It was a pretty big blur, but probably the most fun Mongolian experience I've had so far. The holiday was started since the days of Chinggis Khan (also known as Ghengis), and it celebrates the lunar new year. It kind of brightens up February and is something to keep my mind off of the cold. They actually start calling this the beginning of spring, lol. The thing that looks like a basket is made out of bread, sugar, and some hard dairy products that I don't know how to describe. Everyone cleans their houses and akes food in preparation for their family to come over. I think I've mentioned buuz before, but they are meat covered with dough, and then steamed - like dumplings. Also people make a bunch of salads. None of them have lettuce, sometimes their potato salads have meat, and their fruit salads taste like candy - different, but I still like it. The first day, close family members will come over to visit. They greet each other by age, and then sit down in a circle. They will talk about family and have several types of drinks. Some of those are also very difficult to describe. Men and sometimes women will pass around a hoorog, which is a bottle made out of stone that has tobacco inside. Before guests leave, the host will give them a present. The following days, people continue to visit family and also friends.
Oh yeah, I got a dell made for me. one of the English teachers helped me find a person to sew it and then we went to a store to buy the materials. It is decently warm, but kind of difficult to put on and walk around in. And I still haven't figured out how to put the cloth belt on correctly. You can't see in the picture, but its bright orange and about 15 feet long. People often carry stuff in the shirt section but sometimes things can fall out. I actually thought I lost my camera, but fortunately I left it at my friends house.
Most of the time, I had no idea what was going on - nothing is really planned, so I just went along with what was happening. Some of the days, I went to multiple houses. It was fun, but it gets really filling. They also offered me drinks more often, because I'm a foreigner I guess. The holiday officially lasts 3 days, but it doesn't really finish. I was invited to peoples houses weeks after the fact. Some people gave me gifts ranging from phone minutes, candy, or games, to shirts. One of my friends mothers even made a Mongolian shirt for me! I felt bad because I did not give out that many gifts, but I'll know to prepare ahead next year. Tsagaan Sar does involve quite a bit of work especially for the mothers. I helped out a little, but since I am a foreigner people did not want me to do that much work. Za, I don't know what else to say, so I'm going to stop.
