Hiroko-san des!

Ever since Daicon 2009, I've exchanged messages once or twice with Miss Jiayi, the winner of Daicon 09's Karaoke Contest. During that time, I had the idea of doing a little interview post. Something slightly unique in which I can again test my writing skills. But being barely aquainted with her, I dropped the idea in fear of me sounding like a stalker if I asked for an interview so suddenly. Well, it's been 2 months since then and few days back, we had a chat. I found out that she was among the top 10 in the Dell College Idol contest. A few messages later and I proposed to Jiayi the interview idea. Initially worried about not being interesting enough for me to write about, she was doubtful. But as we chat on, I managed to convince her and Ta!Dah! As a result... A featured post as follows.

At any point of the interview, feel free to Vote for Jiayi, Constest MMU 08 @ http://apps.facebook.com/dellcollegeidol/index.php?collegeId=mmu


blur: First question I'd like to ask is... can you lend me some money?

Jiayi: No. Short and simple yea! Sorry I’m direct

blur: Just messing around. Let's start with a brief intro, Can tell me a little about yourself?

Jiayi: Ahhh… I don’t like this question
I’m a 20 year old girl who love music and love arts a lot. I love everything related to music. Sing, dance, playing instruments and composing songs. A dreamer and loves simple life and simple people. A bit introvert and shy, and not good at socializing T.T
Is it too long for the brief introduction? Cut down some for me1
(Trying to be as transparent as possible, I’ll try not to cut things out. As you would have guess by reading the line above :p)

blur: What got you into singing?

Jiayi: Ehm... Let me think. I’m not sure also...

blur: Or rather, do you remember the first time you enjoyed singing?

Jiayi: I started to fall in love with a J-pop group called Speed when I was 12 and then started to learn their songs and dances. I enjoyed every moment whenever I held a mini concert at home. And maybe the thing that lead me deep into singing stuff started when I started composing songs?
Hmm... Ya something like that.

blur: Lol. Sounds Cool.

Jiayi: When I started to perform on stage I deeply fell in love with singing and had to sing every day. When I got sore throat, that’s my black day

blur: Lol. How did you come across Daicon 09? And subsequently joining the karaoke contest?

Jiayi: Coz it’s held in my campus and my friends are the working committee and I think I was informed by them about the karaoke competition so I joined it for interest

blur: The moment you heard about the contest you just knew you had to join and test yourself?

Jiayi: Something like that and I felt thrilled because I always wanted to sing Japanese songs in a competition since I started my singing interest with J-Pop instead of Chinese songs

blur: What was your practice routine for Daicon? Or did you require little practice?

Jiayi: Ehm... Actually the hardest part is to memorize the song lyrics. I actually pick a song that I just knew for 2 months b4 Daicon for the final. And I actually just memorized the lyrics 2 days before the competition cause i wasn’t confident i would get into finals too. Practice is needed, but I didn’t do very much oso ><
Means got practice, but not focused on it

blur: The song was from Ayumi Hamasaki, Surreal right?

Jiayi: That one is for the preliminary round the song I meant was Koda Kumi's Moon crying

blur: The final? Ah.. icic. *Didn’t do my homework here. -.-“*

Jiayi: But Ayumi’s song I knew since 5 years ago.

blur: Has things been any different after winning the Daicon contest? A sudden boost in popularity perhaps?

Jiayi: No. Seriously, nothing changed.



blur: I see that you also cosplayed during Daicon, was that your first?

Jiayi: YEA! I was soooooo ... I dunno how to describe it.
Was excited! I always loved to dress myself up and cosplay is a way to make yourself look good and attract attention right. I knew a gal from the karaoke competition on the 1st day and she is so nice. Lent me her cosplay costume.
Want to thank her so much

blur: If there is a song which you can sing perfectly, what song would you wish it to be?

Jiayi: Ehm... Give me a minute.
No specific song. Coz I’ve been unsatisfied with my high pitch and falsetto.
Wait… How about Lovin you? The super high pitch song?

blur: Lovin You? By which artist?

Jiayi: Ehmm… I’m not sure about the artist, Minnie Riperton maybe? It’s a famous song

blur: Ic... Memory fails me. I'll do a quick Google afterwards.

blur: Cat person or dog person?

Jiayi: I'm a pet lover and love dogs alot! XD Love to help those homeless dogs.

blur: Can you count or give an estimate of how many animes you watched?

Jiayi: @.@
I’m sure more than my fingers. I’ve been watching since young. I was taking it as "cartoons" instead of animes

blur: Cool! Name 3 of your favourite animes.

Jiayi: Sailormoon! That’s my fav.
Ehh... Nodame cantabile. And "Kiniro no Corda".

blur: If you can cosplay any character, who would it be? lol..

