Bulgogi Birthday

Hey Everyone,

So for those of you who either don't know me that well yet, or just straight up don't know me... (if you don't actually know me and you're reading this i ask you to strongly re-evaluate your social life)... today is my 24th birthday.

But wait Darren it's only your 23rd birthday, you may say to yourself yet address to me...

To which i reply... That's right, but in Korea when you are born you are 1 year old, therefore as per the local system i am 24. So i bid you adieu sweet 23, you are the age i will never be....

Anyways, I'll be honest, I've bless with some amazing birthday presents in my lifetime. When i was 6 i got a Super Nintendo from my parents (possibly the most vivid memory of my childhood), When i was 19, my ex got me a wicked expensive double kick pedal (which i still use a lot yet am somehow remarkably shitty with) and almost every year my best friend writes me these hilarious home-made stories which can only be explained by seeing them and are really only funny if you are "in" with some of our many inside jokes...

But today i may have received a present that beats them all, for out of nowhere one of my 15 year old korean students who speaks maybe 4 sentences of english gave me the amazing birthday gift that is.... A giant garbage bag filled with pork.

Yes, after informing me earlier today that his favorite food is a Korean marinated Pork called Bulgogi, a fine young Korean man asked me after my last class today to confirm, "today is birthday???" After affirming his hypotheses, this wonderful child pulled out a rolled up black garbage bag filled with raw meat out of his backpack and said. "I get you present. It's Bulgogi." Now i have no idea how long this pork was in his backpack for and i'll be honest, i didnt get home to my freezer for at least 4 hours later (the 3rd grade... which is actually 12th grade teachers in Korea, wanted me to join them for an amazing Korean Beef dinner tonight)... So this Korean delicacy, "Bulgogi," my very well just straight up kill me. That said, I'm never one to turn down a gift, and im so flattered that one of my students actually got me a birthday present, that after freezing this meat for about 3 days, im gonna cook me up some. If i dont post again for awhile, its cuz im in the hospital with salmenella.

Anyways, just thought that was kind of a funny story. And to confirm how my birthday went (I was kind of half joking at home when i said i would spend my birthday this year crying myself to sleep alone in my apartment) I actually went out and got food and drinks with the teachers from my school. The vice-principal treated us to some Korean Beef which i will go out on a limb here and say is probably the best beef ive ever had in my life.

These middle aged Korean men love to buy me liquor and food... Now i know what it feels like to be female and hot.....

Until next time

PS, the picture is what bulgogi is supposed to look like.... i dont think im gonna be so lucky