A Selective Fountain of Youth

While my mouth would sometimes boast of its master as a champion of equality, I must admit that my actions often fall way short of those standards that I aspire to. Guess I am less than perfect, like anyone else. Also guess it is a shield that I hide behind whenever I want to whine "life is not fair!"

No wonder sisters kept passing me loads of food and snacks this time around. They are smart to realize that at least I had the decency of upbringing to know that I have to keep my mouth closed while chewing! :)
Yep, I get it. Sisters, I really get it, ok?

Yes, so often during this last adventure, did I find myself muttering about the inequality of life. Yes, it is so obviously so.

If nature were to be kind to mishio, then wuri YJ would have set up his bachelor's pad, oh.... somewhere next door. Geez, Korea is just so......far! :)
Thank goodness I am the sentimental kind and have had a hard time breaking off my ties to my former home country in Asia. Otherwise, would I really have the opportunity to travel once each year to this region??

Anyway, I have to remember to thank my pal for her opportune birthdate. Not that you can make these dates up nor control them or anything. But she did come out to celebrate mine with me last year, and I really wanted to do the same for her. Friends should do that, right?

So, why in the world was mishio complaining about fairness in life?

Well, need I really have to say so in so many words?

Just take a look at this man, will ya?
What on earth??

Seriously, why on earth does this man not age any?

I mean, I've known some bae-pals for 3, 4 years now. As much as they are beautiful beings and that I love them all, and sure, a few have managed to escape the natural aging process better than others, but no one looks better than when I first met them.

Only wuri-YJ.

Goodness gracious! This person has even convinced nature to spare him. How incredibly great for him and oh-so terrible for us all!

As we shoulder the burden of wrinkles and spots, and perhaps even his share of them, his skin gets silkier and smoother every year that goes by. Does anyone ever wonder this ? Why on earth do his pictures don't ever show those unsightly pores that everyone else has, even on closeup? @@ Is air a requisite for him to sustain life or not, huh? It doesn't help much that most of us have taken to late nights surfing the net for his news, creating art, withstanding the dehydration effects of travels to baeland, etc.

And as I develop a mature figure and as my muscles (err...what muscles?) start to waste, as they always do with age...he will likely continue to march on briskly in those long efficient strides of his and carry on in his crazy good physique. When I get to the point that I have to recruit the services of a go-cart for basic mobilization, there's at least one thing to look forward to. Heck, as least, with a go-cart, I might actually stand a chance of catching up with this elusive man, the back of whom is the only image I ever get to see due to limitation by my current mode of transportation - two stubles they graciously call legs :)

Now I know some of you love his backside much much, but I must confess. I really prefer the other side. So, unless he learns to perfect walking backwards, I have to be happy with what I can see for now.

Image is after all his business, and there's no shortage of team and products to provide crucial assistance at all times. No wonder all these vitamin/anti-oxidant/peptide infused creams are such big business.

Anyway, even though I never forget the fact that we're all just particles of dust from his vantage point, it's amazing how fans continue to make such a fuss about looking their very very best when an opportunity comes up to sneek a view of him. That, I deduce from the number of compacts that flap out of purses and the eager face-patting that goes on endlessly in the minutes leading to any major event. And hair brushes. And lipstick. Etc. Guess some of them want to be a decorated or shiny dust particle instead.

To that, I thank that someone out there that made my skin allergic to most types of make-up products. How in the world do these ladies have the presence of mind to draw any precise lines during those anxious moments? Such pros, all of them. Still, I don't think I can handle one more thing to worry about.

Anway, back to the wedding of the year....the most lasting impression that I was left with was surprisingly not that of wuri-YJ, but of Mgr Hwang. This is a man that I was largely ambivalent about for the longest time. He had not been particularly friendly nor did he mingle much with fans in public events - just a quiet fella who slips out of the radar most of the time. For some reason, he doesn't possess the recognizability nor the stature of some of the other BOF folks, and esp the infamous former Mgr.

