Spring has arrived in Ulaanbaatar, bringing a reprieve from the extreme winter air pollution and freezing temperatures that dominated the city just last month. Now that the nine nines (yesun yeus) are well and truly over, the snow has mostly melted from the surrounding hillsides and only occasional patches of black ice dot the city sidewalks. I've retired my pollution mask, heavy-duty winter boots, and full-length down jacket for the year. If any doubt of spring remained, I've been hearing boisterous clutches of sparrows chirruping and chattering in the bare branches of our courtyard and the nearby bakery.
WARNING: this post will discuss the animal welfare and rights situation in Mongolia, focusing on the status of cats and dogs in Ulaanbaatar. There are plenty of upsetting phenomena discussed below the cut. If you're sensitive or just don't feel up to ready about heavy issues today, don't read further.
Showing posts with label Mongolia Inside & Out. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mongolia Inside & Out. Show all posts
Sunday, March 27, 2016
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Mongolia Inside & Out 106: Weather and seasons
Seasons are culturally-specific concepts used to understand ecological and meteorological phenomena through categorization. While the four-season model applies to much of the world, there are numerous exceptions both culturally and climatically. Mongolia generally adheres to the four-season breakdown of a calendar year; however, the timing, significance, and associations of each season differ in important ways from those in the English-speaking Western world.
Throughout the calendar year Mongolia is blessed with an unusually high proportion of sunny days (clocking it at over 250 per year on average). Mongolia's relatively high altitude and numerous clear days avowedly bear some connection to its popular characterization as the Land of Blue Sky, the Land of Eternal Blue Heaven, or some other poetic variation. Photographs do not do justice to the vast expanse of vivid blue, often dotted by impossibly-white cloud confections, that towers over the rolling steppe, the dark hills, and the hazy desert-steppe scrubland.
However, it's not all blue skies. Mongolian storms can be sudden and apocalyptic. Global climate change coupled with desertification in Mongolia has led to a recent increase in dangerous flooding, especially in the southern parts of the country.
It's difficult to discuss Mongolian weather in general, as it is so much a function of the given season. On the one hand, a single day in any season may bring some combination of gorgeous blue skies, hail, and high winds. Snow can fall even in the middle of summer and the sun's rays are as piercing in January as in July. While Mongolia is overall an arid place of extreme temperatures, let's take a look at each of the four seasons to develop a richer picture of what might be in store for you during your next visit.
Throughout the calendar year Mongolia is blessed with an unusually high proportion of sunny days (clocking it at over 250 per year on average). Mongolia's relatively high altitude and numerous clear days avowedly bear some connection to its popular characterization as the Land of Blue Sky, the Land of Eternal Blue Heaven, or some other poetic variation. Photographs do not do justice to the vast expanse of vivid blue, often dotted by impossibly-white cloud confections, that towers over the rolling steppe, the dark hills, and the hazy desert-steppe scrubland.
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| Brilliant summer sky over the statue of Sukhbaatar in Sukhbaatar Square, downtown Ulaanbaatar |
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| Dawn on the steppe |
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| Late afternoon in the sand dunes of Elsen Tasarkhai |
However, it's not all blue skies. Mongolian storms can be sudden and apocalyptic. Global climate change coupled with desertification in Mongolia has led to a recent increase in dangerous flooding, especially in the southern parts of the country.
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| Thunder storm over the eastern Gobi desert |
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| Lightning strikes during a flash flood in the Middle Gobi desert |
It's difficult to discuss Mongolian weather in general, as it is so much a function of the given season. On the one hand, a single day in any season may bring some combination of gorgeous blue skies, hail, and high winds. Snow can fall even in the middle of summer and the sun's rays are as piercing in January as in July. While Mongolia is overall an arid place of extreme temperatures, let's take a look at each of the four seasons to develop a richer picture of what might be in store for you during your next visit.
