A Sri Lankan meal and a birthday party

I'm almost out of time for posting in February!  I can't believe how quickly this month has passed.  The photos in this post are even from the beginning of the month...I just never made time to get around to posting them.

These are from a surprise birthday dinner for a friend of mine: 

This is Ruvini, the lovely wife of our birthday boy and also our chef for the evening, putting the final touches on the first course of our meal.  If you ever get a chance to eat any of her authentic Sri Lankan food, take it.  Trust me.

 
Here is our main course: chicken curry, jasmine rice with raisins and green beans, and a broccoli/pineapple/cheese salad.



I had a lesson on how to eat with my hands, in true Sri Lankan style.  That fork next to my plate?  Still clean at the end of the meal, though because I'm unfamiliar with Sri Lankan table manners, I made my hosts giggle when I was "rude" enough to lick my fingers.



Here, is a portion of the meal being prepared by the chef, while the birthday boy washes some dishes.  The real reason they're smiling is actually not simply because I'm taking a photo.  It's because Priyanka said this is probably the only time this year that he's done something in the kitchen.  I've been asked to send him a copy of the photo to document the occasion.




Yukari and I were the two party guests (Japanese apartments aren't big enough for much more than that).  I gave her bonus points for wearing those slippers all evening.  They go well with her shirt, don't they?




And finally...

I wasn't allowed to leave my hosts' apartment until I had undergone the full Sri Lankan experience.  I think this was Ruvini's favorite part of the evening.