April 13, 2025 • 53 mins
In this episode of Where Next? Travel with Kristen and Carol, we return to Mongolia—this time through the eyes of Tungso, a Mongolian native now living in the U.S. She shares a deeply personal and vibrant portrait of her home country, from nomadic life in the northern mountains to the unique blend of traditional and modern living in Ulaanbaatar. We talk about everything from shamanism and Soviet influence to the fierce independence of Mongolian women, the simplicity of daily life, and the warmth of a culture where community and hospitality still reign.
Tungso also gives us a peek into Mongolia’s biggest holidays, including Naadam with its wrestling, horse racing, and archery, and how New Year’s is celebrated with sparkle, family, and salty milk tea. She reflects on how her upbringing shaped her values around minimalism, resilience, and pride in heritage. Whether you're curious about taking the Trans-Siberian train to Ulaanbaatar or just want to understand why Mongolia is unlike anywhere else, this episode will expand your perspective and leave you longing for a visit.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
Hi, welcome to our podcast when Next Travel with
Kristen and Carol.
I am Kristen and I am Carol,and we're two long-term friends
with a passion for travel andadventure.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Each episode, we interview people around the
globe to help us decide where togo next.
In this episode we once againvisit Mongolia.
In episode 63, we hadinterviewed an American who fell
in love with the country andmoved there, and this time we
are speaking to a local thatgrew up in Mongolia and has
(00:47):
moved to the US.
Tungso is so passionate abouther love for her country and
shares what makes it so special.
We talk about the holidays, thehistory, and we discuss how the
culture is very different thanhere in the US, especially
around material items.
Enjoy, dukso.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Thank you so much for joining Aware Next podcast
today, and thanks in advance forteaching us about Mongolia.
I'm so excited.
Of course, yeah, I'm happy toThank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Sure, I'd love to start and say when did you come
here to the US?
You grew up in Mongolia.
What did that look like Allyour history?
Well, yeah, I was.
You grew up in Mongolia.
What did that look like Allyour history?
Speaker 3 (01:26):
Well, yeah, I was born and raised in Mongolia.
I met my husband in Mongolia.
He was a peace governor and youknow like, I know I had a lot
of, like, foreign friends overthere.
But when I decided to well, Icame here to visit first and to
see the, you know like after hefinished a two-year period of
peace guard visit first and tosee the, you know like after he
finished the two-year period ofPeace Corps time and he came
(01:48):
back and I visited you know whowouldn't like California in
November, october, especiallyBay Area, oh, it's beautiful.
He took me to.
Yosemite, I love this, oh, Iloved it.
And then, like, I went backagain still not sure, you know.
And then I went back againfollowing the year, on March,
and then I went out because mycollege friends were here.
It's, you know, like diverseand different languages and food
(02:12):
.
You know, like I loved it.
And then, after living with myhusband six months, we were like
you know what here we aretalking about, like a foreigner,
I can't just be your girlfriendforever.
You know, I have to eat the inand out of the relationship, you
know.
And then we decided to getmarried and then that's the
(02:33):
luckily the guy, my husband, ashe lived in Mongolia, he knows
my people, he knows my cultureand he's from Bay Area.
That really helped me to movein there.
It's a lot of challenges but youknow, again, you know I went to
sick after several years laterand I recovered and I get
treatment Amazing.
You know I cannot say anynegative things about America,
(02:57):
especially the medical science.
You know I'm into science andit's like we went through a lot,
but again, it's a great country.
And it's like we went through alot, but again it's a great
country, you know, even thoughthere are a lot of things that
are still astonishing me.
You know like I didn't knowlike women paid less than men
until very recently.
I was like what?
(03:20):
And just being a woman, you canget paid less.
I couldn't understand that.
Still I'm having some troubles.
But you know a lot of things.
It's very interesting.
It's still challenging tounderstand.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
It's difficult to adjust it.
Yeah, and I'm so interested andI remember when we talked, you
said that and it kind of shockedme because and it's kind of
weird that that would be anormal thing for us to just
understand, like yep, that'sjust the way it is.
Well, why is that?
Because we're still doing thesame thing, like so, but in
Mongolia, how is that betweenwomen and men and women working?
Speaker 3 (04:00):
Well, the women, because we have a lot of
influence from Soviet Union.
You know they were doingcommunist at one time.
Women are really strong Most ofthe like.
You know teachers and doctors.
All the women are reallyeducated Again, like any other
country.
It's like decision-makingpositions are mostly men, even
(04:23):
though women's rights are muchhigher.
Women are more respected thanany other countries.
I didn't know that, becauseeven their name we don't have he
, she, linguistically, we havethat person.
And through email or writingexchange, the person would know
(04:46):
I'm a woman Until if we see eachother we don't have the gender
linguistically.
Maybe that's one of the factorsthat can affect a woman's role.
I think woman's, you know, role, I think yeah.
(05:09):
And and then again the in thefamilies.
They invest so much for girlsintegration than men we believe.
Oh, men can get, uh, by doingsome labor, work, they can be
okay, but the woman we need theintegration.
So if there's a family, havechoices between women and men,
girl and boy.
It's more girls for education.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Yeah, and it just kind of like the whole not
really having the he-shepronouns.
Is there any trans people thatare non-binary as we call them
here?
Speaker 3 (05:42):
No, not really Again.
You know I left the countryalmost 20 years ago.
If you guys go back home, youknow, after living abroad, you
still have Walmart, you stillhave your Safeway, you know.
But when I go back, there are alot of changes, especially in
(06:03):
the last 10 years.
It's a lot of change happened,but there is now the like gay
rights are.
You know they're getting a lotof noise but growing up it's
unfortunately in other countries, in being gay and trans people.
It's very compressed.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
Yeah, okay, and were you living?
Because we did another episodeonce where someone toured people
for, like nomadic living.
Did you live in a city when youwere there, or did?
Speaker 3 (06:31):
you move around.
Living is hundreds of years agoexactly same.
The families wrap up the yurt,like for westerners call the
yurt, we call a gear, wrap up,fall of the animal.
(06:53):
They need the pastures organicpastures three times to move
around around the year.
So it's still same.
And the kids go to school in,like I make, we call it like
province center, like dormitory,stay in the family.
Still, you know the corridor,still move around three times a
(07:14):
year.
My grandparents lived in in themountains.
I'm from um northern side ofmongolia, close to russia, okay,
so they they were um, they werein the high mountains.
My grandparents lived that wow,uh, in a, in a tb, like kind of
like native indians living in atb when I went, uh, to fursome,
(07:38):
I went to yesometer.
they said native indians and tbr.
It's like, oh my god, that's mygrandparents, exactly.
They have the same shape, afteryou know, living situation is
very similar.
And then also they, even thevery spiritual, the shamans, is
still same Like.
(07:59):
It's very interesting howsimilar the native Indians and
Mongolians, especially thefacial features are very similar
.
I cannot distinguish betweennative Indians, tibetan and
Mongolian.
I'm really good atdistinguishing oh, chinese,
japanese, that's easy, but forsome reason Tibetan and native
Indians, mongolian, it's very,very similar.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
I think I was watching a show called
Apocalypse, ancient Something,civilizations, and they talked
about how people actually fromMongolia came over across into
Alaska.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
It used to all be connected and then it came down.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Oh my gosh, it's such an interesting show, wow.
So do you speak any Russian,since you were kind of close to
Russia?
Speaker 3 (08:50):
Well, we learned in middle and high schools.
We have a lot of.
That's why.
I have more Russian accent thana lot of people think I'm from
Eastern Europe because my secondlanguage is Russian.
I really need to refresh myRussian language.
If I go back to Russia, I thinkyou know I will be okay, but I
miss Russian language.
I need to refresh it.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
And what's the native language in Mongolian?
Speaker 3 (09:11):
It's linguistically completely different than
Chinese and Japanese in Korea.
I think it's the same family asthe Turkish language.
We have similar words there,but it's a completely different
language.
We have like similar wordsthere, but it's completely
different languages.
It's very different.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
And does the whole country speak the same language?
Speaker 3 (09:31):
Yeah, the whole country speaks the same language
, only one language, mongolian.
It's like population is growingup, you know we have it's a big
sandwiched country.
You know, if you guys know thatit's then locked between Russia
and China.
In 1921, russians came toMongolia like really Bushwicks.
(09:51):
They came to Mongolia, helpedus to kick Chinese out and
Chinese has dominated Mongoliahundreds of years, Even though
Mongolia we were able to keepthe language and keep the
culture, but even though there'sstill some like culture
influence there.
But you know, like, with thelanguage, like Mongolian, it's
(10:13):
like we always we keep thelanguage and it's very amazing
how tiny bit likepopulation-wise we're so tiny,
growing up like Mongolianpopulation at 2.3 million people
and now maybe close to 3million, but still it's very,
you know, comparing with thecountry size, population is very
(10:34):
, very small.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
Oh yeah, and that's like less than all of Colorado.
Wow yeah, that's much bigger.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
I was also curious like it's cold there right.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
Well, yeah, the summer is very short, yeah, and
then it's very, very cold andyou know, like especially people
in the countryside living inNew York, they're like very
efficient way, everything, butit's very, very cold, even
though it's warmer than Chicagocold.
I went to Chicago a couple oftimes.
(11:05):
My friend lives there and rightnext to the Michigan Lake.
That wind goes to your bone,but it's in the Mongolian.
We have the right gear, likewarm shoes.
That helps.
Even though it's so warm in thecity, we still wear high heels,
(11:27):
still have proper makeup, highheels.
Nice, I don't know Like I usedto wear high heels in the snow,
in the ice.
I don't know how we were ableto.
I was just talking about itwith my sister, like I don't
know how we did it, but you know, because our appearance is like
I don't know how we did it, butyou know, because our
experience is like reallyimportant, like if I go back to
(11:47):
Mongolia now without my nailsdone proper, like decent, look
people like well, like you knoware you okay, california?
hippies.
Yeah, people will ask are youokay?
I cannot wear my you know yogapants.
Little yoga pants cannot go togrocery store.
You have to put together.
(12:09):
I think it's still there.
I think it's a lot.
It's a woman.
I really will put together that.
Even in the winter we had themink coat, like you know.
Now is that when you're in thecountryside too, or just in the
city, it's mostly in the city,even though countryside and the
center still especially teachwomen really well.
(12:31):
But that's how you respectyourself, that's how we tell you
know, if you respect yourself,you know you stick together, you
know.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Yeah, that is interesting.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
So I just I admire Mongolian women.
Now I understand more, likeanyway yeah Well, and I'm also
curious.
Speaker 1 (12:51):
first off, I was like , oh my gosh, how did your
grandparents in their yurt staywarm, their teepee stay warm and
fire Like what did that looklike living in that growing up
or when you were there?
Look like living in thatgrowing up or when you were
there, my grandparents.
Speaker 3 (13:05):
Unfortunately, I didn't know them.
They passed away before I, no,before.
I think they passed away when Iwas three years old.
Well, like any, they have, likethey grab the wood and they
make a firewood, but it's again.
The place is small and thenthey need.
They had what they need.
They don't have extra.
(13:27):
Still, grown up during communisttime, you know the happiest
childhood my parents have, likeemployment, very secure, they're
free education, free healthcareand then.
