Basked in gold
Following Park Sihoo-ssi’s life basked in gold!
Note: Be warned, this is a very long article and written late last night into the wee hours of this morning after a very long day, so expect errors! There will be no Chinese translation of this article, unless I can find time to do this later. My apologies to our Chinese readers, maybe you could use Google Chrome to translate.
No photography was allowed during the evening event of Park Sihoo-ssi’s “My Golden Life” On-location Tour event. As such, you will not see any photo of this posted here. Only venue photos before the start of the event have been posted.
What can I say about this journey to Seoul for Park Sihoo-ssi’s “My Golden Life” On-location Tour event? The trip was relatively short but in the experience and discovery I was basked in gold, every moment so precious, worth its very weight!
As the travel for and the event itself had to be on weekdays Monday to Wednesday with the actual activities on 23 January 2018, I took advantage of the weekend before to get into Seoul for a leisurely discovery trip, along with three other sisters.
Landing in the wee hours at around 5 am on Saturday morning in the freezing cold, we dropped our luggage at the hotel and got some caffeine fix before heading out. Our first stop in our discovery journey basked in the glorious gold aura of Park Sihoo-ssi’s “My Golden Life” was the woodcraft factory. It being a Saturday we were not sure if it would be open but it really didn’t matter as we only wanted to have a glimpse of the place where Choi Dokyung’s shadow lingered.
A very hospitable owner of the woodcraft workshop
But we were pleasantly surprised by the owner who saw us loitering and taking photos outside and invited us into the workshop. He showed us Park Sihoo-ssi’s autographs on wood pieces, knowing that we were his fans and gave us a grand tour of the two storey woodcraft workshop. And lastly, he showed us clips of the drama taken in the workshop…clips of Park Sihoo-ssi, of course! Many thanks for your great hospitality!
Oh, those who are keen to buy some of the memorabilia of the drama like the chopping board Seo Jian made for Seo Jisu and the lamps which she made for Choi Dokyung and Jang Sora’s engagement? Sorry, they don’t make these for sale.
A visit to the woodcraft workshop
On Sunday, we headed to Deoksugung Palace which was where the now much talked about beautiful snowing scene of Choi Dokyung and Seo Jian walking together under an umbrella along the palace wall was shot. But of course, there was no snow on that day, it was bright and sunny but cold. Nevertheless, we travelled the same path and re-lived that scene in our minds and figured out where he walked out carrying the umbrella. Seeing this wall, I could just imagine the falling snow and the snow covered walk, and how incredibly freezing cold it must have been to be outdoor shooting this scene!
Given the proximity, we walked over to Namdaemun market with the intention to check out the spicy fish stew in the alley restaurant where Seo Jian tucked in with relish while Choi Dokyung looked on in askance. The market was also where Oppa Choi’s pendant gift to her got snatched right before their very noses and they chased down and overcame the thief together. Remember that well executed high back kick that so thrilled many of us? And the first time she called him Oppa? Namdaemun market was where the two of them basked in one precious moment in their golden life!
Is spicy fish stew to your liking? Check this one out!
Want a cuppa of cappuccino that both Choi Dokyung and Seo Jian agreed was good? Then head on to Radio M, this contemporary cafe, which if you think is near Deoksugung Palace and Namdaemun market, think again! In the drama it seemed like it was but in actual fact, it is out of the way, all the way in Bukchon Village, where Ha Dana of Park Sihoo-ssi’s classic drama “Family Honor” lived before they got married! Radio M lives up to its name with its display of what else, but radios! And they do serve a mean cappucino too! Try it out in this newly minted part of town where the old and the new are juxtaposed!
Love the cappuccino at Radio M!
And yesterday we basked in more gold on a tour by Mentor who also organised Park Sihoo-ssi’s “My Golden Life” On-location Tour event. Our early morning started with a visit to the 양재꽃시장 Yangjae Flower Market. No 69 is the flower stall to watch out for as this was where Choi Dokyung got Seo Jian her favorite flowers, hyacinths! But the stall looked rather different from that in the drama. I couldn’t spot the hyacinths which that romantic man presented to thank the woman he loves for helping him with his presentation!
And we breezed past the Haesung Group headquarters and Namdaemun market in our bus before making a stop at Deoksugung Palace, our second visit but on a much colder day.
In the afternoon, we headed for the location shoot at Coffee Bay at Guro Digital Complex Station. Park Sihoo-ssi was there on location shoot with Liu Bi or Secretary Liu. And they shot two different scenes in this venue while we were there. It was good to be able to catch him in action. I love the camaraderie between these two men! Seems like they were in the midst of a discussion on their investment! Great that some progress is being made and that Choi Dokyung continues to exert his independence despite his grandfather’s pressure! Fighting, Oppa!
Given the delay in the shoot and the distance between Coffee Bay and our hotel where the evening event was to be held, it was one mad rush back. We barely had 5 mins to put down our things, freshen up before the event started at 7.30 pm. Park Sihoo-ssi was on a really tight schedule, first time this has ever happened in all the many times I have attended his activities, and first time he had to wait for us and not the other way round! Kekeke! 🙂 One hour was all he had to do a short interview and to sign all our personal items!
