AWESOME! (대박! As Koreans
would say~) – the first word that pops into my mind whenever I recall my first
ever experience to attend a KPOP event. It ain’t no regular KPOP event, it’s the
annual Philippine KPOP Convention! I mean, in one day people, ONE WHOLE DAY! I
was able to watch up close Bernard Park (버나드박), GOT7 (갓세븐), and YES!!! The one and only SISTAR (씨스타) <insert wild screaming fans here>. It was a dream come true (dream talaga? LOL~ XD). I was like three cartwheels (ganito ako mag-measure~) away from the stage they were performing at.
By the way, YES DEFINITELY! I am indeed a fan and take deep interest in the Korean culture. From their business perspectives, way of living, language, advancements, K-pop, and a lot more. Hallyu (한류) has integrated itself in my veins. Proof? Hmmm... I have watched dozens..... NOPE, definitely MORE than a dozen of Korean TV Dramas and Variety Shows... My hairstylist is a Korean, working for Park Jun's Beauty Lab, whom I've been good friends with for about 6 years (Hyeong~ Chicken and Beer treat please~ LOL XD)... I've already traveled (and have plans to do so again in the near future) to South Korea with my friends... and many many more evidences~ XD (ano pang kailangan?! sapat na ito para hindi ako pagdudahan! haha).
But before
going into details of how I screamed my heart, lungs, and other internal organs
out when the artists went up the stage, I’d like to recognize and commend the
Philippine K-pop Convention, Inc. and PULP Live World for making this amazing
event possible. Everything was organized. Your efforts really paid off guys.
When I
arrived at the venue, I immediately saw the other fans gathering and lining up.
I came in late, around 1:00 P.M. (had a prior appointment earlier that day ~
sorry T_T). Despite the large volume of people entering and going around SMX, event
organizers, ushers, and friendly staff were there to offer assistance. I
approached Grace from PULP (she’s super nice & close na kami kaka-kulit ko
sakanya~ haha!) at their booth to properly claim my rights (claim talaga? Akala
mo lupa at ari-arian lang XD).
After getting
my VIP wrist tag plus two cute SISTAR stamps (for the meet & greet and
photo-op), the search is on for my beloved E8 seat at the VVIP area. Yung
totoo, jungle or conference? LOL O_O. Thank you bouncers (big guys in red) for
guiding me from the halls’ entrance to the VVIP section. I must say, it was indeed
a hassle-free walk. Thank you cheerful Ate in heavy dark lipstick for showing
me my seat! Oh and HELLO E8! At last we meet! Oh~ and hello seatmates! What’s
up? (kala mo 1st day of classes LOL XD).
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Groupie w/ the friendly bunch I've met at the KCON event!
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| The 6th PH K-pop Conference Stage |
Overall, the
venue was properly organized. The designated areas (booths, GA, VIP, VVIP, Performer’s
Area, etc.) were all properly managed and ALL the people in charge are
well-versed on how everything should proceed.
After an hour
of settling down, meeting new friends (take note! some of them even flew from
Ilo-ilo for this event! now that’s DEDICATION), watching local performances, and
observing the place, I’m all set!!! Yes, LET’S GET IT ON!!!
Time-check: 2:00
P.M. – thus, the artists shall soon grace the stage. Anticipation is rising and
excitement bars are puffing smoke!
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| Hello KCON People! (sorry blurred~) |
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| The anticipating and awesome fans! |
The wonderful
hosts were none other than Kring Elenzano and Jimmy Kim. The KRIMMY Couple! They
both look really adorable (sorry naman sa silver-ganap pants ni Kring~ haha!). They’re
the Filipino-Korean couple who won the grand prize in ABS-CBN’s reality show “I
Do”.
I like Kring
and Jimmy’s way of hosting. Kring’s really funny and witty. Jimmy’s doing his
best to speak Tagalog (A for effort dude! Well done!). I wanted to take a
picture with them after the event but I guess they’re too busy <insert 4
teardrops here~ haha>. Maybe (and hopefully) next time.
