Never say never - you just might find yourself a Belieber

MANILA, Philippines - The last time I felt this way was for the Backstreet Boys. I collected photos Nick Carter, wrote more than 50 fan letters (luckily, his group sent me an autographed photo of him which became the center of my Nick shrine) and recorded all their MTV guestings and videos on VHS. I remember getting a big sermon from my mom because I recorded over my brother’s baptismal video and my sister’s first communion. Can you imagine my mom’s face when in the middle of my little sister walking down the aisle in her all white angelic outfit, a loud “BACKSTREET’S BACK!” suddenly came on? I never thought I’d see the day I’d be a fan girl again, especially when there are so many reasons not to be.

First of all, I’m no kid in my tweens. I’m an adult in my late 20s and it’s quite embarrassing to be screaming and elbowing tweeners to catch a glimpse of a pop star. Second, I know my fan-girling ways never really got me close enough to a pop star. I didn’t even see Nick Carter face to face, let alone realize my fantasies of having a Carribean cruise with him. Lastly, the fan girl in me left a long time ago. Or so I thought.

 Bieber fever! I have to admit, I’m not one of the early adopters. I caught the fever through my godchildren and my boyfriend’s brother. We would take the kids out on weekends and our days would be filled looking for Justin Bieber’s new merch, or the shoes he last wore in his interview or anything and everything Justin. So it was no surprise that when the movie came out, I was tasked to bring the kids to watch it. When I entered the cinema, I was laughing inside because the tweeners were in purple and it was so obvious that they were all giddy and excited to see the movie. I was being my nonchalant self, tweeting, BBM-ing and e-mailing before the movie started. Mind you, it’s not my first time to watch something like this. I’ve seen Miley Cyrus films, Camp Rock, and other pop star movies. I thought I knew what to expect.

I brought all my gadgets just to capture this brief moment with Justin.

The big surprise was that a different girl came out of that 3D cinema. The girl who entered in her color-blocking outfit and stillettos suddenly wanted to buy Supra sneakers (in sequins. of course) and wear a purple hoodie (maybe a Rajo Laurel version). That movie did it for me! I cried, screamed, giggled and laughed all through the movie. But more than the overflowing emotions, I felt the hidden fan girl blood slowly rushing into my veins. After years of non-manifestation, it was back. I had caught the fever.

 I can go non-stop about great things and characteristics our Justin Bieber has but I think most of you guys know that. So let me stick to the actual experience of meeting my new Nick Carter. Right after the movie, I got my “rolodex” out (I warned you already, I’m a girl in my late 20s. I think of more ways than the usual fan mail. Haha!) and texted each and every person who might be able to help me grab a meet and greet with him. From producers, personalities to production crew, I texted them this message: “I AM OFFICIALLY A BELIEBER. Please, please, please try to find me a way to score a meet and greet. I will and can do anything. I am willing to eat fire, walk on crushed bottles, handstand for hours and even anything David Blaine-ish. PLEASE HELP ME!”

 Honestly, no one really took me seriously (would you? Haha). No one except for Tim Yap. Maybe from years of friendship, he knew that I was really serious about what I was saying so he messaged back, “If you really want it that bad, I’ll find a way.”

The boy that launched a thousand screaming girls

 I was screaming and jumping up and down for joy! My boyfriend Victor and my friend David Milan was actually so tempted to get the camcorder out to record the moment — fortunately, they were nice enough to keep my craziness private and within our household. I recall dreaming about the experience more than once from the day Tim promised me. My love for Madonna, Kylie, Lady Gaga and J. Lo were threatened because it was Justin Bieber’s albums on a repeat from that day on. The days after Tim’s promise was like the calm before the storm. I was just a giddy girl, researching on the Internet daily for new Justin Bieber info and finding all the remixes (official and not) of his songs.  A few days before his arrival and the Bieber fever in Manila was building up, I started to get worried. NO CALL FROM TIM ABOUT MY MEET-AND-GREET YET. I would text him “regularly” (more like five times day) and he would always answer “Maybe,” “Not sure,” or completely ignore the subject and text me something about his outfit like “Do you think I should wear my new shoes for Party Pilipinas?”

Uh oh, do I need a back-up plan? I know Tim always pulls through last minute, but this is Bieber! I kept my cool and trusted Tim to pull through, of course extra prayers were a must. The meet and greet was included in my nightly prayers. Two days before the concert and still no message from Tim. I already encountered the five stages of grief and sorrow: “Denial” of missing the chance to see Justin in the flesh, “Anger” for not harassing my other contacts more, “Bargaining” through my endless texts to Tim, “Depression” when this lonely girl played One Less Lonely Girl on repeat and almost, almost “Acceptance.” That is, until Tim finally tweeted a day before the concert: “@iamtimyap: @divinemlee @saabmagalona I have a surprise for you. Meet me tomorrow 2:30 pm sharp.”

Me with Supremo Tim Yap and fellow fan girl Saab Magalona.

 I immediately texted Saab and she was just as excited as I was. We planned our outfits and meeting time, which was about four hours earlier than the said meeting time. I woke up extra early and had about more than 30 outfit changes before settling for the brightest colored jacket and shiniest dress I have. I wanted to make sure that Justin saw me!

We met Tim in his fitting because we were so early and proceeded to Mall of Asia. In the car, my palms were sweating, heart beating fast, plus my signature bulol moments. I was so nervous! After the quick ride to MOA, we entered the Imax cinema and there was a purple brigade waiting. Tweeners were all in their best Justin Bieber shirts and hoodies. We got our press IDs and waited patiently as they arranged the groups.

After a few minutes, they escorted us backstage. You can’t understand the feeling of walking closer and closer to Justin. Even my Nick Carter fever was nothing compared to this! Unfortunately (or fortunately because I was so nevous), Justin’s bags were caught up in the airport. So I had a few minutes to relax and calm my nerves. In the movie, we saw a lot of his production team so we quickly recognized his bodyguard Kenny Hamilton when he entered. He was so nice because he apologized for the delay and explained the situation. He also informed us that Justin will be out in about 15 minutes or so.

When Justin finally came out and greeted us, it was the pinnacle of something for me. We recorded and took photos, which you can watch out for on Tim’s show, my blog (www.divinemlee.com) and Saab’s blog. I might take up the whole Supreme section if I go into details since I remember every aspect from his clothes to how his blonde hair shone like gold, and I can give you a per second report on everything.

They just need somebody to love...and it’s Justin!

But for this, I wanted to focus more on what J.Bieber did to me, or to us fans. Justin Bieber, aside from his good looks and talent, showed us that it is possible. His battle cry is so clear that we can relate. His battle cry was to run after our dreams and as the song goes, to never say never. He showed compassion to all his fans by being one of us, while being the star that he is. He did it by replying to our tweets, rewarding each concert with the One Less Lonely Girl portion and much more. He would continuously remind us through his songs, to never lose hope even when everyone tells you it can’t be done. In short, he became our number one cheerleader and inspiration. Everybody needs this in this day and age, especially for kids in their tween years when things seem more complicated than they really are. We all need an extra hand to get us through and he served as that invisible motivator for everyone. And last but not the least, he gives us the importance that we all long for. Stars would always say that they love their fans but he would go above and beyond. He showed this when he finished his concert even though he was sick and vomiting back stage. He gave us our show. During the concert, I saw my friend’s four-year-old daughter Mischa on her dad’s shoulders screaming and waving a banner. At times, she would get tired and the banner would be covering her face but the minute Justin hits a chorus she would immediately regain energy and start shouting and waving the banner again. She never said never. And that’s what Justin is all about—never say never.