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When SM Town NY was announced I wanted to prepare a gift on the slim chance I could somehow run into the Girls. I decided making something myself would be more special, so I came up with the idea of sketching portraits for them. I didn't know which concept I wanted to do, I was almost going to go with the 1st Japan Album photos. SM town was rapidly approaching and I hadn't yet started to work. Then The Boys comeback was announced and the release date set. When the first teaser picture oif Taeyeon popped up on the Girls' website I knew I had it. This was going to be perfect.
Working at a feverish pace, taking about 3 hours per drawing, I tried to draw each piece within a couple of days of each teaser being released. I fell off the pace towards the end, but this gave me time to formulate presentation of the sketches. I decided on gluing cardstock to an 11x14 photo matte on 3 sides and sliding the drawings into the opening. The Girls' can drop it in a frame if they wish (it would be beyond my wildest dreams if they put these up in the dorm). It turned out amazing, if I do say so myself.
Matted Photos
Gift Box
On the day of the fan meeting we were wandering around Times Square looking for a place to eat. All the restaurants on Times Square were either closed, ridiculously overpriced, or both. We turned down a random street to get further away from the Square when we saw it, the SM Town bus. We had stumbled onto the W, the hotel at which SM was staying! They were loading luggage into a random charter coach bus and there was a crowd of people behind the barriers the hotel had setup. We immediately forgot about eating and camped out to see who was coming. There was one black tour van parked behind the coach, onto which luggage was also being loaded. I did not have my gift with me so I ran back a couple of blocks or so to the line for the fan meeting where I had left it with some other Soshified members with whom I was lined up. I made it back to the hotel just in time for SHINee to come out and get in the black van. I regretted not having my wife's gifts for them. She had to fly back that day for work.
We waited a little while for the van to drive off and it looked like no one else was coming any time soon, so we ate brunch. When we were done, the SM Town bus which had been parked a block away from the hotel was gone but the coach was still being loaded. A few minutes later the SM Town bus came around the block and parked across the street. Teddy Riley came out at some point and people were taking pictures with him and getting autographs. Finally they finished loading the coach and it drove away after Teddy got on and was replaced by the SM Town bus.
One by one we saw the SM artists come out of the hotel; Kangta, Super Junior, f(x) and DBSK. I must have missed BoA because of traffic (at this point we were across the street on the side of the bus with the door. Two black vans pulled up behind the SM bus and we figured those had to be for Soshi.
After the SM bus pulled away, I struck up a conversation with the van drivers. Of course they couldn't tell me where they were going but we were almost sure the Girls would be coming out soon. I joked with one of the drivers about just having him leave my gift in the van but of course he couldn't do that. I showed him the drawing of Taeyeon and he was impressed enough that he said he would talk to the manager and see what he could do.
The way the vans were pointed on the one-way street, the doors were on the street-side. We decided to wait on the far side of the street to have the best chance. It was a risky decision because we would be screwed if traffic came right when the Girls came out. We heard the screaming from the barricade area first. And then, right behind the security vanguard and managers, Sooyoung strode elegantly out from between the parked vehicles. She looked stunning. She was followed by Hyoyeon, Yoona and Sunny who all looked drop dead gorgeous. They all smiled and waved as we held aloft our gifts, but they couldn't make a move to grab them.
This is JessiesBoy's fan cam. My apologies for the language in the background. People there were really excited. (Warning: R-Rated Language)
Spoiler
Traffic started to come again and I was forced back across the street by the oncoming cars. I could see the driver speaking to the manager across the street about my drawings. I was able to lip-read the words, "they're really good" from the driver but manager hyung was stern and said no.
Taeyeon, Tiffany, and Yuri stepped out, beautiful is an inadequate word to describe their radiance. Traffic was still coming and I was blocked from getting across the street. Just when I could safely cross, they were almost in the van. I got there in time to watch Tiffany accept MoonSoshi9's individual letters for the Girls and a dukong, and for Yuri to accept halfway's Minnie Mouse Statue of Liberty. I tried to extend my gift box but I was blocked by one of the managers (you can see me holding it up at 0:16 and me again at 0:35 wondering what to do).
Another JessiesBoy cam. (Warning: R-Rated Langauge)
Spoiler
The Girls got into the van and the door slid shut, possibly on my hopes forever. In vain I pleaded with the managers who were moving around the vans having discussions with each other. I even showed the drawing of Taeyeon to the same manager with whom the driver spoke but it wasn't enough to soften his heart.
Dismayed, I tried to stay on the street-side by Taeyeon, Tiffany, and Yuri's van, alternating between holding up my box and making hearts over my head with my arms. Eventually, one of the managers motioned for us to get back on the sidewalk. When I made it to the sidewalk, something was happening at YulTaeNy's van and I think I heard someone say the door had opened. I sprinted around the back to the street-side of the van. I held my gift out in both hands and bowed deeply. When I picked my head up, Yuri was leaning forward, holding her hand out to take my gift. A true sweetheart, kind and caring. The driver started to close the door but I managed to successfully pass the box off to Yuri. She didn't have to make the effort to accept my gift but she did anyway, and for that I will be eternally grateful.
Once I had successfully handed off my gift, I stayed on the street a while longer grinning like an idiot, waving and making hearts over my head. At some point the door opened again and Yuri and Taeyeon moved to the middle seat with Tiffany. In the following fan cam, you can barely see Yuri holding the box. In the first frame you can see pink on the box under her arm and I'm pretty sure that's the cover I made so it looks like she already opened the gift.
JessiesBoy cam:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sgo8CR_HWtM
Halfway cam:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3yGo_LR8yM
When I finally walked back to the sidewalk I could hear people start to shout excitedly, "They're looking at them!" meaning the drawings. Then everyone started pointing at me yelling, "He drew them." Someone said they were holding the pictures up for the camera and Taeyeon was holding her portrait. I was too stunned to say anything at this point. I could do nothing stand there with a huge smile on my face. While I couldn't see through the tinted windows, just knowing they were in there looking at my drawings was more than I could have ever hoped for.
Sadly, word reached us that they were beginning to stamp hands for entry into the theater in order to prove that you had been in line at that point. We had to run back to our spot in line, but not before I took a few steps away from the van and dropped to my knees ecstatic with the knowledge they had not only received my gift but were looking at the drawings right in front of me.
Later that afternoon, after the Girls had arrived at MTV Iggy, I was wandering around Times Square with sungx418 looking at the long line to get into Best Buy theater when I ran into the van drivers again. I thanked the driver who talked to the manager for me even though it didn't help. He was the driver of the other van holding Sooyoung, Hyoyeon, Sunny and Yoona. He told me was describing the drawings to the Girls and how good he thought they were. Apparently one of the Girls wanted to see them and the driver said he was given permission to take the gift from me to give to them. I'm very happy I was able to deliver the gift myself though. Everything worked out perfectly in the end.
[EDIT: Added a great cam by Halfway that shows Yuri holding my box with the drawings and the cover on the outside, plus the Minnie Mouse she gave her. You can also see Taeyeon waving the dukong Moonsoshi9 gave and at one point the letters that he wrote.]
Edited by JadeFalcon, 02 November 2011 - 07:53 PM.
