Jetsetting with singer-songwriter Merissa Tee

SINGAPORE — You may not have heard of this 25-year-old, but many a K-pop fan are mildly jealous of Merissa Tee. After all, the budding singer-songwriter just hung out at K-pop star G-Dragon’s “home” in Seoul recently.

Tee, who speaks fluent Korean, edged out the rest South-east Asia in a competition that saw a pool of over 5,500 entries vying to become the regional winner of the Airbnb X G-Dragon contest. A total of five winners from Asia (the rest were from Korea, Japan, China and Hong Kong) spent two nights in G-Dragon’s second home — the legendary Dukyang studio where the pop sensation trained for years.

“I think the Airbnb team saw that I was someone who would enjoy interacting with the other winners, who were also creative and talented people from different Asian cultures,” she said. “Also, G-Dragon is a travelling musician himself, and I think he might have experienced that same connection. I’m just really thankful to both Airbnb and G-Dragon for choosing me, and I thank God for this opportunity of a lifetime.”

Q; Why did you decide to take part in this contest?

A: I was planning to sign up for Airbnb for a while and the Facebook advertisement for this campaign kept popping up, so I decided to just do it. I participated knowing that the odds were not in my favour, but I knew that I would regret it if I didn’t at least try. Also, I’ve been yearning to travel to Korea again and getting the opportunity to meet G-Dragon in person would be beyond amazing. My entry submitted to Airbnb read: “I’m an artiste and singer-songwriter and I think travel is an amazing way to meet new people, experience new cultures and gain inspiration. Music definitely brings people together. Despite any language barriers I might experience with people I meet overseas, once we sing and make music together we just ‘click’ and connect on a whole new level. Music is a universal and amazing thing!”

Q: What is G-Dragon really like in person?

A: The first time I met him was during the check-in at Dukyang Studios. He actually recognised us and memorised all our names by heart! He wanted to make us feel comfortable there, so he did things like jumping on the bean bags and asking us to make ourselves at home. We had dinner with him at YG’s famous cafeteria. He got water for all of us, showed us how to get the food, and we chatted with him about food, work and many other topics. I even asked if he tried and liked Singaporean food and he said yes. He also autographed my ukulele and wrote an encouraging message on my CD, which mentioned that he will support me. He was really affectionate, spoke his mind and is really humble. He was like a friend and a really good host.

Q: As a singer/songwriter, what was the best thing about being in G-Dragon’s second home?

A: What’s amazing is that we stayed in the actual studio that GD and rest of the Big Bang members practised in. I remembered seeing it on their pre-debut training videos, so to actually be there in person was quite surreal. GD also said that the actual bedroom that I slept in was the room where he wrote all of Big Bang’s hits, including Lies. Airbnb revamped the whole place and furnished it with GD’s belongings, including props and costumes from his music videos. There were also graffiti on the walls, quirky items and colourful neon lights. Even the snacks on the bar top were picked by him and the fridge was filled with all his favourite drinks.

Q: Did you find out what were some of G-Dragon’s favourite spots in Seoul?

A: GD decorated the apartment with a large map of Seoul in the living room where he drew post-it arrows indicating his favourite places to hang out, such as Nanji Park by the Han River; Samcheongdong, where traditional meets contemporary art and culture; and Hongdae, where there is a bustling youth night life and is flourishing with live indie music and art. Coincidentally, these are my favourite places in Seoul, too. I would recommend these places to anyone who visits Seoul.

Q: Did you guys see G-Dragon without his famous sunglasses?

A: He wore his sunglasses throughout, but I was seated right next to him so I actually saw his eyes behind his sunglasses. SERENE LIM