I went to a 50th birthday surprise party

I have many acquaintances turning 50 this year✨
I just went to a party for one of them the other day...

In the UK, many people throw big celebrations for milestone birthdays like 50, 60, and 70...

However, this is usually the case for people who have a bit of extra money.

That's because the guest of honor (the birthday person) pays for the birthday party or dinner🤣

This time, my friend Russ's birthday party was held at a wine bar🌈

A long time ago, when I attended his wife Siobhan's birthday dinner, we celebrated at a high-end restaurant with a small group🎉

They opened several bottles of expensive wine (David and I barely drank any), and when they split the total bill among us, I was charged 200 pounds (about 44,000 yen at today's exchange rate), and I nearly died😂

We also splurged at a high-end restaurant with them for a dinner after the lockdown ended💦
It was 280 pounds (about 45,000 yen) for the two of us!

Siobhan is a bank executive, so she earns well.
She makes more than double her husband Russ's annual salary...
So whenever we go out to eat, she always chooses high-end places😅

This time, I went feeling nervous about what kind of place she would choose for the celebration.

The nearest station wasn't the usual Central one, but one in East London, and the moment I got off the train, I noticed there were hardly any white people walking around.

The dinner venue was awine barnear the station🍷

There were also many wine bottles displayed inside the shop🍾

Since it was 5:00 PM, there was hardly anyone in the shop...

We had the second-floor space reserved, and party menus were placed on the tables.

David ordered a lager and I ordered a gin and tonic to start✨

Our friend Tony was frantically writing a message in the birthday card🤣

About 20 people gathered at 5:00 PM🌈

This time, the guest of honor, Russ, didn't know that everyone was coming to celebrate.

Around 5:30 PM, Russ arrived!
The moment he walked up the stairs, we all shouted "Surprise!"✨

Las greeted everyone with a shy but happy smile✨

After that, we enjoyed drinks, food, and conversation.

Starters, mains, and desserts kept coming, but it was too dark to take good photos💦

Halfway through, I gave up on taking pictures and focused on eating😂

There was the temptation of flour with mozzarella salad, prosciutto, focaccia, red wine risotto, beef pasta, tiramisu, and more, but I ate plenty of salad and got through it with the risotto.

As expected, Las ended up paying for the bill😂

Although the party menu wasn't particularly delicious, I am full of gratitude for him hosting over 20 guests🍀

At 9:00 PM, I said my thanks and left the venue.

I took the subway and a train to my nearest station, then a taxi home, arriving at 10:30 PM.

Usually, I would take anUber(Uber)home from the bar, but prices have gone up by about 30% recently, so I can't use it as easily💦 (Uber is a ride-hailing app that lets you call a taxi via smartphone.)

Is it because gasoline (diesel) has reached about 2 pounds (approx. 330 yen) per liter?
It's a reversal where taxis are cheaper than Uber...

Maybe it was the three cocktails, but I crashed into bed immediately😂

I woke up at 9:00 AM the next morning (I actually slept for 10 hours😅), but I didn't go to church; I spent the afternoon making roast pork and relaxing at home.