Birthday memories

In the play Julius Caesar, Shakespeare warned his audience of the Ides of March, but this year, in this foreign land, I decided to embrace this fateful anniversary--which happens to coincide with the day of my birth.  Last night, my roommates and I prepared a feast and had a toga party in honor of this auspicious day.  But the birthday celebrations began even before this festive dinner party.

I arrived at the office Friday morning in a tizz, having shared an auto with my roommates and encountered difficulty providing the proper fare (our driver claimed he couldn't make change.  Alas, he ended up with an extra ten rupees.)  My desk was covered in flashy plastic garland, with a bunch of fresh flowers plus bright pink, green and gold lettering on the wall displaying my nickname(s): Miss India (and T-Dog).  The first name is after my bubble-gum pink bicycle, brand name "Miss India."  Friday mornings all of our staff gather for the infamous Masters Game, twenty trivia questions covering an impressive range of current events, etymology, obscure Old Testament references, geography and everything in between.  Following the competitive frenzy, I was presented with a hot-pink cellophane "Miss India" sash and shiny gold paper crown.  I'm sure my face turned similar shades to match my sash as I stood for the extended version of the "Happy Birthday" song.  I was indeed surprised and felt very celebrated!

Our lovely Director of Admin took me and a couple other colleagues who recently celebrated birthdays out for lunch, another delicious treat.  Afterwards, I cycled home to get my treats so that I could uphold the local birthday tradition.  I really like this tradition, although it is counter-intuitive to this inherently Americanized mindset.  In South Asia, it is expected that on your birthday, you treat others.  Luckily I had a bag of Dove chocolates for a special occasion stashed in my fridg.  As I passed out the chocolates, I received many smiles, blessings AND several pinches on the cheeks or chin!  Despite the extra year added on overnight, I am still the "baby" of the bunch at work.  (One of my colleagues also explained that while pinched cheeks does indicate one's youth, it is a very endearing gesture which also expresses love and admiration!)  Another favorite moment was posing for a spontaneous photograph atop a step-stool in my sash, "Miss India" surrounded by the entire Investigations team.  In less than two months time, I have garnered the most pretentious nickname an Intern has probably ever had. 

Needless to say, the birthday energy ran high on Friday, but my productivity level was correspondingly low.  After a couple hours catching up on work in the office Saturday morning, I enjoyed a stellar brunch and women's Bible Study led by our director's fabulous wife.  Then, to prepare for Saturday's festivities, my roommates and I did some shopping, washing, cooking and baking.  A dinner generally requires stops at three different grocery stores or fruit stands.  Then the washing step--for instance, my salad: three bunches of spinach and a head of lettuce, washed leaf by leaf in dish detergent, plus the tomatoes and cucumbers.  The green beans and grapes soaked in mild bleach solutions.  Etc, etc.  Eating fresh produce here is a labor of love.  Our efforts were thoroughly enjoyed and I was humbled and blessed by the lovely and diverse group gathered around our crowded table.  

And finally, the actual birth day!  After eating some leftover birthday cake as soon as I woke up (and then helping my auto driver push our auto back to the main road when he, unsuccessfully, ventured down a side street under construction), I arrived at Amethyst.  The haven of delicious cappuccino and lots of pretty green plants, which my soul often craves in this crowded city.  One of the somewhat ironic lessons I'm learning in this chaotic place and time is the value of simply being still.  So here I sit, with plans to spend some time reflecting on the changes of this past year and on Him who dwells outside of time, unchanging.