They shriek with delight at the sight of their idol and, if you let them, they will even swoon or faint with a big smile on their faces.
That was the scene in Hong Kong last Saturday when Vic Zhou (a.k.a. Hua Ze Lei of Flower 4, or simply F4) held a Fans Day at the International Convention Center as part of the launching of his latest solo album, Remember... I Love You (released by Sony Music).
Hundreds of Vic Zhou followers came from all over the region, including Taiwan (Vic’s native country), Singapore, Thailand, China and the Philippines, represented by Tin Tin Morada (from Miriam College), winner of a contest sponsored by Sony Music Philippines on the Myx music channel. (Two other Filipinas came here on their own after learning about Vic’s Fans Day through the Internet.)
You can’t believe how fans shell out their own money to drumbeat for their idol.
Fans from China distributed colorful Vic Zhou pins and Vic Zhou cutouts and other Vic Zhou souvenirs.
The event featured games, with Vic himself surpervising them, and then capped by Vic singing selections from his album. We – along with Inquirer’s Tim Yap, Sony’s Roslyn Reyes, Myx’s Mila Labendia and new Myx veejay Salie Acupan – didn’t understand a word of the Chinese lyrics but the ecstatic screaming and shrieking of the fans were more than enough proof that, in the name of idolatry, there’s no such thing as language barrier.
Ask Tin Tin and Salie who are diehard Vic Zhou fans.
Vic, 22, smiled and laughed and giggled throughout the hour-long affair. He didn’t say so but his message was loud and clear: Remember, I love you!
(Note: Watch for my Conversation with Vic Zhou on Sunday, Feb. 15.)
(E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph)