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sambart93 · 6 years ago

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Final 31 [2018 Edition] Day 31: 2018 Resolutions Wrap Up

Here we are! We are on the final day and it’s now time to see how well I did over the year! My 2018 Resolutions are here, so without further ado...

1. 20 Doramas/SPs - (PASS) I succeeded this one!! I was very happy to finally get back into the world of doramas and such. While the beginning of the year was strong, I started watching doramas just because my friend wanted me to watch along with her and unfortunately, all her choices were absolute rubbish. So hopefully next year I can watch just as many, but watch much better ones.

2. 20 Movies - (PASS) I marathoned whole series of movies this year which felt so great! I managed to watch about catch up with Jinro Game, and watch almost all the Yamikin Dogs movies too! I also got to watch some long overdue stuff like Tomodachi Game and Survival Family which were so good! I am happy with the movies I saw this year. Next year looks even more promising though!

3. 12 Books - (PASS) I don’t think I could’ve done this if I hadn’t gotten behind and then marathoned about 2 years worth of Shingeki no Kyojin manga. That alone was about 6 or 7 volumes of content xD I had either really good or really shit books this year. Of course my main man Sanderson never failed me once! And this year I started to read all his work from the beginning which has been fun! Also finally read some LONG overdue books: Frankenstein, Dracula, Leviathan Wakes, Ready Player One, Alice in Wonderland, A Torch Against the Night. SO MANY GOOD BOOKS! I already have lists of the top 5 and top 36 books that are my utmost priority for this next coming year. 36 isn’t entirely impossible but it’s definitely a challenge for me, but I am excited!

4. Keep Up with Reviews - (FAIL) I’m going to be honest, reviews take a LOT of time, and I can’t exactly concentrate all that well when I’m at home. One review takes at least 4 hours, and when I have events every week, it really cuts down how much time I have to get these things out. I still have reports/review from JUNE that I still haven’t even started! I am seriously cutting down on outside events next year so hopefully I can catch up and keep up. I do love writing reviews but I just wish I had a better environment and more time to get through them all. Also me marathoning whole Korean Variety shows the last 6 months of this year have NOT helped. One episode is always about 90 minutes and I watch like 2 to 3 episodes every day so.... yeah that really sucked up a lot of the time I could’ve spent writing. I’ll sort it out, I promise!

5. Oshi Stages/Events Only - (PASS) I feel like I ONLY went to Oshi stuff this entire year... I’m trying to think of one play that didn’t have an oshi in it... even Tenimyu technically counts cos FUCKING HIGA, AM I RIGHT?! ... and I really thought it’d be saving me money; turns out NO! Because instead of going to seven DIFFERENT plays, I’ve just been going to the same oshi play 2, 3, 4 times instead! That is not productive Alex! So while I got very picky and more focused on my plays, I didn’t exactly save much money. BUT this year (especially towards the end of the year) I definitely didn’t feel like I had no money - unlike this time last year where I was in serious poverty and was scraping the barrel of all my bank accounts just to get by (yes I am shameless, and yes I really should admit the severity of my money spending), which means my money handling definitely got better which is good, but it’s still not at the level I want it at - we’re a LONG way off that. Luckily, I found more plays and production companies that I didn’t like this year (I’m looking right at you MARV!), and a lot of my favourite series either finished or no longer feature my oshis (TouStage, HakuMyu, K Stage, EnStage (for now) etc.) which means I should have more money staying in my bank account next year as well as more fucking time to sort out my mental health (it’s been very very bad the last 3 - 4 months, and money worries definitely don’t help)! PHEW!

6. Keep Complaints to Self and Be Positive on the Outside - (FAIL) I feel this hasn’t improved at all, especially at work. I know I shouldn’t be this vocal and this negative but my stupid brain works too fast for my common sense to kick in, and I end up complaining before my brain can say ‘hang on a minute bitch’ and then I feel like the worst fucking person afterwards. And, as mentioned above, my mental health has really been struggling since November so that’s not helped my negativity at all (one day I’ll probably open up about how bad it’s been but not right now, because I’m still dealing with it). But at least I am always trying to better myself on this one.

7. Travel Twice - (PASS) I definitely did this! I went to Sendai TWICE, I went to Nagoya, Osaka, Hakone, I finally went to Odawara (and Odawara Castle), I went to new places in Tokyo: Kichijoji, Nakameguro, Yomiura Land, Asakusa, Ikebukuro Aquarium. While it was all internal in Japan, I still managed some new places which makes me happy! But hopefully next year I have at least one external travel!

8. Save Money! - (MORE FAIL THAN PASS) I did manage to save some money: I started saving ALL my coins that weren’t 100 yen and that managed to total about 30,000yen by the end of the year which is great! But I am still very much financially unstable. And yes it is completely and entirely my fault. But at least I’m no where near as unstable and poor as this time last year! I’m not spending whole nights lying awake hungry and worrying about the fact I can’t afford food for the next 2 - 3 days unlike last year which is amazing progress (not really but...). While I did find out that saving coins is a great way for me to save up money, I am still not saving decent amounts every month. Hopefully next year is that year! This year I’ve managed to sort out some priorities and find out ways of cutting down on my spending, and I feel like next year I’ll be able to really hold my control on it, moreso than the last 2 years.

9. JLPT - (FAIL) HA let’s not talk about this one. I had every intention of doing the JLPT in December and I did seriously studying in July, August and beginning-September, but then SuJu came along and decided to do concerts the weekend of the exam so my brain went ‘fuck it! Not like you’re ever gunna pass anyway’, so I never applied and I stopped studying all together xD I haven’t picked up a book since September. I really have zero motivation to study Japanese anymore. And I’m going to be honest, the main reason I’ve lost all my motivation to study is because I have no fucking place TO study. I can’t study at work because people keep coming to my desk and my anxiety finds that extremely humiliating, embarrassing, and distracting to be discovered studying; I don’t have a spare desk in my room so I don’t want to study there; I don’t want to study in the living room because my roommates could come in at any moment which is again embarrassing, distracting and worrying; I can’t study at a restaurant or cafe because the air-con is fucking freezing and it’s just a different way of wasting and spending more money than necessary. I have NO place to study, so how can you (I’m speaking to the universe) expect me to take a fucking JLPT exam when I can’t even find a fucking place to study?! You see the pickle I’m in?

10. No Clearfiles, No Non-Fav Fandom TShirts or Bags - (PASS) I did it! And to be honest, I completely forgot I wasn’t buying these things anymore, I just naturally DIDN’T! Which is great! I am definitely stretching this buying ban far next year (you’ll see in tomorrow’s post), but I am excited and happy at how easy this has been!

11. Keep up with Dancing and Stretches - (PASS) I have whole weeks where I exercise ridiculously every day/night, and then some weeks where I’m doing the bare minimum, but at least I’m always conscious of how much I’m exercising and I’m always trying to keep myself in check when it comes to exercise. So I’d say this one is a success. I’m still enjoying stretching, I’m still enjoying my dancing, I enjoy walking so much. This is going well!

