The Dean Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 one more thing i learned about traveling to the other side of the planet. jet lag is brutal. As it turned out we were unable to assist in the building the church because the ground was still frozen. They are targeting a date in early June to do what we hoped to be there to help with the last two weeks. If I were to use the term, "....we went there to help" it would have meant we were there to help the missionaries that are there right now. how would we be "helping" them? Just by being there. American missionaries get very discouraged by being in a foreign land and not having other Americans to communicate with. Especially a place as desolate as Mongolia. Having a visit from someone you know, is (and was) a bigger help to them than if we had gone there to just assist in putting up a building. There are other English speaking people there, but very few. I tried to load some pictures earlier today but it is going to take a while. I have no idea how to do it and in trying to do it I have some how managed to lock up my HP Photo(not so) Smart printer with the memory stick inside of it. Things we did while there: Visited a Missionary that works with both men's and women's prisons. We went to the Gobi desert where a Missionary has both an Orphanage and a Hospital. I personally had the opportunity to preach at two churches in Ulaan Baatar, the mens prison and a small gathering of women that meet for an English class. And we met with another church and an archichtect about the building plans for the church we went there to help build. An interesting fact about Mongolia. It has a population of approx. 3 Million people. Half of which live in the capital city of Ulaan Baatar. This year Mongolia is celebrating its 800th Anniversary as a nation. 658359[/snapback] Damn! I defended you and it turns out your trip was just one big boondoggle! At least it wasn't at the taxpayers' expense (please tell me it wasn't). Just kidding RTB. I'm sure it was good an important work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtdoak Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 They have the BEST BBQs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcjeff215 Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 Even if all they did (I don't mean that in a pejorative way) was build a church, isn't that a tremendous contribution for those who worship? 658247[/snapback] Yes, it is. I honestly have no idea what people do on those trips. I applaud those that do that type of thing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Like A Mofo Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 Just got back from Mongolia last night.....What I learned while I was in Mongolia: The women (IMHO) are beatiful. Not all of them, but they have a unique beauty that really took me by suprise. There is a great irony there. For a third world country the women dress impecablly. Every day I would drive through a district and see women walking out of the poorest conditions....pulling a cart with a barrel to get water at the local well, yet dressed like they just stepped off the cover of Vogue and talking on their cell phone. If the people of Mongolia ever get their act together the city of Ulaan Baatar could become one of the greatest cities in the world. TONS of natural resources in Mongolia yet to be tapped into. Traffic is the craziest I have ever exerienced in my life. Please...people of Boston and NYC, you don't have a clue what bad traffic is until you drive in UB. If an earthquake ever strikes, it will be lights out. There isn't a single building in the captial city that would be left standing. Keep your wallet at home. Pick pocketing is rampant there. The people (excluding the picket pockets) are extremely gracious and friendly. Having said that....they don't believe in lines. When you go to the bank,....it is first come first served and typically the first person served is the first person that can shove their way to the front . No lines (part 2) This is the reason driving is so nutty there. I still have no idea why they actually paint lines on the road. No one abides by them. Micro Bus rides are scary. Mini-Vans that seat 9, literally have up to 18 people jammed into them before they take off. 657576[/snapback] Good to hear that you are back safe OnThe Rocks... Its funny, but reading this recap of Mongolia is so similar to how I would describe the Philippines (going there again in December)..and man you are not kidding about the jet lag...took me 3 days easy to recover from that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
X. Benedict Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 I always got Jetlag returning from Asia - never going. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRC Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 I always got Jetlag returning from Asia - never going. 