Fuzzy Meets Mongolia

Hi Kids,
     Can you see me in the picture above? Look at the bottom in the middle. I'm sitting in front of a really big picture of a very important historical figure.
     His name was Genghis Khan (Ching-us or Ging-us Kahn)
and many, many years ago he ruled over a huge part of the world. He was born in the place we now call Mongolia. It's far away from here. Miss Elaine took me to an exhibition about Genghis Khan and Mongolia. 
     Genghis had a great army. They were pretty scary. This is what his soldiers looked like.

     Mongolia is a high, dry country. Mongolian people have always been famous for their skill with horses. Even today horses are important in Mongolia. In olden days, most Mongolians were nomads -- that means they didn't have a permanent home. They lived in special tents called yurts. They moved from place to place taking their tents with them. 
      There are still many Mongolians who live that way -- following their herds from feeding areas to other feeding areas. This is what the inside of their tents look like.

     Other Mongolians live in cities like ours. I got to meet some people from Ulan Bator, the largest city in the country -- and the capital city. This lady's name is Solongo Gankhuyag. I don't even know how to say it! She is a talented musician and she was very nice to me.

     Solongo and her partner played Mongolian instruments and sang for us. I hope you can hear this -- but I have been having problems getting it to work.

     Their music doesn't sound like the music we listen to but it's very popular in Mongolia. Listen carefully to the man. When he starts singing, his voice is low and growl-y. Later he sings in a higher voice. The first part is called throat singing. It is very difficult to do. The second part is his normal voice. I loved watching Solongo play the yatga -- her hands are so pretty. I couldn't do that with my paws.

     I think it's fun learning about people in other parts of the world. I hope you do, too.

Your friend,
Fuzzy