The Soundtrack of Olgii

This fall, while traveling out in Mongolia's westernmost province, we were inundated with this song.  And if you are brave enough to click on the video, you will join the group of us that cannot. get. it. out. of. our. heads. 

We first heard the song when we were visiting a kindergarten for herder's children.  The teachers put the video on for us so that the kids could impress us with the Kazakh dance they had been learning.  They didn't do much dancing, but were very adorable anyway. 

Then, we attended the Eagle Festival the next day which was when the song really took hold.  We were out at the festival for maybe 6 hours, and they mainly had this song playing in a loop over the loud speaker the entire day.  Yet, I still kind of love it.  Enjoy.

The Four Snouts of Christmas

Mongolia is often called 'The Land of Five Snouts.'  Perhaps not the most catchy motto, but it is accurate.  The five snouts are the animals that are so important to people's livelihood here - horses, goats, sheep, camels, and cows/yaks. 

Anyway, rather than the 12 days of Christmas this year we had the four snouts of Christmas.  I was quite impressed with Andy's gift-giving ingenuity.  From him I received:  a cashmere scarf (goat), yak wool mittens, camel wool socks, and handmade felt slippers (sheep).  The only thing missing was the horse!  If they keep the animals warm here, I ought be in good shape for the winter now.

Worth a thousand words

The three musketeers got up to mischief on Christmas Eve and memorialized the day by having our pictures taken while dressed as Mongolian queens.  Naturally. 

And yes, I am wearing the same headdress as Natalie Portman in the Phantom Menace.  Their costume designer totally cribbed her style from Mongolian dress.