Although we often head for someplace warm for a while in the winter, until now we've never been away during my mid-January birthday. This year we were at sea on a Panama Canal cruise on that auspicious day. The ship, having our passport information, knows everyone's birthday, and posts those celebrating one in the daily "Reflections" newsletter. Many days there were none, four days there were three, and one day even had six! Maybe someday I'll determine the probability of that occurrence. As it happened, I shared mine with another, and we, at least, were provided a two-course breakfast.
The appetizer course seemingly included something for every taste. (The descriptions are primarily Betty Lou's.) It consisted of mini bagels with lox and cream cheese, caviar with chopped hard-boiled egg yolks and sour cream, waffle cones with sliced strawberries atop cottage cheese – or perhaps some kind of ricotta – cream-filled doughnut holes, and muesli with a few special cornflakes on top and chocolate pudding underneath.
You may have noticed that Champagne also was provided. Although it's not that big of a deal on the all-inclusive Crystal Serenity, where one can order any beverage at any time, we usually don't begin imbibing that early! (In fact, I joked that at the bars I visited later in the day, when I told them it was my birthday, they gave me a drink on the house!)
The main course included small steaks, cheese and truffle omelets, and Croque Monsieurs with lingonberries inside, and casseroles of cheesy creamed spinach (barely visible at the top).
Such sumptuous fare was enough, except for a midday snack, to tide us over until dinner. Although I had specified some special items, I said I didn't need a cake. Of course, they produced one anyway1, and the group of four at an adjacent table, seeing it, said they'd sing Happy Birthday to me.
As this was well into our voyage, I knew their normal conversational language, and told them, "Only if you sing it in Norwegian!" They readily agreed, and we soon learned that they had fine voices. It also turned out that the Norwegian version is nothing at all like our little ditty – it sounded like it could be a national anthem!
As they continued, those at nearby tables grew silent, not knowing what was the occasion, but all joined our applause at the end.
I particularly like the harmony of this group, but this rendition also includes the lyrics and their translation, which seems to indicate that more than just singing is involved in a proper performance.
Who could believe that a Happy Birthday serenade would turn out to be such a memorable experience?
1 Although they resisted, I insisted that they share my cake,
and there was not a crumb left on any of the plates at the end.
