Mongolian Matters - News from Mongolia

The Isle of Mongolia

2008-04-04T19:22:00.006+08:00

we know that most obscure domains come from far more obscure islands in big waters. the latest addition is intriguing. An American Domain Cow has the following on offering:

.MN is the one of newest domain name for the Internet. The .MN domain is an unrestricted and largely untapped domain name space on the Internet. Because this TLD is "new" to the market, there are Still Really Good Names Available. Great for Minnesota, Mobile Network, Music News, Main, Midnight. Get a .MN Domain Today. - .MN is the ccTLD of Isle of Mongolia.

P. Hulova in the Mongolian steppe

2008-03-03T20:41:00.001+08:00

...yuu bna? brought my attention to this interview with Petra Hulova, the young author of a wonderful book In Memory of My Grandmother (Paměť mojí babičce). The Dutch translation is rather a nail biting experience, and yan has some trouble with the german as well. i hope for everyone the English is a bit better experience. regardless, the book is a gem. Mostly because is it is not a tourist guide to Mongolia, it doesnt try explain everything too much, but uses Mongolia as the landscape for an intriguing family saga.

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technorati: mongolia

New Community Site

2007-08-31T09:05:00.001+08:00

There is a new community site for/on/in Mongolia(n) Naiz.mn. Check it out!

Mongolia's Ambivalant Gambling History

2007-05-13T08:40:00.000+08:00

There has always been a lot of fuss about gambling in Mongolia. During the rule of the Democratic Party even an MP got jailed over the establishment of a casino. Later a law was passed that only gambling machines were allowed, which under Hungarian patronage resulted in every possible gambling machine being imported into Mongolia adding a lot of blinking lemons and cherries to the streets of Ulaanbaatar. Ultimately it created such a stir with people losing their complete family capital in a day that all game centers were closed down overnight.
Turning away from the electronics, there was some confusion about a horse track, followed by the invention of a free-trade zone near the Chinese border. And now again controversy has arisen over a gambling project planned close to the international Chingis Khaan airport. It has turned pretty much the some old thing with parliamentarians accusing each other of chasing after personal benefit in a recent UB Post article.

The draft faced strong opposition from L.Gundalai, chairperson of the Popular Party, who claimed that it was designed to favor a specific business interest group.
.....

But wait for the punch line:

The draft also authorizes the government to set up a special committee to control the working of casinos and other gambling businesses operating round the clock. Only non-Mongolians will be allowed to visit these gambling centers.
(italics are mine)

I think actually although not having casinos in any given country has its charms, having a limited restricted form might be a good middle way. But why in Chingis name would you not allow your own residents to visit these places? Why would you want to make a place in your country where your own people cant come? I don't think there is no economic benefit that would justify that. But hey, who am I? Probably just a potential client to some.
The final question that comes to mind is: will the ban include those very parliamentarians?

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technorati: mongolia

The Ultimate Google News on Mongolia

2007-05-12T10:07:00.000+08:00

To keep up to date with any news Google News seems the place to go. If your country is blessed with a customized google news (like cuba) you have it made because all news relevant for your country is automatically sorted and displayed by the big google machine. However, it seems that for Mongolia that might be some time away. Now the problem that arises from this is that you have to use search terms to actually generate some content, and that is not ideal. It means you miss out on a lot of content that IS relevant, but just doesn't feature the keyword provided. But maybe more annoying is getting articles that happen to contain the keyword but just aren't really relevant.
I am afraid there is simply isn't a cure for this ail yet, but there is a way to get a bit more relevant info instead of just typing "mongolia" in the search bar.
The first thing is that you actually want things Mongolian, which would argue for using the search term ^Mongolian^ as well. You could to that with the OR operator resulting in ^Mongolia OR Mongolian^. There is a possibility you might not want information on astronauts landing in INNER Mongolia, which can be achieved by filtering out the term ^"Inner Mongolia"^ (mind the quotes) with the [-] operator, making it all together something like:

Mongolia OR Mongolian -"Inner Mongolia"

You can add as many OR or - operators as you want like:

Mongolia OR Mongolian OR "Genghis Khan" -"Inner -Mongolia" -mining -mines

This would generate results for genghis khan, but not for items related to mining or mines. Of course it is a bit tedious to type all this in on your daily news hunt, so it might help to bookmark the page or create an email alert.

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technorati: mongolia

Mongolia and Brunei....

