Miss you

Today after work, went to meet and see off a friend. Since taking the taxi would have been costly yet would have consumed as much time as public transportation, walked with a guy from work by taking a shortcut. Although, I have been exercising and walking rather often lately, none of it was enjoyed as much as the walking today.

Why?

Because it brought all the memories.. even those about memories





-- On the way, had to cross the Bars Bridge (Barsiin Guur) over the rails of the Ulaanbaatar Terminal, after what has been 11 years. I remember how the bridge was still very new, the surrounding with much less people and how it looked enormous and impressive for a daddy's little girl. I remember going with me dad to meet my dad's friend and also see him off. Now do tell me about deja vu. After the 11 years, today as I was walking on that bridge, I remembered how my dad held my hand while we were walking the stairs which are almost as tall as 2-storey builging, and how we sat on the top of the stairs and he explained to me about the railroad system in UB, Mongolia and how he used/advanced what he had learned about back in the USSR and how what he learnt there and here helped him understand much more about things other than his job and jobs other than what he originally studied... Although the almost-void-of-people surrounding was impressively big and empty, my dad to me seemed so big and strong and even unbeatable... It was one of those moments where I had so many questions "Why/how ... this/that?" and feeling overwhelmed and proud of my dad answering all of these questions in a way that was so easy to understand but yet not over-simplified and could satisfy my curiosity just fine.


-- Half an hour walk also included having to cross the Dundgol, which sadly, now is not even a stream (hopefully yet). Yet there still remain some small trees and bushes and with the warm weather you could see fresh green baby grasses/leaves coming out. This reminded me, again, of my childhood. How when the spring came my dad used to take me and my sister our for a walk and to play outside/on the sand. Then he would make sure that we were not to step on the baby grasses and explained to us that they were like human babies, so fragile and weak and trying to make it through the tough time. Also he somehow convinced us to play so that the candy wrapping and other small garbage such as bottle caps etc., were to be collected and used as either money or candies (by wrapping small stones in them). So we used to have real sharp eyes for any unnatural even-if-not-colorful-stuffs laying in the ground or on trees :) Add to it my mum's love for flowers. My mum still has many different flowers and loves them so much that when she has to leave home for sometime the flowers are to be given as much attention as our pet dog. Mum, dad, thanks so much for raising us -city kids with supposedly "white hands" - with this much respect and love for nature.

-- When I went on a business trip with coworkers from work to countryside, I was so saddened to see all the garbage and bottle scattered in the otherwise clean nature, all the roads drawn so close to each other oftentimes overlapping at several point without much difference from one another all scarring the valleys and mountains ... as proof of impatience. I could not help thinking when I am retired and not volunteering in foreign countries, I shall make sure I spend time cleaning such mess, destruction even (if sadly enough the situation is still similar), if not training/talking to children, youth about the simple beauty of nature as part of joy to life.




-- Also I was lucky enough to enjoy company of an older guy, close to your age and two younger guys in the pick-up. As much as the the younger guys were fun to be with, with much things in common to talk and reminisce about, also as much as I enjoyed the older guy who was half-jokingly saying "I will make sure you meet my boy" as he also studied in Russia and has extensive experience of working, thus broad knowledge about life and work in the countryside as well,

Nothing beats you, noone impresses, moves me as YOU do DAD, and I miss you!

-- During the trip I had a dream about you. You seemed to tell me to take things as they are now and that you were happy to be remembered (to say the least) the way you were and that you WILL be back to me/us in your time. I could feel the warmth of a smile following the dream through my whole being, with my eyes closed, before I got up the next morning.

You are the inspiration