June Malina with members of PTPI's Darkhan, Mongolia Chapter
June Malina is a member of PTPI’s Washington, DC (National Capital Area) Chapter. In September 2009 she traveled to Mongolia where she met with PTPI’s Darkhan, Mongolia Chapter. Darkhan is Mongolia’s second largest city after Ulaanbaatar (the capital) with a population of 100,000, and is a 3.5 hour bus ride from Ulaanbaatar.
I had an extraordinary experience in Darkhan. The Darkhan chapter members showed me their lovely city – but I was especially impressed with their warmth and desire for friendship. We visited the chapter’s meeting room which was at a chapter member’s high school and language university. There are posters showing photos of President Eisenhower and Mary Eisenhower along with the PTPI logo and the words Peace through Understanding in the Cyrillic alphabet on the walls.
June at the Darkhan Chapter's PTPI meeting space
Ten or twelve of the chapter members hosted a dinner in my honor and I received memorable gifts such as a pin of peace from Darkhan and a leather desk kit. Toasts to friendship and exploring each other’s culture were proposed. Questions and answers were exchanged about each others’ culture. I especially enjoyed the chapter members’ singing Mongolian folk songs. I learned that 80% of Mongolian songs are about Mother and 20% are about horses.
The next day the chapter president, Gunregjav Budgaa, and chapter member Tserennorov Dochinkhuu took me to a Buddha statue in Darkhan and a park with fountains and statues built by the after the Soviet occupation ended. Next we visited a ger, (a circular tent lived in by Mongolian nomads), where I was welcomed with a bowl of fermented horse milk. Later, we had lunch at Budgaa’s home where he dressed in the native Mongolian dress and played the Mongolian national instrument, a Morin Khuur (horse-head fiddle). In mid afternoon, four chapter members came to the bus stop to say goodbye.
June experiences the music of the traditional Mongolian Morin Khuur
What a rich and memorable experience it was. I was surprised and amazed at the warmth and strong feelings of friendship I felt from the members of the Darkhan chapter. I invited them and hope many come to the USA to learn about and experience our culture. I had a fantastic time in Darkhan.
View more photos of PTPI’s Mongolia Chapters, in an album on PTPI’s Facebook Page that highlights the PTPI Tainan Chapter ROC visit to Mongolia earlier this year.
