In the words of my darling child, Luke, who I love and adore — Holy Crap!

Natalie and I spent most of day this past Saturday at The Novotel Hotel in downtown Daegu.  It is a beautiful place, overlooking the western side of the city, with white and light gray granite floors throughout, glass walls, brilliant original artwork, a lovely staff who wait on you hand and foot and heated seats in the bathrooms!  Who wouldn’t want to attend the event of the year at the coolest place in the city?  What event is that, you ask?  Why, the birthday party of Natalie’s 8 year old classmate, of course.   Yes, it was our latest adventure into Birthday Land, Korean-Style.  (And by “our” I mean “my”, of course, since the last foray Guy took to said land was an epic teddy bear nightmare.)

I, on the other hand, am thrilled to attend soirees such as these.  This one was like being inside that MTV show My Sweet Sixteen, only no horse drawn carriage showed up.  Or maybe it did after we left.  I really wouldn’t doubt it.

 

 

 

It was lavish.  Opulent.  Extravagant.  Lush.  The table displays were as nice, if not nicer, than the ones at our wedding.  The buffet was bigger than my current classroom.  On it was a salad station two tables long,  11 exotic fruits with a professional blender just in case you preferred a smoothie, fresh sushi, salmon, cod, chicken, roast beef, muscles, escargot, pad thai, bulgolgi, 6 different hot soups including pumpkin – yum!, an ice cream station with maple syrup and cereal for sundae toppings, 3 different kinds of brick oven pizza, sashimi, roasted vegetables, an entire array of Indian cuisine, and…AND…a cappuccino maker!  I think they brought that for me.  There was also an entire display (4 tables) of dessert, along with the actual birthday cake, which was cut, by the birthday girl, with a sword.  A sword!  So cool!

So with that enormous amount of food to choose from, guess what Natalie ate?  Chocolate soft-serve ice cream.  With rice crispies on top.  Man, I could do that.

We stayed and enjoyed the 45 minute magic show.  We liked the 6 foot tall clown who entertained the kids all afternoon making balloon swords and puppies.  The open mic was also nice, until the Umas had had enough of the screaming contests and took it away.  (It went downhill quickly when the sugar wore off.)  All in all, though, a superb way to party it up…whether you’re 8, or…almost 40.