BLACKPINK's Lisa appeared on her first day of work as a dance mentor in 'Youth With You' vlog. While looking at the applicants' profiles, she penned a heartbreaking letter detailing her trainee days that sent a dull ache in the viewers' hearts. The K-pop idol, who was born in Thailand and swerved into the rocky road towards stardom, shared that her life as a trainee was never a piece of cake.
Her first task was to check all the candidates' bios posted on the wall. Lisa was even amazed by one girl who has written that she likes cats. Lisa was quoted saying, "I like cats, too." In another scene, the K-pop star said she misses eating 'shabu-shabu', or a flavorful hotpot mixed with sliced meat, sauces, and vegetables.
When she read one of the applicants' worries and sadness, Lisa felt a sudden air of pain.
One candidate said being away from home for ten years makes her feel frustrated. She added that after several competitions she joined, she did not get any positive results. Another girl expressed that she would not pursue anymore if she won't pass.
And as a former trainee herself, she wrote a thoughtful letter to all the applicants. Through the handwritten message, she revealed how hard it was for a young girl from another land to move away from her country to chase her dreams.
She started with, "Hello girls. How are you? I am Lisa. I have read all your letters. I debuted after five years of training. I know being a trainee is hard."
It was indeed hard for anyone to debut after many years of intensive training, and it was even harder for her as she was miles away from her family. She said that she totally understands every girl as she experienced quite a similar story way back. Aside from the rigorous activities she underwent, she had a huge problem with the language barrier.
"When I was 14 years old, I wanted to be a singer. I left home by myself and went to an unfamiliar country to be a trainee," Lisa recounted.
According to the K-pop star, South Korea as a "completely unfamiliar language environment". Nevertheless, she persisted and held on to it.
She also shared that she experienced sadness and homesickness back then.
"Sometimes, I secretly cried in bed because I was so homesick," she said.
She told the girls that she trained for five years but she never gave up and hoped that the girls would do the same.
"As you try to achieve your dreams, you will encounter many barriers. However, no matter what you face, I hope you continuously move forward and I will be here to support you. Congratulations," she said.
The letter shed a new light on the BLACKPINK's main dancer's life and journey. Everything has been paid off now, thanks to her perseverance. Today, she is the most-followed K-pop idol on Instagram and an on-demand endorser: she's been signing endorsement deals left and right because of her impact and stature within Asia and out. Now is her turn to inspire thousands of aspiring idols.
