No, Really, I Am an American

I find it amusing that I never really do much during the actual day of my birthday — it’s always dinner or something like that.

I started the day off with a phone call from my mom (on behalf on my parents). It was actually quite pleasant, which made me very happy because after our last conversation, I was expecting something bad. So yay.

I passed the afternoon with Gunthar Rob at Starbuck’s, which has been our usual haunt for the past month of unemployment. He bought me a coffee and a danish; he’s good people like that. While we were there, I got a phone call from an Unset ID (usually means someone from home). I thought I picked up in time, but all I ended up hearing was garbled noise. Afterwards, it went to the voice mail, a feature I thought was really strange because I thought I picked up the call, and got sung to. Here is the part where I suck as a friend…I could not quite discern the voices, so I’m not all that sure who the song was from (although, I suspect it was Darya and Jacob ‘cuz I think they’re the only ones who have my Japanese cell phone number). Thank you, friends! Sorry I suck, though. I have the song-message saved, however, and was quite happy to have received it.

Rob and I ended up wandering around until it was time to go to dinner. We went to Yakiniku Goen, the one next to Slices; the same place we took my parents to. Not everyone I invited could make it for various reasons, but the people who ended up putting in an appearance were all good peoples: Gunthar Rob, my roommate Rob, Steve, Mike, Anna, and Kat (who appeared earlier than she expected — she had to work). They ordered me a beer, which I had a few sips of but then handed it off to Steve. Try as they might, I will never really appreciate beer the same way others do. Mike and Anna gave me an awesome present of Pepsi and Pepsi products; I got me a schnazzy new Pepsi pencil case, Pepsi pens, and Pepsi pencils. Tres cool.

Pictures were taken, the birthday song was song, and dead animal was eaten. I’m glad that no matter what country I reside it, and despite absent faces, I always manage to have a good time with people I love.

Cheers mates!