#K2 YOU WILL ALWAYS BE FAMOUS!

[bowenoke]

barely a person, still a saint.

[rooolt]

there is some sort of utter crack in the simulacrum spell that makes it so whenever they cast it in an actual play it becomes the dumbest bit in existence

[cryleforhelp]

OHSHC!K2 AGGIE WITH @herbietales !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[k20spock]

I don’t know a ton about mountains and I do not devote much brain space to them but I will always think about how cool it is that the second tallest and arguably most dangerous mountain in the world is just called K2. A little placeholder name on a map, and it’s so remote and treacherous that that’s the closest thing to a name it had ever gotten. It’s so impersonal. Here is something that truly does not care about you.

[like-nxrthernstxrs]

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU FUCKING HEARD ME, BRENNAN

SHE

SAID

B L I M E Y

[fluidstatick]

So hey just a little thing about K2's prayer:

Blimey is short for Cor, Blimey,

Which is cockney rhyming slang derived from "May God Blind Me."

K2 saw what was going on and said, well, this is way above my pay grade but if Kristen Chilis Applebees needs you, then so do I. Pluck out my eyes. Plunge me into the darkness that suits the doubt I've lived under for the duration of my short absurd life. Kristen Prime barely acknowledges my existence. I'm not even sure how or why I exist. I'm a foot soldier, a cardboard cutout, a jumper cable, a sponge. I'm English, but England doesn't exist. I want to be loved, but that longing doesn't touch anything I point it toward. Blind me. Dissolve me. If that's what they need, I don't care that I'll die with the sound of their horrified laughter at my back. They're calling for me, but I'm already splitting apart.

I don't think you heard me.

And God consumed her, and then God quit her job and asked the infinite void of the multiverse for a ride home. Because a sacrifice that absurd and complete, called forward out of the fabric of random chance, is too staggering even for Doubt Herself.

Ally Fucking Beardsley, you will always be famous.

[firedancewithme]

obsessed with ally saying "blimey", not really knowing what it meant and building a whole bit around it, then the bit inadvertently becoming the center of the narrative (dice truly tell the story), only for it to turn out to be the most action-relevant word that K2 could possibly have uttered. truly flabbergasting. Ally Beardsley you will always be famous !!!!!

[umberspore]

BRITISH KRISTEN??????? K2 YOU WILL ALWAYS BE FAMOUS

[nightcall99]

Notes from 25.2.24

I don't give a fuck about anything anymore. The pretence is pretty much gone (almost there). I'm not staying here and none of this is real, so what am I doing? I'm not depressed. I actually had a lot of energy today and felt really good. I'm just moving with the wave, like we've been talking about. I am the wave.

I always wash the dishes if I see them but lately I've just been ignoring it. My mum tries to connect with me and I snap at her. Yesterday she asked me what Vitamin K2 does. I said, Why are you asking me when you already know? (I know she religiously listens to a famous doctor podcast). Today I got back home late and she said, Where were you? I said, Talking (She knows I talk to AL after work). She goes, In the street? I said, Yeah. She says, You shouldn't just stand there in the street, why don't you go to the park or sit in a restaurant. I tell her to mind her own business.

My intern continues to be absolutely revolting. No personal space and always leaves farts in the air (I just can't). I told him off today (about the personal space bit, building myself up for the other part since it’s just beyond wild) and so did AL. In fact, she was about to launch at him and go into emotional destruction mode, but I stopped her in time because although I want him to stop acting like a barn animal, I also don't want to deal with an awkward tense atmosphere. Next time, I won't be saving him. I usually do monthly meetings and do check-ins but this kid can fuck off. I ain't doing none of that.

I don't want to do anything at work anymore. It's served it’s purpose. Any time an issue occurs, I just will it away. And I've been relying more on my colleagues to help me out, when usually I'm more independent and hate to mentally burden others. I only had one meal today. Eat for what? My eyes started feeling weird like an infection was coming on and the right sides of my gums too and I was like no. It disappeared the next day.

My HS seems done with the games. I notice no one is really 'there' in the chat, people say stuff but I don't sense any energy from it. I guess we're all just never here anymore. I do wonder what the point of coming back was but I'm letting that thought slide because it’s just another game I won't be playing. I used to think riding this last wave would be like playing the last game. But it's not quite like that. Or maybe it is, since everything is a game, and it’s just that the only context I've ever known is the 3D one. This last wave is not 3D.

