bb's ramblings: days of being a BYJ fan... since 2002!: January 2009

Saturday, January 31, 2009

[Trans] naeng-myeon at ulsan

oh, choguan has translated nancy ko's posting into chinese! that's fast... yup, it's the story of wuri yong joon eating noodles in ulsan and that autograph that i'd just put up. i think the blogger nancy stays in canada, and her grandparents are in korea.

original in korean: nancy ko's blog
translated into chinese: choguan / baidu
translated into english: happiebb / bb's blog

How on earth would there be a thing like that... Bae Yong Joon suddenly appeared at the naeng-myeon (cold noodles) shop that my grandparents operate in ulsan!

During this seollal holidays, a man called the shop to ask if there're rooms, we said we did not have anymore, and the man hung up after that.

But a few hours later, Bae Yong Joon with his hair tied up in a ponytail, and accompanied by two managers, suddenly appeared at the shop and said they wanted to eat naeng-myeon. (There were not too many customers during that time)

My grandparents wanted his autograph, so they passed him a piece of white paper.

His manager took out Bae Yong Joon's photograph, and then Bae Yong Joon signed his name at the bottom of the photograph. (Is it like this because this is Bae Yong Joon...? He will not sign his name just anywhere...)

Really should have taken a photograph, but because only my grandmother and the ajumma helpers were in the shop, and they were not expecting something like this to happen... Such a pity...

My husband is lamenting if others would really believe (he visited the shop) if all we'd gotten was just his autograph...?

There ain't too many young people in the shop...

Ulsan... Bae Yong Joon... Naeng-myeon... No matter how I think or look at it, they just don't gel... Hehe...

Now, I'm feeling that in life, anything is possible; it's entirely possible to meet with all sorts of circumstances... so we should live longer, ah...

Will Bae Yong Joon be going again in the near future...?

p.s. since she'd posted it today (31st jan), and she'd mentioned the seollal hols, i guess he was at ulsan having the noodles on 29th...?

still writing his book...

heard from various sources that wuri yong joon had been out and about. but he's already back in seoul today though.

can't be sure where he's gone to, but i believe he was busy doing research for his book. you know, am really glad he's got this travel book idea, coz i think it sorta gives him a legit reason to go out. to really go out...

wuri yong joon has said before that his daily life's mostly restricted to his office, the gym and the salon... he also said that it's not like he CANNOT go out, but it's simply because of his character, he doesn't feel so comfortable going out... so this book project is a perfect solution!

and oh, someone posted this autograph on her(?) blog. believe her(?) grandparents or some relatives run a noodle place in ulsan and wuri yong joon was there.

i can't see the date clearly though... 19th or 29th jan 2009?

[KHJ] joongbo kissed...

still on WGM, here are two clips that are rather cute... yes, it's joongbo or the ssangcho couple again...

in this one, they're playing the peppero game... i think his lips must have touched hers for sure...

and in this one, their mission for that day was for hwang bo (he calls her hwang bu-in, hehe!) to kiss KHJ on the cheek... so adorable, this pair!

[KHJ] we got married

heard about this variety program we got married sometime back, but i just didn't have the time nor the interest to go watch it. but coz of my recent (teeny weeny bit of) interest in kim hyun joong (KHJ), i did abit of surfing on him.

i kept reading about how he's called the 4-dimensional kid groom (meaning he's in a world of his own)... and some clips and postings that i'd read also revealed how totally random he can be in real life, as evidenced in his reactions and response in the variety show WGM. but he's soooooo... utterly cute, and coz he's totally random, it's near impossible to predict with any degree of accuracy what's gonna come out from his mouth next. naturally, i got intrigued and started to watch abit of WGM.

and hehe, suffice to say now i'm kindda hooked.

abit sad that the show is at abit of a crossroads now. okay, will give you abit of background. basically, the show was aired as a pilot program (abit like a test run to see if the audience like it enough for it to become a permanent show) in feb 2008. well, ratings and audience response were great, so MBC went on to make it into a permanent show.

what happens is that the TV station will select various celebs to be paired together and pronounce them 'married'. then for a period of 3-5 months, they will film an episode together, pretending to be married. and yes, it will involve things like going on a honeymoon, moving in together, having friends over for housewarming parties, visiting each other's parties, having dates outside, etc. mostly, it's not exactly scripted. the couples will be given a scenario to play out, but the reactions and responses are entirely their own. so in a way, we kindda get to see abit of what these celebs are like. it's abit like a reality variety program, kindda neat...

think WGM is now at its third(?) change of couples now, and KHJ has been paired with hwang bo since mid may 2008. they're representative of an older-woman-younger-man couple, she's born in 1980 and he in 1986.

