Now, the first thing that you have to know about me when you meet me is that I'm nowhere near what you'd call as 'ladylike'. I listen to hardcore music (which is actually pretty normal for girls nowadays), play games (mostly first-person shooter games such as Call of Duty and yes I don't care how much people think it's shitty, I still love it), and is a definite freak when it comes to football and by football I mean what Americans would call as 'soccer'.
I'm a big Liverpool fan, thanks to my dad and I'm super freaking happy when they announced that they're going to be playing in Indonesia for their summer tour. Knowing how much of a Liverpool fan my dad is, I just knew that he'd never say no to it. He'd already watched them once back when they were visiting Malaysia and 2011, and he didn't even bother to tell me what he's actually going there for. (I thought it was some kind of business meeting or some shit like that)
So, yeah. Asking him to buy the tickets wasn't really that hard. He already ordered them and it was all good.
A few weeks before the match, my dad texted me saying that I should go to this sports store to get the tickets. I thought that my dad already had them in his hands, but apparently when he bought jerseys for himself and I, he got 2 free tickets for the VIP section when the tickets that he'd already bought was like in category 3 seatings. In conclusion, we had 4 tickets in our hands when the only ones that were about to watch the game are my dad and I.
I remembered that it was a Thursday evening, I'd just done with school and I'd changed my clothes. I searched for a taxi and it was drizzling outside. I got inside the taxi just right about when the drizzle got more heavy and it's raining everywhere. Right after I got inside the mall (the sports store was inside this one mall), my dad rang my phone. When I picked up, he asked where I was and if I had gotten the tickets or not. After I explained my situation he also said, "If I'm not mistaken, Robbie (Fowler) and Rushy (Ian Rush) will also be in the sports store for some kind of interview," and I completely freaked out. I was actually about to meet two of Liverpool's greatest players. I'd circled the store for God knows how long just to see whether they'd arrived or not. (I arrived a bit too quickly) Finally, I had the guts to go in and asked for the tickets. Once I got the tickets, some of these policemen came barging in and that's when Robbie Fowler entered the room. It was too crowded, but I got some pictures of him and eventually left.
I didn't exactly go back home, I was planning on doing something after it. So, I did. I went to the lads' hotel which is not that far from the mall. Once I got off, I went inside the hotel and found it really normal. No other fellow reds that were trying to search for the lads, it was just full of businessmen meeting with other... businessmen. I went down to the basement to only be directed with a security outside, where I found probably almost a thousand of fellow reds already waiting for the lads. I got placed near the entrance so if I were about to see the players, I wouldn't need to tip-toed. Not far from me were these two boys and they were brothers. I'm not gonna say their names but let's just pretend that C is the older one and A is the younger one. Since we had to wait for like an hour or so, I thought it'd be nice to have someone to chat with and that's when I introduced myself to the two of them. Back then, C just got into a Uni and A was still a 6th grader. We talked a lot about footy, especially Liverpool (duh) and it's actually surprising about how much a boy can also obsess over something. He explained to me so much things about the players' and the staffs' personal lives matters such as how Brendan's daughter and Colin's son are (or were) actually dating. An hour passed by and yes, the staffs came rushing out of the hotel and we got on our feet and chanted all Liverpool chants that existed.
When the players started coming out... It was un-freaking-believable. It was a dream come true for me, and I just--wow. I actually saw them all with my own real eyes in real life; and by in real life, I mean like... face to face. They waved at all of us and the fans started pointing their jerseys out for them to sign. I almost got mine signed, but instead, Sterling signed C's jersey. Since C was a boy, it's no wonder that I was no match for him, he couldn't stop pushing me when a player came out, he couldn't even control himself from not pushing his own brother. Well, in the end I didn't get any of the players' autographs, but it was fun nonetheless. I got to see them face to face, ffs. I saw (almost) all of them. That's something that I'd probably (but hopefully not) never be able to experience ever again.
Few days later, after I got home from school, that's when my dad arrived in Jakarta. It was supposed to be a business trip, so he got the accommodation all paid by his company, right. After he picked me up at home, he said to the taxi driver to go to this one specific hotel. Guess which one? Mulia Hotel, the one that all the players were staying at. Epic. Win. Before he came to Jakarta, I did beg him to stay there for his trip, and he actually denied it at first, but then I asked him for it to be my (early) birthday gift and after that he didn't respond to any of my messages. But wow. Another dream come true. After we checked in, got the key card to our hotel room, we rested for a bit and after that we went down to the basement, hoping for a chance to meet the lads.
