Monthly Archive

by Mark

CNN has been running a news focus on Mongolia for the past week or two.  You can find the videos through the link below:

http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/eye.on/?hpt=hp_bn6

I have not been able to watch all the video stories.  Most of them give a very good window to the current situation on Mongolia.  I would be interesting if they would come back in January (probably not).  Why the focus?  Vice-President Biden visited for an afternoon a few weeks ago and brought many reporters with him.  The one thing I notice in most stories about Mongolia tend to “romanticize” the rural life style, which is incredibly difficult.  There also tends to be an overlooking of the swift urbanization of Mongolia.  For instance many Mongolians have never ridden a horse or lived in a ger (although many have). It’s just another example of the contrasts and complexities in this shifting culture.