Download or read book Tea of Ulaanbaatar written by Christopher R. Howard and published by Seven Stories Press. This book was released on 2011-01-04 with total page 182 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: National Magazine Award finalist Christopher Howard's debut novel, Tea of Ulaanbaatar, tells the story of disaffected Peace Corps volunteer Warren, who flees life in late-capitalist America to find himself stationed in the post-Soviet industrial hell of urban Mongolia. As the American presence crumbles, Warren seeks escape in tsus, the mysterious "blood tea" that may be the final revenge of the defeated Khans—or that may be only a powerful hallucinogen operating on an uneasy mind—as a phantasmagoria of violence slowly envelops him. With prose that combines Benjamin Kunkel's satiric bite, William Burroughs’s dark historical reimagining, and a lush literary beauty all his own, Christopher Howard in Tea of Ulaanbaatar unfolds a story of expatriate angst, the dark side of globalization, and middle-class nightmares—and announces himself as one of the most inventive and ambitious of the new generation of American novelists.

Download or read book Ulaanbaatar beyond Water and Grass written by M. A. Aldrich and published by Hong Kong University Press. This book was released on 2018-03-02 with total page 313 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ulaanbaatar beyond Water and Grass is the first book in the English language that takes the visitors to an in-depth exploration of the capital of Mongolia. In the first section of the book, M. A. Aldrich paints a detailed portrait of the history, religion, and architecture of Ulaanbaatar with reference to how the city evolved from a monastic settlement to a communist-inspired capital and finally to a major city of free-wheeling capitalism and Tammany Hall politics. The second section of the book offers the reader a tour of different sites within the city and beyond, bringing back to life the human dramas that have played themselves out on the stage of Ulaanbaatar. Where most guide books often lightly discuss the capital, Ulaanbaatar beyond Water and Grass: A Guide to the Capital of Mongolia reveals much that remains hidden from the temporary visitor and even from the long-term resident. Writing in a quirky, idiosyncratic style, the author shares his appreciation and delight in this unique urban setting—indeed, in all things Mongolian. The book finally does justice to one of the most neglected cultural capitals in Asia. ‘Combining history, ethnography, architecture, city planning, and folklore with a delightful dash of irony and personal opinion, Michael Aldrich’s Ulaanbaatar beyond Water and Grass is an authoritative introduction to Mongolia’s capital city. For first-time visitors or long-term academics, this is quite simply the best book available on Ulaanbaatar.’ —Jack Weatherford, author of Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World ‘The charm of this superb guide to Mongolia’s mysterious capital is the exuberance and love the author bestows on his subject. Michael Aldrich’s erudition is profound and all embracive, and he is as comfortable discussing abstruse aspects of Buddhism, as he is the city’s history from its pastoral and feudal origins through Manchu suzerainty to Soviet communism to the wild capitalism of the present day. He never misses the opportunity for a colourful and amusing anecdote or tidbit of scandal, to relish an obscure custom, to delight in the spice in a local dish or to pause and admire the beauty of a particular artwork, building or monument. The prose rings with his idiosyncratic personality: knowledgeable, urbane and sceptical (sometimes downright cynical), but always passionate and committed. Carrying this book through Ulaanbaatar’s streets, or curling into its pages on a sofa at home, he is the perfect companion—squeezing stories out of ancient stones, conjuring ghosts and elegantly baring the city’s soul. Ulaanbaatar beyond Water and Grass will become as great a classic of travel literature for Central Asia as J. G. Links’s Venice for Pleasure was for Europe.’ —Adam Williams, author of The Palace of Heavenly Pleasure ‘Destined to become the quintessential introduction to Ulaanbaatar, not only in terms of the wealth of information but also in terms of the sympathetic understanding and humour the author shares with the reader. Genghis Khan would have loved it.’ —Bill Porter, author of Road to Heaven: Encounters with Chinese Hermits and Finding Them Gone: Visiting China’s Poets of the Past ‘Michael Aldrich’s guide to Ulaanbaatar reveals a city of religion, of revolution and, latterly, of bold new experiment. It is both a journey through the city of today as well as an imagining of the historical city now lost to development.’ —Paul French, author of The Old Shanghai A–Z ‘This is an interesting and illuminating book, providing fascinating details on the history and evolution of Mongolia’s capital and largest city. It should definitely be included on the essential reading list for anyone living or working in Mongolia.’ —Jonathan Addleton, Executive Director of American Center for Mongolian Studies; former US Ambassador to Mongolia; author of Mongolia and the United States: A Diplomatic History

