I'm a Quarter-Centenarian!

Woo, I'm old!  Here's to 25, the middle of the best decade of my life to date. 

To outdo my friend, Della, who gets two birthdays due to the use of the Lunar and Solar calendars, I decided to celebrate for the whole week and get 5 birthdays! 

 

There were four cakes, lots of frosting on the face, some cool presents, and―most importantly―good company.  I realized that all I really ever want for my birthday is just to relax with good company.  I don't want the responsibilities of hosting; I don't want to have to obey any uncomfortable social customs such as accepting gifts, treating people to dinner, whatever. 

The school also got me a gift―I didn't have to teach any students.  (Probably one of the best presents ever.)  Actually, students were testing, but I'd like to think it was all for me. :-D

 

Now a short guide through the photos;

Linda, our foreign teacher team leader, wanted to celebrate on Wednesday, so she and Kellen bought a quaint little teddy bear cake. 

 

For the past two weeks I've been counting down to June 1^st in my top class.  They were perpetually bewildered why I would celebrate Children's Day (June 1^st is International Children's Day in China)―I accused them of being ageist.  They didn't get the joke.  Anyway, I told them I never celebrate Children's Day, I celebrate June 1.  Not until they walked into the decorated classroom with my "Happy Birthday, Mr. Li" hanging did they realize it's my birthday.  We played games, had cake and prizes, and everyone left with a party favor.  Here you see my top class holding their party favors under a banner reading "Li Rui Happy Birthday."  (Li Rui is my Chinese name.)  The party favor was a printed and decorated photo of their English school tour―a memento of their English days in my class.

 

With my Senior 3 students, my birthday party was also their last class.  Here you see Catherine playing "Pin the Tail on the Donkey" and heading nowhere near the donkey picture. 

Then they all sang Happy Birthday in Chinese (while clapping, do we do that?  It seemed strange, but ubiquitous in China.) 

 

Finally came my real birthday party at home.  Della made her famous "Little Bucket Noodles."  Kellen brought the cake, and then we did exactly what I wanted for my birthday―hang out together, laughing, chatting, drinking, eating. 

(Why are they called "Little Bucket Noodles"?  Well, Della's Chinese name is Xiao Pei 晓培, xiao also sounds like a different character 小, which means little.  As a nickname, I pronounce Della's name with a regional dialect character adding an "r" sound to the end.  Then her name is 培儿, or per, which sounds like the way to say bucket.  Thus, the invention of "Little Bucket") 

 

Later Days,
Rick