Today was Awesome. Fantastic. I learned so much about Mongolia, from the average price of a meter of silk at the black market to the Buddhism’s relationship with the environment. So, let me share some of my newfound knowledge with you all.
I was given the opportunity to do some interesting work for The Tributary Fund today around UB with the help of a very nice girl my age named Nomin, who was my translator. The Fund was interested in trying to put together some projects for the women they work with in rural areas to supplement their income. So maybe a craft or something local that would appeal to tourists. Consequently, I was sent off to investigate prices of potential materials at the black market. I thought the black market was going to be really dangerous and exciting, in some secret location that only Mongolians knew because it was so complicated to get to. Turns out it was actually just an open market a relatively short walk from our hotel that sold lots of cheap stuff from China. Kind of similar to Wal-Mart in that sense. It did, however, have an amazing variety of fabrics, which tend to go for between 3,000-5,000 tugriks per meter, in case you were curious.
After completing my fabric research (which was to supplement that which Chimga had already done), Nomin and I set off for the university. This was so interesting. I got to interview about 12 biology students about their views on conservation in Mongolia currently and in the future. All of the students were pursuing a career in conservation and many had done internships with foreign NGO’s concerning their particular area of study. The overall feeling was that respect for nature is something deeply ingrained in Mongolia’s culture, but like any developing country that’s experiencing rapid urbanization, it struggles to implement environmentally friendly practices. In addition, the students expressed that most people in the city were struggling with more immediate threats to survival, like providing for themselves and their families, and, as a result, environmental concerns weren’t their top priority. Most students felt the biggest way to improve environmental awareness was through education from a young age. They said that being students of ecology and biology, they were far more knowledgeable on the importance of conservation and environmental protection than the average Mongolian. Most Mongolians know the importance of respect for the environment through the lens of Buddhism, but few have any scientific knowledge to combine it with. They felt that approaching environmental awareness through Buddhism was a great idea because they agreed spiritual reasons would be more compelling for people, especially those in rural areas, to change their current practices. Plus, they thought it was important to teach people about conservation within the context of their own culture.
My interview with the students was even more illuminating when coupled with the information I gained later in the day when I interviewed a monk at the Gandan Monastery. I asked him similar questions that I had asked the students, except with an emphasis on Buddhism. He explained to me that Buddhism’s close relationship with nature comes from its emphasis on compassion. Because Buddhism promotes compassion toward all living things (not only animals and humans, but anything with a spirit), respect for nature is inherent in the religion. He also explained that Buddhism is so old in Mongolia that all Mongolians have some Buddhist ideals, because it is so much a part of their culture and heritage. For these reasons, he thought teaching conservation through Buddhism was very logical and important. He said the Buddhist leaders command a lot of respect and authority in Mongolia as do their teachings. When I asked why, in light of all this reverence and respect for the environment, environmental issues were not being addressed, the monk made an interesting point. He said that when Mongolia was totally nomadic, the people were entirely dependant on their environment and interacted with nature on a day to day basis. So it was easy for them to live in harmony with nature and understand it’s direct impact on their lives. However, now those living in UB rarely interact with nature and consequently don’t think about it’s role in their day to day lives. The monk believed this was a major reason behind the lack of concern for environmental issues. A disconnect between people and the environment.
This is an issue that we face in the United States as well. It was interesting to learn about Mongolia’s view of conservation, not only for its being useful information for The Tributary Fund, but also to compare it to that of folks in the U.S. There are many similarities that I would guess could be said of people most anywhere in the world. One clear difference however, was the potential role of Buddhism as an effective way to connect Mongolia’s culture and history to conservation today.
After my day on the town, Sue and I were invited to a lovely dinner at Salsa’s house. We got to eat with his family aand discuss some of his upcoming projects for the Gandan to become more “green.” I got to have my first cup of milk tea! It was very cool to be a part of. I feel very fortunate and I’m very grateful to Salsa to have been included and Sue for letting me tag along. Thanks guys, it was great!! Oh, and if Salsa reads this, I’ll also thank him for the gift of beautiful cashmere gloves as well.
It was a wonderful end to an awesome day in UB! We’ll be heading to the countryside soon, so I wont be able to update until I get back. I keep a good journal though, and post some new adventures as soon as I get back.
Cheers!
