After living in Ulaanbataar for three weeks and Hatgal/Murun (the countryside) for a couple of days, I’ve brainstormed a few things I REALLY appreciate and enjoy about Mongolia.
Nature/ Scenery
Mongolia is absolutely GORGEOUS. The mountains, the rivers, the rocks…even the animals are beautiful here. The way the hills are formed and the trees grow is simply breathtaking. Ulaanbataar is a bit different because it’s a city, but when you get to the top of the State Department Store you will get a full view of the city and it’s beautiful—both day and night. Pictures do not do any justice for the views here but you just can’t help but try your best to capture the majesty of Mongolia. Wherever you go you’d want to take a picture even though the pictures may eventually look the same…you just can’t help it.
Simple Lifestyle
People are not as busy here in Mongolia. Especially in the countryside when the tourist season has died down. A day goes by slowly; you may chop woods and visit families, and then lunch, and hang out, and then call it a day. Each day is as you make it. I’ve come to learn that life really is how you live it; you can fill each day with errands and tasks aka job or you fill it with things that help you survive, or other. Our ministry here this month has simply been building relationships and all we do really is spending time in our day with individuals.
Language
Mongolian is hard because you got that -ich sound in the back of your tongue. Mongolian language is written with Russian alphabets but the words and grammar, everything, is its own. It took me at least two weeks to say ‘bayarlalaa,’ or thank you, in a way that makes sense to the Mongolians (completely different from how it’s spelled, try, ‘ba-yar-ich*-la’.) I love it when I mastered saying ‘dorov,’ or four (for four thousand tugrik) to the taxi driver after a ride (sometimes he’ll ask for four, sometimes five, sometimes even ten, depending on distance and how nice of the car you got in.) When people mistake me as a Mongolian and speak Mongolian to me, sometimes I feel the vibe of what they’re saying and pretend that I understood and then tell them, ‘tiim’ or ’tae’ for yes or ‘ugui’ for I don’t know.
Wools
Really though, I meant to talk about clothes and Mongolian fashion. Women here are beautiful and they dress so elegantly and fashionably—heeled boots, tight jeans, leather jackets, fur hats, etc. Their makeup look like American/Korean makeup and most of the time their hair is curled nicely. The guys. They look like K-Pop stars, seriously. Leather jackets, hoodie, boots, colored hair, piercing…a lot of the men here are tall and very handsome. Clothes here aren’t cheap, but they are definitely good looking and high quality.
The Cold
Snow is somewhat foreign to me. Being in a place under 20’ degrees Fahrenheit is definitely foreign to me. Even though it’s freezing all day everyday, I love it! I love it when I open the door and the cold hits my cheeks. I love it when I get to step on snow and glide across the icy streets. I love it when two layers of pants isn’t enough. And I love it when I toss a log into the fireplace and watch it getting hugged in flames. This is the coldest month I’ve ever lived but I’m fortunate enough to be able to stay warm. Witnessing the earth changing colors, from green/brown to white, is an amazing blessing.
Lack of Running Water
Okay, hear me out on this one. We are so used to having access to water everywhere in America that we forget it as one of the most important elements for us to survive. Being out in the countryside and living with two large bins (200L) sitting in the bathroom has helped me put water conservation into perspective. My team, which has 7 people, use up these two bins in two days, and that’s us being frugal. I’m an eco-conscious person so naturally trying our best to conserve water really, really, satisfies me. It satisfies my soul knowing that we won’t waste water and other resources due to our living condition. I feel so accomplished when I was able to cook a 7-person meal using just two small buckets of water for both cooking and cleaning. Clean, hot, water is such a privilege and I deeply appreciate that I get to have that anywhere and anytime in America.
The Young’uns
Mongolian babies are sooooooo cute! Their chubby and rosy cheeks. Their light brown hair. Their hazel eyes. And then they’re wrapped like burritos. Schoolchildren are out and about pretty much throughout the day (don’t know why) in their uniforms and you’ll spot them buying candies from vendors or chasing each other on the street. Teenagers are out too during the day—playing basketball in fenced courts, hanging out at a movie theater or coffee shop, or just walking around. You’d be surprised by how many young people you get to see on the street in Mongolia…about 30% of the population is under 17 years old.
OH AND BY THE WAY, here’s a RECAP VIDEO on Mongolia!