12. Spend Spare Time Studying - (FAIL) We already went through this; I stopped studying; K-Variety has taken over my life. No time or motivation to do such things!

TOTAL: 7/12 PASSED! - A little over 50% which is not that great but I personally feel like I made progress even in some of the failed sections which is great! I hope I can be more successful next year! But I think we can all agree that my mental health is definitely the biggest thing ruining my motivation and goals right now. So let’s get that sorted first!

What were your goals this year? Did you succeed? How did you do? Let me know below!

My 2019 Resolutions are all set and ready to be posted tomorrow morning! Thank you for sticking around the entire 31 days even though my fandoms stretch far and wide, I hope at least some of the posts you could relate to.

#final 31 days of the year #final 31 days of the year 2018 edition #2018 wrap up

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itsleay · 6 years ago

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Dear Diary: About Jimin’s disappearance from Twitter and more...

So many things have been happening around Jimin lately. Thought i write a little diary to keep tabs on things, and to help future and current fans to learn about what is happening during certain time period. I’ll touch on his change in twitter posts / social media behaviour, death threats, and Fan Cam being reported and views disappearing from MNet’s official fan cam video.

Where to begin... let’s start from Fake Love promo period and Jimin’s twts I guess, since this is the first time I witnessed the hate towards Jimin directly in front of my eyes (that and i’m a new fan only started watching their stuff around October 2017?)

So on Jun 7, 2018 Jimin posted a twt from MNet’s backstage with a picture of the boys name on the wall. However, he forgot to put down V’s name, right after he discovered his mistake he quickly apologized and twt’ed two or three more tweets saying that he made a mistake and he loves V and next time he’ll make up for his mistake, something along those lines (dear readers you can go check those twts for yourself). However, when you look down on the comments it was filled with mostly “certain types of solo stans” (and yes I did go into those account to see what type of people is saying these mean things and going through their past twts) saying that Jimin is fake, and that he did it on purpose and other accusations towards Jimin. BTW a lot of those hateful comments were also the most popular ones so you can see them right away underneath his twt i think one or two of them even have 1k likes and couple hundred retweets. The hashtag JiminYouFakerKeepGoing was also showing up under Jimin’s name as the top searches associated to him in twitter. If you search for that hashtag now you can still see traces of it and people taking screenshots of those comments. Fans quickly responded by reporting these hateful comments towards Jimin to cleanse the comment section and also trended JiminYouNiceKeepGoing hashtag.

Now on Jun 10, 2018 after the mess on twitter, JM posted pictures featuring himself, JK and V with a hashtag that read something along the lines of IToldThemI’mGoingToPostThis in Korean. Now you can interpret it in different ways but if you’re a into Jikook or into shipping then I think you’ll read it like how I’ve read it, if you don’t know what shipping is my advice for you is stay away cause it’ll cause you so much grief, but all the situation will make so much more sense in terms of the events that are happening around Jimin.

Moving onto Jun 21, 2018 ... the last twt from Jimin on Twitter that felt more personal and not because he did it because he had to. The reason i’m saying this is, BTS tends to twt before they fly and before or after they go on stage or do some sort of performance. You’ll see alot of the members will post something. Now Jimin here though he’s the type to post random things other than the formal etiquette posts that everyone does. So he’ll shower us with videos of himself, selcas, picture with members, just really random little things to let the fans see him. But since Jun 21.. we got a twt for cosmetic product (according to older fans he’s never advertise in any of his twts before not to mention whoever posted didn’t know how to tag in twitter), and then we got a flying to Taipei twt and a thank you for attending the concert backstage twt. Etiquette posts... Now this boy ... usually twts every 3 or 4 days sometimes you’ll get multiple twts within a day, and even when they’re super busy he’ll still post something maybe within a two week period. you can go through their twitter by using #Jimin to see the pattern yourself. I remember when i first followed BTS on their twitter, i was like... wow Jimin likes to post so much he should stop posting and lay off on social media a little bit (this was back in December 2017), but now i miss him so much T_______T Please feed us Jimin!!!!!!!

Now, I know that from Jun 21, 2018- to Mid July he has posted on Fan Cafe, so he didn’t really entirely disappear from the fans’ sight. He answered fans’ question one of them was what’s the best BTS song, which Jimin replied Serendipity and another question was which song do you want to sing now the most, Jimin replied House of Cards. He also posted message for the 5th year anniversary for Army but so did everyone else, another etiquette post, I think he also posted something a day after the 5th year anniversary something on the lines of I was too tired and fell asleep and missed the day but happy Army Day. All of these posts can be found on BTS Fancafe translation twitter account. Back onto topic, to see posts from BTS on Fan Cafe you need to create an account, they’re not public like twitter where u can have hassle free access to feel connected to BTS. Also the Fan Cafe is regulated by moderators so any form of harassment posts are banned violation of cafe rules will also result in permanent ban too. Also, this is speculation here, I think the Fan Cafe has lesser I-army presence since to create an account everything appears in Korean, so it’s a lot more work to try to sign up for something, and people will have to go out of their way to make accounts to have access into website. I for one gave up on it, for now, but maybe in the future I’ll try to make an account there if Jimin decides to never return to Twitter and decided to post a lot on Fan Cafe. Ah and we also have to mention how they have different membership level so depending on what level you’re at you have restricted access to contents.. yeah that’s a lot of work for someone who can’t read any Korean at all Q.Q (life long goal: learn Korean so you can have full access to BTS contents)

I mentioned I-army specifically because.. all three death threats aimed at Jimin has been coming from the international side. First death threat was around WINGS Tour, the other two were during LY: Tour announcement. Can’t remember which concert they targeted but all three were planned for concerts in USA. Now you might think why international fans it could be fans from Korea too? Aren’t you being a bit extreme in your assumptions? But here’s my reasoning I could be wrong cause no one ever announced who gave out the threats. But let’s say for WINGS Tour. They went to several countries South America, Japan, USA but only the threat was given out for their location in the states. Same thing for the LY: Tour both death threats were targeted for the states once again. Combined with all the mass shooting news we hear, it doesn’t seem hard reason that it is relatively easier to obtain weaponaries in the US. Since you can have access to it if one of your family member possesses them, also the fact that firearms are legally sold. Maybe they targeted the US Tour due to ease of access to firearms? Also all the hate comment directed at JM on twitter. Most of them speak coherent English and also twt in English. I’ve also looked around at some K-army blog who can speak and post in English it seems to me that Jimin in S.Korea is well received by the public and by the fandom, and fans in general aren’t that toxic towards each other as well, minus those antis. That’s why I think most of the hate and death threats for Jimin actually comes from the International side. If someone has evidence or information that says otherwise please let me know, because I don’t want to misrepresent.

Ah yes, JHope also got a death threat. Someone target him in the Seoul Concert for their LY:Tour. That twt was in English though and later on the person said it was all in jest and prank after they got reported. Honestly what is going through people’s mind these days? Death threat as pranks and jokes?

