During my brief time in UlaanBaatar, I was recommended a contact person, Susan Griffeth, who had founded an organization working in the Ger (Yurt) district almost 10 years ago. Susan was kind enough to pick me up one afternoon and take me to the district and for a visit to her organization, Flourishing Future, to learn about all the community development and assistance activities they were involved in . From there another member of the FF team– Troy, who also helps run a travel agency (Rinky Dink Travel), led me on a tour of the area. During this walk he explains how things work or don’t work for the more than half a million people living in such neighborhoods in Mongolia’s capital city. The following is a 1 hour podcast of that adventure.
Category Archives: Audio
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ctrp336 Political Persecution and Mongolian History
Within ten minutes of sitting down at a table together, Bekhbat and I immediately were immersed in a conversation about Mongolian history. Me, the student, and he – the teacher, Director of the Museum Dedicated to Victims of Political Persecution in UlaanBaatar, and the grandson of P. Genden; former Prime Minister of Mongolia and victim of political persecution, executed by Stalin’s KGB in 1937.
In this podcast conversation Bekhbat takes us through the history of modern Mongolia, sorting through the myths and half-truths and explaining how the country came to be what it is today. In doing so he also walks us through the history of his very interesting family, including the infamous story of how his grandfather got into a heated argument and slapped Stalin.
ctrp335 At the Russia-Mongolia Border
A short podcast from the Russia-Mongolia border. As it takes about 3 hours to clear Russian customs, and more than 1 hour to clear Mongolian customs, I decided to get out and record some observations and thoughts especially in regards to the first two weeks in Siberia. You’ll also hear me briefly interrupted by the arrival of a battalion of Russian border guards.
ctrp334 New Media in Tomsk
When you wander around the streets of Tomsk in Siberia, you may think the place looks a little behind the times. But beneath the surface there are in fact new and creative ideas in the world of new media taking root. In this particular podcast we hear from a videoblogging priest about why he uses the internet as a tool in his community, and how some young DJ’s have turned to internet radio as their main stage for playing music. (special bonus at the end, me ringing the church bells, I apologize in advance to your ears.)
The church’s Videoblog (where I, though not religious, might appear soon)
RTFM.FM Internet Radio in Tomsk
ctrp333 Walking into Seversk
My good friend Ilya calls it “A piece of the Soviet Union on the territory of Modern Russia”: its what people say about the town of Seversk, Russia. Once home to 3 nuclear reactors and kept secret during the days of the USSR, the people of this community have voted to stay closed and stay behind walls for the foreseeable future.
What is life like within the walls? Who lives in Seversk? Ilya and I take the short ride from Tomsk to Seversk while discussing how this town works. We also walk up to the gates, describing the landscape. Which apparently is not allowed but ignorance is bliss in this case.
ctrp332 Post-Earthquake Chilé
What is the situaton in Chilé following the massive earthquake that struck late last month? How bad is the damage and how is the recovery effort going? My friend Nick Farr joins us via skype from somewhere in Chilé as he travels through the country observing what is going on. He explains the reality on the ground.
If you’re interested in hearing more from Nick who leads a most interesting life – follow him on twitter.