What happened last Wednesday, the 9th of October (aka my birthday) has to go down as one of the best displays of thoughtfulness and generosity that I have ever seen in my life, not to mention one of the cakiest days I've ever experienced.
My day at work started with a gruelling teacher's meeting with the big boss, which may be one of the worst starts to a birthday I've ever had, but it was all uphill from there. I return to the teacher's office to find a huge cake waiting for me together with a big round of 'cumpleaaaaños feliiiiiz' from all the teachers in both schools here in Loja. After making a wish and blowing my candle out, I was required to stick my face in the cake and take the first bite, which is a tradition here that I would get used to throughout the day.
After everyone had had seconds I whizzed off for a quick Skype with my family (my parents couldn't hear me and had a cake for me back in England so I found myself having to sing happy birthday to meeee and then let them blow out my candles for me) and was then treated to beef and beans with René, the guy who basically runs this place singlehandedly.
The lessons passed by inauspiciously enough, and I purposely avoided telling some groups that it was my birthday for fear that they'd start using me as a peñata and try to beat sweets out of me. When I did tell my class of 16-18 year olds at 6pm the reaction was a quick discussion between two of them and an 'excuse me teacher we need to talk about something in private for 5 minutes'. When they returned (after longer than 5 minutes but I won't hold it against them) they had a strawberry chocolate cake and four plates and spoons with them. I honestly didn't know what to say, but I very happily accepted the cake, faceplant and all, and they happily accepted the chance to do no work for the rest of the hour (well I'm not a complete bastard...).
Slightly less welcome was my birthday present of a condom from one of the lads in the class with the explanation that he wants me to go to the local brothel and 'have a special night'. Well his heart was in the right place I guess. Anyway, the cost of the cake ($6.50 which is a lot for anyone let alone two Ecuadorian teenagers) and the obvious worth of a condom to a 17-year-old was a sign to me that they might just like me after all...
After thinking that my day of cake was over, my adult evening class went and pulled the same trick on me, only this time with an added candle and a large bottle of iced tea. By now I had become quite familiar with the birthday routine as I dutifully stuck my whole face in another cake, and despite questioning whether I could stomach another slice, it slipped down rather easily. Once again I was left rather speechless by their kindness and generosity, and of course by all the cake and icing I was stuffing down my throat.
The day ended with a teacher's meal out at a local pizza restaurant and an after party of tea and biscuits at our place, and I went to bed feeling so much more at home here than when I woke up.
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