Now what’s really interesting is his 2nd death threat. I remember the post specifically stated that Jimin is “always in the way and that he’s been around for too long”. Now always in the way of what? In the way of your favorite K-pop group? The western artists? in the way of your life? or the way of your ship? I don’t know if Jimin alone is powerful enough to take down an entire K-Pop idol group on his own, or take over the western music theme, or get into your life if you’ve never come across K-pop in your life. As much as i like Jimin, even I have to admit I don’t think he can be in the way that much. I’ll leave the shipping part to people who knows what’s going on...

Now let’s talk about the Fan cam. I think as a fandom we all know that Jimin, V and Jungkook usually gets a lot of views on their fan cam. Who can you blame they look good and they have a lot of fans who likes them a bit more than the rest of the other members. But here’s the problem. Why are the fan cams for Jimin which has millions of views started to get reported and taken down?

Peach Jelly’s Pied Piper for 4th muster with 40mil views

https://twitter.com/peach_jelly1013/status/1014808921783980032

JamJam Park’s Mic Drop MAMA 2017 Jimin focus

https://twitter.com/parkjamjam_kr/status/1016606951956856843

Pieces of Mind’s Fake Love BBMA Jimin focus

https://twitter.com/stussyjimin/status/999566044678123522

and M2′s Mpd Fake Love 4k Jimin Focus Cam with 29mil views reported to be the highest solo idol fan cam view got views decreased to 24mil on July 13th, 2018. Honorable mention in the same performance, Jungkook got 21mil views which also had some of his views taken away too.

Editted/Update July14, 2018 (PST):

So I checked on the Fake Love fan cam posted by M2, MNet’s official fancam... Jimin’s view dropped down to 22 mil now and JK’s view dropped down to 18 mil. Seriously what is going on? Is this from Youtube’s bot checking alogrithm? or is it purposefully being done by malicioius people?

Now if every other member’s fan cam are met with the same fate, I got nothing to say, but that’s not the story only Jimin’s fan cam are coming across with problem. Why is he getting so much hate? BTW those are big fan cam accounts too. You’re now not only targeting the idol himself but his fan site as well? like wth? Could these be the works from other fandoms? or is it the work from antis within our own fandom? or just antis of Jimin?

Could these be the works of BTS- anti or Jimin only-anti? If it’s BTS anti shouldn’t they focus on the whole group? how come it’s only Jimin who got affected? the M2′s Fake Love view decrease, I can see that could be a mix of various Jimin-hater because it’s uploaded on official broadcast network’s Youtube channel and he overtook another idol’s top spot, but really who would go search for Pied Piper fan cam or other specific performances. Anyway it just baffles me, and honestly if you read all the way til here I think you know what i wanted to say.

Could the fans themselves stop hating on other members just because you like another member more? Idols are humans too and they don’t deserve these hates nor do the fan site masters sharing footage for the rest of the fandom who did not have a chance to see them perform deserve their dedication and hard work to be taken away.

Sometimes I’m happy that people have complained about BH is not trying to push BTS as hard in terms of promo into the West. Because if what i speculate is true and that all of this hate is coming from the International side and all these sabotaging is from the fans themselves. I rather BTS and BH just stay in Korea where they have better protection and control because people don’t deserve them.

That being said I do wish they can become international legends for years to come.. o the dilemma.

And thank you for reading this long post :x I welcome to all exchange of information and opinions btw, since I probably overlooked some things or have missing information.

O I’ll add a keep reading button once Tumblr App is no longer buggy!

#Keeping Tabs #jimin focused #becaues i'm a jimin stan so sue me

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astrotranslations · 7 years ago

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Another Turning Point ASTRO and AROHA Will Achieve Together

ASTRO, who gifted us all of the early summer’s refreshingness with 'BABY', are as energetic as their title hints.

ASTRO’s interview with topstarnews took place on the 28th at a cafe located in Dogok-ro, Gangnam-gu.

ASTRO is one amongst the boy groups who are scarily rising and consists of Cha Eunwoo, Moonbin, MJ, JinJin, Rocky and Yoon Sanha. They are also a group who have solidified their status as refreshing-dols through their recent 'BABY' promotions.

On this day, ASTRO let us in on their feelings regarding their recent promotions.

ASTRO’s leader, JinJin, candidly relayed his feelings, "It was a promotion cycle where I’ve felt grateful many times. From being nominated no.1 on 'Music Bank' to holding our concert, I think it’s been a period were we’ve grown a bit. With this promotion as a foundation, we’ve become determined to show a more polished side to ourselves for the next album. It was a really fun promotion cycle."

I then asked them how they felt about being nominated no.1 on 'Music Bank' and they replied, "At first, it was sort of a feeling that made us wonder whether it was really true. They were next to us holding a bouquet and even gave all of mics so it started to slowly hit us that we were a no.1 nominees. We had our hopes and we thought there’s probably going to be tears if we win no.1 but alas, we didn’t win it. Truthfully, it was a shame," revealing their inner feelings at that moment.

ASTRO also briefly talked about their solo concert which they wrapped up a few days ago.

They said, "We were having our promotions so we didn’t have a lot of time to prepare for the concert. But still, we had an aim to line up at least this concert with only our songs so we prepared really diligently."

They continued, "There were really a lot of difficult moments but the reactions were good so that was a relief. Also, our fans got an official lightstick this time round and they were waving it around, illuminating the whole stadium with purple light so we felt really proud and grateful," and smiled brightly.

Everyone looked shy as soon as the question about the shirtless incident that happened during their concert was broached. ASTRO, who were smiling as though feeling abashed and who seemed hesitant, softly opened up.

At the question about their main exercise routine, they answered, "We received training even before debuting. We didn’t get any more after that but we regularly exercised together. Also dancing has some sort of difficulty to it so practising naturally become a form of exercise."

They said, "The cheers from fans were super loud when we took off our tops at the concert. We actually planned to have only two members reveal their abs but I guess Eunwoo, who was by the sidelines, got excited and refreshingly revealed his too. I think we were able to end the concert on a more fun note since it was a situation that no one had expected. It was originally a rule that only one member can go topless with every concert," and laughed playfully.

ASTRO also briefly talked about their Japan tour.

They said, "We’re working hard on our Japanese for our Japan tour. Eunwoo and I (Moonbin) have been taking classes and learning since before. The other members are also earnestly studying so that they can introduce themselves and do their greetings. I think it’ll be nice if we work harder and reach a level (of fluency) where we can communicate with our Japanese fans. I want to create a concert where we can enjoy ourselves together and communicate," declaring their unsparing affection for their Japanese fans.

When asked about sleeping habits, JinJin said as he jokingly laughed, "Eunwoo and Sanha’s sleeping habits are pretty severe. Eunwoo talks to himself a lot as he sleeps. He memorises English words and there was once where he went, "Hello," "Thank you," and laughed. He said it so clearly that I thought he was practicing his greetings."

He then continued to wittily disclose the other members’ sleeping habits, "There are a lot of instances where Sanha sings. He also sleeps on his front and the position he’s in is really weird. I can’t explain it through words but it’s seriously weird. So it made me wonder if I’d grow taller is I slept like that."

