First Anniversary...

Of what, you ask?

Well, I'll give you a hint:

Chomp...

Still not enough? OK, maybe another hint:

Stadium Batu Kawan, maybe? Nah...

Well, maybe that was a random picture. Here, if you still can't guess....

Shanghai Stadium

Indeed, it is the first anniversary of my trip to Shanghai that I won through MixFM to catch Céline Dion live in concert. First time in an outdoor, live setting; as opposed to the closed-in Las Vegas feel.

So, how did I celebrate this first anniversary?

Well, my friend and I drove down to KL for a little showcase, held in Sunway Lagoon....

Heading to the Sunway Lagoon Amphitheater...

... to see a cute little boy...

Cute, eh? Edible too...

Well, not the cupcake, but the person himself... David James Archuleta, runner-up of American Idol Season 7... you know, the battle of the Davids? Yup, he came down to Malaysia for a little showcase to promote his self-titled debut album. I happen to win a showcase pass from his dedicated Malaysian fan club.

Showcase Pass...

At first, we were told that it was JUST a showcase pass. Little did I know, the winners scored a VIP seat.

VIP Tag! Woohoo!

So, what did the VIP seat entail? Well, the VIP B people got to sit right in front, dead-centre... Seriously!

I sat here... Where the arrow is pointing at...

My view...

That was probably a WAY better view than my RM1000 ticket at a concert I went to LAST year (which I shall write about soon!)... And it was free!

And so we waited... and waited... People were streaming in, squeezing with one another (because it was free seating!) and some even sitting on the steps... 3.00pm came... Still nothing. We're glad that we had some music to entertain us, although sitting in front DOES have its drawbacks - blaring speakers.

Oh, did I mention that there was at least 6000 people (that's what the papers printed) in an amphitheater that sits 3000?! Imagine the screams... the shrieks... the shrills... the squeals... It was LOUD and it really pierced my eardrums...

Then, at about 3.15pm, the HitzFM announcers, JJ & Ean, came on the stage to offer some goodies to the people who could answer their VERY simple questions and then we were entertained with 3 opening acts (which I thought was a waste of time, but oh well... impatient me...); a runner-up from Astro Talent Quest - Hou Ren; a second runner-up from One In A Million - Alif Satar and finally Malaysian Idol second season winner - Danell (Daniel) Lee.

And then, of course, the main course & dessert:

Oh yeah... Work the mic, dude!

He came on and sang four songs off his debut album: A Little Too Not Over You; Touch My Hand; Don't Let Go and Crush... There were loads of screaming going on the entire time that I could barely hear him off the speakers, but he sang his butt off live, that's for sure...

And then, he sorta bid the crowd goodbye before giving a couple of encore songs on the keyboard: Vanessa Carlton's "A Thousand Miles" and his version of Robbie Williams' "Angels".

Walking a Thousand Miles on the keys...

He even flubbed on the keyboards, at least once... That was how LIVE the performance was....

After those two songs, he finally bid a fond farewell, "Terima Kasih" and "Malaysia Boleh" were thrown in somewhere along the way and that was it.... Or was it?

Because I was one of the winners and also a member of the fan club, we were asked (by one of the head honchos) to stay back for a little surprise. The surprise was: a group picture session with David Archuleta backstage. My friends and I waited and waited and finally lined up and were brought backstage, only to see a little queue. It turns out, we get INDIVIDUAL pictures and an autograph to boot! And so... ta-daa...

The money shot...

And that was how I celebrated my one-year anniversary of seeing Céline Dion live in Shanghai...

But wait... there WAS still a group photo with the fan club members!

He sat just behind me!

OK, I still have not received the proper group picture, but hey, he sat just behind me in the photograph!

And so, that was my story of how I met David. *sigh*