Disclaimer/Warning: This blog, pictures, text are all provided by me and credited to sources where appropriate. This is a free website for K-Pop fans. When you share information from this blog with others online, please give credit where due (i.e. to me because I spent time in line and then in the store working hard for these pictures (and to @AKPF who publicized the event and through whom I found out about this event)). Note that I am a Harvard-educated lawyer who will not hesitate to find, sue and legally put to task anyone who steals, borrows or uses my pictures or text to make money without permission, and anyone who tries to pass this off as their own work without giving due credit. It's not a threat. It's a promise.
Dedicated to Cassies and K-Pop fans all over the world -- Enjoy! Cassies -- feel free to scroll all the way to the end to look at the huge pictures of Yunho. I ruined my blog pagination to make you happy. You're welcome!
Written by: @JayNoonaYeppo (follow me on Twitter!)
This morning, during my workout, I watched an episode of Super Junior
Explorers of the Human Body. It was Episode
9, where DBSK guest stars! (Yes. All five of them: JYJ and TVXQ pre-current affairs
– i.e. the separation.)
Source: YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbtBy38rhk4
Credits: DBSJ Productions, Super Junior, DBSK, JYJ, TVXQ!, SME, EastSea86 (for uploading), and others credited in the video directly
As I watched Siwon defeat Yunho during the one-on-one dodge
ball game (after Kangin's defeat at Yunho's hands), I though to myself, it would be so cool to meet Yunho! Then I remembered that I would at least get
to see him at the SMTown Live Concert on October 23 in Madison Square
Garden New
York
I had been following AKPF’s posts (Follow them on twitter @AKPF – I’m
not being paid to say this, btw, just a thankful fan!) about Yunho and Changmin
coming to NYC for a photo shoot for Lacoste, but figured, since I’m not really
a Cassie or a serious fan girl for TVXQ, I should leave the work to serious
Cassies. (If it were SHINee and/or SuJu
now, we would be talking about something else.
I’m a serious Shawol and E.L.F. – Really. You don’t understand: I’m getting SHINee and SuJu shirts made for
the SMTown Live in NYC concert. I will
share as soon as I have a prototype. I
plan to give out a couple for free to see if people like it and then let
Shawols and E.L.F.s order for the show!
Not to worry!! Stay tuned for
more on the shirts in the next week or so)
I went through the day occasionally checking my
@JayNoonaYeppo twitter feed and my Facebook account, and at around 4pm, at the
end of my meetings, I noticed AKPF had an “EVENT” alert on Facebook – TVXQ was
going to have a fan meeting at Lacoste to celebrate Fashions Night Out in New York City
Like a good Cassie, I finished my work for the day and
rushed out to catch a cab home for a quick change. When I got home, I turned on TVXQ’s Keep Your
Head Down for motivation.
Source: YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-yLX4DFKyM
Credits: TVXQ! and SME
As it was playing in the background, I felt myself getting
more and more excited to meet Yunho and Changmin. I recalled just how relaxed and exciting they
seemed on SuJu’s Explorers of the Human Body.
I was so amped by the time I was ready!
I arrived at the Lacoste store on 49th Street 5th Avenue Saks Fifth Avenue
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| Credit: ktertainment.blogspot.com Photo by: @JayNoonaYeppo |
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| Credit: ktertainment.blogspot.com Photo by: @JayNoonaYeppo |
While waiting, I took some pictures of the eye candy in the
window. And we were entertained by Mr. Michael Kors who was also at his newly opened MK store across the road from Lacoste. (You just can't script the stuff that happens in New York City! Especially on Fashions Night Out -- but I digress!)
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| Credit: ktertainment.blogspot.com Photo by: @JayNoonaYeppo |
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| Credit: ktertainment.blogspot.com Photo by: @JayNoonaYeppo |
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| Yes -- that is Michael Kors! Credit: ktertainment.blogspot.com Photo by: @JayNoonaYeppo |
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| The models Credit: ktertainment.blogspot.com Photo by: @JayNoonaYeppo |
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| The manly model Credit: ktertainment.blogspot.com Photo by: @JayNoonaYeppo |
I was a very good Cassie because I stayed in line and waited
my turn. TVXQ [only Yunho] arrived, with
an entourage that made it so difficult to see his face. He arrived in a stretch limo, and he was
quickly ushered into the store as a ton of fans screamed his name. A ton of people on the line kept asking, “Who
just entered the store?” As a good
Cassie, I tried to educate them, but non K-Pop fans just don’t get it the way
we do. Seriously, what a waste of time.