If you talk about ASTRO, you cannot leave out the title 'refreshing-dols'. Besides their refreshing charms which remind you of sports drinks, I asked if they were greedy to show their other charms and there was a moment of deliberation.

But JinJin soon made the first move to talk. He said, "I want to try a sexy concept once. Even if it’s not right now, later on when the members who are minors turn into adults and we’ve built experience, I think we’ll be able to digest that kind of concept."

Moonbin continued, "We showed how much diverse we are through the concert. That applies to our performances too. We also used our stage outfits to show the sides of us you couldn’t see during our broadcast promotions and witnessing that, the fans called it 'refreshing-sexy'. So I want to try a concept where we still keep to our refreshingness but at the same time show our sexiness."

ASTRO also pointed out ’conversation’ as a method of strengthening teamwork.

JinJin said, "We talk a lot amongst ourselves. It’s something like a family meeting, we’d gather when there’s trouble or when we conclude a promotion cycle and share what we have to say. We’d talk about the things we felt as we promoted or the dissatisfactions we’ve accumulated. If we voice out the things we’re unsatisfied with then we’ll acknowledge where we should and try to iron things out together."

He continued, "It’s a little embarrassing to do between guys but the results after are good so we try to hold them every now and then. For our family meetings, it’s mainly someone bringing up a certain topic and then the members would all together give our opinions regarding it," showing their sturdy teamwork you could feel even through just his words.

ASTRO, who have now reached their 2nd year since debut, is a group that has a lot more to run for as compared to how far they have ran. They have ran without rest and have to a certain extent gotten the ASTRO name out there so I asked them if the opportunity comes they get to let each of their own names be known, then what is it they wanted to do. ASTRO purposefully divulged their answers.

Yoon Sanha went first, "If I get to have an individual schedule, I want to DJ for a radio. I’m still a minor so it’s a pity I can’t do a late night show but if the opportunity perhaps presents itself then I want to DJ for a 7-8 time slot where you can eat as you tune in. It’s nice seeing DJs reading stories and communicating with their listeners," revealing his greed for DJ-ing.

JinJin then proclaimed his passion for song composition, "We’ve gotten some free time now that the concert has ended so Rocky and I have started to learn song composition on a professional level. My goal is for us to gradually pick things up and composing for ASTRO’s b-sides. I think it’ll be nice if we could produce for own album after improving some more."

Rocky mentioned, "I learnt acting when I was a trainee. Eunwoo looked like he learnt a lot appearing on 'The Best Hit' and most importantly, it looked fun. That’s why I also want to challenge myself at acting if the opportunity arises. It there’s a character that fits my current age then I want to give it a shot."

Moonbin went on to express his affection for acting. He said, "I also want to try acting if given the opportunity. A series about schools would be good, I’m not picky about the genre. And I like using my body so if I have the chance to go on programs like 'Law of the Jungle' or 'Battle Trip' where you eat as you tour around, then I’d really like to go on them."

MJ mentioned, "I want to challenge musicals. It’s so charming how they can express freedom on stage and above all, I want to feel how it’s like being immersed into my character, acting him out and singing (my lines)."

Lastly, Cha Eunwoo conveyed, "I realised the charm of acting having appeared in various productions. It’s so fun and I’ve developed an interest so I want to greet the public once more through another production. Historical dramas, a villainous character, they’re both good. A school drama would be good too since I’m 21 years old now."

He continued, "I’m an MC for a music broadcast so I want to build on my experiences even more and later on become a singer like Super Junior’s Leeteuk sunbae-nim who’s got a good flow to his emceeing," disclosing his passion for MC-ing.

ASTRO also let us in on their own secret methods when asked if they each have a way to relieve their stress.

Moonbin stepped up first, "I’m the sort to exercise. I’ll use the machines at gyms to work out and I also like running. I mainly prefer to sweat everything out. I’ll read whenever I can’t exercise. I look like I don’t read but I enjoy it," and laughed cheekily.

MJ then said, "I’m the sort to relieve my stress through eating. There’s nothing as happy as when I’m eating. I like meat and everything else but I like seafood the best amongst all that," his eyes were shining.

He continued, "If it happens that it’s too late and I can’t eat then I just sleep. I go to dreamland and rid of the stress. Doesn’t the anguish you experience yesterday night disappear when you wake up?"

Eunwoo replied, "I go off to watch a movie alone. I’m the sort to really enjoy movies by myself. Besides that, I’ve recently developed a new hobby where I take a topic and write poems or phrases. I tend to write them down as they come to mind so when I do that, my heart grows calmer and I feel comforted," revealing his sentimental charms.

As expected of the youngest, Sanha showed off his cuteness, "I usually relieve my stress through gaming." He brightly laughed as he added on, "There are times when I’d relieve my stress though spicy food. If I eat things like that then the stress I eat goes right down."

Rocky said, "I don’t have any interest in anything else besides in what I do. So I’d turn on loud music and I’ll dance until I fall to the ground or I’ll write raps about the things that gave me stress. If I record and listen to the raps I’ve written then I’ll feel lighter that I’ve at least vented out, even if it’s just by words."

JinJin finished it off, "I listen to music of various genres but if I’ve found songs that I like then my stress gets relieved a lot whenever I listen to them. My stress naturally goes away as I listen to the music I enjoy and think about how such a song was produced."

He continued, "My other method of relieving stress is by taking pictures. I’ll snap shots of this and that and show them to my fans, my stress is alleviated looking at their reactions," revealing his affection for his fans.

To ASTRO who have ran without rest in the fierce idol industry, the meaning their first solo concert held must have been special. I guess maybe that is why they eventually shed tears at the end of the it. What thoughts were running through their minds at that moment?

JinJin spoke up first, "Even before debut and even during our promotions, I’ve talked about wanting to fill a really huge concert venue with only our fans. So when we came to holding to our own, I was really just filled with so much emotions. It felt like I’ve achieved something as a leader and above all, I was extremely grateful to our fans. I could feel their sincerity so I unknowingly ended up crying. I was really thankful. And I especially want to thank the members who who went through everything with me."

Rocky then expressed his feelings clear-cut, "I didn’t spill any tears. I just felt happy we were holding a concert but the hyungs were next to me crying so I also felt emotional with them. I think I saved my tears because I wanted to let them all out when we’ve worked a little harder and really hit it big in the future. So holding the concert has made me realise that I need to work even harder."

Moonbin conveyed his honest feelings from that moment, "It was really hard preparing for the concert. We were short on time and there were a lot of new stages we had to show so it was hard and I really felt like dying but I pulled through somehow. It was so exhausting on us but I didn’t think about any of that going on stage. And the reason why I cried is… because Eunwoo cried so I ended up crying together with him. I actually didn’t plan on crying but I really connected with the words Eunwoo said and my apologetic heart got meshed with a bunch of other feelings so I ended up crying."

