another stimulating week of lectures. Oyun, leader of the Civil Will Party, sister of Zorig the assassinated leader of the young democrats, and geologist rounded out the week along with one of the VPs of Ivanhoe Mines (who are trying to develop a site called Oyu Tolgoi, perhaps the largest gold/copper deposit in the world.) Oyun went on and on about it, which was great for me (she was even more enthusiastic than me, a suprise. She wanted to know my name and thought that I knew all of the current market prices for copper, gold and oil). I've read alot about her, but not about her mining views/history. Anyways, I could go on and on, and probably will later. It seems like no one on this program has done a project on (corporate) mining. (Someone made a film about the so-called "ninja" miners, who go solo and pay no taxes, pollute the hell out of everything, etc.) So, they both gave us materials, and I have somewhere to start my project from.

Other than that, Jargalsaikhan, another civic movement leader, the secretary of the People's Revolutionary Party (who are currently in power), and some others I'm forgetting or not sure I mentioned or not. Ganbaatar may have been mentioned last post, he's the head of National Soyombo, important civic movement, also good for discussing mining. And Undarya, an independent political consultant, who ended by quoting Frank Herbert. Made my day.

So, now we are off to Dadal tomorrow, generally agreed to be near the birthplace of Chingis Khan (at the junction of the Onon and Balj rivers). Good taimen fishing, I read. Maybe I'll get a chance. My family lives pretty close to Dadal, the "county" seat. A two, five, and fifteen year old, and a grandma. Baatar told me a little about them, mostly that they are good people, hard-working, but a little shy.

The ethnic group there is the Buryats, who also live on the Russian side of the border. The main ethnic group in Mongolia is the Khalkhs, according to them the B's are card-players, gamblers and drunks, but also leaders and very hard-working. They suffered the most under the 30s repressions, partly because of Stalin but also because there were many intelligentsia among them.

So, it'll be a two-day drive, over half unpaved. Wish me luck. I don't get carsick often, but it has happened... I know I won't be hung over at least, I've yet to find a decent vodka. Haven't tried Chingis himself yet though.