My dad told me that he spent the whole day flipping through my old photographs. He detailed each one for me, progressing through the course of my life: the day I was born and sat on the palm of my dad’s hand, the day I turned one and dressed in traditional Korean clothing, the day I got a new brother and cried for the lack of attention, the first day I went to pre-school without a moment’s nervousness…all leading up to even those few pictures of me emaciated and ill.

All throughout the course of my life, He drew a clear picture for me on how God was present in me, leading and guiding me every step of the way. And then he mentioned all the people who have cared for me, who have prayed for me, who have loved and blessed me, and how God answered their prayers by restoring my spiritual, mental and physical health…

I couldn’t help it. Each time I read a new paragraph, fresh tears flowed as my heart was gripped with a complex mix of overwhelming emotions: love, appreciation, gratefulness, even pain.

You know…every birthday, I had always expected something out of other people. Whether it is for them to remember my birthday, or say “Happy birthday” to me, or give me presents, etc, I’d always met my birthday with the idea that I should be the one who is celebrated.

Thank you, my brother, for enduring all the family dramas, and treating me so gently and patiently.

I contemplating having noodles for my birthday, but I decided that I better stick to my trademark favorite ingredients. Can you guess what they are?

Then heat up some oil in a skillet, and start cooking the onions:
Once the onions get kind of soft, toss in the turkey-vegetables mixture, pouring in all the marinade as well:
Cook until done:
g title="IMG_0991" style="display:block;float:none;border-width:0;margin:20px auto;" height="320" alt="IMG_0991" src="http://burpandslurp.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/img_0991_thumb.jpg" width="420" border="0" /> Stuff it into the kabocha on top of a baking sheet:
Bake at about 425 degrees for about 20 minutes, and then top with feta and Parmesan cheese, and bake for 10 more minutes until cheese is melted and the kabocha is cooked through.
Oh my gosh. I can’t believe this is the first time I tried stuffing a kabocha. I’ve been seeing these around in a lot of blogs, such as The Broccoli Hut, and am I super-glad I tried it out! But of course I had to put my unique spin by going Korean-style!
The marinade is amaaaaaazing. Have you guys ever tried the spicy Korean pork BBQ called duaejikogi? I used the same marinade recipe for this.
Spicy, with a touch of sweetness, and inteeeeense! Totally freaking flavorful.
I didn’t cook the vegetables too much, so that they don’t get mushy, but retains a bit of a crunch.
Do you eat the skin? Nothing was left when I was done with this.
By the way, nobody except Mimi and Kathryn knows about my birthday. I find it kind of awkward to go around boasting about my 22nd birthday to my 18-year-old friends, heh heh.

But one of my friends somehow found out and sent me this beautiful flowers:
And I got a new USC mug!
I USC indeed!

Thank you for all your emails, tweets, and facebook messages wishing me a good birthday. Today was definitely the most amazing birthday I had…because for once, I’m not celebrating myself, but others. And you know what? I am freaking blessed, because I am surrounded by beautiful, amazing people. Now that, is the best birthday present I can ever want!

P.S. To commemorate a new beginning of a new 22nd year, I’ve updated my About Me Page…Please check it out! >.<