Mongolia
The moment I finished putting up my tent, a rider came trotting along in my direction. He was carrying a long pole with a looped rope on the end under his arm. These are used for lassoing sheep. This rider was moving with great dignity. His poise belied his youthfulness. The young rider stopped in front of my tent, his face a glowing smile. Mongolians resemble the Japanese more closely than the Chinese, and whilst I couldn’t help treating them as ‘brothers’, this boy, with his fine oriental eyes and shaven head, actually looked like me when I was very young. But I couldn’t remember having such a bright, shining smile. It was a lovely thought, meeting someone who looked like me when I was a child out here in the middle of the steppe. (from "Against the Wind" - Poolbeg Press)
