First of all I just want to tell everyone that Taiwan so far have not felt the earthquake in Japan at all. No aftershocks, no tsunami. And if a tsunami should hit Taiwan it will not mean any danger to me, as I live to far from the coast. So save your prayers for people in Japan.
Now, what I was actually going to post about was the indescribably wonderful birthday I had yesterday. I birthday I will never forget – most of all thanks to my friends here in Taiwan.
That does not mean that friends and family from Denmark were not involved though. Actually the first thing that made my birthday so memorable was the fact that, even though I am living on the other side of the world, the first persons I saw on the morning of my 18 years old birthday were my mom and sister back in Denmark. They sang the Danish birthday song for me via Skype with candles and Danish flags – just as if they really had be able to walk into my room and wake me up with song in Denmark. I even got a few words from a rather confused grandma, whom my mom called on the phone.
So starting my birthday out perfectly I rushed out the door for language school. And I guess I was flying a little too high on happiness when I headed towards the MRT (Taiwan’s subway), cause as I passed the doormen at the front of hour apartment building giving them an energetic “zao an” (goodmorning), my green little school skirt slid down and was just about to reveal my “stocking-ass” as I grabbed it! The second thing, on my birthday, that will be hard to forget.
Continuing the day with my clothes fully on I finished language school and went to my Senior High School together with Jane (Canada) and Chelsea (America). On hour way we bought a nice cake to share with the people who works in the schools library. It has become kind of a tradition to eat cake with those people hour birthdays, as they are people we see and talk to every day.
With the first piece of cake down I went to my actual class. Here I was met by: “Wait, wait, wait! Okay, you can come in now”. With the light turned off four lighted cakes were carried into the classroom while a guy was playing the guitar and my 43 classmates were singing Happy Birthday for me followed by a song in Chinese I have not heard before. It was so touching to experience people from another country, with another culture and another language having prepared all this for me. Not for anyone else. Just for me. On my 18 year old birthday. The third thing I will never forget. Thank you friends. Afterwards a steam of people came up to me with cards and presents, the one on the picture saying my name and 116 being a chocolate-present from my entire class.
I guess that only one person in the classroom was not really into this – that being the teacher – but as she had 44 students all focused on song, presents and cake, she just kind of gave up for a while, and let us have hour celebration. I owe her a “thank you” as well.
Presents and cards from my classmates in class 116
Just as I finally had managed to gather all my cards and presents and were ready to catch a bus, a girl from my music club calls me and asks me to come to her classroom. And as I reach the classroom I am once again met with a cake and birthday song. This time by my beloved friends from the music club. And as they revealed a huge teddy bear formed card with regards from all of them, it was the second time that I was touched to something very close to tears that day. But just as I was about to shed a tear I was attacked from behind with shaving cream. A trick Taiwanese classmates might very well play on you on your birthday. And which fully was played on me! Well that did not make this last birthday surprise less memorable!
The huge card from my music club and some more presents!
Cause that was the last salute I got before I (very happily) left the school. And from there I went to Guzheng class, and from there I went to dance class, in between allowing myself to eat one of my favourite “snack” dinners from Taiwan. So I think my birthday was pretty perfect and complete. But though not complete yet, cause as I get home, tired from an unforgettable day, I for the second time got skyped from my family back home. This time my mom, dad, sister, grandma and granddad were all gathered in front of the camera together with a real dad-and-sister cooperation birthday cake, and I once again got a birthday song from the other side of the world. Thank you very much.
So this was my unforgettable birthday. Made unforgettable by family in Denmark as well as friends in Taiwan. The only thing I missed was my lovely friends back in Denmark, but then it is a luck, that I am a part of the network wonder “Facebook” which made me able to get a lot of sweet greetings from Denmark. Thanks a lot for all of them (and especially thanks to my former roomie Bille whom I actually received a present from on my birthday!)!
I love Taiwan
Julia :)
