Emoticons and a full rank matrix
When I got my first phone connection in Korea, my contact list was just limited to my labmates and the other GSP students. But after 7 months, that list has expanded significantly. And so has the number of Korean text messages that I recieve. Though my Korean has improved significantly over the past 3 months, I'm yet to be comfortable with the kind of Korean used in SMS .... and most importantly - the emoctions. Though I have been and am associated with some 'cutting edge' research and consider myself well versed with developments in technology, when it comes to SMS - I'm still a cave-man from the last ice-age. If there was an SMS and emoction awareness index, my score would be close to the 'retard' range! And every time I receive a message (most of which are loaded with emoctions) ... I have to call up that person in order to understand the message. Though these emoctions might be popular in global SMS culture, they were new to me. I can recall a few of them now:
V(-_-)V ... a face in the middle and V for victory on either side. The V sign is the most popular sign while taking photographs in Korea and it is virtually impossible to find the picture of Korean without a V sign. It might be noted that, we prefer using just one finger in our photographs (and that too a different one, instead of 2! )
-_-)=b ... thumbs up sign next to a face
@.@ ... surprised ... eyes wide open (try to understand in the Korean context!)
~~ ... stretched intonation ... as in oh~~ = ohhhhhooooooo
ㅠㅠ ... korean character (vowel pronounced as 'you') .... means tears or sad
^.* ... wink
There are many more but I can't recall them at this moment. Many of them use Korean character. Recently, I have developed a keen interest in understanding Korean culture - both ancient and contemporary ... and also the Korean psyche. This Saturday, Stepan, Ivan and I went to the sauna in the evening and then to drink at around 11pm. It had been a really long time since we had a nice drink and enjoyed the atmosphere and the conversation. But as it happens in long drinking sessions - the conversation becomes more colorful and interesting, as time progresses. It was around 1am and we began dissecting the Korean psyche. Already under the influence of 2 pints of beer and multiple whiskeys, the conversation combined widely different fields of study under one banner - from linguistics to history, from human migration to cinematography, from arts to linear algebra! Almost a year back, I discovered something called the 'Single Malt' effect but it seems that half-a-way across the world, whiskey continues to fire my imagination and that of those around me!
We were talking about the Korean alphabet system and its influence from the Chinese script. The modern Korean language is just about 500 years old. Korean language lacks in certain sounds or phones, that are present in other languages and has some that are not present in others. Since the other guys were Russian, they cited examples from their own script and Latin. Chinese is a character based language and hence there are a large number of characters, while Latin or modern Korean being alphabet based, has far less number of characters. Amidst the blue smoke and the golden brown, I commented, "Yeah, the ancient languages are like high-dimensional matrices with incomplete rank ... they have a lot of redundancies. Relatively modern languages are like low dimensional full rank or almost full rank ones ... lot less redundancies due to greater independence of components". In reply, Stepan added, "Yes, exactly, like orthogonal basis ... greater uncorrelatedness among the alphabets". And then there was silence ... we just stared at each other for some time and started laughing. We realised that we were beginning to drift off into another world and it was time to stop and go home to sleep!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Threesome : Dreams that melt away with the winter snow ...
Yesterday, I finished watching my first Korean drama. Its international title is Winter Sonata. Aired in 2002, it is widely believed to be one of the most popular TV dramas not only in Korea but also many parts of East Asia - elevating the principal characters to demi-god status in Korea and Japan. It was a part of the Korean wave that swept through this part of the world a few years. I started watching it with the hope of learning colloquial Korean - sort of reinforcing what I learn in the language class. I must confess that I've never watched any romantic TV series earlier and hence was a total stranger to this genre. Tired by an overdose of war, bloodshed and reality, I tried giving Winter Sonata a chance in the dying days of the winter, amidst the cherry blossoms.
It turned out to be a great way to learn certain daily expressions, which I've been able to use to quite an effect! However, the purely 'academic' purpose was replaced by a genuine interest in the story after a few episodes. The story revolves around 3 main characters - Joon-sang(JS), Yu-jin(YJ) and Sank-Hyuk(SH). Hence the title :) The classic case of a triangle. It compares to Casablanca and Sindbad - the legend of the seven seas. A woman trapped between 2 men, both of whom love her dearly. Comparing the men who 'lost' in the end - SH is probably the weakest character when compared to the prince of Damascus and Rick. However, the protagonist in this story, JS, though he gets his girl in the end, has to pay for with his eye-sight.
