Jackson's interview with Tencent: On languages, dieting and dating.

[22-taken.livejournal.com]

Q: After getting your makeup done, (do you) put on contacts? Jackson: No, I don’t wear (contacts). I’ve never worn (contacts) before.

Jackson: I’m afraid that after putting in the contacts, it’ll get stuck behind the eyeball. That’s why I don’t wear them.

Q: Then sometimes you can’t see clearly?

Jackson: I can see clearly, but..the camera..that man, (I) can’t see (him) very clearly.

Q: Then coincidentally, because you don’t wear contacts, so you don’t see clearly, then as a first time host, are you a bit more relaxed?

Jackson: No not really. Actually, I have He Lao Shi (He Jiong) and other guests and other chefs helping me, so I don’t feel such.. a big responsibility. (T/N: He doesn’t feel like there’s as much pressure or liability on himself.)

Q: Before you became the MC, did you do any homework? (T/N: Homework meaning did he do any research about the show or on being a host.)

Jackson: Ah yes. The Korean version…Jung Hyungdon and Kim Sungjoo hyung..(my) relationship with them both is very good. When the news came out that for the Chinese version of ‘Please Take Care of My Refrigerator" I was going to be the (co) host, they both sent me a message, that said “You can do it!” “I believe in you, Jackson”, to support me. And I watched hyungs’ episodes of 'Please Take Care of My Refrigerator’, the Korean version.

Q: Then before, have you asked He Jiong for advice or how to match with him? (T/N: Match meaning how they will co-host; coordinate)

Jackson: I did ask before. But he just said to relax…to just be myself. So I thought “Is he messing with me? Telling me to be myself" But after today, I saw how he took care of me so I’ve relaxed a lot.

Q: Throughout the recording (of the episode), there’s a lot of jokes..a lot of dialogue that’s very-

Jackson: I think it’s too difficult.. (to understand). That is, I think that gege (one of the guests) is too cultured/ educated. Like..he’s had too much education. There are some words/ phrases (that the guest uses) that I’ve never learned in school. I’ve never heard my parents use those words. I think some of the words/ phrases (he used), I’ve heard my grandparents (maternal grandparents) use before. Just really educated. I’m also an educated person, but I still don’t really understand what he said. It’s just too difficult, I think.  Actually I know Mandarin, Cantonese and Shanghainese..but I’m not proficient in any of the languages. That’s my weakness.

Q: You mentioned that usually, your mgmt company manages you a lot. Like after a certain time, you can’t eat.

Jackson: It’s not that (I) can’t but..this is my decision. But management will say "Oh Jackson lately-”because they also watch me on broadcast and the 'me’ on broadcast looks a bit chubby..because they also want me to look good, to look handsome, so they’ll say so they’ll say “-you’ve gained a bit of weight, do you need a lose a bit of weight?” And I think what they say is true. So I’m working hard to diet now.

Q: Your fridge, is usually stocked up with sweets, like ice cream and chocolate, right?

Jackson: Yes.

Q: You’re afraid of gaining weight but you like to eat sweets-

Jackson: I eat it in the morning.

Q: Then in terms of food, what can you make?

Jackson: I can make non-spicy ramen. Using hot water and cooking the ramen in that. That’s all I know how to make…oh and sandwiches. I also know how to make fruit juice. That’s it.

Q: Then through this show, after filming a few episodes, would you learn to cook from these chefs?

Jackson: Oh, I really want to learn. Hm, how do I say this? For a long time, I’ve always wanted to cook a meal for my parents. When I was younger, I only did it once. ( Jackson made 荷包蛋 for his parents when he was younger. It’s just over easy eggs.)

Q: You really like to eat dumplings (jiaozi), right?

Jackson: Yes but when I was younger I didn’t like them because I used to eat them every morning. My parents would pack a box/ container of dumplings for me every morning to bring to school. So for lunch, I’d eat the dumplings. But at that time, I didn’t like eating it. Because I ate too much of it. But after I went to Korea, I slowly began to crave/ miss eating dumplings. My mom’s dumplings.

Q: Because you missed home?

Jackson: Yeah, I was homesick. Since I was little, my mom always made the same brand of dumplings for me. It was always beef…and pork! Always the same pork dumplings. I forgot the brand but I ate the same brand of dumplings until I was 17.

Q: What kind of style MC/ host do you want to become?

Jackson: I don’t know. I’m just me, GaGa… Jackson. I want to be..Jackson’s style.

Q: Your company strictly prohibits you from dating?

Jackson: There’s no ban. There’s no policy that idols can’t date. Our company isn’t like that. How do I say this? There’s no rule or requirement. You (each artist) decides. I feel that right now, I should put my work/ career as my priority; it’s right. He also added he won't date for 5 years to focus on work.

Q: I discovered something interesting.. is that you particularly like to call those who are older than you 'ge’ or ’ jiejie’ (T/N: Chinese equivalent to 'hyung’ and 'noona’). Before, you know Zhang Yixing? (T/N: Exo’s Lay) I’m just making an example. He also calls older than him like that.

Jackson: Zhang Yixing is Lay? Okay.

