Today's Announcement : Music is added to the blog. Sincere thanks go to JillC, who generously created the music clip and hosted them on her site. Both Jill and Jaime have graciously taught me how to link it on the blog. Thank you Thank you Thank you my dearest sisters.
Briefly, this Mozart piece is from his Piano Concerto No.21, movement 2 Andante. This is one of my most favorite Mozart. Whenever I listen to it, I think about HRH. It makes me think the two share some common qualities - the more you repeat listening (Mozart) or watching (HRH), the more you love them. Both bring beauty and peace to my mind. Both endure the test of time. For this I love!
Today's Readings : A glimpse of how HRH works - bb's "an angel's smile". The way our HRH treats his work is phenomenal. Don't forget, there is another bb's translation that I love dearly, click here to read TWSSG PD Yun, in an interview describing how YJ works. PD Yun called HRH tiring. He tires people out with his desire to perfection. I can tell HRH has extraordinary energy that can tire a lot of ordinary people out. I am thankful the first time not being his co-worker. I'd rather settle to be his viewer and supporter, hehe... I am never tired of watching him, reading about him, thinking about him, and whenever I can, writing about him.
Today's Thought : "Man shall not live by bread alone" ... is it fare to say that it is the art that nurtures your spirit, the art is like the vitamins to our spiritual needs? Our HRH works so diligently to present his works as perfect as possible. He is seriously treating his works as arts, to me they are the Vitamins B. A. E.. I am less happy if I don't take my vitamins B.A.E everyday!
Most of us need to work in order to put the bread on the table. For the fortunate ones, they get to work on the things they enjoy. At the end of the day, other than the genius who enjoys their work 24-7 throughout the year, most of us feel weary and stressed after a long day of work, be it inside or out of the house. I am a workaholic, I unconsciously look out for work to do. Most of the time, I found myself signing up for too much. But even if I get the most enjoyable work to be busy for 14 hours a day, still I need to wind down after working crazily like this for 5 days. I did realize that watching TV is one of the easiest ways for relaxation. Think this is the case for most of people, everyone needs certain form of entertainment to relax. Thanks to the invention of motion pictures and TVs, a significant portion of today's entertainment involves TV watching or movie going. So the world need entertainers like HRH whose careers are to provide entertainment.
However, HRH is no ordinary entertainer. An ordinary entertainer offers entertainment and the audiences receive it. Mostly this is a one way activity, audiences typically receive the entertainment in a passive way. Having a significant amount of fans who enjoy his performances is one of the measurements for a successful entertainer. HRH is unique, his work does not stop at just providing entertainment, he strives to make his works to be appreciated as art. His fans are unique too. They do not stop at merely enjoying his performances, they create artworks with their various talents, sometimes I think their own work offer each other entertainments as well.
There is another word that fits better for this type of entertainment, it is called recreation. Recreation is a type of entertainment which the individual is actively engaged in for amusement or satisfaction, instead of for mere leisure. Normally when we hear the word recreation, we think about sports that is outside of our houses. But today being in the bae family, I noticed there is a unique type of recreation that can be done at home, in front of a computer, on the internet, with inspired thoughts on HRH, based on this man's works, people are carrying on all kinds of creative activities such as making MVs, poems, drawing, slideshows combining music and HRH pictures, translating articles into different languages, and so on, and so on. One great example is the TWSSG Filming Diary. It is the accounts of TWSSG shooting observations made by staff members, fans, (I don't really know) and was published on the TWSSG Official Making Book, originally written in Japanese,translated into Korean by eojinee, translated into English by suehan, and to Chines by Lynnzhoulily. These translations are posted on various bae-sites, including baidu.com, quilt, and bb's blog, etc. for sharing.
Here let me share a MV made by a dear sister JillC, one of the web hostess at www.truelovebyj.com. This is one of my most favorite TWSSG artworks, entitled "The Legend". Some of you must have seen it before, I am keeping it here for the record, and for viewing it conveniently whenever I can.
Now with the intensiveness, seriousness, and high quality of these recreational effort, I do think that they should be recognized as real priceless work. Look, HRH works as an entertainer, who inspires so many people to work creatively, happily and freely for each other around the world. Can you simply call him just an entertainer? How about calling him The Legend.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Sunday, February 10, 2008
His Fans Made Who I am Today
Taking this as New Year's Meditation? So be it!
