In an open letter, a Singaporean, veiled under the name "H" voiced out his/her sentiment on the rowdiness of Filipino maids. And of course, we took it as offensive and racist. (news from Manila Bulletin)
In context, the herds of Filipino maids were taking the Sunday Bus to Lucky Plaza mall, where many Pinoy restaurants and stores are located. Apparently, the "Philipinos" (as H would spell it) were laughing and talking loudly as if they rented the bus.
While we may have been internationally known as one of the happiest people in the world, we sometimes, or many times, forget to consider the feelings of our neighbors. In our local MRT/LRT stations, it is a usual and annoying sight and experience whenever a group of female passengers would also talk boisterously, regardless if the cabin is crowded or not. Naive that the noise adds to more alinsangan (humidity).
It all boils down to sensitivity and respect.
We have to know that Singaporeans like privacy. They are quiet in nature and impose strict rules. When I was in the Lion City taking a bus to Vivo city where a handful of Singaporeans were already seated, I motion a male Singaporean to move closer to the left, I saw that I could still sit in the space. But he gave in his seat to let me rest. It was nice. The train was serene, quiet... no pushing or shoving unlike in our own train stations. Apparently, H is also taking offense on the way Filipino maids push one another to board the bus.
In H's defense he or she was not pinning down on the Filipinos as a people or race, but on some of their insensitive ways. Just as it is impolite to take or make calls in Japan cabins, Singaporeans also take offense when their privacy is invaded. I think anyone, of any age, gender, or nation, will also have the same sentiment.
Showing posts with label #lesson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #lesson. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
What happened when you had your tarot card read
Astrology, horoscope, tarot card reading, fortune telling—these
for me are all bullshit. They aren’t called “hula” (prediction) for nothing. Our
Filipino tabloid professor once divulged the secret of horoscopes and astrology
shitniz that we read—and giddily follow at that—on daily newspapers. Out of
wild imaginations and sheer poetry, he can whip a legitimate horoscope.
I never believed them—until I visited the aptly named hole-in-the-wall
food bistro in Katipunan, “Gayuma ni Maria”.
It was the birthday of one of my former colleagues at Rex,
we were four, all girls. Apparently, the cafe offers tarot card reading. My
friends had their cards read. They were all gushing on how truthful and close
to reality each interpretation was. I was of course cynical and mocking. I
wouldn’t shell out my 300 pesos for a piece of crap. Wait until I put the money where my mouth is.
I was the last clientele and the supposedly 15 minute
–session lasted for almost two hours. I was having fun!
“Kuya, I don’t really believe on these things,” I said upon
sitting.
“Don’t worry, I’m used to it,” Kuya-I-forgot-the-name, said.
Then, without me saying or sharing anything, he started
pointing out specific details of my personality, perspectives, and pipe dreams,
like he was my best friend. He mentioned my negative and positive traits, which
were all true and gave advices on what to do with them. He mentioned my dreams
and hidden desires, which again, were all true. I left out worldly specific
questions like will I get rich and what is the name of my future husband (which
by now, I am truly regretting).
Unlike the fortune telling in Quiapo where one’s hand is
read (not that I’ve tried it) tarot card reading, Kuya said, follows scientific
and mathematical formulas and explanations. He tried to describe them to me but
I barely could follow and I have forgotten them by now.
Tarot card reading for me is like a wakeup call or a post-it
reminder. It must not give you false hopes and future predictions. What it must
give you is a time for self-examination and it is up to you whether you will
act upon it or not.
Our fate and fortune do not depend on the alignment of the
stars or the soundness of the tarot cards, rather they rely on one’s hard work
and dedication to succeed.
Tarot card reading is definitely not for the desperate and
depressed people who are willing to pay to have their future predicted and
read. It is for anyone who has nothing better to do on a Friday night.
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Oh, young Hollywood!
Oh, Young Hollywood!
Miley Cyrus, her tongue, and twerk—didn’t we see these coming? Hollywood
has been infamous for publicity stunts, anyway
Former Disney teen star Miley Cyrus was right when she said
in her song, she “can’t be tamed”.
Her recent stint in the
MTV Video Music Awards (VMA) drew worldwide flaks from netizens who said they
were “disgusted” and “personally violated” after Cyrus was seen grinding and
twerking (booty-shaking) singer Robert Thicke.
Many were surprised. But didn’t we see this coming?
Some Hollywood A-listers, starlets, and former Disney child
stars have always been known for over-the-top performances and outrageous
outfits. Their O.A. stints—done tastefully or otherwise—are answers to drive
public attention, perhaps because of a waning star factor or as a surprise
self-reinvention stint.
In fact, despite her winless stint in the VMA, Cyrus seemed
to be delighted with the attention she has been getting. She said on her Twitter account
(@MileyCyrus):
“Smilers! My VMA performance had 306.000 tweets per minute.
That’s more than the blackout or Superbowl! #fact.”
You know what they say bad publicity is still publicity.
 |
| 'Twerk' is one of the newest word in the Oxford Dictionary (photo from MTV) |
Actually, VMAs, MTV Movie Awards (MMAs), and other award
shows have been notorious for some orchestrated and spontaneous stints aside
from Miley and her perennial tongue sticking. Here are some of the most
memorable Hollywood stunts and crazy ensemble worth remembering—or not? Seriously,
what were they thinking?