But we didn't own anything.
You know like my father boughta car when I was in high school.
I didn't like it.
(13:47):
He wanted me to take to school.
I didn't like it because Ididn't want to look like
capitalist.
You know like we didn't need it.
We need more.
I think about it.
We had everything there but wedidn't have extra.
But we didn't need the extra.
That's why the first time Iwent to Safeway I was really
(14:08):
overwhelmed.
I wanted to buy a green tea.
Entire shelf was tea selection.
Still, I can go to Safeway, Igo to.
I like farmer's market, I likeWhole Foods.
If there's anything I canhandle, I traded yours.
If there's anything Safewayhandle, I'll trade it yours.
If there's anything safe, myhusband goes there.
It's just too much.
(14:30):
Costco don't even think aboutit Costco's good.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
There's not so many choices, it's a little bit
easier.
That's true, there's too much,it's too much.
Speaker 3 (14:39):
But it's too many quantities.
How overwhelming for me.
Yeah, I like the smallsupermarket.
We call it supermarket, butit's not super.
But I like good and small, youknow, like especially groceries,
that you know.
Yeah, anyway, yeah, so when Ioh baby size it used to be baby
size I remember when I getpregnant and we're like buying
(15:01):
all of these things, I tell myhusband we don't need this, why
do you need they changing thepad?
Speaker 1 (15:11):
like it just changed.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
Now we need to have everything.
That's a whole differentconflict.
Oh yeah, we need to buy a binky, you know, yeah, pacifier tire
shelf was binky again.
All the hormones I'm pregnantlike I.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
Just I need to lose too much, I can imagine like no
wonder I have one child.
I couldn't do anything twice sowhen I was curious how is it
living?
At like when you grew up inMongolia, were the schools
similar?
What kind of like did you have?
Breakfast, lunch, dinner, kindof similar with their?
What are the foods?
Speaker 3 (15:38):
and just like yeah, again, simple, like a breakfast
line.
Um, I'm more like growing up,more like we don't snack the
thing I learned recently.
We don't snack.
We have breakfast, lunch anddinner, dinner.
All was like a family gathered.
And then because we haveeverything small there, we
(16:01):
growing up in an apartment wedidn't have like big house and
price, especially in the city,like if you watch the soviet
union, all still now in russia,like multiple layer, like floors
of big apartments, that's how.
And then you know each familyhave a rift.
You're small.
Every time in the evening mymom will get the fresh groceries
(16:22):
, make a dinner and then dinnerand eat and the next day, if
they left our groceries, we cancook and then we'll buy gone the
way it's like we buy smallthings, not that big amount like
oh right and then.
But the schools we don't havelike schools, we have the
cafeteria but we need to buy itthere, like, like here, like
(16:43):
every school has a cafeteria.
Buy like, eat, eat our food.
You know, I don't remember, wedon't, we didn't have it.
The school is we don't havekindergarten, we have a
preschool, but first grade till10th we have only one school, so
10 years you are the samepeople.
That's why we are reallycommunity-wise very close-knit.
Like if my mom now passed awaymy high school, not my middle
(17:07):
school, my school friends willcome to visit me, to sit with me
to grieve, Like that's thething, I miss it a lot, you know
, like good times, bad times.
The community-wise it's very,very strong.
My mom come to visit here, shewill look for her present here,
high school friends, daughters,newborn, like it's very, very
(17:31):
well-connected.
I was like, what does it looklike?
Anyway, it's like, yeah, I missthe class, community sometimes.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
I agree, I really love that sense of community is
so powerful and uplifting andjust kind of sharing.
I mean I try to create it herejust around where I live and
other things, but so is there.
Are there big families inMongolia?
It sounds like you've got onechild.
Did you have any siblings?
Speaker 3 (17:59):
Yeah, I have one brother in Mongolia, one of my
sisters here Now, like womenfamilies, and again, population
is growing, the grown-up 2.3million people, the families
like three and four kids, not,and oh there, one thing is if
woman have delivered, you know,fourth child, you get a very
(18:22):
prestigious medal from thegovernment.
Being raising, like what's therecognition Like?
I think it's like a being, likereward, like medal.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
It's very prestigious if you have a child, your
purple heart or something likeyou?
Yeah, the similar, honorable,very honorable.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
And then when you go to the government building they
wear proper, really nice outfitsand then you know, here is the
government, really appreciateyour like, you know it's a hard
work, appreciate your work.
It's like fun.
And then if you have sevenchild, a great mother, it's
called a great mother, middleone, and then you get more than
(19:06):
seven children, get the secondone, wow, and the mothers are
really well-respected there.
It's very interesting yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:15):
Do moms work as well?
Oh, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
Growing up all the mothers.
There's no homestead mothers.
Everyone works there becauseyou know child care is very
secure, your work, employment isvery sustainable and then free
education and free medical careand you need to work.
Everything is.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
So what kind of government is that that offers
all that free?
Is it socialist?
Speaker 3 (19:44):
Socialist?
Yeah, what kind of governmentis that that offers a lot of
(20:06):
Soviets influence there, a lotof Russian influence there, and
then like Russians, all of theproducts, everything imports
everything from Russia, sovietUnion and Soviet Union left.
We are on our own.
So we start to face a lot ofdifficulties, like your mom and
dad left.
(20:26):
You're on your own.
When you're a child, you haveto learn how to survive the
entire country.
We had a very different forfive years during this
transition period.
I was pre-teen and we shortageof food, shortage of medical
care and we had like special,like small, like registering
(20:50):
book from the governmentdistributing food based on the
family number of families.
You know, that's like weekly,like essential groceries and
just great tough time that time.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
So was that because you were more in the northern
part of the country?
Is the southern part that'scloser to China, were they more
China-influenced, or is it thewhole country is more
Russia-influenced?
Speaker 3 (21:15):
More Russia-influenced.
Interesting Since 1921 till1991-90, if you guys learn back
to how Soviet Union class allthe former socialist communist
country Eastern Europeancountries, how class it that's
Mongolian was Central AsianMongolia was one of these
(21:35):
countries.
That's why we had a lot ofdifficulties that two or three
years.
Then you know it's a lot.
It's really hard work In aworking for years.
Entire government changed eventhough we didn't have one single
gunshot.
The government changeddramatically, even though
dramatically there's noconflicts.
(21:56):
We didn't have like hungerstrike, like any gunshots, any
government from socialist tofree market democratic system,
you know, and then we reallyreally smooth transition by then
.
So my childhood I see thecommunist socialist and
(22:17):
transition and then it kept thefree market.
It's a different periodhappened back in.
Speaker 2 (22:23):
Mongolia.
Do you think they still havefree health care?
Speaker 3 (22:27):
Um, no, of course you know like there's nothing is
free there.
But still now, like I wastalking to my mom like a week
ago, when you get sick, you callto your hospital doctor and
they will come to your house, goto ER.
(22:47):
The doctors will come to you tocheck your blood pressure and
basic checkups and then if youreally need to go to hospital,
you would go.
Otherwise they would prescribecertain things from the pharmacy
.
There's no again.
If you need better health care,you will go to private
hospitals, you know, but youhave to pay.
(23:08):
Now there's a lot of changehappened when I was away.
But growing up, you know, myhealth care was free.
Like even the place we, evenour apartment, doesn't even
belong to this state.
And then, after transition, wehad to own this place.
(23:30):
My mom was like no, this is notmine, this is the government
thing, I don't need that.
Like yeah.
So a lot of changes happened bythen.
Wow.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
Okay, and then the southern half of the country.
On a map it's much like whiter.
Is that where the mountains?
Speaker 3 (23:47):
are, yes, mountains are in the northern side, in the
southern side it's a gobi, it'slike a desert, like all the way
, like you know, camel and sand.
Like southern, it's like thenorthern side, it's like Lake
Tahoe, you know, like mountains,mountains.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
Oh.
Speaker 3 (24:03):
My family's from there.
Every time we go to Mongolia wego to southern side.
It's like Lake Tahoe thesouthern side is.
Speaker 2 (24:10):
No, the southern side .
The southern side is.
Speaker 3 (24:11):
No, the southern side the southern side is a few
people, but just desert okay, sonot a lot of, not a lot of
towns in that area yeah, there'sa lot of towns actually.
Speaker 1 (24:23):
I'm just looking at the map and it's just the very
top of it looks green and therest looks brown, and then there
looks like almost a whole bunchof white towards the bottom,
which may be, yeah, the sand.
Speaker 3 (24:32):
Yeah yeah, desserts, yeah, and then again every.
We used to have 18 provinces,like like states kind of, and
then and now maybe have changedgovernment 18 and then again
some divided by then the biggestside is smaller side.
They all the centers, that'show they're like, all the
(24:52):
hospitals and schools and thenother like small families.
Heard this around, you know?
Speaker 2 (24:59):
And then just south of Mongolia it looks like
actually in China it says InnerMongolia.
I just saw that.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
Yeah, it's, I think, chinese.
I think they got that part.
The other people more proud tobe Mongolians.
They think they are Mongolians,but outer Mongolians we think
they are Chinese, even thoughthey are the ones who keep the
traditional scripts from top tobottom ones.
(25:29):
We had the Russian influence,we have Cyrillic, we use the
Cyrillics, yeah, but they'respeaking different dialect and
again, the Chinese.
My mom said they used to have alot of Mongolian culture there
but during the ChineseRevolution they sent a lot of
Chinese people.
The book you know like Destroythe Temples book, you know like
(25:52):
karaoke and like all of thesupermarket.
A lot of Chinese people theybought, you know like destroyed
the temples, bought the you knowlike karaoke and like all of
the supermarket.
A lot of change there.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
Okay, it's almost like we're in New York or
something.
It's not really.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
I know I was going to ask you do you, can you
understand them when they talk?
Is it just kind of a littledifferent accent or?
Speaker 3 (26:07):
A different accent.
Yeah, I can.
Yeah, if I go to you know InnerMongolia, even the blue capital
(26:27):
, I don't know why they keep itstill there, but still we have
to cross the border,international border, and then I
can understand them.
But there are people also, areyou from outer Mongolia?
Inner Mongolia?
I couldn't understand.
There's only one Mongolia.
You know, maybe my proud egomaybe kicks in this, but there's
inner Mongolia.
Speaker 1 (26:41):
So did you say blue capital?
Speaker 3 (26:44):
Yeah, that's the inner Mongolians.
The capital called, not capital, the city called inner blue.
Hukhut Hukh means blue.
Speaker 1 (26:52):
Okay, yeah, I haven't seen.
And then Ulaanbaatar is that?
Speaker 3 (27:00):
That's where I'm from ?
Yeah, ulaanbaatar, yeah.
Speaker 1 (27:03):
Yeah, got it.
And then I was looking at InnerMongolia.
I don't see where it says that.
I'm totally butchered.
Speaker 3 (27:11):
Oh yeah, Ulaanbaatar, yeah, yeah yeah, okay,
ulaanbaatar.
Yeah, Ulaanbaatar yeah.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
Okay, got it.
It's like I don't know if I'msaying it correctly, but the
buildings there's like regularbuildings, and then there's
these beautiful old, you know itlooks it's sorry to say if it's
the palaces.
