Hello, everyone, who lurks in this corner of the website. I was thinking of telling you about my first time at an idol event, which was in June 2014. It was an exciting, yet nervous experience for me. I was also traveling alone for the first time, and I had no one to talk to. I'm a loner anyway, but I was now alone in Silverdale, Washington, halfway across the United States from where I live. I didn't know what to say to all the strangers I met, and some of them looked a bit scary to me. I keep thinking that if I didn't stay awake then someone would rob me. So, I forced myself to be alert at all times! I made a lot of mistakes when traveling, and I'm not sure how to avoid them or recommend to others how to avoid them. I guess it's best to travel with a friend who can help you out when are not sure what to do next. Keep all of your personal belonging with you at all times, and don't lay them somewhere when you are using a public toilet. Make sure when you get on the plane that you are sitting in the correct seat, and not the one in front or behind you! If you wish to add a tag to your luggage that has your name, address and phone number, keep in mind that some unscrupulous airport worker may rip it off! Yeah, fun, huh? Now someone has my name, address and phone number. Also, I highly recommend that you take along first aid cream, band-aids, nail clippers as well as ay medications you may need. When I traveled for the first time, I forgot some of the essentials, I had to wait hours to get from one connection to the other, and the bus trip to the hotel was interminable. And did I mention I got a little motion sickness on the plane? Yeah, I did. I kept wondering if it was worth all the trouble to see Aither, an idol group that I was a big fan of, as well as the first person to write about them in English! I guess in the long run, it was. But I had many problems while I was there. I am a vegan and have many food allergies. I couldn't eat the hotel's food, so I walked to the nearest grocery story and got a few things. Unfortunately, I bought a bag of stale tortilla chips, which I threw away. The microwave soups I bought were watery (maybe I added too much) and not very good tasting. So, I didn't eat much, and I felt sick because of it. I should have stuck something I could eat in my luggage. Worse, I was starting to bleed from two places on my body, including one of my toes. I didn't have band-aids and I was afraid to ask the front desk if they had one. I went home with some bloody clothes in a plastic bag that was in my room for laundry that you could give to the housekeeping staff. Well, I didn't give the staff my bloody clothes, I just bagged them and put inside my luggage.
Meeting Aither, talking to them, watching their performance and getting some CDs, an autographed t-shirt and photos was really amazing! Talking to some of the fans was nice too. I bought some CDs from other idol groups that were being sold there, so I came home with some great music and memories. You can read more in my four-part article on This Is Your Wake Up Call!
- Idol Matsuri & Me, Part 1
- Idol Matsuri & Me, Part 2
- Idol Matsuri & Me, Part 3 (video links don't work)
- Idol Matsuri & Me, The Final Chapter
It should be mentioned that for a while a second Idol Matsuri in the U.S. was being planned, and I was made a staff member. Unfortunately, the second event was cancelled twice, and never happened. I was disappointed, but maybe it was for the best. A lot of hard work and planning goes into the creation of these events and most people don't know this. All they do is complain about something they don't like, or the fact that their favorite idols didn't perform. So, this was the first - and last - Japanese idol event I ever attended. These days my health is so poor that I can't stand up for long and I have constant pain all over my body. I cannot travel ever again.
Thank you for reading this.