My first kiss

August 12, 2008 by Karin.

Gordon and I were walking through the central square of Ulan Bator, the site of post-election riots earlier that month. On this particular Tuesday, however, all was calm and I got to take a photo with the statue of Ghengis Khan (we were separated only by two guards and a stretch of rail). My camera and I also followed around a group of Mongolians visiting from the countryside.

“Why don’t you ask to take a photo with him?” Gordon pointed to the man in traditional dress.

“Do you think he’d let me?”

“Sure. But he might want to kiss you.” Gordon joked.

I handed him the camera and tapped the gentleman on the shoulder. He consented to a photograph together, stuck his cigarette in the side of his mouth that still contained teeth, and put his arm around me. Afterwards, I must have had the happiest, dopiest smile on my face because he reached forward again, pulled me close, and planted a kiss on my cheek. It was my first (and only) kiss in Mongolia and set the stage for many a memorable interaction with the Mongolian people.

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