Cashmere? It sounded like the name of a place near India or Pakistan – Kashmir. There are many cashmere garments are sold in the shopping centers around Mongolia. I then thought that cashmere may be one of the local production. I was shocked when i first looked at price tag of those garments. It is quite expensive to me. A cashmere sweater may cost easily 50USD and more…I then heard from my friends that Mongolia produces cashmere clothes and it is considered cheap compare to other countries.

What actually is cashmere? What it is made from?

Cashmere is made from the wool or fur of the Kashmir goat. Kashmir goats are originally raised in Mongolia but many are then bred in Iran, Tibet, India and China and America. The light & silken feel cashmere garments make it highly desirable for people who need to go through the winter season. The wool is certainly a natural produce of the goat. It is harvested from the goats during their annual molting season through the shedding or shearing process. The dense inner coat of these goats which are raised in the high desert climates protect them from the harsh winter. However, the goats begin to lose the protective layer down once the seasons change.

The finest cashmere comes from the underbelly and throat of the goats whereas a lesser grade is taken from the goats’ legs and backs. Longer fibers from the belly and throat area make the wool especially soft cause less “pilling” is needed when the fibers are woven into garments like sweaters, shawls, capes, dresses, and coats. The shorter fibers from the backs and legs are heavier and less expensive. Cashmere is easily dyed although it comes naturally in white, gray and brown.

Garments made of cashmere were once only available to royalty because of its rarity. Do you know it takes one little goat four years to produce enough wool to make just one cashmere sweater? Therefore, it should be treasured if you have one.You will noticed the difference once you have experienced wearing in a cold place which has a harsh winter like Mongolia.

“Shine Oni Mend Hurgii” – (sounds: Shin Oni Mend Hurgel)- That’s the Mongolian way of saying Happy New Year! How do people celebrate the New year on 1st of January.

Mongolians treat this as a family event. They will welcome the New Year with family members. Having dinner with family, then went out with friends. Before the new year, the traffic in UB was so bad cause everyone rushing to buy things to welcome the new year. In the evening of the New Year Eve, u’ll be surprise that the street is clear and not many cars. I was taking a taxi to my friend’s place. It was abnormally quiet.

So, How do u celebrate New year in Mongolia? As a foreigner, I am away from my family but this is not really a family events in Malaysia. Thus, my friend and i gathered to cook some food together in a friends house, talking, cheering, playing mahjong, then trying to burn the fireworks to welcome the new year on the eve. The funniest part is that the firework that i bought was so bad that instead of shooting up, it explode in a horizontal way…and everyone was laughing at me the kind of firework that i had bought..Somehow, it enlightened my friends. On 1st of January, there weren’t many people and cars u can find along the street as almost all the shops were closed.We then went to another friends house for lunch again, it was a cheerful and joyous lunch with Korean Shabu shabu.

Sometimes i wonder it doesn’t matter where u are, your family is always in your heart. It makes me wonder again..does it matter where u are? or whom you are with? Anyway, happiness is always around us, it’s your choice to choose the way you want to live. What will be my new year resolutions?

I hope that I will be able to optimise this website, provide more information about life and travelling in Mongolia, increase the community of this website. Cheers & Happy New Year to all readers and visitors of Eco Nature Travel. 

Christmas is a working day in Mongolia.  As a malaysian, we do celebrate Christmas in Malaysia with our fellow Christian friends. All shopping centers and pubs/restaurants are full of christmas decoration. It is lively and happening in Malaysia.

Do Mongolians celebrate Christmas? Traditionally, they don’t but u can see many people selling christmas trees and christmas decoration items either in the shopping mall or along the street. I guess this could be due to the influence of the Russian or westerners. Some even decorated their car with some christmas decoration items…around the bumper or the rim. At first, i thought it was a wedding car..but then i realised it was actually for christmas celebration…hehehe

Many people here don’t really know what is christmas for? How to celebrate christmas? For some people, it may just another reason to get drunk…somehow, i managed to find my way to celebrate christmas in Mongolia. I went to a ger district church…a missionary community under Mother Theresa..There are many mongolians who went to the church either for food or Say Mass, blessing, religions guidance or hopes. Somehow the missionary community church provided a warm and meaningful environment to the children, the old and youngs. The church was crowded with people. Children were performing a drama, singing…..a warm and holy way of celebrating Christmas a cold ger district area in Mongolia.

I was late that day. My friends and i have to wait outside the chapel at the second door..it was freezing cold..my feet was like being soaked into the ice that evening..Anyway, my friends who came earlier took some pictures of the Mass and performance. The sisters then served us some food. Nothing much we did there we just brought some food, snacks to the children. Talking with the sisters and friends. That’s how i spent my Christmas in Mongolia.  Pictures taken below are out of courtesy of Maggie Oh.

A a warm and holy place which support the ger district community..This chapel is under the Missionaries of Charity (Mother Theresa’s Sisters). It is about x km from UB. Before u reached this place, u can see many gers and houses built along the mountains all around..During winter, this area is worst. It will be smokey and air pollution is high. This is caused by the residents there burning woods or charcoal to keep their gers warm from the harsh winter.

The Missionaries of Charity is an international religious family founded by Mother M. Teresa, M.C. in Calcutta, India. The mission of the society is to service the poorest of the poor. They engaged in picking up strict urchins forsaken by their parents, and bringing them up with proper food, clothing, medical aid and education. There are about 6 sisters here from different countries, some are from Africa, Singapore, Korea, India & Bangladesh.

There will be some Catholic priest who visit this church every Sunday to perform Mass to the local community. According to Fr Augustine Mundackatt V C, it was in 1994 that the Catholic Mission was established in Mongolia . There are no churches in this country. It is on the official request of the Mongolian government that Catholic priests and Missionaries of Charity came to Mongolia. Many Mongolians have faith in no particular religion. Most people know nothing about Jesus Christ or the Bible.

With the love of those sisters who service the community and the love of God make this place full of hopes and warmnest in this freezing cold country.