Q: Is it when you guys went to Korea.. this is being exceptionally polite to your elders?

Jackson: Yes, I think guys who are older than me is 'ge’ and girls who are older than me is 'jie’, isn’t it? I think this is something anyone would know.. right? Right. This isn’t a question? Did I misunderstand? Is my Chinese that bad?

Q: My question is that.. when you went to Korea, do they purposely teach you-

Jackson: The company didn’t teach me this. They only teach me to dance, single and rap together.

Q: Why did you decide to go to Korea?

Jackson: Because I really like music. Before, I used to be an athelete. Fencing. At this time, I was also practicing music with a good friend, MC Jin. I learned from..not learned but more of played around with hip-hop music and rap with him. Also music gives me a very big motivation. So I chose music. You only have one life, so I want to do more things.

Q: During your trainee days, was there a time when you felt it was too difficult and wanted to give up?

Jackson: Actually, the third day after I arrived in Korea. I thought 'Ah this is too hard, I should give up.’ I did think about it. When I first started, there were others who sang, danced and rapped well. And, I was starting from 0. I felt a really big pressure and responsibility. But I thought 'If I give up here and go back to HK, I’ll be a loser for my whole life, a failure.’ So even though I was going to be worse than other trainees, I thought if I spent 10x more effort, then one day I’ll be better than them. After that, I trained really hard and debuted.

Q: You speak Mandarin, Cantonese, Shanghainese, Korean and English. You are someone whose talented in languages….

Jackson: But I don’t speak any of these languages well! No one says 'Oh your Mandarin is really good!’ or 'Your English is..’ actually someone said my English was good. Because.. English was my first language. Bu no one’s ever said that my Mandarin, Shanghainese, Cantonese, Korean or Japanese is good.

Q: Does your ability to learn languages..is it due to the environment that you grew up in?

Jackson: I think..when I was younger, in Hong Kong, when I was really young, at Hong Hong International School, I learned English. This was my first language, English. When living in HK, I learned Cantonese. Then my mother’s side of the family is from Shanghai. So I went to Shanghai for 3 months and learned Shanghainese. I don’t know how but I just learned to speak Shanghainese. Then when I went to Korea, I learned Korean.

Surprise: dating ban doesn't exist!

Jackson Wang Vietnam 2 l fuckyeah-gotseven

Comments

[xblackchristmas.livejournal.com]

Oh wow, didnt think English would be his first language especially since he lived in HK... Also the Shanghai part I didn't.

Don't date, precious bb Jackson! LOL jk

(I find that the video's thumbnail is hilarious-- he's holding two mics with this awfully confused expression haha)

[missingmisnomer.livejournal.com]

I didnt know English was his first language! That explains a lot. Man I wish I knew several languages. Right now I only know English and Spanish.

[diamondroad17.livejournal.com]

I always thought the dating ban is more of a promise not to date than a ban. There was a translation I read once that made it seem like a promise that Jackson determined to fulfilled but was looking forward to the 3 year mark and date again.

[karatefeelings.livejournal.com]

I've always wondered why Jackson went to an international school in HK when he's a local boy?

Interesting that English would be his first language especially since his parents aren't exactly fluent in it either.

I feel like there's so much about him that we don't know. Something new about him everytime.

[pseudo-shigure.livejournal.com]

Agree about english is his first language and his parents not fluent in it. That's really interesting.

[mlmello.livejournal.com]

if I had money and a kid, I would definitely send her/him to an international school. it'll be so much easier to properly learn a new language.

[undeniablysarah.livejournal.com]

Jackson: I’m afraid that after putting in the contacts, it’ll get stuck behind the eyeball. That’s why I don’t wear them.

Same. I am so afraid of contacts.

How did his parents communicate if his first language is English? I am very curious about this

[szhuns.livejournal.com]

I'm sure he just speaks Cantonese with his parents. English may be his first or "primary" language, but he's still pretty proficient in the other languages he knows. English is my first language but I still speak in Mandarin with my mom and Korean with family friends because those are the languages they're more comfortable communicating in.

[undeniablysarah.livejournal.com]

AH primary language, that wording makes sense. It was strange to me that English was his first language because he couldn't have learned it from his parents who speak Cantonese as a baby, he would have in early childhood learned Cantonese.

I do the same thing with my family their first language is Spanish

[szhuns.livejournal.com]

I'm actually pretty curious as well, but maybe he learned both languages simultaneously and just picked up English first because it was spoken by his peers? I like the fact that he was honest and was like "lol I can speak a lot of languages but I'm not actually particularly good at any of them" but perhaps his parents' English skills are more advanced than we think?

I've always wished I could speak better Spanish! I took lessons for a few years before studying French instead and now I wish I would have studied both.

[undeniablysarah.livejournal.com]

That makes sense, if his peers spoke English that might explain it, or maybe a baby sitter or nanny who spoke English with him.

Yes his honesty is refreshing and on this topic something everyone can relate to. Language learning is a hard and long road. My languages are all shit and I wish I could speak them better then I do...

