Classic Scenes Concert - Spectacle

Hi Hi sisters ...... hmmmm, wondering at this time, is HRH roaming around the streets of Manhatten? Will he try to catch a show later tonight in Broadway? Ohhh, lucky lucky New York sisters, what are you doing staring at the computer? Go out and look for HRH, he's in YOUR city now!!

Hehe meanwhile, I'm trying to catch up on my writing of places and events that I've attended in the last little while. So behind, here it goes ..... April 8, 2008

It was a very gloomy spring day, heavy rain coupled with strong wind and chilly temperature. The grey sky looked so soaked that I thought it’s about to fall down on the city any moment. Normally on a day like this, it’s best to take it easy, cover your head with a blankie and go zzzzzzzzzzzzzz ………. However I couldn’t, cause I had BIG plans that night - it’s the BYJ Classics concert!


I do enjoy soft soothing music with beautiful melody, may it be western, Chinese, Japanese or Korean. But I have to confess that my knowledge in classical music is just about as good as my Japanese, which is - no matter how loud, how long and what tune it plays, it will just go blank on me :) Therefore I was quite hesitant to attend a classical concert, especially on a dismal day like this. What if I really doze off and snore out loud like a pig? Well, it’s not like JunSang is sitting next to me with his shoulder ready in case I bop my head sideways :)


This was the fourth theme of the Classical Scenes – ‘Spectacle’, which was held in the Tokyo Opera City, Shinjuku. The ‘Art’ concert was held earlier that day at 2pm, this last concert was scheduled at 7pm the same evening. Again, kiyomi and cloudnine were so kind to include me in their outings.

Since we had to wait for the tickets from kiyomi, cloudnine and I were lingering outside the reception entrance. By now, most sisters have already gone into the hall to purchase the BYJ goodies. As I glanced over sideways, I noticed a cluster of sisters were gathering around a man. I checked again, that man was no other than the ‘almost as famous’ Mr. Sohn!


You say, c’mon, it’s only Mr Sohn, not HRH! Yes, I know I know, but I read about this man and saw his pictures with Yong Joon 1000 times, and now he was just a few feet away from me! Mr. Sohn actually looks better in person than in pictures. He is very courteous and never stopped bowing to Yong Joon’s fans. He finally left the ‘cluster’ and made his way towards the entrance. As he walked by me, cloudnine told me to go up and say ‘hi’. My logical mind was holding me back telling me to stay put, but my instinct suddenly took over as I didn’t even know where my courage came from. I stuck out my hand and said, “Hi, Mr. Sohn, nice to see you. I’m from Canada.” He looked a bit surprised and repeated, “ah, from Canada!” TWICE, I suddenly felt very self-conscious and retreated. Cloudnine started chatting with him while my mind was wandering .... “will it feel something like this if I have a chance to meet Yong Joon?” Anyway right after us, Mr. Sohn was surrounded by crowds of fans and he needed security guards to guide him away.


At this time, kiyomi appeared with the tickets and it’s time to go inside the concert hall :

The yummylicious concert programme, what a treat to the eyes :) It's huge too, you know?

The cheerful Ikko-san, who always gives a hearty laugh, sat beside me. She proudly showed me her US $1 bill, bid from an auction. Hahaha, wonder what happens if Yong Joon uses it in New York now??

As we all know, there are 6 classical music pieces in Spectacle. Maestro Kim SeiKyo came on to the stage. To be honest, since we were so far away, I couldn’t really see him that well. Thanks to the diligent effort of heippieh who linked all the classical music pieces with associated movies and shared her views in her blog. Dear flowerbossa has also graciously translated the thoughts of Yong Joon on each piece of music so we can appreciate his preference and taste in classical music. Without flowerbossa’s introduction of Maestro Kim SeiKyo after the Saitama event, I’d never have enjoyed his conductorship as now.


The lively and animated conversation between MC Ms. Kim Tei and Mr. Sohn has also livened up the solemnity of the concert. From what cloudnine has translated for me, it’s mostly about teasing Mr. Sohn for not prepared enough to speak to the family. Poor Mr. Sohn, he looked so uncomfortable and appeared off-guard by the questions. After all 6 classical pieces were performed, Maestro Kim gave BYJ family a nice finale - Winter Sonata's ‘From Beginning to Now’. Wow, what a pleasant gift to our ears :)


Hehe of course, knowing how much our BYJ sisters know how to enjoy life, this was not the end of a fantastic evening yet. The classy kiyomi and tamatama have already reserved a table for us to wine and dine up on the 54th floor of the Tokyo Opera City. We sat by the window in the romantic Sabatini restaurant, which I felt more like I was vacationing in an Italian villa. The evening Shinjuku sparkles like a crown encrusted with colored jewels under our eyes. At a time like this, at a setting like this, with sisters like these, how can I not be grateful for what I am experiencing?