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lhostgil · 10 months

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A small tidbit re. the translation of Kurt’s codename in Chinese

[Because I am bilingual, and my mother tongue is Mandarin Chinese.]

Kurt’s codename, “Nightcrawler” is translated as “夜行者” in Chinese.

Translated in the sense of individual word character (aka direct translation); the words can be taken as thus:

“夜” -- (noun) night; nighttime; evening.

“行“ -- (literary) go; walk; travel.

“者” -- a term affixed after a noun phrase to indicate a person or persons (think of it as the English equivalent of adding “er” or “ist” to a noun: eg. Labour --> Labourer/ Work --> Worker. In the present case, Travel --> Traveller.)

Therefore, it can be said that Kurt’s codename in Chinese is literally translated to “Night traveller”

However, here’s the interesting part. Either the original person who came up with such a translation did it unintentionally because by themselves the words do make sense...or they selected those words on purpose.

Because “行者” is a literary term that carries 2 meanings:

1. Passerby (in the sense of a wanderer); or 2. An itinerant monk (a Buddhist monk prior to his tonsure)

And before people start getting the wrong idea due to popular media portrayal; yes, there is a fairly strict cultural definition attached to the 2nd meaning of the term. [The closest equivalent in western culture (I believe) would be the mendicants.]

In essence, the term refers to a person who is a practitioner of the belief and philosophy but helps with chores in the temple. They can be monks and they can be lay adherents who have not yet shaved, or have yet to renounce their present lives to devote the rest of their time to study (aka have familial ties, are married, etc).

The origin of such a term developed during the ancient dynastic times (specifically during the Tang and Song Dynasties when Buddhism was being spread through the East-Asian sphere; i.e Ancient China, Korea and Japan). In the past, those who wanted to renounce their mundane lives to become a monk had to first become a “行者”.

In that period, the individuals learnt the theory + ‘hard knowledge’ and then embarked on their journey to obtain experience; to learn more about themselves and the world around them--the purpose of doing so, being to cultivate their own form of wisdom. Throughout such a journey, some chose not to follow through to the end; becoming teachers (teaching basic literacy) in rural areas where education was unavailable, or even settling down to become protectors of rural areas where a military presence was unable to be established (stories of bandits being dealt with/reformed, ferocious wild animals driven away etc).

Either way, from an objective standpoint--the main purpose of this was to help the individual find their way and place in the world. In a sense, the outcome wasn’t as important as the process undertaken to achieve it; this is about knowledge becoming wisdom--obtaining perspective and understanding of the world, not just mindless striving towards a goal.

You may wonder why all this is necessary if you are unfamiliar with the relevant culture/history; monks did not spend all day praying or meditating in their respective temples. They also acted primarily as emissaries and translators for the government.

It is only after passing the following government stipulations could a person be considered qualified and then be ordained as a monk: 1. passing screening by the government, 2. passing the examinations required, 3. obtaining the necessary certificates, 4. being appointed to be part of a monastery.

With their travelling to different countries to learn/obtain scriptures from temples in different countries (primarily India) a lot of cultural exchange was conducted in this manner--meaning that they had to have proper grasp of various spoken and written languages + cultures (at minimum for the time, China, Japan, Korea, India and Central Asia.) As a result of their travels, they also had to be in good health + some basic knowledge of self-defense and medication. In all but name, these monks were both scholars and warriors; they just didn’t go into the route of becoming a civil official and serving in the capacity of a bureaucrat.

In any case, the above would then give the translation the following nuance:

“夜” -- (noun) night; nighttime; evening.

“行者” -- (literary) Someone seeking the Path to Enlightenment (in context, a life removed from suffering); a wandering individual seeking Absolute Truth.

#x men #Nightcrawler #Kurt Wagner

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fortressofserenity · 1 year

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Underrepresented

I’m starting to think that whenever black people say that their interests are underrepresented in fandom, their concerns and experiences are going to be more legitimate than that of white people. Whenever white people overprioritise their interests and favourites above theirs, to the point where it’s even overrepresented in fandom, that’s when black people’s concerns get magnified.

To put it this way, there’s not much fannish attention paid to bands like The Platters and The Temptations the way there is for Backstreet Boys and Nsync even though the former two did many of the things the latter would do. In all honesty, I even named many Jojo stands after Platters and Temptations songs. Jojo being the series where characters have combat-ready supernatural familiars.

I even came up with a lot of black Jojo characters, trust me it’s really not that hard coming up with black Jojo characters when you have a sincere interest in black majority cultures such as those in Cameroon and Kenya. (Yes, many of my Jojo characters come from these two countries.) But this begs the question whether if white fans are sincerely interested in anything nonwhite.

Let alone anything that doesn’t approximate easily to whiteness and anything Japanese, since I don’t really see that many people getting this fannish over things like any one of the Indonesian Bumilangit superheroes well at least not to the same extent they do with DC and Marvel characters. There is fanart for Gundala, a lightning based character but that’s about it.

Meanwhile there’s no shortage of fanart based on white characters like Superman, Batman and Spider-Man. There’s no shortage of fanworks based on those three really, while there’s thankfully not much smutty fanworks for any one of the Bumilangit characters there’s nonetheless paucity of fanworks towards anything that doesn’t approximate easily to whiteness.

Let alone one that isn’t Japanese or Japanese-adjacent like that of Chinese danmei or KPop, it gets odder still when Vietnam is heavily sinicised yet its own stories don’t inspire that much fannish devotion the way Japanese stories do. (If I’m not mistaken, Vietnam is actually grouped under West and South Asia, alongside Singapore and Indonesia.)

Not that there’s anything wrong with being into East Asia and the Sinosphere, but that within many geek fandoms anything Asian’s almost always restricted to Japan and to a lesser extent, South Korea and China. Not so much other Asian countries like Indonesia and Vietnam, even though they’re just as interesting. And I’ve been learning Vietnamese and Indonesian for some time now.

It seems when it comes to geek fandoms, they almost always centre a lot on anything white and Western. Not so much if they’re African or come from other Asian countries that they might as well be ignored outside of their countries’ geeks altogether.

#bumilangit #gundala #racism #fandom #misogynoir #jojo's bizarre adventure #jojo no kimyō na bōken #the temptations #the platters #anti-blackness

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tianshiisdead · 2 years

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Huizu info dump

Okay so this info dump on the Hui ethnic minority of China, it's more for my own benefit than anyone else's. I've been trying to learn more through talking to that side of my family and doing research online so this is a convenient way to sort out and compile what I currently know and keep track of it for future references. I'll add on more info and correct in the future

In this post:

Background

Language (kinda)

Clothing

Food (a little bit)

Other

Background

Hui people are a unique ethnoreligious minority in China (and to a lesser extent, parts of Central Asia) who are descended from Islamic travelers along the silk road. Much of their heritage is a mix of Chinese and Central Asian in my experience, though some sources say many have Arabic or Persian roots, which I assume might apply to some other communities outside of my own. The Hui ethnic minority are primarily set apart by their adherence to Islam, and are one of the earliest Islamic people in China, spanning back over a thousand years, from as early as the Tang dynasty. Many Hui people are merchants or work in agriculture, scattered in enclaves across China, primarily Northwestern China but there are Hui people all over. This has caused many similar but distinct cultures and languages to rise up, all centered around Islam but with their own distinct traits. In my personal experience, Hui communities tend to be very isolated and don't encourage intermarrying. Many Hui communities also avoid certain Han holidays or modify them (ie my community doesn't celebrate any part of the Spring Festival/New Year outside of New Year's day), while primarily adhering to Islamic holidays. Due to the diverse communities across China, Hui communities can practice different forms of Islam and are influenced by different languages as well. They experienced periods of persecution in the Qing dynasty up to a sort of genocide in the nineteenth century, when they revolted against the Manchu government and were violently suppressed. Having experienced a level of religious persecution under the nationalist and communist governments, they regained a level of freedom post-cultural revolution, and the Ningxia Hui autonomous region was established. As the third largest ethnic group in China, there are many autonomous regions across the country, from the entire Ningxia province to small Hui towns.

The term 'huihui' was used in the northern Song dynasty to refer to present-day Uyghur people, however the term would later be used to denote Muslim people in China (including reverts/converts who are ethnically anything from Han to Tibetan), and then later on in the 1900s would start to be used specifically to describe the communities of present-day Hui people, descendants of silk road travelers and Muslims who migrated to and rose to prominence in China during the Mongolian ruled Yuan dynasty. Today, 'Hui' is primarily an ethnic marker, non-Muslim ethnic Hui are still considered Hui while Chinese Muslim reverts/converts may not be. Religious or not, Islam strongly influences Hui culture in general and many nonreligious Hui still adhere to certain religious traditions out of cultural habit. Nonetheless, some Hui communities are more strictly religious than others, as again the communities are very diverse due to how spread out they are.

One difference in Hui practices of Islam is the allowance of female Imams who lead prayers for women. Contrary to popular belief, this is a practice that has existed for many centuries and is not a communist scheme to infiltrate Islam with communist values.

Language

Most Hui people speak Han languages (that is, the local dialect/language of Chinese) however some communities have strong Arabic or Persian influences. An example is the Hualong Hui people of the Hualong Hui Autonomous County in northwestern China, whose language is heavily influenced by Arabic/Persian to the point where most sentences contain at least a few loanwords and the greetings are Arabic/Persian, whereas other Hui communities such as certain Shandong Hui communities speak primarily Chinese with few loanwords. Certain loanwords used across China include 'Ahong' for Imam, from the Persian 'akhong'(? idk for sure) Many Hui people learn Arabic at the local schools or practice Arabic calligraphy. There's also this Chinese romanization of Arabic called 'Xiao'erjing' or smthn that also exists but idk much about it

Clothing

Due to the nature of the historical communities, many Hui have generally conformed to Han clothing with the exception of men wearing white caps and women wearing headscarves or veils. The generally accepted 'Hui traditional clothing' of today is influenced by other Islamic cultures, with the men wearing vests and/or tunics and the women wearing tunics over trousers and caps with veils. The colours white, blue, and green, are important in clothing and culture, and many Halal (qingzhen) restaurants have blue text denoting their status. It can be hard to find information on early Hui clothing due to lack of resources (that I can access right now) however it seems early Hui clothing may have just been from whatever region of Asia they came from, slowly converting to become more similar to Han (or whatever ethnicity was ruling and promoting their own clothing styles) for the sake of convenience. In my community, Hui people simply dress modestly and wear the cap or hijab, however, places in Xinjiang or Ningxia may have more Hui people wearing the full ensemble including the cap and veil. The Dungan people of Central Asia, who are descended from Hui people moving there generations ago, seem to ironically have a more 'Chinese' traditional dress than the Hui people of China.

(some random photos I found online. The first is generic, second seems like a costume for a special event, third is what my grandparents wear)

Food

Hui food is known for having a lot of fried food, wheat, and bread products. It shares many similarities of the food of other Islamic ethnic minorities, and is very heavy on spices and lamb, with a lot of Central Asian influence. In my experience as Hui from Shandong, common dishes at home include lamb pilaf/zhua fan, dapanji (a type of chicken stew from Xinjiang), nangbaorou (lamb stew with nang bread), lamb kebabs/yangrou chuanr, etc. Much of the food puts more emphasis on noodles and breads including flatbreads, rather than rice. Many dishes are also Han Chinese dishes adapted to be Halal.

Other

Certain negative stereotypes of Hui include them being sneaky/untrustworthy, drug dealers (? apparently? idk much abt this one), violent, and overly insular in their communities. Common ways to denigrate them primarily center around pork, which in my experience is considered dirty and unspeakable in my community, to the point where no mention of pigs is allowed in my mother's house. Hui people, like most ethnic minorities, have affirmative action programs adding points to their scores for university and exempting them from the late One Child Policy, among other things. Many Hui people go abroad to other Islamic countries to study, and Hui communities tend to have their own Islamic schools as well. Hui people are one of the only ethnic minorities without their own unique language, although certain other groups (such as Manchu) rarely speak their own ancestral language anymore. Hui seem to historically be on bad terms with, like, everyone, and despite being very insular are also quite divided between different Hui communities, due to differences in religious practice and political leanings. Modern day has seen an explosion in cultural revival, however that comes with its own challenges. For a variety of reasons.

#culture notes #diary #journal #<- this is my 'posts for my future self's archival purposes' tag #huizu #info dump #少数民族

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hunxi-guilai · 4 years

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the ahistoricity of cql

so I’ve talked a bit about the ahistoricity of CQL in a few posts by now, but I don’t think I’ve made a single, unified post about it. I’ve also gotten a lot of asks over the past few months with questions about the historical accuracy of various aspects of CQL worldbuilding, from costuming to culture -- which, for the record, are wonderful! It’s super exciting to see that this show has inspired people to learn more about pre-modern China, Chinese culture, and Chinese literature;* the number of questions I get testifies to the fact that fic authors (or genuinely curious passerbys) are doing research in order to write for/learn more about a context/culture that they are unfamiliar with, and that’s awesome.

That being said, I also feel pretty strongly about acknowledging the ahistoricity of this show, because a fixation on a rigid historical setting for CQL can start playing into an exoticization of Chinese/East Asian culture. Before anyone gets up in arms about this, I am NOT SAYING that doing research and focusing on historical accuracy is problematic or exoticizing! I just want to try and poke at some of the conversations happening around the dating of CQL to specific time periods.

First things first -- CQL actively avoids placement in a specific historical period.

People have tried to date CQL based on production elements (costuming, set design), cultural elements (role of women in society, adoption practices, courtesy naming), or language (quoted texts, dated honorifics, slang), but I’ve yet to see a convincing argument for any particular time period. This is because the show actively pulls from multiple different dynasties; for example, if the baidu-baike page on CQL production is to be believed, then the sets alone borrowed from the Shang Dynasty (17th - 11th centuries B.C.E.), the Tang Dynasty (7th - 10th centuries C.E.), and the Song Dynasty (10th - 13th centuries C.E.) for aesthetic inspiration.

Beyond ambiguous architectural influences, there’s a laundry list of other elements that are all over the place in terms of historical time periods, including but not limited to:

various literary references made by characters, which span the Warring States era (5th - 3rd century BCE), the Northern and Southern dynasties (4th - 6th centuries C.E.), the Tang Dynasty (again, 7th - 10th centuries C.E.), the 20th century, and possibly, a soccer player’s tweet

various anachronistic hand gestures (we’ve had discussions about the three-finger salute, which I can’t find sources for any earlier than the 20th century, but I think we can all agree that Jiang Fengmian’s thumbs-up is definitely not historical)

the existence of both potatoes and chili peppers, which only really came to Asia during the 17th century or so (Ming Dynasty)

if we really want to get into historical agriculture, then we should talk about the fact that rice wasn’t widely cultivated until the Song Dynasty (prior to that, the staple crop was millet)

dreamcatchers (??? the juniors browse some immediately post-Yi City in episode 39, and truly, I got nothing on this)

Someone who knows more about historical costuming than I do can probably write an entire dissertation about costume design in period dramas -- Stephen Teo once made a comment about the stylization of visual elements in 张艺谋 Zhang Yimou’s 2002 film《英雄》Hero, noting that the film essentially utilized “orientalism as high fashion” (for the record, the film itself is drop-dead gorgeous, in the manner of an oil painting come to life and extremely impractical amounts of chiffon). We can make a similar comment about the design of CQL, in that the driving motivation of the production designers was not some elusive benchmark of ‘historical accuracy,’ but rather, visual style and effect.

In other words, CQL doesn’t care about historical accuracy, and neither should you.

Which is putting it a bit strongly -- I’m not saying throw historical accuracy out the window entirely and write whatever the fuck you want without doing due diligence in your research -- but the show itself isn’t concerned with what dynasty it’s trying to set itself in, or what century its sociocultural mores hail from. CQL is truly just out here to have a fun time and tell a rollicking good yarn, and it’s not the most productive use of our time to try and date the show to a specific decade in a specific century in a specific dynastic context with specific views on gender roles or specific practices in etiquette and ritual or specific styles of fashion or...

...you get the idea.

Bear with me, I’m gonna quote a previously-written post now:

I’d argue that there isn’t much value in trying to date a 仙侠 xianxia / 武侠 wuxia show, since so little of the show relies on any kind of historical reality, nor is the show itself especially concerned with addressing “contemporary” issues. [...] Attempting to date CQL in Chinese history is a little bit like trying to date Game of Thrones. Like, sure, you can point out real-world historical analogues for each of the kingdoms, but a whole time period?

A lot of parallels are drawn between Western fantasy and the xianxia genre, and it’s not an unfounded comparison. Just as some [...] fantasy authors are more interested in a nebulous, archaic, medieval fantasy alternate world without getting too far into the historical reality of it, a lot of xianxia authors are also just here for the sword-and-spirit aesthetic.

CQL actively defies dating, and is quite unconcerned with any kind of ‘realism’ or ‘authenticity.’ It borrows freely from different time periods in dynastic Chinese history and does not care about the consequences of doing so. This is because CQL is ultimately a modern text -- it has all the trappings of period/historical drama, yes, but at the end of the day it’s a very modern story, addressing modern issues and themes and concerns, told through the medium of xianxia. To try and force our understanding of aspects of CQL to adhere to a historical context fails to acknowledge CQL’s profoundly modern influences, values, and commentary.

Take, for example, a hypothetical discussion of bows in wedding rituals -- if you really want to get into it, different dynasties have different takes on these bows. Some dynasties only do two bows. Some dynasties split the three bows across times of day. Some dynasties only do one bow, with the spouses facing each other (and this is before we get to variations in the ceremony based on ethnic custom, social class, the varying levels of wife/concubine/consort, etc etc). If we were to get sidetracked into the technicalities of ‘historical accuracy’ in this case, I would think that we’re missing the point of wangxian’s three bows in episode 46 of CQL. What matters here is not how accurately wedding ritual was portrayed according to an arbitrarily-selected historical time period, but the fact that these two performed something that is recognizably a wedding ritual from a modern perspective, an incredibly subversive act in a piece of media created under an actively hostile authoritarian regime.

In a sense, I’d like to gently caution people against trying too hard to place CQL in a certain time period, because -- well, why are you doing so? If you’re doing that because you want some solid ground to do research to inform the way you’re interpreting the worldbuilding for your fic -- by all means, that’s awesome, full steam ahead! But if you’re doing so in an attempt to lend some kind of, I dunno, historical authenticity to the narrative, then I’d raise a skeptical eyebrow. Because this text is fantastic, is ahistorical, and to try and force it to conform to some kind of ‘real-world’ historical precedent feels like both insult to the text and exoticization of it at the same time. Other cultures are allowed to write fantasy interpretations of their own history without the risk of having it conflated with actual history. Authors are allowed to cherry-pick aspects of their national history, to take inspiration from real-world counterparts, to create a wholly unique fantasy/xianxia world that bears resemblances to our own but is not our own.