MJ then continued, "I always feel overwhelmed hearing the fans cheer for us. I don’t know why I’m like that but whenever I hear the yells and cheers from fans, my heart surges. I was so happy being with our fans during the concert and I was really thankful that they filled up the place and spent time with us. A lot of thoughts came to me as well. So I think that’s why I cried."

Cha Eunwoo carefully told us of the emotions he felt at that moment, "It’s only been a year since we’ve debuted so I wondered if we were really capable of holding a concert. It’s not as though we can just pull one off because we say we want to hold one. There needs to be people who want to come see us to make it possible and really so many attended. Also, we were talking but they played a gentle BGM so the things that I’ve accomplished up till now, the things I’ve suffered through, they flashed in front me and I was overcome with a mix of complicated emotions. I wanted to tell my members and our fans how grateful I was to them and that I would repay them but all the feelings I couldn’t express in words were put across in the form of my tears.

Sanha showed his strong determination, "When we relayed the news that we would be holding a concert, the fans were really looking forward to it. Maybe it’s because we practiced hard to fulfil those expectations but as soon as the concert ended, feelings of relief swept over me first. We worried a ton but since we ended safely, our hearts felt at ease. I really liked holding the concert. Until the day we can hold one at an even bigger venue, we’ll continue to work harder than ever."

Lastly, ASTRO talked about their future plans and the things they wanted to tell their fans.

ASTRO said, "We concluded both our promotions and the concert on a safe note so that was a relief. Through them we’ve become more ambitious and steadfast that we should work even harder. We have our Japan concerts right ahead of us but we want to quickly promote again once we’ve sat through those and we hope we can meet fans at an even bigger concert venue."

They continued, "If our fans didn’t come, we couldn’t have held our concert and we probably would have felt sluggish going through promotions. Thank you for always showing us your support and being by our sides. We’ll work even harder so that whenever you say, "I like ASTRO," you’ll hear the words, "Ah, they’re real good." Thank you so much," honestly voicing their affections for their fans.

I think that through their recent promotions, ASTRO were able to feel that the boyishness befitting of their ages has matured a notch.

ASTRO, who have walked a step up further every time with their fans and reached where they are now, are preparing for yet another turning point. ASTRO, who are overflowing with passion, and AROHA (ASTRO’s name for their fans), who silently have their backs, I think the story they will write for themselves together starts now.

On the other hand, ASTRO are in the midst of preparations for their Japan tour.

Source: http://news.topstarnews.net/detail.php?number=292664

Translations by @99pmh Take out with full credits

#MJ #Myungjun #JinJin #Jinwoo #Eunwoo #Dongmin #Moonbin #Rocky #Minhyuk #Sanha #ASTRO

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930club · 8 years ago

Photo

9:30 INTERVIEW: PHOX

The announcement of a (potential) final tour is always bittersweet, especially when it comes from a band as magical as PHOX. With just one full-length album out, PHOX has won the hearts of musical tastemakers across the globe, including musician and producer Bon Iver, NPR’s Bob Boilen, and the curators of Newport Folk Festival. As the band prepares to grace the 9:30 stage for what may be the last time, Monica Martin, the lead vocalist and songwriter, was kind enough to answer a few questions about future plans, combating stage-fright, and social justice.

Helen Hennessey [9:30 Club]: In your “farewell for now” Facebook post, you mention wanting to get out of Baraboo, but I also get the sense that you all have a massive amount of hometown pride. How would you describe your relationship with the city?

Monica Martin [PHOX]: First things first, the name Helen Hennessey is so f**king slick. Good on your parents.

Yeah! So our break isn’t really due to that, as we’ve been living in different spots for a while now, but to answer the latter half of the question: for some members of PHOX, Baraboo is nostalgic and their families are there! For others, the rural midwest’s more narrow-minded undercurrent can be suffocating. So it's bittersweet.

Matteo, you and Zach did the music for The Dam Keeper, a short Pixar film. How was that experience? Is it a field any of you want to explore more during your indefinite hiatus?

Matteo Roberts [PHOX]: Working on The Dam Keeper was a total creative dream. Not unlike our experience with PHOX, the whole project kind of landed in our somewhat unproven and inexperienced laps basically because we had amazing and daring friends that really liked what they heard and wanted to see what was possible. What began as a humble little personal project grew into a project requiring a studio, dozens of animators, and editors. Our little Garageband score ended up at Fantasy Studios, recorded with the Magik Magik Orchestra. It was an incredible experience peering into the animation world and the Pixar folks, who were very inspiring and genuine. We were very lucky to work with such young, aspiring professionals who set an awfully high bar for that crazy balance of productivity, objectivity, and kindness in a collaboration.

The directors of that film actually left Pixar immediately after The Dam Keeper, and now have their own indie animation studio, Tonko House. In fact, immediately after this tour, Zach and I are going into production with Tonko House on a special Hulu Japan tv series loosely based on The Dam Keeper. So, not only would I give anything to score film again, it somehow is already happening again!

Besides the musical projects most of you are working on during the hiatus, are there any non-musical plans you want to share?

Monica: Matteo and his partner Adrianna bought a house outside of Chicago, and there are tentative plans to build a studio together! I think Davey is still flexing on his producing chops! But I suppose those both are still in the world of music. Ha! It seems clear there will be an element of music in everything we’re doing respectively moving forward. OH! I am hoping Matt puts out a graphic novel, his first outline is due on Valentine's Day.

Justin Vernon (aka Bon Iver) produced your premier, self-titled album. How did you guys connect? What was it like working with him?

Monica: Actually, Sweet Brian Fredrick Joseph who worked within April Base studios produced our record. It was so nice to have a voice outside of the band to help us with melodic and sonic decision making. When I was in the vocal booth I realized I should also pay him a fee for being my therapist, I unpacked so much about the songs while we recorded. It was very meaningful bond made for all of us.

youtube

The PHOX social media pages feature many calls to political action. Do you feel a sense of responsibility, being in a popular band, to spread those messages?

Monica: Yeah, I have no interest in lying to people about what I think is important regarding the social and political climate of the US. I wish I could float through days without thinking about it, but many times daily it’s made clear to me that there’s imbalance, fantasy hierarchy, and the complete disregard of the realities of the “other.” If I was born into the majority, I’d maybe peacefully and in ignorance be able to focus on gardening or something, but I happen to be at the intersection of several different minorities so I can’t currently live unscathed by America. I can only speak up and share my perspective and hope I encourage more people to consider life outside their own, and participate in dialogue that will at least get folks to shake up the rosily-skewed version of the US that’s been taught to them, that rids them of the capacity to take seriously the voice of someone outside their identity.

I had a friend in the music industry tell me recently they don’t want to talk about political things on social media, because it might affect who cares about her music. This really hurt to hear, while at the same time I understand that people choose to do what best protects their livelihood. On the other hand, I don’t give a f**k if I fail to pander to homophobes or bigots any longer, and have a hard time respecting that logic… I mean, then are they really your fans? I have no interest in appealing to everyone and becoming no one, and I do believe it's the responsibility of artists, within their abilities without draining all emotional spirit, to find ways to open hearts of people who just haven’t had a different, more socially open, train of thought exposed to them.