Saturday, October 17, 2015
Mongolia Inside & Out 105: What (not) to wear
Welcome back to the Mongolia Inside & Out series! This post will focus on appearance and dress in Mongolia, as I've found it too difficult to tease apart the more abstract concept and the more concrete practice when it comes to talking about what (not) to wear here.
A version of this post has been sitting in my drafts folder for several months. I realized recently that I had wasted a lot of time and energy writing a very judge-y indictment of the fashion choices of other foreigners in Mongolia, which is simply not the tone I want to take in this series nor how I want to interact with my fellow human beings. Sure, it can be cathartic or amusing to recall Mongolian friends' and colleagues' reactions to white-guy dreadlocks, or to bemoan the American journalist who wore rumpled hiking clothes to a one-on-one formal interview with the President of Mongolia. But that's the stuff of summer evening carp-sessions at a beer garden with other expats, not fodder for a series where I aim to provide useful information and hard-won experience for those coming to Mongolia for study, adventure, or permanent relocation. I prefer to use my knowledge for good in this series.
Let me offer some recommendations for several distinct sets of 'foreigners' coming to Mongolia, because where and how you plan to spend your time will dictate what you want to wear:
A version of this post has been sitting in my drafts folder for several months. I realized recently that I had wasted a lot of time and energy writing a very judge-y indictment of the fashion choices of other foreigners in Mongolia, which is simply not the tone I want to take in this series nor how I want to interact with my fellow human beings. Sure, it can be cathartic or amusing to recall Mongolian friends' and colleagues' reactions to white-guy dreadlocks, or to bemoan the American journalist who wore rumpled hiking clothes to a one-on-one formal interview with the President of Mongolia. But that's the stuff of summer evening carp-sessions at a beer garden with other expats, not fodder for a series where I aim to provide useful information and hard-won experience for those coming to Mongolia for study, adventure, or permanent relocation. I prefer to use my knowledge for good in this series.
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| And, just like Cookie, I learned those things the hard way |
Let me offer some recommendations for several distinct sets of 'foreigners' coming to Mongolia, because where and how you plan to spend your time will dictate what you want to wear:
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
Mongolia Inside & Out 104 - Alcohol
Last time in Mongolia Inside & Out, readers were treated to an info-dump of tips for dining in Ulaanbaatar along with some general comments on Mongolian cuisine. In the 103 post, I alluded to alcohol, particularly with recommendations for good beer in the capital. But alcohol in Mongolia merits an entire post of its own.
A few words on drinking alcohol in Mongolia:
Every country has its own drinking culture, or numerous drinking subcultures. Mongolia is no exception. The production, exchange, and consumption of several kinds of alcohol are significant components of Mongolian society. Official visits to someone's home, religious celebrations, national holidays, graduations, weddings, and office parties all involve vodka or some sort of alcoholic beverage (often airag, fermented mare's milk produced primarily at the household level).
What to drink:
But it's not all bad news: drinking culture in Mongolia includes a lot of merry-making, singing, jokes, and bonding. But what do you drink when you're in Mongolia? The primary alcoholic beverages you will encounter in Mongolia are the Big Three: vodka, fermented mare's milk, and beer.
Vodka (arikh)
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| Chinggis: world-conqueror and premium-quality vodka |
A few words on drinking alcohol in Mongolia:
Every country has its own drinking culture, or numerous drinking subcultures. Mongolia is no exception. The production, exchange, and consumption of several kinds of alcohol are significant components of Mongolian society. Official visits to someone's home, religious celebrations, national holidays, graduations, weddings, and office parties all involve vodka or some sort of alcoholic beverage (often airag, fermented mare's milk produced primarily at the household level).
What to drink:
But it's not all bad news: drinking culture in Mongolia includes a lot of merry-making, singing, jokes, and bonding. But what do you drink when you're in Mongolia? The primary alcoholic beverages you will encounter in Mongolia are the Big Three: vodka, fermented mare's milk, and beer.