If you are learning French you can pick up Spanish easily

[szhuns.livejournal.com]

I'm thinking about spending a few months in some Spanish speaking countries next year, so maybe that will be a good opportunity for me to brush up on my Spanish. I know the bare minimum and can probably survive if I were lost or something, but it wouldn't hurt to study some more. Haha.

[undeniablysarah.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah that will help you with the language a lot. Right now I am in the Peace Corps (an American Organization that sends volunteers to different areas of the world, I am teaching English) in China so my nonexistent Chinese has improved a lot. Being in country is so beneficial to language learning.

Also I am loving that we are having a normal discussion on omona which is usually filled with very umm...interesting comment threads lol

[cuizy.livejournal.com]

Haha sorry now I'm curious from your comment... how did you learn both Chinese and Korean?

Yeah I think first and primary language gets a bit confusing, I moved to an English speaking country as a kid and because all my education is in English I'm much more proficient in it than the one that I first learnt Chinese.

[szhuns.livejournal.com]

Mandarin was actually my first language but English is now my first/primary language since I was born and raised in the United States and have been exposed to it more than Chinese. I learned Korean growing up because my mom's best friend is Korean and she lived with us for an extended period of time when I was younger and she would speak Korean to me and make me practice writing/reading it. Haha. And I studied for a semester in Korea.

I definitely understand what you mean, I am definitely not as competent writing/reading Chinese as I would like to be, but it's just so difficult to find time/material to practice those skills.

[cuizy.livejournal.com]

wowwww you can learn a new language just like that? That's awesome! (And I assume before you got into kpop? Hehe)

Yeah I am decent in Chinese... like I can read novels and get internet puns but when I try to form my own sentences or say anything even I notice that my grammar is not quite right and the structure is just super simple. It's kind of frustrating cuz I can understand the 'complicated' Chinese I just can't produce it for whatever reason. (So I used to be so awed at Kris' Chinese skills)

[haxoru.livejournal.com]

why is he so fine

[stereotastic.livejournal.com]

I have friends who are chinese who tell me they are more comfortable speaking in english and i think its really possible in jackson's situation because most of his friends may choose to converse in english so it becomes a main language to think and write in.

Got to love him for his honesty!!! He knows alot of languages but doesn't feel like he's proficient in them. It's okay jackson some of us only know a max of 2 languages and we might not be fluent in either.

I like how he's truthful about the dating ban myth too? Some idols complain about it, make a joke about it, but I'm sure we all know that entertainment companies won't do much to stop people from dating lmao

First about the rapping, and now about his language skill.. This boy is so humble that sometimes I forget that he won gold medals for sports and became the only male in 2010 from his country to be scouted by jyp..

I also like how he doesn't look up to a host too much because this will only create comparisons and limit his potential. Someone mentioned on omona that he can be a person who can stay to his roots but also change perceptions. I truly agree.

[jaeslurpy.livejournal.com]

jackson is adorable. i wish i could pick up on languages like he does. i've forever been struggling to learn korean xD

[mlmello.livejournal.com]

he's so adorable. every time we learn a new thing about him.

about the dating ban... I always imagined it was more like a recommendation from the company than a proper ban. and with all their training and schedules as a rookie group, I don't even think any idol would have time to properly date (like having a serious relationship and stuff).

[woohyun.livejournal.com]

Jackson is waiting for me tbh!

[snowyirees.livejournal.com]

Really interesting that Jackson considers English his first language. By his description is seems that he is a simultaneous learner, but since his school was international most if not all his formal learning was in English. I'm taking a class on code switching right and I wonder what happens at their dorms LOL

This ex Jackson speaks of so often must really be something considering he wants to go back to her after his recommended 3 year ban on dating (if he isn't dating already of course). I honestly hope Ahgases will be chill and accepting once rumors start breaking out, because GOT7 is going to start their third year soon and that's usually when things like these slowly surface.

[petecarl.livejournal.com]

what's he said and where's he talked about his ex?

[petecarl.livejournal.com]

ty!

[921227.livejournal.com]

This was really nice to read because Jackson speaks with the frankness of an idol who has been around for a longer time. In his honestly or refreshing answers. There are a lot of good things about this. I like how I've ever heard him put anyone down, even sort of playfully and him talking about his proficiency is great. Him considering English his first language is interesting, I'd always assumed it was Canto. I always love knowing what multi-lingual idols think of language. I like hearing non-Korean idols speak their native languages in general tbh and I'm waiting for BamBam to be able to do something in Thai like Khun has.

[atopworld.livejournal.com]

Q: You mentioned that usually, your mgmt company manages you a lot. Like after a certain time, you can’t eat.

Jackson: It’s not that (I) can’t but..this is my decision. But management will say "Oh Jackson lately-”because they also watch me on broadcast and the 'me’ on broadcast looks a bit chubby..because they also want me to look good, to look handsome, so they’ll say so they’ll say “-you’ve gained a bit of weight, do you need a lose a bit of weight?” And I think what they say is true. So I’m working hard to diet now.

I don't like this. Management should say nothing and piss off, really.

[mundanetuna.livejournal.com]

Does anyone have any videos of him conversing in Cantonese?