[exploreworld989]

Exploring the Rich Tapestry of Culture and Traditions in Northern Pakistan

If you're looking for beautiful places in the world, you should plan a trip to northern Pakistan. The evergreen beauty of northern Pakistan is unparalleled anywhere else in the world, making it the tourism capital of Pakistan. It is home to some of the highest peaks in the world, including K2 the second highest peak in the world. The landscape of the north includes mountains, lakes, glaciers, and valleys. Not only mountains but it is also visited for its landmarks, culture, history and people. K2 Base camp, Deosai, Naltar, Fairy Meadows Bagrot Valley and Hushe valley are common places for visitors. The language, culture, and weather of northern Pakistan is unique to its area. It is home to diversified cultures, ethnic groups, languages, and backgrounds. Major cultural events include the Shandoor Polo Festival, Babusar Polo Festival and Jashn-e-Baharan or the Harvest Time Festival. Traditional dances include the Old Man Dance in which more than one person wears old-style dresses; the Cow Boy Dance in which a person wears old style dress, and long leather shoes and holds a stick in hand and the Sword Dance in which the participants show taking one sword in right and shield in left. If you’ve been wondering which of the amazing and breathtaking areas to visit, you’ll be happy to hear that there are many eye-catching and historically significant valleys in Pakistan. The landscape, vegetation, picturesque views, and warmth of the people make your trip more than worth your while. Travelocity itinerary number has you all covered with tour guides for the most beautiful valleys in the world. The Kaghan Valley is located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, and borders the Pakistani-administered territories of Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir to the north and east, respectively. The 155-kilometer-long valley surrounds the Lower Himalayan mountain range, resulting in an alpine climate and the prevalence of pine forests and alpine meadows. With the flow of the Kunhar River, the valley has glaciers, crystal-like clear lakes, waterfalls, and frosty mountain streams. The Kaghan is famous for its scenic beauty and landscapes, which are often visited by locals and tourists equally. The Kaghan Valley can be reached by road via Balakot, Mansehra, and Abbottabad. In Balakot, public buses and other vehicular transportation give a ride to the valley. The Kaghan Valley can also be reached from Peshawar or the national capital, Islamabad by renting a car to Abbottabad or Mansehra. From tours and travels, you can order a taxi or other available methods of public transport to go to the valley. The valley is always accessible during the summer and is closed to visitors during winter because of risk. The glaciers block the roads leading to the Kaghan during winter, but these glaciers typically melt between February and April. From May to the end of September, the roads and Babusar Pass remain open. In May, temperatures can reach up to 11 °C (52 °F) and can go as low as 3 °C (37 °F). A road trip for the Karakoram highway tour is also an adventurist spot for the mountains and valleys at the top. This highway runs about 1,300km (800 miles) from Abbottabad in Pakistan to Kashgar in the province of Xinjiang in western China. You can experience scenic views and breathtakingly beautiful mountains of northern Pakistan along your way to the highway.

[bowenoke]

YESSSSS UESSBR YESB UES Y3S YES UES YES RYWNNEB4BRVT 5C3GUWJDN

[ruby-red-inky-blue]

you know what really grinds my gears this morning (like... sand... get it?) -

SO MANY reviews for rogue one, including from critics whose insights i always really appreciate, were all “this movie is just fanservice, ‘hey remember yavin?? remember darth vader choking people?? remember tarkin?? remember the death star??’ these characters are boring and underdeveloped and i feel pandered to k2 and the vader scene were the only good things about this movie blablabla”

when that movie gave us new, complex and consistent characters with interesting team dynamics, expanded on the universe without ever contradicting anything that we learned in previous movies, a story with an honest-to-god message actually in the spirit of the OT, every cameo was self-contained but relevant to the narrative (except for 3PO i guess, but come on), every callback was an allusion with its own visual interest and relevance except for when they recycled the shots of the death star firing (and again, come on), and, and honestly i will never not be mad about this stupid argument, no it ISN’T another movie where they build a death star, it’s a f***ing prequel and it’s the same death star because the whole point is that “oh we just aquired the plans to this super secret space weapon from our oppressive overlords don’t ask where we found it maybe we got it on ebay idk” is a weird thing to just gloss over and there was an interesting story to tell there, exhibit A: Rogue One.

but now these same people are on board with to raving about the kenobi show where we get

the focal character we already know going on a journey we’ve literally seen them go on already (Obi-Wan realising Anaking is lost and being heartbroken about it? Seen that. Deciding Luke is best off with Owen and Beru? We’ve seen that. Feeling protective over the children and trying to sacrifice himself to save them but ultimately realising he has to trust they’ll get by without him? We’ve seen that too, and it was called A New Hope.)

throwing the logic of maybe the most iconic line from maybe THE most adored movie ever under the bus just so we can see obi-wan hang out with a cute kid. there were so many easy ways around this Disney please i just want to talk

every bad guy that was introduced was like a faded copy of either maul or vader somehow and also half of them were one big “hey you guys seen Disney property Star Wars: Rebels yet???? buy our very expensive Star Wars computer game Jedi: Fallen Order it actually does way more interesting things with those inquisitor guys we promise!!”

