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New York | DAY 1: (Pt. 2) Eyes On You in New York + Shake Shack

7/11/2018

 
Read Part 1 HERE !
​I arrived at the venue just before 4:30 PM. By this time, the lineup for P1 entry had already commenced.
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​My first order of business was to determine the location of fansites. Having reserved the PPP Cheering Set from spinoff, it was my duty to obtain and pay for the set before they packed up to enter the venue themselves.
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Spinoff wasn’t the nicest person to interact with at first glance, but the transaction went smoothly, even though I did not bring exact change ($18 USD – sans EMS fees!!)
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​What followed was a seemingly endless wait to enter the internal quarters of the venue. SubK staff checked and scanned tickets during this time; a green wristband was given to us as well.
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​The security check also went smoothly, and most of us had filed into a sectioned gym area by 5:30 PM. I had made an earnest request to excuse myself in search of a bathroom once I had made it inside. By doing this, I had lost my original spot in the first half of the crowd and fell to the final third of attendees. Whether this change in order had altered my experience cannot be ascertained.
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​Hi-Touch commenced at roughly 6:10 PM as opposed to the scheduled 6:00 PM. The line began to shift forward gradually, and soon enough, it was my turn.
As with all Hi-Touches, I had come prepared. My legs were feeling feeble as our row stepped up. My heart swelled with nervous excitement and anticipation.
Like always, the anxiety disappeared the minute I began moving towards the boys. It was like seeing old friends – you know, the kind you always miss.
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​The order was: Yugyeom, BamBam, Jinyoung, JB, Mark, Youngjae, Jackson

My biggest fear was the SubK would rush the hi-touch participants, and this was exactly the situation that took place. The entire scene appeared hurried for no reason whatsoever. A combination of SubK staff and venue staff were monitoring the entire scene with the eyes of a hawk, rushing and yelling at fans to keep moving.
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I was able to greet the first two members with the words I had planned to say to them, but majority of my memory is foggy. I don’t even remember their faces, let alone their respective reactions. 
​My personal recount is as follows:
  • Yugyeom; “역시 막내 on top!” (translates to “As expected, maknae on top!”)
  • BamBam; “Please never stop smiling!”
  • Youngjae; “퉤영재 안녕!” (“Twe Youngjae, hello!”) I had intended to say “퉤수달 안녕!”, which was a combination of his own mispronounciation of “Choi” followed by a reference to his resemblance to otters, but did not succeed.
  • Jinyoung: “Your songs give me so much strength!” was the phrase I managed to spit out in a ridiculously hurried manner. The Korean equivalent I had planned was much too long and wordy to remember, so I opted to relay my message in English in hopes that both of us could understand it in the milliseconds that I was provided. Recently, Jinyoung’s English has witnessed a stunning improvement, so I was certain that he could understand me.
  • JB; A staff member had shouted at me to not grab the members’ hands, causing me to blank out on the spot instead of telling him “次のアルバムを楽しみ!”, which translates to “I’m looking forward to the next album!” in Japanese. It was an incredibly awkward moment where my concentration was broken and I merely stared at JB blankly. A total of five milliseconds passed before I could regain composure and touch his hand delicately. (ARGH!!)
  • Mark; Still stunned from the backlash I received while interacting with JB, I did not have the brainpower to say anything to Mark. But, in all honesty, I didn’t know what to say to Mark anyways.
  • Jackson; By the time I reached Jackson, I had recovered and was able to say, “唔好咁搏, 要休息呀!” (which translates to “Don’t stress out, (you) need to rest!” in Cantonese). Some attendees had reported Jackson looking uninterested and tired, but I was convinced that he had looked straight at me and acknowledged my words. Whether he will remember these words or not is a different story.
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​It took a great deal of concentration to utter the things I had so meticulously prepared. Regrettably, my efforts were shattered when rushed and imposed upon by a loud staff member. For all I can recall, I did not even get the chance to examine Jinyoung’s facial features in our brief interaction. In the few seconds that our eyes met, I didn’t even have the opportunity to gaze into his eyes or handsome face. SubK had stripped me of my allocated Hi-Touch rights.
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As we departed the area, staff members rushed us outside of the venue yet again without break.
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​Once Hi-Touch had concluded in all its frazzled frenzy, it was time to hunt for subsistence before the three-hour show. In retrospect, I had chosen the wrong path entirely; had I been aware of the barriers arranged before the main entrance of the venue in preparation for entry of P2 to P5 ticketholders, I would have rapidly removed myself from the stampede-to-be.
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All of a sudden, I found myself, lightstick and fanboard still in hand, being dragged into the vacuum of eager attendees.
​It wasn’t until a few minutes of armed combat (read: protecting my delicate personal belongings with elbow strength and the sheer will to survive) that my struggle ended and I emerged triumphant and intact on the other side of herd.
​Across the street was Shake Shack – one of the spots I had eagerly added to my LA to-go list a year prior, only to neglect amidst the chaos of KCON.
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The tables outside were occupied, as were all the spots in the burger shack’s interior. I took a few minutes with the menu after joining the slow-moving lineup, and eventually settled on the ShackBurger and a small Iced Tea.
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​As a first-time visitor, it would have been fitting to select the set of greatest popularity, namely the ShackBurger, crinkly Fries, and Concrete frozen custard shakes. However, it was in my best interest to keep my diet free from an excess of foreign materials to prevent protests from my digestive system during the upcoming show.
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Orders were taken in a swift, no-nonsense manner: the cashier attendants were welcoming but not quite friendly in a genuine sense. Her tendencies were not rushed, though, despite the infinitely expanding crowd behind me.
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A numbered buzzer was provided upon conclusion of the order. The intention was to alert customers or order completion without the need for a loud speaker/paging system.
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Out & About #470 | GOT7 Departure from Pearson Airport