they're funny to watch. they were sooooo... awkward to begin with, especially with KHJ's total randomness and inexperience with women, particularly older ones, and with hwangbo's straightforward and boyish character. quite a riot to watch them.

in fact, i mostly picked out their segments to watch. yea, no choice, since i really don't have that much time to watch everything about every couple. but if you've time, i recommend you watch it, it's highly entertaining.

now why did i say the program's at abit of a crossroad now? coz the ratings dipped abit, there's a change of PD and the show format... they now want to have shorter periods for each couple, etc. some fans are against it, as they adore watching the progress of each couple and that will take time. but some are for it, coz a variety program is essentially different from a drama, and some people want to see more celebs instead of just focusing on a few people for a protracted period of time.

and oh, there was one episode (epi 16, from last june) when one of the couples went to nami island for a date, and they even played out the snowman scene from WLS. hilarious!

anyway, if you're interested to watch it, you can download the links from the soompi WGM thread. or you can always watch it on youtube, just search for 'we got married' or WGM. you have to sieve through the search results for english-subbed ones. there're plenty, so worry not.

but if you read chinese, might be easier to search on tudou using 我们结婚了 xx期... most of the clips on tudou are chinese-subbed.

and if you only want to watch from where KHJ started to appear, you can search by date (he started appearing from 11th may 2008), or by episode (his first WGM appearance was epi 9). you have to watch a few epis to feel his charisma, coz he's the sort who takes a (bloody long) while to warm up. hehe, sorta like an acquired taste, but seriously, i recommend you watch him. he's quite funny... and in his own little-boy way, he's rather observant and caring.

anyway, will repost a few clips from epi 16 here...

the WLS bit is from 4:30 min...

and this one has got KHJ singing... not bad, not bad at all!

okie, okie, here's a few english-subbed ones for those of you who can't read chinese...

the first two clips are KHJ's first appearance on WGM. he's paired with hwang bo, so collectively, they're known as joongbo, or the ssangchul couple. hee, watch the clips and you will understand why they're called the raw lettuce couple, haha!

and this is a clip from early august 2008, so that's about three months after they're 'married'...

Friday, January 30, 2009

[non BYJ] me doing meme...

saw this meme on jingna's blog.

hehe, itchy-fingers me... decided to do it too!

(incidentally, i follow like over 100 blogs, and hers is one of my faves. such talent, such depth, at such a young, tender age...)

rules of this meme: you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. at the end, choose 25 people to be tagged so that they can carry on with their own 25 random things. hee, i won't tag anyone, but please... feel free to do this meme...

in fact, i strongly encourage it... coz i think in order to come up with the 25 things, you will definitely have to look abit deeper into yourself. who knows? you may uncover things about yourself that you've long forgotten!

1. i spend way too much time online. then again, i've already known that for years.

2. i wear too much black. but, the good news is i'm trying to break away from the all-black to mostly-black.

3. i really really really need to lose some weight. wait, make that i really really really need to lose alot of weight.

4. related to the previous point, my problem is i lack the self-discipline. self-discipline in watching my diet, self-discipline in getting into some sort of exercise regime.

5. my taste in music is truly eclectic... from mandarin pop, broadway classics, british indie rock, jazzy sounds to abit of j-pop and k-pop. am i someone who is all-embracing when it comes to music and is a true believer of music knows no boundary? or am i just someone who can't make up her mind about what she likes?

6. sometimes i think it's truly tragic how i've lived to such a ripe old age, and still not know what my calling is.

7. no, BB doesn't mean babe, baby, big boobs, or anything like that... i might tell you if we become close, hehe!

8. i need to learn the virtue of saving for rainy days. (or hehe, izzit too late now?)

9. i love love love love love travel. (wait, does this contradict the point above about saving?)

10. i love to read, period.

11. i think i can't survive a week without broadband.

12. hey, if i put the three points above together, i should really go ahead and try out my idea of putting together a travel portal for city gals!! that way, i can travel, i can write and maybe make a living too! (and of course, i will try to travel only to places with broadband, wakaka!)

13. i'm blessed with the gift of being able to sleep the moment my head touches the pillow. i hardly have sleepless nights, and i sleep soundly and deeply throughout the night. i think i can count the number of nights when insomnia has struck with just my ten fingers.

14. talking about gifts, i'm also blessed with the ability of reading and writing very quickly. definitely a great gift to have at work. and also a great gift for someone who loves to surf, read and blog.

