LIBERA MEET & GREET, oct. 23, 2011, SM d'block atrium (PART TWO)

i thought we'll occupy the entire atrium so i rushed to where this crowd was and my daughter screamed as i was entering the wrong venue! there were 2 events today, actually. one was a competition of some sorts (never bothered to find out what it was) and the M & G. like last year, we queue in line to get our numbers. and just like in the past one has to buy their CD & get a poster for the boys to sign. that's 400 pesos. we settled on the empty seats in the middle of the area. i wonder who were supposed to take the empty seats on our left - heard somebody that one just needed to buy an SM eco-bag to get in but won't be allowed to go up the stage for the autograph signing. i was numero 74. then came familiar faces - yuki and her mom...yes, the globe-trotting yuki who is everywhere when libera makes a concert. she has been to london, canada, USA then went again to europe to watch stefan's opera in vienna. then here at the PICC on tuesday, cebu on the 29th and london again next month. "yuki-san, if libera will hold a concert on the moon, you'll get front row seats again", hah hah - very dedicated...

then my favorite libera fan, sofia r., who came along with her friends, diana & angelica. OMG, even my daughter noticed sofia to be extra beautiful today! ohhh, i just love the looks on these teenagers!! riel sacop came with a friend; irvin flores texted me; mia fortugaleza came with friends - ohhh, i love their shirts, too (i have pics to show later); eric paulin made us sign something to greet josh on his b-day (sorry eric for the bold letters, heh heh); and jack evasco, whom i met for the first time. true to his word, he had his camera with him & wasted no time getting pictures of just about everything & everyone.

carmela went up the stage for the first batch - liam, kavana, sammy, alex, JB and the rest of the newbies. i simply enjoyed the view from afar & walked around to take more pictures of the crowd. then it dawned on me why my friend, mitch young wasn't around. actually, i already called mitch from the house to ask if he was going - he was on duty (being a male nurse at the ortho). texted him again and really prodded (was it commanded, mitch? hah hah) him to join us. he came about an hour later, surprisingly with just a digicam & celfone on hand - no professional camera! little did i know that mitch's presence would bring a lot of surprises! from my stupidity to finally getting acquainted with our new "friend" now, andy winter. yiheeey!

it was my turn now to meet the second batch - josh, matthew, cassius, HB, stefan and another set of newbies. i was no. 22 so i was among the first to be called. i told mitch i'd sneak him in (make arte-arte, if you know what i mean...). so upon reaching the start of the line, i requested that mitch stay beside me to take pictures as my hands are not that steady anymore in taking pictures (hah, the perks of being old!!) "ok", go ahead - no problemo. it wasn't my steady hands that was the problem after all.. it was my brain! just as i started getting to HB, i clicked on the video mode- wah, it was a breeze! i knew i had the best video ever! getting to josh was quite exciting as he was ever smiling - way past stefan, matthew madine even - - then i took the chance to request josh to personalize his greeting (josh, whatever happened to your GCSE that you suddenly forgot to spell my name???) so it took a while because i dictated each & every letter of my name to him, even congratulated him on his GCSE. with matthew, i asked how old he was, twice. this boy is sooooo shy, i never understood his reply,though. hah hah now comes cassius. i asked him to "meow" twice which he did with gusto - nice boy! and the grand dame slowly descended the stage to the waiting hand of manong guard (mitch caught this moment!)

back at my seat to review the video - NADA!!!!! so carmela asked if i turned on the red button? WHAT RED BUTTON????? (which i already rehearsed minutes before my number was called). i wanted to bang my head on the floor!!! how can me at this age & event be soooooo stupidly stupid!!! mitch, who was at my side was the one taking his own vid & pics so i had to ask him later to furnish me pics & vids of my own stupidity.. dammmeeet! imagine, had mitch decided not to come to the event, i will have no, as in nothing of the 2nd batch boys...