#learn spoken hindi through english

[kenny612]

Embark on a Journey to Learn Hindi Language Through English with Our Interactive Courses

Dive into the world of online Hindi language learning with our unique approach. Whether you prefer English or Tamil, Bhasha.io convenient and effective courses offer an exciting pathway to mastering Hindi from the comfort of your home.

[daichiduskdrop]

˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚⋆·˚ ༘ *𝙎𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙡 ⋆·˚ ༘ *ੈ✩‧₊˚

Chapter 22

Pairing: BTS Ot7 X fem! reader

Genre: A/B/O AU, Fluff, Angst, Strangers to lovers,

Warnings: none :)

Words: 4017

Taglist:@thelilbutifulthings @ilovemoneymorethenmen @singukieee @cherrysainttt @felicityroth @mageprincess7 @lucis-noctiana @danielle143 @osakis-gf @girl-nahh @vintageoldfashion @neverthefirstchoice @juju-227592 @silentreadersthings @i-have-no-life-charlie @everyonehatesshani @iamkookiesforyou @dragons-flare @fangirl125reader @roseidol @frieschan @popcatx0 @liz67900 @exfolitae

Previous:

⋆·˚ ༘ *ੈ✩‧₊˚˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚˚ ✩‧₊˚⋆·˚ ༘ *

And so, you and Yoongi took your time walking around the bookstore, looking over the many different sections of stories available.

You ended up in front of the multilinguage books, ranging from English and Spanish all the way over to Hindi and Japanese. Your mother tongue spiked a bit of interest in you, having you reach to grasp the first book in sight.

It was a cookbook, talking about the usual Japanese cuisine and treats available mostly in the country, bringing them to your home so you can enjoy them there too.

„Do you speak Japanese, oppa?” You asked, your voice low as you looked over the colourful pictures of Yakitori. It looked quite tasty there, too.

„I know a few things, kitty.” He answered with his hand in yours, his thumb gently running over your knuckles. You smiled softly.

You knew Korean more than well now, but still, you liked to watch a lot of movies in Japanese, just to make sure you wouldn't forget.

Growing up, you didn't really have a big opportunity to learn any languages, apart from korean of course, which was usually spoken at your home. Your school had only minimal lessons of English, so apart from the simplest phrases ever, you didn't know much.

You let the alpha gently pull you along towards a music history book he saw in the corner of his eye—the man flipping through the massive encyclopaedia.

„Pup, do you want to stay here for a bit longer or do you want to go now, sweetheart?” The packalpha asked, walking bristly over to the both of you. He already had a big bag from the bookstore hanging from his hand, seemingly pretty full with how bulky it was.

„Did you-” You didn't get much of a word in before his palms were over your cheeks, gently running over the sides of your face covered in the face mask.

„Be a good girl, pup, and let alpha spoil you, baby."

He said, gently bowing down to be face-to-face with you. Smiling brightly, he booped your covered nose before he took your other unoccupied hand in his.

„We can go...” You whispered, and your cheeks warmed up at the sweet words the alpha shared with you.

„How about the music store? I want to check the new audio monitors; I saw many ads.” Yoongi said, he was already pulling you both out of the bookstore.

„Oh yeah, they had a lot of claims for sure." Namjoon answered, leading you both back to the very bottom floor. The mall had fewer people now, but still, there were quite a few bypassers, making the alphas stay close to you.

When the music store with the giant NAKWON light-up sign appeared, you and the pair of alphas were only left in slight disappointment. The metal bars were pulled over the entrance to the store, and the neon sign was turned off.

„Shit, it's closed.” The older man mumbled, but still, you wanted to at least look through the gaps, and the large arrangement of equipment made you interested.

„Kitty I'm sorry, but we can't go right now, baby. I'll take you later so you can see, okay? It's alright, baby kitten. Let's go somewhere else now, hm? What would you like to see, my kitty?”

The alpha was quick to try and distract you, not wanting you to dwell. He wasn't sure if you were as excited as he was deep inside, and he didn't want you to be disappointed and sad. He didn't realise that it would be closed today.

„It's okay.” You whispered, looking over the music instruments hung up on the wall, a beautiful dark blue guitar catching your attention. It was almost black with how greyish it was; it looked very pretty and luxurious.

„Sweetheart, alpha's will take you here sometime, okay? I promise. Let's go now; don't be sad, baby.” The packalpha tried to pull you away himself, not sure if the way you were mesmerised was a good sign.

