Sunday, February 28, 2010
Sunday
I took it easy today - just did some washing and knitting and then walked up to the State Department store for a little grocery shopping. On the way home I stopped at the German bakery to buy some of their homemade dog biscuits. I was talking to the German woman who owns the shop about the sad situation for dogs here in Mongolia, and she told me that people have kicked and thrown rocks at her dog while she was walking her on a leash! Can you imagine someone doing that to your dog right in front of you? She never lets Bella, her golden retriever, off the leash. It would be insane to do that here. You'd probably be risking your dog's life.
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Have your found out -- or CAN you find out -- why the Mongolians dislike dogs? I would think the nomads, if there are still any, would like them for herding. But maybe that is more a Western style of keeping your sheep and cattle congregated. That is so very odd. Plus, if they dislike dogs so much, why are there any around? Where did they come from? And yes, I'm amazed that someone would do that to a privately-owned dog, especially when the owner is right there. Very sad....
ReplyDeleteThe nomadic tradition is to keep dogs as a security measure. In fact, when approaching a ger in the countryside, the customary greeting is not "hello", but "please tie up your dogs." The dogs in the city are probably descents of dogs who migrated here and have reproduced, thus exacerbating the problems of their situation. I'm sure the dogs in the countryside are never spayed or neutered. The attitude toward the dogs is probably just a carry-over from thinking of them as just an aggressive security force, but it is sad for the poor meek and neglected ones here. As it happens, the attitude toward cats is no better. During a lesson about superstitions, I mentioned ours concerning a black cat crossing your path and discovered that in Mongolia the superstition includes ANY cat crossing someone's path.
ReplyDeleteOoh - the State Department store! I don't suppose you can post pictures of its offerings and interior due to security measures. I enjoyed your description of the market you visited with Christina. Go on, Babette! Try a dried kiwi! Think of all the dried food the astronauts ate/eat! FDA be damned!
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