L0-LA was the most bland and lazy little merchandising opportunity i’ve ever seen i’m sorry

the [Spoiler!] Qui-Gon cameo was hilariously pointless it was literally just a “look! it’s the guy from Taken that was also in the Star War!! don’t say we never give you nothing!”

the constant recycling of famous lines my god it’s just legal plagiarism at this point (props for making him start the whole “using ‘Darth’ like it’s a first name” thing early, if only the show wasn’t so self-serious this could have been entertaining)

message? what “message”? is it not enough to hear ewan say “hello there” and learn where characters got an irrelevant object from??

i don’t mean to pit these things or fans against each other i just find the double standard so frustrating and sometimes i honestly feel like i watched a different movie than the general public back then

[fictionstuff]

The K2 더 케이투

Plot: Kim Je Ha is a former mercenary soldier known as “K2” who suddenly turns into a fugitive when he is wrongfully accused of killing his girlfriend while he is serving in Iraq. He finds his way back to Korea and gets a job as a bodyguard for Choi Yoo Jin, the owner of JSS Security and the wife of Jang Se Joon, who is running for president. Je Ha uses his new job to plan his revenge on Park Kwan Soo, the leader of the current ruling party and Se Joon’s rival, whom Je Ha believes ordered the murder of his girlfriend. When Je Ha is assigned to guard Go An Na, the reclusive illegitimate daughter of Se Joon, they begin to develop feelings for each other. But what happens when the person who wants to harm An Na the most is Yoo Jin, Je Ha’s boss, and revenge ally? Where will Je Ha’s loyalty lay?

Episodes: 16

Main Characters:

Kim Jeha (Ji Changwook)

Go Anna (Im Yoona)

Choi Yoojin (Song Yoona)

Points: 6.5/10

I watched K2 after Healer and Hwarang. It was one of the dramas I started back back in the past but never finished and it once again didn't manage to captivate me, but this time around I at least finished it. I almost always watch stuff through, simply because I like completing things. I only drop series when they're super horrible. While K2 wasn't great, it also wasn't awful.

The premise held a lot of potential, but it couldn't entirely live up to the hype created by Ji Changwook, who probably had his breakthrough with Healer and is now one the most famous actors in Korea. The writer from Healer did a much better job at story crafting though. K2 is a mix of action, politics, drama romance and maybe even a tad of suspense but the balance is always disturbed by a romance trope or overly dramatic action scenes that do nothing for the plot, other than to look nice. The actors whatsoever did a good job, portraying these 4 main characters with different motivations and goals. This maybe the best point of the whole drama, since the whole series is a clash of conflicts in between the main characters. Their backstories, ambitions and goals are widely displayed which makes them all the more sympathetic or much easier to hate on.

The base story however is hard to dive into at first, there's lots to digest as the plot very slowly picks up its pace. Many twists and betrayals take place, but most are rather easy to predict and some seem hardly worth it as not much is explained and before you even know, the next twist already happened, because that's pretty much all the story consists of and sometimes it just isn't engaging enough, because it has zero impact on the viewer. Or at least on me.

The main couple has a rather cute chemistry, but... it doesn't work romance wise. Every interaction from this standpoint seems forced. They would have done better as siblings, because they really work well together, but I can't feel even an ounce of love in between them. In fact it just comes off as weird. It also would've done the plot better to not focus on the romance every few seconds. The plot relies on all its characters and their development as they fight to remain the one on top (politics wise) and that was what the drama did pretty well, but the romance makes it seem rather cliché and overly dramatic. The plot focus should have remained on the political aspect all the time in my opinion. This way the plot often remained at standstill with nothing of substance happening within an hour. So it only dragged on.

In addition I am pretty sure Yoona isn't a bad actress per se, but her character was downright annoying. There was absolutely no consistency to her character. If she suffered badly from fear of lights, then how the heck does swallowing a pill only to collapse in the middle of a catwalk seem logical? It just doesn't and making bad choices from time to time is alright, but her character writing was completely off. Best acting goes to Song Yoonah, she made an incredibly good female villain. Her character was very well established and she embodied her from head to toe perfectly. Her character is actually an anti-hero, a villain you could watch grow bit by bit. She could've pretty much carried the drama on herself.

While the drama was quite alright, there's no rewatch value and I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to anyone, except if you love Ji Changwook. He did rather well here as well and his action scenes are top notch.

