70th Birthday Bash!
Trip Start
Aug 30, 2011
1
49
90
Trip End
Dec 30, 2011
Where I stayed
Calle 28
What I did
Danced, ate, sang, enjoyed the company
Medellin, Colombia
Monday, October 24, 2011
After enough guests showed up all the family gathered on the dance floor to address the crowd and give thanks for their presence. A blessing was giving to Grandma and for her speedy conquering of cancer. God is very important to Grandma and she finished off the speech with "Father, Son, Holy Spirit". Then they brought out the cake. All the grandchildren and their dates sat at one table and unfortunately for us we were the last to be served the entire evening. We didn't get the yummy cake with vanilla frosting and strawberries, but a plain orange cake. It was still good, but we missed out on the more desired flavor. Music was playing and to have a conversation you needed to yell or move away from the speakers. We stuck around and got a kick out of Papi and Grandpa on the dance floor. When the tunes died down a few songs later, dinner was being brought out three plates at a time. It took what seemed like, years to finally get served. It was well worth the wait, though. A very tender portion of pork was served with a dinner roll, brown rice with raisins, creamy potatoes, crisp veggies, and a small square of tiramisu. Tati and Natalia attacked the food that I didn't eat, fueling themselves for the rest of the night.
We didn't stop dancing for the next three hours. To contribute to the night's diversity a band played for about forty five minutes. There was a bass player, accordion player, drummer, singer, and one member going between a tambourine and maracas. Grandma and Nando had several dances where they were the center of attention, she was glowing with happiness. Everyone was having an amazing time. Following numerous traditional Colombian songs and partner dances the music changed to something more young and club like. I had the best time shaking it to Reggeaton with Marly! We wore the masks and danced in the confetti even when their was no music. The dramatically slow strobe light made everyone's movements seem even more phenomenal. Colombian's really have hips and know how to move them. I was laking even when I was in constant movement.
Finally, the overhead lights turned back on and we were given the gesture to go home. My feet were throbbing and I was sweating nearly as much as I do in spin class. As there was an outrageous amount of flowers the guests were invited to tear them down from the walls and bring them home. I scored a elaborate arrangement that was on the railing and an extra handful from the bouquet at the entrance. I have placed them in my room to remind me of the ambience of the evening and provide a splash of color to the white walls. I am still thinking over the night and how much fun I had. I think I'll start planning my seventieth birthday when I return to the States. Mark your calendars!
"Your Invited! Leala is turning 70! Join her at Banqueta de Amor, Medellin, Colombia"
