Sometimes we meet famous people and don’t even know it!: My Princess Korean Drama

Well, I take that back. I did know I was meeting famous people, however, with Korean famous people it’s almost like an oxymoron to me because I don’t really know how famous they are or what their names even are. It’d be nice to know the equivalent American famous person just so I’d have an idea of just how famous they in fact are. Alas, that never happens and I just smile and nod and get shoved into a picture by someone with me.

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So, my boyfriend, Jae-oo, is a musician and as luck would have it not one of those aspiring to make money by doing the thing he loves kind, but the actually makes a living by doing the thing he loves kind. Couldn’t we all be so lucky? He’s been in a band with his mate Sung-nam Moon for fifteen years. They do concerts all over the country of Korea and tons of festivals during the summer. If you happen to go to a festival this summer check out Every Single Day. Along with that, two years ago they also started writing, editing and directing music for TV shows on MBC, which would be like NBC in the States. I do know that equivalent. This is where most of the famous people come in and where I get to meet them… sometimes.

Actually, they do know and call friends quite a few other bigger musicians in Korea, for example Kim C. If you ever watched 일박이일 you’d recognize this guy, just to name one. I find all of them humorous mostly because I don’t know who they are and they have to tell me why they’re famous while there are always other Koreans sitting around us staring in complete awe. “Wait, you were on what show?… Oh, I didn’t see that one.” Okay, that’s a lie. Jae-oo actually whispers in my ear who these people are and why they’re famous so when I sit with them I don’t look like a complete moron. Although I’m sure I still do, “wait, what show was that again?” It’s all in good taste and not meant with disrespect.

Last year, Every Single Day wrote and produced music for the drama “Pasta”. I had actually seen some of the stars from that drama previously. Can anyone say “Coffee Prince”? I have been here for five years afterall. I have managed to pick up a few faces and save them into memory. That after party was a blast and all of the actors were cool and low key. Seemed like a close knit group and I appreciated that.

Recently, Jae-oo and Sung-nam worked on the drama “My Princess”. So, I got to tag along to that after party too. There was a clear difference between this after party and the last, mostly being that the two main stars didn’t sit with any of the other “lesser” actors, they stayed to themselves in a room behind everyone. It was pretty awkward and I asked why they weren’t out with the rest and sitting with the other engineers and directors and editors and such and found out apparently these two stars rank in the top tier of actors here and thus didn’t mingle with the lesser known actors. The funny thing to me was that four of the actors in My Princess had also been in Pasta, which means I had already met them and so to me they were more well known than the two hiding in the back. The other humorous thing to me was that as the only foreigner to attend the Pasta party and once again the only one to attend the My Princess party the actors I had already met recognized me, too. Here’s to fame through nothing other than being foreign in a room full of Koreans. Guess that’d be the equivalent of Paris Hilton being tall in room full of shorties and getting paid for it. Crap, where’s my money?!

Kim Tae-Hee (김태희), Jae-oo, and I

Song Seung-hun (송승헌) and I

Me, Lee Sung-min (이성민), Jae-oo, and Sung-nam

 Baek Bong-gi (백봉기), Me, and Heo Tae-hee (허태희)

As far as after parties go, it was a good one. Free meat and booze and famous people to get pictures with so I can brag to my students when school starts up again.

Highlight for me: photos to use as leverage in the classroom.