1st Birthday Party
A coworker held a 1st birthday party for his daughter yesterday. I and two other coworkers were invited. The proud father is Hindu, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect for the party, but it turned out to be a reasonably normal birthday party, at least the part we saw. Apparently there is a two hour long religious ritual that proceeded the party, so as one would expect, the birthday girl was very tired and cranky by the time a dozen strangers invaded her house. Strangely, the giant balloons bursting at random moments, making all the adults jump out of our skins, didn't affect her at all.
In an interesting twist, we had cake (and very good cake it was) before dinner (a suitable for white people vegetarian north India style buffet). Desert before dinner, these people know how to throw a party! Once we got to presents it was obvious that the white people hadn't been given sufficient coaching in the Hindu way. White people gave toys and clothes. I gave a very soft stuffed elephant and a 12" square pink blanket with a pink elephant head attached at one corner -- which I thought would be about as Hindu of a gift that I could think. All the Hindus gave jewelry. Tiny, tiny, diamond and pearl earrings, and itty-bitty gold bracelets were the norm. Oops. Oh well, it's the thought that counts, right?
During dinner, in keeping with what men do everywhere, but totally unexpected from this crowd, my coworker's brother turned on the TV, tuned to ice hockey and lost all connection with the rest of the party. He's living in Canada now (and it was a Canada vs. USA match, Canada won, 2-1), but he's also Indian, so that was rather unexpected. Would I have been less shocked if he had turned on a cricket match? Maybe. I just didn't figure someone who's from the tropics for being into ice hockey. I guess I'm just narrow minded, and the constant reminder of that fact never ceases to amaze me.
In an interesting twist, we had cake (and very good cake it was) before dinner (a suitable for white people vegetarian north India style buffet). Desert before dinner, these people know how to throw a party! Once we got to presents it was obvious that the white people hadn't been given sufficient coaching in the Hindu way. White people gave toys and clothes. I gave a very soft stuffed elephant and a 12" square pink blanket with a pink elephant head attached at one corner -- which I thought would be about as Hindu of a gift that I could think. All the Hindus gave jewelry. Tiny, tiny, diamond and pearl earrings, and itty-bitty gold bracelets were the norm. Oops. Oh well, it's the thought that counts, right?
During dinner, in keeping with what men do everywhere, but totally unexpected from this crowd, my coworker's brother turned on the TV, tuned to ice hockey and lost all connection with the rest of the party. He's living in Canada now (and it was a Canada vs. USA match, Canada won, 2-1), but he's also Indian, so that was rather unexpected. Would I have been less shocked if he had turned on a cricket match? Maybe. I just didn't figure someone who's from the tropics for being into ice hockey. I guess I'm just narrow minded, and the constant reminder of that fact never ceases to amaze me.
posted by Mark at 8:52 AM
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