Beautiful cradles

I want to be able to present some parts of Central Asian life to you who do not live in Central Asia. There are things that are very different but still fairly easy to explain and understand. Foods, for example. I do not find it difficult to realize that people have very different taste in foods around the world, and I am actually interested to try new tastes and ways of cooking.

Today we were in a wedding, and I was thinking how Westerners and Easterners might never be able to fully understand each other in this matter. The way you and an Asian looks at a marriage is as far as...well, east from the west.

So I want to show you something that is different, but not too complicated. I want to stretch you out of your comfort zone, but not to confuse you too much!

Here we are window shopping. There are no windows in the bazaar, but we were happily strolling in there and looking at all the colorful things they have. I really like the look of the Central Asian baby beds. Oh, you did not recognize these as baby beds? Well, they are, and most of Central Asian babies are kept in these beds for the first months of their lives. They are made of beautifully carved wood, covered in beautifully embroidered or otherwise decorated curtains.

The cradle has very low sides, but no worries; babies are wrapped with long pieces of soft cotton cloth into the cradle, and can barely move.

Notice the round hole on the bed? That is where you put a little pot to collect the sewage.

You can choose from different kinds of colors and carvings.

Babies spent a lot of time in their beds. Often they are nursed while laying on their backs. I once asked a mother that isn't it difficult to nurse your baby when he is in the crib. Her answer was: 'If it's long its easy, if it's small it is difficult.' Other mothers in the room laughed knowingly.

I let your imagination run free for a while now.

Ok, stop, please.

Oh, look at these pretty curtains! Often the maternal grandma of the baby sews and prepares the cradle with its equipments for the new baby. I wrote about the party the family has when the baby receives the cradle in here.

A happy little boy sleeping in his crib.

Sweet dreams!