Redemption (Sorta) in a Click

Remember the failure last time I had with Yoona..well I can proudly say failure NO MORE!!! Let me tell you the story that led up to it because it is pretty amazing how the timing was incredibly perfect for our click of destiny..I would even say it could be a God thing (I'm not saying God wants us to get married..it would be nice but that's not what I'm talking about..so read on)..seriously

First let me set this story up for you..for my failure read my previous post. So this week was incredibly difficult for everyone because there were so many shoots and no editing time. And to go along with that someone died and ended up being another funeral..it wasn't as big as the last but people couldn't rest. I fortunately escaped the funeral shoot, instead I was out covering the scheduled events. Then came Thursday. We covered an Angelina Jolie movie event. It called for me to help translate during editing. Which meant, all-nighter! so I came out around 1pm on Thursday for work with minimal sleep because the day before I got home really late from another shoot..So from Thursday to Friday (broadcast day), I worked 35 hours straight..as I got home at 12:00am on Saturday (technically)..So as you can probably tell I was bloody tired..

Now comes the fun part almost! So usually Saturday is my day off..I've been to 1 shoot on a Saturday before. Now when there are shoots usually if it is an advertisement shoot it goes pretty late. So on Friday we heard there was going to be an f(x) commercial shoot on Saturday and I was asked to go. Even though I would have to wake up early to go, there was no way I could turn down a chance to see f(x)..so I gladly agreed and went. Now this shoot ended really early which is extremely rare. So here is where fate starts to kick in haha..

The f(x) shoot was cool. Only the girls I liked came out, Sulli, Krystal, and Victoria. So the shoot ended at 4pm and on our way out to the cars we run into these three Chinese f(x) fans from China who somehow found out they were there. So our PD decides we need to get an interview with them. Now pay attention to the timing because it is the most important thing in this story..well 2nd most..haha. So they waste a good 10-15 min of my time but we get the interview done, get in the car ready to go but a security guard stops us for a good couple minutes yapping away because someone forgot to throw away their drink. Now we are on our way but one of our PDs have to stop by home real quick. So we go out of our way stop by his house and we're on our way again. So I don't think I've ever been on the road in Korea especially from Seoul to Ilsan in daylight where there was no traffic for some reason today, around 5pm..very odd. So we get to Ilsan around 5:15sh I would say and we are really hungry because we didn't eat lunch. We've already decided to go drop off the equipment in our office and go eat.

Now, for the other side. So it was Tiffany and Yuri's final day as MC's on MBC's Music Core (Music Show). I knew going into today that it was their last day and I wouldn't be able to see them because I really wanted to see Yuri so I was bummed but kinda excited when I got back that it was just a little after Music Core ended and felt I had a chance to see them. So I get out of the elevator, the first person I see is Taeyang. I think to myself, very tiny and move on to see a bunch of girls in the Music Core office but I don't recognize them, must be a new YG group because they left with Taeyang. I get to the office and we're cleaning up the equipment and I was standing by the door and I saw Tiffany and Yuri. Now we area almost ready to go eat.

Here we go this is where we collide.. Tiffany I've already seen but Yuri I haven't so I was like ah she's cute and that's it. Then I see Sooyoung and Hyoyeon down the hall, and then I go inside, and tell them I saw them and tell them that it would have been cool if all 9 members were there. Well sure enough I walk back out to the door and I see the rest of the members walking down the hall!! I take a good look at all of them for a good 5 seconds each and run inside the room again tell them Yoona is here!! They're like go take a look, and I didn't want to cause trouble for them and ask for a picture because it's not our show and they're someone else's guests. Everyone on our team knows I'm in LOVE with Yoona and right at the moment I told them. The PD of the music show walked by our room whom one of the hyungs in the room knew and ran out and asked if I could take a picture with Yoona because I was from America..and so the moment I've been waiting for happened!! It was redemption (sorta) and when the time came I put my hands on her shoulder and we took the pictures. I say redemption (sorta) because I couldn't say anything to her.. my heart was racing and thoughts running through my head but once again I was at a loss for words. Unfortunate but I have more than a memory. I must say I was incredibly excited and happy. This still might be an understatement.

To comment on SNSD as a whole, I seriously looked at the rest of the other girls for about 5 sec each. The ones that surprised me was Hyoyeon, she was a lot cuter in person than on TV and she's not ugly which I was convinced she was but definitely still not pretty haha. Taeyeon was really pale but really cute, Seohyun was the ultimate cutey, Tiffany was sexy, Yuri was very cute, Sunny and Sooyoung looked good in person this time just like last time and the worst though was Jessica, she looked really weird today, maybe it was the makeup she had on because hers was really thick or maybe work done??? who knows..and finally Yoona was perfect!

