We thank our translator for sending us this Korean poem (written by a nun) because she misses JHJ so much.  We all miss him, so let’s share.  (Chinese translation hers; English translation ours.)

Friend, do you know?
When flowers blossom, when flowers fade
Actually, it is said to be very sad

The trees flower
The trees bear fruit
Actually, it is said to be very sad

People among them
Love one another, leave one another
It is said to be very sad

Even though we cannot see
Even though we cannot hear
It is said there are myriads of sadness on earth
To make them beautiful, tears are necessary
Today I remember all those stories that my mother used to mumble to herself

Friend
Quiet like spring rain
Smile even when sad
Wish to be in your heart, in my heart

Do you know?
My tears hidden in the fragrance
Become a flower
Do you know?

朋友呀, 你知道嗎?

花開的時候, 花謝的時候

事實上, 聽說是很悲傷的

樹木開了花

也結了果實

事實上, 聽說是很悲傷的

人們相互之間

相愛, 離別也

聽說是很悲傷的

我們雖然看不見

我們雖然聽不到

聽說這世上悲傷的事很多

為了變得美麗, 眼淚是需要的

這一天, 一直想起以前媽媽自言自語的故事

朋友呀

像春雨一樣的寧靜地

即使悲傷也笑著

想走向你的 我的心

你知道嗎?

在香氣中隱藏的 我的眼淚

成為一朵花

你知道嗎?

- 이해인, <친구야 너는 아니?>

친구야 너는 아니?

꽃이 필 때 꽃이 찔때

사실은 참 아픈 거래

나무가 꽃을 피우고

열매를 달아줄 때도

사실은 참 아픈 거래

사람들끼리

사랑을 하고 이별을 하는 것도

참 아픈 거래

우리 눈에 다 보이진 않지만

우리 귀에 다 들리진 않지만

이 세상엔 아픈 것들이 참 많다고

아름답기 위해서는 눈물이 필요하다고

엄마가 혼잣말처럼 하시던 이야기가 자꾸 생각나는 날

친구야

몸비처럼 고요하게

아파도 웃으면서

너에게 가고 싶은 내마음

너는 아니?

햑기 속에 숨긴 나의 눈물이

한 송이 꽃이 되는 것

너는 아니?

(Credit: Photo designed by ahiru of CarpeDiemJAPAN.  Thanks!)

Another quality article from our Contributing Editor prissymom.

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One of the good things to come out of  JHJ’s involvement in “49 Days” is the amount of materials that fans who blog about him can use – screencaps from the drama, news articles, interviews (both print and broadcast),  pictures, etc.

I am especially ecstatic about the screencaps and pictures!   Thank you to all the fans who painstakingly took screencaps for 10 weeks!  Thank you also to the amateur and professional photographers who took such beautiful pictures of JHJ to accompany his interviews and during his public appearances.

My hands-down favorite is the one from JHJ’s Audi magazine interview, the one I used for his birthday poster.  We’re posting it again for your viewing pleasure:

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Upon seeing this JHJ photo, a fan (in another website) commented that he looks like a hero in an Anime (Japanese animation).  Coincidentally echoing the words of Song Il Gook’s mother, Kim Eul Dong, who said that JHJ (as Seo Dong) is “very handsome, like a pretty boy who has stepped out of the comics”.   Or another reporter (from his post “49 Days” Interview 6 http://jo-hyun-jae.com/category/jhj-interview/) who wrote “Sometimes he is like a pure young man from the comics….”

I have never associated JHJ with anime or comics characters before, but I can understand why someone would say that he looks like a hero.  He does exude a heroic aura – quiet, trustworthy, steady, calm, handsome, strong, upright – all the qualities you would want to find in a hero-like figure in your life; all the qualities that make him effective as a romantic hero in his dramas.

But I love this picture so much for another reason — it is such a study in contrast …. JHJ’s clothes – metal studded black leather – and the bunched muscles of his forearms and neck give us an image of a very manly, very macho JHJ.  And yet the tousled hair and the soft lines of his face give off an aura of boyishness and gentleness.  As if JHJ is telling us that despite the changes we see in him, he is still, at heart, the JHJ we have loved and admired all these years – honest, quiet, unassuming, humble, low profile.

The bunched muscles of his forearm and neck seem to convey tension or about to spring into action, and yet the face is so calm, so without any trace of tension.  JHJ raring to go fulfill his dreams, but going about it in his own steady and calm pace?  Hmmmm, reminds me of the lyrics of his song “I SPREAD MY DREAM IN THE SKY”:

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To face life steadily, truthfully, calmly. 
To find that forgotten rainbow light — my dream.

His stance – when I first saw this picture I thought JHJ is channeling Atlas – you know that mythological figure that carries the world on his back and shoulders.  Except that Atlas is depicted as kneeling and bowed down while carrying the weight of the world on his back – the very picture of endurance and stoicism.

