May 5, 2012 – Showcase Day 2 - McKinley Hill Venice Piazza
I was tasked to go directly to the showcase venue. Supposedly, I’ll go to the hotel but since the food was already pre-ordered and it only needed to be sent up to the hotel rooms, the staff staying at the hotel took care of it already. And Jay only had round table interviews and a Sparkling Photo shoot.
So, I went to McKinley Hill, Venice Piazza at around 12:30PM. I had my laptop with me so we can fix the audio and have a back up of it on a laptop in any case that the audio decides to play up again. I was with Arlene at Dunkin’ Café, backing up all the files and stuff. We were praying it wouldn’t rain, to be honest.
For most part of the afternoon, we were just on standby until SJ, David and Anissa came with Sir Wilson and they did an early sound check. I joined them and SJ turned to me and he was so surprised.
*convo was in Korean
SJ: Oh, you’re here! Why weren’t you in the hotel today?
Me: Oh, I’m helping out in setting up here.
SJ: Ah, you didn’t want to see Jay?
Me: hahaha! I’ll see him later!
After the sound check, we checked the waiting area and other stuff. SJ kept on talking to me in Korean that made my head dizzy. (lol just kidding) Then, we went to the selling area and David was looking at the ballers. He bought a red one and wore it.
SJ asked about articles about Jay coming to Manila and Sir Wilson said it will be sent to them after the showcase days. Then, Anissa was so surprised I was speaking in Korean with SJ and David. I guess she didn’t know lol. Then she said, “you could have made my life better!” she is so cute.
When they left, more waiting and more preparing. Finally, at around 6PM, Krissy and Erika, the opening acts came and so did Jinri. So I stayed with Jinri and some of the MCA staff about briefing her on the showcase because of the problems we encountered during Eastwood’s showcase.
Jay and Prepix finally came and we were just chilling backstage while the opening acts did their thing. Jay and the entourage were eating the food from the sponsors that were prepared for them. After eating, everyone was just sitting and waiting. Jay was looking at himself at the mirror and I approached him and asked if we could take a Polaroid picture and we did.
I asked Jay about his new tattoos. He showed them to me willingly. He showed me the, “the world is mine” tattoo and “God’s Son” tattoo and I noticed all the others as well. Jay just mostly dances, bboys, sings or goofs around with Prepix when they’re backstage.
Then, I was talking with Yun unni on one side of the tent, we were just laughing and talking about random things when Jay walked up next to Yun unni and she got his attention.
Yun: Hey, do you know her?
Jay: /waves head/ no.
Yun: She’s Donna, your fanclub president! How can you not know her!?
Jay: oooh! /raises both hands/
Me: /confused but holds out palms to Jay/
Jay: /slaps hands downwards to mine and raises his hands again/
Me: /still confused but pushes hands towards Jay/
Jay: No no, like this. /emphasizing his raised hands/
Me: Oh! /raises hands/
Jay: /high fives with me/
Yun: She’s so cool, she knows Korean and she likes Khiphop! She knows Minos and Kebee!
Jay: Cool! So, do you also like Dok2 and TheQuiett?
Me: yeah definitely! Even Beenzino!
Jay: yeah~ Illionaire baby.
Me and Yun: /laughs/
Jay: Talk to you guys later, I have to go to the Meet and Greet.
So he went off for the meet and greet while I continued talking to Yun unni. While Jay was doing his meet and greet, I took pictures with Prepix members and the official photographers took pictures of them too. They were really fun people to be with.
Showcase time. During the first few parts of Jay’s NOY, the mic died but they quickly fixed it. Same old during the showcase, performance, interview, games, more performances.
Showcase song line up goes:
1. Nothing On You
2. I Got Ur Back + Star
3. Up and Down
4. Know Your Name
5. Girlfriend
During the showcase, I was goofing off with SJ at the side, taking pictures of him and JiHye unni, taking pictures with Yun unni, singing along to Jay Park.
After the showcase, we ushered him to the holding area. I grabbed the tissue box and ran for it to the tent and when I got in, lo and behold, Jay was changing clothes. LMAO it’s not like I wanted to see it, it just happened. But, I got a good look at the Lion tattoo on his chest and I must say, it’s really nice. I don’t know, I’m not too fond of tattoos but when you see it up close, you appreciate it.
Anyway, so he changed clothes for the signing, I stayed in the tent with Prepix, like usual. Fans outside were calling on Joony and asking him to go out. Mockingly, I called out to him, “Joony oppa~ Joony oppa~” and he kept replying and mocking me back. After a few minutes more of people shouting his name, he suddenly shouted, “I won’t do it!” in Korean, it was adorable and we were all laughing at him.