658752[/snapback] Same here. I went to Korea three times and only felt jet lag coming back to the states. The plane would leave NYC about 10:30AM and arrive about 5PM the next day in Incheon. By the time you get to the hotel, it is about 8-9PM, so you can just get a quick bite to eat and go to bed. Coming back is the B word. You leave Incheon at 10:30AM and arrive 10:25AM the same day in NYC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Like A Mofo Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 You leave Incheon at 10:30AM and arrive 10:25AM the same day in NYC. 658784[/snapback] Man that is wild! That happened to me too...left Manila at 10PM and arrived in LA at 6pm the same way....felt strange Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pine Barrens Mafia Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 Man that is wild! That happened to me too...left Manila at 10PM and arrived in LA at 6pm the same way....felt strange 658802[/snapback] Same with Kuwait. Left at 2 in the afternoon, arrived at 2 in the afternoon. I didn't sleep for nearly 3 days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRC Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 Man that is wild! That happened to me too...left Manila at 10PM and arrived in LA at 6pm the same way....felt strange 658802[/snapback] It really screws up your sleep cycle. The first two trips, it took me about 3 days to get back on schedule (each trip was only 2-2.5 weeks). The last trip took me about 5 days (I was there 35 days). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tennesseeboy Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 I had dinner last night with a guy who just returned from a Fulbright to Mongolia and his wife who was stationed at the embassy there. Sounds like a very interesting place. I'm going to be around Mongolia in September so I hope I get a chance to visit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweet baboo Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 China airlines recruit there for cabin crew. Surprising how tall and leggy many of them are. Glad you're back safe, post pictures when you can. 657607[/snapback] China airlines used to have a reputation for three things 1. attractive stewardesses 2. getting hijacked 3. crashing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost of BiB Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 China airlines used to have a reputation for three things 1. attractive stewardesses 2. getting hijacked 3. crashing 659195[/snapback] I'll stick with one. They are gorgeous, at least in my experience. First time I ever met a 6 foot Chinese woman who should have been in a magazine somewhere. Stunning. As for three, funny how when the 747 went down over Long Island, no one paid much attention after that to the CAL 747 in the south China Sea that went down for the same reason. They didn't waste a few millions of dollars because of the network news ratings conspiracies. Sorry, semi-PPP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheRocks Posted April 11, 2006 Author Share Posted April 11, 2006 on my trip i took Korean Air. it was funny, from Rochester to Atlanta on Delta, the attendants were 40+ year old ladies who have clearly run thier course. from Atlanta to Seoul on KA, I was stunned at both the beauty of the Attendants and the excellent service. some people have already told me since i got back that they think KA stinks, but it was the best flying exeperince I ever had. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRC Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 on my trip i took Korean Air. it was funny, from Rochester to Atlanta on Delta, the attendants were 40+ year old ladies who have clearly run thier course. from Atlanta to Seoul on KA, I was stunned at both the beauty of the Attendants and the excellent service. some people have already told me since i got back that they think KA stinks, but it was the best flying exeperince I ever had. 659240[/snapback] I never had a problem with KA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost of BiB Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 I never had a problem with KA. 659736[/snapback] You haven't flown ANA. Compared to Delta, KA is an upgrade. But compare KA to ANA or even Cathay Pacific and it's no contest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRC Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 You haven't flown ANA. Compared to Delta, KA is an upgrade. But compare KA to ANA or even Cathay Pacific and it's no contest. 659756[/snapback] I have never been a fan of Delta, so anything except US Scareways is an upgrade from Delta. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost of BiB Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 I have never been a fan of Delta, so anything except US Scareways is an upgrade from Delta. 659790[/snapback] All in all says a lot about our airline industry, though. Most large Asian and European carriers are top notch in terms of service and comfort. Riding a domestic carrier is a lot more like being herded into cattle trucks this day and age. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tennesseeboy Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 I could curl your hair with Aerosvit and Aeroflot stories. Local flights the stews looked like Nikita Khrushev in drag. International flights they all look like Anna Kournikova! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost of BiB Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 I could curl your hair with Aerosvit and Aeroflot stories. Local flights the stews looked like Nikita Khrushev in drag. International flights they all look like Anna Kournikova! 659812[/snapback] Ever fly in Africa? If not, don't. I wouldn't be surprised to see a pig strapped into the next seat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon in Pasadena Posted April 13, 2006 Share Posted April 13, 2006 Ever fly in Africa? If not, don't. I wouldn't be surprised to see a pig strapped into the next seat. 659815[/snapback] Royal Air Maroc ain't bad. No pork in Islamarchycracies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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