Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Happy Big 'Four-O'!


Dear Yong Joon,

It's been a while, a long while. On your very special say, I wish you all the happiness in this world. Hope your dreams will come true and please do not forget about your fans.

To my very dear BYJ sisters, I hope we are all living a positive and fulfilling life. You are always in my mind ...... love :)

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Choa - BYJ in Kyoto 2

Hi sisters ..... dear cloudnine even translated a summary of Yong Joon's footsteps in Kyoto! So next time when you visit Kyoto, maybe you'd like to follow his route too :)

** BYJ’s footprint **

6th - From Shin Yokohama to Kyoto by a Shinkansen (bullet train)
stroll around Ponto-cho, Dinner

7th - Stroll in Sagano
Suntory Whiskey Yamazaki Distillery in Osaka. Three hours of looking around and tasting.

8th - Daikakuji Temple
Saw some treasures and important cultural properties. presented ‘a letter of appreciation’ by the commissioner of Japan Tourism Agency for his contribution to Japan-Korea tourism and the support for the earthquake disaster.
Restaurant ‘Nezameya’ (in front of Fushimi Inari Shrine) Unagi restaurant with 450 years history.

Kiyomizu Temple night visit. Enjoyed the night view of Kyoto from the temple’s ‘stage’

9th - Koryuji
Saw the national treasure ‘Pensive Bodhisattva’
Sawai Shoyu (soy sauce) Main store, shoyu maker with more than 130 years history. BYJ observed the shoyu making process and bought some.
Ebisugawa Street, known as a furniture street lined with long-established stores. Near Sawai Shoyu.

10th - Ebisugawa Street Visited some antique stores.
Soba restaurant ‘Honnke Owariya’, a famous restaurant with 540 years history.
Flew back to Korea from Kansai International Airport

Thanks cloudnine for the translation and laki for the pictures. Can't wait for more .....

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Choa - BYJ in Kyoto 1

Hi hi sisters ....... how are you? Hope everyone is well. Our dear cloudnine always keeps us overseas sisters in her mind. From time to time, she would bring us some interesting tidbits on Yong Joon so we won't have to miss him too much. Remember our prince took the chance to tour beautiful historic Kyoto after his acceptance of the DATV Dream High award last month? Hehe, diligent reporters and fans are able to trace his footsteps in Kyoto .....   


‘Choa’ magazine: BYJ in Kyoto part 1: Departure and Sagano

Till Departure

“I wish to go to Kyoto someday”, said BYJ when we interviewed him in a Seoul hotel in the autumn of 2009. He mentioned so in passing when he was talking about his book ‘Travel in search of Beauty of Korea’ in which he introduced Korean traditional cultures. To write the book he travelled around Korea and even to Morioka city (in Japan) and he came to deeply understand the traditional cultures of Korean Peninsula and Japan and their cultural exchanges from old days.


In his book he refers to the Pensive Bodhisattva, one of Koryuji in Kyoto and the another one in National Museum of Korea. Both are designated as a National Treasure. By his nature he is attracted by the traditional cultures or the authentic that could survive for a long time.

Through his drama ‘The Legend’ and the experience of writing the book it seems that his interest in the history has grown greater. In the book he writes ‘I think the history is a storehouse of treasures.’ So I guess it was only natural that he was more and more interested in Kyoto. He had a chance, officially or non –officially, to come to Japan before or after 2009, but his wish didn’t come true due to the his scheduling problems. It has been two full years since he mentioned his wish and at last he was able to turn his steps to Kyoto.

October 6 = Departure

This time he arrived in Japan at night of October 4th. Next day he attended the award ceremony in Tokyo because the drama ‘Dream High’, the first drama he joined as a special producer, won the Sky Perfect Award grand prize. Then the next evening of 6th, He took a bullet train at Shin-Yokohama station and headed to the ancient city.


As he arrived late at night, he only strolled around Pont-cho (cloud nine: one of five geisha districts of Kyoto). Pont-cho is a street stretching about 500 meters from Sanjyo avenue to Shijo avenue, between Kamo river and Takase river. It’s a restaurant area with about three hundred years history. He stepped into an alley, which is so narrow, just enough for two adults to pass each other. Watching a classic geisha- teahouse style building bathed in a dim light, his eyes were shining like a child. He told his staff to move into a lane away from the traffic and to walk in single file. He never failed to show his thoughtfulness. He went into a restaurant facing Kamo river and enjoyed ramen.


