Speechless!

This day started like any other, but I was in for one big surprise this Wednesday morning!  I went to my office to free talk with 3 students.  One came in and sat down while waiting on the other 2.  I asked Grace (English name) if the other 2 were coming or not.  She nodded and said "Party."  "Oh!" I replied,  "They are at a party and will be late."   The student in broken English then said to me, "Party for professor" and she motioned toward me.   "Oh!" I said again trying to help her with a complete English sentence, "They are at a professor's party."  She shook her head and motioned toward me again with her hands, "Party, professor."  Now I was getting a little concerned.  It sounds like she is trying to tell me the students are coming to have a party with me.  I was thinking to myself, "Why?  Maybe because I am free talking with them?  Students are very nice here."

We waited a couple of minutes and then the door opened.  Two students walked in with a lighted birthday cake singing happy birthday!  I was speechless.  My birthday is in December!  They clapped and sang and had a great time wishing me a happy birthday.  I did not immediately know how to respond.  I did not want to embarrass them, or burst their bubble since they obviously went to a lot of expense and time to give me this party.

I finally asked the students how they found out??  Julia (English name), who is legally blind, and a friend of our Vietnamese student, Phuong, spoke up and said "You told us!"   (She is often escorted by Phuong over campus). Julia said they saw me yesterday and this morning and I told them!  She then asked me, "Don't you remember?"  "Oh, yes," I said looking over at Bonnie for help!  Bonnie said nothing, but graciously went along with me.

I blew out the candle and proceeded to share the Baskin Robbins strawberry ice cream cake.  Thankfully we had a few paper cups on hand for such an occasion!  Trying to cut the frozen cake with a small plastic spoon was a Korean adventure, to be sure.

After celebrating (with a somewhat guilty conscience), we proceeded to free talk for several minutes.  When we finished, I thanked them for the wonderful party and immediately called Phuong!  When I told her what had just occurred she started laughing so hard she couldn't speak.  Here is her story:
She and Julia ran into an English professor who is having a birthday today.  He turned 65.  Julia could not see the professor, of course, so later asked Phuong who it was.  "John" said Phuong.  Julia thought she had said "Ron" and as they say, the rest is history!

I saw Phuong later in the day walking to class and she came up to me still laughing hard.  We both agreed not to correct the students since it might embarrass them.  Phuong then said she would not speak about my birthday in December to them since the students will then wonder why they celebrated in March!
 
Later Phuong sent me a text message wishing me a "happy NOT birthday!  Hee hee!"  What a funny day!  No one got hurt, except poor old John who didn't get his cake, and all had a good time!   Best birthday cake I ever ate!