B10 Wednesday, January 8, 2020
HOOD RIVER NEWS | Hood River, Ore.
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MONGOLIA: Balancing nomadic culture and modernization
continued from B1
they were finished. When we
didn’t understand something
(every word he said) he would
say it slowly, gesticulating
one of the limited nouns he
could be referring to. We’d
eventually nod in assumed
understanding and he would
continue on with his wild
tales of last year’s eagle festi-
val, or the time he tied a rope
around his daughter and low-
ered her over a cliff to capture
a snowy owl.
For one of our stops, we vis-
ited his wolf pups, captured
recently so that their scent
would keep other wolves away
from his sheep, goats, cows,
yaks, horses and camels. He
would teach the wolves to
hunt and once they were older
he would take them far away
and release them.
Eventually, the setting sun
and dropping temperatures
sent us back inside where his
wife and two older daughters
were happily chatting, around
a large pot heating on the ma-
nure fired stove.
After a tea and diary prod-
uct based refueling, we head-
ed back outside at the insis-
tence of Aikush. She beck-
oned us to follow as she
demonstrated her complete
mastery of the seemingly
barren steppes that she had
explored and learned from for
her entire life.
In a few weeks, she would
be heading to stay in a village
several hours away for her
first year of elementary school
and was happily enjoying the
last little bit of time she had
in an environment where she
was comfortably in control.
She wandered around
with us cluelessly following,
a piece of twine she found
among a few animal bones
and the skeleton of a ger
seemed to give her direction.
Aikush led us up the hill
and picked up a mostly dry
cow pie, which she placed
in my hand. Her grave ex-
pression told me that it was
of utmost importance that I
kept hold of this specific turd
among the thousands around
us.
The fresh tufts of grass Ai-
over to my dad.
A rusty zipper that looked
to have been sitting out since
the last nomadic family de-
cided to set up camp there
distracted her briefly while
she placed it on her open
vest, imagining being able to
zip it up. Aikush gently placed
the zipper in my mom’s hand
and then continued to lead
us up the hill. Able to ignore
our questions and protests as
home and dinner got further
and further away.
After a few more slow min-
utes of trudging up the hill at
altitude, we reached a large
marmot hole. Aikush put her
tiny hand out, requesting the
cow pie from me which I had
discarded the first time she
turned her attention from me,
her disappointment was un-
masked as I jogged down the
hill to find the exact poo she
had selected.
Impatiently she watched as
I struggled back up the hill,
my lungs urging me to take a
break but my pride refusing
to disappoint this 5-year-old.
As soon as I returned she
took the pie out of my hand,
and placed it over the hole
for size. She then delicately
removed a chunk and left it
over the marmot den with just
enough space for a marmot to
poke its head out. Around the
hole, she placed the noose,
tieing the other end to the
rock, the tasty tuft of fresh
grass far enough away from
the hole that a curious mar-
mot would have to stick its
Submitted photos head fully through the noose
AYUSHA walks with her father.
KYLE and his sister, Sara, who visited Kyle in Mongolia with their parents, Tim and Jenni Donahue. to reach the morsel. Once set
up, Aikush wasted no time
admiring her trap. Instead,
she excitedly rushed to show
us another corner of the val-
ley before her mother yelled
for her to bring us inside for a
utensil-free feast.
It’s tough to wrap up my
experience in Mongolia after
spending the majority of the
last six months there. It is a
vast sparsely populated coun-
try with an epic and proud
history including the Hunn
nomads, the empire of Ching-
gis Khaan, rule by Manchuri-
an China, a communist alli-
ance with Russia, and almost
thirty years of democracy.
Mongolia has a fantastic
juxtaposition of nomadic cul-
ture and modernization and
is doing an admirable job of
preserving its history and tra-
ditions while trying to keep up
in a quickly changing world.
Climate change, technolo-
gy, and an increase in popula-
tion are making the nomadic
lifestyle, once practiced all
around the world, a scarcity
we must preserve to main-
CHOICES in the Ulaanbaatar market. The city of Ulaanbaatar is the capital and largest city of Mongolia, and serves as the country’s tain our connection with our
planet.
cultural and business center.
kush gathered were my sister,
Sara’s, responsibility. Next,
she walked up to a rock that
must have weighed half as
much as her, grunted as she
deadlifted it and walked it
© 2020 by Vicki Whiting, Editor Jeff Schinkel, Graphics Vol. 36, No. 5
Unscramble each of the mixed-up words.
When should I wash my hands?
