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[130619-28] Radio Show 881~ Day 5: Zhou Mi talks about the Korean entertainment scene

02:29

Radio Show 881 一圈圈訪問
130625 Zhou Mi tells us about how he braves the Korean entertainment scene
Audio here Day 5 22:20 - 27:40
DJ: Yang Zheng 

*Cantonese is labelled with [C] and when he mixed Cantonese with Chinese, Chinese is labelled as [H]

Y: I, Yang Zheng will continue talking about entertainment scenes. Today we have invited SJM’s Zhou Mi to tell us about his story, on how he struggled to survive in the Korean entertainment circle. 
[plays song] 
Y: As a Chinese, going to Korea to be a singer, everyone knows that Korea is very strict. You guys have trained for a long while, and it seems as though you do not have the chance to sleep, eat or rest. 
M: [C] Ah, it’s actually not this way haha. 
Y: Can you tell us more about it? 
M: [C] Before I debuted, I spent a lot of time training, beefing up my dancing skills and singing. I also had to learn many things that I have never touched before. [H] For example, ballet, jazz, musical knowledge. And if you like writing songs, you also have to learn music composition, instruments etc. I learnt to play the piano. 
Y: Didn’t you already know how to play the piano beforehand? 
M: [C] No I didn’t. I only learnt how to after I debuted. 
Y: Then isn’t that really tough, seeing how you still have to learn Korean. 
M: Learning Korean is a must, because the staff and workers in the company are all Korean. If you do not know how to speak Korean, then you will be unable to communicate with them. 
Y: So is your Korean as fluent as the locals there? 
M: Hahahaha…. It’s more like a bridge between two cultures. 
[plays song] 
Y: I remember the last time I went to Korea, I visited Music Bank. When I went backstage, I saw that there was a very distinct difference between the seniors and the juniors. It’s like the juniors have to stand at the back and say “You have worked hard” and it’s actually quite tiring isn’t it, being a singer that has to sing and dance. 
M: But everyone has to do so, despite of who you are. For example, after recording a programme and the director is leaving, we have to form two lines and greet the director. 
Y: Were you not used to it in the beginning?
M: In the beginning yes. I didn’t really know what to do. But a good thing is that, given how the other members debuted earlier, they would then know what to do. So I would just follow what they did- how they greeted others, I would also follow. So it was convenient and easier for me in this sense. 
Y: I feel that this is really tough. One thing about the Korean entertainment scene, as compared to others, is that everyone is unable to see the amount of effort you’ve put in. For example, after filming a commercial it would be around 10pm at night. The Hong Kong celebrities will usually go home but you guys still have to go back to the company to continue practicing. 
M: We have tried before, with the most exaggerated one being, practicing until 3am in the morning. Hahaha but we have to practice. 
Y: Can you tell us the longest instance where you worked without resting? 
M: That would be when we filmed our MV, for our first album. We did not sleep for two consecutive days, and we filmed two MVs in one shot. 
Y: That’s why Siwon says that SJ is the most hardworking group. 
M: Yes, because other than group activities, we still have our own individual activities. And it’s like how I was filming for the drama. In the midst of filming, I had to attend concerts. After the concert ended, I immediately took the first flight back to the filming site and didn’t get to sleep. The moment I stepped off the plane, the make-up artists will help me apply my make-up on the car, and we would start filming once we reached our destination. 
Y: Are you given time for yourself? Like does the company give allowance for you to go home at least one week per year, or not accepting any filmings while you’re on a break? 
M: Yes, actually the company does allocate certain breaks for us. 
Y: When is the longest break you’ve gotten? 
M: Actually, looking from the singer’s point of view, if your promotions have ended and you do not have any other activities then you’ll have time to rest. You have you see when your timing is, at what period. During album preparations, we’ll definitely be busy. It’s not very very busy per se, but if you want to go home then it’ll be rather inconvenient and troublesome. This is because every month we’ll have some overseas activity and seeing how I’m Chinese, I need to take my Chinese passport before I’m allowed to go home, but my passport is usually kept for administrative purposes so I usually end up deciding not to go home. 
Y: So you don’t go home because of this reason. 
M: Yeah, and it’s also because of overseas activities, I get to go home sometimes. 
Y: So where are you going to next? 
M: I’ll be staying in Korea
Y: So you’ll be going to Korea
M: Haha I can only go to Korea 
Y: So you won’t be going to other places before going back to Korea? 
M: Nope, I would be having practice in Korea and other jobs as well. 
Y: I myself quite like Korea, and because of work purposes have to go there at least once a month. 
M: Ah, next time you go, make sure to find me!
Y: Sure thing, I definitely will. Because I like Korea and the language (she spoke some Korean here "hello, nice to meet you" etc) 
M: [C] Not bad, your pronunciation is not bad. 
Y: Really? Thank you thank you. 
Y: SJ’s fans ELF is the world’s biggest fanclub. Tomorrow Zhou Mi will share some stories about the many fans who treat him really well.


Trans: Cantonese to Mandarin by @shi0007
Mandarin to English by @lyuanz for @SunshineZhouMi
Do not repost. If translating to other languages please credit fully. 

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