Much like Indiana Jones' leap from the lion's mouth, I also took a leap of faith when I decided to start writing a few years ago for my Appalachian Trail blog. "Start a blog" they said. "It'll be easy" they said. Well I can tell you that writing and trying to understand the blogging world is one of the most challenging things I have ever explored in my life. I have a very organized, sometimes linear mindset that usually doesn't go hand in hand with creative writing, or at least that's what my high school guidance counselor told me. Although some technical education would be valuable, I think just sitting down and getting words on paper (or pixels on screen) has been the best path for me with regards to writing. It might not be perfect at first, in fact, it might not be perfect ever, but I hope to keep this blog for a variety of topics from current and past travel adventures, to opinion pieces and more. So please follow, bookmark, and share my posts if you feel compelled. Even if you don't agree, I appreciate any feedback and comments. My goal is to not please everyone with everything I write, but to let you know that my voice exists. So...let's get started.
Spelling Check, A Lost Art
First of all, it's Chinggis Khaan, not Ghengis Khan. I feel that is the first thing I need to get out of the way. Even the name of the most feared and ruthless conqueror of all time was still susceptible to translational issues between languages. I'm reminded of my time working for the Lahaina Restoration Foundation in Hawaii, during which I learned that Christian Missionaries had removed the letter "T" and replaced it with a "K" sound. This may not seem like a big deal except the king who unified the islands was named Temehameha and the most revered religious tradition was called Tapu. So whether intentional or unintentional, the missionaries literally changed two of the most important words in Hawaiian culture because they felt it would make it easier to translate their bible.
Another example of this is the Native American tribe in North Dakota commonly known as the Sioux. While following the recent events unfolding around their stand against the oil pipeline, I discovered the actual name of the tribe is Nadowessioux, a combination of Chippewa and French words meaning "two little serpents." The slang word Sioux can be interpreted as "little devils." Not the best description for a group of people, but alas it was what the United States decided to adopt as their name, even though that word doesn't actually exist in their language. Regardless of your moral feelings towards all this, it seems that the English speaking world has an affinity for changing the titles and names of people, which is a bit paradoxical considering a large portion of our society tends to be infatuated with proper titles and names.
In this current example, it appears the mix up with Chinggis' name was purely organic, however, I wonder what it would take to change all of the American textbooks to reflect the proper spelling and pronunciation of his name? I am definitely not the first person to write about this as I have found other websites discussing it, but if you want to give me credit for bettering the American education system then I will gladly take it. In fact, this change should probably be Betsy DeVos' first act as Secretary of Education. Well, after providing quality education to the children of America. So at least her second act. Well, maybe also after giving public and private school teachers the freedom to teach to students and not to standards. But no later than her third act. Chinggis, not Ghengis. Make it happen, Ms. DeVos. Make it ALL happen.
"Maybe you should wear these extra gloves, my hands are starting to get sweaty."
-Lloyd Christmas
When I landed in Ulaanbaatar in late October, I didn't need a WiFi connection and a Wikipedia page to remind me I had just landed in the World's coldest national capital. No, all I needed was the brief moment when I stepped off the plane onto the jetway and a wave of strikingly cold air hit my face. Remember when Doug E. Doug's Jamaican character Sanka walked out of the Canadian airport in Cool Runnings? Imagine that except a white guy wearing a Patagonia jacket and a twenty year old Prairie High School baseball hat. I had arrived in Mongolia.
My first few days in what was once the most expansive empire in human history were a bit of a head rush, and not just because of the smoke in the air from the daily trash burnings happening on the outskirts of the city. No, it was a rush from the mass of incredible information my friend Julia Clark was bestowing on me from her decade of experience doing archaeology research in the country. We first headed to a very Asian looking set of buildings - the type that would draw a lot of likes on Facebook. These buildings are collectively known as the Choijin Lama Temple, a monastery turned museum displaying a gruesome yet innately beautiful scene of Buhddist dieties and the horrors they will render upon those who don't feel compelled to follow the righteous path...sounds great, count me in.
Although Mongolia may seem as the epitome of "the middle of nowhere", the capital city has experienced quite the change in the last decade, at least according to those with that experience. According to one ex-pat restaurant owner who's wife is Mongolian, he feels this city is one of the more non-asian large cities in Asia. In other words, they have adopted more aspects of western culture than other Asian cities such as Beijing or Tokyo. Although this trip represents me losing my Asian travel virginity, I have to say I am surprised by the diversity of food and fashion styles available in the city. Also, I immediately regret using the phrase "Asian travel virginity."
