As someone who has not watched any Korean drama in years, I think I can be forgiven for not knowing who Yoo Ah-in is.

I only discovered who he was when my friend Jaz starred in a movie with him. She played Yoo’s Pinay mother in Wandeugi (Punch), and very well, I might add! She’s a great actress and I am so happy that a Filipina is making it big back in Seoul.

Lucky for me, when I visited Seoul last November, Wandeugi was still showing.

Even luckier, Jaz managed to wangle a brief photo opp with Yoo after one of their meet-and-greets. It was nice to meet Yoo and the other stars,

Yoo was cute after all, in a boyish and charming way. Hard to believe he’s in his mid-20s!

I have long stopped being K-pop-struck, but it’s still a thrill to meet a rising young star like Yoo.

PS. Wandeugi is one of the biggest hits of 2011 in Korea!

Whether its clothes, shoes, snacks and other stuff, I would choose Filipino.

I feel like Philippine-made products are underrated by Filipinos. I would love to do my part in building up Filipino brands.

My first big purchase? A leather (croc-embossed) bag from Fino Leatherware. I always wanted a lady-like bag like this one.

The price is quite reasonable, especially since it is leather and classic in design. Plus it comes with a lifetime warranty and a 10% lifetime discount for all Fino products! See if Louis Vuitton or Gucci can top that!

Fino is really a world class brand! Unlike some designer brands that are made poorly and command hundred of dollars! (will blog more about the crappy Gucci and Tory Burch bags I have later!)

But i still get surprised when I have these random encounters with high profile people even when Im not working!

Take for instance, Newt Gingrich.

My friend and her family took me to Washington DC last spring. Our first stop was the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

We attended the noon mass. I noticed a white haired man in front of me, but did not really pay much attention until it came to the part where we were saying Peace Be With You.

He turned around and smiled and shook my hand.

It was Newt Gingrich!

Love him or hate him, he was still once the House Speaker of the US Congress! One of the most powerful figures in US politivs, although at that time he has not declared he was running for the Republican nomination yet.

It was just some crazy coincidence!

If my friend’s husband wasnt there to confirm it was indeed Newt, I would probaby just have shrugged it off!

I am not a big fan of the Republican party, so I did not see the point of getting a photo with him.

But now that Newt might just become the Republican candidate for President? It just boggles my mind how I could say I met Newt Gingrich.

It’s hard to believe but it has been nearly a year since I moved back to Manila.

Have I regretted it?

Sure, there have been times when I think my life would have been much more comfortable and responsibility-free, had I stayed in Korea.

But when did I ever choose the easier path?

If I did not go home, I would not have had the chance to travel the way I did last year! Brunei, Kuala Lumpur (twice!), Bangkok, New York, Washington DC, Baltimore, Seattle, San Francisco and Arnold! Whew.

I would not have spent quality time with friends and family, as well as rediscovered how wonderful it is to be in your own country.

I miss Seoul sometimes, but mostly the wonderful friends I have made.

Life goes on for me. Life in Manila that is.

It’s been 5 years this September.

Yes, that unforgettable moment I came face-to-face with my favorite Japanese boyband… Arashi.

Yupki, who was my partner-in-stalking, already wrote a wonderful entry about our encounter with 4 out of the 5 Arashi members. My mind seems to remember it a little differently now.  Like I don’t remember being the one who pushed Yupki into going after the boys. And I remember being really annoyed with Nino. 

So I looked up my old blog and found the entry I wrote, all giddy and happy and so gushy, about getting some facetime with SakurAiba.

Turns out I was the one who dragged Yupki over to Sho and Aiba. And no, I wasn’t that mad at Nino.

 I was such a newbie fan and I wanted to spread the word that ~ YAY I MET THEM. But my story did sound quite unbelievable and some people thought I was making the whole thing up.  I even remember innocently posting my pic with Sho on Friendster, and somehow it ended up plastered on Korean fan cafes, where I probably got bashed for breaking the sacred Johnny’s Entertainment rules about taking a pic with the precious boys.

Anyway, Arashi ended up publishing the photobook Arashi Around Asia, which included pics inside the World Cup Stadium. And the guys were wearing the exact same clothes when we met them. If that’s not proof, I don’t know what is.

