My Roommate's Birthday!

Today is my Bulgarian roommate's birthday and last night we all went out to celebrate so that at midnight, when she turned 19, we would all be there with her! Irene, my Italian roommate, and I looked up this restaurant and found out that it was open late and that we could get a traditional Italian meal there from appetizer to dessert. We have a difficult time finding it because Italian maps are sometimes...well, not correct. So, on one page of this map book it said one thing, while on another page, it told us something completely different! It was funny and we amused ourselves in trying to get there. We sat down and by the time the meal was over we knew every person on the waitstaff - Italian meals take forever! The way traditional meals work in Italy is that you have many bowls or plates of various foods on the table and people pass them around to get what they want. For the appetizer, we had lentils, seasoned tomatoes, potatos balls filled with rice and cheese (and some had meat), and mozzerella balls (which are fresh in Italy). The meal continued in this fashion from pasta (which you do get one single plate of - no passing), all the way to a torte (cake!). We told the waiter that it was her birthday so we sang to her in Italian and the only candle they had was a 9, so thats what they put on the cake. In Bulgaria, if its your birthday you celebrate by hosting a huge party and serving everyone else, as opposed to the other way around. You get presents for everyone and you buy them alcohol and food. Hrissy was so moved by the fact that her birthday was really centered around her that she cried for about 30 minutes. It was so sweet and we had a great time, just eight of us, talking and laughing until the clock struck 12 and we could all cheer that she was 19. Happy Birthday, Hrissy!