Again -- I’m not trying to call anyone out with this post, but I’d just like to put a gentle reminder out there to ask yourself why you might be trying to situate CQL in a specific historical time period.

More Posts For Thought:

CQL, Cultivation, and ‘Reality’

thoughts on postcolonialism + CQL

portrayals of ritual in Chinese period dramas and ‘authenticity’ (contains major Nirvana in Fire spoilers)

*Disclaimer: I often use ‘China’ and ‘Chinese’ in a fairly cavalier manner to gesture at a vastly overgeneralized space and culture, but it’s important to keep in mind that what we call ‘Chinese history’ or ‘Chinese culture’ often glosses over vibrant, diverse cultures of other ethnicities that reside within the borders of what is defined as ‘China’ in the 21st century. In this case, I’m using it as a shorthand to refer to Han Chinese culture.

#cql meta #CQL worldbuilding #dear god I hope this post doesn't bring people down on my head #but this is something that has been bugging me for a while #there's a deleted version of part of this post that gets into the trope of 'magical asian'#and while that felt a little extreme for what I was trying to gesture at in this post #I feel like the urge to pin a date on CQL #plays with similar dynamics of mysticizing the Other #I like to think that everyone who reads this blog is intelligent enough to know that CQL is a fantasy text!#but I've also seen dumbass comments on clips from Crouching Tiger that are just like #'ah yes people in ancient China really could fly because of the ~magical ley lines~'#and I'd like to stomp real hard on the perpetuation of the 'magical asian' trope

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baegarrick · 4 years

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hi hello so i’m coming to you because you’re the only person in the zukka fandom that i’ve seen blogging about the old guard and i love that movie SO MUCH and i can’t stop thinking about immortal zukka..... aang as either nile or andy bc i can’t choose, andy wouldn’t lose her immortality, and no one would betray anyone bc i say so 😌 how do you think an atla/the old guard au would work?? (zukkababey)

ok i rly love the idea of immortal everyone but tbh!!! i really dont know enough about asian history to like... go into detail about this honestly and I really didn’t want to come off as racist by fudging some stuff, but here r some bulletpoints about Things

(also u can slide into my dms 2 talk about this if u want, or if u have a discord, sorry it too so long I literally cant stop writing when I get on Topics. I'm so sorry if this gets off topic)

Sokka & Katara

In this au they’re not biologically related, but are both Inuit

Sokka dies first in a skirmish with another group of indigenous people in northern Canada (Inuit Nunangat) sometime prior to 1800

He knows he died, his people saw him die, and he doesn’t understand what’s happening (I really don’t know enough about the Inuit people to say whether they would have rejected him or tried to help him understand what happened to him)

however, I’d like to think they’d at least tell him to talk to the angakkuq, the shaman, and would probably see this as a positive thing

Eventually his band of people would whittle down to just a dozen or so, after long winters and harsh climates, and they were forced to assimilate with other bands who didn’t have ancestors who were there when Sokka died in the first place, so he has to move on.

He travels around for a while, trading and learning and staying in bands for a few years before moving on to another group, until it’s the 1800s

Around this time, Katara is born (and dies)

She refuses to stand down against a white French hunter who wanted to take one of the young women in her village as a wife, and she’s killed, and the woman is taken anyway.

When she wakes up, she’s furious, and before she can understand what happened to her, she finds the man and kills him. She’s arrested and set to be killed when Sokka finds her.

They aren’t biological siblings, but they come from the same people, and the world is changing rapidly and they’re the only people they know who are like this. The idea of marrying Katara is the worst thing that Sokka can think of-- look at her, she’s just a baby!!-- so they call each other siblings and travel together.

Zuko

ok again i know literally 0 things about chinese history like i googled “female chinese warriors” for suki and got like 100 things for mulan

Zuko is old, probably one of the oldest of the (living) group, but younger than Aang

he was the first son of the second son of the emperor in a time of political conflict in China. His father, the prince, was at war with his own brother who Zuko considered a father figure.

zuko speaks out against his father and is killed for being a traitor, but, guess what, he doesn’t die!!! his father does it again for posterity and uhhhhhh still doesn’t die. (or rather, dies, and comes back)

here’s where my uhhhhhh lack of knowledge is Bad

would his father banish him for being cursed? for somehow being against the gods?

or would he force him to fight in his armies, against his uncle, because he can’t die?

I was going to go with “banished” but fighting for decades in a fight he doesn’t want to be in is so! much! worse!

his father wants to know the secrets of his immortality and when he can’t share it he’s tortured and tested for years, and eventually sent out to fight as an immortal soldier who can’t die.

eventually he escapes, and leaves china for a long time (he doesn’t return for centuries)

he is highly distrustful of anyone for years bc of his father!! he wanders around for years like he does in Zuko Alone (or like Quynh before Andy finds her) and while he sees small bits of humanity, he has little faith in it and their wars, because he is Not One Of Them

For money he joins bandit groups or warlords or mercenaries, because why does any of that matter to him? Everyone dies.

Eventually he meets Aang, who is Humanity Personified, and Aang asks him if he thinks they can be friends-- but they’re on opposite sides of this conflict and Zuko is too disillusioned to want that. (they part ways)

He meets a man, Iroh, who reminds him of his uncle. They travel together for far longer than Zuko normally would, because he likes having a father figure, and because Iroh lost a son about Zuko’s age. They travel for years and Zuko never ages, so eventually he has to leave. Iroh finds him a few years later, greyer and slower, but tells Zuko that he knows about Zuko.

Zuko reacts poorly to this, lashing out, but Iroh is calm. Zuko breaks down and tells him he can’t give Iroh what he wants. (what Zuko assumes he wants-- what they all want, immortality)

But Iroh’s like, why would I want that? it sounds like a curse, son. Why would I want to never see my son again?

He tells Zuko: we’re not meant to be alone

After Iroh passes a few years later, he tries to track down Aang but can’t find him. He, however, has dreams about the others.

alternatively///////// japanese zuko?????? RONIN ZUKO???? love it but im too tired to think of More Than That after typing all the chinese zuko stuff up, although im Sure a ton of it would cross over bc im vague as Hell

Aang

he’s the oldest of the group but you wouldn’t know it!!!!

Roku was his mentor, the first immortal that any of them know of. He’s thousands of years old when Aang meets him. (He’s also the first to die. He shows Aang that All Things Must Die)

Aang is Tibetan, a Buddhist monk, one of the earliest, maybe the 7th century?

He dies in a temple fire

here again my complete and utter lack of knowledge is Bad

according to Dzogchen, individuals can transform their body into an immortal rainbow light, so there’s some mention of immortality in certain parts of Tibetan Buddhist culture, but idk how widespread that is since wikipedia didnt even have a source for it

he becomes a missionary and travels around asia for decades before Roku finds him

Roku!!! he’s an Old Immortal, and probably wants to die a little bit at this point, and he eventually does!! but for awhile he and Aang travel around together, and butt heads a bit bc Aang’s pacifist nature, and Roku thinks Aang Will Change as he gets older

aang is absolutely devastated by the Mongol invasion of Tibet in the 13th century

roku dies about a hundred years after he meets aang, and aang travels around a little aimlessly for awhile, learning all kinds of things and befriending people he’ll outlive. it dampens his spirits a bit.

eventually he meets Zuko, who’s far more jaded than Roku was, even, and wants to be friends, but respects Zuko’s decision otherwise.

Eventually, aang travels with the Norse to Canada in the 15th century, but when they leave they don’t take him with them. Instead, he ends up frozen ala steve rogers. Katara and Sokka find him a few hundred years later.

alternatively////// Aang IS the newest kid. he’s the Nile of the group. He’s still a Tibetan monk, and views this as a teaching/learning opportunity. He would also probably like everyone to stop killing each other. Sokka rolls his eyes at him constantly.

Toph

toph is a struggle bc how do you deal with an IMMORTAL BLIND GIRL

I’m gonna stick w her show backstory: rich, blind daughter of a wealthy Chinese family

Is kidnapped and her throat is slit when she’s young (maybe an older teenager) and the kidnappers panic, leaving her body. She’s found, namely unharmed, and resumes life despite the fact she knows she died.

However, being a privileged young girl, she’s kept under watch and it quickly becomes known that she’s immortal.

She’s regarded as a living deity for centuries until she meets Suki, who rescues her from the place and teaches her to fight. (she becomes a myth, later, rather than a historical fact)

alternatively//////// she could have been first generation chinese-american, and therefore the youngest

Suki

Suki was a third generation female warrior of her family who guarded the boarder during the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), and trained from a young age in martial arts. (insp by the story of Mu Guiying)

She’s a war orphan, and leads an army of war widows and orphan women, but meets her untimely end with some of her sisters in a reign of arrows. She’s buried by some of her sisters before she wakes up again, and has to claw her way to the surface.

Her sisters don’t know how to react to her (a lot like Nile’s soldiers) so she eventually leaves them.

After her death, she hears rumors of a living goddess (Toph) and goes to see if there really is another person like her, and finds one of the people from her dreams (Toph)

She trains Toph to fight despite her being blind, and the pair become an unusual duo for a couple hundred years.

eventually, they start dreaming about a pair of siblings in the New World (not that new!! people live there!!) and book passage there in the 1800s with the first major wave of Chinese immigration

They dream about each other. it happens a lot at first, but it tapers out over the years. it grows stronger whenever a new one (katara) is born, but Katara and Sokka have NO desire to leave their homeland to go look for these strange people until they find Aang. (what languages might they have in common? russian??? the russians came to settle alaska, I know bc my stepmom is native alaskan and russian--- the Mongols invaded TIbet and Mongolia is right next to Russia, so Aang might know it??)