In JHJ’s picture, only his head is bowed, his shoulders and the rest of his body are straight and strong.    His bowed head seems to say that he is acknowledging the inevitable things in life – challenges, obstacles and what not.  There will surely be plenty of that in the profession he has chosen.

But his straight shoulders and body seem to tell us that he is confident that he can handle whatever life will throw his way.

I love this photo for one more reason: because the photographer captured the true essence of our JHJ – perfect like a hero but very well-grounded, very practical; gentle but with a hint of steel underneath, and quiet but strong.

In Episode 14 of “49 Days”, JHJ rocked my world when his Han Kang character donned a rocker jacket!  Woah!  The fastidious Han Kang in a rocker outfit?  HOT… HOT… HOT…!!!

There is a scene in this episode where rocker Han Kang enters the employee’s locker room at HEAVEN to put back the letter that Song Yi-Kyung dropped in her bag.

As HK steps out of the locker room, we see the sign on the door that reads “Rocker Room”.

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It is, of course, a case of misspelling — the sign should have been “Locker Room”!

But was the misspelling deliberate to elicit some laughs?  Han Kang in his rocker jacket going out of the Rocker Room?

Or were they (whoever is in charge… PD?) totally unaware of the mistake?  I heard that Koreans often interchange “L” and “R” because only one symbol in hangul represents both letters (please correct me if I am wrong).  But what a glaring mistake!   Han Kang, the owner of the restaurant, was educated and spent 10 years in the United States of America!

But then, I remember that Han Kang inherited the restaurant from his mom.  I would like to think that the misspelling was made by his mom; HK just didn’t correct it because he wanted to preserve whatever his mom left him the way things were during her time.  Well, Han Kang is such a sweet, sentimental, pure-hearted man, such an action wouldn’t be too farfetched for his character!

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Whether the misspelling is deliberate or not, I am sure you will agree with me that -   “JHJ ROCKED THE ROCKER ROOK!!!  I ROVE ROCKER KANG!!!”   o(^__^)o

(Credit: Photos from www.sbs.co.kr.  Thanks!)

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Today marks the first anniversary of JHJ’s discharge from his 2-year mandatory military service in the Korean Army.  I may not have been physically present to welcome JHJ back to civilian life but my heart was with all JHJ fans who went there to show support for him.

Let me go back to 100 days before 06.19.2010 – countdown banners marking 100 days to JHJ’s D (Discharge) Day started appearing.  Otoke? Otoke? Otoke?  I wanted to prepare some for wuliJHJ but I don’t know how!  But I didn’t let that stop me… So I looked around for an appropriate JHJ picture and worked on it.  Here it is:
http://jo-hyun-jae.com/2010/03/26/countdown-85/.  It is such a simple banner, I just added a thought bubble and some text.  But, since it was my first attempt, even a simple banner took me several days to finish!

I started with D85 because D100, D95 and D90 have already passed me by as I was working on that first banner (Ha! Ha!).  Since I was feeling pretty pleased with myself after accomplishing my first banner, I grew ambitious.  I chose another JHJ picture and worked on it again.  Here it is:
http://jo-hyun-jae.com/2010/03/31/countdown-80/.

Here are links to some of the banners I prepared:

http://jo-hyun-jae.com/2010/04/10/dear-diary-9-countdown-70/ – the picture is from a scene from JHJ’s Short Internet Film “Joy of Love”.  I used it because it features JHJ’s beautiful brown eyes!

http://jo-hyun-jae.com/2010/04/30/countdown-50/ – my first time to write a magazine article! 5555

http://jo-hyun-jae.com/2010/05/10/countdown-40/ – I love JHJ’s pictures from his Crencia photo signing event!  Very shy, very innocent-looking!  And that mega-watt smile!

http://jo-hyun-jae.com/2010/05/15/countdown-35/ – Love the pictures, and the poem I used matches the pictures and JHJ.

A few days before D-Day I received a request from wuliJHJ to design a banner — this one to be printed on a tarpaulin and not just for posting on our blog!  EVER invited wuliJHJ to put up a banner outside the camp where JHJ would be released – to represent JHJ’s international fans!

I felt so honored to be given the chance to be part of JHJ’s D-Day, so I worked on it right away.  It took me a day to come up with a concept – yellow background (for a returning soldier), world map and flags representing the countries of JHJ fans who posted comments on our blog at one point or another.  Here is the finished product:
http://jo-hyun-jae.com/2010/06/19/d-day-welcome-back-jhj/

And then D-Day!  Even in the comfort of my home, so far away from the camp in Pocheon, I can sense the excitement in the air (just my overactive imagination of course!).  

Here are some of my favorite photos from that day:

(ED: The first 2 coincide with what we’ve already published in earlier post “One year on….” — JHJ exiting camp and JHJ blowing his face.)

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 The sweet smile and the gentle look in his eyes melted my heart!

  JHJ near tears made me tear up too. How can we not love this man, right?

As I was doing some back reading in our blog as research for this article, I came upon some of my wishes for JHJ I made during that time.  Prominent among my wishes is for JHJ to have a successful comeback.  That has happened already.

