Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Turning 30

As I blogged about ages ago, everyone in Vietnam turns a year older during Tet Holiday regardless of when their actual birthday is. This means that I'm about to turn thirty next week in the eyes of 84 million people.

Even though I personally don't subscribe to this birthday rule, it does bring up the issue that I will be turning 30 at some point this year. In fact, nearly all of my best friends will be thirty by the end of 2009.

This past week, was one of my best bud's birthday bashes. Tom Tancred -- who I describe to people as "The coolest guy I know" and my sister describes as "Ben's man crush" -- turned the thirty corner in memorable fashion. Tom rented out a warehouse in Los Angeles and threw a "Greasers vs. Socs" theme party. Here's the poster for the throw down:

(PHOTO: Tom through the years.)




















(PICTURE: Tom and Maggie at Tom's 30th)











Perhaps the most memorable part of "The Outsiders" is Pony Boy reciting Robert Frost's poem, "Nothing Gold Can Stay":

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
so dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.


Well, Robert Frost was right. Tom, I hope you enjoy being thirty...because on January 26th, the first day of Tet, you're 31 in Vietnam.

Speaking of gold, check out the golden tan Tom got when we were on the beaches of Greece a few years ago:

3 comments:

elena said...

i see why you have such an intense man crush! vertical stripes are SO in. also i'm pretty jealous that I don't know anybody cool enough to throw a THEME party in a WHAREHOUSE. it sounds like a sure recipe for good times.

Laura said...

(1) WE could be best friends, ben! i'll be 30 by the end of the year!
(2) this actually just brings up something i have been worrying about for a few months now. alas, my plans are not going to be quite this awesome. but no surprise, since i'm not awesome enough to wear that swimsuit either.

REDTANK said...

wish you were there to celebrate. you would of totally been a soc.
every time i see that speedo pic i am shocked a modeling agency hasn't contacted me. since the pic will now be seen by a international audience let me know if europe wants me for the fall fashion shows.
stay gold
TT