If I had to do it all over, I would do it again the same way. Wait, maybe not the same way. I probably would never ask Nino for a pic at all.

This encounter with Arashi was really special because I saw for myself how nice and polite they are. I guess you could say that was the moment I became an Arashi fan for life.

No matter how many records they sell, or how many stadium concerts they fill up, I’ll always remember Aiba as the guy who took a pic of me and Sho; Sho as the guy who asked us if we were from Singapore; Ohno was the guy who politely stood up when I asked for a pic; and Nino was the guy who looked at the security guard who told us to get lost with a big X sign.

In answer to Yupki’s entry, I’m re-posting my original blog post on September 22, 2006.

Gwangju, South Korea – It was a really hot day. My friend Yupki and I had been walking around, tired, thirsty and hungry.

The after-glow of seeing Arashi at the press conference at Damyang Resort had faded somewhat. Heck, I was in a downright foul mood because of some miscommunication with another girl who wanted tickets from me.

But since we had our precious Press IDs, we managed to enter the Gwangju world cup stadium by 5 pm. We rushed inside the stadium to find it was still pretty empty, except for the rest of the media sitting there.

We just parked ourselves on the fifth row from the front, and watched SunNan (some ChinesePop star) practice. Turns out we missed the rehearsals of TVXQ & Arashi by a few hours.

Getting bored, I resorted to people-watching. Across the field, I saw someone with brownish hair walking.

Hmm… Looks like Sakurai Sho, I told myself. Then, I saw him walk over to a guy sitting on one of the seats. Oh man, it was Aiba. Then, a couple of seconds later, it was Ohno and Nino walking over. No sign of MatsuJun, though. I felt my heart racing, but it was too much! ARASHI was just sitting THERE!

I nudged Yupki. Not even thinking, I just grabbing my camera and started walking. I didn’t think about bodyguards or whoever. In my rush, I even forgot that I brought an Arashi booklet for them to sign.

Aiba was sitting at the end of the row, with Sho. There were no bodyguards in sight. In front of them, were Ohno and Nino who were looking bored, watching the rehearsal.

I don’t know why, but I immediately went to Aiba. WHY WHY WHY??

I smiled at him, and asked him, in my nicest voice, if I could have a photo with him. He looked surprised, but nodded. (I forgot he couldn’t speak English) So I handed my camera to my nervous friend, who took the photo.

Since I was already standing there, I turned to Sho. I smiled at Sho and asked him if I could have a photo with him too. He smiled, stood up beside me. We were both right in front of Aiba, who was sitting there with his bare foot up on the chair.

I was about to give my camera to Yupki, but Aiba grabbed my camera and took our photo! How nice!  AND I didn’t even ask him.

Sho looked like he didn’t know what he was going to do, so he put up the V-sign. I copied him. (ONLY the photo doesn’t show Sho’s V-sign, just my pa-cute V-sign! Argghhhhhhh…)

“Where are you from? Singapore?” Sho asked me.

“No, from the Philippines,” I replied, my mind racing what to say next.

“Ahhh Philippines,” Sho repeated, with an amazed look on his face. He smiled again, sort of bowing. (I think!)

“Ahhh,” Aiba said.

Aaaacccck, Sho’s smile!

I don’t know what came over me, but I quickly added: “You’re great.”

I was tempted to say more… but my brain froze up.

Since I was just standing there, I timidly asked Ohno if I could have a photo with him. He looked at me sleepily, then looked at Sho as if to ask if it was okay. He stood up, but Nino was just sitting there.

Actually, I wanted to badly to have a pic with Nino… So I asked Nino, but he turned and looked at me with this blank, sleepy look.

Nino looked at the bodyguards, who suddenly came over and flashed the X sign at me. (X means a BIG NO)

Sigh…. I guess I was asking too much, huh? but NO Nino?… waaahhhhh… Argh Nino, if was more awake, I could have gotten away with a pic with him and Ohno! But I still love Nino & Ohno! They’re really thin and only a few inches taller than me!

So, that’s how my friend and I ended up with photos with 2 out of 4 Arashi members. I won’t post the pics here for privacy reasons!

I can’t help but smile, SMILE everytime I remember that moment. I just love the shot with Sho ‘coz Aiba took it! I’ll never ever throw away that camera coz Aiba touched it. LOL.

