Cloud USA goes on a second hunt for Rain… and ends up cheating on him with Jay Chou.
— rained down by: Stephe, Managing Editor ^@@^
It just… happened. We’re deeply ashamed. Jim had to run into the heart of Atlanta to get some footage for his own projects, so he wasn’t there to keep us in line. *heads hanging* It was a one-night stand. A one-off. It only lasted for about two hours and it’ll never happen again, we swear! Don’t revoke our Cloud cards! *looking shifty-eyed* Boy, was it gooooood. Holy Toledo.
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It begins. As you all may recall, the last time we hit the road for Rain, we spent the day about 45 minutes away from our Atlanta suburbs, around the Pleasant Hill Road area. This time we aimed west of that location, only about 30 minutes away from home, along a northward stretch of Buford Highway where the Korean-American community is prominent. Terri revved up the Cloudmobile, plugged her iPod in and jacked the volume up, and the three of us—me, her, and Rain—were off.
Because of weekend construction that Saturday (February 12), there was an extraordinary amount of traffic snarling the highway up. But the weather was fabulous and we had Rain serenading us at the top of his talented lungs, so we couldn’t have cared less. We sang, we danced, we ignored the crazy stares of other motorists. (None of them said anything. They were probably too scared. We could’ve been escapees from the nearest psyche ward, for all they knew.) “Instead of Saying Goodbye” started us off.
Terri (driving) & Rain: Nega naui gyochil, tteona dareun saramegero…
Stephe (boxing glove dance): Gamyeon gamyeon, niga tteonandamyeon…
Terri & Rain: Naegyeochi inneun geotboda, dareunsaramui pumi jotamyeon…
Stephe (box left, box right): Damyeon damyeon, niga jotamyeon…
Terri & Rain: Eonjerado joeuni, annyeongiran mal daesin, jageun miso nanaman jumyeondwae—
(Stephe boxes up, boxes down, head rolls, makes choreographed Rain expressions at passing cars)
Terri & Rain: Neoui geu yeppeun ibeseo jeoldaero deutgi sireun mari myeot gae iseo—
Stephe: Maon…
Terri & Rain: Jalga haengbokhae mianhae dareun sarami saenggyeoseo ihaehae—
Stephe: Mianhae… nehhh…
Terri (stops singing and looks at Stephe sideways): What are you doing?
Stephe: BbaekGa’s part.
Terri: Huh?
Stephe: BbaekGa’s part, you know, in the background. The whatever, I’m sorry business.
Terri (after a moment): Hooo-kay.
(Terri rejoins Rain. Stephe breaks down the boxing robot, side slide, and zipper dance parts. Other motorists look alarmed and speed up.)
And so on and so forth. Have Rain, will travel.
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First stop: HJ Video. We have seen a lot of Korean media in one place before (like your friendly neighborhood H-Mart), but this place had an almost overwhelming amount of movies, dramas, music, and fashion. We’ve no idea how they keep that huge of a supply so neat and tidy. It was a haven with the décor of a fancy fashion store at the mall. The only problems, however, were that 1) every label was only in Hangeul, including the plain white ones, and 2) the clerks themselves seemed almost afraid to say a word to us. Which was sort of understandable… a black Georgia Peach and a white Southern Belle aren’t their typical shoppers, after all. And so, after a bit of forced conversation, we split. (But not before I got a shot of one of their front windows. Bingo!)
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Second stop: Hanbok Nara. It was more like a drive-by than a stop, actually, because though the sign said Open, they had closed for Saturday business. But it was okay, because we got some nice imagery anyway.
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Third stop: Video On The Way Home. Jackpot! What a great place, chock-full of CDs, DVDs, movies, music, dramas, concerts, reality shows, and so much more, even a huge, comfy sofa and Korean programming on their big screen TV. Terri went on in while I grabbed some pictures outside.
The young girl who looked after us, though she wasn’t English-fluent, was really enthusiastic and a terrific help. Talking KPop with her was cool. Because of her, we were able to pick up a Rain’s Coming World Tour Premiere white packet and a Rain2: How To Avoid the Sun album. Her excited mama even gave us a free 2010 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMAs) disk for shopping there. We promised to return, and believe me, we will. 😀
Check it out. Halleluia!
