The interview of Fahrenheit in Singapore's magazine, Teenage.

Rising Temperatures!

With a name like FAHRENHEIT, you'd expect its members (consisting of Wu Chun, Calvin Chen, Jiro Wang and Arron Yan) to be nothing less than red hot. Thom Toh connects the wires and discovers just how warm and raucous the boys can get (minus Arron who is nursing a torn ligament)!

Thom Toh: Let's get the facts straight. Jiro and Arron are from Taiwan while Calvin is a Taiwanese studying in Canada. Also, we have Chun, a Chinese from Brunei Darussalam who has modelled in Singapore. As a band, were there initial culture shocks?

Chun: Coming from Brunei, I found it quite a challenge tackling the language barrier in Taiwan. You can imagine how difficult it was for me to get accustomed to a Mandarin-speaking environment. Back home, I was used to speaking English with a smattering of Bahasa Melayu. At that time, I didn't even know when to roll my tongue at the end of certain Mandarin words. Actually, I'm still a little confused now, but its okay. (Laughs)

Calvin: The four of us got along like a house on fire and whatever concerns anyone of us harboured felt inconsequential after a while. We're all different yet alike, but we readily accept one another's character traits.

Jiro: Yeah, which was why we quickly got over Chun who kept calling Singapore as "Seen Chia Pour". He had the weirdest accent when we first met him. Sp, we kept trying to correct his enunciation, but to no avail! (Groans)

Chun: After a while, they just allowed me to speak whichever way I wanted to. That makes me sound more natural. Even when I was recording, I had to depend on the English spellings of the Chinese characters to pronounce the words correctly. It was rather tough but at least it helped me to get the job done!

Thom: Earlier on, Calvin mentioned your different character traits. How would you describe yourself?

Chun: I'm the kind of guy who takes time to warm up to strangers. It's highly unlikely for me to approach someone and hit it off immediately. Perhaps I worry too much, pondering over the repercussions or fretting over imagined scenarios. I am the classic worrier!

Calvin: You can say that I'm pretty independent. When I was still in Vancouver in 2004, I took part in a competition called Sunshine Boyz. My main motive was to win the air ticket to Taiwan to be with my family. I wanted to pay my way back home, through my own efforts. Of course, I eventually emerged as the champion of the competition and saw my dream come true - not just to see my folks, but also to become an artiste. Everything happened so smoothly and I have been extremely grateful ever since. And yeah, as for my studies, I still have a thesis waiting to be completed. Soon, very soon! (Laughs)

Jiro: I’m pretty much like Wang Da Dong (the character that he plays in the popular high school drama, KO One). In real life, I’ve always been loud and rowdy, so the character fit me like a glove. People kept asking how I immersed myself in the role, but actually I was just being me. (Laughs) But I do go through phases of highs and lows in my life too. Lately, I’ve become more sombre and everyone starts asking me if I’m fuming over something. I’m not, honestly! I’ve just begun to see how keeping a calm and collected front can bring about a good change in my life. But that leads me to a big problem, as I’m getting paranoid as to whether I should be a chirpy chap or a cool guy. Help… (Sighs)

Thom: Cool or chirpy, fast or slow? Do you prefer uptempo dance tunes or slower ballads?

Chun: Chirpy, uptempo numbers uplift the mood and get you on your feet to dance and party. On the other hand, expressive ballads like our Summer Snow tend to touch people emotionally.

Calvin: I’m alright with all sorts of genres as long as we connect with our listeners. If we are able to reach out to everyone, it’s all good. I believe that ballads have enough emotional depth to help people to reflect and reminisce about their part while fast numbers will make the listeners sit up and pay attention!

Jiro: Personally, I prefer fast tracks. They are packed with power, which is what Fahrenheit is about. These outbursts of energy keep us on a natural high to entertain the crowd. Even on stage, you will be able to see that our energy levels are different and our self-expressions distinguish us from one another and from any other boyband out there.

Thom: Has your social life suffered since you stepped into the limelight?