I've known HRH since 2004. Up until now, not a day I am not asking myself How? why? When? What? Who? Whence? Which? Basically, what exactly happened that I became a "fan" of his, the name "fan" that I had never imagined that I could be associated with in my entire life. I DID NOT have an idol and I admired nobody! That was essentially the old proud me. But since when I fell from the high above mountain flat down to the ground and then back up to the cloud nine? Was it the Hotelier, the Winter Sonata, the Have We Really Loved, or the Untold Scandal, or the First Love??? Hard to tell, still up to today, still, it's hard to tell which one is my most favorite, they all are.
Or was it that he was so handsome? But I vividly remember that after I watched the Hotelier in 2004, the very first South Korean drama I had ever watched in my life, I commented to hubby that this Frank Shin guy, although bearing a comfortable ordinary look, his clear-mind, determination and straightforward personality is quite outstanding and charming. Even at that time, I watched this drama twice, and believe it or not, I did not know the actor's name. I, being the ascent-minded drama watcher, never paid attention to the actor's name, only buried my mind in the stories and the characters.
Then someday somehow I mentioned to a friend's husband on the phone that I liked this Korean drama Hotelier, which is out of my expectation a quite fun, modern, bright Korean drama. So he said, "Oh, you like that famous actor Bae Yong-joon?"
I said "What? Who?"
"Ah, that glasses guy, he is very famous". The other end of the phone suggested, "We have his most successful drama Winter Sonata, wanna watch?".
"Well, only if it is funny and happy", I requested, "Did anyone get sick or die?"
"Hmmm... no one got broken legs or arms and so on", he replied, "but he got blinded".
"Forget it! Don't want to watch any sad drama like that! NOT my dish!" That's my verdict to Winter Sonata.
But somehow, I could not resist on checking this newly heard name Bae Yong-joon on the web. There I started my yet another "first time record" - surfing and reading about someone, something that is not work related. From then on, I could never stop.
The first bae-site I found was baidu.com BYJ Forum, there I found so many people talking about Winter Sonata. Clicking on some of the WLS pictures, and I saw two extremely ordinarily looking couple, nowadays I know they are Jun-sang and Yu-jin. Later on I found out a secret of BYJ - you got to watch him 3+ times to appreciate his beauty, the more you watch, the more you can discover about his beauty, the more you are addicted to him. After watching him 3 times, he magically transformed from being ordinarily looking into stunningly handsome. It's a mystery!
Well back then, before I found his beauty, 'twas only when I started reading about fans comments on the WLS stories, did I get attracted to this drama. After a few days of reading the Bae fans writings, I called up the friend who offered me the Winter Sonata, and begged "Can I borrow it, please?"
Then I read about "Have We Really Loved?". The brief description of each episode already got me hooked to this story. First time ever, I purchased the DVD HWRL, together with WLS and Hotelier. Before this, I had never ever spent a cent on DVDs - not worth the money and time, they are just the temporary pleasures that pass with time. But HRH's works are different, I know the value of owning them, they are absolutely great deals - I got to watch them countless times and obtained so much pleasure and joy.
In one way or another, I concluded that it was not his look that attracted me first, I largely believe that it was his fans who allured me into this bae-world, which he called "family" (Another concept that struck me).
Yesterday this proved my theory once more - I "accidentally" googled on "Bae Yong-joon", and found this article from Fillip - http://www.nst.com.my/blogs/fillips/191. Thought this was not a new discovery. I recalled that I reposted Fillip's posting about Winter Sonata in my blog before. Also vaguely remembered that Yokee or someone mentioned about this posting of Fillip's with the accounts of Bae Yong-joon. The information in this posting is completely familiar to me. The most fun part of reading this article lies in the reading of its reader's comments. Here are some of them that I found most amusing, some made me giggle and some made my heart burns.
From Mae
I just saw my first K-drama which was of course by amazing chance, "Winter Sonata" and was totally mesmerized by the quality of acting...and now that I think about it...the way BYJ left that haunting impression on me...those looks...so I'm glad you filled me in on this apparently already much coveted actor...glad I didn't find out about him earlier (H: he is such a killer, glad that I lived care-free for so long before meeting him ...) ..or else I would have lost my mind being so far from him over here in the US. (H: That's exactly me ... lost my mind as a consequence of knowing him ...) But thanks-it's nice to know...and dream...
