The other night, I went to a dinner party, held in my honor with my mother-in-law's colleagues to celebrate my recent wedding.
She told me she had worked with these women for 30 years, and they were more than just co-workers, they were family. It amazed me that anyone was able to work at the same company for 30 years, but even more amazing that they were all friends for that long as well. I only worked for the government for three years, and I wasn't very close with anyone. But this group was different, they had shared every important and significant moment in each others lives, and now they were sharing their children's significant life events. And while all these women chatted and laughed, shared stories about their children, I did what I do best, and observed.
Yeah, I understood what some of them were saying some of the time, but when 11 people are all speaking at the same time, in slang, Serbian/Macedonian/Kumanovski, it all gets jumbled in my brain, and I check out. So I decided to just sit back and observe each woman's uniqueness. It was precious, every women had taken, what I assumed to be a rather casual dinner event, very seriously. Each one had had their hair done, nails manicured, and wore tasteful makeup. Clothing and accessories were chosen meticulously and elegantly. And I realized, Macedonian women are really beautiful. And while they continued to tell stories, share their concerns about their children working in Afghanistan, I was reminded that these women look and act like women from the past. A time when the clothing was hand-tailored and pressed, and women never left the house without lipstick.
After we ate dinner, one of the guests decided to start dancing in the middle of the restaurant. Normally I would have refused, but the energy was right for a little Macedonian dancing. The steps are very forgiving, two to the right, one to the left. Or two steps to the right, kick of the right leg, kick with the left leg. All holding hands, and in a circle. I danced like this at my wedding, but my dress covered my feet, and no one could see if I made a wrong step. But it doesn't really matter if you make a mistake, because this kind of dancing is about being together. I like that these women still hold these traditional values and I like that I get to be a part of it.
We ate at Супер Фурна, Kumanovo, Macedonia, the service was excellent and there was a live band. :)
She told me she had worked with these women for 30 years, and they were more than just co-workers, they were family. It amazed me that anyone was able to work at the same company for 30 years, but even more amazing that they were all friends for that long as well. I only worked for the government for three years, and I wasn't very close with anyone. But this group was different, they had shared every important and significant moment in each others lives, and now they were sharing their children's significant life events. And while all these women chatted and laughed, shared stories about their children, I did what I do best, and observed.
Yeah, I understood what some of them were saying some of the time, but when 11 people are all speaking at the same time, in slang, Serbian/Macedonian/Kumanovski, it all gets jumbled in my brain, and I check out. So I decided to just sit back and observe each woman's uniqueness. It was precious, every women had taken, what I assumed to be a rather casual dinner event, very seriously. Each one had had their hair done, nails manicured, and wore tasteful makeup. Clothing and accessories were chosen meticulously and elegantly. And I realized, Macedonian women are really beautiful. And while they continued to tell stories, share their concerns about their children working in Afghanistan, I was reminded that these women look and act like women from the past. A time when the clothing was hand-tailored and pressed, and women never left the house without lipstick.
After we ate dinner, one of the guests decided to start dancing in the middle of the restaurant. Normally I would have refused, but the energy was right for a little Macedonian dancing. The steps are very forgiving, two to the right, one to the left. Or two steps to the right, kick of the right leg, kick with the left leg. All holding hands, and in a circle. I danced like this at my wedding, but my dress covered my feet, and no one could see if I made a wrong step. But it doesn't really matter if you make a mistake, because this kind of dancing is about being together. I like that these women still hold these traditional values and I like that I get to be a part of it.
We ate at Супер Фурна, Kumanovo, Macedonia, the service was excellent and there was a live band. :)
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