Mongolia is not generally known for its art or design. But there is so much here that is beautifully evocative of the country’s land and its people. Mongolian art and design are influenced by the country’s historic relationships with other parts of Asia, including India, China, and Tibet. The complement is also true — Mongolia has influenced the art of many other Asian regions.
Author: klmalcolm2014
Mongolian Wind Horse
Genghis Khan created the largest empire in the history of the world on the back of a horse. He believed in “khiimori,” or “wind horse” — a human quality that remains essential to Mongolians 900 years later. Wind horse is the strength of your spirit, your inspiration, your courage. Khiimori is like the soul of the horse and the spirit of the earth and the sky. It is these untamed places in Mongolia. Continue reading
Living with the Nomads in the Eternal Blue Sky of Mongolia
For a short time, we are living a little bit like the nomads of Mongolia, 300 miles west of Ulaanbaatar in the area around Bulgan. We are a 90 minute drive from anything you could call a road. At our base camp, Lapis Sky, we live in tents called gers. We ride the descendants of horses that carried the Mongolians who, 900 years ago, conquered most of the known world. We watch the thrilling spectacle of 40 children racing “thunderhooves” across the steppes. We sip vodka from the same small cup and sample “airag,” the yogurty fermented mare’s milk the Mongolian nomads prize. Continue reading
Mongolia Is A Country
I am a little embarrassed to say that I didn’t know Mongolia was a country until I decided to visit. I guess I assumed it was a region that was part of China and part of Russia. But Mongolia is a democracy with a president and – since the Soviets pulled out in 1991 – it has a mixed economy. It is unlike any place I have ever visited. Continue reading
Russia in the 21st Century: You Say You Want A Revolution. Nyet
I have just arrived in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, where the national government doesn’t care what one of the little people says about Russia to the folks back home. And if anyone actually cared, I don’t have much to say that would get me In Trouble. The American media is saying it way better than I could. But you never know. Steven Colbert just left Moscow so there could be a heightened sense of indignation about sardonic Americans. Continue reading
The Expected and the Unexpected in Moscow
White Nights, Imperial Splendor and Veggie Burgers in St. Petersburg
Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood
I am spending the week in beautiful St. Petersburg, Russia. It is a city designed by and for royalty, full of large palaces, giant churches, gold spires, and grand boulevards. The feeling of the historic center is formal and aristocratic, and the city seems all about the buildings. No graffiti or garbage or village dogs. Continue reading
The Game of Bridge: Cool, Complex, Savage
When someone asks me what I do for fun, I usually don’t mention that I play bridge. I mention travel and writing, horseback riding and hiking, hanging with friends and family. If I told them I played bridge, they might think that I am old and frumpy, which I kind of am, and that I am not very cool. Continue reading
