I hail from Alaska, so the cold is no stranger to me, but what I feel here reaches deeper than any temperatures I've felt before. Still I stubbornly wear my knee-length skirts and stockings with clogs on a regular basis. The majority of passer-bys unabashedly gawk at my thinly stocking-covered legs. "Some older people might get angry," they've said regarding my choice of foot-wear, but some things I refuse to change. Mongolia is known as the "Land of the Blue Sky" and while the sun does shine brightly in a sea of blue most days out of the year, sunny days are not always warm. The average temperatures in January hover around -35C, the coldest days reaching -55C, not necessarily factoring in the wind-chill. There is actually a term for an extremely cold period of the winter: zud, when the ground is frozen or covered with snow - resulting in a food shortage for livestock.
Aleta Phelps writes: For my work as a community youth development volunteer for the US Peace Corps in the Baganuur District, about 140km (87 miles) east of Ulan Bator, I weave daily through the dense maze of Russian apartment buildings, schools complexes, and delguurs - small shops - in this small city of 27,000 people spanning no more than a few kilometres in diameter
ALETA PHELPS IN THE BAGANUUR DISTRICT
Caption: Erdene Zuu Photo: Honza Soukup Attribution 2.0 Generic
"Gadaad aimer huiten shuu!" is what you hear the rosy-cheeked elders say when they reach the solace of the indoors on a cold day - as they start unravelling layer after layer of clothing.
Stiff fur hats, bulky scarves, leather gloves, long jackets, down to their camel-fur cashmere sweaters.
The most common greeting during this time of the year begins by asking if your home is warm enough.
For my work as a community youth development volunteer for the US Peace Corps in the Baganuur District, about 140km (87 miles) east of Ulan Bator, I weave daily through the dense maze of Russian apartment buildings, schools complexes, and delguurs - small shops - in this small city of 27,000 people spanning no more than a few kilometres in diameter.
I wrap up tightly in my coat and drop my head downwards to face the whipping gusts of wind that frequently bring temperatures down to -30C.
Sometimes I wonder if the traditional fur-lined outerwear would be an improvement on my modern down jacket and hand-knitted hats and mittens.
I hail from Alaska, so the cold is no stranger to me, but what I feel here reaches deeper than any temperatures I've felt before. Still I stubbornly wear my knee-length skirts and stockings with clogs on a regular basis.
The majority of passer-bys unabashedly gawk at my thinly stocking-covered legs. "Some older people might get angry," they've said regarding my choice of foot-wear, but some things I refuse to change.
Mongolia is known as the "Land of the Blue Sky" and while the sun does shine brightly in a sea of blue most days out of the year, sunny days are not always warm.
The average temperatures in January hover around -35C, the coldest days reaching -55C, not necessarily factoring in the wind-chill.
There is actually a term for an extremely cold period of the winter: zud, when the ground is frozen or covered with snow - resulting in a food shortage for livestock.
The most common greeting during this time of the year begins by asking if your home is warm enough.
Aleta Phelps in the Baganuur District
Horses, cows, sheep, goats, and camels are the five traditional animals of Mongolia, and the horse to person ratio is 13:1. Many people rely heavily on animals for food, drink, transport, and other raw materials like wool, leather and bones.
According to reported national data, more than 1.7 million animals have died due to the zud this winter. People say that the weather generally improves after Tsagaan Sar, the largest Mongolian National holiday, a celebration akin to the Lunar New Year.
Tsagaan Sar landed on 14 February this year, so hopefully things will warm up soon. Nonetheless, many people also say that spring here is perhaps even more difficult than winter because of severe wind and dust storms.
The above content does not in any way represent the US Peace Corps.
