Korean pop star Rain is making his Hollywood debut with movie Speed Racer, directed by Wachowski brothers of Matrix fame, and starring Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci and Matthew Fox etc.
It’s said that Rain was in Germany to meet with the directors and has agreed on the contract terms. The filming should start in the next couple of months, and the movie is scheduled for a May 2008 release. Congrats, and good luck Rain!
[update] Check out our exclusive interview with Rain about his Hollywood debut.
Rain news
Next: Rain saying bye bye to JYP
A pair of cantaloupes from Yubari, Hokkaido, fetched a whopping 2 million yen (over $16,000 USD) at the first auction of the season at the Sapporo Central Wholesale Market.
The price paid by Marui Imai Inc, a Sapporo based department store, has broken the previous record of 800,000 yen.
The two melons were on display at Marui Imai’s flagship outlet; priced at 1 million yen apiece. A spokesman said that the cantaloupes were more for publicity in celebration of their 135th anniversary instead of profit [Japantimes]
Yubari melons are known for their high quality and sweet taste. The melons are popular summer gifts in Japan; an average Yubari melon could cost $50-100 USD.
Giving gifts to corporate partners and clients is a traditional custom; it’s usually done twice a year in mid-winter and in mid-summer.
[update] The record was broken again in 2008 for 2.5 million yen.
I believe most tourists have heard of Piccadilly Circus, but I doubt many of them know the name of the iconic fountain located at the famous traffic intersection.
It’s officially named the Shaftesbury Monument Memorial Fountain, or Shaftesbury Memorial.
The winged-nude statue on top has a name too… Angel of Christian Charity, popularly known as Eros after the mythical Greek God of Love.
Piccadilly Circus is a busy place; surrounded with theatres, shops, malls, hotels, restaurants, pubs and endless traffic. China Town is just a few blocks away as well.
The neon signboards at Piccadilly Circus are quite a scene at night; probably not as splendid as New York’s Time Square, but spectacular regardless.
When I visited London a few years earlier there were lots of pizzerias and Kebab stores around, but only a few of them remained in the area. I still managed to grab a pizza nearby, but disappointingly it wasn’t as good as it used to be.
London & UK travelogue
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Previous: St James’s Park, London, UK
St James’s Park is the oldest of the Royal Parks in London, located just beside the Buckingham Palace. Photos from my 2005 trip; just passing by…
Sceneries from the Blue Bridge
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Rumours are flying around that Chinese starlet Liu Yifei is close to getting a role in Hollywood movie Mummy 3: Curse of the Dragon.
Liu is set to make her Hollywood debut with Forbidden Kingdom, currently in filming alongside action superstars Jackie Chan and Jet Li. If she does get the Mummy role as rumoured, 2008 will definitely be a big year for the young actress.
First destination during my UK trip in October 2005, the Buckingham Palace.
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Korean drama If In Love, Like Them, starring Lee Hyori, Lee Dong-gun and Jung Joon-ho, is suspended indefinitely by Korea’s Broadcasting Committee for violation of broadcasting guidelines.
The drama and producers are penalised for inappropriate frequency of product placement and overused of Hyori’s songs as soundtrack.
The drama will not be allowed to rebroadcast in Korea, and the show (producers) are required to make a public apology.
The drama, also titled Perhaps Love, is about two cancer patients who met each other in hospital and developed a relationship.
Despite the ban in its homeland, the drama is expected to recoup some of its investments with the strong marketability of the main cast in foreign countries.
Lee Hyori news
Next: Lee Hyori – Scolded music video
Arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in early morning on October 5, 2005; taking a free ride from by brother who was working nearby.
KLIA was much busier than a few years ago; reminded me that I hadn’t been travelling overseas (except neighbouring Singapore) for almost five years… quite a long gap for a self-proclaimed travel enthusiast lol.
Plane departed at 11am; and after 11 hours of movies, sleep, food and toilet visits, the plane touched down safely at Heathrow Airport in London evening.
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