2001 Britney
Spears was feeling Superwoman when she wore her underwear outside her pants. The
ridiculous outfit was part of her self-reinvention from a teenybopper to a
bombshell. She even had a live snake on her shoulders during her “I’m a Slave 4
U” performance in VMA.
2003 Ten years
ago have passed since pop singer Britney Spears and the Queen of Reinvention
herself, Madonna, was caught in a lip-locked moment after their performance
with Christina Aguilera. The lesbian kiss was definitely a shocker!
2009 Remember
when Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift during her acceptance award for Best
Female Video, saying that Beyonce should have bagged the award instead? Yes, we
were just as shocked as Taylor.
2009 Meanwhile,
in MMA, Rapper Eminem was reported to have walked out of the event after Sasha
Cohen Baron strutted his butt-cheeks on Eminem’s face. Aghast as the audience
was, however, the incident was staged, reports said.
2010 Was Lady
Gaga a PETA poster-girl when she decided to wear an all-meat ensemble to
receive her VMA recognitions? Nobody knew. But one thing’s for sure, this was
definitely one of the weirdest stunts she’s ever done.
2012 Singers
Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, and Gaga were among the worst dressed celebrities. Their
crazy outfits all scream for attention!
It’s a “cray-cray” Hollywood after all where we are always
in for a surprise.
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Another reposted story
I would like to share a story about a former fashion magazine writer (Max Iganacio of MEGA) on her writing inspirations, coping with fashion industry, savoring job perks, loving your colleagues and clients, and anything in between.
Kudos to this former corporate employee who chased her dreams of writing and how she sign out from it, alive.
P.S. I highlighted and italicized phrases, sentences, paragraphs that I can relate to.
(from gmanewsonline.com)
***
The glossy life: lessons from working at a fashion magazine
A little over two years ago, I decided to give up everything—a three-year experience in the corporate world and a more-than-decent salary—for a shot at my lifelong dream of becoming an author. Ever since I learned to read (I grew up a bookworm, in fact), I knew I wanted to write.
However, this wasn’t as clear to me back when I was filling up my college application form. I was encouraged by my father to take up a business course for the family business. Needless to say, I succumbed to my desire to be a writer so I could later pen stories, similar to the books that provided me so much comfort and creativity since I was a little girl.
With no writing background, I knew I had to play my cards right. While having my mid-day coffee at my favorite shop, I grabbed one of their magazines from the “for customers only” stand and indulged myself in some quick reading. Little did I know that the answer was under my nose the whole time. I sent my application to the same magazine I was reading that day and got a call a few days later.
I came to the fashion magazine world empty-handed. I had no literary degree to show for and no writing experience either, so it was no surprise that the magazine deemed me better-suited in the marketing department.
I guessed my writing dreams would have to wait.
To this day and for all the days to come, I credit my transition from being a mere employee to a person living her dream to my boss, the Beauty Editor. I will never know what she saw in me and it might be better if I never found out. She gave me a shot at being a writer and whatever writer I become henceforth is a product of her belief in me. My ambitious writing dreams and all attempts at achieving them are partially efforts at making her proud.
She was the first to believe I could do more than string words together. She was my first mentor, and you never forget your first.
Excited as I was to start my writing career, I also felt terrified. Being part of the editorial team was everyone’s dream job. Girls who had fashion degrees and snakeskin pumps and toted the latest oversized Céline bag circled the recruitment office like sharks. I had much to prove in my new job; after all, I wasn’t just a writer—I was a high-fashion magazine writer.
Over those first few days, I armed myself with issues of Vogue, Elle and Vanity Fair, gave myself a new haircut, color and wardrobe, and then watched The September Issue over twenty times. But even that didn’t prepare me for what was yet to come.
On working with famous personas
The gloss of magazines can be unbelievable. The nature of the job makes working with big time photographers, models, designers, high-society philanthropists, artists and of course, celebrities.
And although meeting accomplished figures was thrilling each time, it was also a test of character.
I remember one of my profiles asking me if I could get her a Starbucks coffee in the middle of a recorded interview because she “simply can’t go on without any caffeine.” Another asked me to chauffeur her hair and makeup team to her next event after our shoot.
I knew these tasks were beyond my call of duty but did I do them anyway?
Yes.
Did I know any better?
No.
Thing is, I was willing to do anything to get the information I needed for a story, and acquiring such information required my subject to be in a good mood.
Don’t get me wrong though, not all of them were like that. There were those who surprised me with fresh flowers on my desk as a thank you. Celebrities, God bless them, make life a little more interesting; but one thing I’ve learned from working at a magazine was that they are human beings too, quirks and all.
On the real behind-the-scenes work of magazine production
Thinking back on the making of our magazine's September Issue, I realized the difference between producing an international fashion magazine and a local one boiled down to economics.
Beyond the beautiful pictures, extravagant clothes, and pretty faces, we also had to ride a dilapidated service van with deteriorated shock absorbers and no air-conditioning to transport all the clothes.
There was also making P1000 stretch to feed a team of fifteen because that was what was left in my wallet (thank God for McDo).
And then there’s hand sewing the hem of a dress that tore from having your model vogue it out on pieces of scaffolding.