Jiayi: !!!!! Princess Moon... Princess look of Sailormoon

blur: Lol…

Jiayi: I told u I’m a fan of Sailormoon. I got tons of their sticker collection and posters.

blur: Is that what Ice Princess would look like? As per the name in your blog.

Jiayi: Hmmm... Not really. Ice princess means a cold princess with cold outlook but lonely feeling inside?
Samishii~~~ lol

blur: Ahh.. So that's what Ice Princess means. What made you started blogging? Ice Princess No Sekai…

Jiayi: Because I’m not good at expressing? When talking that is. I can express more through text.
And it's hard to cover my real emotion… I need some place to release all my emotions for me to feel better. I’m an emotional person.

blur: No wonder there were a lot of rather personal post in your blog.
Last time we chat, you mentioned you were a gamer too. What are the games that you play?

Jiayi: I’m not a gamer. I only play simple games like car racing in the arcades and maybe shooting games. But not those complicated online war games. Online games need a lot of patience and time. So not really suitable for me. Street Fighter and Dance Revolution is nice.

blur: Gamer also applies when you play arcades and stuff too.. ;p Just not online.
What system do you play Street Fighter on?
Jiayi: I played on PS 1! I played when I was young with my dad. PS1 still exists in my house! And that’s the 1st time I played SF on a PS3 is during CyberFusion

blur: Lol.. U mean even now you play on Ps1? That's uber cool!

Jiayi: Long time never touch it already since I’ve been studying outside but my PS1 sot sot already, I bet nobody wants to touch it now

blur: If you had to choose one... Xbox or Ps3?

Jiayi: @.@
Seriously I never had a complete experience with both of this machine. Can I choose Wii? Heard it's kinda fun
*I kinda got carried away and went “HELL YEAH!” in my heart here as I only have a Wii console. Lol!*

blur: Lol. If you ever want to try, feel free to call me up. The only system I have is a Wii. And a Micro Genius.

Jiayi: What’s a micro genius?

blur: The old Nintendo… Lol!

blur: Erm… Nevermind that.
I also see you enjoy fashion a lot... Erm... Shopaholic perhaps?

Jiayi: I wish I can be a shopaholic...
There was once before, I’ve kept buying stuffs online and am sure to buy one item every time I go out, but I’ve got it in control now... Thank god!
But I still love fashion. If I’m able to earn lots of money, 1st thing I will ever invest in is fashion for sure. Shopping make people happy.

blur: I can't say for others... but shopping sure makes me happy too.. Lol!
Akanishi Jin, now what is THAT about?

Jiayi: OMG! You read that!

blur: Is he like your first J-pop crush?

Jiayi: About a... hot guy? ...
No... Recently fell in love with a Korean male artist. You know Boy Over Flower?
I love beautiful stuff. :p

blur: Hahha.. The only people I know are 2d and has overly huge eyes.
If you could change yourself, physically and mentally wise, what would you change about yourself? Choose 1 only of course..

Jiayi: Can I choose both?

blur: Lol... Sure. Physically one and mentally one then.

Jiayi: Physically: slimmer and fairer?
Is that considered 2? Sorry, women are greedy.

blur: You replied me before I could say that you are greedy. LoLoL.

Jiayi: Coz I know, I’m greedy.
Mentally. I hope that I can be brave and express my true feelings to others, instead of hiding everything and torturing myself like being such a useless person? That’s long!
*Something for fellow readers here, a thing with Chinese-to-English word play, is that useless can mean both “weak” or being literally “useless”. So in this case useless person means that she is lacking/weak in confidence. Just so you don’t get the wrong interpretation of the previous line*

blur: It's long but at least that is considered as 1 point... ?
Randomly name me 3 DVD's that you have now...

Jiayi: DVD? What DVD?
@.@
Movies? Videos? Does pirated count?

blur: Any DVD. Yeah... Pirated ones are counted... but will edit this out when I post the interview...
Erm... or maybe not... LOL! *We are only humans after all, :p*

Jiayi: LOL! Even pirated I also don’t have @.@
Download Rockss!

blur: ROFL... *Was what I said, but in my heart again another HELL YEAH!!!!*
Have you ever tried acting or theatre/school play? Both In or out of school?

Jiayi: No! I’m too shy to try it out... I might try it when nobody's around.

blur: Hmm.. How about GACC 07?

Jiayi: AH! That one is not theatre. That one is considered dance right?
My 1st performance in anime event. Looks hilarious >.< My face looks stiff right?

blur: Neh. It was excellent! Mind if I link the video to this interview later on?

Jiayi: Nope

blur: You were the one in the middle right?

Jiayi: Yeah. I’m the middle. Haruhi lol!
That’s the dance which made me watch Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi.

blur: Lol. Didn't you get mobbed by Haruhi fanboys after that dance? Asking for signatures or something.

