2010 - The year I celebrate TWO birthdays!

With my brother in South Africa on my birthday last year (2009)

It's 6am (Korean time) on Thursday, July 29 2010. It's my birthday today! I woke up about an hour before my alarm clock went off. There were a couple of text messages on my cell phone and emails from family & friends around the world - South Africa, UK, New Zealand and Indonesia all wishing me well.

For as long as I can remember, birthdays have been a very important and special day in my family. My dad's been counting down my birthday for the past month by reminding me in emails "how many days are left" :-) Sound a bit childish? Not if you know my family!

Some people say that as one gets older, birthdays lose its novelty. Not with me. I love birthdays and why shouldn't you? I know that some people are a bit uncomfortable with all the attention and having the spotlight thrown on them for 24 hours, but to look at it from a different perspective, a birthday celebrates you. The day you were born. What could be a more special day in your life than that?

Last night I told my friend Joo-hyeon, "I want to pretend that tomorrow is a different date."
"You want to postpone your birthday?" she asked.
"Yes."

She knew the reason why. 
I was so looking forward to this day because I was going to spend it with my family, but...due to unforeseen circumstances, plans have changed. So I think I may be spending the day alone. Or, completely different to how I originally planned it. Bummer.

Last year this time, I was in South Africa. It was the first birthday in seven years that I spent at home with my family!

"You're lucky. You can have two special birthdays. One with your Korean friends and one with your family, because you're special," Joo-hyeon said.

Anyway, I do plan on having two birthdays this year.
Why? Because I said so and because I can! :-)