October 7th =Sagano


First he headed to Ohkochi Sanso (cloud nine: the former villa of actor Ohkochi Denjiro), which is situated in the southeast of Mt. Ogura. Getting out of the car he rode in a rickshaw and started to stroll. The 300- meters- long ‘bamboo trail’ from the villa to Nonomiya Shrine is well known as an especially beautiful bamboo grove in Arashiyama and Sagano area. The trail at first slopes down gently and straight, then snakes its way and descends down a steep slope. ‘I prefer a winding road to a straight through one. Because the former reminds me of “desire” and the latter “contemplation” ‘ This is what he wrote in his book ‘Beauty of Korea’. I’m sure he was satisfied with this road too.


Along the way he got off the rickshaw and started to walk. Tenryuji Temple (north gate) at right and Nonomiya Shrine at left. Both sides of the bamboo trail are lined with brushwood fences, which are about 1.5 to 1.7 meters high. Being 180 centimeters tall the fences didn’t obstruct his view so he must have seen all the way down the trail. He might be reminded of the bamboo forest in Guanwondo he saw when he was visiting mountain temples for the book of ‘Beauty of Korea’.

Turning left at the end of the bamboo trail stands Nonomiya Shrine, which is famous for the scene of Hikaru Genji’s visit in ‘Sakaki’, the tenth book of ‘The Tale of Genji’. Incidentally the book sets September 7th of the lunar calendar 1000 years ago as the date of Hikaru Genji’s visit to this place. On the solar calendar it falls on October 3rd, so BYJ happened to visit there at the same season as Hikaru Genji.

Going a little farther there’s JR Sanin Line (Sagano Line) running ahead. Crossing the railroad, to the left there’s a straight stretch of the railway with Mt. Ogura behind and a tunnel is seen with its mouth open. The scene surely excites the emotions of a traveler. Needless to say BYJ, whose hobby is camera, was taking pictures enthusiastically. Sagano stroll ended there beyond the crossing and it was about an hour walkabout.

Written by Yujin Kubo (Nikkan Sport)
Thanks cloudnine for sharing!

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Tribute to Steve Jobs

Hi hi sisters ....... hope you are all doing fine. I try to stay away from the computer as my health has been unstable lately. Steve Jobs, the technical innovator who redefined how this next generation live and think has just passed away. I couldn't resist sharing this ingenious speech which he gave 6 years ago with you, probably one of the most inspirational article I have ever read. Coincidentally, he also touched on his life, illness and how he viewed death. It's long, but I promise, it's well worth your time .......


This is the text of the Commencement address by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, delivered on June 12, 2005 at Stanford University:

I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it. No big deal. Just three stories ......

The first story is about connecting the dots :

I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out?

It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed college graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, so everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife. Except that when I popped out they decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list, got a call in the middle of the night asking: "We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?" They said: "Of course."

My biological mother later found out that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only relented a few months later when my parents promised that I would someday go to college.

And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents' savings were being spent on my college tuition.

After six months, I couldn't see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn't interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting.

It wasn't all romantic. I didn't have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms, I returned coke bottles for the 5¢ deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on. Let me give you one example:

Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country. Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphied. Because I had dropped out and didn't have to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can't capture, and I found it fascinating. None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life.

But ten years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, it’s likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college.

But it was very, very clear looking backwards ten years later.

Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something - your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.

My second story is about love and loss :

I was lucky - I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parents garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees. We had just released our finest creation - the Macintosh - a year earlier, and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you started? Well, as Apple grew we hired someone who I thought was very talented to run the company with me, and for the first year or so things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out. When we did, our Board of Directors sided with him. So at 30 I was out. And very publicly out.

What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating.

I really didn't know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down - that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. I was a very public failure, and I even thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me - I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over.

I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a
beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.

During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the worlds first computer animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the most successful animation studio in the
world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, I returned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple's current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.

I'm pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn't been fired from Apple. It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it.

Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.

My third story is about death :

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything - all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn't even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor's code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you'd have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.