Once we were down, there were also a few people waiting for them, not as much as the one when I met C, but yeah, there were probably like 5 people, including us. There was this kid with a book full of LFC cards with the players' photos on it, and he got like 2 of them signed. We waited for 5 minutes top and this one brazilian player passed us and smiled at us, but I was too starstruck to even move. The kid got up to Lucas and asked for him to sign the book, so he bent down and signed it, when he got up he looked at my dad and I both, smiling and then waved at us. I got scolded by dad for not walking up to him and asked for his signature, but my dad himself was also too starstruck, somehow. Geez, what a fanboy. Not long after his departure at the hotel, our terminator, Mr. Skrtel came into the hotel and walked right in front of us. He signed the kid's book and after that he walked right to the elevator, even though when I asked him to sign my paper, he only smiled at me. I literally sighed, but then again, after Skrtel passed, the other lads came in. Agger, Jordan and Kelly. I got Agger's signature first and yeaaah his paper is a bit special other than the one that Jordan and Kelly signed. It pretty much looked like this :
After I got him to sign the paper, I got my drawing of a Liverbird that I doodled in class out of boredom signed by both Jordan and Kelly. Not long after that I tried to squeeze myself beside Kelly's side for my dad to take a picture. At first he didn't even realize I was there, which is normal because I was a dwarf compared to him by heights, but then he did notice me and grab me by the shoulder to and he smiled to my dad's camera. Right after the photo was taken he smiled at me and that's when I kind of suggest him to cut his hair. He only smiled at me and nodded but it's amazing how such small gestures like those could make me fly to heaven. (geez, I'm such a fangirl, sorry.) I also got a picture with Jordan which also made the whole thing even better!
Also after they all took off, I took a picture with one of the staffs. I went up to him and asked, "can I take a picture with you?" which he answered with "don't get me wrong, I'm not one of the players," and I answered, "don't worry, I could tell," and stood right next to him.
Everyone was so nice, even one of the LFCTV staffs which once smiled at me when I walked past him it's just so heartwarming. Everything that day was so perfect that I just want to puke rainbows whenever the memories pop back into my mind.
Along those days I also remember helping a friend to hunt the lads' autographs also. We got on these elevator and when it reached the fifth floor which was the gym and swimming pool area, right in front of us, right when the doors of the elevator slide open was Steven George Gerrard. He was like 30 cm away from us that we stood there as if we were frozen. As we were about to ask for his autograph, the security guards pushed us away and we failed.
On the training day, we get to watch them train and all and of course, with our tickets, we could also watch them. When we entered the stadium, it was only half-full, of course, since not all of the ticket holders can watch it, but wow. The atmosphere was not bad at all. Even though it was a practice we chanted so loud that even the players applauded us in between their training. Like, it wasn't even the match yet, but wow. Wow. I love them all so much, the lads and the other supporters. Because, wow. I love The Kop so much.
The morning on the match day, dad's left me to his meeting so yeah, I was left alone in the hotel with no one but myself. With nothing to do, I decided to just go all around the hotel (searching for the lads, of course) and the securities there probably saw me like 50 times going up and down the elevator. I relaxed a bit on the swimming pool area which was so nice. It was fasting month, but since I kind of puked right after I had my suhoor, I decided to take a lunch with a friend in this mall that's not far from the hotel. (the one where I got my tickets from) We met there and ate and walked for a bit and got bored. I finally decided to take her to the hotel with me and thank God she can come in since dad wasn't inside. (a room card can only bring in 2 people including the card holder and the security was super strict there) We ate snacks for a bit and watched the TV, but then again we got bored. Again. That's when I decided to take her to the swimming pool area and just joke and chat there. There were LFC staffs that were also relaxing there, so, yeah, all was good. We joked for God knows how long and when my friend's driver came to pick her up, I accompanied her to go back to the room to get her bag that she left there. On the way up, we were actually in the same elevator with Ian Rush. Ian freaking Rush. Once again, I just smiled sheepishly with my friend probably asking herself, 'what is wrong with this girl' and when she looked at the only person that wasn't me, she just nodded and elbowed me to ask for his autograph. So, I did. He signed this giant banner that my dad bought back when he watched Liverpool in Malaysia in 2011. I was stupidly starstruck and didn't get a chance to ask for a photo with him, but, oh well. I got his autograph.
ALSO, one moment after I was done relaxing at the swimming pool area and was about to go up to my room alone, the elevator area was kind of blocked and not far from me, one the other side of the elevator area was the whole squad standing, waiting for the elevators. I basically just stood like 3 metres away from the lads, couldn't do a thing but to watch them from afar. There were these two girls beside, crying their eyes out at the sight of them. I just stood there awkwardly, smiling and waving at them which some of them returned with their smiles, the other halves? don't ask.
MATCH DAY SLASH NIGHT, THOUGH. My dad got back from the meeting, we both rested and prepared everything. We went to the venue and met my dad's friend and his son. We parted ways when we went to eat and bought some water for the game. We round the venue up to search for things and we took a photo here and there. There was this booth that provided us temporary tattoo. Free. So, yeah, my dad got two tattoos on both his hands while I only got one. We hid the water inside my bag (teehee) and went inside the stadium, found our seats and I was super pleased with my seating because right in front of me was a really handsome, blond-haired foreigner who looks my age and is also a Liverpool fan. I was definitely head over heels for him, and yeah, when the game hadn't started, I fangirled about him to my dad which he actually handled pretty calmly.
When the game started? Dream. Come. True. It was so unreal regarding its perfectness. I wished that I could just stay there, chant my heart out and watch the lads play forever? But, yeah. We have such hooligans here, so, the game's got to be really fun. We made waves that wouldn't stop and if the wave stopped at a certain category, the whole stadium would just boo'd them, it was so much fun. We chanted so loud that some said the aired version one couldn't even hear the commentators over the sound of us chanting.
I thank God so much for that kind of experience. On my birthday I spent the day all sulked up on my bed, wanting to go back to the day I watched Liverpool play in Indonesia all over again. So, yeah. I would definitely categorized that as one of the best birthday gifts I've ever gotten so far in my life, and that's all thanks to one guy.
When the players started coming out... It was un-freaking-believable. It was a dream come true for me, and I just--wow. I actually saw them all with my own real eyes in real life; and by in real life, I mean like... face to face. They waved at all of us and the fans started pointing their jerseys out for them to sign. I almost got mine signed, but instead, Sterling signed C's jersey. Since C was a boy, it's no wonder that I was no match for him, he couldn't stop pushing me when a player came out, he couldn't even control himself from not pushing his own brother. Well, in the end I didn't get any of the players' autographs, but it was fun nonetheless. I got to see them face to face, ffs. I saw (almost) all of them. That's something that I'd probably (but hopefully not) never be able to experience ever again.
Few days later, after I got home from school, that's when my dad arrived in Jakarta. It was supposed to be a business trip, so he got the accommodation all paid by his company, right. After he picked me up at home, he said to the taxi driver to go to this one specific hotel. Guess which one? Mulia Hotel, the one that all the players were staying at. Epic. Win. Before he came to Jakarta, I did beg him to stay there for his trip, and he actually denied it at first, but then I asked him for it to be my (early) birthday gift and after that he didn't respond to any of my messages. But wow. Another dream come true. After we checked in, got the key card to our hotel room, we rested for a bit and after that we went down to the basement, hoping for a chance to meet the lads.
Once we were down, there were also a few people waiting for them, not as much as the one when I met C, but yeah, there were probably like 5 people, including us. There was this kid with a book full of LFC cards with the players' photos on it, and he got like 2 of them signed. We waited for 5 minutes top and this one brazilian player passed us and smiled at us, but I was too starstruck to even move. The kid got up to Lucas and asked for him to sign the book, so he bent down and signed it, when he got up he looked at my dad and I both, smiling and then waved at us. I got scolded by dad for not walking up to him and asked for his signature, but my dad himself was also too starstruck, somehow. Geez, what a fanboy. Not long after his departure at the hotel, our terminator, Mr. Skrtel came into the hotel and walked right in front of us. He signed the kid's book and after that he walked right to the elevator, even though when I asked him to sign my paper, he only smiled at me. I literally sighed, but then again, after Skrtel passed, the other lads came in. Agger, Jordan and Kelly. I got Agger's signature first and yeaaah his paper is a bit special other than the one that Jordan and Kelly signed. It pretty much looked like this :
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| The picture was taken from 2012's EURO match, Denmark against Germany. |
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| And this was him signing that precious paper, captured by the most awesome dad in the world. |
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| Also, here's a bonus pic of Skrtel walking |
After I got him to sign the paper, I got my drawing of a Liverbird that I doodled in class out of boredom signed by both Jordan and Kelly. Not long after that I tried to squeeze myself beside Kelly's side for my dad to take a picture. At first he didn't even realize I was there, which is normal because I was a dwarf compared to him by heights, but then he did notice me and grab me by the shoulder to and he smiled to my dad's camera. Right after the photo was taken he smiled at me and that's when I kind of suggest him to cut his hair. He only smiled at me and nodded but it's amazing how such small gestures like those could make me fly to heaven. (geez, I'm such a fangirl, sorry.) I also got a picture with Jordan which also made the whole thing even better!