The last time you played 9:30, part of the show was dedicated to more intimate, stripped-down versions of some of your songs. Do you plan on doing that again at your upcoming Club show? What made you want to do that in the first place?

Monica: I do think we are! It was a cool feeling to play songs in bigger clubs like we did when they were being written with acoustic instruments in the house we all shared. It just gives another facet to the show -- I’ve always loved hearing stripped down versions at shows!

Monica, you’ve mentioned having stage fright at a few of your shows. What have you done to get passed that, and do you have any advice for others dealing with that same fear?

Monica: I’m still struggling with severe anxiety, but with the help of a doctor and therapist, I’ve finally found myself on a more focused track to finding a sustainable way to soothe my spirit. PHOX’s 2 1/2 year run of near constant touring started with us hopping on a plane to Norway on the day of my dad’s funeral. I spent the entirety of that tour not processing that, which in ways I am only now better understanding put me on edge, had me self medicating/ drinking more to feel less, and amplified all of my depression.

My advice for people who have general stage fright is to remember that you could literally sh*t yourself on stage and you’d still wake up the next morning. And people would forget shortly thereafter. And life would go on. I can sometimes talk myself out of very dreadful thoughts by imagining myself sh*tting myself, and how little it would matter in the long run. And I laugh and carry on — unless I’m being dragged into the panic void, and that leads me to advice for people with horrible racing thoughts, heart palpitations, and tunnel vision panic attacks: if you can afford it, or have insurance, see someone. Find a support group, if not in your town, find them online. Do everything you can to calm your atmosphere. Drink holy basil tea, drink kava root tea. Breathe deep and give yourself all the space you need. This was really hard for me for layered reasons I won't get into here, try and shelf your cynicism and do yoga. I know. I know. And if you still feel sh*tty, and natural approaches don't aid you, really try and process how you feel about potentially going on medication, outside of the stigmas you've been taught about mental illness. Talk to someone. You can feel better. xoxo.

You all knew each other for a long time before forming PHOX. Do you think your familiarity made it harder or easier to work together?

Monica: We had varying levels of closeness when we all moved into that house five years ago, so I think it was more-so the fact that we all had a "hands on deck" attitude, and from that bred great synergy.

During your time so far as a band, you guys have done things like play Newport Folk Festival, have a Tiny Desk Concert, and open for some pretty high-profile acts. What was it like getting those calls? Is there a specific moment that stands out to you?

Monica: Every time you get asked to participate in such things, I think there’s always a minute where you short-circuit when the news hits your ear, and then you jump for joy, then the fear creeps in, then you undulate between the joy and the fear, and then it smoothes out to a nice even-keeled bliss. HA! At least for me. I feel like Tiny Desk Concert was huge heartswell for us, iTunes Festival, Conan, traveling overseas 5+ times, I mean, everything! I would have never thought. It all feels so important, forgive the cliche, but the fact that anyone was moved by something we made together is an incredible thing.

-Helen Hennessey

Send PHOX off at 9:30 Club on January 25.

#9:30 Interview #Artist Interview #PHOX #Monica Martin #Matteo Roberts #Helen Hennessey

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whittlebaggett8 · 6 years ago

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What Does China Want From WTO Reforms?

As the globe debates the prospect of a China-U.S. trade settlement, yet one more discussion is taking Chinese strategic circles by storm: Planet Trade Organization (WTO) reforms.

It is argued that the ongoing trade negotiations among the United States and China, U.S.-Japan, U.S.-EU and the now concluded new NAFTA or USMCA concerning the U.S., Mexico and Canada, are seriously only the “prologue” to the supreme “big show” – reform of the WTO, which will established the regulations of the match in world wide trade and financial commitment for the up coming quarter of a century or so. As per the Chinese narrative, the “game” surrounding WTO reforms has previously started and it is just a matter of time just before the formal negotiations start out, likely adhering to the thriving completion of the different negotiations in the many ongoing trade spats. In truth, the trade negotiations, a lot of Chinese scholars argue, will even more pave the way for WTO reforms by securing wide-based consensus amongst associated stakeholders on issues of problem.

China’s formal discourse is that China will guidance “real reforms” at the WTO but will continue to be absent if it is “trap.” “If someone wishes, in the title of reform, to place China in a tailor-built straitjacket of trade procedures to constrain China’s development… they will be very a great deal dissatisfied,” stated China’s ambassador to the WTO, Zhang Xiangchen, at a WTO meeting in Paris in November 2018.

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More detailing China’s considerations, Very long Guoqiang, deputy director of the Improvement Investigation Heart of the Condition Council, argues that the United States regards the WTO as a new platform for fantastic electricity rivalry. According to Extended, the United States accuses China of lousy conduct working with the theory of “three noes”: That China is a non-marketplace economy country, China’s financial technique is incompatible with the WTO, and China is no lengthier a developing country and consequently not entitled to appreciate distinctive and differential treatment at the WTO. “If the WTO is used as a battlefield against China, it will put reform into a lifeless conclusion,” Prolonged infers.

Echoing very similar sentiments, a the latest publication from the Faculty of Economics at the Beijing College highlights that immediately after negotiations with the United States and the European Union, Beijing has understood the importance of further more deepening reforms and expanding openness, and is wholeheartedly operating in that path. But that does not indicate that China will give up its identity as a developing place and blindly pursue the “three zero trade” (zero tariffs, zero market place barriers, zero subsidies), which is “not only unfair to China, but also unfair to establishing nations.”

Curiously, there are authoritative voices in China who do not subscribe to this viewpoint and are publicly lobbying for China not to fight it out with the United States around global governance at the WTO. Rather, they argue that China must seek out to fortify its commonality with the designed globe.

Pang Zhongying, dean of the Institute of Marine Development at the Ocean University of China and Distinguished Professor at Macao University of Science and Technological know-how, observes that in the ongoing trade negotiations in between the United States and China, the Trump administration has produced China “sit on the exact level” with the U.S., alternatively than building it a negotiation in between the world’s “largest made country” and the “largest creating country.”

The United States, he adds, has also been significantly productive in lobbying for concerted motion against China at the WTO. For instance, the EU, which is a further most vital component in the entire world investing method, no longer recognizes China as a acquiring place its latest reviews have as an alternative considered China an “economic opponent.” Then there is Tokyo, which has not only urged Beijing to give up its building state tag but has also named on the Asian Progress Bank to cut down the provision of small-curiosity financial loans to China. Furthermore, the new Entire world Bank president, David Malpass, has also expressed very similar sentiment and has indicated “a swift reduce in lending to China,” presented its sturdy money marketplaces.

In addition, the United States, Pang notes, is also rallying some developing economies like Brazil on this concern. The March 19 joint assertion amongst Trump and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is of certain interest in this regard — Brazil agreed to forgo its rights of special and differential therapy in Planet Trade Corporation negotiations, in return for Washington’s aid for its accession in the Group for Financial Cooperation and Progress (OECD) as a comprehensive member.

