Blog entries

Cliterati in Mongolia Redux 221

ming.holden@gmail.com — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 20:14:47 +0100

The renaissancively brilliant (read: in his first two months of his Fulbright year in Mongolia produced, wrote and starred in hands down the best piece of theater--and aware, quality expat art--about Mongolia I've ever seen) Michael Littig woke me up to the existence of these photos of Mongolians in urban winter on the BBC network. Harsh, difficult, true. Please take a look, if you'd like a face to go with the tales of harshness you hear. Unfortunately, they are true, but fortunately, there are Read More...

Golden Pita 12 - Zaya's Mongolian philosophy

tomongolia@gmail.com — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 09:07:49 +0100

In UB we stayed at the famous Zaya Guest House. The place is well managed by an energetic successful business woman named Zaya.

We spent time learning from Zaya and from her very nice assistant Unuruu about the Mongolian way of life, and Mongolian philosophy.

I would like to end this blog with Zaya's Mongolian philosophy in a nutshell -

"Read More...

Cliterati in Mongolia Redux 220

ming.holden@gmail.com — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 19:11:08 +0100

As the department head of Mongolia's Ministry of Justice, upon her visit to Choibalsan's border police compound Altangerel was treated to a full day of military formation demonstrations and, of course, lots of good food and a concert filled with soldiers performing Mongolia's favorite songs on Mongolia's favorite instruments. Here is one of the more surreal moments of that day--children in uniform running into the theater, where, as you'll see, a young man does a beautiful job onRead More...

Mongolia and Iran Relations (Part 2)

chimeg1023@gmail.com — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 04:03:23 +0100

Part two

In last part, I told you that Iran's foreign affair doesn't have enough knowledgeable specialists who can be useful in developing relationship between two countries but Iran's government is really interested in enhancing its relationship with all countries.

This was one of the first things I heard from Anaraa Nyamdorj, the new UNHCR liason at Mongolia's UN office in Ulaanbaatar. I was back there with Tumen Ulzii BayRead More...

Golden Pita 11 - Mongolian Geological Gems

tomongolia@gmail.com — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 04:46:03 +0100

The Golden Pita was apparently formed by a melting eruption from deep within the earth’s crust bringing up to the surface rare elements. As the boiling eruption cooled off the Golden Pita was formed like a pancake in a pan or like a Pita in the oven, as we have named it.

The wind has curved beautiful rock forms; some of them looRead More...

Cliterati in Mongolia Redux 218

ming.holden@gmail.com — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 17:45:03 +0100

218

This is Why I love Mongolians.

After a week working together near the borders of Russia and China in Choibalsan, these administrators, Ministry of Justice officials, border patrol officers, and policemen toasted and thanked one another for a week of good work by the river Kherlen with vodka, songs, hugs, handshakes, more songs, mutton with onion from a cardboard box on the hood of one of the cars, more songs, and some tears.

It was a trip somewhere betweRead More...

Golden Pita 10 - Mongolian Archaeological Treasures

tomongolia@gmail.com — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 06:38:23 +0100

Unlike excavated and reconstructed archaeological sites, the Golden Pita has several sites where the archaeological treasures are scattered around on the surface.

In the 1930's many Buddhist monasteries and villages were destroyed. Within the Golden Pita we located three ruins of villages with fascinating artifacts - beautiful sculpture, tools and Buddha's.

In one oRead More...

Golden Pita 9 - Gobi Naadam

tomongolia@gmail.com — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 03:18:20 +0100

The highest point in the Golden Pita is Kahnbogd Mountain. From the top of the mountain you can see you are in the middle of a very large rocky circle. As we were getting close to the mountain we noticed people on horses andRead More...

Jazz night - Eliane Amherd (June 6, River Sounds)

inmongolia@gmail.com — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 22:58:04 +0100

Jazz has come to Ulaanbaatar again this week with Bob Bellows headlining "Encore in Mongolia" last night in the Khan Bank Theater. Giant Steppes of Jazz Society is proud to present Eliane Amherd on Saturday, June 6 starting at 7 PM at River Sounds Music Club. Eliane will headline a show including Bob Bellows, America's Ambassador of Jazz, and Debra Rasmussen from the jazz clubs of Calgary, Canada.

