Park Sihoo 40th birthday – Prince of Enchanted Forest 2018

Caution: Long article and only in English as it was in the wee hours of this morning that I managed to finish up this article! No photography is allowed during the event, so you will not get anything taken of the event except where allowed.

Yesterday, on April Fool’s Day, I wrote and posted an article “Fools Unite” about fans of Park Sihoo-ssi being called all sorts of names including being fools! Well, I am a self admitted fool and proud to be one! And fools we may be, we were also united in friendship!

Last night, for his 40th birthday celebration, these fools spend a glorious evening in the great company of our favourite man Park Sihoo-ssi in the enchanted forest, the enchanted forest that held him captive but he is now rescued due to firm friendships of fans and friends!

For the first time, a Park Sihoo-ssi birthday event started at 5 pm in the afternoon, a change from the usual after dinner 7.30 pm start. This of course got our over imaginative minds wondering. Hmmm…but we have no answer as usual, only pure speculation!

Rolling off the program for the evening, were words from the sponsors and organisers. Japan Official Fan Club, Enishi magazine, Park Sihoo Fresh TV and even the upcoming Park Sihoo KBS “My Golden Life” Commemorative Broadcast event to be held on 20 April 2018! Our beautiful emcee Kim Tei came up on stage to run through the usual announcements about switching handphones to silent mode and no photography and videography. 

Youtube Video – A glimpse of Park Sihoo-ssi Birthday Tour 2018 6 February 2018 (Promotion Video)

In anticipation of Park Sihoo-ssi’s appearance, she taught us to sing a happy birthday song in Korean including the line about loving him with our hearts and making big heart signs with our arms and hands.

Then the lights dimmed and a forest scene appeared with reminiscence of Park Sihoo-ssi’s birthdays and events of the past, back all the way from 2014. There was a brief scene setting by the emcee which I could not understand and which no one could remember what was revealed. I believe it had to do with Prince Park Sihoo being held captive in the enchanted forest by a wicked witch who cast him under a magic spell, barring him from stepping out of the forest.

Youtube Video of Park Sihoo “My Golden Life” Commemorative Broadcast Event by KBS Japan Corporation 

Then, lo and behold! By magic, Prince Park Sihoo was conjured out of nowhere and appeared from a large container box just off the stage! Wearing a shimmering light grey jacket, one indistinguishable left breast pocket, with gold trimmings to accentuate the one right lower pocket and jacket front. A single, rather unique oriental style button buttoned up the jacket in the front. Black shirt, black trousers and black shiny leather shoes completed the look. The back of the jacket was gold, with the back shorter than the front by around 6 inches, showing off his nice looking backside…Kekeke! 🙂

Flashing his brilliant smile and his charismatic charm, he went from table to table and presented each of us with a towel rose – pale pink, orange, darker pink, his choice for each lady. I am sure hearts were a-fluttering at his close proximity and his gorgeous smile that made us feel oh, so special!

Once he finished giving out the roses, he went on stage where a candle lighted three-layer chocolate birthday cake topped with a figurine of Prince Park Sihoo beside an ornate throne and his beloved rascal cats Jami and Dami seated on it, awaited him. Now, we know who rule his household! Better be nice to these two rascals!

Park Sihoo-ssi conveyed his greetings, thanking us for our support and well wishes. Then we burst into our rehearsed “Happy birthday” song in Korean and showed him our love with our hand gestures. Confetti shot out at the end, accompanied by the song “Congratulations and Celebrations” and the video back wall was animated with lots of balloons and love.

Fans’ creativity were showcased with a video collage of birthday greetings coming in beautiful drawings, dramatic layouts, large and small and in different languages! Those who sent greetings, did you see yours in the video? The emcee then presented him with two thick books that contained a postcard compilation of all the well wishes he received for his birthday. Park Sihoo-ssi thanked everyone sincerely for their heartwarming wishes. He was emotionally touched and felt a lot of love and happiness in the past year, and throughout the filming of his drama.

He then shared a few photos of the holiday he took after the wrap of the drama including skydiving, relaxing by the beach and exploring Guam. He revealed that he also went on to Taiwan and Japan afterwards for a break.

Prince Park Sihoo then granted three fans with their birthday wishes by casting his magic “Bidibebadibu”! One wanted him to wish her a happy birthday, give her a hug and a twirl. He granted her her wishes…though he gave her two hugs instead of one! Bonus, wor! The second wanted to work in Hoo Factory and after passing through a first round of interview, she had to have an audition with Prince Sihoo by following his lead in acting. The script read “Let’s go dating” and the spontaneous fan immediately responded with a resounding “Yes!”. That got her a job! During one of Prince Park Sihoo-ssi’s concert, the third birthday lady got him to sing her a birthday song and gave her a hug! Birthday wishes, granted by the magic of our prince!

Then came the danger and bravery segment where two ladies were drawn. They had to wear eye masks and with their eyes covered, feel inside a transparent box where a tray of something was placed. Park Sihoo-ssi had to demonstrate this first and he rightly guessed what he gingerly and then bravely touched and felt with his hands! Eow! Ik-y, slimy seaweed, I believe! Then all three of them put on their eye masks and at the word “go” by the emcee, it was free for all in that transparent box! Hanky panky! Hahaha! You touch my hands, I touch yours! 🙂 Well, there could only be one winner as they felt the noodles in the tray! But he gave them both hugs!

