Monday, September 20, 2010

Children of Choibalsan



Saturday morning we got up early and walked through the city. Wandering from the town square near our hotel and the wrestling stadium, we walked up the small hill that is home to the vast majority of the population of Choibalsan. In neat rows, the dirt streets are orderly. Makeshift fences of every imaginable material hide so many stories . . . the family hanging their laundry, the woman tending her garden, the family getting ready to for an outing, the children feeding the dog, we peeked into many of these moments. But for me, it was about the children.

In the city center, there is a small man-made lake with a Buddha perched on an island in the middle. There we ran into these two young men and their big smiles.

Leaving the lake, I spotted this little guy who could not stop reading the label on this bottle – he caught me with those glasses, and that intensity. 



As we got further into the town, this guy quickly hid from our lenses after he gave us this perfectly framed shot.



Further on down the way these kids were playing with homemade swords but stopped when a young woman came by with her new baby. They briefly retired their battle for a curious look at the tiny bundle. 


On the next street, a young kung-fu fighter was showing off his moves. Little sister was trying to keep up but got distracted by the large puddle left from the morning rain. That was when the brother took her hand, and gently led her and her muddy face away and off down the street.





Everywhere you go, kids play like kids; kids smile, and hide, and explore, they splash in puddles and fight fake wars. Kids, being kids, as kids do. 

1 comment:

dcr said...

Oh my, what beautiful faces.