Dance Up a Storm: Turn on some music and
dance for joy and good health! Happy, jumpy
music will make you feel good as well!
hen the weather
outside turns
frightful, it gets
harder to get your much
needed exercise.
The Lava Game
Pretend you can’t touch
the floor or the lava will
burn you up. Travel
through the house on
chairs, pillows, tables
and furniture your
parents allow.
Moving around keeps
you healthy and feeling
good. Give these safe
and fun indoor activities
a try and let us know
what you think!
Hydrate!
If it’s cold outside, you might not
feel thirsty. However, it is important
that you keep drinking
water throughout the day.
A good reminder is to drink
a glass of water each time you
go to the bathroom.
How many differences can you find
between this boy and his reflection?
Jugg
l
They’ e with ba
start re a grea lloons.
t w
ju
two, t ggling. Sta ay to
hen t
ry rt with
third
and a to add a
fourth
!
Standards Link: Reading
comprehension: Follow simple
written directions
Let’s Talk: With your family, discuss things you can do to be
healthier in 2020. Come up with a plan to eat healthier foods,
get more exercise and spend fun time together!
The American Academy of Pediatrics
recommends parents limit their kids’
screen time to two hours or less a day.
How much time do you spend in front
of a screen each day? Computers, TV,
phones … it all adds up. Keep track for
one week and try to do less and less each day.
Can you keep it to less than two hours a day?
E W H E E N L E G I
I S E N V A S I
I
P
C A W A R I S M V R
R W R D L N I E O E
E T Y T S T O R M T
X H W E A T H E R E
E T H I R S T Y E N
MON
TUE
WED
THU
FRI
SAT
HOURS
HOURS
HOURS
HOURS
HOURS
HOURS
HOURS
Wash Your Hands Often!
Exercise keeps you healthy. Remember
to wash your hands throughout the day.
Visit kidscoop.com/scrub-squad/ to find
a Kid Scoop video and printable activity
pages that help make hand washing fun!
Helicopter Hands
Extend your arms straight out,
level with your shoulders.
Slowly start twirling your
arms in a circular motion.
Spin them faster and faster
for 60 seconds.
R E D N I M E R R D
Standards Link: Letter sequencing. Recongized identical
words. Skim and scan reading. Recall spelling patterns.
Everyone feels better when they eat right,
exercise and get plenty of rest. Look through
the newspaper for things that are good for your
body. Choose three or more that appeal to you.
Standards Link: Health: Students recognize and practice
positive health behaviors.
SUN
Stand with your feet slightly
apart. Reach your hands up,
up, UP as high as you can.
Now bend and reach for
your toes. Repeat 10 times.
S H T C F E T T N L
Healthy Feels Good!
SCREEN TIME TRACKER
Spread your fingers out as
far as possible. Feel that
s-t-r-e-t-c-h? Now squeeze
them into two tight fists.
Repeat 10 times.
The Big Reach
Find the words in the puzzle.
How many of them can you
find on this page?
Limit Screen Time
Hundred Toss
Crumple up a sheet of
newspaper into a small
ball. Cover the entire ball
with masking tape. Toss
the ball back and forth with
one or more pals, counting
from 1 to 10 each time the
ball is successfully caught.
If someone drops the ball,
start counting from 1
again. Can you make it
all the way to 100?
Stretch & Squeeze
Standards Link: Reading Comprehension: Follow simple written directions.
REMINDER
EXERCISE
HEALTHY
HYDRATE
WEATHER
PRETEND
THIRSTY
MOVING
TRAVEL
DANCE
STORM
LIMIT
SAFE
TIME
WASH
Hand Exercises
Now that your hands are nice
and clean, they could use a
little exercise. Try these:
• after playing DISTOUE
• after using the STROMORE
• before eating or KONCOGI
• after petting SANIMLA
• before and after visiting a sick DRFNEI
• after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing
• after taking out the RATHS
Pat on the Back
Hold your hands out in front
of you. Reach over your
shoulders and pat your back
for 30 seconds. Cross your
arms and try again. Do this
for 30 seconds. You deserve
a pat on the back!
Standards Link: Physical Education: Use a
variety of basic and advanced movement forms.
The Kid Scoop book
for puzzle lovers!
A great gift idea! Order from your
local bookstore, Target.com,
BarnesandNoble.com or
Amazon.com today!
Starting up top at
“GO,” can you find
your way through the
gaps in these bubbles
all the way back down
to this little boy?
Write Words
Wonderfully
Write a sentence in which most, or all
of the words start with the same letter.