Speaker 3 (27:35):
Oh, the temples.
Speaker 1 (27:36):
Oh, the temples Okay.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
Temples like this kind of building, like it's
temples.
We are Buddhist, the Mongoliansare Buddhist, we were Buddhist
until 1921, but during, likesocialist country, you're not
supposed to have any religious,you know?
Speaker 2 (27:49):
Oh, really, you're not supposed to have any
religious you know?
Oh really Not supposed to havereligion.
Speaker 3 (27:53):
No religious growing up Like, if you be not even
allowed to.
You know again, russians.
Soviet Union did fantastic job1921.
You know Mongolian.
We did like again, educationalliteracy was 97% and the women's
right and education and thehealth care.
That was a fantastic.
We did like women again,literacy was 97% and the women's
(28:14):
right and education and thehealth care.
That's a fantastic job.
Though, being in a socialistcommunist country, there's no
religious.
That's why during that time, alot of temples are destroyed,
unfortunately and then, growingup, you know there's no god,
there's no religious, but allthe families.
(28:35):
Maybe a very modest way tocelebrate lunar new year you
know it's a religious.
We have you supposed tocelebrate only new year?
You know, not the lunar newyear.
Yeah so they were one temple inthe capital but very.
They were too big monster butvery modest.
You know, growing up, if yousee, if I see North Korean, it's
(29:01):
very similar growing up, butthey are awful.
You know they cannot.
But like the, structure yeah,the structure is very similar.
You know we not allowed toleave any other countries except
communist countries Romania,czechoslovakia.
You know, like Soviet Union,you know they're okay, but we're
(29:28):
not allowed to go to visit anyin former Soviet country, soviet
Union and in Eastern Europeancountries.
But not for you know, not forAmerica, not even think about
that.
America is gun money.
They will like all this likepropaganda.
(29:49):
You know, like Americans, whichstill to the gun and money.
But you know.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
Okay, so was it hard for you to come to America then?
Speaker 3 (29:58):
No, by then it's changed a lot.
I had traveled a lotinternationally for my work, but
still getting we need to get avisa, you need to get a visa.
So under my passport I had alot of countries visa, but still
it's safe.
A woman invite me, so myAmerican friend, she invited me.
(30:22):
That's easier than a man inviteme, you know.
Still it's very difficult toget a visa.
American visa, A tourist visa,is still very strict in other
countries.
Speaker 2 (30:35):
Oh, okay, yeah, oh, my goodness, I thought, for
Americans going to Mongolia isthat pretty open.
Speaker 3 (30:42):
Now very open, yeah, and I think I don't think you
need a visa on like 30 days,yeah.
Oh okay, yeah, but if you livethere longer, you need certain
other documents days.
Yeah, okay yeah, but if youlive there longer, you need to
like certain other documentsrecorded.
Speaker 1 (30:55):
Yeah, we had someone on the podcast that is from here
, loves Mongolia, goes in kindof the you know outdoors areas
and loves it.
Speaker 3 (31:06):
Last time when I was in Mongolia, I took two sets of
family.
Ten of us went, my son'sfriend's family, ten of us went
from San Francisco to Shanghai,shanghai to Beijing, and then we
took a trans-Siberian trainfrom Beijing to Ulaanbaatar and
then we traveled to North andSouth and then I was really
(31:28):
proud of, like, my country.
You know, like when you stop byin a countryside, the yurt,
like nothing, is a couple ofyurt.
When I go there, there's noeven lock.
You can come in and then familywill have tea and sit and talk.
It's really nice.
(31:49):
I really wanted to show themreal, you know how, what the
countryside is.
So they were like big gatheringis happening.
I was like what is it?
Let's go there.
And then we went there likefamily reunion and then when
joined it, they asked to comesit and then play and then very
curious about foreigners.
It's nice.
You know we cannot in Texas, ifI go there, I cannot crash the
(32:13):
family reunion.
You know, going back there,they're very, you know, like,
family open.
Oh, I went to America years agothis, this, and then had tea
and then play and like I waslike, oh, this is my people,
everyone is welcome and yeah,that's so wonderful.
Speaker 1 (32:30):
What kind of tea do you typically have um?
Speaker 3 (32:34):
we back then we call it green tea, but it's not the
green tea we drink here.
I think it's a black tea bitwith tiny bit salt, with cream,
with salt, salt and cream.
Speaker 1 (32:47):
Yeah, wow, it's so funny, because usually here it's
sugar and cream.
Sugar and cream, yeah, andthey're like salt and salt and
cream.
Speaker 3 (32:54):
Yeah, I think it's a black tea.
But because of color, we alwayssay, oh, we drink, uh, green
tea.
It's a green tea.
But now when I think I'm justnot a green tea, it's like yeah,
I think we get it from a lot,from uzbekistan or tajikistan.
They have a very big tea.
I think it's more from thereyeah oh my Wow.
Speaker 1 (33:11):
And then what about jobs?
People?
I'm just curious.
I find people jobs.
So I was curious is it all?
Because it looks like theUlaanbaatar is a city, so people
, I'm sure there's banks.
Oh yeah, yeah, it's like anyother big cities.
Speaker 3 (33:29):
Again, a lot of young generation struggles finding a
job.
You don't see any homelesspeople in the city but still
like any other countries,because people's appearance is
really well good there.
But actually what you know,what's behind that, what they
(33:57):
struggle with you know, unlessyour family relatives are you
know, really struggles we wouldknow, but for the appearance you
can't.
Really it's hard to know themIf someone are not doing well
financially or like you know.
It's hard because the peoplelook good.
Speaker 1 (34:16):
Yeah, that's so great .
Speaker 3 (34:18):
Yeah, yeah.
It's like people really puttogether families, young people
like do well and looking happy,but even though they still
struggle behind that, likefinancial and employment and
everything.
But it's yeah, it's like I liketo.
When I go back, I like toobserve the people, you know,
(34:39):
it's yeah.
Speaker 2 (34:40):
That's so interesting .
But, like you know because yousaid, erin, like you know, your
appearance is really important.
You look good, but you alsodon't buy a lot of things, do
you?
Speaker 3 (34:47):
So do people like have a pretty small wardrobe and
they just it's clean andpressed but it might not be
clean.
We iron things all the timeiron bed sheets, iron shirt,
even bed sheets, huh, oh yeah,bed sheets, grown up, all those
iron we like, yeah, like wedon't have like big wardrobe,
(35:09):
you know, like every still now,like a free, free, four bedrooms
and then maybe five family,five, six families.
But you know we have to shareeverything, you know, share the
space, share the wardrobe.
Still, you would know, youwould know, because we don't buy
things that a lot.
That's also really still I havesome difficulties to adjust
here.
Oh, yeah, still I have somedifficulties to adjust here.
Speaker 1 (35:31):
Oh, yeah, I have difficulties.
Speaker 3 (35:33):
Especially Christmas time.
You know, like how manypresents one person can open,
like I always have this likedifference with my husband.
I had to face it.
You know we have one child andthen, okay, this is enough.
Now I think it's just a few.
Maybe we need no no, yeah.
Speaker 2 (35:55):
Yeah, I can watch the .
There's a a documentary calledbuy no.
That'll stop you from shoppingever again, oh really buy, be,
buy now.
Speaker 1 (36:03):
I don't know if it's on netflix or apple, or but yeah
, buy now now, yeah, I'm gonnawatch it because I I feel this
is a big thing for me too and I,especially when the kids are
little, they just I want that, Iwant that, please, why?
You know you get a lot of thatand you're like, yeah yeah, well
, yeah, that's how you grab it.
Speaker 3 (36:22):
We didn't know.
Yeah, I, I'm very careful aboutquality and quantity and um,
even though I can buy everythingfor myself, but when my husband
thinks, oh you don't.
Speaker 2 (36:34):
Yeah, less is more.
I actually remember talking tosomeone in Europe I can't
remember and they said whenpeople go like was the men go to
work?
They wear the same outfit allweek.
It's almost like a uniform.
And I was just thinking aboutthat the other day.
I'm like men's suits probablywere really uniform.
Men would probably have liketwo suits, a clean one and a
dirty one, you know.
(36:55):
But now men have, like you know, people that wear suits every
day probably have like 15, 20suits and then different ties.
You know, probably the tie waslike originally the only
difference Like you wear theexact same suit every day and
just change your tie to mix itup.
Speaker 1 (37:10):
Yeah, interesting it's.
So I, I uh.
So for just curious.
I know we're coming up onchristmas, so what does
christmas look like?
Uh, in mongolia?
Speaker 3 (37:19):
oh, we don't celebrate christmas, okay, okay,
but we, we celebrate new yearagain.
I don't think russianscelebrate christ Again.
We didn't have any religious.
There's no religious.
We can celebrate New Year.
Oh, new Year.
I miss New Year.
Every companies have paid big,big parties, people warm and
(37:43):
dress nice and everything islike oh, I really miss that.
It's like all parties are realparties all day, nice, yeah, so
that's a New Year like ourcalendar.
New Year, it's like all partiesare real parties are there, you
know, like Nice yeah.
Speaker 2 (37:53):
So that's a new year like our calendar New Year's,
not like the Chinese New Year.
Speaker 3 (37:55):
Yeah, calendar New Year, yeah 31st, december, 30th,
even though it's a familyholiday, like every family has a
Christmas tree and then cakeand flowers and champagne I
don't know why cake, but like wemy parents not let us to sleep
until midnight because wecelebrated like happy new year,
(38:16):
you know, like, even like it'svery, uh, family oriented
holiday year, it's like we haveto like, it's like it's like
Thanksgiving, you know, like wehave to sit, eat together, kind
of Thanksgiving.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (38:28):
Oh my gosh.
So they, you do get to stay uptill midnight or you don't get
to stay up till midnight.
Speaker 3 (38:34):
I have to, I have to, I have to stay up.
We have to receive the New Yearlike that.
I don't know why even for smallkids can't go to bed.
Speaker 1 (38:44):
Totally.
I remember going to MidnightMass and I was like, oh, this is
so hard with them.
Speaker 3 (38:49):
Does Midnight Mass have to be in midnight too?
I guess it is.
Speaker 1 (38:54):
I felt like it was 11 o'clock or something.
10, 11.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (38:57):
I think that was typical on Christmas, so they'd
always have like a midnight mass.
So then, like not for NewYear's, no.
Speaker 1 (39:05):
Christmas Day.
Speaker 2 (39:06):
But then a lot of people, the kids, couldn't stay
up.
So then the churches startedhaving 11 o'clock and at 10
o'clock and at 8 o'clock Now, Ithink it's like 5 o'clock.
Speaker 1 (39:15):
Yeah, exactly so did you say they have a Christmas
tree at New Year's?
Yeah, we call it.
Speaker 3 (39:18):
New Year's tree.
We didn't call it Christmastree.
People start to put it at NewYear's Christmas tree around
26th, 27th.
That's funny Way afterChristmas.
Speaker 1 (39:34):
Oh, my God.
And so is it a pine tree.
Is it the same oh?
Speaker 3 (39:38):
it's a plastic one.
Yeah, it's freaking cold overthere.
