I stood there in my pajamas, saying hello to Dominika. I looked at my phone to check the time. 10 am. "You're early!" I exclaimed. I just had gotten out of the shower and wasn't yet ready. Jen had let her in, an hour before our scheduled time to walk around Old Town on Easter Monday, a day when nobody is working and everything is shut down. Jen and Jeff were visiting from Zurich, and Dominika insisted on joining us that day so she could "escape" from her family during the long Easter holidays. I had a rough plan in my head of what I wanted to do with them that day...a walk around the Old Town, watch a movie about old Warsaw, visit some souvenir shops, eat pierogi for lunch, sit in a cafe, and wish them well as they made their way back to Zurich that afternoon. And by the way, it was my birthday.
As I looked at Domi she had a peculiar grin on her face. The kind she has when she is up to something sneaky (which is half the time). I was still mentally asleep so didn't think anything of it. Until I saw Asia follow her in holding a cake with 25 lit candles on it (I just assume it was 25, since that's my approximate age). Then Grzegorz (who they say blew out all the candles at the bottom of the stairs while trying to light them). Then Kasia and Cyprian. Then Julia, Mark, and several others who had left my apartment just a few hours before. Igors was holding 2 tequila bottles. And even Luca, who never comes to my parties when I invite him, but decided to come when I didn't invite him. I stood in shock as they sang happy birthday to me. To me? What's happening? I couldn't even react because of the combination of tiredness and surprise. I could only stand there with a confused smile on my face and ask "what are you guys doing here?" Here's the video - I wish I had some crazy animated Youtube-worthy reaction...but my reaction was pretty boring because it was such a surprise.
As everyone said their goodbyes that night, I
had no idea I'd see them bright and early the next morning. Of course
they knew (and some of them probably just wanted to sleep on my couch
instead of going home). It was a great
surprise, and I can only imagine how often they had to hide it from me.
Jen and Jeff obviously knew, even though they didn't know any of the guys before that weekend. Asia told me she was coming back early from her parents so she could be in Warsaw in the morning, but was very vague about why it had to be morning. Cristina asked me the night before what I was doing on the Monday.
Apparently she was asking just to get a kick out of my response. She
had planned this with Dominika a few weeks before so they knew very well
what I was doing. When everyone got the invitation to come over on
Sunday night, they were probably all thinking "oh great, we have to go
there 2 days in a row? Ugh!".
You know you've had people over often when they come into your kitchen and know where everything is, grabbing whatever they need without needing to ask. That's exactly what happened (and I'm proud of it!). I was standing in the middle of the kitchen, still in shock, glad that I had cleaned up the night before, but still wondering what the heck was going on. I thought about how I could help, but my brain wasn't registering all that was happening. Within seconds of the happy birthday song, everyone was working away like in a well orchestrated restaurant, grabbing bowls for mixing eggs, knives for cutting cakes and sausages, heating tortillas for breakfast burritos, passing out plates and utensils for all the food, a hand came from nowhere to drop a celery stalk into the bloody mary someone else made for me, and I just stood there and looked on. Finally I realized I should put on some pants and said "OK guys, make yourselves at home". They clearly had everything under control. They had brought a breakfast feast and I couldn't be happier (until someone put a shot of tequila in front of me at 10:24 am...but I guess it would be rude to say no).
Needless to say, that Monday was a long day. I can't remember the last spontaneously outrageous and fun day like that. I can't thank my friends enough for such a wonderful surprise. Even my neighbor lady who always yells at me in Polish for having parties came by (but not to hang out, just to borrow a chair). That night, while I was sleeping, she let herself in to my apartment to drop the chair off and left a plate full of cakes. I don't know if I should be thankful or worried.
The following weekend was my real birthday party, but this time I did the preparation. I decided on a theme where everyone dressed like they did at some point in the past, so we could meet people from how they were before we all knew each other. Domi wore a Miss Texas outfit from when she lived in Texas, Scottish Mark came in a kilt, Julia was in an adorable Russian dress, Basia was a punk girl, Khalida showed off her Uzbek square head (at least the hat was square, maybe not her head), Asia came in an outfit that matched an outfit she wore when she was 10 (and brought the picture to prove it). Everyone did a great job with the theme, and it was fun to meet everyone from some point in their past. To show off my past I prepared many of the foods I enjoyed as a kid (and still do): Spam musubi (which they referred to as sausage sushi), ants on a log (celery, peanut butter and raisins), s'mores, potato skins, ritz crackers, cheese and salami (like a lunchable), chips and guacamole, my mom's stuffed mushrooms, jello shots, and bacon wrapped dates (just because). We topped it off with midnight turkey burgers, and of course a music mix of everything from Nirvana to Bon Jovi, Montell Jordan to Paperboy.
It was a great week of celebrating, and I was again reminded how lucky I am to have found these great people in Warsaw. Now if I could just remember how old I am...