15. i'm painfully shy, but mostly, people just think i'm standoffish, or even cocky. so i go out of my way to smile lots and even talk when i really prefer not to. well, at least i try to remember to do that.

16. i've a super-low threshold for poor customer service. yup, that's one of the quickest ways to cross me.

17. like jingna, i think i'm practical, but an idealist.

18. i think i know myself pretty well.

19. i would like to keep a dog someday.

20. you know, i've toyed with the idea of becoming a novelist. but hehe, i don't think i can ever become one who be wildly successful. not even remotely successful enough to buy the lovely shoes that i can't seem to live without.

21. yea, i know i've too many pairs of shoes. in fact, i just counted two days ago, i just made 100. no more, no less, exactly 100.

22. i'm still undecided about my own stand about whether a woman is missing out on something if she goes through life without getting married and without having children. most days, i think it's a matter of choice and also abit circumstantial. like the other question to ask would be... would a woman really be more complete if she marries and breeds just for the sake of it, or just because everyone else does it? and yea, at times, i wonder if i would be happier or less happy if i settle down, especially given the fact that i'm someone who needs my own space. quite abit of space.

23. i'm really not a morning person. for some reason, i just love nights alot more. in fact, i love nights so much that i sometimes hate myself for staying up too late when i know i have a full day ahead the following day.

24. i'm not a religious person. of course, i respect other people's beliefs and religions. but personally, i think not everyone needs religion in their lives. some people need it more coz the spiritual support is a balancing, stabilizing, or even motivating force in their lives. others may get the same from other forms of support, or even from their inner strength. now don't get me wrong, i ain't saying people who have a religion are weaker in mental strength. it's just that all of us have different compositions; different folks, different strokes.

but i've wondered about god at times. i've even wondered if it's possible that there really is only ONE god, if there's one at all. i mean, could it be possible that that ONE god appears in different forms to different people, but ultimately, the teachings are the same?

and oh, just for the record, i'm not exactly an aethist or a free thinker. if we have to be precise, then i guess i'm what people would describe as agnostic.

25. and oh, i had to look up the meaning of meme, hehe!

BOFi merchandise

and now BOFi merchandise!

hehe, saw this also on byjgallery... hehe, think this one, i might be interested, wakaka!

gosireh cellphone straps

hehe, am almost-glad to share that i ain't tempted to fork out money for these...

new merchandise from gosireh... cellphone straps. any takers?

random pics...

hee... so cute!

ya, am referring to BOTH the cow and wuri yong joon. quite an appropriate time to repost this pic, since the lunar new year has welcomed the year of the ox this time...

happy new year to YJ, and also to all who visit my blog. have a great one! be safe, be healthy, be happy!

and... after posting those winter pics from skyperfect, here're a couple of spring ones from the sakura series.

and oh, suehan has shared the following on baeto. think this was taken during AS days, this was probably at samcheok, i think. looks like the prescription counter at the hospital, ya?

press release from keyeast

just reposting this press release from keyeast; it was out on 29th jan 2009.

Keyeast enters into cooperative production agreement with 4 animation production companies

New milestones set in the domestic animation industry – coproduction system, advance collection of all funds from investors, etc.

- Keyeast commences production of Winter Sonata animation.
- First instance of raising all required funds before the commencement of production, and unprecedented interest resulting in high profit expectations.
- Sleeping with the enemy occurs within domestic animation industry – establishment of first animation coproduction system.

The highly anticipated Winter Sonata animation will enter into the production stage.

The Asian cultural content company Keyeast Co., Ltd. officially announced on January 21, 2009 that it entered into a production cooperative agreement with four of the leading domestic animation production companies and that Keyeast will now enter into the main production stage.

The four production companies are Pencil Contemplations (preproduction), G&C Entertainment (main production), JM Animation (main production), and High Five Media (main production). These entities are the leading domestic animation production companies and they have been displaying the technical expertise of the domestic animation industry to the world. Keyeast selected these four companies through a competitive bidding process.

The use of a coproduction model for the production of an animation work is unprecedented and is regarded by the animation industry as the combination of the efforts of production companies for the creation of high quality content.

Through the advance sales to Japanese enterprises of DVD, soundtrack, publishing, game and other derivative rights, the entire production funds have already been raised before the commencement of production. The initial interest and high level of expectation regarding the project is expected to lead to high earnings.

A spokesperson for Keyeast stated that “the coproduction system, the raising of all production funds before the commencement of production, etc. are unprecedented not only in the animation industry but in all other cultural content industries” and that “these developments were made possible by the people who support our vision to create leading and competitive content.”

