Sunday was my birthday, and while turning 42 certainly has its own nerdy charm — although I still don’t know the secret of Life, the Universe and Everything — birthdays are not as welcome as they were when I was 12. I did manage to have a nice party with my family here in San Diego, though, which made it okay. Before the party, we all baked a birthday cake for me, and I realized that the time-honored American (Western?) tradition of licking the bowl after baking a cake was not one that the Japanese practiced. In fact, I was pretty sure my family back in Japan would stare in amazement if I explained the subtle hierarchy involved in determining while child would be able to lick the bowl or the beaters after a cake is baked.
The Meaning of Life, The Universe and Everything: 42