Finally the
hosts introduced the first artist! Bernard Park (버나드박)! He’s the winner of SBS’s K-pop
Star Season 3. I’ve read and heard about him in some Korean entertainment news
portals, I’ve even watched some of his performances during K-pop Star S3 in YouTube
wherein I really liked his renditions of “End of The Road” and “Right Here
Waiting” (I got goose bumps man, seriously~).
To everyone’s
delight, he sang three songs (three undeniably soulful and beautiful
renditions) – “Before the Rain”, “Still With You”, and “Right Here Waiting”.
YES!!! Included in his song line-up is his rendition of “Right Here Waiting” – total
eargasm for this one! Can I please take Bernard Park home? Please? He really
does have a very nice voice (nag-duda pa talaga ako noh? Haha~). His vocals are
remarkable and clear, good enunciation of words, and his soulful manner of
singing will really take your mind, ears, and heart to a soothing place
(pwedeng-pwede ka mag-drama habang kumakanta siya~ XD). He deserved to win
K-pop Star Season 3.
My favorite
song (to this date) of his is “Before the Rain”. It sounded really fantastic
and soulful when he sang it live at the event. The deep emotions he gave while
singing that song will truly move anyone. I felt very lucky to hear him sing
live his debut song. I mean, how often do you hear K-pop artists sing their
debut song live? Not so frequent. Ears, you have been blessed!
Bernard Park
also took part in experiencing a bit of the Filipino culture. The Krimmy Couple
asked him to wear “Barong Tagalog”, Philippines’ traditional formal dress, in
which he looked pretty good. Might as well have him attend a wedding!
They also
made him play “Trumpo” (Whipping Top). He succeeded in making it spin (good job
Bernard Park!) however it was on reverse LOL XD. Afterwards, he sang “Nasayo
Na Ang Lahat” (a local song popularized by Daniel Padilla) in which he sounded
fantastic! Well, except for the last part though, he got the lyrics wrong (괜찮아 버나드박~). Instead of “pati ang puso ko” (even my heart), he said “patay
and puso ko” (my heart is dead) in which he responded “My heart is not dead!” (indeed it is not! Haha~). Nonetheless, he sang it really well.
There was also a game wherein lucky fans would take selfies with him and then
the audience will vote as to who did the best selfie with him. Some dude in red
checked shirt won, the selfie pose he showed Barnard Park was really funny!
Overall, he’s
a great artist, very promising! I think he’d be able to show his fans more.
He’s definitely someone to look out for in the K-pop music industry. I’m now a
fan (YES I AM~). Who wouldn’t be?
After the
Bernard Park pyrexia (kalma~ it means fever!), comes GOT7 (갓세븐). The
crowd WENT WILD (as in WILD~ no joke!) when they went up the stage (it was a
jungle out there~).
I couldn’t
blame them though! These guys did have the K-factor to really set the mood for
an awesome show. The bouncers were all at their full force in maintaining the
barricades! Malapit-lapit na silang mag-super saiyan mode~ haha XD. The hosts
also kept on reminding everyone, especially to those who are at the mercy of
the barricades, to calm down, stop pushing, and step back a little.
Quick
background! GOT7 is a seven member boy group who debuted last January 2014.
They are indeed great performers – from the looks (can we discuss about their
porcelain like complexion???), their dance moves, and their cool and groovy
songs, they are sure to set the stage on fire.
From the
soulful environment Bernard Park created, GOT7 turned the mood into a groovy,
upbeat, and fun filled one. They gave everyone pure entertainment and joy by
performing five songs – “하지하지마” (Stop Stop it), “Gimme”, “Forever
Young”, “A”, and “Girls Girls Girls”.
