KPop FanGirling Experience!

Last Wednesday (March 3, 2010), I opened my facebook and saw something, my jaw dropped to the ground as I read this message from Jack:

Subject: guys, check this out :)
Hey everyone! Would anyone of you be interested to attend FT ISLAND's concert this Saturday, March 6, 7pm, PICC? FTisland is a Korean boy band. My sister is the producer. I can give you FREE tickets in case you want. Ticket is valued at PhP2500. Walang catch. Carol and I are watching. It was she who told me that some of you might be interested. Text or call me through 0920XXXXXXX. Thanks!

KPop in the Philippines!!!!!!!!!!!!! Woot Woot!!! I'm a major KPop fan, I love Big Bang and 2NE1 but I don't mind watching FT Island since I'm familiar with Lee Hongki from the Korean Drama 'You're Beatiful'. And since it's FREE, count me in! Yes, I'm a sucker for free stuffs, bite me.

But if it's 2NE1 or Big Bang who's gonna hold their concert, I will freaking sell my liver to afford the tickets!!!!!!! Heck, I think a lot of people will even camp outside the concert hall a week before the show.

Anywayz, I don't know how I managed to reply, my message just magically appeared below Jack's announcement when I woke up from my trance. Holy smokes!! This is the KPop fangirling experience that I wanted to experience! I wasn't able to go to any music shows when I went to Korea since I focused on roaming Seoul.

My message went like this:
jack meron pa ba? OMG!! I'm a KPOP fan!!!

I frantically searched my phone and sent text messages to Jack and continued spazzing. Luckily, Jack replied and informed me that there are still tickets (FREE tickets, FREE tickets!!!) and asked me how many tickets should she reserve. I told her that I'm gonna ask the rest of the girls but to please reserve one for me because I'm definitely coming. Hoorayyy!!!! I'm really hyped up! She told me that Carol is also coming. Hoorrayyyy!!! I texted the rest of my classmates in Spanish class, but unfortunately they can't go this Saturday. <*groan> But JC said YES, thank heavens for JC!!!!!!!! So I informed Jack to reserved two tickets for us! BOOYAHHH!!!

When I got home, I saw another message from her in FB:
K-pop fans are so cute! See you on Saturday. :)

Yes, KPop fans are cute, especially when you hear their ear-shattering screams as their idols go on stage - that's what I wanna experience! I replied to her message:
Hahahahaha!! Thanks Jack, see you!! JC and I will be there!

So Saturday came. Since our Spanish Class is from 1 to 4PM, then JC and I can go straight to PICC after eating in the cafeteria. Jack told us to meet her around 5:30PM since the concert starts at 7PM in PICC Plenary Hall.

Off we went to PICC at around 5PM. I was chatting with JC while she was driving. I told her it's good that she agreed to which she replied, "Well, it's free so why not?". Ahhhh, the miracle of free stuffs worked yet again! There are already a bunch of people in front of PICC when we arrived. We asked the guard where we can park and he told us that there's a parking space at Gate 3.

JC drove the vehicle around as I was searching for Gate 3. We finally found it. When we were entering, the guard asked us, 'Ma'am sa FTI concert po?' My immediate thought was, what the fuck is FTI???? They just came up with the abbreviations by themselves but it still sounds weird for me. It just sounds so...wrong. LOLZ..Well not really wrong but it's just that FTI is a place up north. Okay people, FT Island is not too hard to say so let's just stick with that name, shall we? It's just one syllable more than FTI, jeezz!!

When JC found a spot to park, we noticed that there are a few vehicles in Gate 3 which is just in front of the Secretariat building. It seems not everyone know that 'Gate 3' exists. Lucky for us! I sent a message to both Jack and Carol that we're already in PICC. Jack said they will arrive after 20 minutes.

Okay, so here's the weird part. There's this guard assigned on Gate 3 who kept on talking to us. He first asked if FT Island is the one who sang 'I don't c-e-e-e-are' (yes, that's how he asked it. With the c-e-e-e-are part). I answered no, FT Island is a boy band while the one who sang 'I don't Care' is 2NE1 - my fave KPop girl group by the way! The guard doesn't just stop there, he went to us again and kept asking us questions like where do we live, where do we work, etc. He even asked where did I graduate high school and who am I gonna vote for Mayor! DUHHH!!! D-uu-hhhh!! I mean, come on, will you please cut the weirdness and just do whatever it is you're supposed to do - which I think is guarding the parking area!