His acting comeback is so successful that his marketability as an actor has increased.  For that alone I am very thankful to 49 Days. So from here on I will refrain from making negative remarks about 49 Days and anything connected with it.  I don’t want to jinx JHJ’s future projects!

Here’s wishing JHJ more success in both his personal and professional life in the coming days, weeks, months, and years!

They first met many, many years ago.  How many years ago is beyond my ken.  Some people around them wanted them to be together.  Alas, they were not meant to be – not in that space and time.

Her steadfast heart is set on another man, while his noble heart is set on facing the responsibilities that are seemingly too big for his young shoulders.  She goes on to live her life with the man she loves and he goes on to be ruler of his kingdom.

Years roll by.  They meet again.  In that space and time, he is a commoner and she is of noble birth.  But their different stations in life do not stop their hearts from beating for each other.  It seems their time has finally come.

Or has it?  Revolution!  Uprising!  The oppressed masses turning against their masters… The lovers are caught in this conflagration….he rescues her…. he fights for her…. he protects her…. Oh, but he gets wounded…. Will he die?

He is alive!  She nurses him back to health.  Finally they have time to be together.  Is it really possible for them to be happy in that space and time?

Alas no!  He loses his life as they try to evade forces that would separate them…. she spends the rest of that lifetime mourning him….again they are not meant to be – not at that particular space and time.

They meet again for the third time centuries later.  In that space and time, he is an archaeologist, she a sculptor.  Their hearts and souls recognize each other despite the distance wrought by centuries.  But….but…. she is wearing a wedding ring…. Again, they are not meant to be – not in that particular space and time.

Will they ever find their way toward each other?  Will there ever be a right time and a right place for two hearts who have found, loved and lost each other repeatedly over many, many centuries?  What despair their souls must have suffered through the uncountable years!  Is there still a chance for these lovers to have their happy ending?

Yes!  Finally!  Our lovers are given another chance!  In this space and time, he is Han Kang, and she is Song Yi Kyung.  It is not clear yet what they do in this lifetime, but both are desolate creatures.

Both are lonely, living life one day at a time.  They breathe, they walk, they talk, they sleep, and wake up each morning.  But they are merely surviving.  No purpose to their life.  They are living, but they are not ALIVE….

Forces beyond their control will bring them together.  But there are also forces that will try to separate them.

Their souls travelled centuries to reach this particular space and time.  Are they really meant to be?  Will they finally have their happy ending in …….

Disclaimer:

Do you find this piece mushy?  Cheesy?  Please don’t blame me; blame our JHJ.  As I write this article I am listening to a CD compilation of all songs (+ 1 poem in Japanese) our Hyun Jae sang/recited in his public appearances, in his digital single, and in his dramas.  The CD was lovingly and painstakingly compiled by a dedicated Thai fan.  Listening to this CD while I tap away at my laptop’s keyboard, it feels like JHJ is seated right beside me, whispering sweet nothings to my ears (now, that is cheese overload!).  With JHJ’s rich baritone serenading me while I work, my heart and brain have no choice but to turn mushy and cheesy.  So there, don’t blame me; blame our Hyun Jae, okay?

(Credit: Photos from “Great Ambition”, See Ya MVs, and “49 Days”.  Thanks!)

Let me recall for you a survey discussed by wuliJHJ in a previous post (see post dated July 15, 2010 “Most looking forward to…” under Category: JHJ news, or click on this link: http://jo-hyun-jae.com/2010/07/15/most-looking-forward-to/ ). 

This survey asked the question whose comeback project is most awaited by K-ent followers among actors returning from their military service.  Singer-actor Yang Dong-geun (YDG) topped the survey cornering 55.2% of the votes, second is Gong Yoo (GY) with 30.2% of the votes, while our Jo Hyun-Jae came in at third place with only 8.3% of the votes.

YDG was released from his military service on March 25, 2010.  His comeback project is the movie “Grand Prix” with Kim Tae-hee (KTH, JHJ’s leading lady in the drama “Forbidden Love”).  News of YDG’s involvement in “Grand Prix” was reported by K-ent media on May 2010, just more than a month after his discharge from MS.  The movie premiered on the weekend of September 17-19, 2010 (6 months after YDG’s MS discharge).

Did YDG live up to his top post in the survey?  How did “Grand Prix” fare in the SK box office?  In three weeks of showing, “Grand Prix” garnered only 170,000 in ticket admissions.  It premiered at number 10, stayed in that position in its second week, and slid down to 16 on its third and final week.  It earned around US$1M in 3 weeks of showing (http://boxofficemojo.com ).  K-ent watchers are saying that the movie is a flop.

I read an article about the movie’s performance in the tills: some people lay the blame on KTH for the low turn-out; they say she’s not a good enough actress and needs a strong actor to support her.  Others blame the low numbers on the story (who would want to watch a story about jockeys and horse racing?)  No one blames YDG for the dismal numbers, but no one praises his acting either.  Since I haven’t seen the movie, I don’t have any opinion about the acting or the story.

