FEAST OR FAMINE

Recently there has been a spate of earthquakes across the globe. Mongolia is not exempt from tremors, and fortunately they usually occur in sparsely populated regions and are regarded as minor in magnitude. In 2009 there were 162 earthquakes, measuring between 4.0 and 5.0 on the Richter Scale, across Mongolia. In the first three months of this year there have been 5 earthquakes measuring between 4.0 and 5.0 and 28 minor earthquakes with magnitudes between 3.0-3.9. The latest earthquake on March 22 was a magnitude 4.8 and was located 533 kilometres northwest of Ulaanbaatar. The largest magnitude earthquake this year measured 5.6 on March 19 in the early morning and on the same day one occurred three hours later measuring 3.5 on the Richter Scale.

For the first time in Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar turned off its light to honour Earth Hour on Saturday March 25, 2010. From 8:30-9:30pm, lights were switched off in all organizations surrounding Sukhbaatar Square in Ulaanbaatar, the city’s central square and location of the centre of Parliament. Earth Hour expresses concern about current global environmental issues. During the hour of darkness, people were supplied candles and performers entertained the crowd with non-electrical musical instruments. One of these was the traditional Mongolian Morin Khuur (fiddle with horse’s head), a bowed stringed instrument. The Morin Khuur is one of UNESCO’s Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

On the weekend I saw the Moonstone song and dance ensemble in Ulaanbaatar. Moonstone is the first privately owned professional ensemble in Mongolia. They presented several aspects of traditional, classical and modern compositions, including sitar playing, the “tsam” (mask dancing), horse-headed fiddle playing (Mongolia’s traditional instrument), and two female contortionists. The ensemble was founded in 2001 and conducted its first performance in 2002. They close for the winter months and commence in March through spring, summer and autumn. The current season is a short concert. In summer, during the high tourist season, they perform a longer rendition of “Mongolian Melody of the Great Steppe” and the “Worship of the Sun” to packed-out audiences. Because it was the commencement of the 2010 season, the weekend’s audience was rather scarce, but just as appreciative. The atmosphere in the Tsuki House Center is a relaxed cabaret style with cushioned settees, tables and bar servi...

Government officials held discussions this week on the dire situation of air pollution levels in the capital city, Ulaanbaatar. The national plan “Smokeless Ulaanbaatar” will be submitted to Parliament in April. The program aims to reduce or prevent the use of coal-powered household stoves in suburban ger districts which are the main contributors to the air pollution. Gers are traditional Mongolian homes, a one-room round felt tent with a central hearth. The government plans to conduct a review of previously unsuccessful model projects on ecologically friendly and fuel efficient stoves – why they didn’t work, and whether there are more efficient stoves available that would be acceptable. Mass migration from rural areas to the city and the ever-expanding city construction has also influenced the government’s future plan. By 2016 the plan estimates that more than 70% of ger district areas would become modern apartments and more green parks would be planned. It is estimated...

In the last month of a Mongolian winter, I ponder the animals I’ve seen in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar. It occurs to me that I have only seen birds and dogs. The only birds I’ve seen are black birds, the size of starlings. And the only dogs I’ve seen are medium-sized dogs, common mutts roaming the streets – not dogs on leashes with their owners. I also ponder the animals I haven’t seen. I haven’t seen ants, worms, beetles, locusts, dragonflies, moths, maggots, silverfish, bees, gnats, wasps, mosquitoes, cockroaches, flies or spiders. None at all. Nor have I seen any cats. Not a single cat.\ MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the  author of:-  Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom (2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).

Two ball-shaped objects crashed in Mongolia in Tuv Province. Locals described them as meteoroids. Defense, emergency and astronomy teams inspected the objects and declared that they were parts of the U.S. delivery rocket Delta-2. One object was a liquid fuel tank of the rocket that was launched on September 25, 2009, from Cape Canaveral. It was 7.5 metres in diameter and had a U.S. number imprinted on it.