Elliott had no scheduled show today, but some of us decided to try and give our gift (scrapbook/album) anyway. The trip was a success!

I'll write more about the actual gift tomorrow ;) I'll leave merr or xtn to give a recap of what happened.

On my way home, I *think* I saw Elliott's plane the airplane Elliott was on take off. I had to check the actual flight status. Wheee, that was around the time we passed the area near the airport :D


Mods, please just move to a different category if this can't fall under concert recaps :)

Awesome!!! Did you guys have lunch at the hotel?? Wg, xtn, merrr...details, please!!! How thrilling naman!

glad the trip was a success. :D can't wait to hear all about it. :D

Where did Elliott stay? Chismis naman! (Please give us the scoop...lol)

Intercon sa Makati, Fabb! And Shangrila Cebu...where he got on his first jetski!! We can talk about this now that he's back here!!

Okay, here's a quick recap. The plan was to give the scrapbook that wandergirl and anj made to Elliott last night. But the problem is that we wanted the scrapbook to be complete, which meant it had to include photos from the show that just finished. and there wasn't enough time to print them out. so we said, okay, let's just try to leave it in his hotel tomorrow (maybe via the concierge).

this morning, wandergirl says that she would most likely be dropping off the scrapbook after lunch. I told her I had late lunch plans (1-3pm) and i said if she ends up going there after 3 to please let me know. She texts me at 230pm to say that she, merrr, and anj would be there at the hotel at 4pm. I said I could join them.

So we end up in the hotel lobby at 4pm. Wandergirl shows us the finished product - which anj worked on mostly, based on content from wandergirl, since she was an expert 'scrapper' - and it was beautiful. it really was a work of art. i wish i had one of those myself LOL

Now we were wondering whether Elliott was still there, and how we could get it to him.

Sometime later, we saw Aaron come out of the elevator and head to the pool area. So we figured that Elliott was still there. or if he wasn't, we might possibly leave the farewell gift with Aaron.

Oh and btw, we had Yaminoy shirts for Aaron, Russell, and Joonie as well. Both Elliott and Monet had one already, so we figured the rest of the band should have one too. And we also had a couple of hats for Elliott, courtesy of eliza - these were made of local materials and she figured since Elliott always had a hat on when performing, it would be nice to give him a couple more.

Anyways, we didn't want to be intrusive nor to act like stalkers so we didn't bother Aaron. We waited for him to come back but unfortunately when he did, we kinda missed him and when we saw him, he was on his way into an elevator.

At this point we start thinking of other ways to get through to Elliott. We later on saw one of Elliott's technical crew and figured maybe we could course it through him. He was in and out of the lobby, and we figured that we should ask him the next time we see him.

When he finally appeared, Anj and merrr started walking towards him but he seemed a bit preoccupied. They were having second thoughts as to whether to approach him when who would appear right of out the elevators again but Aaron.

As he stepped out, he ran into merrr and anj and seemed to recognize them and he approaches them and they start talking. wandergirl and i joined them.

we hand them the shirts - we tell them that elliott and monet had one already and we felt that the rest of the band should have one as well. he thanked us for it. He also mentioned that the song we did yesterday (we confirmed it was us) was awesome.

we then showed him the scrapbook and he said it looked really good and that Elliott would surely appreciate it. We even showed him the photos of himself inside.

we asked him if he could give it to Elliott for us. He then says, "Wouldn't you want to give it to Elliott yourself?" We were like "Oh of course" and he said he would get Elliott, but that it would take a while. After that we were a bit excited. Anj and Yam's hands were cold, and mine started sweating badly LOL

That was around 530pm and it took a long while before we got to see Elliott. By then, both Russell and Joonie had appeared, but they weren't looking in our direction so again, we didn't want to be intrusive nor seem like stalking so we just sat there and waited for Elliott.

Sometime later, Aaron comes back down and sees us. He asks us if Elliott had come down already and we say that he hasn't. He promises us that Elliott would be coming down.

