Birthday in Japan! - UPDATED

[9mmed]

35
Let me tell you, this has been one for the books - one I'll never forget.

First off, it's thirty-five, and while it's not one of the big milestones like 21 or 40, it is important. 35 is the harbinger of 40. I'm not anymore afraid of forty than I am the boogieman, despite the fact that I still run up the stairs after turning off the lights in my parent's basement. Old habits die hard, I guess.

35 is also the middle of the average American's life. I was told a few years back by a friend of mine that this was so, and that the habits I form by 35 - in terms of diet and excersize at least- will stay with me for the rest of my life. I didn't take chances when I heard it around thirty or thirty-one. I made an effort to convert my habits of eating fast food, and I took running more seriously. I even sarted running races - a fact that would make my junior high gym teachers heads spin. Sometimes I stray, but I'm still running and cooking my own food with nutrition in mind. Like a grown up!

This birthday is a landmark in many ways. I may not be a wild success in business, nor am I where I want to be with my beloved comics, but in many ways I can claim to be happy.

First, and most obvious, I'm living my dream of living and working in Japan. I'm doing it as an English teacher, but it seems to be going well and its really just about hanging out with kids all day. I walk in, get a rock star welcome from excited kids and screaming girls, and we play games. I am still making comics, even if it's not full time yet. I have a great girl, even if she's overseas. My family has had some serious challenges, but are holding tight together.

On Tuesday I taught at a new elementarty school for me. It was a pretty good day despite the challenge of figuring out how to teach months to people in a foreign language without using letters. I must have mentioned at some point that the next day was my birthday, because when I got back from afternoon class, ther was this little package on my desk. I don't know who gave it to me, but I thanked the head teacher and later opened it at my favorite coffeeshop in Kashiwa, Cafe Line.



What could it be?



Open



Open top packet, pour syrup over powder. Do not sniff powder.



Mix syrup into powder, creating a sort of caramel-like icing.



Stab into coated gummy rice candy underneath



Enjoy - Yum!!!

The next day, my real birthday, I had a great day! The lessons went well, and I was sung to in 2 classes. At lunch and in the halls students wished me happy birthday, and after my last classe, 3 students came in with a card that they made:





The card in close up

Several teachers gave me gifts, such as a little box of "fancy Chocolates," 3 single packs of coffee, and some really nice mint sweets. The 3 students and the teachers in the room all sang to me, so that was really cool. After school, I met up with friends Hannah and Paul for a quick dinner followed by drinks at my favorite bar, the Hula Palm. I'd been there the previous Friday, and I brought my sketchbook to draw for real, but also as an icebreaker. It worked, and I had a GREAT time hanging ut there trading Japanese for English.

Click to view

Hannah and Paul also really liked the place, especially because their area is pretty rural. Like REALLY rural. My friend who work at the bar, Sachiko and Yuske were working that night, and they brought out a birthday cake! ...of sorts. It was waffles and fruit, but with ice cream and chocolate syrup. It was a great presentation, with 2 skinny, tall candles, too!





Hannah's delicious drink made with swet potato booze called Imo-Shochou.



My drink - Sachiko's favorite. Looks cool, right?



Hula Palm hosts: Unknown Guy, Yuske, and Sachiko

We were done there abut 9:30, and I avoided a complimentary chaser to my second drink. I did have to work the next day and entertain kids, after all ;) I talked that morning to my long time friend Jim Lee, too. Because his birthday's on the 20th, so we had a mini celebration of simultaneous B-Days. I also received a gift card from Colleen to help me buy a much needed comfy chair for my apartment here, and I also got this eCard from my friend Adrienne:



By the end of the day, my Facebook page was blowin' up with birthday wishes, and I got a few other wishes and e-cards. All in all, pretty awesome. I have no complaints about 35 at all.