As I looked at Domi she had a peculiar grin on her face. The kind she has when she is up to something sneaky (which is half the time). I was still mentally asleep so didn't think anything of it. Until I saw Asia follow her in holding a cake with 25 lit candles on it (I just assume it was 25, since that's my approximate age). Then Grzegorz (who they say blew out all the candles at the bottom of the stairs while trying to light them). Then Kasia and Cyprian. Then Julia, Mark, and several others who had left my apartment just a few hours before. Igors was holding 2 tequila bottles. And even Luca, who never comes to my parties when I invite him, but decided to come when I didn't invite him. I stood in shock as they sang happy birthday to me. To me? What's happening? I couldn't even react because of the combination of tiredness and surprise. I could only stand there with a confused smile on my face and ask "what are you guys doing here?" Here's the video - I wish I had some crazy animated Youtube-worthy reaction...but my reaction was pretty boring because it was such a surprise.
Everyone over for a surprise birthday breakfast
Lighting the candles before the surprise (photo courtesy of Juan)
Just a few hours earlier we ended our Easter Sunday dinner. Most
Polish people go out of the city for Easter weekend and everything
in the city shuts down. So I had 11 friends over for dinner to celebrate, playing
card games and Mafia into the late hours of the night, since there was nothing else to do. Jen and Jeff
helped me prepare the pork tenderloin and mashed sweet potatoes, roasted
veggies, chicken tortilla soup and salad. Cristina and Alan brought a
spinach and feta casserole, Julia brought a delicious carrot cake, and
we finished about a million bottles of wine (my collection of
recyclables is growing larger by the weekend...and since the bin next to
my house I used to take them to is no longer there, I have to smuggle a
few empty bottles and cans into the kitchen at my office every
day...it's just somewhat embarrassing dumping empty wine and vodka
bottles at work. The guys who sit next to the bins must think I have a
problem).
Juan's mustache eggs for the Easter egg fight
You know you've had people over often when they come into your kitchen and know where everything is, grabbing whatever they need without needing to ask. That's exactly what happened (and I'm proud of it!). I was standing in the middle of the kitchen, still in shock, glad that I had cleaned up the night before, but still wondering what the heck was going on. I thought about how I could help, but my brain wasn't registering all that was happening. Within seconds of the happy birthday song, everyone was working away like in a well orchestrated restaurant, grabbing bowls for mixing eggs, knives for cutting cakes and sausages, heating tortillas for breakfast burritos, passing out plates and utensils for all the food, a hand came from nowhere to drop a celery stalk into the bloody mary someone else made for me, and I just stood there and looked on. Finally I realized I should put on some pants and said "OK guys, make yourselves at home". They clearly had everything under control. They had brought a breakfast feast and I couldn't be happier (until someone put a shot of tequila in front of me at 10:24 am...but I guess it would be rude to say no).
Everyone managing in the kitchen without me
Still snow on April 1st?
Needless to say, that Monday was a long day. I can't remember the last spontaneously outrageous and fun day like that. I can't thank my friends enough for such a wonderful surprise. Even my neighbor lady who always yells at me in Polish for having parties came by (but not to hang out, just to borrow a chair). That night, while I was sleeping, she let herself in to my apartment to drop the chair off and left a plate full of cakes. I don't know if I should be thankful or worried.
The following weekend was my real birthday party, but this time I did the preparation. I decided on a theme where everyone dressed like they did at some point in the past, so we could meet people from how they were before we all knew each other. Domi wore a Miss Texas outfit from when she lived in Texas, Scottish Mark came in a kilt, Julia was in an adorable Russian dress, Basia was a punk girl, Khalida showed off her Uzbek square head (at least the hat was square, maybe not her head), Asia came in an outfit that matched an outfit she wore when she was 10 (and brought the picture to prove it). Everyone did a great job with the theme, and it was fun to meet everyone from some point in their past. To show off my past I prepared many of the foods I enjoyed as a kid (and still do): Spam musubi (which they referred to as sausage sushi), ants on a log (celery, peanut butter and raisins), s'mores, potato skins, ritz crackers, cheese and salami (like a lunchable), chips and guacamole, my mom's stuffed mushrooms, jello shots, and bacon wrapped dates (just because). We topped it off with midnight turkey burgers, and of course a music mix of everything from Nirvana to Bon Jovi, Montell Jordan to Paperboy.
Round 1 of "foods I ate as a kid"
Mini turkey burgers
Representing our past selves
It was a great week of celebrating, and I was again reminded how lucky I am to have found these great people in Warsaw. Now if I could just remember how old I am...
Beautifully written, as always. we loooved to organize the surprise for you, it was great fun for us too.
ReplyDeleteAnd I think your colleagues must be jealous when you bring bottles at work, thinking about all the cool parties you host for cool people :)