Eliane Amherd is a new girl in UB. Swiss-born, Manhattan NYC-based singer,Read More...

Cliterati in Mongolia Redux 216

ming.holden@gmail.com — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 16:10:00 +0100

216

Hayden's Ferry Review is hosting my post for today on their wonderful blog here. I go a little deeper into the trip out here to the far east of Mongolia. Take a look and happy end of the week!

Mongolian Foreign Minister Batbold Sukhbaatar to Speak at Hudson Institute

inmongolia@gmail.com — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 14:07:13 +0100

Mongolian Foreign Minister Batbold Sukhbaatar to Speak at Hudson Institute on Eve of Meeting with Secretary Clinton

WASHINGTON, June 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Prior to Mongolian Foreign Minister Batbold Sukhbaatar'smeeting with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Hudson Institute will host a forum on June 8 for his presentation on Mongolia's evolving relations with China and Russia, and its "third neighbor" relations wRead More...

Golden Pita 8 - Mongolian Gobi Food

tomongolia@gmail.com — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 06:00:24 +0100

Our food supplies were running low towards the end of our trek. In one of the herders Ger's we visited we noticed a strange dark red purple plant that they collected for food. Later that day we came across camel herders and asked them about the plants.

One of the herders rushed off on his motorcycle, and came back with a couple of the red plants we asked about. HeRead More...

Cliterati in Mongolia Redux 215

ming.holden@gmail.com — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 20:11:04 +0100

The dudes in Choibalsan I hang out with

Greetings from Choibalsan, the town in far eastern Mongolia near the Russian and Chinese borders where Altai has some mysterious business. She took me along in the jeep driven by border patrol officers for the 13 hour drive from Ulaanbaatar last Sunday.

Altai returned from her James Bond-style mission to the border last night. She hadn't bathed for three days. "I'm too dusty to talk to you," she smiled, so we trooped at 9Read More...

Golden Pita 7 - World Energy Center

tomongolia@gmail.com — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 06:55:06 +0100

At the center of the Golden Pita we located on the satellite image a large lotus shape structure with ruins around it. (image on post 3). We where told that the place was recently reconstructed, but had no idea to what extent. It was getting late. As we were going around the mountain with a beautiful red sunset in theRead More...

Mongolian Opera Schedule This Month

inmongolia@gmail.com — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 03:42:20 +0100

Sunday 7 June: Geser (Classical ballet based on Mongolian fairy tale)
Saturday 13 June: Turandot opera by Puccini
Sunday 15 June: Giselle ballet by Adan (a first class classic ballet)
Saturday 20 June: Die Fledermaus opera by Strauss (a great light opera and all time classic)
Sunday 21 June: The Swan Lake ballet by TchaikRead More...

Golden Pita 6 - Mongolian Desert Water

tomongolia@gmail.com — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 08:26:19 +0100

We loaded our heavy backpacks equipped with food for 7 days, tents, stove, and just enough water to get us to the next water source we had located on our satellite map. This was risky. All our information on water supplies was based on our analysis of Google Earth satellite images. We could not be sure if these water sources were in fact viable or if ourRead More...

Jonon - Folk Music in Cafe Amsterdam

inmongolia@gmail.com — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 06:58:39 +0100

Tomorrow's cultural evening (Wednesday 3rd of June at 8 PM) will host the music group "Jonon" for the second time on request of many, after their great and much appreciated concert in Cafe Amsterdam with Peter and Sara's farewell party beginning May.

The group is inspired by Mongolian traditional folk music. However, they combine and mix this traditional music with modern and western influences. The group has been founded only few months ago, but has gained in this sRead More...

Cliterati in Mongolia 214

ming.holden@gmail.com — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:54:48 +0100

214 The Huffington Post published my article on observing Mongolia's Presidential election with The Asia Foundation's observation mission. It's up on their world page. Yay!

Here is some shaky footage of those who would like a visual of the elderly couples I talk about in the article: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLmc6H8t_G0)