When they find Aang, Suki and Toph start dreaming of them again, and so does Zuko and they all start making their way to San Francisco. The Chinese wouldn’t arrive in Canada until around the 1850s (according to google) so Sokka probably wouldn’t speak any Chinese (mandarin???? i dont know things), but Zuko might speak some English or Russian. [really just gonna be a bunch of chinese, inuit, and tibetan people speaking russian to each other, isn’t it??]

Aang greets Zuko like an old friend, and Zuko Does Not know what to do with that. he’s skirtish and shy and hasn’t really been around a lot of friendly people. Sokka does NOT trust him. At all!! (he wants Katara to stay FAR AWAY from him. stick with the harmless monk we found at the bottom of a lake, katara.)

They find Suki and Toph in a bar. Toph hustling people for money, and Suki drinking at the bar. It’s very strange to have all of them around, and it’s like, 1830. they all decide they like each other, after they get some good old fashioned stabbing in-- Katara is the only woman Sokka has been around whos like him, and she’s like his little sister, and all he wants to do is Protect Her, so he doesn’t know what to do with women who known knives. (get his ass handed to him, thats what)

I want Zuko to be a broody mess but honestly he’d probably revert back to yelling at people/things in ancient Chinese (mandarin? I’m not really sure what period he’s from exactly). He’s still got that Good streak in him, esp since he’s like, a hundred years off his adopted uncle Iroh.

and you know what? 1830 america is NOT a cool place for anyone!! least of all asian immigrants, native americans, or women of either group

So the Gaang take to helping those people out any way they can. (Aang wants Peace, but you know white people, we don’t listen). They actively get involved in the underground railroad, eventually the civil war, and also helping out native americans, as well as chinese immigrants working on the railroads.

also so sorry I know the ask was about Zukka but I had to write a million words about their backstories first

Zuko + Sokka eventually come to a truce as the only dudes in this entire group who are willing to fight. Sokka is interested in both men and women, but he’s never really shared his life with anyone, and it’s the same for Zuko. Sokka, because he was regarded as an elder with his people, and after that he could only stay a few years. He had lovers, like Yue, but they all eventually died and Sokka couldn’t do anything about it!! Zuko, because while he also had lovers, he couldn’t really bear to be around humanity for a long time after what happened to him. (he’s vehemently opposed to slavery)

I think they get together at first just kind of because there isn’t really anyone else. Suki + Toph are kinda their own thing (are they lovers? sisters in arms? who knows), Katara is like Sokka’s sister (and if Zuko touches her Sokka will end his destiny permanently), and Aang is... aang.

It’s sorta a friends-with-benefits thing, except its an immortal warrior reluctant companions-with-benefits thing because can you really call this a friendship?? (its a family, eventually). Eventually it’s just kind of always been a thing. Sokka checking Zuko first when he comes back to life, counting down the second to make sure Zuko comes back at all. Zuko tells people he’s the only one allowed to kill Sokka, because lets be honest, the first couple of months with rowdy immortals meant killing each other a lot. When Sokka is killed violently in the Civil War, he wakes up half an hour later (slow, slow), to find a field of bodies and Zuko sitting next to him with his dao blades in the dirt, waiting for him. Sokka tries to make a joke, but it just makes Zuko mad, because what if that was the last time. (sokka jokes that he’s young, yet, not like Zuko)

They don’t really talk about it, partially because they don’t live in a world where it’s acceptable. What kind of title fits when you can only use it with 5 other people? But this time, when Zuko was afraid Sokka might not wake up, thirty years after they met, after lifetimes of being alone for both of them?? Sokka has to let Zuko know he loves him. Loves him!!! He’s not just here for the meantime.

thats all I have rn bc its 9pm and I’ve been writing this for like 3 hours. again if u wanna slide into my dms or if u have a discord and wanna talk about this/other stuff hmu. so sorry this got off topic.

also, the order I had them born in is:

roku --> aang --> Zuko --> suki --> toph --> sokka --> Katara

which may or may not be accurate to my timeline lol

Sokka probably speaks all of the Inuit languages, as well as French, English, and Russian, being alive for long enough to learn it all.

Katara refuses to learn French. Hates it. Never wants to learn.

She and Sokka personally keep Inuit traditions and languages alive as elders of their community, though it’s so much harder in modern times to stay connected to their culture bc they don’t age!!

disclaimer: bc the show was written as a complete mashup of several cultures I had to like..... pick where ppl were from. I picked china for Zuko/Suki/Toph bc they have a beautiful culture and a lot of dynasties I have heard a lot about recently while half watching the history channel. I really, really don’t know a lot about non-white culture as a white american from FLORIDA (so like, literally the farthest place you can get from the Inuit people and still be on the same continent). if you know more about these cultures than I do and I said something blatantly wrong pls let me know and I will change it.

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disney-rapunzel-merida-vanellope · 4 years

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Over the moon very messy review (spoilers)

I wasn’t really planning on watching it today but it was so praised on my pot early on that i just had too

And..... I’m confused...

It has some VERY good scenes, plot points, characters, songs, sceneries and some VERY bad scenes, plot points, characters, songs, lyrics and sceneries

I wanted to start by being positive but this whole thing got mixed up

So here’s my thoughts:

- loved chang’e (i gotta google this cause i thought it was chungha like.... chungha the idol). Love her design, love her voice, love her attitude. Best character, never boring. Tall as fuck goddess. She’s right there with eris from sinbad. Muah kisses the chef. Her hair, makeup, outfits, facial expressions. Idk if the voice actress is the same for speaking and singing but the singer from Hamilton is so so good, she made me not mind the godawful lyrics. I wanted more screen time for her cause she honestly saved the movie

- the protagonist girl fei fei is a bit of a positive and negative of the movie. She’s cute but very cliche. There’s 273648 characters like her. Her problems are very real and relatable but u cant just help sigh and think of her as a dramatic teenager u know? I do feel bad and see my teenage self in her cause i do understand but.... shes super dramatic still. I mean.... she went to the fucking moon to avoid her father getting married shes crazy. She went to all that trouble to learn how to make a rocket just to avoid him remarrying... i understand the frustration one might feel, it never happened to me but if it did id probably have very mixed and selfish feelings about it too, but her and the father really should have just talked. A simple conversation would have let her know that he’s lonely but never ever would forget the mother. And the father had time, he just didnt do it so the fault is not all on her. But i guess there would be no movie if they talked, would there?

- the motivations in this movie dont make sense or are just weak.... fei fei wants to build a rocket to the moon to avoid her father from remarrying? Dumb. She wants a pic as proof? Dumb. The brother wants the pic to help the sister? Ok... but he’s literally an 8 year old, they dont give a shit about none of that specially one that just met u. Chang’e wants the gift which is understandable but... why the potion?? Literally just to give the bunnies a love plot thats dumb af. Also, did she really took both immortal pills or whatever it was? It was implied multiple times that she was selfish but idk if she cleared that out

-i loved the Chinese town. Super cozy and friendly. Love how the river is so integral to it like in real life i assume. It’s just so different from the ocident i love it. Please more movies featured in Asia cause they have many gorgeous cultures. I love the sense of community and family, the little details and the food aspect of it. I love how Asian countries combine modern with old so much so that atsome point i didnt really know what year the movie was supposed to be set in.

- the “pre meeting step mother” part of the movie was the best along with chang’e’s scenes. I almost cried even tho the moment the mother fell i knew she was gonna die. I’m getting very emotional with these scenes as i get older even tho both my parents are still alive but i guess those scenes just make me think about when the worse will happen and i dont wanna think of it of course. But the mother was so great and kind. I really felt their bond and love between mother and daughter. And father but u know.

- the bunny was so fucking cute!!!! Until...... it gained super powers and decided to stay with the ugly green love interest?? Wtf... like wtf that was so unnecessary??? A love plot for the bunnies?? Why??? Whyyyyyyyyyyy

- the moon city wasn’t anything special... apart from shiny it was very bland. I wish they had kept more of Chinese culture in it but i did see something on chang’e’s room i think

- every single comic refiro in this movie was BEYOND THE MOON ANNOYING!!!!!!! I understand, even tho i dont aprove it, the existence of the annoying ass 8 year old brother.... BUT THE GREEN DOG TOO???? WHYWHYWHYWHY AND HE SINGS??? NO SHUT UP SHUT UP!!!!!! He had a cute design but everytime he was there and opened his mouth i just wanted to shoot him I’m not kidding i hate him! NOT TO MENTION that he basically did the relationship development between the siblings in the brothers place!!!! Why does the dog exist????? Fei fei should have bounded in the adventure with the brother!!!! Oh i hated that so much..... I’m so mad.... without the green dog the movie wouldn’t have these weak as hell points

- the ending where the lover fades was ok but just ok. I feel like it was either too rushed and he was disappearing before i even noticed and before he even said anything meaningful or it should have been like the one in onward. It just had little impact imo

- the songs have GREAT VOCALS, the singers are definitely the best part, catchy instrumentals, even tho I’m starting to agree that these movies rely too much on pop songs and not actually musical worthy songs, and the lyrics are bad, really bad.... corny too. So basically about the songs: great vocals, ok instrumentals, bad lyrics. But I’m sure ill rewatch chang’e’s songs cause i love her. Maybe the songs will grow on me with time who knows

- the humor is very modern and i just dont think it fits these kind of movies... the same happened with Moana. It just doesn’t fit the epic adventure with gods vibe i think? It’s also just bad. The comic reliefs were annoying, there’s really no other word, but even the humor from other characters or scenes didnt work

- there’s some very inventive animation here, i loved how they used 2d art even tho i wanted more of it. I love glen keane and how his art style translated. I feel like we can see a bit of him on his disney work but here it just really looked like his art u know? Really good

- i dont like the “the movie had a good message so its good” kind of thought cause many terrible movies have great messages and many great movies have repetitive messages. I thought the message in this movie was a bit repetitive but what made it different for me was that both characters were grieving the loss of different loves, motherly and romantic, and yet they were feeling the same and had to help each other and move on. I dread the day that comes for me. It was nice for fei fei to feel she wasn’t the only one with that pain even tho she just had to move on if she was.

Ok so i think thats it

I think this review i came out too negative but I’m just really torn. There’s some parts of this movie that I couldn’t get enough of and, unfortunately, other parts that were making me wanna turn it off.... i could have ignored the cliches but the 2 very annoying comic characters were too damn much

But i think the positives outweigh the negatives even so

I think I’ll give it a 6/10 or 6.5

Klaus is still my fave animated Netflix movie

#over the moon #Netflix #movie review #review #over the moon Netflix #glen keane

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fyexo · 4 years

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200915 Lay Zhang Is Aiming To Bring Chinese Music To The World

It’s been a few years now since Lay Zhang (also known as Zhang Yixing) released his debut EP Lose Control in 2016. Already a prominent star throughout Asia after debuting as part of K-pop boy band EXO back in 2012 and becoming a prominent television personality in China, Zhang – who is usually known mononymously as Lay – started down a path that year that would turn him into one of the biggest musical players in Asia less than half a decade later: in 2018, he broke onto the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart with his album Namanana, and this year he ranked No. 5 on Forbes China’s Celebrity 100 ranking.

This year, Lay dropped the duality of his Lit LP, split between two parts that arrived in June and July. A multifaceted release that spends its length blending modern musical styles with traditionally Chinese performance elements, Lay’s latest puts the emphasis on his roots. It extensively draws from classical styles and storytelling influences as he attempts to bring China to the world, as he says in the single “Lit” and relays through that song’s highly cinematic music video that sees Lay as a warrior facing down enemies amid a grandiose historic setting, inspired by the legendary general Xiang Yu.

The title track, and the album as a whole, is Lay’s attempt at expressing what he calls “M-pop,” or mixed Mandarin pop music, a genre he’s spearheading with the aim of bringing Chinese culture to global – primarily western – music listeners. Coming at a time when the world is more divided than ever, and China and the U.S.’s trade war continues, it may seem like a lofty aim. But Lay, although he shies away from discussing political ramifications on culture during a conversation with Forbes, has hope that bringing multi-cultural influences together will create greater understandings between one another and different cultures, as long as we take the time to listen to one another. Or, in his case, M-pop.

Tamar Herman: You released the long version of Lit in July, and saw much love for its blending of traditionally Chinese and modern musical elements. What was the inspiration overall for this album?

Lay: I just want to share Chinese culture, so I’m trying my best. Because I’m Chinese and I learn a lot from China, I think our country has a lot of good culture and good traditional instruments that maybe people don’t know. I want to promote that part, and let people know the very dope Chinese culture.

The sound of [the word] “lit” is very close to the Chinese word for “lotus.” I want people to know they can become what they want to be, no matter where they started, like a lotus flower that begins in the root and become beautiful flowers. I was also inspired by the cycle of life and wanted to have a Chinese perspective on it, so the first part of the album is more about the past and [tells] Chinese stories, using more traditional instruments. The second part, about the present and the things we deal with now, has more modern sounds and I worked with great producers like Scott [Storch] and Murda Beatz. Learning [and working with them] so I can mix different cultures on one track, for me it’s amazing work.

Herman: You released an epic music video for “Lit” as the album’s first lead track, and you’re back again on Sept. 14 with a remix of “Boom” by Dutch-Moroccan DJ R3hab, which you previously released as a single. What about these two songs make them your perfect pairing for listeners to get drawn into your Lit album?

Lay: For “Boom,” I want everyone just to jump and forget. This year is really terrible, right? I want people to forget the bad things and ignore the bad things. Just make happy vibes themselves.

For the second half of the album, my original intention was to have “Changsha” to be the single. However, during the course of the release cycle, “Boom” was selected instead because it really represented a little more what’s relevant to this current climate that covid has brought to the world. I wanted to focus more on that. I want everyone just to jump and forget. Putting aside the negativity of this year and focusing on positivity.

Herman: How did your creative process differ between Lit and prior releases?

Lay: If I play a video game, my level just goes up and up, right? So I want every year to go to the next level, ever year get better.

Herman: What type of video game character would you like to be?

I’m a warrior. If I can have the opportunity to go to another country, I’ll join the battle with [krumping originator] Tight Eyez (Ceasare "Tight Eyez" Willis).

Herman: Speaking of... I asked fans if they had any questions on Twitter. And while there were many great suggestions, I was surprised by how many wanted to know about your love of krumping. What about this form of dance is appealing to you and made you want to highlight it through “Lit”?

Lay: “Lit” has a very slow tempo. I just found jazz, hip-hop, etc. choreo didn’t match this song. Krump matched this song, so I tried to learn the [style]. In the beginning, it was very hard to do. I couldn’t copy the teacher, the motion, the action. I wanted to know why. The teacher was like, “You have to spend time in this kind of dance, then you can change.” I tried very hard to practice the feeling and vibe. I took maybe three months, and I’m just the beginning of krumping like a teenager. Level three in a game, maybe.

Herman: In “Lit” you say you are taking China to the world, and you’ve been talking a lot recently about how you’d like to spearhead M-Pop’s growth internationally. What do you hope to achieve?

Lay: I think Mandarin can mix with other countries’ languages to become one song, so that everyone can feel a Chinese vibe whether it’s English, French, Korean. It does not matter, I just want to mix a lot of languages, to create one track or music. If people can guess what English [songs] are talking about, they can guess what Chinese [songs] are talking about. It’s very easy to understand songs. The influence that I want to have isn’t about ranks or charts, but spreading Chinese culture to the world.

Herman: Typically, Chinese popular music is known in English as “C-pop,” with variant categories like Cantopop and Mandopop. Why do you feel it’s time to reframe the conversation as “M-pop”?

Lay: Because I think we need to mix something. It’s a global world. Also, I want music arrangements to have Chinese traditional instruments and other countries’ [instruments] put together. Traditional Chinese instruments, it’s better to use one style of instrument itself not with others. It’s a very unique sound, but you can [blend it with others] to make a new vibe.

Herman: You’ve been a top star in both the K-pop and Chinese music industries. K-pop’s having a moment in the west right now, how do you feel about M-pop’s potential?

Lay: Everybody, even me with “Namanana,” we just mix the languages, English with Chinese. But it’s basic, right? I think now M-pop has to change rules. From Lit, I saw the potential that we can reframe M-pop to another level. Let people know that it’s not just language mixing but culture mixing, instrument mixing, genre mixing. Letting people know that we have distinct instruments and unique sounds in China. I think there’s a potential to take M-pop to another level. I want to tell people, “This is Chinese music.”

Herman: You’ve been performing for many years now. How do you feel your approach to your artistry and performances have changed overtime? What have you realized is important to your craft?

Lay: For me, first of all, I think it’s all about music. If I can’t find the right music, I can’t make the performances very dope. Secondly, I think practice is very important. Practice is important if you want to make an amazing, perfect stage. So you have to spend the time practicing dancing and singing. Thirdly, I really respect my staff. Because we have these guys, they can make the stages, lights, speakers, and things for performers. Also, fans. Fans are very important. Without these four things I can do nothing.

Herman: This year’s hard on a lot of people. What makes you happy or hopeful in rough times? Any advice for people?

Lay: 2020 was terrible. But we have to trust tomorrow will be good. We have a very good tomorrow, a good future. So don’t lose confidence, don’t lose happiness. Don’t forget your dreams. Chase your dreams and be happy. And spend time with your family. If you want, you can get anything.

This interview was conducted in English and Mandarin, and edited for clarity.

source: Tamar Herman @ Forbes

#exo #lay #t: interview #forbes #album: lit

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nctinfo · 4 years

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[TRANS] WayV’s interview with Vogue Korea December 2019 issue!

The reason why idols of 2019 differ from idols of 10 years ago, apart from fashion and music, is because they are from another generation. Rookie idol group of the newest generation. I realized this again when I interview WayV (Kun, Winwin, Ten, Lucas, Xiaojun, Yangyang, Hendery). They answer questions about dreams or people they admire differently. Before we continue on this, we need to know what exactly their team name 'WayV (Weishen V)' stands for. WayV is a Chinese group that made its debut under the Chinese label 'LABEL V' after going through SM's systematic production system. WayV is 威神V in Chinese. 'V' stands for 'Vision' which means 'to grow into global artists through music'. WayV, written in English, is a shortened version of 'We are your Vision'. The team name is explained in three languages.