Now I say timing was absolutely perfect for this incredible moment to happen for me. The fact that it was f(x) that was shooting the commercial was huge because I wouldn't have gone for not much less. The fact the shoot ended uncharacteristically early, the delays leaving, the stop we had to make, no traffic on the way back, Tiffany and Yuri's last day, the right man walking by at the perfect time, the right man on our team coming to the shoot (who might i add was almost switched out to someone else). Seriously if I was a few minutes too early I would have been at the restaurant and would have missed it and if I was a few minutes late, they would have been gone and missed them. I came right in the time frame where this could happen along with all the other things that needed to happen. This may have been a God thing, maybe not. All I know things fell into place absolutely perfect and I'm a happy man now and I'm thanking God for it..haha! And so here is the picture I took with Yoona! I'm looking away because we shot with 2 cameras (big mistake) and I didn't know where to look but Yoona got it, that's all that matters This is the best picture I have with her and I can say I'm beyond satisfied :)

If you read all of this..BRAVO!! HAHA

I'm Back!! and YOONA

Ok I wasn't going to come back for a while longer but events from yesterday, I have to write it all down while it's fresh..haha..

So if you guys don't know I'm in Korea for an internship at MBC and will be here til Mid-August. Anyways I start work next week so I'm chillin at the moment.

So yesterday (June 23rd, 2010) I started the day at 시청 (City Hall) to watch the World Cup game..the experience was like no other and that's for a separate blog later. So I watched the game with Sam Ahn and his buddies and stayed at his place after. So I woke up and then met a friend later for dinner and Iceberry (The greatest paht bing soo in the world). So after that I decided to go see my friend Jimmy because he tells me that he's at a church service and there is a chance I might see SNSD..I go knowing that only Sooyoung and Tiffany are close to the pastor so I don't think much of it and go just to see Jimmy because I haven't seen him yet and trying to hang out as much as I can before I work. This is where it got really interesting..

So I get there and there's a service going on..I see two After School girls and other celebrities like Sean from Jinusean and Jung Ryuh Won. I see Sooyoung walking to the bathroom and I'm like that's cool, she's prettier in person and super duper skinny and lengthy. So later the pastor has an altar call for baptism. And I'm chillin in the back because I've been baptized before. I was looking around like I usually do and I was looking in the direction of Sooyoung at the moment and I see this really pretty girl walking toward her and giving her a hug..I had to double take because I thought i saw..

IT WAS FREAKIN YOONA! YES THIS YOONA!

At this point..the things going through my head: "OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG", "Is this a dream, is this really happening, is she really here?". "What do I do, what do I say OMG?"..haha. So finally there is a final prayer and Jimmy drags me right next to her but this other girl was standing in the way stupid girl!! but anyways after it's all over..I gravitate towards my friend Jimmy and this little boy who's up for some reason..and I start playing with him saying hi and stuff and and then she comes and starts saying 안녕 to the kid at first and he doesn't respond because he's from America so she starts saying hi in English..OMG..melted my heart completely..

So here comes the important part. So we're literally standing maybe 2 ft away from each other and we make eye contact!! and that's when I was like 안녕하세요 and her as well..I felt I died and went to heaven at that moment. But yea..after that I couldn't speak anymore. I was so starstruck which I never get but at the moment I needed my balls the most, I left them in the cab..and couldn't start a conversation with her or even ask for a picture. Like seriously what better than an intimate church setting to start a conversation. It would be far different from work or randomly on the street. I failed myself last night. haha. A while later, her, Tiffany, Sunny, and Sooyoung left. It was all over. I got my wish in getting to see her but the rest of it didn't work out as I pictured it.

I must say she is far more stunning in person, if that is possible. All the girls looked better in person..especially Sooyoung, who I didn't like before at all but she won me over last night. However the night belonged to Yoona..and my inability to unfreeze..I realize I need to learn more people skills because last night was ridiculous. It was still a great night though..something great is happening in the Korean entertainment industry and the people there that night are going to make a huge impact..again this is a whole different blog all together..A consolation prize I take with me is that I was present and saw Yoona get water baptized..I guess not many of us can say that..

BRB

I'm blogging to let you guys know I will be back soon..or later..

Adaptation

Los Angeles has changed me. It is quite strange looking at my life now. I often compare it and use situations on how my life would be different. Currently I feel more Korean than I have ever been in my life. Has the Los Angeles Korean culture changed me? I don't know but if you were to tell me I'd be interested in Korean pop culture and would really love Korean food in Seattle, I would have laughed in your face. However, being out here has changed me. I'm adapting to the culture and K-Town/Los Angeles culture has sunk into me. I guess it is unavoidable when I live and work so close to K-Town.

