Ami's brief YJ encounter

Dear Thailand family,

Maybe some of you have read this trans of a sister's encounter with BYJ in NYC, but I thought I'd repost it here anyway because she gave a really detailed description of Yong Joon's appearance. It is a delight to read. Thank you to Happiebb for posting it in Quilt, Thank you Sweet Sister in bb's blog for translating, and thank you so much sister Ami for sharing your wonderful experience.


[Trans] ami's brief YJ encounter

original in japanese: ami / byjstudio 2008/05/07
translated into english: a sweet sister / bb's blog

I had planned on writing about various things in NY
but was told to just “keep it about Joon.” (laughter)
But the truth is that Joon only briefly appeared before my eyes
so that for this to be called a “report” is unfortunate,
and its contents are such that you may ask,
Ami-chan, is this all you have?

But because his manager told me that “Photos are not allowed”,
I don’t have a single photo from that time…
When he was filming the CF,
it seemed that we were allowed to take all the photos that we wanted
but when we shook hands with him, photos were completely forbidden.

I heard that there were some Koreans and Japanese from the NY Fan Club
to make for a total of some 20 people watching the CF filming.
Let’s wait for those people to share their secret trove of photos.
I wonder if that’s impossible…

So let me talk about the events leading up meeting Joon.


May 5….

I was at a location that was five minutes away by auto to where Joon was
at the corner of 40th and 7th Avenue.

I was totally bewildered at what I should do.
(Oh, if only I had checked the Internet at that time…!!
I would have made it in time for the CM filming…)

But by the time I had found out about the CM filming
it was past 5:00 p.m….

On top of that, I was in a taxi returning to my hotel…

After getting through gridlock gridlock gridlock,
I finally arrived at the film site...
Only to discover that the CM filming had just ended…
Joon was nowhere to be seen on the sidewalk of 7th Avenue.

(Oh no…)

This shock from this time was unbearable.
My legs were shaking and the bones in my body were creaking
and it felt that they were going to break and fall to the ground.

The curious onlookers that had gathered had also dispersed.
And inside the yellow crowd control tape that was put up,
only the filming staff remained behind still busily working …

(I didn’t make it in time…and I was so close by…
to not make it in time… what terrible timing…)

I just stood there vacantly for a bit…

Then after that…
Unsteadily, unconsciously I found myself walking.
Then I came to the corner of 39th Street.

When I realized there was a number of groups of Koreans carrying cameras.
I gasped and looked around to find a certain RV parked on the street.

There were about 10 people who appeared to be fans
and I don’t know why but…
They all stood there watching the people pass by.

(Oh, I see, these people must have been watching the CM filming…)

I watched those people out of the corner of my eye
while facing the direction of the RV.
I think you can tell from the photo above but there was no one around the RV.
There was a piece of paper taped to the door of the RV
with the word “Talent” handwritten.

Before that, there was a short and stocky bodyguard,
a tough looking bodyguard and Brian.
He had a pale complexion and was not suntanned.
Also, his manager kept going back and forth busily
between the two RVs that were parked on the street.

Suddenly several females went running over to Brian
who was standing in front of the door and requested autographs
as they gave him something to be signed but he turned down their requests.
Despite the refusal, the women still persisted
and Brian said, “If it’s a certain photo, he will sign it. It is a small photo.”
As he replied in English and went inside the RV
and brought out that signed black and white GQ photo
which he handed to that female.

(Oh, if only I too spoke Korean…)

Because it seemed to be somewhat of a nuisance
that I couldn’t bring myself to ask for his autograph.

(Oh, my passive nature)

Because I was a bit envious watching those females,
I started watching the area around the RV door again.

I could see from gaps in the RV window, glimpses of people moving inside.
“Joon is inside there…”
When I thought that, I was filled with an amazing feeling.
Not beyond the ocean, not in a distant country separated by thousands of miles.
Right now, in this spot where I am standing, he is only…

One meter and beyond the wall of the RV…

Joon is sitting there…

(I wish I could go beyond that door…)

I was thinking these thoughts as I stood there watching the door.
Anyone watching me from the outside must have thought that
I was an extremely suspicious person or a pitiful person…

After a short while, the bodyguard began folding up his collapsible chair by the door.

Silence.

(Will the RV take off with him riding in it…?
Probably, that’s what is going to happen…)

I prepared myself for the impending intense disappointment.
The sound of the engine soon-to-be-heard would shatter my heart to bits.

(Don’t leave! Please don’t go…)
My heart was full of prayers.
That was what I felt, please excuse me.

I completely forgot to take photos for this report.
I just could not bring myself to take photos of Brian,
his manager, the bald bodyguards…
That was how I was in a dazed state.

As I stood right in front of the RV door, looking down, standing there,
and occasionally looking up at the cars going by…
I think that the bodyguards around the door must have also been scared of me.
I think I was standing there for about 20 minutes.
When I looked around me, the Asian fans had all gone.

