Episode 7: The Ever Buree

Thoughts and Reflections

This was chronologically the 4th episode filmed, but at the time of release, I filmed another 20 episodes since. It remains the largest production instrument factory I've been to. It definitely made it a bit overwhelming and unexpected.

Unexpected as it should be in Mongolia. Long before the trip, I had wanted to find this strange instrument, and left it up to my tour guide to find. She initially failed but pulled through. Here's how it happened:

1. For the entirety of my 1 week trip, it seemed hopeless. But on my second-to-last day in Mongolia, my tour guide was able to nab a last-minute evening visit/interview to another instrument maker. This particular episode has not been edited yet. Technical issues may prevent this, still TBD. 
2. Before leaving, I had my tour guide ask if this instrument maker knew where to find the Ever Buree. He said yes, but refused to give me the name/number. Not very helpeful. But he did give me the name/number of a teacher of the Ever Buree.
3. So later that evening, my tour guide was able to contact the Ever Buree teacher, who happily provided the name/number of the Ever Buree maker. It was too late in the evening to give him a call though. 
4. In the morning (and my last day in Mongolia), my tour guide was able to arrange a visit, I hopped into a car, was given no information about where we were going, and arrived 30 minutes later. 

I lived in Kyrgyzstan for a few years, so this Central Asian spontenaeity is not new. This factory primarily makes Morin Khuurs, which was the subject of my 2nd episode. So I was fortunate that the master happened to have some Ever Burees in-progress to show me. 

As my time in Mongolia was coming to an end, I had given up hope on finding this instrument, so when this trip happened, I was insanely excited.