No, Really, I Am an American

Title derived in honor of Al’s post regarding the same subject

This was the first time I have celebrated my birthday in another country…while not on vacation, as halfway through typing that statement, I realized that I spent my 24th birthday in the Philippines.

Anyway, the point is, I just celebrated my birthday far from home.

I had anticipated it being kind of a drag. No lie, the people I’ve met here and have passed the time with are wickedly five-by-five…but things like this always reek “artificial” to me. I attribute this insanity to my stupid ass complex and my stupid ass belief that people spend time with my out of obligation, not desire.

I am slowly beginning to understand that 1) I am psychotic and 2) no, really, people like hanging out with me.

For the better part of the month, I’ve been asked about what I want to do for my birthday, or what I want. Now, I know that to the vast majority of you who read this blog know that it is generally impossible to get answers outa me when it comes to things like this.

Hiking was a possibility, or spending time in Kyoto for the Leaf Changing Viewing — which is apparently a big thing, but for me, leaves change colors in America, too, so I didn’t quite get the appeal. See how I’m a jack ass?

It ended up that Darya and I hung out doing a roommate kinda thing, and then a few of us went to dinner at Outback. I know that most everyone else likes going to the bars or something, but I’m lame. This is what makes me happy. This is the kind of thing I dig.

That and I’m not one about fuss.

Yeah, well, I shoulda known better. I guess in Japan, they do the birthday singing at a restaurant thing, too. (I was so hoping they wouldn’t.)

Darya got me Gilmore Girls Season 6 and RENT imported from North America, and Mike and Anna got me a 3,000 Yen gift certificate to Kinokuniya, the bookstore in Umeda that has a large foreign book section. Oh! And perhaps even crazier is the e-card I got from Jamie Martin, who bless her, remembers my birthday every freaking year despite rarely talking anymore.

From Al’s post dated Friday 17 March 2006:

I keep thinking, if it were her birthday, she’d probably know exactly how I was feeling right now, perhaps more so, because she hates being fussed about more than me.

I confess it was definitely weird, and I still dislike the whole fuss thing, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as I anticipated, so that’s a definte plus.

So yeah, twenty five and still alive…that’s gotta count for something, right?