BERLIN EXPERIENCE 19th- 23rd November 2002 By Tanja Kovac
It all started on 9th November when I got a mobile message from my friend Inga. She wrote me: "OMG, Michael will probably come to Berlin on 18th or 19th November". I got really excited and I got out of bed and ran to my computer to check if some MJ web pages tell us more news. MJstar.com had most news for us every day, so that was the web page that kept me informed. On Monday 11th November MJstar got the official confirmation that Michael will come to Berlin for 4 days. I was soo happy that I couldn't believe it! After London I thought that I'd have to wait another year or more to see Michael again, but this was simply mind-blowing!!! WOW!! I was getting insane at home just thinking of how I'm gonna see Michael Jackson - again - after I met him in London/Exeter the same year!!! Mark (my MJ boyfriend) was so happy also! We knew we're gonna have the best time again! I started to work on my present for Michael even more then. I was making the present since 19th October already, just in case Michael would surprise us with his European visit and I was so right. I rushed with the last pages of the book I made for him. Days went by so quickly and all that I can remember from days before I went to Berlin is: "Oh, I gotta do this, I gotta do that" Mark and me went to the centre of Ljubljana to check about bus tickets and prices and we sorted out everything that needed to be sorted out. Then the day when we had to "hit the road" came!!! YEEY!!! We got quite many bags, in most of them were presents for Michael! I also brought two big banners both covered with pictures of children. I felt so excited, so happy and so blessed at the same time! To see Michael again in the same year is heaven, I tell you that. Well that's how my story begins... NOVEMBER 16th – 18th, 2003
On 16th November we caught the bus to Munich (Germany). It was almost 8 o'clock in the evening and our MJ adventure began. On the bus we were watching movies and we also slept and the next thing I knew was that we arrived to Munich at 4 o'clock in the morning. Mark and me knew this bus was going to Berlin, so we stayed on the bus. We thought that we can pay for tickets from Munich to Berlin later on cause Ljubljana wouldn't sell us one to Berlin. We slept some more and hours went by quite fast. Just half an hour before we came to Berlin the bus driver decided to check tickets. We showed him ours and he didn't know what to do with us. We said we want to pay for the rest of the way, but since he couldn't speak English he let us go.
So we had luck straight away already. We came to Berlin on 17th Nov. at around 11 o'clock in the morning. The bus dropped us at one place that was out of the centre so the first thing we had to do was find our way around to the subway. In Germany subway means S-Bahn and underground is called U-Bahn.
We asked one German man for directions and he was very helpful so we found our S-Bahn straight away after he told us where to go. It took us half an hour though to find S-Bahn and then we got to another problem. Where does that S-Bahn go? To which part of city? We had to find the map for those kinda trains and figure out the right way. We did that quite fast, as Mark is used to London subways, so it was all cool. We had a meeting with Israeli MJ fan Shay in our hostel so we had to hurry a little. We came to Zoologischen Garten and there we went to McDonalds to eat our breakfast. Berlin seemed a really great place with lots of people, shops and fun. Just being in McDonalds we discussed about how Michael will probably visit the ZOO which was next to us. Later on he really did!! Well but lets go on with the story...
As soon as we ate we went to search for our hostel called A&O. It was situated on Boxhagener Strasse, and that is on the other part of city. We walked and walked on that street but the number 73 seemed further and further away. After one hour of walking on the same street, carrying all those bags we found the hostel. Thank God we said while entering our room. As soon as we opened the door for 4th floor Shay came to hug us. I was so happy to see him.
We started our MJ conversation straight away. Everything was so awesome, we all felt MJ magic in the air so as soon as Mark and me dropped our bags we went for a tour of the city. Mark showed us the sights as he was in Berlin before already. He knew his way around. We caught lots of S-Bahns and U-Bahns and we didn't even think of getting a ticket for those trains. We thought everything is for free there as no one checked for tickets or anything like that. We saw some Germans buying tickets though but why we didn't understand as it seemed like a w aste of money to us. But later on we realized why Germans buy tickets. The next day German control office got us without them and we each had to pay 30 euros for our mistake! Well, we learned our lesson now forever! The first thing we wanted to see was Michael's hotel called ADLON.
When I saw it my heart just lighted up with joy cause I knew that a very special person will be staying there in the next days! Adlon is on Unter den Linden Street and that is right next to the famous Brandenburg Gates! Those Gates were before a part of the Berlin wall, so we knew it's gonna be very special for Michael to see that again. The hotel looked gorgeous. It is quite big, has 6 floors, very well secured... No fans were seen around the hotel, so we decided to enter. We entered through the back entrance and as soon as we came Shay and me went to search the hotel.
Mark stayed in the nice sofa of the lobby and he played low for a while. Me and Shay discovered that no one can go to 2nd floor or higher without a key. Elevators were blocked for those floors. The security was really great. We kept on walking around the first floor, going to bathrooms, searching for some kinda card that could make us enter the hotel later on when Michael arrives. We found nothing, so we left. While walking on the streets of Berlin we joked a lot, had a good time, seen some great buildings and went to eat. Shay is a vegetarian so we had to find a place where he could eat also. Later on we returned to our hotel and went to bed.
The next day was pretty much the same. We just stayed around Michael’s hotel all the time and searched for fans. But something surprising happened when we came to the Adlon hotel in the morning. There was a crowd of people on the street and all of them were screaming. WOW, that got us moving faster. We thought already that Michael came. We came to police that stood there and asked them what’s going on. They told us that Robbie Williams is in the UK embassy right now and his fans are all over. UK embassy was right next to Adlon hotel. Phew, we relaxed then and started to have even more fun. Shay and me pretended we’re Robbie’s fans and we had a good time talking about that. Soon the night came, it got dark so quickly there, as it was winter time.
