Birthday Part Two [4-28]

I have a fabulous husband and great friends.  I really do.

Between the lot of them they were able to plan a birthday surprise for me.

I had no idea.  At all.  That's odd as I'm usually quick on the uptake.

We all had a blast and it was a great time.  

flowers from the girls: Amy, Lee Ann, Emily and Becki

It began around 5:30pm and Josh stopped at our place to hang with Joseph.  I was actually not going to go with them because this afforded a great opportunity to do laundry and to just do nothing.  Alas, no. 

Joseph convinces me to go and so we go get on the bus and head toward Time World (neighborhood).  Josh is going on about a few videos on YouTube we must watch so we pop into Holly's Coffee and grab a seat.  This Holly's happens to have swings inside facing to the outside which I thought were fabulous so while I am looking at those, apparently Emily and Stephen are in line buying coffee and I didn't notice a thing.

We are towards the back and Josh is trying to get internet on his phone and here comes Amy carrying flowers and a bag.  Emily and Stephen come a few seconds later and I'm sitting there like "oh wow.  was this planned?" 

They say this is all of us and we start to drink coffee and open presents.  Emily gave me some of her favorite lotion that she loves: it's great!!  Amy has flowers (from everyone) and a lovely gift of a 50 minute Thai massage from everyone as well.  Perfect!  I'm thinking this is great and meeting up for coffee is cool but no.  There's more.  They tell me we should head to dinner because they aren't sure when the place closes (first clue something is up because in Korea dinner places don't usually close before midnight unless it's not a Korean place) so we hop on another bus and head toward Expo park and I ask Amy if she remembers our outing this way in a wayward taxi ride looking for the computer store.  She does and then I remind her that we still need to go to the Observatory because we haven't gone yet.  She's like 'uh-huh we do...' (I still don't get it--what's wrong with me?)  Next, we are getting off the bus and the Observatory sign is in front of my face.  

We are all Stars!

Spaceman Josh!

every time I see a picture of myself I am reminded of how SHORT I am.
AGH!

Spacewoman Emily!

 

WOW!  We hike up the hill and head to it.  It's amazing and awesome.  Guess who else turns up!?  Lee Ann and Jessica!!  Jessica came all the way from Jindo!  I am wowed and so happy to see them.  

We take turns looking in telescopes at the Moon and Venus.  We go to the Observatory's museum and explore our weights on different planets.  Finally, we go to the planetarium and are sung to death.  

Almost literally.  

This was not your typical visit to the planetarium folks.  We were the last 8 or so to walk in the room and we wonder why the people have papers in their hand (think a church hymn paper) and we wonder why and what they are singing (everything is in Korean).  That should have been our first clue.  We get situated in our chairs (blessedly they are all in the back) and the lights dim and go off. 

saw this outside the room but failed to grasp it's full meaning.

The singing starts.  Nothing quiet or hymn like here.  Full opera.  Or as full as it can be by one man singing it in a circular room the size of a largeish hospital waiting room.  Nothing to say to this except we all began laughing.  Couldn't help it.  We simmer down a bit and by the time his second song is finished we are a little bit more self controlled but at least we aren't laughing out right any longer.  Then the harmonica player begins playing.  Our laughing starts right up again but this time it's definitely more controlled.  He was really good and he sounded more like an accordion player than a harmonica player.  Anyway, his two songs finished and Opera man came back.  

bad picture but you get the idea of the setup. 

During all of this there are pictures being displayed on the ceiling and mostly they are from the Hubble Telescope website.  It isn't your usual planetarium syllabus.  For about 10 minutes during the 50 full minutes of this presentation a man described where the North Star was and the Big and Little Dipper in addition to showing a few slides of the Korean constellations.  Then it was right back to Opera Man and Harmonica Player.  Pictures did you say?  Of course.  We wander around a bit more and it seems like we are waiting for someone:  of course we are!  Becki!  I asked and was told that now everyone was here.  This entire visit was awesome and 100% Korean with the minor exception of our group.  It was brilliant.  After all, on a Saturday night in Korea what other foreigners can say they were at an Observatory looking at the stars and getting sung to? 

Left: Singer Right: Harmonica

After this we ate dinner at the Smoke House which has the most delicious sausage and duck then it was to Amy's for Tiramisu cake from Paris Baguette.  Yummy!

This was by far the most memorable birthday in a long while.  Joseph planned everything and with Amy's help everyone came together and somehow I didn't find out about it.  Everyone had a great time and we all enjoyed ourselves. 

Thank you to Joseph for doing this.  Amy, Lee Ann, Emily, Becki and Jessica, Stephen and Josh for being there and being lovely.  You guys are fabulous.  

Thank you! 

I was truly and fully surprised. 

taken earlier in the day at our class field trip