The spokesperson also stated that “in order to become Asia’s number one entertainment content company which fully performs its role of creating content which appeals to all of Asia, Keyeast will continue to undertake new projects and always do its best.”

The Winter Sonata animation has attracted much attention due to the announced plans that Bae Yong Joon and Choi Ji Woo will contribute to the project with their voices for the main characters and in addition, the director, Sung Baek Yup, who became famous through his animation work entitled Oseam, has agreed to be the main director for the Winter Sonata animation. The Winter Sonata animation will be comprised of 26 episodes, which will each be 30 minutes long, and will be broadcast in the later half of this year.

[KEYEAST]

p.s. i've one question... if PD sung is the main director for WLS anime, then who is this?

this winter, last winter...

got these pics from byjgallery.

this winter...

last winter...

the last two pics were taken by fans who visited danyang during the TWSSG filming. believe it was taken on 25th nov 2007...

[non BYJ] boys over flowers!

i finished watching epi 14 of star's lover last week, and whilst waiting for epis 15 and 16 (SL airs in korea every wednesdays and thursdays), i decided to watch abit of boys over flowers. yup, yup, that's based on the manga hana yori dango... in fact, both japan and taiwan had made dramas out of the manga some years ago. remember the F4 fever back in those days?

anyway, am at epi 6 already... gonna be watching epi 7 after this posting, hehe!

well, since i've already watched some episodes, i guess i can now comment on the others' comment about how kim hyun joong reminds them of wuri yong joon.

looks-wise, the two don't look alike. but coz KHJ is playing the role of yoon ji hoon, who is the grandson of an ex-korean president, and is also a young man who's supposedly from a good family background (read: pedigree, hehe!), there's a certain air of cool aristocracy about him. so, in this sense, there is a little bit of wuri yong joon in this character.

and... there've been a few instances of KHJ closing his eyes before turning his head to a certain direction, and oh man, that's sooooo... like how wuri yong joon turns his head as well!

let's put it this way, if they were to film this drama some 10, 15 years ago, wuri yong joon would probably have made the perfect candidate for the role of yoon ji hoon. and i think i can safely say i will fall as hard for him if i'd watched him play this role...

now, back to KHJ, here're some pics...

he's really skinny... and coz the male lead (lee min ho who plays the role of goo jun pyo) is really really tall at 1.85cm, KHJ doesn't look as tall. but in fact, KHJ is the same height as wuri yong joon, 180cm.

KHJ looks wistfully sad when he's not smiling and with his eyes cast downwards. but when he smiles, he really SMILES. so bright, so cheery!

this drama is a perpetual fashion show, F4 just keeps changing their outfits! even KHJ commented about how he had to change into so many different outfits just for a day's filming!

i like guys whose lips ain't too thin... like KHJ's, and of course, like wuri yong joon's!

you know, KHJ can look really different with different styling.... just check this one out! he almost looks like a different person, ya?

and... before i go, will just repost a GIF of F4 from soompi.

[non BYJ] had a great day!

hehe, i had a rather fun day today...

started kindda early though... those who know me know that i really ain't a morning person at all. on days when i don't have to work, i typically sleep in till the sun is right smack at the highest point, hehe! but today, i was actually supposed to meet some friends for karaoke, and the session's booked for 11 to 2.

11am to 2pm.

not 11pm to 2am, which is really more my kind of timing, hehe!

and oh, i'm one of the worst fellas you can rope in for a karaoke session, coz i don't sing, period. but i do like to go for such sessions just to be with friends, and to listen to others sing, wakaka!

hehe, other than singing, jos and i were also busy taking pics inside the room! and yes, we're both bloggers, hehe!

me and my best-est friend, R!

okie, now you can see us alot more clearly, ya? think the pics don't do her justice, she's really lovelier-looking and more feminine in person!

the gals... R, together with my bae-friends, jos and ros...

after the session, we went shopping for CDs, clothes and shoes. hee, i bought CDs, the gals bought clothes and shoes...

i resisted, didn't buy any shoes.

okie, that was a lie. okie, okie, i'll 'fess up... it's not that i didn't want to buy any... the pair of really really really nice and comfy gray patent cross-front wedgies didn't have my size anymore, sob sob!

then we went for tea at killiney kopitiam...

after tea, we went to R's place for some more chit-chatting... too bad we couldn't continue into the night as i had a dinner appointment with two of my colleagues from work.

went for sashimi-and-ramen dinner, before heading for angel's share, it's a wine place at dempsey hill.

wanna know what we had tonight? we had an australian red. or to be more specific, we had rockford's rod and spur 2004 from barossa valley; it's a blend of shiraz and cab sauvignon. smooth, easy to drink...