Thursday, January 25, 2007

Birthdays

How can I turn 43 and say I'm 44? It's my upbringing and it's given Mike no ends of headaches, because he doesn't like aging two years at once. LOL

In the Philippines (at least the barios we lived in in Southern Mindanao) you are "runnning" your age. On your first birthday you ARE one year old but it IS the start of your second year....and when asked you either say "2" or "running 2" - which means you are living or running your second year....and since the "running" is assumed...it's often shortened so when someone would say, "how old is your one year old?" Instead of running 2, you'd simply answer, "2."

I AM 43 - but this IS the start of my 44th year.... The trouble comes when I forget - as I usually do until about November (Mike's birthday) - and think I'm the bigger number. Mike is faithful to correct me everytime he hears me give out the wrong age. LOL

Also in the PI - on your birthday YOU throw the party in celebration and thankfulness of YOUR life - your friends come to your home but you give them gifts and you handle the expense etc. A bit less self centered than what I've observed in America...but I'm learning the American ways. ::snort::

They also often wake you in the a.m. singing outside your window.

11 comments:

Yvonne said...

Happy Birthday, De'Etta! ~Yvonne

Anonymous said...

Sis: The best explaination of "running" birthday's heard in a long time. However when you reach 60 we found we don't want to use the running approach anymore but would prefer a real good backwards count.

Dad is really in the dumps as one would expect.

Was nice talking to you yesterday.

l/p

Anonymous said...

LOL...Thanks for the explanation Sis! The PI way works for me...as I child I used to think that was the correct way to do it...the counting and the party w/gifts for others, but my family thought I was crazy! Nice to know it happens that way somewhere in His world! {G} Feels as though the Lord has just helped me feel a bit less out of place in this world.

Praying for your Dad.

Susan Silver Dill said...

I like the PI way! Makes sense to me. I think that's what I may do on my birthday this year. And that makes me running 42.

BTW I have a great banana bread recipe you would like...whole wheat, honey, coconut oil... was the best I have ever made. Absolute YUM!!

Anonymous said...

sis: Oh how we miss those surprise 3am singing times.... BUT of course we just somehow had a nice breakfast prepared for everyone. :):) We really do miss many things about the PI's.

l/p

Kristine said...

Lol. Way back when, my mom was so worried about the thought of turning 29 that when she finally turned 29, she thought she was turning 30.

As for me, I've been long considering dropping five years off my age. :)

Renee said...

Korea has a "different" way of calculating age as well.. No matter what month you are born you turn 1yo on Lunar New Year....and you grow older after that on your actual birthday....so some children could "be" 2 years old when they are one year and one day old

Anonymous said...

De'Etta,

Thank You! my husband and I have (playfully) argued about starting a new year after the date of your birth. I had him read your post so he would see that I am not the only person in the world who thinks this way! Happy (belated) start of your 44th year!

Kristine in SA

DeEtta @ Courageous Joy said...

LOL - so many of you count as strange as I do and you aren't even Third Culture Kids? Wow - ya'll are just strange. ::snort::

Ducking...

DeEtta @ Courageous Joy said...

Susan - I would love to have your banana bread recipe - it sounds great!!!

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday!

Jen in Az.