The only way for YDG to deserve the number one spot in the survey is if Gong Yoo and JHJ’s comeback projects fare worse than YDG’s.  I don’t know about GY, but I highly doubt if JHJ’s comeback project (whether a movie or a drama) would fare worse than YDG’s.  Let me show you some numbers about JHJ’s last movie before his military service, “G.P. 506″.

“G.P. 506″ premiered on the weekend of April 4-6, 2008, took the number 1 spot right away, and aired for 6 weeks.  It grossed around US$6.2M in SK (http://boxofficemojo.com ).  In South Korea’s Yearly Box Office for 2008, it ranked # 46 (http://boxofficemojo.com/intl/korea/yearly/?yr=2008&p=.htm ).  It may not be the best movie out there, but its numbers are a lot better than “Grand Prix”.

By rights “Grand Prix” should have performed better than “G.P. 506″ because:

1.  “G.P. 506″ is X-rated because of the amount of gore and violence in the movie, so viewership is limited, whereas “Grand Prix” caters for more general patronage.

2.   ”G.P. 506″ boasts of only one big-name star (our JHJ), while “Grand Prix” has two (KTH and YDG).

Please note also that “G.P. 506″ (April 2008) aired two years after JHJ’s last onscreen project, “Seo Dong Yo” (September 2005 to March 2006).  JHJ was forced into hiatus after SDY due to problems with his former management agency (Star J), and later the producer of “G.P. 506″ experienced problems of its own that resulted in the filming being halted. 

This 2-year hiatus can be likened to JHJ’s being in military service because he was hardly seen in public during that period.  I even think fans heard more from JHJ during his actual military service than during his 2006-2008 forced hiatus from the entertainment business.

Does this mean that JHJ is a better crowd-drawer than KTH and YDG combined?  I will let the numbers answer that question.

JHJ at “G.P. 506″ press conference in March 2008

Second in the survey is Gong Yoo who will make his comeback with the movie “Finding Kim Jong-wook”.  GY finished his military service on December 8, 2009; news of his involvement in “Finding Kim Jong-wook” was reported by the SK entertainment media in April 2010 (just 4 months after his discharge); the movie will premiere in December 2010, a year after his discharge.  (Ed: ”Finding Kim Jong-wook” opens today in Korea, looks like a crowd-pleaser from the trailer.)  Will GY live up to the votes he garnered in the survey? We will find out in December when his movie airs.

Third in the survey is our JHJ.  He promised us that he will be in a drama before 2010 ends, but in light of what happened to his father, JHJ might not be able to fulfill that promise, and I don’t intend to hold him to it.

Will JHJ’s comeback project perform better than GY’s?

I think GY has a lot of good things going for him.  His last drama before his military service did quite well in the ratings (highest rating received is 30.8%, TNS Media Korea) and earned him many fans.  He may have made his fans wait for him for 3 years (2 years MS + 1 year choosing/filming comeback project), but he was never truly away from their consciousness.  He was an entertainment soldier, a radio DJ, during his military service, which means his fans could tune in to the SK Army’s radio station and listen to him.  Some GY fans even recorded his gigs, and then posted them on GY websites to share with fans who couldn’t tune in to the radio station (lucky, right?).  Then after his discharge, he has held several fan meetings already and has done several commercial films (CFs) also.

JHJ, on the other hand, is not as well placed as GY.  His last drama before his military service, “Three Dads/One Mom”, didn’t rate quite as well (highest rating received is 15.2%, TNS Media Korea) as GY’s “Coffee Prince”.  Plus, JHJ has been away from the general public’s consciousness for the entirety of his military service which has lost him some fans during his military service.  That is a fact of life among Korean actors, compounded in JHJ’s case because he was an ordinary soldier and not an entertainment soldier. 

After JHJ’s discharge, we saw him in Andre Kim’s funeral, 2 JFMs, 3 airport sightings (in Japan and SK before and after the JFMs), and the Seoul Fashion Week; we heard from him before the Chuseok holiday; we also saw him in some magazine articles (although most of the pictures used in those articles were recycled).  But we had to suffer through one non-appearance and one  “misinformation”; and no CFs to tide us over while waiting for his comeback project.

Six months after his discharge we still have no idea what his comeback project will be, and after the latest happening in his private life we might have to wait longer still for him.  Add to that the fact that more and more actors are being discharged from their military service.  More actors mean more competition for JHJ.

Right now JHJ’s world is shrouded in uncertainty.  Will the survey numbers prove true for him?  Or will he overturn the survey and beat the odds ranged against him?  With the right project and the right timing, I am pretty sure JHJ will beat the odds to come out on top.

(Credit: JHJ photos from our library.  Forgot the source, sorry.  But thanks anyway!)

