Intarsia Transethnic Arts

After entering Uzbekistan alone...

     The second day Saidali came to the youth hostel and picked me up and we took a Mashruka bus to O'lymalik. When we got there his parents and relatives where also there and we ate dinner together. This was my second time to Uzbekistan so I remembered everything very well... the house is neat... the yard is in the middle and all the rooms are separated and situated in a square around the yard. The dining table has no seats, you sit on the ground with mats, and if it is summer time it is possible to sit on the porch and enjoy food.

     We did so, and just like when I was in Xinjiang, we enjoyed all the fresh summer melons... there is even melons here in Uzbekistan I have not seen elsewhere that are the sweetest I have ever tasted.

     We talked about recent about dates and family news then they asked me to play my Rubob a little bit... I played a couple of songs.

We woke up to the sound of brooms sweeping the courtyard at his house... and I knew it was an important day. We ate breakfast and then some friends started coming over to get ready to go to Tashkent together in a big bus.

     During the first part of the wedding all the men would go together to meet the all the men in the woman's family for lunch. We wore formal attire and rode in a bus... and there was drum and horn players that saw us off both before and after getting on the bus.

     The bus did not have any air conditioning so everyone became really sweaty really fast but we got to Tashkent within an hour so it was not so bad. During this lunch with ate Osh (pilaf) except this time it had some sort of really sweet fruit inside of it, I am not sure what it was called. Tasted good anyway.

     After the lunch Saidali was presented a formal traditional clothing that was also worn the next day during the second part of the wedding. During the lunch several prayers were sung and other greetings exchanged. Most people in Uzbekistan are Muslim by the way.

     We road the bus back to his house after that I mentioned to Dema (another friend) that we were all about to get back in the oven to get cooked again. After we got back we would take a break from the celebrations... in the evening there was a carrot cutting ceremony that I did not attend... instead I went with Muhrat and Dema to the swimming pool. After that we talked about economy and job philosophy for several hours before proceeding to an internet cafe where I helped them create their first email accounts.

On our way to the first part of the wedding in Tashkent. (Saidali and the best man)


(This music group sent us off in the bus)


(The woman did not participate in this event, but they also saw us off)


(Saidali after getting on the bus)


(Mahmud sat next to me and explained some of the details of each part of the ceremony)
 

(After we got to Tashkent we saw this wedding ceremony.)

     That night I stayed at Mahmud's house, which was really nice as I got a chance to know him and his family much better. I met his uncles, sisters, grandmother and nieces as well as mother and father... quiet different than Saidali's family but also very very nice.

      We ate several delicious meals, and he showed me the addition that he was building on their house... he was working on it together with his father and uncle.

      The next morning we went to Saidali's wedding... we woke up at about 5:15 am at sunrise and we walked to his house. It was nice to see the early morning sky and O'lymalik; Mahmud's house was actually right next to the local beer brewery (O'lymalik Beer).

      When we got to Saidali's house we ate the pilaf breakfast... all neighbors were invited as well about 150 people showed up, and I heard that the chef who prepared the breakfast started cooking at about 2 a.m. The food was really good again, and there was also live musician's playing classic folk songs with lyrics highly relevant to a wedding day.

(In the morning on our way to Saidali's house)


(The musicians that played music at the wedding breakfast.)


(Saidali's brother in law helping bring in the fresh naan.)


(Saidali's sister bringing in the fresh naan.)


(The pilaf chef, apparently started cooking at 2 a.m.)


(Another shot of the pilaf, it takes a lot of food for all the people.)

     After the breakfast me and Mahmud left and went to the bizarre and picked up some chickens and some fruit and took it back to his parent's house.  We said grace before we took the chickens life and then we sat down with his father's brother and several others over the course of the next couple hours. Many of them were employs in the local mining company, they asked about my real opinion of the situation in Uzbekistan... I said the employment was a bit rough but the overall quality of daily life was pretty good. I am not sure what they thought about my response, but I think that they were expecting me to say that it was not that good.

(Picking up some fresh fruit at the bizarre.)


(The best fresh fruit, wish I knew what it is called, so sweet and tender.)


Mahmud's family (I stood in the backrow, and we printed this picture out the next day.)

