For my Taeng

Link full pics: https://dreamingintherain39.tumblr.com/tagged/sone%20note%2045

English translation by RedSunsetXIII

Staff: You tried making neon signs this time! You thought of the design beforehand, but please share the motifs and the reasons for your design.
Taeyeon: I made it as a present for my mother. She loves drinking and is great at cooking, so sometimes inviting her friends over to have a drink is a fun way to spend her time. That’s why the sign I made is called “Heezakaya”, a mix of my mother’s name “Hee-ja” and “izakaya”*! I think my mother will definitely be overjoyed with this as a present! *TL note: Japanese style bar I don’t drink, so when it’s me and her, I can only be her side dish (laughs). I’m the side dish who’s always talking (laughs). As for the design, I had two ideas and showed them to my mother beforehand, but she took too long to decide so in the end I went with the design I liked. But when I started working on it, she got back to me and liked the idea that I didn’t choose… (laughs) Can’t be helped!

Staff: How was the activity?
Taeyeon: Neon signs are something that you often see every day, but this kind of experience was a first for me. It was really fun, but it was actually a bit scary at first. The neon signs I’ve seen are large billboards, so I was a bit uneasy if this could be a dangerous task. Like it’d be scary to get an electric shock (laughs). When I was a kid, I touched a neon sign and felt a shock. But I was relieved that the ones for today use batteries (laughs). They were so cute, all miniature-like. If I get used to the work process, I think it would be a perfect present for someone! There’s a lot of work to bend it into the design and adjusting the amount of strength is important, but I believe that someone who is good with their hands will get accustomed to it quickly!

Staff: Please share what you were the most particular about during the creation process.
Taeyeon: I was particular with the color choice. I wanted the color for the name to be vividly seen. I wanted the design to match wine, so I wanted to have it be wine-colored, but there was a limited selection of colors, so I went with a cute pink. I think it really suits my mother’s name and it’s a color that I really thought carefully over. Also, I got help from the instructor while working on it, but making the characters was difficult due to the many bent parts. There’s wire inside the neon tubes, so bending it needed more strength than I thought. I thought that it was easy to make once I got used to where to bend the tube and calculate what length of the tube was needed for which part. Finally, the glue easily got on my fingers, so I worked while watching out for that! It was instant glue so it would immediately stick (laughs).

Staff: How many points out of 100 would you give your work? Please share a reason for your scoring as well.
Taeyeon: Around 40 points. It was my first time making it and I’m hard on myself (laughs).

Staff: If you were to display the neon sign you made, which room would you recommend? Please share why as well.
Taeyeon: “Senses” is a keyword for neon lights. Many photos on social media have a very emotive atmosphere. It also functions as a light for the atmosphere, so it might be great to display it in a room with a vintage feel. If I were to make a neon light for my own room, I’d design a symbolic picture rather than characters. I think I would use it as a light at night, so I want to have it as a moon or star! A night sky that you can enjoy in your room would be amazing, right? ^^

Staff: Your solo concert in 3 years, “TAEYEON CONCERT -The ODD Of LOVE” was held in Tokyo. It’s been 4 years since your solo concert in Japan, but how was it looking back?
Taeyeon: The Japan concerts had great acoustics and my condition was very good. I’m the type to be easily influenced by my surroundings, so I was satisfied with everything in such a splendid environment. The staff were very kind and attentive and in my best condition and the best environment… That was the most memorable. It was my first Japanese concert in a long time, and without a doubt, the concerts held a lot of meaning for me even if I only had one concert, but I was so very thankful that my second concert date was sold out. The band was really great too… Ah, come to think of it, the Japanese fans changed a bit. They were a bit more lively, or rather, more proactive (laughs). Before they were really quiet! I’m happy that they listened so earnestly, but I was delighted that I could really hear their cheers this time. They called out my name and I was happy that they seemed to enjoy the loose atmosphere♡

Staff: You went to 8 cities in Asia for your solo concert. Please share if you have a memorable episode from your Asia tour.
Taeyeon: I just ate bananas (laughs). The setlist for this tour really required endurance, but it was hard since I didn’t eat a lot and lacked stamina. I had to keep replenishing my energy and bananas especially helped. Eating just one really filled me up, so they were indispensable during the tour! I ate bananas from a lot of countries (laughs). I of course ate bananas in Japan! They were delicious!

Staff: Traveling for long hours during your tour would make it easy to get tired, but please share if you have a routine for relieving fatigue.
Taeyeon: I take frequent half-body baths. Rather than taking them before bed, I usually do it right after I wake up in the morning. I like starting my day with them. I also do a lot of self-massage. Loosening up my neck muscles by gently massaging them can relax my vocal cords. I reduce mental stress by watching movies and dramas on my tablet. Ah, in Japan I really like to go to the convenience stores at night. I usually buy gummies (laughs).

Staff: This SONE NOTE LIVE will be released in October. In Japan, autumn is a season with various appeals such as for art, food, and sports. What kind of season is autumn for you?
Taeyeon: Recently there have been many hot days and autumn is so short that it can’t even be called autumn. I wonder what kind of season it is. It’s a season for the senses, so I guess it’s a season to listen to my songs (laughs). I have a lot of songs with bands and many of the lyrics are also emotional, so I think they really suit the cooler season. Autumn is really short, so it’s important to listen to it during this time!

Staff: Finally a message for SONE JAPAN!
Taeyeon: This tour reminded me that you’ve always supported me, so thank you so much. Please invite me! So that I can perform in Japan again! I want to see you all!