tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32539714096476022032024-03-05T13:32:28.519+08:00Explore MONGOLIA!An informational blog about Mongolian culture, traditions, and modern life by Peace Corps Volunteer Merrie Winfrey and her Mongolian students for the students, teachers, and parents at G.W. Carver Elementary School in Salem, Virginia, U.S.A.Merrie Winfreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10963308629198982315noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3253971409647602203.post-88368918997982450402012-06-02T19:13:00.001+08:002012-06-02T19:13:32.021+08:00Flat Stanley Visits Choibalsan from Virginia!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is Merrie's kitchen.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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I have a guest blogger today--Flat Stanley! He's visiting me from the Jolly Rogers class at Nottingham Elementary School in Arlington, Virginia. His friend, Isaac Fenster, sent him to me. Thanks Isaac! So...here's Flat Stanley!<br />
Hi everyone! It took me a long time to get to Mongolia. It took 24 days to get from Arlington to Ulaanbaatar, the capital city of Mongolia, and another 6 days to get to Choibalsan, the city where Merrie lives. The mail is slow! I've been staying with Merrie in her apartment.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I slept in the guest bed which is in the living room</td></tr>
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While many Mongolians still live in traditional homes, called gers, many Mongolians also live in wooden houses or apartments.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMiDc6Xh9xmKPfJ29fE11l-26yWPovBt7s6Jr-MyKXENzLhwlBj9yw0LHIxlvr2LPcLKdDXnXamGptXNfaT6dHV22-UdcXZtzlTMwXkTgiW2zUR2wK0_JzWJPj7kufDmCMgUxxP7idT0A/s1600/IMGP1026+%282%29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMiDc6Xh9xmKPfJ29fE11l-26yWPovBt7s6Jr-MyKXENzLhwlBj9yw0LHIxlvr2LPcLKdDXnXamGptXNfaT6dHV22-UdcXZtzlTMwXkTgiW2zUR2wK0_JzWJPj7kufDmCMgUxxP7idT0A/s200/IMGP1026+%282%29.jpg" width="200" /></a> Merrie is an English teacher at a vocational college called the Dornod Poly-Technical College. The college just changed its name, so they had a big celebration to mark the change. Merrie and I went to the ceremony. It was very interesting. There were speakers, dancers, and singers. These Buddhist priests read a special blessing for the continued success of the school and its teachers, workers, and students.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGp5c_XhAFFS_cHWjs57LkejaAtr8fMJ9b0lgfy258ds6nOvNzcrZ71Ua8X7bGvBFzFYgg92DaCpgPw3c-OhzPjE1ZnfzKLzqsOaiUIgCoR7OQlHwEOp05vl9WnSd0y2hh87Pyh9IY6pQ/s1600/IMGP1057+%282%29.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGp5c_XhAFFS_cHWjs57LkejaAtr8fMJ9b0lgfy258ds6nOvNzcrZ71Ua8X7bGvBFzFYgg92DaCpgPw3c-OhzPjE1ZnfzKLzqsOaiUIgCoR7OQlHwEOp05vl9WnSd0y2hh87Pyh9IY6pQ/s200/IMGP1057+%282%29.jpg" width="145" /></a>These costumed performers did a dance. What great costumes! After the ceremony, I tried on a pair of their boots. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4eQsPIEhTD185IjFLXXIBCynssyTTpVPrsyU5pfJkBejVlRc8dmBrlRZ48tNtf6vySyTujEY-zPKC3fdt8V_FhSYOsUjYRUGwiBUcsXtXnd1GofpPr0I6YASt5w5EorCfOQEZxJaoaZU/s1600/IMGP1036.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4eQsPIEhTD185IjFLXXIBCynssyTTpVPrsyU5pfJkBejVlRc8dmBrlRZ48tNtf6vySyTujEY-zPKC3fdt8V_FhSYOsUjYRUGwiBUcsXtXnd1GofpPr0I6YASt5w5EorCfOQEZxJaoaZU/s200/IMGP1036.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from the Khalkhin Gol monument.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What a tall monument!</td></tr>
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We went sight-seeing around Choibalsan one day. We went to a monument marking the defeat of the Japanese at the battle of Khalkin River in 1939 during World War II. Choibalsan is in Dornod Province (or state), and Dornod shares a border with Russia and China. The battle was on Mongolia's border with China. The Mongolians won and kept the Japanese from invading Mongolia. The monument is on a little hill and you can see far around Choibalsan and the countryside. This part of Mongolia is very flat. It's in the steppe lands.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and my new friend, Tuuvshin at the mine.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Merrie at the mine.</td></tr>
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Next we went to a coal mine that is right outside Choibalsan. Mining is very important in Mongolia. Mongolia has coal, gold, copper, oil, and uranium. I met a new friend named Tuuvshin. He's four. We were wearing matching clothes!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, Merrie, Saraa (Tuuvshin's mom</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">) </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and Tuuvshin at the ovoo.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me putting a stone on the ovoo.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view of Choibalsan from the ovoo.</td></tr>
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We also went to the Khan Uul Ovoo. An ovoo (pronounced "ahwaa") is a pile of stones where people come to worship. You put a stone on the pile and walk around the pile clock-wise three times. Sometimes you put food on the pile. Merrie put a cookie on the pile. I laid a stone on it. This very big ovoo is also on a little hill and you can see all of Choibalsan from there. Choibalsan is Mongolia's 4th largest city and it has about 40,000 people.<br />
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Near the ovoo we saw these 3 calves. Herding is very important in Mongolia. But in Mongolia, the herders just let their cows roam free. Sometimes you see a few cows walking through the middle of town!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Tuuvshin on a tank!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC44CnhliERYfvlZ6GQrhgvoO-_zfQf1CTPGRI0XMFAPLPum2bNZiN4cKEd2lwlCGMn2Uycf7p0RDwSt3xf6EdSBD30GOEtC1jyksna3QtnBdt9kgOD3QKKnzRZEi3jAKuKIR8yWCztuQ/s1600/IMGP1156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC44CnhliERYfvlZ6GQrhgvoO-_zfQf1CTPGRI0XMFAPLPum2bNZiN4cKEd2lwlCGMn2Uycf7p0RDwSt3xf6EdSBD30GOEtC1jyksna3QtnBdt9kgOD3QKKnzRZEi3jAKuKIR8yWCztuQ/s200/IMGP1156.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mongolian Heroes Memorial</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx_9JJhN_JkjtxSff7D-jRO_gQYnQNOIzxb-gcEpQLUaXCRHaf6DocwCnbhJomyK5tbU3S1AJvNCMyiwUcEpZsNtH-i7XKE8l3lRAziDe4-N93H8O439QhPMP4IVB-MKr04KJ7fKmXsm8/s1600/IMGP1163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx_9JJhN_JkjtxSff7D-jRO_gQYnQNOIzxb-gcEpQLUaXCRHaf6DocwCnbhJomyK5tbU3S1AJvNCMyiwUcEpZsNtH-i7XKE8l3lRAziDe4-N93H8O439QhPMP4IVB-MKr04KJ7fKmXsm8/s200/IMGP1163.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mongolian Heroes Memorial</td></tr>
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We went to another monument that is a memorial to Mongolian Heroes. This old tank was interesting. The art work at the monument was pretty.<br />
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Finally, we went to Choibalsan's lake. It's man-made but people seemed to be having fun rowing rubber boats around. And it was a nice place for a walk...until it started raining! We had to end our trip quickly.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj48ydb1ipVVy080FUoP1g5oZLOaW5q7Es8pBAigvOV9-ZEM9nhD3tbp7jB5JsE1x6OXUDzrXSzNiKYNC6cohoGar9TD5sUE-mhpuRE-wGsTxB9CrM4jAUKKp-2HvkuCrIv7BGseKwp2jU/s1600/IMGP1165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj48ydb1ipVVy080FUoP1g5oZLOaW5q7Es8pBAigvOV9-ZEM9nhD3tbp7jB5JsE1x6OXUDzrXSzNiKYNC6cohoGar9TD5sUE-mhpuRE-wGsTxB9CrM4jAUKKp-2HvkuCrIv7BGseKwp2jU/s200/IMGP1165.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rowing boats on the lake.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLErh052KU56gd_XoGGA0DUjsc4HnPOBhsQZrxiTDjhGKGw3-VxKLpS7mypDnqS7Np5t5D60DPRgZRWy4Yrk-pQAsXT20JcsZ71AeVvVXtOs8UbXKiHX8rsPaqyjwAygy1jfknMPQmF3M/s1600/IMGP1167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLErh052KU56gd_XoGGA0DUjsc4HnPOBhsQZrxiTDjhGKGw3-VxKLpS7mypDnqS7Np5t5D60DPRgZRWy4Yrk-pQAsXT20JcsZ71AeVvVXtOs8UbXKiHX8rsPaqyjwAygy1jfknMPQmF3M/s200/IMGP1167.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On our walk around the lake.</td></tr>
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I'll be coming home soon. And Merrie says she's going to send a souvenir! Can't wait to see it. See you soon!Merrie Winfreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10963308629198982315noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3253971409647602203.post-10529019827490643202011-05-31T15:45:00.000+08:002012-05-07T16:07:05.198+08:00Mongolian Games and Sports<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Mongolian kids play many of the same games that American kids play. Soccer (called football in Mongolia), basketball, volleyball, and ping pong (called table tennis here) are all popular sports. Mongolian kids also jump rope and play red rover and tag.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like American kids, Mongolian kids play computer and video games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But most Mongolians do not have internet in their homes, so kids have to go to internet cafes to play online.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Teenagers and men like to play pool (called billiards here). In the winter, kids ice skate on outdoor ice rinks.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcQCbKUBzQSLFfHgebhq0K9xhRY7f8RQvEN_6qc9is085x_mPqSC8OEfoABmA5OmjsI4A2azUJIfjgUKEmjhe2YHTkBQVHvwbt9Lk4vmD01uGRbQ3TH1i_ZE-DJCIjGQFCiglt47IJBf0/s1600/IMGP0918.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcQCbKUBzQSLFfHgebhq0K9xhRY7f8RQvEN_6qc9is085x_mPqSC8OEfoABmA5OmjsI4A2azUJIfjgUKEmjhe2YHTkBQVHvwbt9Lk4vmD01uGRbQ3TH1i_ZE-DJCIjGQFCiglt47IJBf0/s320/IMGP0918.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ice skating in Choibalsan</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sheep--khon</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goat--Yamaa</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Horse--mor</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Camel--Temee</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sheep or goat ankle bones--shagai</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">There are some games that are unique to Mongolia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Children and families play games with sheep ankle bones called shagai (pronounced “sha-guy”). There are many different ways to play. The sides of the bone are given names—horse (mor), camel (temee), goat (yamaa), sheep (khon). One way is to drop on the floor about 20-30 shagai (the more the better) and then flick one into another, but you have to hit a bone that has the same side up as the bone you flick. So you flick a camel into a camel or a goat into a goat, for example. You collect the shagai that you hit. You get to keep flicking until you flick one that doesn’t hit another bone or if you hit a bone that doesn't match the one you're flicking. The person who collects the most shagai wins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s kind of like playing marbles. You can also play a horse race with shagai. You lay 10 shagai in a straight line, leaving out 1 shagai for each person who’s racing and 4 shagai to roll like dice. You set your shagai next to the line of shagai and roll the 4 shagai. You can only move forward if you roll a horse. The person to move up the line and reach the end first wins.Shagai are also used to tell fortunes. In fortunetelling, four shagai are rolled on the ground; the two convex sides, horse and sheep, are considered lucky, with horse being the luckiest. The sides with concave </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shagai horse racing.</td></tr>
