One year ago today, I spent the weekend at Phoebe’s. It was a 3-day weekend, and it was her birthday, and Lexi was also there to celebrate. The 3 of us watched "Beautiful Days". (It was really nice of Lex to have stayed even if she has already seen BD. ) I only knew Choi Ji Woo from "Winter Sonata", whose surname I pronounced then as "Choy". Ryu Si Won was the guy in "The Truth" who looked like Paco A. (not Arespacochaga), but I couldn’t even pronounce his name; Lexi was patient though and she enunciated the syllables very slowly for me: "Repeat after me. Ryu. Si. Won." Mixed up Minjee and Minchul. Couldn’t remember the name Yong Soo (the only names that stuck to me then were Yang Mei Mei, Zena, Zero and San Jae, because they were fairly easy. --> Pibiya's email reply: Aww. Kunbe!  My usual know-it-all erratum: It's Yeon Soo, not Yong Soo. It's Sae Na, not Zena the Warrior Princess.  And after thinking it's San Jae for almost 2 years, apparently, it's Soon Jae pala. I don't blame you for being confused though--pinanood kasi natin Chinese version yung names nila kaya ang gulo-gulo. ). Lee Byung Hun seemed plain. And no, I wasn’t initially smitten by the shoulder-raising, kind-hearted, yet "boring musician." (copyright@Tita Leslie B.)

Fast forward 1 year later.

And 26 24 episodes (hours) of "Beautiful Days". 20 episodes of "Stairway to Heaven". 20 episodes of "Summer Scent". 20 episodes of "Lovers in Paris". 16 episodes of "Sweet 18". 20 episodes of "What Happened in Bali". 16 episodes of "Let’s Go to School, Sangdoo". 20 episodes of "Winter Sonata". 12 episodes of "Delicious Proposal" (4 more eps and I’m done with this series).

32 Korean movies ("My Sassy Girl" is not included though, as I have seen it 3 years ago, long before the hallyu. Thanks to Dawn who shared it with me, and Leo who was the source for it.)

RERUNS NOT INCLUDED.

Torn between Kwon Sang Woo, Lee Dong Gun, Bae Yong Jun, Jung Woo Seung, Jo In Sung, Won Bin, etc. etc. Realized that Lee Byung Hun is cute and charming and a brilliant actor. Still not smitten by RSW.

Joined soompi, lost a few posts to the Crash of 05, re-registered again and even started a thread

Developed a taste for kimchi and bulgogi. Looking forward to feasting with Lexi and Phoebe

Discovered Meo. Got obsessed with CD cases.

Converted Dyan and Vi; and Marlene, who converted Mamay, and Queenie and Loffy and Daf. Yet my success story is Chey, who went from completely hating LDG in Lovers in Paris, to adoring him in Sweet 18.

Could now read and write hanguk characters, but seldom do I know the meaning of what I've read, and still confused with pronunciation and romanization. But I now know several Korean words, including "shibbal".

Laughed. Cried. Fell in luv. Downloaded. Burned. And wrote stupid reviews.

Frequent talks and txt-changes and emails with Phoebe and Lex. I know our friendship goes beyond the hallyu, but it’s just nice that we have *another* something in common. Surfing the Korean wave is much more fun when with friends. And we laugh harder, cry harder, and fall in luv all the more.

행복한 기념일!