One of the joys of parenthood is your child's firsts. I'm not a parent, at least not yet. But I have nieces and a nephew, and have been around babies enough to know. I've witnessed first steps, first words, first crawls… Thinking of the joy I felt, I can only imagine how the parents feel.

Firsts don't stop at baby-hood. Although they do get fewer as one grows, they never stop coming. Today, my birthday was about firsts. Obviously not my first birthday, but the first in my second quarter century. In a way, it's a first.

There was one big first that threatened to ruin my day. I've been using Adobe Illustrator in my school work, and at work too. Today though, I had to use InDesign, for the first time. Long story short, it didn't go well. My afternoon was largely a frustrating one.

There was also a big first that made things better. As it seemed like it'd be another on my growing list of quiet birthday evenings at home, some brothers invited me to dinner. We ate at Taco Bell, which was my first time.

Since I came to Japan I've experienced quite a lot of firsts. They've sort of dried out after close to 7 years though. Allow me to share some of my favorite firsts in this Japan adventure.

Let's go back to my first night in Tokyo. It was also my first time at McDonalds. You know those fast-food cups… they have covers you push the straw through? I'd never seen them, I didn't know that. So when I got my Fanta, I sat down and took the top off to drink. Friend to the rescue… "see, you do it like this."

Today someone asked about the strangest food I ever ate. Can you take a guess…
I'm almost certain your guess wasn't snail. It was the first time, and hopefully the last I will ever eat snail. Yeah, it was that bad.

Oh, my first flight. Those you don't forget. I'm there on Emirates with my friend, also his first flight. Dinner time, we get trays with food and 'other things' we weren't so sure about. My friend was cautious, he took his time to find out what was the appetizer, main course and dessert. Not me. I was enjoying too much to think about it. After all, everything was ending in the same place, my stomach.

When I thought I'd cleared everything, I notice this stick like thing. It had sugar written on it. I was confused. Was there something I should have put the sugar into? I ask my friend, but he wasn't much help. As I was determined to clear everything, I tear the stick sugar open and empty it into my mouth. Fast forward a few minutes, the beautiful flight attendant comes, "tea or coffee, sir?"

It's then that it occurred to us why there was sugar on our trays. My friend couldn't resist laughing at me. "Apple juice, please", that's all the boy from village could say. He knew for that he didn't need sugar. They say "you can take a boy out of the village…"

I can't say the village has left him completely, but he's learned a few things here and there. And the adventure continues… I pray God shall give me many more years, and many more memorable firsts.