I realized that these editors—my officemates, dressed mostly in designer garb and Louboutin heels—are a most tenacious breed of workers. They clamor to get the latest Alexander Wang pump for themselves but will not think twice about getting them dirty if it means getting the job done.
During deadline week, one would see a line of deliverymen at the office lobby and MSG-hungry editors awaiting their late night feast. One of my favorite memories still comprise of my team staying in the office until 2 A.M. just churning out copy for the magazine. Contrary to the stigma of fashionistas, these editors do eat. They just manage to make it look like breathing air is the only sustenance they need to look as good as they do.
High fashion is the most glamorous and simultaneously unglamorous job there is. You will get yelled at, bloated, and at times go broke, but as cheesy as it sounds, it's all worth it.
On getting free stuff
Everything ever said about the freebies is true.
In retrospect, I must have received enough products to last me the next five years. I get products on a regular basis to test and write about for the magazine. Which is totally awesome, of course. But my best and most memorable perk to date was being flown to different countries for press junkets—all expenses paid. These brands will wine and dine you and orchestrate a memorable experience for you, all to have a knock-out feature in your pages.
I remember my Editor-in-Chief advising me to be careful about this perk, and to avoid falling prey to the allure of free stuff. Thinking about it now, this was actually advice regarding how much power my job had.
Brands send magazines their latest products for reviewing in detail. I always made it a point to only put my stamp of approval on things I truly believed in. The thing about being part of a magazine is that there is prestige in what you represent. Readers trust the editors to know what has been tried, tested, and effective. Likewise what is “in” and current in the fashion scene.
This trust between reader and editor is golden and it is the driving force of your job as a writer.
On officemates and character
I met all sorts of people in this business. Most of the people I worked with, competing peers included, came from well-to-do families and top-notch universities.
The truth is, this job is for people who work for love, not money. The publishing world is notorious for paying very little; thus, most editors I know don’t do it for the money. They have the innate ability to work hard for something they love.
This job is for people who won’t get knocked out by the first punch.
It’s for people with character.
Like all other companies out there, though, working at a magazine entails stress and contrasting personalities. Catfights and shouting discussions are expected. Package them in designer apparel and pretty makeup, and it just gets all the more intimidating.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve made the best of friends in this industry too, often in the form of talented makeup artists, hair stylists (whom I personally think are the unsung heroes of the fashion world), brand managers, and fellow editors.
Despite leaving the industry, I’m happy to say I’ve kept a few great friends from my stint in the publishing world. It was through the friendship of these down-to-earth people that I was able to get inspired and manage to make it through the tough times.
I learned that judging people by how they look or how they live their life is the fast-track to ending up alone.
On life after the gloss
For two years, I breathed, ate and dreamt of nothing but fashion. There will always be people out there who think this job is easy and superficial—but they couldn’t be more wrong.
I must say that it was one of the hardest and most trying times of my life, but also the most fulfilling and exhilarating. That’s the thing about doing something you love, it’s impossible not to get consumed by it. Stepping out of that office for the last time, I was thrown into the world again.
Now, wide-eyed and completely guilt-free, I am equipped with enough confidence to keep writing and exploring the rest of what life has to offer. — VC, GMA News
However, this wasn’t as clear to me back when I was filling up my college application form. I was encouraged by my father to take up a business course for the family business. Needless to say, I succumbed to my desire to be a writer so I could later pen stories, similar to the books that provided me so much comfort and creativity since I was a little girl.
With no writing background, I knew I had to play my cards right. While having my mid-day coffee at my favorite shop, I grabbed one of their magazines from the “for customers only” stand and indulged myself in some quick reading. Little did I know that the answer was under my nose the whole time. I sent my application to the same magazine I was reading that day and got a call a few days later.
I came to the fashion magazine world empty-handed. I had no literary degree to show for and no writing experience either, so it was no surprise that the magazine deemed me better-suited in the marketing department.
I guessed my writing dreams would have to wait.
To this day and for all the days to come, I credit my transition from being a mere employee to a person living her dream to my boss, the Beauty Editor. I will never know what she saw in me and it might be better if I never found out. She gave me a shot at being a writer and whatever writer I become henceforth is a product of her belief in me. My ambitious writing dreams and all attempts at achieving them are partially efforts at making her proud.
She was the first to believe I could do more than string words together. She was my first mentor, and you never forget your first.
Excited as I was to start my writing career, I also felt terrified. Being part of the editorial team was everyone’s dream job. Girls who had fashion degrees and snakeskin pumps and toted the latest oversized Céline bag circled the recruitment office like sharks. I had much to prove in my new job; after all, I wasn’t just a writer—I was a high-fashion magazine writer.
Over those first few days, I armed myself with issues of Vogue, Elle and Vanity Fair, gave myself a new haircut, color and wardrobe, and then watched The September Issue over twenty times. But even that didn’t prepare me for what was yet to come.
On working with famous personas
The gloss of magazines can be unbelievable. The nature of the job makes working with big time photographers, models, designers, high-society philanthropists, artists and of course, celebrities.
And although meeting accomplished figures was thrilling each time, it was also a test of character.
