Finale... back home

1st January – It’s a May-Day

Close to 12.30am, I finally squeezed my way out of the massive crowd of people and aimed in the direction of where I had earlier seen a queue for the auto session.

To my confusion, that queue was gone, and instead there were just so many people sitting all around and once again going in many different directions. I felt lost but perhaps there really was an angel looking down on me that day. It kept me safe and it guided me to the right places…

五月天簽名會！！還沒拿號碼牌的，請到聖誕樹下索取！
All of a sudden, I saw someone hold up a loud hailer and began shouting…

It captured the attention of the crowd of people around me, including a group of girls who began exclaiming 聖誕樹！快! It didn’t matter that I didn’t hear the first announcement clearly, because it was this bunch of girls that woke me out of my confused state. Yes, Christmas tree, that’s just where I need to go to! But where is it?

Didn’t take me much effort to find it, because the very same group of girls didn’t take more than 1 sec to react and dash with top speed towards the right (it would be what we call, cheong ah!!). I followed them as quick as I could and spotted the Christmas tree when I turned the bend. It wasn’t easy following them because of the crowd also coming towards us in the opposite direction. I soon lost them but got to the tree eventually.

Under the tree were 2 booths, one to obtain the number tags and the other to purchase albums. Then I caught sight of a familiar face… it was SH’s look alike… hahah.. poor thing, the whole company must be out right now just for this one event.

I eventually got my number tag after following the queue around 2 corners of the small tent and feeling it would be stupid to just follow till the very last person (as it would only get longer and longer), I cut my way into the middle of the queue hahaha (man I would never do that again). Please forgive me, whoever was behind me.

I was number 1865. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw that number. What did this number mean? What did the number tag mean? Was I supposed to find who was before me and sit in queue until my turn? These questions might have sounded stupid to the local fans there, but this was truly a situation we would never experience here. I clutched the tiny piece of paper tightly with all my life, afraid to lose it and face the consequence of ending up behind another 1000 or 2000 fans! (it never left my hands as I roamed around the entire area wondering what to do).

Once again, my angel watching over me helped me catch sight of a couple holding the numbers 1864 and 1863. I decided to stalk them and evaluate if I should try to befriend them. Things won’t go too wrong if I could keep up with them.

They didn’t head towards any queue as I would expect but instead, found their way towards the stage. At that point, I was still wondering if I needed to queue and maybe following them was a wrong choice. Yes, stupid again.. I know =(. But I thought, heck… since the stage is just before me, why don’t I just begin taking some photos of the whole event.

1 am came．“讓我們來歡迎台灣著名ＤＪ黃世杰！” A voice announced through the loud speakers. The crowded cheered as shijie went on stage. What he was talking about at that time, I didn’t really remember. All I could recalI l was him calling for the first 50 and then first 100 to queue at the left side of the stage. That was also the point that I finally understood their queueing system. If you still haven’t got it, it meant that with your number tag, you just have to wait till your number is called in batches and you will have your turn to go up on stage for the auto session.

As shijie welcomed md on stage, everyone’s cameras and phones were raised high up in the air. I did the same too, trying to at least capture a photo for memory-sake but it really didn’t help that the stage was built so low and all I could capture, were people’s heads… They didn’t talk for too long and promptly started with the auto session.

For a good half an hour or so, I really didn’t know what to do or where to go. I didn’t dare to wander too far off, because I wouldn’t be able to hear the progression of the queue. I squatted at the side of the pillar trying to call SH once again.. but still, there wasn’t any signal; I walked around the area surveying others who were seated comfortably but everyone was in groups and it wasn’t nice to invade the space of others; other fans asked me where I got my number tag (that if you remember I was clasping tightly in my hand still) and where to queue; I tried to catch glimpses of md through the mass of heads and people moving around on stage. That was when I told myself…. Enough. I really ought to find somewhere else to sit down and replenish my energy with food and drinks.

I returned in the direction of where I remember the mobile toilet was and found myself in a little park where there weren’t many people sitting. Concluded that it would be a good place for me to eat and drink, as well as make a call back to Singapore yet not attract too much attention to myself.

And as luck would have it, I finally got through to SH at 1.30am. While I was there, I also had a 飯糰 and gave a call to Nic whom I had promised to call, since the mafia were all at QH’s house that night. As time passed, I decided I should make use of the mobile toilet not far away from me and then return to the stage to check out how the queue was progressing.

Now… mobile toilets are usually not interesting topics. But my life just got more interesting simply by queuing for this toilet. It was shaped a lot like a caravan (not those individual cubicles that we are used to here). A queue of guys and gals formed outside the toilet and I was the 3rd in the queue when 2 vehicles loaded with tubes and pumps stopped along the sides of the toilet. This created a flutter among the people in the queue who began to guess if the tubes were meant to pump water into the toilet or worse yet…. It would mean that the waste was about to be pumped out from the toilet!

They weren’t wrong, because both of what they guessed, did happen =_=. Very very ‘swiftly, someone dragged a tube into the toilet and began washing.. water came gushing down the steps and so did tissue paper and all sorts of rubbish. The 2 girls in front of me began to take steps backwards, leaving me in front of the queue instead. That was when, another man very un-swiftly dragged a large grey tube to the front of the queue and opened a latch in which he stuffed the tube into. Let me emphasize that as he dragged these tubes, they were wading around dangerously close to the feet of the people in the queue. You just wouldn’t want to be hit by one of those….

Because within seconds, waste was being pumped out of the toilet. Gosh… you wish they made those tubes less translucent…. I guess I don’t really have to elaborate from there.

