Please, Go Ahead And Faint
Come Back To Me Intro
Apple And Cinnamon + Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence
The crowd was screaming and everyone turned to the door at the back. It opened, and a bodyguard came out, then, after some more people, I could see the perfect figure of a cute little Asian girl with perfect skin and perfectly trimmed hair, glowing with her beautiful smile! U-TADA! U-TADA! She passed by me, with only a shelf separating us. I thought I was going to faint. Everything was so surreal. The Japanese superstar that I admired for so long was standing in front of me. She got up on stage and it was time for some interviews, fan questions, and Me Muero!
Utada's Entrance
U-TADA!
Me Muero
Utada’s Feeelings Towards Being Compared To Mariah
Utada’s View On Twitter
When you acquire a bracelet for the event, you also get a raffle ticket and you get the chance of winning 500 dollars of Sephora store credit. Utada was reading out the winner ticket and the number was 340052. I had 340060 and my father had 340050. I was so excited and when my father showed me his ticket, I wanted to turn back time to get that ticket! It could’ve been me shaking Utada’s hand and taking pictures with her. She was advised not take pictures and to not sign anything, so this only made it harder for me.
Some questions were quite amusing, like this one guy who said “Um… um… I LOVE YOU!” what a great question that is! Another fan was a bit more ambicious and asked “WILL YOU MARRY ME?!” Utada’s answer to that was that she got divorced a couple years ago so she’s going to wait a couple more before she decides to get married again.
You’re A Goddess, Utada!
Utada Speaking Japanese
Utada spent some time talking to the hostess and the fans and I was just mesmerized by her beauty! Her skin was truly flawless, her hairstyle, impeccable and everything about her was just amazing! I couldn’t believe that I was really in the same room as Utada! During the fan Q&A, I kept waving the fanbook up into the air, and I think it grabbed Utada’s attention and the hostess’ attention, but they didn’t say anything and picked people closer to the stage to ask her questions. I wasn’t picked because I was in the middle of the crowd, but if she had picked me I’d say “Utada, we made this fanbook for you all the way from Brazil and I’d like to know if you’d like to have it!” or something like this.
It was all really quick and suddenly, the hostess asks Utada to say her last words for the fans. I couldn’t believe it was ending so early… I thought the event was going to be at least one hour long, like the advertisement said, but it was maybe 20-30 minutes long. Probably because she needed to record her appearance at the Early Show. When she was walking back, all the fans locked outside started to slam against the door and all I could see were hands and flashes coming from that direction. It was pretty scary. All fans standing behind the same shelf as I was started waving albums and papers for Utada to sign, and I was waving the book. I guess I had an advantage because I was taller. Utada was waving at everyone, and looking at the shelf full of her items. When she saw the book, she stopped, a little confused and looked at the security people around her. She was looking at me and I was waving the book at her as for her to come near so I can give it to her. She looked a bit stunned as she came nearer and asked
Is this for me?
and I was shouting
It’s from Brazil!
but she didn’t seem to understand with all the fans screaming, even though I repeated it a few times, but then she took it and said
Thank you!
she looked beside me at a fan who wanted her to sign an album for him, so she did, even though she was advised not to. She’s so adorable. She then left with her red Sharpie and our Brazilian fanbook, kind of confused and thankful… and so beautiful.
Utada with our fanbook and a fan's Sharpie!
Utada signing a fan's album while holding our fanbook!
Utada’s Goodbye + Fanbook Delivery
After Utada had left, the lady in charge of the event was handing out signed Utada pictures to us. There was plenty to go around and my father and I each got one! I’m the proud owner of not one, but two pictures singed by Utada! I couldn’t be happier! We got to talk a little, which was really cute and I loved to share that moment with her! To think that she stopped just to get our fanbook! She’s the best. The trip to Miami was completely worth it and tomorrow I’m coming back to Brazil to show everyone how incredible Utada is!
Autographs + raffle ticket
I LOVE YOU, UTADA!
I came back from Utada’s Miami event a few hours ago and I feel so honored! I got there at 12 to get my bracelet and then left for the apartment to return when the event started. I met some really cool fans in line who were going to several wild parties… Which was kind of weird, but they were helping me out to get the bracelet, which was really nice of them! My father was parking the car, so he got his bracelet later. I met some really friendly people in line who liked the Brazilian fanbook I brought for Hikki:
Front and back of our Brazilian fanbook!
The introduction to our fanbook
Utada banner at the entrance of Sephora
Fans waiting to get their bracelets
The lady handing out bracelets advised getting there before 6:30 because it’s when the store opens its doors to the bracelet-wearing fans and after everyone’s in, the people without bracelets can come in. My father and I got there at 6.
He left me in line to park the car and come back. He forgot the fanbook made by us over at Utada.com.br in the car, so he had to run back to the parking lot and bring it to me. When he returned, the fanbook drew quite a bit attention yet again and one of the people in line thought I should just go in because I came from so far away! Imagine his surprise when I said I came from Brazil after he was discussing that people from New York were coming to Miami for this event. After some time talking and making fan bonds, the line started to grow and more fans were coming:
Ahead, the line to get in Sephora
The back of the line to get into Sephora
Some promotion of "This Is The One" for the fans!
The people were really sweet and supporting of my difficult mission. My father and I stayed in line for a while, wondering if they would favor bracelet-wearing people over the braceletless ones, and kept a close watch of the line. The really nice man behind us (To whom I explained about the book) said that we should go to the front of the line and explain it all. That’s we were doing when people started coming in. They were favoring the magical little yellow bracelets we kept wrapped around our arms, afterall! Really excited with the loud music and the rush of getting near the stage, we came into the store.
There wasn’t a way for us to directly go to the stage, across the store, we needed to go around the store and remain within the area where the shelves are located. About half the store was crowded and the rest of the people (Who were late for the event, I think), remained outside, watching us from there. The hostess was really fun and got the crowd really excited even before Utada got there! She told us to put up our cellphones and cameras,
Cellphones and cameras!
(The girl standing out in the picture because of her pink outfit is dressed up as Miracle Hikaru)
because this is not something we’d like to miss! She also said that if we’d like to faint, we should feel free to do so, since it might grab Utada’s attention and we’d get to meet her. This is a great way to meet Utada, only I don’t have the courage to faint in front of everyone like that. The hostess brought everyone’s excitement to the roof by putting on Utada’s new album really loud in the shop, and her interest in the tracks was really exciting too! She gave really good introductions to the songs that got the fans screaming and singing along like crazy! We also made a gang sign for Utada, what was making a U shape with our hands and screaming “Utada” over and over. What a great gang we were!
U-TADA! U-TADA!
After warming us up for some Utada, the hostess says “put your hands together for Utada!” and I completely freeze. It was quite sudden, actually, so I wasn’t expecting Utada’s arrival to be so abrupt. I looked behind me and waited anxiously to see my pop idol come out the door and pass by to greet us.
I hate missing school days. Maybe because I get the feeling that the world is spinning around me and while my surroundings are frozen, my classmates are in school, working hard and I’m missing all that they are doing. At least this time it’s for a great cause and I hope that this event doesn’t make Hikki so real to me as to make me lose interest in her. Sometimes that happens, but I think that with Hikki, it will only light that strong flame even more!
I hope that tomorrow I get to see her and give her the fanbook, and to make sure we’ll get a hold of every moment, my father and I went shopping today (As you can see from my brand new Twitter widget to the left) and my father bought himself a brand new video camera and he also bought me a brand new video/photo camera that has a resolution of 12.2 megapixels! I’m really excited for all the quality we’ll be able to offer to you guys that will be watching the event from the comfort of your homes! I’ll try to get there earlier and get a good spot to make it all easier.
