Ger Mecahnics

Rained again today – heavily, but that was Ok as it gave us time to fix my engine. We brought it into the ger last night after the light failed, and it sat on the tarp all night. This morning, we stripped it, cleaned it, decrudded the piston and valves, replaced gaskets, set the timing, put it all back together, and then played scrabble until the sun came out. Our fingernails are totally trashed now though.

And when it did, the engine went back in beautifully and fired up once we had connected it to the battery from Nads' bike. I will buy a new one tomorrow, but hopefully that will make it a bit easer to ride.

The Naadem holiday starts today, and there have been fireworks, music and revelry going on across the city. Either that or its a revolution and we haven't noticed. But the noise sets the dogs off again, and so it goes on. But who cares; its great up here with the locals who seem to have accepted us without question, and really are very nice to us. One of the neighbours made us a cake yesterday, and the little kids come and play around us , or join in while we fix the bikes.

They also come into the ger for a chat and are very quick to pick up phrases and sayings in English, which is funny as they repeat them to each other when they are playing.

Jamie and Nyaama arrive on Sunday ( brother and sis in law, plus 6 yr old daughter) It will be nice to see them but odd because they usually frequent the streets of Bromley. Nyaama is from UB though but hasnt been back for seven years. It will be interesting what she makes of the changes that have happened, but also what the family here make of how she has changed. I was speaking to Tuul about this yesterday, and telling her how Nyaama now looks very European – clothes and hairwise at least – and I think she'[s quite intrigued to see for herself. Its not that people here – particularly the younger ones - look or dress much differently from those in the west, but its the whole package – attitude, mannerisms, expectations, influences, etc as well as the more obvious clothes and haircuts. But Nyaama now has a very high powered job in London and her world is bound to be very different from her previous years in the ger community of UB.