I have been reading the comments and many people are wanting more photos. The Mongolian 4-H organization has been posting daily pictures on their website. The address is: http://bayanmongol.com/. I know the text is in Mongolian but you can click on the heading of each day to see the photos. They also have a link to their Facebook page. I have to disclose the majority of the pictures are from the first week of our time in Mongolia and of the participants staying in Ulaanbaatar.
We are on the last day of our host family stays. Tomorrow morning we will all gather once again in Ulaanbaatar to travel to the Ger camp. Our Mongolian hosts were able to secure enough tickets for all the participants to see the opening ceremonies of Naadam. I have been told over and over again that tickets inside the stadium are very difficult to get and we were able to get 80 for our entire group. What a feat!
Warren
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Mongolia has come to mean
Mongolia is a land of strong, unique traditions:
In the past week, I have tasted mare's milk, uruk (mare's milk vodka), marmot, cow's tongue, sheep's head, orom (a delicious butter), and gallons of milk tea. I have slept in a ger, ridden horses bareback across the open plains, and milked a very, very patient cow. I have paid my respects to the Mother tree (a sacred tree), avoided placing my hat on the ground, and been reminded not to whistle in the house.
Mongolia also shares a surprising amount of common ground with America:
Immediately after eating marmot, I had some chocolate fondue and a delicious ice cream sundae. My host brother, Muunuu, loves the song "Friday" and plays it all the time - his phone is filled with popular American songs. Ask him about Forest Gump and you will get an enthusiastic response! And of course, after I finished drinking my milk tea in a ger deep in the Mongolian countryside, I realized that I was using a Looney Tunes cup! It seemed that in a way, I was not so far from home.
And what is the result?
A land of blue skies, throat singers, old disco tunes and the latest hits, pizza, hot-stone barbecues, nice computers like the one I am using, open plains, I <3 NY T-shirts, and excellent fondue. A land which is colorful, diverse, and beautiful. There you have it - MONGOLIA!
I have had an amazing trip full of memorable moments and unforgettable adventures. Through immersing myself in both sides of Mongolia, I have come to realize that its old and new parts are inextricably linked, creating a land far more fascinating and complex than I could have imagined.
Sam Greydanus
In the past week, I have tasted mare's milk, uruk (mare's milk vodka), marmot, cow's tongue, sheep's head, orom (a delicious butter), and gallons of milk tea. I have slept in a ger, ridden horses bareback across the open plains, and milked a very, very patient cow. I have paid my respects to the Mother tree (a sacred tree), avoided placing my hat on the ground, and been reminded not to whistle in the house.
Mongolia also shares a surprising amount of common ground with America:
Immediately after eating marmot, I had some chocolate fondue and a delicious ice cream sundae. My host brother, Muunuu, loves the song "Friday" and plays it all the time - his phone is filled with popular American songs. Ask him about Forest Gump and you will get an enthusiastic response! And of course, after I finished drinking my milk tea in a ger deep in the Mongolian countryside, I realized that I was using a Looney Tunes cup! It seemed that in a way, I was not so far from home.
And what is the result?
A land of blue skies, throat singers, old disco tunes and the latest hits, pizza, hot-stone barbecues, nice computers like the one I am using, open plains, I <3 NY T-shirts, and excellent fondue. A land which is colorful, diverse, and beautiful. There you have it - MONGOLIA!
I have had an amazing trip full of memorable moments and unforgettable adventures. Through immersing myself in both sides of Mongolia, I have come to realize that its old and new parts are inextricably linked, creating a land far more fascinating and complex than I could have imagined.
Sam Greydanus
Monday, July 4, 2011
Memories of a 4th of July in Selenge, Mongolia
Roasting hotdogs over fire near Selenge River
Swimming, volleyball, hotdogs, marshmallows, singing. Our 4th of July Celebtration was a blast! Some Peace Corps vollunteers and Mongolian friends completed our party.
The weather cooperated and there was no rain! A night to remember of an American Independence Day in Mongolia.
-Selenge Crew
Friday, July 1, 2011
Photos from My Time In Mongolia
I just thought that a few photos would add a nice touch to this wonderful blog. Enjoy! :)
A nice welcome at the airport.
A traditional Mongolian dance, music, and contortion performance.
The Corvallis crew bus riding through UB!
Traditional Mongolian horhog while camping at a hot springs.
Tsetserleg, Arkhangai
The Arkhangai group and some friends.
A nice welcome at the airport.
A traditional Mongolian dance, music, and contortion performance.
The Corvallis crew bus riding through UB!
Traditional Mongolian horhog while camping at a hot springs.
