Sapporo Snow Festival 2018: Susukino

In my last snow festival post, I focused on the insane amount of snow and ice present along Odori Park in the heart of Sapporo. Just a few blocks away there was a display of ice sculptures in Susukino. Since there was so much going on, I decided to separate the two out and dedicate […]

Sapporo Snow Festival 2018: Odori Park

Every year, the city of Sapporo hosts a large snow festival across the main streets in its city. You can see monumental snow sculptures and ice sculptures across two key areas in the city: Odori Park and Susukino respectively. I was lucky enough to visit both on a recent trip to Hokkaido and here is […]

World Championship Hoop Dance Contest 2017

Having such a wonderful establishment like the Heard Museum so close has allowed me to gain an insight into cultures and customs from my own country that I never knew existed. One such tradition is Hoop Dancing, which is practiced by a wide variety of tribes all across North America. Once a year, they meet […]

My Nana’s Best Tasting Salsa Challenge 2016

I am a big fan of salsa: My father would make large batches regularly when I was a child, and when I visited my uncles, I was able to taste each of their own unique takes. I was pretty excited then when I heard that down at Steele Indian School Park there would be a […]

Junior Wrestling

One sport that I’ve really taken a liking to while out here in Mongolia has been wrestling. During Naadam, the wrestling matches would go on all day, and you could see all manner of wrestler come into the ring: Seasoned veterans, short and scrappy newcomers, the joke entries, tall, thin, fat, and short alike. While […]

Universe Best Song

With many shows like (Insert nation) Idol, X-Factor, and (Insert Nation)’s Got Talent, it’s no surprise that Mongolia has its own unique take on the talent competition. I think it’s rather interesting, and a wonderful idea: Universe Best Song. The premise of the show is simple: You must sing a song in a foreign language. […]

Three Points

Hot and cramped, stuck with a squeaky leather jacket and a wobbly table under the weight of a husky and haughty brute. He proves more capable than anyone could imagine that day. I stare at the lines on the page, wondering how this word could not possibly mean what I thought it did. My neck […]

The Olympics

The most important, all-consuming academic competition I’ve ever seen devised is alive here in Mongolia: The Olympics (or Olympiad, as it is commonly referred to as). They are subject and grade-based: Chemistry, Math, Mongolian, Russian, English, and more all get their own test. Up until this year, there were national Olympics for 11th, 9th, and […]

Academic Competitions

Teachers do a lot in Mongolia, there’s no doubt about that. In addition to the paperwork, lesson planning, and classroom instruction, teachers are expected to take part in various competitions. Victory can mean great prestige and rewards from your school, while defeat can raise questions about your effectiveness on the job. In the fall, there […]

Sports Competitions

Competitions are serious business here in Mongolia. Teachers take off days, sometimes weeks, to compete in a plethora of competitions. Today, let’s talk about the sport variety. For some reason, October seems to be packed with competitions. While I cannot discern if there is an official competition season (aside form the Olympic tests in March/April), […]