So I wake up early Monday morning to study and get ready for the outing to see Janet Jackson. I took my test and then was off to New York. I went with my friend Ian who we quickly bonded because of Janet, but we kind of lost in translation because he was able to get on the train to new york but i wasn't able to get on it (he went to get a ticket right when the train got there.)

Eventually i met him at Virgin Megastore where we had to camp out to buy Janet Jackson's album and get free tickets to see her perform at Good Morning America. We were really close,we were like 90 something out of 400 people when they were only able to give out 250 tickets. Because during the day it was 50 degrees, i thought i might be hot while i'm walking around the city. Not remembering it gets freezing in the night and i would be standing in place.

While standing in place for over seven hours, we met a boy name Russell who goes to my school Rutgers and he was a blast to hang out with. It was a lot of bonding time for all of us, testing each other's knowledge on Janet, techniques on how to stay warm and learning new things about our new found friends. After our feet were soo numb we could barely walk we got into Virgin Megastore about 25 minutes after midnight. We brought the cd with the tics and then was treated to an average performance by a bunch of dancers dancing to a medley of janet songs. Was medicore because everyone was off count and they didn't do the actual dance moves by Janet. Which anger her fans who practiced her dance routines pretty much their entire life (i guess i'm included) which they decided to do non stop dance off while we were standing in line.

But wait it's not over just yet, what makes you think because we got tickets we could go somewhere and be warm (we actually did find a 24 hour mcdonald's and stayed there for about an hours trying to feel our legs and hands again) we have to stand outside the nokia theater to have a good standing area to see Janet Perform for GMA. So we get there at around 2 am, we stand and wait. Praying to some sort of hot wave to hit us in the blistering air. But that didn't happen, so it was a lot of trying to stay warm, watching the clock waiting for 7 o'clock to roll around and see the sun rise because if the sun rise that means...HOT AIR RIGHT????

7 o'clock rolls around... somehow we still find ourselves outside still. Then we get the memo 'don't worry everyone should be at least trying to get in by 7:15" 7:15 comes and goes, 7:45 comes and goes, we actually see the sun rise, GMA comes through the audience and try to get us to sing but we are all tired cold, that no one really wants to sing. So one boy was into himself to show off his janet moves. Then a little after 8 we are gather into the tiny Nokia Theater and all of sudden everyone is burning up because of all the body heat (why didn't we think about this while we were standing outside in the COLD) we went through a lot of test runs of the audience doing their best SCREAMS. A stage producer gives us all his best stand up routes and then lots of Sam Champion. Sam Champion looks so wax like it's not even funny. And is he gay? not that it really matters just wanted to know. The producers constantly wanted us to chant out Sam's name but everyone just turn it into Janet. After fifty weather coverage, screaming after we are told it's going to be in the high 20's and raining all day, they decide whether they want to do more audience shots. They decide not to, but we get a glimps of Def Jam chairman L.A.Reid who waved to everyone and said hi. while he sat in the balcony. We are also told Janet will be on stage at 8:30, okay we lied probably 8:37 the latest. 8:40 comes Diane Swayer and Robin come on stage and grace us with their beauty. After they introduced Janet it was another few minute wait (i'm starting to believe this day word of the day is just WAITING) then the time has come we've all been WAITING for, Janet and her dancers open with Feedback.

Janet looks stunning and was obviously lip syncing but dare say that to her die hard fans in the crowd. Her band was amazing and her dancers were on point and Janet FLAWLESS. She started out with her dancing on the floor which sucked for me, being short standing behind tall guys and being in the middle of the crowd. So for awhile i was wondering, 'is she even performing?'. Then she got up and i finally got my first glimsp of the women i've admire my entire life. I was taken a back by how hard she was dancing, on point and gave it her all. She surprised us with a throwback of 'That's the Way Love Goes' and then performed her next single "Rock With You" both were pretty amazing from what i could see by bobbing and weaving.
I assume it looked something like this????

My new found friends and i are all sleep deprive, we believe we have been up for an entire day (techinque we have) but it's only 10 am. We were sooo looking forward to lunch but we were left with breakfast boo. We went shopping in H&M and gwaked over all the great clothes we couldn't afford (i always thought H&M was high class clothes for low prices. No?) and then sat in the Manhattan mall gushing about our 24 hours together so far and discussing our next adventure...TRL.

We go to TRL, no one knows exact what is about to happen. rumors were swirling Janet was suppose to perform on the roof, or outside. But it was starting to rain and it was so packed many of us wonder if we would even get in the building. My friend Russell decide to leave since he had a big exam in the next few hours so it was just Ian and I. While standing ONCE again many were giving green bracelets, but Me and Ian were given Black bracelets. This worried us especially since everyone with green bracelets were being let in and once again i find myself waiting and waiting to see janet. I stand outside in the rain for over an hour when finally they let me in but not my friend. When i explained to the workers he was my friend they rushed me upstairs and told me they would take care of it. I waiting upstairs and never saw my friend after that.

Everyone who had a black bracelet was not happy since we had to stand for so long and everyone was in the studio waiting for janet when we got the great news we were "vip members". This title made us stand in the back of her performance (which she taped before the show aired) and then eventually stay in the room she will walk in and out. But we all wonder...will we meet her? We watch her perform i stood next to the adorable damien. We watch her perform, yet again i'm stuck behind tall people and in the back so.... i wasn't able to really see anything.

The "VIP members" we moved into a room (i haven't seen before) and told where they would sit or stand (in my case at first) and then eventually i was put on the couch. We were told, Scream when told, clap and SMILE. Also don't cross your arms (i must have miss this memo). We watch Janet in the studio and we watch and watch. And then they told us Janet will be in the room, like close to me on the couch. Damien actually sits next to me and we discuss how comfy the couch are and how warm the room is. I think it was because he was in the room but i didn't tell him that. As Janet sits two seats away from me, i just stare at her and have no words that are capable to be form. I resposned to something damien said and Janet made eye contact with me and she laughed. I have no clue what i said. Overall she stayed in the room, i was mute, everyone screaming out random things to her. She spoke so softly that even i who was two seats away from her could barely hear what she had to say. But it didn't matter because i've been wanting for this moment to happen forever.
It looked something like this when we made eye contact.

It ended, Damien guarreent free cds for the audience members but since the studio audience were so angry by our experience and hogging all of Janet, they got free cds and we left empty handed. But we have priceless memories to always have with us for the rest of our lives.

Off Topic: Random celebs i saw; Matt Lauer. He didn't look hot like this

Gill one of janet's dancers. (best picture i could find of him)
He came to visit the fans outside of Virgin Megastore.
George Clooney's good friend Richard Kind
and Beyonce's Dad who thought he was an actual celebrity telling us 'no pictures' when no one wanted or ask to take pictures of him!?!?

I'm so sorry that is an extremely long post if you read the entire thing, kudos to you. And i'm also sorry for no pictures my camera has died the photos i posted don't give this blog or story justice. Also it was exciting to know many of you did tune in or tried to. How exciting and my sister called while watching her tivo of it and screaming like crazy because she saw me