Their song
“A” is my personal favorite. I’m very familiar with this as I’ve watched them
perform it often on Mnet’s M! Countdown. I like the groovy feel in it, the
danceable rhythm, and how they sing “Aaaaaaaaaaaaa~” like it’s the only letter in
the alphabet (parang laro lang sa mga Birthday party LOL XD~).
Their song
“Forever Young” is also really cool. I got LSS from it~ “Forever Young Baby oh,
oh, Baby~ Coz I wanna be~”. This song has that authentic boy band feel in it
that will make any fan love them more. Oh wait, I think I’m a fan now~ hahaha! But
who wouldn’t be? They have really good songs and they are very fun to watch
during the event.
Their fans also
gave GOT7 a surprise. Two reasons (aside from the fact they are REALLY there~),
one of the members will be celebrating his birthday on January 06 and January
2015 marks their first anniversary as a group. The fans gave them a very cute
cake! The expression on their faces – PRICELESS! (well~ aside from the fact
that their faces are priceless! Haha XD).
GOT7 also
took part in a classic guessing game wherein they have to guess the thing
inside a box wherein the front part is open so the audience can see (no
coaching people~). They have to do it by sliding their hand inside the box,
touch and feel the thing inside, and guess it. This is psychological warfare
people! Their reactions were priceless! LOL XD (tawang-tawa ako, mga 8,764 times
HAHA!). They keep on saying “이게
뭐야?!” (What’s this?!) while having really funny and confused expressions.
I like how the members were all really trying their best to guess what’s inside
the box.
In one word,
I’d describe GOT7 as cool. They are indeed awe-inspiring performers. Anyone can
see that they gave their best during the show, they did not give in to sweat
and the Philippine’s hot weather. They performed in full energy and they are
all smiles to their fans. I‘m excited to hear more great music from them and hopefully
see them perform live again.
P.S. I’m
running out of adjectives~ may matira pa sana sa SISTAR! Ilabas ang dictionary!
hahaha!!! XD
After that wild
and memorable experience from watching Bernard Park and GOT7 bring the KCON
stage down, the one and only “foreignay” dance diva, Dasuri Choi, graced the
stage. She’s really gorgeous and cute! Even the way she speaks Tagalog is cute!
She went on teaching Hyuna’s “Red” dance steps to everyone at the event and
then performed it as well (ang sexy niyaaaaa~).
She then gave
everyone an approximately intense 7-minute sing and dance performance. Together
with two other amazing Filipino dancers, they wowed everyone at the venue. I
hope Dasuri would be able to have more projects this 2015!
And FINALLY
(drumroll please!!!), the moment everyone has been waiting for has arrived!
It’s exactly 6:00 P.M. on my watch then and I can see everyone building eagerness.
My hands went cold and hindi ako mapakali. I recognize this feeling, I felt it
nung titignan ko na yung result ng board exam! HAHAHA! (OAsis much~).
When the
Krimmy couple went on stage again (ops~ wardrobe change!), everyone knew that
in a matter of minutes, SISTAR will perform LIVE!!! Yes, LIVE!!! <insert
screaming and jumping people everywhere here!>
After some
introduction, the hosts then blurted out “Siiissttaaaaaaaarrrrrr!!!!” from the
top of their lungs with feelings. It was like a battle cry of some sort. It
felt the same as a General of an army screaming “chaaaarrrgggeeee” before
commencing a bloody battle. The people went insane!
When SISTAR
went on stage, oh my~ I think the venue almost collapsed because of all the
screaming, cheering, and everything with –ing. The bouncers needed to use 101% (Dalmatian
lang ang peg~) of their powers to support the barricades and to control the
crowd. Oh wait~ I’m one of them! Hahahaha XD Sorry po. I’m proud to say I
belted out as much as I can and went on cheering for SISTAR. Everyone in front
of me suddenly stood up so I stood up as well (di ako papatalo~ alanganaman
kayo lang~ haha XD).
