Fan Girl meets her favorite vampire, Ian Somerhalder

Meeting Ian Somerhalder, popularly known as Damon Salvatore in the American TV series "The Vampire Diaries", was one of my wildest dreams.

When I first learned about his Philippine visit, I jumped for joy like a giddy kid because finally, my favorite Hollywood actor will be in town.

Since I badly wanted to see him, I thought of ways to catch a glimpse of him.

Below were my plans:

A) Camp out at NAIA to wait for his arrival

Sounds desperate? I know. But here's the catch, I didn't have any idea about the time of his arrival and the specific airport terminal. When Penshoppe gave updates about his visit, I was at the province then. Bad timing.

B) Use the power of twitter

Plan A didn't work out so I needed to formulate Plan B.

Penshoppe and Publicity Asia (an entertainment publicity network) posted tweets which said they were working on Ian's free public appearance if #MabuhayIanSomerhalder becomes a trend on Twitter. If it does, three lucky fans will win a photo opportunity with him.

Simply put, I joined the contest with high hopes of seeing my favorite TV character.

C) Book a flight to El Nido

Ian Somerhalder's photoshoot was held in El Nido, Palawan.

When I learned about this, I felt deep inside that it was already impossible for me to see him because I didn't have the luxury of time and money to get there yet I nourished hopes of catching a glimpse of him.

The most surreal moment

Ian's free public appearance was also his last day in the Philippines and it was my last chance to see him in person.

Three hours before the event, I was already at the venue together with several fans.

I ignored the long lines and some fans who pushed and shoved to get a perfect view of Ian Somerhalder.

The night before his public appearance, Penshoppe tweeted "@PENSHOPPE: Congratulations @mllrecat @superbeabeabea and the admin of @ISF_Philippines you win the photo opt with @iansomerhalder tomorrow at SM MOA!"

I happened to be one of the five adminstrators of ISF Philippines, a support group of Ian Somerhalder’s environmental advocacy, which aims to “empower, educate and collaborate with people and projects to positively impact the planet and its creatures.

At first, only one admin was allowed to meet him but one hour before the program, all of us were permitted to go on stage. Too bad only two of us were able to make it to the event.

All I ever wanted was to catch a glimpse of him but what happened was more than I wished for. I saw him closely. I shed tears of joy as he walked closer.

I was also overwhelmed because I had the privilege to go up the stage and meet him.

The best part was that he hugged and kissed me twice! I could have fainted because of too much happiness. It was indeed a surreal moment for a fan girl like me.

Of the more than 6,000 fans in the crowd and his more than two million Twitter followers, I felt so lucky to be one of the girls who met and got a hug and kiss from Ian Somerhalder—the hottest vampire on TV (my apologies to Robert Pattinson/Edward Cullen fans).

Besides his looks, talent and charisma, what made me admire him more was his love for the environment.

Under his foundation, he has spearheaded campaigns like ending animal cruelty and tree planting programs.

Now, he is working on opening an ISF Animal Sanctuary to provide a safe haven for neglected and mistreated animals.

You’ve got to love a man with an advocacy.

 

Source: www.interaksyon.com