I arrived back in Calgary the day before I started my new contract position on 18 March. The next day I started my new job. It was also my birthday. Each year my birthday gets bigger, more flamboyant or more self-indulgent. Two years ago I threw a "Bon Voyage party" for myself, hosted by myself, at my house and in honour of myself for an upcoming cruise on the South Pacific. My friends all came and the cruise was cancelled (twice) before I managed to get on 9 months later. Now that is a long time to be having birthday drinks to keep the party spirit alive.
Last year I hosted a Singaporean banquet (again) for myself, by myself and I bludgeoned various friends and family into travelling to attend. Many wonderful people broke the "please don't bring presents" rule and as punishment, I didn't give the presents back :-)
This year I had gone to Disneyland. I don't know if I can top that. Even coming back to Calgary and my one good friend, Laura, with the prospect of no party could dent me. She asked what I wanted for my birthday. I said "party please".
There was only one solution. Rent-a-crowd.
Because I had not been here long enough to make my own friends, Laura decided to lend me some of hers. Of course we had to make sure they didn't know they were being duped.
Laura invited a bunch of her mates to come to the pub, Brewsters to watch the (Calgary Flames) hockey on the big screen, eat chicken wings and drink beer. Canadians do amazing things with marinades, sauces etc for chicken wings and I have converted to the way of thinking that the chicken wing is an underrated and tasty carrier for salt, sugar and fat. Brewsters is also the home of two beers I am now fond of, Grasshopper, an Albertan standard lager and Blueberry beer, brewed on the premises and served with a blueberry in the bottom. It's a sissy beer AND I like it.
What I didn't realise is that no one two people sitting at the table that night were going to be from the same country. Laura's mates consisted of Alan (Scotland), Kristof (Belgium) his girlfriend Sylvie (France), Laura (US), myself (Aust) and KC, who flew the flag for Canada (Winnipeg).
It was great. Somewhere after the third round it let slip it was my birthday and by then no one felt suckered out on the promise of cheap food and good beer to celebrate with another expat. Laura's plan was a success.
As we left the pub, me with the first spring daffodils in hand, it began to snow. Literally, this great city iced itself like a cake for my little birthday.
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