For many people the first images of Mongolia that come to mind are barren steppes, open skies and nomads living a rural lifestyle. But in fact more than half the population of 2.6m lives in cities, most of them in the capital Ulaan Baatar.

Perhaps even more surprising is the role of women in Mongolian society. Mongolia enjoys a female workforce participation of 51%, which puts it among the top 5 countries in the world in terms of percentage of women in the workforce.

Historically Mongolian women have enjoyed higher status than in many other countries in the region, and this trend was developed further during the 20th century under Soviet rule, when equality was emphasised and women’s participation in many professions increased.

In her exhibition ‘Professional Women of Mongolia’ photographer Grace Gelder documents some of the many Mongolian women in professional and technical roles. The exhibition was created in November and December 2007 and highlights the variety of roles filled by Mongolian women.

The photos above and below are taken from the exhibition. Above is Nina, who runs a pharmaceutical business.
And to the left is S. Otgonnyam, who is Project Manager of the World Bank Fast Track Initiative. The programme aims to improve education in rural Mongolia.

The photos are showcased on Grace’s website here, and you can see more photos of Mongolia and detailed background information on Grace’s Flickr site. She would also be happy to hear from anyone who has questions - the address is gracegelder@googlemail.com

This week Jews are celebrating the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah.

Many Jews eat sweet foods during this festival to symbolise their hopes for the year to come. However one traditional dish eaten by Jews coming from Amara in Southern Iraq is a combination of bitter chard, sweet beets and sweet and sour sauce.

In this article from the International Herald Tribune Joan Nathan describes the picnic in a pine forest near Jerusalem where he first tried the dish.

Reem Kelani’s musical goal is to educate the world about Arabic history and culture through her music.

Reem plays in London tonight as part of the Barbican’s Ramadan Nights concerts to celebrate the month of Ramadan. She was born to Palestinian parents in Manchester, UK and raised in Kuwait.

Interestingly, Reem herself was not a big fan of Arabic music when she was growing up. She was converted after seeing a group of women perfoming at a wedding near Nazareth when she was a teenager.

This perhaps reflects the fact that Arabic music can be less approachable than other kinds of music, but with hidden complexities that become apparent on further listening.

In this interview with the Guardian she chooses 10 artists and genres which in her opinion provide a good introduction to Arabic music.

Via Soundroots.

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi is a clever book. As well as giving a feel for life in an Iranian family it somehow manages to condense 30 years of Iranian historical events into one paperback, without seeming heavy or educational.

The story is told using stylish cartoon images and narrated by the main character Marjane, who grows up amid the political turmoil of the last days of The Shah and the Islamic Revolution.

The second theme explored by the book is the struggle faced by immigrants to make their way in a new country.

At 14 years old Marjane is sent by her parents to Austria to escape the Iran - Iraq war. The story of her difficulties in reconciling her background with the strange customs of her new home is heart breaking.

Persepolis was also made into a film. Personally I found the book more gripping, but the film is also good if you’re not a big reader.

Read More:
Iran as you don’t see it on the news: journalist Rageh Omar explores a seldom seen side of Iran in his documentary Inside Iran
Iranian blogs in Blogs of the World
Iranian author Firoozeh Dumas writes about what happened when her husband met the parents in an extract from her book Funny in Farsi

As opposed to Chinglish, which is the evolution of English spoken by non-native speakers into a new, simplified language, Franglais is used by French people to describe English words which pop up in everyday use in their language.

In the past this has not been viewed positively in France, and various policies have tried to rid the language of foreign borrowings.

However attitudes are changing. This year the French education minister decided that French school children need to learn better English in order to participate in the global economy. More in this article from The Economist.

British and North American culture might have many things in common, but one thing that is quite different is tipping in restaurants.

In Britain, it is quite acceptable to tip 10% on a restaurant bill and although many people would feel uncomfortable not leaving a tip after a meal, in theory tipping is seen as a reward for good service, and not obligatory.

However in the United States, it is normal to tip 15-20% on a meal in a restaurant. The reason for this is the tip is the main source of income for waiters, who are paid only a subsistence wage by their employers.

Having grown up in the UK, I often have to contain my outrage at the thought of hardworking restaurant workers who are not even paid the minimum wage. But that’s how it works over there.
Photo: Server Lounge

The Guardian writes about the mean reputation of low-tipping Brits visiting the USA.

For more behind-the-scenes New York restaurant stories check out the entertaining archives of Waiter Rant, a blog written by the ex-waiter author of the article, Steve Dublanica (aka The Waiter).

Al Jazeera’s Artsworld series looks at how different cultures around the world use art to bring social change in their communities.

This week’s programme, which you can watch here, showed examples from four very different cultures:

The Freedom Theatre in Palestine gives young Palestinians a way to express themselves as well as an alternative to hanging out on the streets. (Unfortunately their website didn’t seem to be working when I wrote this)

The China Disabled Peoples’ Performing Arts Troupe gives opportunities to perform to disabled people who often face discrimination when going about their daily lives.

Circo Picolino in Brazil provides a circus school which sometimes turns into a career for young people who may not have other alternatives.

Bongo Flava is an emerging fusion sound from Tanzania, inspired by hip hop, rap and R&B.

Each project reflects the culture of the country in a distinctive way. What they all have in common is their goal of using art to bring purpose and joy to individual lives and hopefully contribute to a wider social progression as well.

The population of Turkey is 98% Muslim, and the role of religion in daily life is a topic of continuous debate, with some fearing that the country could become much more conservative in the future, while others ask for the right to practise their religion more freely.

Despite this, the country is experiencing astounding economic growth as it embraces free markets and carries out reforms to align with EU legislative frameworks.

When an Islamist-leaning political party took charge of Turkey six years ago, this vibrant Mediterranean resort town [Antalya] feared a bumpy ride for a local economy driven in part by booze and bikinis.

Today, says Ahmet Barut, a hotel magnate here, the only real question is whether the town can sustain an unprecedented economic boom. He’s not keen on the teetotaling habits of the governing party’s leaders, nor the headscarves worn by their wives, but he applauds a key part of their record: “They are good at economics.”

This long but informative article from the Wall Street Journal examines Turkey’s recent economic growth as well as the complex question of religion and the state.