Then the idea occurred to me.

Come to think of it…
I had not seen Joon enter the RV!...

(Where had everyone gone?
What if again, I am at the hopelessly wrong location…

Joon may be at another location…
I shouldn’t have come to NY after all…

This feeling instead is brutal…
If I had stayed home in Atlanta,
I could have avoided all of this! I’m such a fool!
I’m going to take a taxi in 10 minutes…)

I realized this as the day began to darken into evening,
and I stared at the sidewalk through teary eyes.

Then I heard a “click” sound above my head.

Slowly, I raised my head…

(wow!)

On the doorstep of the RV in front of my eyes,
Joon was standing there smiling…

Because Joon is one meter in front of my eyes…
My eyes are exclamation points.
Immediately his managers and the bodyguards went to Joon’s side to protect him.
But because of them,
Joon could not be seen because they blocked my view.

(oh wow, the life-sized photo is moving!

It’s the real thing!

He’s sunburned…in the flesh!

He’s wearing the same outfit as JFK Airport?)

Those were the thoughts that came to me at that time.
His sunglasses seemed to be the light brown ones he wore at the Saitama Arena.
His outfit was not the gray suit he wore for the CM filming
but the one he wore when he arrived at JFK Airport.
But he was not wearing the dog tag.

As I was standing there momentarily frozen,
several females came running up from the right.
They bypassed Joon’s manager on the side and offered Joon their WS DVD
and noisily requested his autograph
(I’m sorry but that’s how they sounded to me).

I stood by the manager’s side and watched all this going on
while taking in Joon’s beautiful downward profile.

Joon’s profile is perfection after all…(cries) enraptured.

He has the most beautiful profile in the world…

His nose is exquisitely shaped, sized and with height.
It also appears to be soft.

Then, oh, I’ve also become quite infatuated with his beautiful jaw line
that begins under his ear.

I can’t express it in words well but..
The shape of his face appears as if you took a brush
and brushed it with a highlighter made from the powder of crushed pearls.
Each skin cell seems to faintly shine from the inside like a pearl!

Even though he is sunburned,
you can see how small his pores are when you see him up close.
His cheeks are a light pink also
and you can’t see any bumps or hair follicles
so that his skin is unbelievably smooth.

Check your own skin such as the inside of your elbow, inside of the thigh,
those areas of your body where they are not normally exposed to the sun
and have no hair follicles or are not visible
or are at least the areas with the smoothest skin.

Joon’s face, neck, and chest are like that with a silky feel.

His mouth when he laughs is like a character from a manga,
it is sexy…

His white teeth peeking out are also perfect…

The curves of his lips are as if they were painted…oh, my…

They are fantastic…

The female next to me started shaking his hand
so I quickly extended my hand also.
“Squeeze, squeeze” was the feeling.
The sensation of his handshake was that his hand is muscular;
it felt good and strong, heavy, and enveloping.

Joon’s face has a delicate image
and I had decided on my own that his hands must be like a pianist or a scholar
but I was wrong.
His hands had a thickness with big palms, long fingers making for big hands.

My own hands are big and rough
but my hand easily slipped into his hand.

It’s true after all!

These are the hands of those who play sports from childhood or learn judo.
They are masculine hands. (yes)

When I shook his hand, I wanted to see Joon’s eyes.
So I peeked into Joon’s eyes behind the light brown sunglasses
but maybe because he was smiling,
those eyes behind the sunglasses looked very tiny.
Then when he smiles, his cheeks puff up…

Right on top in the center… A pimple…
(There is a rather large red one on the left cheek)

During the CM filming, it was amazing that you couldn’t see this at all.
Perhaps they popped it after taking off his makeup?

Did he play golf in Virginia
since he was sunburned up to his throat and looked healthy.
His hair looked a bit dry.
His chest which peeked out from the white tank top was not sunburned…
(Oh, his silky skin which is like a female)

I thought that his smiling expression seemed to be really relaxed.

Then, after he shook hands with the person on my left side,
Joon said in unaccented Japanese, “Ganbatte kudasai (Please do your best)”
to end this session.

Joon was directed away by his managers,
almost as if he was being pulled away and he quickly crossed 39th Street.
He quickly got into a wine-colored van parked across the street…

He took off…

Ohhhhhhhhhh, I was sad to leave—

When I was shaking his hand,
I was told by his manager that I could not take any photos.
So I controlled myself…

Seeing Joon cross the street,
I thought I should at least get a photo of his back…
So I hurriedly tried to take a photo.
But oncoming cars got in the way,
so I was unable to take photos of that time.
Speeding oncoming cars got in the way…

There were 4 or 3 other people; I included that got to shake his hand.

(Everyone had left so there was no one around).

Source : BYJ's Quilt Freeboard, May 28 2008.
Note : Information about pictures omitted.


Dear Family, hope it was long but satisfying !
myoce