Cloud USA

— Cloud cover by: Stephe, Managing Editor ^@@^

You are an absolute sweetheart to have done this, Chanee. We truly appreciate you taking the time to share your account with Rain’s worldwide fan base. It’s not often that we get such treats. How very thoughtful of you.

This certainly is a story about the power of influence and social media. I couldn’t have said that better myself.

On behalf of Rain’s Clouds and fans everywhere… Thanks again, and much love to Charlotte, NC!

°

Image credit: Chanee Vijay @{me}longings

{me}longings 4/28/2011 — by Chanee Vijay

TIME 100 Gala: Rain

On Tuesday night I was lucky enough to attend the Time 100 Gala and dinner in NYC to celebrate Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world. This post is number two of four. I took so many photos and met so many interesting and famous people, one post simply won’t do.

Rain, a South Korean pop star and actor, has a huge fan following around the world and has been number one on the Time 100 list for past three years. However, not many Americans know who he is. This is exact reason why I was the only person at the Time 100 Gala to take and publish a fan photo with him {I believe}. I had only seen Rain once before when he appeared on the Colbert Report in a hilarious dance off. The man can dance, and obviously has a great sense of humor. He is smooth and very handsome!

This is a story about the power of influence and social media. When I tweeted this photo during the dinner, the image was immediately “retweeted” by Rain’s loyal and attentive fans on Twitter. My phone vibrated for 20 minutes straight with notifications from Twitter as Rain’s fans retweeted the photo my husband took of us – it was the first image of Rain at the gala to be tweeted. They were anxious for more information and asked me if I had talked to Rain.

So today, while I don’t have any more clear photos of Rain to share {sorry}, I can share my perspective on meeting him and what I noticed about him during the cocktail reception. I have one more fuzzy photo of him standing in the dining room – see the last photo below.

Rain arrived at the Time 100 Gala cocktail party fairly early. Once I noticed him, I wasted a lot of time wondering if it was in fact him. His hair was much shorter than when I saw him on the Colbert Show in 2008. I watched him as he spent most of his time with a friend moving about the room…table to table with his jewel-covered phone in hand. Once I saw his rhinestone-esque covered phone, I knew it had to be him. Then he vanished!

I spotted him again in the dining room on the second level standing with his friend drinking a glass of champagne before the dinner began. Rather than walking up the stairs to the third level dining area where our table was located, I walked over to Rain. I said,” Hello, Rain. Could I get a photo with you?” He said, “Absolutely.”

My husband quickly snapped the photo with my iPhone of me standing with the young and oh so suave, Rain. I promptly said, “Thank you so much, Rain! I really enjoyed your dance-off with Colbert. It was hilarious.”

Rain said, “Oh, you saw that? Wonderful! That was a lot of fun.”

That was it. I wish I would’ve spent more time chatting with Rain after we posed together but we rushed up the stairs to our table for dinner. Once I sent the tweet of the photo, his supportive fans were hungry for more photos of him and details about his time at the gala. I really tried my best to find him after the dinner but I didn’t see him again.

I must say, in the few moments we spent together I was slightly enamored by his quiet charm. If I were fifteen years younger, I’m sure he would’ve made me swoon. His performance and dance style reminds me of Michael Jackson laced with the smooth, sex appeal of Usher. He’s got IT, for sure.

So now the photo of me with Rain is scattered around the Web on Rain fan blogs and websites. His fans are asking “who is this Chanee Vijay?” The short answer? Just a lucky blogger {and new Rain fan} that was bold enough to ask for a photo with Rain.

Here are a few more shots of the red carpet and the venue…just for Rain fans.

Entrance to the Time 100 gala and red carpet. (Image credit: Chanee Vijay @{me}longings)

Time 100 Gala Check In. (Image credit: Chanee Vijay @{me}longings)

Time 100 Gala Check In & Table Assignments. (Image credit: Chanee Vijay @{me}longings)

View of NYC & Central Park from the cocktail reception. (Image credit: Chanee Vijay @{me}longings)

The Dining Room. {view of Brian Williams' back- I didn't even know he was in the shot!} (Image credit: Chanee Vijay @{me}longings))

View from my table. Rain is standing with his friend on the left. (Image credit: Chanee Vijay @{me}longings)

~ by Cloud USA on April 28, 2011.

Posted in 2011 Time Magazine 100, Bi Rain, Bi Rain News, Cloud USA, Jung Ji Hoon, Rain Topics
Tags: Bi Rain 2011 TIME Gala, Jung Ji Hoon, rain bi, Rain fan account, Rain Time 100, Time's World's 100 Most Influential People, tweets/posts about Bi Rain