We were kind of cold so we found a lovely restaurant where we could sit down and write some letters for Michael. We stayed there for about an hour and then returned to Adlon to see if some fans came. We entered the hotel again and Shay went to book a room in that hotel for the following night. Mark and me looked around the hotel and found a friend who we met in London already. His name is Hammad. We went there to greet him and then we all sat down and talked about Michael and the day that was about to come. A day when our great Hero comes to town! Hammad told us that he found out that Michael will arrive to the hotel at around 2pm the next day. The guards o utside the hotel told them that. Later on we also met another friend whos name is Marchand. He is a DJ in lots of MJ parties and he told us some news about Michael’s arrival also. He said that Michael will arrive to Tempelhof airport and as soon as he’d find out more about that he’d tell us. He also said that we should come to Adlon hotel the next day at around 9am so that he could give us more news. We were really grateful for all the news he told us! We stayed around MJ’s hotel for two hours and then we went back to our hostel to get some rest. In the hostel I thought of the next day when Michael Jackson comes …… AWWWWW whatta excitement that is!!! My heart just kept beating faster and faster! I couldn’t wait for tomorrow!!!
NOVEMBER 19th, 2003 – Tuesday, A day that changed my life forever again!
We woke up early in the morning, at around 8am. I had butterflies in my stomach already as I knew this was THE day!! OMG!! But nothing could prepare me for what happened on this day – nothing!!! We prepared all our stuff for Michael and got dressed. Then we caught a couple of S-Bahns and got to Adlon hotel.
No fans were there yet, to our big surprise. And Marchand wasn’t around either to give us more news about the airport. We went inside the hotel at around 10 o’clock in the morning and found Hammad. He was there for a couple of minutes already, just sitting down and trying to be cool. Shay was all fancy dressed as that was his day of staying in the hotel. He brought a little bag with him so that as soon as he came he checked in and got to his room. Then the waiting came. There was nothing else we could do…. We waited and waited and waited for something that would change our life…. The hotel was really beautiful, it was so rich that it made me sleepy. Mark was really tired so that sometimes that I looked at him he sat there with his eyes closed. I don’t know what’s about places like that, but they really make me all sleepy. Probably cause of the water fountain that was inside the lobby and all those rich people being so quiet and the sofa was really soft. All that contributed to my comfort and I could really sleep then. But Hammed and me thought of a game that we could play. He told me he knows everything about Michael so I started asking him lots of questions to see if he really knows everything. It was a cool game, but we stopped soon as I couldn’t think anymore. All that I could think of was that MICHAEL JACKSON – the man of my dreams, will walk into that hotel and totally knock me off of my feet!! AOWWCH!!! The time went by slow. Nothing much happened. Shay walked around the lobby and talked to different people, all MJ fans. More and more fans entered hotel, you could just guess who was a fan and who wasn’t. MJ fans are so obvious. The first thing that you recognize is that when they enter they are surprised about how beautiful the hotel looks.
Then they start to look around to see if they’re allowed to go inside. And then they try to act rich and they walk through those reception guys as they were guests of the hotel and they go around to see where all the entrances are. Hee hee. Around 1 o’clock the lobby was packed with MJ fans. I was surprised that they let us stay there. A couple of times they came to ask us if we’re guests and Shay saved us by showing them the key to his room. All was OK, but we were getting really nervous when the clock went forward. It was 1:15 pm and the atmosphere in the lobby was amazing. Every time some people in suits came to the door to wait for their loved ones who were about to enter the hotel you could hear: “OMG, what’s going on? Did he come?” We heard from someone that Michael’s plane has landed. OMG, my heart stopped, I was in coma!! Gosh, that’s when I started to shake so much!!! I told Mark that I don’t know how I will handle myself, but my legs were really shaking! Mark was as excited as I was, so he couldn’t help me at all. I got the present for Michael prepared, I put it into my jacket. I was hiding it so that hotel people wouldn’t see that I’m a fan. Once fans really scared me. They all stood up and came running to the hotel entrance. They thought that Michael arrived, but it wasn’t so…. OH my, my heart was beating so fast, I still can’t believe what an adrenaline Michael Jackson gives you. Soon it was about 1:40 and fans outside started to scream!! The time has come!!! MICHAEL JACKSON ARRIVED TO THE HOTEL ADLON!!
Michael disappeared then and no one knew where he went. He probably went downstairs to get to the elevator where no people were. I was just shaking after that…. Mostly cause of the fear that I had about Michael getting hurt and then coz of all the excitement and panic!!! All the fans just talked then. Me and Mark went away from all the fans. We went up to the first floor where they served drinks. We talked about what happened. Mark told me Michael wore red shirt and black glasses and that he looked absolutely amazing! WOW!!! I was really sad that I didn’t even get a glimpse of him…. But I kept my confidence in myself and I said to myself there will be plenty more chances to see him!!! We sat down by the table and ordered coke. All the fans had to go out of the hotel then. Michael’s security came and the hotel was really well guarded. But no one knew me and Mark were fans, so it was ok for us to stay inside. We were dressed smart and had no signs on us that we’re the huge MJ fans! We found Shay then and he joined us. On his shirt there was blood, so we all wondered from where that came. Shay told us that one older man was injured when Michael arrived. All the fans pushed him and he knocked his head to the wall. Later on I didn’t hear anything about this man anymore, so I hope he’s okay now. Well as we drank our coke we went out of the hotel and joined all the fans in screaming for Michael. We missed Michael showing us the baby Prince Michael Junior 2nd – the thing about which press got so much to say later on. We screamed in front of the hotel and Mark turned on our video camera. He recorded Michael showing himself on the two windows on third floor. WOW, I got to see Michael for the first time then!!! AAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa THE FEELING WAS AMAZING, I cannot put it in words. When I saw him my heart just lighted up with Magic and Love and I felt I could just fly!!!! I wished so much I’d get wings so that I could fly to the third floor and give Michael a huge hug and a kiss!!! That didn’t happen though, but looking at Michael again made me alive!!!
