The Mongolian Deel
What’s the deal with the Mongolian deel? 😀 Joseph’s host on the left is wearing a traditional deel which might be described as a warm heavy duty overcoat. This particular type of deel would fit into the category of “work…
Category The Nomad Camp
Mongolia- A funny memory
I’m looping back to Mongolia because I had a funny memory while I was binge watching ” Cobra Kai” the Karate Kid saga remake on youtube… This is my (very patient) host Jvvureg. In the picture he’s demonstrating how to…
Natural Light in the Mongolian Ger
Do you see that thing in the background under the horse’s legs (click on pic to enlarge)? Do you have any guess what it is? It looks like a wagon wheel, like in the old pioneer days of the USA,…
First Words of Mongolian
Just a quick post/ video here. I hadn’t really properly prepared in terms of learning some of the language before I left. I doubt it would have helped much. I was able to get by using a phrasebook that I…
The “Central Asian” knot
I remember sometimes my hands would be numb from the cold in the morning- so numb that I had some difficulty tying the knot to tether the horses after tracking them down. Durukh showed me a “Mongolian” knot that he…
Arts and Crafts of the Nomads….
As I’m sure I mentioned earlier, the Mongolian nomads are very resourceful, meaning they can find uses for all things around them. After the butcher of a goat, sheep or cow, the skin (leather) is treated and stored a well.…
Leaving Mongolia
I woke up at 630 AM  to pack up my electronics and laundry. Surprisingly, Altai’s mother and stepfather were already awake! I started to gather my laundry which had been drying for about 7-8 hours. I noticed that my jeans…
Back to Ulan Bator
About 15-20 minutes after driving off we arrived at another nomad camp (with no roads and few landmarks I’m still wondering how the driver and others navigate). This is where we are to pick up a fellow volunteer from Australia…
Leaving the Nomad Camp
It’s my last few hours in the nomad camp, Altanbulag District, Tov province, Mongolia. I woke up about 615 am today, 20 minutes earlier than usual. The driver (Amma) is supposed to be here at 1200pm, so there’s still time…
Day 10- Trash Duty
It seems like I’m doing less and less every day as the end of my visit approaches. I thought it would be the opposite. I woke up feeling a bit regretful because the night before Annjah had invited me to…
Day 9- Rain!
I woke up to the sounds of rain ( <– Isn’t that a song lyric? ) early this morning! It’s the first substantial rain since I’ve been here. It is welcome as most of the land is barren and the…
Evenings in the Ger
The early evening work would usually end between 800-830pm. The very last task of the day was to “hobble” the riding horses (tying three of their legs together) so they could graze but not wander too far. This usually occurred…
A day in the life of a Mongolian Nomad
In the early spring, the day begins well after sunrise. At about 645 am, Biyambai, my host Durukh’s wife, would be the first out of bed (although sometimes I would lay awake under the warm covers, well before the others…
Day 8 -Back to normal
Thankfully I woke up with my strength back this morning. I was very relieved as the day before I had thoughts of having to go to Altanbulag (the closest town, 18 miles/30 km away) on the back of a motorcycle,…
Random Picture-Nearby River
The river nearest the nomad camp (about 2 hour horseback ride). Your can see the typical mountainous landscape of the Mongolian outback in the background. This is only about 300 km (180 miles) outside of the capital city of Ulan…
Day 7-Feeling Sick
I woke up at 630 am and realized that I had slept with my mouth open. I felt my through was a little raw. After getting out of bed though, I realized that I was feeling weak. I did the…
Day 6 afternoon and a “Boats” Dinner
After returning from the morning herding and having a quick lunch, I was again asked to pasture the goats. I think my usefulness is starting to come into play and Durukh and his wife Biyambai are starting to do things…
Day 6 morning- Nomads Lasso Horses
The previous day’s riding was tough on the body. There’s no warm shower here to heat up the muscles in the morning. Well, this is what I asked for…… The morning was normally cold, slightly above freezing again (~34 F…
Is agriculture the origin of these two sayings?
I was just reviewing some video the other day and noticed that I used some phrases/sayings that we may use in everyday language in the USA to mean something similar. Phrase #1: “The local watering hole” People use this  (…
Day 5-The Well Mission and The Boy Who Cried Wolf.
The type of work I do at the camp generally depends on the particular need for that day. I made this video the following morning which sums up day 5: So as I said in the video, After the ritual…
Day 4 addendum- A late night party
I usually go to sleep at 930 pm in the nomad camp. Work finishes between 730-800pm followed by a couple of hours of Satellite TV. The most popular show among all the nomads (and I’m betting in all Mongolia) is…
Sharing observations for a newspaper article.
This is just a quick update. A reporter from Chabot College in Hayward, CA USA wants to write an article on my trip and asked a few background questions. I thought it would be informative to share my answers in…
Day4-Cold and Wind, a look inside the Ger, and some herding.
This morning was very cold (4/10). I would guess it was about 10 degrees colder than the previous day. If you add in the wind, it makes the working conditions rather tough. It started out as usual with the search…
Day 3-Rest and Goat Sorting
I forgot to mention the night before I had a real Mongolian treat of Khuushuur, which is similar to what we know as a Piroshki.  Minced horse meat Khuushuur Yes, the caption says “horse meat”! If your response is…
Day 2-Searching for Horses and Shearing Goats
The night before (and every night afterward) we had to “hobble” the horses. This means binding three of the horses legs together so that they can roam around looking for vegetation to graze, yet not roam away too far. This…
Day 1 Ulan Bator and off to the Nomad Camp
I finally arrived in Ulan Bator on April 7 around 1:00AM. My host Altai and her brother were patiently waiting for me at the airport. We proceeded to her parents apartment where we spent what was left of the night.…