After all, how many people can say they have a pic with an Arashi member, taken by another Arashi member?

Afterwards, Yupki and I felt so drained. Personally, I’m still alternately embarassed and excited about that experience. I still couldn’t believe I asked a celebrity for a photo! And I asked these Jpop superstars?! OMG.

It didn’t really sink in how lucky we were, until I saw the crowd’s reaction at the Asia Song Festival. Around 30,000 fans at the stadium, and more than half were probably Arashi fans.

Arashi gave such a refreshing (not just their pink suits) performance of A-ra-shi, it seemed like they were especially enthusiastic for their first performance in Korea. The crowd went wild, especially when they sang some of the lyrics in Korean.

Funny moment came when MatsuJun started to say “Are you ready?” and said “ray-dee” the third time. But we can forgive that… he was sooo HOT and posed for the cameras all the time!!

I was especially glad to see them perform KittoDaijobou (my new favorite song), and then segueing to Wish. Sigh, they were so peppy! Nino was making these extra cute dance steps. Sho was his usual cool self. It’s really amazing to see how Ohno and Aiba transform themselves from quiet-types during the presscon, into these energetic performers on stage!

Sigh. Three songs were not enough. I can’t wait for their concert in November.

I remember seeing the black and white polka dotted building a couple of weeks ago, and being the polka dot freak that I am, I couldn’t wait to go back and see it.

So on a chilly Monday morning, I went on the subway to check it out. I got off at Hangangjin Station Exit 1, and walked about 200 meters and found the tall transparent glass-covered building decorated with huge black and white circles.

The Rose Bakery is on the first floor, and it looks like a very chic cafeteria. From the outside, you can already see the Comme des Garcons Play collection ~ the sneakers and shirts on display.

The Spice by Edward Kwon is one of the most hyped restaurants in the area, but it’s actually worth it. If you ignore the fact that Kwon’s resume was exaggerated, and that the place is full of portraits of himself. The food is actually pretty good ~ a course set with foie gras appetizer, fish or steak main course and dessert would set you back around 40,000 to 60,000 won.

Passion 5 is another must-go place for their creamy pudding and delicious desserts.

I discovered a new place called Kyotofu ~ i already love the name. It’s described as a modern Japanese dessert place. I love the fact that their cupcakes and cheese tarts have a Japanese twist. I tried the Miso Chocolate cupcake (4,000 won) and it wasn’t as strange as it sounds. It actually had  more of a dark chocolate-y flavor with just a hint of miso flavor.  Next time, I’m going to try the Lemon Yuzu cupcake and the Tofu Cheese Tart.

Around the corner from Cheil Communications, there’s the cute cupcake boutique Life’s a Cup of Cake. The earl grey cupcake is a delight.

The area is not yet as posh as the label “Comme des Garcons” street connotes. I think it is all hype generated by Samsung. After all, Comme des Garcons is being distributed by Cheil, the textile & fashion arm of the Samsung Group, and yes, Leeum Museum is, surprise, also owned by Samsung.

Across from Hangangjin Station, a new performing arts theater is currently under construction. It’s designed by Pritzker laureates Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa.

Ramen is a favorite, but I never had ice-cold ramen before. It’s suprisingly good! This one is from a ramen place in Myeongdong.

Whenever I think of beef bowl, I think of Yoshinoya. But here’s no Yoshinoya in Seoul. I was glad to find kyudon in a neighborhood restuarant.

Pork cutlet bowl or tonkatsu is one of the most popular dishes. You can even find it in Kimbap Nara or any of those neighborhood stores.

All I can say is: OISHI!

Well, I got what I wished for. I’ve been living in this country for nearly six years _ doing what I’ve always wanted in a city I’ve always admired.

I’ve had more than anyone’s fair share of K-pop adventures _ seeing a lot of celebrities, going to fashion shows and concerts, doing interviews and getting photos.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, there’s no faster way to cure one of K-pop addiction than to have too much of it. And so after about a year and a half of living here, I officially became cured of the K-pop craziness.

But this blog entry is about reminiscing about those early days, the first day at work, the first snowstorm, the first cherry blossom festival, the first summer, the first autumn and the first K-pop concert in my first year.

