The Clouds Will Pass

Omo - what have I done?
Or actually, I should say, "what has bb done"?? :D Just kidding there...!

Somehow, a private conversation unexpectedly ended up causing a little tidal wave there. If we've affected your mood in a negative way, then let me apologize sincerely since I know most of you come to BYJ or read the blogs for a feel-good thing.

But I guess, every silver lining has a cloud.

And every cloud has silver lining.

Or is it....every crowd has a silver lining? heehee, sorry my tongue is stuck! :)

I spent some time reading everyone's comments here and at bb's page. And I realized something. In my opinion, the best and most shiny silver lining out of this little bump in the road was the opportunity created for an outpouring of support and recognition for our super-informative, delightfullly entertaining, level-headed, and ever-so-witty bb. Again, let me emphasize that she wrote all that stuff for my benefit, not hers. But soooo glad it turned out that way. So very well-deserved. And so very overdue. Hee, I'll tell ya, that little pat on the shoulders here and again - wah! that can be substenance for months and months of blogging. So, bb - at least we'll now be reassured that you'll be working for months and months more...if not years! :)

I don't do this everyday. Not even close. So, no comparison. And I've tried my very best to stay low-profile and "under the radar" so to speak, exactly for fear of being rolled into some controversy. Don't even go post in big forums anymore. Ineffective obviously. Even today, I've heard of someone complaining about the video I have just posted yesterday. Haiyo! I don't know what is right and what is wrong anymore. Let it roll, let it roll, let it rollllllllll.....

Dear Damdeok, I think I'll need to borrow those blinders off your mighty horse for a moment. Yes, even better if you want to put them on for me!

I remember when I started to blog at the beginning of my trail as an "open" fan, and it was because the experience unfolding before me promised to be so very wonderful that I dared not leave a minute or a detail out. I, in my very a-retentive way, wanted to document every glorious detail lest I should forget them after pulling a YJ-maneuver of walking into a lamp-post or something. Oops - sorry dear YJ-ssi, that's all in the past, and I shant make fun of your very cute ways anymore :) !

And the other reason was the fact that of all the stuff I love to read about BYJ, trip diaries were were my clear hands-down fav. Perhaps because travel is such my passion. And people and culture are another. And I certainly learned a great lesson about both in such diaries.

At that time, we had such a limited selection of English stories it was almost depressing. But they were prized not because of lack of choice, but because of how deeply touching, how comprehensive, and how vicariously vivid the superb writing and well-chosen photos were. You'd think of me as a crazy if you saw me, but I literally wailed in tears at the touching stories, laughed and landed rice so ill-manneredly on my screen at the funny stuff, and my heart twisted this and that way through all the ups and downs. I was literally hanging on the edge of my seat with excitement with/for them.

So often, I wanted to email them and give their shin a big kick if they didn't post them fast enough coz they were that good.......! haha - that would've been a bad move for a new fan, but I was so eager to read more! :) In my "era" , that would have been the work of bb's and tiff's passages, and yes, they probably trained the patience I have now! (just joking ladies)

Anyway, I, being a language skill deprived soul, found so little English material out there at that time- it was simply depressing. It's not a complaint, but our ability to partake in information depended on the kind assistance of so many generous translators. As hard as they worked for our benefit, it was simply not possible to do it all or catch all the nuances. So, in an odd way, I wanted to contribute what I could for English only fans, and when possible, I thought it would be a nice feeling that we weren't always the last to know. If we know at all.

But gone are the days when it was nearly impossible to get official BOF goods without a trusting friend in Asia. And gone are the days when we had too little English stuff to read. There are so many amazing bloggers and sites out there now. There are commercialized tour agencies who offer his news, authorized or not, on a daily basis. And his growing fan base have been sharing more than ever. Ya, nowadays, I can barely keep up.

And as I pant to do so, it's always a wonderful feeling to realize how far we've come. How far our YJ-ssi has come, I mean. He's known all around the world, and news about him now grab the headlines and attention even amongst the English press now. (Hee, and anyway I swear that half the sisterhood have manage to hone their Korean skills pretty darn good!)

So, I can't say there's much need for an additional site such as this anymore. It's not the critics really - I too ain't so fragile to let them run all over me. Anyway, don't worry, I still have a few good stories left in me before it all gets hung up.

Ayyyyyyyyy....it became another long post again.

Actually, for all the ladies that came by here or there to leave the encouraging comments, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. You haven't any idea the power of your words. I haven't earned any of it yet, but I can feel the love and warmth between the lines. And for a moment there, I felt included, really included, into this great big ol' cozy family.

Someone once said, "In time, people will forget your words. And probably your actions. But they will never forget how you made them feel."

Anyway, heartfelt gratitude to all!

In the meantime, there's a few more things I've got to do, so the show must go on for now.......!

****************

By the way, you've all read that he shot more battle scenes yesterday nearby Suwon yesterday? I assume that's at Hwasong again

And he's at Kori City filming again today. Right now!
Some location photos from Kori shared by a fellow fan....taken last month apparently. It's amazing how everything looks so much fancier in the drama compared to the real props, huh? I remember working on a play in high school where I (no experience) was asked to paint color on some large cloth mural (like fill in the dots)on a city landscape image, but pow! with the right lights - it made a realistic backdrop for that "Guys & Dolls" musical.........! So very cool!

But tomorrow................day off! Yippee! Have a restful "Hump Day" YJssi!