On Monday the 11th of June, Toby had his first birthday. I know I’ve recently written a blog about our wonderful little boy (please don’t gag), but here’s some more. Those who don’t want to read any more smushy stuff about Toby can tune out now…..
We had a small party for him on Sunday. A bit early, but most of our Khmer contacts only have one day off a week and that is usually Sunday. In preparation for this, I spent some time going to several western supermarkets trying to find foodstuffs which would make a birthday celebration seem like home. It was a depressing exercise. Most of the stuff I would buy back home was not available and what was available was hideously expensive. Worse was the fact that none of these western supermarkets stocked cocoa powder. It seemed bad enough to me that I would have to make a dodgy cake in the microwave (owing to the fact that our kitchen does not contain an oven) let alone having my hopes of it being a chocolate cake dashed! Oh well – so be it. Sure, I could have bought a cake…. But the “birthday” cakes you can buy here are not particularly nice and covered with sickly fake cream – all for a hefty price (normal sized birthday cakes cost $15-25 US). Besides, they don’t come in cute and amusing forms. No! I was determined to make my child’s first birthday cake! Ma Hewitt, wonderful parent that she is, spent many hours collating a book of “microwavable cakes” for us and it was about time I used it.
So I made my way home despondently. No cocoa, only a block of chocolate. I told Michael of my woes. As expected, he too was rather disappointed by the fact that no chocolate cake would be forthcoming, but then suggested that I just throw chunks of chocolate into the cake batter. So I did. We ate “trial birthday cake” that night. The microwave cake turned out amazingly well (I have previously never had faith that they could be “as good as the real thing”), so I proceeded to make the real birthday cake and here’s a picture of it. I hope Toby realizes one day what his mum went through to produce a birthday cake he has no hope of remembering!
Not all the shopping experience was bad. I bought cheese, Brie (from France – which was oddly cheaper than the el-cheapo Australian brands also available), and Double Gloucester. I knew the cheese fiends at home would be pleased.
So on Sunday we had Toby’s party. Our contacts got to eat cheese and olives (which they mostly did not like) and cake (which they did like) as well as many other Western and Khmer treats. Toby got some gifts and lots of cuddles and attention and therefore enjoyed himself immensely. He ate cake for the first time, and ice cream… and no one would be surprised by the fact that he liked them both and complained vigorously when it was all gone and he realized he wasn’t getting any more.
We had a small party for him on Sunday. A bit early, but most of our Khmer contacts only have one day off a week and that is usually Sunday. In preparation for this, I spent some time going to several western supermarkets trying to find foodstuffs which would make a birthday celebration seem like home. It was a depressing exercise. Most of the stuff I would buy back home was not available and what was available was hideously expensive. Worse was the fact that none of these western supermarkets stocked cocoa powder. It seemed bad enough to me that I would have to make a dodgy cake in the microwave (owing to the fact that our kitchen does not contain an oven) let alone having my hopes of it being a chocolate cake dashed! Oh well – so be it. Sure, I could have bought a cake…. But the “birthday” cakes you can buy here are not particularly nice and covered with sickly fake cream – all for a hefty price (normal sized birthday cakes cost $15-25 US). Besides, they don’t come in cute and amusing forms. No! I was determined to make my child’s first birthday cake! Ma Hewitt, wonderful parent that she is, spent many hours collating a book of “microwavable cakes” for us and it was about time I used it.
So I made my way home despondently. No cocoa, only a block of chocolate. I told Michael of my woes. As expected, he too was rather disappointed by the fact that no chocolate cake would be forthcoming, but then suggested that I just throw chunks of chocolate into the cake batter. So I did. We ate “trial birthday cake” that night. The microwave cake turned out amazingly well (I have previously never had faith that they could be “as good as the real thing”), so I proceeded to make the real birthday cake and here’s a picture of it. I hope Toby realizes one day what his mum went through to produce a birthday cake he has no hope of remembering!
(In case you can't tell... it's meant to be a turtle)
Not all the shopping experience was bad. I bought cheese, Brie (from France – which was oddly cheaper than the el-cheapo Australian brands also available), and Double Gloucester. I knew the cheese fiends at home would be pleased.
So on Sunday we had Toby’s party. Our contacts got to eat cheese and olives (which they mostly did not like) and cake (which they did like) as well as many other Western and Khmer treats. Toby got some gifts and lots of cuddles and attention and therefore enjoyed himself immensely. He ate cake for the first time, and ice cream… and no one would be surprised by the fact that he liked them both and complained vigorously when it was all gone and he realized he wasn’t getting any more.
(Toby was more interested in the box and ribbon than the present)
A few days before his birthday, Toby commenced his two-legged adventures. He is by no means running around yet but is getting more proficient every day. Now all he needs is some teeth, which have been frustrating elusive. They keep threatening to come but then disappear again. I won’t be worried, so long as they do eventually surface and we don’t have to send him to school with dentures. He seems to be able to chew on an awful lot with just his gums.
(Some of the party - from left to right: James, Miranda, Vanny (at back), Gaye, Visna, Loy and Toby)
That’s all for now. Happy birthday to all the other June babies out there!
Comments
And well done Mirriam for such a good lookin Cake.
Love
Nick, Reney, Liam and Hayley.