2007-05-10T00:31:00.000+08:00

Sometimes things are unbelievable, sometimes they are predictable and sometimes they are somewhere in the middle, but still take you slightly by surprise.
I heard Monaco and Mongolia started diplomatic relations, because they where simply sitting next to each other (thanks to the alphabet) in a - undoubtedly extremely boring - international meeting. The connection with Brunei seems to be more of a religious issue, where the Islamic minority in the west of Mongolia has established contact with the small Sultanate. A parliamentary visit might take no one by surprise , but the announcement of a visit of president Enkhbayar certainly did.
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technorati: mongolia

Empty Streets in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

2007-04-29T17:23:00.000+08:00

A rather unusual site at the main vain of Mongolia's Capital: A carless Peace Avenue encouraged people to go out and stroll on the middle of the street. Even Nomin decided to turn down the volume of its giant lcd billboard opposite of the State Department Store, creating a rare peaceful atmosphere in the heart of Ulaanbaatar.
As announced in several media the carless day is an initiated by the World Health Organization to increase safety in the dense urban area. Although maybe a drawback for the local economy of shops and cafes, it might give a breathe of fresh air to the polluted city center.

Update: later in the afternoon there was a student rally and concert on Sukhbaatar Square
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technorati: mongolia

Khublai Khans Pearls

2007-04-29T07:26:00.000+08:00

From the Dutch lowlands i was informed of this rather peculiar article in an Indian newspaper. While in Mongolia the quest for Chingis Khan's grave has still remained unsuccessful - to the happiness of most locals that is - , Abu Dhabi has a Mongolian treasure of its own:

A saltwater pearl insured for $5 million is due to be auctioned in May in Abu Dhabi. The 115-gram pearl is believed to have been the possession of the grandson of Ghengis Khan, the Mongol emperor Kublai Khan in the 13th century.
According to media reports, the pearl is expected to attract bids of up to $8 million. The head of a gemstone unit at Dubai central laboratory said the pearl dated back to the 12th century and originated in Mongolia

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technorati: mongolia

Unox in Mongolia - President goes cloggy

2007-04-03T00:09:00.000+08:00

Luke does it again - not only was he able to became editor's pick with his Tsataan Reindeer people, but also came home with this classic picture from president Enkhbayar wearing a "traditional" Dutch Unox hat. Bring on the Erwtensoep people!

So what does the president of Mongolia on the ice of Mongolia's solid frozen pristine Khuvsgul lake in this extreme Dutch outfit? He must have been intimidated by the 200 dutch people around him that came there for the happening of the Alternative Elfstedentocht. For more on that see yet another Distelhorst story

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technorati:
mongolia
netherlands
speedskating
elfstedentocht

Red Roses in the Snow: Mongolia Celebrates Women's Day

2007-03-09T00:46:00.000+08:00

There is another blogger out there in blogland with regular posts on what is so amazing about Mongolia. If i had a series like that, i would have had good one today. When I stepped out of an overpopulated State Department Store, i have to make my way through people selling red roses, people buying red roses, people looking at red roses, people carrying red roses and the rest probably already bought/sold/saw/carried their red roses earlier today.
And during this rose extravaganza, small white snow flakes were coming down from the sky while the mercury was still well subzero. Amazing.

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technorati: mongolia

Looking Ahead: Eclipse in Mongolia

2007-03-08T00:39:00.000+08:00

Coming out of my blogging hibernation, i get up to see: the sun is gone missing. Will is getting going to be gone missing, that is. On August 1st 2008, Mongolia will experience a total eclipse of the sun. Don Croner (no hibernation for him) has all the juicy details, including a recount of the 1997 eclipse (during which according to popular legend the reincarnation of genghis khan was born), but also a complete path of the 2008 rclipse and its path through Mongolia. And although it brings memories of Carly Simon songs to Don's head, I just can't get Bonnie Tyler out of mine.
Anyway, the really amazing bit is that a company called Sirius Travel (feel it coming?) is already offering....an eleven day tour to see the eclipse.
If you pay USD 1500 before September 2007, you can be assured to "stand in the shadow of the Moon" one year later. Well if it not so cloudy, that is.

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technorati: mongolia

Chinese version of Mongolian Buddhist History

2007-02-02T17:23:00.000+08:00

"Between 1600 and 1640, when the Great Ch’ing Empire (Daicing Gurun, Daic& ing Ulus) emerged, there were many central Tibetan priests and Tibetan Buddhist priests from Mongolia (usually called lam-a, lama,

At that time, there were large numbers of lamas in Mongolia and China, but only two of them were on the side of Ming. Both of these two lamas were invited by the Chinese military leaders in Liaotung to serve as fu k’uan. The lamas were Lama Wang (Wang lama, Sangs-rgyas Pa-sangs) and Lama Li (Lii lama, Bsod-nams Mtsho). Both of them were Chinese. Lama Wang came from the Hsuan-hua Ta-tung area and had previously engaged in negotiations with Mongolia there. His activities in Liaotung, still diplomatic work with Mongolia, were recorded from 1622 to 1629. "

Traditional use of herbes of the Mongols

2006-12-16T09:54:00.000+08:00

Mongolian Medicine: "the warriors of Chengis Khan (died 1227) took medicines like Acorus calamus (Tib. shu dag) to stop bleeding. The herb relieves pain and detoxifies the organism after consumption of contaminated food. During times of war, senior generals made their troops collect Acorus calamus when the army camped near rivers. They used the herb to purify water by placing it in the river, upstream of the camp.

