In the past, not many babies would live to see their first birthday so they really celebrate a baby's first birthday here. It is called a "Kemen".
On this recent Tuesday, my coworker for the early intervention aspect of my time here asked me if I wanted to go to a birthday party for the hearing screening nurse's grand son. I decided to go just to have something to do. I did not realize til I arrived that it was a Kemen! I was thrilled because I have wanted to experience it and now I can.
The party was supposed to start at 7 pm, but my coworker told me to arrive around 7:30 so I did. The taxi ride there was a completely different adventure. Anyways, so we entered the room, found a place to sit, chatted with the other people on our table. The room was about halfway full. We chatted, chatted, chatted... And chatted til like 8:30 when the birthday boy arrived. He went around the room so that people could wish him a happy birthday. There was a speech given by his mom to thank everyone for coming, a prayer by a nun and then it was time to eat. It was a buffet full of seafood and we all know how much I love seafood. We were asked to help serve food to the young children so we did. The young children got rice, potato salad, chicken and spam. I scooped rice onto their plates. When all the children were served, we went over to the adult buffet to get our food. I tried to get a little of everything so I could try it. There were some food that I didn't get because it was raw fish and I did not want to risk getting sick.
I tried some sushi (made myself eat it.. I gagged but I swallowed it! Progress!), fried shrimp, mussels, some kind of seafood salad with some kind of seafood in it, reef fish (not pictured) and yes that is a lobster. I ate a little of everything except for the potato salad-Marshallese potato salads are yummmmmmy!
After everyone ate, the baby sat and we all came to him, throwing a dollar into a box. Then there was music and a dance show showing Kiribati dances (the family is from Kiribati, another island country), and then we had child dance off where a girl and boy won a prize (see video below), then trivia about the birthday boy. People who answered correctly won Kiribati sarongs and shirts. Then cake was served and everyone was encouraged to take food home for their families. Not like they needed encouragement anyways. People here tend to get a plate for themselves, then a few more to bring home to their families. Another example of the collectivist culture here.
I didn't get home til close to 11, and I was exhausted the next day but it was all worth it! Now I can check it off my bucket list!
Oh yeah, I also received a crown of flowers-my third one!
