sjm – smtown global auditions August 31, 2008

 

 

quick translation, credit chenzi @ hongdou.wordpress.com

hangeng

hi everyone, i am sj’s chinese member.  i am hangeng.  I have good news for everyone.  that is the 2008 SM global auditions.  Taking place in america and canada.  these auditions are to give all chinese, korean, or japanese with singing, acting, [something] abilities oppurtunities. the auditions are from sept 19 to oct 25.  registrations, etc can be found at www.smtown.com to learn more.  please, everyone participate.  also, please support me, sj and sm.  sm welcomes you [?]

henry’s

zhoumi

hello everyone, i am sjm’s member zhoumi.  sm’s biggest auditions are beginning this fall.  we’ll be visiting america, canada, and 8 other countries to choose.  the catagories are:  singers, actors, models, dancers, and lyricist’s/composers.  if you fall into any of these catagories, please participate in the auditions.  we begin on sept 19 and end on oct 25.  please search triple w dot smtown.com for more information.  now, no matter if you’re chinese, korean, or japanese, you can participate in our auditions.  lastly, i hope you all will participate, and support us- sjm -.  this is zhoumi, thank you.

Reply to sara May 15, 2008

sara commented my most recent topic about Leehom and Zhou Mi:

 

Thanks about the compliment of being insane.

 

And my reply is, no problem.

 

Frankly, I think they are insane. The majority at least. And if you can acknowledge that, then good. If you’re in denial, keep reading.

SJM Interview Stirs Up Semi-Scandal Part 2 May 14, 2008

 

I was reading this post on Soompi, and I just have to say…I expected it, unfortunately. The post provides this link to a blog entry regarding the mishap. According to that blog, since Zhou Mi ran his mouth, Leehom has been getting criticism from netizens. In response, Leehom fans searched for the video of that event from several years (provided in the blog entry) and revealed the truth. Leehom had an upcoming concert and wasn’t supposed to sing at events prior to it; thus, he invited Zhou Mi on stage to sing. Now Leehom fans hope that Zhou Mi will give an apology.

 

I hate fandom for this, especially because they believed a newbie and lost faith in one of the most well-established singers in Asia. Now all these netizens think Leehom’s some kind of cheater when we know he’s definitely not. You’d think that after having tons of Leehom’s high school/college songs online and a 14-year long career, everybody would know what his voice sounds like and that nobody’s behind the scenes providing his voice. 

 

And you know, Leehom fans didn’t even want to make a big deal out of this because it really is just a newbie mistake – everybody makes mistakes, especially newbies. I’m tired of hearing about Super Junior’s insane fans doing something stupid. They haven’t done many smart things in comparison to their stupidity. And yes, I AM comparing their fans.

 

So let’s just leave the thing alone. We know the truth now. Just know that we can’t believe EVERYTHING someone says and maybe also a little thing or two about interviews.  

 

PS: Don’t use this entry as “news.” If you must, refer to the links I provided in the beginning.

 

Have a nice, stupidity-free day.

SJM Interview Stirs Up Semi-Scandal May 6, 2008

If you take a look at this video and the comments below it, you’ll know what I’m talking about:

 

 

A basic summary is: Zhou Mi mentioned in the interview that when Leehom was having contract problems, he had to shorten his performance and so Zhou Mi sang for him. However, his wording made is sound as though he was singing backstage while Leehom lip-synched on stage to Zhou Mi’s voice. Of course, Zhou Mi fans were slightly shocked that Leehom would “take credit” for a voice that wasn’t his. Next to that, they were excited because their ZM is comparable to Leehom. In response, long-term Leehom fans got enraged because now Leehom looks like a cheater despite his fourteen years of hard work in the music industry.

 

To clarify things, it was a misunderstanding, period.

 

First of all, Zhou Mi sounds nothing like Leehom. He’s a good singer but he doesn’t sound like Leehom. 

 

Second of all, what really happened was that Leehom had contract problems and had to cut his performance short so he invited Zhou Mi to sing. Nowhere did Zhou Mi mention lip-synching. In fact, some fan accounts say that both of them were standing on stage together. Others say Zhou Mi was on stage while Leehom was backstage. If what the scandal-starters assumed was true, it wouldn’t make sense. Leehom would still have the contract problem, and if it were his face lip-synching on stage, that would probably still violate his contract.