Musk was also used to treat water. The Mongolians soaked musk in their wooden water carriers to provide flavour and purify the water. Aconitum richardsonianum lavener (Tib. sman chen) was used in the distillation of liquor. The herb was placed below the barrel of liquor as a precautionary measure. Garuda-5 or Khyunga (Tib. Khyung lnga), which prevents infectious diseases and relieves pain, is also very popular in oriental medical traditions. In this way, Mongolians have used different kinds of medicinal herbs to cure and prevent human and animal ailments."

In Memoriam Tsog Shagdarsuren

2006-11-29T02:04:00.000+08:00

In reaction to the sudden passing away of Tsog Shagdarsuren I received the following from Lyn Coffin

I remember him as being one of those rare people who are imaginatively or empathetically tolerant. He really seemed able to put himself into someone else's mindset, even if that person was of the opposite sex, and from the U.S. Here's the (revised) poem I dedicated to him. He liked the poem, and translated it into Mongolian; that pleases me.

The Silver Tree

for Tsog

Tsog, my new Mongolian friend, pointed

to the fountain ahead of us. “It’s a copy

of ‘The Silver Tree’,” he said. “It stood

in Ancient Kharakoum. The mouths of

the dragons pour out water now, but then

they gave forth airag, wine, and honey,

and another drink I don’t remember.”

After the reception, I walked alone in

the courtyard, tasting what drink the dragons

had to offer. Airag presented

the bleak wisdom of living in the body,

moving with herds across the grassy steppe. Wine

suggested the joys of living in the mind,

cities clustered like grapes on tangled vines.

Honey reawakened the taste of

living in the spirit: sweet meditations in

monastic rock. These three spoke eloquently

of body, mind, and soul. But the fourth tasted

of all and none of that; tasted of love and

death, the touch of the god that wipes our

blank slates clean, then graves itself on stone,

its name too sacred ever to be spoken.

Genghis Khan On Sukhbaatar Square

2006-11-28T17:57:00.000+08:00

Chinggis Khaan (Genghis Khan) has finally fully claimed his thrown again on Sukhbaatar square where this weekend the impressive gallery was revealed. Already during Nadaam time many dignitaries came to pay respect to Chinggis Khaan, including international princes and prime-ministers, but only recently the construction was entirely completed. At last the sizable Chinggis can confidently oversee his people, including a lone horse rider on the middle of the square.

Genghis Khan Craze 132800 - Punky Chinggis on the new 20.000 banknote

2006-10-21T00:47:00.000+08:00

The new Mongolian Tugrug note of 20,000 features a purple and green Chinggis, adding a new coulour scheme to the series of notes. The bank notes were recently launched and started circulating in the regular currency traffic. The 20,000 note now is the one with the highest value in circulation in Mongolia, with a value of around USD 17. The cover image is the same as the five hundred to ten thousand notes, but on the rear side an image of the national white banners is featured.

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technorati: mongolia

Mongolia's Prince Ganjuuryn Dschero Khan

2006-09-11T12:00:00.000+09:00

Recently we received an online inquiry about Prince Ganjuuryn Dschero Khan (see image), a person of Netherlands and Taiwanese origin that was:

born officially at 28.08.1928 in Ulan Buha in the aristocracy lineage of the Bordschigin from the trunk of the Koko Mangchol in Mongolia. As one says, with blood at the hands.

This reaches the level of eccentricity of the paronoid Sheikh falcon hunter by the name of Parrot

Bad Borrower Bill Gates Reported in Mongolia

2006-09-07T11:13:00.000+09:00

The Mongolian Bankers Association reports on "bad borrowers" in Mongolia. A slight surprise to see the name of Bill Gates pop up on top of their list. We actually tried calling his phone number listed, but - to no surprise - he didn't pay his phone bill.

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technorati: mongolia - bill+gates - billgates

Rare portrait of Genghis Khan discovered in north China temple

2006-08-25T12:24:00.000+09:00

Zee News - Rare portrait of Genghis Khan discovered in north China temple: "Rare portrait of Genghis Khan discovered in north China temple
Beijing, Aug 24: A rare Thangka portrait of legendary Mongol leader Genghis Khan has been discovered in a Tibetan Buddhist temple in north China`s inner Mongolia autonomous region, a local cultural heritage official announced.