I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I'm fine now.

This was the closest I've been to facing death, and I hope it’s the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:

No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960's, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and Polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.

Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish."

It was their farewell message as they signed off.
Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.
And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

Thank you all very much.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Senkichi curry udon

Hi hi ....... hmmmm, feeling a bit hungry and wondering what I should make myself for lunch? Ahhhh, I suddenly remember some pictures I downloaded a few weeks ago. Hehe, this sure looks tempting, slurp slurp :)

If you haven't seen this yet, this is one of the delicious meals that Yong Joon had during his 'Dream High' tour.

This curry udon shop apparently is in Ginza but I have never seen it before?? Must be on one of the many side streets, it's called Senkichi.

Just like his favourite little ramen shop in Shibuya, this udon shop looks pretty local to me, kind of like a 'eat and run' place.

Hehe as usual, he seemed to have his back facing outside. It is said that the servers did not recognize Yonsama at first, at least not until he took off his sunglasses. Well well, looks like our Japanese sisters have another destination to explore now :)
Pictures reposted from BYJGallery - tomochang, thanks!

Friday, September 16, 2011

Nikkan Sports Interview

Hi hi .... our dear cloudnine was busy at work again! She translated the interview that Yong Joon gave to Nikkan Sports while he was in Tokyo. As usual, he puts in a lot of thoughts and sincerity in his response. Furthermore, you can feel his regrets towards his fans for not being able to show us more acting. Obviously his health is still not 100% as before, hope you'll get there soon, Yong Joon! Thanks cloudnine for always thinking of us :) Here it is ........

Nikkan Sports September 13 ‘Exclusive Interview with BYJ’
Here’s an exclusive interview with a Korean actor Bae Yong Joon (39).


While he was in Japan for the drama ‘Dream High’ Dvd release event, the interview with Nikkan Sports took place in a staff room of Saitama Super Arena. It’s seven years since the big hit of ‘Winter Sonata’ in 2004. The actor, who laid the foundation of the prosperity of Korean entertainment and who has been a permanent top star himself, told us frankly about who he is now. ( Interviewer; Hayato Kubo)

Q: You must be tired after the event. It’s been a while since you met your family (fans) , how do you feel now?

A: I’m most grateful and at the same time I feel sorry. Due to my health problem I was very sorry for not appearing much in the drama. I’m deeply sorry even for today’s event, because if I could sing or dance like my juniors I would have shown it. I wish to show my work as an actor, but it has not been decided yet, I feel terribly sorry for this too.

Q: For ‘Dream High’ you joined not only as an actor but also as a producer, how did you find it?

A: It was my first attempt, which put me in a different position from acting. I think I could see the parts which I had missed while I was working only as an actor. Also about the drama I could acquire the broader understanding and which was very helpful for acting. What I had no chance to see as only an actor , this time from a viewpoint of a production company I was able to see, and that is for example how the direction was and how the staff were working. Actors tend to be quite selfish on the set inevitably. For them acting is above everything else and building up character’s emotions is very important. So actors really don’t notice other things. Now I can look over such parts, but this doesn’t mean I don’t focus on my character or acting. I had no idea how much it costs to produce a drama, however now I understand how much we need.

Q: If you have an another chance, would you like to work as a producer again?

A: If I do so, my family might say something to me (laughs). For the time being I will be a full-time actor, however as for ‘Dream High 2’ I wish to be involved in the project at least. Actually here (in the dressing room of Saitama Arena) JYP and I were having a kind of meeting about the story. The theme for the drama is ‘dream’. In the event being asked ‘What is a dream?’, I answered that for me it’s a high ideal which I can’t reach. In the true sense fulfilling dreams or saying that the dream came true are very serious matter and difficult to do. It’s something like reaching an unreachable state of mind, that is what we call in Buddhism ‘attaining an enlightened state of mind’ I think. In today’s event JYP suggested me to become a director, which I consider one of my dreams rather than a goal. I have no idea if it’s possible or not, but for me it’s my dream.

Q: We are living in a tough world, difficult times in many ways. For young people it’s getting harder to pursue their dreams. For those people what kind of advice would you give?