I have been busy for the past few weeks with personal stuff so that it took me a day and a half before I saw JHJ’s cover photo for his 2011 calendar.  But when I saw it, I couldn’t stop myself from squealing with delight!  My husband, who was upstairs at that time, had to rush downstairs to check what made me squeal so loud.  And when I showed him the reason, he just shook his head and looked at me like I was some demented woman.  

Looking at JHJ’s 2011 calendar cover photo reminds me of a popular nursery rhyme titled “What are little boys made of?”  The poem is attributed to the English poet Robert Southey (1774-1843).  Here are the lyrics of the popular rhyme:

What are little boys made of?

What are little boys made of?
What are little boys made of?
Frogs and snails
And puppy-dogs’ tails,
That’s what little boys are made of.

What are little girls made of?
What are little girls made of?
Sugar and spice
And all that’s nice,
That’s what little girls are made of.

JHJ’s cover photo for his 2011 calendar reminds me of the time when I was young and learning this nursery rhyme with my classmates (all girls).  It was a time of innocence, untouched by loss and sorrow, a time when everything around me was nice and good and beautiful.  It is truly amazing that a picture of a 30-year-old man would move me to remember those innocent childhood memories.  It even moved me enough to try my hand at writing a poem of my own.

What is Jo Hyun Jae made of?

What is Jo Hyun Jae made of?
What is Jo Hyun Jae made of?
Beautiful smiles, and sparkling,
Innocent eyes.
That’s what Jo Hyun Jae is made of.

What does Jo Hyun Jae remind me of?
What does Jo Hyun Jae remind me of?
Sugar and spice
And everything nice
That’s what Jo Hyun Jae reminds me of.

Please excuse my amateurish attempt at writing poetry.  It’s just that I am a very happy JHJ fan right now  – there’s a spring in my steps, a lilt in my voice, a smile on my face, and a cheerful tingling in my heart.  I see the future, JHJ’s future, in hopeful and bright tones.  It is truly amazing what one JHJ picture can do to lift JHJ’s fans’ spirits.

(Credit: Photo designed by prissymom.  Thanks!)

November 1 and 2 (All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, respectively) are holy days for Christendom, especially for Roman Catholics, because these are the days when we honour our dear departed.

The poem below is not for those who have already passed on to meet our Maker, but for those of us who have been left behind.  The poem is dedicated to those of us (of whatever religious affiliation) who have lost loved ones, most especially to our dear Hyun Jae, whose loss is very recent.

ASCENSION

by Colleen Corah Hitchcock (1989)

And if I go

while you’re still here ….

Know that I live on,

vibrating to a different measure

– behind a thin veil you cannot see through.

You will not see me,

so you must have faith.

I wait for the time when we can soar together again,

– both aware of each other.

Until then, live your life to the fullest.

And when you need me,

Just whisper my name in your heart,

…… I will be there 

(Ed: Last 4 lines highlighted by prissymom)

I have loved this melancholy but comforting poem for a number of years now, ever since I saw it on the introductory pages of the Tom Clancy novel “Executive Orders” (1996).  I have since shared this poem with friends and relatives who have lost loved ones, hoping to comfort them in their time of sorrow.  Since I consider JHJ a part of my family, I also shared this poem with him in a card I sent him when his father passed away.  I hope when he gets the chance to read my card (and have the poem translated into Korean), he will draw comfort from it too.

FATHER AND SON

THE FATHER

Mr. Jo Sung Ho, I knew you only through your son, Jo Hyun Jae.  I don’t know what you looked like, but if you looked like your son then you must have been a handsome man too.  I didn’t even know that your name was Jo Sung Ho until the news reports about your demise mentioned it.   I knew that you have been sick for a long time due to exposure to Agent Orange, but I didn’t know that you were a veteran of the Vietnam War or that you were a marine in your country’s Armed Forces. 

I didn’t know so many things about you because your famous son has zealously guarded your family’s privacy over the years.  I didn’t know so many things about you and yet I feel a deep sense of gratitude towards you. 

Because of you there is a man named Jo Hyun Jae in this world.  Because of you there is an actor Jo Hyun Jae who has given me (and countless others) so many hours of enjoyment and happiness with his performances in various projects. 

There is a saying in my country “Kung ano ang puno (tree), siya ang bunga (fruit/seed).”  It closely resembles a passage in the Bible (Matthew 7:18): “A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.”

We often use this saying when discussing parents (tree) and their children (fruits/seed).  If the parents are bad, the children will likely turn out to be bad; if the parents are good, their kids will generally turn out good. 

Mr. Jo Sung Ho, you must have been a great father to have raised (together with your wife) such a remarkable man like Jo Hyun Jae.  Thank you, Sir, for bringing him into this world and for sharing him with us.  You have every right to be proud of him because he is a man any parent will be very proud to have for a son.

Rest in peace, Mr. Jo Sung Ho. 

THE SON

Jo Hyun Jae, you make me feel so ashamed of myself.  While I was feeling frustrated and complaining over the scant news regarding your comeback project, you were beside yourself with worry over the deteriorating condition of your father. 