Tsetserleg, Arkhangai
The Arkhangai group and some friends.
A Culture Shock
My stay in Mongolia these past two weeks has been nothing short of spectacular. I have accomplished so much in a relatively brief time: visiting historical museums, sampling the local cuisine (apparently around since 1206), learning the language, participating in an archery competition, heading to the countryside, and helping children at an orphanage. These activities all greatly surpassed my expectations heading into the trip.
During these activities, however, I expected there to be a significant culture shock. Traveling across the world from the United States to Mongolia, one would expect to be in unfamiliar territory. Yet, the primary culture shock I have experienced is in fact not a culture shock at all. I continue to be surprised and amazed at how truly similar my host brother and I as well as Mongolians and Americans tend to be.
During my host family stay in UB, I have become familiar with my host brother Eddy's personality and lifestyle. I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that we enjoy similar songs and musical artists, we go to the same locations to seek entertainment (i.e. movie theaters, amusement parks, swimming pools), we both play sports, we both have dreams and aspirations, etc. On multiple occasions, I have even begun to consider Eddy to be more of a "American" than me simply by the way he conducts himself and his knowledge of pop culture.
I suppose if I could summarize my exchange up to this moment with one generalization, it would most definitely be to express my new found perspective on the world. I have come to appreciate the small nuances that make individuals so unique, yet I have also begun to realize that teenagers are teenagers regardless of where they live.
~Michael Boggess
During these activities, however, I expected there to be a significant culture shock. Traveling across the world from the United States to Mongolia, one would expect to be in unfamiliar territory. Yet, the primary culture shock I have experienced is in fact not a culture shock at all. I continue to be surprised and amazed at how truly similar my host brother and I as well as Mongolians and Americans tend to be.
During my host family stay in UB, I have become familiar with my host brother Eddy's personality and lifestyle. I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that we enjoy similar songs and musical artists, we go to the same locations to seek entertainment (i.e. movie theaters, amusement parks, swimming pools), we both play sports, we both have dreams and aspirations, etc. On multiple occasions, I have even begun to consider Eddy to be more of a "American" than me simply by the way he conducts himself and his knowledge of pop culture.
I suppose if I could summarize my exchange up to this moment with one generalization, it would most definitely be to express my new found perspective on the world. I have come to appreciate the small nuances that make individuals so unique, yet I have also begun to realize that teenagers are teenagers regardless of where they live.
~Michael Boggess
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
A Bit About Tsetserleg, Arkhangai and Hot Springs
My host community for two weeks here in Mongolia is Tsetserleg, Arkhangai. Tsetserleg means garden and is the capital of Arkhangai with about 20,000 people. Tsetserleg is a beautiful town surrounded by some mountains and is very green. There are lots of pretty little wild tsetselgs, or flowers, and I love being out here in the country. The difference between here and UB is astonishing. Right away I noticed there was less pollution and trash in the streets, not to mention much it is greener. To get here, the six Americans (Erynne, Alanna, Jessica, Jaden, Jed, and Emily), their host siblings, and Kim and Peter (our chaperones), traveled by one of those community carpool vans for about 9 hours. It was quite an adventure and we traveled on Mongolia's only road across the country, though some detours onto the side of the road were necessary to avoid construction and sheep. There are so many sheep, goats, and yaks here, it's amazing! I think I heard a statistic that there are 10 head of some animal to 1 person here, or something like that. Sheep/goats/yaks/cows and the occasional horse roam the sides of the streets and most of the countryside.
On Monday, we all took a trip to a hot springs about 1.5 hours away from Tsetserleg. Means of transportation? A slightly sketchy "Russian Micro-Bus" (you must say it with a Russian accent). If I thought Paraguayan driving was scary, it was nothing compared to this. Don't get me wrong, Mongolians are excellent drivers, but we took this bus, along with a bit larger micro-bus, on a two track out into the middle of nowhere. I must admit that there were quite a few occasions that I was sure we were going to tip over while driving up a steep hill or break a bridge that was missing a few boards, but I've made it back in one piece and will probably never be scared to ride with anyone in any type of car again!
The hot springs was at a small ger resort, where the hot water is piped into pools. Each family brought a tent and we set up camp at the top of a small hill. Some of the adventures I experienced while on this camping trip were eating horhog - a traditional Mongolian dish where you cook goat or sheep with vegetables in a pot with very hot stones. Our goat came from a herdsman nearby the hot springs and was still alive when we got there... :D; drinking araig - fermented mare's milk that was offered to us by a Mongolian man who runs a boarding school for herder children as we were on our way back from visiting a gold mine. Typical Mongolian hospitality; eating yak butter - again, offered to us by the same Mongolian man; and seeing some beautiful Mongolian countryside.
