going to be in parts due to exceeding the character limit Virtual Encounter: I was a complete weaboo at first. Mainly listened to J-Pop girl groups like Morning Musume , C-ute , Berryz Kobo , etc.(so Hello! Project ), and was so biased and loved them that I learned some of their dances(I only remember parts/partial of it as of today/now) One day, while I was doing my usual browsing of J-Pop stuff on Youtube, on the list that I guess says recommended or suggestions I saw, Girls’ Generation - Gee . Clicked on that and after watching it once, I kept watching it until I had to sleep for school(I was still in high school that time) Downloaded right away, put it on repeat and listened to it about 50+ times. I knew right away that I had to find out each and every individual member’s info and well have been supporting and loving them since(even Jessica; so I’m a Mao Mao as well) I know most of their dances and them, Wonder Girls , and sometimes 2NE1 I always have to be updated with. It’s so crazy that my best friend thinks it’s kind of unhealthy and my non-Kpop friends think I’m kind of crazy.

Irl Encounters(Yes more than once)

1. 1st Attempt/Fail (Fall/Winter/end of of 2011) Smtown Nyc was happening due to the efforts of the flash mob (which I was supposed to go to, but didn’t; don’t remember why). I was supposed to go because a Sone friend of mine got my tix last minute(Seats, but I don’t remember where they were). Around that time, I was still new in going to the city alone and without my parents(I used to go a lot when I was younger with them; we lived like 15-20 minutes out of the city, but now we live about ½ hour to 40 minutes away), so I didn’t know how to get to the city and Madison Square Garden. I accepted my fate and didn’t go. Ended up crying the whole night, but…
2. Kind of glad I didn’t go because if they were bad seats, that may have bothered me a bit.
3. You will read in the next encounter

1st Successful Attempt The day after posted above, Soshi was having their first fan meet in the U.S. thanks to Soshified. Luckily I was able to go to this. Bittersweetly, I went to line up at Good Morning America first because Soshified was doing something where the first x amount of people(I forget the number) would get something(I forget too). Less than ½ of the Sone’s were shown on the camera, and I know we wanted to get the Girls’ exposed, but I felt like it wasn’t really successful. I still was new to lining up to K-Pop related events (I’m good now), and I regret not going straight to the Best Buy Theater to line up right away. I was kind of in the middle of the line, but luckily I was recorded dancing to, ‘Gee’ along with my friend(link here: http://www.mtviggy.com/video-playlists/mtv-k-x-girls-generation-in-nyc/ Start at 3:38) Anyways, I still got two of the heart shaped balloons(which I still have to this day), and well once we got into the Best Buy Theater (where the fan meet was held),’The Boys’, instrumental was playing the whole time we were waiting. When it started MV’s were played. Started with, ItNW* , then **Kissing You ,(I think Hoot but I don’t remember), Oh! , and ended with ItNW . I wish they played more MV’s(I don’t know why, still don’t to this day), but after that the Girls’ came on and performed, The Boys . It was lip-synced, but I was fine with that because * It was the day right after Smtown so of course they were exhausted * Just seeing the girls, all 9 in person.. well yea All I remember was that * Taeng -Cried when she saw that Sone’s room that was Soshi-ed(I know I’m corny) * Sunny - I think she did some aegyo and if she did I like died. * Hyo - Did the dance break part of,’The Boys’ (after Yoong’s part) when everyone wanted her to dance for us. Wish she popped, waved, etc, but yea she was exhausted. * Yul -Spoke in Engrish and like everyone laughed(she did some hearts too) * Soo -Did Christina impersonation * Yoong -Everyone wanted her to do her Alligator Mouth, which she slightly did. * Seobaby - Told everyone to put their seatbelt on and buckle up. * (For Sica besides greeting, I just think she did fan service and I think there was a JeTi moment; I honestly do not remember)

1. 2nd Encounter(End of January 2012/beginning of the New Year)
2. 1st Day: Not too long from above, the Girls’ came back like two months after (so February of 2012). They stayed in NYC for about a week, promoting,’The Boys’, on The David Letterman Show and Live with Kelly . Same Sone friend told me when the Girls’ where and when they were arriving since it was blasted everywhere. It was my first time going to the airport for idols. Actually it was my first time being at JFK(where the Girls’ arrived & left). My Sone friend knew people in Soshified, so it was only natural for me to talk to members of Soshified and not feel awkward. I got to hold part of the banner that Soshified had for Soshi, and luckily I was the nearest to the bus the Girls’ were getting on. If anyone remembers, this was the bus with their picture on it. I honestly don’t remember who left the terminal and got on the bus first(I felt like Fany), but I remember her saying, ”Thank you for coming(which she usually says when she comes to Sones/fans are waiting to see Soshi, TTS/herself, etc. at airport). I think I got a hi waved at me from the rest of the members, but another thing I remember was that Taeng drew something on her iPad. I think it was a,”Thank you,” or heart.
   
