Con-fur-ance

I see Prof. Jamie and Smith College have posted word of the conference they’ll host this March 27-9, along with the Five Colleges Buddhist Studies faculty, and the Manjushri Institute of Buddhist Studies, entitled “Buddhism in Mongolia: Rebirth and Transformation.” Good on them. Such matters are receiving way too little serious attention from the world beyond Mongolia’s borders. I was invited to be a speaker, and feel I might have contributed something to the proceedings, but economix is economix; I don’t have the scratch to get there and, frankly, I’m just enjoying winter in Ulaanbaatar way too much.

Jamie also sent me a list of confirmed participants. It’s really strong, featuring a lot of my good friends:

Shagdaryn Bira, Mongolian Academy of Sciences

Lhagva Demchig, National University of Mongolia, Mongolian Arts Council

Johan Elverskog, Southern Methodist University

Ganbold Gonchig, Consul General, Mongolian Embassy to the United States

Christopher Kaplonski, Cambridge University

Mathew King, University of Toronto

Karma Lekshe Tsomo, San Diego University, Sakyadhita

Munkh-Erdene Lhamsuren, National University of Mongolia

Glenn Mullin, Ulaanbaatar

Marylin Rhie, Smith College

Arjia Rinpoche, Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center, Bloomington, IN

Rustam Sabirov, Moscow State University

Hamid Sardar, Axis-Mundi Foundation, Geneva

Rick Taupier, University of Massachusetts

Robert Thurman, Columbia University

Soyolma, Ulaanbaatar, Woman Artist the Year, 2008, Mongolian Arts Council

Orna Uranchimeg Tsultem, UC Berkeley

Vesna Wallace, Oxford University

Kuntu Zangpo, Abbot, Gungaacholing, at Ganden Monastery

The only peculiar element is that Jamie (I assume it was him, since I know he wastes his time visiting here occasionally) put a feed of this dopey blog in the sidebar under the heading “News.” Um, thanks Jamie! That’s all I need, a bunch of top-flight academics sniffing around, just when I was about to post about evidence of the incipient stripmauling of UB with the opening of our very first Kenny Rogers Roasters!

It’s opening next to the infamous Marco Polo Ristorante, whose owners were once caught augmenting their income with a brothel on the second floor there. Or so I hear.

Then I was going to celebrate the return of heat to the apartment, and the fact that I can now safely doff my winter cap indoors. I intended to illustrate that with Kute Kitty Pix of Mooj and Nita lounging once again on their favorite tiger towel in front of the kitchen radiator (in the additional hope that food scraps might fall where they could hoover them up without actually, you know, moving), having their own private con-fur-ance in which they only rouse themselves for semi-vigorous mutual grooming. Doesn’t it seem like they’ve become one huge, lazy organism? With very cute pink noses?

But, really, to do that at this point, with Very Learned People directed this way, would be positively jejune, don’t you think?

Comments

[Steve Ford]

Kenny used to have a Roasters or two in Japan. It was kind of surreal--wood roasted rotisserie chicken, macaroni and cheese, corn bread--and of course endless videos of KR singing you gotta know when to hold em, unfortunately no Just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in--woah yeah.

As for Marco Polo, all vicious rumors, no doubt started by diners disappointed by the pizza there.

[minnie]

gee, ulaan bator is one up on omaha. we don't have one here!

[Lama Kunzang]

I note Glenn Mullin's name among those of the participants. Is he now resident in UB?

[Konchog]

minnie: I swear, I read your comment and thought to myself, "Omaha doesn't have a conference on Buddhism in Mongolia? Does this surprise her?" Then my head cleared and I had the last laugh of the day.

Lama Kunzang: Yes, Glenn's had a presence in UB for maybe 5 years now. He's one of the first people I met here and he's been very kind to me along the way.

[Northmoon]

I don't know about "jejune". Possibly even the Very Learned People could learn a thing or two about getting along from those two cats.

[Carol of Seattle]

Konchog,
I actually had a trip planned back east this same time frame, to visit my dad who is not likely to live out the upcoming year. So I am now registered, and on my way to North Hamptom. Which is great as I have a viola to fetch while I'm there.

Let me know if there is anyone I should say hi to you for while I'm there, or any of your friends I can feed.

Carol

[Monique]

I love your bodhicattvas!! They are too precious. Thank you for taking such good care of all sentient beings in Mongolia!

Sarva Mangalam!