It was as I wasn’t alive before, Michael just brought all the sparkles back to my eyes! I felt so free that I thought I can do anything. I just stood there, screamed his name and he appeared on the window. He was totally amazing, I was so blown away…. His beauty just keeps on getting bigger and bigger! I could explode from all the love that I had for him then. I was in heaven. WOW!!! Michael Jackson – just the name gives you so many wonderful feelings! It’s so great when you stand in front of Michael’s hotel, below his window and expect him to come to wave…. Everybody is smiling, it is as GOD himself would come and shine the city!!!! The time stopped once more and everybody was trapped in wonderment, bliss and excitement. Cheering for Michael all the time – we didn’t stop. First we screamed his name, then we dissed the press, then we dissed Sony Music… Michael liked all what we did!!! As soon as we screamed Sony Sucks he appeared at the window cheering with us. His right hand was moving to rhythm while we screamed! It was incredible! You got to be in that moment to believe how amazing that is!!! WOW!! WOW! He wore red shirt and black pants – the same clothes as he wore just when he arrived to the hotel. He greeted us, waved and everything and we all were very happy. Then he went inside and we all just discussed about what we’ve seen.
Then we just waited and waited outside for him to show up on the windows again. The weather in Berlin was okay, but it was really cold. Maybe around 5 degrees. We were freezing!!!! Thank God the coffee shop was next to Michael’s hotel and we went there from time to time to warm ourselves up. From the coffee shop you could see the whole Adlon hotel and Michael’s windows, so that while you were drinking hot chocolate or anything else you could still follow everything that was going on with Michael. Then at around 5:30 pm Michael appeared on the windows again… We screamed again and had a good time. Michael threw out of his hotel balcony two towels. Inside one of them there was a pilled banana. All the fans fought for the towels and then finally someone got it.
Hammad got a card that Michael threw out of the window. Inside the card it said that Adlon hotel welcomes Michael to the hotel and Michael wrote on the blank page next to it his loving words for us all. He wrote something like: “I love Germany. Please always know that I love you. Lets burn the tabloids.” It was something like that. I was looking at it with amazement when Hammad let me have it in my hands for a while. Michael wrote that with a normal pen, not the alcoholic one! WOW, so mega!!! Then fans showed us more of what they caught!!! I’ve seen the towels where he wrote that he loves us and about the press again and his autograph. One towel was really dirty with all the banana! Michael played on his hotel window with us again, we were so happy then again!!!!! He just knows how to make us crazy!!! We screamed so much, press was everywhere, filming us, filming Michael, taking photos of Michael. Paparazzi were behind all the fans and they stayed there all days long. There were about 10 of them with huge photo-cameras. It was horrible. Michael covered his face with a curtain while he waved to us. He also showed us Prince and Paris. WOW, that was the first time I have seen them live!! I was in shock!!! They were covered with little silky towels but we could still see them. They always waved to us. They’re so sweet!!!! Well that whole thing was amazing!!! I cannot describe it…. I love it so much when Michael comes to the window. He always has a good time and he’s always so happy. I love him so much! At one time he came to the balcony with a water gun and he sprayed us!!! It was so much fun!!! He’s so funny! Well then Michael disappeared again and we just stood there talking. Around 6 o’clock someone screamed “Michael” behind me and I looked back and couldn’t believe my eyes!!! I’ve seen Michael’s van just staying there behind us!!!!!!!! OMG OMG OMG!!
Everybody started to run then. I was just a couple of meters away from the car so I got a very great position next to the car. I looked inside and searched for Michael, I had no idea where he would be. And then everybody started to take photos…. OH MY GOD, an amazing shining light came straight to me – It was Michael’s silver jacket all shining each time someone took a photo. He was just a little in front of me!! OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG!!! I was dying!! I could not believe it!! There I was looking at Michael’s hair, his jacket!!! He was just totally next to the window. He sat in front next to the driver!!! And I was behind him then. WOW WOW WOW!! For a while I was struggling for the better position and then I got it!!!
I WAS NEXT TO MICHAEL JACKSON!!!!! JUST OUTSIDE AND MICHAEL WAS INSIDE, ONLY THE GLASS WAS BETWEEN US!!! OH MY GOD!!!!! That has never happened to me before. I thought I had died and gone to heaven! What I’ve seen there, I never thought I’d get the chance to experience in all of my life…. Michael had a white silky mask, a shining silver jacket with rine stones and black pants. His hair was straight and so very beautiful. His eyes were amazing!!!!!!! I really was in shock that no one pushed me from the window. I just stayed there for such a long time and looked at every move that Michael made. That was my time…. I will always remember that so live, as it was like my mind was recording everything!!! I stayed on the window for at least 5 minutes!! 5 minutes!!!!!!!!!!! – can you imagine?????
Looking at Michael from 0 centimeters, only glass is between you two and you can see all what he does, how he looks like. You can even go to details: See the socks that he has, bracelets, anything!!! You can see everything on Michael that you want! WOW!!!! I smiled so much being next to him! It was pure heaven! Everyone was taking so many photos, that it became very light then. That’s how I later on found two photos of me next to Michael.
