on the run coffee

mongolia is a country that seems to be just beginning to adopt the concept of going to a cafe for the mere purpose of chatting with friends and sipping something hot. i get the sense that for most mongolians eating is more about practicality than socializing. or maybe i just haven't made friends who like to go out to restaurants. hehe

anyway, one of the aspects of american life that i miss the most is being able to go to a cafe and just sit for hours either reading or talking with friends. there are a few places in ub that make this possible but most of them are expensive or not really cozy enough to make me want to spend any amount of time there. in the past few weeks however i have found 2 places that i would actually want to return to with a friend. one of these is called "cafe amsterdam", and it was filled with foreigners (not so great) but it was also filled with light from many windows (super great) and serves a fantastic panini (amazing). if you ever come to visit me in mongolia, i will definitely take you to eat and chill out here.

the other such place is called "on the run coffee". it's a cafe attached to a big hotel, and it was quiet and cozy. my friend muugii had gone there before and told me about it. we decided to check it out last thursday, and i'm so glad we did. the walls are painted a deep orange color and we sat in dark red, comfy chairs. the light was dim and warm, and i felt like i could sit there for hours. unfortunately i had a class to teach at 4:00, but at least i know i can return some other time. here's a picture of muugii enjoying the peace and quiet.


ps. i got a new wallet after we had coffee :)