Last Time I Checked, I'm A MAN.

21 years old. Now, there's no turning back. No special discounts, no restrictions and increased responsibilities. And I can drink in the US. Clearly, I am no longer a youth and am now an adult under the eyes of Western society. Forward ever, backward never, as Kwame Nkrumah used to say.

But that doesn't mean we can't have a little bit of fun on my birthday, eh? Which brings us to rule #12 of living abroad:

Just because you are away from friends and family doesn't mean you can't have an excessively large party on your birthday.

Thus, I brought out almost 20 friends for a night around the world: Chinese food, Lebanese ice cream, fake Irish pubbing and British karaoke bar. We had a grand old time (a special thanks to those who bought me a drink) and the hardiest of friends got to watch me sing "Summer Nights" from Grease with Priscilla.

Birthdays are kinda like funerals because people always come out of the woodwork to show that they like you. It's always great to be reminded of how many great people are here with me this semester. From the Carleton kids and Canadians to Americans to Ghanaians and beyond - it's great to be reminded. And my closest friends got together to buy me a drum. How cool is that?

Adulthood: it can only go downhill from here.