I don’t have any fanpics or fancams uploaded from the fan meeting since I was busy preparing for that day.  I live north outside of Seoul, about an hour and 15 minutes away from the Airen 6 FM.  By the time I had arrived, it was almost 4:30pm and I quickly got in line to get my tickets and Airen souvenirs. Unfortunately, all the Airen t-shirts were sold out but I was able to purchase a Seung Gi badge and a lightstick. Here comes my defining moment…As I turned to walk towards the coffee shop, I saw the big easel covered with post-it messages, mostly in Korean, some in English. The title of the easel was “Find the Best Airen”.  You had to write an accomplishment or something you did because of Seung Gi. I was almost going to pass it by since I never win these kinds of events. However, everyone else was doing it and I figured why not? Just for kicks. I asked for a post it note and on it, I had written in Korean,”I opened a blog for International Airens”. I never imagined it would get picked since there were soooo many post it notes on the easel. Here, take a look at the easel as the staff take it away backstage:

Credit: beauty7290

Afterwards, I took some photos at the Airen photozone with the Seung Gi standees and had some ice coffee, DM’d a few Airen friends, and fixed my makeup before entering the venue. Famous Korean comedian Kim Young Chul came out and got the crowd excited for Seung Gi’s appearance on stage. I was stuck in Section E, the worst place since it’s way in the back, but luckily I wasn’t too far back. Seung Gi came out and everyone was really excited and cheered for him. He opened up with “Will You Marry Me?” and everyone cheered. Afterwards, there were between the scenes photos of him in Japan after wrapping up YAAS and then a candid heart to heart talk with the MC about SG’s favorite songs vs the Top 5 Airen Songs.  Seung Gi of course chose ‘Because You’re My Woman’ as his favorite. Then the MC asked him about guessing the Airen’s top 5 and he listed the following:

SG’s Guess for the other 4 songs:

2. Let’s Break Up

3. Return

4. Cry Out

5. Delete

Airens’ Actual Top 5:

1. Return

2. Because You’re My Woman

3. Love Taught Me to Drink

4. Delete

5. Words of Love/Cry Out

Then they went over Airens’ pick of the top 5 Best Scenes:

1.  Brilliant Legacy~ Kiss on the Bridge

2. YAAS~ When Ji Yong runs away to Masan and sits on the beach with his mother’s illusion

3.  The King 2 Hearts~ Cherry Blossom Proposal Scene

4. The Gu Family Book~ Backhug with Yeo Wool

5. My Girlfriend is a Gumiho~ Ninja action scene

Okay, I was fine up to this point. Then came more prize giveaways. YAAS Scripts, clothes, shoes, and even banana milk! To win these, these were the categories that you had to meet:

#1. For the white t-shirt that Seung Gi wore for the first half of YAAS, you had to be an Airen who came from the farthest country. A Toronto fan won it.

#2. If you had the same birthday as Seung Gi, or your birthday was on August 24th, the day of the fan meet, or on Seung Gi’s debut day, you were also eligible for special prizes.

#3. Next gifts went to the oldest and youngest fans in the audience. One person who was born in 1940 won and an 11 year old girl from China won for the youngest.

I’ll upload pics when I have time, I just got off work and overwhelmed with my fan account that I have yet to write and all the photos that are floating around twitter.  Most of you have already seen them anyway. ^^

Ok, this is where my fan account begins. Next, the staff brought out the “Best Airen” Easel with all the post its and Seung Gi read some of them aloud and interacted with the fans. He admitted that he had actually read them backstage but I couldn’t have imagined that he would have picked mine out of all those post its.  After reading through more post its, he finally reached mine and read it aloud. Then he paused and explained to the audience that it is really difficult for overseas fans to get news about him in English since everything is in Korean. He flipped the back for a name and there wasn’t one so he asked whose it was. Without me knowing, I stood up and shouted,”It’s mine!”.  Then a staff member came to me with a mike to say something but I lost my chance since I was too stunned and they moved onto other post its. Seung Gi said that he would definitely choose my post it before reading through some more. His fan service was really excellent as usual and made everyone so happy.