3. 2nd Day- Okay it probably wasn’t really the second day because I don’t remember exact details, but it was when the Girls’ were going to perform on,”The David Letterman Show”. Location was obvious, but some of us Sone’s wanted to get into the show and watch them live. Unfortunately, only a few got in. Another way of getting in was by lottery and lining up for the show, but the chances were so slim. After meeting some Sones and knowing I’m, Not Alone (I know, I’m corny), hung out and ate with some while we waited for the Girls’ to arrive. Eventually they did and we had like barricades in front of us and all the Girls’ walked down in line, signing whatever goods Sones/fans had. This was another failed attempt with me because I think Sica was the last one to walk down(not surprising), and I was trying to get her to sign something, but I had no marker(I know fail). She just gave me the,”OuO” look(like,”Huh? Haha”, because I kind of put in her face to sign what I had, and I obviously had nothing.(I kept a distance though, and with the barricade, so don’t worry. I was being courteous). Obviously we all(or most of us; some had,”priorities,” but I was yolo) waited until the Girls’ came out. Some of us heard the rehearsal and actual performance. Once they came out, we all could only wave and say/scream/yell bye, I love you, etc.) I always remember Hyo’s smile first whenever I think of this moment. It was really precious.
4. 3rd Day- Same as above, probably not exactly the 3rd day, but this time was,”Live with Kelly!” Somewhat of the same concept with lining up to get into the show, but with this one, you had to be like the first 10, or even close to 5 to get in. Seating was limited. Still learning when to line up for K-Pop events, I was like maybe in the 20’s, unfortunately. There was a little t.v. where you can watch the show right outside the building, which some of us did, so not so failed mission. Yet again we waited for the Girls’ to come out, and yet again, all we could really do is wave and say/scream/yell bye, I love you, etc. Instead of Hyo, I clearly remember Soo kissing us goodbyes, and of course ultra fan boy spazz.
5. 4th & Final day- This wasn’t the final day they were here for the week, but it was the last time I saw them of the week(unfortunately; I thought I’d have no clue trying to find them elsewhere, but later on in other encounters) The day of the fan signing! Soshified, yet again got SM to get Soshi to have a fansigning at the Best Buy at Union Square. A day I’ll never forget, good and bad, but basically lined up around 12 or 1AM(regret not lining up earlier) and waited until like 7 or 8AM with a whole other Sones/fans/other people. It was a certain amount of people who,first come first serve, had to buy the U.S. version of,”The Boys”, then get either stamped or wristband-ed(don’t remember this part) to have proof that they bought it to get into the fan signing. I was around the 50’s in the line, so I was good. The fansigning wasn’t happening until later that day/close to night. Lined up again and waited. I was more in the front of the line now. Once inside and showed proof, we went upstairs and waited and lined up at one of the sections of the store the workers/staff made shift for a signing. The whole album of,”The Boys,” was played while we waited. More on the end of it/the remixes weren’t though because by that time the Girls’ were ready to go! Unfortunately this was the time Jessica was filming,”Wild Romance,” so she had to go back and film. I was a bit bummed, but hey glad I got to see her like 4 times. I remember Fany being first and I thanked her for being my no.1 inspiration(still is). I think she said,”Aw, thank you!,” We were all rushed due to the amount of people, so unfortunately I only got a couple seconds with each member, er well everyone did. Hyo, I tried telling her I loved her dancing, but of course she didn’t understand. Still she heard me, haha. I wrote like basic Korean to my bias Yul and she said thank you in her Engrish. Gotta love her for that. DanDyu were next to each other and I did,”Bbuing Bbuing!~” to Sunny, and she said,”Aw you’re so cute!” Then I said,’ ,”No, you’re cute!” She whispered something to Taengoo and they both laughed. Those are all the things I remembered with the member during the fan signing. Ever since then if I’m ever down, or feel sad/upset about my looks, I just remind myself what