Friends Into The New Year!

Felicitaciones, Hugo Y Carolina!

Anoche, (last night) Wally and I were pleased to be able to attend our dear friend's second wedding anniversary party!  In keeping with our new Uruguayan, low key life style we walked to their house. It was a beautiful, milky way starry night and the weather was clear and warm. Being such a lovely evening the party was held outside in the private front yard. Benches, patio lights and a television were set up under the porch to play music and to be used later.

Not really knowing the custom of gift giving on such occasions here in Uruguay we decided to get something anyway since these two are extra special to us. Okay, we got the little gift at Tienda Inglesa a large supermarket/ house wares store that caters to expats, in that they sell imported condiments and other food and trinkets not necessarily available at other local establishments. Since it is only a few weeks past the holiday season the store still had their free gift wrapping station up, how convenient for us! Okay, I will also admit that we got the gift with our Tienda Inglesa store points, so basically we got the gift free and wrapped for free! Hey, I told you we are finally getting the hang of living here in Uruguay! This is also a blog on retirement so I try  to be educational about living on a budget! I hope you don't mind this revelation Hugo and Carolina. I know you read these posts. Hey, it's the thought that counts, No?

Hugo and Carolina, you might remember from a post last month. Wally and several other friends gathered to help the couple, put in the footers, for their first house together (it is being built in stages) as money allows. What used to be called the "American Dream" that of home ownership is considered just plain common sense here in Uruguay. If you can afford it, then build, as the cost for renting just doesn't make sense if you can manage to own instead. That sounds obvious but back in the USA before the foreclose mess a lot of US friends I knew had what is called renters mentality. They would think about buying something, then drive their realitors crazy and never decide on anything to buy. Many are more comfortable with renting than home ownership perhaps a wise decision for them but not understood here where most homes until recently were built and brought without morgages but with cold hard cash!. In my neighborhood here in Marindia we are one of the few who doesn't own a second house, as this is considered a vacation spot.

Getting back to the party and our learning curves. The gift was opened quickly in a private corner away from the others and we were thanked. We saw that a gift was not expected, good to note. We brought a plate of tapas/ entradas, or hors d'oeuvres, they were appreciated. We also brought a few hamburger patties and buns.  The buns were cut up small and passed around with our little tapas (Cheese, olives and cold-cuts) but the meat was frozen and returned to us at the end of the evening. We now know, this was not an Asado gathering. Apparently we didn't need to bring "dinner food" to this gathering. 

 The hostess (Mother of the wife) our good friend Luisa, also turned down help. She wanted to treat all the guests as guests! Each plate of bit sized finger food was passed, one at a time, to all the people in attendance. Ours with the now, ripped up hamburger buns.

After the plates of little foods were consumed, the couple had us gather to watch a video montage of their life together as a married couple. I was pleased as punch to see myself and Wally in a picture or two. It made us really feel like part of their life!

We met Hugo's parents and were invited one weekend to joined Hugo at their house. They live in El pinar a few towns away so that will be a nice visit and post one day. 







After wards all the young people and Me (ha ha) gathered in a circle and danced the night away.

Wally and I left before the lovely cake (made by an another attendee) was cut. That was good as I need to lose a huge amount of weight (my goal this year). After the party we walked back home and talked under the stars, a truly lovely night to remember.  Congratulations, Hugo and Carolina on your wedding anniversary and many more happy years together!