Short but sweet

Today I went to the black market for the first time in five years on the hunt for cheap but appropriately gaudy babushka wear. Flush with middling success, I have decided to host the Halloween party and am looking forward to filling my large, rather empty living room with new and old friends.

This evening I went to the wedding of a friend of a friend. There was food, singing, dancing, and several cute children.

Though UB can be big, dirty, smelly, scary, difficult to navigate, harsh, etc....
Today, I enjoyed the company of several wonderful people and met several more warm and welcoming people.

Random thoughts:

The mother of the bride would not be satisfied until I kissed the cheeks of a beautiful little girl not once, not twice, but three times. Later she pulled me firmly into a picture and said "Bayarlalaa" afterwards, pleased that I had made an effort to celebrate her daughter's special day and to learn her language.

I saw old men in deels and cowboy hats, old men in suits and ties and government medals, young men in suits and shades, and women in deels and dresses and scarfs and hats and beautifulness all get down on the dance floor courtesy of the DJ.

All the guests presented their gift(s) to the new bride and groom and gave a speech to the whole audience, giving their good wishes and words of wisdom to the community in honor of the special day.

Toasts were made in airag and vodka. I drank a lot of fruit juice.

During their first dance, the couple was serenaded by a friend who encouraged the audience to sing along and then other couples to join them.

There was a western style cake and a ceremonial cutting, without the face-smashing.

The bride entered in a tiara and white wedding dress, beautifully decorated, and the groom in a suit and tie. They changed in the middle of reception into traditional deels, and the bride wore a pearl-styled headdress and the groom a cowboy hat.

I took a few pictures, which I'll upload soon. Hopefully I'll be able to get some more, better ones from my friend Ariell, who was kind enough to ask if I could come and acted as the official photographer.

For now, I'm off to sleep...a scattered, unexpected, and special day.