Much has passed since my last blog post during Mid-Center
Days (MCD). I have left my host family’s house up in Sukhbaatar and have moved
south to Даланзадгад /Dalanzadgad/
(that’s how Mongolians use parenthesis) in Өмнөговь /Umnugovi/ aimag. But let’s talk about Sukhbaatar for a
bit.
Since MCD, I have experienced one of Mongolia’s biggest
holidays: Naadam. Naadam is the celebration of the 3 manly sports: wrestling,
archery and horseback riding. A note about horseback riding, the event is run
for several kilometers as opposed to the 1 ¼ mile we are so used to seeing at
the Kentucky Derby. As opposed to a sprint race this is a race of endurance.
Since it is for several kilometers, you will only see a small section of the
race if you watch it. So likewise, I only saw a small part and didn’t even
realize it was the race. A tradition at Naadam is to eat as many huushuur /Хуушуур/ as humanly possible.
Huushuur originates from Russia. I’ll include a huushuur recipe at the bottom
and maybe a video on how to pinch the dough. Traditional Mongolian dress (a
deel) is worn for this holiday.
Me and my Mongolian Host Family at Naadam. I am wearing a deel shirt..
More after the break.