You seemed to definitely want to go in with how your eyes sparkled, and he was sad he couldn't let you go. They didn't want you to start crying so suddenly either, choosing to take you somewhere else to take your mind off of the store.

After a few seconds, you nodded, looking back up at the two men who pulled you so sweetly along. Remembering that you needed some clothes, you weren't sure if it was appropriate for you to ask that.

You felt embarrassment creeping up on you, your steps slowing down a little, and both of the alphas turned to you right away. Noting how you avoided their eyes, Yoongi was the one to kneel down first, your head in his palms.

„Kitty? Baby, what's wrong? Tell alpha...” He whispered, your eyes meeting his for a second or two. Whispering it in his ear, you felt your cheeks flare up.

He started laughing gently, ruffling up your hair. ���Yah, don't be scared to ask for something like that, baby. Of course we can get you some; let's go.” The alpha quickly led you around until a lingerie shop was in your view.

„Should we go with you, pup? Or do you want us to stay outside?” The packalpha asked, his fingers combing through your hair. You were so glad you had been wearing the face mask this whole time; you would surely be more embarrassed at how much you were blushing.

„I can go on my own.” You whispered, not wanting to embarrass yourself any further. Just as you were about to pull yourself from their warm hands, the packalpha was quick to pull your right back.

„Okay. We will stay right here; if you'll need anything, come get us, okay? Here's the card.” He handed you a black credit card. Your eyes grew double, looking up at the shocked man.

„N-No, oppa, I have my own card plus-” Namjoon didn't do much; he only pulled you closer, his lips brushing over the top of your head, a light scent mark being left between your hair.

„Let alphas spoil you, 'mega." He whispered in your ear, gently patting your lower back and ushering you towards the entrance of the store.

The two alphas watched over your figure carefully but fondly, wanting to make sure you would be safe without them. Taking a seat at the benches, they waited patiently for you to return.

Meanwhile, the other pack members have been up to a few things each. Jungkook has already bought one of your many upcoming Christmas gifts and was pleased with the purchase. He was so sure you would like something like this and was happy he could spoil you rotten.

After texting his two hyungs, he soon got around to them, wanting to choose a few clothes for you himself. The youngest received a few private messages from Jimin and Taehyung, both of the alphas asking him about his opinions on a few things.

Quickly greeting themselves, Jungkook pointed to the snow boots they chose for you; the adorable white pair of knee-high boots that were from Dior once again.

They were the moon boots style, with gold lettering up top spelling the luxury brand's name. The fluffy fake fur covered the very front of them, and with the tie-up pom-poms over it, the boys were sold when they came across them.

After checking if the inside was comfortable and the insole fleece would keep you nice and warm, the two Alpha's decided that this would be a nice pick for you.

„Those are cute, Hyung!" He said after Jimin opened up the paper box for him to see. The alpha nodded happily, glad to find a pair that seemed to go so well with your style.

„They are really good quality; I think they should keep her nice and warm.” Taehyung said, running his fingers over the fluffy material lining the inside.

The youngest nodded at that, happy to know so. This was very important; they didn't want you to be sick and would do anything to prevent it.

And so, the trio went around a few more stores, ending up with another two pairs of boots in the bag. The first was one that Jungkook chose for you. They looked quite similar to the moon boots the two other alphas bought for you, but these seemed to be a bit more durable.

They were an off-white colour, with a hint of brown and beige here and there. With a thicker sole and fluffy insoles and lining, the front was also lined with fur-like fabric. They had thick, circular brown lacing that created an adorable long bow, and went only to your ankles.

The other pair was black, also an ankle boot that had a grey fur lining going over the top of the shoe. They were made from a strong leather-like material, meaning that they wouldn't be as comfortable but would for sure not get dirty or wet.

Just as they were standing in a selectively snowboarder and skiing store that had a lot of very nice jackets, beanies, and such, the eldest received a call.

„Hey Jin-hyung, what's up?”

„Hey, me and Hobi-ah, just finished the groceries; are you guys done? I still have to get started on dinner, and it will be almost 18 soon.”

Looking around for his packmates, Jimin placed the light pale blue jacket back onto its hook, the two other alphas discussing something about a pair of snow trousers the older held.

