Older but none the wiser!!

Last Saturday, the 14th April I turned 30. I know, no one else can believe it, people here think am just 25 or 26, it is so nice to look younger than you really are. 

Unlike most other people my age, I have actually been looking forward to turning 30 since I was 28, not sure why. However, when I realised I was going to be turning 30 away from home, I was a bit sad as thought who am I going to celebrate with. Well I need not have worried, as here I am in the country which knows are to celebrate and celebrate well.

My birthday celebrations started off on the Friday night at Fellowship Group were there were three of us celebrating our birthdays, so we had three cakes and they were carrot cakes, my favourite.

Rosita, Jose and me

And on Saturday morning I had to get up out of my bed at 7am, not nice on your birthday, but it was worthwhile as my Peruvian mum put on a birthday breakfast for me and invited the Latin Link team round to celebrate with me. It was lovely, we had fruit juice, bread, avocado, ham. Also Linda (a fellow strider) got up early that morning and made potato bread so we had some of that, was lovely. We also had cake - never before have I eaten birthday cake for breakfast,  but it was lovely and again the cake was a carrot cake... yummy. 

Rut-Maria, me and the cake.... I am blowing out the candle

I got lots of lovely presents from the team that morning, but there was one present which I was not expecting and it was from my sister. My mentor, Ruth Turner who is from Rasharkin, was home at Christmas, and my family went to see her. While we were at her house, my sister, without me knowing, slipped her a present to take back to Peru with her to keep for my birthday. So on Saturday morning she presented it to me, I was taken aback by my sister's careful preparations and by the present - it was a book of photos of my whole life (so far)... was amazing, it nearly set Cecily off in tears. I tell you something, my sister is a dark horse... and can't believe she did that for me while studying for exams over Christmas. And thanks to all my friends and family who contributed messages to the book as well, was so sweet. I loved all my presents and cards, but this particular present will be treasured forever. 

Me and the Book

That's not the end of the celebrations. Saturday lunchtime was spent with Latin Link Arequipa team in a restaurant in Santa Catalina monastery, it was really nice inside and the food was gorgeous. The company was good as well. It was a ladies only event because Paul, the only man in the team was away in Huaraz. 

Clockwise: Rosie, Linda, Ruth T, Ruth G, Cecily and Me.

And at night I went to the cinema with Ruth and Linda, all in all a good day was had. I enjoyed the celebrations.

But they weren't over yet, because on Monday at language school they have cake for me (yes, it was carrot cake - can you tell its my favourite, people know me well here already!)

In Peru, one of the traditions on your birthday is for you to have the cake shoved in your face. I escaped this tradition on the Friday and Saturday but unfortunately was not going to escape it on the Monday - even if I wanted to I couldn't as Pedro, the school's main man gave me no choice and the other students wouldn't let me get away without it happening either, it has happened to them so why not me! So after resisting for about 3 minutes, I gave it and let him shove it in my face. However, I was not going to be the only one with cake on my face, so i decided to run after Pedro and make sure he got some on his face too.

The good thing about having the cake shoved in your face, is that you have to eat the piece that your face touched, and it is always the biggest piece of cake! 

Pedro, me and the cake  - the before shot

Me with the cake on my face  - the after shot!

I think when I come back to Britain, I am going to bring that tradition with me, so watch out on your birthday's everyone, especially those who have big birthday's coming up next year (hear that Dad!!!)