A nice surprise

Went to my favorite Jazz spot in Tokyo for my birthday over a week ago and as usual it was great.  We had our spread of yummy food, wine and assorted cheeses, and Daiki Yasukagawa and his Far East Jazz Ensemble was playing for the night. Body and Soul is great. It's so cozy with an old nostalgic feeling to it but it's still clean, very dimly lit and the ambiance is great.

If you didn't know, Jazz bars are a quiet event. Meaning the people who go to watch a live band REALLY enjoy their music so apart from the occasional quiet chat,  people mainly pay attention to the show. In between songs Daiki introduces members of the band, tells some super short anecdotes, good stuff. Then after the end of one of the songs, Daiki says some thing to the effect of, "Today we want to celebrate a birthday in the audience." Then  BAM! The light right above my table turns on! My table was glowing in the dim room.  Then as waiter brought out a little green cake with sparklers on it, the saxophonist stands up and says "This birthday song of for you Ricky" and belts out the smoothest rendition of Happy Birthday that I've ever heard! Man was I embarrassed. I didn't know what to do. Stand and bow? Hide?? So I just sat there wide-eyed as the entire restaurant looked at me. I managed to nod my head Japanese style in thanks, and clapped when the song was over. It was AMAZING.

Then as I lean over to blow the candles I noticed the writing on the plate. It said "Happy Birthday Ricky" with a face on it.

The conversation with my date goes a little something like this in Japanese.

Me:    Wow the face on the plate really looks like me.
Date: Really? Cool!
Me:    And the cake is green. And there a little nut on it. I think it's a pistachio.
Date: *takes a closer look at the at the cake*  No, it's an edamame.
Me:     Edamame? How do you know?
Date:  I made it. I drew the chocolate on the plate too. 
Me:    @_@ !! 

WOW. 

Now I've been to Body and Soul before and not once have I seen a birthday. It's not like T.G.I.Fridays where there are about 10 birthdays going on every evening. I felt like the MAN. I'm sure the people in the restaurant were thinking,  "Who the hell is this guy?" because everyone paid a 4000 yen cover just to hear the band. It felt WONDERFUL.To top it off my date came to the restaurant hours earlier to drop off a homemade cake and beg the manager for the band to play me a song.  What a night to remember!