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indents, goat and camel, are deemed unlucky; rolling all four sides on one throw is considered very good fortune.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wrestling at Naadam</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Mongolia has three national sports that come from the warrior history of Mongolia. First is wrestling, second is archery, and third is horse racing. A Mongolian warrior had to be very good at all three skills because they were used in war. But today, they are sports played for fun. The national holiday, Naadam, features competitions of the three “manly” sports.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The wrestling and horse racing are different from what Americans know. In wrestling, the object is to get your opponent to touch the ground with any part of his body between the knees and the shoulders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it looks like you can do just about anything to achieve that goal. The costumes wrestlers wear are very interesting. They are usually bright red and blue. The bottoms are like speedo bathing suits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then they wear sleeves that go on the upper part of the arm and across the shoulders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The story behind the outfit is a good one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Women are not allowed to wrestle, but many, many years ago a woman entered a wrestling competition disguised as a man. She defeated many men and her gender was discovered only after she became a champion. From then on, the wrestlers are required to wear the costume that shows their chest in order to prevent women from entering wrestling competitions. When the wrestlers enter the field, they do an eagle dance, flapping their arms like an eagle, then they crouch down and slap their thighs on the front and back. It’s to show their strength and power. The winner of a match also does a victory eagle dance at the end of the match.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhromlpWQuU5iHvyE4shM2q46jtPCnUpty1XhW-2-K-trgTq2YEM4dgPoudcmP8BW2k8HNQp1vJrUO1mixmpwp0Lf6rO6M_PHg9149fNwWyV10AHdowxjAWJgT6Gbfwza6v7HKJnNx3QYI/s1600/IMGP0298.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhromlpWQuU5iHvyE4shM2q46jtPCnUpty1XhW-2-K-trgTq2YEM4dgPoudcmP8BW2k8HNQp1vJrUO1mixmpwp0Lf6rO6M_PHg9149fNwWyV10AHdowxjAWJgT6Gbfwza6v7HKJnNx3QYI/s320/IMGP0298.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The horseracing is not on a round track like it is in the U.S. Horse races take place out in the countryside. They race straight out to a certain point, and then turn around and come back. It’s difficult to watch a horse race. You can’t see the whole thing. You have to stand at the start/finish line and you get to see the start and the end. Interestingly, the jockeys riding the horses are children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Children start riding horses when they are as young as 4 or 5 years old. The children who race horses are usually 7 to 12 years old.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mongolian horse racing. This photo was taken by my fellow PCV Kate Borkowski.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRXAjdY_XQcuAW94dYLLiEn-PAOAp67nTLZNmp7ZOhTbmeSIYcWjOGB1bnVAlPYFLM_ZaaWj5MovihKaiOU3uVAmVaVqftRZtRL-_UioRvARcre-vm2NWP39WQjYlCPobINWxkIJsx2-A/s1600/IMGP1200.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div>Merrie Winfreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10963308629198982315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3253971409647602203.post-54645803308885272512011-05-31T15:31:00.000+08:002011-05-31T15:31:59.528+08:00Mongolian Holidays<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipREIeNUfmGdvasXgrIPdBy9QhC6ssPTsLunev4guMER7C5q-Qy3PXOKhUm-6TiW0hB3anfv9fTGOTNbiprRNV15MEDOoMj6wAQfGFQENhthg8RiD6awxwOk_sa-9vM_2gz6RPoKGe1WA/s1600/IMGP0951.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipREIeNUfmGdvasXgrIPdBy9QhC6ssPTsLunev4guMER7C5q-Qy3PXOKhUm-6TiW0hB3anfv9fTGOTNbiprRNV15MEDOoMj6wAQfGFQENhthg8RiD6awxwOk_sa-9vM_2gz6RPoKGe1WA/s320/IMGP0951.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hafsa tower and sheep butt at Tsagaan Sar celebration.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Tsagaan Sar</span></b><span style="line-height: 115%;">—Tsagaan Sar is a holiday that celebrates the lunar new year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tsagaan Sar means “White Month” or “White Moon.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The date changes every year because it depends on the lunar calendar but it's usually some time at the end of January or early February.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This year Tsagaan Sar was Feb. 3-6.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is one killer holiday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It's a lot of work, a lot of eating, a lot of singing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don't think Americans have any holiday like it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It would be like if we had 4 or 5 days in a row of Thanksgiving.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Mongolian families start getting ready for the holiday weeks in advance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone visits the homes of family and friends, wearing traditional Mongolian clothes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And every time you visit a home, you have to eat a full meal. The preparation for the holiday is the work part.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The main food that's served is buuz which are steamed meat dumplings, and the meat is usually mutton but sometimes it's beef.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Families make hundreds, sometimes thousands, of buuz in preparation for Tsagaan Sar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They make them ahead of time, freeze them, and every time someone visits your home, a fresh batch of buuz are steamed for the newcomers. There's also a potato salad, white salad, that has lots of mayo and hiam (not ham, hiam, pronounced like "hyam"--it's kind of like really fatty salami) and pickles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then there are plates of pickles and hiam.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At one home, I had a geddes (which is stomach or intestines) salad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was definitely not my favorite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There's a lot of candy too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every home has a tower of hard bread, called hafsa, that is topped with aruul, which is dried sour milk curds, and then basically a pile of lard at the top. No one eats the hafsa until after Tsagaan Sar, and by then it's so hard the only way to eat it is to soak it in your milk tea or tea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The size of the tower depends on how long the parents in the home have been married, and there can only be an odd number of layers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So young couples may have a 3-layer tower, but an old couple could have a 7-layer tower.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every home also has a slab of sheep lower back/butt or a cow chest, that has been boiled and is left out ceremoniously next to the tower of bread.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The head of the home will cut pieces off the meat and hand it around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It's not bad if you don't get a whole bunch of fat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My Mongolian friends know I don't like the fat so they would give me just meat or meat with a little bit of fat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mongolians, however, love the fat and will eat a big ol' piece.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There's milk tea (suutai tsai) to drink, and usually juice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It's quite a spread, really.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Also, every guest who comes to your home gets a gift or gifts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The gifts are cell phone unit gift cards, shampoo, soap, leather key ring holder with Chinggis Khan printed on it (I got 2 of those!), and things like that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I'm still using up my store of Tsagaan Sar shampoo and soap. Additionally, you're supposed to thoroughly clean your home and buy something new for the home. And you buy or make new dels, the Mongolian traditional clothes. That's to start the new year fresh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As you can see, this holiday can be very expensive. </span> </span></span> <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI7dGVvn3xLPr_CTEfZZn0d7pDlxpeJ6MYswBM-pB2aFngqLIyRmTnB-g4bZOepb6dNmGL14Gu24wdTyU-ge-J-HDbeWt1tJOsEzy6fGIculQvMP_Fcvv7_2Yry8ckEiKqmzUiwka0igQ/s1600/IMGP0861.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI7dGVvn3xLPr_CTEfZZn0d7pDlxpeJ6MYswBM-pB2aFngqLIyRmTnB-g4bZOepb6dNmGL14Gu24wdTyU-ge-J-HDbeWt1tJOsEzy6fGIculQvMP_Fcvv7_2Yry8ckEiKqmzUiwka0igQ/s320/IMGP0861.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">At Chuluuntsetseg's home on Tsagaan Sar Eve.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So, Tsagaan Sar eve (the night before the first official day of Tsagaan Sar) is for immediate family and close friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You eat and drink all the same stuff, but it's more low-key and no presents are given.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I spent Tsagaan Sar eve with my counterparts Ariunaa and Chuluuntsegtseg at Chuluuntsetseg's home. It was nice. Chuluuntsetseg lives with her husband, daughter, and father-in-law, so it was all of them and then me and Ariunaa and her son.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">The first day of Tsagaan Sar is for family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Young family members go visit old family members and </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuL0x5_hXUInFhsc9JC4CTsX9ub6XHYKBcLv5sMH44_LqxSjpXb3SAmRN80mS_zI3C91AkJhZOlNdEOGS4cwOgtEtBmsnoD5J3upML48ZmdqRqUuUxAUbTQrd9d9pnmzRom7HGiQlMIlQ/s1600/IMGP0956.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuL0x5_hXUInFhsc9JC4CTsX9ub6XHYKBcLv5sMH44_LqxSjpXb3SAmRN80mS_zI3C91AkJhZOlNdEOGS4cwOgtEtBmsnoD5J3upML48ZmdqRqUuUxAUbTQrd9d9pnmzRom7HGiQlMIlQ/s320/IMGP0956.