The end of the line...

In the literal sense anyway! Last week I had a trip to Sukhbaatar City, the northern most city on the Mongolian railway. It's a largish city of about 20,000 people, and is 15 kilometres away from the Russian border. I was on a mission to scout out a project that VSO may work with in the future. Sukhbaatar is host to a farming cooperative run by volunteers. The volunteers help the local residents grow vegetables and breed animals as a way of supplementing their income.

This type of initiative is desperately needed in the city, as 50% of the population are unemployed. Going somewhere with a 50% unemployment rate is pretty interesting in its own right, but consider this - 20 years ago, under communism, the city had full employment. Needless to say, the local residents all fondly remember the "good old days", and are finding life in the new capitalist world tough to deal with. Some people have of course done well for themselves, but the fact that their wealth is visible to the rest of the city somehow makes the situation that much harder to bear.

Signs of the past glory of Sukhbaatar are there for all to see. The three (now disused) factories dominate the skyline, and many shops are now boarded-up. In such an atmosphere, it's no surprise that most young people want to leave for Ulaanbaatar as soon as they can. However, whilst I'm painting a picture of doom and gloom, the locals were all very friendly and proud of their city. As usual, Mongolian hospitality came to the fore, and I was force-fed buuz (meat dumplings) until I could eat no more! I cannot forget the surrounding countryside too - it was stunning. A short drive from the city takes you to areas of mountains and lakes, areas which mankind has not altered.

Back in Ulaanbaatar: I've just had a long working week (hence the delay in posting my blog entry - sorry!), so am looking forward to having a break soon. Whilst I was working this Saturday I found time in the evening to go to the Nomin Theatre to see a production of "The Blithe Spirit", performed by the local expat community. Our very own VSO volunteer Sophie was one of the main stars, so it was great to see her perform.

I hope you are all well. Lots of love to all of you, take care of yourselves,

Robert

Happy Easter!

Easter time is here, although you wouldn’t know it! Life goes on as usual, except for the very small Christian community in the city. Most Mongolians have never heard of Easter, and so are quite intrigued when I tell them that this celebration is as important as Christmas. I’m currently gearing up for the upcoming Easter/Holy Week dates. It’s strange to be away from home at this time, as Easter is a big thing for my family. I’ll miss the Easter gathering, and the now annual treasure hunt! However, I’ve got some nice plans of my own, so it’s not too bad. I’ll be joining some of my Filipino friends on Sunday for a big meal and some games. The Filipinos are great fun, I’m very lucky to have been let in to their community!

Beautiful weather – what a difference a month makes. In February the temperatures were hitting -30C. A month later and we’ve managed to enjoy a day with +10C temperatures. It’s difficult to describe what this means to me! It’s now possible to leave the house without having to wear four layers of clothes. I can now do something as simple as answering my mobile phone outside, without my hands burning in pain from the cold. But all of this is nothing compared to the enjoyment I feel from just being able to walk around the city for pleasure! It’s been about 2 or 3 months since I could just comfortably walk around and explore the city – during the cold it was strictly a “get to your destination as quickly as possible” affair. Hooray, I survived the Mongolian winter!

Appearance on the UBS Music Channel – yep, Rob made the big time! On Wednesday I had my first appearance on one of Mongolia’s top-rated music channels, “UBS Music”. Once a week they run a programme in English which focuses on the international music chart. I was asked to appear on this programme as a co-presenter – they must have been desperate. Luckily for me, the programme is pre-recorded and without an audience, so it wasn’t too nerve-racking. By the end of the experience it was actually starting to be quite fun! It looks like I might be a regular feature on this programme, and so will be appearing fortnightly. I’m sure it won’t be long until people start pointing at me on the street (for positive reasons)…

Time for me to sign off, but before I do I just want to wish you and your families a very Happy Easter. Have lots of fun and look after yourselves. Best wishes and a big hug,

Robert

Phew! Over and done with...

The Network Meeting - In short, it was a success, but I’m glad it’s over! Those who attended seemed to have a good time, and all gained something from the two days. 43 people came in the end, which was a great turn-out. We all made the trek to the nearby national park of Terelj, and stayed in the local hotel “Ulaanbaatar 2”. Day one introduced the participants to two tools that we have been working on – a benchmarking tool and a volunteer operational manual. This was quite a heavy day, so in the evening everyone let their hair down (table-tennis was played, and was followed by a disco).

Day two was “my day”. I updated the participants on the 2008 plan for the Network. Next up was a discussion on what can be done to get more men volunteering (just as in the UK, the vast majority of volunteers are female). Then the best bit – some free time in the countryside! Some colleagues and I went for a horseride around the national park, and it was beautiful. Riding in the snow was a real experience. Why am I glad that this Network meeting is over and done with though? Well, the lead-up was quite stressful. Also, two days of non-stop Mongolian language was pretty challenging (and if I’m honest, a bit boring!). Now I’m back in Ulaanbaatar, and I’m glad to be able to relax a bit.

