From Taipei to Ulaanbaatar

Wow, in ten days, I shall ride on Korean Air to go home in Taipei. I can start counting the days before my departure with my ten fingers. Time flies. Two weeks ago, I knew noththing about life 30 below, when I set my foot on Chengiskhan Airport. Now I'm used to living in the big natural freezer full of steam from people, cars, and power stations. And I'm loving it.

Life resumes its pace in Ulaanbaatar like it was in Taipei. I read and write in the morning. I contemplate over afternoon coffee at a cafe' in town to wrap up my thought in the afternoon. I'm grateful to Enkh for providing a warm bed for three weeks. I don't know how to pay back for her hospitality and friendship.

Ms. Brigitte Cummings I met at BayanZurkh Rotary Club last Friday invited me for coffee at her bakery Helmut Sachers Kaffee this afternoon. I heard her sweets won the hearts of people in UB, I couldn't wait to savor her masterpieces, I couldn't wait to listen to many funny stories from the Joke Master. Brigittee is probably one the best joke tellers in Ulaanbaatar, if not the world. She can tell jokes non-stop once she opens her mouth.

At 12 noon, I took my first siesta since I checked in UB. No sooner than later I hit the sack, Tobi jumped into my bed. He slept in my arms, against my head, he licked my toes. If Tobi is not a poodle, but a Mongolian rikishi, would I be on cloud nine? I fell asleep immediately, had a daydream, I walked into a meeting room full of people debating on Taiwan issue. I was the only person in favor of Taiwan's unification with China.

I hitchhiked a taxi at 1:30PM, showed him the English map of UB where Bakery Helmut Sachers Kaffee was. The poor old taxi driver probably faced the first difficult task in his life interpreting the map. While we were circling around downtown UB, Enke called me and asked me where I was. I told her I was touring UB and I passed the mobile phone to the driver for directions from Enkh.