Liberte with language profundities

Take liberties with the language if you dare! Many of us develop a set of "quirky" dictionary in the course of our conversations with friends, and more friends.... Seemingly nonsensical terms find their way into the "unofficial dictionaries" of our vocabulary when they take on a perceived meaning making sense only to an individual based on their personal slangs developed over time. Here are some "quirky" new additions to my "dictionary" : -

SASHIMIFY (pron. sah-shee-mee-fai) - to beguile one unawares with nothing but the raw truth

"CHEEMIFY" (pron. chee-mee-fai) - to beat around the bush around something simple

"CHEEMITOLOGY" (pron. chee-mee-taw-le-gee)- the art of BS at its best when you are just full of "air", you airheads !

"MYEONGWOLISM" - teachings from famous korean gisaeng Hwang Jin Yi, one of the many modern heroine's who were brave enough to challenge the status quo and championed women's rights, winning many a sexist battle with brains rather than brawn.

This is all I have for now... a great many new words escape my mind for now. I shall come back and update when these random discoveries decide to rear their heads again...

Adding to this quirkdom of my personal vocabulary this 1 July 2009,
1) Kimchify - as in personify
2) ..... words escape me now but i shall be back with more quirky vocab.. until then..

Poor man's ADOBE......

The "print screen" button on the keyboard is my favourite button of all ! Just like my favourite saying "Necessity creates ability ...... in times of adversity ! The timely discovery of this humble but powerful key opened doors to a whole new world of possibilities given the luxury of time.

F1 may be the fastest
F4 may be the cutest ( in an Asian context )
F9 may be the most dreaded by students....

But! "PRT SCN" is the most formidable friend you can have if you need to whip up a design layout in a jiffy. It has served me well in strapped times like these. No $ to buy the latest ADOBE PHOTOSHOP program ? All you need is some clever manipulation of the tools in the PICTURE TOOLBOX like crop/cut/brighten/darken/resize/enlarge/reduce & there you have it. It can whip up a decent draft mock up of a product mailer, a promotional A4 size poster, a personalised greeting card, an in-house newsletter, step by step instruction manual for a new procedure you are trying to master,etc,etc... the list continues.... only limited by your imagination and purpose! So happy experimenting with this wonderful function key on your keyboard. It's time to give this often overlooked button its time of day...

Who came up with the idea of this "PRT SCRN" button on all our keyboards anyways ?
Based on this website, the inventor's name is Bowers Jr., Walter L. (from the US of A) http://www.freepatentsonline.com/EP0732648.html

Bottomline - I think its an ingenious & economical way to incorporate this "photographic" function to a pc without all that fuss over installing sophisticated external camera equipment?

Balms for the weary soul @ Coffeebar K

Talk about affinity in numbers and alphabets ! The laws of attraction must have brought me to the doorstep of this lovely place again. My latest F & B hangout of choice shares the same initials as my name and its address bears the same numerals that are of importance to my very existence. The dimly lit marble tabletop makes for a charming ice breaker for the long conversation you will have with close friends or new acquaintances alike. Music in the background is just audible enough to exchange a hushed conversation. Perfect place to bring an old friend to catch up on old times. You'd be surprised how many words of truth will flow after a few drinks and the cosy atmosphere amongst plush leather chairs one would hate to get up from. The deftly hand carved ice balls are also worth the watch as the bartender conjures and shakes up a storm of cocktails based on whatever catches your fancy / mood that night. Maybe and just maybe i will feel cheeky enough to pose the impossible request by asking for a drink that brings hope to the weary heart instead of just any strong potion to numb the senses. Sometimes a plate of fruit is served in addition to a plate of crisp wasabi chips & wafer thin strips of yummy prosciutto. You can also order in sashimi and fine dishes from its neighbour restaurant - ZEN to go along with your drinks. Look forward to a night of 2-3 drinks minimum before you leave the bar completely satisfied with the A-list service from hot towels to an excellent library of every drink/cocktail imaginable.

Its latest branch in the posh Gangnam area in Seoul would be the perfect place to bring my new korean friends for a drink or two. For now, I would have to settle for the cosy UE square branch till I scrape enough moolah to experience the bar in Chiba & Seoul. Gambatte !!! http://www.coffeebark.co.jp/tenpo/tenpo_singapore.html

COFFEE BAR K
205 River Valley Road
#01-76 UE Square
Singapore 234274

Tel: +65 6270-5040
Fax: +65 6735-0004

Ode to Hwang Jinyi

There is a saying that friends come into your life for a reason and depart when they have fulfilled their destinies in the path of your journey in life. I believe that the story of HWANG JIN YI (aka Myeong Wol) has appeared for a purpose and reason in my life right now.

Books, songs, movies, stories cross our paths everyday. Thousands of confessional works abound from commonfolk/artists of all walks of life. How can one story/song/painting/poem out of the gazillion life experiences out there touch your heart and give you an insight on how better to carry on with your journey in this wretched existence on earth.

How many times have one been blinded by impressive titles and accolades bestowed by others, succumbed to materialistic comforts and suppressed by the need to live up to the expectations of others that one forgets what they initially set out to do or what they live for! It is never easy to live the life of a true artist when human nature is prone to fall prey to the constant temptation of these superficial facades.

The poignant soundtrack in this film, the heartbreaking and universal theme of love lost, love found and love unrequited, resplendent with costumes and breathtaking scenery - all make for a great escapade in this 24 episode tale about one of the greatest gisaeng - Hwang Jin Yi, in the Joseon period (1500's) of Korea's history. Such magical wizardry conjured from the alchemy of superb scriptwriting and great acting from leading actress Ha Ji Won, leaves me in awe and lost for words. Her story might have been tweaked for the masses in this serial & the movie version of this story, yet it remains a simple but believable tale of the thankless pursuit of art which will be deeply felt by anyone who has ever tried to walk down that same path.

For now, I shall languish momentarily in this bittersweet melodrama- about love found, love lost, love in all its benevolent and cruel forms in this wretched existence we call LIFE ! and the convenient scapegoat many call FATE which is the unenviable benefactor of blame for all misfortunes rained upon us. One is reminded by the heroine that we should not be trapped by outcomes beyond our control but react with wisdom to make the best of whatever obstacles we encounter along our paths.

I shall mourn for all the things ever lost, offer utmost gratitude to all the gifts and kindness received from the wonderful sounds of music,friends and strangers, cherish any ounce of passion I can muster up to guide me through the misleading fog that clouds my judgement and unnerve me from time to time. May sunshine beckon soon !

I leave you with this hauntingly beautiful compilation of tunes from the Hwang Jin Yi-OST that opened a Pandora's Box of feelings thought long forgotten. Experience the majestic track #1, sway in harmony to the uplifting strings of track #3 (Ggot Nal) with eyes closed. Embark on that half hearted project with newfound courage garnered from track #4 (Ugh Wen) ! Get lost in a pool of the darkest melancholy and unearth sad memories to instrumental tracks #10 of (Na Buen Sa Ram) & #12 . Tug at your heartstrings ever so gently with hopeful undertones reminiscent of the silver lining in that cloud in track #14. May this soundtrack be the first of many more beautiful korean OST's I will discover in time to come.

For album preview http://www.imeem.com/anavia/playlist/gc7jwQoj/hwang_jin_yi_ost_complete_music_playlist/

For lyrics - http://benbego.com/hwang-ji-ni-ost-soundtrack-lyrics-korean-drama/