One of them is all over internet and the other one was in newspaper the other day. But let me continue my great story. Michael waved to us from the car and I saw many things on his lap. He had one book of art, and many of his photos. A window of the car was a little bit opened, so we all pushed our fingers inside and hoped that Michael would touch us!!! Fans pushed so many things inside Michael’s car. They wanted him to sign them. I had nothing in my hands and I felt sorry for it as I’d get an autograph otherwise. Mark had the bag where I had a huge Invincible vinyl that I wanted MJ to sign it. But that didn’t matter so much, I was happy that I was there so close to him!!! I saw Michael signing so many autographs, fans started to push each time an autograph came out. Then one photo came out of Michael’s car and someone tore it and the other half fell down on me. I grabbed it and didn’t even look at it and pushed it into my pants to protect it!! I knew I had something special, but I just couldn’t look at it at that time!!! Fans would steal it from me otherwise. I kept on looking at Michael and at that time he opened that book of art and wrote on the hard cover. I watched him write the words: “BURN ALL TABLOIDS” WOW!!!
What a beautiful handwriting he has, and the way he writes is so unique!!!! I was so privileged to see that!!! When he did that, he put the whole big book on the car window right on my side and showed it to us.
The book was so big that it covered all the fans on the window, but not ME!!!!! Michael came closer to the window while he pushed that book to the window and then I had a private moment with him!! OH MY GOD!!!!!! I remember seeing a huge blue sign on the window saying BURN ALL TABLOIDS and I was stuck to the window where the book ended already, so Michael was just NEXT TO MY FACE!!!! HIS FACE WAS NEXT TO MINE, ONLY WINDOW WAS IN BETWEEN!!! NOTHING ELSE!!!! OH MY GOD!!!!! I saw his EYE sooooooooooooooooooooooo…. Close!!!!!! If the window wouldn’t be there I could kiss him on his forehead…. GOD!!!!!!!! I still have that live picture of his eye in my mind!!!! He looked straight at me – there was nowhere else to look anywhere. The other fans were blocked and the ones behind me could see him, but Michael was just next to me looking at me!!!! WOW WOW!! It was as if God would look into my eyes!!!! Well Michael was looking at me with his eye wide open and I felt I gotta give him a response about what he wrote on the book. So I said: “YES, YES WE WILL, WE WILL!!” Michael acknowledged me and his head went up and down for a second, it was as if he’d say “OK” and then he grabbed the book again and showed it through the main window. And than also on the other side. Fans were all around the car and they could all see that huge sign that he made. After that he opened the book in some other page and he wrote: “I LOVE YOU!!” aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, once again he pushed the book to my side first and looked at me again!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAA WOW WOW WOW!!!!!! I couldn’t believe it….. I screamed “I love you too” and then he showed the book to other sides of the car again!!! God, that was most amazing thing ever!!!!!! Being so close to Michael, watching him how he signs autographs, how he wrote those words for us, how he waved, blew kisses….. amazing!!!!!! Totally amazing! I’m speechless about it! Then one male fan behind me screamed “Michael please sign my book, please, please!!!” Michael heard it as this man was really loud, so he grabbed the book and pushed it in. He signed it and gave it back to that fan. I could so easily take that book, it was just next to me, but I let that man get it, as it was his! I always respect fans when they give Michael stuff and I would never take something that wouldn’t be mine. Then I heard Inga screaming “Michael take my present please, please” Michael saw the big beautiful present that she made and opened the window a little bit more so that he could take it in. He did that and Inga was really happy.
Then fans became too wild and they pushed me off the window. Boy, I was just so happy and blessed that I could stay on it for so long. It was out of this world, what I’ve been through then. As soon as I was out of that great position I ran in front of the car to see Michael more. Police was pushing us away and some cars were there in front also so everything was completely blocked!!! Fans were pushing each other everywhere, it was complete MJ madness!!! I got in front of the car and I looked and saw gorgeous Michael again!! WOOOOOOOOW, I saw how he sat there waving all the time. He looked so smashing! The jacket he wore was the same one as from Madison Square Garden concerts. Really beautiful!!! Police pushed me back then and I saw Mark being on the window!!!! He gave Michael a welsh spoon and Michael took it from his hands!! He even touched his hands there – wow!! The traffic lights went green then and Michael’s car had to go on. It couldn’t stay there forever. It moved slowly. Fans never gave up, they were glued to the car. Somehow the car made it through and it left quickly. AHHH, Me and Mark just wanted to recover from everything that we experienced, so we walked away from all the fans and just kept on walking. I pulled that piece of paper from my pants to see what it was. AOWWWWWWWWWWWW; it was Michael’s autograph!!!!!
OMG OMG OMG – I got it!!! He didn’t write his whole name though, only “MJ” but it is fantastic !! It was signed on one photo where Michael wore Gold Pants. The photo got teared up in half, and I got his legs. Next to his legs was a sign “MJ”. I was so grateful then!!! WOW, not only that I saw Michael so well inside the car, had a contact with him, saw how he signed books and photos, but I also got his autograph!!! That night just kept on getting better and better. Mark and me kept on walking and discussing about all of this. We were both so much in shock. Mark told me his story and I told him mine. Then we crossed the street and we wondered where Michael went. We thought of going inside one coffee shop so that we’d sit down a little. We didn’t know where the coffee shop would be so we just walked on…. Suddenly we were in one big place where some fences are, I think it was kind of a little park or something. I don’t know as it was really dark. Mark looked on the street ahead of us and said: “OMG, Tanja, look at all the police vans!” I looked into the road and saw MICHAEL’S van and inside the van I saw a shining white mask!!