Chun: I do miss my family a lot more since I became an artiste. Because my to-do list is so long, I do not have as much time to spend with them.

Calvin: I also find it quite difficult to maintain my social ties, due to my topsy-turvy schedules. Thank goodness for MSN messaging! I don’t know how I would have survived if I didn’t have real-time access to my loved ones!

Jiro: Yeah, since becoming an artiste, I have realized how important relationships and family ties are. I may appear funny and offbeat outside, but deep within I am really sentimental softie (Laughs). I remember how my grand-aunt surprised me by bringing my young relatives to one of Fahrenheit’s performances. Their support really touched me!

Thom: It looks like all of you have had to pay your dudes in the name of fame.

Jiro: I try to think positively, though. At least I have learnt how to relate to people, namely the fans and the media. Also, I know how to present myself more confidently. Sure, I have to watch my every move since people may look up to me as a role model. As a result, I can’t be what I used to be. I can’t laugh out loud or crack crazy jokes in public for no rhyme and reason.

Chun: Please! All he wants is to chat up the girls.

Calvin: And visit all the pubs in Singapore!

Jiro: Stop spoiling my image! (Groans) But yeah, I would love to see Singapore because Chun has been telling us how wonderful it is there.

Chun: Don’t believe a word he says! He just want to talk to the girls!

Jiro: Shut up! We’ll talk to you another time, Thom! Thank you so much for talking to us! (There is a chorus of laughter as the interview gets cut off.)

-------

Singapore's LIME magazine's interview with Fahrenheit.

WHO?
Fahrenheit, made up of four hunkalicious fellas, Calvin, Aaron, Wu Zun and Jiro.

SO WHAT?
Signed on by the same management arm that discovered F4, Fahrenheit are touted to be the next generation of teenage heartthrobs.

LIME: hot or cold?

Calvin: Like temperature, we've all got varying intensities. Aaron has piercing eyes and he's very quiet so people find him rather cold. Dong Cheng is the 'hottest' among us, simply because he's so jovial! People tell me that I've got a warm smile. Wu Zun is cool 'cos he's quite reserved and has melancholic eyes.

Wu Zun: I prefer summer to winter 'cos we can hit the beach and ogle at the babes!

LIME: hip-hop or pop?

Calvin: I love hip-hop and its rhythm especially when it's coupled with rap. I'm a fan of 50 Cent, Eminem and Nelly.

Wu Zun: I like both genres. It depends on my mood.

LIME: Discman or iPod?

Wu Zun: Or course the iPod. You can store lots of music and view photos and videos on it.

Calvin: I prefer the iPod 'cos it's so sleek and nice. Just like how I choose cars, looks come first!

LIME: lover or wife?

Calvin: Girlfriend. I'm addicted to the euphoria of falling in love. But when you're married, your wife feels more like a family member than a lover.

Jiro: I long to have a wife. I come from a really small family - it's just my mum and I. My job takes me away from my mum most of the time, it'll be great to give her a daughter-in-law to keep her company! And if my wife and I have a kid, the house will be much livelier!

LIME: football or sex?

Calvin: Can i play football with my girlfriend? That's the best scenerio. Haha!

Jiro: I'll do whatever my girlfriend wants first. I can always play football later with the guys.

Wu Zun: Between the two, I'd choose intimacy with my sweetheart. What else is better than that?

LIME: juice or booze?

Wu Zun: Juice of course. Drinking alcohol is no different from smoking. I try to do less of those stuff that's bad for my health.

Jiro: My mum has been making fresh fruit juice for me since I was a little so that's definitely my choice. As actors, we usually get packed lunches which are lacking in Vitamin C so a glass of juice in the morning would be good.

LIME: cash or pressies?

Jiro: Presents! There's this thrill you get out of opening a gift. I think people give cash out of laziness, 'cos they can't think of what to buy. But really, it's the thought that counts.

Calvin: It's nice to receive a present with a personal message written on it. It's so important to show sincerity in your gift.

Wu Zun: I've given someone cash and gone shopping together with her to pick out what she likes. That's the smartest and most efficient way!