Tuesday, January 15, 2008
gemutlichkeit!
first, a random thought i had earlier: there is a thesaurus in all of us.
second, new vocabulary! from the bavarian bierhaus: gemutlichkeit. now what's interesting about this, is that there is no english equivalent to define it. i love these words. it's always good to know the most mainstream, pervasive and plagiarized language in the modern world cannot transpose Everything after all. like the economic poetry of chinese, or even some colloquial malay (that is ironically, being so stupidly anglicized). another reason i love this word is that it connotes... cosiness, social cheer and the absence of anything hectic. in 1 word, how beaut is that?
this reminds me of how it's been said the inuit have dozens, hundreds of words to describe snow. apparently it's a myth, but... check this out. it's bullshit, but very good bullshit: http://www.mendosa.com/snow.html.
it's interesting to see how every culture has its own definitions of specific concepts, more often than not, in specific contexts too. but beyond definitions, i think the true meaning of things falls to the individual. when u simply explain things your way, u're really combining a few ideas together to convey a concept, much like how the germans have given us gemutlichkeit.
when u explain yourself most simply, u find the specific, appropriate words - to suggest, not to define. i mean, humans are not dictionaries. we do not store dry definitions: we store memories, experiences, ideas, stuff with personal meaning. so u find these ideas and juxtapose them. u create a fresh viewpoint, injected with personality. and in doing so u deliver something with much bigger meaning.
there is a thesaurus in all of us. believe it.
second, new vocabulary! from the bavarian bierhaus: gemutlichkeit. now what's interesting about this, is that there is no english equivalent to define it. i love these words. it's always good to know the most mainstream, pervasive and plagiarized language in the modern world cannot transpose Everything after all. like the economic poetry of chinese, or even some colloquial malay (that is ironically, being so stupidly anglicized). another reason i love this word is that it connotes... cosiness, social cheer and the absence of anything hectic. in 1 word, how beaut is that?
this reminds me of how it's been said the inuit have dozens, hundreds of words to describe snow. apparently it's a myth, but... check this out. it's bullshit, but very good bullshit: http://www.mendosa.com/snow.html.
it's interesting to see how every culture has its own definitions of specific concepts, more often than not, in specific contexts too. but beyond definitions, i think the true meaning of things falls to the individual. when u simply explain things your way, u're really combining a few ideas together to convey a concept, much like how the germans have given us gemutlichkeit.
when u explain yourself most simply, u find the specific, appropriate words - to suggest, not to define. i mean, humans are not dictionaries. we do not store dry definitions: we store memories, experiences, ideas, stuff with personal meaning. so u find these ideas and juxtapose them. u create a fresh viewpoint, injected with personality. and in doing so u deliver something with much bigger meaning.
there is a thesaurus in all of us. believe it.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
diem carped
friday night. we had a sumptious porkbellyandcowtongue! daorae dinner. seems like The place to go to when u're unexpectedly loaded, and this time around, the 2nd occasion of karen's treat. which is getting really unfair.
i finished early i.e. before midnight. lagged behind to email and facebook a little and leech a couple of movies. andrew wants a short melbourne holiday, any recommendations? jackie d was proud for the dmam and happy with her research life. and someone posted my baby pics online, wtf. i packed my bag and got ready to leave... but remembered i'd left the lego. see, wh got this lego set from his secret santa and he'd never bothered with it, so it kinda got kuasa-ed to us underlings. it's a real boon to your creative side. i sat down to build a missile battery. karen left. 1 hour later...
"yumcha mou?"
it was all perfect, a true carpe diem moment. the chance would never come again, we reflected. the timing, the mood, the day, when huge work was looming in the coming weeks and we were just then cbf-ed, what with the weekend chill settling in, and the impending Departure. this girl. is a fucking artist. she turned us all into rabbits a few months back, and i'm missing her already. this pic is even my wallpaper at work.
l-r: hy showing off his socks - sm awaiting the arrival of the fates - ch defined by his mic - wh looking horny with diablo - karen and her new toys - and me doing what i do best.
over neslo and teh-o and limau ais, the 5 of us laughed half the night away.
i finished early i.e. before midnight. lagged behind to email and facebook a little and leech a couple of movies. andrew wants a short melbourne holiday, any recommendations? jackie d was proud for the dmam and happy with her research life. and someone posted my baby pics online, wtf. i packed my bag and got ready to leave... but remembered i'd left the lego. see, wh got this lego set from his secret santa and he'd never bothered with it, so it kinda got kuasa-ed to us underlings. it's a real boon to your creative side. i sat down to build a missile battery. karen left. 1 hour later...
"yumcha mou?"
it was all perfect, a true carpe diem moment. the chance would never come again, we reflected. the timing, the mood, the day, when huge work was looming in the coming weeks and we were just then cbf-ed, what with the weekend chill settling in, and the impending Departure. this girl. is a fucking artist. she turned us all into rabbits a few months back, and i'm missing her already. this pic is even my wallpaper at work.
l-r: hy showing off his socks - sm awaiting the arrival of the fates - ch defined by his mic - wh looking horny with diablo - karen and her new toys - and me doing what i do best.
over neslo and teh-o and limau ais, the 5 of us laughed half the night away.
Sunday, January 06, 2008
previous post removed
dear jooks,
losing yourself?
i hope it's fun.
losing yourself?
i hope it's fun.
