Cows like long grass; sheep like it short.
The sheep have to be herded farther away. If they graze too long in one place, the grass will die and not grow again. In two or three days, Sereeter’s family will move to an ungrazed area of the steppe, about three kilometres away. Moving is a fact of life – something they do over 20 times a year. It takes them less than one hour to prepare. The house separates into six collapsible parts; the furniture is also made to break down easily. The choice of a place to settle is important. There must be water and good grass. The grasses vary, depending on the winds and the temperature. Cows like long grass; sheep like it short.
An hospitality proportional to the solitude.
The family drink countless bowls of airag and visitors can help themselves freely. Mongolia’s hospitality is proportional to its solitude. A ger is open to all who wander by, with the expectation that a visitor will share news from his region.
Persons per household: 5.0 (1979)