Download or read book Everywoman s Travel Journal written by Ten Speed Press and published by Random House Digital, Inc.. This book was released on 2009-02-17 with total page 162 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A stylish and helpful journal designed specifically for female travelers. The perfect traveling companion, EVERYWOMAN'S TRAVEL JOURNAL is newly redesigned for the savvy and reflective adventurer. It includes lined and blank pages for journaling and sketching, with handy information tailored for women travelers on security, dress, and natural remedies that combat common travel ailments. Lists and tips on packing, shopping, etiquette, and avoiding jet lag round out this conveniently portable journal, and an inside pocket holds postcards, receipts, mementos, and documents for safekeeping. Filled with traveling advice no woman should leave home without, EVERYWOMAN'S TRAVEL JOURNAL is both useful and inspirational.

Download or read book How to Ride a Train to Ulaanbaatar and Other Essays written by Josephine V. Roque and published by Penguin Books. This book was released on 2021-02-15 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How to Ride a Train to Ulaanbaatar and Other Essays is a coming-of-age story of a woman who leaves home to work in Shanghai following the death of her mother. In a collection of ten travel essays, she writes about living in another culture to learn another language and the experiences that shaped her view on what it means to be her own person, a daughter, a friend, a lover and a citizen of the world.

Download or read book Serving Library Users from Asia written by John Hickok and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2019-06-12 with total page 752 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Asian populations are among some of the fastest growing cultural groups in the US. While books on serving other target groups in libraries have been published (e.g., disabled, Latino, seniors, etc.), few books on serving library users of Asian heritage have been written. Thus the timely need for this book. Rather than a generalized overview of Asians as a whole, this book has 24 separate chapters—each on 24 specific Asian countries/cultures of East, Southeast, and South Asia—with a wealth of resources for understanding, interacting with, outreaching to, and serving library users of each culture. Resources include cultural guides (both print and online), language helps (with sample library vocabulary), Asian booksellers, nationwide cultural groups, professional literature, and more. Resources and suggestions are given for all three types of libraries—public, school, and academic—making this book valuable for all librarians. The demographics of each Asian culture (numbers and distribution)—plus history of immigration and international student enrollment—is also featured. As a bonus, each chapter spotlights a US public, school, and academic library providing model outreach to Asian library users. Additionally, this book provides a detailed description and analysis of libraries in each of the 24 Asian countries. The history, development, facilities, conditions, technology, classification systems, and more—of public, school, and academic libraries—are all discussed, with detailed documentation. Country conditions influencing libraries and library use are also described: literacy levels, reading cultures, languages and writing systems, educational systems, and more. Based on the author’s 15 years of research and travels to Asia, this work is a must-have for all librarians.

Download or read book Beyond Backpacker Tourism written by Kevin Hannam and published by Channel View Publications. This book was released on 2010-02-02 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Building on previous work on backpacking, this book takes the analysis of backpacker tourism further by engaging both with new theoretical debates into tourism experiences and mobilities as well as with new empirical phenomena such as the rise of the ‘flashpacker’ and alternative destinations. Chapters include material on flashpacking, the virtualization of backpacker culture, the re-conceptualisation of lifestyle travellers, backpackers as volunteer tourists, as well as backpackers' experiences of hostels, mobilities and their policy implications. It sets a new benchmark for the study of independent travel in the contemporary world.

Download or read book On the Trail of Genghis Khan written by Tim Cope and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2013-01-01 with total page 529 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The personal tale of an Australian adventurer's tragedy and triumph that is packed with historical insights. On the Trail of Genghis Khan is at once a celebration of and an elegy for an ancient way of life. Supported by an epic Australian and New Zealand Tour.

Download or read book Mongolia written by Michael Dillon and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2019-11-28 with total page 233 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mongolia remains a beautiful barren land of spectacularly clothed horse-riders, nomadic romance and windswept landscape. But modern Mongolia is now caught between two giants: China and Russia; and known to be home to enormous mineral resources they are keen to exploit. China is expanding economically into the region, buying up mining interests and strengthening its control over Inner Mongolia. Michael Dillon, one of the foremost experts on the region, seeks to tell the modern history of this fascinating country. He investigates its history of repression, the slaughter of the country's Buddhists, its painful experiences under Soviet rule and dictatorship, and its history of corruption. But there is hope for its future, and it now has a functioning parliamentary democracy which is broadly representative of Mongolia's ethnic mix. How long that can last is another question. Short, sharp and authoritative, Mongolia will become the standard text on the region as it becomes begins to shape world affairs.

