For years Mykel Board had wanted to go to Outer Mongolia. He realized that dream in 1995 when he went there to teach English at the National University in Ulaanbaatar. EVEN A DAUGHTER IS BETTER THAN NOTHING is the result of his stay. This volume is not like any other travel writing you will read. It is at once hilarious, I suspect at times hyperbolic as well as downright moving in places. He writes with obvious affection for the people he encountered on his year there; and even though he lands in a country far removed from anything he has even encountered--"this is Mongolia"-- he is never condescending.
Public transportion doesn't run on time, the plumbing doesn't work, classes are scheduled in the wrong classrooms, and signs saying someone takes credit cards usually don't mean that at all as Mr. Board repeatedly hears the mantra "this is Mongolia." What the writer does find is a lovable people not afraid of hard work and accepting of strangers. They dress up to have a photo taken, are offended if you do not eat their food-- even though you prefer not to eat unadorned fat-- poor Mr. Board at times reminded me a little of Cool Hand Luke's stuffing himself with eggs in the movie by the same name-- and can drink you under the table. These folks drink vodka like Americans drink Cokes. (I'm surprised that Mr. Board had a liver when he returned to New York.) He also found "Pro Wrestling, rock'n'roll, Christianity, and probably someday soon, McDonalds." But apparently no designer coffee shops yet.
Although Mr. Board describes himself as a good instructor-- and I believe him-- he on several occasions uses incorrect English, always making the same grammatical error: "He wimps out, leaving Sebastian and I stranded" (p. 270) is incorrect. The sentence should read "leaving Sebastian and ME stranded" But you'll find much weirder stuff here. How about half a page of information on Mongolians as "snot-blowers"? Finally you'll read a long time before another travel writer refers to Peter North. (Oops. I'm not supposed to know that he is a famous porn star.)
For those of us who will never go to Mongolia, Mr. Board has made a part of the world come alive, reminding us once again that all of us are more alike than we are different.
Oh, about the title-- the author says that he wanted something catchy to get the reader's attention-- he is most successful-- but explains that the expression is an old proverb that has little to do with modern Mongolia.
