The man top left who is dressed in the red coat and turkish looking fez, is job is to pour drinks for the guests. The drinks, hot black coffee or a sweetish cold drink is stored in the strange metal looking container. That is his job for the whole of the evening, and of all the people at a party like this, they have the grimmest expressions.
This is a very male type of social gathering. Sarah my flatmate has gone to a number of the female equivalent (called Hennas, which are like 'hen parties'). There the women do abandon themselves, dancing around in a circle and crying out. But they don't have the luxury of a live band or a famous singer as the men do, or an acrobatic troop of Dubke performers. The nearest the women are to the action on this occasion, is to sit on balconies and walls well back. Amidst all the men and boys there is one young girl aged about 10 who has decided that she wants to be up front close. And she does, braving the obvious disapproval of some of the boys there. She looks very nervous very harassed but determined at the same time. I admire here very much. I don't know if this sexual separation will ever change in this society. So many cultural things are built on to it. And it extends to religion here too of course, men and women praying separately, which is also the case in orthodox Judaism. In fact a lot of what I see is very similar to traditional orthodox / conservative Judaism.
That's a tough little girl! She will grow up into someone extraordinary!
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