Birfday celebration #2

Saturday, May 19 was a busy day. After a full day of teaching English, I headed over to my farewell party – which was organized by Ranie Bowers and Misato Okada – at an Indonesian-themed restaurant called Camoo, in Yoshida, near Bowers English School. It was a great party, with a theme: a wig and hat party.

So I put my cowboy hat onto my freshly shaved head and hit the party...”We’re in for the duration, baby!”

Many of the Bowers English and Yoga students and staff came dressed in their wigs and hats to say goodbye, as well as to welcome new English teacher Jack and the Yoga teacher Praveen.

Tonnes of food, good vibes and big smiles were all around. They ended the party with a cake, candles and a rendition of Happy Birthday.

Even though my birfday was May 14, the very strict Zalameda family rules governing birthday revelry state that birthday celebrations can last from a day up to a month (try being around my sister Cheryl during the month of September….by Canadian Thanksgiving weekend, you’ll need to enter rehab)

In addition, a farewell/birthday party was also happening later that same night at my regular bar POT in Fujieda. We had POT booked from 11pm to 5am for the festivities, so the forty or so people were all there for our party and it was rockin’.

Literally translated: “Today, it’s Jess’s POT”

About ten or twelve refugees from the wig/hat party headed to the POT party, along with some friends that traveled a wee bit to be with me that evening. Masayuki and Yusuke came from Nagoya, while Nanase and two of her friends came from Gifu. Hiro came from Hamamatsu. Kotaro came from Yokohama and Ryoko came from Chiba. Also thanks to a couple of my Business English students who mixed right in.

Nanase and her friends from Gifu

The coup for me, though, was getting my old pal Araya Solomon out of Tokyo and into the countryside with us.

Special thanks go to Mariko Okayama who worked the door for the party and also brought her very cute friends.

We hit the dance floor and took the chance to get nasty and dirty with house and soul DJ's, DJ Katsu Mix, DJ XS and DJ Wura.

The POT staff then presented me with yet another birfday cake.

The very lively rendition of Happy Birthday almost brought a tear to my eye. Right after that, Jack asked me: “How could you leave a place where you are so loved?” Indeed

Miyuki and me

Me and Yusuke

Mika, me and Takako

We continued dancing, eating and drinking until the sun came up, ending a very long, but fantastic day. It was definitely one of the more memorable moments I’ve had in quite some time… thank you very much.