There's no, yeah, and we evenhave a Santa, but Santa we don't
call Santa Winter Crumper.
I think it's all.
If you see the?
We have a traditional outfit,that's Santa, but we big cave
and big white bear and thencertain gloves, and then Santa
(40:02):
will come visit families, givethe presents to small kids.
Speaker 1 (40:07):
Uh-huh, and it looks like Mongolia.
Santa looks like he belongs inthe North Pole with a very
fluffy big hat yes, a beard anda big coat.
He looks very he looks.
It's interesting the look, youknow.
He looks like you said, nativeAmerican, but Mongolian right,
(40:33):
oh, yeah, like yeah.
And he's got.
It looks like he's well thepicture I'm seeing.
He looks like he's riding ahorse, but it has antlers.
And then he has a big backpacksack.
It almost looks like one ofthose fabric things that you
wear babies with, but a huge,bigger one that's honestly
(40:55):
filled with things.
Speaker 2 (40:59):
Oh yeah, it looks like a wizard yeah.
Speaker 3 (41:02):
It's very mixed with Santa's traditional old man.
Speaker 2 (41:10):
That's so funny, so interesting.
Speaker 3 (41:12):
During communist time .
I think we created it.
Speaker 1 (41:15):
Wow, oh my gosh.
So would you get presents forthe New Year's?
Speaker 3 (41:21):
Yeah, new Year's the presents are all like mandarin,
tangerine and candies.
Okay, we didn't get like actualpresent by then, it's just the
like candies and yeah, candiesand tangerines and fruit in
winter, like growing up.
Yeah, we didn't.
But in the lunar year we wehave a calendar same as tibans,
(41:44):
different than Chinese for somereason, all similar like two or
three days either behind or infront.
It's like it's never been linedin the same day, it's always
different day.
The Chinese Lunar New Year.
That one is a big celebration.
We have to have constantvisitors.
Relatives visit you.
(42:05):
If you have older elders inyour family, the relatives visit
you and then we eat dumplingsand sit, talk and then the
family, the elders, will give apresent.
That's, that's.
It's like.
It's like a week-long holiday.
You know, like, like and it'snice.
You know, once a year you willsee all of the relatives you
(42:27):
know, two become three, threebecome four, all of them
bringing kids, and then sit andtalk and eat dumplings.
Speaker 2 (42:33):
Oh, nice, yeah, so I definitely have some of our
rapid fire questions.
I sent that to you so long ago,I don't know if you remember,
but they're pretty easy.
Yeah, pretty easy, okay.
So other than Christmas or NewYear year's, is there another
popular holiday tradition?
Speaker 3 (42:51):
oh yeah, in july, uh in uh.
July 11th, it's a independenceday.
I think it's a day we kick thechinese out.
I think it's like that's areally big holiday.
We call it free means, we callit nadam, it's like free it's a
horse racing and a wrestling andthen archery.
(43:13):
That's a big celebration.
That's the most popular touristseason by that.
And every other place iscelebrating a week-long
celebration horse racing andwrestling, and then archery.
A week-long celebration, horseracing and wrestling, and then
archery.
It's summertime and peoplerelax watch the horse racing and
(43:34):
wrestling.
It's a big sport.
And then archery too.
Speaker 1 (43:36):
And it's actually.
It looks like it goes for fourdays.
Speaker 3 (43:40):
Yeah, maybe, like officially four days, but like
you're not going to do anybusiness that week, whole,
entire, even for a month.
Yeah, it's like everyone islike is a tomorrow, tomorrow,
tomorrow, like no business, andthen gotta enjoy summer right
yeah, because our summer is veryshort, we have to celebrate it,
at least one week?
Speaker 1 (44:00):
yeah, exactly, it looks like it.
Does the date change because oryou said july 11th and that
yeah, it's almost july 11th yeahit says um on, not um
n-a-a-d-a-m.
From friday july 11th totuesday july 15th.
Yeah, oh.
And it says mongolia, innermongolia, and tuva is where it
(44:23):
uh oh, this is.
Speaker 3 (44:24):
Yeah, I think I don't know yeah, it's too bad.
Speaker 1 (44:28):
Another country?
Speaker 3 (44:29):
yeah, I think to.
Where is that?
I think that was a part of thesoviet union and I think maybe
it's a country now like with thestandard touch is done like
central.
Speaker 1 (44:38):
I think it's a central or asia yeah, oh wow, it
looks uh, this is really uhinteresting, and I see what it
says.
It looks like girls with awhole bunch of like a sash, with
a whole bunch of patches allthe way down.
Oh, like horse riders.
Well, I actually clicked on it.
Oh, wow, they have a.
(44:58):
Yes, there's a whole bunch ofhorses and they're just running
across a field.
There's a whole bunch of horsesand they're just running across
a field.
Yeah, is that, and everyone'sgot helmets and a name?
Or is it a horse race?
Speaker 3 (45:14):
Oh, horse race, yeah, yeah, I think nowadays wearing
helmets.
But you know, growing up no oneis wearing helmets.
And you know like horse ridingis like you can learn stuff.
You know when you're free.
You know three years old youwill see three or four years old
you're riding horse and cattlelike it's very normal.
Speaker 1 (45:37):
Yeah, I see horses.
You said archery, which I seeas well.
I see traditional outfits,beautiful outfits with a very
long yeah, that's for men with.
Speaker 3 (45:49):
Yeah, it's, it's very colorful and yeah and did you I
?
Speaker 1 (45:53):
I thought I heard you say wrestling and I actually
see some men wrestling yeah,only men wrestle, not women.
Speaker 3 (46:00):
That uh uh doing an atom, yeah very interesting
outfit, by the way.
Yeah, bikini you see, thatbottoms with very, very, uh,
very big like cow.
Speaker 1 (46:13):
I'll call them cowboy boots, but very big boots like
yeah, no boots, yeah.
And then a very small haltertop that looks like it's tied on
the sides here.
Yeah, very different, verydifferent.
Yeah, like wow.
So yeah, horse race wrestlingarchery knucklebone shooting.
Speaker 3 (46:32):
Oh yeah, knucklebone shooting.
I think that's a, but not theofficial talk of like free games
, but that's the like you can bea part of.
I think it's.
I don't really family with it.
I think they're like it's likehow far you can, what do you
call this one?
Like how far the knucklebinners go?
It's wherever it goes, it's thefarther away, I think yeah.
Speaker 1 (46:56):
Yeah, it says ankle bone and shooting and must be
knuckle bone, something likethat.
That's definitely different.
Speaker 3 (47:04):
Yeah, a lot of foreigners go to that N during
uh tourist season.
Speaker 1 (47:08):
Yeah, yeah, so they go in july to check out july.
Speaker 3 (47:12):
Yeah, it's very crafted.
Everything is really busy atthat time, like busy, like
holiday busy yeah is that.
Speaker 1 (47:19):
Are there other holidays that someone, or if if
you're wanting to travel tomongolia and check it out, that
would be an event too yeah,event yeah, but again that will
be like business time, but evenafter, uh, not them.
Speaker 3 (47:33):
Maybe some of their countryside, some of them they
have like mini, not them, youknow, to attract the tourists.
Otherwise, that's the like amain, we don't have many, many
like celebration holidays onlyluna, new Year and then Adam,
like only two.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (47:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (47:49):
I love it, and so what is your favorite meal when
you go back?
Speaker 3 (47:56):
It's like kind of like perushki, but it's like I
think we get it from Russia.
It's like a fried.
It's called khoshur.
It's like a dumpling but flat.
It's a fried, fried dumplingcalled hoshu.
It's like a dumpling but flat.
It's a fried fried dumpling.
But what's inside?
Just, you know, food we havelike most boring food in the
(48:17):
world we have, because it's hardto grow vegetables there
because of season.
You know, right, I rememberit's like a lot of beets, right
yeah, it's like beef in saltherbs and then flour, you know.
Speaker 2 (48:30):
Oh okay, it sounds really good.
And what's a typical breakfast?
Speaker 3 (48:34):
I go on a breakfast.
We eat a lot of like eggs andtoast.
Speaker 2 (48:38):
Oh, okay, yeah, Pretty similar, yeah.
And what is the money call?
And how would a tourist handlethe money there when they go?
Speaker 3 (48:48):
I think Tukruk, call it Tukruk.
I think $1 or maybe, I don'tknow, 30 Tukruks now.
Speaker 2 (48:56):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (48:57):
Yeah, and I think they bring the cash.
Okay, I wouldn't be surprisedif, when someone is there, oh,
you can pay through Apple.
You know, like there's certainthings way, I had my phone when
I was 2000, in 2000, I had mycell phone.
My even husband was like, oh mygod, you have cell phone.
(49:18):
Like, yeah, everyone has a cellphone, but but here the cell
phone came way later.
Like, yeah, it's like somecertain things we have very like
we get it way before americalike technology, but a lot of
things like way after, yeah, wehad, like I wouldn't be
surprised, all the like moneytransactions goes through the
(49:38):
phone.
You know, apps, yeah all righty.
Speaker 2 (49:42):
And then one question we ask is we just ask every
time the closest place to surf?
Um, I would say, probably inthe lake Is there like anything
such as like wake surfing orwake boarding out there or water
skiing?
Speaker 3 (49:54):
No, we're afraid of water.
And we're not even growing up.
Water is a very precious thing.
If you go see any lake inspring, we just we cannot even
put our feet on there becauseit's very spirit things.
We only we can't even go, can'teven think about peeing there.
(50:14):
It's very sacred things.
We should just go like tap, thewater put in the head first.
You know, it's like we can'teven I don't know nowadays, but
like growing up, we can't evenput your things anything, even
your feet, because it's natureof cigarette things.
Speaker 2 (50:32):
Oh that's so interesting, yeah, and it's
probably so cold too, right,yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (50:38):
And then less.
Speaker 2 (50:39):
It's cold.
Yeah, Are you.
Well, you said you drink cheese.
Most people drink coffee or teaor both.
Speaker 3 (50:45):
Tea, tea, but nowadays maybe in the capital,
but we don't have Starbucks, butthere's a lot of coffee shops,
people drink coffee?
Speaker 2 (50:53):
Yeah, okay.
Well, that's it for my rapidfire questions.
Yeah, thanks so much.
Speaker 1 (50:58):
Thank you.
Thank you so much, of course.
Thank you for having me.
Yeah, we loved it no-transcript.
Speaker 3 (51:31):
You will see how people lived 300 years ago.
It's still the same nothing haschanged but it's in a good way,
how everything you cannot waste, but still people are going
this way.
And then again in the capitalyou will see people like any
(51:52):
other big cities, the thingsthat some of them is too
materialistic for me, but it'sone way you can see two buff
sides in one place.
Speaker 1 (52:04):
It almost seems like everyone needs to go there or
watch the Buy Now video.
Speaker 3 (52:14):
Oh yeah, I would love that, especially before
Christmas.
We need Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (52:22):
Wonderful.
Well, thank you so much, ofcourse.
Thank you, it's been a pleasure.
Thank you, Grace.
It's really nice to meet you.
Speaker 2 (52:27):
Bye- thank you so much, of course.
Thank you.
It's been such a pleasure.
Absolutely.
Thank you, grace.
