My Twenty Eighth Birthday

As usual Bank of Bhutan was first to wish me on my birthday, followed by RICBL. Thanks to my insurance policy and my bank account, they know my birthday. My husband, Sonam Tashi, come from very conventional Bhutanese family and hence he doesn’t have a habit of openly expressing his feelings. Though I have been friends with him for more than eight years now, I realized that only when I married him because by then my expectations over him had increased and I felt the gaps. Not to worry, my expectations have subsided now. I have learnt one thing from this relationship that if the other person can’t change, then it is best to change ourselves. Well, I have adapted well to the situation because it was absolutely normal when my husband didn’t even wish me on my birthday. Ok, to be honest, I was little sad because the very person who admits loves me doesn’t care to see me smile (a small gift would have curved my lips).

Our nanny, Maya, remembered my birthday and forced Sonam Tashi to serve me a breakfast himself (which is rare of course). He loudly announced that the breakfast is for my birthday and my birthday celebration ended there.

Not a great day to remember. :(

Already 28

I am turning 28 tomorrow and I am sad than being happy. Probably because no one is throwing me a party or I haven’t planned anything to celebrate it. Let me admit it, I am broke to buy myself a birthday cake forget about throwing a party. Seriously, where is all the money going away? Anyway that would be another long story to discuss. May be one day I will make a list of what is happening to my income.

Coming back to my birthday, I didn’t celebrate my birthday until I was in high school where my friends forced me to treat them. Specifically high schools because I studied my primary and junior high in remote places and nobody care how old someone is growing.  I got transferred to Thimphu (then used to be such a big city for a town mouse like me). I made new friends who used to celebrate their birthdays since they were born. I never knew they were rich when I became friends with them and they found out later that I was poorer to afford any birthday party. But my generous father used to think I might be left out and made every effort to send some bucks before my birthday so that I can at least treat my friends with “cheese momo” from the school canteen. I think my friends were kind enough to bear the ‘lesser cheese and more cabbage momo’.

Wishing before blowing off my first ever birthday candles

The birthdays in college became better. My friends would surprise me with birthday cake. (I cut my first birthday cake in 2005) but my months pocket money would dwindle in a single treat. But I loved being broke after celebrating my birthday.

After I started working and when I was single, my close friends-Tandin, Nisha and Kinley would always make plans (irrespective of whether I agree or not) and I had to treat them. We used to have great moments together, laughing, taking pictures. Once, they presented me with marble cake at Buddha point. It was raining and I cut my cake in Tandin’s car with my bare hand. The marble cake was difficult to swallow without the water and I drank spy wine to drain it down my throat (because there was no water). I remember treating them with Beef Burger from Zone because that time it was very popular. I love you guys for all the greatest moments in my life. By the way, they are the same friends from high school. They are crazy but I love them anyway.

Now I am married with a daughter. This is my second birthday with my husband. The first time he was in Kolkata and I couldn’t celebrate it with him. My friends came to see me at my place because I was eight months pregnant.

Tomorrow is my first birthday with my family and I am still wondering how I am going to celebrate it.