The story starts with the 3 main characters in high school and how the triangle develops. SH loves YJ but YJ loves JS. Unfortunately, JS 'dies' in a traffic accident, only to mysteriously reappear 10 years later on the days of YJ's engagement with SH. YJ faints at the sight of her 'first love' and then things get entangled. JS is also searching for his father, who, her mother claims is dead. Towards the end, it turned out that YJ was actually JS's half-sister(man, 10 years of wait and then this !!!) and so they had to break. Seeing a window opening up, SH tries to fill in a the gap in YJ's life and restake his claim. But by another twist, it turns out that JS is actually not related to YJ but to SH. A twisted tale of love and betrayal over 2 generations and a horribly entangled thread in the end. Then our knight in shining armor - JS, displaying the chivalry of a Templar, gives up his claim on YJ, even after knowing the truth. The multiple accidents and 2 memory refreshes has left potentially fatal blood clots in his brain. The dude decides to leave for the States to get operated and away from YJ. At this point, SH, who had been acting selfish so far, comes forward to reciprocate the chivalry and hands over a ticket to JFK to YJ and tells her to pursue her love, instead of going over to France for higher studies. But, our pretty YJ, it seems have been hardened by the circumstances and decides to give up JS and heads over to Paris, leaving her JFK boarding pass behind ... man, what a scene! Though she almost cried to the point of dehydration, before making up her choice. The end is however a happy one, when JS and YJ meet on a balcony overlooking the sea, though our hero had lost his sight due to the injury to his brain.
It was a refreshing change after all the documentaries on Crusades, World War, genocide, war crimes, middle east. Winter Sonata did touch the heart, hardened by war, pain and reality! :P
But more than the just the romantic aspect of the series, I was impressed by the cinematography, the expressions and at certain places, really good and honest acting.
Some of the scenes were wonderfully portrayed and the dialogues carefully crafted. The background music also greatly enhanced the feel. I also greatly enjoyed the use of symbolism and the subtlety with which it was used.
Certain scenes, like YJ and JS fixing the torn seat of the bus with the band-aids, the snowmen, the lost piece of the puzzle, Polaris, JS finishing of the layout of YJ's dream design, in a single night before loosing his eye sight (kinda reminds me of Euler and Galois ... and how they reacted when they realised that there days were numbered) ... were materpieces of symbolic portrayal. The dialogues were also very beautiful in certain places and made the script very powerful indeed.
Winter Sonata has changed my perception of contemporary Korean TV shows and cinema, greatly increasing my respect for the director Yoon Suk-ho and the actors portraying JS (Bae Yong Joon) and YJ (Choi Ji Woo). It has also inspired me to watch other Korean series and with time hopefully develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of the use of Korean language and the visual art of contemporary Korea.
Its good to realise that finally, I'm writing something more than just travelogues. Maybe, its because of the arrival of spring or maybe, I'm changing myself ... becoming more human, as some might say :P
Yesterday, I finished watching my first Korean drama. Its international title is Winter Sonata. Aired in 2002, it is widely believed to be one of the most popular TV dramas not only in Korea but also many parts of East Asia - elevating the principal characters to demi-god status in Korea and Japan. It was a part of the Korean wave that swept through this part of the world a few years. I started watching it with the hope of learning colloquial Korean - sort of reinforcing what I learn in the language class. I must confess that I've never watched any romantic TV series earlier and hence was a total stranger to this genre. Tired by an overdose of war, bloodshed and reality, I tried giving Winter Sonata a chance in the dying days of the winter, amidst the cherry blossoms.
It turned out to be a great way to learn certain daily expressions, which I've been able to use to quite an effect! However, the purely 'academic' purpose was replaced by a genuine interest in the story after a few episodes. The story revolves around 3 main characters - Joon-sang(JS), Yu-jin(YJ) and Sank-Hyuk(SH). Hence the title :) The classic case of a triangle. It compares to Casablanca and Sindbad - the legend of the seven seas. A woman trapped between 2 men, both of whom love her dearly. Comparing the men who 'lost' in the end - SH is probably the weakest character when compared to the prince of Damascus and Rick. However, the protagonist in this story, JS, though he gets his girl in the end, has to pay for with his eye-sight.
The story starts with the 3 main characters in high school and how the triangle develops. SH loves YJ but YJ loves JS. Unfortunately, JS 'dies' in a traffic accident, only to mysteriously reappear 10 years later on the days of YJ's engagement with SH. YJ faints at the sight of her 'first love' and then things get entangled. JS is also searching for his father, who, her mother claims is dead. Towards the end, it turned out that YJ was actually JS's half-sister(man, 10 years of wait and then this !!!) and so they had to break. Seeing a window opening up, SH tries to fill in a the gap in YJ's life and restake his claim. But by another twist, it turns out that JS is actually not related to YJ but to SH. A twisted tale of love and betrayal over 2 generations and a horribly entangled thread in the end. Then our knight in shining armor - JS, displaying the chivalry of a Templar, gives up his claim on YJ, even after knowing the truth. The multiple accidents and 2 memory refreshes has left potentially fatal blood clots in his brain. The dude decides to leave for the States to get operated and away from YJ. At this point, SH, who had been acting selfish so far, comes forward to reciprocate the chivalry and hands over a ticket to JFK to YJ and tells her to pursue her love, instead of going over to France for higher studies. But, our pretty YJ, it seems have been hardened by the circumstances and decides to give up JS and heads over to Paris, leaving her JFK boarding pass behind ... man, what a scene! Though she almost cried to the point of dehydration, before making up her choice. The end is however a happy one, when JS and YJ meet on a balcony overlooking the sea, though our hero had lost his sight due to the injury to his brain.