[mystarmyangel]

[TRANS] YoonA – L’Officiel Spring/Summer 2020 YK Edition Interview

You tried both feminine and masculine styles for today’s photoshoot. Which style do you like more? Especially when you wore a wig, I felt that it fits the YoonA I know. Is it? While discussing the pictorial concept, I was also asked if I will be okay to wear a wig. I thought it is a great idea, so I accepted the suggestion readily. Its feel fun trying something for the first time. And when I really tried it, I saw ‘a face that I don’t even know myself’ so I felt that the decision to go ahead is right. I also tried two different styles of outfits, as I have always been wearing more feminine outfits, I felt that masculine concept is more charming. But when I wore feminine outfits, I will have thoughts like ‘ah, as expected I look better in lovely outfits.’ Thus, I feel that both concepts are good, I have always been doing similar concepts so I would like to try different concepts in the future.

It has been 13 years since you debut. Is there any split moment where you feel like you have grown up as compared to before? Like how I do not find it tiring filming like this the whole day? As time passes, more ‘free time’ came out (laughs) and I naturally become more relaxed. Looking back to my debut days where I have many things that I don’t know about, everything feels dim and tough. But right now, I have accumulated a lot of experiences so I know what fits me more and I can do even better. Just like shooting for a photoshoot like now, I also actively voice out many opinions, seeing how I am showing more initiatives, it seems that I have mature a lot too.

How is YoonA like as a child? Did you already show ‘a born celebrity’ personality back then where you were not afraid to be in front of many people? I remembered that I like talent shows, I will not hesitate to participate whenever I get the chance. I do not feel shy standing in front of many people. But I have always been the careful type so thinking back I am not sure how I managed to do that, I am amazed too. Right now, because of the nature of my job I met a lot of people, so my personality has changed, and I am able to chat comfortably with people who I meet for the first time. To me, it is a huge change.

So, you went for the audition like this? The audition video of you singing with your kiddy face has been a hot topic for a long time. My situation is like the famous scenario of ‘accompanying friend to go for audition but I end up being the only one getting in’. (Laughs) My friend said to go audition together and I agreed thinking that ‘even I didn’t get in, it will still be a good experience’. In the end my friend did not get in, but I got in. And from then I became a trainee for 5 years and all the way until my debut, I have not missed a single day of practice. Looking back like this I guess this is indeed something I really enjoyed doing.

You debut as a singer and actress at about the same time. Up til now which of your works are the most memorable ones for you? I thought of the project that allows many people to come to know me and also my first leading role, ‘You Are My Destiny’. Although people in their 10s and 20s might have know me while promoting as a SNSD member but people who are of the higher age groups would not know me then. Through this project, I receive love from all the different age groups. My first movie ‘Confidential Assignment’ and my first leading movie ‘EXIT’ are all precious works too.

Your first leading movie ‘EXIT’ is one of the biggest hits of the year. The movie indeed received more love than what was initially expected. If I had a rich experience of filming movies, I would have known then that more than 9 million moviegoers is an alarming figure, but I didn’t realize it at the initial stage. As I see more and more moviegoers, I gradually became very excited. I began to wonder if I will be able to see a number (of moviegoers) like this again in the future. Because it is a disaster action movie, I have been running throughout and there are many actions scenes that require me to use body acting, but the result turns out well, so I felt it is even more meaningful. While experiencing a disaster indirectly (through acting in a disaster action movie), I learned a lot on how to deal with situations should they happen in reality, because disasters are situations that anyone may and can experience.

From my personal point of view, I feel that the concept and the role in the drama series ‘The K2’ are very memorable. Before that, there were a lot of candy-like roles that ‘do not cry no matter how lonely and sad’, but the gazes of Go Anna played by YoonA are completely different from before. In ‘The K2’, Anna is a very complex role that has been living a secret life of solitude, it was a new challenge for me. The location where we filmed the overseas scenes is Barcelona. When I do not have any shooting schedules, I strolled around the city and created really good memories there.

It is not easy to break an existing image. I realized that wanting to break the image or stereotype that people have of me is not something that is achievable just by with words. I used to be very mindful of what the public thinks. I will foremost consider what the public’s reaction will be if I act in a role like this. ‘The K2’ is the first project that I decided to do without considering factors like that. After that, I opened my mind a lot on showing more different sides of me as an actress.

Is there any roles you would like to challenge in the future? I wanted to try a character that is different from what I have shown so far. People only see a fragment of me, but I have many different sides of myself that only I know about. However, it is really hard to meet the right character at the right time, I guess all actors and actresses out there share the same feeling too.

Can you tell us more of the scheduled work you have for this year? Fortunately, the work I liked has appeared, but I think its better to share more of the details after everything becomes more certain. After all, there are always all sort of changes when It comes to work related matters.