I remember one of my profiles asking me if I could get her a Starbucks coffee in the middle of a recorded interview because she “simply can’t go on without any caffeine.” Another asked me to chauffeur her hair and makeup team to her next event after our shoot.
I knew these tasks were beyond my call of duty but did I do them anyway?
Yes.
Did I know any better?
No.
Thing is, I was willing to do anything to get the information I needed for a story, and acquiring such information required my subject to be in a good mood.
Don’t get me wrong though, not all of them were like that. There were those who surprised me with fresh flowers on my desk as a thank you. Celebrities, God bless them, make life a little more interesting; but one thing I’ve learned from working at a magazine was that they are human beings too, quirks and all.
On the real behind-the-scenes work of magazine production
Thinking back on the making of our magazine's September Issue, I realized the difference between producing an international fashion magazine and a local one boiled down to economics.
Beyond the beautiful pictures, extravagant clothes, and pretty faces, we also had to ride a dilapidated service van with deteriorated shock absorbers and no air-conditioning to transport all the clothes.
There was also making P1000 stretch to feed a team of fifteen because that was what was left in my wallet (thank God for McDo).
And then there’s hand sewing the hem of a dress that tore from having your model vogue it out on pieces of scaffolding.
I realized that these editors—my officemates, dressed mostly in designer garb and Louboutin heels—are a most tenacious breed of workers. They clamor to get the latest Alexander Wang pump for themselves but will not think twice about getting them dirty if it means getting the job done.
During deadline week, one would see a line of deliverymen at the office lobby and MSG-hungry editors awaiting their late night feast. One of my favorite memories still comprise of my team staying in the office until 2 A.M. just churning out copy for the magazine. Contrary to the stigma of fashionistas, these editors do eat. They just manage to make it look like breathing air is the only sustenance they need to look as good as they do.
High fashion is the most glamorous and simultaneously unglamorous job there is. You will get yelled at, bloated, and at times go broke, but as cheesy as it sounds, it's all worth it.
On getting free stuff
Everything ever said about the freebies is true.
In retrospect, I must have received enough products to last me the next five years. I get products on a regular basis to test and write about for the magazine. Which is totally awesome, of course. But my best and most memorable perk to date was being flown to different countries for press junkets—all expenses paid. These brands will wine and dine you and orchestrate a memorable experience for you, all to have a knock-out feature in your pages.
I remember my Editor-in-Chief advising me to be careful about this perk, and to avoid falling prey to the allure of free stuff. Thinking about it now, this was actually advice regarding how much power my job had.
Brands send magazines their latest products for reviewing in detail. I always made it a point to only put my stamp of approval on things I truly believed in. The thing about being part of a magazine is that there is prestige in what you represent. Readers trust the editors to know what has been tried, tested, and effective. Likewise what is “in” and current in the fashion scene.
This trust between reader and editor is golden and it is the driving force of your job as a writer.
On officemates and character
I met all sorts of people in this business. Most of the people I worked with, competing peers included, came from well-to-do families and top-notch universities.
The truth is, this job is for people who work for love, not money. The publishing world is notorious for paying very little; thus, most editors I know don’t do it for the money. They have the innate ability to work hard for something they love.
This job is for people who won’t get knocked out by the first punch.
It’s for people with character.
Like all other companies out there, though, working at a magazine entails stress and contrasting personalities. Catfights and shouting discussions are expected. Package them in designer apparel and pretty makeup, and it just gets all the more intimidating.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve made the best of friends in this industry too, often in the form of talented makeup artists, hair stylists (whom I personally think are the unsung heroes of the fashion world), brand managers, and fellow editors.
Despite leaving the industry, I’m happy to say I’ve kept a few great friends from my stint in the publishing world. It was through the friendship of these down-to-earth people that I was able to get inspired and manage to make it through the tough times.
I learned that judging people by how they look or how they live their life is the fast-track to ending up alone.
On life after the gloss
For two years, I breathed, ate and dreamt of nothing but fashion. There will always be people out there who think this job is easy and superficial—but they couldn’t be more wrong.
I must say that it was one of the hardest and most trying times of my life, but also the most fulfilling and exhilarating. That’s the thing about doing something you love, it’s impossible not to get consumed by it. Stepping out of that office for the last time, I was thrown into the world again.
Now, wide-eyed and completely guilt-free, I am equipped with enough confidence to keep writing and exploring the rest of what life has to offer. — VC, GMA News
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Male Chauvinism 2.0
My gorgeous writer-friend and I share the same dilemma of
getting unwanted attention on streets by male chauvinists. We hate it. With that,
she posted poetry on feminism that I would like to share.