„Guys, we are leaving; go pay if you have everything now.” He said, taking the phone from his ear before he listened back to the eldest packmate on the phone.

„We will meet you guys near the main entrance, okay?”

„Okay hyung, see you then.” Jimin answered, ending the call and walking back to the youngests, currently paying for a few more things they bought for you (and a pair of gloves Taehyung fell in love with).

The alphas made sure not to take too long, quickly collecting all the bags before they made their way to the entrance, where the rest of the pack was waiting.

You were currently being smothered by Jin and Hoseok, both of the men hugging you and caressing your back and cheeks, gently asking you about where you went and what the alpha's bought for you.

„My sweet peaches, you were such a good girl, baby.” Jin murmured softly, swaying you both from side to side, your head resting against his chest.

„What did you do, oppa?" You asked, your voice soft and sweet, sounding like music to their ears.

„Us sunny? We didn't do much stuff that's exciting, bub; we just went to get the groceries. We bought a few snacks, though. Do you want to wat-"

„Babybun!” Jungkook smiled widely, plucking you right from his elders arms and taking you into his instead. His hands went over your hair, smoothing it down gently, while his chin ran over the top of your head, his scent covering yours virgously.

It didn't take too long for Jimin and Taehyung to catch up, each of them having their respectful times with you while they rubbed their scent into yours, soft and mindful.

„Babycheeks, Alpha is very happy to see you, baby.”

„Hm.. what did you buy, princess? Did you like the mall? We can come here again, precious, anytime you want.”

You tried your best to answer all their questions, reassuring them that you did indeed have a great time while Namjoon and Yoongi spoiled you. You left out the visit to the lingerie store, the smaller, light pink bag standing out a little considering the other much larger shopping bags held.

It didn't take too long for the other alphas to notice, but they let you be, not wanting to make you uncomfortable.

Namjoon soon appeared through the sliding entrance, taking a few bags himself. You tried to carry a few yourself, but your hands were quickly tucked away into Taehyung's and Hobi's palms, the two alpha's leading you to the front of the store where Yoongi was waiting with the car.

The men made quick work loading up the vehicle's booth before you all started to pile in. You took a seat in the middle of the front row, with Hoseok and Tae on each side still.

After helping you settle in, the packalpha made sure to turn on one of the apps that was recently purchased, a soft and calming music that was meant to imply sleeping sounding through the vehicle.

„Seriously, I'll fall asleep behind the wheel this way.” The second eldest grumbled, looking in the rear view mirror to check if everyone was ready to go. Namjoon only stiffened a laugh next to him, finally being able to take his face mask off.

„Sunnybub, let's take a selca!” Hoseok exclaimed, turning on his phone camera. You leaned from Taehyung after you were looking at his own phone's screen; the alpha was currently showing you one of the new games he downloaded.

„N-Now?” You asked, unsure. You probably looked pretty wrecked. The mask you wore this afternoon was taken off a few minutes ago, and you weren't sure how you looked. You were quite tired after all, but you had a very happy day after the terrible start.

„Of course, sunshine, come here.” He said, pulling you closer to himself softly.

„Oppa, but my hair and—" You went to complain, noticing how messy you looked on the screen. Hobi shushed you softly, his cheek running over the top of your head in a soft motion.

„You are perfect, baby, always.”

The alpha placed his head next to yours, helping you pose for a few quick and cute selfies. Taehyung didn't take too long to take his own camera out, wanting to take photos with you too.

Hoseok might have been the first one to get a picture with you, but he would for sure get the cutest one. And so, Tae posed with you too, both of you laughing, especially after Hoseok took part in the little photoshoot too.

Jin, Jungkook, and Jimin soon noticed, also going into the frame. Yoongi was mumbling about how loud it was from behind the wheel as Namjoon took a whole group photo next to him after they took a stop at the red light.

Soon, after you all calmed down a little, you rested your back fully, your eyes closing for only a second. It felt like the car was much quieter now.

The alphas were used to being quite loud and rowdy most of the time, but after Namjoon noticed your eyes closing, he motioned for them all to quiet down. Your soft breathing was calm and sweet.

It was a very important thing for you to let your guard down with no worries before them like that. The vulnerable, sleepy state you entered made them all just a bit more protective and dominant, as if they weren't that before.

And so the drive home was silent—the soft sound of sleep music with delta waves running through the vehicle—and only a few soft words exchanged between the men. Your scent changed soon; the sweetness was less noticeable.

