My Birthday
I was born on September 15th, 1987 and a week ago was my 19th birthday. For some reason people choose to make each other feel extra special once every year on the anniversary of their birth. That makes me feel a little uncomfortable every year, as it seems somewhat arbitrary to me that people would honor ME on the day of my birth. I can understand being honored, when I actually accomplish something that's worth honoring, but I had nothing at all to do with me being born. Not that the event of me being born is significant enough to honor anyway.
Honestly, most people that are close to me make me feel special on a daily basis, and they certainly didn't need to make me feel any extra special on my birthday. But they did.
I'm sure most people are probably familiar with feeling extra special for their birthday. Once you get past the awkwardness of it all, it feels quite nice, actually.
I got quite a few emails from my fans all over the world wishing me a happy birthday. Thanks for that, I did in fact have a happy birthday.
Then I got a pair of pink boxers from Sweet Bazoongas AKA PinkPanties AKA Lindsay. I'm wearing them right now and they're nice.
On Sunday Sue, Olga, Mark, Barry and I went out to celebrate my birthday, which was awesome. Early morning we went to Ronald Reagan's Presidential Library and then a restaurant. Sweet Bazoongas kept me up late the night before, so I was a little out of it, but I have to say the Presidential Library was so cool, it exceeded all my expectations. We took some pictures while we were there.
Here we are at the Air Force One part of the museum:
http://www.galchenko.com/BakalorsGalchenkosAF1.JPG
Reagan's role in the fall of the Berlin Wall is in my opinion exaggerated, hence there was a whole section of the museum dedicated to the Berlin Wall:
http://www.galchenko.com/VovaBerlinWall.JPG
Part of the Berlin Wall department was devoted to East Berlin, which gave Olga and I the opportunity for this picture:
http://www.galchenko.com/O+VSoviets.JPG
The Berlin Wall part of the museum also featured a bunch of silly quotes by Russian communists, which I hope were taken out of context:
http://www.galchenko.com/SovietsQuote.JPG
I believe that's all the Ronal Reagan museum pictures that I have.
After we were done with the museum, we went to the restaurant, name of which I forgot. That was fun. We talked about spinach and e. coli among other things.
Once we were done with the food, we went home and then I went to the Promenade to street perform. That didn't go as well as it goes in the summer... but hey, it's better than nothing. I don't think this picture is from that day, but it's a picture of me running 7c in my street show:
http://www.galchenko.com/VovaStreetShow.JPG
The coolest thing I got for my bithday this year was an email from my parents about the day I was born and the dreams they had/have for me. That made me teary-eyed. {Insert an offspring-parents love cliche here}. When I was younger and living with my parents, I suppose I was taking a lot of what my parents were doing for me for granted. Not seeing them for a few years put how much they influenced my life in perspective for me.
So that's it for my birthday. Big thanks to all who helped make me feel extra special on my birthday, and an even bigger thanks to those of you who make me feel special on a regular basis.
Comments
Happy Birthday mate.
Freddy
Posted by: Freddy Sheed | September 23, 2006 05:15 AM
Happy Belated Birthday.
Posted by: Nick | September 23, 2006 05:27 AM
belated birthday wishes!
Posted by: Dave | September 23, 2006 06:12 AM
It was Elephant Bar, the restaurant we went to. Only the coolest place in the world. But yeah, the milkshakes do suck, they're a little liquidy.
Posted by: OIga | September 23, 2006 08:01 AM
"Not that the event of me being born is significant enough to honor anyway." Of course it is.
Posted by: Clay Johnson | September 23, 2006 08:48 AM
haha awesome! now you're PinkBoxers :P
Posted by: Lindsay | September 23, 2006 11:03 AM
Vova,
I just wanted to congratulate you on being born. It's not an easy task, and not everyone can do it. I mean, heck, just think about all the sperm in the world that never even make it to the zygote stage, and all the eggs that never get fertalized. And yet, you were able to pull it off, and not only were you successfully born, but thanks to the development of complex organs and control systems, you have continued to be alive for years. Oh sure, nearly everyone else alive in the world can claim a similar victory, but, what about everyone who isn't? I'm not really sure where I'm going with this, but good job, and congratulations, and best of luck continuing to not die as the years continue.
Posted by: Jeff | September 23, 2006 12:53 PM
I still have trouble getting past the awkwardness of people who don't normally talk to me wishing me a happy birthday.
Posted by: Chris Merra | September 23, 2006 01:44 PM
hey Vova, do could you possibly post some clips of your street performance? Thanks...
Posted by: Carey Pickford | September 24, 2006 04:32 PM
happy birthday from italy
Posted by: RIK | September 25, 2006 08:53 AM
COMMUNISTS! I KNEW IT! /o\
Happy Birthday :D
Posted by: Tesseract | September 25, 2006 11:41 AM
HAPPY b DAY~
Posted by: TONY~ | September 25, 2006 08:53 PM
Another off topic question, hows that street performing DVD comming?
Posted by: anonymouse | September 25, 2006 09:12 PM
I like to think of birthdays, not as a "well done for being born", but more of a "hope you've had a good year, hope you have a better next 365 days".
Then again, I very rarely celebrate birthdays. I remember one year the only thing I got was a single text message from my mother saying "happy bday". Great.
Happy Birthday Vova!
Posted by: Luke | September 26, 2006 06:51 AM
Hei
Congratulations with a well passed 19th.
I think that the great thing about birthdays is the fact that everybody has one, no matter what skills or achievements they have done or not.
By celebrating it proudly you are sending out signals not that you are special, but that everyone is precious.
Besides, if you are going to celebrate Christmas, then celebrate the rest of the living also :)
Thank you for the great display of stamina and skill, it was most apreciated and made me feel happy :)
God bless you
Olav Arne
Posted by: Olav Arne | September 29, 2006 06:04 AM
HAHA cool you have the same b-day as my sister how weird...
People celebrate b-days because you get a little older and when you get older.... umm.... well. i dont know... BUT you get stuff on your b-day so it is a cool day. MINE IS MAY 2 THE SAME A LITTLE ROMEO!!!!!
Posted by: ERICthelittlejuggler | October 2, 2006 10:31 AM
Hunger finds no fault with cookery... Sarah
Posted by: Sarah | November 21, 2006 10:39 PM
To cook a hare before catching him... Didimus
Posted by: Didimus | November 24, 2006 10:06 AM
Health is not valued till sickness comes... Ottewell
Posted by: Ottewell | November 24, 2006 10:26 AM
Packed like herrings... Edwin
Posted by: Edwin | November 29, 2006 02:08 AM
Company in distress makes trouble less... Guy
Posted by: Guy | November 29, 2006 02:09 AM
A great fortune is a great slavery... Wymond
Posted by: Wymond | November 29, 2006 12:48 PM