Given the situations, Pang argues:

China cannot and should not adhere to the status of an early establishing place and retain urgent for differential procedure at the WTO. China requirements good and constructive coordination with the United States, the European Union, and Brazil on WTO reforms. Positioning by itself with India and other associates of the establishing entire world and demanding the continuation of the previous differential procedure theory of the WTO is not in line with China’s elementary international plan of more lively participation in global governance.

The perspective is seconded by Jia Qingguo, member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Meeting National Committee, a member of the Standing Committee of the China Democratic League, and a professor at the College of International Relations of Peking University. Jia believes that it is significant time for China to appropriately deal with the inherent contradictions in its identity and fascination. “In the coming days [China] has to get a stand on if it is a developing state or a produced country, a bad state or a abundant country, a solid country or a weak place, an regular country or a superpower. It wants to identify if it is a no cost rider or a driver, if it is like or in contrast to the United States,” he argues in a latest piece in Caixin.

Jia implies that in the existing geopolitical landscape China need to not emphasize much too significantly of its uniqueness or heterogeneity from the developed environment, specially the United States. Since identification establishes passions and passions determine international coverage decisions, China’s identity as “the other” can “endanger its existence” no subject how robust and impressive it is. On the other hand, if China can be viewed by the United States and some others as a “similar place,” its increase will be much better approved and appreciated.

Having a move further more, Huang Qifan, vice chairman of the China International Financial Trade Centre, vice chairman of the 12th Countrywide People’s Congress (NPC) Economical and Economic Affairs Committee, and former mayor of Chongqing, advocates that China should, in simple fact, brace up for Washington’s “three zeros” principle:

The principle will be valuable for China to gain a competitive benefit in the new aggressive world-wide financial landscape. If China implements zero tariffs on manufacturing, agriculture, energy and minerals, client products, and other fields, the benefits will outweigh the shortcomings if it implements zero barriers, China’s organization environment will considerably enhance and it will enable Chinese enterprises to go out. The implementation of zero subsidies will be conducive to structural adjustment, power point out-owned company reforms, prevent rent-trying to find actions, and lower trade friction.

“If China can do the 3 zeros, it will be equal to a next accession to the WTO,” Huang provides.

It is in opposition to this backdrop that, on May possibly 13, China formally submitted its WTO reform proposal, where by it criticized U.S. policies for creating an “existential threat” to the firm and defended its legal rights as a creating member to delight in unique and differential treatment method. Interestingly, Chinese media interpreted the reform document as a element of China’s “progressive statements” and “multiple positions” on the issue. In a suggestive note, Tu Xinquan, a professor at the China Institute for WTO Scientific tests, University of Global Enterprise and Economics outlined, “This may possibly not be China’s closing strategy of motion there could be other programs as well.”

In truth, equally the developed and the producing environment will maintain a shut eye on China’s next shift on this problem.

Antara Ghosal Singh is presently doing work as a Research Associate at the Delhi Policy Group (DPG). She is an alumna of Tsinghua College and Beijing Language and Tradition College, China and National Central College, Taiwan. Prior to joining academic study, she labored as a journalist.

The post What Does China Want From WTO Reforms? appeared first on Defence Online.

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#China and the WTO #China developing country status #China economic reforms #China Power #China trade

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kimonobeat · 6 years ago

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aiko bon “Profile Interview” Chapter 6 (2/3)

ー”aiko’s Path to OSJ Hall” came to fruition pretty quickly then.

aiko: It all happened surprisingly fast. And since I sang “DO YOU THINK ABOUT ME?” there, the indies release [“astral box”] with that song on it sold a bunch of copies the next day. The people at Tower Records were asking me, “Did something happen? We’ve sold a bunch of these!” I said, “I sang it at Osakajo Hall yesterday.” And they said, “That’s probably why we’ve sold so many then.” I was like, man, pretty crazy what an event like that with so many people will do!

ーWho else performed?

aiko: SOPHIA I think? Then there was CURIO, RAZZ MA TAZZ, and Hayashi Asami the enka singer. They also had the comedians TKO, Jarhythm, Messenger, and Tonight perform too. What really made me happy was that there was this girl who came as a SOPHIA fan, but ended up buying my CDs and still supports me to this day. I still see people who waited for me outside the radio station sometimes too. Whenever I make eye contact with them at concerts I find myself saying hi to them. (laughs) It almost makes me really happy when I get to finally put a face to names I know from reading letters and like, questionnaires from my concerts. Some of the people who sent in postcards and faxes when I was on the radio still write to me with the same pen names they used to do back then. I get so happy when I see thoseーI’m like, “Oh, I’m glad they’re doin’ well!”

ーSo in that sense, you could almost say you went major before you actually had your major debut, huh?

aiko: Hmm, well… I’d been a DJ for years so I’m sure when people heard that I’d be making my major label debut, they were probably thinking, “Major label debut? What does that mean?” I mean, they’d been listening to my show as a DJ for so long at that point. So I was like, “I’ll make sure to make it the intro to my show!!” (laughs) When the intro was short it was because I was just saying the title of the show and introducing a song. When it was long, it was because I was talking about different things and singing too. I really loved being on the radio. Coming up with an intro, and coming up with jokes is just so much fun to me. I was really happy when we started “Baby Peenuts” on FM OSAKA right after my debut and also “aiko de turtle”, a show I did with (Yamamoto) Noboru from The Turtles on bayfm.

ーAfter you debuted, did you get a lot of people saying, “Oh, you’re that one DJ?”

aiko: When I met Suzuki Ranran, she was like, “Wow, you’ve made your debut as a singer!” Oda Yuji also said, “I’m glad you got to debut!” Pretty much everyone who came on my show as a guest was like that. Some people made sarcastic remarks about it to me too, though. Like, “Don’t you think you’ve got your finger in too many pies there? Why not just stick to being a DJ?”

ーWas it important to you to continue doing both, though?

aiko: It was. I like radio, and I wanted to be a singer. I saw a lot of things by being a DJ too. Some people on the show were really frank with me about how depressed they got while recording overseas. And when adult actors released a CD, they really seemed to get the gist of how it all worked. They were adults after all. I always got the feeling it was smooth sailing for them. After having seen all of that, I knewーway before I even debutedーthat when the roles were reversed and I was the one being invited onto things, I’d try my best to talk all the time. I really think there’s a lot you can learn from radio, looking back on it.

ーWhile you were DJing in October 1996, you entered your 2nd contestー“Music Quest Japan Final”ーand won the grand prize.

aiko: Yes, in Tsumagoi. Shiina Ringo, Taniguchi Takashi and MC Boo were there with me too. MC Boo did this fun reggae/hip-hop thing, and Taniguchi’s always been a pro, even then. His songs are great, and he writes awesome lyrics too. Oh, and I signed a contract with Yamaha when I took part in “Music Quest”. The contract was for doing activities through Yamaha for 1 year but it was a bit problematic. Well, maybe not problematic per se, but at the time I didn’t really know anything, so I didn’t take it very seriously. I didn’t even have anyone’s contact information. So then we settled on a more proper contract where I’d basically be leaving all my activities up to Yamaha. I wasn’t allowed to self-produce my work, and I wasn’t allowed to do concerts whenever and wherever I felt like it, either. To me I felt pretty restrictedーthere were so many limits on my activities. Well, it was sort of an exclusive contract. I didn’t think of it that way, so I felt really stifled in what I was allowed to do for that whole year.

