Beth Salerno

Birthday, Take II

February 26, 2008 Author: Beth Salerno

After I posted my blog entry about celebrating my birthday, I got a bunch of concerned e-mails.  People were worried that I must have been lonely eating cake by myself in the evening.  Actually I had had such a busy and enjoyable day at graduation, cake by myself was a decadent, reflective way to end the day.  However, should anyone still feel I was somehow cheated of a proper celebration, I had one today. 

The mail brought a package filled with thoughtfully chosen presents from a group of colleagues in New Hampshire.  What amazing people!  As I opened things, people kept stopping by; today was the first day of registration for students and all faculty were on campus, working and visiting.   Opening presents became a bit of a group event.

I had previously arranged to go out to dinner with more Pyeongtaek faculty, and they turned dinner into a birthday celebration.  Afterward we went to norebang (karaoke in private rooms) and I got the Happy Birthday song in both English and Korean.  A friend had baked cinnamon cakes and spelled out “Happy B-Day Beth” in sugar stars and red and green sprinkles.  We filled the norebang with song, including Take Me Home Country Roads, The Power of Love, Sloop John B, My Way, Three Times a Lady, Uptown Girl, Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Johnny Guitar, Hotel California and a number of Korean hits.  I still have not managed to learn a song in Korean, but two students have promised to try and teach me so I can sing in Korean before I leave. 

As has often happened during my time here, I am a bit overwhelmed by people’s generosity of spirit and gifts of friendship.   If all my birthdays are like this one, I am going to thoroughly enjoy growing older.

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