My grandmother-in-law got her 91st birthday on Saturday. With exotic flower, we rushed to her house in Zurzach. There, already five people were with her, her daughters, their husband and a woman who used to be a secretary of grandma's husband. They are preparing yummy whipped creams, tea and coffee to enjoy cakes.
Blue sweater with warm smile is grandma. (somehow I couldn't pretend not looking camera..)
Johannesbereen cake. Something like cranberry cake. Backed by Hedwick, a big daughter of grandmother.
Apple cake. Backed by another daughter Vreni. Very goooooood!!!
Teo, a husband of Hedwick (right) and Klaus, husband of Vreni. On the table there is a big chocolate cake, bought from somewhere but a favorite of Grandma. Ohhhh, grandma is very tough! She likes the one most high calorie!
Among many flowers, tea time has started.
I really didn't understand whole conversation but I was able to ask Hedwick how to bake Torte from flour. I'm looking for Torte Stone in here Switzerland but never find it. Without Torte stone, torte explodes in Oven. She told be that in Switzerland, people use beans to stay torte on a pan. There is a special so-called baking beans in supermarket. Otherwise, you can stick torte by folks and do it time to time when it's backed in oven. Like this, you can avoid Torte exploding in Oven. Hmmm, I learned something.
More people came,, youngest daughter Susan and her husband. Susan has Japanese styled stone monument in her garden. I have to visit her one day!
At the end, table was completely occupied with 10 people. Grandma is very sweet, she received many phone call in meantime and enjoying talking over the phone. She is such a beloved person.
I don't know whether grandma is too special person or this is a custom in Switzerland to celebrate birthday with many people no matter how old one get.
I thought about my real grandma in Japan. Honestly, I don't know neither of their birthday. Maybe I made a call once or twice to say her happy birthday, only when my mom told me to do so. Otherwise, I never took initiative to celebrate a birthday of grandma. I couldn't stop thinking of my grandma spending quiet birthday. I hope either my mom or dad were always at least gave her a call.. Life is sometime ironical. When you realize, it's too late. I'm not living close to my grandma anymore.
I thought about it further. In Japan, people won't celebrate their birthday when you get older. Some people even won't realize their birthday until someone else told them "happy birthday". My parents always celebrated children's birthday but they never hold party or event for each other's birthday. Just a small toast by dinner. So when it comes to the generation of grandparents, situation is even worse. They don't speak out about it.
But I think it's very beautiful in here Switzerland that people gather and enjoy one's birthday no matter how old they become. I had a luck to take a part of this culture. Ok, nothing is late. From now on, I won't forget a birthday of my families. Once I returned Japan, I will hold a big party to my parents and brother when they have their birthday. And once I have a children, I won't let them forget birthday of their grandparents!
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