Life in the Country

Day two. By now life in the Mongolia countryside doesn’t feel the slightest bit strange to me. I just pick up where I left off.

Sometimes I feel so connected to this beautiful landscape, yet I wonder: how did I get here? How did I get so immersed in a country that is so far away and so strange? It's like having two personalities.

I was lucky to have met the right people. Our host, Byambaa, opened his house, fed us, entertained us and allowed us to freely document the passing days. Often Byambaa is alone in the country, as his wife Byaraa stays in the city during the school periods. That must have motivated him to turn their home into social-central. People come and go, sometimes without even saying hello or good-bye. As soon as they sit down, they get a cup of tea or a glass of beer. People just pop in, chat a bit and leave again, with such an ease and lightness, even so the Mongolian customs and social interactions are very particular.

My favorite part is spending time with the kids, of course. Baaskaa continuously amazes me and makes me laugh all the time. Vannie is just plain adorable, you just want to wrap your arms around him to protect him, even so I know he is a tough one. And Nasa is simply astonishing and surprising.

I have become so much part of this family that Byambaa felt comfortable enough to ask me to cook for the national holiday celebrating the army and manhood. It wasn’t proper for a man to cook that day, so I stepped in, as the only woman in the house. I couldn’t quite figure out if they liked my dish, but the etiquette was saved!