A: I suppose young people don’t know much about the world yet. They just have no idea about what kind of jobs are there or, what kind of jobs they can do, so at any rate I want them to try a lot of things. I want them to make efforts to try anything. This may be called curiosity and I want them to see various things and feel them. Above all the most important thing is to do their best at this moment. Doing their utmost efforts now will lead them to their future, and it will also bring their dreams into shape. It will be a process to understand what dreams are .

Q: Fans who came to the event and who didn’t both care about how you will appear in the next work. About your new work do you mind sharing as much as possible at this stage?

A: First I will work on the ‘Dream High 2’ project and in addition I will return to my day job. I’m making my utmost effort in order to start shooting at the earliest possible time. However as there is nothing concrete, I can’t tell you anything, but I think I will do a drama.

Q: While you were filming the drama TWSSG you broke the ligament of the index finger, injured the cervical spine and shoulder ligament. Early this year you were hospitalized due to a herniated disk. How are you feeling now?

A: Actually I haven’t fully recovered yet. From old times they say ‘Health is above everything else’ , or ‘If you are in good health, you can do anything.’
These words deeply pierced me to the heart now. I vaguely thought that I would get well with time, but then I found that I hardly recovered just with time. So in order to really get healthy I’m making various efforts now.

The whole interview will be carried on a Asian entertainment Magazine ‘Choa’, 4th issue to be out on September 20th.

Picture from BYJGallery - miemi, thanks!

Monday, September 5, 2011

Dream High Event - II

Hi sisters .... let's continue with cloudnine's account of the event, shall we? She asked us to acknowledge Kei-san, who delivers Yon-sama mail almost daily. Her account is based on Kei-san's mail of Sep. 4 extra edition and of Sep. 5. Thanks cloudnine and Kei-san.

Next session was ‘Lucky Draw’

Yong Joon offered the pair of glasses he used in the drama, autographed.
JYP offered his favorite headphone with his autogaraph. I happened to be sitting close to a lady who won the glasses, so I asked her to show me the glasses.

Then two gentlemen left the stage and the talk show by the students began.
Among the NG scenes we watched, there was a scene in which Suzy’s nose was running. Su Hyun who was sitting next to Suzy was twittering “Aigo, aigo” He was so cute.

‘My best scene’ picked by each of them was introduced one by one. Both Tae Gyon and Woo Yong picked their first appearances in the drama, action scene of Tae Gyon and Woo Yong’s speaking English scene. Su Hyun picked his crying scene. (Sorry I don’t remember which one Suzy picked.)

There was also ‘Lucky Draw’ by those young cast.
Suzy offered her favorite ear rings, Su Hyun a pair of shoes he wore in the drama and Kirin Art School uniforms were offered by Tae Gyon and Woo Yong.

The event was coming to an end.

In closing the cast and audience together sang ‘Dream High’ theme song. Then on the screens Yong Joon and JYP who were watching the arena from backstage appeared. They came out of the dressing room and headed to the stage led by Mr. Shin who was holding a flashlight. Both of them looked very cool. By this time audience got very excited.


They were welcomed by the students.
Everyone made a farewell speech and Yong Joon was the last speaker.
He said “Thank you everyone for watching us for a long time . Next time we will do our best in the production of Dream High 2. I thank very much cast and staff for giving their best.”

Finally with Yong Joon’s call of ‘Se no – here we go’ we all shouted ‘Dream High!’

Thanks to all Japanese and Korean sisters for sharing the pictures.

Dream High Event - I

Hi hi ...... I am so grateful to cloudnine for her kindness. Knowing how exhausted she must feel from all the excitement, she still did a detailed writeup of the event so promptly. Thanks so much cloudnine for your selflessness and love for Yong Joon and the family :)

As you know, the concert took place on September 4 in Saitama Super Arena with 12000 in attendance.

Part 1

Five students, Tae Gyon, Woo Yong, So Hyun , Suzy, and Joo, appeared on stage and started to sing ‘Dream High’ theme song in Korean. I first thought Joo was there instead of IU, but she herself was in D.H., who played a role of an aggressive student (who told a lie to be a solo dancer at entrance ceremony, and Baek Hee put a thumbtack into her shoe remember?)
They introduced themselves in Japanese, but Suzy had a little trouble and others cheered her saying ‘yukkuri- slowly’.