Their first
song is none other than “Touch My Body”!!!! OMG! The feels~ XD. Everyone is going
crazy! Actually the guys are screaming more (yes there were a lot of guys
seated at the forefront of the VVIP section~). They were screaming from the top
of their lungs! (bukas wala kayong boses~). I really (repeat 100x) like this
song! The beat is really amusing and the dance moves were awesome. The song is
very catchy! I actually had LSS for about a month when SISTAR released this
song last July 2014. And still until now, I manage to sing or hum it out of the
blue. I even sometimes dance the chorus part~ LOL XD. I think it’s a great
exercise for the upper body, the butt, and the legs!
P.S. If
you’re wondering about pictures of them in action, well I have only a few. Why?
Well, I was (1) busy watching them do their thing with my own two blessed and
lucky eyes, and (2) I was capturing the entire length of each of their
performance! (ang sakit sa braso~ but it’s soooo worth it!)
After that dumbfounding
performance, everyone needed to calm down. The venue had to be sprayed with
tranquilizer in my opinion LOL! Kidding! XD. But seriously, after that
performance, I was like WOW. I will never forget the feels, the performance
kept flashing into my mind. I was indeed one of the happiest and luckiest
person to watch SISTAR perform “Touch My Body” live! The fact that I was only
three cartwheels away from them, I was really in heaven that day.
So much for
that (sorry couldn’t control myself~ LOL). SISTAR then introduced themselves
and the Krimmy couple had a short Q&A with them. One of the things that got
stuck in my mind was Bora’s (보라) response when asked the first thing she wants to eat or experience
in the Philippines, she immediately and cheerfully said “Jollibee!” It’s
actually quite great to know that even K-pop stars take interest into Jollibee
(made me feel proud as a Filipino! Good job Jollibee~). SISTAR really answered
enthusiastically despite the language barrier (thank you Ms. Interpreter). Dasom
(다솜) can also speak English really well. Hyolyn (효린) and Soyou (소유) were gorgeous
and funny also while doing the Q&A.
After that,
the group went on performing “Ma Boy”. It was originally sang by their sub-unit
“SISTAR19” but they performed it as a group. This is the song that made me like
them the first time way back in 2011. From the catchy lyrics to the sexy and
cute choreography, who would not have liked SISTAR back then?
Then came the
“SISTAR Talent Show”. SISTAR was all geared up to do the challenges in this
segment. Everyone had to vote by clapping (hanggang sa mamula mga kamay) or
screaming their inner organs out to the member who they think did it the best.
The first one
was to have them dance a very popular local novelty dance song “Cha-Cha
Dabarkads”. OMG~ SISTAR was really (repeat 56x!!!) breath-taking while dancing
to this song! They got the facial expression to give justice to the song (the
wacky face that could launch a thousand ship~ a thousand ship of fans! LOL XD).
Dasom won the first challenge.
The second
one was to have them speak in gay language – “Beks! Gutom na akis. Lafang na
tayo, para maka-rampa na. Push!” which means “Girl, I’m hungry. Let’s eat so
that we can go out already. Go!” SISTAR did it very sexy and funny, seriously!
Hahaha~ Soyou won this part.
The third one
is that they have to do 귀요미 ”gwiyomi” or basically be ultimately cute. Hyolyn and Bora was super
cute in this part, making all those cute poses and movements, however Bora
really gave it all here. She raised the bar of being cute! If she’s not cute
then no one is. Thus, she won this part.
The last part
was indeed memorable! Hyolyn sang “Let it Go” (Korean version) LIVE! Her vocals
were really powerful! I think I am (again) a very lucky person. It’s not every
day you get to hear Hyolyn sing “Let it Go” live like a few feet away from you!
The feels again~
Then after
that very tiring (yes napagod din ako, kaka-picture, kaka-video, kaka-smile,
and kaka-galaw sa totoo lang naman! XD haha~), SISTAR’s official fan club here
in the Philippines gave a surprise tribute for them. They prepared a very nice
video of how much they love and support SISTAR, gave them a very cute cake
saying “Welcome to the Philippines”, and
a bouquet of flowers each. Soyou cried and I can’t blame her, the warmth their
Filipino fans (ehem~ I’m one of them) showed them is very touching indeed!
