XVII - Partey

Here are some insights into a genuine Indian birthday party for a one-year-old:

The family that threw the party rented a whole school. Not just a single room, they rented the whole common area of a big school.

A colorful crowd - about 300 people - came for the birthday party of a one-year-old.

About 300 people came, all acquaintances of the family. All of those people received humongous amounts of food. Mutton biryani, different kinds of curries, dal and gravies, rice, chapatis, yogurt, rice pudding, vegetarian curries, chips, ice cream, cake, cotton candy and chocolate. About 20 people were hired to keep the crowd happy, serve food, perform, set tables, make cotton candy and distribute fresh water. All of this for the birthday party of a one-year-old, who probably did not really know that all of this excitement was related to him.

The whole feeding thing is yet a separate issue: Imagine 300 people but only 80 seats at tables. What to do? Correct! You have your guests eat in shifts. After the first group is done eating the tables are cleared and the next group gets to sit down and eat. As you wait for people to finish their food you make sure you get a seat in the next round. How to do that? You talk to your friends and family and tell them to reserve their seat for you. When you see that friend finishing their meal, more or less discretely sneak behind their seat, just to make sure you really get that seat and nobody else steals it from you. An organized cutthroat system.

The tables are covered with a thin plastic table cloth that is changed every time a new group of people sits down to eat.

Fancy prints on the table cover.

This guy rinses his plate with water before food touches it. Makes lots of sense if you eat from banana leaves, not so much when you eat from paper plates.

Serving food and water.

Lex and me were the only non-Indians at this party. The whole two hours that we were there we were the center of attention. We could not walk ten meters without people stopping us and asking where we are from; so many people wanted to take their picture with us. I stopped counting after 15 random strangers that wanted their picture with the exotic foreigners.

Adults and children alike wanted their picture with us. Unfortunately, I did not get a shot of the people who made me pose with their baby in my arms.

This one-year-old's birthday party was truly an experience. It was very exhausting to be especially nice to everyone as the only foreigners and to patiently endure the photo sessions but I would not have missed it for anything less exciting.