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">My School Director about to give the Zolgokh greeting with a khadag in his hand. </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">honor them with a greeting and usually a gift of money (maybe 500-5,000 Tugriks, about $.40 to $4).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The greeting is called “zolgokh.” In the greeting, the younger person comes to the older person who is sitting and puts out both their arms, palms up and the older person puts their arms out, palms down on top of the younger person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes one or both people have a khadag in their hands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A khadag is a long brightly colored scarf that is part of many rituals. Then with the younger person supporting the older person's arms, the younger person leans forward and they put cheek to cheek like you're going to kiss them, but instead you sniff them on both sides of the face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And you say, "Amar sain uu?" which means "do you rest well?" </span> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUvEDOqRmK7nA3NKZktdJWJ7CPelk1Bb2-OTSDfQbheILUMhcycWTsutSlF8ghsAfn40q7a1Txv0wsmeI4ezKX7H1rODVV_emRkKaOHk-UahRVYAg-oah9NgevTFyIB1pGm11WlKbiEQU/s1600/IMGP0954.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUvEDOqRmK7nA3NKZktdJWJ7CPelk1Bb2-OTSDfQbheILUMhcycWTsutSlF8ghsAfn40q7a1Txv0wsmeI4ezKX7H1rODVV_emRkKaOHk-UahRVYAg-oah9NgevTFyIB1pGm11WlKbiEQU/s320/IMGP0954.JPG" t8="true" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Giving the zolgokh greeting.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">On the second day of Tsagaan Sar, I went with my counterpart Ariunaa, her 2 sons, my sitemate Geoff, and Yeong Ji, a Korean volunteer at my school, to the countryside to visit some of Ariunaa's family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ariunaa was anxious that I see Tsagaan Sar in the countryside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was really fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The family was honored to have us foreigners there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mongolians are crazy about singing, and frequently burst into song at gatherings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone takes a turn to give a toast and sing a song. Usually, if you start singing a Mongolian song, everyone will join in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Geoff knows Mongolian really well, so he was able to dazzle the Mongolians with a Mongolian song.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sang an English song.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At one place, I sang "Amazing Grace" with another PCV.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Geoff and I sang "Ripple" (by the Grateful Dead) at another home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After eating one full meal in the countryside and receiving gifts, we went to my other counterpart, Chuluuntsetseg's home, had another meal, sang more songs, received gifts and then went to the home of Tserenchimeg, the training manager at my school and one of my English students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had yet another full meal, more songs, and more gifts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">On the third day of Tsagaan Sar, my school had its celebration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That morning, the teachers all met in </span> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM1_lzikMPpFg_8h0A_csCITL2CZrnLU5NDlUFBY1qMPpEIQ0N0oU0B8viEfAtfAqRHorrUCAT4mmlPtIQA3f5Bo-BsVLk6kn60uKesMXZJzqfTxNl_6VwFasi8pfjkjiOlTNeOqobroc/s1600/IMGP0941.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM1_lzikMPpFg_8h0A_csCITL2CZrnLU5NDlUFBY1qMPpEIQ0N0oU0B8viEfAtfAqRHorrUCAT4mmlPtIQA3f5Bo-BsVLk6kn60uKesMXZJzqfTxNl_6VwFasi8pfjkjiOlTNeOqobroc/s320/IMGP0941.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Waiting for Tsagaan Sar festivities to begin at my school.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">our large conference room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had the tower and the sheep butt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And everyone went around and gave the greeting, then we ate some meat and had some toasts to the new year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the school event, I went to the home of another one of my counterpart's, Batsaya.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then I went with her to her brother's home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then later that afternoon, I went to the home of a student from the local teacher's college who I've been mentoring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whew!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">On the fourth day, I only went to one home, thank goodness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went to my school's deputy director's home, Oyunkhand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went with Ariunaa and the 2 Korean volunteers from my school, Yeong Ji and Sook Bin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was a very pleasant morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that ended my Tsagaan Sar. It was a lot of fun but exhausting.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I asked my teachers, and they always end up eating leftover buuz and hafsa for weeks after Tsagaan Sar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> But it is a very important holiday. And for many Mongolians it is their favorite holiday even though it's a lot of work because it's the one time during the year that the whole family comes together. It's like a family reunion.</span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"></span> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9i0uSFZLVx-j4l8pmp-t78Y5RupmCJbaZ8GaA-COOdVXkjbBO8V7wNnj7ac5c4tKebzMKERyhR3F9gRjGncvLVYLGnEfctd0SIPYHrbISTbem_E0bxhfUoJCBZzSHVxPnlEdLIssSeNo/s1600/IMGP0714.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9i0uSFZLVx-j4l8pmp-t78Y5RupmCJbaZ8GaA-COOdVXkjbBO8V7wNnj7ac5c4tKebzMKERyhR3F9gRjGncvLVYLGnEfctd0SIPYHrbISTbem_E0bxhfUoJCBZzSHVxPnlEdLIssSeNo/s320/IMGP0714.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Christmas decorations at a restaurant--just like America!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"></span> <span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Shin Jil</span></b><span style="line-height: 115%;">—Shin Jil means “New Year.” Mongolians celebrate the new year the whole week before Dec. 31. Most Mongolians do not celebrate Christmas but Santa Claus usually makes an appearance at Shin Jil parties, and Christmas decorations, including Christmas trees, are up everywhere. </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">I went to 2 Shin Jil parties before Dec. 31. The first was the community women's organization's party. Everyone pays to go to the parties. I paid 25,000 tugriks (about $20) for each party. They are very nice, though. The parties start early, about 6:00 and last til after midnight. My school's teachers' party lasted til 2:00 AM! Everyone dresses to the nines. It's very fancy and sparkly. Women wear sequined dresses, get their hair done at a salon, and put glitter all over their hair and bodies. At the women's organization party, a woman came around with glitter gel and rubbed it on everyone. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">At big parties like these, there is always some kind of program. At the women's party, a lot of awards were given out. There was a lot of singing and dancing. On each of the tables is juice and water. There are a couple of different salads and a hiam plate. Hiam is like salami except much bigger pieces of fat in it. Dinner is served as the night goes on. At the women's party, I think dinner came out at about 9 PM. At the teachers' party, it came out about 10 PM. Both dinners were very good and quite western. I think we had chicken at both meals. Chicken is not really a Mongolian staple food. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Santa Claus made an appearance at both parties and distributed gifts. I got a special gift at each party. Wh</span> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii9vRIbah7tqWyo_eCx8VsLEPsV4D7ot1N2sNfCZDng6D3uV3A74fNo1BWNU44_fDIvyaXGWklN9eIr9rVZDLgE824enqk5z23gqYmeF_C4WrBYZSJO5lj5MxkgxSu1e4hpOyAzQRvFB4/s1600/IMGP0734.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii9vRIbah7tqWyo_eCx8VsLEPsV4D7ot1N2sNfCZDng6D3uV3A74fNo1BWNU44_fDIvyaXGWklN9eIr9rVZDLgE824enqk5z23gqYmeF_C4WrBYZSJO5lj5MxkgxSu1e4hpOyAzQRvFB4/s320/IMGP0734.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Santa Claus at my school's Shin Jil party.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">en I show up at meetings and events, I usually get singled out as an honored guest. It's unusual to have foreigners at events, so you inevitably become the center of attention at some point. Frequently, you end up on tv if the event is covered by the local tv station. The teachers' party had a huge program that the teachers prepared for for weeks. There were 6 men and women teachers who performed a ball room dance. There were several teachers who sang songs. Mongolians love to sing! I was supposed to sing a Christmas song with my fellow English teachers. We prepared a song, but the program went on so long, we didn't have to do it...thank God! I was nervous about it. There was a couple of students who did a ballroom dance routine. There were a lot of awards given out. There was a beauty/talent contest between 12 teachers. And there was lots of dancing. We had a blast! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"> </span> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9IWQFxawwYhZ2Wrd2-7w2WdfLU6TZyOZKYsd7PDY48KXRbbpDbgMfIoYvx6WLAgTNGQI9MbafIVg1Yxt8r5fFA69XZ-a-ncVYIPTmcvl7zfRE5OuYrAMf6Fy12-014Y4E8sN5vT-n7Fc/s1600/IMGP0736.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9IWQFxawwYhZ2Wrd2-7w2WdfLU6TZyOZKYsd7PDY48KXRbbpDbgMfIoYvx6WLAgTNGQI9MbafIVg1Yxt8r5fFA69XZ-a-ncVYIPTmcvl7zfRE5OuYrAMf6Fy12-014Y4E8sN5vT-n7Fc/s320/IMGP0736.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Ballroom dancing at my school's Shin Jil party.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">One interesting thing is that spouses or boyfriends or girlfriends do not attend functions with people. In America, when there are Christmas parties at work, people bring their husbands or wives. But not in Mongolia. The women's organization party was all women, except for one man--the Aimag (or state) governor who excused himself after saying a few words and giving out some awards saying he felt a little out of place. I met my school director's wife at the women's party, but I've never met her at a school function. Work and family are kept very separate. Most holiday parties follow this pattern of lots of food, dancing, singing, some sort of program, and awards.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">Another interesting thing is that these big New Year’s parties do not happen on New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31. They all happen before Dec. 31.