The Inner City in UB

"UB". That's how Ulaan Baatar is called by the foreigners. After spending a few weeks here, my impression is that the city is practically a ruin of the old communist system. Russians left when the Soviet Union collapsed in the early 1990's and Ulaan Baatar is just now starting to vitalize itself, hopefully in a positive direction for the future of its people.

Except for the excellent telecommunications throughout Mongolia, the overall basic infrastructure is lacking, or at least has a lot of problems. There are so many potholes in the streets, and the sidewalks surface has collapsed in place. After the rain there are large, muddy puddles everywhere. Cars, minivans and city buses spit out black exhaust that, combined with the twirling dust, makes breathing difficult. The uncovered manholes house the homeless who sit beneath the cities surface drinking the night away.

Many of the men in this city are extremely short-tempered and physically abusive. We've witnessed several arguments, scuffles and violence on several occasions. Domestic violence toward women, unfortunately, is all too common. Before the Naadam holiday, road rage was at its peak. With no traffic rules and little enforcement, gridlock is inevitable. This situation lead to shouting matches and fist fights in one of the busy intersections.

When it comes to driving, men act like teenagers who have just gotten their driver's license. They act as if they gained some kind of all mighty power, and that spells troubles for pedestrians. Crossing on the green walk light is no guarantee of your safety.

Is this just how this city is? Is the meat based diet causing too much yang energy in the body? Or is it caused by the vodka many men drink everyday? Are these mentalities reflections of the unstable society that is rapidly transforming from the collapsed communist stronghold to an open market culture? Or, have they been like this since the era of Jingis Kahn whom they are so proud of?

We heard that the number of well-educated and career-oriented women is on a rise in Mongolia. In any given college classroom, women outnumber men by about 5 to 1. They seem to have started moving forward on their own, and once educated, they are not interested in a relationship with just any ordinary guy.

I'm sure you're reading this thinking that Ulaan Baatar is all doom and gloom, however, we also have also seen several peaceful families trying to survive in this environment. Many families from our neighborhood step out of their apartments on these hot summer evenings and we can see the love in their hearts as they talk to each other or play with their children and grandchildren. For many, the family is the center of their lives.

UB's inner city is a surreal space where all these elements coexist together somehow. When we take a step back and think about it, we know that we can see similar scenes in every urban center around the globe, regardless of its level of development. Perhaps I'm just worn out on the city scene and need to head into the countryside. I think it's time to stand in the middle of the open land and watch the sunrise, sunset and stars.