First...

A BIG THANKS to for the wonderful-wonderful gift!



Late post...but I will still share this:



Hey guys, I'm back from Hong Kong and I just want to share with you guys my recent experience on seeing my first ever Kylie Tour This is taken from a recent blog I posted last November 2008 Hope you enjoy!

My Kylie Experience (posted november 2008)

I’m stuck in Hong Kong airport while I am writing this, so I'm putting the time I have to good use by trying to sum up my Kylie experience while waiting for our flight. Words cannot sufficiently manifest how I felt the night I finally saw Kylie…It was brilliance at its best.

It’s been the longest waiting 2 months ever, there was a rumor after her X 2008 Tour UK leg that she will be continuing her critically acclaimed show and bring it to her Asian fans, of course at that time it was just a rumor, nevertheless I was still hopeful that the rumor is true. Everyday I had to wait for tour updates until finally there was a confirmation from her official website! The last time she planned to visit Asia was during her Showgirl Tour, which unfortunately was canceled because she was diagnosed with breast cancer. So I am really happy that finally we will get a chance to see her show.

I simply won’t miss it, Hell! I’ll even make it my best Kylie experience! With the help of my friend, we waited for the opening sales of Hong Kong Kylie tickets and by September 25, 2008 at exactly 10:00am we purchased my first ever Kylie tour tickets! Nov 27 Hong Kong World Arena, Block A seats 9 & 10…best seats baby!

Being the artist that I am, I had to think of something superb to celebrate my first Kylie Tour. I came up with the knotty idea of creating four new illustrations inspired by her X 2008 Tour…What was I thinking?! Four posters in 2 months…Good luck! Well it’s suppose to be easy for me since I have been illustrating Kylie for over 3 years now, but this time it’s extra difficult having the pressure to make this mucho special, I plan to somehow get these illustrations to her hands (Totally impossible, but it’s worth the try). Hopefully she’ll see the love I have for her as a fan and how much she has inspired me as a person and as an artist. I started working on the first part of four illustrations sometime October hoping that I will complete four illustrations in time for her Hong Kong show…and thankfully I did. I shared the illustrations to my fellow Kylie fans (Say-Hayers) and it was warmly accepted and complimented.

Armed with my high energy and illustrations, I flew in to Hong Kong November 25, 2008 with my friends. I was also excited to re-visit the country, excited to experience the culture, indulge with Hong Kong dishes, visit Hong Kong Disneyland and oh did I mention indulge with Hong Kong dishes?!. Yes, I think I gained a few pounds every time we do walks around Tsim Sha Tsui, it’s hard to resist flavorful delicacies you’ll spot street after street.

After winter days of shopping, Disneyland, and lots and lots of food trip, Kylie day finally arrived! Show was at 8pm; me and my friends are ready by 5pm. I was wearing my “Kylie says I’m the one” shirt. As soon as we arrived in Hong Kong world arena my heart was thumping crazy! (Well I think that’s an understatement.) I was really excited!! I ran into the Kylie Tour merchandise and purchased my first official Kylie tour book. There are a lot of Kylie supporters from all walks of life; they even had costumes and feather boas on, banners stating “WE LOVE YOU KYLIE!” It was like early gay pride convention in Hong Kong. It felt good to see other fans smile and say hi to you even though you really don’t know each other. There were even a couple of Aussie girls reading my shirt and smiling at me; they either think I had a cute shirt on or I’m just one major dork.

The feeling was overwhelming, this might sound cheesy, but while we were still outside and eating I couldn’t contain my emotion and I cried…totally overacting but hey I’m a fan!. I’m sure it’s not the cold tasteless chicken sandwich that made me cry, it’s the feeling that finally I am about to see her. I’m just in the same building as Kylie! that thought nearly made me faint. I think also one of the reasons that made me cry was seeing how much my friends are excited for me and supported me all the way. It was just perfect.

At exactly 9pm the show was on. The moment the lights dimmed and the intro music started we screamed our lungs off! When Speakerphone started playing everyone went berserk! And when she finally emerged from the moving speakers that hid her it was pure…magic! She was as beautiful in person as how I imagined, she’s really not that petite as how everybody describes her but she was just gorgeous. I remember I was in total awe. I was just staring at her the whole time, while my friend Karlo was belting his heart out to every Kylie song he can sing to. I even remember asking him not to sing so loud because I want to hear Kylie’s voice when she hits the high notes for Your Disco Needs You.

All in all it was the best Kylie experience I could have ever asked for. It was everything how I imagined the show would be, electrifying, magical, and creatively stimulating. Although I have seen the X2008 Tour UK leg Channel 4 music airing, I can say that having to experience it live still is incomparable. Like what I’ve said in my short note I wrote in my Kylie illustration book, Kylie has given me so many things in my life, inspiration, excitement, and strength. I know this experience is an addition to the many things I will be thankful of Kylie.

Oh, and I’m sure you are all wondering if I was able to give the illustration to her, well unfortunately she brought in a very strict security. So throwing the illustrations to the stage was not an option for me. I tried having one of the bouncers give the drawing to his road manager but the bouncer I think was Chinese, he can't understand a word I was saying. And when we finally found somebody from the crew who can speak English he just said sorry mate Kylie just took off. I would really love for her to see the drawings I made especially for this tour. But It's ok. I'm actually proud of myself that I was able to finish four really detailed drawings in less than 2 months have them printed and bring them with me to Kylie's concert. The amount of love that was poured into these illustrations and how they were received by my fellow Kylie supporters is really overwhelming, and I think that will suffice as a reminder of how far I have already accomplished.

But fear not! for there is still hope!

I recently got this email from Emma Gallop and Alli Macgregor of TBM:

Dear Kenji,
Thank you for your email and attached artwork.

Whilst I am afraid it will not be possible for us to arrange for you to give the pieces to Kylie in Hong Kong if you would like to send them to our London office we will be sure to pass them on to her.

PO Box 13196, London, SW6 4WF

Thank you for all your hard work.

Kind regards,

Emma
Terry Blamey Management Group of Companies

For sure they will be hearing from me, I’ll send the drawings to their London office.

This event has given me so much already, I was lucky enough to be there, to see her perform live and to experience this with all of my friends is just a wonderful adventure.

Thank you Kylie for continuously inspiring me.

We then finished our night by dancing and a few drinks in Propaganda Club. And just when I thought the night couldn't be more perfect, the DJ played Kylie's "The One" (Freemason Club Mix). We all danced and sung to the lyrics "I'm the one love me, love me, love me" Then my friend Lotho approached me and asked: "I’m sure this just made your night complete right?”

I answered with a smile, and in my thoughts...It was more than complete, It was perfect, the best night a Kylie fan could ever ask for