Three weddings and a circumsion party

Wedding 1 (Saturday): It wasn't the actual wedding; rather, it was the "Kelin Salam." That's when the new daughter-in-law greets her mother-in-law's friends by dressing in 20 different outfits and bowing, slowly and solemnly. While the daughter-in-law bows, the mother-in-law's friends eat, chat, listen to music, and dance. I stuffed myself with cookies and juice (am I 5?), then only had room for one bite of plov. It was fun to see all the women dancing together, especially my host-mom. She can really shake her thang and I pleased her mightily by shaking mine. The new daughter-in-law greets her mother-in-law's guests in a variety of outfits, given to her by her new husband. The wealthier the family, the more outfits the daughter-in-law gets and, thus, has to change into.

My host-mom in her party dress, serving food (she wasn't the host she's just cool). She also made sure that my friend, Caitlyn, and I got all the freshest food. She's pretty much awesome.

Weddings 2 and 3 (Sunday): I didn't go to two weddings - I went to one and it ended up being two. My first real-life double wedding! I thought such things only happened in movies, but I was wrong. The brides and grooms entered the restaurant with much banging of drums and blowing of horns. Seriously. None of that staid 'wedding march' for Uzbeks! They made their way to the head table - a dais with flashing lights behind it - and sat with serious faces. The brides had to look especially grim to show their sadness at leaving their families. This is meant to be a show, of course, but one of the brides really did look grim. My Uzbek friend even said, "She's either a very good actor, or she's VERY unhappy."

After the wedding party was seated, the band played and people danced. At this wedding, the band played and only the men danced. With each other. They were awesome dancers, with wild waving arms and one-legged hops across the dance floor. The way I've described it makes it sound like a monkey moon-walking, but it's really impressive. The best dancers also make dramatic facial expressions, like in a Bollywood movie. I love seeing men dance, but I especially love seeing men dance well! I'm convinced that this is a lost art in the US, especially on the West Coast. The men I know (except for my Dad and brothers) can only be coaxed to dance after consuming lots of booze. Dancing is for everyone, people!

Circumsion Party (Sunday): Okay, okay . . . the circumsion party was also the double wedding party. When you're short on cash, it's wise to roll them all into one. The little boy's parents carried him in on their shoulders, while the guests cheered. He was dressed like a prince, with a red velvet robe embroidered with gold thread and a four-cornered red velvet hat. They sat him at his own table in the middle of the room, until he started to cry (I think he was about 3 or 4) and carried him around.

In Uzbek culture, they usually do the actual circumsion at a hospital after the party. In Kyrgyzstan, they did the party AFTER the circumsion. They also circumsize boys as old as 5 or 7. When I went to a circumsion party with my Kyryz teacher there, his 5 year old nephew had just been circumsized. I asked if he would be able to enjoy the party and he said, "He's walking, isn't he?" That' good enough!

Me in a half Uzbek, half Russian dress with my host-mom and her friends. I didn't take any pictures at the other party, so this is all you get! Notice how tall and blond I am compared to the other ladies. I fit right in here . . .