If you’ve been following my articles up to this point, you would have noticed a non-hidden fact that----- I really like U-Kiss.
I didn’t know that today I was about to have one of the most amazing fan experiences ever.
It’s sometimes hard as a foreigner to navigate Seoul, let alone finding out about events until it was too late. I have to say that I’ve been having some good luck with my traveling adventures, with only “annyeonhasaeyo” (Greetings~!) and “hwajeongshi odishoeyo?” (Where is the bathroom?) under my belt.
So decided very last min, Danzo and I decided to go to Inkigayo for the first time ever to see if we can cover a story for Soompi.com and maybe get to run across a star or two in this excavation. He convinced me to wake up at 7am in the morning when he said U-Kiss is going to be there. I woke up early in the morning to be at Inkigayo at 8:30am. When I got there, the Kara group went inside already for the pre-taping, so I had to flash my CD to get inside to watch Kara perform. Only girls are allow to be in the “mosh pit” (umm… the standing spaces in the front that was surrounded by security tape). There was no moshing, only girls standing very still. And actually, there weren’t a lot of female Kara fans there to start with, I later found out that it was Kara fans and SM The Ballad fans combined in the front to watch Kara. I remember thinking to myself, “how come no one is chanting to ‘Jumping’ when they performed?”
I was offered to stay for SM The Ballad’s show, but I had to decline for a better alternative--- the bathroom!
Surprise!
We have some candids of KiKwang from Beast while he’s getting out of the van!
Yes, there were some numbers of fans linning up near the driveway just to wait for them to show up!
So finally getting outside, after putting our names down for the sign-up sheet for U-Kiss, we basically waited in the cold for the fanclub leaders to show up around 11am. After marking us with numbers, we were instructed to be back around 2pm for another check before the show. I met a lot of foreign fans from the US, China and Hong Kong here to see U-Kiss’ final stage for the “Shut Up!” promotions. I honestly didn’t know it was the final performance!!! She said that most likely we will get in if we line up because this week has less people than others. To make long story short, we didn’t get in. As a matter of fact, even the fanclub members who came a little bit late couldn’t get in! People who actually line up with larger groups like Kara and Grils Generation (despite not being in their official fanclub) all got in just fine. We did not get to see their final stage--- which was really very upsetting.
A Chinese fan showed us her *“KissMe” attendence sheet! I never even knew this existed! (the more stickers you have, the more chances to win really good items during fan events). The Eli Polaroid photo is the prize that she won from the last drawing. (Polaroid = one of its kind! :D)
*U-kiss fans are called "KissMe"
All gray clouds have a silverlining, and perhaps one of the brightest silver linning in the history or silver linnings. Kim Kibum (from U-Kiss) bought all the fans hotpacks while we were waiting outside, the fanclub leaders passed them out to everyone who was in line. You always hear about fans getting their idols presents, but this is the first time for me to receive a present from my idol :) I was very touched that he cared so much about his fans to try to keep them warm in this hideously cold weather.
my hotpack :) ---->
Another fan from the U.S.!! --->
Our bodies were freezing, but the gesture was so heartwarming that the cold didn’t seem as bad as it was supposed to be.
It was still very cold though, honestly.
Interviewing an avid Hong Kong fan in line, she told us that this is not the first time U-Kiss bought their fans presents. The last time was on Pepero Day (11/11). They spent their own money to buy all their fans at Inkigayo giant Peperos and one other thing (forgot what that thing she said was). I think this is a very sweet gesture.
In Korea, Pepero Day means to give someone you care about (like a friend or boyfriend/girlfriend) a Pepero and tell them you love them or like them. Some of these girls never even had a boyfriend, or even received a Pepero from friends. Maybe some doesn’t even have a parent or know what it’s like to be loved. It is especially important and sweet when they got their fans pepero to tell them they really love and appreciate them. People doesn’t know this about U-Kiss, of course not, it’s not in the news. They do sweet things for their fans like ninjas.
It was the coldest just before snow, but nobody know it was going to snow tonight. Already been freezing our bums off for 7-8 hours, we were lossing hope.
There is no way to get inside Inkigayo. They only gave the U-Kiss line about 20 tickets out of about 40 that waited outside.
Perhaps one of the most pathetic moments in my life is this one: waiting in a non-existant line outside of SBS, watching Inkigayo live on my cellphone TV screen while the show was going on inside the studio, dancing to Girls Generation “Hoot” with car drivers passing by looking strangely at this crazy girl who is me (if it was downtown LA, they'll be honking).
We were informed by the fanclub leaders that because it was the final stage, U-kiss wanted to do something special for the fans (the 30 or so that were still alive). Word has it that after the show, we would get to see them with their van windows down and get to talk to them.
We basically waited what seems like forever when Inkigayo finally ended. We were lead to a semi-secluded area (not really, but good enough) in front of Dunkin’ Donuts to wait for the van. Seeing how this was going to be one of those waving to them in van kinda things, I wasn’t very interested, but still went along with it because we might as well. We waited for around 9 hours.
The fanclub leaders instructed us to line up according to our numbers, so we did. We were also instructed not to take pictures or scream (lol, good luck with that one, the fans didn’t really remember that one), so that’s why I don’t have pictures to this event. It was meant to be intimate. We waited about 30 mins after Inkigayo ended. Finally, their vans pulled up in front of us. About time! I was about to cry from the cold T_T
While the other fans screamed, I was trying to hide my face, seeing how I just met Kevin and Alexander as a press agent in the same week. This might look kinda awkward for me, so I was trying to hide. >_>
We thought they were just going to wave hi and bye and be on their way, but all 7 guys got off the van to be in the cold with us. They bowed to and thanked all the fans for coming out in the cold weather to support them. They all talked to the fans for a short while. My Korean is no-good, so I didn't know the details of what they were saying... :P Kibum also went over to shake some lucky fans' hands before leaving.
Very shortly after they sped off in their new van, the weather got to a point where only one thing can possibly happen at this moment.
It started to snow.
The snow; pure white, and gentle--- slowly scattering across the sky and a speck happened to be caught by my lips. I licked it off, but it didn’t taste like anything but a sparkle of ice. I never had snow in my life. I came from sunny California, City of Angels, Los Angeles.
The snow against my face was cold, but the hotpack they gave me was comforting to my freezing hands, like a warm hand.
It was the “first snow” in Seoul this year.
In Korean culture, the concept of “first snow” has a very romantic meaning. If you watch the first snow with your boyfriend or girlfriend, it means that your dreams will come true.
I swear to God I was about to tear up. The timing and everything was just so perfect.... :P
When I got back, I checked their twitter and noticed that Alexander tweet about the 30 of us that came out today.
They really know how to make a fan feel appreciated ^-^
I hope everyone whom I shared this ‘first snow’ moment in Seoul with or while you’re reading this with me right now can have their dreams come true… :)
