Petula's Paradise: The birthday party

Party Decorations

My grandmother and my aunt & uncle celebrated their birthdays in the same week. So, I got a new experience: the traditional family party. As my aunt and uncle turned fifty on the same day, they organized a big party. Already the day before, my - other - aunt backed some cakes and again another aunt helped to tidy up the house. My cousin also helped out a lot and once the party started she looked so tired that I dismissed her of her duties and told her to enjoy the party since it were her parents celebrating. Meanwhile, I got experience in waiting tables. By the end of the evening I was able to carry three plates and remember about 6 drinks!

Kala

Anyways, enough about me. The party preparations started with decorating the house and preparing snacks. My aunt (yet another) made kala and pika balls (spicy meatballs). There were also oysters in ham topped with cheese (delicious and spicy) and sausages wrapped in bacon.

BBQ-box

Already hours before the party my uncle started the barbeque. He’s my BBQ-King, he makes the best meat. So once everyone arrived, dinner was served. It came in a nice box (luckily for my cousin who came between his daytime job and his nighttime job - he plays in a band – so he could take some food w/ him). And then there was the cake. In the Netherlands we start serving cake when guests arrive. Of course that cake is accompanied by a nice cup of coffee. It’s a little different here. Once you arrive at the party, the cakes are presented on a table.

Presenation of Cakes

Sweet Take Home Candy

They stay there all evening. Once you are ready to go home, you take a piece of cake with you. It is tradition, so people at your home who were not at the party, can share the cake with you. In addition, you receive some kind of candy – I don’t know what it’s called – but it’s made of condensed milk and tastes very sweet. I tasted it ones...this time I put mine back in the basket without anyone seeing....I just wanted to make sure some enjoyed that piece of candy.