Mongoliawood’s Weblog

by Mark and Cinda

Yesterday our language school went on an end-of-year picnic.  It was a beautiful day for it (we changed the day to Friday after hearing that there may be snow in the forecast for Saturday)

Our language school (not everyone from the school is pictured)  From the left is Toya Bagsh, our family, Toya’s brother-in-law and Mondahai a teacher from Ulaan Baatar, Ali and Averi, Oyunga Bagsh’s husband and daughter, Aruna Bagsh, The Lains, Toya Bagsh’s husband, Inxhee Bagsh and husband and Oyunga Bagsh.  (Malo, a student from Brazil was also with us, but she took the photo.)  Never realized how tall we are!  And how white! 

We drove a few miles south of Darkhan along the river that flows through Darkhan

Annika and Averi wading

Having a picnic is not just a meal, it’s an all day event.  We got set up and started with the first round of Sharlock (shish-ka-bob or Shishkie or Charasco).  Beef, marinated in some vinegrette, with dried apricots and red onions.   

The Khorkhog is a traditional Mongolian dish.  Originally it was done by de-boning an entire sheep through the neck (this is an incredible skill that doesn’t get done much anymore, except for with marmot).  Rocks are then heated in the fire to red hot and were placed in the sheep to cook.  The neck was sewn up.  Today there are a few different variations on this theme.  Mutton is still the favored meat by far (did I mention there are an estimated 40,000,000 sheep in Mongolia- yes 40 million you read that right).  Some people will use milk canisters (think the big metal ones) that are filled with layers of hot rocks, meat and vegetables.  The bad part about these is that its like a pressure cooker without a release valve, it can blow up, especially when rolled around to distribute the juices. 

Most Khorhog does not have much seasoning, ours had some tomato base and Korean seasoning which was outstanding. 

[Note: Mongolian BBQ as popularized in many restaurants in the US does not exist in Mongolia - except for BD's BBQ - a US chain with a franchise in UB.]

Step #1: Build the fire.  The Khorkhog containers are the pans seen in the foreground and background.

Step #2: Cut up vegetables and meat. 

Step #3: Start adding hot rocks and meat together and cover

Step #4: Cover and cook for an hour or two.  This is a heavy pan that seems to seal and pressure cook but allows excess pressure to vent.

 

It’s good that everywhere one goes in Mongolia, a stray dog or two is sure to follow.  That makes it easier for us foreigners to discreetly dispose of the excess fat and grissle we find it difficult to eat, but that the Mongolians deem as the best part of the meat.  Annika and Averi handled the secret disposal for their parents on this occasion by giving it to a mother dog who was sticking close.  Annika and Toby didn’t care for the main dish, but they found plenty of other things to eat.

The Darhan postal code changed a few months back and I want to remind everyone that it is now 45000- please make note of it.  We have not had any problem on packages but please make the change.  Thanks!

by Mark

It was a pretty exciting week here in Mongolia. 

June 1st is Children’s Day.  Children’s day is usually the last day of school.  It’s traditional to give gift baskets to kids with juice, some candy and  a small toy in it.  Annika and Toby got special gifts.  Cinda and I were off of language school so we went off to the park. 

A Squirt Bottle (for cooling down) and a Bow and Arrow- What fun!

We went over to the Children’s Park to go on some of the rides and check out what was going on.  There were to be many large festivities but they were canceled due to swine flu concerns (from what we could understand).  There were still many people out at the park.

Looking North in the Children’s Park- our apartment building is to the right of the photo where you can see one corner of a light blue building.  They really went all out painting and updating many things for a special day.  The sun was blazing down, so we had to don hats and sunblock.  These poor white people just fry in the hot Mongolian sun.

We rode on some rides!

There were some people flying some model airplanes and shooting off a model rocket too! 

Control line model airplanes- they even did loops, really cool!

Setting up the rocket

Mark spoke yesterday at church on Acts 2:1-13, the giving of the Holy Spirit to the Church.  From Easter through this month we have been covering the ministry of Jesus after the resurrection. 

In the afternoon we also took Smokey to the vet to get “tutored”

I am evil no more!  (so we hope) OR My, what big ears you have, Smokey!  The better to hear you with, my dear.  heh, heh, heh.

The whole vet encounter was quite an experience.  I won’t go into all the details here (although send me an email and I can tell you about it) but it was quick and for 5000 T or about $3.50 it was a very cheap fix (pun intended). 

by Mark

Its May 27th here- did I mention it snowed again this week? 

(this is the most scenic petrol station in Mongolia)

As I think about what was going on a year ago at this time I’m still savoring the memory of Barbara’s peanut butter pie.  (I would gladly sign a non-disclosure agreement and an understanding that it would not be made, except in Asia, for a copy of the recipe).  It was a year ago this week that Russellville blessed us as we ended our time together.  I think back on that week and remember eating more than I should have at the pot luck (but hey I wasn’t going to be eating that food for a long time – not that we are suffering for food by any means now!) We cleaned the house and still had too much stuff left over, closed on the house and headed to Wheaton via Kentucky.  We dodged tornadoes in Indiana and marveled at what God was doing. 

Its still amazing to look back and see God’s faithfulness in all that happened as well as in everything that we encounter today.  Without His love expressed in the many who lovingly support, pray and work with us we cannot do it.  It is a year that has gone quickly and we look forward to the next because he is faithful. 

