Jasmine Trias, 17, still can't believe her good fortune, so she counts her blessings daily.

"I don't take anything for granted," said Trias, the Mililani singer who finished third in last season's "American Idol."

She and the other nine finalists, including winner Fantasia Barrino and runner-up Diana DeGarmo, rekindle "Idol" mania tonight, tomorrow and Thursday at Blaisdell Arena in the last stop of a 50-city summer tour.

Trias may not have won the title, but she feels that her dedication and perseverance have paid off despite encountering a few bumps on her road to fame.

Critics said she should have been eliminated, before the favored but distant La Toya London, who walked a week before Trias. London's ouster triggered wonderment about Trias' Hawai'i supporters, talent quotient and the voting process.

"I've gotten over that," said Trias about her finish ahead of London but behind DeGarmo and Barrino. "You know people will talk behind your back and criticize. I had nothing to do with how we were all going to finish. And I know not all remarks will be positive.

"But we all worked hard to get where we did; we all became strong in our own ways. In the end, it's not a matter of where you placed, but a matter of what you do, or try to do, and how you work it all out. Sure, the criticism did affect me a bit, but I've become a stronger person because of it."

The experience was a quick education about reality and destiny.

"I have learned that in a competition, like in life, you have to be a hard worker," said Trias by phone from Ottawa, Ontario, where the "Idol" tour recently performed. "You have to be positive, because it won't be good times all the time. I've stayed strong and focused, true to myself. Every day, I count my blessings, for all the good things that have come to me. I live the moment every day. What I have in my life, at age 17, not a lot of 17-year-olds can have, and I am forever grateful."

She said she will never forget the wave of support she received from the Hawai'i viewers, who took to their battle stations every week, mounting a telephone campaign that astonished everyone, including Verizon Hawai'i officials, who tracked the calls.

And she's having a blast on tour.

"I'm having a such good time; a lot of fun," she said, her voice reflecting her glee. "My stamina is great; my voice has been pretty good the whole time. The more you sing, the stronger your voice gets. I got sick once, but my health otherwise held up."

Some days can be tiring, she said. "You feel, like, exhausted, and maybe don't want to do the show. But it comes with the territory; this is what I want to do. When I'm backstage, before the show, and I hear the crowd, that gives me a big push, that gives me the strength to continue."

Seventeen-year-old Jasmine Trias of Mililani sings "Midnight Train to Georgia" in a taping for the opening of Fox's "American Idol" finale. Advertiser library photo • May 26, 2004

'American Idols Live!' 7 p.m. today through Thursday Blaisdell Arena $48 (initially sold out, but more seats have been released for all shows.) (877) 750-4400 Meet Jasmine Post-concert meet-and-greet event with Jasmine Trias 10 p.m. till closing, on Thursday Rumours nightclub at the Ala Moana Hotel The party is open to those 21 and older; cover charge at the door is $15. Attendees will receive an autographed photo of Trias, a gift pack and the chance to win door prizes. Information: Hawai'i Pacific Entertainment, 947-3101

As with her peers, Trias has had her share of projects and options awaiting — once she finishes her "Idol" stint.

She said she has some recording irons in the fire, a cluster of endorsement deals in the Philippines and has formed a company to tend to her post-"Idol" business needs. All of which she must remain mum on because of contractual obligations.

She and Islander Camile Velasco, however, will be among the "Idol" performers who will give an Oct. 5 performance in Singapore, outside of the formal tour of the United States and Canada of the past two months.

"I can't wait to come home, to see my family, to hit the beach, to simply enjoy the Islands," Trias said. Because she's still a minor, her father, Rudy Trias, has been with her throughout her Mainland "Idol" run and he's been on the road, from contestant stage through the competition, and from the beginning.

"It's been a great experience," Rudy Trias said. "There's been a lot of waiting around, but I've seen so many places and Jaz has had the opportunity of a lifetime."

He's been on extended leave without pay from his job as an engineering technician at the Pearl Harbor naval shipyard, where he works on submarines. He returns to his job after the Singapore concert.

Trias has emerged as a poster girl for the Filipino community, particularly in countries where "Idol" has been televised: the Philippines, in particular, and in such varied nations as Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Taiwan and Singapore.

Since her exposure on TV, Trias has formed "Jasmine Trias Inc.," and is represented by Hawai'i Pacific Entertainment, which manages her affairs.

Trias has also had some non-singing visibility since the competition. On an earlier return visit home, between the contest and the tour, she taped a cameo role for Fox TV's Hawai'i-based "North Shore." She also did a public-service announcement on which she is seen in various guises but never named or identified as an "Idol" star, that targets youths and red-flags the danger of drugs and alcohol use. She also will be seen in filmmaker Edgy Lee's second film on ice, "Life or Meth — Hawai'i's Youth," airing on all local TV stations Dec. 7.

"I don't feel I failed," Trias said of finishing third. "I wanted to see how far I could go ... and I would say that my dream has been fulfilled."