After that we took nap and got ready for the wedding, we put on our best clothes and caught a Mashruka bus for downtown.

Mahmud after getting ready for the wedding


Andy after getting ready for the wedding


Also brought my Rubob to play at the wedding.


First glance at the wedding cake.
 

The musicians summoning the wedding ceremony and setting the mood.



Finally the car arrived with the bride and groom, everyone was excited to see her since it would be the first time for most of his friends.

     When we got there we quickly helped bring in the Naan and started taking pictures, before long the limousine would arrive with the groom and bride. Once they arrived, I took a picture as Saidali got out, put on his gown and took the bride out of the car. They both looked really nice and everyone was excited. The musicians were also playing the songs again and upstairs a professional band was set up and ready to go.

Minutes of logistics planning etc. occurred before they got out of the car.


Finally Saidali got out of his car.



After Saidali got out he had a gown put on by his sisters.


Then he brought out the bride.


And they proceeded into the reception hall, unlike a church.


Coming up the stairs.


And into the room, loud music started playing, and then they walked across this rug.


The groom and bride

     The bride and the groom came up the stairs into the reception hall, and as soon as they entered the doors the wedding music began, it was the coolest wedding music sounded a bit like electronic polka beats but much faster, don't think I could ever perfectly describe with the most accurate words the particular feeling evoked by the atmosphere, maybe it was just because I was not used to such wedding music. The bride and groom started walking around the reception in a big circle and the bride repeatedly bowed her head while never making direct eye contact with anyone.

     After circling about 5 times an official from the state marriage office offered vows and paperwork was signed followed by an exchange of wedding rings. After that a couple people gave them hugs and they sat down for the dinner reception.

     Following the dinner people started dancing and passing money around as a key wedding tradition.  His mother and father spoke, several other close friends including myself gave a speech, I did a small musical performance (sang, played my Rubob and Mouth Harp).

     After this everyone started dancing like crazy including myself and we went on for several hours.

     It was a greatest feeling to celebrate someone close being married, it was the first time for a close friend to get married... I also met a lot of beautiful women on the dance floor.

     One thing that is better about the dancing in Uyghur and Uzbek scenarios is that you can dance with men or women very openly and it does not have to imply any kind of sexual thing.

Marriage officer making announcements


Signing of paper work.


Exchanging of rings


First hugs for the new married couple


Vibrant happy souls of mother and son hugging, the energy caught on camera.



Had the official belt along with all the other men put on by the woman.


The couple sits down in the royal seats.


His mother making some speeches at the wedding.


Saidali's mother and father


Professional pop singer singing away.


Wedding cake just on display.


All the men dancing with their belts.


Saidali hugging with his sister.


Saidali and I (too much sweating)


Sitting with cousin of Saidali (Nargiza)


Sitting with various family members


Having a drink of Vodka, the soviets left a "scar".


Saidali's mom dancing aroud with money


Singer singing away


First dance of the newly married couple


Another tradition I did not understand


Dancing with Saidali

Back at Saidali's house for the final ritual


Songs were sang as they walked around the fireplace.

    After the wedding we went to Saidali's house for a post wedding reception where a fire was started and folk songs were sang as they newly wed couple walked around the fire.

     This turned out to be in his mother's tradition (as tradition for wedding ceremony differs from village to village there was a quarrel about which tradition would be observed for this wedding.)

     After that I went with Mahmud back to his house and went to sleep, we were really tired, but it was a good tired and even waking up the next day we could feel a sort of good tired feeling in our bones.

     This would be my last morning in O'lymalik before going back to Tashkent, we went and printed out some photos and gave copies out.

    Saidali and a couple other friends took me to get on a Mashruka bus to Tashkent, he mentioned that he would not be able to go out at night for 40 days (after the sun goes down) as part of their observation of new marriage.

     I got on my Mashruka bus and said my goodbyes, Saidali asked a Russian guy sitting in the front seat if he spoke English and it turned out that he did. I talked to him a bit on the way and we ended up becoming friends I did not think I would see him again this time in Uzbekistan, he helped me find a good taxi back to the hostel I would stay.

Saidali and other friends taking me to get on a bus back to Tashkent.


The Uzbek Flag

Final picture before getting on the bus.