Seriously, it's okay to talk to us and we've pretty much entertained his questions but he just kept on going towards us with all these weird shit! ARRGHH!!! Is he hitting on us? Coz I swear, I am going to STAB him!!

Finally, he said something that is quite relevant. He asked us where our tickets are because the hall is already open and people are already being ushered on their seats. So I sent a message to Jack again. We thought that they're also gonna park on Gate 3, but they didn't. Jack told me that they're already in PICC, in front. So JC and I went to the Secretariat building because there's a way there going to the Plenary Hall. The Gate 3 guard even accompanied us to the Secretariat main entrance.

BUT, there's this shitfaced dumb guard in Secretariat building who wouldn't let us in without any tickets even if the Gate 3 guard already told him that our friend is already inside and our friend got the tickets. This is where things blew out of proportion. I called Jack and asked her if she could meet us in the Secretariat since the shitfaced bastard of a guard wouldn't let us in. She agreed and we waited. But then, Jack called again and told me to just get our tickets at the ticketing booth. She left the tickets there. The guard still wouldn't let us in because we don't have any ID!!!!! Fck you shitfaced bastard, rot in hell!!!!!!! <*breathe in, breathe out>

Fortunately, my endorphin level is still high so I just shrugged it off and JC and I went back to the car to get my ID. I showed it to the guard (I would've shoved it down his throat if I was my normal self) and he guided us to where the PICC Plenary Hall is. In front of the Plenary Hall, man, it was a totally different world. I looked at JC. I never knew telepathy actually worked until today because I can clearly hear her thoughts. We both knew there is something WRONG with this picture. Almost ALL of the audience are...TEENAGERS!!!!!! Kyahhh!!!

FT Island Ticket

JC and I excitedly took pictures! We're in the sea of youngsters, how cool is that?! JC asked the guard in the Plenary Hall entrance where the ticketing booth is. We finally found it, it's at the main door of PICC. Jack left us three tickets, which is odd, but anyways... Before going in, we snapped a few more pictures by the main hall.

When we finally went inside the Plenary Hall, we asked the usher where our seats are. When he said we should go downstairs, oh man we were beyond ecstatic!!!! It's as if Jack gave us free golden tickets to the Chocolate Factory! And the awesomeness didn't stop right there, our seat number is D-10, D-11 and D-12 (remember what I told you about three tickets?). Row D, ladies and gentleman!!! Go figure. Yup, we're at the fourth row!!!

Plenary Hall - Sea of Teenagers

When we arrived at our seats, JC and I became Jack's fangirls! We were gushing like crazy!! At that moment we felt like Jack is the most adorable thing ever to walk planet Earth!!! THANK YOU JACKKKK!!! So the 'Jack-fangirling' saga continues as I answered her call and JC and I started talking simultaneously on the phone to tell Jack how much we love her!! You see how easy it is to get on our good side? It takes only 2500 pesos.

We were searching for Jack on the sea of faces but we can't find her. She said she's at the control booth and JC pointed at the tinted booth on the second floor. We were both convinced that she's there but then Jack said that she's near the small stairs. Okay that narrows it down alright considering there's a bunch of stairs on the Plenary Hall. We now thought Jack is directly in front of us, by the stage, since there's a small stair there. JC and I are spinning in all directions to look for our newly proclaimed heroine but she's nowhere to be found. Finally, she appeared at the aisle on our left side and that stopped us from spinning like a top that has lost its mind.

We gave her the extra ticket and thanked her endlessly punctuated by other words of praises on how amazing she is. We were really happy!! Anywayz, she told us to enjoy the show and she went ahead coz she still needs to help her sister.

