Noodles

There is something I noted not too long ago when speaking with a friend; I said that when you travel like this, everything you accomplish (and, trust me, they are such little things) seems like some monumental task overcome by sheer will and perfect honing abilities. For example, today I left my little mountain town sadly, but proud that a bus happened to pop by that was headed my way as I traipsed down the lane. "I DID IT!", I said to myself, as if my own hands had worked in the coal mines of the province, as to fuel the factory spitting steel into perfect rectangles or as if I assembled the dear hunk itself. Five hours, countless stops, three kung-fu movies, and four MP3 episodes of This American Life later, I arrived in a city no one I know has ever heard of, but there are 2.5 million people here. China has over 100 cities with populations over 1 million. 100! The United States has 9. Nine. So I'm here: 'Taiyuan' they yell through smoke, and I file to get out. There I am, here I am, buses, cars, bicycles, not a Westerner around for the past 72 hours, it is 7pm, and I have to figure out where to lay my head, wash my hands, and fill my stomach. Sometimes I am so proud, the little things such as these take so much effort and I feel joyous and accomplished. But, really, sheets and running water and noodles? Well, I haven't found the noodles yet, but I bet I find the best and cheapest in the city.

Return To [Beijing] Doors

Mongolia made such an impression on me that it was hard to finally buy my ticket out. So hard in fact that it seemed more pleasing (and much cheaper) to return to Beijing by first just barely crossing the border on a local night train. This allowed me to go half-way and say goodbye slowly. In Erilan I arrived just before lunch and had a nice stroll and meal and then boarded a night bus to the city.




I did not want to put my bag in the cargo compartment so I slept with it on my tiny bunk. The bus was nearly full (about 36 passengers and 39 beds!). We moved slowly and stopped several times, but still passed through Beijing 2 hours early- before 5am! I expected the bus's destination to be Beijing and that we would stop at station I could find on my map. That was not the case. The driver simply stopped on an expressway East of the city center. Three of us disembarked and the bus set off.

In my next post I will share my journey since: 50,000 Buddhas, Department of The Hell, temples, a 1,000 year-old pagoda and more. Until then, here are some lovely doors.

Building a Ger

The traditional home of Mongolians is the ger, a round dwelling or tent constructed mainly of wood and felt. The name comes from the Turkish word yurt. Gers may go back as far as 800 years and city dwellers also use them; however, Western homes and apartments are somewhat common in cities.

In the North Gobi I was able to watch and help an extended family reconstruct their ger. Many Mongolians are pastoralists. They rely on herd animals for food products, fur and pelts. In order to feed their animals properly and care for themselves as well, it is necessary for families and small groups to move seasonally- 2-4 times a year. It was not clear if this family had recently moved or if they were just repairing and then reconstructing their ger. The average ger weighs about 500 pounds and can be easily transported by animals. These days, even some of the remotest of gers are often moved by trailer and truck for a fee.




Putting a ger together only takes 60-90 minutes, and is nearly impossible to do alone. When we arrived, the site looked a mess, as if the thing had exploded into a million parts. Both the family matriarch and her daughter were repairing broken seams and small holes in the ger's outer shell.



It was a beautiful scene. The women worked in the dwindling sun sewing, the third generation played with sticks and rocks (and, later, with me), and the grandfather arranged the pieces for construction later on as baby camels returned home to their mothers.



The woman on the left here was the grandmother of the little girl, and I am not sure of the relationship they had with the woman on the right. The girl's mother was also involved with the repair work and construction.



As they cleaned and prepared I started to become friends with this little girl. As mentioned in my previous post, she started to call me sister, and I called her little sister in response.




These are their belongings, in a circle, on the floor of what will be the home. A flat surface with appropriate soil are goo prerequisites for an appropriate location. Floors of gers may have wood planks or a combination of plastic sheets (near the beds and chest) and dirt/grass floor (near the entrance).



Gers have a latticework frame of birch wood that is tied together with tiny leather ropes. The size of a ger is based on how many of these khana are used, usually fours to five, but sometimes as many as ten! Stretched out, each one is about 7.7 feet long and 5-6 feet high. Bound together with rope, they form a circular structure.



After the khana is stretched and in place, the door frame is attached and roped securely.



In this next photo, the unis (poles) are positioned around the ger so they will be ready when needed.



One person is needed to put together, hoist and hold the baganas (pillars) and toono (crown), while others insert and secure each uni. The There are between 72 and 212 poles (this ger used 72). All of the have one squared side which alloes them to fit in a notch in the center of the ceiling pillar and the other end has a small hole with a rope that secures it to the latticework. The pieces that fit over the door frame have no holes/rope at the and are instead wedged behind the top of the frame. The toono is important because it allows for ventilation and sunlight.



This is a view of the completed skeleton of the ger.



At this point, a layer of felt (sometimes two or three) is added to the roof and a series of ropes and sticks are used to both position and secure the felt.





Felt is then added to the sides. Someone has to hold up the thick and heavy sheets as another encircles the ger with strong ropes. One thick rope secures the felt from just above the walls.



Once the walls are secured, another layer is added to further protect from the elements, along with an outer set of ropes. A small triangle of felt is positioned on the top of the toono and it is attached to ropes that allow someone to cover and uncover it easily.






The last step is adding the door.




Gers face South or Southeast, as the dwellings represent microcosms of the Mongolian universe. The arch of the interior represents the vault of the heavens. The North side, hoimor is located behind the fire. The layout inside a ger is standard. When you walk in, immediately on the right, or East side, you will see cooking utensils and food cabinets or shelves. Immediately to the West, or left you will see herding and riding gear. Ahead, to the North, storage cabinets painted in beautiful bright orange with complimentary hues of blue, red, white, yellow details. In the middle of the left an right walls there are beds. Sometimes there may just be stacks of neatly arranged pillows and wrapped blankets.