 

And most importantly, Leehom fans like me know that he would never do that. It’s not like I know him personally but all the news articles about him and his activities show me that he has a lot of professional integrity. My favorite story was when he rejected a spot in Madame Tussaud’s wax museum because he felt he wasn’t accomplished enough. He’s diligent and he doesn’t stand on people to get ahead in life, even if it’s just for a moment. Besides, the only times I’ve ever heard of him lip-synching was when he had to do dancing on stage. He rarely dances, he’s no SE7EN, so of course it’ll be hard for him to sing and dance simultaneously. But it’s always his voice, no one else’s. Other than those circumstances, he doesn’t lip-synch.

 

I suppose that this is either due to someone’s carelessness in translating Zhou Mi’s words, or Zhou Mi didn’t word his answer correctly. This little mix up put Leehom fans and Zhou Mi fans against each other for a few hours, but I’m sure Leehom can forgive and forget, so let’s do that.

 

Video Credit: symbelmyn @ YouTube

 

Album Review: Super Junior M 迷 April 26, 2008

Yes, 迷/Me is out. Apparently, in China, their release dates vary depending on the province. Only Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Korea have official release dates. So I really didn’t know when to expect it. But yes, I managed to get a hold of it and I listened to it.  It consists of six Super Junior remakes, one Sandy Lam remake, and five brand new songs. The album goes by Super Junior’s original style – except it’s in Chinese.

 

The title song, 迷/Me, is a charming, upbeat start to the album. It leaves the listener eager to hear what’s next. The U remake, as I’ve said in a past post, is a big improvement on the song. The song is more mature than its original and makes us feel as though Super Junior is only maturing and improving. 至少還有你/At Least There’s Still You is a lovely remake of Sandy Lam’s song, reinterpreted to fit the image of these seven handsome young men.

 

However, there are a few down sides. 愛你愛你/Love Song didn’t stand out. It sounded too much like Miracle and Happiness. I didn’t even notice that the song changed from Miracle to Love Song. 我抱着我/In My Arms has a different, unusual style. I’m not too sure what to think of it, but it may be a good guinea pig for something new. As for the Super Junior remakes, some were slightly awkward to hear in Chinese. Vocals from Han Geng and Henry aren’t very strong. Han Geng should probably stick with dancing, and Henry may have a blooming voice and needs more time to grow and gain experience. Zhou Mi, although he sings well, doesn’t stand out at all. Forgetting that Zhou Mi is there seems to be a growing pattern in not only the album but in public appearances as well. That’s something they should work on. Next to that, the mixture of various Chinese accents - Han Geng’s Northern accent, Henry’s Taiwanese-Canadian accent, and the many Korean accents – is unusual but not really a major setback.

 

Overall, the album is alright. It is definitely a huge step up for Super Junior. I hope to see them improve and release more in the future.

 

Track listing:

1. 迷/Mi/Me

2. U

3. 至少還有你/Zhi Xiao Hai You Ni/At Least There’s Still You

4. 你是我的奇蹟/Ni Shi Wo De Qi Ji/Miracle

5. 愛你愛你/Ai Ni Ai Ni/Love Song

6. 我抱著我/Wo Bao Zhe Wo/In My Arms

7. Don’t Don

8. Marry U

9. 我的二分之一/Wo De Er Fen Zhi Yi/Full of Happiness

10. 渴望/Ke Wang/Man in Love

11. 這一秒/Zhe Yi Miao/The Moment

12. The One

 

Personal highlights:

1. Ryeowooks singing. I do believe that Kyuhyun has the strongest vocals, as do most people. But I really love Ryeowook’s voice because it’s very stimulating and spirited. Even though he’s singing in a foreign language, he enunciates the words as though he understands them.

2. Donghae’s Chinese rapping. It’s a wonderful effort indeed. I really want to applaud him for taking that risk and succeeding.

3. Henry’s English rap in 這一秒. Despite being Canadian, we’ve never heard him speak English before. It was about time.

4. Henry’s Chinese rap in 我的二分之一. It gave the song a sweet boyish feel. In my mind, I’ve always referred to Happiness as “the queer song.” But with Henry’s youthful voice, it’s feels more boyish than gay. So I suppose that’s an improvement.

 

Miss Chiu’s Rating: 3

 

Since this is my first review, I’ll explain my scale:

5 – Amazing

4 – Pretty good

3 – Moderate

2 – Okay

1- Not too great

0 – Fail

I’m pretty tough with music, especially if it is mainstream pop, so don’t go into a tantrum if you don’t like my ratings.

 

Picture Credit: superjunior-m.iple.com

Reply: To “whatever” April 24, 2008

In response to my really bad translation of Super Junior M’s U, “whatever” said:

 

just to tell u, u can’t translate word by word in chinese, therefore the phrases with possessives it’s not possessives it’s just that u translated word by word thats y it sounds like that but in chinese it doesn’t.

 

If you’re so smart, why don’t YOU try translating it?