Vodka (arikh)
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| This photo is appropriate for my Mongolian vodka consumption experience on several levels |
Thursday, July 30, 2015
Mongolia Inside & Out 103 - Eating and drinking (mostly beer) in Ulaanbaatar
Welcome back to the Mongolia Inside & Out series!
The 102 post discussed the ger as an important part of Mongolian society and culture, along with a suite of related customs, themes, and ideas that shed a little light on the bigger picture (Mongolia). This time let's take a peek into food, drink, meals, and dining in Mongolia. Most of the 102 post will focus on experiences in the capital, which can be treated separately from dining in the rest of Mongolia (with some notable exceptions), as I plan to do a future post on the types and preparations of traditional food once I have better pictures. For now:
Sustenance and succulence in Ulaanbaatar
Ulaanbaatar has undergone seismic shifts over the last 10 years in terms of the food and beverages available in stores, markets, restaurants, and bars throughout the city. For these and more practical reasons - hey, you'll need to know where to get a good salad in UB after weeks in the countryside, trust me - I think Ulaanbaatar merits its own post. Especially in the last 2-3 years, travelers and locals now have a decent variety of good options to choose from when they're out on the town or looking to buy groceries.
The Way Things Were, 2005-2007:
I remember when finding a few tiny green apples at the store was a rare treasure, and all ice cream seemed to be bland, freezer-burned, ice-encrusted, vanilla pre-loaded into wafer cones stored loose and unwrapped in a freezer bin along with unpackaged meat. Now you can get local greenhouse-grown spinach and cherry tomatoes, corn chips, cocoa powder, imported European cheese, a plentiful variety of fresh-baked breads and pastries, and tofu without breaking a sweat.
I remember when there were a handful of good non-Mongolian dinner options, practically no coffee shops (yes, Millie's served good coffee, but that is not a *coffee place* and they roasted their own beans because where else were they going to get coffee?), and Cafe Amsterdam was pretty much your only choice for breakfast (unless you wanted to break your budget at Kempinski or eat at 11am). Now you have so many choices that I can barely remember what it was like 10 years ago: sushi, Korean hotpot, vegan, Indian, Turkish, Chinese (and Xinjiang!), French, Mexican (we'll come back to that one), fried chicken, Japanese bakeries (yes, I mean bakerIES, plural), and on and on and on. I remember being really excited to get real hot chocolate in 2007.
Just recently someone complained on UB Foodies - a whole Facebook community devoted to the city's food scene - about a cappuccino that had too much foam. Ok, I'll take off my bifocals, put away the Werther's Originals, and get back to the heart of the post.
Because I've seen many a visitor struggle with getting a decent meal or finding a particular food item while in UB, I'm going to spend a significant chunk of this post attempting to rectify that situation.
The 102 post discussed the ger as an important part of Mongolian society and culture, along with a suite of related customs, themes, and ideas that shed a little light on the bigger picture (Mongolia). This time let's take a peek into food, drink, meals, and dining in Mongolia. Most of the 102 post will focus on experiences in the capital, which can be treated separately from dining in the rest of Mongolia (with some notable exceptions), as I plan to do a future post on the types and preparations of traditional food once I have better pictures. For now:
Sustenance and succulence in Ulaanbaatar
Ulaanbaatar has undergone seismic shifts over the last 10 years in terms of the food and beverages available in stores, markets, restaurants, and bars throughout the city. For these and more practical reasons - hey, you'll need to know where to get a good salad in UB after weeks in the countryside, trust me - I think Ulaanbaatar merits its own post. Especially in the last 2-3 years, travelers and locals now have a decent variety of good options to choose from when they're out on the town or looking to buy groceries.
The Way Things Were, 2005-2007:
I remember when finding a few tiny green apples at the store was a rare treasure, and all ice cream seemed to be bland, freezer-burned, ice-encrusted, vanilla pre-loaded into wafer cones stored loose and unwrapped in a freezer bin along with unpackaged meat. Now you can get local greenhouse-grown spinach and cherry tomatoes, corn chips, cocoa powder, imported European cheese, a plentiful variety of fresh-baked breads and pastries, and tofu without breaking a sweat.
