Tolya, a shepherd on a livestock farm, watches TV after a day of work. The owner of the farm, Tseren, installed a cell phone signal booster in his room, but it only works if the phone is less than a couple of metres away. In the steppes the mobile coverage is usually practically nonexistent, so the most convenient way for the farm workers to get the news is TV. Livestock farming is the basis of the agricultural sector of the republic's economy. People usually call a farm a "tochka" (which means "a dot"), and every Kalmyk either is working at one, worked in the past, or knows someone who does. Dots are spread out in the steppes, and people who live there usually do not see other people, their neighbours, often. Pastimes of the workers might include TV, card games, and alcohol drinking. They are paid 10000 - 15000 rubles a month (166 - 250 USD) and receive full board, including cigarettes, from the farm owner.