Singaporean to stay in G-Dragon's second home in Seoul
On Monday (Sept 21), she will be on a plane to Korea to meet the host for her Airbnb vacation, G-Dragon.
Local singer Merissa Tee, 25, won the competition held last month for the prize of a two-night stay at the Big Bang leader's (below) second home in Hongdae, Seoul.
What makes Ms Tee's win so precious is that she had competed in the category that had the most countries' contestants.
Five winners were chosen — one each from Korea, Japan, China and Hong Kong. Ms Tee won in the "rest of South-East Asia" category.
They'll be no communication issues as she speaks fluent Korean.
When The New Paper contacted Ms Tee, she was in rehearsal for a concert on Friday (Sept 18)
So what is she intending to do with the K-pop star when she meets him?
She said: "I'm planning to paint a portrait of him! Although it doesn't look like him, I hope he will use it as a fun caricature.
"I've also prepared little gifts for the other winners and am looking forward to becoming friends with them and learning more about the different cultures.
"I'll paint their names on cards and also write them a little note."
Her application required no more than 300 words. In it she waxed lyrical about her love for music and travel.
"I wrote that I'm an artist and singer-songwriter and I think travel is an amazing way to meet new people, experience new cultures and gain inspiration."
She added: "I'm keen on meeting fellow singers and having spontaneous jams."
Her travels have taken her to a number of places but one stands out. Though that may change after her Hongdae trip.
"I lived in New Zealand for a while and it is definitely my favourite travel destination so far!
"The warm hospitality and gorgeous scenery... It's great for photography and to chill just painting."
Selected from over 5,500 entries, Ms Tee will stay with the Korean beatboxer, Japanese shopowner, Chinese singer-songwriter and Hong Kong tattoo artist during the stayover in G-Dragon's Dukyang studio crib.
Here's a look at what G-Dragon's crib looks like, courtesy of sketches by Airbnb.
But will Ms Tee sing to G-Dragon?
The singer-songwriter often posts her song covers on her Facebook page and YouTube.
Check out Ms Tee's covers of Ed Sheeran's Thinking Out Loud and John Legend's All Of Me.
Five facts about the competition
1. It ran for 10 days and garnered more than 56,000 entries.
2. The oldest participant was a 63-year-old teacher from Japan who taught for over 40 years.
3. In China, 60 per cent of submissions were from students and 333 of those entries were in Korean, indicating these applicants' proficiency in G-Dragon’s native language.
4. In Japan, more than 50 entries were from mothers, more than 20 were either from hair stylists or manicurists, and around 10 came from school teachers.
5. Only 12 submissions from Hong Kong were from men. The youngest submission came from a 6-year-old, who said that she began listening to G-Dragon at the age of two.
Related reports: Wanna stay at G-Dragon's home?
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