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the thirty-first, Mongolians celebrate the new year with their families at home. There were a lot of fireworks all over the city on New Year’s Eve. It was quite a display!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">Naadam</span></b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">—Naadam is Mongolia's national holiday and it is usually held around July 10, 11, and 12. </span> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOMYfrgiVHPNaQP0Ct_JT_PTTXtsIUsJ6nwBbp49TWEI3JqP6ipJQFyCknpEpewYpmSOapi3uDLlvwec9KdKW0cpPnxS0aBKR-w9Vilfgg2AZyDVsWPLPAndxgHN9BbdkZ6PqyLlDoJ1c/s1600/IMGP0324.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOMYfrgiVHPNaQP0Ct_JT_PTTXtsIUsJ6nwBbp49TWEI3JqP6ipJQFyCknpEpewYpmSOapi3uDLlvwec9KdKW0cpPnxS0aBKR-w9Vilfgg2AZyDVsWPLPAndxgHN9BbdkZ6PqyLlDoJ1c/s320/IMGP0324.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">A wrestler of the future!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Most towns have their own celebrations but they don’t all necessarily occur on July 10-12.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, in Choibalsan, Naadam will be July 21-23 this year. There is one huge 3-day celebration in Ulaanbaatar on July 10-12. There are competitions in the three national “manly” sports--wrestling, horse racing, and archery. There is also a fourth sport, shagai, that is becoming more important at Naadam. Shagai is a game played with sheep ankle bones. There are several different versions but they usually involve some combination of flicking a bone into another bone and/or rolling the bones. The shagai competition at Naadam involves flicking the bones at a target about 50 feet away. It’s very difficult to hit it that far and on target.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">The celebrations in towns are kind of like town fairs. There are people selling drinks and khuushur </span> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb9ZpOGvei572dw_PZZJ2_gvJQlDIUQ0wC7B0nEbbuHqwYdFF-jj2AgE-tltcZC6VwfunMEA9e2vREwFvzk5HSiBYVMu4S1RBYFuOgd28eSac9JB0trQfftl5fLovyXnAkV1-hVS6_gXI/s1600/IMGP0290.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb9ZpOGvei572dw_PZZJ2_gvJQlDIUQ0wC7B0nEbbuHqwYdFF-jj2AgE-tltcZC6VwfunMEA9e2vREwFvzk5HSiBYVMu4S1RBYFuOgd28eSac9JB0trQfftl5fLovyXnAkV1-hVS6_gXI/s320/IMGP0290.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Singing at Naadam.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">(fried meat pies). Different groups (like the school, the hospital, political parties) have tents set up and offer airag (fermented mare's milk--the traditional alcohol; it’s very low in alcohol, only about 3%, so it’s difficult to get drunk on airag) and food. I tasted airag, fermented mare's milk. It tastes like watered down, bubbly sour cream. It was ok, but not something you want to drink a lot of. Airag is supposed to be "good" for your stomach, which I think means it cleans you out. If you’re not careful you might spend quite a bit of the next day in the outhouse. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">There is wrestling, and there is usually a stage set up for singing and dancing. Mongolians are all about the singing and dancing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is also horse racing out in the khudoo (countryside). Most people dress up in their best traditional clothing, so it's very colorful. The wrestling is fascinating. See the “Mongolian Games and Sports” section for more on the three “manly” sports. There are some wrestlers who clearly wrestle frequently, but they also take competitors from the crowd. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"> </span> <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVZaL276QeyrLM8D4atZtDZ1OhiVi2PyS-j4cnIbfpzRgbkgrT0E7B5-dBIkGn4WPOWqHEWVJET8kcosnyees5iynHnZHyTC_C81OLbFAdbEpXfzdnuGOcJCVRHbo1jOe2aOTlNHHbwdw/s1600/IMGP0289.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVZaL276QeyrLM8D4atZtDZ1OhiVi2PyS-j4cnIbfpzRgbkgrT0E7B5-dBIkGn4WPOWqHEWVJET8kcosnyees5iynHnZHyTC_C81OLbFAdbEpXfzdnuGOcJCVRHbo1jOe2aOTlNHHbwdw/s320/IMGP0289.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Wrestling at Naadam.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">One of the teachers at my school told me Naadam is her favorite holiday because it’s in the summer when it’s warm, you’re outside a lot watching wrestling, archery, and horse racing, and it’s not near as much work as other holidays. You can buy khuushuur from vendors at the events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can also watch the horse racing and wrestling going on in Ulaanbaatar on tv.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Women’s Day</span></b><span style="line-height: 115%;">—International Women’s Day is celebrated all over the world on March 1 every year. In Mongolia, it’s kind of like Mother’s Day. There is not usually work on that day. Women go out to eat at restaurants with their families or friends. Women also get presents like cake, flowers, and clothes from their husbands, male co-workers, and fathers. At my school there was a Women’s Day song competition with teachers and students competing. There were lots of songs about mothers.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkuK4vddotI784kVBYDobgOIfvxJl8zBVUITxlgJ8i_ZIkApzaxYndwXW8X17vQS7MjWluQwHSQEdVocMgp5JqekMCMPhwVjkIwP90jxq2w1AIk7Se35NS4voVYufZs-GJb8gtA_Q_e9w/s1600/IMGP1166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkuK4vddotI784kVBYDobgOIfvxJl8zBVUITxlgJ8i_ZIkApzaxYndwXW8X17vQS7MjWluQwHSQEdVocMgp5JqekMCMPhwVjkIwP90jxq2w1AIk7Se35NS4voVYufZs-GJb8gtA_Q_e9w/s320/IMGP1166.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">A marching competition at my school.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"></span> <span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Soldiers’ or Men’s Day</span></b><span style="line-height: 115%;">—In Mongolia, men also have a special day on March 18. One of the teachers at my school said this was his favorite holiday because he used to be in the army, and on this day he gets to compete in or watch marching competitions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, his wife makes him his favorite foods. And on Men’s Day, women give men presents. At night, there are fireworks.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Children’s Day</span></b><span style="line-height: 115%;">—Everybody gets a day in Mongolia!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On June 1, it’s Children’s Day. There are all kinds of fun competitions and games like bike-riding competitions, singing and dancing competitions, and art contests. Some children draw pictures of their families and give them to their mothers. The children get gifts from their parents and grandparents like balloons, toys, candy, cake, and juice. It’s a day of fun and games for children!</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Freedom Day</span></b><span style="line-height: 115%;">—On November 26, Mongolians celebrate Freedom Day, the day in 1921 when Mongolia won independence from the Chinese. On that day, everyone wears Mongolian traditional clothes to celebrate their culture and nation. There are ceremonies held where the Mongolian national anthem is sung by everyone. It’s a lot like America’s Fourth of July. </span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></div>Merrie Winfreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10963308629198982315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3253971409647602203.post-64600920706207261662011-05-30T20:35:00.000+08:002011-05-30T20:35:51.700+08:00Mongolian Food<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Mongolian Food</span></u></b></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6jpgQ4dQ8a5Klk4oxwjzHjEE2Vpl6SUz0ko7KTuBz81o0jAJ6Aofvv7x974D1f7lhDyzKwGqKIQI4vLgtaDtv0CHAmLVrVZ02CVEYFy5AxKVYpZknlSulhAFoLoIYa_49oGJxTAGK4o0/s1600/khuushuur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6jpgQ4dQ8a5Klk4oxwjzHjEE2Vpl6SUz0ko7KTuBz81o0jAJ6Aofvv7x974D1f7lhDyzKwGqKIQI4vLgtaDtv0CHAmLVrVZ02CVEYFy5AxKVYpZknlSulhAFoLoIYa_49oGJxTAGK4o0/s320/khuushuur.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Khuushuur</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Mongolian food is very different from American food. The Mongolian diet is rooted in the herder culture. Years ago many, many Mongolians were herders. There are still a lot of herders but there aren’t as many as there used to be. Herders raise sheep, goats, yaks, cows, camels, and horses. So, the Mongolian diet is a lot of meat and dairy products. Sheep or mutton is the most popular meat. Many Mongolian families will buy a live sheep, kill it at home, and then eat all parts of the sheep. See this link for a story about a traditional Mongolian sheep dinner: <a href="http://www.slate.com/id/2295327/">http://www.slate.com/id/2295327/</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the winter, the meat can be kept outside because it freezes. Mongolians don’t eat lambs or any other baby animals. It makes more sense to Mongolians to let the animals grow to adulthood. That way, you get more meat from the animals. In the grocery stores, you can buy frozen horse meat, mutton, beef, and chicken. We don’t eat horse meat in America, but it is very tasty. It’s lean and makes a good steak!</span></div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfcJz4W4UjID3GSWiq3XTEDMsQXcIVoF1gR7H4JnUkckyyDERkzGLG_IWnAIEPdWep_R3RGcB25oCn_ek_5p9Tr2_YRhmls0XmzTTqW5T_PpiY8kDnSxkmd9zjnEpttuQW0ERt1YwNG1g/s1600/buuz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfcJz4W4UjID3GSWiq3XTEDMsQXcIVoF1gR7H4JnUkckyyDERkzGLG_IWnAIEPdWep_R3RGcB25oCn_ek_5p9Tr2_YRhmls0XmzTTqW5T_PpiY8kDnSxkmd9zjnEpttuQW0ERt1YwNG1g/s320/buuz.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buuz</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Usually, mutton is boiled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mongolians eat a lot of soup (called shul). The soup has mutton, carrots, potatoes, and noodles made out of flour and water. The same dough made out of flour and water is also used to make large meat dumplings called buuz (sounds like “boats”), small meat dumplings called bansh, and fried meat pies called khuushuur (sounds like “ho-shur”). For all three, meat (usually mutton but sometimes beef) is chopped into very small pieces and mixed with chopped onions, a little water, salt and pepper. Buuz are steamed, bansh are cooked in soup or milk tea (see below about milk tea), and khuushuur are deep fried in oil. One big difference in American cooking and Mongolian cooking is that Mongolians do not remove the fat from meat. In fact, Mongolians believe that fat is good for you and will eat big pieces of fat by itself. So the meat that is chopped up for buuz, bansh or khuushuur and that is put in soup includes a good bit of fat too. Sometimes khuushuur are made with potatoes (called “tomstay khuushuur,” which means “fried pies with potatoes”) or potatoes, carrots, and zucchini (called “nagoni khuushuur,” which means “vegetable fried pies”) instead of meat. Pinching the buuz and khuushuur shut is a true art, which I have not been able to master. Mongolians, both men and women, can pinch with speed and end up with a beautiful pattern on their buuz or khuushuur. </span></div> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTmdJRPqzl70-1_9BZAfxhADWr1MBKUCyDJgSObIpSW-fd4brs8WutAQ7gGc7tugY878AoQubYl-ZQLMfhcWmpNLqCtC5MWwk8EYAMmrW_U-TORP31rVhVltm8Taq28pFysdYUoWa_q1I/s1600/IMGP0272.