Letters from Bayarsanaa Sodnom (b. 1958) to Tsendpurev Tsegmid (b. 1980)

From Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia) to Leeds (UK)

19th July 2005

-          The light and hope of my life is thousands of kilometres away…Sometimes, I think too much about everything. I know you understand me. And you know how I am doing here.

-          Be healthy and take care of yourself. Being healthy is really about being positive. Do you remember what you wrote on your diary? Now I follow that rule in my life. I try to think about it all the time. “People who are smart know when to close their mouth because they understand a wild fire can spark from the edge of their tongue. By Persian scholar. “

-          Bye for now. Kisses and hugs. My baby tigress!

5th October 2006

-          Be mentally strong. You will go through experience, which you feel that the world is collapsing around you. But you have to keep healthy.

-          Please protect yourself. A man is a man. Usually woman is the victim… A few minutes of joy can turn into a lifetime of trap. Please be clever about that. I heard many negative stories about foreign men.

-          You have a purpose; you are not same as other girls.

-          You are the meaning of my life. Remember that always! Yours truly. Mama.

13th August 2006

-          Recently, I was talking to you papa and asked him ‘what kind of man would suit you?’ Your papa replied ‘I don’t think we have any idea’.

-          Love yourself!

-          With respect. Your Mama.

27th February 2005

-          I feel better when I look at your enlarged photographs and read your letters. When I cry, your uncle Ganaa tells me that ‘your daughter will come back bigger and whiter woman’.

-          A neighbour’s son has been acting badly toward his parents. A sound upbringing is more precious than materialistic wealth. There is a saying. “A bad meal is an enemy of the stomach; a bad partner is an enemy for a lifetime.” Parents bring up their kids and do whatever they can to help until they die. But not everything goes as it planned.

-          My love. Take care of yourself! Hugs and kisses. Mama.

6th November 2004

-          My beloved daughter! I wish you a happy birthday! Today, I thought about the story of your birth. It was evening of 5th November; I started feeling awkward around 7pm and went to the Third Infirmary. People say a female child thinks about her mama more and try to cause less pain during her birth. My baby tigress born just after 10pm.  You cried like a baby boy and a midwife asked me whether I liked a boy or a girl. I guessed you were a baby boy. But the midwife replied in a joking manner: Oh your mama is not accepting you! This is how you were born, just a day before Octyabr Celebration. I am writing about this because I am missing you a lot.

-          My writing is hard to read, please just read it word by word.

8th February 2006

-          There are 3 things you need to be careful about for the New Year. 1. Don’t go to places where there are conflicts and arguments are taking place. 2. Beware from getting injured. 3. Don’t walk alone in the night.

11th January 2006

-          My beloved daughter! I wish you happiness! I spoke with you on the phone recently.

-          I imagine a lot. Positive thoughts bring positivity. I always wish you happiness.

-          I am missing you so much. If I see something nice in the shop, I’ll buy it for you. My baby girl, take care of yourself! Stay calm and try to be positive! Smile and be open! Hugs and kisses. Bye.

Extracts translated by Tsendpurev Tsegmid, 2010