Grace
Friday, May 29, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Jetlag, a monk named Harry Potter and composting toilets in UB
I’m in Mongolia!
Alright so jetlag is tough, let me tell ya. The day I got in, I was thankfully left to sleep for much of the day. That night, Sue took me to a nice Indian place and at some point the electricity cut out for a while, so it was a nice romantic meal. Over all, UB (what everyone calls Ulaanbaatar), is a big, busy city, very similar to other big, busy cities in other developing countries. It’s notably dusty and windy at this time of year, and also quite warm. The interesting thing is the contrast between old soviet buildings that have fallen into disrepair, which characterize most of the city, and the rare beautiful old Buddhist or Chinese buildings, also in disrepair, but far from just slabs of concrete. Much of the Buddhist temples (almost all) were destroyed under communist control, but some have been rebuilt. The Gandan Monastery, the major Buddhist center of Mongolia, is located in the capital. It’s a beautiful walled-in area of temples, for worship and study, always busy with monks and pigeons. Again, it’s an interesting example of the contrast between old Mongolia and the new Mongolia, as it’s surrounded by dusty dirt alleys and the crowded run-down neighborhoods of emigrants from the countryside.
The next day, Saturday, was great! I got to do all sorts of interesting stuff. Sue and I walked to the Gandan for a meeting with some Buddhist leaders who had recently participated in the Tributary Fund’s environmental education exchange tot he US. We met with Byambaa, Salsa, Harry Potter, Erdenebat, and of course, Chimga. You may be skeptical that I actually met with monks named Harry Potter and Salsa, and I’ll admit, they do have real names, but these were the names Sue used to introduce them to me—names they earned in the US. I think it has something to do with the fact that we ignorant English speakers have some trouble with Mongolian pronunciations and it got to be quite embarrassing, so, being compassionate and affable monks, they agreed to go by nicknames.
After the meeting, Sue and I were extremely fortunate and received a special tour of the Gandan from Amaraa (Harry Potter). It was very cool and we got special access to places because of who we were with. It was like having a backstage VIP pass at some big concert. So thank you, Harry!
After the Gandan we walked to another meeting with Kent and Katrina from the Boojum Expeditions and Eco-San about the future of composting toilets in Mongolia, specifically the countryside. It turned out to be a fascinating meeting and it looks like composting toilets could save the world. They make a lot of sense for Mongolia, as water isn’t exactly plentiful and waste management in the countryside is somewhat lacking. However, the cold temperatures in the winter pose some issues for the feasibility of the toilets. So that is an issue they are working on. The key to these particular toilets is that they separate the solid and liquid waste right from the start, which addresses many health concerns and other potential problems with the toilets. It allows for the waste to be reused in some great ways and makes the actual toilets less stinky. It was really exciting to be a part of such a potentially beneficial and important project.
The next day Sue and I, along with Kent, Katrina, and Harry, got to go see a site where the Gandan is thinking about putting a demonstration toilet. The potential to have one at the Gandan was a huge step, as it would be the ideal location from which to promote the toilets. The acceptance of the concept of the toilet is very important to its future in Mongolia and there was a surprising level of detailed planning and thought behind everything toilet related, from it’s color, to the signs that indicate where it is in the Gandan.
All in all, it was a very interesting, exciting first few days in Mongolia! I’m looking forward to the work of the next few days, as they it’s sure to be equally as intriguing. I’ll post more soon!
Grace
Alright so jetlag is tough, let me tell ya. The day I got in, I was thankfully left to sleep for much of the day. That night, Sue took me to a nice Indian place and at some point the electricity cut out for a while, so it was a nice romantic meal. Over all, UB (what everyone calls Ulaanbaatar), is a big, busy city, very similar to other big, busy cities in other developing countries. It’s notably dusty and windy at this time of year, and also quite warm. The interesting thing is the contrast between old soviet buildings that have fallen into disrepair, which characterize most of the city, and the rare beautiful old Buddhist or Chinese buildings, also in disrepair, but far from just slabs of concrete. Much of the Buddhist temples (almost all) were destroyed under communist control, but some have been rebuilt. The Gandan Monastery, the major Buddhist center of Mongolia, is located in the capital. It’s a beautiful walled-in area of temples, for worship and study, always busy with monks and pigeons. Again, it’s an interesting example of the contrast between old Mongolia and the new Mongolia, as it’s surrounded by dusty dirt alleys and the crowded run-down neighborhoods of emigrants from the countryside.
