Wonho Chung is seriously funny

Dressed in a blue-grey designer outfit that resembles a kimono, Wonho Chung looks completely at ease seated in his quiet, uber-cool apartment in the Old Town area of Downtown Burj Khalifa.

A South Korean by birth and Jordanian by nationality, Chung says he is "global in outlook".

A TV presenter, stand-up comic, sometimes singer and honorary ambassador of Tourism Korea, Chung is an example of what one can achieve if one is optimistic, charming, enthusiastic and "at the right place at the right time".

He grins and tells you he was the one lucky Korean who happened to speak Arabic when the people behind the popular Axis of Evil (so named after former US President George W. Bush's collective term for the countries many of the comedians hailed from) comedy circuit were looking for a person from the Middle East region to complete their team.

Can that be considered a lucky break? "I don't [really] believe in luck," he responds. "If you get an opportunity in life, it is always a combination of luck and preparation.

"The Axis of Evil comedy circuit is well-known in this region. The organisers were looking for a North Korean… well, I happened to be South Korean… So in retrospect... I was very lucky," he concedes.

He is happy to bask in his new-found stardom but is also well aware of the ephemeral nature of showbiz. So he prefers to stay grounded in his success. However he has another ambition that isn't quite hitting its stride yet - "I wanted to be a singer, as I come from a musical-minded family, but realised there'd be few people wanting to listen to a Korean guy singing Schubert and Mozart, or numbers from musicals like West Side Story or South Pacific."

A perfectionist, and it can be viewed as one of his faults, he says, Wonho fusses about "even little things like tidying my wardrobe. I have to make sure that everything is just so. It takes an entire day to get it right so it's either OCD or boredom!"

I, ME, MYSELF

I grew up in Jordan, went to an Arabic-medium school and later acquired a degree in marketing, also in Arabic from the Applied Science University in Jordan. After graduation, I moved to Dubai looking for a careerin entertainment.

Why Dubai? Because Dubai isthe media hub of the region.I began working in TV production, initially in public relations, then in media relations. I also worked as an editor. Later I became a promotions producer before I was headhunted by Showtime Arabia to complete the Axis of Evil ensemble.

I don't necessarily believe in luck. If I wasn't a good cook, even meeting Gary Rhodes or any major chef wouldn't help me. It's the same with entertainment. Stand-up is also premeditated, not entirely improvised. I know the subjects I am tackling, but the treatment is what I bring to the table.

I think comic timing is... a bit of a science. There's always an element of spontaneity and method in the acts of the famous. Like with Edward Norton, for instance. Any actor can memorise lines that he/she is going to say, but [the success of an act] depends on the jokes and how they are linked. The jokes need to have a certain flow... they need to tell a story. I know the jokes I will be using but the sequence I use them in and the manner in which I tell them would depend on the audience.

Comedy is young in our part of the world, so I have been able to "succeed" sooner than most people [would have if they were in other parts of the world].

I was influenced by my family. My dad is Korean and my mom is Vietnamese. I use English to communicate with my dad, Vietnamese to talk to my mom and Arabic to talk to my sister. There is a kind of communication barrier with my mother - there are many things that I cannot tell mom - like what I do for a living, how a director works - because I don't have the vocabulary to explain this to her. My Vietnamese is very basic.

My parents gave us the strength to survive [just about anywhere]. They moved to Jordan even though they didn't know the language, culture, or traditions. I remember accompanying my mother to the market where I had to translate phrases like ‘one kilo of tomatoes' into Arabic for the shopkeeper. I guess it helped us to learn languages faster, and become more sociable My parents enrolled us in Arabic schools, which again was a unique thing to do. It really changed my life. Had I not known how to speak Arabic, I would not be here. Besides my parents, both my sisters, who were older than me, were very supportive, and had a big influence on me. One of them used to send me the recorded versions of American Idol.

A lot of friends, who were musicians, directors and actors, have influenced me too.

I am very self-critical. I am never completely happy with my work. Sometimes I do a 45-minute set and if one little thing goes wrong, I get so mad.

Professionally, Eddie Murphy and Russell Peters have been great influences. I really related with Peters - here was an Indian growing up in Canada, doing stand-up and ethnic comedy and making it big there. I told myself that I could do it if he could. And then at the Amman stand-up comedy festival, I actually had the honour of working with him, and recently, we even shared an ice cream and talked about work! It's an experience sharing a moment with an idol from your growing-up years!

I think it is a challenge to be funny in a way that can get people to pay attention to you.

Here in the Middle East, humour is different, the shows people watch are different, and stand-up comedy is not really a tradition to begin with. It is a bigger challenge than in America, where there are three million people watching similar shows, living similar lives.

I believe (croons and chuckles) ‘that children are the future… ‘teach them well and let them lead the way'... and...nothing is impossible. Human beings are extremely resilient. We never truly realise our potential because we are lazy, repressed, or told otherwise.