They sang and danced very well. Suzy was in a lavender color dress and Joo, was in a mini pink dress, very cute girls. Two of 2pm wore black leather suits and Su Hyun was in a black suit with a tie.


After the opening, JYP appeared and sang solo in Japanese, which was quite good too. Then ‘My Valentine’ by 2pm boys, ‘Winter Child’ by two girls, and ‘Dreaming’ by Su Hyun followed. There was also a ‘dance battle’ by 3 dancers centering JYP. I’m sure one of the boys was Woo Yong but the other was not Tae Gyon. He has been suffering from his leg injury for the past few days and he ended up with a wheel chair (I heard) on the final stage of 2pm’s ‘Hands Up’ tour in Seoul which took place the previous day. The camera didn’t catch the third dancer anyway.
The show time was only 30 minutes and there was about 30 minutes break before the part 2.

Part 2

Mc was a young Japanese lady, Saki Yagi, who was known as a bilingual (Korean and Japanese) announcer from Osaka. First 4 students(3 boys and Suzi) appeared, then JYP, and finally wuri Yong Joon who was welcomed by the furious applause. BYJ fans today seemed to shout out louder than usual so that they won’t be defeated in spirits by young K-pop fans, hehe.
Each of the cast again greeted with a message in Japanese.
So we heard Yon-sama speak Japanese after a long time.


“Everyone of my family I’m very happy to see you. I’v been very much
worried about Japanese people so I am relieved to see your smiles today. Today let us spend a fun time together.”

I’m sure all of us were moved with his words, but also felt that his Japanese was not as good as before.

Then ‘Talk Show’ time with JYP and BYJ

Q(mc) How do you feel being together?
BYJ Today I’m here very relaxed being together with JYP.
I usually become nervous on stage, but this time with JYP by my
side, I feel comfortable.

Q How did you find working for D.H. as a producer?
BYJ I have always wanted to have such a school. Then there was a person who introduced me to JYP who had the same idea. We met up and decided to produce D.H together. Without “Ji Yong’ (this was how BYJ actually addressed JYP) Dream High was impossible.

Q How do you find JYP as your partner?
BYJ As I have no experience in production, it’s not flattery but I’m quite sure that without him this drama could not be accomplished. He is a reassuring partner indeed.

Q What was your message through the drama?
BYJ People can grow or comfort each other through music and dance.
I wish the drama will encourage people to make a start for their dreams and passions

Q How did you find JYP as an actor?
JYP cuts in Japanese “How do you do, I’m an actor JYP.” (laughs)
BYJ For me JYP is a big threat. (laughs)

Q What did you do for your character as the head director?
BYJ (in Japanese) I did research a lot. (then switched to Korean) To tell
the truth I feel sorry that I was not able to do my best. Because of the injury I got before, I had to give up my appearance halfway. I really wanted to continue to the end. For this I am very sorry.

Q Still you showed your presence.
BYJ Thank you

Q For JYP what kind of person is BYJ?
JYP We are very close friends. He has a fault but he is also very adorable. I want to protect him. (BYJ pats JYP on the shoulder bashfully.)

Q At what kind of occasion do you want to protect BYJ?
JYP I’m quite straightforward about what I say, however, Yong Jooni takes time to think about what to say or how to say while giving thoughts to his counterpart. I wish he would speak out more freely.
BYJ From now on I will say what I want to say to you. (laughs)

Q Will you give a message to those who follow their dreams?
BYJ It is very hard to do. I think goals and dreams are quite similar, but dreams are something we can’t reach. Bur because we have dreams, we try to accomplish our goals one by one.

Next session was an announcement of ‘Best 5 scenes’ selected by the fans.