It's been really nice to meetyou.
Okay, bye-bye, have a goodweekend.
Bye you, too.
Happy holidays, happy holidays,bye.
Thanks for listening.
If you enjoyed the podcast, canyou please take a second and do
a quick follow of the show andrate us in your podcast app?
And if you have a minute, wewould really appreciate a review
.
Following and rating is thebest way to support us.
(52:49):
If you're on Instagram, let'sconnect.
We're at Wear Next Podcast.
Thanks again, thank you.
Hi, welcome to our podcast when Next Travel with
Kristen and Carol.
I am Kristen and I am Carol,and we're two long-term friends
with a passion for travel andadventure.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Each episode, we interview people around the
globe to help us decide where togo next.
In this episode we once againvisit Mongolia.
In episode 63, we hadinterviewed an American who fell
in love with the country andmoved there, and this time we
are speaking to a local thatgrew up in Mongolia and has
(00:47):
moved to the US.
Tungso is so passionate abouther love for her country and
shares what makes it so special.
We talk about the holidays, thehistory, and we discuss how the
culture is very different thanhere in the US, especially
around material items.
Enjoy, dukso.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Thank you so much for joining Aware Next podcast
today, and thanks in advance forteaching us about Mongolia.
I'm so excited.
Of course, yeah, I'm happy toThank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Sure, I'd love to start and say when did you come
here to the US?
You grew up in Mongolia.
What did that look like Allyour history?
Well, yeah, I was.
You grew up in Mongolia.
What did that look like Allyour history?
Speaker 3 (01:26):
Well, yeah, I was born and raised in Mongolia.
I met my husband in Mongolia.
He was a peace governor and youknow like, I know I had a lot
of, like, foreign friends overthere.
But when I decided to well, Icame here to visit first and to
see the, you know like after hefinished a two-year period of
peace guard visit first and tosee the, you know like after he
finished the two-year period ofPeace Corps time and he came
(01:48):
back and I visited you know whowouldn't like California in
November, october, especiallyBay Area, oh, it's beautiful.
He took me to.
Yosemite, I love this, oh, Iloved it.
And then, like, I went backagain still not sure, you know.
And then I went back againfollowing the year, on March,
and then I went out because mycollege friends were here.
It's, you know, like diverseand different languages and food
(02:12):
.
You know, like I loved it.
And then, after living with myhusband six months, we were like
you know what here we aretalking about, like a foreigner,
I can't just be your girlfriendforever.
You know, I have to eat the inand out of the relationship, you
know.
And then we decided to getmarried and then that's the
(02:33):
luckily the guy, my husband, ashe lived in Mongolia, he knows
my people, he knows my cultureand he's from Bay Area.
That really helped me to movein there.
It's a lot of challenges but youknow, again, you know I went to
sick after several years laterand I recovered and I get
treatment Amazing.
You know I cannot say anynegative things about America,
(02:57):
especially the medical science.
You know I'm into science andit's like we went through a lot,
but again, it's a great country.
And it's like we went through alot, but again it's a great
country, you know, even thoughthere are a lot of things that
are still astonishing me.
You know like I didn't knowlike women paid less than men
until very recently.
I was like what?
(03:20):
And just being a woman, you canget paid less.
I couldn't understand that.
Still I'm having some troubles.
But you know a lot of things.
It's very interesting.
It's still challenging tounderstand.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
It's difficult to adjust it.
Yeah, and I'm so interested andI remember when we talked, you
said that and it kind of shockedme because and it's kind of
weird that that would be anormal thing for us to just
understand, like yep, that'sjust the way it is.
Well, why is that?
Because we're still doing thesame thing, like so, but in
Mongolia, how is that betweenwomen and men and women working?
Speaker 3 (04:00):
Well, the women, because we have a lot of
influence from Soviet Union.
You know they were doingcommunist at one time.
Women are really strong Most ofthe like.
You know teachers and doctors.
All the women are reallyeducated Again, like any other
country.
It's like decision-makingpositions are mostly men, even
(04:23):
though women's rights are muchhigher.
Women are more respected thanany other countries.
I didn't know that, becauseeven their name we don't have he
, she, linguistically, we havethat person.
And through email or writingexchange, the person would know
(04:46):
I'm a woman Until if we see eachother we don't have the gender
linguistically.
Maybe that's one of the factorsthat can affect a woman's role.
I think woman's, you know, role, I think yeah.
(05:09):
And and then again the in thefamilies.
They invest so much for girlsintegration than men we believe.
Oh, men can get, uh, by doingsome labor, work, they can be
okay, but the woman we need theintegration.
So if there's a family, havechoices between women and men,
girl and boy.
It's more girls for education.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Yeah, and it just kind of like the whole not
really having the he-shepronouns.
Is there any trans people thatare non-binary as we call them
here?
Speaker 3 (05:42):
No, not really Again.
You know I left the countryalmost 20 years ago.
If you guys go back home, youknow, after living abroad, you
still have Walmart, you stillhave your Safeway, you know.
But when I go back, there are alot of changes, especially in
(06:03):
the last 10 years.
It's a lot of change happened,but there is now the like gay
rights are.
You know they're getting a lotof noise but growing up it's
unfortunately in other countries, in being gay and trans people.
It's very compressed.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
Yeah, okay, and were you living?
Because we did another episodeonce where someone toured people
for, like nomadic living.
Did you live in a city when youwere there, or did?
Speaker 3 (06:31):
you move around.
Living is hundreds of years agoexactly same.
The families wrap up the yurt,like for westerners call the
yurt, we call a gear, wrap up,fall of the animal.
(06:53):
They need the pastures organicpastures three times to move
around around the year.
So it's still same.
And the kids go to school in,like I make, we call it like
province center, like dormitory,stay in the family.
Still, you know the corridor,still move around three times a
(07:14):
year.
My grandparents lived in in themountains.
I'm from um northern side ofmongolia, close to russia, okay,
so they they were um, they werein the high mountains.
My grandparents lived that wow,uh, in a, in a tb, like kind of
like native indians living in atb when I went, uh, to fursome,
(07:38):
I went to yesometer.
they said native indians and tbr.
It's like, oh my god, that's mygrandparents, exactly.
They have the same shape, afteryou know, living situation is
very similar.
And then also they, even thevery spiritual, the shamans, is
still same Like.
(07:59):
It's very interesting howsimilar the native Indians and
Mongolians, especially thefacial features are very similar
.
I cannot distinguish betweennative Indians, tibetan and
Mongolian.
I'm really good atdistinguishing oh, chinese,
japanese, that's easy, but forsome reason Tibetan and native
Indians, mongolian, it's very,very similar.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
I think I was watching a show called
Apocalypse, ancient Something,civilizations, and they talked
about how people actually fromMongolia came over across into
Alaska.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
It used to all be connected and then it came down.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Oh my gosh, it's such an interesting show, wow.
So do you speak any Russian,since you were kind of close to
Russia?
Speaker 3 (08:50):
Well, we learned in middle and high schools.
We have a lot of.
That's why.
I have more Russian accent thana lot of people think I'm from
Eastern Europe because my secondlanguage is Russian.
I really need to refresh myRussian language.
If I go back to Russia, I thinkyou know I will be okay, but I
miss Russian language.
I need to refresh it.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
And what's the native language in Mongolian?
Speaker 3 (09:11):
It's linguistically completely different than
Chinese and Japanese in Korea.
I think it's the same family asthe Turkish language.
We have similar words there,but it's a completely different
language.
We have like similar wordsthere, but it's completely
different languages.
It's very different.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
And does the whole country speak the same language?
Speaker 3 (09:31):
Yeah, the whole country speaks the same language
, only one language, mongolian.
It's like population is growingup, you know we have it's a big
sandwiched country.
You know, if you guys know thatit's then locked between Russia
and China.
In 1921, russians came toMongolia like really Bushwicks.
(09:51):
They came to Mongolia, helpedus to kick Chinese out and
Chinese has dominated Mongoliahundreds of years, Even though
Mongolia we were able to keepthe language and keep the
culture, but even though there'sstill some like culture
influence there.
But you know, like, with thelanguage, like Mongolian, it's
(10:13):
like we always we keep thelanguage and it's very amazing
how tiny bit likepopulation-wise we're so tiny,
growing up like Mongolianpopulation at 2.3 million people
and now maybe close to 3million, but still it's very,
you know, comparing with thecountry size, population is very
(10:34):
, very small.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
Oh yeah, and that's like less than all of Colorado.
Wow yeah, that's much bigger.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
I was also curious like it's cold there right.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
Well, yeah, the summer is very short, yeah, and
then it's very, very cold andyou know, like especially people
in the countryside living inNew York, they're like very
efficient way, everything, butit's very, very cold, even
though it's warmer than Chicagocold.
I went to Chicago a couple oftimes.
(11:05):
My friend lives there and rightnext to the Michigan Lake.
That wind goes to your bone,but it's in the Mongolian.
We have the right gear, likewarm shoes.
That helps.
Even though it's so warm in thecity, we still wear high heels,
(11:27):
still have proper makeup, highheels.
Nice, I don't know Like I usedto wear high heels in the snow,
in the ice.
I don't know how we were ableto.
I was just talking about itwith my sister, like I don't
know how we did it, but you know, because our appearance is like
I don't know how we did it, butyou know, because our
experience is like reallyimportant, like if I go back to
(11:47):
Mongolia now without my nailsdone proper, like decent, look
people like well, like you knoware you okay, california?
hippies.
Yeah, people will ask are youokay?
I cannot wear my you know yogapants.
Little yoga pants cannot go togrocery store.
You have to put together.
(12:09):
I think it's still there.
I think it's a lot.
It's a woman.
I really will put together that.
Even in the winter we had themink coat, like you know.
Now is that when you're in thecountryside too, or just in the
city, it's mostly in the city,even though countryside and the
center still especially teachwomen really well.
(12:31):
But that's how you respectyourself, that's how we tell you
know, if you respect yourself,you know you stick together, you
know.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Yeah, that is interesting.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
So I just I admire Mongolian women.
Now I understand more, likeanyway yeah Well, and I'm also
curious.
Speaker 1 (12:51):
first off, I was like , oh my gosh, how did your
grandparents in their yurt staywarm, their teepee stay warm and
fire Like what did that looklike living in that growing up
or when you were there?
Look like living in thatgrowing up or when you were
there, my grandparents.
Speaker 3 (13:05):
Unfortunately, I didn't know them.
They passed away before I, no,before.
I think they passed away when Iwas three years old.
Well, like any, they have, likethey grab the wood and they
make a firewood, but it's again.
The place is small and thenthey need.
They had what they need.
They don't have extra.
(13:27):
Still, grown up during communisttime, you know the happiest
childhood my parents have, likeemployment, very secure, they're
free education, free healthcareand then.
But we didn't own anything.
You know like my father boughta car when I was in high school.
I didn't like it.
(13:47):
He wanted me to take to school.
I didn't like it because Ididn't want to look like
capitalist.
You know like we didn't need it.
We need more.
I think about it.
We had everything there but wedidn't have extra.
But we didn't need the extra.
That's why the first time Iwent to Safeway I was really
(14:08):
overwhelmed.
I wanted to buy a green tea.
