91 years old birthday

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!

Yuka's Cocktail

Birthday!!!

Yoooo-hooooooo!! Yesterday was the birthday of my husband, FIRST birthday of him that we celebrate together. I've never able to celebrate his birthday on the exact date for last 2 years. No, no, we never had problem, just due to the "long-distance relationship". Now finally, as a proud wife, I could celebrate his special day! Sometime I likw birthday of my special one, more than my own birthday. I really like to plan something surprising. But now, as we are living together, "surprise" is getting difficult and difficult. First surpsrise I planned is baking a big whole cake. I've never been so good in baking a cake but I wanted to try one, which is also totally new to me. A straberry cheese cake!! I decided to make it from pie itself. Coincidentaly, we had a guest for dinner on Saturday night so I had a good reason to stay in the kitchen without being seen by him! I let my husband to go swimming VERY heppily and able to finish baking a cake. My husband came home while the caking is on the table cooling down, so I had to instantly cover it up by towel:) Another surprise was ofcourse a gift. The idea was "how to make my husband comfortable". First thing came up in my mind was pajama. Next one is high quality soft towel. (he only have dried old towels!!) Third one is sun cream to protect skin of active, sporty man! These were all in a big bug and hidden in the corner of my room but somehow he saw it before birthday. Surprise was not that succesful:) I could never hide anything from him in his house!! Ofcourse the cake was hidden in the kitchen of parents place. I have no way to hide it without being seen by him. Ohhhh, SURPRISE is difficult! My husband suits cute colours very much!! He already has short one. Hmmm, I will protect his skin! On the morning of his birthday, I woke up many times. I think I was too nurvous and thought about the gifts lying on the other room over and over. So, now how we celebrated this special date! First of all we had big brunch at his parents place with special guest from Japan, Tomomi. Upon we went up, there stood two of them and singing birthday song! How lovely!! Mother baked many cute small breads call Zopt and traditional birthday cake of the family. The day was perfect sunny day. After enjoying big brunch, we went swimming in the lake. Shame, no photo available but it was indeed beautiful summer day. Even the water is still cold, we all went in! "when you are in Rome, do what Roman do" I have to adjust to this style here. Then we went to circue "KNIE". So many amazing performance went on and I was sweating in my hand! What I liked the most is performance of Elephant. I can't believe how they train Elephants. They have big ears but all they really listening to what people say? They have small eyes for big body, how they see person conducting them!? Anyway, they've done such a great performance. Look at this cute butts. I was specially freaked out by this air swings. But why woman was wearing bikini? After the show, we went back to the lake again. Two Japanese were completely heated up and worned out by sun tough mother was staying in the sun every seconds. Poor Japanese are hiding behind back of mother and covered by jackets and huts.. Well, then fine dinner made us happy again. Seat was outside, under umbrella where we can enjoy fresh air and no sun:) One sip of ginger soup brought me back in life again and one bite of crispy roasted chicken made me fit:) Detail of the food comes in other page. So, under nice cozy umbrella, we had fun chat, using German, English and Japanese. Tomomi is already like my small sister. I'm really happy to have her. Long but short happy day was ended with sweet icecream. Once again, happy birthday my darling!

Birthday party at Circus!

Ok, I knew how people celebrate birthday is very different from Japan. In Japan, my sweet girlfriends or boyfriends always organized birthday party for me, often as "SURPRISE". They usually arrange nice restaurants with a surprise of decorated birthday cake. But here, it's a birthday person who has to arrange a big parth for himself! Even though it's YOUR birthday, he has to pay for everybody! Ohhhhh, I can hardly understand. Birthday is the only day you are be spoiled by everybody and why you have to have hard work of organizing!! But now I understood. Saturday was the first birthday party I attended which is organized by herself. Birthday person was an aunt of my husband. So, where we arrived was here. I thought it will be a rstaurant but,,, what a hell is this? I went in,,, and found out that inside of the tent is functioning as cocktail party place!! There was about 40 people inside, enjoying cocktails, snacks and introducing each others. I like this Swiss "Aperitif" style. You won't dine around immediately. Suprise went further.. There was another tent waiting for us which is perfectly prepared. 40 people, big group of family are all dining at the same place, inside of tent!! There was one or two speech, beautiful poem and we all celebrate her birthday. After the 3 course menu, salad, soup and main menu, another surprise! The entrance of circuse was already organized! My first circus experience!! Even the name is printed on the ticket!! Beautiful performance on the rope. This is not magic show. Her legs were just miracle. During the break, we went back to "restaurant tent" and had a bite of cheese. Whole show was full of surprise and laughers. The team had indeed great sense of humor! I had to crack many times. Back to the restaurant, dessert was waiting! Big scoops of icecream and cakes! I'm not the birthday girl but spoiled too much:) After all, we all chilled and enjoy sharing special date of aunt Hedwick. Now I understood the reason why birthday person organize the party by own. Aunt Hedwick looked really happy to spend time with everybody. It's nice to take intiative and arrange the party exactly on your birthday. Then you could celebrate your big day with many people, Otherwise, you never know what your birthday will be like. It was such a heartwarming party.