Nine. Two. Five. One. Three. ~ K'Day

I had one of the best birthdays of my life this year and I shared it with another student, Matt, who was turning 21 on the same day. It started off with a field trip to an organic farm. We loaded up on a small bus, practically sitting on top of each other with a few University students with us as well. They sang Happy Birthday to Matt and I on the bus and shortly after, we arrived at the river. We boarded wooden boats that sit low on the water. Mine had several leaks but we did not sink. The boat ride was very short. We arrived at the home and farm of a middle aged couple. We spent the morning harvesting morning glory and washing leafy greens. It didn't take long for most of us to go barefoot. The soil felt so good on our toes. Then we had a big, delicious lunch of tofu, chicken, rice, watermelon, and more. We headed back to the farm and prepared compost by layering soil with hay. There were huge grubs and beetles in the soil. Next we took completed compost and planted new beds of morning glory. My favorite part was playing with our feet in the mud. Also, my friend gave me a much needed birthday massage. We all wanted to stay for the entire day but that was all the work the woman had for us. The boat ride on the way back was even sketchier than the first. We were noticeably sinking and one of the guys was trying to stop the water from flooding in the boat first with his oar and then with his foot. While we were waiting for the groups behind us, we saw a man ride past with a crocodile head tied to a cooler on the back of his bike. One of the students from the university went and bought the head for us. We used it to scare the next groups. We walked back to the college but Meron, Lauren and I stopped to get a coconut first. Kalu, who had the best English of the university students, came with us. We also got freshly pressed sugarcane juice/water. It is actually the best thing that I. It was our last night at the College of Rural Development so we had a farewell/birthday feast with a lot of the university students. The meal was delicious of course and they even had a birthday cake for Matt and I. It was a white cake with chocolate and strawberry sauce and fruit on top. I just realized that I forgot to make a wish when I blew out the candles. Oh well. We had a talent show that evening. I performed a shortened version of "Cheetah Sisters" with 7 of my friends. I also performed a shortened combo of Wolosodon and Somonodon (West African dance) to a random song I had found on spotify five minutes before. The Vietnamese students performed the chicken dance again and "Gangnam Style" and one of the students did an engaging magic trick, making a red napkin disappear. Once again, Matt and I were sung too, however this time it was in Vietnamese. The university students presented us both with lucky coin talismans and a bracelet. I was overwhelmed by their kindness, especially since I hadn't even met the student who presented it to me. We had an after-party that lasted until a little after 12. It was a great night, but also bittersweet as I had already become attached to our home there.