Yunho was wearing all black (clearly a black Lacoste shirt)
with a nerdy-chic pair of thick-rimmed eyeglasses. I tried to take pictures from outside, but it
was impossible. I tried to find
Changmin, only to find out later that he didn’t attend the event. I hope he’s okay … T.T
As I got to the head of the line, the store’s manager said,
“We are sorry, but everyone has to leave and clear the side walk. The party is over and we are not letting
anyone else inside the store.” I went
from patient, to sad, to upset in the span of a few seconds! Why?
The store was NOT full, and we HAD been waiting PATIENTLY. I just told a few others and myself in line:
this is a public sidewalk so we don’t have to leave. We can just patiently wait for them to come
out. At a certain point, the store’s
manager started to let a LARGE group of people in and the fans outside became
very upset. The store manager’s reason
for letting those people in – “They are press.”
I had to SPEAK UP. “In the age of
social media, everyone outside here that you’re not letting in will tell the
whole world about what you’re doing. We
are also the press now, lady!” I
couldn’t help myself… It must be the lawyer in me…
I was so upset that I sent a message to AKPF on Facebook
complaining that the store was keeping TVXQ’s fans outside on the sidewalk and
refusing to let us in. AKPF was very
nice and made some calls, which must have worked because they let us in! Yay!!
I was the first to get in because I had my ID card ready and
apparently because they were serving alcohol there was an age limit on who they
could let into the store, or something like that. The store is actually quite nice. Two floors.
Great staff – aside from those who didn’t want to let TVXQ’s fans inside
to meet their idol!
Anyway, all is well that ends well. As soon as I entered the store, I made my way
upstairs where some handlers were hiding TVXQ in what looked like a dressing
room. I asked upstairs if both Changmin
and Yunho were there and I was told that Changmin didn’t attend. Eventually, Yunho came out of the dressing
room and was ushered into the elevator, and when he appeared again downstairs,
there was serious pandemonium. Tons of
fans were outside pressed up against the glass trying to get pictures of him.
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| Credit: ktertainment.blogspot.com Photo by: @JayNoonaYeppo |
He was friendly and quiet. Not afraid, but totally listening to
the manager/handler – which means he didn’t take any pictures
with fans or sign any autographs… His
quiet calm definitely won me over. It’s
not just an act for shows or music videos.
He is actually calm in person.
Here are the pictures that I made from the
event. It was definitely worth
attending. I’d do it again for any K-Pop
idol who comes to NYC – I’m not really into "paparazzi" pictures -- I can't do the pics at the airport or hotel. But, here Yunho was
at an event where he invited press and was promoting a product. I was definitely happy to attend. I hope you enjoy the pictures for tonight –
fancam will be uploaded over the weekend!
[Postmortem: When I got home, I was so excited to show my pictures to the Hubster. His first reaction: Oh nice pics! Why didn’t you get a shot with the guy?” My reaction: O___o à TT__TT – Why didn’t I remember that I’m pretty good at selcas?]