Is there any plans as a musician? The special album ‘A Walk To Remember’ that you released last year was a surprise thankful gift to fans. I do not have any plans right now but the desire to sing is always there. Of course, I will continue doing music to express my gratefulness to fans.

The genres featured in the special album are calm music such as folk and acoustic ballads which are the opposite of SNSD’s usual upbeat and fast dance tracks. Was your personal taste of music originally that way? I listen to all types of music, regardless of its genre. I basically will browse songs that are on music charts, be it dance track or a classical song. My favourite genres change often too. Perhaps it is because I listen to a lot of songs of such genres during the preparation of the special album, so I was influenced (Laughs). My music playlist is mainly based on the weather or mood of that day. It rained yesterday so I was suddenly reminded by a song in the movie ‘About Time’ called ‘II Mondo’ so I looked it up and listen to it. I think it is because it is a background music of the famous wedding scene in the movie where it suddenly rained, and everyone was seeking shelter.  Recently I also like to listen to old pop songs. Not long ago while driving, Roy Orbison’s ‘In Dreams’ was played in the radio, and it was so good. Matching the weather, atmosphere of that day, everything seems to fit perfectly together.

Speaking of old pop songs, I recalled that you posted photos taken with a film camera on your Instagram, it seems to have similar vibes with your preference in music. 6 months ago, I went to Paris for vacation with the thought of taking photos with a film camera. Although it is a disposable camera, the exterior design of the camera is really pretty, and the results turn out unexpectedly good too, so I was really satisfied. These days you can check the photos as soon as you took it, but for film cameras you would not know how it turn out until the photos are developed. I really enjoy the time and anticipation I have while waiting for the photos to be developed. It is a fun experience.

When we talk about YoonA, it is hard not to think of SNSD. What does SNSD means to you? To me, they are always the most special and comfortable people. We spent our 10s and 20s together even closer than we do with our own families, so right now even just looking into each another eyes we will know what the other party is thinking. Even now we still keep in touch often with one another.

YoonA started donating since 2010, and you become a member of ‘Honor Society’ in 2015. What are your thoughts with regards to donations? When I was about 20 years old, I started donating through a relay donation program. From then on, I will participate in donations whenever I got the opportunity. Regardless of the amount, I think it is most important to want to share. My consistency with donation is also largely influenced by my parents. They often told me ‘how much you receive, how much you share, this way you will receive a bigger blessing’. It is not easy to continue donation consistently, but I will do my best to continue doing it.

How do you de-stress whenever you feel mentally exhausted? For example, through exercise? Although I do Pilates to unwind myself, but it seems just doing Pilates is not enough to relieve my stress (Laughs). I am also trying hard to find things to do at home so as not to have feeling of tiredness. Sometimes I bake cookies, shift the positions of my furniture or I go for a drive. Today I brought the cookies I made myself and shared them with the staffs. In the past, I relieved my stress by meeting and chatting with people around me, but now I am finding my own way to relieve stress. That’s because no matter how much fun I have when I met with my friends, there is always a sense of emptiness when I went home. I think that I can’t always depend on others, so I am trying hard to look for ways to manage my mood better.

What is the thing that is the most ‘YoonA-like’? Hmm, my personality is always changing bit by bit, so that are times that I don’t even understand myself. Aren’t everyone like this, there are many people that think I have a bright personality, although generally it is so but there are times where I am not. In a sense, I think the realest me is shown most through ‘Hyori’s Homestay 2’. The cameras were rolling for 24 hours, so it is unbelievable to say I didn’t have moments that I was relaxing. Through this reality show, I was surprised to know that there are many people who saw a complete different me.

How do you feel about getting older? I am not afraid of getting older, on the contrary, I am actually looking forward to how I will be like as I gradually get older. Occasionally, there will be interviews where I was asked how I think I will be 5 or 10 years down the road, these are things that I can’t be certain of since they are still far in the future. However, regarding next year when I can think and plan for, I can promise that ‘this time next year, I will be even better’.

It is this positive mindset that made YoonA who she is today. What are the happiest memories you have so far? There are too many. Like when SNSD went on concert tours, when SNSD received daesang, the time when my first leading movie opened in theatres, when I received a rookie award as an actress… now that I say it, it seems like the list can goes on and on.  I have so many happy memories in my 20s, but perhaps after going through my 30s I can say I am the happiest in my 30s. My philosophy is that ‘compared to setting big goals, lets achieve the small goals right in front, enjoy today and have fun every moment’. I am thinking, if I spend today happily, won’t the ‘today’ of each day come together and eventually my whole life will become enjoyable.