Entire shelf was tea selection.
Still, I can go to Safeway, Igo to.
I like farmer's market, I likeWhole Foods.
If there's anything I canhandle, I traded yours.
If there's anything Safewayhandle, I'll trade it yours.
If there's anything safe, myhusband goes there.
It's just too much.
(14:30):
Costco don't even think aboutit Costco's good.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
There's not so many choices, it's a little bit
easier.
That's true, there's too much,it's too much.
Speaker 3 (14:39):
But it's too many quantities.
How overwhelming for me.
Yeah, I like the smallsupermarket.
We call it supermarket, butit's not super.
But I like good and small, youknow, like especially groceries,
that you know.
Yeah, anyway, yeah, so when Ioh baby size it used to be baby
size I remember when I getpregnant and we're like buying
(15:01):
all of these things, I tell myhusband we don't need this, why
do you need they changing thepad?
Speaker 1 (15:11):
like it just changed.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
Now we need to have everything.
That's a whole differentconflict.
Oh yeah, we need to buy a binky, you know, yeah, pacifier tire
shelf was binky again.
All the hormones I'm pregnantlike I.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
Just I need to lose too much, I can imagine like no
wonder I have one child.
I couldn't do anything twice sowhen I was curious how is it
living?
At like when you grew up inMongolia, were the schools
similar?
What kind of like did you have?
Breakfast, lunch, dinner, kindof similar with their?
What are the foods?
Speaker 3 (15:38):
and just like yeah, again, simple, like a breakfast
line.
Um, I'm more like growing up,more like we don't snack the
thing I learned recently.
We don't snack.
We have breakfast, lunch anddinner, dinner.
All was like a family gathered.
And then because we haveeverything small there, we
(16:01):
growing up in an apartment wedidn't have like big house and
price, especially in the city,like if you watch the soviet
union, all still now in russia,like multiple layer, like floors
of big apartments, that's how.
And then you know each familyhave a rift.
You're small.
Every time in the evening mymom will get the fresh groceries
(16:22):
, make a dinner and then dinnerand eat and the next day, if
they left our groceries, we cancook and then we'll buy gone the
way it's like we buy smallthings, not that big amount like
oh right and then.
But the schools we don't havelike schools, we have the
cafeteria but we need to buy itthere, like, like here, like
(16:43):
every school has a cafeteria.
Buy like, eat, eat our food.
You know, I don't remember, wedon't, we didn't have it.
The school is we don't havekindergarten, we have a
preschool, but first grade till10th we have only one school, so
10 years you are the samepeople.
That's why we are reallycommunity-wise very close-knit.
Like if my mom now passed awaymy high school, not my middle
(17:07):
school, my school friends willcome to visit me, to sit with me
to grieve, Like that's thething, I miss it a lot, you know
, like good times, bad times.
The community-wise it's very,very strong.
My mom come to visit here, shewill look for her present here,
high school friends, daughters,newborn, like it's very, very
(17:31):
well-connected.
I was like, what does it looklike?
Anyway, it's like, yeah, I missthe class, community sometimes.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
I agree, I really love that sense of community is
so powerful and uplifting andjust kind of sharing.
I mean I try to create it herejust around where I live and
other things, but so is there.
Are there big families inMongolia?
It sounds like you've got onechild.
Did you have any siblings?
Speaker 3 (17:59):
Yeah, I have one brother in Mongolia, one of my
sisters here Now, like womenfamilies, and again, population
is growing, the grown-up 2.3million people, the families
like three and four kids, not,and oh there, one thing is if
woman have delivered, you know,fourth child, you get a very
(18:22):
prestigious medal from thegovernment.
Being raising, like what's therecognition Like?
I think it's like a being, likereward, like medal.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
It's very prestigious if you have a child, your
purple heart or something likeyou?
Yeah, the similar, honorable,very honorable.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
And then when you go to the government building they
wear proper, really nice outfitsand then you know, here is the
government, really appreciateyour like, you know it's a hard
work, appreciate your work.
It's like fun.
And then if you have sevenchild, a great mother, it's
called a great mother, middleone, and then you get more than
(19:06):
seven children, get the secondone, wow, and the mothers are
really well-respected there.
It's very interesting yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:15):
Do moms work as well?
Oh, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
Growing up all the mothers.
There's no homestead mothers.
Everyone works there becauseyou know child care is very
secure, your work, employment isvery sustainable and then free
education and free medical careand you need to work.
Everything is.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
So what kind of government is that that offers
all that free?
Is it socialist?
Speaker 3 (19:44):
Socialist?
Yeah, what kind of governmentis that that offers a lot of
(20:06):
Soviets influence there, a lotof Russian influence there, and
then like Russians, all of theproducts, everything imports
everything from Russia, sovietUnion and Soviet Union left.
We are on our own.
So we start to face a lot ofdifficulties, like your mom and
dad left.
(20:26):
You're on your own.
When you're a child, you haveto learn how to survive the
entire country.
We had a very different forfive years during this
transition period.
I was pre-teen and we shortageof food, shortage of medical
care and we had like special,like small, like registering
(20:50):
book from the governmentdistributing food based on the
family number of families.
You know, that's like weekly,like essential groceries and
just great tough time that time.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
So was that because you were more in the northern
part of the country?
Is the southern part that'scloser to China, were they more
China-influenced, or is it thewhole country is more
Russia-influenced?
Speaker 3 (21:15):
More Russia-influenced.
Interesting Since 1921 till1991-90, if you guys learn back
to how Soviet Union class allthe former socialist communist
country Eastern Europeancountries, how class it that's
Mongolian was Central AsianMongolia was one of these
(21:35):
countries.
That's why we had a lot ofdifficulties that two or three
years.
Then you know it's a lot.
It's really hard work In aworking for years.
Entire government changed eventhough we didn't have one single
gunshot.
The government changeddramatically, even though
dramatically there's noconflicts.
(21:56):
We didn't have like hungerstrike, like any gunshots, any
government from socialist tofree market democratic system,
you know, and then we reallyreally smooth transition by then
.
So my childhood I see thecommunist socialist and
(22:17):
transition and then it kept thefree market.
It's a different periodhappened back in.
Speaker 2 (22:23):
Mongolia.
Do you think they still havefree health care?
Speaker 3 (22:27):
Um, no, of course you know like there's nothing is
free there.
But still now, like I wastalking to my mom like a week
ago, when you get sick, you callto your hospital doctor and
they will come to your house, goto ER.
(22:47):
The doctors will come to you tocheck your blood pressure and
basic checkups and then if youreally need to go to hospital,
you would go.
Otherwise they would prescribecertain things from the pharmacy
.
There's no again.
If you need better health care,you will go to private
hospitals, you know, but youhave to pay.
(23:08):
Now there's a lot of changehappened when I was away.
But growing up, you know, myhealth care was free.
Like even the place we, evenour apartment, doesn't even
belong to this state.
And then, after transition, wehad to own this place.
(23:30):
My mom was like no, this is notmine, this is the government
thing, I don't need that.
Like yeah.
So a lot of changes happened bythen.
Wow.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
Okay, and then the southern half of the country.
On a map it's much like whiter.
Is that where the mountains?
Speaker 3 (23:47):
are, yes, mountains are in the northern side, in the
southern side it's a gobi, it'slike a desert, like all the way
, like you know, camel and sand.
Like southern, it's like thenorthern side, it's like Lake
Tahoe, you know, like mountains,mountains.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
Oh.
Speaker 3 (24:03):
My family's from there.
Every time we go to Mongolia wego to southern side.
It's like Lake Tahoe thesouthern side is.
Speaker 2 (24:10):
No, the southern side .
The southern side is.
Speaker 3 (24:11):
No, the southern side the southern side is a few
people, but just desert okay, sonot a lot of, not a lot of
towns in that area yeah, there'sa lot of towns actually.
Speaker 1 (24:23):
I'm just looking at the map and it's just the very
top of it looks green and therest looks brown, and then there
looks like almost a whole bunchof white towards the bottom,
which may be, yeah, the sand.
Speaker 3 (24:32):
Yeah yeah, desserts, yeah, and then again every.
We used to have 18 provinces,like like states kind of, and
then and now maybe have changedgovernment 18 and then again
some divided by then the biggestside is smaller side.
They all the centers, that'show they're like, all the
(24:52):
hospitals and schools and thenother like small families.
Heard this around, you know?
Speaker 2 (24:59):
And then just south of Mongolia it looks like
actually in China it says InnerMongolia.
I just saw that.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
Yeah, it's, I think, chinese.
I think they got that part.
The other people more proud tobe Mongolians.
They think they are Mongolians,but outer Mongolians we think
they are Chinese, even thoughthey are the ones who keep the
traditional scripts from top tobottom ones.
(25:29):
We had the Russian influence,we have Cyrillic, we use the
Cyrillics, yeah, but they'respeaking different dialect and
again, the Chinese.
My mom said they used to have alot of Mongolian culture there
but during the ChineseRevolution they sent a lot of
Chinese people.
The book you know like Destroythe Temples book, you know like
(25:52):
karaoke and like all of thesupermarket.
A lot of Chinese people theybought, you know like destroyed
the temples, bought the you knowlike karaoke and like all of
the supermarket.
A lot of change there.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
Okay, it's almost like we're in New York or
something.
It's not really.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
I know I was going to ask you do you, can you
understand them when they talk?
Is it just kind of a littledifferent accent or?
Speaker 3 (26:07):
A different accent.
Yeah, I can.
Yeah, if I go to you know InnerMongolia, even the blue capital
(26:27):
, I don't know why they keep itstill there, but still we have
to cross the border,international border, and then I
can understand them.
But there are people also, areyou from outer Mongolia?
Inner Mongolia?
I couldn't understand.
There's only one Mongolia.
You know, maybe my proud egomaybe kicks in this, but there's
inner Mongolia.
Speaker 1 (26:41):
So did you say blue capital?
Speaker 3 (26:44):
Yeah, that's the inner Mongolians.
The capital called, not capital, the city called inner blue.
Hukhut Hukh means blue.
Speaker 1 (26:52):
Okay, yeah, I haven't seen.
And then Ulaanbaatar is that?
Speaker 3 (27:00):
That's where I'm from ?
Yeah, ulaanbaatar, yeah.
Speaker 1 (27:03):
Yeah, got it.
And then I was looking at InnerMongolia.
I don't see where it says that.
I'm totally butchered.
Speaker 3 (27:11):
Oh yeah, Ulaanbaatar, yeah, yeah yeah, okay,
ulaanbaatar.
Yeah, Ulaanbaatar yeah.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
Okay, got it.
It's like I don't know if I'msaying it correctly, but the
buildings there's like regularbuildings, and then there's
these beautiful old, you know itlooks it's sorry to say if it's
the palaces.
Speaker 3 (27:35):
Oh, the temples.
Speaker 1 (27:36):
Oh, the temples Okay.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
Temples like this kind of building, like it's
temples.
We are Buddhist, the Mongoliansare Buddhist, we were Buddhist
until 1921, but during, likesocialist country, you're not
supposed to have any religious,you know?
Speaker 2 (27:49):
Oh, really, you're not supposed to have any
religious you know?
