░ MEET AND GREET: Judy of ItsJudyTime & Benji @ Sumo Sam ❤ ░

From the moment I watched Judy's "I'm in Manila, Let's Meet" vlog, I did not even think twice of going and sent a confirmation of attendance after two days upon receiving the email from Judy and Benji. The fateful day arrived. February started really great for me! Set the traffic aside, everything went pretty amazing. Get ready for a mouthful of blabbing about Judy's Meet and Greet in Manila, Philippines!

Find Judy!

About two days before the Meet and Greet, I posted a message in my fan page in Facebook asking if anybody else is coming since initially, I did not have anyone to go with. Sheenz was one of those few who replied and told me she was coming, so I was like "Oh yey, we could be seatmates!" I was really excited to have something to sit with even though I never met her before! She's been supporting me since back then. I easily remember names of supporters in my YouTube and Facebook, you know! And they're a sweet bunch, really! 

So last minute changes happened, thankfully, my sister Iza was able to tag along with me since she was supposed to meet Jasmine Curtis in TriNoma, as well. So off we went. That was about 4:30PM. Hailing a cab that time was almost impossible! It was rush hour and traffic was starting to build up. We decided to go to the nearest mall and wait in line in the taxi bay. Luckily, we were able to get in a cab after the 10 people lined up in front of us. We came from Manila, so you could imagine how far we traveled to get to TriNoma. The traffic mixed with the car perfume made me and my sister so dizzy that we asked the driver to kindly open the windows instead. The kind sir fortunately let us. He wasn't a bitch like what the others actually are. He didn't even ask for additional 30.00 or 50.00 just for the reason that it's traffic, no, he didn't. After and hour and like ten minutes or so, we finally reached TriNoma. 

How perfect is this photo?!

Come 6:25PM, we were already outside Sumo Sam. I texted Sheenz if she was on the way. I started filming already since you know how I hate missing great moments! I couldn't contain myself when I saw Benji's back! I mean, he was outside Sumo Sam talking to...I presumed Judy's uncles and cousins...and I was not mistaken. Sheenz came 5 minutes after and we were contemplating whether to go in already or not since nobody else was inside except Judy and Judy's family! I was okay, let's go in. 
When we stepped inside, Judy welcomed us with warm hugs! She was all smiling and happy! I couldn't really speak. I don't know...it's like I forgot how to speak English... Such a shame.

Anyway, we sat on the first table nearest to where her family was seated. To my surprise, Judy sat beside me! I literally couldn't speak. I felt so dumb. And I sounded really dumb when I answered her questions. We were the early birds! It was really fun. Judy's mom talked to us, even! It was surreal. I was staring at Judy since I was already filming and she really looked beautiful!!! And she's so real! She's super down to earth! Same goes to Benji, who was, by the way, by far the cutest and most adorable man I have ever met!

I asked for Judy's autograph and she ended up writing me a short letter! I am soooo keeping that card forever! I also asked if she could hold up the fan sign I told my readers I'd take a photo with her holding it of. She gladly agreed and I took the shots! 

After that, people just started to come in already group by group. So basically, I wasn't able to speak properly and it was such a shame. Sheenz, and the others were witnesses to that! Now I know what being starstruck is like. My tongue got twisted, it's as if I don't even know how to speak English, kidding aside. I feel so embarrassed when Judy's cousin filmed me promoting my YouTube channel (as Benji and Judy wanted us to share) and it took 3 takes! I wanted to die. Everyone was like looking at me, even Judy's family so I was lost. I sounded like a dumb girl. Blood rushed to my face! Believe me when I say that. Luckily I got it at take 3. 

Anyway, the saké came and Judy was the first one to try it. I had no plans of drinking since I was wearing Revlon's Fire and Ice! It was more than enough that I stained my own straw! But in the end I had no choice but to take it since Judy said my name and told me I should try it! You'll see that in the video. I am so glad no one filmed my reaction. That tasted really...you know. I'm not very much into those stuff.

I actually had a paper filled with questions to ask Judy but I ended up shutting up the whole night and just smiled like a freak in the circus. Anyway, when more people arrived, Judy had to transfer to the other two tables and we were entertained my Benji! 

Oh my goodness, Benji is the most supportive boyfriend [to Judy] ever! Even Judy's fans! He gave us a really inspirational chat about YouTube, starting out in the industry and stuff. I learned so much from him! What really made an impact on me is when he said, "Keep doing what you're doing, because something's gonna happen." Something like that. He was really supportive and very friendly! He told us how Judy started out, he told us how he felt pity for her when he saw her stack shoe boxes as her tripod! That reminded me how I started out! I did that, too! I guess you really just have to do anything to improvise. It took about 5 months before I actually got my own tripod. 

So continuing with the story... Benji said some funny Tagalog words. He wanted to practice it and what made us laugh were these words... "inihaw na babubu", "babingka". With that babubu part he meant baboy. And with babingka, he was trying to say bibingka. We really had a great time chatting with Benji. He encouraged us to keep on going! He told us how much more difficult it would be now to enter YouTube since everyone seems to be doing makeup videos these days. And he said how YouTube hasn't even touched Philippines yet, so that kind of fueled my passion to make videos where I could attract a specific target audience. Benji's exact words: niche market. We studied that in Economics and it means a specific targeted audience. So basically he gave us ideas and stuff and by the end of the conversation, I could honestly say I wanted to go further. I have never felt so much passion before! 

Dinner was great! We had yummy Japanese food, sake, and some drinks. You could imagine how stained my straw was because of Fire and Ice. I had to go to the washroom to reapply. After eating, I had the chance to go over to the other table and Sheenz was such a doll to film my conversation with Judy. You will actually see that clip in the video and you will notice how I was acting like such a fan girl! Judy kept laughing! 

Anyway I got the chance to meet Trixie and her boyfriend Carlo, Pia, Sheenz and her niece, and the others who came! I felt particularly close to Sheenz although I have never ever met her before! She is the nicest person ever! We'll be meeting again soon! 

The event ended with picture-taking outside Sumo Sam. We said our goodbyes and I got to hug Judy! AND BENJI! But I did not include that hugging-Benji-goodbye clip in the video since I made this really inappropriate kilig reaction after the hug. And given the fact that I have embarrassed myself enough... Hahaha!

 This was such an amazing event. I can't believe I already met Judy and Benji! Can you believe it, Say? (Talking to myself here) Goodness. February feels awesome because of this! I am never going to forget this! I hope Judy reads this entry. She is the sweetest, ever! She is the best! And she looks really really beautiful in person! I can't wait till the next Meet and Greet! 

Watch the vlog here: