Sunday we were invited to attend a birthday celebration at the house where I have been teaching English. Birthdays are not usually celebrated since a lot of those days are not even recorded. We went as a family and it was a fun day albeit a long one! We went for lunch around 2, but when we arrived they were still in the throes of cooking. So Faith and I jumped in and went to help chopping, peeling, pounding and stirring. It was fun for Faith although she tired quickly. Finally around 4:30 we ate lunch. We ate separately - a big clash against our cultural mindset! After lunch we hung around for a bit and then we started our goodbyes. The lady whose birthday it was said that she didn't want us to leave and that we had to stay for dinner. Ugh. We said no and then she proceeded to beg and say - do it for my birthday. How do you say no to that? We finally relented and went to sitting while they cooked again. Finally around 8:30 dinner was ready and again we ate alone. The birthday girl did sit with us and eat a few bites, but then left. We asked her what the dish was and she replied, "It is from the sea." It was sea snails, with peas and onions. Interesting. We all ate some, except for Faith for when she tried she started gagging. We allowed her to pass.
Even though it was a very long day for us, it was an honor and a blessing for her for our family to come to her celebration. One that she won't ever forget, nor will we!
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