Another anecdotal example, albeit poignant to some, would be the landscape view behind the Choijin Lama Temple, which includes the twenty five floors of the elliptically shaped Blue Sky Hotel and Tower. This building, with a great view from the bar and restaurant on the top floor, may be seen as a sign of progress, however some may question if this type of gentrification is right for Mongolia. Admittedly, even though I researched photos and read a little bit before I arrived, I clearly didn't manage my expectations properly and was quite surprised when I saw the sprawling nature of Ulaanbaatar, and it's hard not to be impressed by the glowing lights visible from any one of the top floor restaurants in the city. However, my devil's advocate side asks whether or not this sort of energy and material consumption can sustain itself in a country where, although women are literally awarded medals for having children, the majority of Mongolians actually live outside of the country (as mentioned in a multitude of online sources).
The Mongolian Steppe...not exactly a dance compeition
Early one Saturday morning we arranged for Julia's friend Namja to drive us to the countryside. We stopped at a small market where we purchased some very Mongolian-esque road trip snacks, you know, crackers that look like mushrooms with chocolate on top and some potato chips. We arrived at the Chinggis Khaan Equestrian Statue, a massive 40 meter high, steel constructed image of the famous ruler atop a horse near the Tuul River. According to legend, Chinggis found a golden horse whip in the area. I suppose that's a good of reason as any to spend 4.2 million USD to build a statue, right? All joking aside, it is quite the beautiful sight as it sits alone in the middle of the steppe, and serves as an amazing testimony to how much respect is shown for this ancient leader. There are smaller warrior statues around the larger central attraction and, depending on how much one is willing to spend, you can have one made in your honor with a replica of your face on the warrior. Word on the street is Jackie Chan has already purchased one but I have yet to confirm these rumors. Stay posted TMZ.
Later we drove into Terelj National Park where we hiked around a famous landmark called Turtle Rock and then turned our attention to renting some horses. Since I decided to visit Mongolia in the winter, there are fewer options for various activities, however, thanks to a hand written sign posted on a door with a phone number, we were able to contact a local family who was willing to take us around the area. Although the horses are smaller than what one might find renting horses in the United States, it was the saddle that proved to have the most lasting effect. The traditional Mongolian saddle is smaller than others and, even though the total riding time was merely a few hours, the massive rub burn just above my arse would last another week.
We rode up the winding road to a small temple sitting on a hill with a breathtaking view of the outstretched valley. The walk up the temple path was decorated with hundreds of signs with various Buhddist sayings, my favorite stating "A puppy born in a freezing cold and a man born in a warm home have the same desire for comfort, but their capacity of endurance is much different." A very fitting statement for a variety of real life applications. We live in a World where we compare ourselves to others, and all too often we are comparing ourselves for the wrong reasons. We shouldn't care about the clothes we buy or the cars we drive, but our capacity to look at another human being and understand where they are coming from. We have plenty of crap in our lives we don't need and, as the holiday season approaches, I think it's the best time to realize that it isn't about the size of the roof over our head, but the amount of love we can fit underneath it.
As we returned to camp, the cold was settling in fast and we were soon comforted by the warmth of milk tea (a somewhat salty beverage) and a version of a local noodle and meat dish called tsuivan, all while we lingered inside of a ger (the Mongolian version of the Russian yert) and let the wood fired stove bring feeling back into the tips of my fingers and toes.
The grass isn't always greener on the other side. It's green where you water it.
We soon traveled back and relaxed in Julia's apartment just off Sukhbaatar Square, a popular landmark in the city. In a place where street names don't hold a candle of importance to landmarks in terms of directions and finding your way around, I am thankful I had a place to stay that provided me with as many landmarks as possible.
Although my efforts to make hand gestures and use google translate can be effective, it is one of the most humbling things to need the patience of an entire community in which you don't speak the language. It turns out not knowing the language does not make me a terrible human - it just makes me human - and I am grateful for every cab driver and server who has been there to help.
