It was strange to spend yet another birthday here in China – in the end I took some friends out for a meal and then for some Karaoke later on. There are some interesting cultural differences with regards to birthdays over here…
Whilst in the UK it is often the birthday boy/girl who gets treated to a free meal, free drinks and is generally looked after for the evening, in China things are quite the opposite. Not only did I have to pay for all the food and drinks (there were ten of us, lucky food is cheap over here!) but it was also my responsibility to fuss over my guests during the evening, making sure their drinks are poured and that they have had enough to eat! Certainly a change from the drunkenness of the average 21st birthday bash back at home.
I guess that the Chinese see birthdays as an opportunity to thank friends for being there and give something back – whilst in the west it’s our friends who celebrate us being there and make sure we have a good night. Another thing to note however is that in China, the more money you have, the more friends you can afford to invite along and the fancier a birthday party you can throw – some invitees are not necessarily there for your birthday but just for the great food and entertainment (a bit like weddings maybe?). In the UK, it doesn’t matter how much money you have, normally only your closest friends go out with you on your birthday and maybe it’s more of a genuine experience.
Anyway, the food was excellent, we ordered far too much and still managed to eat it all. After slackening our belts, we headed to the KTV (Private Karaoke Club) nearby where we sang until the early hours of the morning to a mixture of Chinese and Western pop music. Photos below!
