The big 6-0.

This weekend my family is heading to Chicago to celebrate my mother's 60th birthday. The 60th birthday is a big celebration in Korean culture, probably because everyone was amazed that a person could live to 60 in the old days. Anyway, most of my mother's family lives in Chicago, which is why the party will be there. The party is always thrown by the children; however, since I am the closest geographically to the Windy City, I've bascially taken care of all the arrangements. My mother has been complaining to my father about why he let us throw the party. She's doing her false Korean modesty bit, but we all know there's no way in hell we could have actually not thrown her a party. Not that we mind, anyway. But it's just one of those things we have to deal with. When we planned our father's party four years ago, my mother gave me such a hard time about it I decided when it was her turn, I was just going to arrange the party and only bother to tell her when she and my dad should show up, and that's pretty much what I've done. I didn't ask her where she wanted it. I didn't ask her when she wanted it. I didn't ask her if she wanted it. And the entire process has gone pretty smoothly as a result. I have to say that I'm giving myself major props on this one.