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It is 7:42am on Thursday, December 28, (Vancouver, Canada) and I’m in the
office listening to the ‘Love’ album on MD.  It is bringing a huge smile to my
face as I am writing this as I try  to re-live my experience of the dinner show
that occurred at the Takanawa Prince Hotel in Tokyo, Tuesday, December 19/00,
20:00h

We arrived at the hotel at around 3:30pm….what a glam hotel, right from the
walkway all the way to our room,….And the service,…..wow!…..talk about high
class.  We were on the 10th floor, room 5012….I’m guessing the first 5 floors
didn’t have any rooms??  The view,…exquisite,…the room, full of everything you
could imagine,…..from heated toilet seats that do more than you can imagine,
soaker tubs, marble-tiled showers top-to-bottom glass, individual care packages
for the ladies and gentlemen (I got a thrill out of the mini-shaving cream
dispenser in my package), hot water dispenser, mini-bar fridge, white slippers,
heavy-duty white bath robes, an endless supply of towels everywhere and can you
believe,…yukatas…..gaaad, I’ve always wanted to wear one of those!  (pics to
come,.. haa haa)

With some time to spare, we took a brief walk through the Japanese garden
linking our building (the Sakura Tower) to the other 2 towers and the main
hall.   The garden is like something out of the movies,……it was huge and filled
with plants/trees of all sorts,…and yeah, even those small red leaves….a small
version of the Maple leaf.  Took some great photos,….(hope they turn out)

Back at the hotel room, the 4 of us began to get ready, and with every passing
minute, the feeling of something special was amounting to a feeling of
something grand….a feeling of “I can’t believe this is actually happening!” 
With my tuxedo on, the only thing I could do now was wait patiently for the
ladies,…and maaaan, do they know how to dress up!!!….Glamour at it’s best, and
Seiko fans at that too made them all look like Angels……..  If I could talk to
them at that moment, I would have made sure that they knew exactly how I
felt…….so honored to be in their presence….  (oh, I should mention that I
couldn’t talk that day because of no voice,….yep, got a nasty sore
throat,..couldn’t say a thing for 2 days,….eeeesh,….  But I wasn’t going to let
that ruin my night).  It was funny because everyone was telling me that I had
to save what little voice I had left for the concert so that I could tell Seiko
that I had a gift for her,…. Haa haa, read on to find out what happens.  

On the elevator and down to the 2nd floor,…the walkway to the main hall was the
same that we had viewed earlier with the Japanese garden,….a little cool for a
stroll, but too excited to realize how cold it was out there,….and besides, 4
people dressed to the 9’s escorting one another was warmth enough,….ahhhh, we
all felt like movie stars!  Once in the main hall, the excitement was building
tremendously,… people all over, dressed to the best, I just had to take my
camera out (yes Simon, I brought the EOS3 with all lenses…haa haa,…so heavy). 
Down the circular indoor walkway you could see in the center a shallow pond lit
with towering columns of light,..shades of purple, green, orange and sky blue
….oh and I can’t forget about the hundreds of candles floating in the
water…….and the center of it all….a photo opportunity with a framed pic of
Seiko…..hmmm, can I take that home with me?…haa haa.   We all lined up for
photos and it was so good to see what other Seiko fans look like,….and the kind
of people that would pay mega bucks for a one hour concert,…haa haa, so good to
see other crazy seiko fans.  We even had a chance to meet some of the people
from Flawless Seiko displaying stuff for sale….”Hey, I recognize that
person!”.   And everywhere you went on the main floor, security guards checking
our tickets,…..wow, I felt so important, almost as if I had backstage passes to
the concert,…geee, I wish!  I won’t forget the one security guard who even gave
us his business card and told us to give him a call if we needed anything…..how
nice!….how professional!

The glitz, the glam of it all,…  I was truly enjoying the prelude to the main
event.  The people there are so friendly and I really felt at home with them
….it was also such an innocent feeling,…a feeling that hardly comes our way in
this world…….   

A buzz filled the air as people started filing into the main hall for dinner
I reluctantly dropped off my camera at the front entrance, but soon forgot
about it as we were gracefully escorted into a HUGE dinner hall,……it was
totally AWESOME…….tables everywhere, setup French cuisine style….  The rounded
ceiling seemed to caress the stage…..  and I couldn’t believe it,..all these
months I had imagined that the stage would be some 2 dimensional platform with
a black backdrop,…but not this time baby,…it was GRAND…….  Huge speakers
outlined the main stage on each side, lights filled the ceiling over top of the
main stage and robotic spotlights lined the runway,….yes, that’s right, they
had setup a runway!!!….a modelling platform for Seiko,… a stage set to kill.  
Forget this being a ‘dinner show’…this was setup to be a ‘mini concert’.  The
runway alone was enough to drool over as the anticipating moments were to come
to see her glide down that 50 foot stretch…….whoooooaaaa!….wooo hoooo

We walked from the back of the room towards the front.  Our ticket seat numbers
said A-2,…  Closer and closer to the front we went trying to locate our seats
…  A-2,…. 2nd row from the front, but way off to the right side of the stage,…
hmmmm, did we get good seats???   Read on to find out how good they were.  

