In heaven with Kwon Sang Woo

Iwas in heaven for two straight days. Being with Kwon Sang Woo (the hot, hot, H-O-T Korean actor of the Koreanovela Stairway to Heaven), who breezed in last Sunday, Dec. 17, straight from Taiwan, made me realize why fans were going gaga over him. I don’t need to climb the stairs to heaven. Being with Kwon Sang Woo was a total out-of-body celestial experience!

It was probably the best two days of my life as I got to be with him when he did all these activities for The Face Shop, the Korean cosmetic brand that he endorses (which is now in the Philippines, as if you didn’t know). He was specially flown in for the holidays by The Face Shop and by my good friend Ben Chan of Bench, who’s also the franchise holder for TFS in the Philippines.

Being an actor and an endorser, Kwon Sang Woo, or "Cholo," as his Pinoy fans call him (me included), and well-known from the Tagalog-dubbed version of the TV drama, he’s always in top form and smartly dressed. Whether standing in the hot sun at the Gawad Kalinga Baseco community in Tondo or attending a VIP dinner, he is always well-groomed and smells fresh and natural. At the GK site where he attended as The Face Shop’s representative, he donated five houses to the project, attired simply in a brown T-shirt and jeans and shades while painting the GK houses in vibrant colors. I whispered to him, asking if he could paint my house, but he just smiled (a smile that melted my heart). Okay, no painting na lang!

At a dinner later that evening in Milky Way (my favorite Filipino resto), he was totally drop-dead-handsome in his black button-down long-sleeved shirt and black pants. Hay naku! And he even gamely tried doing the tinikling with the Bayanihan, the national folk dance company of the Philippines, and in leather shoes at that! And that was just Day One.

Day Two, I saw him again at the special press conference at the Makati Shangri-La as he met the local media and gamely answered questions ranging from his type of girl (he would like her to be one-of-a-kind and understanding) to what he wants to do in Boracay (soak up the sun and have a vacation). This time, he was sporting a light pink long-sleeved shirt with a white tie and white pants and his skin was flawless. (I reminded myself to grab every product at The Face Shop, if only for the chance to look even remotely like Kwon Sang Woo.) Even my most sosyal friends (ahem!) were thinking of more questions to ask him and tried to make papansin to him all throughout the event. I didn’t know they were addicted to Korean dramas, too. More surprises!

When he made his appearance at the SM Mall of Asia, the crowd just went berserk! One wave from Kwon, and the screams of all his fans made me deaf! When he smiled and waved, I thought there was going to be a stampede! There were banners and streamers from fans proclaiming themselves to be the original, the No. 1, the solid, the liquid, the gas! Lahat na! And they followed him all the way to The Face Shop store still screaming. It was unbelievable.

So I couldn’t believe it when I saw the same faces again at Glorietta in the evening. Andun din sila! And as for my beloved Kwon, he was still smiling and gracious and still super guwapo. I don’t know how he does it but he didn’t even look tired at all. (Maybe living in Korea would be a good idea.) I envied the people who got to shake his hands. I wanted to shake hands again with him… and never let go!

Before he came, I had just seen him on TV, making me cry and smile in the role he played so effectively. So when we finally parted ways, I quoted my super idol Inday Badiday’s famous words: "Saranghameda," which means "I love you." I guess he understood because he smiled and winked at me.

Your name: Kwon Sang Woo

Your chief characteristic: Patience.

Your favorite occupation: Acting.

Your idea of happiness: Doing what I love.

If not yourself, who would you be? I don’t want to change myself. I would always want to be myself.

Where would you like to live? Anywhere would be okay as long as I’m happy.

Your favorite name: Cholo.

What is your present state of mind? Happy.

How do you make time for yourself? I go to the gym and exercise.

Your favorite time of the day: Before I go to sleep.

What do you think was the best time in your life so far? Being with friends and family is always the best time.

What do you like to spend your money on? Something useful and lasting.

What is truly natural about you? My heart.

Name one characteristic that people don’t know about you: I’m really shy. 

– Based on The Marcel Proust Questionnaire