Oh Ji Ho's Birthday Bash

Dear Friends,

Hope you are all well. Thank you for dropping in to this Fan Club site dedicated to Mr. Oh Ji Ho.

He is, of course, just one of the most handsome men alive. But good looks aren’t all he brings. Courteous, outgoing, affectionate and genuinely nice, Oh Ji Ho has a wonderfully dynamic spirit.

His fan meeting banquet was an absolute blast! Everyone said it was so much fun and they really enjoyed meeting him.

From the moment he walked into the room, he wanted to interact with his fans. Thanking everyone for allowing him to be in Hawaii and for them to be present; he chose to have as much fun as possible. Although he was not scheduled to help with the door prizes, he wanted to pull the numbers and announce them. While he may not think so, his English comprehension and pronunciation is very good. On his own, he gave the prizes and happily posed for photos with the winners, all the while smiling and hugging them.

When it came to being photographed, he saw that there were a few elderly fans in wheelchairs. He literally got on his knees to face and greet them, holding their hands and whispering to them.

To him, it wasn't just an obligatory photograph; he truly gave extra attention to them with the greatest respect and kindness.

Of course, the birthday bash put on by the Oh Ji Ho International Fan Club was great fun and he rolled with the surprise "party" like a trooper.

As in any birthday party, we gave him a lei, a card, a birthday hat, a cake and a gift. When he saw the birthday hat coming, there was a momentary look of horror. I don't know if he was afraid of messing his hair or whether he had a hatred of birthday hats. Of course, while we all wore pointed cone hats like dunce caps...his was a shiny blue crown. In all graciousness, his expression of alarm quickly turned into acceptance. Then, those deep dimples framed his smile and radiated from his laughing eyes. When this man smiles with his entire face, he can light up a room with happiness. His joy is very contagious. He does look very good in a crown.

The gift we gave him was a pendant hand carved out of bone by an artist in Hawaii. It is spiral shaped and is called "piko" which is the Hawaiian word for "belly button." It symbolizes new life, new beginnings. It looked so good on him, white against his black shirt.

With great sincerity, he thanked us throughout the night for showering him with so much love and aloha.

As a gift back, he sang the song from, "A Second Proposal."

In the movie, he is soft and his voice cracks with sorrow, but at the banquet, he sounded wonderful. He has a strong voice that carries a melody very well. He had all of us mesmerized to the last note because he put his heart and soul into the song.

We are all aware of his troubles, but for this one enchanted evening, everyone present forgot all worries and grief and we were enveloped in a cocoon spun with star dust, moon beams and the stuff dreams are made of. As president and founder of this club, I was very happy that we were able to give him the best of our love and caring.

Some of you may know that most fan meetings are very structured with body guards keeping everyone away from the star. There were no body guards and not once did Oh Ji Ho act as if he felt he needed protection. He embraced his fans not only with his fabulous smile, but with real hugs as well. If a fan was short, he would bend down to them. If they were old and had difficulty getting up the three steps to the stage, he graciously went to them and helped them up.

Often, when he was sitting out of the limelight, he looked around at the people in the room and the expression on his face was full of grace and innocence. His eyes were soft and his smile as gentle as a boy's.

I don't think many people have been lucky enough to see this sweet youthful look on his face. But if they had, they would want to do everything in their power to protect him from all harm. That is how I felt...like a mother hen.

When he left Hawaii, a group of fans were once again treated to his attention and willingness to interact with us. Anyone who asked, got their picture taken with him...including the airport workers!

One of our members at the airport to see him off, said there was a feeling of separation anxiety over his leaving. Perhaps, he also felt the same way. He leaves the land of perpetual summer, a season he loves the most.

I hope he returns again.

Aloha,
Colleen

Leaving Hawaii...

Gone, but not to be forgotten...in color,

or in black and white.





Photos by OJHIFC member Clarice Ota, who generously offered them. Thank you very much for such a nice contribution Clarice. It is most appreciated.
Click images to enlarge.