Dinner was served promptly.  Some fancy puff pastry covering a goblet of French
soup, caviar and other cold appies and for the main course a delicious cut of
filet mignon smothered with a red wine sauce.   Desert to follow was a
scrumptious chocolate terrine pie (I think that’s what it was)…but it was good
and rich,…just perrrrfect for my sore throat,… and oh yeah, I can’t forget
about the glass of champagne, glass of white wine and yet another filled with
red wine…..  I opted for the fruit juices and stayed away from the Asahi dry…. 
I knew I had to save my voice for later on.  The only time I really said
anything at the dinner was to a motorcycle racing guy that was there with his
wife (mmm, forget his name)…  but I was really touched when his wife handed me
a small gift,…  a Seiko poster,….  Coool

I was praying so hard just prior to the concert that my voice would come back,…
even just a little would be great.   I had a really cute Canadian bear for
Seiko and I really wanted to let her know that I had it for her.   I’ve got to
take this time to say “Thanks!” to Tzing for organizing her friends to try and
get Seiko’s attention for me if the opportunity ever came up……how sweet of 
Tzing and her friends to be so generous to a complete foreigner….eeeeegaaad, I
need another tissue.

It was really cute to see everyone trying to get the best vantage point
possible….  Our group was sitting in the last row in the A-2 section,..but no
problem, I still had a very strong sense that our seats were special.   The
clock was approaching 20:00  You would think that by this time, I would be
totally anticipating the concert,…but for some strange reason, I was really
calm,..almost as if I new everything would be alright this time,…to say “I
finally made it to see Seiko”

THEN THE LIGHTS WENT DIM,…DIMMER,….and dimmer yet………………

……….The sound of a ‘STOMP’ and then a brief Japanese chant could be heard
coming from the stage……ahhhh, it brought back memories of Seiko clips with
Seiko in the change room prepping for her grand entrance…..you know, doing the
hand thing with the staff.

…..A spotlight shone brightly down the runway off to the right-hand side,…..and
low and behold, Sekip clad in a mime artists clothing and a white white face
appeared…….COOOL!!!!!  haa haa, I can’t believe I was thinking “Micheal
Jackson??”  His performance down the runway enchanted every soul in that
room,..every dance step going to the beat of the music,…and with every beat,
and every step the anticipation grew wilder and wilder as he approached the
main stage….and then before I knew it, Seiko and the band all jamming to “Joy
to the World” rang throughout the entire concert hall,…..it was loud,… it was
grand,…  what a spectacle!….  I’m here and I can’t believe it!  Seiko’s voice
and image LIVE is really something to experience….so vibrant and truthful….such
aura and presence…waaaaa….this was it,..this is what I had been waiting 12
years to experience…..and as fate would have it, I could not have been at a
better seat….   “Hey my Canadian Flag”….   I pulled out my flag and started to
wave it as she looked in our direction,……”Hey Seiko sees my flag!!!!!!!!” 
wwwwwaaaaaaaa,…. Wwwaaaaaaaaa!!!!!  Nobody was behind me so I was able to stand
and be seen by her,….what a feeling!  (and I’m thinking,…I hope the security
guards are o.k. with this)   Several more songs came.  And them I’m thinking “I
don’t even know Japanese,..what am I doing here???”  But you see, it’s not just
the understanding of the lyrics that counts….her voice is so powerful, the way
she sings is so attractive and addictive, and if by some magical way, I know
what she is singing about…..Totally Magical!!!  Seiko did stop several times to
chat with the audience and to joke around a bit,…  I guess that’s her trademark
…  and again, even though I had no idea what she was saying, it was
enlightening for me to hear her speak live.   (Thanks Tzing for translating for
me!)  What an honest person Seiko is,... she was totally open about her divorce
and handled the situation with such tact and poise and even included some humor
into the topic…..do I dare say professional,…I think I’d rather say “A genuine
person with a heart of gold” to let us talk with her about such a personal
situation….   Seiko,…..ahhhhh