OMGGGGGGGGGGGGG, IT WAS MICHAEL!!!!!!!!!!!!! I said that to Mark and I started to run as fast as my legs would carry me…. I came to the van so quickly. There was one bodyguard outside when I came, but he didn’t stop me. I came in front of Michael’s car, I touched it and tried to turn so that I’d go to his window. Michael looked at me with the eyes as he’d be shocked how I came there so quickly. He remembered me from a couple of minutes ago when I was next to him around the car by the hotel. OMG, I came to his window which was a little opened and I screamed “Michael, I’m Tanja from Slovenia, Tanja from Slovenia!” He put his hand on his ear and he gave me a sign like he doesn’t hear me so well, so he put the whole window down!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA…. THERE WAS JUST MICHAEL AND ME FROM SO CLOSE, AND NOT EVEN A WINDOW WAS BETWEEN US!!!
I cannot cope with this…. Its too unbelievable!!!! My heart was beating like crazy,…. When he opened the window I said to him again: “I’m Tanja from Slovenia” and he looked at me and said: “I LOVE YOUUU” He raised the voice a little you know, hmmm like he really means it. He switched the light inside the car so that he could see and he said it again “I love you!!” WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW, again… after 5 months he said those words to me!! He said that in Harrods, London on 17th June 2002 when I met him privately also. But this time his words sounded different. In Harrods his voice was deep as he said “I love you” but here it was different. I can’t explain it, I’d have to say it to you that you’d see what I mean! IT WAS AWESOME!!!!! As soon as he said I love you for the second time, Mark came running towards the window. He came and gave Michael his hand and said: “Hi, Michael I’m Mark from Wales!!!” Michael noticed the hat that Mark had on his head so Michael said: “Oh cool, you have my hat!” AWWWWW, I heard Michael talk even more!!! AOOOOOOOWWWW!!! I touched Michael’s hand then also and held it for few seconds!!!! WHATTA AMAZING FEELING THAT IS! His hands are soooo warm, so soft and so beautiful!! Then one police guy came and pushed us back a little so that Michael jumped out of the van! WOW!!! I never knew he’ll stop there!! I thought we just caught the van while it was going further, but it wasn’t so. Michael meant to stop there as we stood in front of the CD SHOP, not far away from the Adlon hotel. OMG, we watched Michael putting on his black glasses!!!!! Police backed off from us and we came next to Michael again. He was very well secured with his bodyguards. There were a couple of them next to him. Mark and me walked with him then. He wanted to enter the CD shop from the back entrance, but it was closed. He came to that window so closely but the doors wouldn’t open. Then he said again to us – “I love you” but he was faced into the CD shop not to us! WOW, how wonderful he is!! The way he walks is amazing! He’s such a cool man!!! Gosh!!! Then his bodyguards said: “Michael lets go there, c’mon” Mark found the opportunity to run closer to him and he was right next to him. He only thought of what Michael said to him before, so he took his hat off and said to Michael: “Michael, do you want my hat?” Michael already reached to the hat like he’d want to have it but then he changed his mind and said in the most cute way ever: “Oh, no……” AAAAAAAA
AAAAAAA THE WAY HE SAID THAT WAS AMAZING, he moved his head a little and one of his hands were up in the air, he was sooooo CUTE, soooo SWEET!!! After a couple of seconds Michael continued his words to Mark, he said: “but it’s lovely!!!!” OMG, OMG, OMG that was amazing!!! I was dying walking behind them……… I was just too deep in shock. It was magic there on the street, pure magic!!!! My eyes were just trapped - I stared at Michael …. His whole body is so fine!!!! The way he walks, the way he moves – I cannot explain!!! He totally rocked my world!!! Then he went inside the other building from where he could also enter the CD shop! Mark and me were left outside. Mark gave me the biggest hug and was really in hysteria. He screamed: “Tanja, Michael talked to me OMG OMG OMG OMG” He was totally going crazy, he was shaking so much. This time I held him and tell him we gotta be cool so we can meet him again. He pulled himself together then very quickly and we ran to the main entrance of the CD store!! Luckily it wasn’t secured, so we could enter. The moving stairs that were going up to the first floor were secured already and no one could go through. Mark found another way and we ran quickly to the first floor. The CD shop was very little, so there was no way we couldn’t see Michael there. We ran upstairs and just when we came, the guy who worked in the shop started to close the glass doors. MICHAEL WAS STANDING THERE NEXT TO HIM…. He looked at us there. One other fan came with us and we all looked through the glass to see our hero. Michael just stayed there staring at us through his glasses and mask and then bodyguards came to pull him away!!! I don’t know what Michael thought then, but he really looked as he wanted to see how it is being us. Being locked away from the person who we love so much!!!!
Michael disappeared then for a few seconds and I thought of putting my camera out of the bag and record a little. I turned the camera on and there I saw him again!!!! And this time I recorded it!! WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mark and me went down then as we couldn’t see anything from up there anymore. We stood down looking up to the glass windows. We saw a bunch of people standing there. Then we saw a big microphone and Michael’s cameras and his bodyguards. He came closer to the window and he stayed there for a while. The shelf for the Cd’s was too big, so we couldn’t see Michael’s face, but we could see his jacket and his lower part!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA…… He moved then to the glass corner and that’s when I first got his face into my camera!! AMAZING!! Then he went forward a little and disappeared behind Mike (the bodyguard). After a few seconds Michael came to that glass corner again and HE SAW US!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He looked at us and started to wave!! OMG OMG OMG !!! I recorded that all, but still saw it with my own eyes. My camera has a little window that comes out of it and I just looked at it from time to time to see that everything was ok. GOSH, Michael than called one guy and he came to him. Michael pointed at us and said something to that guy and MICHAEL AGAIN STARTED TO WAVE!!! AAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…… Mark and me and one other male fan were there all in shock!!!!
Then Michael moved ahead and turned around to the next part of the shop. Mark and me ran out so that we could see him. The whole store is surrounded with glass and we could see everything from outside. We saw him walking there and then we saw him walking down the stairs and that’s when we realized: Michael is about to leave the CD shop, he’ll go out through the main entrance!!
