Glad Tidings

It’s the morning of the shortest day of the year here in Ulaanbaatar, where a haze-shrouded sun heaved itself off the horizon at 8:38AM and will collapse back at 5:01PM (this precise information courtesy of the ever-amazing Weather Underground). The ferocious mix of airborne toxicity here in the winter – coal smoke, auto exhaust, second-hand cigarette smoke (Mongolia has recently achieved the dubious honor of being named as one of the top ten nations in the world with the highest percentage of smokers), the germ-ridden exhalations of others – has conspired to birth yet another stubborn respiratory infection in Brother Konchog’s old lungs. I bought some cough syrup to try to get some sleep, but saw later it was from Poland. I tried to work out whether the directions said to take two zyczk’s every four wojowiecz’s or vice versa. I finally just downed two slugs, experienced little relief or attendant shut-eye, but at least felt glad the foul liquid only set me back a buck fifty.

This little black cloud, however, hangs over my head alone. In general, I have glad tidings to share.

Remember little Bambi, the puppy who suffered a leg-snapping kick from a local bus driver? Well, Monday, we took her to the vet for a six-week check-up on the corrective surgery. Doctor Karen said she was so pleased with the healing there wasn’t even the need for another x-ray. Bambi could go home, live long and prosper. Thanks to all of you who shared your resources and prayers!

And how could regular readers forget my incessant badgering over the past couple of months about our sending ten Mongolian nuns to India for intensive Buddhist training? I am so, so happy to report that we have raised the full a mount of money necessary to send all ten and kit them out for the beginning of their spiritual journey. In fact, a little more than we need trickled in, and this will allow us to send some shekels over to provide an emergency health care fund for all the Mongols studying there. So, a great big hug and thank you to everyone who helped make this possible. It’s truly groundbreaking. The group will most likely depart sometime in the third week of January and I have left the strictest instructions, since I’ll already be basking on Australian beaches toiling in Australian Dharma centers, to take a zillion photos so I can share them with you later.

Speaking of Australia, my schedule since the last post (where I’m not totally convinced that everyone got the bris joke – don’t y’all speak Yiddish? I thought it was a scream...) has fleshed out some. There are now four scheduled “The Buddha Was Only Sleeping...” talks. It currently looks something like this:

Brisbane: January 5 - 13
Jan. 12th: MBRP, 3:00pm Brisbane City Library
Sunshine Coast: January 14 - 20
Jan 16th: MBRP, 7:30pm Maleny Community Hall
Jan 19th: MBRP, 7:30pm Millwell Rd East Community Hall, Maroochydore
Brisbane: January 21 - 28
Canberra: January 29 - February 1
Sydney: February 2 - 8
Melbourne: February 9 - 25
Feb 11th: MBRP, 7:00pm Edinburgh Gardens Community Hall, Fitzroy (Off Brunswick St, Nth Fitzroy, Melway Ref 2C 1C)
Brisbane: February 26 - March 3

I’m told that someone, somewhere Down Under also has one foot each in the Buddhist and birding worlds and is arranging for me to speak about Mongolian migratory birds! Eek. I better learn something about them. Of course, since so little is known, I could probably just make it up...

As before, the contact email for more Australia info is kpcinaus@gmail.com.

So, since many of you are heading into a holiday weekend, here’s a big, fat edition of the...

Zendette Memorial Geography Quiz

No fewer than six new nations’ citizens have peeked in on the DODR proceedings since the last quiz. Actually, three aren’t technically nations, but we’ll get to that in a minute. Here are the clues; try to guess the countries in the comments:

1. #118 is one of the technically-not-a-country’s but forms the westernmost outpost of the Mongolian Diaspora. Extra points if you use its official name.

2. The name of #119 sounds like a French child describing a minor injury. (In a way, this shouldn’t count, as I know the visitor was a KPC member there on business and not a local, but I can’t resist a bad pun)

3. If you sailed into #120, not an independent nation, you might be excused for asking about the inhabitants, “What makes their big head so hard?”

4. #121’s former emperor is “highly” regarded on the island of Jamaica.

5. Before 1991, the capital name of #122 might have formed at inadvertent pun for a Japanese karaoke singer belting one out from the Beatles’ songbook.

6. Our final entry also isn’t a country but sounds like it would be a great place for a long-awaited get-together.

Good luck!

Comments

[KT]

Your schedule (yes, I know some Yiddish) has fleshed out some? How could you?!?!

Number two is Malawi. (I had inside information.)

Seriously, I could get my brother to translate your cough medicine label. I seriously doubt your interpretation of "wojowiecz."
KT

[Konchog]

KT!! You're officially disqualified from the rest of this quiz for trading on inside info. That was the best, most convoluted pun in the list! Well, maybe #5...

I didn't even see that other pun and, frankly, I made up the Polish words. All I rememeber is lots of obscure consonants and precious few vowels and no illumination whatsoever on how to take the medicine.

[Bolor]

#1: Republic of Kalmykia
#5: Kyrgizstan

[Konchog]

Hello Bolor! Correct on #1, incorrect on #5, but close. Keep trying!

[Charlotte]

Medical advice here is to toss the cough syrup and use honey instead. Can you get honey?

[yeshe lhamo]

I thought the bris line was hysterical...the puns, so convoluted, I worried about you! :)

Seriously, the respiratory / pollution issue sounds horrific. Mayhaps more time needs to be spent in the Gobi?

Glad you'll be making it to Australia. Thanks for always taking the time to write this wonderful blog.

hugs to my brother
and merry christmas almost

[jules]

#4 Ethiopia

#5 is killing me, dude. Promise you'll post the answers!

I also thought the bris joke was hilarious...it's just that my only comment would have been "Ha ha! 'Small tip'!" and I couldn't bring myself to chime in to say only that. Saved by the Zendette Memorial Geography Quiz! :)

[Konchog]

jules: Correct on #4. The reference is to the Emperor Haile (pronounced like "highly") Selassie of Ethiopia, whom Rastafarians consider to have been a prophet. His name, therefore, crops up a lot in reggae songs.

As for #5, pay attention to my response to Bolor that he was in the neighborhood. And consider significant "break-ups" of '91.

I'm a little surprised no one has come up with #3. Aren't any of you Louis Jordan/BB King fans?

The identity to #6 is really right there in the clue. I'll tell you that it's one of the farthest-flung parts of France.

[Christian]

I know #6.

[Zendette]

ummm, Konchog-la...while I'm flattered and all to have a quiz named after me, the offical name, ".....Memorial Quiz", well, how do I put this...I'm not dead yet y'know!

Christan, no fair not telling. Where is number 6?

[maura]

Zendette
Thanks for keeping our good monk honest. I so wanted to suggest it be renamed to the Zendette Honorary Quiz but I think (methinks?) it needs a few more honorifics -- perhaps the Royal Honorary Zendette Geographical, Topographical, Strained Pun but not Punishing Quiz?

[Konchog]

Thank you, Maura. Good lord. "Honorary" is exactly the replacement word I was failing to call up. Could it be I'm having senior moments already? The name is hereby amended.

Christian, please feel free to identify #6.

[Christian]

All right, then. Unless there is a pun I didn't get in the clues (which happens often, I should say), #6 is l'

[Konchog]

Whoops. I inadvertently deleted Christian's appended comment in which he revealed the answer to #6. Without the benefit of those funny French vowel thingies, it's l'Ile de la Reunion, of course!