Memory about Japan
A Birthday Party at The U.S. Air Force Base Yokota, Japan (Part 2)
I am impressed by how Americans take gifts
If you’ve read Part 1, you would know how I landed at the US Air Force Base in Yokota, Japan for a birthday party. If you missed Part 1, just click the link below.
At noon, we finally arrived at the host’s house, and there was a party atmosphere everywhere. On that day, we will be celebrating N’s 4th birthday.
On the lawn between the two rows of buildings, a huge blue and white pop-up canopy has been erected.
Inside was a row of long tables and a row of benches. The tables were covered with a Disney-patterned cloth, and on one side of the table were some colorful cone caps.
The other side of the long table was piled with colorful gifts, next to a large blue container. Japanese noodles and Chinese dumplings also appeared on the table.
The most striking was the birthday cake. The cake was in the shape of a red car. It is said that N’s mother made it herself.
Seeing that all the guests were here, Dad N opened the blue container on the table, which was filled with ham and patties. He also pulled bread from a large plastic bag.
We all stepped forward to help make hamburgers and hot dogs, and then put them on the table.
Mothers called their children for lunch. But the excited kids were just having fun on the large inflatable slide behind the canopy, which drew many of them up and down.
Under the constant urging and shoving of the mothers, the children finally gathered around the table.
However, the mothers were so busy taking pictures and videos that they forgot about hunger.
Not only did they take pictures of the children, but they also took pictures with each other. Mom N and several other base families who came to the party were also pulled in for a group photo by the enthusiastic Japanese mothers.
Indeed, it was a rare experience!
The U.S. Air Force base we can only see from afar and overlook is now at our feet. How incredible!
Dad N is a pilot. He is said to be responsible for delivering supplies to U.S. military bases around the world.
Unexpectedly, all the daily necessities used in the base come from the United States, and even fresh food such as milk, eggs, vegetables, and fruits are delivered by plane every day.
Dad N a big guy, and now he’s like a TV host or a sportscaster. He called the well-fed children to gather under a big tree.
I saw him wrap a plastic bag around his waist and directed the children to line up. Then, he took out a baseball bat from his waist, swung it towards a purple pentagram hanging in the air, and hit it hard.
Then he shouted to the children, Come on! Like me, hit the target! Miracles are waiting for you!
The first one to come up was the protagonist N of the day. He turned around four times, indicating that he was four years old that day before hitting the pentagram with a bat.
Dad N kept the line in order while cheering for the kids hitting their targets. His excitement also infected the parents present.
Every time a kid hit the target, there was a wow, and the kids got more and more excited as if they were doing the greatest thing in the world.
Just as the children kept hitting their targets, Dad N took out candies from his waist pocket and sprinkled them into the sky. All kinds of colorful candies fell on the grass like a colorful rain.
Wow! A miracle is happening!
The children were overjoyed, jumping and running, scrambling to pick up the dropped candies.
The game ended with the cheers of the children. Then it was time to tackle that chopping board-sized birthday cake.
As soon as the happy birthday song ended, N couldn’t wait to blow out the four candles on the cake. The big cake was split into small pieces in an instant and disappeared on everyone’s plate.
I was wondering what to do next when I saw mom and dad N laying out a huge colorful plastic sheet on the other side of the lawn.
A new game?!
The gifts originally stacked on the long table were all transferred to the colored plastic sheets. N sat excitedly among the piles, touching this and that, not knowing which one he would unwrap first.
With a piece of paper and a pen in her hand, Mom N instructed the children to unpack the gifts, called out the name of the giver, and recorded every item the children took out.
GIFT CONTEST?!
An Asian American family was living next door to N. At this time, the hostess brought a pair of children to join in the fun. Seeing the puzzled look on my face, she enthusiastically told me that the purpose of tracking who gave what gift is to give back later.
Admittedly, this approach is indeed practical. Such a clear record not only provides details for future returns but also helps us avoid mistakes, right?
One good turn deserves another.
Thank you for reading! How do you take presents? Please share your thoughts in the comments!
The story below, told by Terry Dip, reminisces about his experience climbing Mount Fuji with friends and his unique view of Japan.
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