The one time you showed up in public after your military discharge but before your Japan fan meetings, I noticed that you looked tired.  I put it down to working hard preparing for your fan meetings.  During the Japan fan meetings, there is a big smile on your face and sparkle in your eyes.  No trace of the worries over your father you must have been feeling even then.   And then, nothing for almost two months.  I admit, for the first time since becoming your fan, I resented you a bit (SNH – a lot!) for your silence.

Knowing what I know about you, I should have guessed that something terribly wrong is going on in your personal life.  I know that your father is seriously ill, so I should have had an inkling that your continued absence and silence had something to do with his condition.  I should have known, I should have had more faith in you ….. I failed you. 

I promise, next time you decide to disappear (for whatever reason and for however long) I will not pepper the various JHJ websites with this comment: “JHJ has gone quiet on us once again… sigh…”.  Because I know that only for your family would you risk your career or risk alienating your fans with your continued absence and silence. 

JHJ, thank you for reminding me, through your actions, that FAMILY should always come first (as wuliJHJ is so fond of reminding me too).  Take care of yourself, and stay strong. 

When you are ready to take on your public life once again, rest assured that your fans will be here waiting for you, ready to give you our unwavering support.

The WINNER is prissymom!  After you have read her story below, you will agree she deserves every accolade.

Craziest JHJ-drama-watching-experience

The first time I watched “Seo Dong Yo” was in 2008, two years after it ended its initial run on Korean TV in 2006. If memory serves me right, it is the last JHJ drama I watched. Saving the best for last? Nope! Actually, I didn’t want to watch it. I felt daunted by its length – 55 episodes! Too long; I have a very short attention span when it comes to dramas. Besides, it is a historical drama, Korean at that! What do I care about Korean history, right? But the prospect of two years without a new JHJ drama eventually moved me to give it a try. And so began my craziest JHJ-drama-watching-experience ever!

I remember that it was around 10 p.m. when I started to download the first episode. Right after downloading the 1st episode, I watched it. Right from the first hoof beat I was hooked. I stopped watching the 1st episode only long enough to start downloading the 2nd episode so that by the time I finished watching the 1st episode the 2nd episode would have finished downloading already. And so on and so forth. I kept downloading, and watching, then downloading again and watching again. To this day I cannot remember how many episodes I downloaded and watched that first night. All I can recall is that I became aware of time again only when my husband went to the guest room (where I was watching SDY on my laptop so as not to disturb him) to ask me what’s for breakfast.

Eeekkkk! It is the next day already! Where did the night go? I was so engrossed in watching SDY one episode after another that I didn’t notice time passing by. I rushed through my morning activities: cooked breakfast, ate breakfast with dear hubby, kissed and rushed him off to work (that dear, dear man, very cooperative!), then dumped the dishes in the kitchen sink (5555!). Started downloading SDY episodes again, this time multiple episodes in one go. And as the episodes were downloading, I rushed through other chores – washed the dishes, fixed the bed, took a bath. Then I went back to watching SDY.

Nothing else got done that day. I didn’t cook lunch; I just ate bread with some leftover viands. I munched fruits, raisins and biscuits whenever I would feel hunger pangs. I felt dizzy the whole day: from lack of sleep, too much watching and, most probably, from hunger too, but I watched on! The cliffhangers at the end of each episode were so good, I just couldn’t stop watching!

Time flew by so fast, morning turned to afternoon to ….yikes…. evening. Had to cook dinner! But wait, hubby texted – will be late home, have dinner meeting (I really love that man, very supportive of my interests 555!) I didn’t have to cook dinner! Woot-woo! Raided the ref for fruits (again) and the pantry for junk food (again)! I was still at it when hubby arrived home (late). Alas, the mind was willing, but the flesh was weak. I finally succumbed to sleep that second night: I had no choice, my eyes kept closing by themselves.

The succeeding days were more or less the same: downloaded SDY episodes, watched them, rushed through household stuff, missed a lot of meals. A lot of calls and text messages went unanswered too. I did answer some of those calls, but would feign sickness whenever I got an invitation for lunch or dinner out. I didn’t exactly lie, I was really feeling sick from lack of sleep, exercise and healthy food. But what could I do? SDY and JHJ are addicting.

But there were some invitations/trips I couldn’t weasel my way out. On those occasions I had to go out, I made sure to download as many episodes as I could, then saved them on my laptop. And then while my husband was driving to wherever we were going, I would watch SDY on my laptop. The longer the drive, the better. If we got stuck in traffic, even better (haha)! If we had to wait for whomever upon reaching our destination, betterer (is there such a word?)!!!

And here’s another trick I learned: whenever I feel really sleepy (to the point I can’t keep my eyes open anymore) but don’t want to stop watching yet (I have to finish the episode, right?), I would close one eye, let’s say the right eye, and continue watching with only the left eye! And when the left eye gets tired, I will close it (to give it a rest) and watch with the right eye. Left eye, then right eye again, on and on, until I finish the episode. My eyesight was already bad before SDY; it became worse after SDY.