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTmdJRPqzl70-1_9BZAfxhADWr1MBKUCyDJgSObIpSW-fd4brs8WutAQ7gGc7tugY878AoQubYl-ZQLMfhcWmpNLqCtC5MWwk8EYAMmrW_U-TORP31rVhVltm8Taq28pFysdYUoWa_q1I/s320/IMGP0272.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blow torching the fur off a marmot.</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">There is a traditional cooking method that’s used to cook goat and marmot. Marmot are large rodent-like creatures about the size of a large cat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mongolians like to hunt marmot. Rocks are heated in a fire and then the rocks are stuffed inside the dead goat or marmot along with meat that has been cut up, organs like liver and intestines, and a little water. The goat or marmot is sewn up to keep everything in. The meat cooks from the inside. Then the fur is burned off with a blow torch. The goat or marmot is cut open and the rocks are removed. The hot rocks are given to people to toss back and forth in their hands until the rock cools down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mongolians believe the rocks are good for your health. </span></div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlSIiMG-VXwQepjbe86Jf_SREvPq_yR99c_bnjapS1o5bvqCoVHZ3ffBQMP15abAhJnorfpf2-RlG1sCbsushI1zszLvHkFCB0m-ddxolm1xUMoELJMnSmmISIn9vnlUTNme5djdBNUHg/s1600/IMGP0275.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlSIiMG-VXwQepjbe86Jf_SREvPq_yR99c_bnjapS1o5bvqCoVHZ3ffBQMP15abAhJnorfpf2-RlG1sCbsushI1zszLvHkFCB0m-ddxolm1xUMoELJMnSmmISIn9vnlUTNme5djdBNUHg/s320/IMGP0275.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blow torching the fur off a marmot.</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">There are many dairy products. Yogurt (called “tarag”) is very good, and people make it at home. Mongolian yogurt is thinner than the yogurt you buy at the store in America. You drink Mongolian yogurt mixed with sugar. It’s delicious! Mongolians eat dried sour milk curds, called “aruul.” It tastes a little like parmesan cheese. Every Mongolian home has a thermos of milk tea, called suutay tsay, at all times. It’s made with black tea, milk, salt, and sometimes butter or melted fat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Less salt or no salt is put in the suutay tsay in the northeast of Mongolia. When you visit a Mongolian home, you are served suutay tsay and candy. It’s part of the Mongolian tradition of hospitality toward guests. And you have to finish your tea. It’s considered rude to leave a full cup. There’s a sour cream made by Buriad people in the northeast of Mongolia. It’s called “tsotsgee.” Ten liters of milk makes one liter of tsot<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTmdJRPqzl70-1_9BZAfxhADWr1MBKUCyDJgSObIpSW-fd4brs8WutAQ7gGc7tugY878AoQubYl-ZQLMfhcWmpNLqCtC5MWwk8EYAMmrW_U-TORP31rVhVltm8Taq28pFysdYUoWa_q1I/s1600/IMGP0272.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>sgee.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The Travel Channel’s show, Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmerman, did an episode in Mongolia. See videos and pictures from the episode here:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <a href="http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Bizarre_Foods/Episodes_Travel_Guides/Episode_Mongolia">http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Bizarre_Foods/Episodes_Travel_Guides/Episode_Mongolia</a></span></span></div>Merrie Winfreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10963308629198982315noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3253971409647602203.post-38227523372794757992011-05-30T18:20:00.000+08:002011-05-30T18:20:03.559+08:00Mongolian Clothes<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Today Mongolians mostly wear what Americans wear—jeans, t-shirts, tennis shoes. But there are traditional Mongolian clothes called dels, that are quite beautiful. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both men and women wear dels. Older people wear dels more often than younger people. There are certain holidays, Tsagaan Sar and Independence Day, where everyone wears traditional Mongolian clothes. On the New Year holiday, Mongolians dress in very fancy, sparkly clothes. Everyone, especially the women, dresses to the nines. Some schools require students to wear uniforms. The boys usually have to wear black pants and white, button-down shirts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the girls have to wear dresses and hair bows that make them look a little like a French maid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Enjoy these pictures of Mongolian clothes!</span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge_ihExZi6mKkESjkYg6lNZ6dcjXQ5v_LKvJ_SZ9nM62lBT1KNm-GCjk_OOYGEeXbk3DpUcVp5XPoeuXFXVgRZAK6i7OM3zZrRzFSg8bwGD6S0K0Y_LBWHmopDBmaUPaO1up-AMq6w4rs/s1600/IMGP0269.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge_ihExZi6mKkESjkYg6lNZ6dcjXQ5v_LKvJ_SZ9nM62lBT1KNm-GCjk_OOYGEeXbk3DpUcVp5XPoeuXFXVgRZAK6i7OM3zZrRzFSg8bwGD6S0K0Y_LBWHmopDBmaUPaO1up-AMq6w4rs/s320/IMGP0269.jpg" t8="true" width="244" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is my Mongolian host dad wearing his del.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR6p_ieGuAa1bFMMt-v_N2gTDaTAKOE2oZw8GzA85DtpuvH_C7FCX65BwcPuhxGJv4l_uMx7qNyl4p1kqDd29xKhjfKsH1H-sVKIneSzkJAhXo7uRydpotCPP6AWFqnkAIpYkKr6A1tp0/s320/IMGP0267.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" t8="true" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is me and my Mongolian host mom in dels.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAVvrRkVxNVx56K2oVl9UMaUceSZi1MJqAYIZKSNXzHmSfXkcOC8bBI2c-UFGY1ozQ_AuJmiwyA0fH9fOHhq2JXgsHRD0qfGqS-jrHslABnBoCq5a60sYHWjgqHBheGD6HPSUHFLBJfDE/s1600/IMGP0858.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAVvrRkVxNVx56K2oVl9UMaUceSZi1MJqAYIZKSNXzHmSfXkcOC8bBI2c-UFGY1ozQ_AuJmiwyA0fH9fOHhq2JXgsHRD0qfGqS-jrHslABnBoCq5a60sYHWjgqHBheGD6HPSUHFLBJfDE/s320/IMGP0858.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Western clothes stand next to Mongolian traditional clothes.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhuqnF26KGEi3-bdXLzvqvmxgYIrA3W7-AzgbxRFpvx_q0Sa1iTvk3g-1qQAgzKv7PMxRPxBrpIMnXDFHwCe-hdAagKh0dXi-gM1yA8FOab5rHKgXHfsxqdObWgqdfw62aoKJh5rppIN0/s1600/IMGP0752.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhuqnF26KGEi3-bdXLzvqvmxgYIrA3W7-AzgbxRFpvx_q0Sa1iTvk3g-1qQAgzKv7PMxRPxBrpIMnXDFHwCe-hdAagKh0dXi-gM1yA8FOab5rHKgXHfsxqdObWgqdfw62aoKJh5rppIN0/s320/IMGP0752.JPG" t8="true" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dressed up at a New Year's Party.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1WCJXSOT3H7HMY9RNusbf1TX3brL1eY0QazMbDGDGfv7lfMccLpN4DoRGGz0AS-yUUN6H1uKYWb5qkHcjGhRwv06Y_9DQnBEdRGiAeG-gqAC8idYYmSaBAQq301D-C4AN6OPglAl7Svs/s320/IMGP0760.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" t8="true" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sparkles at a New Year's Party!</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_JEFk78dUVnwVqSUsFuENulEoRYK4BCDUP0oFWqB2HO0RMSzM5Ihcf3djrcdYQkYNZJqc_-XnCfuwJUothIrNdOSjrK59V8lPXJTS8YlZYwiWnTv0nQ3xTXrUkKHa_X3e8bWLUxaxmXo/s1600/IMGP0954.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_JEFk78dUVnwVqSUsFuENulEoRYK4BCDUP0oFWqB2HO0RMSzM5Ihcf3djrcdYQkYNZJqc_-XnCfuwJUothIrNdOSjrK59V8lPXJTS8YlZYwiWnTv0nQ3xTXrUkKHa_X3e8bWLUxaxmXo/s320/IMGP0954.JPG" t8="true" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgod5YmeYmjCGwpRYkWrHYEdudU1j6cCYK_rdXNiCH9i6MC0YXGciHUWr_lWTt2omCkUO4UVOl90dU-38Na0FIZ4igBO7bp6uoxAaHtoscu0iMtqf6Prlehp9MmLBVH_3wNzDESpJ09n3w/s1600/IMGP0293.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgod5YmeYmjCGwpRYkWrHYEdudU1j6cCYK_rdXNiCH9i6MC0YXGciHUWr_lWTt2omCkUO4UVOl90dU-38Na0FIZ4igBO7bp6uoxAaHtoscu0iMtqf6Prlehp9MmLBVH_3wNzDESpJ09n3w/s320/IMGP0293.JPG" t8="true" width="296" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These girls are wearing their school uniforms.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtO1Ii36w_hWQcxpwfgu5R9LNvyj0st55Chiu61greHs4iLy4DBD2xLPmQXfGnQUfeNzMDSlYmSazsN1mxj28AHIZM7JhmIMmlacOAHQNdDMHkBiLoZZKOkE0QhkW1pQmoL2frzak1xF0/s1600/IMGP0313.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtO1Ii36w_hWQcxpwfgu5R9LNvyj0st55Chiu61greHs4iLy4DBD2xLPmQXfGnQUfeNzMDSlYmSazsN1mxj28AHIZM7JhmIMmlacOAHQNdDMHkBiLoZZKOkE0QhkW1pQmoL2frzak1xF0/s320/IMGP0313.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These women are Khalkh Mongolian, signified by their tall hats.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_4huQXMFEn7Cel9oaWxsip6Cq6b6G8jcU7jK1eCOUuCbJfQ6RPzlkC4uKhtq8kV6BqMOcyAjA062_ARKCKOraw0q670XCuRYPminCg1ib5T5-r3GIwpvkyY4YZ6hrV0MJr4Zg34p6lAs/s1600/IMGP0328.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_4huQXMFEn7Cel9oaWxsip6Cq6b6G8jcU7jK1eCOUuCbJfQ6RPzlkC4uKhtq8kV6BqMOcyAjA062_ARKCKOraw0q670XCuRYPminCg1ib5T5-r3GIwpvkyY4YZ6hrV0MJr4Zg34p6lAs/s320/IMGP0328.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This couple is Kazakh. You can tell by the embroidery on their clothes and the style of their hats.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTZAB1CI3vLvJKo4PUMLaUA4IEeLbDzk_FaBkALh-KtgaiDkXUQX3v77I4L9Uix2L1ssTdkbVFQGX_59j6fQ7KcxMLTOa0BAZV4vkgZia4ZDkaYIZ-tv2RQNtMJV625fDzdMY7y1tm00E/s1600/IMGP0326.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTZAB1CI3vLvJKo4PUMLaUA4IEeLbDzk_FaBkALh-KtgaiDkXUQX3v77I4L9Uix2L1ssTdkbVFQGX_59j6fQ7KcxMLTOa0BAZV4vkgZia4ZDkaYIZ-tv2RQNtMJV625fDzdMY7y1tm00E/s320/IMGP0326.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mongolian cowboys!</td></tr>
