March 6,1998 (MONDAY)

98 Degrees arrived early that morning. I was advised against going to the airport so I went straight to the PolyGram (Philippines) office instead.

11:00 am - I arrived at the PolyGram office. Met the Label Manager (LM) who handles Motown. As LM, he handled the tour. He just arrived ... after fetching the group from the airport and dropping them off at the hotel. Everybody started grilling him about the guys. 2:00 pm - Left PolyGram with the Radio Service Manager (RSM) and LM heading for the Hotel aboard the company van. Radio tour (3 stations) was scheduled for that afternoon. 2:45 pm - Traffic was heavy (so what else is new?) so the RSM and I had to be dropped off at the radio station ahead to prepare for whatever is necessary while the LM went to fetch the group from the Hotel. 3:15 pm - 98 Degrees arrived at the radio station. They went around, introduced themselves and shook hands with everybody. We met for the first time. 3:30 pm - The recording for the RX concert series started. I wanted to follow the guys inside the recording booth but the RSM has not yet obtained clearance. 3:45 pm - A break took place. One of the guys needed to go to the restroom. The RSM took the chance to get the clearance ... Permission to take pictures during recording was granted. I was in!! The temperature inside the booth was also 98 degrees. It was so hot that Nick took his shirt off and Jeff did too. The recording continued with both guys in their undershirts. Now close your eyes and imagine the scene ... Can you see those muscles rippling? I can see ... and did see ... thus forgot that I was standing on a stool. I made a step backward and my foot encountered nothing but air. Luckily, my reflex was quick enough and I managed to grab on to the shelf therefore avoiding an embarassing disaster. The only person who was bound to notice anything was Justin (who was standing straight ahead facing me) but since there was never a look that suggested him noticing anything. So I guess I can safely assume that nobody saw anything amiss. THANK GOD!!! 4:30 pm - We left for the 2nd radio station. The Manager gave instruction not to direct questions to Jeff because he has sore throat. The guys went on air for a brief interview and then sang a couple of lines from "Invisible Man" acapella. 5:00 pm - We left for the 3rd radio station. Some fans were waiting there to catch a glimpse of 98 Degrees. There was another "LIVE" interview and Justin played the harmonica. I was too engrossed that I forgot to take a picture of that. 5:30 pm - Radio tour for the day was over. We headed back to the hotel. Finally managed to get to a seat at the back of the van. Sat beside Justin. A great guy to chat with! The RSM and I felt very comfortable around him that even before the van could move more than a hundred meters, we already greeted him belated happy birthday and has started teaching him some words and phrases in the Filipino language. 6:15 pm - Reached the hotel. The guys went straight to the MTV jeepney for the taping of a MTV Para Bos segment. Thay were gone for about an hour. I stayed at the hotel with the TV service manager (TVSM) trying to convince him to let me tag - along to the TV guestings the next day. 7:30 pm - They guys finished the taping and went straight to their rooms leaving their Manager and the guy from Motown (Tony) to go over the next days activities with the TVSM and the LM. 8:00 pm - The meeting was over. "See you tomorrow" greetings were exchanged and I headed for home. 10:30 pm - Finally got home. It took me almost two hours to get a ride. The waiting tired me out.

March 7, 1998 (SATURDAY)

10:00 am - Arrived at the PolyGram office. I was to meet the TVSM there and we will go to the Eat Bulaga (a noontime variety show) together. 10:30 am - We left for the studio. We will be meeting up with 98 Degrees there. 11:00 am - Arrived at the studio. The guys came in a few minutes later. A room was allotted for their use to give them privacy and nobody was allowed to go inside. 12:30 pm - 98 Degrees went onstage to perform two songs (Invisible Man & Was It Something I Didn't Say?). In - between, they picked out their dinner dates for the Forenza (a sponsor) promo. 1:15 pm - Left the studio with the TVSM and proceeded to Hard Rock Cafe (HRC) for the press conference. 2:00 pm - Arrived at HRC with the group right behind us. A few minutes later, the press conference started. 2:30 pm - The press conference ended and everybody had lunch. A little later, Nick had to leave because of a tummy ache. I didn't even knew he was gone until I noticed that the LM never came back to the table and went around looking for him. I was informed then that he brought Nick back to the hotel. 3:00 pm - Soundcheck for Sunday's show and the Meet and Greet session followed. 4:00 pm - Left HRC for another round of radio tour (another 3 stations) but this time, all stations are in the same building. We were at the first station already but before they could go on air, Jeff begged off because he was losing his voice again. The manager, Paris, brought him back to the hotel. So only Justin & Drew managed to continue with the tour. At one of the radio stations, I happen to leave my autogrphed poster (with sweetly - worded message on it) on a table in the office when we went inside the booth and it promptly disappeared into thin air when I went back to get it a little later. 6:00 pm - We headed back to the hotel. 7:00 pm - Time for the dinner date courtesy of Forenza but the guys begged off because they needed to recharge their energy for the late - night show guesting. So I went to have dinner with the "dates" instead with some people from PolyGram. 10:00 pm - Call time for the Master Showman guesting. To compensate for the cancelled dinner, the guys stopped by to chat, sign autographs and pose for some pictures with the "dates." Then off we go to the TV studio. Sat beside Nick -- he still wasn't feeling well. 11:00 pm - The show must go on ... But looking at their performance, you'd never have any clue that two guys were quite sick. I salute their professionalism!!! 12:00 mn - Got back to the hotel. Sat with Drew along the way. It was very quiet. Guess everybody was too tired to do anything. 12:30 am - Arrived home and jumped right into bed. The only thing I managed to remove before hitting the bed were my shoes.

