4Y11M 3Y2M 誕生会 Birthday party

友達を呼んでアラタの誕生会をした。幼稚園でお祝いしてもらったことはあるがプライベートで友達を呼んだ誕生会は初めてのこと。日本人やマレーシア人はあまり友達を大勢呼んで子供の誕生会をやらないらしいが、アラタはイギリス人でもあるのでここはイギリス式に！

誕生日が冬休み中なので2週間早い誕生会を、オープンしたてのハードロックホテルで。幼稚園の英語クラスのお友達全員を呼ぶのは予算オーバーだから、男の子だけを全員招待することに。ところが、アラタが女の子二人をどうしても呼びたいと言うので、プラス二人。（ノラ先生は「アラタはおとなしい女の子を選んだわね～」と言っていたが、アラタのタイプ？）そして、仲良しのゆうなちゃんとルカ＆タイラ＆ミイナ姉弟妹も来てくれた。

早い夕食を食べて、プールで遊んで、ケーキカット。子供は十分楽しんだ様子。英語クラスのお友達はほぼ全員マレーシア人なので、学校外で会うこともなく、何回か顔を合わせたことがあるだけのお母さん達がどの子供のお母さんか少しはわかったかな。

3時からの3時間パッケージで、とにかく暑かった。その上、ホテルのスタッフが思ったほどいろいろやってくれなかったので、結局自分で切り盛りしなければならず、お母さん達と世間話する余裕もなく、私は疲れました。

ポンドに直すと子供一人10ポンド程のコスト。英国ではそのぐらいかけてプレイエリアなどを借り切ってやるのが一般的だしいいかなーって思ったけれども、マレーシアにしては確かに高い。次回は自宅でクラスメイトを全員招待してやろう。

We organised Arata's birthday party privately for the first time. He had birthday parties organised by kindergarten or nursery before but this was the first time for him to invite friends to his own birthday party. Apparently, in Japan or Malaysia, it's not that common to invite lots of kids to young children's birthday parties. But Arata is also British. Let's do the British way sometimes!

As Arata's birthday is always during school holiday, we planned his party 2 weeks earlier. We invited his friends to newly opened Hard Rock Hotel, Pizzaria and swimming pool. To invite all his friends in his kindergarten, it would be over our budget. We decided to invite only boys from the English class, but Arata insisted to include 2 girls. Teacher Nora, I asked her to give out party invitations, told me Arata chose quiet and nice girls! Is it his type?? We also invited Arata's best friends, Yuna, Ruka, Taira and Miina.

They had early tea, played in the excitingly designed swimming pool and had cake cut. Arata and his friends definitely enjoyed the party. Nearly all his friends from the class are Malaysian and we don't mix up with them at all after school so that I was busy linking children I can more or less recognise to their mothers.

It's 3 hours package from 3PM and it was extremely hot for me at the pool side. On top of that, the hotel staff didn't do as much as I expected and I had to manage lots of things by myself. I was exhausted when it was over. I didn't have enough time to have good chats with mothers.

It cost about 10 GBP per child, which is the average party cost in the UK if we want to organise the similar party at soft play area. I thought it was not bad first but actually it is quite expensive for Malaysian standards. I will probably only organise a much low key party at home but invite all his classmates next time.