Last night, they switched on The Glorious People's Revolutionary Central Heating System, which marks the beginning of about two weeks, when the daytime highs are still in the 60's and 70's, that I of the nuclear fusionary metabolism will scowl in cranky sweltertude at my control knob-less radiators, testing my ability to shut down the People's Power Plant with my mind.
In the meantime, a few random weekend notes:
I just started Anthony Burgess' short story collection, The Devil's Mode. First time I've read him and man, can that dude write! Who knew? (Update: Um, Konchog? A Clockwork Orange? Ignoramus...)
And speaking still further of reading(s), Sister Lisa Fink, the Fulbrightest of them all, is wrapping up her wonderfully productive time in Mongolia seeking out the country's hottest poets and rendering their verse into English, and she's organized a reading called "Found in Translation" to share some of the results. Lisa and three Mongol poets will share the stage this Thursday, September 20, 7pm, at the UMA Art Gallery here in UB. Refreshments are promised! Details in Mongol and English here.
Wanna really fill up your Thursday? You can't do better than to go hear my friend Orna, a PhD candidate at UC Berkeley, lecture on "Mongol Art During the Mongol Empire." Part of the American Center for Mongolian Studies Fall Speaker Series, the gig's at 5pm in room 305 of the National University of Mongolia's Building #5. Details here.
Yours truly will be attending both, so if you see a bald honky in a red skirt striving to look learned and erudite, do say howdy.
Lessee, what else? Oh yeah, Hamid Sardar's website for his elegant Wind Horse Ger Camp & Retreat has gone live. He also leads fantastic horse treks and might even sing love poetry in Farsi if you ply him with a couple glasses of merlot.
And, finally, I blush to see that DODR, after only 2 1/2 years and 360 posts, has finally gotten a little bit of love from the blogosphere. Despite their editors recently handing me my first ever "Thank you for your proposal but it does not fit our editorial needs at this moment" letter, Tricycle has some mighty kind words for Da Blog here (scroll to bottom) and here (second graf), tho perhaps they meant "indefensible" where they wrote "indispensable." And The Horse gives us a big carrot-y smooch over here. Please don't inquire too closely how it is that I was the one who found and sent them the Britney Spears item.
Update II: Forgot to include a "Zendette Geography Quiz"! Since our last one, we've had visitors from three fine, new nations. See if you can guess what they are from the preposterous clues below:
1. This nation's name sounds like a Japanese metal fan yelling for an encore.
2. This nation's capital sounds like a slur one of its citizens might hurl at a group of southern Americans.
3. This nation must be quite hygienic, since its name consists of two soap brands.
OK, #2 is Poland.
#3 is Ivory Coast.
#1 has my daughter & I both stumped...
Posted by: Leamur | September 16, 2007 at 05:50 PM
Leamur and offspring: Only #3 is correct, I'm afraid. Good guess on #2 -- on the right track, but wrong part of the planet.
Posted by: Konchog | September 16, 2007 at 06:56 PM
Surely you've already heard from Turkey and Bangladesh....
(I know, I know, stop calling you Shirley)
Posted by: Leamur | September 16, 2007 at 09:27 PM
Yep
Posted by: Konchog | September 16, 2007 at 10:17 PM
1. Fiji?
Posted by: Zendette | September 18, 2007 at 02:09 PM
Zendette...Fiji? Fiji? A Japanese metal fan yells Fiji for an encore? Girl, you're not even in the right hemisphere. I'm seriously reconsidering naming the Geo Quiz after you...
Posted by: Konchog | September 18, 2007 at 09:03 PM
1. Ghana (Accra)
Posted by: Leamur | September 18, 2007 at 10:25 PM
Leamur -- very good guess, but think about it. That's what the metal band's singer would yell. So nope. But I will tell you that you're in the physical neighborhood now. Remember, the country's name forms the entirety of what the Japanese kid would yell.
If everyone's stumped, I'll give the answers, and endure your groans, on Tuesday.
Posted by: Konchog | September 19, 2007 at 12:36 AM
Angola!!! Angola!!! while clapping and stomping your feet???
Posted by: Steve Ford | September 19, 2007 at 06:38 AM
I'm so embarrassed.....;-)
Ok, how about Zimbabwe?
Can we get another hint for #2? I've been up nights trying to figure it out.
Posted by: Zendette | September 19, 2007 at 07:03 AM
Steve...you're cut off.
Zendette...*sigh*...both of you are still on the right continent for #1, and for #2, look in South America.
Posted by: Konchog | September 19, 2007 at 08:34 AM
#2 Peru?
#1 Uganda?
*sigh*, if these are wrong, I give up. I am so stumped.
Posted by: Zendette | September 19, 2007 at 12:52 PM
Well, Zendette...no. Unless unusually inebriated, a Japanese metal fan is unlikely to yell, "Uganda!", and one will likely receive only squinty non-comprehension if one shouts, "Lima!" at a group of southern Americans.
This has been so satisfying, however, that I am renaming this irregular feature the "Stump Zendette Geography Quiz".
Posted by: Konchog | September 19, 2007 at 05:33 PM
#2 is Venezuela (Caracas). (yeesh)
Posted by: Leamur | September 19, 2007 at 07:20 PM
Jeez, I was looking at capitals for #1, too, and now my poor reading comprehension skills are showing b/c you've reminded me it's the country's name.
So maybe Togo, next to Ghana, for #1?
Posted by: Leamur | September 19, 2007 at 07:33 PM
I was thinking "La Paz", but then realized I was thinking of PEZ candies, not La Paz.
So do tell, what DOES a Japanese metal fan yell for an encore? Inquiring minds want to know.
Posted by: Zendette | September 19, 2007 at 09:34 PM