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR6p_ieGuAa1bFMMt-v_N2gTDaTAKOE2oZw8GzA85DtpuvH_C7FCX65BwcPuhxGJv4l_uMx7qNyl4p1kqDd29xKhjfKsH1H-sVKIneSzkJAhXo7uRydpotCPP6AWFqnkAIpYkKr6A1tp0/s1600/IMGP0267.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1WCJXSOT3H7HMY9RNusbf1TX3brL1eY0QazMbDGDGfv7lfMccLpN4DoRGGz0AS-yUUN6H1uKYWb5qkHcjGhRwv06Y_9DQnBEdRGiAeG-gqAC8idYYmSaBAQq301D-C4AN6OPglAl7Svs/s1600/IMGP0760.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAJF8UwPonzFp3xsJmViZ5NQkigk_OSs1c5B3vutO7wCna2vOGshQaQCOsopzOsQx9psB2WS05MqrY0dICqM-7lBqlvLkbLT6lh118Vgz5zcdy9i0zwVIUjWK4r1EPWe8f-okYkK7cYQ4/s1600/IMGP0321.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div>Merrie Winfreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10963308629198982315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3253971409647602203.post-78313180383293399122011-05-30T17:44:00.000+08:002011-05-30T17:44:08.655+08:00Mongolian Housing <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR0jkpQKk5vM66uGyrqpd49PrBH27qT3wuLeLsutlMSoQkIjCenJVxSAN7wRHfkdaXtLSY7EBGj8c6juj0ZSo1ZqaUVi47taNLhuPIzEK-EpPON5C4GYGIQKfAOWJd1f73miwBk9KEAsI/s1600/IMGP0221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR0jkpQKk5vM66uGyrqpd49PrBH27qT3wuLeLsutlMSoQkIjCenJVxSAN7wRHfkdaXtLSY7EBGj8c6juj0ZSo1ZqaUVi47taNLhuPIzEK-EpPON5C4GYGIQKfAOWJd1f73miwBk9KEAsI/s320/IMGP0221.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the outhouse or jorlon at my host family's house.</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">There are all different kinds of houses in Mongolia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I live in an apartment that has running hot and cold water and heat. But many people live in houses or tents, called gers, that don’t have running water or indoor plumbing. Those people fetch water in big jugs from a well or a water house. They pay a small fee for the water (maybe $.30). You have to fetch water several times a week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because you fetch your water, you learn to be careful with how much water you use. For example, you save the water you used to wash your hair so that you can use it to wash the floor. There’s no indoor plumbing so you use an outhouse to go to the bathroom. The outhouse is a little house in the backyard usually about the size of a small closet, and there’s a hole in the floor. You squat down to go to the bathroom. </span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWRQxZeOekhGpw0nWfZpuLMcMkV76AZNVRVWNxCyngPKxTFVVJ3ulIopVjxg0nXmd6nHE04G26E964Tucwf9QymR5-SJvEc0EA_OujS-V414wUaFmgvbU1awFBPeY8uc128HrhDJIpfSQ/s1600/IMGP0876.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWRQxZeOekhGpw0nWfZpuLMcMkV76AZNVRVWNxCyngPKxTFVVJ3ulIopVjxg0nXmd6nHE04G26E964Tucwf9QymR5-SJvEc0EA_OujS-V414wUaFmgvbU1awFBPeY8uc128HrhDJIpfSQ/s320/IMGP0876.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what a ger looks like from the outside.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Gers are round tents made out of thick felt. In a ger and in some houses, there’s a stove that is used to cook on and heat the ger or house. You make a fire in the stove with wood, coal, or dried cow manure, called dung. The stove keeps the ger very warm, but it’s hard work to keep the fire going in the winter. In a ger, there is a hole in the center of the ceiling so the stove pipe can go outside. In the winter, the hole is covered over with felt but in the summer the hole is open to let a cool breeze in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Traditionally the women and children occupy the right hand side of the ger as you enter. This area consists of a small cupboard housing all the cooking utensils and bowls for eating and drinking. The left hand side of the ger is for guests and the top of the ger is for the man of the house or honored guests. The door of the ger is always placed so that it is facing south. This makes for a remarkably accurate time telling device. The sun then shines through the circular wooden structure at the top of the ger, shedding light on the walls and acting like a sun dial. The doors are painted in a range of bright colors and intricate patterns, contrasting with the monotone white covering of the felt. The furniture inside the ger is usually also painted in bright colors and motifs. Oranges and reds are always popular colors.</span></div> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5aDrI-KR9bqqX0jZho8eC9U3qx_iHSpi43ToVgJc6s6uYU_T4QHOBTkcH5wn0iwVakYI0bR-k0juqHsX4qt9juR-jFlNdm5GmZ7izUYc5FWedr6tukx7elMIziEsNRon-yFvbEG8cDkc/s1600/IMGP0868.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5aDrI-KR9bqqX0jZho8eC9U3qx_iHSpi43ToVgJc6s6uYU_T4QHOBTkcH5wn0iwVakYI0bR-k0juqHsX4qt9juR-jFlNdm5GmZ7izUYc5FWedr6tukx7elMIziEsNRon-yFvbEG8cDkc/s320/IMGP0868.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the inside of the ger. The stove is to the right; the door is to the left in the back.</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Many Mongolians do not have clothes washing machines, and no one has a clothes dryer. Clothes are washed by hand, wrung out, and then hung to dry on a clothes line. I don’t have a washing machine so I hand wash my clothes. It is very hard work but at least I have running water so I don’t have to fetch the water to wash my clothes! The hard part is wringing the clothes to get as much water as possible out of them. If you don’t wring the clothes well, it takes a very long time for them to dry. To dry my clothes, I hang them on a drying rack inside and on a clothes line on my porch when it’s not winter. In the winter, the clothes freeze on the line and don’t dry.</span></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNv85SgFNilwWG0UTcl8FR1GaUiVkLtc7qc6pzFUV9PpyMUh9cnIb-JkGvnbvgdSgw6Us9PSjLuFzEMYHY183roKhT4BRCvuuCy-zMjntmRF3iIKcp4P3VaWDrBuW5gcr8I1Go45ptV58/s1600/IMGP0863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNv85SgFNilwWG0UTcl8FR1GaUiVkLtc7qc6pzFUV9PpyMUh9cnIb-JkGvnbvgdSgw6Us9PSjLuFzEMYHY183roKhT4BRCvuuCy-zMjntmRF3iIKcp4P3VaWDrBuW5gcr8I1Go45ptV58/s320/IMGP0863.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the inside of the ger, opposite the door.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvNxfvk9jlyUj-p-e85LHM1xMB8nde_bFVBX_D7ozth6pEPxwDZ3aewvBFAgxEpHCqj_VvqSR3U-emRNQDYqVCOAhyDOOxGTSu00nbviKLYNsKDKLTsyyMmY9wmJqzinfDzRMYMxijo44/s1600/IMGP0923.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvNxfvk9jlyUj-p-e85LHM1xMB8nde_bFVBX_D7ozth6pEPxwDZ3aewvBFAgxEpHCqj_VvqSR3U-emRNQDYqVCOAhyDOOxGTSu00nbviKLYNsKDKLTsyyMmY9wmJqzinfDzRMYMxijo44/s320/IMGP0923.JPG" t8="true" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is how I do my laundry by hand in my bathroom.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD_uRs8lU2-AMbmvvVtv7A351874XqdxQPBdVZyK06i36Bch4qJBCN5Gs38NvMc9x1gdfKRoHdYQX2rhktKMIFD5846BkDg42l6LCF2viWDnT-bbiaQHsnSUY4Lp0ftWaeSfpTkPVXg6o/s1600/IMGP0929.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD_uRs8lU2-AMbmvvVtv7A351874XqdxQPBdVZyK06i36Bch4qJBCN5Gs38NvMc9x1gdfKRoHdYQX2rhktKMIFD5846BkDg42l6LCF2viWDnT-bbiaQHsnSUY4Lp0ftWaeSfpTkPVXg6o/s320/IMGP0929.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are my clothes drying in my apartment. Too cold to put them outside today!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLuEodnQnjKilG6u533gKjISfviBkAFkPLNupvf8vnOfswSeO2OnHwYFJNf-tshVUuXOOkBWRWQA1G7Iw8PEhwqYfWapIrWUOnCoSvJ1ku4usBuEN6Rrhm4lCu8c-xN9WiEHr2M2HWsh8/s1600/IMGP0919.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLuEodnQnjKilG6u533gKjISfviBkAFkPLNupvf8vnOfswSeO2OnHwYFJNf-tshVUuXOOkBWRWQA1G7Iw8PEhwqYfWapIrWUOnCoSvJ1ku4usBuEN6Rrhm4lCu8c-xN9WiEHr2M2HWsh8/s320/IMGP0919.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is dirty laundry water after I finished a load. Pretty gross!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Merrie Winfreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10963308629198982315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3253971409647602203.post-73790726930180531772011-05-30T17:06:00.000+08:002011-05-30T17:06:06.666+08:00Mongolian Geography and Weather<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Mongolia is a beautiful country. It has mountains in the northwest and the center of the country. The famous Gobi Desert covers most of the south of the country. And in the northeast there are flat, vast steppe lands where herds of gazelle roam (click here to learn more about Mongolian gazelles: <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Mongolian_gazelle">http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Mongolian_gazelle</a>). Rivers run through several parts of the country. In the center is the Tuul River; the northeast has the Kherlen River; and the north central has the Selenge River. The biggest lake in Mongolia, Khovsgul Lake, is in the north central near the Russian Border. Mongolia is landlocked so it has no ocean coastlines. It is surrounded by Russia in the north and China in the south. </span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJrMB-ytHf7-0e5faDDqQSEJKC53OM1sk5GkiekbKk8eSrusWP0y5b14jgcZhZcz6PRNkPPggqgA86qXh_mwfHGd0RQlLo8IM9gK2cR_HgQkcn9lBqrGgOQwSQ0ca_n3kuPZgL9hnsCbg/s1600/IMGP0212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJrMB-ytHf7-0e5faDDqQSEJKC53OM1sk5GkiekbKk8eSrusWP0y5b14jgcZhZcz6PRNkPPggqgA86qXh_mwfHGd0RQlLo8IM9gK2cR_HgQkcn9lBqrGgOQwSQ0ca_n3kuPZgL9hnsCbg/s320/IMGP0212.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is Zuunmod near Ulaanbaatar.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Mongolia is known as “the Land of the Blue Sky” because there are over 260 days of clear blue sky and sunshine a year. This is a very good thing because Mongolia is also very cold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Winter starts in October or November and lasts until March or April. With 6 to 8 months of winter, it’s nice at least to have a beautiful blue sky. Temperatures in the winter rarely go above freezing (0 degree celsius/32 degrees fahrenheit), and it can get as low as -30 degrees celsius/-22 degrees fahrenheit. It snows in Mongolia but not as much as you might think. The problem is that when it does snow, the snow is around all winter because it doesn’t get warm enough to melt. In 2010, Mongolia had one of the coldest winters on record. This is called a zuud. The temperatures reached to -50 degrees celsius/-58 degrees fahrenheit. It was so cold that millions of animals died. Many herders lost their entire herd of animals. It was very difficult, and many herders have still not recovered from their losses.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Mongolia is dry. In the spring, it is very windy. The combination of dry and windy produces dust storms. You don’t want to get caught outside in a dust storm! You get coated with dust and it hurts a little bit when tiny rocks hit you. The summers are short and hot. It’s usually in the 80s (fahrenheit; high 20s celsius) in July and August, and sometimes it reaches into the 90s (fahrenheit; 30s celsius). All the seasons except winter are short.For current weather conditions in Mongolia, click this link: <a href="http://www.wunderground.com/global/MO.html">http://www.wunderground.com/global/MO.html</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Merrie Winfreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10963308629198982315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3253971409647602203.post-22300205196800585302011-05-30T15:08:00.000+08:002012-06-02T16:08:53.961+08:00Mongolian Language (Монгол Хэл)<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Mongolians speak Mongolian. Mongolian uses a modified Cyrillic alphabet. The alphabet has 35 letters. Here is the alphabet:</span></div>