First about the food. If you know me, I've never been too fond of Korean food. Sure I'd enjoy it when I'd have it, but it was something that I never craved and I would have been satisfied never eating again. Fast forward to now. I find myself craving Korean foods. I'm not just talking about 갈비 and meat but like soups and other foods. Wait a second, this isn't me..I only crave steaks, pasta, and a good old fashioned American BBQ. I have changed...As I type I don't think of a burger but I want some 부대찌개 instead. I found a KTown food buddy in James Park..haha..he can tell you crazy stories of our adventures.

If you get in my car right now and turn it on, you'll hear Korean music playing on the radio. Every Wednesday and Thursday, I look forward to a Korean drama 'Iris' to come out, on Tuesdays I look forward to the variety show 'Strong Heart' and on the weekends, I marathon a bunch of Korean variety shows. This has been my life since March. Let me share. So I had no interest in Korean pop culture at all. I think the last time I really listened to Korean music was my freshman year of high school. So I was out of the loop and I didn't really care. What changed? Josh Yu introduced me to the show 'We Got Married'. From there my interest just grew larger and larger. I was introduced to Yoona. Now if you didn't know I liked Yoona, we don't hang out enough..call me..haha..Anyways back to the subject. I instantly fell in love with this girl and started youtubing everything on her. This led me to watching more shows and I was back into the pop culture of Korea. The music it took longer for me to get into. i was listening to 소녀시대 (Girls' Generation or SNSD) stuff but the other stuff I had no interest. However, at work we have Jenni Bae, the ultimate KPop Enthusiast. If you didn't know this about me, when a song gets stuck in my head, I have to listen to it to get it out and sometimes it takes more than once to get it out. Anyways she would youtube songs I hated, songs that I found annoying. The songs got stuck in my head and slowly but surely I found myself starting to enjoy it. And that brings me to today. I have no clue how it happened but Korean pop culture is more attractive than that of the US. With this interest now, there is even more of a desire to go to Korea, but that's a different blog which is coming soon...

What was the point of this blog? Watch your environment, because sooner or later you adapt to your environment and become one with it. If I still lived in Seattle, there is no way I blog about this. Maybe I blog about Carrie Underwood or Red Robin, but that's not me anymore. I've adapted to my environment. This is the current me.

PS..everything starts with Josh..hahaha..he shows me something and I run with it..

RETREAT!!!

I write to you today from a very cold Issaquah, WA. I have come home again! It's been a 7 long months since I've been back and I must say I dearly missed this place. I do consider LA my "home" now but I was getting home sick..is it still homesick even if it isn't your home anymore??

Anyways I've been looking forward to this weekend since I booked my flight and even before I booked it when my life started killing me. This was a getaway I desperately needed. I am in full retreat from my life in LA. I'm going to spend this time to regroup and refocus my life and I'm going to have to tackle "life" again on Tuesday. Until then this will be a time of rest for me. Maybe even heal. All the nicks and bruises I've acquired over the last few months will be looked at and reassessed. When I get back hopefully there'll be a new "me", a stronger "me". So until then..I'm retreating in Seattle and I'll be "home" soon!

-Dennis Chung

Waiting for the Right Bounce

I must say that the last 2 months (Sept & Oct) was extremely rough on me. It just felt like stuff was piling on me left and right, top and bottom. Well to start off with I was sick the ENTIRE month of September. It was probably the longest cold/flu I've ever had. Not only that it seemed like everything I came across went completely wrong. School became super duper hectic, work gave me a hellish project and I was stuck on that forever, and other stuff. Even when things seemed to go in the way I wanted, the door slammed right in my face leaving bruised, beaten and hurt not to mention the loss of opportunity I've been working for. I must say that I was drained physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I was mad at myself, at the world, and a little at God. I questioned what was going on but I know that it's in these moments that I grow. I just have to realize it, even if it's the same stuff over and over again. Have I fully recovered from those previous 2 months?? To be honest, I'm not sure..I'm still looking for answers, still waiting for that right bounce to come my way. I guess that's life. Life is full of bounces..some go your way and some don't. I just haven't been getting ANY bounces the last 2 months. Maybe the next 2 months all the bounces will come my way. I just have to be ready to seize the opportunity, catch the right bounce and run with it.

Until Next Time,

-Dennis C

Blog 2.0

I'm Back!!

Hello cyber world..I'm proud to announce I am back! After major failure of updates I decided to delete all 11 previous posts and start new..so here we go!