[Pre-180, Be a Fangirl] Starchasing Journey: Part 1--Chasing Kim Jung Hoon at the Airport in 2007

A fangirl as I can be, starchasing has always been something I love doing. From actors and actress of the Korean drama Goong/Princess Hours (i.e. Kim Jeong Hoon/Kim Jung Hoon) to Taiwanese actress Rainie Yang （杨丞琳） and actor Aaron Yan （炎亚纶）, dramas have never failed to hype up my fantasy of being together with my favourite idols. And, starchasing had given me an opportunity to be close to them.

Sounds like stalking, but not quite. But I just enjoyed being able to see my idols up close, and 'know' them as a person as opposed to a marketed personnel. To me, starchasing is an avenue for me to observe how these idols talk, smile, gesture, and overall, how they present themselves. Sometimes, it also gives me an outlook to their characters too. 

My first starchasing experience came when I was just 10 years old. A young girl hooked to the Korean drama Princess Hours, I was thrilled when the 2nd male lead, Kim Jung Hoon or Prince (charming) Lee Yul, visited Singapore to attend the annual Mediacorp Star Awards (that was like in year 2007). After a series of 'pestering' and 'begging', I finally convinved my mother to take me to Changi Airport (Terminal 1) to chase my idol before he departed from Singapore. (Well, along with my mother and my then 8-year old brother.) 

Kim Jung Hoon as Prince Lee Yul (rightmost) in Princess Hours (2006). Credits to creator.

Kim Jung Hoon as Prince Lee Yul in Princess Hours (2006). Credits to creator.

The first experience was always precious and unforgettable. I could remember how I was squeeezed by tens (or hundred) of fangirls like me. Being shorter than 1.4m then, it was so difficult to get a glimpse of Kim Jung Hoon when placed in a crowd with other 20ish years old teenagers who were much taller than me. I didn't manage to catch him. But, having a wonderful mother who is tall and spontaneous, she recorded a video of KJH with her handphone camera. (By the way, that was the old days, so it was a Nokia 3G camera. No HD for your info. :D)

Still unwilling to succumb to failure (ie. not being able to see KJH),my brother and I went to the entrance of terminial 1's VIP check-in area to try our luck. To our pleasant surprise, a VIP check-in service personnel asked if we would like him to get a couple of photographs of KJH for us. So kind! I see. That's the benefit to being a kid! But having said that, both my brother and I had no phones (kids don't own a mobile back then). We tried shouting at the top of our lungs to ask our mother for her phone, and it resulted in a small commotion. Then, all fangirls started asking the service personnel for help (in taking photographs)...

As you can tell, we got our mother embarrassed, and our plan foiled...

But still, these are good memories that kept me smiling whenever I think of that incident. 8-9 years on, still great memories. So that's about it for my first starchasing journey. Its extremely fun. While I'm not that into starchasing now after so many years, but sometimes I do squeal or run after some idols. Thank you mama for giving me that green light to chase my idols. (Chase in moderation, I mean.)

For a feel of what it was like on the day of his flight, please see the video below. (Credits to videographer.)

Please see my Part 2 post as I talk more about my fangirling experience! :D