HJH is gorgeous and going by her fashion sense, I'd say she's one of the actresses who'd do a good job designing shoes. Then again, I'll wait until I've actually see some of them before commenting further. You're right though JB, it seems like everything that goes on in a korean celebrity's life has to be documented for TV. It's increasingly hard to discern if anything is a real passion with the stars or just a well-planned publicity stunt.. Still in this case, going off to florence to "study" shoemaking... what a dream!

There is this series of commercials, Dos Equis - The Most Interesting Man in The World" that is pretty funny that is out on the airwaves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2SSZA0CjdQ&feature=related

(there are others, but I think this one sums it up).

***

I bring this up because I feel like these Korean stars get to live vicariously... through themselves.

I always wanted to battle Stephen Colbert on a dance dance revolution machine. Oh, but Rain gets to do that. Write a best selling book about how much I don't understand coffee, about how I don't like coffee, about how I don't understand what it means to be a coffee drinker? Lessee, I think GHS already been there, done that. Study in Italy, regarding an interest that I've had (well, not necessarily shoe design, but that's not the point)? It looks like Han Ji Hye is another, in the long line of K-stars who are blessed with opportunity, in addition to talent, fame, beauty, money, etc.

It is like Go Eun Chan, being paid by Choi Han Gyul's grandmother, to go and study being a barrista in Italy, being paid to study, and learning and travelling and becoming the best at something she loves. Are you kidding me? How come Go Eun Chan gets to do that? But then I think, Go Eun Chan is just an imaginary character...

...it's not like there is a real person out there who gets to go to Italy and study what she has an interest doing, and then get to travel, and have fun and so on, right? :)

I want to live vicariously through myself! I want to be the most interesting person I know!

She gets introduced to the world of shoe design, what a few days? a few weeks at least?? And she designed shoes, sure sure. Hahaha i'm sure Jinny Kim did all of the work, the real design behind Han's "designs." I hate when actors try to take credit for something they barely put any work in. We all know Han has no prior education or knowledge of drawing or design. There's a reason why we go to college u know it just doesn't take a few days or weeks to learn the history of design and everything else that goes into creating something.

@hmmm...

I don't think Han Ji Hye will take credit for something she didn't do. At least, the article did not say anything of the sort. And I doubt Jinny Kim would collaborate with Han if the actress was going to take credit for something she didn't design. She's just doing something she enjoys, there's nothing wrong with that.

I like Han Ji Hye's look in the first picture, lovely!

now if she act in a fashion drama, i would totally watch for her. she has gorgeous fashion sense! :) and she is getting prettier, lovelier by the day! (though if i go and learn shoemaking, i would just dress in casual garb instead of her more sophisticated look...for tv perhaps? but she IS han ji-hye after all.)

@Samsooki:
I totally agree. I also want to live as the most interesting person I know! Sigh. sometimes i think all these star showcase thingie are just the thing to make us all green with envy.

Hmm...I'd rather buy a shoe from someone who's been doing it all their life not just a bystander that fancy shoes and then learns how to do it in weeks. However, I respect her for making an effort.

@Samsooki
That commercial is so funny. Wanting to experience an awkward moment, just to have an awkward moment...hilarious.

If I had an opportunity to do something similar, I would go back in time and learn from Ansel Adams.

@5, chajjye -

"I also want to live as the most interesting person I know! Sigh. sometimes i think all these star showcase thingie are just the thing to make us all green with envy."

Hey, let's make an agreement then.

This week, do something interesting! Then, I wanna hear all about it. If you do something interesting, then I promise that we will do something interesting too and then I'll let you guys know!

Kudos to anyone trying out new things so will refrain from commenting on her particular endeavor. But I've been to the Uffizi and I would never describe it as "colorful and feminine". Unless her concept of art is limited to the fact that the paintings there have many colors and many of them portray women. “Miss Artist” is an insult to the the Uffizi.

Well, huh, I totally thought that was Venice in the first pic. Anyway, I agree with Anonymous, I fail to see the Uffizi as colorful and feminine. Sombre and majestic, yeah. Colorful? Nope. Unless of course she meant the Galleria del Costume (the museum of fashion) within Palazzo Pitti? Or Botticelli's pictures? Ah well. We'll see. I'm curious.