AOooWWW!!!! We started to run to the entrance and as soon as we came there Michael came walking towards us!! OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG, He was walking towards us in his cool style. A bodyguard came close to me so that I wouldn’t jump on Michael. He saw that I would never do that, so he backed off. He saw that I’m all cool so he let me be. Michael then walked on the street – NEXT TO ME!!! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa….. I was recording everything and looking at Michael…. GOSH!!!! I kept saying: “Michael I love you”, I was really in shock!!! and then Michael started to SING – OMGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG HE STARTED TO SING THE LOST CHILDREN WHILE WE WALKED ON THE STREET NEXT TO THE CD SHOP!!!!!!! THAT BLEW ME AWAY, I listened and I could hear Michael’s voice so well… WOW, he sang through his mask. There were some guys behind him and they joined him in singing…. How amazing!!!!! When we came to the corner of that shop I came even closer to Michael and he thought I want to say something to him so his head came closer to me!!! I said: “THANK YOU FOR MEETING US MICHAEL! I LOVE YOU!” And he gave me his hand!!!!!!!!! AOOWWWW; that was exactly what I wanted!!!! I was holding his hand, it was so warm and soft and I wanted to record it, how we held our hands. I lifted Michael’s and mine hand up a little and Michael saw what I wanted to do so he helped me!! WOW WOW WOW!! He pushed his hand up a bit so I recorded it !!! SPEECHLESS ********* Then we let go of our hands as Mike – the bodyguard pushed me away a little. Michael kept walking and I kept walking with him. Mark was in front of Mike and I was behind him.
Then I ran a little and got in front of everybody and I recorded Michael walking on the street. Suddenly I heard a “HEE – HEE” wow, Michael did it and he laughed then and said to someone “That was great!” aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa….. It was supreme!!! We kept walking and then that fan that was in the store with us also came and hugged Michael. I recorded it all on the camera. After that hug Michael started to walk a bit faster as all of the sudden all these fans came. I don’t know from where….. I was pushed by the fans so I stayed where I was. I was again scared of Michael’s safety. Bodyguards got him into the car then and everything was cool. Grace – Michael’s nanny and girlfriend (many fans say she is his new girlfriend) was standing next to the car so I came to her and said: “Hi Grace!” She turned around and said : “Hi, how are you?” I also recorded her on my camera! She seemed to be very sweet. She shook my hand and then went inside the car!!! I looked through the windows of Michael’s car and I could see Michael sitting there. Everybody got to their vans and then it drove off. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH…. THAT WAS THE MOST AMAZING, MOST UNBELIEVABLE, SUPREME, SHOCKING, AMAZING THING THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED TO ME IN MY WHOLE ENTIRE LIFE!!!!!! What happened at that CD shop is so sacred to me now, I am keeping it deep in my heart…. All my dreams came true again… I feel truly blessed and happy! MY LIFE IS JUST THE BEST EVER!!!!! Michael is soooo COOL, I will never be able to explain how amazing he is! He’s just everything in this world to me! I couldn’t love him more than I do!!!! He’s God!!! After that whole thing me and Mark went back to MJ hotel. All the fans were there so we gave them the news. Some of them were happy for us, some jealous, but we were just in shock. We couldn’t believe it. It was too amazing to be true. We went to coffee shop to get something to drink. Then we joined all the fans again outside and waited for Michael. Around midnight all the fans started to go back to their hostels. It seemed like Michael won’t come to the window so we all left. At the hostel I kept thinking of what happened…. That day was the best day of my life!!!
NOVEMBER 20th, 2003 – Wednesday
When I woke up in the morning I had a huge smile on my face. I dreamt of Michael that night. I dreamt exactly what happened to me at CD shop, WOW, it’s amazing to wake up from your dream and say: “That actually happened!” We got dressed quickly and went straight to Michael’s hotel. That day nothing happened and we didn’t see Michael at all. Some fans told us that Michael went to Potsdam, which is very far away from the city center, so we got on subways and went there. We spent 3 hours to go there, search for Michael and come back. We’ve seen all the beautiful castles there, but no sign of Michael. One guy came to us there and asked us if Michael will come. We found out that he’s a reporter, so we didn’t tell him anything. When we arrived back at the hotel some fans told us that Michael visited city ZOO just an hour ago. Ah, we were sad we didn’t know that. Only some fans got that information on time and they saw Michael there, but most of them just waited for Michael at his hotel all the time. The evening came, we screamed for Michael, sang songs, kept each other warm in front of his hotel all the time but he didn’t come on windows – not even once. Then I saw someone who looked a lot like Michael talking to fans outside. I came closer to him and found out that he’s Earnest Valentino!!!!
I introduced myself to him and then we talked. He was really such a nice guy. We talked for a while, I asked him so many questions. I was really interested in how he learned how to dance like that. I saw him dancing in London at that “Killer Thriller” party and he really inspired me then. He told me a lot about Michael and he even said that He’s working for Michael since Bad era already. I was really shocked about that information. Then I took a photo with him and asked him for his autograph. He was really freezing in front of the hotel as he’s not used to all that cold air (he’s from Florida), so he went inside hotel soon. Mark and me went to Adlon hotel at that time also. We were determined to see Mike so that we could give him presents for Michael. I had a big heavy Egyptian statue to give to Michael, and I carried it around the whole day. That’s why I wanted to give it away as soon as possible. Outside was really cold and our hands were freezing. Whatever you had in your hands was too much to hold. Mark and me somehow made it to the 3rd floor and we found Michael’s room. We were just 5 meters away from it. There we saw 2 bodyguards and they came to us and asked us what we want. We said we wanted to speak to Mike – the bodyguard. They went to get him. He had a conference in one room at that time, but he took away his time and came to see us. He said he remembered us and I gave him my presents. He was kind enough to take them and said that he’ll give them to Michael. I felt so happy then! We thanked him and went out of the hotel. It was amazing standing just few meters away from Michael’s room. I so prayed he’d come out!!!! Unfortunately he didn’t. But hey, better luck next time!
