Well it looks as though my San Diego trip deserves a story....so here we go!
July 18th I recieved a notice that Jason Mraz tickets were going on sale for a Special Acoustic Evening with just him and Toca in San Diego! I thought, OMG San Diego! Where it all started 10 years ago. This has gotta be the concert of all concerts to go to! So after confirming with my AWESOME hubby I planned my stalking of presale tickets. 10:00am on the dot and I score 4TH ROW!!!! I only bought one ticket, just me going by myself and I didn't care! Come to find out Jam and Dawn, our very own MrazWomen were going too! I'd be sitting by myself but I'd have my girls to hang out with!
So then I waited....a very long 4 months! The week before the show my Twitter and FB started blowing up! I was on a mission to finally meet and talk to Jason! I mean, what better place to do that than in his hometown, in a very small intimate venue with easy access right? So all these messages were coming in saying "Say Hi to Jason for me! Can't wait to hear about your trip, etc etc"
So Monday was finally here! 8:30am flight and I had no trouble waking up at 5:15 to get ready to go! I was so excited. I was traveling solo but all my online buddies kept me company with their funny messages and I had fun sharing random pics of my travels. I arrive in San Diego to the beautiful 80 degrees and sunny weather!! I was finally here! Caught the bus to my hotel which just so happened to be attached to Spreckels (the venue) so I was super excited! The bus dropped me off and the first thing I see is the Spreckels marquee that says "Jason Mraz - You Are Loved" SQUUUEEEEE!!! Of course I took a picture and headed to my hotel to get cleaned up. It was only 1:00pm and I had 6 hours of stalking to do! On my way to the hotel I passed the OPEN stage door with all of the stage guys working! AAAAHHH Must hurry and get ready so I can get back out there!
So after checking in and cleaning up I headed out on my mission. Luckily I found a great little cafe attached to Spreckels with an outdoor seating area so I could watch the lighting guys work and talk with the security guard. I'm coming to find out the head security guard is a VERY GOOD person to know! ;-) I had asked when sound check was and if I would be able to go in and listen. No luck. The security guard then said, "Well, just try to get on camera" I say, "camera? What do you mean?" Then he tells me that the show is being recorded for a DVD!!!!! SCORE!!! This secret apparently had been keep for awhile so I was super pumped to be finding this out!
So after I hung out ther for about an hour, I decided to walk around the block to see if anything was going on at the other stage door. Nothing. However on my way back around to the 'happening' stage door I see Toca! I'm saying to myself... OMG that's Toca! Holy Crap that's Toca as I walk towards him and he walks towards me. So I stop him and say "You're Toca right?" Toca:Yes, Hi! Me: Hi,(I shake his hand) I'm Jen. I'm going to the show tonight, it's so great to meet you Toca: Awesome, are you from San Diego? Me: No, I came from Indiana just to see you guys! Toca: Oh WOW Thank you so much! We are so grateful! I gotta head to sound check now, but it was great meeting you. Me: You too!!
So off I go to the front of Spreckels completely bummed that I didn't get my camera out. So then I turn around and head back to the stage door and see Toca still standing there! Then I also see my girls Dawn and Jam!!
Yay! So I walk up to all three of them an say Hi to Dawn and Jam then we talk to Toca and get all of our pictures taken with him. He really is the nicest most laid back person I've ever met!! Then we keep talking with Toca (apparently he wasn't all that late) and Toca says "Well, if you guys are wanting to meet Jason, this is the place to be. He's gotta come in this door" We say, "Oh really?! Awesome" Then Toca says......wait for it......this is the BEST PART OF THE WHOLE STORY.....
"Speaking of...." We all turn around and guess who is walking up RIGHT BEHIND ME!!! I turn around and say "Hey Jason!" and start to walk towards him to give him a hug. Honestly I was quite surprised I was able to talk or move at all! Then Jason says " Hey guys, how's it goin" Then him and Toca and Tricia walk in for sound check. We were all so stunned, nothing else came out of our mouths. I could have said "Hey Jason, how about a Hi 5 or can we get a quick picture" Something! Anything! Ugh!!! Depspite the lack of picture or hug, I did get to talk to Jason so I say mission accomplished!
Hell by this point it was only 3:30 and I had seen both Toca and Jason and had another 4 hours to visit! So after I stopped shaking (lol) us girls preceeded to talk with the security guard and do some wondering. As we walk back to the front I see Michael and Nancy Natter. Most of you may not know who that is, so I'll just say they are close friends with Jason and Michael has even written songs with Jason. So I walk up to say Hi and strangly had to introduce myself with my twitter name but she knew who I was so that was cool! They were the sweetest people ever! Michael told us some amazing stories about how some of our favorite Mraz songs came to be. It was really great meeting them.
So we decided to go inside and see what's going on in the lobby. Bought an awesome tour shirt and had the DVD crew come in and film us! But then the one GINORMOUS mistake I made was seeing the Meet and greet group of people leave the lobby and NOT FOLLOWING THEM! I thought about it for a split second but come to find out they go in the same stage door I had been talking to security all day. If I would have just followed them there was a REALLY good possibility he would have let me in to the meet n greet. Oh well, I got my 'Hi' and I'm gonna be happy about it!
