7 minute read
The Tsolmon Family: Life’s Journey Led Them to Broomall
Resident Feature by Holly Stupak
Photos by Sierra Clark Photography www.SierraClarkPhoto.com
Meet the Tsolmon Family, neighbors who didn’t know each other while they both grew up in Mongolia, but whose lives took the many twists and turns they needed to find each other, fall in love, and start a family. They now love living in and helping make Broomall such a great diverse community.
When Munkhzaya (“Zaya”) Lkhagvadorj was young, she lived with her parents and sisters in Erdenet, Mongolia. Life was “peaceful and quiet,” recalls Zaya, “and our education system was quite different from here in the United States: There were no buses, and my parents didn’t own a car, so we walked to school.” Her family was one of the only families in town to eventually buy a car, so when they got it, all of Zaya’s classmates came to see it.
Zaya was quite self-motivated: She worked in her parent's transportation business and also at a local resort hotel. A talented musician, Zaya attended music school during middle and high school, and played the Shanz (a Mongolian string instrument) and the piano.
When Zaya was in 6th grade, she started dreaming about being a journalist. She pursued that dream by earning a B.A. in Journalism at the Mongolian National University of Media.
After college, she began working at the National Post newspaper, as a Manager and Columnist. She later worked as a Content Coordinator and TV investigative journalist at the Eagle Broadcasting Network in Mongolia. To pursue a Master’s degree, she moved to Arlington, VA, in 2014, where she earned an M.A. in Project Management in 2018 from Strayer University.
Zaya and Tsolmon
When Tsolmon Goulden was a child, he lived in Mongolia’s capital, Ulaanbaatar, until he was 13. His mother had remarried, and his stepfather, an American who worked for the Academy of Natural Sciences, brought Tsolmon and his mother and his sister to the Philadelphia area in 2000.
Tsolmon attended Swarthmore Rutledge Middle School, and he graduated from Strath Haven High School in 2005. Although he enjoyed playing sports like football and wrestling, he was unable to join those teams because his primary focus was learning English.
After high school, Tsolmon took some college classes, but ultimately realized he had lost interest in school and wanted a break. With his mom’s permission, he returned to Mongolia, to live as a nomad (rancher and herder) in the eastern plains of Mongolia where his father's family was from. “As the American saying goes, ‘You can take the boy out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the boy’,” Tsolmon explained.
He lived in a ger (a circular tent) and had no electricity or plumbing. “I had learned how to ride a horse when I was six years old,” he said, “so being able to go back and saddle up and ride into the vast open landscape felt like a relief. The feeling of rounding up over 300 horses and hearing the sound of their hoofs hitting the ground is amazing!”
Some of Tsolmon’s younger relatives would come to the countryside, to help out with the horses during their summer school vacations. Tsolmon also got the opportunity to go into Ulaanbaatar, to work as an English-speaking tour guide for people visiting Mongolia’s capital city.
In 2006, he received a call from Boeing, the world's largest aerospace company, offering him a job back in the U.S. “When a company like Boeing called and offered me a job, I knew the right thing to do was get on a plane and head back to Pennsylvania!” Tsolmon explained. October marked 14 years that Tsolmon has worked at Boeing, where he finds his work as a Composite Fabricator satisfying and the company fun to work for. “I love being part of a team that builds CH-47 Chinook helicopters for the US and foreign military,” he said.
In 2017, Tsolmon and Zaya met over social media. “My mom was very concerned about my relationship status,” joked Tsolmon. When his mom’s friend met Zaya’s college professor through Facebook’s Mongolian community, they started chatting about Tsolmon and Zaya, and thinking they might set them up for a date. After the moms shared with Tsolmon and Zaya each other’s Facebook account, Tsolmon reached out to Zaya. “When Tsolmon saw my Facebook profile, he knew I would someday be his wife!” Zaya said.
At that time, Zaya was living in Arlington, VA, so she and Tsolmon met halfway, in Maryland, for a first date hike. “I knew Tsolmon was a gentleman when he let me wear his extra clothes, so I could stay warm. I was really attracted to how kind and thoughtful he was,” Zaya recalled fondly.
After that, Tsolmon spent most weekends driving to Virginia before Zaya eventually moved to Pennsylvania. In 2018, they were married at the Media courthouse, and had a small reception at Teca in Newtown Square. “We don’t have a lot of family here in the U.S., so we hope to have another ceremony in Mongolia someday, so all of our family members can celebrate with us.”
Khangai Tsolmon, age 2
Tsolmon and Zaya have a 2-year-old son, Khangai Tsolmon. (It’s a Mongolian tradition for a child to take his father’s first name as his last name.) Another baby boy is due this month, and Khangai is excitedly preparing to be a big brother! He’s learning to speak English and Mongolian, and he’s “a curious kid who loves to explore, and to go for hikes and on bike rides in a trailer with me at Ridley Creek State Park,” said Tsolmon.
Another Mongolian custom is a ceremony for a child’s first haircut, but Tsolmon and Zaya have postponed that ceremony because of the pandemic. “Although we cannot gather for the ceremony yet, we think he looks like a stylish little guy with his long hair,” said Zaya.
The Tsolmon Family at their home in Broomall
Eventually, Zaya would love to get back into marketing or even journalism. In the meantime, she’s focusing on raising Khangai and getting ready for Baby #2. When the pandemic hit, she decided to combine her sewing and marketing skills, to make and sell face masks for adults and children on Etsy (ZayasChicHouse.Etsy.com) and Facebook (“Made in Love by Zaya”). “For my face mask business, I use the name Emma Zaya because my Mongolian name Munkhzaya is difficult to pronounce,” Zaya explained.
Tsolmon’s aunt and uncle have been helping with sewing the masks. “I was taught to sew at a young age,” said Zaya, “so not only am I creating something that helps protect people from the virus, I’m using a skill that was passed down to me from my parents and grandparents.” The children’s masks are especially popular and have received rave reviews.
In 2019, Zaya and Tsolmon moved to their house in Broomall. “The first time we saw this house, we knew it was meant for us,” said Tsolmon. “It has a large yard and it’s on a peaceful quiet cul-de-sac with friendly neighbors.” Zaya loves the ranch-style home. “With no stairs, it’s really safe for young children, and the size is perfect because it’s not too big,” she said. “The bigger the house, the more stuff. And I like to live simply.”
What they love about Broomall is being part of a diverse community. “And we really appreciate our community for supporting local businesses like ours!” added Zaya.
Zaya, Khangai and Tsolmon
Although they were unable to travel to Mongolia this summer due to the pandemic, they hope to go next summer so their relatives there can all meet and get to know each other, especially their son Khangai and his soon-to-be baby brother.
And someday, Tsolmon and Zaya would love to develop a travel company to Mongolia. “I would love travelers to discover Mongolia, from its fashionable urban cities to its nomadic countryside lifestyle,” said Zaya. “Traveling and experiencing other cultures can open your eyes to many new possibilities!”
Do you know a Broomall Resident or Family who should become known by our community? Make your nominations for upcoming magazine features about Broomall residents, families, youth, seniors or non-profit groups by emailing your ideas to Holly Stupak at HStupak@BestVersionMedia.com.