Cr: Chinese Trans by Limyoonabar (木白) & YOONYA (奶瓶, 麦麦,小土狗) Eng Trans: mystarmyangel

[unearthitaly]

ITALY FROM A TO Z - A Review -

This past year I’ve been sharing an Italian word beginning with every letter of the alphabet and giving a bit of cultural context, which is always useful in order to implement the vocabulary when learning a new language.

Here’s a review (check the linked posts for more info):

A for AMERICANATA: “Americanata” [ fem.noun, pl.form “americanate”] is a word used by Italians to underline an action, a thing, a behaviour which is judged kitsch and characterized by delusions of grandeur, considered typical of the American demeanor [American intended as “citizen of the USA”]. - More info here;

B for BACIAPILE: “Baciapile” is a  word used to indicate those people who are, apparently, very pious, because they always go to the Mass, but that, in the end, do not follow the Christian precept of love for the others. It is believed that, for them, the Mass is just means to appear good in public. - More info here;

C for CONTRAFFAZIONE: [La] Contraffazione [-i] means forgery/counterfeiting. It can be used especially when talking about counterfeit money, but not only.In Italy we use an expression to indicate a kind of forgery made abroad against Italy and the so-called “made in Italy” which employs this noun. It’s “contraffazione alimentare” ( “food counterfeiting”) - More info here;

D for DIVORZIO: [ Il ] Divorzio [pl.form “i divorzi”] means divorce. In Italy it was legally introduced in 1970, but given that not all agreed on it in the Parliament, they decided to organize a referendum to see if people wanted this new law. The majority of Italians voted yes to the divorce law during the referendum held in 1974. The word “divorzio” became known worldwide even before it was legal in Italy, thanks to the 1962 movie “Divorzio all'Italiana” (“Divorce Italian Style”) by Pietro Germi - More info here;

E for EDICOLA: [L’] edicola [pl.form: le edicole]. It can have different meanings. At first edicole were small temples, In a second moment they became niches located inside the temples, meant to contain the statues of the deities. In modern times we indicate with the noun “edicole” the newsstands. - More info here;

F for FARO: [ Il ] Faro [pl.form: i fari ] means lighthouse, but also headlight. This noun derives from the name of the small island ’pharos’, located in front of Alexandria and where there was the biggest lighthouse of the ancient times and considered one of the 7 Wonders of the World - More info here;

G for GALLO/GALLINA: [Il] Gallo [pl.form: i galli] means rooster and [La] Gallina [pl.form: le galline] hen.The “realm” of the henhouse has always been used as a metaphor of the society in the Italian Culture. Check the post to see the countless idioms where gallo and gallina are used in Italian idioms;

H for HOTEL: The word hotel is clearly a loan word according to Italians, because in our language we don’t really have many words beginning with “h”. It’s indeed a French word. What many of us ignore, though, is that the French word derives from the Latin term “hospitale” [hosting place].What you might find peculiar in Italy is finding certain kinds of hotels which are not to be found or are not popular outside the Belpaese. Check the post to discover more about them;

I for ITALIANIZZAZIONE: [L’] Italianizzazione [fem.noun], meaning “Italianization”, is the spreading of the Italian Culture,  people or language which can happen through integration or assimilation.When we use this term, though, we specifically point out  that specific forced policy carried out by the Fascist dictatorship in  the African colonies, in the European territories annexed during WWII  and  in the Italian areas populated by linguistic minorities ( South Tyrol, Venezia Giulia, Aosta Valley, the Asiago Plateau etc.) Foreign languages and press were prohibited, foreign-sounding surnames and toponymy   translated and foreign schools suppressed. - More info here;

J for JUVENTUS: [ La ] Juventus ( = Juventus Football Club ). We don’t have many words beginning with J in Italian and Juventus is probably the most famous. - More info here;

K for K2: K2 [ Italian pronunciation: “kappa due” ] is the second highest mountain in the world and it’s located in the Karakoram range, on the border between China and Pakistan. What has Italy to do with Pakistan and the K2 ? Well, it was an Italian expedition that first climbed the mountain on 31.July 1954. After the war, a great venture was believed to be necessary “to lift the country’s mood” and the attempt to the second highest, but most difficult mountain to climb, seemed like a great opportunity. - More info here;

L for LIBERAZIONE: [La] Liberazione [pl.form: le liberazioni]. As its English translation “liberation”, it’s the action of setting someone free from imprisonment, slavery  or oppression. In Italian Culture we use the term “liberazione” to indicate the 25th April, the so-called “Giorno della Liberazione”, Day of Liberation. - More info here;