I remember when there were a handful of good non-Mongolian dinner options, practically no coffee shops (yes, Millie's served good coffee, but that is not a *coffee place* and they roasted their own beans because where else were they going to get coffee?), and Cafe Amsterdam was pretty much your only choice for breakfast (unless you wanted to break your budget at Kempinski or eat at 11am). Now you have so many choices that I can barely remember what it was like 10 years ago: sushi, Korean hotpot, vegan, Indian, Turkish, Chinese (and Xinjiang!), French, Mexican (we'll come back to that one), fried chicken, Japanese bakeries (yes, I mean bakerIES, plural), and on and on and on. I remember being really excited to get real hot chocolate in 2007.
Just recently someone complained on UB Foodies - a whole Facebook community devoted to the city's food scene - about a cappuccino that had too much foam. Ok, I'll take off my bifocals, put away the Werther's Originals, and get back to the heart of the post.
Because I've seen many a visitor struggle with getting a decent meal or finding a particular food item while in UB, I'm going to spend a significant chunk of this post attempting to rectify that situation.
Saturday, July 18, 2015
Mongolia Inside & Out 102: Introducing the ger
Welcome back to the Mongolia Inside & Out series! Last time I shared the 23 things I think everyone should know about coming to Mongolia. At the end of the inaugural post, I made a grandiose claim about this post: that it would be dedicated to introducing Mongolian culture and customs. My hubris knew no bounds!
As I struggled to draft a comprehensive yet introductory post on the topic, I found myself returning to the Mongolian ger each time I considered almost every relevant subject. A full essay on Mongolian culture would invariably come up short; although it's tempting (and I was sorely tempted) to cram everything one knows into a single piece of writing, the end result always suffers.
As an alternative, let me introduce a number of key aspects of Mongolian culture through one of its defining features: the ger.
The traditional dwelling of mobile or nomadic Mongolians is the ger (pronounced "gair'), called yurt elsewhere. Ger refers both to this specific kind of dwelling and to the concept of "home" in general. A UB urbanite will speak of his/her ger and mean an apartment or townhouse. A traveler will see the classic white mushroom-like ger almost everywhere in Mongolia, although some ethnic minorities dwell in other abodes (a topic for another post). There is a ger inside the Parliament house in which the most sacred ceremonies and high-level meetings of the Mongolian state take place. Luxury tourist resorts have opulent ger outfitted with snow leopard pelts and embroidered wall hangings. Most ger in the countryside have solar panels to power TVs, radios, charge cell phones, and even power the odd refrigerator. In Ulaanbaatar, the eponymous ger districts are crowded with once-mobile dwellings permanently nestled together on the dusty slopes around the city center, cheek-by-jowl with solid buildings and winding dirt tracks.
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| Pictured: no bounds within which to contain all my hubris |
As I struggled to draft a comprehensive yet introductory post on the topic, I found myself returning to the Mongolian ger each time I considered almost every relevant subject. A full essay on Mongolian culture would invariably come up short; although it's tempting (and I was sorely tempted) to cram everything one knows into a single piece of writing, the end result always suffers.
As an alternative, let me introduce a number of key aspects of Mongolian culture through one of its defining features: the ger.
 |
| A typical Mongolian ger |
The traditional dwelling of mobile or nomadic Mongolians is the ger (pronounced "gair'), called yurt elsewhere. Ger refers both to this specific kind of dwelling and to the concept of "home" in general. A UB urbanite will speak of his/her ger and mean an apartment or townhouse. A traveler will see the classic white mushroom-like ger almost everywhere in Mongolia, although some ethnic minorities dwell in other abodes (a topic for another post). There is a ger inside the Parliament house in which the most sacred ceremonies and high-level meetings of the Mongolian state take place. Luxury tourist resorts have opulent ger outfitted with snow leopard pelts and embroidered wall hangings. Most ger in the countryside have solar panels to power TVs, radios, charge cell phones, and even power the odd refrigerator. In Ulaanbaatar, the eponymous ger districts are crowded with once-mobile dwellings permanently nestled together on the dusty slopes around the city center, cheek-by-jowl with solid buildings and winding dirt tracks.