This is a follow-up post on my recently-published entry, “Women
as Objects and Why I don’t Wear Shorts That Much”:
For the Men Who Still Don’t Get It (Carol Diehl)
What if
all women were bigger and stronger than you
and thought they were smarter
What if
women were the ones who started wars
What if
too many of your friends had been raped by women wielding giant dildos
and no K-Y Jelly
What if
the state trooper
who pulled you over on the New Jersey Turnpike
was a woman
and carried a gun
What if
the ability to menstruate
was the prerequisite for most high-paying jobs
What if
your attractiveness to women depended
on the size of your penis
What if
every time women saw you
they'd hoot and make jerking motions with their hands
What if
women were always making jokes
about how ugly penises are
and how bad sperm tastes
What if
you had to explain what's wrong with your car
to big sweaty women with greasy hands
who stared at your crotch
in a garage where you are surrounded
by posters of naked men with hard-ons
What if
men's magazines featured cover photos
of 14-year-old boys
with socks
tucked into the front of their jeans
and articles like:
"How to tell if your wife is unfaithful"
or
"What your doctor won't tell you about your prostate"
or
"The truth about impotence"
What if
the doctor who examined your prostate
was a woman
and called you "Honey"
What if
you had to inhale your boss's stale cigar breath
as she insisted that sleeping with her
was part of the job
What if
you couldn't get away because
the company dress code required
you wear shoes
designed to keep you from running
And what if
after all that
women still wanted you
to love them.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
fake it 'til you make it
"Sometimes it is not enough that we do our best; we must do what is required." Winston Churchill
***
There are times when I find myself in an upscale social gathering and ask myself, what am I doing here??
Amidst the ladies and gentlemen dressed to the nines, here I am in a corner, socially awkward: wearing pants and t-shirt, scrolling my phone to appear busy, and randomly smiling at people who look at me and are probably thinking what is she doing here? (It's cocktails time, by the way.)
I am covering a birthday bash of someone I do not know. Apparently, the birthday girl is a social being on top of the societal hierarchy. So what to do? Just do it! Jot down notes, take pictures, tweet the event, and wait until the curtains close.
***
This isn't a rant on one of my coverages rather a post on how amusing, bewildering it is to witness a "sosyalan" when you came to it unprepared. I should have worn a dress had I known. Dressed up or down, what matters most is that I get the details and write the "story".
***
There are times when I find myself in an upscale social gathering and ask myself, what am I doing here??
Amidst the ladies and gentlemen dressed to the nines, here I am in a corner, socially awkward: wearing pants and t-shirt, scrolling my phone to appear busy, and randomly smiling at people who look at me and are probably thinking what is she doing here? (It's cocktails time, by the way.)
I am covering a birthday bash of someone I do not know. Apparently, the birthday girl is a social being on top of the societal hierarchy. So what to do? Just do it! Jot down notes, take pictures, tweet the event, and wait until the curtains close.
***
This isn't a rant on one of my coverages rather a post on how amusing, bewildering it is to witness a "sosyalan" when you came to it unprepared. I should have worn a dress had I known. Dressed up or down, what matters most is that I get the details and write the "story".
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Thank you!
I would like to thank all the interesting and boring persons I get to meet *every day. Cheers to those dreamers and shakers who inspired me to be better, and thanks to those lifeless people I encountered for setting the example of what not to do.
(*Every day, by the way, is two words when you mean, each day. Apparently, a lot of people are confused with how to spell it.)
Thank you, Jas, a friend/colleague from Business World who inspired me to write--no matter how short or gibberish a topic may be--every day. Her blog sparked my interest of reviving this dying online notebook and my eternal love for writing on my journal. She too has her journal with her. From this day forward, I vow to write, draw, doodle on every blank piece of paper. So don't throw that receipt or napkin, I might need them!
To sir Lito Cinco, an established Lifestyle and Sports writer, teacher, and PR practitioner, thanks sir! I look forward to sharing the same media coverage with you again. Sir Lito has been writing and contributing on daily newspapers and online publications, and these are what he taught me:
And to you, dear 'un-passionate' being, thank you for unconsciously teaching me how not to be unproductive.
Thank you very much.
(*Every day, by the way, is two words when you mean, each day. Apparently, a lot of people are confused with how to spell it.)
Thank you, Jas, a friend/colleague from Business World who inspired me to write--no matter how short or gibberish a topic may be--every day. Her blog sparked my interest of reviving this dying online notebook and my eternal love for writing on my journal. She too has her journal with her. From this day forward, I vow to write, draw, doodle on every blank piece of paper. So don't throw that receipt or napkin, I might need them!
To sir Lito Cinco, an established Lifestyle and Sports writer, teacher, and PR practitioner, thanks sir! I look forward to sharing the same media coverage with you again. Sir Lito has been writing and contributing on daily newspapers and online publications, and these are what he taught me:
- Always sit on the front row during press conference so you'll get the best view
- Do not be afraid to ask, but of course, fire interesting and intelligent questions
- Always be on time
- Always think out of the box, think of a unique angle on stories (He once covered a bullfighting festival. And since this sport caters to the alpha males, his story focused on how it is to be a cowgirl instead. His interviewees were all chicks.)
- Do not forget to bring notepads and books, just in case the coverage gets boring
And to you, dear 'un-passionate' being, thank you for unconsciously teaching me how not to be unproductive.
Thank you very much.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
38 foreign words we could use in english (from mentalfloss)
Sometimes we must turn to other languages to find le mot juste. Here are a whole bunch of foreign words with no direct English equivalent.
1. Kummerspeck (German)
Excess weight gained from emotional overeating. Literally, grief bacon.
Excess weight gained from emotional overeating. Literally, grief bacon.
2. Shemomedjamo (Georgian)
You know when you’re really full, but your meal is just so delicious, you can’t stop eating it? The Georgians feel your pain. This word means, “I accidentally ate the whole thing."