So then I see Philly (RKOP) and had to go up and say Hi. Again I had to introduce myself by my twitter name, but again she knew who I was. She is seriously the nicest person! She treats everyone as though she has known them forever! You immediately feel like her friend. Loved it! Dawn, Jam and I got our picture with her too.
At this point the opened the doors so I was ready for the show! Go into Spreckels and let me tell you that venue is absolutely amazing!! Only about 1400 seats and really beautiful! Little did I know this was going to be unlike any other concert I had ever been to. We all sat down and out walks Jason and Toca and they just start talking. Kinda like "hey guys welcome to my house, have a seat, I'm gonna play a few songs for ya" It literally felt like our own personal living room concert! We sat the whole time (other than a standing ovation for 'Mr. Curiosity') Amazing amazing amazing! I would pick this quite acoustic show over one of his huge band shows any day!
There was an intermission where we had time to talk to friends and I swear it was a freaking Jason Mraz friends reunion in there! All of his close friends were there! I got to meet a lot of them, and never did I feel uncomfortable so it was really wild! The 2nd half was also amazing! Overall a great show. He talked so much more than any other concert I've been to. And let me tell you, that dude is funny! I cannot WAIT to see the DVD! Maybe I'll be on there even.
After the show, I headed to my favorite stage door (lessoned learned, don't go to the door with the security guard and Toca, Jason will leave out of the OTHER door) DUH! But anyway, I snagged a setlist and got Toca to sign that. I went up to Toca and said "Hey Toca" Toca: Hey Jen! (He remebered me!) Me: I've already had a picture, but can I have a hug and would you sign my setlist? Toca: Sure no problem! So got my signed souvinier for this trip! After a LONG while of standing around I headed back to the hotel and saw Toca AGAIN and joked "Nice hotel Toca" and he says "Thanks Jen!" I said "Goodnight" :-)
Overall, I'd have to say, if Jason is playing in San Diego again and I have the cash I would go again! BEST PLACE EVER to watch him! Over course it would be really nice to see him in MY hometown too! lol Thanks for reading and I'll have pictures up soon. :-)
Showing posts with label meetup. Show all posts
Showing posts with label meetup. Show all posts
MrazGal Update: In the US and loving it!
The Recent Past:
Jason (the boyfriend, not the singer) just started a job at an awesome company nearby, while I am enjoying just being by myself at home. When I am not catching up on my gazillion shows on my laptop, I am taking a walk on a nice trail (that pretty much connects to anything and everything essential to surviving, like groceries, restaurants, cinemas and the like), reading fantasy novels, or baking. Yes, I have discovered recently how much I enjoy making desserts (even more than eating them!). It's just the perfect hobby to get into, too. Since I'm trying to rebuild my knee strength by taking brisk walks regularly, I am able to burn ze calories as well! Soon, I'll be back into running shape!
One of the things I appreciate about being in the U.S. is how friendly everybody is. I know my home country boasts of its special brand of hospitality and the welcoming nature of the people, but I've never experienced being said hello to on the street by a complete stranger. In Manila, people don't really do that often and when they do, it's often perceived as creepy or even dangerous, but here, a lot of people have smiles and heys to offer. When you're lost, someone's bound to offer you reliable directions, and sometimes even a lift to your desired destination. And it's not scary at all (edit: depending on the person. If a creepy old guy wants you to get into his van, you know what to do). I guess it's partly because the neighborhood isn't surrounded by slums. I'm not quite sure yet.
There was a shooting right outside our apartment building almost a month ago, and that still freaks me out whenever I think about it. Back in Manila, I've always lived in an executive village with a guarded gate, a setup that allowed me to sleep soundly at night without having to worry about stray bullets accidentally hitting my window or me. Being this near to an altercation that even ended up in the news made me think about how unprepared I am for any sort of emergency. What if I get held up, get kidnapped? What if Jason meets an accident on his way to work or back? Who do I call for help?
In the Philippines, we don't have a 911 hotline. If we did, I don't know what it is and I'm sure a lot of Filipinos don't know, either. That scares me. The leaked video I recently saw of two teenagers (in Manila, Philippines) slowly dying from bullet wounds in the middle of a mall with passers-by doing absolutely nothing about it (they were even taking photos of the victims, not calling for help) scares me. That sort of thing may happen in the Philippines for fear of getting involved by helping and being wrongfully blamed in the end, but it's the complete opposite in the States. Concerned people who witness crimes never hesitate to report it to the police. In fact, people who witness crimes or accidents and don't report it may even get into trouble themselves. So yeah, even if my environment here in the U.S. is more prone to all sorts of danger, I at least know that people won't just stand around, doing nothing.
The Now:
Right now it is 56°F and super windy outside, definitely colder than the coldest weather in my homeland. Although I have been growing more accustomed to the cold US weather as weeks go by, the thought of going to a place with below-zero-degrees weather scares me. Okay, maybe it excites me as well. I have never actually seen snow bigger than a 100-meter patch. Jason can't wait to bundle me up in layers and get me my first skiing lesson. I hope I don't freeze to death or do something dumb like fall on my ass (though it might be kind of cute and funny if I did).