The next day, Saturday, was great! I got to do all sorts of interesting stuff. Sue and I walked to the Gandan for a meeting with some Buddhist leaders who had recently participated in the Tributary Fund’s environmental education exchange tot he US. We met with Byambaa, Salsa, Harry Potter, Erdenebat, and of course, Chimga. You may be skeptical that I actually met with monks named Harry Potter and Salsa, and I’ll admit, they do have real names, but these were the names Sue used to introduce them to me—names they earned in the US. I think it has something to do with the fact that we ignorant English speakers have some trouble with Mongolian pronunciations and it got to be quite embarrassing, so, being compassionate and affable monks, they agreed to go by nicknames.
After the meeting, Sue and I were extremely fortunate and received a special tour of the Gandan from Amaraa (Harry Potter). It was very cool and we got special access to places because of who we were with. It was like having a backstage VIP pass at some big concert. So thank you, Harry!
After the Gandan we walked to another meeting with Kent and Katrina from the Boojum Expeditions and Eco-San about the future of composting toilets in Mongolia, specifically the countryside. It turned out to be a fascinating meeting and it looks like composting toilets could save the world. They make a lot of sense for Mongolia, as water isn’t exactly plentiful and waste management in the countryside is somewhat lacking. However, the cold temperatures in the winter pose some issues for the feasibility of the toilets. So that is an issue they are working on. The key to these particular toilets is that they separate the solid and liquid waste right from the start, which addresses many health concerns and other potential problems with the toilets. It allows for the waste to be reused in some great ways and makes the actual toilets less stinky. It was really exciting to be a part of such a potentially beneficial and important project.
The next day Sue and I, along with Kent, Katrina, and Harry, got to go see a site where the Gandan is thinking about putting a demonstration toilet. The potential to have one at the Gandan was a huge step, as it would be the ideal location from which to promote the toilets. The acceptance of the concept of the toilet is very important to its future in Mongolia and there was a surprising level of detailed planning and thought behind everything toilet related, from it’s color, to the signs that indicate where it is in the Gandan.
All in all, it was a very interesting, exciting first few days in Mongolia! I’m looking forward to the work of the next few days, as they it’s sure to be equally as intriguing. I’ll post more soon!
Grace
Monday, May 25, 2009
Intro to me
Hello everyone. My name is Grace Phillips. I’ll just start with explaining who I am and why I’m in Mongolia, tagging along with Sue!
So, I am from Bozeman and I am going to be starting my studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I graduated from Bozeman High School last spring but was given the opportunity to take a year off before starting at Carolina with significant funding from the university. The catch was, I had to go travel the world and do things to explore my interests and passions and bring my knowledge with me when I start there in the fall. Well THAT was clearly not going to be a tough requirement to fill, so I set out on this year with an outline of worthwhile stuff to do, including coming to Mongolia with The Tributary Fund to be of any assistance that I can!
My year up until now has consisted of a few parts. I took a semester long Wilderness EMT course at University of Montana in Missoula for the fall and got certified in January. Then I spent a few months at home, helping out with my new baby sister (now almost 6 months old). In March I spent a month down in Guatemala doing volunteer work with severely handicapped children. I came home for 4 days and then set off to visit family in San Francisco for a bit. Late April I headed to Europe, without much of a plan except to visit some friends studying abroad in Brussels and Ireland and some family in London. Finally, I flew from Frankfurt to Ulaanbaatar on May 22nd!
Phewf, so I’m here finally. My purpose in coming is multi-dimensional. First, I know the work of The Tributary fund and am very excited about what they do. When I initially talked to Betsy and Sue about coming along, I imagined doing whatever they needed help with and learning as much as I could, not only about their work and the culture here, but about the struggles of being socially and environmentally responsible and trying to put your ideals into practice. It was a unique opportunity for them as well, as I was a flexible volunteer that could pay my own way. I am also very interested in Asian culture and the Buddhism that is practiced here in Mongolia. Additionally, since having decided to come to Mongolia, I have been accepted to live in Sustainability Housing at UNC. Basically, it’s themed housing that works to make UNC campus more green and provides its participants with lots of education and work in sustainability and environmental awareness. This just so happens to tie in PERFECTLY with some work Sue has been doing concerning composting toilets (I’ll get into the details in the next blog). I’m thinking it could be really cool to take some of the things I learn about composting toilets and start work with that idea at Carolina through my sustainable living situation. I’m not entirely sure HOW yet, but I’m confident I’ll think of something. This really is a unique opportunity for me.
