A little bit from Liz

I don’t know where to begin describing our Mongolian adventure thus far. The beginning sounds like it was too long ago and the end, far too near. So maybe it makes sense to start with the things I’ve liked best, the people.

We’ve been very fortunate to have a driver and translator for our trip, both to get Nate to/through his meetings and to personally get us around Mongolia during our “free time,” to shop and see the sites. 

Mr. T and Mr. S in northern Selenge.

Our driver, whom I’ll affectionately call Mr. T, was born and raised in Ulaanbaatar. When we first met he said that he could only speak a little English and we spent most of our time speaking to him through our interpreter, Mr. S. However, on our way back from Selenge Province and after dropping off Mr. S, we learned that not only could Mr. T speak English very well but that he was passionate about the political changes occurring in Mongolia (moving from Socialism to Democracy) and the social issues and problems impacting his country. He’s very hopeful for the burgeoning democracy and we were thankful that he was willing to share his insights with us. We stood proudly beside him as the statue of Lenin (one of the last on government property in Mongolia) was being removed, an event he called “a very big deal.” He’s a lovely man in his late 50’s with a great sense of humor and a fondness for Abba that runs as deep as mine. It’s been such a treat to have him with us.

Our translator, Mr. S is a very funny man with quite a history. He’s only a few years older than Nate and me, and has two weaknesses (per him): cigarettes and his 5 year old son. Mr. S speaks 5 languages fluently (Mongolian, Russian, English, Korean, Italian) and has travelled a good bit of the world (Europe, Asia, the US).  His grandfather created the first Mongolian Equestrian Circus and Mr. S was one of the performers when he was younger. He’s also been a hunting guide, worked for the cashmere sales industry, and now works as an interpreter for the Mongolian government. Did I mention he worked in cashmere sales? Dangerous when we went shopping at the cashmere outlet J

They watch after us like careful fathers, ensuring that we’re understanding what is happening around us and exposing us to as many important insights into their country and their culture that they can.

Outside the gates of Gandantegchinlen Monastery. For more pictures from Mongolia click here, here, here and here to see my different facebook albums.

 

I’ve also had the chance to explore Ulaanbaatar on foot, on my own and without an interpreter, while Nate attends meetings. It feels like most cities do when you first arrive: a little intimating, a bit bigger than it really is, and full of so much history that months of exploration will only scratch the surface of what there is to learn. Traveling the city by foot is not as bad as it first seems (unless of course you have any sort of physical disability, as virtually nothing is handicap accessible), crossing traffic is easy when using a cross walk (which most Mongolians do not), and there are hidden treasures buried around the city (between skyscrapers and gers) and often in buildings that from the outside I wouldn’t typically give a second glance let alone step inside. This is where I need to thank my parents for instilling in me a sense of curiosity and willingness to put myself “out there” when in a new place.

There are times where I’ve felt like a bit of a spectacle around the city. The most apparent was at the state department store when I met three young school boys (probably about 10 years old). I giggled as they slid down railings at the store, which lead to them practicing their very good English with me. “Hello. What is your name.” I heard over and over again. “Ah, Liz” they would say as more and more school boys started to gather (in total, more than 20 by the time I left the store) to watch me shop. For the next 15 minutes they followed me around the store, watching every move I made and commenting in Mongolian about everything I picked up. I felt like a momma duck leading all of her ducklings through the store, ah, how unique and novel I am here.

Two important lessons that I’ve learned and that everyone should know when they travel to Mongolia: 1) Always accept things with your right hand and your right hand only. When greeting or departing from someone, make sure to have your hand free so that you may shake theirs.  

2) My momma always said this and maybe yours did too: when visiting someone and enjoying a meal they have prepared for you, clean your plate. Do not say you are too full to finish and if you don’t like what you’re being offered, that’s too bad, you need to suck it up and eat it anyway.

The first lesson was easy to master, the second took some work for me as a lactose intolerant girl in a country that lives off of dairy (thankfully, Mr. S got me out of some sticky dairy situations). Remember Nate’s pictures from our visit with the nomadic family? We affectionately called our meal with them “second dinner” (6:30PM) as it came after a huge lunch (1PM) and what would be considered a fully sized dinner (meat loaf, potato, rice) at the other farm we visited (4PM). Mr. S’ comment to us, “eat as much as you possibly can as it’s an insult to leave anything on your plate.” A tough lesson learned after I left half of the food on my plate at first dinner… the host was not impressed. Thankfully, I earned back his respect over some Mongolian vodka.

We’re preparing to leave Mongolia on Friday morning and I must admit its bitter sweet. The kindness that has been shown to us is sometimes overwhelming and the schedule of events laid out for us were perfect to be able explore Mongolia’s landscape, learn its history, and partake in its culture.  

We’ll post soon about our evening at the Mongolian National Song and Dance Ensemble: Tumen Ekh.