Then it was the XOXO game where we had to count the number of mini Park Sihoo-ssi in each of the eight photos shown on the screen. The last ladies standing got to go up the stage and get crowned with tiaras by our prince. Six ladies were left standing and they happily adorned the flower tiaras gifted by the man himself!

KBS Drama Youtube: Episode 34 “My Golden Life”: Fancy some seaweed soup?

Remember our prince promised to cook for us seaweed soup? Well, he did! Or at least he demonstrated how to cook it on stage. I was skeptical at the beginning as to whether he could cook in the first place…but I must say he seemed competent enough, possibly reading a recipe as he went along. The aromatic smell of his cooking of the seaweed soup made our hungry stomachs growl! Want to know how to cook seaweed soup ala Park Sihoo-ssi style? Here you go…

Heat a soup pot to the right temperature, add a little oil, pick up the pot and move it around so that the oil evenly covers the bottom of the pot. Slowly add in sliced beef using a tong. If you are impatient, pour the whole thing right in. Stir fry the ingredients. Add more oil if necessary, then the seaweed. Top off with the seasoning including soya sauce, salt spill, pepper. And lastly, don’t forget the water! Simmer for a while till cooked. And viola, you have your seaweed soup! Miraculously his seaweed soup was cooked and served within minutes to three lucky ladies! Oppa fed each of them asking them to open their mouths by saying “ahhh”!  Delicious was all their verdicts…hmm…I wonder, how true? Or were they just being polite? Kekeke! 🙂

Each of them also got to ask him questions which he answered.  I can’t really remember the questions and answers as I was more engrossed in watching him feeding the ladies. I think one had to do with his recent Tokyo trip and if he managed to go to an onsen hot spring. He said due to the tight timing, he was not able to get a reservation. Another question was what he did when he had time off from his filming. He shared that there was a lot of script that needed to be rehearsed so in the eight months of filming, he did not have any private time for himself. Every spare minute he had was used to practice and rehearse his role. Ah…poor Oppa, such hard work to perfect his Choi Dokyung! So ladies, please appreciate Oppa more, okay? The third question? Sorry, I can’t remember! My mind’s a little tired as it is already one thirty in the morning and I am not even half way through with this article!

The emcee introduced to Prince Park Sihoo the greeting tree and he read some of the birthday greetings which his fans have left for him in the form of leaves. He was most touched and thank all of them for their warm wishes. 

As he went off stage for a costume change, video clips of him in “My Golden Life” was shown…so many different aspects of our Oppa from behind-the-scenes! Him rehearsing his lines and the scenes, his NGs, his cute gestures and movements while waiting for filming or when he made a mistake…funny at times, and so very interesting!

Then Magician Park Sihoo appeared on stage to the upbeat music of Wham’s “Wake me up before you go, go!” In a magician black coat, matching black vest, white shirt, checked black and what looked like dark brown tie, white pocket square and shiny thin dark trimmings around the waist and the collar, black trousers and black leather shoes, he looked so very like a magician!

Scarves were his trick. Multiples of scarves appeared by magic from a single scarf. Changing a stick to scarf. A scarf being scrunched into a tiny roll and by pure magic, miraculously appeared in a white blown up balloon at the wave of his hand. The same ballon not breaking when a stick was inserted through it and then with a prick of the stick, it then burst with a huge “pop”! 

A big white box was pushed on stage which he moved and elevated with his hands to show the audience there was no tricks, no human walking the box or other gadgets, just pure magic! And then viola, when the box was set down and opened, out came a lady! 

A black chest was pushed on stage and Prince Park Sihoo went into the box and his lady assistant locked it tight with a huge lock. She stood on top of the box covered it and herself with with a long red curtain, slowly pulling up the curtain, wiggled it a bit and before out eyes, as the red curtain was dropped, out came Prince Park Sihoo. Unlocking the chest, we saw with our own eyes his lady assistant locked inside. A perfect switch at the blink of an eye! 

Then it was scarves and flowers as he magically conjured flowers from scarves and a single petal fanned, in the fist of his hand resulted in many small petals flying across the stage!  Lastly, with his fan, a pot of plant, full of green leaves suddenly bloomed with red flowers! Again, right before our eyes!

Amazing our Magician Park Sihoo! And you know he was enjoying himself, his happiness and amusement showing on his face as he wowed his audience!

The lights dimmed and then he came on to sing “Seasons in the sun”, going off stage and around the audience before making his way back on stage. He showed his signature funky dance and charmed all of us with his most brilliant smile. Prince Park Sihoo at his most charming! Who can resist?

Friendships lost and now found in the enchanted forest! We then reaffirmed these friendships with one-on-one photos with our Prince!  My, with over three hundred smiles, his jaws must have ached big time!

Afterwards, he came back on stage and bade everyone good night…so ended an enchanting evening in the forest of friendship!

See you again soon, Park Sihoo-ssi! In Shinjuku Tokyo on 20 April 2018! Two more weeks! Have a good rest!

Credits – Many thanks! KBS drama, KBS Japan Corporation, Park Sihoo Japan Official Fan Club, Mentor, Instagram by tett, soulstyle6259, Twitter by @neko_jamidami

---