Besides that, I like to play soccer and the violin/fiddle. I brought a harmonica on my travels to attempt to learn, but turns out I’m really awful at that. In the winter I snowboard and try to telemark. I love to read (problematic as my pack has been quite overweight at airports) and just be outside in general, fly fishing, camping, etc. I’m 19 and my middle name is Stevens. When I do attend school (eventually), I’m interested in trying to combine Environmental Studies, Social Anthropology and International Relations with a focus on Peace and Conflict Resolution into some sort of super-major. Or two. I don’t really know yet. But that could easily change between now and then. Overall, I’m just very excited to be in Mongolia!
More soon,
Grace
So, I am from Bozeman and I am going to be starting my studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I graduated from Bozeman High School last spring but was given the opportunity to take a year off before starting at Carolina with significant funding from the university. The catch was, I had to go travel the world and do things to explore my interests and passions and bring my knowledge with me when I start there in the fall. Well THAT was clearly not going to be a tough requirement to fill, so I set out on this year with an outline of worthwhile stuff to do, including coming to Mongolia with The Tributary Fund to be of any assistance that I can!
My year up until now has consisted of a few parts. I took a semester long Wilderness EMT course at University of Montana in Missoula for the fall and got certified in January. Then I spent a few months at home, helping out with my new baby sister (now almost 6 months old). In March I spent a month down in Guatemala doing volunteer work with severely handicapped children. I came home for 4 days and then set off to visit family in San Francisco for a bit. Late April I headed to Europe, without much of a plan except to visit some friends studying abroad in Brussels and Ireland and some family in London. Finally, I flew from Frankfurt to Ulaanbaatar on May 22nd!
Phewf, so I’m here finally. My purpose in coming is multi-dimensional. First, I know the work of The Tributary fund and am very excited about what they do. When I initially talked to Betsy and Sue about coming along, I imagined doing whatever they needed help with and learning as much as I could, not only about their work and the culture here, but about the struggles of being socially and environmentally responsible and trying to put your ideals into practice. It was a unique opportunity for them as well, as I was a flexible volunteer that could pay my own way. I am also very interested in Asian culture and the Buddhism that is practiced here in Mongolia. Additionally, since having decided to come to Mongolia, I have been accepted to live in Sustainability Housing at UNC. Basically, it’s themed housing that works to make UNC campus more green and provides its participants with lots of education and work in sustainability and environmental awareness. This just so happens to tie in PERFECTLY with some work Sue has been doing concerning composting toilets (I’ll get into the details in the next blog). I’m thinking it could be really cool to take some of the things I learn about composting toilets and start work with that idea at Carolina through my sustainable living situation. I’m not entirely sure HOW yet, but I’m confident I’ll think of something. This really is a unique opportunity for me.
Besides that, I like to play soccer and the violin/fiddle. I brought a harmonica on my travels to attempt to learn, but turns out I’m really awful at that. In the winter I snowboard and try to telemark. I love to read (problematic as my pack has been quite overweight at airports) and just be outside in general, fly fishing, camping, etc. I’m 19 and my middle name is Stevens. When I do attend school (eventually), I’m interested in trying to combine Environmental Studies, Social Anthropology and International Relations with a focus on Peace and Conflict Resolution into some sort of super-major. Or two. I don’t really know yet. But that could easily change between now and then. Overall, I’m just very excited to be in Mongolia!
More soon,
Grace
Monday, May 18, 2009
Leavin' on a jetplane...to Mongolia
The Tributary Fund's Director of Programming, Sue Higgins, is headed for her semiannual trip to Mongolia this Wednesday. This time she will be accompanied by Grace Phillips, a recipient of a five-year leadership fellowship from the University of North Carolina. Grace, a Bozeman native, is traveling around the world before heading to her freshman year of college. TTF is fortunate to have her as an intern for several weeks of her adventure. While in Mongolia, she will be assisting Sue with project updates and kicking off TTF's blog with her daily impressions (at least while she has internet access).
Thanks Gracie and Sue! Safe travels!
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