No. 1 Ha Myon, head director plays the piano in an audition. (ep.1)
No.2 Kiss in the Ferris wheel in Nagoya (ep. 10)
No. 3 Mr. Jing Mann (English teacher) versus Jason (ep.9)
No. 4 Students sing and dance ‘Genie’ of Girls Generation to encourage Guku’s senior. (ep. 5)
No. 5 Head director visits Mr. Jin Mann at his house. (ep.2)

JYP This was a very first scene for me to shoot. BYJ taught me in details line by line about its meaning and the character, which helped me a lot. I thought BYJ will be a good director.
One thing, in the scene (ep.2) when I shook hands with BYJ, it was right after I scratched my hip so I feel very sorry.
BYJ I almost tried to withdraw my hands. (laughs)

Mc From now I would like you to answer the questions by the fans.
Q If there were Kirin Art School, would like to go?
BYJ Yes, of course. I will practice singing and dancing hard and wish to be like Ji Yong.
JYP I am a good looking actor. (laugh)
BYJ After looking at his face for a while, he looks handsome.

(to be continued)
Pictures posted from BYJGallery by style and Polaris - courtesy of Asahi and Oricon, thanks to all the sisters for sharing.

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Still Yonsama!


Haha, I guess I don't have to re-iterate the commotion when our prince arrived at Haneda Airport - fans squeaked, squealed, screamed and he responded by smiling, greeting, bowing, waving, even blowing kisses :)   

To be honest, with Yong Joon's long absence and the increasing popularity of younger K-pop idols in Japan, I thought the fans' passion for him would cool down somewhat with time. But Yonsama is Yonsama, he sets standards and creates phenomenon, he is indeed a class of his own!


Let's see, 50 fans on board the same flight, 100 police officers, 200 security guards, 1000 (some reports 3000) fans inside the terminal, 1500 outside .....


Yes yes, our dear cloudnine is as diligent and loyal as always, she was patiently waiting at Haneda to welcome our prince too. If you remember well that she struck gold last December when Yong Joon and KHJ stood very close to her outside the airport for the longest time? Hehe, this time our dear moichan and pallet also wish to rub some of this luck off cloudnine, all 3 ladies were waiting outside of Haneda terminal. From cloudnine and Pallet's account, when Yong Joon's car slowly passed in front of them, he laid eyes on the drawings that Pallet san was holding up and even recognized it @@ Lucky lucky Pallet san, great work! You ladies all deserve every single second of his attention :) Good luck everyone at the Dream High Event today!

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Him at long last!


Omo omo, our dear Yong Joon at long last! He is heading to Tokyo for the Dream High event now, the handsome prince almost takes my breath away!


He looks absolutely stunning, so cool with his denim jacket and leather carry-on

How do you like his new hair style? so young and hip @@

You miss his warm and tender smile? I do I do!

Have a safe flight Yong Joon, have fun!
Repost from BYJGallery - polaris, thanks for sharing.

Tonkatsu celebration


Hi Hi sisters ..... doesn't this birthday cake look delicious? Thanks to cloudnine (or NO thanks cause this tempts me too much :) for sending me a picture of this super cute cake from her Japanese sisters' BYJ birthday party! Can you count the 39 burning candles on the cake? Haha miahnae Yong Joon, I think we have to call the fire department in!


Cloudnine shared with me that Kiyomi san and 32 of the 'April Snow & Now' sisters got together at Mai-sen Tonkatsu Restaurant in OmoteSando Hills to celebrate our prince's birthday. Remember, this is the place that Yong Joon and Kim Hyung Joon dined in during their Tokyo Hohoemi charity event last December. For those sisters who are not familiar with Japanese food, tonkatsu is deep fried pork cutlet with a very fluffy and crispy coating, served with shredded cabbage and specially prepared sauce, yum yum :)  I guess this is the 'in' spot for BYJ gathering these days. Hehe Yong Joon, bet you also have a craving for tonkatsu now, right?   

FYI the link is http://mai-sen.com/restaurant/ , thanks cloudnine for always sharing!

Monday, August 29, 2011

Happy 39th Birthday!


Dear Yong Joon, it's been a while. Have you been well? You have been keeping quiet for many months now, I hope you are enjoying the peaceful life you always long for. Eventhough I have not written much about you, you and your dear BYJ family are never too far from my heart. On your birthday, I wish you health and happiness, and continue to pursue your dreams in life. Love :)

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Wine and People

Hi hi ... remember that wine sommelier friend of Yong Joon - Atom? He occasionally blogs about his outings with Yong Joon - may it be a night out in town or away on an overseas trip. Thanks to him, we get bits and pieces of where our handsome man roams about and what 'good' he is up to :)


Atom san apparently has written a book on (whatelse but) wine and looks like Yong Joon has also played a role in it. As you can see from the cover(?), they were dining in Gorilla. Looks like there will be some kind of promotional event too. Hehe, I just translate the words in the pictures here .....