Whether it was my travels in Italy, France, Germany, Peru, or India, remembering those experiences always make me reflect about the opposite side of that cultural fence, and is why I encourage everyone to spend time in a foreign country - not so we can tell them how we do things, but so they can show us why they don't. So next time you're approached by someone who doesn't speak English, there's probably a good chance they are not trying to murder or steal from you. They may just be looking for a good cup of coffee.
I'll return soon with more highlights from my time in Mongolia. Until then, stay warm, stay dry...scratch that, go outside, get cold, get wet, and enjoy your week.
-Dustin
Spelling Check, A Lost Art
First of all, it's Chinggis Khaan, not Ghengis Khan. I feel that is the first thing I need to get out of the way. Even the name of the most feared and ruthless conqueror of all time was still susceptible to translational issues between languages. I'm reminded of my time working for the Lahaina Restoration Foundation in Hawaii, during which I learned that Christian Missionaries had removed the letter "T" and replaced it with a "K" sound. This may not seem like a big deal except the king who unified the islands was named Temehameha and the most revered religious tradition was called Tapu. So whether intentional or unintentional, the missionaries literally changed two of the most important words in Hawaiian culture because they felt it would make it easier to translate their bible.
Another example of this is the Native American tribe in North Dakota commonly known as the Sioux. While following the recent events unfolding around their stand against the oil pipeline, I discovered the actual name of the tribe is Nadowessioux, a combination of Chippewa and French words meaning "two little serpents." The slang word Sioux can be interpreted as "little devils." Not the best description for a group of people, but alas it was what the United States decided to adopt as their name, even though that word doesn't actually exist in their language. Regardless of your moral feelings towards all this, it seems that the English speaking world has an affinity for changing the titles and names of people, which is a bit paradoxical considering a large portion of our society tends to be infatuated with proper titles and names.
In this current example, it appears the mix up with Chinggis' name was purely organic, however, I wonder what it would take to change all of the American textbooks to reflect the proper spelling and pronunciation of his name? I am definitely not the first person to write about this as I have found other websites discussing it, but if you want to give me credit for bettering the American education system then I will gladly take it. In fact, this change should probably be Betsy DeVos' first act as Secretary of Education. Well, after providing quality education to the children of America. So at least her second act. Well, maybe also after giving public and private school teachers the freedom to teach to students and not to standards. But no later than her third act. Chinggis, not Ghengis. Make it happen, Ms. DeVos. Make it ALL happen.
"Maybe you should wear these extra gloves, my hands are starting to get sweaty."
-Lloyd Christmas
When I landed in Ulaanbaatar in late October, I didn't need a WiFi connection and a Wikipedia page to remind me I had just landed in the World's coldest national capital. No, all I needed was the brief moment when I stepped off the plane onto the jetway and a wave of strikingly cold air hit my face. Remember when Doug E. Doug's Jamaican character Sanka walked out of the Canadian airport in Cool Runnings? Imagine that except a white guy wearing a Patagonia jacket and a twenty year old Prairie High School baseball hat. I had arrived in Mongolia.
My first few days in what was once the most expansive empire in human history were a bit of a head rush, and not just because of the smoke in the air from the daily trash burnings happening on the outskirts of the city. No, it was a rush from the mass of incredible information my friend Julia Clark was bestowing on me from her decade of experience doing archaeology research in the country. We first headed to a very Asian looking set of buildings - the type that would draw a lot of likes on Facebook. These buildings are collectively known as the Choijin Lama Temple, a monastery turned museum displaying a gruesome yet innately beautiful scene of Buhddist dieties and the horrors they will render upon those who don't feel compelled to follow the righteous path...sounds great, count me in.
Although Mongolia may seem as the epitome of "the middle of nowhere", the capital city has experienced quite the change in the last decade, at least according to those with that experience. According to one ex-pat restaurant owner who's wife is Mongolian, he feels this city is one of the more non-asian large cities in Asia. In other words, they have adopted more aspects of western culture than other Asian cities such as Beijing or Tokyo. Although this trip represents me losing my Asian travel virginity, I have to say I am surprised by the diversity of food and fashion styles available in the city. Also, I immediately regret using the phrase "Asian travel virginity."
