Feliz Cumpleanos a mi! (Happy Bday to me!)

I heard music around 8:30 p.m. but was incredibly tired and didn't want to budge because I was tired from being out late with some friends. I finally got up around 10 a.m. Nilda began blasting music and the guy was singing a bday song! Everyone say that I was awake and ran toward me to give me hugs and kisses. Even a friend of Carlos, Josefina's son, who was there for the weekend came and gave me a hug and kiss on the cheek. It wasn't even a hug for the formality of it's your bday it was a good embrace like you've known someone forever. I went to exercise after a monsterous breakfast. When I returned Josefina told me my teacher, Carlos, stopped by to wish me happy bday. As you can see Carlos is an extremely popular name here. I think I've met 5 since I've been here. LOL! I went shopping to find a dress for the wedding I'm attending in a couple of weeks, but had no luck. I talked to nearly 7 friends and family members from the US, I can't thank you enough for calling me. It made me feel so loved and miss everyone so much! When I got back from shopping I helped Nilda and Josefina chop veggies for the meal. Josefina felt bad because I was working on my bday, but I told her it was not a probably. Josefina went to shower and Nilda screamed and said that she cut herself. I freaked out and ran to get a towel and then I looked down at her finger and realized it was a piece of onion. She told me to trick her mom. She said she deserves it after all the tricks I've fallen for over the past few months. I screamed when Josefina returned and said that I cut myself and she started freaking out. I was practically laughing the whole time, but she didn't notice. I finally couldn't act any longer. She said that I got her good! FINALLY! It took her two days to make the bday feast. She made mole sauce, chicken, cabbage salad with lime juice, papas fritas, cinnamon tea, and 2 cakes! The mole sauce as nearly 20 ingredients one of them being chocolate. It was incredible! I've always hated mole sauce, but this kicks the Mexican sauces ass! The chocolate she used was pure cocoa beans ground with vanilla. She made hot chocolate with it the other day and I couldn't sleep all night long. She said her sister grows and makes her own chocolate. I was amped! OK, back to the bday bash! The sauce has a completely different flavor, she learned the recipe when she was a little girl and used to clean this rich families house. They were from Mex and made it. There's no way I'm goign to get this recipe because I'm sure we can't get a lot of the ingredients, plus I don't want to grind all of the ingredients. She said that she usually doesn't fuss with a students bday as they usually want to spend it with their firends or they buy a store bought tiny cake. They went all out for Norma and I's bday. I was INCREDIBLY honored and touched! We feasted and about 15 of us squished in her tiny kitched, laughing, talking and enjoying each others company. It was so fun! It wasn't about materialism it was celebrating the birth of others and enjoying good food and times with great people. It was a joyous occassion! She hasn't made the mole sauce in nearly 3 years because it's time consuming and it's expensive.

They had 2 cakes that Nilda and Josefina baked. One they put a group of 2 and 5 candles to rep Norma turning 25 and the other they had a group of 2 and 7 for 27 for me. They turned out the lights and sang happy bday to us in english and spanish. we blew out the candles to our respective cakes together. I tried to get Carlos to take pics but he wasn't able to work the camera so I only got 2 or 3 pics. I have memories to last a life time! Everyone took turns walking over to Norma and I giving us hugs and kisses. I gave Norma her gifts and she loved them. She said she felt bad because she didn't buy me anything. I told her it wasn't necessary. I was incredibly shocked because Nilda brought out two presents behind her back and she said they were for me. I was incredibly moved! She also gave Norma her gift which was a pair of jeans that we shopped for last week. I just know they don't have that much $ and for them to buy me gifts was very moving and I felt so bad. One of them was candy, it was mint and chocolate, similar to peppermint patties which are my favorite candy aside from reese PB cups. I was eating one the other day, it took me 2.5 months, but I found them in an internet cafe here! I gave 3/4 of one to Josefina and she said it was heavenly. I have a story about it, but I'm trying to just focus on my bday right now. She remembered it was my favorite combination! Also, they gave me a hand made purse, it's great, and very cool. I love it! It's beautiful! The handmade stuff here is so beautiful. You'll see it when I get home! She remembered my favorite color was green! I tried to get a pic from with Norma, but the camera wouldn't work. Then I got a new battery in and she was practically fallling asleep. She was incredibly tired because she worked for 12 hours on her bday at the pet store. I'll definitely get pics with the family before I leave.

When she went to the market on the a.m. of my bday she told the lady she's buying food to cook for dinner for her two daughters. The lady said, oh you have twins? Josefina said that no, she has one daugher that's 25 and the other is a student that's living with her for the summer. The market lady said, oh, a gringa. Josefina was immediately defensive and corrected her. LOL! She kept calling us her two twin daughers, "Gemelas!"