7/4/2018

 
​I set my alarm clock for 11 AM the next day. It had been a long day, but I couldn't miss the opportunity to bid the boys farewell. It would precisely one week before I would be graced with their presence again.
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​The entire ordeal worked out in the most amusing way possible. Quite frankly I was betting on the chance that GOT7 would not arrive at the airport with a lot of time to spare before going through security. By the time my bus had pulled into the underground area of Terminal 1, it was already nearing 1 PM.
My first instinct was to visit the bathroom, for the length of waiting could be anywhere from ten minutes to two hours. Cleaning staff had partially blocked the entrance to the closest bathroom and all stalls inside were full. This prompted me to head upstairs to the U.S. Departures section in the meantime.
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​I gradually made my way over to the same gate that a certain potato and I had parted ways after an intense four days. My first observation were the police cars that were parked outside. A group of camera-carrying girls surrounding the double doors was the next hint.
Just as I joined the group, a black van pulled up to the doors.
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​They were here! And I had barely waited at all!

Staff members and security began to disperse, waving aside fans and fansites in preparation for GOT7's entry. The scene was significantly calmer than that of their arrival, but then again, not many people expected the idols to fly out immediately following their concert.
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​Approximately forty people assimilated around the boys once they entered the building; some had been swiftly snapping shots of them from the moment they disembarked the van.
Once inside, the fans gathered around the group and we - along with GOT7, staff, and security - collectively moved towards the security gate.

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Out & About #469 | GOT7 Eyes On You in Toronto

7/3/2018

 
​My heart had shattered at failing to attain a hi-touch ticket for the Toronto leg of the tour, but fate clearly had other things in store for me. A week prior to the concert, my schedule was altered drastically and a North York trip had to be tackled.

