Cuba, why not?

So much time goes by and so much to talk about! First, let me tell you about my birthday. Yes, on November 12th, I, Stephanie Gardner, turned 23. I'll be honest, it feels no different than 22, just a little more legitimacy. Not to rub it in, but it feels good to be 23, especially in grad school! I feel like I have my whole life ahead of me! Before I even see 25 I'll have a masters degree (provided that all goes well in the next year and a half)! So really, things are looking up!

Now, as you know, I like to celebrate my birthday in style. And that is precisely what I did. I will admit, 22 was hard to beat. And I didn't have quite the same people to share it with, but the people who celebrated 22 with me were people I spent 4 years building a relationship with, and that's pretty special. However, I got quite a nice turnout for 23, considering I've only been here for 3 months!

Mansita and I hosted a 1920's Havana, Cuba Birthday Party. Considering we were both turning into twenty-somethings, we wanted to celebrate the 20's, in the 20's. And what better place than Cuba? There just so happens to be a restaurant/bar here called Cuba Libre (not to be confused with the Philly or Atlantic City restaurants under the same name). So I got my fix of mojitos and live Cuban music, which was definitely the highlight of the event. Most of the DDW department was present, including my screenwriting prof and her family. And having the chair of the DDW depart (Richard, our good mentor) enter dancing on the scene, was certainly a highlight of the evening. He danced the night away, and taught me how to salsa, mamba, and cha cha cha, it couldn't have been better! Additionally, an expat friend who originated from my hometown (the son of my mom's good friend) showed up and provided enough drinks to last us through the night. This was a wonderful addition to our party! Everybody had a good time, and I can honestly say, that it was good wholesome fun.

Birthday week, (well, month), continued to Wednesday, where I got a cake and rose in class. (See pictures of the DDW class!) That night, after drinking a nice bottle of wine, (no, I just had a glass, I shared, don't worry!), and after dim sum with my roommates, my roommate Susie and I went to a jazz club, which was a delightful way to end my birthday! The vocalist sang Happy Birthday, and despite growing up in a musical family, this was possibly the best rendition of Happy Birthday I've ever received!

And to really celebrate my birthday, I treated myself to a nice holiday weekend on the island of Bintan, Indonesia. My next post will detail the accounts of this trip! Don't worry, with all this fun, I still manage to get in some good hard work, too!