Click here to view our Picture GalleryUlaanbaatar, Mongolia - Friday
We spent the first half of today helping the students assemble their Cultural Exchange Box to send to their sister-school in New Orleans and also helping them film their documentary. It was in general a really fun morning. I can think of few things in life that are as enjoyable as working with middle school students to generate a film about their culture. They broke up into groups- intro group, tour group, conclusion group, photo group, cultural presentation group, and interview group. The intro group did an amazing job... scripting and choreographing a whole opening for the film involving bits of history in between singing. The interview group came up with great questions as well! The cultural presentations were interesting to watch... one girl and boy dressed up in traditonal dress and performed a Mongolian song and another boy did a truly incredible beat-boxing performance (beat-boxing Usher's song 'Yeah!').
In the afternoon we all went to lunch, then to the history and art museum. It was a unique experience to be able to learn about a culture in the accompaniment of youth from that country. Tuul ended up having to leave early... so it was just Allie and I and 19 Mongolian students touring the city (a bit of a liability issue probably...but this didn't seem to worry Tuul). They showed us specific paintings and important artifacts... and pointed out city landmarks. There have only been a few other times in my life when I feel I have learned so much in such a short period of time.
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Ulaanbaatar is difficult to describe, mainly because I don't feel qualified to do so. But, nevertheless, I will try. I will tell you what I see. And, I have seen two Mongolias.
Mongolia 1: One of the things I noticed the most was the lack of trees and plants. I could easily count the number of trees I saw walking around the city. And, the grayness struck me as well. Most of the buildings appeared tan and gray, only punctuated by fluorescently colored bar, pub, and karaoke signs. The most color appeared to be on the women's faces -elaborate eye shadow of bright colors. Makeup that would have looked absurd on me, but which looked elegant and beautiful on these women. Then there was the smell. This odd mix of wool, exhaust, and cooking meat seemed to permeate everything and everywhere. There was a dead dog on the side of the street too. A dead, gray, hollow dog with no eyes left and a stiff tail.
Mongolia 2: With the children was saw a different Ulaanbaatar. With them the city seemed expansive. They took us to the center of UB: Sukhabaatar Square. We saw more trees, more colors -life everywhere! Everything seemed enthusiastic. The combination of traditional and modern was striking -women in traditional robes, men with large, decorated, leather boots and long-sleeved coats, beside teenagers in jeans and spiked hair. Even though there were not that many people out and about, the atmosphere was bustling and the mood fast-paced. It was unique: a city with enough space to move.
We ended the day today excited to spend more time in Ulaanbaatar!
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When a little girl asks to take you outside for a moment and then has the translator ask you, "She would like to kiss you on the cheek. Is that okay?" -and when you bend down so that this pink-cheeked, kind-eyed child can kiss you on the cheek -and when you return the favor and see her smile- that's when ...that's when you know you are part of something big...bigger than yourself or your country... bigger than paper airline tickets and grant-writing... bigger than... bigger than... well, big enough to evaporate country borders right in front of you.
In the afternoon we all went to lunch, then to the history and art museum. It was a unique experience to be able to learn about a culture in the accompaniment of youth from that country. Tuul ended up having to leave early... so it was just Allie and I and 19 Mongolian students touring the city (a bit of a liability issue probably...but this didn't seem to worry Tuul). They showed us specific paintings and important artifacts... and pointed out city landmarks. There have only been a few other times in my life when I feel I have learned so much in such a short period of time.
* * * * * *
Ulaanbaatar is difficult to describe, mainly because I don't feel qualified to do so. But, nevertheless, I will try. I will tell you what I see. And, I have seen two Mongolias.
Mongolia 1: One of the things I noticed the most was the lack of trees and plants. I could easily count the number of trees I saw walking around the city. And, the grayness struck me as well. Most of the buildings appeared tan and gray, only punctuated by fluorescently colored bar, pub, and karaoke signs. The most color appeared to be on the women's faces -elaborate eye shadow of bright colors. Makeup that would have looked absurd on me, but which looked elegant and beautiful on these women. Then there was the smell. This odd mix of wool, exhaust, and cooking meat seemed to permeate everything and everywhere. There was a dead dog on the side of the street too. A dead, gray, hollow dog with no eyes left and a stiff tail.
Mongolia 2: With the children was saw a different Ulaanbaatar. With them the city seemed expansive. They took us to the center of UB: Sukhabaatar Square. We saw more trees, more colors -life everywhere! Everything seemed enthusiastic. The combination of traditional and modern was striking -women in traditional robes, men with large, decorated, leather boots and long-sleeved coats, beside teenagers in jeans and spiked hair. Even though there were not that many people out and about, the atmosphere was bustling and the mood fast-paced. It was unique: a city with enough space to move.
We ended the day today excited to spend more time in Ulaanbaatar!
* * * * * *
When a little girl asks to take you outside for a moment and then has the translator ask you, "She would like to kiss you on the cheek. Is that okay?" -and when you bend down so that this pink-cheeked, kind-eyed child can kiss you on the cheek -and when you return the favor and see her smile- that's when ...that's when you know you are part of something big...bigger than yourself or your country... bigger than paper airline tickets and grant-writing... bigger than... bigger than... well, big enough to evaporate country borders right in front of you.