Jiayi: @.@ Never... Nothing happened like that before



blur: Who would you say has been your biggest support in the things that you do?

Jiayi: Suddenly I can’t think of any. Maybe my family, but their support aren’t that much also. Some of my friends.

blur: I guess it's mainly your determination to go for it yourself. And receiving a little support from people around you.

Jiayi: Yeap. Something like that. It’s something I want to do. I always think about that.

blur: If you could sing at your dream stage, where would that be?

Jiayi: @.@ I never think about that before...
Anywhere maybe?
When the place is filled with my supporter and those who love me and my voice. That’s enough


blur: Well said!
So.. Can briefly describe what the Dell College Idol contest is about?

Jiayi: Ehm. An idol contest? And the votes from ur friends and supporters will make u a winner? Something like tat

Jiayi: Ha! I’m not sure about that actually.

blur: Lol! How did you end up in it?

Jiayi: The booth is set up during Daicon, just outside the entrance. The person in charge asked me if I wanted to take a photo and I went for it. Then few days ago, they contacted me and tell me I’m in the top 10.
Kinda surprised me. Lol! I just entered it for fun at 1st. Just want to take a nice picture.

blur: Hahaha. Cool indeed.


blur: If you were stranded on an island, what 3 items would you take with you?

Jiayi: Ahhh T_T This kind of questions…

blur: Is unavoidable in an interview... Lol!

Jiayi: Is there a multichoice? @.@

blur: Nope… Just name 3 items going by in your head right now.

Jiayi: So is the 1st thing that passes through my head?
Compass? Although i don’t know how to use it.

blur: Ok.. 1 is compass... 2nd?

Jiayi: Camera...? (Coz I bring it anywhere) Lol! not sure about the function though
3rd... Water. I drink a lot of water

blur: Cool... You sound like a survivor!

Jiayi: LOL! I hate adventure actually. So never ask me to enter a survivor contest.

blur: So... By now we all know that you sing, you dance, cosplay, and "Street Fighter"s… Any other interesting facts up your sleeve that we would find cool?

Jiayi: Cool? ... Ahhh~~~
I love to draw Manga although my skills has rusted.

blur: Hahaha. You are amazing me with your numerous talents right now.

Jiayi: But I used to draw a lot on my text book, test paper, whatever medium that I can draw on when I’m free but it’s not that good seriously.
And I only focus on the face. Other parts is GG… ><

blur: All I can draw is stickman.. on steroids.. -.-"

Jiayi: I learnt from Sailormoon! I focus on the human eyes only.
I’m trying hard to draw pretty boy but never succeeds. Gave up on it.

blur: Ok.. About time to wrap this interview up...
Any last words before this interview ends? Perhaps to pull some votes for the Dell College Idol contest..

Jiayi: Vote me please…
That’s so typical. ~.~
Any other creative lines? @_@
It’s my first time being interviewed!

blur: Hahaha. Can't really help you there. Trying hard to not look like an amateur here.

Jiayi: u got my 1st time

blur: Lol.. Ahh... That sounds sweet... *Haters, Please click on the cross at the top right of your screen :p*

Jiayi: And I hope everybody will help me to make my dreams true. I may not be perfect but you might find my good points if you get to know me better...
So ... can u vote for me?

blur: That's pretty good. Ok... I'll end it here then.
Thank you for your time.

Vote for Jiayi, MMU 08. Contestant no 8 @ http://apps.facebook.com/dellcollegeidol/index.php?collegeId=mmu

Want to get to know her better? Check out her links too!

Jiayi a.k.a. Hiroko
Personal blog and pictures
*And just so you know, the songs in her blog are either cover versions by her or composed by her. ;p
Youtube Channel
A little side thing Jiayi has going to support her passion for singing and fashion

*
Should probably mention that the interview was edited to remove the massive amount of casual remarks I used like "Uhhh..., Sooo...., AHahHAhah, Icic," etc.
Well, You get the idea. But none of the original point or purpose of the replies were altered.

By now I'm thinking this was actually a pretty good interview for my first time, or a extremely bad one... -.-"

Oh and by the way, if I'm not mistaken, Jiayi ranked 4th in Street Fighter during the last CyberFusion. Cool-des-kah? Lol!

Last of all, If you've made it to the end of this post, you guys better help me vote on her for real. Cause when persuading Miss Jiayi to do the interview, I promised her heavenly coverage. Coverage that would even Pierce The Heaven! Lol! As such... here is the link again. :p Contestant MMU 08 @ facebook.
Do it now or I'll send Krauser after you.



The sign says "Anime3r. You are the roXXor's and the l33t among Elites! I love you always and will worship you for the rest of my wonderful years to come..."

Lol! Just joking. Can anyone translate what Jiayi wrote for me? I'd be grateful... Thanks!