Beneath the Surface

Man, I'm having the shivers today. For the first time in a long while, Southern Cal is really getting downright frigid at night. Looks like I'm coming down with something. On days like this, I really regress and want to be "mothered" - haha, even at this age, a little motherly hug and her famous home-cooking can do wonders for the soul. You agree? Anyway, I'm curled up listlessly, and random thoughts infiltrate my cough syrup-affected mind. One re-runs particularly clearly though. Remember that interesting story on 11.20.2006 at remote Chungju (or Cheongdu depending of which translation you read)? The one where BYJ picked up a sleeping child and dressed him all up for his mama? I recently caught up with a pal of mine who was fortunate enough to have been present then and you know what? No offense, but even with the superb writing from all the marvelously talented sisters (which we foreign fans so, so, SO MUCH appreciate by the way), black and white inanimate words on a paper simply don't do it justice. Anyway, I'll give it another shot anyway. Forgive me; it is a disease that I have - maybe you don't think it matters that much, but I am such a stickler for details. By the way, I am not here to make any judgments; just wanna fill in the blanks for those who were equally taken by the story as I was.

Anyway, I think it was about 11:30 pm that night. During one of the late night shooting breaks, everyone headed up to a restaurant (Movie Villa according to Quilt) near the set to take refuge from the bitter cold and also for some shut eye. In fact, periodically throughout the day, these kind restauranteurs would openly welcome any fans, even non-paying customers, to use their facilities and nap a bit. Gee - that's that famous Korean hospitality. Kindness beyond belief.

At the shooting break, some announcements were made that filming would continue late into the night, so most of the strong-willed fans retreated up to this restaurant for what they thought would be a few more hours of waiting. One group of family, including a mother and her son, had occupied one of the rooms up there as well. The ladies decided to take a bathroom break, but since the son looked so comfortably and soundly in deep sleep, they decided to let him continue in his sweet slumber while they went down to use the facilities. After they did what they had to do (see, it's perpetually the bathroom thing again for ladies, is it not?? :) , they came out to a completely different landscape. There was now a small group of family hovered at the base of the staircase, and the ladies were unable to return up to their room because the bodyguards were preventing access to the second floor where YJ-ssi had decided to go catch a light meal.

So, the family obediently did what they do best - haha- that is, wait patiently. Hee - it must have been some scene, all those ladies standing there at the bottom with their heads all perched up, longing for mr. captivating to reveal himself. And don't you know it? Not too long later, he did come to the top of the staircase, carrying a toddler boy in his arms to everyone's surprise. As we read before, as YJ-ssi exited, he must have heard or caught a glimpse of the child who had awakened to miss his mother and was sobbing audibly by this time. Perhaps it was just pure fatherly instinct or pure love of children or even perhaps it was a sudden realization that he unknowingly caused inconvenience to the family. Probably all of the above. Since there were no fans upstairs, the source for what happened up there may only be the restauranteurs or YJ-ssi 's own people. So he supposedly dressed the child fully and warmly and carried him to the staircase.
Did the boy stop crying? **mishio rolls her eyes*** Need anyone ask that question? :) :) I would venture to guess that this boy will never ever be satisfied again with his mama's hug anymore now that he's experienced the heavenly hold of you -know-who! That poor mom has got big shoes to fill, ya?? haha - sorry, I am kidding around as usual.

Anyway, YJ-ssi carried the little boy securely to the top of the stairwell and stared down at the family with a half-embarassed, tentative, half-smile kind of a look (apparently so very cute! aarrgh!) He looked at each and everyone of the ladies, slowly and deliberately turning from one to the next to the next......

"OMA?" - he said in a questioning tone.

"OMA?" - he said again

"OMaaaaaaa?" he kept repeating.

Over and over in his killer smooth voice - he asked until he found the right "oma" and personally returned the now blissfully content child to the rightful parent. (In my next life, I wanna be a toddler boy. Not just anyone - THIS ONE, pleeeease!!!)

Can you imagine YJ-ssi looking you in the eye and calling out "OMA"? Ayyyyyy, have mercy! Be still my heart! hahahaha. Three cheers for them mature fans who were present, right?!!!!! They finally got their wish! Remember my pals think of YJ-ssi kinda as their son? Yes, these self-professed "ajumma" friends of mine were quite weak-kneed after this and some even developed vertigo!

Pills. Now. Someone give them some pills now. hahahaha. They told me half-jokingly that it was better then hearing their own kids call them by name! Ahh- such traitor mothers they are! (sorry frenz ! :)
I don't know if it can be comparable to your own kin, but I'm positive it must have felt pretty fuzzy warm to them. Really happy for ya'll lucky folks!

After the deed was accomplished, he continued to wave and bow to the small congregation of fans there prior to returning to his vehicle. Luckily for everyone and especially for our hard-working YJ-ssi, filming ended then rather than early dawn as originally announced. Hmmmm....somehow, I doubt that anyone wanted to go to bed after what transpired.

Soooo, I dunno what this does for you. As for me, those minute details added a whole dimension of joy to my perception of the events. Anyway, as my favorite radio personality Paul Harvey would say, "Now, you know: The Rest of the Story..........."

GOODDAY!