Category Archives: Blog

I had the amazing experience of strolling through the lovely town of Kumzar into the stunning wadi that sits behind it.

Words cannot describe the thrill I felt while approaching the isolated town of Kumzar in the Sultanate of Oman…

Sardine central! I learned about fishing in Kumzar firsthand — these kind fisherman showed me the ropes (literally!).

I was very excited to board this small boat for a one hour ride into the Strait of Hormuz to visit Kumzar — and I was grateful for all of the Omanis who made it possible.

Before I left the Sultanate of Oman for the summer to do a fellowship at the American Center for Mongolian Studies in Mongolia, I took a boat ride to the isolated town of Kumzar (the northernmost tip of Oman). On the boat trip, my friends took me ’round the bend to Telegraph Island, a bare, rocky islet within one of the fjords of Musandam which served in the 19th century as a British communications post to relay messages from India to Britain. The isolation, heat, and hostile local tribes allegedly led British soldiers stationed there to go mad — hence giving birth to the phrase “going around the bend” (it’s not clear if the deaths on the island were from suicide, murder, or both). I have to confess: as we were swerving through the endless fjords, I felt myself going a little bit mad — the imposing, encircling fjords mask the horizon line, and the monotony of fjord after fjord makes one feel like they might just be the last one left on earth. In June 1867, Col Stewart wrote: “In a purely sanitary point of view, it would be desirable to move the establishment to a less confined locality. The heat…the high encircling rocks and limited view to seaward must have a depressing effect upon Europeans, especially during the hot season.”

A joy to be spening my 4th summer in Mongolia, where even the airport is named after legendary leader Genghis Khan…

The friendly camels in Mongolia help me deal with the pain of leaving behind my camel friends in the Sultanate of Oman…

I walked out of my apartment in Ulaanbaatar to find this yurt (ger) — set up to campaign for one of the presidential candidates in the upcoming election…

This week, I had the joy and honor of presenting my research at a conference in Ulaanbaatar sponsored by the American Center for Mongolian Studies and BioRegions entitled, “Transdisciplinary Research in Mongolia: Bridging the Cultural/Natural Science Divide.” I loved seeing my name and the title of my research in the program in both English and Mongolian. It was a wonderful conference, and I was grateful to be a part of it (and to have my work well-received).

If you are traveling to Mongolia, this trusty little phrasebook can come in handy — also why not add some chocolate to help boost your memory?

I have been too busy with speaking, research, writing, and travel engagements to blog regularly, but you can follow my global adventures on Twitter (@emilyjodell). This summer I am in Ulaanbaatar (for my 4th summer in Mongolia) as a fellow at the American Center of Mongolian Studies where I will be advancing my study of Mongolian language to further my research projects. To follow my Mongolian adventures, find me on Twitter (@emilyjodell).

I am very happy to share with you my new Al Jazeera in-depth feature, The Elastic Girl: Living with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which describes my life with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and highlights some of my disability advocacy work in the Middle East with Syrian refugees, children with cancer, and young people with mental illness. I hope you enjoy it — and thanks for any help in sharing the piece with others.