Everyone is asking me what I will be drinking this Sunday. In America, you may know, 21 is the drinking age.

For some reason I am bad with drinking. While in Armenia, for example, I got sick two weeks ago just from drinking two small glasses of wine. Beer is out of question; “Sex on the beach” is tolerable.

So yes, I will be 21 this Sunday. But what worries me is not the fact that I won’t be able to drink much, but the simple reason of having a birthday that I don’t want to have.

It’s not that I am getting old. I guess I am afraid from the question, “what did you do for your birthday?” Because quite simply I may not have an answer to that.

Friends? I have many in America. But I don’t really know the definition of a “friend” here. In Armenia, for example, I don’t need to tell my friends that it’s my birthday or invite them. They will be there on that day no matter if I am doing anything or not. They will be at the airport to meet me even if I tell them I don’t like being welcomed like a president. 

Actually at my work I was treated like a president today. They had organized a surprise party for me attended by about 45 employees! I entered a committee room and voila – lights are turned on and people start singing Happy Birthday, Simon! Even the House Speaker, whose actual birthday is today, had to delay his own small birthday gathering to attend mine. So, yes, I felt more than special and especially loved the dozens of happy birthday cards. One of the cards congratulated my 92nd birthday, with a note from a senior millionaire friend stating, “Simon you know I am cheap. So I decided you can use this card for 71 more times and I won’t have to buy you another one.”

And again, everyone asked what I was going to do on Sunday! And I was quite speechless, because I didn’t want to say that I don’t think I am going to have anything at all, not at least with the people that I would like to be there, which would include my sister in Armenia and her little daughter, my brother who got me a nice surprize by getting himself into a little trouble and won’t be with me this Sunday, my High School friends in Armenia and of course a girl that I am not sure if she is still my girlfriend or not.

And yeah, I wear glasses now. I guess that upsets me the most. Happy Birthday to me.

p.s. after posting the above, I scrolled down the page and saw the photo of Kim Kardashian. Kim, maybe you could prepare a surprize party for me this Sunday? I guess she doesn’t remember me! lol