I stopped by Yorkdale, given that it was in the area, and found myself wandering into Aritzia's semi-annual promotion. Jinyoung's red Adidas zip-up stared me in the eye, but at a whopping $76, it totalled more than the tour t-shirt, slogan, and shipping combined
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​Uniqlo and a few other shops were swiftly browsed. Lunch was then had, and the return journey commenced.
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​Air Canada Centre, which has been renamed to Scotiabank Arena since this past Canada Day, didn't pose much confusion to attendees, not that I could see anyways.
By the time I had pulled into one of the nearby lots, a lengthy lineup coiled around the inside of ACC's Gate 1 in preparation for Hi-Touch.
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​I distributed fluids and non-perishable food items to the two P1 ticketholders I was acquainted with, then proceeded to observe the surrounding situation. Some parts of the venue received heavy gusts of cool air, while parts along the walls and/or near the door were downright stuffy. The scene was chaotic, earning complaints from many participants. Then again, it's PGTW, so what did you expect?
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​Several fansites also took the opportunity to retail stocked slogan sets to those in the vicinity. Matchpoint, Silver Lining, and Marktouch were a few of the names I was acquainted with. Not a single Jinyoung slogan was in sight, though this was probably for the best (for me anyway). I had already received Take A Bow's slogan several days prior.
While conversing with a friend in line, an absolutely adorable Jinyoung fan was spotted in the hands of the girl behind us. It was a limited item from THE New Era! Gazing lovingly at it, I asked to snap a photo of the fan, only to be presented with a mini transparent fan and 4 x 6 in Polaroid as a gift - Forever Young had bestowed me with gifts merely for showing up!
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​I excused myself as the line began to inch forward. It was time for I, an IGOT7 who was exempt from the tedious GA lineup, to treat myself to a proper sit-down dinner before the show.
Chipotle's Front Street location had earned itself quite the crowd since Youngjae's social media post from the day before. Blue Jays fans had also taken to fueling up at the American franchise pre-game.
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Taco Bowls with Guacamole are my usual order. However, they tend to generate quite a bit of excess for munching on. It was brought to my attention some few months ago that Kids' Meals weren't a bad choice for those with small appetites. Consequently, a Build-Your-Own box of soft tortillas, steak bites, corn, and shredded cheese were taken to go. I, of course, opted to add a side of guacamole to complete the order.
Choices of a drink and fruit or chips also made available to me, though I found it odd that a request for fruit equated to a whole orange being tossed into the bag. Plastic cutlery didn't really seem to cut it - and I mean this in the most literal sense possible.
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​I had allocated sufficient time to park, proceed with security measures, and pick up the lanyard benefit for P2 ticket holders. Unfortunately, this plan was delayed atrociousl by a series of parking mishaps, which ultimately did not enable me to enter the venue until forty past seven.

Thankfully, security was speedy and so were bathroom lines. (It should be noted that there was minimal signage and insufficient staff from SubK to ensure that all attendees were joining the right line/heading towards the correct gate. ACC staff knew little to nothing about the event details, contributing to the congestion of the area instead of relieving anxiety of the event goers.
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​At 7:54 PM, I found my seat in Section 120, Row 1. The view wasn't half bad, but the section faced the stage at a somewhat awkward angle.
While I was convinced that many attendees were still scrambling inside well after the designated start time, the concert - just as according to SubK's schedule, commenced precisely at 8 PM. The few minutes prior involved the arena dimming and songs being played louder - perhaps as a sign to guests to file in quickly.
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​An introduction video played first, followed by GOT7's grand entrance. They immediately fell into place to perform Hard Carry, which caught me by surprise I missed the fanchant as a girl had entered the arena late and excused herself in between all of us.
Some songs I was hearing live for the first time: skyway, OUT, Go Higher, Prove It, Hey, My Home, 니꿈꿔,  and Begging on my Knees. The setlist is blurred in my mind, but there are performances that stand out unmistakably.
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​Paradise had my eyes widening in shock. I hadn't expected to hear Jinyoung's self-composed track live, and I was surely unprepared for it. From the choreography that I had watched over and over to the point of engraining every last detail in my head to the buttery vocals, it would be an understatement to say that I was overjoyed that it had been included.

Firework was another highlight of mine - no surprise. My sole regret is that Jinyoung stood on the left side of the stage for the entirety of this performance, thus I couldn't see the creator of the piece himself. The stage was raised slightly for this performance, while the boys dazzled in black-and-white suits, sans outer.
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View the full album HERE !

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Out & About #468 | GOT7 Arrival at Toronto Pearson

7/2/2018

 
​There is an immense amount of pride associated with Toronto being the only Canadian city included in GOT7's Eyes on You World Tour. Moreover, we are the first stop of the North American leg, and thus the first of thousands to witness their performances for this segment.

Unspoken but undoubtedly understood is the amount of support offered by Toronto IGOT7s. That said, I wasn't the only one who contemplated welcoming them into the city after a long flight from Incheon.
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​While their domestic arrival in late 2016 had already summoned a large crowd, even more fans (and fansites) appeared this time around. Some Korean-, Japanese-, and Chinese-based fansites had flown with them and managed to secure several shots inside te secured premises. Others, such as myself, took to patiently waiting outside the terminal gate.
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GOT7's flight had been delayed landing to 10:13 AM, as opposed to scheduled 9:45 AM. Having erred on the side of caution, I took an early bus and arrived with adequate time to pick up a Cascara Cold Foam Cold Brew and Egg White Red Pepper Sous Vide Egg Bites from Starbucks before hopping onto the Terminal 3 Link Train. (Mind you: public transit had been operating on an hourly basis due to Observed Canada Day and I was nearly on my knees pleading the bus driver to wait for me.)​
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​From previous experience, I had expected GOT7 to take the same exit path as DAY6. We positioned ourselves near the end of the walkway, near the Tim Hortons. A few girls snooped outside to determine whether their van had arrived. There was nothing.

