Dude, You're Getting A Deel

Oh, I’ve wanted to use that line ever since Brother Palzang came out with it when he was here in Mongo with me in ’05. And now I got a reason.

A deel (yes, pronounced "dell") is the traditional Mongolian garment, a single robe cinched at the waist with a broad sash. It’s favored by older folks and more common in the countryside, and serves as pretty much the Standard Uniform of Mongolian Buddhist lamas (as opposed to what? the Zoroastrian lamas?). I’ve resisted having one made because I’m just not crazy about Western people “going native” wherever they happen to be (ahem...). On the other hand, every single day I drape Tibetan Buddhist robes on my honky frame, so it’s not really a big leap, is it?

Anyway, once when I was meeting Lama Purevbat (the great artist who’s rebuilding Danzan Ravjaa’s Demchig Monastery in South Gobi) we discussed deels. Many Mongol lamas go for shiny, heavy neon fabric richly embroidered with Chinese designs. Y’all should know by now that that’s definitely not me. But Purevbat, though a very well-respected lama, favors a lighter, simple cloth, single color, totally unpretentious. I mentioned that I admired that and he called his wife Kim in. They said they had extra fabric and they’d be happy to make me one. I demurred but they said in the winter I’d thank them – goes down to the shins – so I finally agreed.

Much time went by, and I forgot all about it. But this week, Kim called me over out of the blue to choose my fabric. I did so, and then today she said we were going to the tailor, best in town, and she’d pick me up at two. Well, she did, in the passenger seat of a new Cadillac CTS, the only one I’d ever seen in UB.

I slid on my big sunglasses, and as we cruised around, I chuckled to myself. I never have two nickels to rub together, but I seem to frequently manifest in other people’s wealth mandalas. Case in point: Kim invited me to go with them this Wednesday to connect with Purevbat in the Gobi at Demchig. The ride? Her companion’s other vehicle, a new Hummer.

Think I should do it? Well, no matter what you think, I’m goin’. To pitch my tent at that holy place and do nothing but commune with Amitabha and Guru Rinpoche for three days or so? Without being expected to shave? Let’s just say they didn’t have to ask twice.

And this jaunt will provide the perfect opportunity to try out my new video camera, a working battery for which finally showed up. So you can anticipate some clumsy, maybe upside-down footage if my tech stars all line up. Right now the durn thing isn’t displaying in the viewfinder, and I’m getting precious little love from the Owner’s Manual, so...

Today, it done got cold (if any of you were extra-, super-, ultra-hip enough to have that phrase kick into mind North Mississippi bluesman Junior Kimbrough’s “Done Got Old,” move right to the head of the class, man). After a glorious Indian summer, the Siberian Express blew it all away. Woke up to snow and right now as I type the wind chill is 13°.

But that give me a perfect excuse to hang inside today and gape in awe at a personal miracle.

Remember that just before I went to America earlier this year my laptop died? Well, the data on my hard drive – at least documents and photos – proved salvageable. But one thing that didn’t get transferred was my birding Life List (whoever just said “big whoop” is dismissed). I didn’t talk about it here because I thought I would start to blubber, and we all know how awkward that is. To keep track of the avian lovelies I see, I use a database software called AviSys. This database (stupidly) contained my only record of 12 years in the field. But by good luck, on the last trip to Khamar, I met a Russian computer genius named Sergey. Last night, he found the right connecto-thingy to jack my hard drive into my new computer and, I swear, between one bite of dinner and the next, bip-bip-bip, plopped AviSys, my data intact, right onto my current C drive. We shall now kindly refer to him as St. Sergey and tenderly light votive candles in front of his icon.

Zendette’s Geography Quiz

Two new countries have popped up on the DODR statistical radar screen. One – Madagascar – I’m not really counting because I know it was my sister, who was there for work, and not a bona fide citizen. But the other, country #111, I’ll let you guess. Here are two clues. First, it’s just about the last European country to check in and, frankly, it’s the one you might expect to be the last to check in. And second, the name sounds like a term for the feelings rabid fans might have for a young American actress who’s in a movie out now that’s earned pretty much universal hoots and derision. Of what land do I speak?

Comments

[Aarlene]

Albania?
Whew! I'm glad you waited for the happy ending before mentioning the loss of your Life List. Just the thought made my stomach hurt. Yay St Sergey!

[Konchog]

Ye cats that was fast, Aarlene! 21 minutes after I posted and yer spot on. I gotta think up clues in the morning when I'm mainlining caffeine instead of now when I'm in my usual end-of-the-day muddleheaded torpor.

[Palzang]

Now maybe you'll learn to backup your hard drive!!??

I don't get the clue, even after hearing the answer. Can you 'splain please? I'm so out of touch!

[Zendette]

You know, the first clue led me to Albania, but the second clue had me thinking Macedonia. Then again, I have no idea what movie you are referring to.

[Konchog]

OK, please, let the Buddhist monk in Outer Mongolia educate you about American pop culture: Jessica Alba, and the movie is Good Luck Chuck. I keep up so I can be an educated consumer of pirated Chinese DVD's, one of my few diversions. Now ya know.

[Jae-Min]

Careful about those pirated DVDs, don't forget your four defeats.

[Konchog]

I only got two of de feets, but who knows about next lifetime? Maybe four.

[Samaya]

Please send pix of you in the deel...they look so comfy and warm!

[Zendette]

Nope, I'm totally in the dark when it comes to the latest cinematic offerings. I think it's been almost two years since I was last in a movie theater. Re: DVDs, a former co-worker would bring them back from China. We had a nice little office lending library going. The funniest part was sometimes the subtitles. It often looked like someone had taken the Chinese subtitle track and translated it with Alta Vista's free translation software back into English.

[Palzang]

Thanks for the explanation. I'm sooo happy I didn't know the answer!

[Carol]

You HAVE backed up your list now, right? RIGHT???