My boyfriend is Lee Min-ho

Chapter Twenty Six - Acting for a living

Even though it had been three years since I lived in London, I felt like a total stranger in this country. Whenever I was homesick, I would take a trip down to Chinatown and find my favourite comfort food. Even the familiar Asian faces were comforting. As much as I was homesick, I couldn't go home. Not yet. The troupe which I had joined was a good stepping stone for me to learn and build my profile. The people in the troupe were also very friendly and helpful especially when it came to learning. I was after all, a green horn. A musical artiste, as I discovered, was very much different from a stage actor. Apart from the body language and expressions, there was also the singing part. It was not unusual to hear singing everywhere in the rehearsal group, be it on stage or backstage or dressing room or even the changing rooms!

I had also decided to move out from the Taylors. There were nothing wrong with them but I wanted my own space. So with the help of one of the troupe member, I managed to find a rooming flat with three other room-mates. Initially, I was rather against it. It felt strange having to share a flat with three other strangers. That didn't serve my purpose of having my own space. But with my current wages, I could only afford the rental of a room.

The location was nearer to Chinatown and to the troupe's rehearsal ground. I bought myself a second-hand bicycle and cycled to work daily, saving on the transport costs. My three room mates turned out to be a joy. Elizabeth Sanders, we called her Liz, was an American who came to London since college and had stayed on. She worked as a curator and was a quiet reserved girl. She was just two years older than me. She had a boyfriend who worked as a paralegal and she often spent her weekends out at his place. Christopher Marks - or Chris for short, was a editor in a local magazine firm. He was rarely at home too since he had to be out for interviews. But the few times that I had met him, I thought he was a nice decent person. Damien Meyers was an Australian who moved to London few years back. Initially, I thought it might be awkward with him around when Liz told me he was gay. But he turned out to be a good 'girl friend' to talk to. He worked as a junior chef in one of the restaurants. He was a really good cook. He would cook us many new dishes which he came up with.

And during these three years, I had never once contacted Min-ho, nor he. I knew he went into the army and had finally completed his service a year ago. He was back into the korean entertainment scene looking manly and charming. He was still as slim but better built. And his face showed a certain toughness, something probably the army had brought out in him. Okay, even though I hadn't contacted him, I was keeping in touch with the entertainment circle. Part of me was still curious to find out how he was getting on - was he well... etc. It seemed like he was still single and available. There were not even any rumours of him with any female artiste at all. He kept a clean record.

As for myself, I went out on a couple of dates. I joined Shane and his friends for Christmas. It seemed that everybody sort of assumed that we were an item. Well, I suspected that Shane was interested in me. But since he didn't say so outrightly, I could only assume. I didn't want to portray myself as some egoistic female who thought guys were after me. I also went out on a date with an ex-classmate who happened to be from Taiwan. It was more of a connection-kind-of-date thing since we spoke a common language and could appreciate similar traits in our cultures. However, there had been nothing serious so far. Perhaps, part of me was still relationship-shy or perhaps, I still had a piece of my heart with Min-ho.

Maine also came visiting during summer. She was on a business trip to Scotland and decided to stopover at London to catch up. She was doing very well as a marketing manager and had to travel all over the world regularly. She promised to call on me whenever she could. She was fascinated with my job and the people I worked with. She was totally encouraging when it came to Shane. She thought Shane was a wonderful guy. And that I should seriously consider him. She also thought that Chris was a nice guy. She was fortunate to meet Chris on one of the nights she dropped by my flat.