la mordida

So, I now have less than a year before I reach my 30s--depressing, I know. I had my 29th birthday a few Saturdays ago, on October 6th. Thanks to those who called and/or sent emails. I didn't really do much to celebrate--didn't tell too many people here in Mexico it was my birthday. But some friends from Church found out and decided we'd celebrate with some cake.


After singing me las mañanitas, they all chanted, mordida! mordida! mordida!, in unison. They wanted me to take a bite from the cake. Not a bite from a slice of the cake, but a bite from a top corner of it. I suppose it's a tradition. Showing my willingness to concede to their insistent demands, I walked toward the cake to take my mordida. As I approached it, however, I quickly became hesitant noticing several in the group subtly approaching me. Then I remembered something about people getting their face stuffed in the cake on their birthday. I knew they were planning to do the same to me. Pero ni modo, I took my bite anticipating someone would shove the back of my head into the cake. And so it was. Nothing like reliving your first birthday getting cake all over your face. I felt a little better about the ordeal when I saw a video of my nephew Elias and his birthday cake the following day. He seems to have enjoyed it more than I did :-) Below is a shot of me and my cake after the mordida, and after I cleaned my face a bit.