They debuted in China on January 17 with their first digital album <The Vision-The 1st Digital EP> setting a record for 'firsts'. The title track ‘理所当然(Regular)’ came in second on the Chinese music website QQMusic popularity chart upon the release, third on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart in the U.S and 4th and 16th on the Social 50 chart and the Emerging Artists chart, respectively. This being the best result ever for a Chinese boy band. On May 9th, their first mini-album <Take Off-The 1st Mini Album> topped the QQMusic popularity chart and 30 local iTunes charts, making them the Chinese boy group with the most no.1 ranks on iTunes Album charts. On October 29, the title track 'Moonwalk' of their second mini-album <Take Over The Moon> topped the Chinese music site QQMusic's popularity chart and topped the iTunes Albums chart in 16 regions.

They also sang Chinese songs on a Korean stage. 'Moonwalk' was introduced on MBC Show Champion on October 30th. For Lucas, who is also a member of SuperM, it was the first time to sing a Chinese song on a Korean stage. "It was amazing. Since I had never been on a Korean stage as a Chinese idol. There are not many stages in Chinese to show our performance, so the members were very happy and nervous." (Lucas) "Around two-thirds of the audience were Korean fans. I was very happy to see we're liked in Korea too." (Winwin) Already, WayV is forming fandoms not only in China but also in Asia. On November 22nd, they will start their Asian Fanmeeting Tour, starting in Wuhan, China.

Their beginnings were all commonly K-Pop. Except for Xiaojun, who naturally dreamed of becoming a singer as both his parents and brother were involved in music and Ten, who danced from when he was young and after his grandmother introduced him to artists, he went on the path to become a singer after seeing K-Pop stars. "EXO is very popular in China. I dreamed of becoming an artist after watching Hyung's music videos". (Winwin) The same goes for Yangyang who grew up in Germany from 11 to 16 years old. "I saw EXO sunbaenims stage of 'Growl' in Germany and took part in SM's world audition. Now, I want to become an artist who is good at anything like Taemin sunbaenim." (Yangyang) "I wanted to be an artist who plays the piano and sing ballads. As I entered the company I dreamed of dancing and performing while watching EXO sunbaenim." (Kun)

As expected, the classic idol formula 'let's try our hardest everything' is common to them. They continue learning and upgrading themselves. Language is fundamental for those who dream of a global stage. Although there was an interpreter during the interview, the members spoke basic Korean. "At first, there were trainees who gave up because it was so hard. In fact, I cried a lot when I was a trainee. Since I didn't know how the future would look like, rather than studying hard. So that's why I thought I needed to learn more and build on my skills." (Hendery)

With the same mindset, Hendery learned to play the drums. "My roommate, Ten, suggested to look up different fields, saying that dancing and singing are basics for idols. There already are members who play the guitar and keyboard, so I chose the drum. Although we have a busy schedule, I'm constantly learning." (Hendery) "For me, I open my dictionary and watch Korean dramas. Recently, I watched < Melo Is My Nature> and although there are a lot of lines they talk fast, I try to keep up." (Ten) "Korean idioms like 오장육부 [human organs], and proverbs like '내 코가 석 자 [something like: I have my own problems and can't take care of others]' are fun. I'm learning it to use it someday." (Winwin)

The most impressive part of WayV is the unique 'me' orientation of the new generation. They don't specifically mention the ones who they admire, want to resemble or a stage they want to stand on. In older interviews with idols, Beyonce and Justin Timberlake were often mentioned as icons and [idols] wanted to stand on the Super Bowl stage or Tokyo dome stage. Favorite music genre and songs were also shared without hesitation. But rather than wanting to be like/envy someone special, [WayV/the new generation] wants to choose from and combine numerous cultures that eventually create their own 'me'. The most important thing is to find and perfect your own style.

When we asked lead vocal Kun which vocalist he wants to resemble he replies "I want to continue finding my own style". After majoring in practical music, he is studying composition, and often plays his own songs to his team members and receives feedback from them. "I learned music theory in school, now I'm trying to find my own thoughts, my own style in music." (Kun) The same goes for Ten, who all members acknowledge as being an artist. Starting with breakdancing to popping, hip-hop and auburn dance, Ten says there isn't one particular choreographer he especially admires. "I just want to learn all kinds of great choreography, I don't want to resemble someone. A creative choreography needs to have your 'own identity'. It's important to find that first." (Ten) All his actions are linked to self-expression. "One part of my identity/self-expression is the silver accessories and piercings I'm wearing right now. I also draw to express myself. If I weren't an artist, I would have had another job that would allow me to express myself, for example, a fashion designer or photographer." (Ten) Idols of this generation don't hide their other dreams. Gone are the days when other dreams could only be hinted at during booming popularity. “I want to stand on a musical stage. Whether it's as a singer or for a musical, the stage is precious to me." (Xiaojun) "If there is a chance, I would like to act. I saw almost all of Ha Jungwoo's work." (Winwin)

Another strength of WayV is their unity. Among them, leader Kun, nicknamed 'Kun-ge', is the one who the members go to when they have concerns. “The members have a lot of concerns about music. Not long ago, I talked with Xiaojun on how to express emotions while singing. Although my nickname is Kun-ge, I often feel comforted by our youngest Yangyang. Yangyang is someone with a lot of bright energy. The goal is to deliver great energy to the fans and this guy is already doing it naturally." (Kun) During their Korean activities on <Show! Champion>, Winwin, who is a detailed member, let the other unfamiliar members know where the restroom could be found. "We always get together to eat and also go out together. These days, we often go to the Han river on the electric kickboard that are popular in Korea now." (Winwin) "We go to schedules together and are together in the dorm too. We play games, watch movies and do everything together with the seven of us. It's nice, I like it." (Xiaojun) Lucas describes WayV in one word 'family'. "We understand each other, help each other, point out what we lack and hug/care for each other when we're sick. There were struggles when we were trainees, but that only made us stronger. WayV is not just someone I met through work, they are family. You have no idea how fortunate that is." (Lucas).

Translation: Esmee @ FY! NCT (NCTINFO) | Source: Vogue Korea — Do not repost or take out without our permission!

#NCT #wayv #kun #ten #winwin #lucas #xiaojun #hendery #yangyang #t:interview #t:trans #vogue korea #Vogue Korea: December 2019

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thebestintoronto · 3 years

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25 Best Things to Do in Toronto, Canada — Top Activities & Places to Go!

Toronto-- the biggest city in Canada-- is a metropolitan area with countless possibilities.

Energised, multicultural and multicultural, Toronto will certainly intrigue you with a bunch of tasks and striking views. From gleaming skyscrapers to private parks, this city makes sure to offer you an impressive city adventure through its numerous tourist attractions.

Do not recognize where to start? We're right here to help make your preparation experience a breeze by rounding up the best things to do in Toronto, Canada.

1. CN Tower

Towering over downtown Toronto, this 1,813.5-foot symbol was as soon as the globe's tallest free-standing framework.

Why You Must Go

With its skyrocketing apex controling the metropolitan landscape, CN Tower is a standout in the city's stunning sky line. In fact, the American Culture of Civil Designers declared this tower as one of the contemporary 7 wonders of the globe in 1995.

What To Do

Take the high-speed 58-second flight to the top of the tower. Afterward, head to the LookOut Level and also absorb the sensational views of Toronto at 1,136 feet in the air. You may additionally take a heart-pumping stroll on the thrilling EdgeWalk experience.

2. Toronto Zoo

With a monstrous land area of 710 acres, this zoological park is the largest as well as most considerable zoo in Canada.

Why You Need to Go

A visit to this zoo is, no question, one of the top points to do in Toronto with kids. With greater than 4,500 creatures calling it home, this zoo will certainly mesmerize the little ones. Also much better, this zoo features a myriad of world-class exhibitions.

What To Do

Come by the prize-winning Gorilla Rainforest, which is The United States and Canada's biggest indoor gorilla display. Likewise, you might partake in any one of the zoo's seasonable activities, like the Zoomobile flight, carousel and also ropes program.

3. Royal Ontario Museum

Because its opening in 1912, this museum in the University of Toronto has accumulated over 5 million artefacts.

Why You Must Go

Wondering what to do in Toronto when it's raining or cold? Why not head inside your home, and also discover the Royal Ontario Museum? With 40 galleries real estate numerous things, you'll have a blast admiring the diverse display collections of natural history and also world culture right here.

What To Do

Catch a broad array of antiques, consisting of Chinese temple art, Roman sculptures and dinosaur bones. If you have youngsters taking a trip with you, you can keep them quelled at the CIBC Discovery Gallery and also hands-on gallery.

4. Distillery Area

In the very early 19th century, this waterside area was residence to Canada's largest distiller, the Godderham and also Worts. Today, it's a pedestrian-only area including dining establishments, cafes, performance spaces as well as art galleries.

Why You Must Go

If you're looking for remarkable free points to do in Toronto, look no further than the historical Distillery Area. With its cobblestone roads, Victorian structures as well as year-round outdoor exhibits, it's a great location to go on an affordable taking in the sights adventure.

What To Do

Walk around the area, and soak up its beautiful setting. Then, treat on your own to a genuine Canadian mixture, or sign up with any one of the area's art classes.

5. St. Lawrence Market

Correct in the heart of downtown, this historical market has been generating succulent eats since 1803.

Why You Should Go

St. Lawrence Market is a heaven for foodies. House to more than 120 suppliers, this precious market offers whatever from exquisite breads and tasty meals to fresh veggies. And also, the marketplace has rather cost effective items.

What To Do

Satisfy your palate with the market signature meals, such as the peameal bacon sandwich. Likewise, try to rack up substantial bargains on ornaments and also antiques at this market on the weekends.

6. Toronto Islands

Located in Lake Ontario, these little and easy-going islands are residence to a bundle of family-friendly tourist attractions.