It was a natural reaction for your body to lessen your normally quite strong scent. If you were asleep, you were of course vulnerable, and if any predator of some sort would look for its prey, you would be less likely to be noticed, the danger level lower.

When the car finally arrived home, it was already dark out, and with how quickly the sun sets during the winter, it was obvious. The snow has started to fall again tonight, the snowflake Christmas everyone always dreamed of coming closer and closer.

Yoongi parked the car, turning off the engine. The alphas piled out slowly, Jungkook climbing for you the fastest, quietly unclipping your seatbelt before he hooked his arms around you, pulling you to his chest.

He climbed back out of the car, making sure your legs were well wrapped around his waist and your head was hidden in the crook of his neck.

Jin had already walked to the entrance; a few bags were dropped by the open door to keep it from shutting as he went to retrieve a few more and help the others.

The eldest couldn't help but coo at you. Seeing how his youngest packmate was so careful and sweet with you, he gently ran his fingers through your hair, letting Jungkook go inside.

The alpha kicked off his shoes, walking bristly to the couch, where he gently placed you down. You whined softly; the gentle scent that was around was suddenly gone, unsettling you from your sweet sleep.

„It's okay, bunbun, you can sleep, baby. I'm here, hm? Alpha is here.” He whispered softly, gently untying your shoes for you. There weren't many girls he would ever kneel for, but he would never hesitate with you.

Carefully unzipping your jacket, you were brought from your sleep for a small second, too drowsy to really realise what was going on. The youngest didn't bother to carry the coat back to the entrance hall, instead letting it lay on the couch as he brought a comfortable blanket that was lying around to himself.

With Jungkook carefully climbing behind you, his arms went around your waist, pulling you close to his chest. The alpha layed on his back with a pillow under his head, gently manoeuvring you so your cheek would rest against his heart, the beat calming.

He has already read quite a few articles and asked one of his friends, Juwon, who was also an alpha and had had a stable pack for about three years about how to best take care of a courted omega.

The man had an omega himself, and after calling with the alpha for an hour or two, he told him some good of advice meant to help you settle in easier.

A good amount of sleep was always a good way to start, and even though you already had a nap today, there would be no harm in having another one.

Juwon had told him that a heartbeat can ensure a long rest, as it reminds them of the alpha's presence even when unconscious and should help with any nightmares and unreasonable waking ups.

Jungkook trusted his friend, and he wanted you to sleep well, so he let you rest up against him while he gently rubbed your back with the blanket over the both of you.

It's not like you would truly need it; the higher temperature the alpha sported was already warming you up quite well. Still, it brought comfort, and so it wasn't to any harm.

The rest of the pack eventually lingered in, with Hoseok softly tutting at the youngest while he took your clothes back to the hangers, making sure everything looked nice and clean.

With Jin, Yoongi, and Hobi all starting the dinner to be as quick as possible, Jimin and Taehyung carried the clothing bags upstairs, planning to surprise you some time soon.

Namjoon relaxed into the couch, his hand gently patting your back in a comforting rhythm, the sleep soon taking over for both the youngest and you.

The pack alpha turned on the TV, making sure to turn off the volume so it wouldn't spook you while watching the news with the subtitles provided.

 

„-has the latest update. Over to you, Min Kyu.

Weather Reporter: Thank you, Sok Ki. Yes, Seoul is experiencing bone-chilling temperatures, and it's only going to get colder. We're expecting a significant snowfall in the upcoming days, which could result in hazardous road conditions and potential travel disruptions. Viewers are advised to take necessary precautions and stay updated on weather advisories.

Anchor: In other news, authorities are continuing their search for escaped criminal Min In-Su. Min In-Su, known for a string of crimes, remains at large, causing concern among citizens. Our correspondent, Sung Yunso-ssi, has the latest details on the manhunt. What's going on, Sung Yunso-ssi?

Correspondent: Thank you, Sok Ki. Despite extensive efforts from law enforcement agencies, Min In-Su continues to evade capture. He is considered dangerous, and authorities are urging the public to remain vigilant. Omegas are advised to stay close to their packs, and the youngest citizens should always be watched over. If you have any information that could assist in his arrest, please contact the local police immediately.