Earlier, if you were not a doctor or engineer or lawyer, it was thought that you did not have a respectable job. Today I can make a career telling jokes! If you put your mind to it, whatever your dream, and whether it takes a day, a month, a year or seven years in my case, it will come true.

I enjoy the simple things in life. Seven years ago, when I first moved to Dubai, I was barely making enough money. I was living in a small house with friends, I lived from pay cheque to pay cheque. I still have the same friends though I make much more money but instead of spending Dh50, I may spend Dh500 on a shirt.

I've just came back from this little island called Dos Lochas in Venezuela - where the population is just 1,000 indigenous people. The place we stayed at had a basic room, and everything that was served was organic. Whatever you eat is grown on the island. Water was clean and pure, life was so simple, not a worry in the world. Had the time of my life.

I love having friends at home. After my experience at Dos Lochas, I realised that if I one day I lose everything I can always go to the island and work as a fisherman's assistant collecting fish.

I am happy, content, thankful and grateful. I just thank the universe for everything that I have. If you start your day and end it being thankful, and grateful, you will get what you want always.

Me and my work

My work to me is fun. The harder I work, the more fun it is for people. Everything in this world is about hard work. I firmly believe life is like a piano, what you get out of it depends on how you play it. According to an Arabic saying, whoever works hard from the morning, will succeed.

Me and my passion

It will always be singing. Something I haven't yet achieved is to try to break into the music scene. It will be a bit misleading for my fans if I switch to music now! People see you in a certain light. It's like if Tom Cruise were to launch an album... I probably wouldn't buy it. (Though) I might try creating funny music videos, parodies or something.

Me and Dubai

Life today is great, amazing. I am happy doing what I am doing.

We are blessed to live in a city like Dubai. It is an easy city to live in, safe, tolerant.

My biggest challenge today is changing perceptions. I want to be taken seriously as an entertainer, not merely as a gimmick.

Me and my achievements

I was appointed Honorary Ambassador for Tourism Korea by the Korean Government in April this year - a testament that there is a lot I can do as I am bridging cultures.

Me and my principles

I believe we need more compassion in the world. I always wonder after a big event, what happens to the leftover food? I wish there were some association which would give away the food to those who need it.

I am an eternal optimist. I always believe the glass is half full. I am an eternal believer in human resilience.

Being funny to me is… making a change. If people come to meet you in a bad mood and you make them leave with a smile, that's great.

If it makes them change their perceptions, wonderful. If it makes them want to learn Arabic listening to me - amazing.

How is it performing in this region?

Performing in Dubai is different as we have people here from all over the world. I perform mainly in Arabic, and stand-up comedy in Arabic is just so new. I am trying to pioneer that movement. I don't want to do it in English as I would rather create my niche. You need more research to get your set right, and you need to work harder.

When I [performed] in Syria, before the show, I sat with someone who knows the region and went through the entire set to find out what won't be understood. Cultural sensitivities differ from place to place. There are a lot of lines you cannot cross.

When you attend a comedy show, you need to leave your inhibitions behind and accept that nothing is meant to offend. It is about increasing awareness, raising tolerance, and just having a good laugh.

What is the most enjoyable experience you've had?

Meeting people and performing in front of them, being a diehard fan of Russell Peters, standing in front of him, having an ice cream with him… priceless… Performing in front of King Abdullah and Queen Rania of Jordan on my second show as a stand-up comedian, where I was introduced proudly as a local talent from Jordan. Also being interviewed by MBC, a week after I had resigned, by which time I was the official spokesperson of the Axis of Evil comedy circuit in the Middle East. My former colleagues couldn't believe it.

Any truly touching appreciation you've received from people who have seen your act?

I get emails from fans about how my act touches them in different ways. A 14-year-old girl wrote to me sometime back thanking me for making her laugh out loud for the first time in four months since her family was killed in a car accident. I couldn't believe it because I never thought I would reach out to someone of that age and circumstance. Often I feel no one understands the hard work that goes into a stand-up comedy show. People see me go on stage, do the comedy and leave but what they don't see is what goes on behind the scenes including meetings with clients, preparations for your set... sometimes it physically wears you down and I just want to go home and sleep. It is tiring, but at the same time so rewarding when people come backstage after a show say inspiring things.

Of course there's a price to pay -I cannot party with friends all weekend long or spend family time when I like.

I do believe that you are only as good as your last show. There's a saying in Arabic which when translated goes: when an intelligent person makes a mistake, he is ten times more accountable.

You are accountable for your words. If you say the wrong thing, you will never be called back to perform again.

Also, it's not always about the money, I need to pick and choose projects and do my best every single time so I know I can make my art sustainable.

 - Anupama Chand is a Dubai-based freelancer