Chocolate melts

...but then it becomes syrup to put on ice cream.

I am aware Oh Ji Ho had a few difficult moments onstage, and in fact left the stage, but returned to sing a song he had flubbed.

I want to say a few words about that.

There are questions and comments regarding his shyness. That shyness is sometimes seen as peculiar; something people don’t understand. They feel, if he can do a drama for TV he should be able to get onstage and perform like a well trained seal.

In fact, there are few performers capable of going onstage without wanting to throw up first. Stage fright is one of the most common bonds among performers anywhere working with an audience a couple of feet away.

Working in front of an audience, singing, dancing, acting, or even being interviewed, is a major tension producer. It’s up close and personal. They can throw tomatoes at you, or boo you off the stage. The audience is like a beast at first. A scary one, with big teeth.

The biggest difference between doing a drama, and live audience work is the screw-up factor. You can’t take the screw-up back in front of an audience; although Oh Ji Ho bravely did just that. Bravo for him!

When was the last time you thought about how long it takes to get an hour’s worth of K- drama in the can? Try 20 hours. Not always, like everything else in the world, some days go like silk. But as we all know, they’re few and far between, and the hassle imps are always sitting there snickering, and coming up with new ways to make you fall flat on your face.

BUT in filming, you have all the opportunity in the world…time allowing, to take the screw-ups back. Over and over, until you get it right.

There is no comparison between shaking in your shoes in front of the beast, and being allowed to fix up your errors among friends.

So if you happen to be in an audience some day, and a performer flubs a line, or sings a flat note, hold your breath, and wish the best to them. They are there working to please you. How many people do you have in your life doing that?

Now I have an odd little present for you. It’s a quote.

“Fresh experience.”

“Trembling.”

That is a comment left by Oh Ji Ho at his Cyworld blog under a photo of him standing alone on a stage with a microphone in his hand.

The show? Chocolate.

It is a beautiful gem of honesty and vulnerability unveiled. A small offering to you from him. It is a gesture of trust in your good hearts. Cherish it.

AFTER WORD 10/27/08
I am very sorry to discover through a message from 'ZioSmile', the clip posted here has been removed from YouTube By Google, which now owns YouTube, and is working on owning the world eventually.

Something else will come along. I guess.