A few minutes later, a big security guy comes down and he is followed closely by Elliott. both of them seem to be in a mad rush. I think Elliott sees us but we stayed put. We weren't sure whether he would feel that we were intruding, especially at a point where he was in a hurry. But merrr was already talking to one of the people handling Elliott's tour whom she apparently knew, and when Elliott came to her, they started talking a bit, and then after a few seconds motioned us to head their way.

So wandergirl shows Elliott the scrapbook and Elliott seems genuinely pleased by it. We tell him what's in it - photos from all shows, newspaper articles and clippings about his mall tour here, some thank you notes from his fans, and a couple of DVDs of his shows in Glorietta and Trinoma. Elliott thanked us for it. We then hand him the hats that eliza bought and he is once again thankful.

After that, merrr asks for a photo with Elliott. i snap a photo of them together. the security guy then says they are in a rush and we should just have a group photo. I just tell wandergirl and anj that i would take their photo. Elliott also tells us he is sorry but they are in a rush as i take their photo. Wandergirl tells me it's my turn and I say don't worry about it.

So then he just says goodbye to us, and he shakes our hands one by one, thanking each of us. We thank him as well. He then steps out of the lobby.

At this point, we are still inside the lobby (we wanted to say goodbye to each of the band members and to Monet as well). And we noticed that Elliott was actually just outside, standing and waiting for his car.

Anj and Wandergirl get upset that security rushed Elliott. i ask them why they are upset, since they managed to get a photo anyways. They say that I didn't get a photo with him. I tell them that I already have a great photo with Elliott and that I really didn't need another one. I mean, I did hear Elliott say himself they were in a hurry and i didn't want to impose myself on him. Besides, I had so much experiences with him already - I had a solo photo with him. I had been in a couple of group photos with him. And I had shaken his hand 3 times prior to that. Apparently I also managed to half-hug him - you know, the kind where you are shaking hands with one hand and kinda half hugging with the other. I actually didn't recall that i did this until wandergirl showed me last night some of the photos she printed out. so in truth, i didn't need another picture. and elliott's personal time and privacy was more important to me than another photo.

Next it's Russell. (oh btw, earlier that evening, while Russell was on his way to the check out counter, he looked at us with recognition and we say "Happy birthday, Russell" - it is his birthday today - and he says thanks.)

anyways, after our final Elliott encounter, Russell seems like he is about to exit the lobby so we approach him and ask if we could take photos with him. Joonie was right behind him so we request a photo with him as well. We have a quick conversation with Joonie about his dark sunglasses LOL

Afterwards Russell comes back and then asks us if he could take a picture of just us fans. Can you believe that? Naturally we obliged! We told him about the scrapbook and he did say that Elliott mentioned it. We told him to take a look because his photo was in it, and in fact his picture with him blowing the candles on his cake was there. He seemed quite pleased with that.

Then Aaron appears again. We say our goodbyes to him again and he hugs wandergirl and anj (merrr was standing behind us talking to her contact I think). We then shake hands and I say thank you and he says "What's your name again?" i say 'Christian' then we all start introducing ourselves (merrr had joined us by this time and got to introduce herself as well).

He once again says that they don't want to leave. He actually mentioned this during the first conversation we had when we handed him our final gifts to him and asked if he could give Elliott our scrapbook. We told him that we hoped to see him and the rest of them again.

Yeah, I think that pretty much covers it! What a productive afternoon! AND... I finally got my pic with Elliott :rocker:

Finally, Monet. At this point, the four of us start talking - "should we tell her that we were sorry that Elliott got mobbed by the fans yesterday?" We decide that we should.

Anyway, when Monet finally leaves the check-out counter, she passes by us, catches a glimpse of us, takes a step or two, looks back at us. i don't recall if we said "Thanks Monet" to get her attention as she passed by but she did stop and face us and then start talking.

We then once again express our gratitude to her. We then tell her that we were sorry that Elliott got mobbed the night before, and that we didn't intend that to happen. She then said "that was no problem, elliott didn't feel mobbed" or something to that effect. In essence, she assured us that Elliott didn't feel mobbed. So we said "oh that's really good to know!" and it made me breathe a sigh of relief.