Another anecdotal example, albeit poignant to some, would be the landscape view behind the Choijin Lama Temple, which includes the twenty five floors of the elliptically shaped Blue Sky Hotel and Tower. This building, with a great view from the bar and restaurant on the top floor, may be seen as a sign of progress, however some may question if this type of gentrification is right for Mongolia. Admittedly, even though I researched photos and read a little bit before I arrived, I clearly didn't manage my expectations properly and was quite surprised when I saw the sprawling nature of Ulaanbaatar, and it's hard not to be impressed by the glowing lights visible from any one of the top floor restaurants in the city. However, my devil's advocate side asks whether or not this sort of energy and material consumption can sustain itself in a country where, although women are literally awarded medals for having children, the majority of Mongolians actually live outside of the country (as mentioned in a multitude of online sources).
The Mongolian Steppe...not exactly a dance compeition
Early one Saturday morning we arranged for Julia's friend Namja to drive us to the countryside. We stopped at a small market where we purchased some very Mongolian-esque road trip snacks, you know, crackers that look like mushrooms with chocolate on top and some potato chips. We arrived at the Chinggis Khaan Equestrian Statue, a massive 40 meter high, steel constructed image of the famous ruler atop a horse near the Tuul River. According to legend, Chinggis found a golden horse whip in the area. I suppose that's a good of reason as any to spend 4.2 million USD to build a statue, right? All joking aside, it is quite the beautiful sight as it sits alone in the middle of the steppe, and serves as an amazing testimony to how much respect is shown for this ancient leader. There are smaller warrior statues around the larger central attraction and, depending on how much one is willing to spend, you can have one made in your honor with a replica of your face on the warrior. Word on the street is Jackie Chan has already purchased one but I have yet to confirm these rumors. Stay posted TMZ.
Later we drove into Terelj National Park where we hiked around a famous landmark called Turtle Rock and then turned our attention to renting some horses. Since I decided to visit Mongolia in the winter, there are fewer options for various activities, however, thanks to a hand written sign posted on a door with a phone number, we were able to contact a local family who was willing to take us around the area. Although the horses are smaller than what one might find renting horses in the United States, it was the saddle that proved to have the most lasting effect. The traditional Mongolian saddle is smaller than others and, even though the total riding time was merely a few hours, the massive rub burn just above my arse would last another week.
We rode up the winding road to a small temple sitting on a hill with a breathtaking view of the outstretched valley. The walk up the temple path was decorated with hundreds of signs with various Buhddist sayings, my favorite stating "A puppy born in a freezing cold and a man born in a warm home have the same desire for comfort, but their capacity of endurance is much different." A very fitting statement for a variety of real life applications. We live in a World where we compare ourselves to others, and all too often we are comparing ourselves for the wrong reasons. We shouldn't care about the clothes we buy or the cars we drive, but our capacity to look at another human being and understand where they are coming from. We have plenty of crap in our lives we don't need and, as the holiday season approaches, I think it's the best time to realize that it isn't about the size of the roof over our head, but the amount of love we can fit underneath it.
As we returned to camp, the cold was settling in fast and we were soon comforted by the warmth of milk tea (a somewhat salty beverage) and a version of a local noodle and meat dish called tsuivan, all while we lingered inside of a ger (the Mongolian version of the Russian yert) and let the wood fired stove bring feeling back into the tips of my fingers and toes.
The grass isn't always greener on the other side. It's green where you water it.
We soon traveled back and relaxed in Julia's apartment just off Sukhbaatar Square, a popular landmark in the city. In a place where street names don't hold a candle of importance to landmarks in terms of directions and finding your way around, I am thankful I had a place to stay that provided me with as many landmarks as possible.
Although my efforts to make hand gestures and use google translate can be effective, it is one of the most humbling things to need the patience of an entire community in which you don't speak the language. It turns out not knowing the language does not make me a terrible human - it just makes me human - and I am grateful for every cab driver and server who has been there to help.
Whether it was my travels in Italy, France, Germany, Peru, or India, remembering those experiences always make me reflect about the opposite side of that cultural fence, and is why I encourage everyone to spend time in a foreign country - not so we can tell them how we do things, but so they can show us why they don't. So next time you're approached by someone who doesn't speak English, there's probably a good chance they are not trying to murder or steal from you. They may just be looking for a good cup of coffee.
I'll return soon with more highlights from my time in Mongolia. Until then, stay warm, stay dry...scratch that, go outside, get cold, get wet, and enjoy your week.
-Dustin
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