What to wear, what to wear

Weddings are big here in Uzbekistan. There are two places nearby that seem to have one every night-not just weekend nights, but so far every night of the week there has been one at each place.

I was in a coffee shop doors down and suddenly great horns began to play. And great they were, about 6 or 8 feet long, like those used to herald the King's arrival. They formed an overhead arch with them for the bride and about 30 others, possibly family and friends. Much excitement ensued. Later as I walked past, the men were outside in small groups based on age. I saw money being paid or collected in the middle aged men's circle, maybe the father of the bride?  I noted how nice the men looked in their dark jackets as I passed. The bride resembled a multi-layered, frothy frostinged cake.

Dress up is a bigger deal here. Even in the Chorsu Bazaar, there are stalls upon stalls selling sparkly, brilliantly colored dresses and accessories for the women, and those are not the high end stores. Men wear suits for everyday work, and some schools' uniforms are black suits for the boys, and black skirts and sweaters with white blouses for the girls.

Its fun to watch, but it makes me feel a wee bit underdressed.

Young women wear heels, of course, it is the way of being young. But the challenge here is that none of the sidewalks, if there, are smooth, many are cobbled. Manhole covers may be askew, people use the sidewalk area as an extension of their business or home, or just park across it. And walking in the street is common everywhere except on thoroughfares.

I have with me: black Keen's and a pair of flip flops. The flip flops of course are not suitable for public use here. It makes the choice of footwear easy.