Why You Should Go

Need a break from the continuous enjoyable and taking in the sights in Toronto? Do on your own a support as well as include this chain of islands to your checklist of areas to check out in Toronto this weekend break. With extensive beaches and barbecue locations, these islands provide a rejuvenating break from Toronto's big city vibe.

What To Do

Head to Centre Island, as well as delight in a bunch of activities as well as destinations, like showing off rentals as well as beaches. Afterward, drop by the Centreville Theme park where you'll discover a boating shallows, a stroking zoo and a ton of trips.

7. Harbourfront Centre

Established in 1972, this 10-acre upscale beachfront community bursts with tasks to thrill travelers of all red stripes.

Why You Must Go

Yearly, this complex location attracts about 16 million site visitors. Exciting year-round, this waterside website boasts a myriad of notable places, consisting of dining establishments, yards, parkes, art galleries and also cinemas.

What To Do

In summer, site visitors can relax on Sugar Coastline too go kayaking and paddleboarding. If you're going to in wintertime, you may skate by the lake or see the Toronto Songs Garden. As well as, did we state that the venue hosts around 4,000 occasions each year?

8. Casa Loma

Embed in downtown Toronto, this 98-room Gothic Revival home was built in between 1911 and 1914.

Why You Ought to Go

With its eye-catching towers as well as Instagrammable exterior, this lush mansion is just one of the fascinating things to see in Toronto. What's even more, the castle shows off a marvelous 5-acre garden decorated with sculptures, fountains and wildflowers.

What To Do

Tour the mansion and also uncover several of its distinct functions, such as its secret passages, huge wine rack and also horse stables. You'll likewise like that 700-foot-long tunnel that links the stables to your house.

9. Toronto Botanical Gardens

Open up given that 2003, this 4-acre oasis attributes 17 lovely, award-winning and great smelling themed yards.

Why You Must Go

Searching for romantic things to do in Toronto for pairs? After that, visit the TBG, and take a romantic and also picturesque walk with your companion in its stunning gardens. With a myriad of attractive flowers and also a laid-back charm, this oasis makes an excellent area to unwind and loosen up.

What To Do

If you want an even more thorough understanding right into the 17 gardens, take a 1-hour led scenic tour below. Conversely, you might take an app-guided sightseeing tour that will take you around the tourist attraction's grounds.

10. Ontario Scientific Research Center

Wowing visitors for 50 years, this museum on Don Mills Roadway is filled with educational and thought-provoking exhibitions.

Why You Must Go

The Ontario Scientific research Center makes learning exceptionally fun with its 500 interactive exhibits. From its planetarium to its aging maker, this scientific research museum will entertain and surprise you in a selection of ways.

What To Do

Have a look at the museum's IMAX cinema and also watch an academic film about scientific research and modern technology. You can also join the gallery's presentations that array from papermaking to power. As well as, do not fail to remember to strike the Living Earth experience as well as rocket chair.

11. Kensington Market

A former Jewish district, this bohemian market sprang to life in the 1902 with households setting up stands to sell goods.

Why You Should Go

Kensington Market is the city's cultural capital. With its diverse vintages shops, lively feeling and also tantalizing restaurants, this market is an outright banquet for the detects. While a little disorderly, this market ensures to maintain you occupied for hrs.

What To Do

Even if you're not into shopping, you'll still appreciate strolling casually via the art-clad and wacky market. Naturally, you'll find plenty of yummy goodies as well as cool finds below, with a few of them coming from Asia and also Europe.

12. Hockey Hall of Popularity

Established initially in 1943, this museum is a stellar display of ice hockey's intriguing history.

Why You Should Go

While hockey isn't exactly the nation's main sporting activity, it's somewhat the unofficial faith of Canada. As well as, there's no better place for more information about the nation's enthusiasm for this sporting activity than the Hockey Hall Of Fame.

With 65,000 square feet of event, this museum will offer you a thorough take a look at this preferred sporting activity. In addition, it bids die-hard hockey followers with loads of epic sport artefacts.

What To Do

See many remarkable hockey-related displays, such as the goalie gear of Terry Sawchuk and also the original Stanley Mug. Also, capture the Puck Wall, which includes a thousand pucks or even more that were gathered from different globe tournaments.

13. Ft York

Constructed in 1793, this historic fort was utilized by the Canadian militia and also British Military to defend the Toronto Harbour's entrance.

Why You Ought to Go

Ft York is one of the must-see historic destinations in Toronto. Through smart guides as well as a series of battle remnants, this historic marvel will provide you a peek of the city's seductive past. Plus, it has some pleasant sights as well as views as well.

What To Do

Enjoy the armed forces drills and also cannon firings as you see this website. Furthermore, you might participate in its flag raisings in addition to trip the police officers' as well as soldiers' quarters.

14. Ripley's Aquarium of Canada

Managed by Ripley Home entertainment, this fish tank has 1.25 million gallons of freshwater and also aquatic habitats from all over the world.

Why You Must Go

Ripley's Aquarium Of Canada is among the can't- miss enjoyable points to do in Toronto, Canada for households. With 135,000 square feet of undersea and interactive displays, it's the largest indoor aquarium in Canada today.

What To Do

The undersea passage, known as the Dangerous Shallows, is, for many people, the highlight of their check out right here. As you venture right into this tunnel, you'll find a lot of gorgeous animals, including environment-friendly sea turtles as well as relentless sand tiger sharks.

15. Bata Shoe Gallery

Inaugurated in 1979, this special museum mainly shows the individual footwear collections of benefactor Sonja Bata.

Why You Must Go

The Bata Footwear Gallery supplies an one-of-a-kind indoor experience in Toronto. Unlike your normal gallery, this tourist attraction concentrates on presenting shoes as well as various other related products. Presently, the museum has around 12,000 shoes and also shoes artifacts that date back 4,500 years.

What To Do

Make certain to take a look at the museum's showstoppers, consisting of the Chelsea boots of John Lennon as well as the silk slippers of Queen Victoria. You'll additionally love the red leather heels of Marilyn Monroe as well as the Dolce as well as Gabbanas of Madonna.

16. Toronto Eaton Facility

With a yearly participation of 50 million visitors, this buying sanctuary is the busiest shopping mall in North America.

Why You Should Go

Toronto Eaton Center sees a lot more yearly site visitors than either of the busiest shopping malls in the United States: Ala Moana facility and Shopping mall of America. Remarkably, it likewise draws more visitors than New York's Central Park.

And also, with over 250 elegant sellers, this complex makes sure to give shopaholics their repair and window shopping.

What To Do

Invest a day searching for bargains as well as fads at leading merchants, like Forever 21, Train and Steven Madden. After your electrifying buying spree, order a fast eat from any one of the many food selections in Urban Restaurant.

17. Scarborough Bluffs

Situated in Toronto's eastern end, these bluffs stretch throughout 15 kilometers along the photogenic Lake Ontario.

Why You Ought to Go

Don't let the pictures trick you! With its sandy beaches, cascading high cliffs as well as blue-green waters, the bluffs might look a little tropical and also unique. However, guess what? This imposing geological marvel is located in Toronto.

What To Do

Enjoy the spectacular sights from the top of the bluffs neglecting the lake. You might likewise increase to the 300-foot towering cliffs or trek it. Additionally, you'll discover outing areas and also a sandy beach at Bluffer's Park.

18. Allan Gardens Sunroom

Open year-round, this no-cost attraction in the Yard District was originally opened up in 1860.

Why You Ought to Go

The Allan Gardens Conservatory has 6 greenhouses including plants and also blossoms from around the world. As well as, while it's a bit little, the sunroom also offers various other destinations, consisting of a canine park and a children's playground.

What To Do

Visit the tropical houses, which are loaded with begonia, bromeliads and orchids. As soon as done, visit the Palm House, and find a multitude of exotic creeping plants, bananas as well as palms.

19. Toronto Food Tours

Led by Cook Scott Savoi, this scrumptious excursion lets you eat your way around the city's neighborhoods, such as Old Chinatown.

Why You Must Go

There's no better method to example Toronto's varied cuisine than to take this chef-led food tour. From Little Italy to Koreatown, this excursion looks into the ethic groups as well as electrical communities in Toronto.

What To Do

Satiate your Eastern food cravings by taking their Chinatown food scenic tour. For 3 hours, this scenic tour lets you relish 12 food tastings at 6 various restaurants and stores. Also much better, you'll appreciate an authentic Dim Sum experience and make a rest stop to a Chinese Grocery store.

20. Nathan Phillips Square

With a total area of 12 acres, this urban plaza is the biggest city square in Canada.

Why You Must Go

Nathan Phillips Square overruns with fun as well as activity. From annual occasions to shows, the plaza always buzzes with task. And, the best component is, you can appreciate the majority of them, for everyone's preferred cost of no dollars.

What To Do

Relax at Peace Garden, walk the elevated walkway and do some ice skating at this plaza in winter months. Additionally, you may appreciate the square's performances, shows, rallies, regular farmers' market as well as yearly events like the wintertime lights festival.

21. Trinity Bellwoods Park

Sandwiched in between Dundas Road West and also West Queen West, this 36-acre park is a neighborhood favorite in Toronto.

Why You Ought to Go

There's no lack of age-friendly entertainment in this rich park. Whether you're visiting it in wintertime or summer, you'll find a number of great as well as worthwhile tasks in this park. To make things also much better, a lot of the park's tasks are easy on the pocketbook.

