23

A Visual Aid

There are some things that evade verbal description, and Mongolia is full of them. Both the visual landscape and the sound of Mongolian language defy my shrinking vocabulary of English words with which to do them justice. So here, for those of you interested in something a little different, is a 5-minute collage of film clips I took in my first two weeks since landing in Chinggis Khan’s (because that’s the right way to spell it, people) old stomping grounds.



HUGE DISCLAIMER: the only camera I have with me is a tiny handheld digital one I bought for taking digital photographs. I didn’t even know it had a video function, guys. The camera’s not made for recording long film clips--half a day of walking around and recording ten-second clips here and there eats a new pair of 2 AA batteries; it’s not made for distance shots; and I lack a tripod. This is also one of the first times I’ve ever made even a semblance of a film (you can see my very first undergraduate intro class try here). I am using a macbook for the first time ever and I don't even have Quicktime Pro, much less Final Cut. So, you know, sorry for all that. But enjoy! Hope it gives a sense of the wildly indescribable place in which I find myself.