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| I was mostly bawling my eyes out in the inside, even though I looked so calm here lol |
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| Cringing at how he crouched just to be inside the picture |
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| Not even gonna lie, this was a dream come true, MK34's been my favorite player for God knows how long |
Also after they all took off, I took a picture with one of the staffs. I went up to him and asked, "can I take a picture with you?" which he answered with "don't get me wrong, I'm not one of the players," and I answered, "don't worry, I could tell," and stood right next to him.
Everyone was so nice, even one of the LFCTV staffs which once smiled at me when I walked past him it's just so heartwarming. Everything that day was so perfect that I just want to puke rainbows whenever the memories pop back into my mind.
Along those days I also remember helping a friend to hunt the lads' autographs also. We got on these elevator and when it reached the fifth floor which was the gym and swimming pool area, right in front of us, right when the doors of the elevator slide open was Steven George Gerrard. He was like 30 cm away from us that we stood there as if we were frozen. As we were about to ask for his autograph, the security guards pushed us away and we failed.
On the training day, we get to watch them train and all and of course, with our tickets, we could also watch them. When we entered the stadium, it was only half-full, of course, since not all of the ticket holders can watch it, but wow. The atmosphere was not bad at all. Even though it was a practice we chanted so loud that even the players applauded us in between their training. Like, it wasn't even the match yet, but wow. Wow. I love them all so much, the lads and the other supporters. Because, wow. I love The Kop so much.
The morning on the match day, dad's left me to his meeting so yeah, I was left alone in the hotel with no one but myself. With nothing to do, I decided to just go all around the hotel (searching for the lads, of course) and the securities there probably saw me like 50 times going up and down the elevator. I relaxed a bit on the swimming pool area which was so nice. It was fasting month, but since I kind of puked right after I had my suhoor, I decided to take a lunch with a friend in this mall that's not far from the hotel. (the one where I got my tickets from) We met there and ate and walked for a bit and got bored. I finally decided to take her to the hotel with me and thank God she can come in since dad wasn't inside. (a room card can only bring in 2 people including the card holder and the security was super strict there) We ate snacks for a bit and watched the TV, but then again we got bored. Again. That's when I decided to take her to the swimming pool area and just joke and chat there. There were LFC staffs that were also relaxing there, so, yeah, all was good. We joked for God knows how long and when my friend's driver came to pick her up, I accompanied her to go back to the room to get her bag that she left there. On the way up, we were actually in the same elevator with Ian Rush. Ian freaking Rush. Once again, I just smiled sheepishly with my friend probably asking herself, 'what is wrong with this girl' and when she looked at the only person that wasn't me, she just nodded and elbowed me to ask for his autograph. So, I did. He signed this giant banner that my dad bought back when he watched Liverpool in Malaysia in 2011. I was stupidly starstruck and didn't get a chance to ask for a photo with him, but, oh well. I got his autograph.
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| here lies the banner |
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| but here's a pic of him signing the banner |
MATCH DAY SLASH NIGHT, THOUGH. My dad got back from the meeting, we both rested and prepared everything. We went to the venue and met my dad's friend and his son. We parted ways when we went to eat and bought some water for the game. We round the venue up to search for things and we took a photo here and there. There was this booth that provided us temporary tattoo. Free. So, yeah, my dad got two tattoos on both his hands while I only got one. We hid the water inside my bag (teehee) and went inside the stadium, found our seats and I was super pleased with my seating because right in front of me was a really handsome, blond-haired foreigner who looks my age and is also a Liverpool fan. I was definitely head over heels for him, and yeah, when the game hadn't started, I fangirled about him to my dad which he actually handled pretty calmly.
When the game started? Dream. Come. True. It was so unreal regarding its perfectness. I wished that I could just stay there, chant my heart out and watch the lads play forever? But, yeah. We have such hooligans here, so, the game's got to be really fun. We made waves that wouldn't stop and if the wave stopped at a certain category, the whole stadium would just boo'd them, it was so much fun. We chanted so loud that some said the aired version one couldn't even hear the commentators over the sound of us chanting.
I thank God so much for that kind of experience. On my birthday I spent the day all sulked up on my bed, wanting to go back to the day I watched Liverpool play in Indonesia all over again. So, yeah. I would definitely categorized that as one of the best birthday gifts I've ever gotten so far in my life, and that's all thanks to one guy.
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| one of the awesomest dads in the world <3 |
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