My newfound Nomadic family

I am writing this on my 41st birthday, almost 3 weeks after this day happened but I can honestly tell you it is still fresh in my memory as it was the best trip of my life so far. Before I went to Mongolia, I did mentioned to Bek that I would love to contribute a goat/lamb for a feast, something that Zalika and her friends did a year earlier. In Ulgii, I reminded Bek again and during the trip I as observing all the places we stop and thinking where is the best place to do so. 

Before I write more about it, I would like to share more why I love to do this kind of contributions. It not something that I want to boast about but more to share the reason behind it and who knows it would encourage you guys to contribute, in your own ways. When I graduated, it was during bad economic downturn (1998) and it was really hard to find a job and I finally was hired by a small firm in JB. Whilst there, I was close to the firm's messenger and we normally have lunch together. During lunchtime, we always fought on wanting to pay for the meal. Imagine, a messenger always arguing with you on who's paying for the meal 😅. I observed and it somehow strucked me to do the same, though at that time I was earning a mere RM800 whilst my other graduate friends have a basic starting salary circa RM2,000.  It made me believe that in each of our earning, there is a part which belongs to others and I started doing the same and also trying to find other means to contribute, not worrying whether I have monies left for me or not. Well, 18 years down the road and here I am. I have ups and downs but monies are never a main issue and although when I was travelling to Mongolia I have not secured a job and my savings are diminishing, it doesn't stop me from the thought of contributing a goat/lamb for a feast. Three weeks later and here I am writing and confirming that I have secured a job and will start in my next career 1st December 2016. This is a form of zakat my friend. Contribute and InshaAllah you will be repaid in one way or another 🙏🏼.

Anyway, after discussing with Nurlan about the weather pattern, observing how we were becoming very close with Erbolat's family and hearing the crazy Noli craving about Beshbarmak (5 fingers), we decided that this is the best place to do the feast. 

After the fishing trip we informed Erbolat about it and today the whole family works together to prepare for the feast to be held that night. It started with Erbolat capturing one of the lamb, before sacrificing it. He asked me the honour to do so but I told him I had slaughtered chicken before but not lamb and its better to let the expert to do so. He did the slaughtering and followed by skinning the lamb and cutting it into pieces. We all watched in amazement his speed and skills on skinning and butchering the lamb. He was later helped by his wife and Balapan, all knowing their specific roles and doing it like a coordinated orchestra. The whole process only lasts 45 minutes! Oh ya, Noli and Pzah was amazed at Balapan's skills as well and they talked about how lucky a man would be (or perhaps how chubby a man would be) if managed to capture her heart 😝.

 Erbolat slaughtering the lamb with myself watching over

Skinning process 

Husband and wife performing in an orchestra 

 

Efficiently done

 My heart will go on..

During the whole process we did learnt about few things. Amongst others, they burned the lamb's head first to burn the fur at the head and what would be left would be the skin, intestines being used to cook cheese, creams etc. 

The wife then started to cook Beshbarmak (it takes hours) and whilst waiting for it to cook, they started to make pasta and some other finger foods. Gosh they really are a good cook. We on the other hand helped to clean the space, arranged the rugs etc for the big night.

That night the neighbours came and we all gathered around for the feast. Kids all in one corner having their own Bershbarmak and we all sitting at the floor enjoying it together. You can see Noli eats like a lioness having caught her meal. Even the others enjoyed watching her eat (I surely believe she has a hantu raya eating for her). Oh ya, traditionally the goat's head will be given to the eldest, out of respect and it also believed that it is the tastiest part. Being one of the oldest anyway, I was amongst the first to eat it and yes it does taste good. Noli was given a different part where there are more fat and the part that the locals believe is good for one who wants to have a baby. I didn't eat much as I was suffering from toothache at that time and at the same time perhaps deep down I was already 'full', watching in satisfaction how sacrificing a lamb brings all of us together.

 

 

 

 

After the meal, we were served with tea and then Erbolat started to make some speech, telling us how happy and grateful they are in having us here. I took the chance to make my own speech indicating how happy we are, how amazed we are and how we already felt like we are part of their family and hoping that they do not forget us. They later started singing a few songs; about motherhood, about the mongolian landscape, about how proud they are of being a nomadics and gosh, all of them have a very good voice! All of them! They asked us to sing but all of us chickened out, something we later regretted. 

The whole feasts lasts until late at night and whilst the neighbours later went home, we continued playing cards together. We certainly bonded well.

I now have a Nomadic family!

 

 

Fishing and hammock

I always wonder where does the lady of the house goes early morning. This morning, rather then sitting inside waiting for our next activity, I decided to take a stroll outside myself and there she is, milking cows! I watched how she effortlessly milking the cow and when she felt that the volume decreases, she just look at her husband. The husband would then releases a calf and it will milk from i guess her mother cow. Erbolat would then pull the cow back and his wife will then continue milking and you can see immediately how fast the milk flows. I told Erbolat tomorrow I want to try it and he nodded with a Mel Gibson smile.

Last night the crazy Noli told us how she wanted to carry a kid and this morning she got her wish. Erbolat kindly brought us and let us choose..Noli, i guess being married to an Irish, chose a white kid for a photo session with her 😝

 Noli with her kid (haha i bet some of you thought I was talking about babies 😝)

 Our kids 😝

We then got into the goat pen and played and took photos with the goats (we haven't showered for few days now and what the hell, additional goat smell won't do us any harm 😀). It was a small goat pen but when it was time to release the goats for their normal grass grazing time, we were just amazed to see how many were they...try counting them here..

Fishing 

Uncle Musa then brought us to try fishing at Khovd river. Water was crystal clear but too shallow as the river is starting to get frozen as winter is coming. Tried casting for almost half and hour but we ended up spending time watching in awe the beautiful Mongolia landscape and as usual taking obligatory photos 😀

 Happy feet

 Left alone to fish

 Let's picnic here instead

Hammock

Failing to get any fish and not able to stand in the minus temperature anymore, we decided to head home instead.

At home, I decided to call Erbolat and his family out. As their family was so kind to us, I guess there is no harm giving them my precious hammock so that the kids can enjoy playing with them and Erbolat himself can use it when doing his nomadic duties. Guess what, when I show him the hammock and told him that I am giving it to him, his first question was can it fit in his wife and himself..salute! 

 Romantic couple

 Beishu and koyak having fun with their new toy

 

 Uncle Musa having a go as well..with style😎

 Err which one is Mongolian Kazakh?

All in all it was a very fun session and we even 'forced' the gradma to try it..she was laughing hard until she felt dizzy..am not sure whether dizzy due to the hammock or listening to Noli's loud laugh 😆...p/s: Kazakh ladies controlled their laughter to ensure its not loud, something which is not polite in their culture..but of course Noli gelak macam pontianak and they are fine with it 😂😂😂

Next - i have a nomadic family 👏😀