The Long Way Down, Up and Around: From the Steppe to Singapore, and back

What must it be like to study abroad in Singapore and come back to your family in a ger on the steppe? It's the question I asked my new host-brother friend at my last homestay.

While the Communists did a lot of things wrong when they took control of Mongolia in the 20s, one helpful initiative was their focus on education. Because of how spread out all the kids are, the government runs a bunch of boarding schools in towns across the country, free of charge. Most kids go to one of these, and at 98%, the literacy rate is impressively high for a country's at Mongolia's stage of development.

And speaking of development, Mongolia has to be one of those places on the happiness vs. income 2x2 that is weirdly above the expected line. Economist have noticed that as countries develop people tend to report themselves as happier, more satisfied with life, etc. But Mongolia is well below that line, yet people I met were incredibly cheerful, and it felt different from other developing countries I was in - especially places like Peru and Bolivia.

Why is that? Maybe it's because most Mongolians have everything they need, even if what they need wouldn't fetch very much on the market. Sure, fermented mares milk may not only fetch a few cents a gallon on the market, but if that's all you've ever had, you don't crave a latte at Starbucks for $4. They have a roof over their heads, with a great view out the front door.

Maybe it's their sense of family, and the supportive culture? There's street crime and petty theft just like anywhere in the world, but people just seemed stoic and upbeat about whatever was in their path. Nearly every family I stayed with, except for that one episode at #3, seemed like a really tight unit. You respect your elders, and in return they take care of you. Your family are your best friends for life, in a true sense. That has to count for something.

Or maybe it's because, for most Mongolians, their destiny is in their hands? There isn't much of a ruling class in Mongolia that resembles that of much of the developing world, nor does that matter. You've got your ger, your herd of livestock, and you can live life pretty much how you want. None of that stuff matters.

Who knows, but it was eye-opening. I am guessing Mongolians would rate their happiness as being quite a bit higher than most investment bankers I knew on Wall Street, and maybe more than a few PE guys too.

This all ties together, because my host-brother had just received his accounting degree from a University in Singapore and was back looking for a job in UB. His English was great, and his qualifications put him in high demand. He didn't see a future for himself on the steppe (It's too boring! Hot chicks don't want to marry a nomad.), so he was moving to the only major city in Mongolia.

His family was great - they were gregarious, and fun, and kind, and I saw three generations living under one roof. We rode horses for part of the day, he showed me how to handle the animals, and then we had an impromptu drinking competition at 10 in the morning when some of his father's friends showed up and started drinking Mongolian vodka, which is surprisingly smooth. What a day.

Then, a rough night of sleep because of another epic electrical storm, before setting out the next day for the next stop, another few hundred miles west and deeper into Mongolia.