Anchor: Despite these challenging circumstances, there's a glimmer of cheer awaiting Seoul residents. The city is gearing up for the upcoming Christmas festival markets, where visitors can enjoy the festive spirit and engage in various activities. Our reporter, Sam Youn-gi, gives us a sneak peek. Take it away, Youn-gi.

Reporter: Thank you, Sok Ki. The Christmas festival markets in Seoul are set to bring joy and excitement to the city. From delectable food stalls offering traditional Korean delicacies to unique gift shops and mesmerising live performances, these markets promise unforgettable experiences for families and friends. Authorities have taken great care to ensure safety measures are in place for everyone's enjoyment. The markets will be held until the 25th of December, so for the next 10 days Make sure to check them out!

Anchor: Thank you, Youn-gi. We'll definitely be looking forward to those festive Christmas markets. And th-” 

 

Jin walked over to the couch, standing next to it while watching TV for a minute. The alpha always liked the market and would definitely want to check it out this year too.

With Christmas near, they had a calmer schedule, and since they were on hiatus now too, they could make some free time to check it out.

The alpha knew that a lot of the packmembers had already started planning on visiting their families sometimes this upcoming holiday; he himself too, and wanted to take you to see their home cities.

They also wanted to take you skiing sometime soon; they haven't talked about it with you yet, but a nice two- or three-day ski and snowboarding holiday sounded quite fun.

And with how much snow there was, it would for sure be possible, depending, of course, on whether you actually wanted to go.

The eldest brought himself from the thought train he unconsciously entered, gently patting the packalpha's shoulder. „Come on, dinner's ready.” He softly said, noting that you and Jungkook were still sound asleep.

The youngest alpha has been pushing himself for so long, the others realised, and oftentimes he would struggle with getting the right amount of sleep.

It wasn't in their second gender nature to let anyone really pamper them, and so if any of the packmembers would bring it up, Jungkook would just tend to brush them off.

That wasn't truly his fault either; Jin could bet each and every one of them would do the same if it happened to them.

But seeing you and him so closely wrapped up with one another, your scents combining gently, he didn't want his younger packmate to miss out on any more sleep.

„Let them sleep now, Joon-ah. They can eat later.” He said this, smiling softly at you. You were adorable.

And so, as the packalpha only hummed, already knowing that he would very gladly take a seat near the table to keep you two company later today, he stood up to help prepare the table, being mindful not to break anything.

Seokjin leaned over to you, his lips softly pecking your cheek. He smiled gently at you, his eyes fond and soft. The alpha knew then and there that you would be their only one for the rest of their lives.

„Alpha loves you lots and lots, my baby.”

He whispered, letting his lips brush up against your cheek again, before he too quietly stepped away to go eat dinner, leaving you closely wrapped up in Jungkook's arms, the alpha not even thinking for a second to let go.

You were their angel after all, brought in with the gentle patter of snow from outside. You needed to be kept safe, tucked away in their arms, always warm and happy.

⋆·˚ ༘ *ੈ✩‧₊˚˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚˚ ✩‧₊˚⋆·˚ ༘ *

Next:

[divorcetual]

Please note that the families listed here were chosen purely by number of speakers, as those would be the most likely to be spoken. There are still MANY more language families not listed

Some of these have over a thousand languages so I cant list all of them, but I'll list a few languages from each family and the generam geography of it under the cut

Austronesian

Languages spoken mostly in Southeast Asian archipeligos including Indonesian, Malay, Javanese (NOT Japanese), and Tagalog, among others

Sino-Tibetian

Languages spoken mostly arround East and Southeast Asia along with some parts of Central Asia including Chinese (all dialects), Burmese, Tibetic languages, and Nepali, among others

Indo-European

Languages spoken mostly around Europe and South-Southwest Asia including English, all romance languages, Greek, Albanian, German, Hindi, Bengali, and Sanskrit, among others

Afro-Asiatic

Languages spoken mostly around Northern ans Northeaster Africa, and West Asia including Egyptian, Hebrew, Arabic, Amharic, and Hausa, among others

Fun fact! When counted as a single language, Arabic alone is spoken by over half of the native speakers of Afro-Asiatic languages

Atlantic-Congo

Languages spanning most of Africa exclusing Northern parts including Fula, Wolof, Swahilli, Kirundi, Luhya, Makua, Xhosa, and Shona languages, among others

Fun fact! This family has the most languages of any language family at 1,453 total!