Then we all left for MJ party that was on the other side of the city. We all thought that Michael will go there!!! As we arrived we had to buy tickets first. One cost 5 euros. We were searched before we came inside and we had to leave all our cameras in front. I was upset about that as I was scared for my cameras, but I had no choice. If I wanted to enter I had to leave them there. The party was great, some impressonators danced there. Michael’s music was really loud!!! Everybody enjoyed the party but we were all nervous about whether Michael will come to the party or not. At one time all the fans started to run towards the stage and that’s where I got the feeling. OMG, Michael will come!!!!!! We crowded in front and I had to go on Mark’s back so that I was able to see the stage. The music was played even louder than and every now and then we screamed for Michael. The DJ confused us with music. The music was playing normally and then suddenly it stopped and only Michael’s voice was heard so we all thought that Michael is somewhere backstage singing!! OMG!! Our hearts kept beating faster and faster, it got really hot there at that time. Everybody screamed!!! The lights were all over the stage, we all expected Michael to come anytime. But instead of Michael the music stopped and one guy said something in German. As much as I understood was that Michael will not come to the party. Jule – German MJ fan explained all to us later on. Michael didn’t come to the party and everybody left feeling sad. We crowded by the exit as everyone wanted their cameras back. As soon as me and Jule came to the counter they didn’t look for my camera. They couldn’t find it. Jule got really upset and after a while they finally listened to her and looked for the camera. Luckily they found it and then we left. We all came back to Michael’s hotel and some fans there told us that Michael went to Bambi party and came back already. We were all sad as we didn’t know that. Michael also went to charity thing, where he put his silver shining jacket on auction. It was sold for around 16.000 euros. That was the same jacket that me and Mark touched on Tuesday!! WOW We all knew about that charity auction, but we couldn’t leave the party at that time as they said if you leave the party you can’t come back. And since everyone thought that Michael will join us at the party later no one went to charity thing. So we all felt kinda sad then. Then Mike – MJ’s bodyguard came to talk to us. He picked up our gifts for Michael and he told us that the next day Michael’s expected to come out of the hotel at around 12 o’clock. Mike was bombard with gifts so he had to call two more bodyguards to help him carry all those presents to the hotel. Mike also apologized to everyone if he maybe pushed someone in the time that Michael was in Berlin, but he said it was all for Michael’s protection. Everybody applauded him and screamed his name. He seemed to be very happy then. We all asked him how come Michael didn’t come to the party and he told us that Michael didn’t even know about it!!! Ah!! Then a bodyguard came to Mike and whispered something to his ear and Mike told us that “the boss is calling him”. Everybody screamed! Then he left. When it was really late we decided to go back to the hostel too. Mark and me felt bad as we didn’t see Michael at all, but hardly anyone saw him that day. It just wasn’t a good day. I was still blessed about all the things that happened to me the day before!!! So I kept my smile alive!
NOVEMBER 21st, 2003 – Thursday “BAMBI AWARDS DAY”
We woke up around 10 o’clock and we prepared all the gifts for Michael and went to his hotel. Mark and me arrived a bit late as we got lost on German subways. But we didn’t miss anything. All the fans waited for Michael at the back of the hotel (the garage). I found a good position and then the waiting begun. We stood there for like an hour and nothing happened. Everyone started to leave the garage already and went to the front of a hotel. At that time Shay was arrested by German police. We all didn’t know why. They just took him out of the crowd and put him in their van. They kept him there for 6 hours so Shay missed all that happened at that time with Michael. He couldn’t even go to Bambi awards or see Michael in front of his hotel. Later on Sharona – Shay’s friend told us that Shay’s being arrested coz the police thought that he called Michael’s hotel and threatened that he’ll put a bomb into Michael’s room. We all wondered what was going on, but we got no answers. Mark and me decided to go in front of the hotel as it was obvious that Michael won’t come out of that garage. As we came in front we waited with other fans. Jule and her friend (both German fans) decided that we should all scream so us three came together and screamed as much as we could. Nothing happened. More and more fans came then and together we made the atmosphere.
Michael appeared on the windows later on and we were all happy!!! Seeing him again after one day of not seeing him at all gave me butterflies!!! He looked so cool!!! He seemed to be very happy. He threw some stuff out of the hotel again. This time he even threw a pillow!! He wore a red jacket and white shirt. He held a book in his hands and Inga turned to me and said: “Tanja is that your book –the one you made for him?” I didn’t know at that time as I didn’t see the book well, but later on I saw he was holding a book of art. The same one that I saw in his lap on Tuesday when I was next to his window!!! We kept screaming and Michael kept waving and having fun with us! Then he left again and we just stood there. The day turned into night and it was time for Mark and me to go to Estrel hotel where the Bambi awards were. We left before everyone else and came to Estrel around 6 o’clock. We found a good position next to the hotel entrance. Well we thought it would be a good position but later it proved not to be. We stuck our baby banner on the glass window and waited. We thought that Michael will come inside through that entrance and then he’d notice our great banner. Later on so many fans came. Everybody who was outside of that hotel Estrel was a MJ fan. We all screamed for Michael and made a huge noise whenever some vans passed us by. We saw some famous people there – like Rod Steward. He came out of the hotel and everybody just screamed for Michael, so he probably thought that his name was Michael. Ha, ha. The atmosphere got more and more exciting as we knew Michael will have to come soon. It was around 7:30pm and the show was about to start at 8:45pm. Suddenly everybody started to scream more than they ever did before. I knew that was it – MICHAEL ARRIVED!!! WOOWWW!!!!