I really can’t recall how long that period lasted; I would like to think that it lasted only for a week. But it could be 2 weeks… or 3 weeks… or a month! The days just blurred onto one another, marked only by the beginning and ending of SDY. Will I do it again when JHJ’s comeback project airs? What? Do you think I’m crazy? Of course, I will do it again! I am a diehard JHJ fan, after all.

HONOURABLE MENTION – Jelly

After I became a fan of Jo Hyun Jae, I wanted to learn more of Korea, its customs and traditions. Plus I wanted to taste kimchi even though I do not like spicy food. BUT the most embarrassing and crazy thing I have to admit is — when I went to Universal Studios recently, everytime I would meet a chinky- eyed guy, I would look hard at him hoping he would be JHJ!!!

I am crazy, huh???

Well, JHJ seems to be driving his fans crazy!  And yet he is so calm and serene himself.  It’s good to have some passion in your life, so carry on with your ardent love affair with JHJ.

We thank everyone for participating.  Congratulations to the winners!  Your prize will be on its way to you next week.

Since becoming a JHJ fan, JE NE SAIS QUOI has become my favourite French phrase.

JE NE SAIS QUOI, pronounced as [zhuh nuh se kwa], literally means “I know not what” or “I don’t know what” in English. Such a mundane meaning for a chic-sounding phrase! But don’t belittle this French phrase, because the French use it figuratively to describe someone or something, well, indescribable.

Here are several meanings of the phrase I found online:

From the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language: A quality or attribute that is difficult to describe or express.

From the Collins English Dictionary: An indefinable quality, especially of personality.

From the Merriam-Webster Dictionary: Something indescribable; something that cannot be adequately described or expressed.

From the Random House Dictionary: An indefinable, elusive quality, especially a pleasing one.

Lastly, from the American Heritage New Dictionary: That little something; an intangible quality that eludes description.

In short JE NE SAIS QUOI is that quality that JHJ has that made viewers and Kdrama watchers in general, and JHJ fans in particular …..

….. sit up and take notice of the relative unknown that JHJ was when he appeared as the Crown Prince in “Dae Mang” (Great Ambition). His indefinable quality made his star shine in that drama, despite being in the presence of stars bigger than him.

….. empathize with the young conflicted priest Andrea in “Love Letter”. To this day, people are still one in saying that only JHJ could have played Andrea.

…… take umbrage that Oh Hee-soo (Jo Ahn) could not return Han Young-woo’s (JHJ) love for her in “First Love”. So unbelievable! How can she not love him? He is so handsome, so pure, so loving, and so true! How can she not notice him? How dare she?

….. feel cheated that there is no clear ending for Ji Heon-woo (Song Hye-gyo) and Jung Eun-sup (Jo Hyun Jae) in “Sunshine”. Up to this day I still encounter JHJ fans who would ask if Heon-woo and Eun-sup ended up together. No matter how one answers this question, a debate will surely ensue. Of course, most viewers wanted Heon-woo to end up with Eun-sup.

….. feel Kang Min-woo’s despair at losing the woman he loves in “Forbidden Love”.

…..fall in love and swoon over Han Yi-joon in “Only You”, shockful of hair and colourful wardrobe, notwithstanding.

….. feel every pain that Jang went through just to claim his rightful position in his Kingdom in “Seo Dong Yo”. Feel happy for him as his and Princess Sun-hwa’s love finally found fulfilment. And then break our hearts again when he smiled that bittersweet smile as the drama ended.

….. be enamored with Han Soo-hyun despite his miserly, stingy ways in “3 Dads/1 Mom”.

….. stay loyal and devoted to him despite JHJ’s almost reclusive behaviour! Other actors are so busy posting news and pictures about themselves (yes, they do the twitting and blogging in their twitter accounts and mini-homepage by themselves) on an almost daily basis, while JHJ fans have to go months with nary a word from him. Not even a “Hi”!

….. want to protect him from the big bad wolves that abound in the K-entertainment world, even if we know that he is old enough and tough enough to take care of himself.

Well, whatever you want to call this elusive, indescribable, indefinable quality – charm ….charisma….. X-factor…. certain something.… or yes, JE NE SAIS QUOI, one thing I am sure of: JHJ has it in abundance.

(Credit: Photo from Gra.  Thanks!)

Like any Jo Hyun-Jae fan, I must have looked at hundreds of JHJ’s pictures during the two years he was away in the Army (and still looking even though he is now out!!!).  In addition, I must have spent an inordinate amount of time pouring and scrutinizing over these photos while I was working on the countdown banners for his military discharge.

In doing so, I have observed something: whether he’s acting, posing for a magazine photo spread, or during candid moments, JHJ has a propensity for putting his hands near his lips – hands-to-lips or, in short, H2L.

