MOOSE JAW — During an international tour of Moose Jaw and the Canadian Prairies this week, one Japanese student partaking in the Spike & Ai International student program celebrated her birthday in Canada — an experience that provided a unique firsthand opportunity to experience the cultural differences that define two separate continents.
Mahiro Ebina, who is touring from Yokohama, Japan, celebrated her 17th birthday in Moose Jaw on July 29.
Here, birthday celebrations often involve cake, presents, and a party including friends, family, and classmates. The party takes place at a festively decorated venue with balloons, streamers, and birthday-themed cutlery.
In Japan, by contrast, birthdays are celebrated with far less fanfare. These celebrations typically involve a small gathering of family and a modest birthday cake. It’s not uncommon to receive a small, bite-sized Mochi cake, made with sweet rice and stuffed with red bean paste or a similar filler rather than a large, decorated cake as in Canada.
“On the day of the birthday, (the Japanese) will have some cake and just the mother, father, and the brothers and sisters (will attend),” explained Arron Dobrescu, the owner of Spike & Ai International.
During her week-long stay in Moose Jaw, Ebina experienced her first traditional Canadian birthday party that was facilitated by her host family, Jordan and Jennifer Costa.
“Her host family is going to have a birthday party ready for her, and it’s so special for her to have that,” Dobrescu said. “We’ll (also) sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to her a little bit later.”
“She’ll get a pretty memorable birthday party tonight,” Dobrescu said earlier on July 29.
The student program, Spike & Ai International, is organized by former Moose Jaw resident Dobrescu and Tana Arnott, the principal of A.E. Peacock Collegiate. Spike & Ai aims to provide students with a broader understanding of the world through first-hand experiences that include a yearly one-week visit to Moose Jaw.
To learn more about Spike & Ai International, visit SpikeAndAi.com.
Otanjoubi omedetou gozaimasu, Mahiro Ebina!