Download or read book The Humorless Ladies of Border Control written by Franz Nicolay and published by New Press, The. This book was released on 2016-08-02 with total page 263 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 2009, musician Franz Nicolay left his job in the Hold Steady, aka "the world's greatest bar band." Over the next five years, he crossed the world with a guitar in one hand, a banjo in the other, and an accordion on his back, playing the anarcho-leftist squats and DIY spaces of the punk rock diaspora. He meets Polish artists nostalgic for their revolutionary days, Mongolian neo-Nazis in full SS regalia, and a gay expat in Ulaanbaatar who needs an armed escort between his home and his job. The Russian punk scene is thrust onto the international stage with the furor surrounding the arrest of the group Pussy Riot, and Ukrainians find themselves in the midst of a revolution and then a full-blown war.> While engaging with the works of literary predecessors from Rebecca West to Chekhov and the nineteenth-century French aristocrat the Marquis de Custine, Nicolay explores the past and future of punk rock culture in the postcommunist world in the kind of book a punk rock Paul Theroux might have written, with a humor reminiscent of Gary Shteyngart. An audacious debut from a vivid new voice, The Humorless Ladies of Border Control is an unforgettable, funny, and sharply drawn depiction of surprisingly robust hidden spaces tucked within faraway lands.

Download or read book Travel Journal written by Ten Speed Press and published by . This book was released on 1994-06 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Includes quotes from famous travelers, conversion charts, maps, and much more. Packaged in a sturdy clear plastic jacket.

Download or read book Mongolia Today written by Dendevin Badarch and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2015-10-23 with total page 313 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: These essays provide an interdisciplinary approach to the study of contemporary Mongolia, ranging from industrialization, environmental policies, biotechnology and husbandry to descriptions of Mongolian flora and fauna.

Download or read book Mongolia Culture Smart written by Alan Sanders and published by Bravo Limited. This book was released on 2016-01-26 with total page 169 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mongolia is landlocked between its neighbors China and Russia in the heart of Asia. For centuries after the disintegration of Genghis Khan s empire it was ruled by one or the other, but in 1990 the Mongols embraced democracy. Now, after two centuries of Manchu stagnation and seventy years of Soviet communism, they are rebuilding their national heritage. Rarely in the news but making progress toward a market economy, this resource-rich but infrastructure-poor country is a land of pioneers, and its greatest asset is the Mongol people, who are friendly, cooperative, ambitious, and well educated. English is now the first foreign language and the country s leaders are forging new partnerships with international investors. Travelers from across the world are drawn to the land of blue sky by its picturesque mountains and lakes, flower-carpeted steppes and stony deserts, home to the snow leopard, the wild horse and camel, and the Gobi bear. The broad pasturelands, with herds of grazing livestock, and the traditional lifestyle of the nomads contrast with the busy streets of the capital Ulan Bator, a bustling metropolis of over one million people, modern hotels, apartments, and shops, interspersed with Buddhist monasteries and temples, surrounded by crowded suburbs of traditional felt tents. Mongolia s many attractions range from dinosaur skeletons and the remains of ancient civilizations to relics and reenactments of the Genghis Khan era, and the traditional sports of wrestling, archery, and horse-racing. "Culture Smart! Mongolia" provides rare insights into contemporary Mongolian society, and offers practical tips on what to expect and how to conduct yourself in order to get the most out of your visit. Despite the undeniable challenges posed by modernity, these warm, tough, adaptable, and hospitable people welcome visitors and are open to the world."

Download or read book Mongolia written by Michael Kohn and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Let the adventure begin! Ride a camel across the sun-scorched Gobi, feast by moonlight at the bottomless lake of Uüreg Nuur, and experience traditional archery and wrestling at the Naadam Festival. Escape to the ends of the earth in the footsteps of the first Mongol nomads. All you need is a strong pair of boots and this bestselling guidebook. Find your own way : detailed maps and GPS coordinates for hundreds of key sites; Connect with the locals and sleep in a ger, Mongolia's famous felt-tent abode -expanded reviews describe the country's best ger camps; Stride across the steppes with your inspiring itineraries through the Land of Blue Sky -witness magical monasteries and spectacular ice canyons; Talk the talk : our language chapter makes communication easy; Get under the skin of Mongolia with delicated Culture and History chapters packed with fascinating insights and little-known facts.