The Near Future:
I am pretty stoked for this upcoming weekend. We're taking a road trip to Yosemite for one-on-one time with nature (Jason the boyfriend is a huge nature freak). This will be my first time to visit a national park, so of course I am excited. I am also SUPER EXCITED because on the way home, I get to meet up with TJ, who will officially become my first MrazWoman meetup on this trip. :-) YAYYYY!
By the end of November, I am also embarking on a journey to San Diego to catch a Mraz show with Dawn and Jen. This will be my first time to go on a trip to a different part of the country by myself...I am both super excited and super scared! I am hopeful I don't get on the wrong train, or I'm not late for my flight, or that someone from Dawn's hotel will come get me at the SD airport. I hope this trip will live up to the hype, it being THE MOST AWESOME MRAZWOMAN MEETUP OF 2011! :D I wish all of you can be there. Maybe next time! :)
+++
I guess that's it for now. If you haven't gone over to http://jasonmraz.com/community to create your profile, DO IT NOW and be sure to join the MrazWomen group. :)
Lots of love and light and awesomeness,
Jam
MrazGal
Jason (the boyfriend, not the singer) just started a job at an awesome company nearby, while I am enjoying just being by myself at home. When I am not catching up on my gazillion shows on my laptop, I am taking a walk on a nice trail (that pretty much connects to anything and everything essential to surviving, like groceries, restaurants, cinemas and the like), reading fantasy novels, or baking. Yes, I have discovered recently how much I enjoy making desserts (even more than eating them!). It's just the perfect hobby to get into, too. Since I'm trying to rebuild my knee strength by taking brisk walks regularly, I am able to burn ze calories as well! Soon, I'll be back into running shape!
One of the things I appreciate about being in the U.S. is how friendly everybody is. I know my home country boasts of its special brand of hospitality and the welcoming nature of the people, but I've never experienced being said hello to on the street by a complete stranger. In Manila, people don't really do that often and when they do, it's often perceived as creepy or even dangerous, but here, a lot of people have smiles and heys to offer. When you're lost, someone's bound to offer you reliable directions, and sometimes even a lift to your desired destination. And it's not scary at all (edit: depending on the person. If a creepy old guy wants you to get into his van, you know what to do). I guess it's partly because the neighborhood isn't surrounded by slums. I'm not quite sure yet.
There was a shooting right outside our apartment building almost a month ago, and that still freaks me out whenever I think about it. Back in Manila, I've always lived in an executive village with a guarded gate, a setup that allowed me to sleep soundly at night without having to worry about stray bullets accidentally hitting my window or me. Being this near to an altercation that even ended up in the news made me think about how unprepared I am for any sort of emergency. What if I get held up, get kidnapped? What if Jason meets an accident on his way to work or back? Who do I call for help?
In the Philippines, we don't have a 911 hotline. If we did, I don't know what it is and I'm sure a lot of Filipinos don't know, either. That scares me. The leaked video I recently saw of two teenagers (in Manila, Philippines) slowly dying from bullet wounds in the middle of a mall with passers-by doing absolutely nothing about it (they were even taking photos of the victims, not calling for help) scares me. That sort of thing may happen in the Philippines for fear of getting involved by helping and being wrongfully blamed in the end, but it's the complete opposite in the States. Concerned people who witness crimes never hesitate to report it to the police. In fact, people who witness crimes or accidents and don't report it may even get into trouble themselves. So yeah, even if my environment here in the U.S. is more prone to all sorts of danger, I at least know that people won't just stand around, doing nothing.
The Now:
Right now it is 56°F and super windy outside, definitely colder than the coldest weather in my homeland. Although I have been growing more accustomed to the cold US weather as weeks go by, the thought of going to a place with below-zero-degrees weather scares me. Okay, maybe it excites me as well. I have never actually seen snow bigger than a 100-meter patch. Jason can't wait to bundle me up in layers and get me my first skiing lesson. I hope I don't freeze to death or do something dumb like fall on my ass (though it might be kind of cute and funny if I did).
The Near Future:
I am pretty stoked for this upcoming weekend. We're taking a road trip to Yosemite for one-on-one time with nature (Jason the boyfriend is a huge nature freak). This will be my first time to visit a national park, so of course I am excited. I am also SUPER EXCITED because on the way home, I get to meet up with TJ, who will officially become my first MrazWoman meetup on this trip. :-) YAYYYY!
By the end of November, I am also embarking on a journey to San Diego to catch a Mraz show with Dawn and Jen. This will be my first time to go on a trip to a different part of the country by myself...I am both super excited and super scared! I am hopeful I don't get on the wrong train, or I'm not late for my flight, or that someone from Dawn's hotel will come get me at the SD airport. I hope this trip will live up to the hype, it being THE MOST AWESOME MRAZWOMAN MEETUP OF 2011! :D I wish all of you can be there. Maybe next time! :)
+++
I guess that's it for now. If you haven't gone over to http://jasonmraz.com/community to create your profile, DO IT NOW and be sure to join the MrazWomen group. :)
Lots of love and light and awesomeness,
Jam
MrazGal