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<span lang="MN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Аа Бб Вв Гг Дд Ее Ёё Жж Зз Ии Йй Кк Лл Мм Нн Оо Өө Пп Рр Сс Тт Уу Үү Фф Хх Цц Чч Шш Ьь Ыы Ъъ Ээ Юю Яя </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRdt70lmbjzIEdDP0VySHV2QkB37mi3VuikbfP6OA3ibgL1eZJdhfynupVRbZlZRVeeQoP1cLGtoMYq_HUkCF71-TTrSqouz5QVST4IG1QOw470twvTZkTa3S4eOjw6oRG4Gn4PItJqcg/s1600/mother+mongol+script.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRdt70lmbjzIEdDP0VySHV2QkB37mi3VuikbfP6OA3ibgL1eZJdhfynupVRbZlZRVeeQoP1cLGtoMYq_HUkCF71-TTrSqouz5QVST4IG1QOw470twvTZkTa3S4eOjw6oRG4Gn4PItJqcg/s1600/mother+mongol+script.jpg" t8="true" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is "mother" in Mongolian script.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Mongolian uses a Cyrillic alphabet because of the influence of Russia. There is an old Mongolian script that is very beautiful but it’s not used in daily life any more. The Mongol script was adopted about 800 years ago by Chingis Khan's decree. Based on the ancient Uighur script of Turkish tribes that had lived near Mongolia, the Mongols developed it and it evolved into today's script, which is why it is called Uighur Mongol script. But over 50 years ago, during the communist era, it was banned, and the Russian Cyrillic alphabet was imposed as the official script. After the Democratic Revolution of 1990, the Parliament voted to return to the old script as an affirmation of national identity and in recognition of Mongolia's rich traditional culture. This script has been taught in all secondary schools since 1994. Fifty percent of Mongols can read it, while only thirty percent can write it. The Mongol script is a "vertical" script, written from the top to the bottom, and the only "vertical" script still in use today.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">English sentence structure is subject-verb-object; Mongolian sentence structure is subject-object-verb. For example: </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">English: “</span><span lang="MN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> <span lang="MN"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> am</span><span lang="MN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> a teacher” Mongolian: “</span><span lang="MN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> Би </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span lang="MN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">багш </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span lang="MN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">бол</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> subject verb object subject object verb</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Mongolians greet each other by saying “</span><span lang="MN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Сайн байна уу</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">?”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">This means, “Are you well?” And the response is, “</span><span lang="MN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Сайн</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">.</span><span lang="MN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> Сайн байна уу</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">?,” which means, “I’m well. Are you well?” It sounds like this: “Sain bainoo?”<iframe frameborder="no" height="50" scrolling="no" src="http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F48349078%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-d7zrK&auto_play=false&show_artwork=false&color=ff7700" width="50%"></iframe> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> “Sain. Sain bainoo?”<iframe width="50%" height="50" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F48349137%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-N5W4d&auto_play=false&show_artwork=false&color=ff7700"></iframe></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In the evening, Mongolians tell each other good night by saying, “</span><span lang="MN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Сайхан амраарай</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">.” Literally, it means “Please rest well,” and it sounds like this “Saikhan amraarai.”<iframe frameborder="no" height="50" scrolling="no" src="http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F48349243%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-xoEvB&auto_play=false&show_artwork=false&color=ff7700" width="50%"></iframe></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In the morning, Mongolians tell each other good morning by asking, “</span><span lang="MN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Сайхан</span><span lang="MN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span lang="MN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">амар сайн уу</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">?” It means, “Did you rest well?”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The response is “</span><span lang="MN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Сайхан</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">.</span><span lang="MN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> Сайхан</span><span lang="MN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span lang="MN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">амар сайн уу</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">?” which means “Very well. Did you rest well?” It sounds like this: “Saikhan amar sainoo?” <iframe frameborder="no" height="50" scrolling="no" src="http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F48349194%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-urzTx&auto_play=false&show_artwork=false&color=ff7700" width="50%"></iframe> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“Saikhan. Saikhan amar sainoo?”<iframe width="50%" height="50" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F48349295%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-f4CQ2&auto_play=false&show_artwork=false&color=ff7700"></iframe></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Here are some common words translated into Mongolian:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">mother—</span><span lang="MN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">ээж</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> (“edge”)<iframe frameborder="no" height="50" scrolling="no" src="http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F48348639%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-PzP1H&auto_play=false&show_artwork=false&color=ff7700" width="50%"></iframe></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">father—</span><span lang="MN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">аав</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> (“ow”)<iframe frameborder="no" height="50" scrolling="no" src="http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F45572666%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-rfqjM&auto_play=false&show_artwork=false&color=ff7700" width="50%"></iframe></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">younger brother/sister—</span><span lang="MN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">дүү</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> (“doo”)<iframe frameborder="no" height="50" scrolling="no" src="http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F48348589%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-aTFBa&auto_play=false&show_artwork=false&color=ff7700" width="50%"></iframe></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">older sister—</span><span lang="MN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">эгч</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> (“ekch”)<iframe frameborder="no" height="50" scrolling="no" src="http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F48348695%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-L58rl&auto_play=false&show_artwork=false&color=ff7700" width="50%"></iframe></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">older brother—</span><span lang="MN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">ах</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> (“akh”)<iframe frameborder="no" height="50" scrolling="no" src="http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F45572749%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-a76St&auto_play=false&show_artwork=false&color=ff7700" width="50%"></iframe></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">grandfather—</span><span lang="MN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">өвөө</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> (“uhwhoa”)<iframe frameborder="no" height="50" scrolling="no" src="http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F48348963%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-0524D&auto_play=false&show_artwork=false&color=ff7700" width="50%"></iframe> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">grandmother—</span><span lang="MN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">эмээ</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> (“emay”)<iframe frameborder="no" height="50" scrolling="no" src="http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F48348759%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-rs6vc&auto_play=false&show_artwork=false&color=ff7700" width="50%"></iframe></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">grocery store—</span><span lang="MN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">хнсний дэлгүүр</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> (“huncnee delthguur”)<iframe frameborder="no" height="50" scrolling="no" src="http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F48348527%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-Rb5Em&auto_play=false&show_artwork=false&color=ff7700" width="50%"></iframe></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">meat—</span><span lang="MN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">мах</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> (“makh”)<iframe frameborder="no" height="50" scrolling="no" src="http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F48348874%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-XPTV9&auto_play=false&show_artwork=false&color=ff7700" width="50%"></iframe></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">eggs—</span><span lang="MN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">өндөг</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> ("uhnduk”)<iframe frameborder="no" height="50" scrolling="no" src="http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F48349600%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-kYura&auto_play=false&show_artwork=false&color=ff7700" width="50%"></iframe></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">milk—</span><span lang="MN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">сүү</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> (“soo”)<iframe frameborder="no" height="50" scrolling="no" src="http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F48349419%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-HOnXn&auto_play=false&show_artwork=false&color=ff7700" width="50%"></iframe> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">bread—</span><span lang="MN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">талх</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> (“talthikh”)<iframe frameborder="no" height="50" scrolling="no" src="http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F48349467%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-JkJVo&auto_play=false&show_artwork=false&color=ff7700" width="50%"></iframe> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">water—</span><span lang="MN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">ус</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> (“os”)<iframe frameborder="no" height="50" scrolling="no" src="http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F48349719%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-0RROA&auto_play=false&show_artwork=false&color=ff7700" width="50%"></iframe> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">paper—</span><span