Remember the “chopstick” theory of supposed Korean scientific supremacy? (via the old Asianist.)

There is now a Mongolian equivalent: the Yurt theory.

They [Mongolian students in Northern Virginia] tend to excel, their teachers say, often moving into mainstream classes a year or two earlier than average.

Theories abound as to why. “Mongolian people are nomadic people,” explained Consul General Gonchig Seseer over tea in the Mongolian Embassy. “That’s why they very quickly adapted to a different lifestyle.”

“We have the yurt tent,” added Second Secretary Sukhbaatar Altantsetseg. “Just take your yurt and move to another place and just live there.”

I suppose this type of logic should make gypsies the greatest students ever. Then again, according to this kind of thinking, Jenghis Khan was merely an early free trade promoter:

Mongolians speak lovingly of Ghengis (they pronounce it CHIN-gis) as a gifted promoter of “international trade between countries,” although outside Mongolia, his name has, fairly or unfairly, been synonymous with barbarism and ruthless conquest.

“Everybody has minus and plus in history,” Altantsetseg said, noting that in 1999, Time magazine named Ghengis its Man of the Century for the 13th century.

Embassy officials have inquired with the District about erecting a statue of Ghengis; they would like it in Georgetown, where the embassy is.

I personally think good ol’ Jenghis gets a lot of bad rap. Tamerlane was really the one who dug pyramids of skulls. Jenghis “International trade” Khan was really just into your ordinary crushing your enemies, driving them before you and hearing the lamentations of their women.** Only when cities resisted fiercely did his warriors burn them to the ground and kill and/or enslave all inhabitants, but only to teach a lesson. Those who wisely submitted without a fight were alloted such generosities as crippling tributes in precious metal, horses and attractive young women.

**Ah-nold’s immortal money line in the John Milius pseudo-biopic “Conan the Barbarian” (”Conan, what is best is life?” “To crush your enemies, to seem them driven before you and to hear the lamentations of their women”) is paraphrased from Jenghiz Khan.

When told that falconry was best in life, he is said to have uttered, “You are mistaken, sir. The greatest pleasure in life is to defeat your enemies, to chase them before you, to take their treasure, to see the tears of their beloved ones, to mount their horses and to use their wives and daughters as blankets.”

… in other words, the lifestyle of the rich and famous.
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