If I'm not mistaken, the official color of FT Island is yellow because a lot of the audience are carrying yellow flags. JC and I continued taking photos here and there. Finally, the video of FT Island was played showing their appearances in MYX, etc. The exact mircosecond FT Island was shown on the video, the fans screamed like no other!! If it's not FT Island on the video, the audience will stay quiet. Then when any FT Island's faces are shown, the screaming frenzy ensues. Sweet heavens!! It's as if there's an imaginary 'fangirl scream' button on all of them that's being pushed whenever FT Island is displayed! AWEESSSOMMMEEEE!!!

The MC appeared and started the raffle for some goodies. Then Grace Lee continued hosting and taught the audience some Korean sentence, the gist of which is 'Welcome to Manila FT Island...' something something. I don't really pay much attention to those kind of bull. Apparently, she wants us to shout that Korean sentence when she calls the FT Island and interviews them. Yeah, goodluck on that. I bet these fans will suffer from memory loss once their idols are on stage.

Grace Lee: "So guys, when I call FT Island...."
Fans: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's what actually happened the moment she said the phrase 'when I call FT Island..'. I never knew a conditional statement can generate such enthusiasm. I understand them though, since they can only probably see FT Island through Youtube and spazz about them on fansites and forums. But now, they will see the KPop idols in flesh. I can just imagine myself when 2NE1 and Big Bang performs in Manila. That would drive me insane!! I swear, I will scream my lungs out! Call me a retard, but that's what I'm really gonna do.

FT ISLAND!!!!!

So Grace Lee finally called FT Island on stage. Holy crap, I sure hope Plenary Hall has some heavy duty walls coz the screaming extravaganza is off the charts! I thought I would be blown away from my seat. It was unbelievable!! It was insane! INSANE, I tell you!! The speakers' surround sound pale at the fangirl screams!

I actually did a little research about FT Island this morning before going to the concert. Thanks to the almighty Google and the ever-reliable wiki <*cough>, here's what I got:

F.T Island - Five Treasure Island is a five member South Korean boy band. The name F.T. Island stands for 'Five Treasure Island', with each of the five members being a treasure
Choi Jonghoon - Leader, Vocalist, Guitar, Keyboard. (Keyboard & Vocalist in FT Triple.) - March 7,1990
Lee Hongki - Lead Vocalist - March 2, 1990
Lee Jae Jin - Vocalist, Rapper, Guitar and Bass. (Guitar and Vocal in FT Triple.) - December 17, 1991
Song Seung Hyun - Rapper, Vocalist, Guitar - August 21, 1992
Choi Min Hwan - Vocalist, Drums, (Vocalist,Drummer in FT Triple) - November 11, 1992
credits: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F.T._Island

Another trivia, Choi Minhwan (the drummer), apparently likes Dara of 2NE1. For the benefit of Kpoptards out there, Dara is none other than Sandara Park. Ring any bell? Yup, she's the 'In or Out, SCQ runner up, Ang Ganda Ko' Sandara Park.

After a few songs, which we totally didn't understand since all of them are Korean songs, they took a break and Grace Lee came out. She asked us to say the Korean sentence she taught us a while ago. Uhmmm, I'm pretty sure FT Island have exactly no idea what the fans are saying because they were chanting the statement on top of their fangirling extravaganza.

My, oh my. These fangirls have superb lung power. They're abusing it no end. JC and I were drooling over Jonghoon!! Woot Woot!!! Come here bey-behhh!!! We even went in front just to take a closer look at him. He's soooo cuteeee <*dies>. I'm actually on constant alert at the bouncer on the far right coz I think his killer eyes have zeroed in on both JC and I a few times.

It was just a one-hour concert, from 7:30PM to 8:30PM. Weird, right?? We went to Jack and Carol. Jack introduced us to her husband and we congratulated him for their newborn baby. Carol was being interviewed by a Korean reporter about her opinion on the show.

Afterwards, JC and I took pictures outside. We also saw the Primadonna fanclub Philippines taking picture at the stairs. We went to Gate 3 and thanked the security guard. On our way home, JC and I saw the fans crowding over where FT Island's car is supposed to exit.

As soon as I got home, I uploaded the pictures and changed my FB status. JC and I agreed to change our profile picture to Jonghoon's picture. JONGHOON OPPPAAAAA!!!!!!!!

(At this point, you might've noticed that I've abused the exclamation mark constantly in this post. But what can I say, it's really cool!!!!!!!!!!)