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Fourth stop: Stone Bowl House. Of course, being on the road for Rain will drum up an appetite something fierce around suppertime. And right there in the same plaza was a restaurant I had eaten at with my Korean Meetup group—the Stone Bowl House. Perfect! So in we went, and before you could say “Annyeong haseyo!” we had a spread in front of us that was worthy of a standing ovation. Bulgogi for me, Bibimbap in a huge stone bowl for Terri, and rice, green beans, seaweed, kimchi, cabbage, several types of potatoes, soup, several types of tasty greens, and asian yams on the side. Ahhh!
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OMG, it’s a celebrity! After we stumbled out of the restaurant as full as ticks on a dog, we had a rather startling moment while crossing the parking lot. If we’d been in Seoul, we would have immediately screamed at the sight of the celebrity van sitting there! You know what I’m talking about—the white conversion-type that JiHoon and other K-celebs always travel to appearances in?
But alas. We are in the U.S. of A, not South Korea. And upon closer inspection, the For Sale sign in the van window quickly dealt that dream a slow death. *Price Is Right BUZZER NOISE* LOL!
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Fifth stop: » The Green Hornet. We headed back to our part of town and descended on the three-story Parkway 15 AMC Theater. The movie was terrific and kicked 3D @ss, and made even an original Green Hornet aficionado like
myself beam with happiness. Seth Rogen was a pleasant surprise, and gave the “Britt Reid” character an awesome twist. Jay Chou was just hot, and charmed the heck out of us with his broken English. As far as his twist on “Kato” went, we think Bruce would have shaken Jay’s hand and said, “Very cool, man. Very cool.” Did I mention that Jay Chou was hot?
Uhhnn. Jay Chou was hot.
(Terri’s nodding. She says to tell y’all Jay was hot.)
And so… by the time the Cloudmobile made it back to my place, it was past midnight and we were double-dog tired, but we were also as happy as all get out because even though we’d spent several hours with Jay…
…it was RAIN who came home with us.
Until next time, friends!
— Stephe @cloudusa.wordpress.com ^@@^
Cloud USA 
LMAO!!!! You are soo crazy but I love you girls!!! oh, I would love to go Rain shoping with you someday!! 😀
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I’m living in the DC area now and I can’t wait to go to H-Mart.
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Reading this was so much fun, thank you for sharing it with us. I wish I had someone to go looking for Rain stuff with, I mean my husband doesn’t really want to be dragged from place to place looking for Rain stuff…lol.
Glad to see that y’all at least got some Rain goodies….looks like y’all had a blast. 🙂
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Wow I had fun reading all about your outing! I felt like I was right there with you guys. It is really nice that you guys are friends and can enjoy Rain together. I wish I knew someone who was into Rain or Kpop in general. This is why I am so happy I discovered this site when I discovered Rain. I can conversate with many people who are into Rain just as much as I am. I cannot wait to hear about your next adventure.
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Ah yes.
This is where our Cloudbursts come in, right? You all can have Rain adventures together! Doesn’t that sound great?
Terri :-}
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This is why I need to find more Kpop obsessed fans…. So I can do more stuff like this! Lol I mean I have one but last time we went into H-mart we were all :O 😐 :S
I wanna come with you guys too! *aegyo whine then pouts*
haha no but for real. I might try and go myself when I get down there this summer with the fam. It’ll take a lot of begging and pleading but I WILL try.
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lol @ aegyo whine and pout. I can just imagine…
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We pretty much do the same when we’re not around each other, Yely. LOL At least I do. I bump Rain music just about everywhere, rolling though parking lots, stopping at toll booths, at traffic lights, on purpose, just so that people WILL look at the black woman jamming to a Korean guy and ask me what the heck.
I did get a surprise one day, though, when in a WalMart parking lot somebody walked up to my car and said, “Um… is that Rain?” Hahaha.
At the same time, I get where you’re coming from. Rainism can indeed come off stronger in groups. 🙂
Stephe ^@@^
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i just wish i had a partner in crime like you two have each other. To listen rain´s music in my without people looking at me thinking, what´s wrong with that latino girl listening chinese music, lol.
I would love to be there with u ladies on that koreantown trip. We´re there in spirit clouds. Rain will forgive u im sure.
