Dream Coming True

Tagos sa dibdib

December 2010. Narinig ko sa isa sa mga students ko na Clapton is coming to UAE as a part of his World Tour. First reaction --- pucha! Hindi puedeng HINDI ko mapanood ito!

January 03. Visited some sites kaagad sa internet then napunta ako sa Timeout Abu Dhabi. Then, without hesitance, bili kaagad ng 2 tickets! Mahirap na baka magkaubusan! I got 2 unreserved seating tickets with transportation back and forth Dubai!

February 01. Antay-antay na ng tickets. Pinalitan ng Time Out ang unreserved seating tickets namin and they changed it to RESERVED seating! Not bad, pero I doubt na malayo pa rin kami sa actual stage.

February 07. Tickets arrived via Aramex.

February 10.My birthday! And what makes it awesome ay dahil tumawag ang dad ng student kong si Harry na si Peter and asking me kung meron na akong tickets sa Eric Clapton Concert. I told him "meron" na but he still  gave me 4 complimentary tickets! And he guaranteed 90% na yung 4 tickets na yun ay magiging Gold Tickets! Gold Tickets meaning, malapit kami sa stage! So, right after that momentous phone conversation with Peter, I called and invited my friends. Odie and Rosalie, Rod and Maribel. After few minutes, Rod declined dahil may check-up si Maribel. Then searched around JMC and invited Jose and Loren but they both declined. Then invited Jeune and Rogel and they said "Yes". Final attendance : Odie/Rosalie, Jeune/Rogel and Lex/Juvy.

February 11. Concert date. Prepared all my gears, Nikon D40, flash, Ipod Nano, Canon Ixus 130 (borrowed from Loren). Umalis sa bahay ng 3:30 PM and sumakay ng Metro hanggang Dubai Marina. Mula doon ay sumakay pa ng bus patungong Jumeirah Beach Residence. Hinanap ang carpark and we took the first bus to Abu Dhabi. Ang haba ng biyahe! Naligaw pa nga si Manong Driver and we came last pa! Buset!

Like what we are all expecting, hindi pinayagan ang DLSR sa loob! So, iniwan namin sa labas. Buti na lang at may point and shoot akong dinala na Canon Ixus 130. Kaya puede na!

Sa venue, inabot ko na kina Jeune at Rogel ang tickets nila. Yung 2 reserved seating ang binigay ko dahil I got a message from Peter na mayrun na syang 4 gold tickets! So, we waited a bit but Clapton started playing Key To The Highway at nasa labas pa rin kami! Nalito ako sa usapan namin ni Peter na kailangan pala ay pumasok muna sa main entrance then dun nya ilalagay yung wrist band na may gold entry!

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with EC sa background

So, basically na-miss namin ang first three songs! eto nga pala yung set list nya:

1. Key To The Highway
2. Going Down Slow
3. Hoochie Coochie Man
4. Old Love
   
5. I Shot The Sheriff
6. Driftin'
7. Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out
8. River Runs Deep
9. Rockin' Chair
10. Same Old Blues
11. When Somebody Thinks You're Beautiful
12. Layla (slow version)
    
13. Badge
14. Wonderful Tonight
15. Before You Accuse Me
16. Little Queen of Spades
17. Crossroads
18. Further On Up The Road (encore)

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with my wife Juvy

Lahat ng guitar solos ay tagos sa dibdib. Walang katulad at nakakakilabot lahat ng bawat hagod nya. Clapton is God talaga.

Enjoyed and fulfilled. Dream coming true talaga at hanggang ngayon ay nasa puso at naririnig ko pa rin ang tunog nya. Sarap i-kuwento sa mga friends at sa mga guitarist na tulad ko.

Highest moment na ang palagay ko dito dahil wala na akong gustong panuorin  na guitar legend aside from Eric Clapton. Kung buhay pa si Jimi Hendrix, oo.

Sempre, what makes my Post-Birthday special ay dahil kasama ko ang tunay kong mga friends and of course my wife Juvy.

Thanks Eric Clapton! Dito ko napatunayan na some dreams ay puedeng maging totoo.


© 2011 Lex Von Sumayo

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