生日晚会 - Birthday Party

Last night, as you should all well know, Gaoshan, Jiwu and I celebrated our birthdays together with our mates. We wined and dined at a Korean restaurant just near university. We had booked a private room, which had two long tables set into the floor - hard to explain, but you actually sit on the floor and there is a recess under the table for your feet, so it feels like you aren't actually sitting on the floor. The service was wonderful - we arrived to find everything already set up for us, all we had to do was order the meat and alcohol.

The beer flowed (not in my direction though [15+ bottles]), as did the soju (a Korean alcohol with no smell, hardly any taste, no burn on the way down, and high alcohol content - served nearly frozen, like a slushy [4 bottles]). The food was delicious as it always is at Korean restaurants, and I think I ate a lot (at least it felt like a lot, but you see, I was wearing my new corset, and it is impossible to overeat in that thing). Us birthday kids were also served a traditional birthday soup, which tasted a bit like Japanese miso soup, but with a stronger fish flavour and more seaweed - very tasty.

Here is a picture of what we dined on - the Koreans really must love doing their washing up, either that or they just love a good side dish!



Let's have a look at some new faces now, shall we?



Clockwise from the top, we have the waitress, Candra (you should already know him), Nalisha (one of our new classmates from Kyrgyzstan (I think) - she's a real doll, and is Candra's girlfriend), Beiya (also a new classmate, from Russia), Me, Oliver (or Olly - British chap, also a new classmate, and Mega's new boyfriend) and Andri (you should already know him too).

How's about a group photo now?



Top row - Gaoshan's Chinese friend (I cannot remember his name!), Candra and Nalisha
Middle row - Andri, Jiwu, Me
The next middle row - Gaoshan, Olly
Front row - Andres, Aysesin, Mega, Jiwu's wife (yeah, I'm bad with names)
Missing - Beiya, Candy (she got into the soju a little too hard) and a Turkish friend of Aysesin's

Then out came the cake:



Us blowing out the candles:



Gaoshan:



Jiwu and myself:



Jiwu, Andri and myself:



After dishing out the cake, Jiwu, Gaoshan and I made our speeches (much to my horror) in Chinese. After we had all eaten ourselves into oblivion, everyone headed home, except for Mega, Olly and myself, who headed to Sanlitun for some partying - I was all ready to go home and hop into bed, but I was tempted out with the offer of free birthday drinks. We first hit Butterfly - a very tacky club with music that was released when I was still in primary school, where we ran into Beiya and her friend. Then we moved onto China Doll, for some decent techno music, tasty Tequila Sunrises and bad dancing. Will post photos from Sanlitun when I temporarily steal Mega's camera.

Oh, and how could I forget - my gorgeous pressies! From Nalisha and Beiya, I got the most beautiful red roses, and from Andri I got a mixtape! Yes, a mixtape! Filled with all the music he thought I would love - lots of Mexican bands, one of Bjork's records, lots of Hotel Costes and Colette, and Sigur Ros (the kid's got taste)). Also with the mixtape were some Mexican lollies - some tasty marshmallow/strawberry/something crunchy combinations covered in chocolate called Bubu Lubu, some chocie and a lollypop called Vero Elotes - which is apparently strawberry flavoured covered in chilli! Andres even wrote "caution - hot" on the packet.)