With A1: Ben Adams, moi, Christian Ingebrigsten and Mark Read

I was sent to cover the press con for The Greatest Hits Tour.

The story behind this photo:
We had a chance to ask more questions to A1 after the main conference. Everyone in the room was taking their group photo. Mark said that there was a space for a person to stand in. My friend went ahead, taking the offer (!). After her turn, I “teleported” beside Ben and Christian, which was a good thing since after my photo-op, some had to share the frame with people they don’t actually know.

Anyway, I found A1 to be extremely into music. I am just in awe with musicians who are involved in the songwriting process. Not to mention that they are involved with a charity in Cebu! Pogi points!

This is just first of the many ninja fangirl moments for this entire The Greatest Hits Tour. Maybe next time I should try waiting for my favorites at the airport and the hotel where they are billeted. XD

P.S. I was looking at backyard playground equipment on Google and I completely forgot about it because of this entry, LOL

I. WANT. TO. MEET. BLUE. I WAITED SEVEN YEARS FOR THEM TO COME BACK. I WILL NOT LET THE OPPORTUNITY SLIDE. No caps lock, no passion.

The Greatest Hits Tour Manila

The thing is, I don’t know how. No bundle with VIP tickets and the only contest as of the moment is on the Wilbros Live page (which is seriously awesome, because who in the world would have thought of bringing these acts together to perform, right?). I’m sharing their page as I type, and I can only hope that I actually win this contest and get a pass!

So my battlecry for now is…
♫ I refuse to give up, I refuse to give in, you’re my everything/I don’t wanna give up, I don’t wanna give in ♫

Sigh.

Amy Lee of Evanescence at SM Megamall Event Center

I thought the entire band would be there for the autograph signing, but then again, Amy Lee is Amy Lee!

Rock on, Amy Lee

I wish they just mounted the event at The Atrium instead of the Event Center for better lighting. Demanding? XD Anyway, here are my best snaps:

Okay I can't figure out my camera's shutter speed

A short chat with the voice talent

She could pass as Marie Digby's sister!

Getting ready for the autograph signing

Since the event was strictly an autograph signing session, there was no opportunity for a photo with Amy. But before I went up onstage, I found the chance to take a better photo. However, I forgot to change my settings. When will I ever learn?

The best shots end up blurry!

Since I expected a black marker, I didn’t think of having the CD signed. Then poof—Amy was using a white marker! Anyway, I had my old Fallen CD signed instead of the album I purchased. I chose to have that signed because it’s cute to say that I kept that CD for years and finally, THE Amy Lee held and signed it in front of me.

Evanescence "Fallen" signed CD

By the way, I got to shake her hand. And since the fangirl in me cannot find the right words to tell how much I love her music, I just muttered some standard stuff you say to foreign acts:

MM: Nice to finally meet you, Amy! [TAKE NOTE of the word "finally!" XD]
Amy: *I forgot what she said because I was too busy staring into her eyes*
MM: I hope you’re having fun in the Philippines [More fun in the Philippines, yo!]
Amy: Thank you so much. See you tonight.

I’m just sorry I couldn’t make it tonight, Amy.

Flowers in a box

I hate “The Lazy Song” and yet it’s exactly what’s happening to me. I hate this! Grr. I may have been into researching about sunrooms too much.

Meats galore

Oh chapchae, how I missed you.

Chapchae, tofu steak, spicy squid and beef stew

Anyway, let me just rave (again) on how awesome Sambokojin (and their staff) is. Here are the reasons why:

• The wait staff are stealthy when it comes to refilling drinks. I just took a sip and after a split second, the glass was full again. It’s amazing. I haven’t tried dining in the EDSA branch though, but I sure hope the same applies.

California Maki

• They are even stealthier when it comes to clearing used plates. I just set aside my empty plate and after a while, it magically disappears! They are the fastest among all buffets I have tried. Makes dining more fun and clean.

Grilling time

• They go the extra mile. I was just talking to my grandma who was busy getting some chapchae when one of the staff bent down to get me a plate. When I was getting some chili paste and both my hands were full, another staffer offered to bring that small saucer to my table. In other places, I need to ask the staff to do that. Or worse, nobody would bother.

Grilling meat

Sambokojin has a super team plus meats and cooked dishes that are more flavorful and delish than similar buffets in the metro. All that said, Sambokojin gets A for effort in my book. They just need to add something to keep guests entertained at the waiting area. I wish they’d come up with a loyalty/discount card for super fans like me! XD

Btw, since I am slowly enjoying Korean cuisine and I like lettuce, I ate lots and lots of samgyupsal while I was there.

Samgyupsal-ing at Sambokojin

If there’s one thing I really love about buffets, it’s that I get to try other cuisines without shelling out money on something my tastebuds are unfamiliar with. I learned to eat and enjoy sushi, sashimi and kimchi all because it’s there on the buffet spread. ♥