I should start out by saying that I had a wonderful, cross-cultural birthday. Let me explain. In The festivities began at 1:00pm at the office. Zhanna met me at 12:30 to help me choose a cake, actually 2 cakes, one for the office and one for my dinner party. I had already purchased some caramel tea bags, plates, forks, and napkins, so I was ready to go. No one sang me happy birthday, but they did pinch my ears! The tradition is to pinch both ears one time for every year, ouch! My co-workers gave me a beautiful bouquet of flowers and then we sat down and enjoyed the cake.
After the office celebration, I went home to relax for a few hours. I was more than ready as I had been preparing for several days: cleaning the flat and then making several trips to the store. Remember that I do all my shopping on foot. I had to make one trip just to buy the wine and juice! To make my life easier I prepared the pasta sauce the night before, so all I had to do was boil the pasta, make a salad, and then slice some fruit, cheese, and bread.
My guests started to arrive at 7:00pm, and I promptly got my ears pinched 36 times! I only had one pinch at the office, so my ears were ready for the attack. This pinching is more for kids than grown-ups…they think the stimulation helps them grow…but it’s still a fun tradition. Everyone managed to squeeze into the living room around my small coffee table. I don’t have a dining room table and the kitchen is way too small for 9 people: me, Cbeta, Zhanna, Alena, Vasya, Irina, Olga, Anya, and Nadya. Everyone seemed to like my pasta dinner and we managed to finish 4 bottles of wine. And then there was the second cake…
I opened my gifts toward the end of the night, and everyone went home by 11:00pm. It was a school and work night after all. Looking back, it was a great experience, even all those trips to the store. I did miss blowing out my candles, but hey, there’s always next year. (Look under "My Birthday" for more photos.)