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| Credit: ktertainment.blogspot.com Photo by: @JayNoonaYeppo |
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| Credit: ktertainment.blogspot.com Photo by: @JayNoonaYeppo |
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| Credit: ktertainment.blogspot.com Photo by: @JayNoonaYeppo |
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| Credit: ktertainment.blogspot.com Photo by: @JayNoonaYeppo |
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| Credit: ktertainment.blogspot.com Photo by: @JayNoonaYeppo |
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| Credit: ktertainment.blogspot.com Photo by: @JayNoonaYeppo |
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| Credit: ktertainment.blogspot.com Photo by: @JayNoonaYeppo |
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| Credit: ktertainment.blogspot.com Photo by: @JayNoonaYeppo |
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| Credit: ktertainment.blogspot.com Photo by: @JayNoonaYeppo |
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| Credit: ktertainment.blogspot.com Photo by: @JayNoonaYeppo |
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| Credit: ktertainment.blogspot.com Photo by: @JayNoonaYeppo |
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| Credit: ktertainment.blogspot.com Photo by: @JayNoonaYeppo |
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| Credit: ktertainment.blogspot.com Photo by: @JayNoonaYeppo |
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| Credit: ktertainment.blogspot.com Photo by: @JayNoonaYeppo |
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| Credit: ktertainment.blogspot.com Photo by: @JayNoonaYeppo |
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| Credit: ktertainment.blogspot.com Photo by: @JayNoonaYeppo |
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| Credit: ktertainment.blogspot.com Photo by: @JayNoonaYeppo |
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| Credit: ktertainment.blogspot.com Photo by: @JayNoonaYeppo |
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| Credit: ktertainment.blogspot.com Photo by: @JayNoonaYeppo |
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| Credit: ktertainment.blogspot.com Photo by: @JayNoonaYeppo |
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| Credit: ktertainment.blogspot.com Photo by: @JayNoonaYeppo |
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| Credit: ktertainment.blogspot.com Photo by: @JayNoonaYeppo |
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| Credit: ktertainment.blogspot.com Photo by: @JayNoonaYeppo |
[ktertainment.blogspot.com; @JayNoonaYeppo]
Hello! Thank you so much for sharing this. It's very well written. It made us fans far away feel like we're there. Thank you so much for the pics. Ahh! Yunho is so handsome. I want to ask permission if I can share your pictures in my facebook. Of course I won't forget credit you. Waiting for ur reply. :)
ReplyDeleteBy the way I followed you on twitter and my username is @s0natine. I'm not sure if you were the one i talked to at americankpopfans fb page. I bet you had a great experience meeting TVXQ.:)
ReplyDeleteOf course! Feel free to share the pictures on your Facebook!! :-) I'm so glad you enjoyed the blogpost. Thank you for following me. You can count on me to stalk--erm--attend and document any KPop idol's public events in the New York area. I'm so glad @AKPF let us know about the event as soon as they knew.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! I'll definitely follow your blog. *fangirling mode* By the way, how is Yunho in person? Was there a lot of fans at the event? Well, looking at the pics & vid, it looks like it. Just read ur post @AKPF lucky you can attent SMTown NYC. Why am I stuck here in Texas? huhu
ReplyDeleteU-Know -- he was totally swamped with fans but he stayed so calm. He smiled at fans. He was so quiet/reserved, but still seemed friendly. It seemed like he was trying to be respectful to his handlers and listening to their instructions. He didn't seem to mind the crowd at all (see pictures), and you could tell that he really wanted to keep browsing the store to look at more Lacoste clothes/bags/shoes. So cute. There were a ton of fans at the event -- I would say there were at least 100 people inside the store and 75 people waiting outside. It was crazy. When Yunho left, the whole group of fans chased after him. I didn't. The public appearance was over for me as soon as he left. What if he got hurt as he was trying to "escape" his "loving fans"? I can't bear that. Anyway, hope this helps!
ReplyDeleteWow! That much of a crowd? I mean I've been to NY and their streets are pretty small & crowded. It must have cause some traffic, right?! Is he really that handsome in person? *want to see him so bad* what were the reactions of non-fans? I'm so sorry for asking so many questions. I hope you won't mind. lol
ReplyDeleteIt was a large crowd. But you know 5th Avenue's sidewalks are actually quite wide, but there were so many people there! There was quite a bit of traffic -- but NYC was prepared for it and there were cops everywhere directing foot and car traffic. Yay efficiency!
ReplyDeleteU-Know is handsome in person and the glasses made him look so preppy/nerdy. There were a ton of older people in Lacoste who actually came for the Fashions Night Out event and didn't know about Yunho being a Lacoste model/spokesperson, etc. I had a few people ask me if I knew who was in the store, and when I tried to explain who he was, they were so confused. Everyone definitely knew he was a star (with his all black and nice black Lacoste shirt), but some people didn't know that he was a huge K-Pop star.
Thank God, NYC are prepared. We don't want accidents.
ReplyDeleteAww. My handsome bb..lol..I hope I can get a hold of myself when I see him (of course,lol). Thank you so much for sharing your experiences. I really enjoyed reading it.
It's time to let the whole world know about KPOP!! Can't wait to read your post about SMTown NYC next month! Have a good day!:)