The children of the president of MCA Music were fans of prepix and wanted to take pictures with them, so I explained it to prepix and they gladly took picture with them. One of the interns, Maysie, has a crush on Jinsoo oppa and wanted to take a picture with him, Bea was the first one who asked though so she did and Maysie was shouting that she was jealous and wants to take a picture too.
Joony oppa eventually gave in and went outside to take pictures for fans. After Joony, they chanted JiHye unni’s name so I went with her outside and she took pictures with fans as well.
When we were all back inside, I was asking Yun unni to teach me the Penguin Dance of BEAST’s Fiction. The other Prepix members were watching as Yun unni taught me how to actually do it. And when I tried to do it, Jay suddenly walks in and sees my fail. Prepix members were laughing at my TOTALLY FAILED ATTEMPT at dancing to Fiction but Yun unni kept saying, “it’s okay, it’s okay.” But Jay was looking at me so weirdly, trying hard not to laugh.
After that, everyone was getting ready to leave. Jay left first with his managers, Anissa and SJ. Then Prepix and then we were last since we were fixing up things first then went to the hotel. We had dinner with Anissa, who was totally funny and just a really nice person to work with.
We helped Anissa get back to the hotel and the rest of us just went home to our own houses.
Part 3 coming soon~!
I woke up at 7:30 in the morning because I had a full schedule. I was tasked to be at the hotel at 10AM because I had to deliver food to the two managers and to Prepix crew.
So, I arrived at around 10:30 and I found out that we had a partner restaurant that would provide food for the management and Prepix already so we only had to take it up to their rooms. Problem was, at 11AM, they were still sleeping LOL.
At around 1PM, we started setting up the area for the Press Conference. It was just really busy running around, getting things done and making sure we have the guests coming in. By 3:30PM, the press conference started.
Jay came down wearing a white longsleeved shirt with designs. He looked really cute wearing formal clothes. He was ushered to the waiting area and VJ Chino of MYX started the Press Conference.
First up was picture taking with MCA Music representatives, sponsors and the fanclub. I was urged to join in with the fanclub, so I did. LOL
During the press conference, Jay answered questions from the press very cool-y. He was so relaxed and welcoming with the questions. There was even one question when he was asked what he did when he came to the Philippines for the past 2 years. And he said, “Oh I didn’t really have time to go places last year coz of my schedule. 2 years ago, nothing much.” Then I decided to say, “Shopping!” and Jay was like, “OH YEAH! I did a lot of shopping. Who said that?” I raised my hand and he nodded and grinned at me.
The whole time of the press conference, David was just standing next to me and I decided to engage him in conversation. (We talked in Korean)
Me: David, do you remember me?
David: Yes, very much.
Me: Really?
David: I completely remember you.
Me: From 2 years ago?
David: (thinks about it) 2 years ago, yes. October right?
Me: (grins and nods) yes, you’re right.
After the press conference, we ushered Jay to the other room to start the one on one interviews. Just standing there, watching Jay talk and get interviewed with almost the same questions over and over again. I was standing beside his manager, Kyungnam and his stylist.
There was one instance when I was talking to one of the interns, Maysie and we were just laughing and speaking in tagalog and Jay was looking at us, with a confused face lol. Jay, are you trying to be nosey?
After the interviews, Jay went back up to his room while I ran to the Meet and Greet venue which is in Red Box. Just stayed there for a while and said hi to Sabrina, a local artist also known as Asia’s Acoustic Sweetheart. At around 6PM I was asked to go down to the showcase venue and go meet Jinri Park, the host for Jay’s showcase.
I met Jinri and told her of the program flow and explained the game portion of the showcase. Then, I was asked to come outside because Jay was going to do a sound check. So, I went out and people were screaming coz Jay was on stage and doing his sound check. Anissa (Universal Group’s Regional Manager) came up to me and asked me to announce that no videos or picture taking allowed while doing the sound check. So I ran to the back to the technical booth and advised it over the mic.
Jay was on stage, and his monitor wasn’t working and it was due to the earphones. Anissa and David were busy going around doing other things so I walked towards Jay and asked him what he needed.
Me: your monitor isn’t working?
Jay: yeah. Can you ask them to turn up the instrumental?
Me: Alright! (goes off to the tech booth and asks to turn up the instrumental, walks back to Jay) That good enough?
Jay: yeah this is fine. (sings again. Stops and turns to me) Can you ask them to turn up my mic too?
Me: okay! (goes to tech booth and asks to turn up the mic, walks back to Jay) Everything better?