It was a refreshing change after all the documentaries on Crusades, World War, genocide, war crimes, middle east. Winter Sonata did touch the heart, hardened by war, pain and reality! :P
But more than the just the romantic aspect of the series, I was impressed by the cinematography, the expressions and at certain places, really good and honest acting.
Some of the scenes were wonderfully portrayed and the dialogues carefully crafted. The background music also greatly enhanced the feel. I also greatly enjoyed the use of symbolism and the subtlety with which it was used.
Certain scenes, like YJ and JS fixing the torn seat of the bus with the band-aids, the snowmen, the lost piece of the puzzle, Polaris, JS finishing of the layout of YJ's dream design, in a single night before loosing his eye sight (kinda reminds me of Euler and Galois ... and how they reacted when they realised that there days were numbered) ... were materpieces of symbolic portrayal. The dialogues were also very beautiful in certain places and made the script very powerful indeed.
Winter Sonata has changed my perception of contemporary Korean TV shows and cinema, greatly increasing my respect for the director Yoon Suk-ho and the actors portraying JS (Bae Yong Joon) and YJ (Choi Ji Woo). It has also inspired me to watch other Korean series and with time hopefully develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of the use of Korean language and the visual art of contemporary Korea.
Its good to realise that finally, I'm writing something more than just travelogues. Maybe, its because of the arrival of spring or maybe, I'm changing myself ... becoming more human, as some might say :P
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Rise of the urban-explorer
Its been a really long time since I've had the chance to explore the labyrinth of a big city - not the skyscraper lined boulevards or the ritzy cocktail bars but the small part of the city that still retains its ancient charm. With the thread getting more entangled this semester, its been really difficult to find time to enjoy the spring in Seoul. But this weekend, the issue 19 of Quill was finalised and after some minor editing on the drafts, I was free for the rest of a nice Saturday afternoon and decided to head to Insadong. Though I've been living in Seoul for the almost 8 months now, I've never been to Insadong before. It is famous for its antique and art-work shops and galleries. So, with more than 2 hours to spare and a brand new aviator to screen my eyes from the sun, I headed for Insadong-gil.
Hundreds of shops line the main road and an equally large number of then ducked in the small lanes branching off. They sold Korean pottery, wood carving, silk paintings, bronze sculptures, jewellery. Certain things attracted my attention - an exquisitely carved jade horse, a hand-crafted wooden pencil stand, a couple of nice green caldron Korean pottery set. This placed has sparked a new interest in traditional Korean art and I'm likely to spend some more time from now onwards studying about it. But what I liked most about Insadong was the atmosphere. The main street is traffic free for most of the time on weekends, so no dodging crazy bikers or waiting for the light to cross the road. The atmosphere is relaxed and though there are a lot of people around, it doesn't feel crowded.
Exploring cities can be fun, if you choose the right place. Its been a long time, since the rainy days of Berlin, that I've donned the hat of an urban explorer. With life getting increasingly busy, its difficult to find time to go on extended trips, so in the days to come, the urban explorer is likely to persist, as opposed to the temple hopper that emerged in Cambodia, a few months back. Insadong a renewed my interest in Seoul and making good use of the weekends, and I'm likely delve deeper into the world on Korean art, thanks to that sunny Saturday afternoon.
To end, a few pictures of the spring flowers in Yoeido park.
Its been a really long time since I've had the chance to explore the labyrinth of a big city - not the skyscraper lined boulevards or the ritzy cocktail bars but the small part of the city that still retains its ancient charm. With the thread getting more entangled this semester, its been really difficult to find time to enjoy the spring in Seoul. But this weekend, the issue 19 of Quill was finalised and after some minor editing on the drafts, I was free for the rest of a nice Saturday afternoon and decided to head to Insadong. Though I've been living in Seoul for the almost 8 months now, I've never been to Insadong before. It is famous for its antique and art-work shops and galleries. So, with more than 2 hours to spare and a brand new aviator to screen my eyes from the sun, I headed for Insadong-gil.
Hundreds of shops line the main road and an equally large number of then ducked in the small lanes branching off. They sold Korean pottery, wood carving, silk paintings, bronze sculptures, jewellery. Certain things attracted my attention - an exquisitely carved jade horse, a hand-crafted wooden pencil stand, a couple of nice green caldron Korean pottery set. This placed has sparked a new interest in traditional Korean art and I'm likely to spend some more time from now onwards studying about it. But what I liked most about Insadong was the atmosphere. The main street is traffic free for most of the time on weekends, so no dodging crazy bikers or waiting for the light to cross the road. The atmosphere is relaxed and though there are a lot of people around, it doesn't feel crowded.
Exploring cities can be fun, if you choose the right place. Its been a long time, since the rainy days of Berlin, that I've donned the hat of an urban explorer. With life getting increasingly busy, its difficult to find time to go on extended trips, so in the days to come, the urban explorer is likely to persist, as opposed to the temple hopper that emerged in Cambodia, a few months back. Insadong a renewed my interest in Seoul and making good use of the weekends, and I'm likely delve deeper into the world on Korean art, thanks to that sunny Saturday afternoon.
To end, a few pictures of the spring flowers in Yoeido park.
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