lang="MN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">цаас</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> (“tsaas”)<iframe frameborder="no" height="50" scrolling="no" src="http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F48349534%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-uTm4h&auto_play=false&show_artwork=false&color=ff7700" width="50%"></iframe></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">indoor toilet—</span><span lang="MN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">нөйл</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> (“nuhlth”)<iframe frameborder="no" height="50" scrolling="no" src="http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F48348918%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-m5hNw&auto_play=false&show_artwork=false&color=ff7700" width="50%"></iframe></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">outhouse—</span><span lang="MN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">жорлон</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> (“jorlthon”)<iframe frameborder="no" height="50" scrolling="no" src="http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F48348796%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-rt8bB&auto_play=false&show_artwork=false&color=ff7700" width="50%"></iframe></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Mongolians say the word “okay” all the time. In Mongolian, it’s “</span><span lang="MN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">за</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">” or “za.” And they will frequently say, “za za” or “za, za, za.” You’re talking to someone on the phone, and instead of saying “uh-huh” or “m-hm,” you’d say “za” <iframe frameborder="no" height="50" scrolling="no" src="http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F48349828%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-O2sYc&auto_play=false&show_artwork=false&color=ff7700" width="50%"></iframe> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">or “za za”<iframe frameborder="no" height="50" scrolling="no" src="http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F48349886%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-VhgzI&auto_play=false&show_artwork=false&color=ff7700" width="50%"></iframe> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">or “za, za, za.”<iframe frameborder="no" height="50" scrolling="no" src="http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F48349948%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-pATM7&auto_play=false&show_artwork=false&color=ff7700" width="50%"></iframe> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">One of my favorite Mongolian phrases is “</span><span lang="MN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">яанаа</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">!” or “Yanaa!”<iframe frameborder="no" height="50" scrolling="no" src="http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F48349781%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-GjJza&auto_play=false&show_artwork=false&color=ff7700" width="50%"></iframe> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It means, “Oh my goodness!” </span></span></div>
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</div>Merrie Winfreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10963308629198982315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3253971409647602203.post-46235518080228550352011-05-30T14:52:00.000+08:002011-05-30T14:52:00.142+08:00Mongolian History<span style="font-size: small;">During the 11th-12th centuries, the Mongol tribes with names like Whole Mongolia, Tatar, Kerait, Jalair all had their own rulers and were constantly fighting with each other. At this time of intertribal struggle, a Mongol chieftain called Temujin gathered various tribes under his leadership, named his state "Mongolia," and became known as "Chinggis Khan," meaning 'Universal King'. The “Genghis Khan” imprinted in the memory of the west bears little relation to the Chinggis Khan revered by Mongolians. The spelling is not the only difference; to Europeans the name epitomizes mercilessness and warmongering; to the Mongolians, it embodies strength, unity, law and order.</span> <br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">After having established the state, following the custom of the ancient nomads, Chinggis Khan undertook campaigns against the neighboring states. As a result of the wars undertaken by Chinggis Khan and his successors with the purpose of "conquering the whole world" Mongolia became a powerful empire, extending from the East China Sea to Western Europe, covering vast areas of Europe and Asia. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Chinggis' grandson, Kublai Khan (1216-94), completed the subjugation of China and became the emperor of China's Yuan dynasty (1271-1368). Kublai soon realized, though, that the Mongol empire had reached the limits of its expansion. Instead of looking for more wars to fight, he concentrated on keeping the vast empire together. This was the height of the Mongols' glory: the empire stretched from Korea to Hungary and as far south as Vietnam, making it the largest empire the world has ever known.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtzA_XjHAZbqUhrOf9rUOe5zRA2RC5PiMpr6X0w4igPz0hXqy5dKi3MpzIwPTRRtBLJBVTke1fya04uRu7CI4jR_vVTUsRlaBYclSpSFXUNGJI-2VASQCv2iadec6i4ACzYnqlPs8jww0/s1600-h/genghis-khan-map%25255B8%25255D.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="genghis-khan-map" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1lYMK15fsJJwLehMLdk3Bawh0giYPrXCjhf0qz6S5bbtX2BEesiJQg_HtnrpKHN6War-OyZsiYHSjcGCDNG85INvshh62OHj1LdJkM7W4sEaHrlZ8UTigupq8ZIQERoHyzqz9qistt2s/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="genghis-khan-map" width="524" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Mongol Empire at its greatest in the 13th Century.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The Mongols were expelled from Beijing by the first emperor of the Ming dynasty in the mid-14th century. The collapse of the Yuan dynasty caused over 60,000 Mongols to return to Mongolia. Their unity dissolved, and frequent clan warfare and a long period of decline followed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">During the 14th and 15th centuries, the Mongols lost their previous unity and were divided into Eastern Mongols and Western Mongols (Oirat Mongols). Then in the 16th century the Eastern Mongols split up into Outer Mongolia (Khalkh Mongolia) and Inner Mongolia. The Mongols waged war on each other, and dominance went first to Oirat Mongolia and then to East Mongolia. East Mongolia was the more powerful. At the beginning of the 17th century, the Zurchid tribe of Manchurians became powerful and established the State of Qin. The Manchurians subdued Inner Mongolia in the 1630s, Khalkh Mongolia in 1691 and Oirat Mongolia in 1757. While the emperor brutally crushed dissent, he supported the corrupt Mongol nobility. The 17th-20th century period was the most tragic for the Mongols. Cut off from the outside world and heavily in debt, Manchu subjugation was nothing short of brutal. During this time Tibetan monks were dispatched to Mongolia to convert the masses who had for centuries believed in shamanic spirits. The Tibetans were largely successful and some 700 monasteries were built, training one out of three males to become monks.</span> <br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">On November 26, 1924, the Mongolian People's Republic (MPR) was declared, and Mongolia became the world's second communist country. Mongolian communism remained fairly independent of Russia until Stalin gained absolute power in the late 1920s. The Stalinist purges that followed swept Mongolia into a totalitarian nightmare, with the government's campaign against religion being particularly ruthless. In 1937 a reign of terror was launched against the Buddhist monasteries in which thousands of monks were executed. It's believed that by 1939 some 27,000 people had been executed, three per cent of Mongolia's population at the time.</span> <br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">In March 1990, large pro-democracy demonstrations erupted in the square in front of the parliament building in Ulaanbaatar and hunger strikes were held. The system changed without bloodshed.</span> <br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">By May 1990 the government amended the constitution to permit multiparty elections, although rural areas voted overwhelmingly to stay under the protective shelter of the communist party. A new constitution set up the government as a parliamentary republic with a president at its head. The Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party (MPRP), reshaped themselves as Social Democrats, but slow reform forced their ouster in 1996.</span> <br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The Democratic Coalition, whose core members included the young revolutionaries of 1990, sped up the pace of economic reform at the behest of international lenders. Yet their inexperience on the political field proved their downfall; high level corruption and the murder of a prominent politician caused the fall of three successive governments and the MPRP was voted back into power in 2000.</span>Merrie Winfreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10963308629198982315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3253971409647602203.post-64670688552823012272011-05-30T13:01:00.002+08:002011-05-30T17:47:05.604+08:00Fast Facts about Mongolia<span style="color: black;"><strong>Population of People:</strong> 2.6 million</span> <br />
<span style="color: black;"><strong>Population of Livestock:</strong> 46 million</span> <br />
<span style="color: black;"><strong>Capital:</strong> Ulaanbaatar (“Red Hero”)</span> <br />
<span style="color: black;"><strong>People:</strong> Khalkh Mongols (86%), Kazakhs (7%), Chinese (2%), Russian (2%), about a dozen other ethnic groups including Buriad. Two thirds of the Mongolian population is under 30 years old, and two fifths of the population is under 14.</span> <br />
<span style="color: black;"><strong>Religions:</strong> Tibetan Buddhism, Muslim, Shamanism and Christianity </span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><strong>Life Expectancy:</strong> 61 years</span> <br />
<span style="color: black;"><strong>Government:</strong> Democratic—Parliamentary </span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><strong>Area:</strong> 1,566,000 sq km (610,740 sq mi.) (about the size of Alaska)</span> <br />
<span style="color: black;"><strong>Major Industries:</strong> copper, gold, livestock, cashmere, wool</span> <br />
<span style="color: black;"><strong>Currency:</strong> Tugruk (MNT); $1 US dollar = 1232 Tugruks </span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><strong>Time:</strong> GMT +8; 12 hours ahead of Salem, VA; 13 hours ahead when Salem, VA turns back the clock for daylight savings time; Mongolia does not follow daylight savings time</span>Merrie Winfreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10963308629198982315noreply@blogger.com0