Everyone was just happy to see them (who wouldn’t be? Right?).
Then they went
on performing “Give it To Me” followed by “Lead Me”. Was it just me? Or SISTAR
became more energetic in performing? Probably they got their added energy from
the love of their fans. Again, two amazing catchy songs. The crowd just keeps
getting insane every time SISTAR performs. <insert screaming and cheering
fans here!>
After this, a
game segment was done again. Here, they need to create a clothing fit for a
K-pop idol given red and black crepe papers. Each SISTAR member had to have two
accompanying fans (one assistant and one model). In which the selection stage
was I think very barbaric! LOL XD. You need to catch the small ball to be
thrown by each member. At one point I saw the ball Dasom threw going towards
me. Assuming we were all in place, the ball would have been mine. About 98%
chance based on its projectile motion (physics please~). However, I think the
people surrounding me were legit Spartans because the next thing I saw were a
lot of hands hovering over me and then there was darkness! (medjo nakakatakot~
Haha!). Anyway, I wasn’t able to join the game (hindi ako kasali, kainis~ haha!
Oo bitter ako!). Hyolyn won this segment, though everyone really gave an effort
to this (even the fans joining the game – lucky people~).
SISTAR then
performed their last two songs for that night! "Alone (나혼자)" and their
hot new single “I Swear”. They’ve brought the house down with these two
performances especially the latter one. Everyone was up on their toes again and
basically just dancing and having fun to SISTAR’s amazing songs. Oh wait~ I
forgot about the confetti part! Such a classic and dramatic way to end a performance!
(aamin na ako, nagtago ako nung confetti, mga 2 pieces hahaha~ XD).
Wait it ain’t
over!!!
It’s now time
for the photo-op and meet & greet! Oh my gosh, I was probably one of the happiest
specie (oo specie level na~ sama mo na mga langgam) on Earth that time! I was
able to (along with 8+ other people I think) have our photos taken with SISTAR!
My spot?? Well, SISTAR was just behind me, JUST BEHIND ME!!! I even got the
chance to say “Hi” to all of them and shake hands with Bora and Hyolyn!!! I was
all smile that moment. I can’t explain the feeling! Like how often or when in
your lifetime would you be able to meet K-pop idols, watch them perform live,
shake hands with them, greet them, and take a photo with them. I felt genuine
and extreme happiness that day (and yes, most especially that moment).
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| Dasom is getting the things the fans are giving them! So cute! |
Is it over?
Yep.
The sad part?
Well, every show has to end, and so did this. When SISTAR’s segment ended, I
stayed for about 40 minutes (I think) to formally finish and complete the show.
Good thing though, since after the last local performance, they have announced
the date and venue of the next KCON (7th Philippine KCON). Okay, I
need to save money starting NOW. I’m already excited as to who they’ll be
bringing on the next event.
It was indeed
a memorable day (12-28-2014). Thank you Philippine K-pop Convention, Inc., PULP
Live World, sponsors, and everyone behind this event. Great job!
Hopefully I
gave a chance to have others look through my eyes during the event,
especially to those who didn’t have a nice spot during the event and to those
who weren’t able to go there. I hope the 7th KCON will be
overflowing with fans! I wish the event would be filled with exciting segments! and (of course) I hope the event organizers would bring again amazing
artists!
I think the warm support the Filipinos have for K-pop artists is amazing. This event wouldn't have been successful if it weren't for the love of the fans in the first place. As they've said - "for the fans, by the fans".
Thanks for
reading friends!
Till next time!
Instagram: @galenpark
*I've used my trustworthy SonyTX10 camera to capture such moments (the videos are all in HD!!!! (as if first-time kong malaman ito! haha~) I'm still thinking as to how I'd upload them though~ LOL XD)