Lol I’m kidding. It’s alright to criticize me.

 

Anyways, that’s why I wrote a disclaimer. Mandarin’s my third language. It’s barely a receptive language for me. Next to that, I can’t understand what I read. I just…read. Usually I read it out loud for Chenzi, and she tells me what it means. 

 

If “U” was sung in colloquial HK Cantonese, maybe I would understand it better. Mandarin and colloquial HK Cantonese just don’t always use the same words. Even really good Cantonese pop doesn’t use colloquial speech, so I have a hard time understanding Canto pop. It’s a curse, really.

 

I’d also like to add. I only used my dictionary for words that I didn’t know. So that monstrosity of a translation was mostly from my head. I’m not one to rely on a dictionary.

 

But yeah, I admit. I fail at grammar. I hated French class because of grammar. And my Chinese teachers never bothered to teach me grammar. They just made me learn useless vocabulary words like “zi sha” or “yi zhi xiong.” As if I’m gonna need to use the words “suicide” or “bear” when I speak to the very few Chinese people in my community. They didn’t start teaching me practical phrases like “what’s your name?” or “how old are you?” until my last year of Chinese school.

 

My point is…maybe you should’ve left a real name. I don’t bite…unless your comment is really ridiculous.

 

Actually, my real point was to explain why my translation really sucked. I understand how Chinese works, but it’s not that easy when I have to actually do the work myself. Any second/third/fourth/tenth language people can understand, I’m sure. I guess that’s why it’s called a receptive language…hmm.

 

I’d like to thank the Angela and Christine for helping me with the translations. I wish I could reply to you two in a different way but I don’t know how.

Han Geng is withering away; Losing 4.5kg April 20, 2008

Recently, Han Geng lost 4.5kg and he’s getting skinner by the minute. While everyone sees that picture on the right as hot, I see a man who’s falling out of his clothes. I’ve heard that he’s been working himself to the bone and when SJM started, they’ve been relying on fast food (i.e. McDonald’s and pizza). Don’t they have a nutritionist? If not, I’m sure SM can pull a little money out of his pocket to give his money makers some good food.

But meanwhile, Geng says:

 

大家最近好吗?回来以后虽然很累,但是非常开心呵呵~~~趁休息的时间我和妈妈还有孙乐一起办了体检卡,进行了比较全面的体检.我们都很健康.希望我大家不要担心我的身体.我会好好爱惜自己的身体,为了自己为了你们嫩。希望你们也能健康开心~~~~!我会经常来的.回见呵呵~~~!

                                                                 我爱你们~~~~!

He tells us not to worry about him because he went for a physical with his mother and friend, and they’re healthy. Let’s just hope it stays that way despite all the burgers and pizza.

Sources: Han Geng’s Cyworld
Photo credit: on photos

Asian Ent. Gossip April 18, 2008

So here’s the latest Asian entertainment gossip that I would like to respond to since I haven’t had the chance to this past week.

1. Heechul of Super Junior got a new nose after his laser-surgery-induced fall. He also decided to grow some facial hair.

Well, whatever he wants.

2. SNSD finished their first set of promos. Honestly, I have to say I’m relieved. I’m tired of looking at their attire whenever I go online. They need to get a new stylist. Yeah, I’m not really a fan, although, I quite like Yoona.

3. Han Geng of Super Junior asked He Jiong to introduce him to a girl. Apparently, he’s been massively busy, lonely, and in need of someone who can understand him at a level that his mother or his friends can’t be at. After a trip to a bar, Han Geng discussed looking for a girlfriend with He Jiong, asking him “Can you introduce me to a girl? If it’s okay, I still wish to find a Chinese girl.” He isn’t picky either. “[It is fine] as long as we’re happy when we’re together [and living comfortably, and I have feelings for her] (sorry, the grammar there really sucked ass),” he says, “And also [she] must be respectful to [her] parents, and kind-hearted (Grammar 411, it should be “she,” not “they,” because I’m sure Han Geng isn’t into polygamy).”

I’m not gonna go and say that I’m the girl for him. It would never work out between us because he’s a dog lover. I assume he would want a dog. I’m allergic. I prefer rabbits. They’re playful like dogs, but quieter and a lot easier to train. Anyways, this makes me feel the desire to get a nice Chinese boyfriend. Damn.

4. The mother of the late Chinese pop idol, Anita Mui, claims that her daughter was mentally impaired when she signed her will; thus, it makes the will invalid and all of Mui’s possessions would go to her mother even though she is already receiving 70,000 HKD (9,000 USD) In response, people are calling her selfish and greedy. Peter Teo, a doctor and witness to the signing of her will said that she did not seem incapable of thinking clearly. In fact, he felt that she was mentally capable even right before falling into a coma.

