My birthday experience — and it was a bit uncomfortable

I’ve already mentioned my plans for this day here, and today I visited only one place I had planned. But I have to say, the birthday celebration didn’t go quite as I expected — and honestly, I didn’t really like it. I hoped everything would be quiet and that we’d just talk together. Instead, there was a host (tamada), and they started playing different games while recording everything on video. Well, okay, the video part wasn’t a problem. But one awful thing happened during one of the games — I was unlucky enough to pick a challenge that said I had to sing a song. Of course, I didn’t do it, because I can’t sing and never wanted to. It was just a catastrophe.

Another uncomfortable moment happened after the first part of the birthday, when everyone went outside to dance. They started inviting me to join, and I tried to refuse, but they kept insisting. Every time someone saw me, they told me, “Come on, you should learn to dance!” I really don’t understand why they did that, especially after I’d already said I didn’t want to. It felt like they didn’t respect my feelings and just wanted me to do what they wanted.

And my final unusual moment was when they started using the bayan and singing songs. I can’t say it was completely awful, but in my family, nobody has ever played the bayan at the table during events or sung songs like that. In the past, I also attended events or weddings in cafes, and I never saw the same behavior there. However, I can say it was a bit fun and interesting, and I even recorded it on my phone. But if I ever celebrate something, I would prefer not to use it at my event.

Still, there were some good moments. Before the event started, we had a chance to just talk and discuss some interesting topics. Sometimes I simply listened while they talked about gardens, houses, and everyday life. Most of them were older than me, so we didn’t have many common topics, but it was still okay. And the food — there was so much of it, and it was so delicious! I think they’ll be eating leftovers for a whole week.

To sum up, I always try to avoid events with a tamada because things like that really bother me. If I had known this one would be like that, I’d have preferred to stay home and do something useful. But today, I made a mistake by going, even though I didn’t expect it to be this way. I can’t say my mood was ruined — everything is fine — but I believe everyone should respect other people’s feelings and not force them to do what they don’t like.