Hands down, no joke, this is the greatest birthday present I've ever received. It made it even better that with finals and running around like a chicken with my head cut off to get things together for my trip to India, I didn't actually sit down to complete the puzzle Peter mailed me (which of course led me to this fantastic, wonderful, amazing website) until today - the 24th. I've always been a fan of extending birthdays, and apparently helped myself out with that this year. And since y'all were in on this huge surprise (100% serious - I had no idea. none. nada. you duped me. and i LOVE it), I figured you might be interested to see exactly HOW my birthday was celebrated...pure bangladeshi/sri lankan/indian style...at midnight on the 22nd, I heard a crazy loud knock on my door. my roommates, who had been particularly interested in keeping conversation going since getting back from dinner gave me a cute little look, that look like, "we know what's going on but you don't have a cluuuuuue"...obviously.
three or four of my students (out of a class of 12) were standing outside my door with flowers. Before i could even utter a 'thank you' they grabbed my arm and pulled me up three flights of stairs to our extracurricular room...
which had been decorated with handmade cards from all of them, balloons, small little cards hung from the ceiling, and in the center of the room was a table laden with cake, paratas, soda, presents and confetti (can't leave out the confetti...they love it here).
The tradition in this neck of the woods is to celebrate your birthday at midnight, right when you turn a new age. Might explain why the birthday girl is always a bit sleepy in class the next day...
My students were amazingly gracious and adorable (they're 18-20 years old, but they really were adorable)...as you can tell from the pictures below they insisted on all feeding me bits of cake (not the most comfortable thing after a huge dinner and cake not even 2 hours earlier...). It was one of those situations where I wanted to show my utmost appreciation without offending my students --- they really don't have much money and the fact that they went to the trouble to do all this and get me presents was definitely unnecessary. so sweet though.
Made me feel a little bad about having to give them an exam at 9am the next morning...
Another tradition that we've picked up on is that on your birthday, YOU give out sweets/candies/chocolates to everyone else. So therefore on Monday I had two boxes of chocolates that were gone within 20 minutes after our exams let out...word moves quickly through a building of 140ish people, apparently.
I don't think i've ever been more unsuccessful in trying to play down my birthday...the students would have none of it. Even today, Tuesday, one of my students ran up to me with her phone to show me a text message she got from her parents - "Tell Miss Kate we wish her the happiest of birthdays..." The genuine care and enthusiasm I've been the unsuspecting recipient of has only strengthened my love for bangladesh and the community i've found myself a part of... however, i do miss everyone back stateside terribly!! this wonderful site has only reinforced to me the fact that i have the best friends in the world, and i can't wait until i AM back at home with y'all --- thank you so so so so so much to everyone who helped with this in any way! Seriously, hands down, no question, greatest birthday gift I've ever got. Let me know how life is, wherever you are. LOVE YOU ALL, MEAN IT, from the bottom of my heart!! <3 kate
one of my students stuffing my face. thanks.
a look of surprise and, "well, what the heck do i do NOW?"
my wonderful homeroom class (did i mention they wouldn't let any of my other students attend the festivities at first? ...slightly protective, which makes it all the more endearing)
not only was there food, presents and decorations, but OF COURSE music, dancing and the ever-famous blind man's bluff
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