I’m really nervous because one second of action or non-action can change everything and if I’m not aware of everything that is going on. Even though I booked my appointment, many of the things that happen in the event are independent of that, for example, the getting in. We need to stay in line to get a bracelet, which will be kind of like an entrance ticket. After we get in, the VIPs (People who booked an appointment) will get to take pictures with Utada and get her autograph! I plan on handing the book to her then!
I hope I don’t get too nervous at the time. My father will also be filming her reaction to the book so you can see her response as well as read about it! If Sephora has a Wi-Fi zone, be sure that if you’re connected to Twitter, you won’t miss anything!
I’m heading to the airport right now to leave for Miami! I’ll be arriving there thursday morning and friday I’ll see Utada at Sephora!
I’ve been reading about the Sephora event at Los Angeles and I see that the event in Miami might too turn out to be chaotic, so I’ll try to be there really early to get my entrance wristband and take my pictures, since I booked my appointment with Utada!
The fanbook looks amazing, even though the pages weren’t printed with a picture of Kuma Chang at the back like how it was intended to be, it looks amazing. It’s hardcover so it’ll last long and Utada can enjoy it while she’s in her plane back to Tokyo or New York. I’m so happy and I’ll be posting pictures of the fanbook and the autograph paper. I printed 6 copies of the autograph paper, one for each member of the Utada.com.br staff and the other for a lucky Brazilian fan who might get a hold of our dear Utada’s autograph!
Check out my latest ventures in Miami through my brand new Twitter! I think I’ll be using it a lot in the future, so add me if you want! I’ll be more than happy to know about your lives too!
I’ll publish more later, but now I need to get to the airport!
I’m so excited for next week!
Why, you ask…
Because I’m going to see Utada! In person! She’s going to be throwing a few listening parties here and there in the United States and perfectly, the last one is in Miami… Where I happen to own an apartment. It’s fate.
Everything was pretty last minute, though. I had little time to prepare everything, and my father still had to buy the plane tickets… That was already a problem, but when I discovered that my passport wasn’t valid anymore, I knew it was time to test the thesis about perseverance getting you anywhere you wish to be.
In one week, my father got the tickets (But unfortunately, I’m taking a plane on Sunday during the day, so I can’t sleep through it) and today I went after the passports and booked an appointment with the store to see Hikki. The passport might be coming out on Tuesday or Wednesday (The day I’m leaving), so it’s right in time! I really hope they arrive at that time, because if it’s any later, I’m going to let many people down.
Why, you ask…
Because, being a member of Utada.com.br, I love spreading the Hikki love, but this time, I’m spreading some Brazilian love to our favorite pop icon! I’m bringing Hikki a fanbook made by her fans from Brazil and the Utada.com.br staff. The instructions are right here, but keep in mind it’s only for Brazilian fans!
Like I said, the passport isn’t here yet, so keep in mind that the trip might be cancelled due to that slight detail, but keep your hopes up and positive things might come our way!
I read that there will be gifts for the people that stop by! I hope it’s some kind of Hikki goodies bag or a Japanese copy of This Is The One (Since the American version wasn’t released yet… Or maybe it’s the American version of This Is The One for that same reason…) so she can sign it for me!
I really wanted to have other people come with me so we have stories to share… Maybe a friend or we could’ve made this an Utada.com.br visit with the whole staff… It’s too bad it’s so last minute because it would have been so much fun!
I’m going to keep everyone updated about the event through Utada.com.br and maybe here as well! I’m going to try and post many pictures and videos about the event as well as reports. I hope you enjoy the coming posts!
Some time back, I was talking to Mr. raphachan and he happened to make 3 great headers for me! Here they are:
They’re all really cute and show a lot of personality! The second one features Utada’s crush in her music video for Can You Keep A Secret?, and his name is Pino! Really cute, right?