ーWould you say that it made you scared about becoming a pro again?

aiko: Yeah, I was, actually. People from other production teams who came to see my audition would ask me, “Why don’t you come debut with us?” I’d go and just listen to what they had to say since they went out of their way to get in touch with me, you know? Then the next day people from Yamaha caught wind of it somehow and told me, “Don’t just do stuff like that without consulting with us.” And I was like, “Oh geez, I don’t get it. Now I’m scared. I’ve gotta get my ducks in a row or I’m gonna end up neck-deep in something I don’t understand.”

ーDuring that temporary exclusive contract you had with them, did you get any kind of lessons or guidance on writing songs? In short, any kind of education to help you make your debut?

aiko: I said this earlier, but I only went to vocal lessons once. Oh, and that whole thing about writing lyrics with a ‘telephone’ theme. (laughs) Any time I wrote a song, I’d show it to someone at Yamaha. They’d arrange it for me, and then I’d record a demo tape at a studio in Tokyo. We did lots of that sort of thing. While I was in the middle of doing all that, Mr. Hiasaーthe head of my current talent agencyーcalled me and said, “I saw you sing at the ‘Teens Music Festival’.”

ーWas he scouting you?

aiko: No no no, it was more like small talk, just asking me how I’d been doing lately. Because of that audition, back then a bunch of different talent agencies had started calling my house. I got so many phone calls from people trying to scout me: “Would you like to be part of our talent agency?” Of course, I turned them all down because I was with Yamaha. Mr. Hiasa called but not to scout me out, just to talk about silly stuff. I didn’t really get why. Since he wasn’t trying to scout me out of all the other phone calls I was getting, I picked up when he called a second time. “Are you still writing songs?” he asked. “You’re not going to have any time for that once you make your debut.” He also said, “Before you know it, you’re going to have trouble catching up to the rest of album production, you won’t be able to write, you won’t be able to make songs because of it, and then you won’t be able to release a CD. That vicious cycle is one of the reasons why artists disappear.”

ーThat’s awfully grim.

aiko: Yeah, but he said it in a softer way. “I see people like that all the time,” he said. “You need to be in the position where you can write a song anytime, aiko, or you’ll be out of luck.” He really hammered that into me when I was still in my fledgling artist days. I feel like I’m here today because of that… because he threatened me so gently. (laughs). I have him to thank for making me feel ready to write at any given moment. It made me start thinking that I constantly had to write. At the time though, I was like, “Who does this guy think he is?” The whole time I’d say, “Um, I’m not sure why you’re calling me, but…” Every time he’d call I just kept saying, “Weird. I don’t get it. Wait, why?” Thinking about it from a more level-headed perspective, it kinda makes you wonder why someone from Tokyo would bother calling a pipsqueak like me from the boonies of Osaka, you know?

ーAnd he wasn’t trying to scout you either, right?

aiko: No, no, he wasn’t. Really had me thinking he was tryin’ to sell me to someplace else. (laugh) Like, was he gonna have me write music with a more business-y approach? Or like, make music diehards would be into? Or did he think I was gonna make lolita music because I had the figure of a little kid?

ーWhat finally made you less suspicious of him?

aiko: His New Year’s card. The person who introduced me to the president called and said, “It looks like he wrote a New Year’s card again, but this year he only wrote it to one person.” Then I got his New Year’s postcard in the mail and was like, “WHA!? I’m that one person!?” After that, I trusted him.

ーDid you find out whether or not he actually only wrote one New Year’s card?

aiko: I never asked… Just talking about it made me trust him completely. (laughs)

ーTrusting him ended up being the right answer in the end anyway, I suppose. You eventually ended up signing with their talent agency and are still with them to this day.

aiko: That’s right. I’ve actually only had a contract with this talent agency for the last year, even though it’s been 7 since I debuted. (laughs)

ーWait, are you saying that it was all based purely on trust up until this point!?

aiko: Yup, just based on trust. In a way, up until about a year ago I was free agent. (laughs) I only ended up signing a contract with them because not having one caused problems when my record company and talent agency were signing their own contracts. It was difficult for accounting reasons, too. I pretty much only signed an actual contract to clear up those problems.

ーMeaning if that hadn’t come up, you still wouldn’t have been under any kind of contract with them, would you?

aiko: I don’t think so. I probably could’ve gone without one my entire life. We’ve basically just said “We’re in this together” for close to 7 years now. He told me in the very beginning that if I found a place that was better for me and wanted to leave, he’d see me off. I guess you could say a contract wouldn’t have been a good fit because of that. But he also told me a long time ago not to tell anyone on the outside about it. “Why?” I asked. He said, “Because they’ll think it’s weird.” (laughs)

ーIt was, though. I think most people would probably wonder why you didn’t have a contract despite having multiple hit songs. (laughs)

aiko: Probably. (laughs) That’s just how broad and not fleshed out we did things based on our mutual trust in each other.

ーWhen did you start talking to the president of your talent agency more specifically about work?

aiko: After my contract with Yamaha ended. Like, he called me the day after my contract ended and said, “Want to make a CD?” I was sleeping when he called so I was just sort of mumbling into the phone. I remember jumping out of bed the moment he said, “Your contract with them ended yesterday. Let’s make a CD, aiko!” and going, “WAIT, WHAT?!?” (laughs) Basically, he had just calling to make small talk with me while waiting for that to happen. Then I ended up working on my indies album with him. A little bit before that came out, I also released just one CD on an independent label.

ーWas that something you made entirely on your own?

aiko: No, it was an album I made with my friends named “Doutei Omnibus CD Vol. 1”. Only 1000 copies were made. Me and 3 other bands put it together. I think we split it 4 ways and each paid something like 70 or 80k yen for 250 copies of the CD. We had it pressed overseas to make it a little bit cheaper and then imported it back into Japan. And to save on production costs, we had to do all the packing ourselves. We were handed the cases, sleeves, CDs and obi strip at different times. We put the CD in the case, inserted the obi strip, then packed them 250 at a time. And to top it all off, I was the only one who wasn’t part of a bandーbasically, I had a lot more to do because I was all by myself. I did it while singing “Eating hot pot at night~ All by myself” (laughs)

ーDo you still have quite a few copies of that CD left?

aiko: Only 2. My friends have a bunch though. The one interesting thing about that CD is Mori (Nobuyuki), ex-drummer for Quruli. He was an acquaintance of the band Uemasa, who’s on “Doutei Omnibus”. They told him, “You know, you oughta buy one. That ‘aiko’ girl is goin’ places.” So he did. I was kind of shocked when I met him and he said, “Oh, I have that album.” (laughs)