Hmm I think this is old news. Whatever. When Anita Mui died in 2003, I was hoping people would let her rest in peace. Especially since not too long before, her good friend Leslie Cheung committed suicide. Also, the two women didn’t seem to have a good relationship, and her mother has only been relying on her for money. It sucks that her mom’s still picking on her even after her passing.

Then again, I have some sympathy for her mother. Their family history varies for some reason, but in every story, her husband isn’t there for the family (most sources say that he died before or right after Anita was born). With four kids to take care of, I would be pretty bitter and selfish too.

5. Chaeyeon came out with new photos. When I first saw Chaeyeon, I thought she was really pretty. But then I realized that she’s one of the artists out there that uses the “sexy image.”

There’s not much sexy about that picture though. I think she might be getting a bit too old. You can see the veins in her hands. And that position she’s in doesn’t seem very appealing. Maybe the photographer just sucks majorly, ’cause seriously, that photo sucks.

That’s all I feel like doing now.

Sources: Sohu, Lucy@FLAWLESS (translation), Hannie’s_Wife @ Sujunesia, Check out my blogroll for the rest ’cause I’m lazy.

Super Junior M: Cantonese April 13, 2008

I’m a frequent stalker on the Super Junior M thread on Soompi. I have left a few posts which normally go unnoticed. But I read a couple days ago that the new Super Junior sub-group, SJM, may aim for a Cantonese track in a future album. I’m not sure whether that information is legitimate, though. I searched all over that thread for that post. But with all the arguing between pro-SJMs and anti-SJMs and the random useless posts about how cute Henry’s cheeks are, I couldn’t find it. When I do, I will credit it. If you guys know where the article is, please link me.

 

 

Anyways, I found it to be pretty awesome but sort of weird. Cantonese is fairly hard to learn without any experience in your developing years. I’m sure Henry won’t have much trouble with pronunciation after hearing him say “Ngo oi lei (I love you)” on a fancam (above). Haha I would like to add that I love his expression. He has that lost in sauce expression. Anyways, I’m a little worried about Han Geng and the other’s ’cause of past attempts (although they were cute) listed below:

 

Han Geng -
http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=vd_6cCwFyic …towards the end.
“Lei hou…dai ga hou…ngo dei hai Super Junior! (Hello…hello everybody…we are SJ!)” 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmGOO3QAiBU
“Lei sik jo fan mei ah? (Have you eaten yet? Counterpart to popular line: Ni chi fan le ma?)”
Siwon -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rADv2zBPrzg
“Dai ga hou, ngo hai Chui See Yun. (Hello everybody, I’m Choi Siwon.)”

 

They could try it, there’s no problem with that. I just think it’s awkward. Plus, they called themselves Super Junior M(andarin). They should just call themselves Super Junior Chinese (as opposed to China).

 

Oh, and I would like to briefly educate a couple people on Cantonese because some people on the Soompi Super Junior M thread seemed a tad uneducated on the Chinese language:

1. Cantonese is older than Mandarin. It’s about 4 and a half thousand years older.
2. Cantonese is not slang. All dialects and regions have their own form of slang or colloquial/informal speech. Therefore, Cantonese itself is not slang. Again, it’s older than Mandarin.
3. Mandarin is not a language. Chinese is a language. Mandarin is a dialect. It’s the official dialect, but it’s still a dialect nonetheless.

I would also like to add that people shouldn’t be saying that Mandarin is superior. That’s offensive to me and other Cantonese speakers/enthusiasts. I’m not saying that people on Soompi said that (’cause you pro-SJM gals are pretty awesome), but I hear it all the time. I say, if Mandarin is more superior than Cantonese, why can Cantonese flourish without being made official (at least in a super huge area)? That’s right. But really, there’s no reason to say that one’s more superior than the other. All dialects are cool, otherwise I wouldn’t want to learn them.

 

By the way, I learned how to say “I can’t understand” in Taiwanese…tia bo la! I hope that’s right. Haha.

 

Video Credit: fallenframes @ YouTube

Super Junior M: “U” Lyrics April 8, 2008

Here are the Mandarin lyrics for “U” by Super Junior M – complete with Traditional Chinese characters, pinyin, and a really awful translation!!

Disclaimer: Mandarin Chinese is my 3rd language. In other words, I suck. I did this purely for fun. So my translations will surely suck and you will not like them. But maybe you can laugh at my noob skills with me.

With my poor Chinese, maybe it could be a good template for whoever’s going to translate it for real. Also, if you notice any mistakes, please tell me as nicely as possible. Click “more” to continue.