Anyway, we were just talking over MSN, and a really fun moment was when we were commenting on Tommy February6’s song, Lonely In Gorgeous, when out of the blue, I said:
I feel like listening to the song now
and he said
I feel like listening to the remix now
and this is exactly what he told me in the first day we actually got to talk. I’m his defective alter ego/clone… We like the same things, only slightly differently… I like Womanizer, he likes Break The Ice, I like original songs, and he’s a remix addict… but this only makes things a lot more fun! It’s fun having a defective alter ego!
After our moment of defective synchrony, he sent me a few more headers that are also great:
Thanks, raphachan for the great headers! They’re great and it means a lot that you spent time on creating them for me!
Utada’s new English album, THIS IS THE ONE is an amazing album! I’m going to pre-order it as soon as I can!
To begin with all the wonderful news and updates on Utada’s American career, Her official website in Island Records was updated! Now the homepage of Island Records is decorated with Utada as well! Feel free to check out her homepage! (Utada) I created an account on the website and we’ll see how that goes! All of her new promotional pictures look amazing! Really cute and similar to her adorable Japanese promotional pictures.
Get ready because soon I’ll be reviewing THIS IS THE ONE in a²fiction, and it’s probably going to be high-rated! I’ll try to make the comments as fun as possible, though!
I love basically all the songs from THIS IS THE ONE… from On and On to This One (Crying Like A Child)! I’ll save up on the details for everyone to read it on a²fiction! I’m having some thoughts about the overall view of the album that are good to mention!
I also have a recently created iLike account! You can check out what I’m listening to here! Through iLike, you can check out what I’ve been listening to and what artists I like! They come straight from my iTunes library so whenever I listen to a certain song, it’ll be added to my ‘recently played’ list! It’s really fun and I hope that if you make/have an iLike account, you’ll add me! Be sure that if you do create an iLike account, you’ll request many Utada concerts in Brazil!
I’m really excited for this month’s releases, and I’ll try to put up as many reviews as I can even if I’ll be kind of busy with my school projects! Next up: BoA’s debut album on the 17th!
I think BoA and Utada have really amazing material for their American careers so I’m really excited for both of them!
BoA, who is releasing her first English album in 5 days had a signing scheduled in the Virgin Megastore facility in Hollywood. It was cancelled, only not due to the fact that BoA can’t attend or conflicts with the schedule, it’s just that Virgin will be closing up its remaining stores in the United States and it’s predicted that by May 2009, only 3 Virgin Megastore shops will be open in the United States.
This is really sad. I remember when there was a Virgin Megastore shop near my house in Miami and it was my favorite store there. I used to spend so much time just looking at all the music in there, finding things I liked and looking at things I could like. When it closed up, a few years back, I was shocked. I had no idea that it closed until I actually went to the mall and saw it was no longer there… All the posters of new releases, artists, and other things up for pre-order were all brought down. Never again did I find all the albums I wanted in a single walk through a store. I find myself going crazy looking for the CDs I want in a huge number of shops.
Probably the economic crisis and the fact that people nowadays can’t do something legal and actually buy the albums they want. My favorite thing to do is buy albums… It’s like the complete package. The booklet, the album, maybe a bonus DVD, and you’re supporting the work of the artist, so they can continue doing what they do. Some people can’t afford it, and I understand, but the music business is falling apart and it’s thanks to us… The people that the artists live for. It’s unfair that they work so hard to get an album out and we just download it off the internet, not appreciating what they put out there.
Soon the music industry will be like nothing we’ve ever seen before… possibly for the worst. Before, artists were seen as poor vagrants that stand on the streets, now, they’re rich, beautiful people with talent and that know how to use it. If we keep all the illegal activity, who knows how hard singers will fall from their thrones?
I think that music is important in everyone’s lives, and nobody wants to see the people they admire, broke. At least I don’t. Today it might be Virgin, but tomorrow, the whole musical business could break apart.
Now that such talented Asian singers like Utada and BoA are releasing new English-language albums with complete potential of making it into the American market, we’re going to spoil it for them?
