Peace Corps in My Own Words

This post is in response to the recent NY Times article on the death of Nick Castle, a volunteer serving in China at the same time I was serving in Mongolia. You can read the article in its entirety (as well as a link to other volunteer stories) here. Volunteers have been sharing their experiences […]

The Things I Never Wrote

I’m back in America, and it’s been a strange process of reintegrating back into American culture. Looking back, trying to process everything, there were many subjects I started drafts on, or contemplating writing about, but never got around to doing. There were cutesy things, like the best and worst list I had planned to compose. […]

More Traditional Mongolian Symbols

I’ve noticed that I’ve been getting lots of traffic from search engine searches on Mongolian symbols. My friend told me that she was looking for some info on a particular symbol, and my blog came up in her search, but that I didn’t have the symbol she was looking for. With that in mind, I […]

Mongolia Miscellany

I’ve encountered some interesting tidbits my two years in Mongolia, but some were not enough to stretch out into an entire post. Here’s a few bits of miscellaneous items I’ve learned about Mongolia and Mongolian culture. 1. There is a superstition that if silence befalls a group of friends or acquaintances, it means that a baby […]

The Switch From Socialism

I had an opportunity to speak to my teachers about how Mongolia was back during the transition from a socialist system to a free-market one, as well as their change into Democracy, all of which happened back in 1991. Only one teacher was not around for the switch. Here is what they told me. Everyone […]

Documentaries featuring Mongolia: Babies and Genghis Blues

During a recent slump in the springtime schedule, I thought I would finally take it upon myself to watch four documentaries I had heard about that feature Mongolia. What better way to look at these documentaries than in Mongolia itself? These opinions are mine and mine alone, and I encourage you to watch the documentaries […]

Documentaries featuring Mongolia: The Horse Boy and The Story of The Weeping Camel

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. […]

Indiana Jones and Mongolia

A few weeks ago, there was a photo exhibit in my city from Ulaanbaatar tucked away in a small set of rooms in the back of our culture center. I would have never been able to find this place by myself, nor would I have known about its existence had a friend of mine not […]

Copper Tour

I’ve visited the copper mine in Erdenet before, but I never ventured outside the viewing area above the pit, nor have I ever learned much about the mine itself or industry in the city. A few weeks ago, I was able to get a glimpse into a few businesses working with copper in the city. […]