Sunday, March 20, 2005
Ei guyz... here’s a little something... Friday night (March 18, 2005) I called tita Myra to confirm their departure time for Davao City the next day. She told me that the flight will be at exactly 10am. Conspicuously, they’re gonna arrive here in Davao between 11:45am down to 1:00pm. Luckily, one of my friends named Amsy passed by at the Villa Abrille Street (near ADDU) the night before. It’s where the New Asia Restaurant is located. She told us that there’s a banner welcoming Karel Marquez and Japoy Lizardo dated March 19, 2005. I assumed that they will be having their lunch there the next day. Fortunately, they did. The cool thing is that, it seems that everything is happening according to what we wanted. What do we want in the first place anyway? It’s to have a very close encounter with Japoy. Wahahaha… I invited my friends to eat lunch at the same restaurant. We got there by 12.15 p.m. then we placed our orders immediately. Then after about an hour of staying there, they arrived. The place is just small. Only few people can occupy the restaurant, so there’s room for privacy, specially for celebrities like us I mean like them… hehehe… We we’re amazed to see them (Karel and Japoy). My order was the last to be served because the waiter was not able to include my order before, I supposed he didn’t hear me when I placed my order, but that was okay… no damage has been done anyway… I ate my lunch… another cool thing is that, our table was next to theirs. We waited for the perfect timing to take a photo shoot with them. Luckily, we did… we’re like “Wahahaha, perfect!!!” After all the smiling and the posing, they left and we also left the restaurant 5 minutes after they did. I called tita Myra again to tell her that we already saw Japoy and asked her where she is. Guess what, the beautiful lady in brown that was with them was her. We’re like, what??? We failed to formally introduce ourselves to her because I thought that she’s in Manila but she’s also here in Davao. What a very supportive mom. We proceeded to the Gaisano Mall atrium for their promotion on Bobson. We arrived there about one and a half hours earlier for the show. I called tita Myra again and asked her what hotel they are staying. And then I asked her if we could get a backstage-pass to formally introduce ourselves to her and to Japoy as well. Then she told us that it’s ok. So we waited for them to arrive at the mall. She told us that they’re on their way. So we prepared our cameras, we have the Polaroid, video cam, and the digicam. Then they arrived. The program started with games. After the games, the hosts welcomed Japoy. Then Japoy popped out from the backstage and the deafening yells of his fans welcomed him. He serenaded us with a song entitled “Harana”. He can sing pretty well. What a talented guy. So full of surprises. Turned out to be an athlete, a dancer, a drummer, and whoa, a singer as well. Cool!!! After the song, fans were given the chance to ask questions. So after the QA portion, the next one’s Karel. She serenaded us with two songs. After the program they had an autograph signing but we didn’t make an effort to line up with the crowd, ang hirap kasi makipagsiksikan eh. Ang dami talagang tao. We noticed many things about Japoy. He’s a bit shy, and very hushed, not to be expected from a celebrity like him. Pero ok lang, the good thing is that, he is he. I called tita Myra again asking for the chance of a formal talk with them at the backstage. I told her our location, near the backstage near Greenwich. We were so surprised to see her approaching us with a smile saying “Hello sa inyo. Sinong Kuja sa inyo?”, then I said, “Ako po tita.” So we shook hands and I introduced myself to her immediately then I also introduced my friends to her. She took us a picture. She said, “Sige, mamaya pagkatapos ng autograph signing nila, dadalhin ko siya dito”. We couldn’t even imagine what we’ve just heard. Then she stepped up to the backstage. We patiently waited but tita Myra texted me that they were being assessed the other way. So we opted to go to the other side of the stage and not let the chance pass by. Japoy’s fans followed him near the exit towards their van. Ang hirap makasingit. The cool thing is that, tita Myra really went back to where she promised to meet us (super bait talaga) even though they went the other way. The fact that she even exerted an effort to go back really touched us. She is a woman of integrity. She apologized because we weren’t able to have a formal talk with Japoy. The next few lines that she said struck us, and it goes something like this: “Pasensya ha kasi sa kabila kasi kami pinadaan eh, paalis na din kami pabalik sa hotel, kung gusto niyo pumunta na lang kayo sa hotel mamayang gabi.” At the back of our minds, our reaction was “What?!?!?!?!?!? Totoo ba yung narinig namin?” Like, tita Myra just invited us at the hotel? Grabeh talaga eh, super bait. The special treatment she gave us was one of a kind. We accepted her invitation. Then she left for the van and we bid her goodbye. Meanwhile, we went to Donna’s house to rest and made some preparations for the biggest event that will take place in our lives. I asked tita Myra through text what time they will be available and where inside the hotel we are going to meet her and Japoy. She replied and told me that they will be having their dinner first and to wait for her text. We waited until around 9:00 p.m. when she gave us the cue that they are already available and she told me to text her if we’re already at the lobby of the hotel. We hastily fixed ourselves and told her we’ll be there in 10-15 minutes. We made it in time. We waited for about 5 minutes near the elevator when it suddenly opened and it was them already. It was really unexpected because the elevator is located far from the lobby but near the comfort room. We were about to head to the lobby when it suddenly opened and it was them already. It was only me, Theresa, Donna, Mona, JC, tita Myra, and Japoy. Totally free from the tulakan at the mall and agawan and unahan para makalapit lang kay Japs. And then there was dead air. But luckily, I made it back to my senses and approached Japoy. Then he offered his hand. I formally introduced myself and my friends to him. I shook his hand and he did the same thing to my friends as well. Then I approached his mom and did the same thing as well. Tita Myra and I talked, she welcomed us with a smile. Then she asked us things like: Magkaka-klase kayong lahat? Malapit lang pala bahay niyo dito? Anong year na kayo sa college? Etc… so the conversation flowed. So we took the opportunity what most fans dream of. Pictorial galore. We grabbed our video cam, Polaroid, and digicam. It took us about five minutes to take pictures of Japoy and with Japoy. After all the posing, the smiling, and everything in between, we showered them with pasasalamat for the time they spared just to let us meet them formally. This is a very memorable day. We totally admire tita Myra for her patience kahit super kulit na ako sa kaka-text at kaka-call sa kanya, pero ok lang man daw… she truly is a woman of integrity. And as for Japoy, thank you too. The chance you gave us will always be remembered. So ngayon, magkakakilala na talaga kami ng mom niya at siya. His mom said that Japoy will be joining the SEA GAMES (or something like that) this November. So after all the talk, we bid them goodbye, shook hands again, and showered them with pasasalamat for the nth time already. That’s it. Our day started not so well because of our Calculus exam but it ended very fulfilling. I can’t help but smile sa kabaitan na ipinakita nila...
6:08 PM