You know when you’re really full, but your meal is just so delicious, you can’t stop eating it? The Georgians feel your pain. This word means, “I accidentally ate the whole thing."
3. Tartle (Scots)
The nearly onomatopoeic word for that panicky hesitation just before you have to introduce someone whose name you can't quite remember.
The nearly onomatopoeic word for that panicky hesitation just before you have to introduce someone whose name you can't quite remember.
4. Mamihlapinatapai (Yaghan language of Tierra del Fuego)
This word captures that special look shared between two people, when both are wishing that the other would do something that they both want, but neither want to do.
This word captures that special look shared between two people, when both are wishing that the other would do something that they both want, but neither want to do.
5. Backpfeifengesicht (German)
A face badly in need of a fist.
A face badly in need of a fist.
6. Iktsuarpok (Inuit)
You know that feeling of anticipation when you’re waiting for someone to show up at your house and you keep going outside to see if they’re there yet? This is the word for it.
You know that feeling of anticipation when you’re waiting for someone to show up at your house and you keep going outside to see if they’re there yet? This is the word for it.
7. Pelinti (Buli, Ghana)
Your friend bites into a piece of piping hot pizza, then opens his mouth and sort of tilts his head around while making an “aaaarrrahh” noise. The Ghanaians have a word for that. More specifically, it means “to move hot food around in your mouth.”
Your friend bites into a piece of piping hot pizza, then opens his mouth and sort of tilts his head around while making an “aaaarrrahh” noise. The Ghanaians have a word for that. More specifically, it means “to move hot food around in your mouth.”
8. Greng-jai (Thai)
That feeling you get when you don't want someone to do something for you because it would be a pain for them.
That feeling you get when you don't want someone to do something for you because it would be a pain for them.
9. Mencolek (Indonesian)
You know that old trick where you tap someone lightly on the opposite shoulder from behind to fool them? The Indonesians have a word for it.
You know that old trick where you tap someone lightly on the opposite shoulder from behind to fool them? The Indonesians have a word for it.
10. Faamiti (Samoan)
To make a squeaking sound by sucking air past the lips in order to gain the attention of a dog or child.
To make a squeaking sound by sucking air past the lips in order to gain the attention of a dog or child.
11. Gigil (Filipino)
The urge to pinch or squeeze something that is irresistibly cute.
The urge to pinch or squeeze something that is irresistibly cute.
12. Yuputka (Ulwa)
A word made for walking in the woods at night, it’s the phantom sensation of something crawling on your skin.
A word made for walking in the woods at night, it’s the phantom sensation of something crawling on your skin.
13. Zhaghzhagh (Persian)
The chattering of teeth from the cold or from rage.
The chattering of teeth from the cold or from rage.
14. Vybafnout (Czech)
A word tailor-made for annoying older brothers—it means to jump out and say boo.
A word tailor-made for annoying older brothers—it means to jump out and say boo.
15. Fremdschämen (German); Myötähäpeä (Finnish)
The kindler, gentler cousins of Schadenfreude, both these words mean something akin to "vicarious embarrassment.”
The kindler, gentler cousins of Schadenfreude, both these words mean something akin to "vicarious embarrassment.”
16. Lagom (Swedish)
Maybe Goldilocks was Swedish? This slippery little word is hard to define, but means something like, “Not too much, and not too little, but juuuuust right.”
Maybe Goldilocks was Swedish? This slippery little word is hard to define, but means something like, “Not too much, and not too little, but juuuuust right.”
17. Pålegg (Norweigian)
Sandwich Artists unite! The Norwegians have a non-specific descriptor for anything – ham, cheese, jam, Nutella, mustard, herring, pickles, Doritos, you name it – you might consider putting into a sandwich.
Sandwich Artists unite! The Norwegians have a non-specific descriptor for anything – ham, cheese, jam, Nutella, mustard, herring, pickles, Doritos, you name it – you might consider putting into a sandwich.
18. Layogenic (Tagalog)
Remember in Clueless when Cher describes someone as “a full-on Monet…from far away, it’s OK, but up close it’s a big old mess”? That’s exactly what this word means.
Remember in Clueless when Cher describes someone as “a full-on Monet…from far away, it’s OK, but up close it’s a big old mess”? That’s exactly what this word means.
19. Bakku-shan (Japanese)
Or there's this Japanese slang term, which describes the experience of seeing a woman who appears pretty from behind but not from the front.
Or there's this Japanese slang term, which describes the experience of seeing a woman who appears pretty from behind but not from the front.
20. Seigneur-terraces (French)
Coffee shop dwellers who sit at tables a long time but spend little money.
Coffee shop dwellers who sit at tables a long time but spend little money.
21. Ya’arburnee (Arabic)
This word is the hopeful declaration that you will die before someone you love deeply, because you cannot stand to live without them. Literally, may you bury me.
This word is the hopeful declaration that you will die before someone you love deeply, because you cannot stand to live without them. Literally, may you bury me.
22. Pana Po’o (Hawaiian)
“Hmm, now where did I leave those keys?” he said, pana po’oing. It means to scratch your head in order to help you remember something you’ve forgotten.
“Hmm, now where did I leave those keys?” he said, pana po’oing. It means to scratch your head in order to help you remember something you’ve forgotten.