Download or read book Mongolia written by Jane Blunden and published by Bradt Travel Guides. This book was released on 2014-10-01 with total page 484 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Open to the Western world since 1990, the 'Land of Blue Sky' is one of the few places on earth where travellers can tread on undiscovered ground and explore with a true sense of adventure. Homeland of the greatest conqueror of all time, Genghis Khan, vast tracts can be discovered on horse or camel, or in the comfort of a four-wheel drive. Written by Mongolian expert, Jane Blunden, this updated guide highlights its culture and customs, including the deel, the colourful national dress, herding rules and customs, Mongolian throat singing and Naadam, the annual celebration of wrestling, archery and horse-riding. For visitors keen to sample the unique pleasures of staying with nomads, she also explains how and where to experience the traditional lifestyle of a Mongolian ger. The guide offers tips on riding and biking tours, winter dog sledding and summer yoga camps and provides in-depth information on national parks and conservation. Wildlife tours and visits based around Buddhist temples are still Mongolia's strengths, along with the age old traditional herding culture and Nomadic lifestyle, to be seen throughout this vast country. This amazing lifestyle of nomads with their flocks of camels, sheep and cashmere goats herded on horseback, from the times of Genghis Khan, is disappearing fast as families become more settled. The capital Ulaanbaatar is undergoing major changes and offers visitors a taste of city life in contrast to the wide open spaces. The guide reviews new hotels and restaurants which are popping up as business is booming. Mongolia provides all the information you'll need to arrange an unforgettable stay with Mongolian nomads, enjoying the centuries-old lifestyle of a traditional ger.

Download or read book Even A Daughter Is Better Than Nothing written by Mykel Board and published by Garrett County Press. This book was released on 2005-07-22 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the story of how Maximum Rock'n'Roll Columnist Mykel Board spent a year teaching English at the Mongolian National University in Ulaanbaatar. From getting lost in the Gobi Desert to stirring fights in a Mongolian disco, Board teeters through the heart of contemporary Mongolian culture with the class, humor and buffoonery of a modern-day Charlie Chaplin.

Download or read book Wild East written by Jill Lawless and published by ReadHowYouWant. This book was released on 2012-08 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For most of us, the name Mongolia conjures up exotic images of wild horsemen, endless grasslands, and nomads - a timeless and mysterious land that is also, in many ways, one that time forgot. Under Genghis Khan, the Mongols' empire stretched across Asia and into the heart of Europe. But over the centuries Mongolia disappeared from the world's consciousness, overshadowed and dominated by its huge neighbours - first China, which ruled Mongolia for centuries, then Russia, which transformed the feudal nation into the world's second communist state. Jill Lawless arrived in Mongolia in the late 1990s to find a country waking from centuries of isolation, at once rediscovering its heritage as a nomadic and Buddhist society and simultaneously discovering the western world. The result is a land of fascinating, bewildering contrasts: a vast country where nomadic herders graze their sheep and yaks on the steppe, it also has one of the world's highest literacy levels and a burgeoning high - tech scene. While trendy teenagers rollerblade amid the Soviet apartment blocks of Ulaanbaatar and dance to the latest pop music in nightclubs, and the rich drive Mercedes and surf the Internet, more than half the population still lives in felt tents, scratching out a living in one of the world's harshest landscapes. Mongolia, it can be argued, is the archetypal 21st - century nation, a country waking from a tumultuous 20th century in which it was wrenched from feudalism to communism to capitalism, searching for its place in the new millennium. This is a funny and revealing portrait of a beautiful, troubled country whose fate holds lessons for all of us.

Download or read book Mongolia and the United States written by Jonathan S. Addleton and published by Hong Kong University Press. This book was released on 2013-05-01 with total page 206 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Former U.S. ambassador Jonathan Addleton provides a pioneering firsthand look at the remarkable growth of civil society and diplomatic ties between two countries separated by vast distances yet sharing a growing list of strategic interests and values. While maintaining positive ties with Russia and China, its powerful neighbors and still-dominant trading partners, Mongolia has sought "third neighbors" to help provide balance, including Canada, Japan, Korea, European nations, and the United States. For its part, the United States has supported Mongolia as an emerging democracy while fostering development and commercial relations. People-to-people ties have significantly expanded in recent years, as has a security partnership that supports Mongolias emergence as a provider of military peacekeepers under the U.N. flag in Sierra Leone, Chad, Kosovo, Darfur, South Sudan, and elsewhere.While focusing on diplomatic relations over the last quarter century, Addleton also briefly describes American encounters with Mongolia over the past 150 years. More recently, Mongolia has emerged as a magnet for foreign investment, making it one of the worlds fastest growing economies.