The two collages I prepared are just some of the photos I have collected to show this JHJ mannerism:

Whether JHJ is holding an object in his hands or not, the act of putting his hands near his lips draws attention to his lips.  As if we need something to draw our attention to one of his most remarkable and attention-grabbing features!  JHJ has got the most beautiful lips I have ever seen on anyone, male or female!!!  And the amazing thing is his lips are all natural – no cosmetic surgery, no botox injections! 

(Credit:  THANK YOU to all the professional photographers who took such good pictures of JHJ through the years, and to all the JHJ fans who uploaded these pictures online.)

Just when we’re worrying about when our next post is coming from, the above is delivered by an angel by the name of Zoe.  Jo Hyun-Jae’s fans are all thinking about him.  Is he thinking of us too? 

(Credit: Poem and design by Zoe, including drawings on umbrella.  Many thanks!)

“Wild” is a word that I would never dream of associating with our JHJ.  He has been variously described as calm, tranquil, serene, etc.  But wild?  No, not a word that I would use to describe our JHJ. 
 
And yet looking at his pictures below, the first word that came to my mind was WILD…..  See for yourself….. 

The photos are beautiful even as stark as they are.  In fact, their starkness is part of the appeal of the photos to me.  The photographer successfully captured JHJ’s air of innocence, but when I look at JHJ’s eyes in these photos I sense storm, mystery, fire, passion, and yes, wildness.
 
I especially love photos 1, 2, 3 and 4.  Photo 1 conveys sheer wildness trying to get out of the innocent facade; photo 3 mixes innocence with mystery.  Photo 4 is a mixture of innocence, fire, passion and storm, challenging the onlooker to come closer, to delve deeper.  But my favorite among the lot is photo 2; with just half of his face showing in the picture, JHJ is still able to convey such a myriad of emotions.  The lines of his lips speak of innocence.  His eye conveys storm, fire, and passion brewing beneath the surface, also mystery and wildness.  His tousled hair and the black streaks in the background add to the “wildness” effect of the photo. 
 
Looking at these photos I am struck once more by JHJ’s chameleon-like quality – a quality that will surely stand him in good stead when he resumes his acting career.

And the photo below is our contribution — WILDER!

(Credit: First set of photos from kk; last one from CarpeDiem.  Thanks!)

Bigcat wrote about this afterwards, but this is not a word-for-word translation of her article, since her Chinese is very profound.

Because of a stranger in faraway Korea, Mr. Jo Hyun-Jae, we fans got to know one another, dined together many times, became friends, talked about everything under the sun — this should be eternal destiny that link us together.

I remember at the 2008 Japan Fan Meetings, the Japanese fans came from all over the country.  Seeing them lugging their bags, so excited at capturing a photo of JHJ, wearing cheerful smiles on their faces — it was only then that I understood what it meant to be a star of the Korean Wave and why the Korean Wave would not die.  It is because it allows us to temporarily escape from the world; it provides us with a refuge where we can forget about status and position; it gives us the time and scope to be romantic and wilful again.  

Courses of food were served while we talked about JHJ’s works, his fellow actors in the dramas, his comeback project after discharge, our trip to Seoul in June…….JHJ fan gatherings are always so happy and pleasant.  After we finished JHJ’s birthday cake, it was already past 10 p.m.

I still remember this idiom we always used as children — “Time flies like an arrow.”  It so happens that if you meet with JHJ fans in some corner of the world, time really flies.  When you tear off the page for April on the calendar, time is fleeting by and the time for JHJ’s discharge is just around the corner.

This is the very first photo of JHJ that I ever saw:

Only one word can describe my initial reaction — shock!

When I saw this photo I was stunned!  A thousand ????????? came into my mind…..

Why does this Korean young man have such delicate facial features, like a little Caucasian boy?

Why does someone immersed in the entertainment world still have such pure eyes, like a child’s?

Why does this actor still possess such innocence and guilelessness and outer-worldliness?

Why does a little white rabbit in the primeval human jungle still remain a little white rabbit?

Why does time leave no traces on his face and in his eyes?

Why does someone who could not even finish school look every inch the genteel scholar of ancient times?

(Credit: Translated from the “First of May” article by Bigcat of www.johyunjae.com.  Thanks!)

Our JHJ Fan-of-the-Month, prissymom, requires no introduction.  If you are a regular visitor to our blog, you will have read her articles and seen her countdown photos.  Even before she was invited to become a Contributing Editor, she has written more than anyone except wulijohyunjae (all of her own volition!)

I don’t know when my JHJ addiction/obsession will end or if it will ever end.  For now, I am enjoying myself immensely.  Because of JHJ I have discovered talents/skills I never knew I had.  Before JHJ and wuliJHJ I didn’t know that my writings were good enough to be published in a public forum.  Before JHJ and wuliJHJ I didn’t know that I have a creative bone in my body to make picture banners!  Because of JHJ I am now more computer savvy than before.  I know that I still need to improve a lot.  But JHJ and wuliJHJ have inspired me to venture beyond my comfort zones.

I was just supposed to write a few lines, but the words just flowed.