Jay: Yeah. If they can keep the volume this high, I don’t need the monitor anymore.
Me: okay! (goes to David and tells him, David goes off to tech booth)
I turn back towards the stage and talk to one of the MCA Music staff in Tagalog with regards to the Ramyun cups that were supposed to be taken out at the waiting area at the back. (Conversation translated to English)
Me: Arlene, are the ramyun cups taken down to the tent already?
Arlene: yes, everything’s okay!
Me: need anymore help?
Arlene: no, thank you!
Me: okay!
Jay walks towards me, his eyebrows scrunched up and his lips slightly parted. I look up at him with a questioning look.
Me: yeah?
Jay: everything okay?
Me: um… yeah.
Jay: (smiles and nods)
Me: (nods and walks away)
LoL, Jay, you need to stop eavesdropping on my conversations with people.
After the sound check, I went with Jay and the dancers to bring them back to the meet and greet area, Red Box. The others went ahead coz we wont fit in the elevator. I was in the elevator with David oppa, Lorenz the bodyguard and Wassup. I was waiting for David to get on the van so I could go back up and help with the showcase.
Me: Aren’t you going to ride on the van?
David: (waves his head) Walk.
Me: walk!? .___. Okay.
So, I walked with him at the parking area until we reached the Hotel’s parking area and led them up to the 4th Floor, to Red Box. I took them to the waiting area and went back down to the Showcase venue.
After a couple of minutes more of waiting, finally, they came back down the showcase started. First was Sabrina’s performances. I cannot emphasize enough how much I love Sabrina. She’s always been an opening act for Kpop artists coming to the Philippines and she’s a really genuinely nice person!
After Sabrina, it was finally Jay’s turn on stage. I honestly thought I would break into tears but there I was, happily watching him on stage. He sang Nothing on You first, as per usual.
After Nothing On You, I was called to the side of the stage because I was going to assist Jinri with the game. Jinri had a little Q&A portion with Jay first then I went up on stage for the game. It was a game wherein pre-selected fans will dance to Jay’s Know Your Name chorus.
So, I was standing next to Jay when his stylist handed me tissue for Jay so I gave it to him. He was wiping his sweat and covering his face with the other bunch of tissue so I grabbed it from him. It was then I noticed that he had something brown on his shoulder. I called his attention and he looked at me.
Me: Jay, you have dirt on your shoulder.
Jay: (looks at his shoulder and smiles then looks at me) Oh no, that’s a scab.
Me: (smiles back) Oh, alright.
It was a short moment, but it was cute lol.
Jay Park - Interview with Jinri Park + Fan Game (Live at Eastwood Mall Open Park)
*video here c/o OrangeMagazineTV
After the game portion, I went off stage and prepared the cake surprise we had for him. Jinri was chatting him up and I was waiting for the mic to turn off but the tech wasn’t informed so I just brought out the cake all of a sudden. He was taken by surprise, so I was glad. He took his sweet time in blowing out the candles and the cake was really really heavy. Lol.
I turned around and told him, “we’re going to eat the cake now.” I didn’t think he heard it but he suddenly responded, “don’t eat without me!” You are so cute Jay T_T
Happy Birthday Jay Park (Live at Eastwood Mall Open Park)
*video here c/o OrangeMagazineTV
Then, the performances continued and I stayed backstage. When the dancers came back, me and another intern were tasked to bring them back to the hotel. Patty, the intern, brought the 3 back to the hotel and I was waiting for Jinsoo and Yun. Jinsoo didn’t want to go yet so I was waiting for Yun. Yun, however, was asking about the van. Apparently, she left her bag in the van and her bag had all her things, her phone, card key, ipad, clothes. So we couldn’t really go anywhere.
I called the driver and asked him to come down to the parking area of the hotel while Yun unni and I walked towards there. We decided to just wait for the driver there. While waiting, Yun unni and I got to talking. She found out I was the fanclub president for Jaywalkers in the Philippines and she was so amazed that I self-learned Korean. She was also very nice and sweet. She also liked the fact that I love K-Hiphop! So, we were just talking, waiting for the van to arrive.
Suddenly, Jay’s van came and Jinsoo oppa came out then so did Kyungnam, David, SJ, Sir Wilson and Jay came out. SJ approached us and asked why we were there and we said we were waiting for the other van.
Jay kept on muttering that it was hot. Lol. He went up with his two managers and Lorenz while SJ stayed with me and Yun unnie and Sir Wilson was waiting for the other van. After a few minutes, the van arrived and I sent Yun unnie and SJ to their rooms and went back down.
After all of it, the MCA family had a meeting and we went home.
