Birthday party

A student I'd had in the ETM program three years ago, Gulya, invited us to her home to celebrate her husband's 36th birthday.

Lee got to hang out with guys:

They include an administrator who works in St. Petersburg, Russia (who's hoping to find a local job that will let him stay home with his family), a web-designer, a translator for a Chinese construction company, and some English teachers, one at a university and one in a secondary school. (Sadly, and typically, the teachers did not have the best English of the group.)

No table or chairs--Tajiks just spread out a cloth (and make sure every inch is covered with food and drink) and put floor cushions around the perimeter. After this photo was taken, they brought in bowls of dumpling soup, and then bowls of meat stew.

Lee's greatest challenge? Sitting on the floor in a slightly cramped space for more than an hour.

After a few minutes with the men, I moved to another room. Gulya's sister-in-law was there (uncomfortable being in a room with men they didn't know), along with her father-in-law, some other young women, and Gulya's baby, their third child. The two older kids and various cousins were in and out. One of the young women had baked the cake:

Another one spent a lot of the time taking selfies. Tweens around the world!

The baby slept swaddled in her cradle:

Gulya was in and out--busy serving food, saying good-bye to guests, and taking food to neighbors. When we left she gave us a goody bag with treats from the "dastarkhan" or tablecloth.