Between dealing with the aftermath of my accident, editing my book, spending a great week at the Tocqueville Institute at the University of Richmond, and preparing to go to Mongolia, Nunal has definitely suffered for attention.

The days before I leave are going to be nuts as I go to Chicago to see my folks and help my dad split a beehive, to Madison for the SHAFR conference (and as an added bonus to see old good friends and play some music), and then to New Orleans for a rapidfire bender with a friend of mine turning 40 who runs bars there...all before leaving for Ulanbaatar in a week and a half.

Somehow it is all going to happen I know, but it ain't going to be pretty.

I'll leave you for the time being with this description of possible annoyances in Mongolia. It invites some interesting speculation. I also like the suggestion of how to recognize drunks:

"Being out late at night is not advisable, especially if you are alone. Avoid ger districts and other poorly lit areas. Take a torch with you. Use a proper taxi if you can find one. Vodka may be a popular drink in Mongolia which used in many celebrations, but it is also the source of a big alcohol problem. The problems are more serious in Ulaanbaatar and the aimag centres than in the countryside. Drunks tend to me more of an annoyance than a danger. Drunks are easily recognised by a stumbling walk. They tend to be on their own rather than in large groups. If you are approached by a drunk, try to walk away. If they follow, try running - they're unlikely to catch up with you if they've had a lot to drink. If you can find a policeman, all the better. Experience has shown that they are very tough on drunks annoying or threatening foreigners, although the immediate punishment may be something you're not used to."

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