Does anybody watch ⌠sumo■?
Dolgorsuren Dagvadorj, a Mongolian sumo wrestler, is called Asashoryu in sumo and he is one of the most powerful and beautiful of all the sumo. Asashoryu is smaller and lighter than most of the sumo he fights, his style attracts sumo fanatics. He is so low to the ground, so stable and so much in control of his mind and his body that he just marches forward pushing every other sumo out of his way. A caterpillar tractor pushing over a five-story building.
Sumo is elegant, so simple and ancient. Two fighters are in a ring 15 feet in diameter, nearly naked. The loser is either pushed out of the ring or touches the clay ground with some body part other than the bottom of his feet. The only rules are no closed fists, no choking and no kicking in the groin. Asashoryu equaled a 38-year-old record held by sumo legend Taiho with his sixth straight title in November.
Mongolian Art and Music
Ever heard Mongolian long song and throat music?
The most comprehensive Mongolian arts and culture website, containing information on all areas of the arts, as well as arts organizations and a monthly events calendar for Ulaanbaatar.
Mongolian Art and Culture website
Arts Council of Mongolia website
Condoleeza Rice visiting Mongolia
US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice is visiting Mongolia, leading a delegation of over 300 US officials as they accompany President Bush. Mongolia and the United States of America established the diplomatic relations in 1987. Mongolia opened its Embassy in Washington DC in 1989 and the United States of America opened its Embassy in Ulaanbaatar in 1988. Secretary of State Madeline Albright visited Mongolia in May 1998. Mongolia is included in the list of 16 countries eligible to receive funds from the US Millennium Challenge Account. The U.S. provides support for the Mongolian Government's economic reforms and has supported Mongolia's transition to political democracy and a market economy.
Mongolian people think that it▓s great that Bush is visiting Mongolia and very happy that US-Mongolian relations developing.
For this issue, here are a couple of articles about Mongolian culture and traditions. The first discusses current changes in Mongolian society as well as the beauty of the land and the people. It also has a wonderful section on the life of country's nomadic herders.
The second article looks at the images of fire and of sky, and their importance in Mongolian folklore. This is a very good article, especially for those interested in mythology and folklore.
For this issue, here are several links to Mongolian online newspapers and resources. Hopefully these sites will give you a basic understanding of life in Mongolia. Consider it a broad beginning to this year's reporting. Mongolia is a very exciting place, with numerous developments occurring all the time; you will surely find many fascinating things!
Newspapers
The UB Post newspaper covers a broad range of topics covering all aspects of Mongolian culture, and includes many links to other Mongolian web sites. To visit this site, click here.
The Mongolian Messenger, on the other hand, covers primarily political and business news. To visit their website, click here.
Additional Resources
The Mongolian government maintains a webpage covering all of its goings-on. Read a message from the Prime Minister, look up pieces of legislation, all that can be done from this site. Click here to go to their page.
Mongolia is a country in Asia between Russia and China. It is a little smaller than Alaska and has 2.7 million people, almost all Buddhist, with a harsh continental climate. Ulaanbaatar, the capital, is a city of about one million people. It has fascinating museums and temples, and wonderful restaurants. There are internet cafes all over, and computers and cell phones are in wide use. Some Mongolians on the outskirts of the city and many in the countryside still live in "ger", the round felt tents of the nomads. The surrounding scenery is awe-inspiring; very like the High Sierra Mountains, one expatriate has said. The Mongolian language is part of the Ural-Altaic language group, and is written in the Cyrillic script.
Until 1990, the Mongolian Government was modeled on the Soviet system; only the communist party, the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party, was officially
permitted to function. In 1990, with the collapse of the communist system, Mongolia embarked on a peaceful transition to a democratic capitalist state, committed to upholding human rights and freedoms. In general, Mongolia is a civil law country.
