Monday, June 14, 2010



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The White Lake (Terkhiin Tsagan Nuur) 6 June 2010

Inside a ger a stove makes it feel too warm. A light makes a defiant space in a dark night. Outside I hear strong winds blowing. The water by the lake seems to be heaving itself against the shore. There is a tempest around me which I know would swallow me up if it could. But in a ger, about three meteres wide, is a haven of warmth and light. As pretty as the falling snow and mountain lake scenery can be, this beauty is wild, untamed and dangerous.

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I set of on this journey to take a break from the life that I lead in Singapore. And in my travels, I do see the suffering of the poor. It has been a harsh winter in Mongolia and my guide, Odnoo, said that she has never seen so many dead carcasses littering the countryside before. And yet the people that I meet in Mongolia are not tearing their hair out. One herder said simply that many of his herd had died during winter and he would have to raise more animals. I see the dead animals rotting on the ground, surrounded by flies. I see the harsh conditions that the people have to live in. But I also see the beauty of nature. Wonderful landscapes, symphonic sunsets, beautiful spring flowers. Am I shallow for being elated more by beauty and less by the angst of someone given over to a substance addiction. There are alcoholic Mongolians if I wanted to pursue it, beggars on the streets of all the cities I have been to since I left Singapore. Am I heartless for celebrating the form and shape of reflections and colours instead of engaging in other people's despair?

The truth is life is short, once we are born we will die. Is pain and despair any more real than pleasure and beauty? I am not a hedonist, I do not deny hard work, discipline and sacrifice in life. But honestly, I do not wish to celebrate pain and suffering for the sake of itself. I want that people all have a chance to enjoy the good things in life. And I firmly believe that as mundane as it may seem to some 'art' lovers, beauty is as valid, as much part of the human experience as pain and suffering. And to all of us, there will be death and departures, accept it. And while we live, celebrate life, relationships, care for one another and the earth.

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