March 1998 Part 2 We arrived at the celebration exactly at noon and were led into a reception area where five other couples were also gathering amidst television and still cameras. After a television interview on the steps of the palace we were ushered back into the reception area and seated at a table covered with cakes, cookies, candies, flowers, soft drinks, champagne, and wine. They provided an interpreter for us and what followed was a most interesting afternoon.             Head of the Red Cross and her husband            Wrestler and his wife             Director and his wife                                        Nancy and John and their 'long marriage' award   Among the company were one of Mongolia’s most famous wrestlers and his teacher wife, a renowned artist and his medical doctor wife, the director of the Children’s Arts and Crafts Center (which we had toured on Thanksgiving) and his very shy wife, Mongolia’s esteemed poet and even more shy wife, and a noted scholar and his scholar wife. After toasts and remarks of welcome from the head of the Child Rights Center and the director of the Wedding Palace we were each asked to tell a bit about ourselves and our families, all of which was recorded on audiotape and much of it on videotape. Then each couple was presented with a plaque and two figurines. During the afternoon each couple was also taken into another room where they were also interviewed by a television team. (page 223)             Bataar with his old Russian           Bataar, Khavtgai, and Elder Hague car and new deel   We spent part of the actual Women’s Day with Baatar and his family. He picked up his brother, Khavtgai, and us after church. When he got out of the car to open the door for us I saw that he had on a new deel. Then he reached into the car and pulled out a beautiful bouquet which he presented to me. It had two beautiful roses in it—the first real roses I had seen since arriving here. He drove us to his ger where his wife had prepared a wonderful lunch for us. We were especially honored because the family sat and ate with us. Usually only the host sits with the guests and the wife and children prepare and serve the food. But this day they all sat with us and we enjoyed getting to know one another even better, thanks to Khavtgai’s interpreting. (page 225, 226)     The last “celebration” was when my Relief Society English class surprised me with a cake, another rose, a ceremonial silver cup, and a watercolor of Chinggis Khan. (page 226)    <<< back    next >>>