And then the moment came……. “Raise your glasses for a toast”, she said in
Japanese….  And before her soft lips could touch the edge of that glass, a
voice could be heard from A-2, a friend and true fan of Seiko….   “Seiko! 
There is somebody here to see you from Canada!”………long pause…….  Then as if
touched by an Angel I yelled out on my own “I have a gift for you from
Canada!!!”  (what am I doing!)  I reach for the bear and raise it into the
air….  (o.k. so what do I do next???)  So, I approach the stage,….still not
knowing what to do as there is a rope barrier and 3 security guards blocking my
way,…  but still Seiko is standing there tall looking directly into my eyes and
if by some magical way….and I don’t know how it happened,…but I was able to
pass through the rope barrier and the security guards let me through to the
very front of that stage,…  “Seiko, this is a gift for you from Canada.  I have
been waiting 12 years to see you live and now my dream has finally come true. 
We all love you!” and I gave Seiko the gift and she offered to shake my hand…. 
Wow!  What a firm handshake!  What soft hands!  Not a single flaw on her skin
….and that long, long stare into her dark brown eyes,…that fantastic aura
surrounding her,.. I felt like I was being pulled up onto that stage….I was
almost in tears……And then I remember the flag  “Seiko, I have one request for
you”, I said…..   Seiko said “Yes”…   “Can you sign my flag?”, I
asked……   “Sure!!!”, she said in a very positive, happy voice

She gave her champagne glass to one of the band members and then began to lay
the flag out on the stage,….  She didn’t seem to mind that she was kneeling on
her beautiful white sequence gown,…both knees…all the while I was entranced by
her soft skin as she signed my flag…….. You guys are right about her skin being
so flawless.  Her hair caressing the back of her neck and wisps of hair
trailing down the sides of her glowing face.   “My nickname is Doogie,…  that
is spelled D.O.O.G.I.E…..  I have been listening to you for 12 years (Seiko
gives me the microphone) and my favorite song is Strawberry Time”  (laughter
from the audience).   Seiko hands me the flag and pen and then offers to shake
my hand for a second time,…  I accept and return the same firm handshake….  I
look straight into her eyes and say “Thank you”…  and then I bow (yeah I know
I’m not Japanese,..but what the heck)….  Our group applauds and I try walking
back to my seat.  I’m finding it hard to stand…my knees feel like jelly,…  and
I’m thinking “I Did it!!!   I finally met Seiko!!!  Now, where is my seat?!?

Seiko apologizes to the audience for the brief intermission (I still feel bad
for taking up so much time).  I’m in 7th heaven by this point and can’t even
think straight.  People are shaking my hand and saying “Congratulations!”….  
yeah and my eyes are all tears by this point and I’m trying to hold them
back….  I do so by drinking all my champagne, white and red wine....*gleeem*
The songs after that I can’t remember, I just know that I heard them
from the “Love”, “Sound of Fire” and “20th Party” CD’s a few days prior to the
concert (sorry, I’m behind the times)…..I do remember her singing ‘20th party’
and getting everyone to do the finger thing,…that was funny….  and then
WHAM!!!! Another surprise in our direction,…   Seiko points right at me and
shouts “THIS SONG IS FOR YOU!!!”….  and then Strawberry Time whales through the
speakers and tears fill my eyes once again.  We all stand up and begin to dance
to the all-familiar toon…..  “Welcome to Strawbeeeeerrrry Time………”…… 
yaaaaaaahhh!!!!!!  We’re all dancing away and I’m doin’ the Doogie Dance while
waving my freshly signed flag in the air.  She see’s it once again and smiles….
:)
 
We’re all having a fantastic time,….   She gives her thanks and says good-bye
….  But only to return for an encore all dressed in black sporty clothing (am I
allowed tosay ‘sexy clothing’?).  We’re all getting ready to rush the stage,
but get held back by her manager so we stay back and enjoy the spectacle of
everyones hands in the air, and all jumping in tune to the beat of the music. 
The 1hour45minutes goes by fast and we enjoy every second of it.

I can’t believe that she’s 38 and still full of energy.  She’s got lots of
childhood left inside of her and I think that is fantastic.  We all need to
find that in ourselves, and to be there at this dinner concert I definitely
felt the kid inside me again.  This Magical Evening is something that I will
cherish for the rest of my life….the setting, the fans, the friends, the
elegance of the evening, the power of  Seiko will always be remembered in my
heart….  Her music has more meaning to me now than ever before and I’m finally
beginning to understand more about who Seiko Matsuda is.

I could go on and say more about the post-concert festivities,….but we’ll keep
that for another time.

Good night,…..and Sayonara ‘til another December morn.

Doogie.