The first day: I arrived at Incheon International Airport, wearing a brand new red Lacoste parka that was one size too big but nowhere near warm enough to withstand below zero temperatures of Seoul winter.
The first meal: piping hot kalbitang 갈비탕 ~ where I nearly burned my tongue off at the first sip. By the way, kalbitang is just a blander version of our nilagang baka.
The first day at work: I was shocked to see I was going to work in a rundown, ugly and old building, and I was given a very old computer desktop running on Windows 98 that looked like it hadn’t been cleaned since it was 1998.
The first 원빈 sighting: I spotted a poster for a toothpaste/toothbrush/ or something that I thought looked like him, but now looking at that photo, I think it was actually a different actor.
The first snow storm: It was my fourth day. I looked outside and everything was covered in snow. It looked very pretty and I even snapped pictures, until I realized what a pain it was to walk in the snow. There was a monstrous traffic jam and I had no idea how to get to work. I waited under the freezing snow for about an hour until the 272 bus came. It was a very bad day.
The first cherry blossom sighting: There were so many people at the subway station in Yeouido, I thought I was going to get crushed. I contented myself with gazing at a few sparse cherry blossom trees near Han River, not knowing the cherry blossom extravaganza was actually near the National Assembly.
The first 신화 encounter: I went to Olympic Park for Shin Hye-sung’s fanmeeting, but of course, I wasn’t even allowed inside since I had no idea about tickets or anything. I ended up just watching the show on a big screen outside the venue.
The first K-pop 신화 concert: The Summer Story Festival concert was fun, but it was held outdoors at the Jamsil Main Stadium. I definitely got caught up in the excitement, surrounded by thousands of fans.
The first birthday in Korea: My co-workers treated me with an Outback dinner and a fresh cream cake. My family sent me a care package with goodies from the US.
The first K-class: I attended class at Kyung Hee University, with other diplomats. It was great meeting friends from different countries (remember MG?).
The first Nami island trip: Together with a group of cool Filipina women and we all went to Nami Island together. It was early autumn, so it didn’t really turn out to be a ‘winter sonata.’ But then again, I would go back to Nami several times, so much that I would never go back there again.
The first Christmas: I vowed never to spend Christmas here again simply because it was such a drab, sad and lonely day. I spent it at work, where no one even bothered to greet each other Merry Christmas. I did end up having a somewhat nice Christmas Day lunch with a co-worker.
The first New Year: I don’t even remember much of it, except I glumly watched the bell ringing in Bosingak. Not exactly the fireworks and parties I’m used to.

There were high hopes for the event, since there have been countless articles about the exciting in-store events, limited edition items, freebies, and parties for FNO in New York, London, Paris and Tokyo. In Tokyo, there are even limited edition canvas tote bags and T-shirts designed by Takashi Murakami, the proceeds of which will go to charity.

Unfortunately, Seoul’s FNO did not really have anything fun or interesting happening. We went to Myeongdong ~ and as usual, it was packed with tourists. There were a lot of FNO banners and storefront displays like this one at The Gap.

The Gap also had some indie singer performing, while Adidas Originals had a DJ. An overly energetic punk band played in front of Aland, too. There weren’t even any celebrity sightings in Myeongdong, except for a really skinny “supermodel” whose name I can’t remember.

Somehow, the stores didn’t really seem to have a lot of promos for FNO in Seoul. Maybe there were more promos inside Shinsegae Department Store, but there’s something about that pretentious store that bugs me.

Maybe because the whole point of Vogue in promoting FNO in NYC a few years ago was to stimulate the retail sector, which was suffering from the financial crisis. Seoul doesn’t seem to have the same kind of problem. People still shop and they shop a lot.

I hope next year Seoul’s FNO would be a little more exciting and fun for shopaholics like me.

Outside, there were some GM Daewoo Matiz Creative cars painted with familiar Haring dogs and figures. It was kind of cute, but I’m not sure I want to drive around in a car with a red dog.

The exhibition itself was pretty good, and even better for a still struggling Korean language student like myself, there were English signs and information available. (Not like that Rodin exhibition, where they only had the names of the sculptures in Korean and French. That really annoys me but that deserves a separate blog entry on its own).

All in all, it was definitely worth the trip down to Olympic Park.

SOMA is located near 몽촌토성 Mongchontoseong Station Line 8, Exit 1.