"A wine journey together with Atom in Gorilla in the Kitchen
Bae Yong Joon san's sommelier Atom san, his book 'Wine and People'
Commemoration of simultaneous release in Japan and Korea. Special Event!!"


" 1. At Bae Yong Joon san's Gorilla in the Kitchen, Atom san's recommended wine and special cuisine will be served. *Special cuisine will be identical to what is served to Bae Yong Joon san in the book 'Wine and People'

2. Atom san will reveal inside conversation with Bae Yong Joon san and Kim Hyung Joon san during his 'Wine and People' interviews.

3. Handshaking with Atom san and picture taking (by blog cameraman?) - 4 per person. The picture taking will use the same background as what Bae Yong Joon san was in.

4. Participants will have Atom san's autograph in both the Japanese and Korean version of 'Wine and People' as presents."

Hehe done, correct me as you see fit, ok? Thanks to polaris from BYJ Gallery for the pictures.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Post Papa's Day


It's a different Father's Day this year - I do not have my papa to celebrate with anymore. No matter how others say time passes and things will heal, it seems that the pain lingers on like the scent from an extinguished candle. Instead of healing, I'd say old distant memories are merely being clouded by new recent ones, much like the moon being masked by moving clouds. As the dark clouds drift away, the brightness of the moon reveals itself again. Behind that active schedule and smiling face, the sense of loss of a parent still feels like a part of myself is forever gone. Wish you were still here, papa!

Thursday, June 9, 2011

'Dream High' coming to Tokyo

Haha, seems like Yonsama has heard my grumbling yesterday. Cloudnine just told me that the handsome one will be taking his entire 'Dream High' cast to Tokyo this September, hurray!


Dream High Premium Event
September 4, 2011
Saitama Arena
First show from 1:00 p.m.
Second from 5:30 p.m.
BYJ, JYP, IU, Suzy, Kim Su Hyon and two boys from 2PM (Tae Gyon and Woo Yong)


From cloudnine's info so far : "Seems only those who buy D.H. Dvd Box (1,2) will be invited. 20,000 tickets are prepared and the dvd set costs 35,700 yen. The first reservation period is from noon today (June 9) to July 15 and the second reservation period is from August 8 to 14 and it's 'first come first served'. We don't know yet that tickets will be sold in the ordinary market."


I sure hope that some tickets are reserved for overseas fans, but then come to think of it, this is a bonus gift for purchasing the Japanese DVD set, and the seats are quite limited. Hmmm, do I even have a chance? Since the fans will be for Yonsama and all the young idols, it should be a really energetic and dazzling event @@ Thanks cloudnine for sharing :)

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Dry spell

Hi hi sisters ....... it really has not been easy for fan sites' administrators and us bloggers lately : the Japanese sisters call this the 'Ice Age', I call it the 'Dry Spell'. Basically, other than the rare sightings of him going to restaurants and salon, or the occasional mentioning of him in people's twitters (thanks to the diligent effort of suehan), there is no concrete news, no project plans; nothing for us fans to even have a faint hope of seeing our handsome man in any artistic capacity, sob sob :(


But come to think of it, everything has its own time and its own course. I remember when I knew about Yong Joon back in 2005, he is already the top Hallyu star in Asia. Everywhere he went in Korea, Japan and even the US, he was swamped by adoring fans, curious onlookers and security guards. He even expressed that he was quite affected by this lack of freedom and privacy. With him fading gradually from the limelight after TWSSG, he had the chance to pursue his dreams like the 'Beauty of Korea' and 'Dream High'. This long period of absence from his fans not only gives Yong Joon the time to recover from his neck injury, it also gives him his deserved space to live a 'normal' life, doing what average people do like going out for coffee or taking a Sunday drive (hehe of course, his Sunday drive is in his flashy Ferrari :) Whether his long absence is pre-planned or not, the BIG question now is : When will he come back?

Hehe, as I said, there is really nothing to report on. So, I just post some letter arts that Japanese sister Conan created, thanks!