However, on this day, the graciousness and charm with which he handled himself, and the openness with which he allowed his special day to be shared with fans - that really really really won us all over. There was not a darn thing, amidst all the chaos and foreign faces, that could've wipe the happy smile of the groom's face. Sheer bliss, I think they call it. It was so very thoughtful and generous of him and his bride to allow fans, essentially strangers, to share the whole process with them, no?

CHONGMAL KOMAPSUMNIDA, Mgr Hwang!

Anyway, back from the beginning...the rumors of the 10.07.2007 nuptials started propagating wildly only at 5:30pm the night before. A tip from some internet site with no certain time nor location - how is it that fans would spring into dramatic action based on this is beyond me. Fans are so inherently trusting.

Amazing job on the part of BOF to keep things under wraps for so long. With all the people involved in planning a wedding, so incredible that nothing spilled out at all. Good thing, I guess, because the crowd on hand was already plenty a large. Don't believe for one moment what the newspapers said - the 50 fans noted by the reporters must have been what he saw with just one eye or something. We were easily 2-2.5X that number.

Before Jaime seduces you all with further romantic images of my so-called "connections," the only connection I had were long-distance ones I was feverishly trying to make in order to establish the relative truth of these news. The truth is, my friend & I had many acquaintances in town, but everyone was guarding the precious info like some rare gem. No one (I'm serious) would share the information with us about where, what time, etc. about this wedding. Knowing the date alone is worthless, as you know, if you don't have the other matching parts. I bridged further connections over my forehead as well, trying to figure things out. But the past is the past, and all is forgiven, because in the end, we found someone that came through for us. See? Lucky, but not smooth sailing the whole way. That's the raw and unpolished version of how I came to land in the lobby of Lotte Hotel that day.

For those fans who observed the rules, we didn't get a bad deal at all. The following pic gives you an idea of where fans were allowed to congregate (it's a cap, so pardon the quality).

As with most ballrooms, there is a sequence of side by side double wide doors that serve as the entrances. I hope no one should dare complain about the distance - we really got to follow the proceedings from the very beginning to the end, and the truth is, it takes less than a second to slam those doors shut should it be so commanded. Most appreciated, Mr & Mrs. Hwang!

This walkway, lined by a great many congratulatory bouquets, followed by the receiving line, eventually led to the ballroom entrance to the right.

Right as you get to the entrance, there was this rather neat ice sculpture alongside displays of some handsome photos of the bride & groom.



You've already read from Mgr Yang's blog about the jovial part where the groom was put to the test. I was able to find some footage related to that part - one of the stamina tests he underwent involved repetitive lifting of his bride. Five times to be exact. He also, at one point, shouted something and lifted his hands that sent the crowd roaring with laughter - too bad, I didn't understand, but it sure looked fun (mishio is sooooo sad that she didn't study Korean like she promised to). Even if it is not about wuri YJ, I hope you will enjoy a tiny slice of the action and festivities anyway.

(Take home point to all Korean men - Stop oogling over them tall and buxom model types - be smart and marry only petite women lest be humiliated and embarrassed in front of your blood buddies when you can't lift them properly at your own wedding!
Wee! Score one for us shorties! hahahaha)

An apology about this footing btw: hee, I was so complete it even included clips of the Lotte carpet, the metal rod barricades, etc. Haha, I luv you all so much I wanted to make sure you don't miss out on all the details. hahahahaha. In all seriousness, I'm sorry for I haven't enough time to fire up the video editing software to clean up the useless parts of the clip.

Might want to take two seasick pills before you hit the arrow too - unless you want to experience a sense of my trembling arms at that time -The shaking will provide material evidence that my arms contain no muscles whatsover. Actually, i was on my tippy toes and had to hold the camera way high over my head to avoid the heads of the sisters in front of me. In a separate "stamina test" held outside of the wedding, about 2 minutes was all I could sustain in that pose. I simply pointed in the right direction, hoping for something usable!

Whether you agree or not, I do want you to know that I was very very very proud of myself, for a minute anyway, to have snapped this. There's some quality loss due to the video hosting site, but hope after you review it carefully, you concur too!