The boys emerged from doors shortly after 11 AM, accompanied by countless members of staff, security, and police. Some girls began screaming, but as our view was shrouded, we passed it as a false alarm. But, all of a sudden, some girls began running.

Event staff and airport security had sneakily planned an exit from the side door, then through a back door leading outside of the building. A black van was situated outside of the terminal on industrial grounds, and a member of security blocked the door. The level of security and protection was beyond our expectations; the unexpected egress path caught us by surprise.
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​Many fans were spotted scrambling across the waiting area to catch a glimpse of the boys before they took off for downtown. I, myself, was no exception.
Scrambling to the other side of the terminal, a floppy green ribbon was passed on amongst some girls to surround them. I had not comprehended the purpose of this tape at the time, and merely worked to dive around the tape's boundaries. It was later made known to me that this so-called "Green Ribbon Galaxy" was meant to "protect GOT7 from harm". Personally, it was viewed as nothing more than an excuse for certain organizers to gain first access to low-quality, vertical video filming instead.

Police, security, and event staff escorted them the entire way, rendering them completely unapproachable. The entire duration of their exit probably lasted no more than seven minutes. And while there were nearly one hundred ahgases on the premises, all maintained their distance and kept their space while shouting words of salutation and adoration.
​Personal recounts of the journey:
  • Jackson: I had a very clear view of Jackson as he was at the front of the sequence. Once eye contact had been secured, I shouted a "Hi Jackson!" while waving and received a distinct nod of acknowledgement in return.
  • Mark: He was camouflaged behind a member of staff/security and passed by very quickly.
  • BamBam: Behind Jackson was BamBam, clad in an extremely high-fashion, double-denim ensemble with Comme Des Garcons footwear. My utterance of "BamBam!" was met with a glance and slightly upturned corners of his mouth - a faint smile!
  • Youngjae, Yugyeom: Trailing behind BamBam, clad in black, were Youngjae, and Yugyeom. 
  • Jinyoung: My eyes scanned the parade for a sight of Jinyoung, until finally, my vision fell upon a mint green snapback. He was here!
I unknowingly dashed forward at a speed unbeknownst to even myself. Meanwhile, an elderly man raised his arms high to block me from Jinyoung's view. Upon later inspection, it was observed that a lady had held me back at the waist to prevent inching closer. In that very moment, however, I had no recollection of this lady. I was merely on a mission to deliver a letter to the man who has played an extravagant role in my life since the moment I familiarized myself with GOT7.
Vivid in my memory was spotting Jinyoung, then reaching over the man's raised limbs to wave a Ziploc-encased envelope bearing his name in Hangul. "Jinyoung! Jinyoung!" I shouted while waving the letter frantically, "제발 제발 제발 제발!" (translation: Please! (x4))
By this point, I could no longer see his face nor approaching body; my height had stunned me. In my mind, it felt like a century of waiting, but soon enough, the Ziploc was pulled from my fingertips and taken with him on his route out. I HAD SUCCEEDED!!!
"Thank you, thank you!" I wailed, as the staff members loosened their reins.
  • JB: Leader-nim was the last of the seven in sequence and, quite frankly, I had suffered too tremendous of a shock to remember to wave or utter a greeting.
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​With the majority of us pressed against the glass separating the air conditioned terminal and blazing external conditions, the boys waved farewell before entering the van. Some girls had the idea to scurry outside in hopes of catching them. Alas, the black van had pulled away without a shred of hesitation.
​I suggested a stop at One Zo first, since ice cold bubble tea is the best soother for scorching weather. 
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​Their AC has finally been fixed - thank god - so we took to resting in the cool environment for a short while after placing our orders. We sat sipping while simultaneously checking for social media updates.

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    Formerly an avid owner of several interest-based portals, Random Thoughts of a Quirky Blogger presents precisely the elements expected. From experiments in the kitchen to miscellaneous musings, from IGOT7 reflections to developments in transportation infrastructure, it's all consolidated here. Welcome to the raw, unfiltered side of Quirky Aesthetics.



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WHAT DOES "QUIRKY AESTHETICS" MEAN?

Quirky =  a term that commonly refers to something/someone distinctly different and unique
Aesthetics = the visual aspect of things



Together, Quirky Aesthetics refers to the things, events, and happenings seen and perceived by this blog's creator - quirky perspectives in a visual form.

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