Videos were played which gave glimpses of “My Golden Life” from the time it premiered to the present. The first accidental meeting, the shock of discovering that Seo Jian is his long lost sister, the turn in their relationship when Oppa saved Seo Jian’s woodcraft dolls of her family and their heart-to-heart talk at the convenience store, the confession of not being his sister, the stirring of first love in the car rigging scene, …Choi Dokyung telling his parents he wanted to go independent….their breakup! So there you have it, a short video with up-to-date storyline!
Then at the prompt of the emcee, we called out “Sihoo Oppa!” and our Oppa came on stage. Tall, good looking and so slim, or should I say so skinny? He has lost so much weight since before he started filming and certainly needs fattening up! He revealed later that he ate sashimi to help him lose weight for his role. But alas he had food poisoning and had to go to the hospital! He has since avoided raw fish but has subsequently lost weight due to the hectic filming schedule. Please take care of yourself, Park Sihoo-ssi! We want you hale and hearty!
The decoration inside the event hall
During the interview with the emcee, we congratulated Park Sihoo-ssi on winning two KBS awards in 2017 – “Best Couple” and “Best actor for a long drama series”. Park Sihoo-ssi certainly felt thankful to his fans for supporting him and “My Golden Life”. He shared that he knew he was in the running for the awards but had no expectation of winning so was pleasantly surprised. Because of the length of the series, filming has been very tiring, the most difficult being having to film in the extreme cold weather.
The most exhilarating or heart racing moments were shared. The first stirring of love in the car rigging scene, Seo Jian’s confession of love, Choi Dokyung and Seo Jian meeting eye-to-eye over the washing machine, their flower market date, Seo Jian adjusting Choi Dokyung’s tie, Choi Dokyung presenting her with a pendant on her birthday…many scenes that we re-lived on video on the big screen.
An emotional moving scene – first stirring of love
Park Sihoo-ssi was asked about NGs and he said there have so many because he had a lot of script to memorise and could not remember them due to the tight filming schedule. On days like yesterday when he had fans on site, this made him nervous and he ended up with even more NGs! So ladies, do you get the message? If we want Park Sihoo-ssi not to be under stress, overworked and having to do retakes upon retakes of his scenes due to NGs, let him have some peace of mind and not visit location shoots, unless they are official and he is mentally prepared! Many thanks!
We were treated to a video of the behind-the-scene footages that have never been seen. It featured the first time Choi Dokyung cooked and for Seo Jian on her birthday. The little boos boos he made cutting the beef with what looked like a blunt knife, his expressive face when he tasted the soup, the artist doing the makeup for his injured hand…they were all revealed.
The other scene that was shown was when Choi Dokyung ran in the heavy snow in anguish after he broke off with Seo Jian. Park Sihoo-ssi had been scheduled to film this on one of the coldest day according to the weather forecast. He prepared himself by wearing his own warmer clothes for the scenes leading up to this running scene, hoping that he would be dressed in warm clothes for this freezing outdoor shoot. But alas, on the day of the filming, the producer told him that to get the atmosphere right, he should remove the layers of warm clothes and keep on the minimal. So being the perfectionist that he is, what can our man do? He had to run, and many times, wearing only that thin red sweater and long trousers we saw in the actual drama! Brrr…brr…it must have been incredibly freezing! Poor Oppa! I hope you didn’t get sick afterwards!
Because Park Sihoo-ssi has been so focused on the extensive filming of his Choi Dokyung role, he has totally lost touch of what’s happening outside the drama. He did not know that there would be an extension until later. Two more episodes? Even now, he is not even sure if it has been confirmed! So intense he is into his role, I guess our Oppa will just continue to rehearse and play at his Choi Dokyung until the director shouts out the final “Cut!”
Many thanks for making this come true, Park Sihoo-ssi! This is my gold!
Park Sihoo-ssi then autographed for each of us a personal item we have brought. It was probably the most hurried signing as he had to rush off for more filming last night after the event, but he made all of us very happy. For me, he fulfilled a wish I have had for a long time. He signed the September 2017 special edition compilation of articles which I have made into a book! Many thanks for making this one dream come true, Park Sihoo-ssi! You can be sure that I will treasure this!
And with a chorus of “My Golden Life”, fighting! And Sihoo-ssi, fighting! We sent our man out into the cold winter night so that he can bask in his golden life! All the very best wishes, Park Sihoo-ssi! We will see your Choi Dokyung again this weekend!
Oh, oh! I forgot an important piece of information he shared, just before he headed out. He said that in the near future we will get to hear more good news! Wow! I wonder what news. Another project soon? Or that he has a girlfriend? Or that he will be getting married? Kekeke! 🙂 Whatever it is, as long as it makes him happy, I will be happy too! I just can’t wait!
So ends my journey, basked in gold…heading back to reality tomorrow!
PS: And our man did not forget us even after he left and headed off for another night of filming! Last night, he sent a photo on his Instagram with the message “좋은꿈 꾸세요~😘😘😘 Have a good dream~😘😘😘” Yes, I definitely did! Thank you!
“Have a good dream” was the message from Park Sihoo-ssi last night
Credits – Many thanks! KBS drama, Park Sihoo Instgram, ParkSihooSsi.com
