DAY TWENTY: Sixteen, Surprises, and Sushi

It’s my birthday! I am officially sixteen years old! Finally! Towards the end, it always gets hard when people ask how old you are, and to still have to reply, “Fifteen,” when I am so close to being sixteen! Because everyone at home had been awake for hours by the time the sun rose here, I awoke to many birthday surprises. I even got a birthday video from friends back home! Dad made gourmet pancakes for my birthday breakfast, that were absolutely delicious!

 

Uncle Shea came over, and I helped him make a swing dance video for his swing dancing club. For those of you who don’t know, I LOVE to dance, and I have danced for my entire life. I have not stayed with only one form of dance, however, so I have played with many different styles, and I can quickly catch on to most dance forms. I have done a little bit of swing dance before, but for some of the moves in the video, Shea told me what was going to happen, I did it, and then we took the video.

 

 

We had planned on going to Reari’s (she’s the 11yr old who helped us make octopus balls, previously spelled Leahley when we weren’t sure how to spell her name) school sports day today, but it was postponed until tomorrow due to weather. The day was free, and I spent it getting ready for dinner. For lunch we made curried chicken salad sandwiches, one of my favorite lunches.

http://emeals.com/recipes/recipe-15095-99899

 

After lunch, Dad and I walked to a nearby bakery to pick up my cake. It was hard to wait until after dinner to cut into the cake!

 

 

Before dinner, we headed to Nozomi’s parents’ house, to try on a kimono! On the way, Mom took some headshots for me, so I could update my resume when I get home. Reari stopped by to give me a birthday gift. So kind! Nozomi had a beautiful kimono for me to try on, that fit me perfectly! Nozomi said that she was not trained in putting on kimonos, but her mother was. She had thought her mother would be gone that day, but she got home earlier than expected, and was more than happy to wrap me up. It was so much fun!

 

 

We left from Nozomi’s house, and headed to Sushiro for dinner! Shea came with us, and we met Yoshio and Tamiko at the restaurant. The way Sushiro works, is that each table has a screen with the menu, and you can order from the menu, or just take something from the conveyor belt. If you order something from the menu, the screen will play a little song when your plate is coming up, and it will arrive on a different plate than the ones that are free range for everybody.

 

 

 

 

 

I had fun trying out some new foods, including eating roe for the first time.

 

 

Most of the sushi at Sushiro is a dollar a plate, so I got a little carried away…

 

 

When we got home, we put the candles in the cake, and everyone sang me happy birthday. I got so caught up in the day, I totally forgot to think of what I wanted my birthday wish to be 😛

 

 

 

Shea had a surprise for me… Peter Pan illustrated with manga characters! I was so excited. Again, for those of you who don’t know, I also LOVE Peter Pan. Thanks Shea!

 

 

Uncle Yoshio and Aunt Tamiko gave me flowers, and a beautiful necklace, and my Oma sent a letter, with a gift card for my birthday. Thank you everybody! I love you!

 

I am sixteen, and it feels great. I look forward to this next year, and I plan to accomplish great things before my seventeenth birthday.

 

Hannah