It's My Party

Sydney, New South Whales
Australia

I was talking to a fellow traveler about how much it sucks to be away from home around the holidays. As I whined, "It's just not the same..." he smugly replied, "We'll isn't that why you travel, because it's not the same." I do not care for this insensitive bloke, but I guess it not being the same did give me more of an appreciation for the holidays. I always looked forward to and enjoyed them, but having Christmas and my birthday without my family was a harshly different experience.

TOP 10 REASONS

"IT'S MY PARTY AND I'LL CRY IF I WANT TO"

-- Lesley Gore

1) I was sick.

2) No birthday cake.

3) No birthday presents.

4) No one bought me a drink all night.

5) I bought others drinks all night.

6) The friends I invited never showed.

7) The friends the other birthday girl invited did show and had no idea that it was my birthday.

8) There was another birthday girl.

9) The guy I was seeing was a jerk.

10) Only later would I find out that this was because he had a girlfriend.

TOP 5 REASONS

"IT'S ALRIGHT, HAVE A GOOD TIME, 'CAUSE IT'S ALRIGHT, WHOA IT'S ALRIGHT"

-- Huey Lewis And The News

1) My mom sent me a birthday brownie.

2) My mom sent me presents.

3) I bought myself a hot dress for my birthday.

4) I heard "I Come From A Land Down Under" for the first time in Australia; and the Aussies got wild on the dance floor.

5) I'm 24 now.

When this song first came on, to the great dismay of my new Aussie friends I didn't recognize this opening riff to the song. By the time even Deiter the Cheater was off the wall, I knew it was a big deal.

"Land Down Under"

Men at Work

Traveling in a fried-out combie

On a hippie trail, head full of zombie
I met a strange lady, she made me nervous
She took me in and gave me breakfast
And she said,

"Do you come from a land down under?
Where women glow and men plunder?
Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?
You better run, you better take cover."

Buying bread from a man in Brussels
He was six foot four and full of muscles
I said, "Do you speak-a my language?"
He just smiled and gave me a vegemite sandwich
And he said,

"I come from a land down under
Where beer does flow and men chunder
Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?
You better run, you better take cover."

Lying in a den in Bombay
With a slack jaw, and not much to say
I said to the man, "Are you trying to tempt me
Because I come from the land of plenty?"
And he said,

"Oh! Do you come from a land down under? (oh yeah yeah)
Where women glow and men plunder?
Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?
You better run, you better take cover."