23. Slampadato (Italian)
Addicted to the UV glow of tanning salons? This word describes you.
Addicted to the UV glow of tanning salons? This word describes you.
24. Zeg (Georgian)
It means “the day after tomorrow.” OK, we do have "overmorrow" in English, but when was the last time someone used that?
It means “the day after tomorrow.” OK, we do have "overmorrow" in English, but when was the last time someone used that?
25. Cafune (Brazilian Portuguese)
Leave it to the Brazilians to come up with a word for “tenderly running your fingers through your lover’s hair.”
Leave it to the Brazilians to come up with a word for “tenderly running your fingers through your lover’s hair.”
26. Koi No Yokan (Japanese)
The sense upon first meeting a person that the two of you are going to fall in love.
The sense upon first meeting a person that the two of you are going to fall in love.
27. Kaelling (Danish)
You know that woman who stands on her doorstep (or in line at the supermarket, or at the park, or in a restaurant) cursing at her children? The Danes know her, too.
You know that woman who stands on her doorstep (or in line at the supermarket, or at the park, or in a restaurant) cursing at her children? The Danes know her, too.
28. Boketto (Japanese)
It’s nice to know that the Japanese think enough of the act of gazing vacantly into the distance without thinking to give it a name.
It’s nice to know that the Japanese think enough of the act of gazing vacantly into the distance without thinking to give it a name.
29. L’esprit de l’escalier (French)
Literally, stairwell wit—a too-late retort thought of only after departure.
Literally, stairwell wit—a too-late retort thought of only after departure.
30. Cotisuelto (Caribbean Spanish)
A word that would aptly describe the prevailing fashion trend among American men under 40, it means one who wears the shirt tail outside of his trousers.
A word that would aptly describe the prevailing fashion trend among American men under 40, it means one who wears the shirt tail outside of his trousers.
31. Packesel (German)
The packesel is the person who’s stuck carrying everyone else’s bags on a trip. Literally, a burro.
The packesel is the person who’s stuck carrying everyone else’s bags on a trip. Literally, a burro.
32. Hygge (Danish)
Denmark’s mantra, hygge is the pleasant, genial, and intimate feeling associated with sitting around a fire in the winter with close friends.
Denmark’s mantra, hygge is the pleasant, genial, and intimate feeling associated with sitting around a fire in the winter with close friends.
33. Cavoli Riscaldati (Italian)
The result of attempting to revive an unworkable relationship. Translates to "reheated cabbage."
The result of attempting to revive an unworkable relationship. Translates to "reheated cabbage."
34. Bilita Mpash (Bantu)
An amazing dream. Not just a "good" dream; the opposite of a nightmare.
An amazing dream. Not just a "good" dream; the opposite of a nightmare.
35. Litost (Czech)
Milan Kundera described the emotion as “a state of torment created by the sudden sight of one’s own misery.”
Milan Kundera described the emotion as “a state of torment created by the sudden sight of one’s own misery.”
36. Luftmensch (Yiddish)
There are several Yiddish words to describe social misfits. This one is for an impractical dreamer with no business sense.
There are several Yiddish words to describe social misfits. This one is for an impractical dreamer with no business sense.
37 & 38. Schlemiel and schlimazel (Yiddish)
Someone prone to bad luck. Yiddish distinguishes between the schlemiel and schlimazel, whose fates would probably be grouped under those of the klutz in other languages. The schlemiel is the traditional maladroit, who spills his coffee; the schlimazel is the one on whom it's spilled.
Someone prone to bad luck. Yiddish distinguishes between the schlemiel and schlimazel, whose fates would probably be grouped under those of the klutz in other languages. The schlemiel is the traditional maladroit, who spills his coffee; the schlimazel is the one on whom it's spilled.
Read the full text here: http://mentalfloss.com/article/50698/38-wonderful-foreign-words-we-could-use-english#ixzz2Wd0vR5vZ
--brought to you by mental_floss!
Sunday, May 26, 2013
(from brainpickings.org)
link
Good Writing vs. Talented Writing
by Maria Popova
“Talented writing makes things happen in the reader’s mind — vividly, forcefully — that good writing, which stops with clarity and logic, doesn’t.”
The secrets of good writing have been debatedagain and again and again. But “good writing” might, after all, be the wrong ideal to aim for. In About Writing: Seven Essays, Four Letters, and Five Interviews (public library), celebrated author and literary critic Samuel Delany — who, for a fascinating factlet, penned the controversial 1972 “women’s liberation” issue of Wonder Woman — synthesizes his most valuable insights from thirty-five years of teaching creative writing, a fine addition to beloved writers’ advice on writing. One of his key observations is the crucial difference between “good writing” and “talented writing,” the former being largely the product of technique (and we know from H.P. Lovecraft that “no aspiring author should content himself with a mere acquisition of technical rules”), the other a matter of linguistic and aesthetic sensitivity:Though they have things in common, good writing andtalented writing are not the same.[…]If you start with a confused, unclear, and badly written story, and apply the rules of good writing to it, you can probably turn it into a simple, logical, clearly written story. It will still not be a good one. The major fault of eighty-five to ninety-five percent of all fiction is that it is banal and dull.Now old stories can always be told with new language. You can even add new characters to them; you can use them to dramatize new ideas. But eventually even the new language, characters, and ideas lose their ability to invigorate.Either in content or in style, in subject matter or in rhetorical approach, fiction that is too much like other fiction is bad by definition. However paradoxical it sounds, good writing as a set of strictures (that is, when the writing is good and nothing more) produces most bad fiction. On one level or another, the realization of this is finally what turns most writers away from writing.Talented writing is, however, something else. You need talent to write fiction.Good writing is clear. Talented writing is energetic. Good writing avoids errors. Talented writing makes things happen in the reader’s mind — vividly, forcefully — that good writing, which stops with clarity and logic, doesn’t.
