2008 Year in Review

2008 is nearly over and Montsame agency names the ten hightlights of 2008 in Mongolia. The list includes the May snowstorms, July riots, August olympic golds, mining agreements, Anod bank's near-bankruptcy. Item no.10 is something I didn't know:

10. According to the preliminary conclusion of the livestock census, the number of Mongolian livestock reached 42.2 million. This is the largest number ever in the history of Mongolia.

Here's the entire list


And below is an entertaining review of 2008 by the funny folks at JibJab.

Documentary on Ninja Mining in Mongolia

I recently came across this 2007 documentary by the British Channel 4-  Unreported World: Mongolia - Ninja Nation. Interesting and at times hard to imagine this wild west gold rush craze happening right in our backyard. Ninja mining towns have become more or less self-sufficient, with their own economy, rules and social structure, nearly independent of the government thanks to the government choosing to ignore this section of society. Here's a Times Online article on ninja mining.

John Lennon Tribute - Naran (Mongolian singer)

In a belated tribute to John Lennon, murdered on 8 December 1980, of whom I have been a lifelong fan (speaking of whom, there is a Beatles statue in front of the State Dept Store in UB!) here's a cover of Imagine by Naran, a Mongolian singer who was featured on the song "Araatan" of Altan Urag's "Made in Altan Urag" album. Powerful voice. (Speaking of Altan Urag, they play from 9.30-10pm at Ikh Mongol on Tuesdays and Sundays, be sure to check them out if you haven't yet. They're also very punctual, so if you arrive at 10pm, you'll have missed them).

Found via the always excellent Mongolian music blog.

Winter is finally here

So winter is finally here.. Started snowing after midnight on 1st of December. Here are some photos, some were taken near Tsonjin Boldog, where a gigantic Chinggis statue is located. It's about 2 hours drive maximum from UB. Apparently you can take the lift to the top of the statue, though I have yet to try it. It's 5,000 T for locals and 10,000 T for foreigners per entry.: