Seo Joo Hyun

I was feeling homesick after my Mom called me. I miss my Eonnies, too, and all the things we did growing up. I recall one time when our TV’s speaker finally gave out. It was on forever mute. We couldn’t afford a new one so Papa told us to “Find the good in everything. If you can’t, then make a way.” —so we did.

We took 2 cans each, put a long string through it, effectively connecting the 2, and asked our kindly neighbor if we could put one of each of our cans through their window towards the TV. So whenever their kids watched Sesame Street, we’d watch it, too, and listen through our makeshift “speaker phonecans”.

The only setback was our parents would snatch our “speaker phonecans” whenever the neighbor watches news, saying it’s their turn with the TV. We’d complain and groan, but later laughed our butts off because Papa fashioned an old wire hanger into almost like a headband so he could put one can on each ear without holding it, sort of like a crude headphone, which we later called “headphonecans”.

Thinking of phonecans, I remembered when my friends and I used that idea in Japan when we, Hyo Yeon Eonni and I, were lucky enough to be chosen to experience a 10-day music residency alongside Japanese and other foreign students at Niigata University. We were to spend time interacting and connecting with fellow music enthusiasts, while also learning about life in Japan. The end of the residency was to conclude in a recital, and will be followed by 6 days of travel to explore Japan’s culture and history.

Her First Glimpse (Niigata, Japan – 2005)

Seo Joo Hyun

Japan was where Kim Hyo Yeon (15) and I (14) met Kim Tae Yeon (16) and Choi Soo Young (15) both from Korea; and Sunny Lee (15) and Jessica Jung (16), both Asian-Americans. The six of us were inseparable. It was like we were a family in a parallel world. These girls made me overcome being away from my family for the first time.

The program coordinators were strict, but we didn’t blame them since we understood that they’re responsible for the lives of a number of kids who were currently enrolled with them. Cell-phones weren’t allowed in the program. We can call home any time we want using any of the coordinators’ phones, but the students have to be phone-free so we can fully immerse ourselves in furthering our knowledge of our chosen instrument since the program was only for 10-days.

Apparently, it was too much for the girls, so that’s when they decided to “borrow” the phonecan idea. The problem was it could only reach as far as the string would go, but evidently the boys’ dorm was far enough.

We said we didn’t blame them, but we didn’t say we’d follow them blindly..

“Here! Put it here! This will be perfect, they wouldn’t notice this! Heck, I don’t think they’d even notice if this hits them on the head!”, said Sunny Eonni in a hushed voice.

“Yah! Don’t underestimate them! Did you forget they are musicians, too? They have perfect pitch and could hear if you hit a wrong note!”, Tae Yeon Eonni whispered back, defending the boys who were going to be our "victims".

“Shhh!!! Will you guys lower your voices! Someone might hear us inside!”, warned Soo Young Eonni.

“I will if you get off my foot, Soo Young-ie, you sasquatch!”, complained Jessica Eonni, trying to keep her own voice down.

“Shhh.. I think someone is coming..”, whispered Hyo Yeon Eonni suddenly.

“HIDE!”, I uttered frantically.

As one, the six of us crouched as low as we could under one of the windows of the boys’ dorm where we were trying to sneak the other end of the phonecan. I greatly opposed this, but was bullied to come along since it was 5 against 1 and was told that, technically, they got the idea from me. I had no choice but to go along. They all wanted to know what the boys in that particular room talked about in the privacy of their dorm. When we were sure everything was clear, we made a mad dash to our own dorm, giggling as we run.

Jung Yong Hwa

What IS that?! I keep hearing something through the window.. Like cats trying to have a whispered fight.. Weird! Now, I hear faint sounds of tinkling bells! It can’t be crickets.. Can it? Ah, who knows! Japan might have a different kind of cricket from Korea..

“Yah, Yong Hwa Hyung! I’m asking you if anyone of the girls here has caught your attention yet?! Or are you thinking about HER again..?”, asked my cousin Jong Hyun, looking at me ridiculously. He was also chosen to attend the 10-day program in Japan with me.

“Now I am, that you reminded me! Aishhh!”, thinking of the girl in the bookstore in Jeonju 4 years ago, the one who found Ga Young. I still have her red reading-glasses. I had a hard-time convincing Ga Young to give it to me, but when I told her I’d find that girl and marry her someday, she nodded vigorously and gave it to me without hesitation.

Kids!

“Give it up, Hyung! You’re never going to see her again! There’s lots of fish in the sea, you just have to look! There’s this one girl who plays the piano so well who I think is perfect for you!”, said Jong Hyun, trying to convince me.

“Never! And I WILL see her again! You’ll see! You go look for that fish yourself! There’s only one girl for me.. Her.”, I told Jong Hyun with finality.

“Aishhh!”, was all Jong Hyun could say after that.

Seo Joo Hyun

“Aigooo..”, was all my friends could say after hearing the conversation between the 2 guys who were, unfortunately, the victims of the phonecan.

“Too bad, though, as I really wanted Yong Hwa-ssi for our maknae here..”, Hyo Yeon Eonni whispered, pointing at me.

“Heh? Why me? And WHO?”, I asked, trying to keep my voice down as the phonecan works both ways. If the guys ever find it and figure out what it is, they could listen in on us, too, so we decided to put it in the common bathroom of the girls dorm so we could talk freely in our rooms, and just hang it outside the bathroom window when we’re not using it. That way, they won’t hear the sound of the showering girls and if it ever got traced, all the girls will be suspects.

“Yong Hwa-ssi! Jung Yong Hwa! Sheesh, Joo Hyun-ah! Did you just get out from under a rock somewhere?! All the girls here in the University are talking about him!”, said Tae Yeon Eonni loudly as soon as we got to the room we were all sharing.

“Doesn’t ring a bell..”, I said, still confused.

“I bet if you said Ban Kee Moon, she’d be all over that can!”, teased Soo Young Eonni.

I laughed and Sunny Eonni said, “Just laugh like that Joo Hyun-ie and I bet Yong Hwa-ssi would forget that girl the minute he hears you..”

“But didn’t you just hear him? He’s dead-set on that girl.. So please let’s just leave him alone and wish him luck that he finds her again.. I think they’re made for each other.. Whoever she is..”, I told them trying to keep the topic away from the poor guy.

“As usual, the kind-hearted Seo Joo Hyun strikes again!”, Hyo Yeon Eonni said, winking at me.

“What do you all think of Jong Hyun-ssi, though? He plays the guitar well and his voice sounds great!”, said Jessica Eonni suddenly, making the rest of the girls give her suspicious looks before they started interrogating her all through the night even at lights-out.

The next few days were rigorous. We practiced till we could as the recital was coming up in a few days. Some students were doing a dance recital, like my friends, while others were using different instruments to form a band, and some were doing a solo performance like me. I barely saw anyone as the University was huge and I was practicing most of the time in the instruments room with a few who were doing either piano or guitar recital while half of the girls were in the gym practicing their dance moves and the other half in the music room practicing singing. I chose Chopin’s Fantasie Impromptu in C-sharp Minor as my piano recital piece, although it wasn’t required for us to use classical music.

When I was done practicing, I made my way to the gym hoping to have lunch with Hyo Yeon Eonni and the others when I came across the auditorium. It was supposed to be deserted since it was lunch time, but someone was singing accompanied by a band. I have never heard the song before, maybe because it was in Korean and an original song, but nonetheless it called to me. Like someone was singing just to reach me. I came in quietly so as not to disturb the people inside. The seats surrounding the stage were in darkness so they didn’t see me take a seat and watch them. The stage was also barely lit and I was so high up, it was hard to see the guy singing and the people playing other instruments around him. He was to my left in the middle of the stage, hunched, head bowed, I couldn’t see his face but there was something familiar about him. Like I’ve known him all my life, or at least heard his voice before. It was weird. He was playing a guitar and the amazing thing was, even if he was being accompanied by almost a full orchestra, his voice was loud and clear.

Hyo Yeon Eonni found me still sitting in the dark auditorium, hours after the guy on the stage finished singing. I saw them all pack up and exit behind the stage. For some reason, I couldn’t move after he finished singing, after he said the last words. I couldn’t understand why it affected me that much when I didn’t even know the guy much less even had a glimpse of his face, so I just sat there. I tried to find him in the University, but I never saw him again. Not even when the recitals started. Nor did I hear the song again. It wasn’t included in the program. Up ‘til now, I never told my friends what happened that day, who I saw and what I heard. I couldn’t. Not until I know who that guy was.

After our recitals, it was time for our 6-day travel through Japan. We spent some time on the northwest coast of Japan, and then on to Nikko, and Tokyo. There, we experienced traditional Japanese inn accommodations and enjoyed the comfort of futons, hot spring baths, and delicious local, seasonal foods before we all went home. That’s also where I fell in love with gogumas.

Jung Yong Hwa

I was singing my recital piece in the auditorium when I suddenly felt my energy rise. I knew we were only practicing, but for some reason I felt like giving my all at that time. Like it was the day of the recital itself and that I was singing for someone watching me, which was weird because no one were in the seats. At least, no one I could see. I knew it was lunch time so everybody else should be catching a little sun or hanging out with friends while having lunch before they get caught up with practicing again for their own recitals. So it doesn’t make sense for someone to be sitting in the gallery. But it was a nagging feeling to sing whole-heartedly, so I did. I gave it my all. I pictured the girl with the red-glasses watching me and everything came out naturally.

After we were done practicing, I found Jong Hyun waiting for me at the backstage exit. I received a phone call a few minutes before my practice ended, but the coordinator couldn’t find me so Jong Hyun had taken the call instead. There was a family emergency and we both had to go home immediately. We had to forego the recitals and the remaining days we had with the program, including the 6-day trip around Japan. Although we understood the situation, we were still both bummed, so we went home with a heavy heart.

Seo Joo Hyun

I had to return to the hotel after I had my hair done due to the massive shopping bags I had accumulated throughout the day, trying to cover up my homesickness. I purposely did not let Jung Shin know that I’d be coming from the hotel going to the restaurant because, first, I did not know I’d stop there, and second, the longer I can stay away from them, the better. On the way back, there was a slight traffic that the taxi I was riding encountered. I asked the driver what was the hold up, he was taken aback when I spoke in Korean. He said he thought I was a foreigner. I told him I was, although both my parents are Koreans who migrated before I was born and taught their kids how to speak in their native language. He said that it was good of my parents not to forget their heritage and then proceeded to tell me that there was probably a movie or a variety show filming up ahead. I was intrigued as I love Korean dramas and movies. There was that time I had the chance to watch a Korean drama being filmed in our school back in Manila.

Her Second Glimpse (Manila, Philippines – 2007)

Seo Joo Hyun

“Joo Hyun-ah! Come quick! Let's watch a shooting at the quadrangle.. They said a Hallyu Star is filming a drama..”, Hyo Yeon Eonni informed me, practically dragging me towards the quadrangle.

At the sound of the word “drama”, my pace quickened and soon, I was the one dragging Hyo Yeon Eonni towards the quad. When we got there, the place was cordoned off, but surrounded by hundreds of students trying to catch a glimpse of the Korean Stars.

“I wonder who it is.. They haven’t left their tent since they arrived..”, said one of the students nearby.

“I heard the girl is Park Shin Hye and the guy isn’t well-known yet, but is apparently handsome judging from the way the girls all screamed when he passed by to get to their tent earlier..”, shrugged another one.

Hyo Yeon Eonni and I exchanged glances, clearly eavesdropping on the conversation between the two students talking in front of us. A few minutes more and the bright lights went on, which made the students around the quad get excited. A man, I’m guessing he’s the PD, asked us if we could all be quiet so they could start filming. We complied, as we all wanted to watch them film. Across from where Hyo Yeon Eonni and I were standing, trying to catch a glimpse of the actors, they started clearing out the part of the quad where there were tables and chairs under the trees except for a few students who were lucky enough to get casted as extras.

The girl came out first, she was too far for me to clearly see, but I could tell she was drop-dead gorgeous by the way her skin shines when the bright lights caught her. She turned around and faced us and took her spot. It was Park Shin Hye, and then a guy came out. There were murmurs that swept the crowd, but the PD asked us again to keep quiet.

The guy was taller than Park Shin Hye and a little skinny. He was wearing jeans, a plain blue shirt, rubber shoes, and a backpack. Apparently, they were supposed to be exchange students who were in love with each other and our school was the campus backdrop. They read lines from the script they were holding, consulted with the director for a bit, had a last minute touch-up with their makeup, and finally took their spot. The guy never did turn around our way, so we still couldn’t see who he was, but something about him reminded me of someone I know. From the way he hunches, to the way he bowed his head to read his script. A sort of déjà vu came over me but it wasn’t clear.

The filming started and the first few takes were NG due to the guy being nervous about kissing the girl. But then the bell rang, signaling me and Hyo Yeon Eonni that we needed to hurry to our next class. We can’t afford to skip class since exams were due the next week, so we had to go. Honestly though, I wasn’t sad to leave the shooting behind because watching them kiss, even if it's just acting, was a little too awkward to watch. And every time the guy closes the gap between them, my heart aches, which was very strange. I sent a silent good luck to the guy and went off.

Jung Yong Hwa

Wow, so this is Manila.. This is my first time here.. The weather is nice.. Not too hot and not cold either.. Wonder where we’ll film.. And what do they call these.. Jeepneys..? Daebak!

We arrived at a campus surrounded by big buildings and trees. We were to film some of the scenes in the quadrangle and I gulped when I read the script for that day—the kissing scene.

Really? Today? Here? With these many people looking at us? Sighhh.. Okay, let’s get it over with.. One take, Yong Hwa-yah! Fighting!

I took my spot in front of Shin Hye under a tree. There were a few students that were standing in as extras and a hundred more surrounding us, watching. I couldn’t let myself turn around and look at them as I know it will make me nervous to know how many really there were, so I just read the script once more, talked to the Director and had my makeup retouched before we finally begun.

I was supposed to kiss Shin Hye by surprising her with a peck on the lips, but every time I go in for the kiss, the hair on my nape stands out and a chill goes down my spine resulting in NG takes. It felt like someone’s eyes were boring a hole on the back of my head. I have already made 9 NGs and Shin Hye and the Director was starting to get frustrated with me.

Come on, Jung Yong Hwa! It’s just a peck! It’s not like a full-blown kiss! Get yourself together! Sheesh!

We were about to start the 10th take when somewhere far off a bell sounded off. We waited for it to finish before we started again, and this time I nailed it. The feeling of being watched was suddenly gone and I was able to film other scenes without a hitch.

That was weird..

Seo Joo Hyun

When I got back to the hotel, sorely disappointed that all I saw from the shooting was a car chase scene that lasted for a second, I received a text message from Jung Shin informing me that they were on their way to The Timber House at the Park Hyatt Seoul Hotel. I didn't bother to reply as I was trying to decide what to wear tonight. White crisp shirts and pencil-cut skirts suddenly looked matronly and strict-librarian to me. And besides, now that I’m letting my hair down after putting it in a bun for 5 years, I thought it would be fun. Although, I don’t think it’ll make any difference since I’m getting old now (30! Ack!). Sighing, I went out and headed for the restaurant donning my new look.

When I arrived in front of the Park Hyatt Seoul Hotel in Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, Jung Shin was already waiting for me at the entrance. At first, he didn’t recognize me as he has always seen me either with my hair up in a bun or I have it down in just a plain boring way, and dressed in a matronly manner. He took a second look before he went up to me and clapped me in the back.

“Yah, Seohyun-ie! Looking good! I hope you’re feeling better..”, greeted Jung Shin.

“Oh, please don’t remind me.. I almost didn’t come tonight, you know..”, I frowned at him.

“But I’m glad you did.. We’re in The Timber House at the lower level, so let’s go.. The Ice King has been worried about you since last night..”, commented Jung Shin, clearly fishing for some information as to what happened to me the whole day.

I just nodded and gestured for him to lead the way. When the door opened to the restaurant and bar, I felt my mood improving. The place looked cosy yet sophisticated. It brings out the essence of the Far East and modernism together. With the design concept based on an old hanok, which is a traditional Korean house built of wood, The Timber House provides a distinctive cultural space, displaying a gallery-like setting. Eastern-style interiors accentuated by Korean roof tiles, patterned sliding doors, a wall made of books stacked in layers, a glass wall decorated with old furniture locks, modern interiors highlighted by three-sided large mirrors in the center, and elegant lighting completed the look.