Here in Mongolia what choice do I have?
Over the last two weeks I have found that being "Miss Independence" is sure wearing a bit thin. As most people know that we have our own car here and that I drive here and found it has been really good up until the last two weeks. The added hassles that comes with being independent is sure is in question at the moment.
Picture this;
You wake up in the morning, you hit the remote heater for the car as you know the car wont start without using it, due to the -25 degrees out side. You get dressed and after about 30 minutes of the heater running in the car, you go down stairs to see if the car will start.
If it does then you have had a win, if it doesn't you have to try and get your car jump started or call for a van and hope they haven't done the school run already because there is no other way Paige can get to school.
So after the car has started you leave the car running with the spare key and lock the doors, go up stairs and get Paige ready for school. The morning is still dark at 8.45am so with the car still there and hasn't been stolen, toasty warm you drive Paige to school wondering if this is the time some Mongolian is going to run into you?.
You arrive at school, you leave the car running and locked to keep it warm and to get some extra charge into the battery. You then drive home to get ready for the things you have planned for the day. You reach your apartment block, jump out of the warm car and hear hisssssssssss, "crap the tyre is going down" so now your day really starts to get interesting.
It's -23 degrees outside, you start to change the tyre, the cold starts to set in and you cant work with your gloves on and take them off to find in five minutes your hands are freezing so you have to stop and warm them up.
You put the spare tyre on and find that it is a bit flat and you don't want to drive on it just in case you get another flat and then your stuffed. You call for dispatch to arrange a van to come and get you so you can get the tyre fixed but they cant come when you want them to so you have to wait.
Once you have been picked by the van , you have to go and stand in line to have the tyre fixed as there are so many other drivers having a great day to. You now head back to your apartment to change the tyre back over going through the same process of cold hands.
You then need to find a petrol station to blow up the spare tyre but realise that not all petrol stations here have the facility to blow up tyres so you have to try and find one that does. After being able to blow up the spare tyre you head home for a well deserved strong cup of coffee, sitting there pondering what will tomorrow bring.
Welcome to a day in my life living in Mongolia and being Miss Independence
In two weeks I have had two flat tyres, I suppose next week will be number three.
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