Japanese Birthday parties

[latenight2736]

some members of our class are throwing a birthday party type thing for our japanese recitation teacher. What are some japanese birthday party traditions that could maybe remind her of home or be a cool thing to do?

we were thinking of making sushi

[Shirasagi]

Well, they generally have a cake, sing "Happy Birthday", and give presents...

[Mike Cash]

She can have Japanese-ey birthday parties in Japan. I'd recommend putting that out of your mind and instead treat her to an American-y birthday party so she'll have one more nice unique memory to take home with her and look back on wistfully.

[Harisenbon]

Mike Cash wrote:
She can have Japanese-ey birthday parties in Japan. I'd recommend putting that out of your mind and instead treat her to an American-y birthday party so she'll have one more nice unique memory to take home with her and look back on wistfully.

Exactly. If I had come to Japan and everyone insisted on giving me hamburgers and talking to me in broken English, I think I would have left long long ago.

People go on study abroad to experience that culture. While they might think it is nice that you know something about THEIR culture, trying to make them feel at home by trying to do things the "Japanese" way defeats the purpose of a study abroad.

I heard a story about a study abroad from China who came for Thanksgiving... His family served him a nice big bowl of white rice for dinner while everyone else feasted on turkey and fixins, as that was what they thought he would want to eat, being Chinese.

[latenight2736]

yea I didn't really think of that. We'll just give her a nice little American birthday party.

I'd be pissed if I was that Chinese Kid.

EDIT: she isn't a study abroad though, she is a professor at my university

[Mike Cash]

latenight2736 wrote:
yea I didn't really think of that. We'll just give her a nice little American birthday party.

I'd be pissed if I was that Chinese Kid.

EDIT: she isn't a study abroad though, she is a professor at my university

All the more reason to give her a nice little American birthday party. However well-intentioned, differential treatment that smacks of pandering is just as annoying as the other kind.

[two_heads_talking]

Mike Cash wrote:

latenight2736 wrote:
yea I didn't really think of that. We'll just give her a nice little American birthday party.

I'd be pissed if I was that Chinese Kid.

EDIT: she isn't a study abroad though, she is a professor at my university

All the more reason to give her a nice little American birthday party. However well-intentioned, differential treatment that smacks of pandering is just as annoying as the other kind.

That's one extreme way to look at it. The other way to look at it is that she might want a Japanese style b-day party. My suggestion is to ask the teacher if they have a preference as to how they have their b-day party.

Some people are deathly afraid of public emberassment (although i doubt a professor would be) others are allergic to certain ingredients (peanuts, fish, etc. ) Finding these types of things out before hand will save alot of grief in the long run.

Ask them simply if they want a party and then ask them what they would like at that party. Then go from there. Find out their favorite cake and get it for them, it's their b-day. etc. etc. good luck really..

(edited because sometimes I simply cannot spell.)

[Mike Cash]

That's the best idea yet.

[latenight2736]

it went well, it was kinda mixed because of course she made us speak japanese a little and the guy who organized it was korean so he made some korean food.

[Mike Cash]

Glad to hear that it went well. Did you get to spank her and give her "one to grow on"?

[latenight2736]

no

[Mike Cash]

You need to change your sig file, then.

[coco]

[two_heads_talking]

Mike Cash wrote:
You need to change your sig file, then.

rofl.. now, do you have some napkins? I need to clean the soda off my monitor.

[latenight2736]

yours seems just fine though, haha