Birthday!

Turning 25 is actually kind of a bummer when you think about it. Sure I can rent a car when I come home, but it also means I'm a quarter century old! Whoa, quarter life crisis. But my day was turned out to be pretty excellent. It was on a Friday, and for about a week and half, we had a countdown on the board in my classroom. And to be honest, I think my kids were about four as excited as I was. Every day that week, as soon as I entered the classroom, they immediately swarmed me and demand that write the new number in the countdown. So as you can imagine, I was a little excited to show up that morning.

At the beginning of the school day, all of the classes line up in the courtyard outside for the prayer and the National Anthem. So on my birthday, I was running about 5 minutes late and the kids in the primary grades had already started lining up. So as I was making way through all the kids, I noticed that no one from my classroom was in our line. I was a little perplexed as to where everyone was, but as I started walking up the steps outside my classroom, it became pretty obvious. The kids had attempted to hide in our classroom and surprise me. Unfortunately, there were some eager beavers who had to run down the stairs and start pulling me in the classroom. Regardless, once I made it into the classroom, I was greeted with shouts of 'Surprise' and 'Happy Birthday Teacher Mike!' and mobbed as soon as I walked in the door. And really, I wish I had a camera sitting on my shoulder, because I swear I have the best job in the world and this would have just helped convince the rest of you. Seeing dozens of adorable Thai children 17 times more excited for your birthday than you are....it was awesome, there is no other word for it.

Anyways, the day went great, we had classes and stuff all day, so we didn't get to have cake until the afternoon. As is our tradition in EP1 Blue, the birthday boy (me) sat in a desk while everyone else in the class surrounds him (or her) and sings Happy Birthday as the teacher (usually me, but Mai in the case) brings over the cake, candles alight. Mai was great and managed to get some pictures of me about to blow out the candles with everyone. (Usually we make a rule that only the birthday child can blow them out, to avoid tears and multiple relightings, but you can see me asking everyone to help starting to count down in the picture.) Then we cut up the two cakes I had bought and ate till our hearts content.

I also got plenty of presents, which, admittedly, was 40% of the reason I made a big deal out of my birthday in the first place. Obviously getting anything is awesome, and honestly, I like all the homemade cards best of all, but the presents I got were just....interesting. A quick list: A suede wallet sized picture holder, a leather wallet, 3 things of chocolate, a 12 pack of vitamin loaded prune juice, a brown coffee cup and saucer with a picture of a cowboy and 'Rodeo' stamped on it, a set of elephant salt and pepper shakers, a brand new music manuscript notebook, two clutch type things (both rather girly), a four pack of soap, a pen from Universal Studios Singapore, a wooden beaded bracelet, a wooden beaded keychain doll, and my favorite, a silver, script, 'M' keychain with like fake diamonds on the whole front of the M...just so random and funny. But very awesome. (And I did get some real gifts, tshirts from Lex and Adam, Mai, and the Thai teacher in my other class, Kru Mon.) I also finished the day up with a delish meal of tapas that Lex and Adam were nice enough to treat me too. Overall, it was a pretty excellent day. And I'm a pretty lucky guy.

TPWWLT - Big Pun - 'Still Not A Player'