Oh really Not supposed to havereligion.
Speaker 3 (27:53):
No religious growing up Like, if you be not even
allowed to.
You know again, russians.
Soviet Union did fantastic job1921.
You know Mongolian.
We did like again, educationalliteracy was 97% and the women's
right and education and thehealth care.
That was a fantastic.
We did like women again,literacy was 97% and the women's
(28:14):
right and education and thehealth care.
That's a fantastic job.
Though, being in a socialistcommunist country, there's no
religious.
That's why during that time, alot of temples are destroyed,
unfortunately and then, growingup, you know there's no god,
there's no religious, but allthe families.
(28:35):
Maybe a very modest way tocelebrate lunar new year you
know it's a religious.
We have you supposed tocelebrate only new year?
You know, not the lunar newyear.
Yeah so they were one temple inthe capital but very.
They were too big monster butvery modest.
You know, growing up, if yousee, if I see North Korean, it's
(29:01):
very similar growing up, butthey are awful.
You know they cannot.
But like the, structure yeah,the structure is very similar.
You know we not allowed toleave any other countries except
communist countries Romania,czechoslovakia.
You know, like Soviet Union,you know they're okay, but we're
(29:28):
not allowed to go to visit anyin former Soviet country, soviet
Union and in Eastern Europeancountries.
But not for you know, not forAmerica, not even think about
that.
America is gun money.
They will like all this likepropaganda.
(29:49):
You know, like Americans, whichstill to the gun and money.
But you know.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
Okay, so was it hard for you to come to America then?
Speaker 3 (29:58):
No, by then it's changed a lot.
I had traveled a lotinternationally for my work, but
still getting we need to get avisa, you need to get a visa.
So under my passport I had alot of countries visa, but still
it's safe.
A woman invite me, so myAmerican friend, she invited me.
(30:22):
That's easier than a man inviteme, you know.
Still it's very difficult toget a visa.
American visa, A tourist visa,is still very strict in other
countries.
Speaker 2 (30:35):
Oh, okay, yeah, oh, my goodness, I thought, for
Americans going to Mongolia isthat pretty open.
Speaker 3 (30:42):
Now very open, yeah, and I think I don't think you
need a visa on like 30 days,yeah.
Oh okay, yeah, but if you livethere longer, you need certain
other documents days.
Yeah, okay yeah, but if youlive there longer, you need to
like certain other documentsrecorded.
Speaker 1 (30:55):
Yeah, we had someone on the podcast that is from here
, loves Mongolia, goes in kindof the you know outdoors areas
and loves it.
Speaker 3 (31:06):
Last time when I was in Mongolia, I took two sets of
family.
Ten of us went, my son'sfriend's family, ten of us went
from San Francisco to Shanghai,shanghai to Beijing, and then we
took a trans-Siberian trainfrom Beijing to Ulaanbaatar and
then we traveled to North andSouth and then I was really
(31:28):
proud of, like, my country.
You know, like when you stop byin a countryside, the yurt,
like nothing, is a couple ofyurt.
When I go there, there's noeven lock.
You can come in and then familywill have tea and sit and talk.
It's really nice.
(31:49):
I really wanted to show themreal, you know how, what the
countryside is.
So they were like big gatheringis happening.
I was like what is it?
Let's go there.
And then we went there likefamily reunion and then when
joined it, they asked to comesit and then play and then very
curious about foreigners.
It's nice.
You know we cannot in Texas, ifI go there, I cannot crash the
(32:13):
family reunion.
You know, going back there,they're very, you know, like,
family open.
Oh, I went to America years agothis, this, and then had tea
and then play and like I waslike, oh, this is my people,
everyone is welcome and yeah,that's so wonderful.
Speaker 1 (32:30):
What kind of tea do you typically have um?
Speaker 3 (32:34):
we back then we call it green tea, but it's not the
green tea we drink here.
I think it's a black tea bitwith tiny bit salt, with cream,
with salt, salt and cream.
Speaker 1 (32:47):
Yeah, wow, it's so funny, because usually here it's
sugar and cream.
Sugar and cream, yeah, andthey're like salt and salt and
cream.
Speaker 3 (32:54):
Yeah, I think it's a black tea.
But because of color, we alwayssay, oh, we drink, uh, green
tea.
It's a green tea.
But now when I think I'm justnot a green tea, it's like yeah,
I think we get it from a lot,from uzbekistan or tajikistan.
They have a very big tea.
I think it's more from thereyeah oh my Wow.
Speaker 1 (33:11):
And then what about jobs?
People?
I'm just curious.
I find people jobs.
So I was curious is it all?
Because it looks like theUlaanbaatar is a city, so people
, I'm sure there's banks.
Oh yeah, yeah, it's like anyother big cities.
Speaker 3 (33:29):
Again, a lot of young generation struggles finding a
job.
You don't see any homelesspeople in the city but still
like any other countries,because people's appearance is
really well good there.
But actually what you know,what's behind that, what they
(33:57):
struggle with you know, unlessyour family relatives are you
know, really struggles we wouldknow, but for the appearance you
can't.
Really it's hard to know themIf someone are not doing well
financially or like you know.
It's hard because the peoplelook good.
Speaker 1 (34:16):
Yeah, that's so great .
Speaker 3 (34:18):
Yeah, yeah.
It's like people really puttogether families, young people
like do well and looking happy,but even though they still
struggle behind that, likefinancial and employment and
everything.
But it's yeah, it's like I liketo.
When I go back, I like toobserve the people, you know,
(34:39):
it's yeah.
Speaker 2 (34:40):
That's so interesting .
But, like you know because yousaid, erin, like you know, your
appearance is really important.
You look good, but you alsodon't buy a lot of things, do
you?
Speaker 3 (34:47):
So do people like have a pretty small wardrobe and
they just it's clean andpressed but it might not be
clean.
We iron things all the timeiron bed sheets, iron shirt,
even bed sheets, huh, oh yeah,bed sheets, grown up, all those
iron we like, yeah, like wedon't have like big wardrobe,
(35:09):
you know, like every still now,like a free, free, four bedrooms
and then maybe five family,five, six families.
But you know we have to shareeverything, you know, share the
space, share the wardrobe.
Still, you would know, youwould know, because we don't buy
things that a lot.
That's also really still I havesome difficulties to adjust
here.
Oh, yeah, still I have somedifficulties to adjust here.
Speaker 1 (35:31):
Oh, yeah, I have difficulties.
Speaker 3 (35:33):
Especially Christmas time.
You know, like how manypresents one person can open,
like I always have this likedifference with my husband.
I had to face it.
You know we have one child andthen, okay, this is enough.
Now I think it's just a few.
Maybe we need no no, yeah.
Speaker 2 (35:55):
Yeah, I can watch the .
There's a a documentary calledbuy no.
That'll stop you from shoppingever again, oh really buy, be,
buy now.
Speaker 1 (36:03):
I don't know if it's on netflix or apple, or but yeah
, buy now now, yeah, I'm gonnawatch it because I I feel this
is a big thing for me too and I,especially when the kids are
little, they just I want that, Iwant that, please, why?
You know you get a lot of thatand you're like, yeah yeah, well
, yeah, that's how you grab it.
Speaker 3 (36:22):
We didn't know.
Yeah, I, I'm very careful aboutquality and quantity and um,
even though I can buy everythingfor myself, but when my husband
thinks, oh you don't.
Speaker 2 (36:34):
Yeah, less is more.
I actually remember talking tosomeone in Europe I can't
remember and they said whenpeople go like was the men go to
work?
They wear the same outfit allweek.
It's almost like a uniform.
And I was just thinking aboutthat the other day.
I'm like men's suits probablywere really uniform.
Men would probably have liketwo suits, a clean one and a
dirty one, you know.
(36:55):
But now men have, like you know, people that wear suits every
day probably have like 15, 20suits and then different ties.
You know, probably the tie waslike originally the only
difference Like you wear theexact same suit every day and
just change your tie to mix itup.
Speaker 1 (37:10):
Yeah, interesting it's.
So I, I uh.
So for just curious.
I know we're coming up onchristmas, so what does
christmas look like?
Uh, in mongolia?
Speaker 3 (37:19):
oh, we don't celebrate christmas, okay, okay,
but we, we celebrate new yearagain.
I don't think russianscelebrate christ Again.
We didn't have any religious.
There's no religious.
We can celebrate New Year.
Oh, new Year.
I miss New Year.
Every companies have paid big,big parties, people warm and
(37:43):
dress nice and everything islike oh, I really miss that.
It's like all parties are realparties all day, nice, yeah, so
that's a New Year like ourcalendar.
New Year, it's like all partiesare real parties are there, you
know, like Nice yeah.
Speaker 2 (37:53):
So that's a new year like our calendar New Year's,
not like the Chinese New Year.
Speaker 3 (37:55):
Yeah, calendar New Year, yeah 31st, december, 30th,
even though it's a familyholiday, like every family has a
Christmas tree and then cakeand flowers and champagne I
don't know why cake, but like wemy parents not let us to sleep
until midnight because wecelebrated like happy new year,
(38:16):
you know, like, even like it'svery, uh, family oriented
holiday year, it's like we haveto like, it's like it's like
Thanksgiving, you know, like wehave to sit, eat together, kind
of Thanksgiving.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (38:28):
Oh my gosh.
So they, you do get to stay uptill midnight or you don't get
to stay up till midnight.
Speaker 3 (38:34):
I have to, I have to, I have to stay up.
We have to receive the New Yearlike that.
I don't know why even for smallkids can't go to bed.
Speaker 1 (38:44):
Totally.
I remember going to MidnightMass and I was like, oh, this is
so hard with them.
Speaker 3 (38:49):
Does Midnight Mass have to be in midnight too?
I guess it is.
Speaker 1 (38:54):
I felt like it was 11 o'clock or something.
10, 11.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (38:57):
I think that was typical on Christmas, so they'd
always have like a midnight mass.
So then, like not for NewYear's, no.
Speaker 1 (39:05):
Christmas Day.
Speaker 2 (39:06):
But then a lot of people, the kids, couldn't stay
up.
So then the churches startedhaving 11 o'clock and at 10
o'clock and at 8 o'clock Now, Ithink it's like 5 o'clock.
Speaker 1 (39:15):
Yeah, exactly so did you say they have a Christmas
tree at New Year's?
Yeah, we call it.
Speaker 3 (39:18):
New Year's tree.
We didn't call it Christmastree.
People start to put it at NewYear's Christmas tree around
26th, 27th.
That's funny Way afterChristmas.
Speaker 1 (39:34):
Oh, my God.
And so is it a pine tree.
Is it the same oh?
Speaker 3 (39:38):
it's a plastic one.
Yeah, it's freaking cold overthere.
There's no, yeah, and we evenhave a Santa, but Santa we don't
call Santa Winter Crumper.
I think it's all.
If you see the?
We have a traditional outfit,that's Santa, but we big cave
and big white bear and thencertain gloves, and then Santa
(40:02):
will come visit families, givethe presents to small kids.
Speaker 1 (40:07):
Uh-huh, and it looks like Mongolia.
Santa looks like he belongs inthe North Pole with a very
fluffy big hat yes, a beard anda big coat.
He looks very he looks.
