The Original Huhot Mongolian Grill... Seriously

One of my favorite aspects of HBA is the 社会调查 shehui diaocha, or "societal investigation." While HBA offers a variety of "research opportunities," such as experiencing the cosmopolitan life in Shanghai, the true Karate Kid's life at Shaolin Temple (kung fu teachings -by monks!- included), and the rural life of a small village, I chose to go to Inner Mongolia.

You might not believe it, but going to Inner Mongolia actually hits home a little bit for me. As certain friends and family members know, my favorite restaurant back in Kearney, Nebraska, is, strangely enough, the Mongolian Grill. So naturally, when this opportunity arose, I had to seize it. I really had no choice. After all, how many people can say they've actually been to a Mongolian grill in Huhot?

Alright, I suppose there was also a little bit of academic interest...

Like Tibet, Inner Mongolia is an autonomous region of China, which fascinates me given my recent erudition on the subject of Chinese central government-subordinate government relations. After all, maintaining pseudo-independence while maintaining the peace with the CCP is not an easy task. But what really interests me are the people. Do they consider themselves Chinese first, Mongolian second, or the other way around? Do they have a relationship with their government, or, like the Chinese, simply accept the mandates handed down to them? What are the advantages and disadvantages of being a citizen of an autonomous region of China?

During my week-long stay in Inner Mongolia, I hope to answer these questions. Having such an opportunity is really exciting for me, because I will be able to practice putting my Chinese to the test to further my studies. This is particularly helpful because during my fall semester at Beijing University, I hope to collect data for my senior thesis through interviews with the local populous.

And, I'll level with you, I just couldn't say no to the chance to go horseback riding on the Mongolian grassland. Or see the tomb of Genghis Khan, or go camel riding, sand surfing, or desert motor racing.

Yep, doing it all. :) 

***

...and for the insatiably curious, I present my schedule...

click to enlarge