Thursday, July 2, 2015
Mongolia Inside & Out 101 - Welcome to Mongolia!
Welcome to the first post in the Mongolia Inside & Out series! I hope you'll find this and subsequent posts interesting and useful for your future travels to the Land of Eternal Blue Heaven. Let's start with the basics of coming to Mongolia for the very first time. I'd say that there are 23 preliminary points to cover. Let's begin!
Before you leave for Mongolia:
1. VISAS: Know the visa requirements for a) your citizenship and b) the purpose of your visit (study vs. tourism vs. business). If you're an American citizen entering without prior arrangements, you'll automatically receive a 30-day tourist visa.
PRO-TIP: extend your visa to 90 days by visiting Mongolian Immigration within 7 days of your arrival. This only costs a few bucks (official form you fill out on site, a passport photo) and a tenuous connection to Mongolia (name and address of your guesthouse and/or travel agency in Mongolia). Do not wait more than 7 days or you will be fined! The fines vary depending on who's working that day - I am not joking, this is how "official fines" often work in Mongolia - and you will need to pay in cash (Mongolian tugrik, or MNT). Mongolian Immigration is currently located just east of the airport along the main road into Ulaanbaatar before the space age-looking red and gray stadium.
2. BOOK ONE NIGHT: If you make no other plans before setting foot in Mongolia, plan ahead to spend your first night in the country in a guesthouse or hotel. Unless you plan to go straight from the airport to rural Mongolia or you are joining an expedition team, you'll be glad you made a few arrangements in advance so that your arrival is as smooth as possible.
3. JOIN A TEAM, EXPEDITION, OR PROJECT. I find most people who've had extremely positive experiences in Mongolia come as part of a field program, a research expedition, a volunteer expedition - something that requires them to work as part of a team on a shared goal in the Mongolian countryside alongside international and local volunteers or staff.
A few months before you leave for Mongolia,
do a little research online into your options. Each summer there are
usually a few archaeological or conservation biology expeditions that
take paying volunteers or students, the National University of Mongolia
offers summer educational programs for international students, and some
NGOs offer volunteer opportunities (such as Lotus Guesthouse's programs
with Mongolian orphans and street kids). Keep an eye on the Center for
the Study of Eurasian Nomads' website (csen.org) for 2016 and future
field programs; CSEN has programs specifically for students and
adventurers from a variety of backgrounds and with different interests.
Before you leave for Mongolia:
1. VISAS: Know the visa requirements for a) your citizenship and b) the purpose of your visit (study vs. tourism vs. business). If you're an American citizen entering without prior arrangements, you'll automatically receive a 30-day tourist visa.
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| Wow, that is a terrible and blurry picture of my old tourist visas! I mean, I intentionally blurred this image to prevent passport fraud. |
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| Registration form at Mongolian Immigration: helpfully written in both English and Mongolian |
2. BOOK ONE NIGHT: If you make no other plans before setting foot in Mongolia, plan ahead to spend your first night in the country in a guesthouse or hotel. Unless you plan to go straight from the airport to rural Mongolia or you are joining an expedition team, you'll be glad you made a few arrangements in advance so that your arrival is as smooth as possible.
3. JOIN A TEAM, EXPEDITION, OR PROJECT. I find most people who've had extremely positive experiences in Mongolia come as part of a field program, a research expedition, a volunteer expedition - something that requires them to work as part of a team on a shared goal in the Mongolian countryside alongside international and local volunteers or staff.
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| Team work from the very beginning: 2005 expedition photo in Kharkhorin, Arkhangai Province |
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