Fundraising for the Blood Donors Association – this week I was invited to the Blood Donors Association’s AGM, as a guest of honour. I was lucky enough to be sat at the front of the room, on the table with the panel of guests – pretty cool! However, I didn’t really deserve this honour, it should have been my sister Ania sitting at the table instead of me. Why? Well, Ania has done a great job of raising money for the Donors Association, giving them money to buy a new computer. The BDA is really lacking funds, despite the crucial role it has in Mongolian society. Could you imagine your own national blood donor service being run by two volunteers? Anyway, the new computer should be a step in the right direction. THANK YOU ANIA!

I'm off for a well deserved night of being lazy! Lots of love to you all,

Robert

Half-Way there!

I’ve reached a big milestone – six months in Mongolia! It’s quite an achievement I think, so I’m giving myself a pat on the back. Getting through the harsh winter was a bit of a struggle at times, as was the initial settling in period. However, the weather has recently become a lot warmer, so in that respect life is a lot easier (for instance, walking for pleasure is now a possibility). I’ve also made some nice Mongolian friends, and have got to form some good relationships with my fellow volunteers.

Before I update you on what I’ve been doing I must first apologise. I’m sorry for the delay in posting this blog entry, but I’m in a busy period of work at the moment. All will be revealed below…

Volunteers’ Forum – Last Saturday was the first ever meeting of Mongolia’s Volunteers’ Forum (please insert fanfare). Over 40 volunteers from a large variety of organisations got together to discuss how they could work more closely together. We looked at how the Volunteer Forum should work, and what kind of things it should work on in the future.

The creation of a volunteers’ forum is something that I’ve been working on for the past month. I thought that it was strange that whilst there is a network for Mongolian volunteer-involving organisations, there was no body actually representing volunteers themselves (the Network just deals with the staff of organisations). Whilst it remains to be seen if this forum will be sustainable, the initial signs are promising. The turnout was good, and the participants seemed enthusiastic. Keep your fingers crossed!

Network Meeting – It’s been a while since the last meeting of the Network of Mongolian Volunteer Organisations that I work for (see http://rob-in-mongolia.blogspot.com/2007/11/november-9th-network-meeting.html). Thus, this coming Friday and Saturday we’re organising a huge, 2 day-long meeting! Friday morning the participants will all get on a specially laid on bus which will take them to UB2 tourist camp, situated in the mountain range outside of Ulaanbaatar. Things on the agenda include the introduction of new resources that the Network has been working on, and a discussion on how more men can be encouraged to become volunteers (about 90% of volunteers are women). We’ll also have some social time, so that the members of the Network can get to know each other a bit better. As we’re asking people to stay for two days, the meeting had better be good!

I’ll report back on this meeting in the next entry, but for now I send you my best wishes. I hope that all is going well for all of you and that you’re having fun. Take care of yourselves,

Robert

Trip to Hutul

This week I was lucky enough to travel out to the countryside for two days, visiting a volunteer project in the small town of Hutul (about three hours away from Ulaanbaatar). My mission: to gather facts so that I can write a case study on volunteering for VSO Mongolia's annual review. I was really inspired by what I saw. Volunteers had taken it upon themselves to help those most in need in their society. And what a success they had had...

Kindergarten project - The poor ger district of the town is some 3 kilometers from the nearest kindergarten, which meant that during the very cold winters children simply didn't go to kindergarten. As a result, their education was limited, and their parents had less free time to clean the house/do part-time work. Two volunteers got together and decided something needed to be done. They didn't mess around! They managed to secure funding from the Asian Development Fund, and got assurances from the Department for Education that it would provide a teacher for the kindergarten. Then they got to work on renovating a disused building near the ger district. Now over 25 children use the kindergarten, most of which did not previously go to the central kindergarten.

Secure livilihoods training - Unemployment is a big problem in Hutul, so many people struggle to get by. Again, a group of volunteers saw this problem and decided to act. They organised some training on how to grow vegetables effectively, and how to make bags and other handcrafts. The people that were trained now produce good yields of vegetables, which not only improves their diets but also gives them an alternative source of income. The bag making also adds to families' incomes. The results have been remarkable - one family I visited had, in the space of three years, gathered enough money to buy a house! Not only had they gained financially, but many also commented that they now had a new sense of purpose in their lives.

My trip to Hutul wasn't a complete positive though, as I got quite sick. It's probably got to do with the vodka made from fermented milk that one of the volunteers gave to me. Also the lack of sleep in the freezing hotel I was staying in contributed. Whilst I'm feeling better now I was out of action for two days... It's exciting to travel to new areas and see new things, but the experience is dampened a little if you're feeling ill! Now I'm back in Ulaanbaatar, and have the weekend to completely recover, so no problems there. I hope you're all doing well and keeping yourselves healthy. Lots of love,

Robert

Mongolian New Year

The 8th of February was Mongolian New Year, or as the locals call it, Tsagaan Sar (White Moon). During this time people will visit the houses of their older relatives and friends, and will generally have a great time – eating, drinking and singing. The Tsagaan Sar holiday lasts for three days. The first day is spent with direct family, and the following days are opportunities to visit more distant relatives or friends. People would do a lot of house-hopping, visiting perhaps 3 or 4 houses a day. The older generation hosts, and the young generation does the travelling.

