Aigoo, aegyo!

UPDATED OCTOBER 3

According to Urban Dictionary, aegyo (egg-yo) comes from the Chinese characters “ae” (love) and “gyo” (beautiful), .

Here in America, we’d say “cute”.

Girls in Korea often use aegyo to attract a boyfriend (Oppa) and will play up adorable and child-like mannerisms; resurrecting the idea that innocence is ‘sexy’.

This could mean anything from big bows and curly hair to a higher-pitched voice, younger-looking makeup or an emphasis on certain syllables.

The aegyo style was thought to have originated during the recent anime craze, where innocent-looking characters with wide eyes became every teenage boy’s new fantasy.  Read more about the origins of aegyo here.

Because aegyo is so difficult to analyze, it’s better to watch it and then be able to recognize when a character uses it in your favorite K-drama. Here are some examples.

WARNING: These videos may contain disturbing, yet strangely attractive material. Proceed with caution!

Abused Goddesses: India’s Campaign to End Domestic Violence

A friend of mine sent this to me recently and I was impressed by how powerfully they have used one of of India’s most ironic contradiction to push social change.

This campaign’s artwork is both compelling and controversial as it explores the haunting image of a society that worships its goddesses, but subjects its women to constant abuse:

K-Hindi 101: ‘Pyaar’ and other words for love

UPDATED OCTOBER 2

India has thousands of languages and dialects, but Hindi is the only language of Bollywood.

There are many words for ‘love’ in Hindi. There are a few of the most common:

Prem (‘pure love’) is a word from Sanskrit, the sacred scholarly language of India -like Latin or classical Chinese-. You don’t often see it in films. Instead, it is used for names, poetry and in Hindu religious texts.

Ishq (‘passion’) and mohabbat (‘affection’) were originally Arabic, and became a part of Urdu, the national language of Pakistan. They are more popular because of the country’s proximity to north India’s Bollywood industry. They have slightly different meanings but can be used interchangeably in a romantic context.

Pyaar, another Sanskrit word, is probably the most recognizable term for ‘love’. In Bollywood films, you may hear “pyaar hota hai”. “Hota hai” means “it happens”.

The entire phrase, Mujhe tumse pyaar hota hai, translates to:

“Love happens to me”.

Personally, I prefer it to the English “falling in love”.

…maybe because it doesn’t sound like I just tripped down the stairs.

Crime Alerts in K-Drama!

UPDATED OCTOBER 4

It’s been a pretty eventful week in K-drama land!

First, in  Episode 14 of police/supernatural drama Who Are You, Detective Yang Si-On learns just how corrupt her fellow officers are…with the help of her fiance’s ghost. Right now though, she’s a bit more concerned about her good-looking partner, who after taking a knife for her is lying in critical condition.

But the real question is, what’s she going to do when she finds out that her ‘dead’ lover is actually in a coma?

Next, in Master’s Sun, we have just left ghost-whisperer Tae Gong Shil crying at the end of Episode 12. She believes that her employer, stuck-up CEO Joo Joong Won, is dead after saving her from a desperate killer. And considering that he -finally- confessed his feelings in the last episode, it will be interesting to see where the writers are going with this plot twist.

Will Gong Shil’s new boyfriend be unable to protect her from her supernatural stalkers or is this just one other cliff hanger in K-drama land?

One thing is for sure, with two male leads in hospital for stab wounds, the crime rate in K-drama is climbing.

But don’t take my word for it, watch for yourself!

http://www.viki.com/tv/11915c-masters-sun

http://www.viki.com/tv/20391c-who-are-you

Masala FM: The Mission

UPDATED SEPT 25TH

Welcome to Masala FM, your first stop for Asian media!

Here I will share my obsession with dramas, film, music and dance and interesting goings-on from all corners of my favorite continent!

‘Masala’ literally means “a mixture of spices” -Tikka Masala, anyone?- and refers to Indian film genre with ‘a little bit of everything’: comedy, drama, romance, action.

But who says ‘masala’ has to be Indian or even just a film? I love Asian media because of its colourful mix of genre and style!

So I choose to give ‘masala’ a different meaning.

After all, variety isn’t cultural…it’s global!