Ulaanbaatar, or "UB" as it is usually called, is a large sprawling urban center. The heart of the country, it houses government, business, and half of Mongolia's population of 2.5 million. I am staying with a friend of Anu's (my friend and contact in Denver) not far from downtown in a nice apartment building. Bayara lives in a 2 bedroom flat with her 2 children and live-in babysitter. The family has been generous with me. I share the bottom bunk of a bunk bed with Bayara's son. I have had a couple days out seeing the city, and several days to rest and hang out with Bayara's kids.
Her son taught me to play one of the games played with real animal ankle bones. The bones come from sheep or goats and are about 1.5 inches x 1 inch x 1/2 inch and each side is unique. This makes them into a kind of dice with which many games are played. I learned to play a game that is like a combination of dice and marbles. You start with 20 (more if you have more players) and throw them down. You have to flick (like marbles) one into another with the same side up. If you hit it without hitting anything else, you take one, and can try again. The goal is to get all the bones from the other player. There are other rules that keep it engaging. In any Mongolian film where they show life inside the ger, there are always boys playing this game. Glad I will go out already knowing the basics, since it is one of the main forms of entertainment.
One evening Bayara came home with a special treat from her mom. Her parents had just killed a sheep and shared a bowl of boiled entrails with her. This is the first thing that is cooked, and it is savored by friends, family, and neighbors. I eyed the bowl with some hesitation. It smelled like lamb, but the snaking entrails and organs had a greyish tint from the boiling. After initially taking a pass, I asked to try the most mild piece. She gave me a piece of heart. The meat was firm and tasty. I said I would try one more. She gave me a chunk of congealed blood. I didn't let myself think about it before popping it in my mouth. This one had a texture of soft-set Jello, with a strong gamey taste. I found it a little disconcerting. That ended my exploration for the evening, but I am determined to try more delicacies during my time here. The usual diet for urban Mongolians has a lot of meat and potatoes, some rice, and some noodles. Lucky for me Bayara also likes vegetables so we have had salads with most meals. In the countryside they mostly will eat dairy, meat, cabbage, potatoes and some rice and flour noodles. I am bringing some dried fruit and vitamin supplements to help round out my diet.
Anu's friends have welcomed me here and helped show me around, housed me and fed me. I am grateful for this experience which is so different than my guesthouse living of the past few months. It is nice to be part of a home and feel the daily rhythms of stability. I will head out on Thursday for Kharkhorin, and then get to meet my family for the summer.
Her son taught me to play one of the games played with real animal ankle bones. The bones come from sheep or goats and are about 1.5 inches x 1 inch x 1/2 inch and each side is unique. This makes them into a kind of dice with which many games are played. I learned to play a game that is like a combination of dice and marbles. You start with 20 (more if you have more players) and throw them down. You have to flick (like marbles) one into another with the same side up. If you hit it without hitting anything else, you take one, and can try again. The goal is to get all the bones from the other player. There are other rules that keep it engaging. In any Mongolian film where they show life inside the ger, there are always boys playing this game. Glad I will go out already knowing the basics, since it is one of the main forms of entertainment.
One evening Bayara came home with a special treat from her mom. Her parents had just killed a sheep and shared a bowl of boiled entrails with her. This is the first thing that is cooked, and it is savored by friends, family, and neighbors. I eyed the bowl with some hesitation. It smelled like lamb, but the snaking entrails and organs had a greyish tint from the boiling. After initially taking a pass, I asked to try the most mild piece. She gave me a piece of heart. The meat was firm and tasty. I said I would try one more. She gave me a chunk of congealed blood. I didn't let myself think about it before popping it in my mouth. This one had a texture of soft-set Jello, with a strong gamey taste. I found it a little disconcerting. That ended my exploration for the evening, but I am determined to try more delicacies during my time here. The usual diet for urban Mongolians has a lot of meat and potatoes, some rice, and some noodles. Lucky for me Bayara also likes vegetables so we have had salads with most meals. In the countryside they mostly will eat dairy, meat, cabbage, potatoes and some rice and flour noodles. I am bringing some dried fruit and vitamin supplements to help round out my diet.
Anu's friends have welcomed me here and helped show me around, housed me and fed me. I am grateful for this experience which is so different than my guesthouse living of the past few months. It is nice to be part of a home and feel the daily rhythms of stability. I will head out on Thursday for Kharkhorin, and then get to meet my family for the summer.
No comments:
Post a Comment