3.12.2009

Our First Indian Birthday Party

Tuesday night we went to a birthday party for our driver's son who turned 1. I had given him the day off so he could spend it with his family who drove in from his home village, about 6 hours away. A few of our friends were also invited the party, which helped us because we needed a ride to the party, and we now had people to mingle with. The day before the party Velan had a "serious" discussion with me and promised that he talked with his family and let them know that several "foreigners" would be attending and they needed to keep the staring and cheek-pinching to a minimum.... which they did... though they took oodles of pictures of us for most of the night.

Velan told me that the party would be a quick event; a blessing, singing happy birthday, and then cutting the cake. Um... not exactly. It was 7 pm before the cake was cut, and then we were informed that we needed to stay for dinner. Say what? Nobody ever told me about dinner. So after the obligatory photos (where you'll see I posted quite possibly the worst photo of me EVER taken in my entire life), we went downstairs, into this very hot room where rows and rows of tables and chairs were set up and dinner was to be served. Vegetarian biriyani rice, sauce of some sort, curdled sweet rice, onions, and some potato thingy that Matt liked were all nicely served on a banana leaf. With no utensils to be found.

So we ate with our hands. And drank the water that looked clean, though we still have no clue where it came from. And I let the girls eat as much ice cream and cake as they wanted, because I was hot, tired, and didn't want to hear them ask me one more time when dinner was going to be served.

We had a fun time. And my driver? Over the moon that we came to the party and celebrated with his family.




My driver Velan and his family... Cutting the cake with all the kids on the stage



The girls with their friends at the party ... Photo with our driver and his family



Riley actually ate a bit of the rice with her hands. Sheridan? She just devoured the cake.

12 comments:

Mom24 said...

What a great experience. I love the expression on Sheridan's face in one of the pictures...I've seen it on Julianna's. :-)

I think it's great that you went, I'm sure it did mean a lot to your driver and how neat for your girls to be there. No utensils? So different. I had no idea the banana leaves were that large either.

Keys to the Magic Travel said...

I bet you just made his month by going to the party. How many people were there? I mean...that cake is huge!

And here is my "foreigner" curiosity questions - did they make the cake - or would it be something they got from a bakery? Same kind of cake we would have here? What about the ice cream?

So very cool!

Robin said...

THAT'S your very worst picture? I think I hate you now... I'm so unphotogenic that even my own mother says I look awful in pictures, I'd love to look that great in a bad photo LOL!

You guys are good sports for sticking it out the whole time, I'm sure it meant a lot to Velan. That Outdooring I mentioned? We bailed almost immediately, claiming another engagement.

Tenakim said...

How nice that you went! Looks like they went all out. And NOT there is not a bad picture of you in existance!

3 Peas in a Pod said...

I'm with Robin, that's the worst you've got??? Umm I can top that, not that it's a contest. :-) I used to be very photogenic when I was younger but somethin happened along the way to middle age and I'm not liking it one bit.

So sweet of you to go to the party. It probably meant the world to him knowing that you value him other than just being your driver. I think you ought to be given some kind of award for enduring so much above and beyond during your pregnancy. You're a trooper!!

Much love from NJ,
Sue
xoxo

Ashley said...

That's so cool - cept you are way braver than me for drinking the water. lol Even though I'd probably have done it anyhow after being there all day and being hot and thirsty.

Simple Answer said...

How did you eat ice cream with no spoons?

I have such a love/hate with attending these sort of things. I'm glad you went. Me? I might not have been so sociable.

Crystal said...

What a neat experience, thanks for sharing it! If that is the worst picture of you ever taken you are just Beautiful : ) I never look that good normally, let alone as pregnant as you are! I am glad you had a good time. Your dughters are just so sweet~

Kirsten said...

First of all, I think you look adorable in that photo.

That sounds so very familiar. I once attended an Indian baby shower for one of my husbands cousins. It lasted about 6 hours, there was a huge buffet of food, a DJ, three cakes and a stage for all the action to take place.

So did everyone have to feed the birthday boy a bite of cake? My husbands relatives did that at my son's first birthday party. It took us about 45 minutes to get through all the relatives and make sure to get a photo of each one feeding a bite. The kids were about to attack the cake after that.

Looks like it was a fun party!!!

Kat said...

That is so cool! What an experience this has been for your kids. Wow. :)

Alison said...

It was so nice of you to go--chalk it up to experience. And I'm with the commenters who said if that's your worst picture, you're lucky!

Shannon said...

How is that a bad photo of you?!

Very cool going to the party and all!

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