March 8, 1998(SUNDAY)

11:00 am - Call time for the SOP (another noontime variety show) guesting. But the LM was nowhere to be seen. I was suppose to meet him at the hotel because it's Sunday and the PolyGram office is closed. I finally got a call from him -- the comapny van broke down. The driver has gone to get a replacement vehicle and he has arranged for the hotel van to bring us to the studio where he will be waiting for us. Meanwhile, I have to play host. You just can't imagine how nervous I was especially when I had to explain to Paris what happened. My knees did not stop shaking until we reached the studio and I saw the LM there waiting like he said he would. 12:30 pm - 98 Degrees went on air with two songs. Afterwards, they went back to the "room" given to them to wait for the van. News was the van had left the office already. So Paris and his assistant went to the mall for the soundcheck with the TVSM. I grabbed the opportunity to ask the LM if I could have my picture with the guys. Well, it was good news and bad news... good news was I had a pic with each guy, bad news was the pic with the group didn't materialise. It was just a blank on the negs. Anyway, the LM left to wait for the van outside and I took the opportunity to ask the guys to sign my CDs and tapes. 1:30 pm - Still no sign of the van so the guys opted to take a cab back to the hotel. Two cabs - 2 members and a guide in each cab and I could go with either cab as the 4th passenger but the LM decided to stay behind in case the van arrives so I had to take his place. Unfortunate for the two with me (Justin & Nick), we lost our way. We lost track of the other cab, the driver claims he doesn't know the way and me ... hey! I'm not from Manila -- what do you expect from me? (I'm really sorry about what happened, guys!) Anyway, we managed to find our way back to the hotel. But believe me, it will probably go down as the most embarassing experience in my life. 3:00 pm - Call time for the mall show. Took out the pics (first 2 rolls) fresh from the developers and showed them to the guys. Guess what they said? They wanted copies. 4:00 pm - Mall show started. It was fabulous!!! Six songs... "Intro", "Come & Get It", "Don't Stop The Love", "Was It Something I Didn't Say?", "Can't Get Next To You" and "Invisible Man". After the show, they filmed a clipping for fans in Canada. Then the autograph session followed. 6:30 pm - Went back to the hotel. 8:30 pm - Call time for the HRC show. Nick was my seatmate again. He seems to be always so lately. Showed them the second batch of pics (another 2 rolls) along the way. 9:00 pm - Arrived at HRC. We were ushered through the side door to the elevator and straight to the office where we hanged out until show time. I went down 15 minutes before the show started and realized that I should have been there earlier. I couldn't find a good place to take pictures. But the show was great. It was another successful show!! There was another autograph session that followed the show. 10:30 pm - It was time for the guys to leave. I didn't go with them 'coz I was going the opposite direction.

March 9, 1998 (MONDAY)

2:00 pm - Arrived at the hotel. I was to meet the LM there. 2:15 pm - Still no sign of the LM. Encountered the guy from Motown (Tony) instead at the front desk. Then Justin showed up to send off some postcards. That's when things got interesting. We only had time to exchange "hi" and "wuz up?" greetings then he was surrounded by fans. He left his postcards on the counter and started signing. Time was running out and yet he wouldn't say "no" so you can just see how nice this guy is. I knew I had to do something so those postcards can be mailed off. I left my stuff with Tony and went to do my "rescue mission". Grabbed the postcards off the counter, pressed the "down" button on the elevator control and whisked Justin off as soon as the elevator doors opened ... all the while acting as though I was someone of authority. Down we went to the business center where the postcards could be entrusted for mailing. Then he went back to his room and I went back to where I left my stuff. 3:00 pm - Time to leave for the airport but the van was not around yet. Paris whisked them off somewhere for safety. I stayed at the concierge to await the arrival of the van. There were fans there and we got talking. I was amused to find out that they thought I was part of the 98 Degrees entourage. Asked what gave them that idea, they said that it was the only reason they could think of after seeing how I whisked Justin off to the elevator. Fooled them ... that I did!! 3:30 pm - We are finally ready to leave for the airport. The guys had to use the back way because the front entrance was crowded with fans. Everybody was seated ... The van was ready to go ... But the guys kept on looking back. Justin said that he wanted to say goodbye to the fans and that he felt bad about going the back way. Isn't that SWEET? The guys said that they hope somebody will inform the fans that they've already left. And just when we were pulling out, we saw a hotel personnel do just that. It was quite sad to see all those disappointed faces.... 4:30 pm - We arrived at the International Airport. Their next detination was Hong Kong. It was now time to say our "goodbyes". First I hugged and kissed Jeff ... he said "thank you for all the support and everything". Then I hugged and kissed Nick... he said "have a safe trip ... to your final destination." remembering that I wasn't from Manila. Well, that was probably etched in his mind as it was the reason why we lost our way the day before. Drew was next. Then Justin who said "bye and don't forget to send the bill". You might be wondering what Justin meant ... You see, along the way, I showed them the last batch of pics (last two rolls) and they reminded me to send them copies. They wanted to know how much money they should leave to cover the cost. I said I'd do it for free but they wouldn't have that. So I just said that I'll send the bill with the pics. Justin was just reminding me ...

Epilogue:

Seeing them heading for the airport terminal, I was assailed with a confusing mixture of feelings. I was happy that I had the chance to be with them for the last three days and was given the chance to have this experience. Yet, I was sad to see them go, the three days flew by so fast, wishing I had more time to get to know them better. My friends' answer to the latter was ... there's always the next 98 Degrees tour. I hope so. Meanwhile, I have my six rolls worth of pictures to help me re-live each wonderful and precious moment over and over again until ... THE NEXT 98 DEGREES PHILIPPINE TOUR!!!