RIYADH, 20 January 2004 — Don’t look now but the Taiwanese telenovela Meteor Garden over which Filipinos went gaga over in the Philippines last year is also a big hit among overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) here as they watch it in cassette discs late into the night .

“The Meteor Garden is popular here because it was the favorite among TV viewers back home. It was a big hit when it was serialized on Philippine national television last year,” said a teacher in one of the schools here with a large Filipino student population, adding that teenagers openly talked about who were their idols and crushes among the F4 members.

Due to its popularity, its cast were invited to visit the Philippines last year, with the star Xu Xe Yuan being interviewed by popular TV host and ABS-CBN mainstay Kris Aquino.

Meteor Garden comes in three parts. Part one comprises 1-11 discs; part 2, 12 to 19 and part 3, 1 to 31.

The story chronicles the saga of Chan Tsai played by Xu Xe Yuan and her love affair with Dao Ming Si, who comes from a powerful and rich family. It also shows the strong bond of friendship among the F4 members.

F4 is composed of Dao Ming Si, Hua Tsu Lei, Meizuo and Simon, all coming from rich families and popular on the campus of the elite university where they were studying.

An OFW said that copies of the telenovela were snapped up even considering the set is relatively expensive for someone not earning so much.

In a typical flat, OFWs occupying different rooms made it a point that each one of them has a copy of the Meteor Garden series.

Explaining why the telenovela was so popular in the Philippines, an OFW said that Filipinos could identify themselves with it: The setting is Asian, the subject is also typically Filipino and the F4s made a deep impression among Filipina teenagers.

To one who is not in the know, Filipino audiences’ fascination over the telenovela were a puzzle until one sees it for himself. It romantizes its milieu, which is the laid-back atmosphere of a serene but plush Taiwananese neighborhood amid the fabulous wealth of Dai Ming Si’s family.

“As you watch segments of the telenovela, you get lost in its romantic setting and you can’t explain why. There’s also that beautiful melody which seems to linger even after you have seen the telenovela. The background music is hauntingly beautiful indeed,” said a Filipino community leader.

“It’s Taiwanese and yet it is not, ” he added. “It could be Filipino, Indonesian, Thai or even European music. That’s probably why Meteor Garden has been shown on foreign television. The producers aimed for universatility of its theme to make it appeal to the young and the young at heart.”