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Today I turned 28 and much like every other day it is a truly great day; to be alive, to be healthy, to be in a new place and to be with wonderful people. My first Happy Birthday came from Paola - a big hug and a kiss and a present: a bar of bocadillo (guava jelly). At 9am I got a really nice Skype call from my parents, it was great to hear how everything at home was and get my favorite happy birthday wish. For breakfast Mafee came around and showed me how to make the local dish called Arepas - corn flour bread cooked on the pan, she also brought around local teas to try. We had a blast cooking and the best thing it was very simple - corn flour, hot water, melted margarine, salt, sugar - mix all together, flatten out and fry with some oil. They turn out hard and slightly salty but wonderfully delicious. On mine we also fried an egg - the breakfast of a king. We sat around and talked, joked then I taught the girls how to do yoga - if anything it was a great laugh, complaints, pain, cants were the main points to come out of the session. Later in the day I walked to the bus station and worked out what bus I would take tomorrow and what time. The girls had to go to class at about 5pm so I relaxed a bit - read all my wonderful birthday messages on Facebook and planned a bit more of my couchsurfing Colombia. The girls arrived back just after 7:30pm and the fun began - we hit the kitchen. Paola and I started preparing the guacamole whilst our Master Chef Mafee started on the Chilli con carne. God we made a mess, vegetables, dishes, plates everywhere and as it approached 9pm everyone was getting very hungry. The girls had decorated the room for me with balloons and nice comments - I am really in shock why they have been so loving and kind to me. Another gift this time local bracelets and friendship bands, usually I wouldn't wear these things but for these girls I will make an exemption. As there was to be 8 of us, more meat was brought and some extra bits and pieces to go with it. We all sat down - Paola, Mafee, Lore, Lores Mum, Lina and Sebastian and Mafee was so kind as too say a few nice words for my birthday - I thanked everyone for being here with me and then we dived in. The food was amazing, the guacamole mouthwatering and the chilli con carne to die for. We were all so hungry we ate and ate and made our selfs sick - remembering to leave some left-overs for Cristian and his friend. Out came the freshly made lemonade and then bam a bottle of the local poison known as Aguardente. We cleared the table, cut up some oranges and prepared for drinking games. I was eager for the first shot as I quite like the drink; very similar to Sambuca. The first game we played was I have never..... I lost again and again but no worries I wanted to drink, everyone started to relax and it wasn't long before all the raunchy topics came out and every time Lore had a go we would be on the ground rolling in laughter. Next game was circle of death and here is where we all started to get drunk, there were stripteases, Mafee doing the Milkshake brings all the boys to the yard theme, a very sexual Happy Birthday Mr President Rendition, drawing with bums, balloon breaking sexual positions and double, triple shots. I was surprised how tipsy we were all getting and how far this one litre of Aguardente was going. It was getting late and we were making loads of noise much to the dismay of the other people in the house, but much to everyone's credit they kept going strong. The next game spin the bottle involved dares and things got really crazy, noisey, hilarious and it was at this point I realized I was home - with people I cared for and people that cared for me - it wouldn't matter where in the world I am it would feel like home. It was a real struggle to finish the bottle and the girls quite drunk by now were ready to go for more :) My god they were drinking me under the table - 2am came and we all decided to call it a night as most people had to be up at 6am. Paola and I sat up talking for the next few hours about everything, Paola is one incredibly kind, loving and genuine person that I pray I get to see again. She showered me with compliments, admiration and praise and why? Just for being me, for choosing the life I chose, for removing myself from material attachment, for choosing to eat healthy, for getting up early everyday to exercise my body, to showing others the benefits of yoga, to giving more then receiving, for being adaptable and for always being happy. Turns out the greatest gift of all is just to see yourself as you truly are in someone else's eyes. Being around such genuine, sincere and kind people is gradually turning me into that kind of person I long to be.
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