The painting was drawn by a Late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) Mongolian artist, probably in the nineteenth century, Wang Dafang, an official with the Cultural Heritage Bureau of Inner Mongolia said.

The portrait is painted on a piece of cloth 28.5 cm long and 21 cm wide. The painting shows Genghis Khan in martial attire, riding a white horse and holding a banner in his right hand, with a bow and a quiver of arrows on his back, according to Wang.

Thangka is a Tibetan art form that dates back 1,000 years and which mainly depicts images from Tibetan Buddhism, Wang was quoted as saying by a news agency. "

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia on Google Earth/Maps - Improved Satellite image

2006-08-12T17:32:00.000+09:00

Google maps and Google earth have improved their satellite images. It gives quite an amzing view on Mongolia and especially Ulaanbaatar.
The circus seems to have been designed to see from the sky, the overcharging city taxis are waiting in front of the State Department Store, the Government palace can be clearly seen, and of course the mondriaan of ger areas.

Thanks to Robin.

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technorati: mongolia

Genghis and the airport

2006-07-15T20:18:00.000+09:00

While most of the world is looking with a slight bewilderment at the images and other display of Chinggis Khaan during the recent celebrations it is somehow the airport that still can bring people from miles and miles away to emotional outbursts, as in The Guardian:

"Sombre news from Ulan Bator. In honour of Mongolia's 800th anniversary, its airport has been renamed after Genghis Khan. This reflects the newly assertive stature of the former communist state. ...

[Genghis] is credited with a belief in meritocracy, decimalisation, female emancipation, freedom of religion and flat taxes (after a fashion). He also specialised in mass slaughter, razing cities to the ground (saving only the engineers and artists), and pouring molten silver into the ears of insurgent leaders or, if they preferred, suffocating them under his table while he ate dinner. Neoconservatives still often declare themselves 'well to the right' of him.

How all this will play with tourists landing at Ulan Bator airport is not clear. Genghis Khan told his generals to treat foreign foes by 'robbing them of their wealth, bathing their loved ones in tears,"

Apperently, while here it seems an innocent rename to a local hero, for some the link between the brutal Genghis Khan and an airport seems to be a hounting one.

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technorati: mongolia

Mongolia's Genghis Khan Craze #1156: A Cunning Can

2006-05-31T00:07:00.000+09:00

We know in beers there is Chinggis, Khan Brau and since recently Mongol. There is Khaan coffee, Chinggis Khaan Hotel, Chinggis Khuree, Chinggis Khaan International Airport. But the very last innovation is the one and only Genghis Khaan Energy drink.
Drinking this certainly makes you feel you can conquor the world...

Learning Mongolian?

2006-05-18T10:17:00.000+09:00

The Mongolian version of Lexicarry: Pictures for Learning Languages is now being published by Pro Lingua Inc. Lexicarry, available in multiple languages, is a picture dictionary, vocabulary builder and book of cartoon dialogues designed for the beginner to advanced language learner. The Mongolian version by Roger Cohen and Tumenjargal Budragchaa also contains an extensive section of Mongolian proverbs.

The book can be ordered online from www.lexicarry.com The Mongolian word list can now be purchased in hard copy, and will be available for free download in several weeks.
technorati: mongolia

Luke is back

2006-04-29T10:47:00.000+09:00

The Mongolia News blog these days certainly is Luke Distelhorsts Mongolia NewEurasia. After some wel deserved holiday he is back on the track, with a couple of posts on:

US Deputy Assistant Secretary Of State In Mongolia (is that the assistant of the deputy of the assistant secretary, the assistant of the deputy secretary or the secretary of the deputy assistant?)
Spring In The Mongolian Gobi (Dornogovi Aimag) - excellent images and info
Land in Ulaanbaatar Designated For Schools - pressing issue

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technorati: mongolia

Mongolian language documents in the vatican archive

2006-04-29T10:11:00.000+09:00

Stumbles across an interesting site of the Vatican Archives, where several Mongol Bichig documents are still kept. The story that I know, that isn't mentioned here is that of Raban Sauma, who travels from the Mongolian Court in Beijing all the way to the Vatican and delivers a letter.

On the Vatican site they have some information on the Ilkhans of Persia:

"The three documents written by the chancery of the Mongolian Ilkhans of Persia are respectively: a safe-conduct of 1267 (or at latest of 1279) issued by Abaya to a papal embassy on his way back to the West; a letter by Aryun to Pope Nicholas IV «the fifth day of the new moon of the first month of the Summer of the year of the Tiger » (14th May 1290) and a letter by Gasan to Pope Boniface VIII of 1302 on the negotiations for the common attack plans against the Mamelukes of Egypt, who then were also the lords of Syria."