Then she asks us "oh wait, was that you singing yesterday?" and we said yes it was! She told us that as they were walking away, out of our sight by now atop the elevator, Elliott actually hears us, points in our direction, and says "is that them singing?" She also tells us that they were so bummed that they didn't get a video of it. (merrr later on joked to us that we should have volunteered to sing again LOL). So Elliott did hear us and he did appreciate what we did, so much so in fact that he wished they caught it on video! Yaminoys, success! :)

Then we start talking about Elliott maybe coming back and we tell her that we hoped to see her again soon. Wandergirl mentions that there is a concert in Malaysia in December. Monet says the plans aren't sorted out yet but that we should check his myspace for final details. We tell her we certainly will, and that we are always updated. She smiles.

Then she apologizes to us as she has to leave, and we say our final goodbyes and she gives each of us a cheek-to-cheek kiss.

After yesterday, there were only two final doubts i had. The first was whether Elliott heard and appreciated our rendition of "you are the one" as he headed out of ATC. the second was my concern that Elliott might have felt mobbed because it wasn't really standard protocol to have a huge group photo during meet and greets.

The events this afternoon removed all my doubts and i know that everything went well. It was truly a perfect end to a perfect tour.

merrr, when you get the photo of Elliott looking at his scrapbook, please post it here. And congrats on finally getting your photo taken with Elliott!

Yay! Success, indeed! Great work, guys! :rocker:

I'm a little bit sorry I was unable to join you at the hotel. I would have liked to have a photo taken with Aaron (something I failed to do at the shows) and to thank Monet again, but I wasn't (still am not) feeling too well. Oh well...I'm just glad you accomplished the mission and a little bit more. :D

Yay, Marie, you finally got your photo! New avi on the way, huh? ;-p

thanks xtn4e, for the recap of your afternoon with Elliott, the band and Monet. What a great conclusion to to a memorable week!! I'm sure Elliott loves and appreciates your srapbook and everything else you all gave to him. In the live Oscar Meyer chat that he did online a while back, he said he saves all his fans gifts.

It's really nice to know that he does, Linda :)

Congrats everyone!!! What awesome stories I have read!! Kicking myself that I missed it and all of you.

Btw, to anyone interested, here is the Thank You note that we put in the last page of our Elliott scrapbook:

Miracles can happen when we least expect it. We certainly didn’t expect our lives to change the moment we first caught a glimpse of you and felt the soul in your mesmerizing voice. We followed you in your journey as you continued to harness your skill and share it to the world. We drew inspiration from you as you overcame all odds and obstacles thrown your way and as you emerged triumphant.

And during all of this, we foolishly dreamed of the day when we would meet you, watch you perform, and tell you how much love and respect we have for you, even from halfway around the world.

But nothing’s impossible. And now we find ourselves celebrating with you, completely overjoyed that you graced us with your presence and gifted us with your voice and your talent. You can see it in our smiles. You can hear it in our voices as we talk about our unforgettable encounters with you and as we endlessly recount the details of every handshake, every conversation, every autograph, every kiss, every hug.

THANK YOU, ELLIOTT!

…for reaching out to us, your Filipino fans, and touching our hearts and our lives more than we ever thought possible

…for generously sharing yourself with us, and for giving us the opportunity to celebrate your success with you

…and for allowing us to let you know how much you inspire us and how much we love you.

It is Amazing how many dreams you made come true when you came to the Philippines . You have left us with such beautiful memories and have carved a significant mark in our hearts that will remain there for as long as we live. And for that, we will be grateful forever.

WE LOVE YOU, ELLIOTT!



The Yaminoys

Brandon, thank you very much for making so many great things happen for us!!

Hopefully, Elliott and his band will follow Magellan's words: "I shall return!"

Brandon, you will definitely tag along next time!! ;-)

Amen!! Very well written!!

This is going to the archived Forum!! Here: http://etrainstation.com/index.php?showtopic=4359

THANK YOU, BRANDON!!! We really appreciate the effort you went through to help us. We truly had the time of our lives. And we hope to meet you when Elliott comes back to the Philippines next year! :)

Haha, Toni! I think you mean Gen. Douglas MacArthur..? ;)

You Filipino fans are the best....what a heartfelt and articulate tribute you gave..I love everything you did, especially the singing...and such indescribably beautiful pictures and video--I know the scrapbook must have been a work of art too. Just-wow! Wouldn't it be nice if Elliott could bring the whole world together like this in Elliott-love? Well, as you said, nothing's impossible! You guys are amazing!