I love being a blog-writer! I met many amazing people through my blog and many amazing people I know are/were blog-writers. Lately some people have been adding me to their blogroll, which is truly an honor to me! I’ve also been adding some people that I think have something really good going on with their own blogs. Some are no longer active, but others are active and lovin’ it!
Not only have I met incredible people on WordPress, but also in Utada.com.br, the fansite that I work for as a translator. I love both my jobs as a blog-writer and as a translator because I get to communicate with with people that share the same interests as me, only with different opinions! Blog-writers rock!
Adonias Junior: I don’t know if he’s an active or inactive blog-writer… Probably inactive, unfortunately. He’s the boss over at Utada.com.br and an amazing and charismatic writer! He’s certainly really good with his words and really friendly towards people! Mr. Boss is certainly really fun to talk to and I admire his skills as a writer and a web-designer!
cucupan: Owner of the best Japanese cover art website I know and a really fun and polite person. When I asked for some help with a²fiction, he was so supportive, and gave me really good suggestions for artists I could review! He has a really cute avatar picture and I loved to get to know him since I’m a great fan of his and he’s so friendly!
Arisa: My first blogspot link and also a new reader to my blog just like I’m a new reader to Aesthetic Rhapsody. We both have review blogs so it’s good to look at how the other one is doing and possibly receive good reviewing recommendations! Arisa covers music ranging from Ayumi Hamasaki to anime and the reviews are really clear!
.nodame: I’ve been reading her blog because I love everything about it! Her writing style is unique, clear, humorous and her opinions are so incredible! She’s also really sweet to her readers and takes opinions into consideration even if she’s against it! Her blog is certainly one of the best on Asian pop culture because of the uniqueness and everyone’s opinions on what she writes about! There’s a little bit of everything and I love to check it out! I mean, a girl who put up a picture of her wearing bunny ears certainly has style, edge and awesomeness!
chrisgg: One of my closest friends. She’s Korean and came to Brazil because of her father’s job, but completely won our hearts because of her cuteness, her hilarious quotes and absolutely cute way of speaking in English. She’s not an active blog-writer anymore, and all her posts are gone, basically, except for one she wrote in October of 2008. We still love her, even though she’s not showing us her writing talents anymore.
lsn2aki: The first review blog I added to my blogroll and the author has really good comments for each track reviewed. I usually agree with everything I read on Distant Kingdom and it’s an honor to have lsn2aki read my blog! Distant Kingdom is a really good review blog that mixes eastern and western music with really witty reviews!
heysup and Cinny: A pair of BFFs who I happen to know from school and that keep a really cute, organized blog with a warm group of friends that comment on each post! Their opinions can be quite unpredictable and a bit random sometimes, but that’s what makes them so hilarious and unique to read about! A couple of really creative, fun friends.
empress: How could I even write a post about my favorite blog-writers without mentioning my first contact with other blog-writers and the creator of my favorite gothic blog, Ms. EmpressOfDrac! A fun blog-writer with awesome writing skills and really creepy posts! I love them, though. She has really original points of view on many controversial topics and I love her honesty about them.
jenniferbq: My hilarious computer teacher who decided to become a blog-writer! Her blog is filled with sweetness, really hilarious moments and her point of view on those moments are so precious. She writes with wittiness, humor and warmth about her family and friends. She has an amazing personality and a joy to talk to and read about!
raphachan: I met him over at Utada.com.br and our conversations are just priceless! We started our review blogs almost at the same time, so I have a fellow blog-writer to share my opinions with! He calls me his defective alter ego, which I guess could be true, since we like the same type of music but different songs (Most of the time, by the same artist). He’s one hilarious writer.
sushiseaweed: One of my recent readers and I’m one of sushi’s recent readers too! sushi commented on my page and I noticed I had read Sushi’s Obsessions before and I had loved sushi’s opinion on Ayu’s Rule/Sparkle single. Straight to my blogroll.