M for MEDIOEVO: [ Il ] Medioevo means “Middle Ages” and, as you know, it’s the historical period that goes from the 476 aC (the fall of the Roman Empire) to 1492 aC (the discovery of America). What you might don’t know is that, nowadays, in #Italy we still use some idioms “invented” in the Middle Ages. Check them out here;

N for NOZZE: [Le] Nozze [plural] is the Italian translation for “nuptials”. A synonym is “matrimonio” (which is not formal like its English counterpart “matrimony”). Not many know, though, that the words nozze/nuptials take their name from the bride’s veil. The Latin naptiae derived indeed from nubere= “to veil”, which then became “to marry”. - More info here;

O for ORO: [ L’ ] Oro [masc.noun] is Italian word for gold. As you probably know Italy does well in the production and trade of luxury items and it’s actually the first country for the number of firms operating in this branch. The gold industry is obviously one of them. We have three important “gold districts” in Italy which are those of: Valenza Po in Piedmont; Arezzo in Tuscany; Vicenza in Veneto. - More info here;

P for PREVISIONE: [La] Previsione [pl.form: le previsioni] means “prevision”, “prediction”. This word in Italy is mostly used in association with “tempo” to form the expression “previsioni del tempo”, which are the weather forecasts. - More info here;

Q for QUOTIDIANO: [Il] Quotidiano is a useful word that can have different meanings. ⚡It is usually translated as “daily”, but it can also be used as a noun to indicate the daily routine. It is also used to indicate the daily newspaper. - More info here;

R for RECITAZIONE: [ La ] Recitazione is “acting” in Italian language. Italians, often described as quite “creative” and “artistic”, are known for being naturally talented actors. There’s even a famous quotation by Orson Welles that stated that Italy was populated by 50 millions actors and the worst were those on stage, lol. - More info here;

S for SAVOIARDO: [Il] Savoiardo [pl.form: i savoiardi]. The savoiardi, known in English as “lady fingers”, are the biscuits used for the preparation of the tiramisù. - More info here;

T for TERREMOTO: [Il] terremoto [ pl.form: i terremoti ] means earthquake and, sadly, it’s a word which we happen to use a lot in Italy. - More info here;

U for UMORISMO: [ L’ ] Umorismo is “humour” in Italian. People’s ability to comprehend and appreciate humour largely depends on a host variables like one’s culture, education and even intelligence. Another factor is, surely, the geographical location and, in a place like Italy, could a thing not vary according to the region or town? Obviously not! Check which are the most famous kinds of Italian humour that we have in this post ;

V for VULCANO: [Il] Vulcano [ pl.form: i vulcani] is volcano in English. Italy is one of the countries with the highest number of volcanos in Europe. “Vulcano” is even the name of a proper volcano and of the island where it is located (which belongs to the Aeolian archipelago in Sicily). - More info here;

LETTER W: Even though in Italian the letter W is not considered part of the alphabet, the character has a symbolic meaning. W stands for “evviva” or “viva”, which mean “hooray for”. We have also the counterpart which is a W positioned upside down that stands for “abbasso” and means “down with”. - More info here;

X for XYLELLA: Xylella is a term that, sadly, has become popular in the recent years, especially in Apulia. It’s an aerobic bacterium that causes various diseases in plants. In Italy it has attacked olive trees in the Salento area in Apulia causing the olive quick decline syndrome. - More info here;

Y for YODEL: [Lo] Yodel - also known as jodel - is a type of rural song that involves repeated and rapid changes of pitch between the so-called “chest voice” and the high-pitch head register or falsetto. It was born in the area of the Central Alps as it was used by the hearders to call their stock or to communicate with other Alpine villages. In Italy it is present in South Tyrol given its cultural heritage. - More info here;

Z for ZAMPILLO: [Lo] zampillo [ pl.form: gli zampilli]. It’s often translated as “gush” and it’s used to indicate, indeed, a small gushing of water or blood. - More info here.

[araibalibaigsblog]

