Maxis and Platforms made Birthday Parties!

Celebrating our 9th & 11th Birthday with Family
L-R - My aunt Gully, dad, Auntie Sheila, mum, Faiza, me, Farah, in the back-my aunt, Julie, my grandma, my aunt, Habiba and uncle, Amin.

In my maxi and platforms, I'm ready for our birthday party!

1973 or 74 - Celebrating our birthday with Friends at Esperia Hotel

When it comes to children's birthday parties, there are two camps of people; the "Birthday Shmirthday!" camp under which my husband falls and the "A Birthday? Let's go all out!" camp under which my mother and my mother-in-law fall...and me? Well unfortunately for my husband and the insanity around birthday planning time, I fall under the latter category! But this blog post is not about my planning, it's about my mum and the amazing parties she had for us growing up! I don't know how much madness there was around the house when she was planning parties, my sisters and I frankly don't remember any of it, all we remember is the fun parties with friends and families that we can look back on and smile!

Both my sisters and I have birthdays in April. I am the 9th and they are the 29th and we are two years apart, so often my mum had one big party for the three of us with their friends and my friends and family.

Here are photos of all the parties we could dig up! Looking through the photos, I have forgotten so many of the details;  what we ate, what cake we had, who was invited, where it was, what we played and how old we were for each of the birthdays. What we never forget however is how much fun we had! I think parties are so important and I cherish every one!

My sisters' birthday at Aga Khan Nursery School (I guess not all our parties were together)
(Remember those bottles of Treetop juice?)
Our cousins; Rifat on left, Muni with the long hair behind twins on the right

A Ship cake at a party at the Aga Khan Nursery School

Esperia Hotel in Westlands where my dad worked
From left: ?, Mina Patel, Faiza, Farah, ? girl behind them, The other twins, Rishma and Shemina, me, Hubert and Kathleen, our neighbours, ?Shainaz Manji, Cloudagh Davis, Anisa Kurji (hidden behind the arrangement)

Egg and spoon race.
Those were the days everyone dressed up for birthday parties, maxis and all.

Another Party at Esperia Hotel - I remember those maxi wrap around skirt and the tops from Deacons.
All 3 of us had the same top in different colours and the same skirt in different patterns.
The maxi's didn't stop us from running and playing.
That was a Grundig tape recorder sitting on the front of the table!
?Girl with back to photo, Catherine Hunter(Claire's older sister), Claire's little sister, Ailish Byrne, ?tall girl in the back, Faiza, my dad, Farah, me, Claire Hunter.

Same party at Esperia - ?one additional girl in pink

A swimming party at Jacaranda Hotel in Westlands
Others in the photo: Karim Kassam, Shirley, Teresa, Mehbooba Samji, Shamim Fazal, Aafeez Jivraj (my cousin), Karim Virani, Gulzar, Shezmin Nanji, Munir Nanji, 

1977 - Our 9th and 11th Birthday Party at my Aunt Gully's house at Plum's Hotel
L-R: Sean Gabri, Aafeez, dad, tall girl in back was a neighbour, ?looking forward, Noshi Merali-the little girl in front leaning over, Yasmin Devji in red, Ruchika, back-twin Shemina, Nasrin Samji, in the back, my mum, my aunt Julie and my grandma, me, Shaheen Sidi, Shainaz Manji, Faiza, Farah, back twin Rishma, in purple-Khatija Bhatia, Minaz Patel, Munira Virjee, my aunt Habiba and Uncle Amin.

I loved this outfit my mum had made for me. She copied the pattern for a store called Jax in Nairobi. It had patches in front and red and white gingham in the back. I LOVED maxis and nobody could tell me I couldn't run in them. You can't see them but I've got on big fat platforms which I loved!

July 1977 - Celebrating my cousin, Aafeez's 11th birthday.
His parents lived in Arusha and he came to Nairobi to go to school.
He lived with us in Nairobi for a year from 1976 to 1977. 

My dad feeding me cake at Lobster Pot , a seafood restaurant that belonged to his uncle (Sadru mama) and where he worked.

Farah and Faiza feeding each other on their birthday at Lobster Pot.

Faiza at a birthday party at Hirani Flats

Farah at a birthday party in Hirani Flats

This is Michelle birthday, but we had lots in the Patel's backyard in Mombas, one year with smooshed chocolate cake that we brought all the way from Nairobi and sat on in the train!

I have to acknowledge that I have technology and a great research team to thank for being able to write these blogs.  I usually let my sisters and my mum know earlier in the day what that day's topic is going to be. My sisters send me photos and tid bits of information through our 'Sistas' Whats App and my mum has lots to say on any topic I write about and all I have to do is piece it all together.

Tomorrow, Friday March 4th, my son, Kahzmir wants to start his own 10 in 10 days.
He turns 10 on March 13th. He has some idea, but is not quite sure what he wants to do. I'm glad I get to share 10 of my 50 days with him on his little journey!
Oh what it would be like to be 10 again!

Thank you for sharing Day 13 of 50 with us!