Sofy: One of my best friends and also a blog-writer. Sofy has so much talent as a writer, and it’s too bad that she’s no longer an active blog-writer, because her posts are filled with personality and the topics she writes about are mostly trivial, but she mixes up humor with her cuteness and beautiful use of vocabulary to entertain the readers with lots of news about her favorite actress, Alyson Hannigan and about her life too! Her blog is honest, cute and witty!
annefisler and gina: Baby C (gina) is currently an inactive blog-writer, but her mother, annefisler is, but every once in a while, Baby C is featured in her mom’s blog as a guest writer and as a model! The blog is always really cute, full of personality and pumpkins! The posts are so sweet, and it’s about how annefisler is going through cancer and the wonderful moments she spends with friends and family! A heartwarming blog.
pamelagherini: I guess the title of her blog already gives you an image of the author! there was never a genius without a tincture of madness is a pretty good title in my opinion! Also a personal friend from school who mixes many different things in her writing. Brazilian culture, politics, music, her life, it’s a pretty random blog but with really interesting posts!
laulane: Laura is a romantic girl with a romantic blog. She has a really positive aura to her and her blog has that same quality. She’s still a beginner, but she writes really well, and a it’s a pleasure to read posts by her! Her blog is a mixture of reality with dance and lots of friendship. She’s also a friend from school.
carytelio: A Shakespeare fan and a girl that loves to laugh at anything. She’s also a friend from school who started her solo blog-writing before Sofy and I. She’s also the first one that quit, though… She writes occasionally and her posts are really cute and funny, so it’s always special when she does write.
It’s my pleasure to know so many awesome people over the internet and to know so many awesome people who decide to publish their lives on the internet!
Thank you anyone who has added HEART STATION or a²fiction to their blogroll or bookmarked it and to anyone that has contributed to the 30,000 views of HEART STATION!
I’m listening to It’s Like That by Mariah Carey, a song that (Like many others) takes me back, and it reminds of such a great time. Most of the singles off The Emancipation of Mimi do, it’s just such an incredible album, so much spirit and the vocal performance that only Mariah can offer. It’s Like That is also the first Mariah Carey song that I heard in my life.
Anyway, the song is about living your life and leaving all the stress behind, relaxing, and the overall vibe of the song and Mariah’s soothing vocals really contribute to that mood of having a good time for just this night. All of this optimism is so good to hear, especially when I’m in the core of projects with science fair coming up and with other teachers not hesitating to test us every class. Made me realize the changes I’ve gone through since the time I listened to this song for the first time to now, when I’ve listened to it last. It’s so weird thinking this way… That only 4 years can make such a difference. I was 11 back then, and now I’m 15, time is going too fast for me.
I used to be quite a negative child. Honestly, I don’t know how my friends were able to keep up with my mood swings and with my negativity and still like me in the process. Today, these are my real friends. I see now that being negative isn’t an option in life. I used to play around with so many serious things and I don’t know what I was thinking, but I’m glad I’ve matured enough to realize this.
I would never have imagined as a 6th grader that I would grow to be a blog writer, J-Pop lover, and a person who manages not to mention anything depressing every time I speak. I keep wondering how I would react if I took a look at HEART STATION and a²fiction at such a young age and see what would be up ahead. I think I’d be a little scared by how much I changed. Hell, it’s even easy to notice the difference from On Our Way (Back in 2007) to HEART STATION.
I like changes, but I hate them. Negative changes have a high probability of happening, like when somebody dies, when you feel overwhelmed and when nothing in your life is working out, but positive changes do happen, you need to work hard, but when they show up, they outshine the shadow of the negative ones, like when have that heavy weight off your shoulders after completing what you needed to, when you try out something you always wanted to, when you go somewhere new. There are many possibilities for either of these changes and I’m happy to share them both, and I’m sure that if 6th grade me was to read what 9th grade me had to write, he’d be really happy, even through the negative times, because if it did make me more positive person who is happy with himself, let go of that shell and is willing to do what it is necessary to be happy, it’s worth it!
