MTV World Stage 15082009

It all began with simple text messages from Zuan.

"I'll see you in desa :("

"Don't be mad at me ok. You balik rumah dulu.. Nanti I datang."

"Don't be mad. I didn't know what got into me.. I cried enough tadi."

As someone who is really concern about this non-biological brother of mine, I freaked out. Grabbing my tudung and my keys, ignoring my wallet and the need to change for a pair of better pants, I got into my hoodie and wore my orange slippers as I rushed downstairs to see him, much to my housemates' astonishment.

My eyes spotted a white Perodua MyVi, and immediately recognized this dude clad in green hoodie as Zuan, and a girl about my size who was obviously Khalisa. The other one with them became obvious after I approached them at the front parking area in my hostel. It was Kak Rokiah. In my head, I was wondering why was Kak Rokiah there? What's the biggie, right? Now I believed that her presence that night was just to enhance my nervousness, and it miraculously worked!

"Kenapa, kenapa?" My eyes gazed widely at the three of them when Zuan wept fakingly on my shoulders, and felt weird when I caught Khalisa giggling with Kak Rokiah.

"Eh? Is this a trick?" I muttered. At that, all of them laughed and Zuan took off the hood, unveiling the dry face. I narrowed my eyes at him, "I know that would be a fake cry. You didn't show me your eyes."

"We have a surprise for you," Zuan said, "Promise us you'll go."

"Ha? Go where?"

"Consider this as an early birthday present from us," Khalisa passed me a rectangular cardboard box.

"Apa ni?" I was as blurred as a blank paper.

"Bukak la! Bukak la!"

I turned the box upside down to find a way to open it. Once I lifted up the lid, there lay something I have never even paid full attention to. It was not only one, but there were two GOLD passes to watch MTV World Stage in Sunway Lagoon Surf Beach, on Saturday; 15th August. This incident happened on the same week- Thursday.

"What is this?" Yes, I was that silly to be asking such a question.

"It's a concert ticket. There will be The All-American Rejects, Boys Like Girls and Estranged! We know you enjoy those kind of thing."

"Are you guys going?"

"No, sayang. We are not. You know la kan we layan ballad, RNB and heartbreak songs. We don't layan this so much. You are the one that came to our minds when we got the tickets," Khalisa explained.

"Why are you guys not going? This doesn't feel right," I was still blurry. Poor them, I did not deliver the scream of excitement they waited for.

"It's okay! You go la, and enjoy! It doesn't happen every year here, you know!"

"I don't know if I can go or not."

"Josh have to take you. If he doesn't, I'll make him do!" Zuan stressed it.

"He has parents. If they say no, no la. I really don't know if I can." The truth is, I was in a lot of doubt. I was a jakun with concerts for I had never been to any. "Who else is there?"

"Yang I know tu je la. I heard Kasabian is there, and Hoobastank."

"Who's Kasabian? Tak pernah dengar pun. Hoobastank so-so la. I want My Chemical Romance."

"Maybe they are there!" Zuan replied, trying to buy my attention.

"No, they are not. I'm their huge fan, so I know what they are doing now. No concerts are yet to be announced. Not here, of course."

"But you layan The All-American Rejects kan? Go la, Hani. Please please please!"

"Ape la ni, Kak Rokiah? I ingat ape la, rupanya ni." I turned to her and all she could do was giggle. "Okay, okay. We wait for Josh," I took out my phone and called this lover of mine. "Dear, you must come down now."

"Apesal? Zuan okay ke tak tu? Nangis sebab ape?" he was clueless.

"Just come down. I'll show you."

He agreed and moments later, he appeared. Showing the concert tickets to him, he was speechless as well. "Sabtu ni? Eh, today dah la Khamis."

"Promise me, Josh, that you'll take Hani there. It's her pre-birthday present! You must take her!" Zuan also explained to Josh why Khalisa and him were not going.

After a while spent talking to his parents, Josh said that he had an absolute green light. I was surprised, yet thankful at the same time. It'd felt bad if we couldn't go. It's a bloody GOLD pass. It doesn't drop down from the sky everyday, and it's worth hundreds. Two GOLD passes can reach a thousand, and that's a lot of money.

