Here are all the glorious details.
First of all, my first self portrait at age 19. I know it's not flattering, but whatev. It's the first one so it's awesome, okay?
I'm on the roof right outside my room. Here's what la calle down below looked like on that beloved day.
Behold the shadows of Miguel y yo from high above.
Would you like to hear something adorable? Right after that picture was taken, Miguel backed up and was like, "Ya. Ya." (And for those of you who don't speak Spanish, that does not mean "Yes." It means "Enough" kind of. It depends on the situation, because it could really mean a lot of things....) And then he said/acted out that the metal bar at the top of the wall could break, implying that we would fall to our deaths. He was legitimately scared. So I was just like whatev and I continued to take pictures of the streets below. When I turned back around, this is what I saw:
Lo siento Miguelito, but do you really think that clothes line will save you from falling off the roof? It won't. But either way, it's adorable that you feel more comfortable back there. I swear, the things that kid worries about? He's more likely to die from the non-refrigerated eggs we eat than a free fall off the roof. So cute.
Anyway, I didn't really do anything all day. I played lots of games with Jorge, took the above pictures and vids from the last post, cleaned my room, and that's about it. I honestly don't really remember anything else. Oh ya, Beca, I ate hot dogs for breakfast/lunch. They were good. You were right.
At like 9 or 9:30 p.m. I was playing Egyptian Rat Screw with Jorge for about the seven billionth time that day (I should have never taught him that game) when Elvira came in and said, "Ya vamanos." And then I was super excited because I knew my birthday celebration was about to begin.
But there is bad news. I didn't bring my camera with me because she was leading me down the stairs, which is right past the hose/faucet/bucket of water and I assumed there was an ambush there waiting to dump it all on me, because that is seriously a custom for your birthday around here. So I followed, with no camera in hand, and what did I find waiting for me? Not endless H2O, but the most adorable little fiesta in the work out room. When I opened the door, all the lights were off, and Evelia was lighting the last candle on my cake. The whole room was decorated full of red and pink balloons and streamers and things of all sorts. The fam (extended and all) was all gathered around along the walls of the room (the room is tiny). My cake was on it's own little table, with a chair right in front of it, for me of course. So I sat down. And then I looked around. I obviously couldn't see much, because all we had was 9 candles worth of light, but everyone was surrounding me smiling and then they started singing the birthday song which is so so long and in Spanish, and I love love love it, and I was thinking to myself, "I am in Heaven right now. This is so cool." And it really was cool.
So I sat there smiling as they all sang to me and took pitures and things. When the song is over, they all start chanting something (I don't remember what it is), but it means you have to take a bite out of the cake. You know, like put your face down to it and take a bite. But you have to be super fast because everyone around you has the special job of shoving your face into it. It's the coolest thing, and it happens at every birthday every time! I'm totally starting that when I get home. So I did and Miguel and Jorge shoved my face in, but I was pretty speedy, so I didn't get shoved in too bad. Then I cut the cake and started dishing out the pieces. That's another awesome thing about Mexican birthday parties: the food. In America, we get cake and ice cream. In Mexico, we get a real plate that has the most delicious sandwich (cut in triangles) with ham and tomatos and beans and onions and mayo and other things, and then a side of some sort (sometimes it's chips, sometimes its french fries, in my case it was fries AND jello - and btw if you thought Utah was the jello capitol? Think again my friend, because Mexico, or at least Puebla, or AT LEAST Tehuacan has the record and there is no way Utah can top it). Anway, and then you have your piece of cake, of course. So it's like a full meal, but sugar and fat is the main food group represented. It's awesome. That's another thing I will be changing about birthdays when I get home.
So after everyone has a plate of food and a "Refresca" in hand, the regalos start coming. I am still sitting in the chair in the middle of the room, while people come up one at a time and hand me a gift. I smile so big and say, "Gracias!" and then we hug and they give me a kiss on the cheek and say "Felizidades" or something with the same effect and everyone gets a picture with me. So add that to the list of things to change: Hug and kiss. It feels awesome. After all my presents were opened, all the food eaten, and basically that stage of the party came to a natural close, the dance party came out. There were colorful disco lights flashing everywhere and a disco ball in the center and we all just danced forever. Now, I am not a dancing person, but since when does that matter in Mexico? Oh, it doesn't. Pretty much everything I ever do here, I would never do in America. So I danced my heart out and had the time of my life. Really, it was the best birthday EVER.
And sadly, I have no pictures to show you. But since I am now semi-obsessed with putting videos on my blog, here is basically the theme song of my life right now. I hear it all the time, and we danced to it like thrice. It's awesome. And it's been stuck in my head all day.
Everyone left at like midnightish or a little later. And then guess what happened. Me and Miguel were sitting there on the couch and he was like, "Hey, Merry Christmas? No. I'm sorry. No. Happy Birthday!" It was the funniest thing ever and I laughed my face off. He was going through all his English phrases til he found the right one. It was so cute.
Thus I am one year older and wiser, and more Mexican too.
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