I was lucky enough to be invited a few houses during the Tsagaan Sar period. Otgo, one of the staff at Amnesty Mongolia, invited me to spend Tsagaan Sar Eve and the morning of Tsagaan Sar itself with her family in their ger tent. It was lovely to see the many traditions. The man of the house has to be the first to walk out of the door in the morning, and will walk in the “wrong direction” (sorry, some things were lost in translation!) and then double back. Then the family will offer some milk to their Buddhist shrine, and will sprinkle some milk in the direction of the sky and the nearby mountains. This is to pay thanks to the spirits of nature.

After my trip to ger district I then rushed to catch a bus and headed into the city to visit my next family. Gana, one of my volunteer friends, had very kindly invited me to visit her grandparents’ house. It was a lovely experience, and a real honour to be part of the family’s celebrations (usually the first day of Tsagaan Sar is reserved for family only). Everyone was a bit perplexed by the white guy sitting in the corner, but was welcoming after the initial surprise factor had worn off! We sat and chatted the day away. Many people were coming in and out of the house, I felt like I had met 10% of the Mongolian population!

It was fascinating to see the tradition culture being lived out in a modern city. There’s a lot of Tsagaan Sar etiquette, which was a bit difficult to get my head round. However, I don’t think I really offended anyone. One of the traditions is that everyone greats each other according to their age, and is given a good sniff before they can sit down! Women will then sit on one side of the room and men on the other. The women do all the serving, whilst the men sit down and chat – whilst it was nice to be pampered for a few days I did feel a bit uncomfortable! Everyone seemed quite happy with it though. Throughout the celebrations men pass round snuff bottles and shots of vodka. The vodka is actually a good idea, as it’s needed to help the digestive system deal with all the fatty food that’s being served.

Food is a big part of the celebrations, and as usual meat plays a big part in the cuisine. There is a constant supply of buuz (meat dumplings) being provided, and the men cut slabs of meat from a huge chunk of mutton in the centre of the main table. The women of the household will ensure that you do not leave without a full stomach – “Ead, ead, ead!” (which helpfully enough sounds exactly the same as “eat, eat, eat!”).

Each family has a cake which is the centrepiece of the Tsagaan Sar table. The cake is built up of many layers. The odd layers symbolise good times, and the even layers symbolise sadness. Needless to say, every family’s cake finishes off on an odd number! The number of layers also signifies the age of the head of the household. Grandparents would have 7 layers, middle aged people would have 5 layers and new parents would have 3. The cake is not eaten until Tsagaan Sar is over.

The event was a real reminder of what much of Western culture has lost. It was really touching to see the strong connections between the family members. The grandparents were treated with a lot of respect, and the house was packed with visitors for the them. I’ll remember Tsagaan Sar for a long time. Back to the “real world” now though, as I’m in the office on Monday. Better do some exercise to burn off all the fatty food!

I wish you all a very good Year of the Rat, take care of yourselves,

Robert

Escape from Ulaanbaatar

This weekend I took the trip up to Darkhan for a quick break (eagle-eyed blog watchers will know that I have been to Darkhan twice before). What a break it was! It was so good to be able to get out of the city and get away from all the traffic and pollution. In Darkhan the air was clear, and the city was (almost) free of noise. It was possible to hear birds singing! The icing on the cake was that during my stay I was being looked after by my Filipino friends, who really know how to take care of people. Their hospitality (and cooking!) gets five stars. The only shame is that two of them are soon to finish their time here in Mongolia, and will be going back home. Hopefully we’ll keep in touch.

Rob, speaker extraordinaire- Last Thursday I had the priviledge of being invited to talk at the Amnesty Mongolia all-members meeting. AI Mongolia asked me to talk about Amnesty in the UK. The audience was pretty interested to hear about the situation in the UK, and had some good questions for me. I talked about Amnesty's membership in the UK, and the controversial issues that surround the movement at the moment. I was one of two speakers, sharing a platform with a former Mongolian diplomat - not bad going I think! I feel very honoured.

VSO volunteers evacuated from Kenya – Due to the increasing troubles in Kenya, VSO has taken the decision to evacuate all of its volunteers in the nation, until things calm down a bit (see http://www.vso.org.uk/vso_withdraws_volunteers_from_kenya.asp for more details). This news has a particular impact on me, as I was first allocated to go on a placement to Kenya, before eventually settling for Mongolia. It could have been me being evacuated at the moment! Whilst I’m sure there would be exciting sides to this experience, having my family constantly worrying and watching the news for updates on the situation is something I wouldn’t want to put them through. Elections take place in Mongolia later this year, but we shouldn’t have similar difficulties here (fingers crossed)…

Preparing for Tsagaan Saar – this coming weekend will be Mongolian New Year, so everyone is getting ready for the big celebrations. People are stocking up their houses with lots of treats, and those that have families in the countryside will soon leave Ulaanbaatar for their homes. I’m lucky enough to have been invited to visit two families over this special period, and will report back my experiences in the next edition.

Best wishes from a festive Mongolia,

Robert