Anyway, when I read this article I immediately though, oh Han Ji-hye as Daniel Day-Lewis (he lived in Italy for months, learning how to be a shoemaker). *g*

@9, Sere -

Sere, isn't the first pic, the steps of Cattedrale de Santa Maria del Fiore? With the door (behind HJH, to her right) of il Duomo? That's pretty neat (we were there in 2004!!), and I cannot believe I recognize it. Woohoo! I feel like I got a Jeopardy question right. "What is il Duomo, Alex." :)

@ hmmm...

While the technical aspects of shoe design might take a long time to learn we each have our own innate idea of what looks good.

@10 samsooki yes that's the facade of the florence cathedral (i miss florence sooo much).

omd i've been standing where she stood!! woop woop

@12, @13.

Wouldn't it be neat if we were all there at the same time? I'll go back and check my pics to see if I see either of you guys in the background. kiki.

I think there was a korean movie where that happened and Jeon Ji-hyun was the lead actress. I think it was Windstruck? Basically, in the past, Jun Ji-hyun had her picture taken with her friends somewheres and different person (who is going to be in Jun Ji-hyun's future, years and years later) is taking a picture with his buds, and in the corner of that different person's picture, you can see that Jun Ji Hyun is posing for her picture. I love that kind of inter-twining lines of fate....

See if you can see Samsooki in your pictures of il Duomo, I was there with Samsooki's wife in 2004... :)

#14, Samsooki,

I think that's Il Mare, if I remember correctly. Because in the story, she was a few years ahead of him (I mean, the timeline), so she took a picture of herself and she sent it to him to prove that she's in another time....... And I'm lost. Honestly, I can't remember. But one thing I can assure you, though, its not Windstruck. Hmm. It's not My Sassy Girl either. In Daisy.... eh. I don't think so. But the last scene was... eh. Doesn't matter. It might be Il Mare. I think. :) Hope that helped.

Actually, it was Windstruck. hehe. Isn't it funny how memories can collide together? The main character (guy) of Windstruck is this guy Myung Woo, and Myung Woo has a photo from a high school trip. In the corner of that picture, Jun Ji Hyun is there in the background with her friends, posing (in their high school uni's). Sorry for the confusion...

Woah. Now that you mention it, I'm starting to think that it is Windstruck. lol. I can't believe I even missed that, because I've seen that film three times with my brother. But that was a long time ago. So that's probably why I've already forgotten. I hate it when that happens. lol.

Thanks to you, Samsooki, I'm gonna watch Windstruck again and bawl my eyes out. And I'm gonna keep an eye on that scene. hehe.

But can't it be Il Mare? lol. *ponders for a bit* Hmm. I'm trying to get that scene in my head. And its coming back. Yep. I lost. It is Windstruck. :)

It's a dream fulfilled for her! She's given the chance and grabbed it. She started even when she's doing EOE! She also devoted her time after EOE in this shoe design project. dream fulfilled..hopefully she goes back to what she does best "acting"!

for those who want to see her simple designs...
http://catalogue.jinnykimshoes.com/
http://www.11st.co.kr/browsing/MallPlanDet...layNumber=16960

@14 Samsooki

Lucky you and all the others who have visited the cathedral in the background. The idea of being in someone else's picture as in "Windstruck" is awesome!

LOL! Why do you refer to yourself in the third person? "I was there with Samsooki's wife in 2004..."

@19, birdscout -

Just for fun I guess. My wife only posted once on dramabeans, and that was just to correct me since I posted she said something when evidently she didn't say it. It is interesting because my wife was the one who introduced me to dramabeans in the first place. If my wife ever posts again, she'll probably get her own handle and so she won't be just "samsooki's wife."

Hmm...how great it is to be able to take off and do things you've always wanted to do. I want to do so many different things but don't think time or opportunity will present itself.

Sometimes I wish I was an actress with the opportunity to play different characters and roles. I think it would be so fun. Oh well, just day-dreaming....

HJH is another Korean actress w/ great charisma (she just has a really fun personality and isn't afraid to look silly on camera).

In addition, she's a pretty good dancer.

(And really, it's not that hard to learn the basics of shoe design.)

HJH,she look so pretty and behavior....