Wednesday:
I head out a little earlier than usual to go to the bank and pay my utility bills. Alas, what is a 15 minute errand if I get there earlier enough to miss the long lines becomes an hour + errand because the servers are down and the tellers can't make any transactions.
At work I write a few more emails about the ethnojazz tour (good interest from Bloomington, no response as yet from Cincinnati, LA, or SF). Work on developing a stakeholder needs walk-through for upcoming meetings with the program directors. Work through my INGO sampling frame to get updated websites and GPS locations so I can construct a flow map.
4:15, we rush out the door and grab a taxi to the Music and Dance College. Two leading Mongolian musicians have written special pieces to be used in early music training- pieces for piano and pieces for cello. The school's auditorium is really nice and professional, and the students are all very talented. Neat to hear some traditional horsehead fiddle and throat-singing motifs come across through piano and cello. Start to doze off a bit, because classical music is very relaxing. Wake up to loud applause, performance is over and now it is time for more speeches and thanks-giving. Look around and notice my co-worker Nomi is signally frantically, time to go the next location.
We hope in a television station's van, as the camera guy and reporter covering the compositions premiere concert are also going to the special film screening of Queen Anu so we can get a free ride. Head out to Black Box theatre, which is very hip and modern and shaped exactly like a black box. Get there after the film has already started and it's pitch black. Finally someone directs us up an uneven set of stairs to a balcony where we can set. The next two + hours are this film, ending in a climatic battle:
(I don't know much about Mongolia during this period (late 1600s) as it's usually just glossed over with those horrible Manchus. The Khaan (king) during that time was one of the High Saints of Buddhism, so it was interesting to see those elements. Also, since the movie focuses on Queen Anu there were a lot of really interesting costumes, and since Queen Anu died in battle defending her husband it was neat to see female armor and the emphasis on Mongolian archery. I found some of the battle scenes a bit much, especially the bit where the hardy Mongolian warriors are hiding underwater in a river (no one could hold their breath that long), but it's more impressive when you think about how the Mongolian film industry really doesn't have the budget for CGI so those were all extras pretty much. The movie filmed in August of 2012, so it's a very contemporary film. Of course subtitles would have been nice, but overall I really enjoyed it.)
Afterwards we head downstairs and realize the special alumni email hasn't gone out yet, so no one is interested in tickets to this weekend's Percussion Ensemble Concert (the reason we technically were going was to sell tickets to that). Oh well, we grab another seat and listen to a Q&A session from the two leads and the director (who I saw give an interview a few weeks ago on a Mongolian talk show, Nandia). Half listen and quarter understand all the Mongolian going back and forth as I longingly eye the refreshment table- that catered spice cake is good stuff. Q&A ends around ten o'clock. Nomi chats with some friends while I scarf down some spice cake. Put on our coats (and me, my face mask) and head outside...Black Box is in the northern part of UB, closer to the ger districts and the air pollution smog is thick, ouch. Hail a taxi (much less stressful with a Mongolian friend) and head back home. Nomi and I live right across the street from each other, so a nice easy ride and a good chat about tomorrow and working on the English program for the Percussions Concert.
Head home, make some tomato soup and cheese toast for a late snack, snuggle into bed with the computer and my rewatch of 30 rock. Really interesting day.
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