One of the charms of Mongolia is its countryside. You'll be driving along on a grass plain, literally in the middle of nowhere, and suddenly a few gers will crop up, along with countless sheep/goats/yaks and possibly a jeep and some solar panels. It truly is quite a sight!
I'm having a grand time here in Mongolia and definitely have so many memories and experiences to share already. This is an experience I'll never forget and I'm so glad I've been able to participate in this program. I've tried to upload photos from my camera, but unfortunately this computer in the internet cafe I'm using isn't letting me :( But just look up some pictures of Arkhangai, Mongolia on Google and image me, 7 other Americans, and their Mongolian hosts standing there!
~ Erynne van Zee
On Monday, we all took a trip to a hot springs about 1.5 hours away from Tsetserleg. Means of transportation? A slightly sketchy "Russian Micro-Bus" (you must say it with a Russian accent). If I thought Paraguayan driving was scary, it was nothing compared to this. Don't get me wrong, Mongolians are excellent drivers, but we took this bus, along with a bit larger micro-bus, on a two track out into the middle of nowhere. I must admit that there were quite a few occasions that I was sure we were going to tip over while driving up a steep hill or break a bridge that was missing a few boards, but I've made it back in one piece and will probably never be scared to ride with anyone in any type of car again!
The hot springs was at a small ger resort, where the hot water is piped into pools. Each family brought a tent and we set up camp at the top of a small hill. Some of the adventures I experienced while on this camping trip were eating horhog - a traditional Mongolian dish where you cook goat or sheep with vegetables in a pot with very hot stones. Our goat came from a herdsman nearby the hot springs and was still alive when we got there... :D; drinking araig - fermented mare's milk that was offered to us by a Mongolian man who runs a boarding school for herder children as we were on our way back from visiting a gold mine. Typical Mongolian hospitality; eating yak butter - again, offered to us by the same Mongolian man; and seeing some beautiful Mongolian countryside.
One of the charms of Mongolia is its countryside. You'll be driving along on a grass plain, literally in the middle of nowhere, and suddenly a few gers will crop up, along with countless sheep/goats/yaks and possibly a jeep and some solar panels. It truly is quite a sight!
I'm having a grand time here in Mongolia and definitely have so many memories and experiences to share already. This is an experience I'll never forget and I'm so glad I've been able to participate in this program. I've tried to upload photos from my camera, but unfortunately this computer in the internet cafe I'm using isn't letting me :( But just look up some pictures of Arkhangai, Mongolia on Google and image me, 7 other Americans, and their Mongolian hosts standing there!
~ Erynne van Zee
Monday, June 27, 2011
Learning to Cook Mongolian Food
Being in Mongolia has been great fun! Today was a free day on our schedule therefore Deegii my host is teaching me to cook Mongolian Buuz (big dumplings steamed) and Bunsh (small dumplings filled with meat boiled in milk tea). I must say that the lamb we raise on our ranch is a lot different from the mutton purchased in the local market. I think I am understanding that it is the cheaper meat here. Anyway, Deegii has taught me many Mongolian words and cultural things. It has been a delight. I have experienced the cheap bus and a taxi. Luckily the cheap bus was not during rush hour (it gets packed). The taxis here are not necessarily a permitted business, it can just be a private person willing to make a little spending cash and you into their car. The way you hail them is to walk along the curb with your hand extend to the road. Out of no where they zoom to the curb stop in any traffic and let you get into their car. Needless to say as an American it is a just breath moment for me. We have so many regulations for safety that I have come to realize the security that I have taken for granted. I am excited to experience and learn even more and I look forward to hearing about others' experiences in our group.
Being in Mongolia has been great fun! Today was a free day on our schedule therefore Deegii my host is teaching me to cook Mongolian Buuz (big dumplings steamed) and Bunsh (small dumplings filled with meat boiled in milk tea). I must say that the lamb we raise on our ranch is a lot different from the mutton purchased in the local market. I think I am understanding that it is the cheaper meat here. Anyway, Deegii has taught me many Mongolian words and cultural things. It has been a delight. I have experienced the cheap bus and a taxi. Luckily the cheap bus was not during rush hour (it gets packed). The taxis here are not necessarily a permitted business, it can just be a private person willing to make a little spending cash and you into their car. The way you hail them is to walk along the curb with your hand extend to the road. Out of no where they zoom to the curb stop in any traffic and let you get into their car. Needless to say as an American it is a just breath moment for me. We have so many regulations for safety that I have come to realize the security that I have taken for granted. I am excited to experience and learn even more and I look forward to hearing about others' experiences in our group.
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