Yeay...that's it!! Basta I remembere letter M!! Hahaha...si Magellan pala discovered the Philippines!!

Thanks too, Toni... for always looking out for us and the other international fans. We truly felt your motherly concern from halfway across the world. I hope we get to meet you too... next year? :)

It certainly would, AngELL!

Awwww...thanks, merrr!! I will tell you how much my long distance phone calls to you guys come up to!!! I love it!!

eta: next year, I come in July for my wedding anniversary!! Get your calendars open around the week of 22nd and 24th!!

Ooooh imagine if Toni and Brandon were here with us during Elliott's concert, that would be truly awesome!!

Oh my gosh, you guys have me in tears. Your letter is so touching! Thanks for sharing your wonderful memories with us.

Your scrapbook and letter will be something Elliott will no doubt treasure forever. You all made his trip so memorable and exciting and you gave us so many wonderful recaps and videos that I got goosebumps reading and watching. You guys are the best and I hope that you will forever support our Elliott because he deserves it. I have never been a "fan girl", (partly, because I am old enough to be his mother) but with Elliott I watched him from the beginning of Idol as he grew more confident and I was hoping and voting for him to stay in the show and when he made top 3, I was overcome with excitement. He is truly is a unique, caring and genuine person. I am soooo happy for him and thank you again for making this trip so memorable for him and for all of us at Etrain. It was as if I was there. :awe: :awe: :awe: :grouphug: :grouphug:

Loveelliott, I second that "E-motion"! :elliottcap:

Just a little upset, because the guys were rushing E and the rest of the band and even Monet weren't even there yet! Then he was just hanging out outside ;) I really hate how bodyguards feel like all fans are going to pounce on Elliott. I know it's their job to protect their client but I am wondering if by now they can gauge a fan's behavior?

Today I don't feel upset about that anymore. I'm just really happy we were able to give the gifts and say goodbye :)

HI Y'all,I want to take this time to say thank you very much to Yaminoys and to all The Filipino fans for opening your hears to Elliott comming to the Philippines!I also want to say thank you very much for everyone that made this trip for Elliott possible!Thanks to Joonie,Russel and Aaron with out them making Awesome music with Elliott this also could not have been possible!Also thanks gos out to the greatest managment team in the world Monet,Jeff Rebhan,Josh Abrams and all others in Elliotts Managment team who made this trip possible!You know Elliott has the worlds greatest Managment team and band!I hope Elliott stays with this managment team and band for years to come!Thanks gos out to Wandergirl and everyone else that took Awesome pictures and videos!I would have to say these are some of the greatest pictures and videos in the world I mean these pictures and videos are very clear and you show Elliott very very close up!I would say these pictures are great qulity,but what happened to the Awesome pictures and videos from Elliotts concert in Cebu on Sept. 26,2007?I don't see any?Just very few pictures and video from Cebu!The greatest thanks gos to our Funky White Boy the one and only Elliott Yamin for your Emazin smooth soulful voice!When you come onstage everything comes to life and magic starts to happen!Elliott you perform the greatest concerts in the world!You are DA MAN!You are DA BOMB!!You are DA Funky White Boy!!!Elliott you are priceless! :elliottcap: :elliottelliott: :elyot: :etrain: 4 LIFE!!!

Loth and our Korean Etrainers will post them soon. Our Korean fans just got back to Korea yesterday, I believe!! And Loth probably just got back from Manila...and plus, he usually has internet access during weekdays only!!

I am so totally with you..great post! Many kudos all around! Well done EVERYBODY!! What a triumphant and awe-inspiring tour!

merrr: you finally got your photo! :D lucky! hopefully, when elliott comes back here, i'll be able to take a photo with him. :)

thank you so much for the recap xtn4e. :D

so glad you guys were able to give it to him personally. :)