It's interesting the look, youknow.
He looks like you said, nativeAmerican, but Mongolian right,
(40:33):
oh, yeah, like yeah.
And he's got.
It looks like he's well thepicture I'm seeing.
He looks like he's riding ahorse, but it has antlers.
And then he has a big backpacksack.
It almost looks like one ofthose fabric things that you
wear babies with, but a huge,bigger one that's honestly
(40:55):
filled with things.
Speaker 2 (40:59):
Oh yeah, it looks like a wizard yeah.
Speaker 3 (41:02):
It's very mixed with Santa's traditional old man.
Speaker 2 (41:10):
That's so funny, so interesting.
Speaker 3 (41:12):
During communist time .
I think we created it.
Speaker 1 (41:15):
Wow, oh my gosh.
So would you get presents forthe New Year's?
Speaker 3 (41:21):
Yeah, new Year's the presents are all like mandarin,
tangerine and candies.
Okay, we didn't get like actualpresent by then, it's just the
like candies and yeah, candiesand tangerines and fruit in
winter, like growing up.
Yeah, we didn't.
But in the lunar year we wehave a calendar same as tibans,
(41:44):
different than Chinese for somereason, all similar like two or
three days either behind or infront.
It's like it's never been linedin the same day, it's always
different day.
The Chinese Lunar New Year.
That one is a big celebration.
We have to have constantvisitors.
Relatives visit you.
(42:05):
If you have older elders inyour family, the relatives visit
you and then we eat dumplingsand sit, talk and then the
family, the elders, will give apresent.
That's, that's.
It's like.
It's like a week-long holiday.
You know, like, like and it'snice.
You know, once a year you willsee all of the relatives you
(42:27):
know, two become three, threebecome four, all of them
bringing kids, and then sit andtalk and eat dumplings.
Speaker 2 (42:33):
Oh, nice, yeah, so I definitely have some of our
rapid fire questions.
I sent that to you so long ago,I don't know if you remember,
but they're pretty easy.
Yeah, pretty easy, okay.
So other than Christmas or NewYear year's, is there another
popular holiday tradition?
Speaker 3 (42:51):
oh yeah, in july, uh in uh.
July 11th, it's a independenceday.
I think it's a day we kick thechinese out.
I think it's like that's areally big holiday.
We call it free means, we callit nadam, it's like free it's a
horse racing and a wrestling andthen archery.
(43:13):
That's a big celebration.
That's the most popular touristseason by that.
And every other place iscelebrating a week-long
celebration horse racing andwrestling, and then archery.
A week-long celebration, horseracing and wrestling, and then
archery.
It's summertime and peoplerelax watch the horse racing and
(43:34):
wrestling.
It's a big sport.
And then archery too.
Speaker 1 (43:36):
And it's actually.
It looks like it goes for fourdays.
Speaker 3 (43:40):
Yeah, maybe, like officially four days, but like
you're not going to do anybusiness that week, whole,
entire, even for a month.
Yeah, it's like everyone islike is a tomorrow, tomorrow,
tomorrow, like no business, andthen gotta enjoy summer right
yeah, because our summer is veryshort, we have to celebrate it,
at least one week?
Speaker 1 (44:00):
yeah, exactly, it looks like it.
Does the date change because oryou said july 11th and that
yeah, it's almost july 11th yeahit says um on, not um
n-a-a-d-a-m.
From friday july 11th totuesday july 15th.
Yeah, oh.
And it says mongolia, innermongolia, and tuva is where it
(44:23):
uh oh, this is.
Speaker 3 (44:24):
Yeah, I think I don't know yeah, it's too bad.
Speaker 1 (44:28):
Another country?
Speaker 3 (44:29):
yeah, I think to.
Where is that?
I think that was a part of thesoviet union and I think maybe
it's a country now like with thestandard touch is done like
central.
Speaker 1 (44:38):
I think it's a central or asia yeah, oh wow, it
looks uh, this is really uhinteresting, and I see what it
says.
It looks like girls with awhole bunch of like a sash, with
a whole bunch of patches allthe way down.
Oh, like horse riders.
Well, I actually clicked on it.
Oh, wow, they have a.
(44:58):
Yes, there's a whole bunch ofhorses and they're just running
across a field.
There's a whole bunch of horsesand they're just running across
a field.
Yeah, is that, and everyone'sgot helmets and a name?
Or is it a horse race?
Speaker 3 (45:14):
Oh, horse race, yeah, yeah, I think nowadays wearing
helmets.
But you know, growing up no oneis wearing helmets.
And you know like horse ridingis like you can learn stuff.
You know when you're free.
You know three years old youwill see three or four years old
you're riding horse and cattlelike it's very normal.
Speaker 1 (45:37):
Yeah, I see horses.
You said archery, which I seeas well.
I see traditional outfits,beautiful outfits with a very
long yeah, that's for men with.
Speaker 3 (45:49):
Yeah, it's, it's very colorful and yeah and did you I
?
Speaker 1 (45:53):
I thought I heard you say wrestling and I actually
see some men wrestling yeah,only men wrestle, not women.
Speaker 3 (46:00):
That uh uh doing an atom, yeah very interesting
outfit, by the way.
Yeah, bikini you see, thatbottoms with very, very, uh,
very big like cow.
Speaker 1 (46:13):
I'll call them cowboy boots, but very big boots like
yeah, no boots, yeah.
And then a very small haltertop that looks like it's tied on
the sides here.
Yeah, very different, verydifferent.
Yeah, like wow.
So yeah, horse race wrestlingarchery knucklebone shooting.
Speaker 3 (46:32):
Oh yeah, knucklebone shooting.
I think that's a, but not theofficial talk of like free games
, but that's the like you can bea part of.
I think it's.
I don't really family with it.
I think they're like it's likehow far you can, what do you
call this one?
Like how far the knucklebinners go?
It's wherever it goes, it's thefarther away, I think yeah.
Speaker 1 (46:56):
Yeah, it says ankle bone and shooting and must be
knuckle bone, something likethat.
That's definitely different.
Speaker 3 (47:04):
Yeah, a lot of foreigners go to that N during
uh tourist season.
Speaker 1 (47:08):
Yeah, yeah, so they go in july to check out july.
Speaker 3 (47:12):
Yeah, it's very crafted.
Everything is really busy atthat time, like busy, like
holiday busy yeah is that.
Speaker 1 (47:19):
Are there other holidays that someone, or if if
you're wanting to travel tomongolia and check it out, that
would be an event too yeah,event yeah, but again that will
be like business time, but evenafter, uh, not them.
Speaker 3 (47:33):
Maybe some of their countryside, some of them they
have like mini, not them, youknow, to attract the tourists.
Otherwise, that's the like amain, we don't have many, many
like celebration holidays onlyluna, new Year and then Adam,
like only two.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (47:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (47:49):
I love it, and so what is your favorite meal when
you go back?
Speaker 3 (47:56):
It's like kind of like perushki, but it's like I
think we get it from Russia.
It's like a fried.
It's called khoshur.
It's like a dumpling but flat.
It's a fried, fried dumplingcalled hoshu.
It's like a dumpling but flat.
It's a fried fried dumpling.
But what's inside?
Just, you know, food we havelike most boring food in the
(48:17):
world we have, because it's hardto grow vegetables there
because of season.
You know, right, I rememberit's like a lot of beets, right
yeah, it's like beef in saltherbs and then flour, you know.
Speaker 2 (48:30):
Oh okay, it sounds really good.
And what's a typical breakfast?
Speaker 3 (48:34):
I go on a breakfast.
We eat a lot of like eggs andtoast.
Speaker 2 (48:38):
Oh, okay, yeah, Pretty similar, yeah.
And what is the money call?
And how would a tourist handlethe money there when they go?
Speaker 3 (48:48):
I think Tukruk, call it Tukruk.
I think $1 or maybe, I don'tknow, 30 Tukruks now.
Speaker 2 (48:56):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (48:57):
Yeah, and I think they bring the cash.
Okay, I wouldn't be surprisedif, when someone is there, oh,
you can pay through Apple.
You know, like there's certainthings way, I had my phone when
I was 2000, in 2000, I had mycell phone.
My even husband was like, oh mygod, you have cell phone.
(49:18):
Like, yeah, everyone has a cellphone, but but here the cell
phone came way later.
Like, yeah, it's like somecertain things we have very like
we get it way before americalike technology, but a lot of
things like way after, yeah, wehad, like I wouldn't be
surprised, all the like moneytransactions goes through the
(49:38):
phone.
You know, apps, yeah all righty.
Speaker 2 (49:42):
And then one question we ask is we just ask every
time the closest place to surf?
Um, I would say, probably inthe lake Is there like anything
such as like wake surfing orwake boarding out there or water
skiing?
Speaker 3 (49:54):
No, we're afraid of water.
And we're not even growing up.
Water is a very precious thing.
If you go see any lake inspring, we just we cannot even
put our feet on there becauseit's very spirit things.
We only we can't even go, can'teven think about peeing there.
(50:14):
It's very sacred things.
We should just go like tap, thewater put in the head first.
You know, it's like we can'teven I don't know nowadays, but
like growing up, we can't evenput your things anything, even
your feet, because it's natureof cigarette things.
Speaker 2 (50:32):
Oh that's so interesting, yeah, and it's
probably so cold too, right,yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (50:38):
And then less.
Speaker 2 (50:39):
It's cold.
Yeah, Are you.
Well, you said you drink cheese.
Most people drink coffee or teaor both.
Speaker 3 (50:45):
Tea, tea, but nowadays maybe in the capital,
but we don't have Starbucks, butthere's a lot of coffee shops,
people drink coffee?
Speaker 2 (50:53):
Yeah, okay.
Well, that's it for my rapidfire questions.
Yeah, thanks so much.
Speaker 1 (50:58):
Thank you.
Thank you so much, of course.
Thank you for having me.
Yeah, we loved it no-transcript.
Speaker 3 (51:31):
You will see how people lived 300 years ago.
It's still the same nothing haschanged but it's in a good way,
how everything you cannot waste, but still people are going
this way.
And then again in the capitalyou will see people like any
(51:52):
other big cities, the thingsthat some of them is too
materialistic for me, but it'sone way you can see two buff
sides in one place.
Speaker 1 (52:04):
It almost seems like everyone needs to go there or
watch the Buy Now video.
Speaker 3 (52:14):
Oh yeah, I would love that, especially before
Christmas.
We need Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (52:22):
Wonderful.
Well, thank you so much, ofcourse.
Thank you, it's been a pleasure.
Thank you, Grace.
It's really nice to meet you.
Speaker 2 (52:27):
Bye- thank you so much, of course.
Thank you.
It's been such a pleasure.
Absolutely.
Thank you, grace.
It's been really nice to meetyou.
Okay, bye-bye, have a goodweekend.
Bye you, too.
Happy holidays, happy holidays,bye.
Thanks for listening.
If you enjoyed the podcast, canyou please take a second and do
a quick follow of the show andrate us in your podcast app?
And if you have a minute, wewould really appreciate a review
.
Following and rating is thebest way to support us.
(52:49):
If you're on Instagram, let'sconnect.
We're at Wear Next Podcast.
Thanks again, thank you.
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