D FEST 2009 - The fest goes international Brief-up

Back to this year's celebrations of D FEST, one week before to go for the same and I really had this bad feeling that I was all alone on this birthday with hardly any people who remembered the day (that is what I had assumed). But I had decided to make my first international birthday special so had a range of things planned up for the same. Yet, there was one small confusion as in when D Fest starts and when it ends because of the difference in time zones of India and the US. But then as took this opportunity to celebrate it in an extended format (after all it was the first time D Fest has gone international)

 Here is the brief summary of how the celebrations went by 

Day 1 (31st Jan - USA) - 1.30pm here was midnight back home and there were hosts of people who managed to wish bang on time (Indian time i.e.). Received calls and online greetings 

          Lunch at Mexican place with Jason, Salem and Dahouk

Dinner at Italian place with Sudarshan, Amit, Raju, Krutik and Manik

Day 2 (1st Feb - USA) - Bang at midnight (USA) I launched my blog

        Still receiving calls from friends who decided to keep a track of the time difference and call me according to my US birthday timing

        Went to North Carolina for skiing 

       Day concluded with my roomies - Romany and Shehab giving me a small surprise celebration getting a cake and some gifts. This not only happened to be the first surprise celebration for me in my life but also happened to be the first cake I cut in maybe last 10 years

 

Day 3 (2nd Feb - USA) - Spent time in replying to each and everyone who wished me on Orkut and Facebook along with making a blog entry thanking people who wished me on my birthday.          At midnight, I went shopping to an average American's economic backbone - Walmart

 

Day 4 (3rd Feb - USA) - This I call was the biggest day of my celebrations here. It was D day of D Fest which I will always remember. 

         Logging on to my computer after coming back from College, the first thing I saw was AB wishing me "BELATED HAPPY BIRTHDAY" on FB which drew me nuts.

         This was the biggest surprise of all the birthdays I ever had. This wasn't just the biggest surprise of all the past birthdays (except for all those gifts which I used to get and still get and hopefully will continue to do so. People please don't stop!) but the first surprise Birthday party in itself. The NESA team arranged a surprise birthday bash for me and managed to get all available foreign students on campus to join in the celebrations. The planning led by Jason (USA), Maad (Yemen), AbdulRehman (Saudi Arabia), Shehab (Bangladesh) and Wael (Egypt) made it an unforgettable event for me which I will never ever forget in my life. Thank you guys. You are the best. I was also given the most expensive birthday gift ever - A Wacom digital pen. Do check the sketch made by Maad.

Day 5 - (4th Feb - USA) - Was spent in sleeping. After all the sleepless nights spent on making the blog, skiing and all the celebrations my mind and body was in dire need of some sleep. So the day was spent in doing nothing but Sleep!

 Day 6 - (5th Feb - USA) - Bang at 12 midnight wished AB on his birthday and made a cake (which looked splendid but tasted the most horrible thing I ever attempted in my life)

Evening saw me go to Club 221 with my American buddy, Anthony

 Day 7 - (6th Feb - USA) - Went to the Observatory which boasts of having one of the largest telescopes in the country with Amit and Kruttik. Saw planet Venus and Moon along with 3 films in the theatre in that campus.

            Dinner time saw us go to another Mexican place. I just love it!

 Day 8 - (7th Feb - USA) - Field trip to Columbia - visited the State Legislative House and the State Museum.

           Lunch time at Tabouli for some Mediterranean-Lebanese cuisine

 

Day 9 - (8th Feb - USA) - Went to an African-American church with Jason, Wael and Shehab to experience the African-American style of preaching

            Lunch at a Chinese Buffet. All you can eat!

Well this marks the end of the 9 day D FEST 2009 - THE FEST GOES INTERNATIONAL. The first and I wish the last D Fest I celebrate without my friends and family. Once again I thank all the ones who participated in D FEST 2009 and my birthday really special and the celebrations which I will never forget in my life. And yes never expected that this fest will be a 9 day loooong one. But don't regret any of it!