It has FINALLY started raining here, bringing the temperatures down. I love it. I miss the fog and chilly gray days of San Francisco (I know many of you are thinking I am crazy, but I can't deal with it when the weather just stays the same, day after day. Especially when it's hot. I like a little variety.)
The day before we left for Beijing, the hot water went out in the apartment. Apparently they are doing (much needed) street repairs in UB and different parts of the city have had their hot water turned off (without warning) all summer. We were hoping ours would be back by the time we got back from Beijing, but no luck. We have to heat up water in an electric kettle and pour it into a bucket to shower. Very India-esque.
Last night we went to a going away party for a friend of Jaspal's who's also been here on a Fulbright. It was a potluck with all kinds of tasty food (we brought pasta salad). The apartment that it was hosted in reminds me of a UB version of the Fell House. It's huge and has had foreigners living in it for years, with numerous roommate rotations. I felt right at home!
One of the housemates is a musician from the U.S. (by way of about a dozen other countries) who put on an impromptu performance with some of his Mongolian friends. There was traditional dance, a swan-head fiddle, an upright bass, and throat singing (by the Mongolians and the American -- he was really good!). It was great.
The dancer proceeded to give Jaspal a drunken lecture about the links between Indian, Tibetan, Chinese, and Mongolian music and dance. He was very earnest about the importance of respecting your culture, but I think a lot of what he said got lost in translation (and vodka).
For those of you who are wondering, I finished Harry Potter yesterday (Harry's birthday, appropriately enough!). Anyone who wants to get into a deep discussion about it can email me!
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