At the end of the saga, the 2 vehicles rolled away, leaving the latch where the waste was pumped out of, opened =_=. Then the guardian angel came once again, in the form of a lady who came by to tell the queue of people that the toilet in the government building just opposite us was unlocked and we could use that instead.

………….. you mean, we queued up and had a good lesson on how mobile toilets are cleaned, all for nothing?

This was my new year’s day. Truly interesting and waste… errr, adrenalin pumping haha.

With that over, I made my way back towards the stage area. The queue had only reached 400. Didn’t take long before I was sitting back at the park again, but the morning was getting a little more chilly.

That was when I began to hear shijie’s voice in the distance, talking more than usual. Apparently, it turned out that md had gone on their first break and he was doing what he did best, entertain the crowd.

And he did draw in quite a large crowd haha. Just to share with everyone the gist of what he did and said in that break time…

1. 1,2,3 大家喊，五月天加油！
3,2,1 就要喊，油加天月五! (later when md got back on stage, he tried it with the crowd and masa stood up instantly to ‘k’ him hehe)
2. 買ＣＤ送門票，有沒有這樣做過？有噢! 可是還是要做！
3. 5minutes later… 買ＣＤ送門票，有沒有這樣做過？有噢! 剛才也有說過嘛
4. 誰敢留下來和我看日出？只要還有一個人還在，我一定不會走！．．可是不要害我噢，不要簽完了還故意不走，我也是人，也需要休息好嗎？

I wished I could video the whole thing or stay in front of that stage throughout just to see what else shijie had to say, because it was simply hilarious. When md came back on stage and resumed the auto session, the large crowd which had gathered to watch shijie, then dispersed and so, I went in search of a new place (at a closer proximity than the park) where I could rest yet be able to not miss the announcement for my number.

I soon found a nook in front of a side door of the department store where already a lot of other fans were sitting and leaning against the walls of the building. That nook was fantastic because it was a warm haven away from the cold wind. But still, it didn’t fail to get colder as time passed. Covering my neck with my warm warm scarf and clutching on to a 暖包, I dozed off….
I was asleep yet semi conscious… the number went from 800 to 1,400…
In between, I wanted to give up and return to the hostel, but I couldn’t. I had to do this for SH, for the mafia and for the fans in Singapore who couldn’t make it to this event.
I noticed camera men taking photos of the people sleeping (and probably me too.. yucks..) as well as staff with video cameras in hand…
Ignoring them, I dozed off again… and the next thing I knew… I heard them calling for the numbers 1900 and below to queue at the side of the stage.

It was 430am. I didn’t get up instantly because I was still in a daze, from having suddenly woken up. I was also shivering inside and my teeth were slightly chattering. I got up and tried to warm myself up before I found my way into the queue.

Other fans had already quickly formed a queue, including those 1900 and above. I couldn’t locate the numbers that were close to mine because the queue was moving so fast, so I had to ask a fan whose number was 1889 or so, to let me in front of her. She wasn’t too happy about it but she relented anyway.

Before I went up, I rehearsed in my mind what I should say to them. Because I knew that the time on stage would be very short as compared to what we were used to in Singapore, I was ready to talk as fast as I could and get the essential points across.

Masa was the first in line. Wished him happy new year and as I told him, 辛苦了! He chuckled, saying 不會啦!

Next was Stone, I so wished to congratulate him on his to be born baby but it was too hard to say in that short a time. I looked at him sincerely and wished him happy new year, with plenty of good wishes in my heart.

Then came Monster. The moment he looked up, all the words I had rehearsed, quickly came out from my mouth But at the end of it, after I had shaken his hand and already moved in front of Ming, he suddenly turned to me and said in his most sincere voice ever, to send his regards to SH =)

When Ming looked up, I was at a loss for words because what Monster said, was still ringing in my brain. Quickly, I wished him Happy New Year too (and I’m so sorry I was in a daze!!)

Then came Ashin, and I had intended to tell him the same thing I told Monster but just that this time it came out in a whole different order and I think I was starting to talk nonsense. He simply smiled, listening to me crazily talking like a chipmunk, before he wished me Happy New Year too before I soon found myself in front of the staff who was next to him.

And as though it was automatic, I wanted to reach out to shake her hand (when all she wanted from me was the number tag). She was beaming and so was Ashin (they were probably laughing in their hearts haha), at my blur actions. Feel awkward about it, I grabbed onto my inlay and stepped quickly off stage.

Without thinking much, I continued walking in the direction of the road as though I needed to get out of there immediately after embarrassing myself, argh…
I never looked back towards the stage, nor did I look at the autographs on the inlay. And neither did it occur to me to want to stay behind to catch the first sunrise of 2007 with md. All I wanted to do was get on a cab as fast as I could and return to the hostel.

I walked all the way out to the main road where other people were not waiting, and hopped on a cab almost instantaneously (to the dismay of a couple who was waiting at another intersection).

Back at the hostel, I had a chat with SH and Shir over msn while feasting on a bowl of instant noodles. I looked carefully at the inlay with the autographs that I had spent more than 3 hours waiting for and I thought back about what had happened at the 2 events that I stayed behind for; the reason why I was welcoming 2007 on my own.

As I went to bed at 6am, I lay in disbelief at how fast the actual auto session with them went. I think it was over from Masa to Ashin in about 10 to 15 seconds? It truly makes me appreciate being a fan in Singapore. The opportunities to see them are less, but the distance in less and the feeling is different.

At 9am, I awoke to ready myself for my flight back home. I’m finally about to return home. Goodbye Taipei, and goodbye to the wonderful experience I’ve had in the past 5 days… an experience I’ve never had before.

The last meal I had before I boarded the plane... 便當 + 綠奶茶

I will be back.
Taipei will never be the same again =)