stuff. Every time I read newspaper articles, there are barely anything useful or positive. Articles are stuffed with criticism, gossips, and distressing facts. I know that real life is that harsh. However, newspapers are not only should be informative, but should include entertaining, educational news as well. I think most daily newspapers lack such elements in Mongolia. In addition, more than 50 percent of the whole paper prints advertisements. I can understand that they get their financing from advertisement, but it is just too much. If I wanted to get advertisements, I had better get it from TV ads or FM radios.

Another thing that caught my eyes was the number of Job ads. There are literally dozens of job ads that require people to have university degree and perfect English. Why would one who works for pure Mongolian company as logistic personnel or accountant need English? If it is foreign invested or does have ties with international partners, which I would guess require some knowledge of English, it is perfectly OK. It seems that nowadays, even cleaners need to know English. Another thing that employers need from their applicants is to be sufficiently” good-looking.” Currently, all tellers that work in either banks or service sector tend to be “good-looking,” and most of the times cannot do their job properly. I would rather have someone who knows his or her job than having someone “nice but dumb” to service me.

Final note on newspapers is that I personally never rely on information that they print. If I read something “useful” from newspaper articles I always Google it before accepting it. They do not have sufficient source and most of the times either write articles for money or just create themselves. It might be that I am too judgmental towards Mongolian newspapers. This is only my thoughts and opinion.

Today is Christmas day. Let us finish this blog with happy and bright thoughts. It is the end of the 2007 and we all done things that we might regret or things that we are proud. Let me wish you all that in 2008 that you do more of things that you are proud of and fewer things that you regret! Merry Christmas!!!

The First blog I ever written

This is my first time in so-called "blogging." I still don't get it how would one want to post everyday their sacred thoughts. However, read few blogs that my friends posted and realized that it doesn't have to be a dull duty. It easily could replace my few hour-long chats with my friends, which at the core is only expression and exchange of mine and their opinions, ideas, experience and persuasion. Plus, another way to exercise freedom of speech, which in my country people started utilizing it very often these days.

Honestly, I don't know what to write, so I'll just start describing current society of Mongolia, from my perspective. First of all, the economy is seems like booming as we had more than 7 percent GDP growth in last few years. Unfortunately, only due to growth in few sectors and goods: mining of gold and copper and export of cashmere. Somehow, that rings the bell with sign "Dutch Disease!" I came back last June and the fact how town center was transformed, just wowed me. Then, I realized after touring around the city, that the construction and economic boom is only happening in the city center, and the rest of the city is left to rust. The living conditions in "ger" districts actually have worsened. Access to clean water, decent bathroom and showers are close to none.

Secondly, the psychology of young people has changed dramatically. Only in few years time, it became widely acceptable to have an affair, "prostitution" of male! and females, idea of easy life, and even people seem to be OK with an idea marrying their daughters to Chinese construction workers. What's wrong with that, you ask me. I think it is very wrong to believe that all foreigners are good and rich people. In most of the times, ones with poor and problematic background come to Mongolia for residing.

Next, I would like to highlight the issue of bars and discos. Oddly enough, they close at 12 now. When I was at age of all partying and discos, it used to close at 4-5 am and that was OK, no trouble. Now, they're trying to decrease crime rate and slow down the drinking habits by closing bars and pubs early, which I think will never happen, as long as the poverty stays the same. Government should first build recreational places for young people to spend their free time, and then close down bars and pubs. Now, poor young people are left to wander around streets for place to go in winter cold. Very nice!

At last, I would like to say that I love my country with all my heart. It only hurts me to see how it is transforming into grey mess, deserted area with un-identifiable culture that is losing its uniqueness.

Even though, my first blog is bit dark in its content, I'll try to touch more light issues next time.

Until then, take care! Cheers!