"I'll go but please, take me away on my birthday. Please. I just want to spend the day with people I call my family. Please, tu je I nak. I tak nak lain. I just want all of you," I gave an ultimatum.

"Sure, that can be arranged!" Zuan smiled in agreement.

"Thanks, my darlings," I hugged Khalisa until she could actually lifted me up. "But you know your love and support is enough for me."

"It's okay, Hani. We just want you to have fun. You and Josh would make the most benefit from these tickets compared to us yang tak masuk dengan rock ni."

15th August 2009

Josh and I set off to Sunway Pyramid, and we watched District 9 first (second time for him). Yes, it is an unusual movie but it has touched me deeply. Nasa can never understand it. Haha. "Aku dok tunggu bila la cerita tu nak habis."

My nose made a slight problem because I just couldn't cease from sneezing. After the movie, we went to Starbucks to get myself a hot serving of Vanilla Latte, and I was glad it made me felt a little better. Josh had figured out where the place we would have to register before entering the event. It was at a hotel in the heart of Sunway. Many people were lining up, and I could see they were holding a piece of paper each. It looked like a form. Till now, I have no idea what is the paper for. Josh did mention something that for certain events, people who wish to be in the mosh pit has to be filtered for safety purposes.

We approached a crew and asked him of where we should be registering. "Tiket apa?" he asked us.

"Gold," Josh replied.

"Tunjuk tiket," he requested. Josh showed him the ticket and straight away he led us to a special route. I was busy keeping things in my handbag, and later gaped in awe to realize that I was standing in front of the famous Euphoria. "You see, dear? I'm in front of Euphoria and I can't even go in there." (There is a funny story about this whole Euphoria thing) My handbag was inspected because any recording devices were not allowed inside. As we walked further into the route, we were stopped to allow a crew to put a wrist tag on us prior entering. "Your hand is so small," the lady muttered. Haha. Tell me about it. :P

The mosh pit was almost filled, and the Silver ticket area was also already a quarter full. Making our way to the GOLD platform, I saw Kenalicious! He was in the mosh pit. Before the show began, we were served with music videos of the soon-to-be-performing artistes and FlyFM people were busy pumping up the crowd and throwing freebies to them mosh pit people. Haha, I wish I was there but I'd get a swollen eye if I did.

Not so long after that, we were entertained by this Malaysian act. Not Estranged. It's some dude lip-syncing on the bloody stage trying to do slick dance moves and Michael Jackson's moonwalk. He'd better thank God that I was very, very far. I could have thrown him my shoes. Turn off, really. Then the MTV VJs showed up (I only remembered Utt and Denise), and they told us that this recorded gig will be premiering on MTV on my bloody birthday. How flattering! After mentioning how many countries will be watching the recorded version, they welcomed Estranged to perform.

Estranged was amazing, to say the least. Boys Like Girls were great as well; and just when you thought they blew every piece of mind there, Raygun proved you wrong. They were so upbeat and the lead actually danced pretty well! He was such an entertainer with his dance moves and undeniably great as a lead singer! As far as the audio visualisation and lighting are concerned, both were superbly set.

When Raygun was done, we got to listen to a few famous mainstream remixes spun by a DJ just to add some variety. It wasn't really a total rock and roll show. The sun set and Pixie Lott came on to belt a few songs. I honestly didn't heard of her before :P I think I've been on my mp3 for so long. Because I take too much pictures, my phone died in the midst of her performing. "Alamak, dah la Rejects tak perform lagi." It was sad gila.

Hoobastank came first and I was impressed, *with fluttering anime eyes*, on how good looking Doug Robb was! I was never into him, or basically any dude with sleepy (you can call it dreamy if you like it) eyes. No offense to my Chinese friends. SJ, you are emo-zingly cute. That's why Maria and Nicole were your BRATs wifeys.

All hail The All-American Rejects! They arrived on the stage after Hoobastank (and long minutes of setting up their kits), and the lead kicked ass! Tyson Ritter looked like as if he was on dope. So magically dramatic and animated, not to mention the sexified "YEAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!ssss" he threw to the crowd.

He'd make an awesome porn star.