Celebrating another Birthday

Today is my roommate’s birthday; we started the celebrations off last night by going out with a bunch of her friends to one of our favourite restaurants. Our poor tutor came along because my roommate had assured him that some of her friends were bringing their husbands, but he ended up being stuck at a table of all girls (you would think that would be most twenty something guy’s dream come true).

All of her friends brought nice gifts, but I think the best was the tea pot cozy that doubled as a hat. You see these elaborate tea pot warmers for sale everywhere in the bazaar and for months my roommate wasn’t sure what they were… was it a pillow, a hat, or what? Well she found her own use for it...

The restaurant we went to is normally known for its show and dancing. First they entertain the customers with a performance. In the past they had two Uyghur midgets dancing, more recently it has been a tightrope walker. The show is always followed by music and an open dance floor. While I was never much of a dancer at home, I have learned to love Uyghur dancing since I moved here. Sadly last night they were remodeling the big room and we didn't have any sort of entertainment (other than one of our friends Patigul – she is hilarious). Oh well, here are some pictures from a few years ago, to show you some of the fun we missed out on.