[This Hajime's going to have to clamp down some on his natural gloom and doom tendencies--he doesn't like upsetting kids, and this one says he'll be nine.]

There's no real way of knowing what's going on back home.

But I don't see why birthdays here wouldn't count. Some sort of time is still passing. Doesn't matter where you are as long as you've lived the year. That's still worthy of a celebration.