What To Do

When the weather is warm, visitors will have access to a vast array of centers, including a kiddie wading swimming pool as well as sporting activities areas. You can additionally join the BYO outings and come to be a part of their social scene. In winter season, you can go ice skating on its magnificent rink.

22. Art Gallery of Ontario

Situated comfortably in midtown Toronto, this 45,000-square-meter bonanza is one of North America's largest art galleries.

Why You Should Go

Residence to over 90,000 screens, this gallery is a piece of paradise on earth for art connoisseurs. Besides its Native as well as Canadian art displays, this gallery also has notable work of arts by European legends, like Picasso.

What To Do

Be mesmerized by the gallery's European collection featuring jobs by artists, such as Claude Monet as well as Edgar Degas. You might also admire the contemporary jobs by Canadian greats, consisting of Jeff Wall and also Michael Snow.

23. TIFF Bell Lightbox

TIFF Bell Lightbox, developed in 2010, is a social attraction in Toronto understood for its cinemas and also learning studios.

Why You Need to Go

TIFF Bell Lightbox isn't just the official headquarters of the well-known Toronto International Film Event. With 5 impressive state-of-the-art cinemas, it's likewise one of the much more fascinating points to do in Toronto tonight. And also, it houses a restaurant, a gallery area and a movie library.

What To Do

If you can't make it to the 10-day movie carnival in September, you can still appreciate this center by seeing a flick below. From international indie movies to timeless blockbusters, their movie theater runs film shows throughout the year.

24. Aga Khan Museum

Set down on a beautiful 17-acre park, this opulent gallery was opened in 2014 to highlight Islamic Art.

Why You Should Go

Aga Khan is The United States and Canada's very first museum that's devoted to featuring Islamic art. Funded by Shia Ismaili Muslims, this gallery was opened to share the scientific and also artistic creations of the worldwide Islamic areas.

What To Do

Capture the museum's long-term collection of 1,000 pieces of Islamic art. Furthermore, you might experience the gallery's unique events and events.

25. High Park

Covering 400 hectares, this all-natural as well as entertainment paradise is Toronto's solution to New York's Central Park.

Why You Should Go

No listing of the best points to do in Toronto, Canada is complete without this sprawling urban park. From untouched nature sites to themed yards, High Park will certainly move you right into happiness with its irresistible greenery. Moreover, it provides a load of amazing and interactive activities.

What To Do

There's a lot of things to do in this park. Not only does it have a zoo, however it also has ice skating rinks, tennis courts as well as an exterior pool. There are additionally playgrounds for the sprightly children.

The article “ 25 Best Things to Do in Toronto, Canada — Top Activities & Places to Go! “ was appeared first on Family Destination Guide

The IV Lounge - IV Therapy Toronto Drip Clinic

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hopeuranus · 4 years

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Dance Analysis of Chicken Noodle Soup by J-Hope ft. Becky G

J-Hope is not only an incredible dancer but also a cultural preacher of street dance.

To people who are keen on hip-hop, Chicken Noodle Soup, a song made by DJ Webster and Young B, is no way to be unfamiliar. CNS was such a prevailing song at the very first beginning that it meant a lot to hip-hop enthusiasts. This song was even regarded as the ‘soul’ by these people. J-Hope also mentioned in his V-live on September 27th, 2019, that he began his first dance lesson with this song. That’s why he chose to rearrange it, which is of great importance to him, and paid tribute to the original version of Chicken Noodle Soup.

At the start of Chicken Noodle Soup’s music video, what the four dancers danced to is part of the primary choreography in the original song. J-Hope’s dance move, which uses both his elbows to flap inward, stems from the choreography of the original song, known as ‘the chicken dance’. Same thing applies to the most classic actions of flapping wings like a chicken in the chorus. When the original song came out, these dance moves successfully owned a phenomenal popularity among teenagers who enjoyed dancing. It was just catching on like the previously big-time dance movements such as ‘Gangnam Style’, ‘Coincidence’ and ‘hammer dance’. Movements which went viral on the Internet represent not only the trends back then but also the profound cultural background of a period of time.

Not all dance lovers spend time learning what dancing really means before they start their lessons. From my perspective, rather than merely showing the moves, we should also know where the dance originates from as well as its cultural connotations, which can help us better understand and demonstrate the dance style. It’s obvious that J-Hope’s dance is far from being a superficial imitation but he has attentively studied its culture and history behind the scenes.

The details in the music video show that J-Hope knows a lot about hip-hop culture.

One of the most indispensable parts in the development of the US hip-hop culture is to remould vintage cars into Lowrider cars. When people were fond of remoulding cars in quest of their high horsepower and accelerating speed, they would lower the chassis of the vehicle, write graffiti on the car, install a hydraulic system on the chassis and suspend the vehicle so that it could bounce up and down, as if the car got a chance to “dance” on the road freely. In this way, Lowrider Car gradually became an integral part of the hip-hop culture, like a big toy for hip-hop lovers. J-Hope put Lowrider cars into his music video and danced in front of them with dancers, as if he was holding a grand party which was established on hip-hop culture.

Someone trenchantly pointed out in the comment section of a reaction video, “None of you understands the real meanings behind this song, nor do you have any idea of its origin. The plummeted truck and the cars are all parts of a bygone history.” During the 1970s and 80s, Bronx borough of New York City was agonized by poverty and ghettos. Arson crimes frequented the neighborhood. Its crime rate topped the country. But then, the rise of hip-hop culture changed the neighborhood and reduced illegal actions, leading to an overall movement carried out by the government to promote hip-hop to the general public. The emergence and development of hip-hop culture has since then brought far-reaching influence all over the world.

If an artist failed to show his understanding on hip-hop culture in his music and dance but only added hip-hop elements like Lowrider car or dreadlocks for the sake of face value, it certainly could not gain hip hop lovers’ appreciation. In stead, it may even offend them. Nonetheless, J-Hope poured his wholehearted passion of hip-hop culture into his music video, and thus had his own way to make a nod to it.

Another example is “Show Me Your Bba Sae” which J-Hope danced to in the Weekly Idol variety show. Though he deliberately did it in an amusing and comical way, he was actually performing waacking dance. Waacking originated in gar bars, and was used as a vehicle by the LGBTQ community for self-expression and resistance against discrimination and marginalization toward queer people. Therefore, waacking adopts very striking and often flamboyant moves. J-hope embraces dances of all origins without any bias and stereotype. In his studies of dancing, he embodies an inclusive mindset which is common among people who appreciate and study hip-hop culture. On top of that, he also genuinely showed his own understanding of waacking dance by pulling off its expressive and outgoing attitude with his body movement and facial expression. Of course, this discussion deserves another essay to articulate in depth, but we have to regretfully stop here.

Hip-hop culture originated from four elements: DJ, MC, B-boy and graffiti. The hip-hop culture and its subsequent different types of dance are derived from these four elements. The headstream of street dance was party dance in African-American communities in the 1960s. This kind of party dance incorporated rough and vigorous African dance, free and elegant Salsa dance, humorous tap dance, dynamic Jazz Dance and Chinese Kung Fu, as well as other dance elements and moves. These various dance and elements in turn developed into different dance types in hip-hop culture.

Hence, both hip-hop culture and street dance have a strong sense of inclusiveness and that’s exactly what J-Hope’s Chicken Noodle Soup represents. Chicken Noodle Soup used to be the signature dance of black people, who are the owners of hip-hop culture, but now it’s performed by an Asian dancer. Dancers of all ethnicities from The Lab group were also invited to take part in the shooting of this music video. J-Hope used his music and dance to break the barriers of language and races, cheering up hip-hop enthusiasts all around the world with his masterpiece. That’s what Elite Force, the crew which initiated hip-hop culture, wanted to see. True solidarity of humanity comes at the premise of goodwill and mutual respect among people.

It is worth mentioning that in 2013 J-Hope had written three articles titled “Street Dance Review” in the BTS official blog even before his debut. In those posts, he vividly illustrated the development and definitions of Popping, Locking and Breaking dances in a multi-media format of texts, images and videos. With his own efforts, he aimed to eliminate the stereotypes by general public toward street dance, and truly hoped that people could learn about these dance types. From his early attempts, we could get a glimpse of his unshakable confidence and passion about dance and the culture it entails.

J-Hope sincerely hopes that hip-hop culture can be accepted by people of all races. Hip-hop culture did not hit Asia and enthralled many people until the beginning of the 21st century. But there is still a long way to go. At the same time, J-Hope never forgets hip hop’s origin. Nor does he ever cease to gain a deeper understanding in hip-hop culture. He also shows respect to hip-hop all the time. That’s the reason why J-Hope is not only an incredible dancer but also a cultural preacher of street dance.

Writer/Special thanks to @Hopeworld_Spume (weibo) Sources/薄巧泼辣黑 Proofreading/柠檬 Translate/hoya 高清画质

#jhope #jung hoseok #hoseok #BTS #Chicken Noodle Soup #analysis #magazine

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dailyexo · 4 years

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[INTERVIEW] Lay - 200915 Forbes: “Lay Zhang Is Aiming To Bring Chinese Music To The World”

"It’s been a few years now since Lay Zhang (also known as Zhang Yixing) released his debut EP Lose Control in 2016. Already a prominent star throughout Asia after debuting as part of K-pop boy band EXO back in 2012 and becoming a prominent television personality in China, Zhang – who is usually known mononymously as LAY – started down a path that year that would turn him into one of the biggest musical players in Asia less than half a decade later: in 2018, he broke onto the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart with his album Namanana, and this year he ranked No. 5 on Forbes China’s Celebrity 100 ranking.