By Elly Mui

"Kon-nichi-wa," ("hello") Jeff Chiu annunciated in his best Japanese impression. He went through his lists of Japanese greetings and phrases for the four Japanese judges. For the past few weeks Jeff had prepared non-stop when he heard that a Japanese music company was hosting Road to Asia, a talent search in Beijing and Shanghai. He had practiced hip-hop choreography until he believed that every working pore in his body was sweating with exhaustion; he refused to stop until he had perfected his routine. Yet now he felt his nerves twist and turn all over his body: "What if I don't move in the right way? What if my body decides that it wants to do something different?" Jeff took a deep breath and let those thoughts go, clearing his mind and locking his limbs into place. Tonight he would have complete control.

Jeff may seem like your average Chinese-American 14-year-old, perhaps slightly skinnier and taller than others his age and background, yet he walks into a room completely aware of himself. He has a reserved yet genuine smile and holds himself beneath his slightly turned, graphic hip-hop hat. He may dress like any other kid from the streets of New York City, but Jeff is unlike many his age. For most of his life he has been battling against anxiety.

Not belonging 

Back in Queens, New York, Jeff doesn't have a posse or a group of friends to talk about the hot, new track on the streets or to even grab a greasy burger at the local diner after class. Actually, Jeff doesn't go to class anymore, not since elementary school at least. His father doesn't think it's suitable for him to attend public school, since his condition seems to worsen when he's in group environments.

Throughout his life he has moved from specialized school to school and house to house within the New York City area and once to New Jersey. His parents wanted to find a place where he belonged, yet it didn't all come together until he made his first journey to Beijing after winning a CCTV talent search in New York City.

He was only 10, and the mixture of profuse sweating and the pounding of his heart made his fingers numb. The stage felt too large for his small frame. For his first performance on stage he would play the piano and the guitar at once - something he thought of himself to try and stand out. Maybe it was a good idea weeks before, he thought, when he began practicing for his first on-stage performance for CCTV. Yet to his surprise, he made it into the final round.

Contestants were flown in from all over the world including Canada and Hong Kong and most of the Chinese mainland. Jeff was the only American. The experience was much like going on an extended vacation except with a massive group of new friends in one hotel paid for by CCTV. He had never been to China before and knew almost nothing about his heritage aside from a few phrases despite his mother being from the Beijing area and his father being from Fujian. Jeff and his father stayed in Beijing for nearly three months training for the program.

Acceptance

Jeff returned home sick and exhausted from his journey, disliking his first impression of Beijing. It was too different from home and the food just wasn't the same. But months afterwards he would have a sinking feeling of wanting to go back to Beijing, to a place where he felt accepted for his unique talents. "It's like all of my problems disappeared in Beijing," says Jeff. 

While in Beijing, Jeff gained new friends and a newfound confidence that would be the start of his music career. He feels Beijing "cured" him. "Last year when I went back to New York I was sick for the whole month. And I was depressed. It was like suddenly the atmosphere wasn't as good in America. I felt more comfortable being in Beijing."

From then on his father, Lee Chiu, made it his mission to give his son a new life - one where Jeff could flourish and possibly achieve fame. "I was pushed by my dad," says Jeff about his road to pop stardom.

Soon after the Beijing trip, his father put his career as a real estate salesman for Chinese restaurants aside and focused on his son's blossoming future. Lee became Jeff's manager despite his little to no musical training. Every day Lee scours the Internet looking for music videos, upcoming competitions and Jeff's next competitor. He has yet to find one. "I think that my dad spends too much time and money on me. That's why I know that I have to make this work," says Jeff.

After that first visit in 2006, Jeff came back the following year and started a rock band. He was the guitarist and keyboardist in a kid's band with an already mildly popular female vocalist, which he claims is the reason why the band received any attention. He has been coming back to China ever since and only returns home for his visa and his mother's home cooking.

Pop star dance

He then enrolled in private music classes where he has been trained in anything from classical piano to guitar to voice lessons and finally dancing. Every morning Jeff practices vocal warm-up and guitar for an hour each and then heads to dance school for six hours. These days, all Jeff knows is dancing, although he hangs out with new friends in his spare time. "I pressured them to let me dance," Jeff says, saying he's always wanted to learn.

Jeff describes his dance style as "LA Style," a mix of jazz and hip-hop. "It's not just hip-hop because it's not all power. There is jazziness to it… It's like pop star dance where you sing and dance at the same time, you know, like Justin Timberlake."

When they announced Jeff as one of the top 10 contestants in Road to Asia, Jeff felt that his hard work had paid off. He knew he was better than the other contestants of his age, and he felt proud that he made it this far among a group of 250 contestants.

Yet his success would be met with disappointment. A few weeks ago Jeff found out that his name had been replaced. His father believes that it was due to bribery from another less qualified contestant in order to be featured on the show. "Things like this happen in China," Jeff says nonchalantly.  Though Jeff is not angry about his loss, he is just happy that he had the opportunity to test out his skills and to gain more confidence in himself.

Jeff believes that becoming a pop star may be a long journey but he enjoys every moment of it. He believes that if becoming famous doesn't work out for him he wouldn't mind being a dance teacher either. "Dancing feels like the world to me," says Jeff, "I really like dancing with all my heart and even though I have bad stamina, when it comes to dancing, I can dance for hours straight."

Link: http://www.globaltimes.cn/www/english/metro-beijing/people/profile/2010-08/568386_2.html