Credit: dclsg

I thought the MC and Seung Gi were going through more posts to find better ones until he finally went back to my post it and took it from the easel. He asked me to come up on stage and that’s when I started freaking out but not really knowing that I was. I guess I was too dazed because all I remember is hearing a security guy telling me to hurry up to the stage. As I approached the steps to the stage, I saw Seung Gi looking at me and I was happy, nervous, excited, and just shocked to be picked. I greeted him in Korean and shook his hand. They were so soft as my Airen friends had told me. Then I was handed a mike and the MC asked me to introduce myself. I first introduced myself in Korean very briefly because my voice was shaking so much. Then I spoke in English and said, “Hello, my name is Elise Min and some of you may have read my blog. It’s an honor to be up here. I hope to meet many of you after the fan meet.” Gosh..Now I’m like “Why did I say that?” It just sounds lame to me now.

Then Seung Gi seemed really curious about how I started my blog and I just told him that I try to blog on a regular basis because of my profession. Then he asked me about my blog and I told him about my readers, especially those in the Philippines..that they really wanted him to visit. I also mentioned Malaysia and Indonesia. Seung Gi laughed since I was rattling off a list of countries, but it was comforting and cute.  He was doing his best to put me at ease since I told him as I came up on stage that I was Korean-American [Born in Korea (I am 100% Korean by blood) but immigrated to the USA at the age of 3~ so please don’t expect my Korean pronunciation to be perfect and full of slang like a native Korean who grew up in Korea] I also told him that his English was really good at KCON and he told me that he had just memorized it.  He asked me some questions about translating and I mentioned that I also subbed for Viki.com and was the one who subbed his interview with Eric Nam on the red carpet at KCON.  He was sincerely surprised and smiled.

I was freaking out (like hyperventilating, LOL)  and anyway, the MC asked me where in the USA I was from so I told him. He said to me “Oh, so you’re near New York.” I was just too nervous to say much so I said yes.  He then asked me if I had a wish to ask of Seung Gi. I just stared at Seung Gi while he was sooo sweet to me. He crouched down to my eye level and asked me what he could do for me.  OMG! I was ready to freak out. My mind went blank and all I remember saying was that I wasn’t a sasaeng fan or anything and I hadn’t really thought about it. Then I said I would love to have an autograph if possible. I mentioned that “someone more well known” than me “had your autograph recently at KCON” and Seung Gi just gave me this blank look as if he was asking,”Who?” Ouch!  That’s another story, but quite an unpleasant one since that’s how I started this blog. 

I couldn’t tell Seung Gi and the audience about that or all the horrible things that person and the organization that supported her did to try to stop me from spreading his love and news. Luckily, the official fanclub remained neutral and many members gave me a lot of support after the fan meet.  Seung Gi had healed so much of the wounds from the atrocious things they did to try to stop me from blogging.

He recognized my blog as one for International Airens at the fan meet and I am so honored.  ♥ I gave him my blog address and I thanked him again as I shook his hand once more at the end of the fm, this time, more like a slight touch since there were so many fans. He said thanks and I still remember the softness of his fingers. Kyaaah!

A photographer was already there and Seung Gi said he would take a photo with me and sign it. The man taking the polaroid photos took the first one too far away, so he asked for another one. The second one is the close up, and is the one that came out nice. He signed the first one to: Elise and the second to my twitter id, to elisem1902. Here are the photos of me and Seung Gi:

Seung Gi signing my photo for me

Credit: 펄민트 via dclsg

Credit: 참뽕

Me and Seung Gi~ thanks to the dclsg fan for the photo. Even though my face is covered, I was THAT close to him. OMG. Hyperventilating again. ♥

Credit: 빛나다

Seung Gi signing my photos for me. 🙂

After I received the photos from him I bowed and thanked him once again and as I was about to leave the stage,  the MC asked me if I didn’t want to hug Seung Gi. I turned around and he was standing there with a smile ready to give me one. I told myself, “Why not, this kind of opportunity doesn’t come easily” so I took the plunge and he gave me the warmest full hug. I still remember the warmth of his chest and his sweet fragrance. It in itself was so healing. Thank you so much Seung Gi for everything you did for me.  You’ve given me the strength to continue blogging no matter what happens. ♥

Credit: 빛나다

Credit: 펄민트 via dclsg

Seung Gi with open arms ready to hug me. ♥

 

Fan account by Elise Min, Lee Seung Gi Forever