From wenvy ann salcedo
I love him tlga! I wish I can watch someday tha April Snow. I heard something about that drama and I want to see him again and his stunning smile that kills me softly. (H: "Stunning smile that kills me softly". Such an interesting expression of killing someone SOFTLY, only you can do it HRH!)
I can say with great confidence that I am his biggest fan. It started when I saw him in Winter Sonata.
The ending was great because he became more handsome! I wish I was Choi Ji Woo to taste his kiss!! ahhhh!!! I can imagine it quite vividly. (H: "Taste his kiss"???, wow some fans are truly lovely daunting, haha...)
From Lumi Luna
I too am mesmerized by his smile.
His voice makes my knees weak. (H: "His voice makes my knees weak", such a rare, lively expression, I could never ever create this expression even I love HRH's voice 10000%. Amazing fans always broaden my mind.) He is definitely a gifted and charasmatic actor. (H: No doubt his is a gifted actor. Thank God, but not fair God, I am pleading for other actors)
From carmi alas
BYJ is my cancer therapy. Was told I have 2 years to live. Watching BYJ's dvds keeps me alive. Where can I get in touch with him to let him know he is saving my life? Grateful. (H: Isn't this amazing? BYJ being a life-saver!)
From perla
From sharon
I am also a fan of BYJ. Met him in Winter Love Song. He is what every woman would hope to find in a man.
Yes we know its his characters that make him special, but everyone needs a fantasy.
He has eyes that show all expressions, a killer smile (even in hotelier) and a voice that wraps you in a sensual blanket of words.
It's the tone(s) of his voice and the sincerity that speaks volumes.
Just gotta love the man for all his attributes and accomplishments. Wish he could visit the states and even better the east coast. (H: Got to make friend with this Sharon, she is also living on the east coast, Nice summary Sharon!)
From shaira
TWSSG vs Hotelier
There was a funny feeling when I watched the TWSSG episode 24. Some of the dialogues reminded me of Hotelier. They are almost like coming out of the same scriptwriter. Wonder if Song Jina is a Hotelier fan, or most of the Korean drama scriptwriters are thinking on the same line? Or another wild thought, did PD Kim or BYJ instrumented these dialogues, borrowing the ideas from the Hotelier?
If you don't come with me, then I'll go over to you ...
You are my palace/hotel...
If you don't come with me, then I'll go over to you ...
Damdeok : If you don't want to come with me, then I will go over to you.
Frank Shin : If you cannot come with me, then, I have to go over to you.
You are my palace/hotel...
Damdeok: From now on, wherever you are is my palace.
Frank Shin: You have built a hotel in my heart...
Damdeok kicked the travelling cart broken so that it could not move again, in order to stop Sujini from running away to avoid him.
Frank Shin kicked the hotel service cart away so that he could block Jinyin from running away, in order that she could listen to his explanation.
HRH played so moving in this Hotelier hand grabbing scene, that sad and longing look ...
Cart Kicking ...
Damdeok kicked the travelling cart broken so that it could not move again, in order to stop Sujini from running away to avoid him.
Frank Shin kicked the hotel service cart away so that he could block Jinyin from running away, in order that she could listen to his explanation.
Mind being on Hotelier, then I recalled this hand grabbing scene from Episode 8 in TWSSG being similar to the scene in Hotelier when they met at the Casablanca ...
Hand grabbing ...
Feeling helpless, Damdeok grabbed Kiha's hand, with such a sad and longing look ...
HRH played so moving in this Hotelier hand grabbing scene, that sad and longing look ...
This is the cause of me start watching the Hotelier all over again. Such an entertaining, inspiring, handsome drama, HRH being the handsome part. He was sooo cool as a Frank Shin. I think he looked the best in that Silver shirt with the silver tie. Again, no one in history can be as handsome as HRHHH being a shrewd Harvard graduated "hunter" businessman. Such a God given actor.
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
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pls. stay as sweet as you are, simplicity is beauty. (H: How tru! Found BYJ's acting has always been subdued, quiet, controlled. Love his style!)
We miss u all.