The birthday girl is seated dead center. Alma is to her left beside me. Karina is standing second from left and Ocyé is beside her in the yellow shirt.
Alma, don't remember his name, me, Quinanzia (key-NANcy-uh), don't remember his name
Quinanzia and I had plenty of conversation which was fun.
There was an era (must've been my first senior year) that I would give Kate Whitfield a lot of grief because it seemed literally every time I called her or she called me that she was out with friends at a 21st birthday party. It happened so often that for at least a year after that I would answer her calls not with hello, but with "Whose birthday party are you at right now?"
That's sort of how I feel here.
Which is fine.
So while at Forum today, Alma texted me about the birthday party of a friend of hers from her Saturday job (PISI- not sure the actual letters, but it's the English program on Saturdays for elementary kids in the city) at Wings Army, a restaurant across from Forum.
At 9:45, she was calling me and was outside the house. Pleasantly surprised at her promptness, and luckily ready, I double checked for my house key and left.
We headed straight there and it was good to see her again. I haven't seen her since the beginning of October!
We chatted on the way to the restaurant and I must revise my statements about how no one does anything during the week in Culiacán... Alma was in Mazatlán all weekend for some conference with these PISI people and then was out every night of the week with one friend or another until 1am. I just live in the early to bed household. I'm not going to say that I'm going to go out every weeknight, but I'll be willing to do it if the opportunity presents itself. I was tired this week, and I ended up still having one of my (if not the) best teaching weeks so far in Mexico.
So we got there and joined the table of 8 or so. We of course went around the table, met each person and gave the saludo (greeting) kiss. Then we sat and ordered. We split an order of lemon pepper chicken fingers, celery and carrots, and french fries. it was delicious I must admit. It was bar food, but it was upper end bar food.
More people came, including Karina and Ocyé (these are the girls that I went out with in September dancing when I first met Alma). They had another engagement, so they had to leave early, but not without telling me to ask Alma to go to Kuvva (the place we danced last time til 4am) and not without telling Alma to get me to go out with them tomorrow night.
Too funny.
Someone had brought a cake, so we sang Las Mañanitas (the actual traditional happy birthday song) and enjoyed it with our hands (since it's a wings and chicken fingers place, they have no forks-interesting)!
On the way home, Alma and I discussed the plan for tomorrow night, which was for me to wait to hear from her. It should be fun.
I was tired and doubting that I really wanted to go out tonight (or tomorrow night), but I'm so glad I did and I'm looking forward to tomorrow night.
I feel like I don't have my own friends here. I'm happy, and Mabel's family is amazing, but I have felt like a visiting friend if that makes sense.
When Mabel left for Tucson, I felt like we were becoming actual friends instead of roommates for a year because she was so excited and such. I think when she gets back, we'll have fun going through her purchases and talking about the US, like friends.
Alma is Shania's friend, and that's why she "does me the favor" of letting me tag along, but it felt like I was starting to make them my friends tonight. The PISI folks were all strangers, and I may never see them again. But when Karina and Ocyé came in and greeted me, Karina said, "What a miracle to see you again!" They were as excited as I was to see them. I think we'll hang out more now. Which is exciting.
Tomorrow will no doubt be a late night with interesting stories. I better rest up!
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