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WOW, Can I come next time, Can I Huh?, Can I Huh?…..please, pretty please with sugar on top?!!…….(SMILES)
This was a great adventure read, I felt like I was there….can’t wait until I get to “bring some Rain home” too!!
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Well of course you can. 😀
Stephe ^@@^
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LMAO… ahahah u guy are such funny yet charming here reading u two sing rain instead goodbye and dance to it it make me feel i just their with your guy too !! i bet u ladies must have a good blashing with the rain uh? sound alot fun and enjoy !!
i just don’t seeme to understand where i live harldy any STORE carry RAIN stuff here just like ya… talking about him he was expose much in USA i wish i could live where u gou and just drive 30 min to hrs doesn’t matter i will get all rain collection T__T i feel very disipointment from where i live rrgggg 😡
but i envy you lasies ggt lucky and suporting rain goodie too it was very amazing to u and spazzing to your guy and us as well.
i am very happy to know u could share alot unfortune think to us like me ofcurse but hey i am happy for u at lease u sharing with just like i with their with u guy too !1
and we all know how much u guy LOVE our man rain !
for i been a know JAY CHOU” for quite long i even watch his drama series and listing to his MV and ect.. he is very talen singer and good performacer too !!
2010 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMAs
wowowo awesome i’m jelious ekekek 🙂
OMG you got the rain farviot food in their order too
Bibimbap in a huge stone bowl for Terri, and rice, green beans, seaweed, kimchi, cabbage,
most this food are healhly and spicy too i would love more kimchi & seaweet yum and yum !!
i don”t blame u guy for have excite move about see that white van i would be in your shoe too i sure understand your react to this and it true to see it happen !! u honestly i have that version myself too ewhen ever i went to shop i think the same
also when i went to rain MTV movie Award i think the same way when the van pass by me and lamo we though it was a rain drop to HITON restrant unfortunally he was resav their T_T
yeah ladie i would be even more excited and screaming too!!
OMG 😆
u guy craking me up LMAAo… For Sale sign in the van window quickly dealt that dream a slow death. *Price Is Right BUZZER NOISE* LOL! 🙂
i liking this thank for sharing this article u just make my day FLYES…
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Lollll! I was right there with you guys, laughing it up as I read this, especially the parts about singing and dancing with Rain. Sounds like you guys had a really fun day! I completely enjoyed reading this. Lucky stash too!
Fyi, if I’d seen that van when I came out I’d have jumped a mile… lol.
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P.S.
to my last comment. I would have died if I would see a van like that in any parking lot. I can just imagine how great that would have been if only. (Well you know what I mean)
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Next time you both make a run for that store (or others) I would like to send you some funds to pick up some of those tresures for me. The visuals of you two having that Rain run was great. Thanks, that made my night. Considering Rain is what I am listening too as I was reading this great adventure. Thanks again.
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That’s pretty cool that is alot of ablums and yummy on the food.
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WOW u ladies found some amazing things! so jealous because kansas city has almost zero korean or even asian shops. just some bootleg stuff. all we have is a Bo Lings and a Hong Kong Supermarket!! Good im moving to Japan this summer so i can have unlimited access to all this stuff! anywho jay chou is FINE! aint nothing wrong with looking and im pretty sure Rain will forgive yall for cheating. he knows we all have a sweet spot for tall asian men!!! BUT of course Rain IS the one to bring home to MAMA!! lol
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OMG FINALLY!!!! iv been waiting for this since Terri went spazzing about it lol 😀 ahhhhh why can’t i live where u live, just to drive down the street and buy korean stuff!
and i wanna kick u so hard for getting the rains coming concert! i will find me one haha *jealous
Sounds like you both had a great day out and LOVED all the photo’s makes me feel like i was there with you!
AND YES JAY CHOU IS INSANELY HOT!!! *GETS ME SOME OF THAT*
though i am slightly concerned about this car singing and dancing! was rain driving? *side eyes you* ahhhhhhh you crazy pair! *squishes you tight*
Sounds like a day well spent! XD
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LMAO!! You know, I do the exact same thing while driving, its just something about having RAIN blasting through the speakers that gets you moving! I also wish there were places where I live that sell Korean media merchandise… that would be so awesome… 😦
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