Hello shine naiz (new friends)

The next batch of Mongolia volunteers have received their invitations. Yaaaaaaay!

In honor of pre-service training, let me post a funny Naadam photo from last summer.

That’s me guzzling the airag, Ulaaka doing bunny ears, Chris LP, Margaret, and Brie.

So Javhlan was a red-diaper baby?

Thank you, Temur, for translating a bit of the Ahan Dvvsin Duu:

Tertee Moskvagiin tsetserlegees Orosyn hus duulna
Tergel sartai dornoos orgen Sibir duulna
The Russian birch sings from a Moscow park
Wide Siberia sings from the East where there is full moon

And Temur also offered this interesting comment.

Javkhlan is from Uvs which is the reddest aimag in MGL. The MPRP gets 80-90% of votes there. Almost every Uvs person is proud that both Tsedenbal (ruled Mongolia during 1953-1981) and Batmunkh (ruled Mongolia in 1981 – 1990) are from Uvs aimag.

The MPRP, or “Huvsgalt Nam,” is the party of the former communists.