Giant Robot Store and GR2 News
Happy New Year from Mongolia! We’re a half an hour or so from 2013 here. In front of the Darkhan Children’s Theatre there’s been an all night fireworks show – fireworks being a welcome import from neighboring China. Today has been a lot of visits from family with gifts and good tidings for Christmas and New Years (squished together here for secular efficiency) and to check out the newest member of the Mongolian family. 2012 brought me back to Mongolia, but this time for good. It led me to say goodbye (for now) to a much loved Giant Robot family and friends in Los Angeles. It brought me a husband and an army of amazing in-laws who have embraced me and my American family. And the last gift of 2012 was the arrival of a tiny human. All in all, it’s been a jam-packed good year. I don’t have any resolutions for 2013. Well, maybe one… I resolve to keep doing what I’ve been doing, since it seems to be paying off. Mongolians love ABBA’s one and only ” holiday” song, second only to Boney M and Wham’s Christmas tunes. I’ve heard this ABBA song everyday since December 1st, so I’ll send 2012 off into the ether with it…
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In Mongolia horse races happen all year long, even in the crazy cold winter. In the winter, young horses (mostly 4 year olds) gallop across snow covered flatlands with jockeys only a few years older than them (7-10 years old) for a day of races, for crowds that grow throughout the day. Like most things here, it’s not quite like what we’re used to in the West. For starters, races are run like endurance races, over rugged terrain (no real track to speak of), in extreme weather, and for 15-20 kilometers (about 10 miles). Spectators don’t just stand and watch the race, they ride along with the racers, either by horse or car. The winner’s circle is more like a winner’s mob, as everyone tries to touch the sweaty coat of the winning horse for good luck. The winning horse is celebrated far more than its jockey and ends up taking home a thick felt winner’s blanket, and a headpiece goes over its bridle that gets decorated with medals and prayer silks. The races are definitely a group activity, like most in Mongolia. Half the fun of going is moving from vantage point to vantage point and visiting with friends and relatives you run into along the way. After the races (which go on for a couple of hours with one race after another) it’s time for vodka and catching up. Horses that have been scraped clean of sweat, walked, and cooled down get loaded into the backs of Korean made mini-pick up trucks, and driven home to get back to their herd and run free on the steppes again. Of course, I prefer the weather of racing season at Santa Anita, (and I desperately miss my horse, Squid) but the thrill of speeding through the snow with horse and rider, hoping you don’t crash into other cars trying to do the same, can’t be beat. I put together a video of some of the racing action from the backseat of Tsogtoo’s car. You can see the video here… Winter also brought the Moto Cross to Darkhan, similar action but with Russian Jeeps instead of horses. A presentation of the drivers and their modified race cars takes place in the plaza of the theatre and then everyone drives to the “track”, a selected bit of steppe with enough dips and curves to create a satisfying chance of danger, spin outs and machines catching air. Like the horse races, it’s all about finding the best spot for watching the races, catching up with friends, and being close enough to get hands on and help get flipped over cars & drivers back on track. Literally. More photos on flickr.
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I’m now pretty much settled in at home in Darkhan. After a grueling flight with an over 24 hour delay at the Moscow Shereyemtevo airport, due to an engine fire, I made it to the Chinggis Khan airport in Ulaanbaatar last Tuesday morning. Moscow was miserable, but I passed the time making friends with some super friendly English speaking Mongolians, and a Dutch airline pilot named, Martin. Martin and I were both headed to Mongolia for love, and it took us way too long to get in together on a bottle of duty free whiskey. I spent the past few months in LA selling off and giving away all my worldly goods and ended up leaving LA with 9 suitcases packed to the max with art, saddles, boots, and some things I now think I could live without. Somehow, I made it past customs without any taxes. I just frustrated the poor customs officials into submission by playing the insistent American. It totally worked, and finally, after 8 months of Skype via translator friend Heegii, I got to see my fiancee, Agii. I won’t bore you with the details of all that – you can catch my love-gushing on twitter and Facebook. Darkhan is about a 3 hour drive from Ulaanbaatar. I have no idea what that is in kilometers, but it seems like it might be a good idea to start learning the metric system. There’s a road, and it’s paved, but you also spend about half the time swerving around on it, dodging massive potholes. The scenery along the route was snow covered steppe, horses pawing for grass in the snow, and the occasional small herd of cows trying to cross the road. We arrived at the apartment that Heegii found for Agii and I through May, and were greeted by my new in-laws-to-be with lots of Mongolian kisses, kindness and tradition. Fresh milk was splashed on the threshold before we crossed it to mark the clean start of a prosperous life together, and I was dressed by Agii’s aunt in traditional clothes and a handmade headdress. Together we drank warm fresh milk from a silver bowl and held a blue prayer scarf to honor our finally coming together. Next up is a traditional Mongolian wedding. I have no idea when. Maybe in Spring when my parents can be here. Gotta get legal here as well. Agii’s family lives in the countryside outside of Darkhan and they have a good amount of livestock, business ventures in the countryside and in the city, and are an incredibly warm and popular bunch. It’s very good company to be in. We’ll be in the countryside often before we move to Ulaanbaatar in the Spring. Agii’s help is needed with work, and I am in desperate need of Mongolian housewife lessons from his cousins and aunt. Next week is Tsagaan Tsar, the White Moon Festival. It’s the celebration of the Mongolian lunar new year, and it’s a big deal. Lots of preparations...
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