The wait was finally over for Singaporean Cassiopeias as TVXQ stepped foot on our little red dot for the first time last weekend for TVXQ! Asia Fan Party in Singapore.

Since it was the TVXQ’s first visit since their debut, hundreds of fans turned up at the airport to give them a warm welcome a day prior to their event. When the members appeared, the air was filled with endless cheers from fans as they expressed their joy and excitement of meeting the duo for the first time.

The event, which was held at Singapore Indoor Stadium, was the first ever Korean Pop Fan Party held in Singapore, attracting an approximate crowd of 4500 local and international Cassiopeias. Many were seen queuing as early as 6am in attempt to secure a good spot in the standing pit.

Equipped with light sticks and fanboards, the venue turned into a beautiful sea of red the moment the lights were dimmed.

The fan party started off with the full MV version of Before U Go and the moment the MV ended, the duo appeared decked in white as they performed their first song – Maximum. It was indeed the perfect song to kick start the event because the crowd was hyped up within seconds.

Yunho started off with a simple “Hi Singapore!” and the whole stadium burst into endless cheers. Not forgetting Changmin’s “Hope everyone enjoy tonight’s performances!” – to Singaporean Cassiopeias, 4th December will indeed be a night they will never forget.

The first talk segment was a game ‘Knowing Singapore Before U Go’ and the boys were made to answer questions about our little red dot. First question was along the lines of “Is orchid Singapore’s national flower?” Yunho answered with a “No!” after thinking for a long time, while Changmin, through the fans’ hints said “Yes!” and got it correct. When asked whether there are four official languages in Singapore, many fans interpreted the question wrongly as whether there are four national languages and provided Yunho with the wrong hints, resulting in him failing to answer correctly. Changmin then answered by saying out the four languages. Yunho being witty, commented with “How about Korean?”

(A/N: Changmin seemed really happy and relaxed that night as he kept tapping his feet, portraying a rather boyish and playful image. I’m sure everyone present that night will remember the moment when he random burst out into laughter and literally went “HAHAHAHA!”.)

The next part was for the duo to learn some Singlish (Singaporean-Style English). ‘Lah’ was the first one and Changmin cutely said “No problem…Lah?” Instead of a statement, he said it as a question because he was unsure. ‘Shiok’ was also being introduced and upon hearing the word, Yunho immediately tried to form a sentence. “Chilli crab was shiok!” The last Singlish word taught was ‘Alamak’ and fans were trying to hint the boys with ‘OMONA’.

(A/N: The funniest sentence formed that night had to be “Looking at the fans today, alamak, they are awesome!” by Yunho and “Alamak! Why are there so many people?” by Changmin. I seriously think that alamak is being used wrongly here, but they were so cute, so I guess all Singaporean Cassiopeias will forgive them right?)

TVXQ then left the stage to prepare for their next performance. Meanwhile, the audience were fed with footages from SMTown Live in Paris. Immediately after the short video, How Can I was being played in the background and Changmin and Yunho rose out from the stage, portraying TVXQ’s flawless singing abilities.

Then it was the second talk segment whereby 5 lucky fans pre-picked by 1003 were given the opportunity to ask the boys one question each.

Question: What’s your impression of Singaporean Cassiopeias? Did you expect something different?
Changmin: Singaporean Cassiopeias are more passionate than what I’ve expected. We were worried that we might have been forgotten. We are thus really thankful.

Question: What are TVXQ’s plans for 2012?
Yunho: We will have our TONE concert in Japan early next year and after that, we will start producing some new music. Do look forward. You will support us right?

(A/N: Cassiopeias replied with a”네” which meant YES, however, Yunho heard it as “EH?”, so he went “WHAT?!” That was one of the classic moments of the fan party! Everyone was laughing so hard at Yunho’s sudden outburst!)

Question: What are TVXQ’s New Year resolutions?
Changmin: After seeing so many fans here today, I’ve been inspired to come back to Singapore and perform more. That will be our New Year resolution.

Question: What have they heard about Singapore since it’s their first time here and what have they tried?
Changmin: We tried chilli crab and pepper crab last night and it was very good.
Yunho: I know about the Merlion, which is a combination of a lion head and a fish body.

Question: TVXQ started off as singers and moving on to other aspects of the entertainment industry, such as acting in dramas, performing in musicals. Which is your favourite?
Yunho: All of these identities are good experiences for us to learn and I like them all, but being TVXQ is still the best. I think Changmin feels the same way as well. We just have to keep pushing the boundaries and keep exploring every new opportunity. It will be a long learning journey for us but please look forward to it.

When probed further by the emcee with regards to what’s the best thing when working with each other, Yunho’s answer was really direct. “As a leader, I get a lot of stress in work but Changmin is always there for me so I felt really grateful. Changmin’s presence is precious to me.” Changmin upon hearing that, clapped, as though agreeing that he has an important part to play in Yunho’s life, garnering bouts of laughter from everyone.

The boys then proceeded to signing two poster for the winners of the fan-made video. Yunho wrote “God bless you”, while Changmin wrote “Thank You”, along with an out-of-shape heart.

The two winning fan-videos were being played and having watched the videos, the boys expressed they were really moved by all the effort and love shown by the fans. There were times when they felt like giving up but fans are always around for them, giving them the energy to stand on stage and perform, for which they were very thankful for.

(A/N: Many Cassiopeias cried when the videos were being played as the contents were something they feel strong about and something they could relate to.)

The fan party continued with the making-of footages of Before U Go music video before the boys returned with mind-blowing performances of Before U Go, a TVXQ Medley, which consisted of The Way U Are and Mirotic, and Rising Sun. The last performance of the night was Keep Your Head Down.

During the ending speech, Yunho said, “We will come more often in the future, will you wait for us?” Changmin, being really sweet, said, “I hope everyone will spend a good last month and Christmas and we’ll come back whenever there’s chance!” Not forgetting his “I LOVE YOU SINGAPORE!!!” as he exited the stage.

With that, it concluded the first stop of TVXQ! Fan Party in Asia. Indeed an unforgettable night for all Cassiopeias who had been waiting for this day for 7 years.

Much thanks to Southern Star (S2) Entertainment & Saffron Communications for the opportunity to cover this amazing event!