To share a personal story about Watchitoo- my grandmother Gina that lives in Israel turned the incredible age of 90 this summer! Not only is she a super-turbo-grandma who you wouldn’t think is a day over 75, maybe, but she is open to it all- she’s rather progressive I must say.
So for her 90th, the family had to do something to honor this coming of age, and it had to be grand in spirits just like her, so what else than a surprise birthday party/family reunion. *Must take note that many would advise against a surprise b-day part for a 90 year old but not my family, and not with my grandmother. Anyhow, my parents clearly flew out to join the festivities, and my cousins, aunts,and uncles were asking me for months if I would be joining.
Much to my mothers’ dismay, despite enticing lures, I didn’t join my parents in going to my Grandmothers birthday celebration. Bound to summertime & work obligations in NYC, a week in Israel just didn’t work out. But I had to make it up to my Savta (the word for grandma in Hebrew) somehow and I was sad I couldn’t join, WALA in stepped Watchitoo. Seeing that I was watchitooing, all day everyday anyhow I decided to make a private show, which dates back to our private beta phase, titled: “Happy 90th B-day Savta.” I slyly coordinated with my family in Israel to take her to a computer after I sent out the exclusivo invites, and she joined me via webcam to see my birthday song & Dance and the show I created for her which also included an image I scanned of her and my grandfather looking like moviestars sitting on the Kineret in 1964.
I was sad to not be there, she later admitted she thought the surprise was that I came, but instead I got to visit her online and share her b-day. Later the family revealed she thought the surprise b-day party was for a newborn grandchild after hearing the surprise announcement. I guess at 90 its hard to grasp a surprise party sometimes, and you definitely don’t want to go overboard with the shock-effect. Nonetheless she loved watchitooing with me from my NYC apartment.
Now I have to figure out how to actually go soon, and make it up to her in person asap!
~Hila
That’s a touching story!