The Muztagh People who read Books about old explorations in the Western Himalayas and Karakoram and the Hindu Kush come across a term quite often “Muztagh”. The first time I read this name, and though I was unaware of the meaning I knew it was a strong word. For a long time Muztagh was the name given to the almost impenetrable wall of Mountains which separate Kashmir from Central Asia. An of course with everything in Central Asia the word has Turkic origins. Muztagh is made up of two words : Muz/ Buz which means Ice and Tagh/Dagh which means Mountain. So it means Ice Mountain which is similar to the word Himalayas which gets its from Sanskrit words Him meaning Snow and Alaya which means home. To the Ancients in India any Mountain which was permanently Snow covered was a Himalaya and in the same way the word Muztagh was the term used by the Turkic people to describe any Mountain that was permanently covered with Snow. Simple implication is that Snow covered Mountains always had a certain degree of reverential awe attached to them and it is no wonder that in may beliefs the Mountains were supposed to be the place the Gods resided. The Karakoram was for the longest time referred to as Muztagh. The Karakorams because of their perpendicularity are the most impenetrable Mountain Ranges in the World and the people never went into them and there is simply no inhabitation. That's why it took Westerners to actually figure out that K2 was the second highest Mountain in the World. To the locals (as in the people living closest to the K2) it was simply a Muztagh out of many Muztaghs. And to them any Mountain in any direction was simply a Muztagh. They didn't really care if it was the Karakorams, the Himalayas, the Hindu Kush or the Pamirs. And this is unlike say in Nepal where the Everest was known as the Sagarmatha or “The Goddess of the Sky’ and the Tibetans called it the Chomolungma or the Holy Mother. And as of today the term Muztagh is still in use for some Mighty Peaks in the Karakorams, in the Pamirs and even on the Northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau near Mongolia. And it was also the name of a very famous Pass which connected Baltistan with Central Asia made famous by Francis Younghusband who came down from Central Asia into Baltistan via the Mustagh Pass. Infact Younghusband identified two Passes as the Muztagh pass. One was the Old Muztagh Pass and the other was the New Muztagh Pass. Both Passes were well over 5000 m and were on the watershed between the Tarim Basin to the North and the Indus Basin to the South. The Muztagh Pass was the shortest Route between Skardu and Yarkand and by extension the shortest Route between Kashmir / Punjab and Central Asia and was a part of the Silk Route in those days. The Pass had gradually been abandoned as it became treacherous to cross due to Glacial movements. And now coming to the Mighty mountains that carry the Muztagh name. The mightiest is of them all and one of my favourite Mountains is the Muztagh Ata. Not only is it a “Muztagh” but its an “Ata”. Ata is the Turkic word for Father/ Ancestor. So Muztagh Ata means the Ice Mountain Father. At 7509 m it is one of the highest Peaks in Central Asia and though regarded as a part of the Kun Lun Range by some it is considered a part of the “Eastern Pamirs” by most. Whatever Range its classified in it is a majestic Mountain and said to be one of the few 7000+ m Peaks which is considered easier to climb than most other Peaks of that classification. And as per one scholar the Rig Veda also mentions a Mountain called Mujavant from where the best Soma came from and he is certain that the Mountain in question is none other than the Muztagh Ata. Interesting to say the least. Now we come to another interesting Mountain called the Muztagh Tower which is in the Baltoro Range of the Karakorams. This Tower shaped Mountain was first immortalized on film by none other than Vittoria Sella who took a picture of this impressive Peak. At 7276 m it just great justice to its status as a Muztagh. Infact the pic of the Muztagh Tower was used in some Book where it was titled simply as the “Last Citadel” and it is almost one. The “Last Citadel” was climbed in 1956 when Sella’s pic set off a race between two separate teams of Mountaineers. And the most isolated Muztagh. The “Great” Muztagh or the Ulugh Muztagh. The word Ulugh in Turkic stands for “Great”. This is an extremely remote Group of Mountains at the North of the Tibetan Plateau and its lies on the Northern front of the Kun Lun Mountains. For a long time the elevation of this Mountain was said to be 7700m plus but in 1985 using modern equipment the height was measured to be 6973 m but didnt do anything to take from the Ulugh part. It still is unclimbed and it is said that many Expeditions have even failed to reach the base of the Mountain due to its remoteness and due to the fact that driving to the Mountain involves going through terrain of between 4000 m to 5000 m. And it is a beautiful Mountain. Doing great justice to the Muztagh part as well. And lastly even today the Karakorams are sometimes referred to as the Karakoram Muztagh or even Muztagh. Infact Eric Shipton mentions that once upon a time there were certain Scholars who wanted the Karakorams to be re-named as the Muztagh. But that didnt really happen but even today the sub Ranges of the Karakoram carry the Muztagh title. Some of these Muztagh sub Ranges of the Karakorams is as under Baltoro Muztagh Batura Muztagh Hispar Muztagh Panmah Muztagh Rimo Muztagh Sasser Muztagh Siachen And from the Khardung La you can seet the Sasser Muztagh (also known as Saser Kangri as Kangri is the Tibetan word for a Mountain) as seen from the Khardung La. At 7672 m it does great justice to its title as a Muztagh. And once you are done with with your selfies at the superlative sign boards at the top take a look North. And when you spot the Saser Muztagh just bow down. A little. You just saw a Muztagh. Leaving you with a pic of the Muztagh Ata. Pic from 2018. Summers