By Mark

May 15th is a day we have been looking forward to for a while now.  The day when the heat to the pars (radiators) is shut off.  Our heat is centrally generated at the power-plant and then through insulated pipes brought into the town and distributed to all the buildings.  The great thing about it is that it keeps buildings warm.  The downside is that when it is 85 degrees F outside having the heat on doesn’t feel so great. 

• Wednesday May 13- We played outside flying kites – you can see the pictures in the other post.
• Thursday May 14- estimated outside high temperature around 85 degrees.  Annika and Toby both got a bit more sun than they should have.
• Friday May 15- Ahh, the day we waited for, but there was a storm on the horizon: here are some shots of the day the heat went off. 

Taken from language school classroom

Toby trying to catch the last flakes of spring

The heat went off on schedule, the snow melted and today its back up in the 80’s I would estimate. 

Хэрвээ Монголд цаг агаар таалахгуй бол одоохон болон. 

If you don’t like the weather in Mongolia, wait and it will change. 

by Mark

Yesterday Annika’s class had a field trip at the children’s park to fly some kits.  Mongolia is perfect kite country, windy, not many (if any) trees. The Mongolian word for kite is “paper bird” or “bird made from paper” is probably more accurate.  Might we add that if anyone is looking for ideas for a care package kites would make a great addition

This afternoon I hear what I thought to be the train going by (from Sibera to China) but it kept getting louder.  It was a large helicopter- first one I have seen here.  It landed in the area next to the post office. Helicopter is translated either “airplane” or “flying cart.” Toby, Eli, Larry and I went to check it out.  We are still not really sure who the person was.  I think some of the kids thought maybe Larry and I were- they started to ask “What is your name?” Pretty soon we were surrounded. 

(our future Secret Service?)

Why, yes I am a famous American. 

by Annika

Today, 5/12/2009, we saw a famous basketball player.  Named, well, maybe Sharrin…..something, not sure.  He was really tall.  And there was a kid next to him and the kid was like an ant.  Oh, he also loves red!  We saw him when we went to the park.  And he had huge feet.  At first I thought it was a guy on stilts!  And around him were reporters, body guards, plain people.  But before we asked we thought it was the tallest man in the world.  (We did not have a camera to take his picture.)

We found out this is the guy they were talking about- probably here for the elections

The Mongolian Shark

Another good article

This is an experiment, we are trying to link some videos from our Picasa web page to our blog, we will see how it works out.  We like showing the videos and hope at some point to get a new camera that will give some clearer video and pictures as well.  If it doesn’t work, well we can try again, email us and we can send you the link. 

Annika, Toby and the Adventures of Smokey

The Further Adventures of Smokey

The Ikea Song or Ikeaus was a wee little man

by Mark

Its fun learning a language (yes, there are certainly frustrations that go with it, too).  At times you come across things that you just have to wonder about. 

One of our favorite examples from our second language books is a sentence that shows the use of “too much/excessively/extremely.”  “John embezzled excessively too much money.” It is questions like these that bring out the deeper issues in life.  

• If John embezzled too much, how much is the right amount to embezzle?
• Is there someone who embezzled too little money? How do you know what too little is? I imagine this sentence “Judy embezzled too little money
• What happened to John?  He is never mentioned again in the book so I think he got whacked- took the cement shoe express. 

I remember reading Highlights magazine.  I think it’s still around.  The stories of Goofus and Gallant.  Goofus did it wrong but Gallant did it right.   Goofus embezzled too much money, Gallant embezzled just the right amount. 

Upper left: Goofus scolds someone who could not bring him enough money to buy bling (silly Goofus, you must embezzle for yourself!)

Upper right: Galant tells children how to embezzle just the right amount

Lower Right: Gallant embezzled enough money so he can give money away to make friends

Lower Left: Goofus embezzled too little and has to steal from his parents

In our new lesson there is a unique word.  The word is Эрхлэх (irxlex) which boasts a definition of “to snuggle, to manage.“   Hmmm, this is going to cause problems for me or uncontrollable fits of laughter in the future. 

Me: “So John, now that embezzling hasn’t worked out for you what what line of work are you in?”

John: “I’m a manager” 

Me (turning red, trying to stifle laughter): “Umm you snuggle way to much”

This is the time when I think, you know, being an anthropological entomologist would be pretty interesting.  How did this word get two seemingly diverse meanings attached to it? (actually we found out today to use the term manage you always use it with another word such as work)

by Mark

This past Saturday Pieter Theron and I went looking for campgrounds to the east of Darhan.  We intended to then drive south along the river and find the town of Sharangol (yellow river).  Of course there are rivers and scouting for fishing opportunities around. 

This area was listed as a canyon. 

Turned out to be a very beautiful area- good possibility for future picnic spots

This journey brought to you by- Toyota.  This was one of the times that we really did need 4×4 capability- roads, what roads?

This is looking back towards the canyon, note the herd of sheep in the foreground

I missed the spring daffodils and dogwoods but there are plenty of fields of wildflowers here, too.

This was the good bridge we crossed- entirely made of wood

The weather takes its toll. (Ok, that’s a bad pun but who can resist)

New foal

Several times I had the deja vous effect- where am I, Wyoming or Mongolia?

Horses in the river- they looked a bit hard up after the winter but the green grass will have them putting on weight soon enough.  All of these sites were within an hour of Darhan.  As we drove back we saw a new railroad that is being prepared to be put in- we think it is for the gold mines in the area.  I also did not get to take pictures of the camels by the salt lake- that will be another time.