Mark and me didn’t see anything yet as he was walking down that red carpet and signing autographs. All the fans who were in front rows there saw him so well and made the best photos, but Mark and me were stuck on the glass window next to the entrance. We couldn’t move at all. Mark started to film with the camera so that we’d get Michael on it. The crowd of people who were with Michael kept getting nearer and nearer…. And then MICHAEL PASSED THE ENTRANCE!!!! I saw his face so well, but only for a few seconds! He looked SMASHING!!! He wore a black jacket with shining silver stripes and black pants and his hair was gorgeous!!!! I saw him hugging one man just next to the entrance and then he kept walking forward. At first I thought that he will only greet the fans on the other side also and then come inside through the main entrance, but then we saw he kept getting further and further. Oh my, what happened? He just went forward and went inside through the other entrance. Mark and me felt quite disappointed as we had all prepared on that glass. All fans were still there outside Estrel, but we decided to go back to our hostel – which was very near Estrel hotel – and watch Bambi awards live on TV there. As we came to the hostel some people had party where the TV was, so we decided to go into the restaurant near by and watch it there. We ate something and watched the show on TV. The guys who worked at that restaurant put Bambi’s really loud for us so we could hear it well. Michael’s part came and I was really excited. I recorded Michael’s part with my video camera…. WOW, Michael was gorgeous there on stage!!! And for the first time in his life he wore reading glasses in front of public. He felt embarrassed about that, but we all thought he looked really smart and beautiful. Here is what Michael said on that show:
Then I asked Dani if he could give something to Michael cause he told us that Michael won’t come out that day at all. I gave him my Slovenian books and some other stuff and then he left. We again waited and waited in that cold air….. Nothing happened. It really seemed that we won’t see Michael that day. Lots of fans went to coffee shop to get some warm air. Mark and me did the same. In the after-noon we thought of a great idea!!! I remembered how some fans had air-balloons in Munich in 99 and they pushed them all the way to Michael’s room. We decided we’d go around the city to get those balloons and then come back and try to give them to Michael. Unfortunately the whole Berlin had no air-balloons, just normal ones and even those only in McDonalds. We were satisfied with those. We grabbed 10 of them and went back. As soon as we came to the hotel we started putting them on a string. While doing that Michael appeared on the window!! WOOOOOOOOOOW!!! HOW AWESOME!!!!! We finished the balloons soon and then we waited for Michael to come back again!!
We asked the fans if something happened that day and they gave us the news that Michael went to visit the Gallery and no one knew about it. Then we all sang his songs and screamed and then he came again!! But he only came for a few seconds and he couldn’t see my balloons. We all decided to sing more, so one girl turned the radio louder and we all sang INVINCIBLE songs. The atmosphere was amazing, I enjoyed that very much!!! The party in front of hotel went on for hours…. Later on Mike came down and gave us the news. He said that Michael won’t be coming out anymore and that they’ll leave very early the next day!!! We all gave him a sad look. He took the last presents and went inside again. Everything seemed to be over then, we were freezing even more. It got the most cold on Friday night. Lots of fans went home already. Some of them went home on Thursday already – after Bambi awards. Mark and me then talked to Anita and Agata from Poland and Jule too. We all guessed what Michael is doing at that moment. We all thought he was sleeping which proved to be false straight away.
Just few minutes after we said that MICHAEL CAME TO THE WINDOW one last time!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAA He wore white T-shirt and looked AMAZING!!!!! He came to wave his goodbyes. I felt so happy seeing him again as I knew that would be the last time!!! He gave us all the excitement again and after he left some fans kept on screaming, but we all knew that he wouldn’t come again.
We took the last photos then – us fans all together and after that we went back to the hostel. Mark and me planned to go to the airport in the morning, but we didn’t know when he’d go.
We wanted to wake up at 5 o’clock and go straight to Tempelhof. I woke up at that time but I felt too tired to go out. As I didn’t know exactly when Michael would go I thought it would be best to sleep some more and found out later. I got the feeling that Michael left already as Mike said that they’ll leave so early. I woke up again at 6 o’clock and then moved the alarm clock a bit further then. At around 8 o’clock Mark and me came to Adlon to see if some fans are there to give us the news. We found some Italians and they told us Michael left at 5am in the morning. AH, the hotel looked so sad without him.
It was a sad day, it was raining. It’s weird, every time Michael leaves the sky rains. It truly is something Magical about this man that we love so much!!! Mark and me stayed in Berlin for one more day as we missed our bus for Munich. We slept in the other hostel for that extra night. On Friday evening we went inside Adlon for the last time and we talked about how it was when Michael first arrived on Tuesday…. The hotel just didn’t look good anymore, without Michael inside the great hotel is just a hotel and that’s why we went away quite soon.
On Saturday we came to Munich and from there we caught a bus back to Ljubljana. While being in Munich we once again visited the great Bayerischer Hof hotel. The one where Michael always stays in while he’s in Munich. We went inside that one also and I found out which Michael’s room was while he was there in 99. That was a very important discovery for me as I wanted to know that ever since 99. So, the wonderful MJ experience ended there…
I just wanna say to whoever reads this report – DREAMS DO COME TRUE, ALL YOU GOTTA DO IS MAKE THEM HAPPEN!!! ALWAYS BELIEVE IN YOURSELF AND YOU CAN DO ANYTHING!!! Thank you for reading!!!!
Tanja Kovac from Slovenia, NOVEMBER 2002