Virginia Wolf knew subtlety was the key to craftsmanship when she counseled that “we have to allow the sunken meanings to remain sunken, suggested, not stated.” “All bad writers are in love with the epic,” Hemingway admonished. The talented writer, Delany reminds us, is a master of induction, suggesting the general through the deft deployment of the specific, and in the process producing an even greater dramatic effect than the bombast of sweeping statements ever could:
The talented writer often uses specifics and avoids generalities — generalities that his or her specifics suggest. Because they are suggested, rather than stated, they may register with the reader far more forcefully than if they were articulated. Using specifics to imply generalities — whether they are general emotions we all know or ideas we have all vaguely sensed — is dramatic writing. A trickier proposition that takes just as much talent requires the writer carefully to arrange generalities for a page or five pages, followed by a specific that makes the generalities open up and take on new resonance. … Indeed, it might be called the opposite of “dramatic” writing, but it can be just as strong — if not, sometimes, stronger.
“Words have their own firmness,” Susan Sontag reflected in her diary. “Use the right word, not its second cousin,” Mark Twain famously advised, but great writing isn’t just a mere matter of concision. As E.B. White reminded us,“Writing is not an exercise in excision, it’s a journey into sound.” Delany bisociatesthis dual requirement for precision and eloquence, with precision and eloquence:
The talented writer often uses rhetorically interesting, musical, or lyrical phrases that are briefer than the pedestrian way of saying “the same thing.”The talented writer can explode, as with a verbal microscope, some fleeting sensation or action, tease out insights, and describe subsensations that we all recognize, even if we have rarely considered them before; that is, he or she describes them at greater length and tells more about them than other writers.In complex sentences with multiple clauses that relate in complex ways, the talented writer will organize those clauses in the chronological order in which the referents occur, despite the logical relation grammar imposes.
In fact, the true potency of “talented writing,” Delany suggests, lies in its ability to compress subtle yet all-consuming sensation into an enormously efficient information packet. In many ways, the talented writer possesses the same qualities Wordsworth ascribed to the poet when he described him as someone “endowed with more lively sensibility, more enthusiasm and tenderness, who has a greater knowledge of human nature, and a more comprehensive soul, than are supposed to be common among mankind.” Delany concludes:
Talented writing tends to contain more information, sentence for sentence, clause for clause, than merely good writing. … It also employs rhetorical parallels and differences. . . . It pays attention to the sounds and rhythms of its sentences. . . . Much of the information it proffers is implied. … These are among the things that indicate talent.
About Writing: Seven Essays, Four Letters, and Five Interviews goes on to explore such facets of the craft as character and plot development, the intricacies of “pure storytelling,” and how to manage creative doubt.
Monday, January 21, 2013
what Ricky Lo taught me
“Woe to the writer who cannot start, let
alone keep a conversation going.” AA
Patawaran, Write Here Write Now
Interviewing
a subject is part of writing. One cannot write without materials hence, make
the most out of the interview, ask questions—as many queries as you can—and do
not assume. Ask.
In most
cases, a subject has apprehensions and reservations. It is the task of the
interviewer to dig deep and let the subject feel at ease and let her hair and/or
his guard down.
However, this
seemingly simple task of asking questions about a subject is not as easy as it
seems. Apparently, even the most experienced journalist, writer, host, or
columnist may fall into the trap of an awkward and scrambled interview session.
Recently,
local writer/columnist Ricky Lo made a headline for his controversial interview
with Les Miz star Anne Hathaway. The interview was gauche and trying hard, you
can sense it and you can see it in the eyes of Anne and Ricky. Some blame it on
the “cultural differences” that made the four-minute interview session a
slapdash.
#SelfNotes:
- 1. Smile. Who wouldn’t sport his/her megawatt smile when Anne Hathaway is around? Ricky Lo hardly smiles.
- 2. Project a lively image. Lo was way too serious, maybe he was nervous?
- 3. Keep calm and not stutter. Lo dropped his phone during the interview and he was struggling to voice out his questions.
- 4. Drop the links—if the subject said something about something ask about it. E.g.
“Q: What
do you do during free time?”
“A: I do a lot during free time. I basically
allot it for ‘me-time.’”
A
good conversationalist would ask to elaborate the vague answer while a mediocre interviewer would rather move on to the question he formulated at the back of
his mind. This leads us to the last lesson.
- 5. While it is good to note down interview questions, AA Patawaran said in his book, “Write Here Write Now,” that it is better to throw away all the questions formulated and just listen to the conversation. Questions will come out naturally. Ricky Lo was busy reading his questions while Anne was still explaining something.
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