Dravidian

Languages spoken mostly in souther India, along with surrounding countries, including Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, and Brahui, among others

Turkic

Languages spoken in many countries throughout (mostly central/centeal western) Asia and Eastern Europe including Turkish, Azerbaijani, Uzbek, Uyghur, and Kazakh, among others

Fun fact! While we mostly think of Turkic languahes being from Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Proto-Turkic actually originates from East Asia around China and Mongolia! It's seldom spoken there anymore

Japonic

Languages spoken mostly in Japan (Note: NOT including the Ainu languages) including Japanese, Ryukyuan, and Hachijō, among others

Fun fact! Japanese was considered an isolate language (a language with no other languages in its family) until the Ryukyuan languages joined it in the Japonic family.

It also has the lowest number of languages of the ones listed, with 13 languages.

Should Koreanic have made it onto the list (It was JUST bekow Kra-Dai for # of speakers), that would be the lowest with only 2 languages!

Austroasiatic

Languages spoken mostly around South through East Asia Including Vietnamese, Khmer, Tagalog, among others

Fun fact! Two-thirds of people who speak an Austroasiatic language speak Vietnamese

Kra-Dai

Languages spoken mostly in Southeast Asia and Southern China including Thai, Lao, Bê, among others

[blackswaneuroparedux]

Anonymous asked: Of all the many languages you speak which is your weakest one? Do you use those languages?

It’s privilege to learn any language that isn’t your mother tongue. As Ludwig Wittgenstein correctly observed, “The limits of my language means the limits of my world”. If English is our native tongue we put ourselves at a disadvantage because we expect every other nationality to take the trouble to speak it. There seems no incentive to learn a foreign language. We become lazy not just in language but also in other ways including our cultural enrichment, our imagination, and a misplaced sense of our self-importance in the world.

Of the European languages I know, I probably think German would be my weakest. When I was in school in Switzerland you’re brought up in three languages: French, Italian, and German (even if the Swiss speak Swiss German). When I say weakest I mean I can converse fluently, but I don’t have time to read German literature in the same immersive way I would say with French literature or take any special interest in German affairs.

I would say I’m fairly fluent in French now but still prone to silly mistakes. I’ve been told that I can speak without an accent and that is heart warming to know, because that was always the goal once I moved here to France. I don’t really use French in my work as it’s a multi-national entity and so English is the default language of corporate world, but I’m speaking French pretty much the rest of the time outside of work.

I was extremely fortunate to be born into a multi-lingual family where Norwegian and English were spoken from birth. All my siblings were being versed in Latin (not Greek which came years later after doing Classics at university) by the time I was 8 or 9 years old because my father was a classicist and he felt Latin was the building blocks to mastering other languages.

All this occurring whilst we moved lived and moved around a lot in the world such as China, Japan, India, and the Middle East. When I was initially sent to one of the first of my English girls boarding schools I was horrified that most of the girls only spoke English. I thought I was the stupid one for only knowing 6. Boarding school, if nothing else, gave me a great privilege to hone in on the languages I did know and start to learn others.

My parents didn’t take the easy way out and put us children in international schools like all the other expat children. That would have been too easy given how tight knit the British expatriate community was out there. Instead we were left to sink or swim in local schools in places like Tokyo and Kyoto in Japan or Shanghai in China or in Delhi, India. It was a struggle but you soon find your feet and you stumble towards some basic level of fluency.

I’m fortunate that before Covid my corporate work took me often to the Far East and it was a great opportunity to hone what I already knew. The result is I can converse and take business meetings in Chinese and Japanese (though English gets thrown into the mix too).

I would say Chinese is more of a struggle for me these days because I’ve not been back since before the Covid lockdown in 2020. Chinese is one of those languages that can easily melt away if you don’t get the chance to converse in it on a regular basis. Japanese less so, probably because the culture had more profound impact on me than Chinese culture.

Hindi is less of an issue because I have close Indian friends and also I watch Bollywood movies as well as converse with Indian immigrants here in Paris who have local stores. Urdu I learned through the backdoor because Urdu has a spoken affinity with Hindi (if you know Hindi then you know spoken Urdu, more or less, especially in Northern India and cities like Delhi where Urdu was born in the burnt ashes of Mughal India). Reading is another matter because they each use different scripts - Sanskrit for Hindi and Arabic and Persian script for Urdu.

Strangely enough when I was doing my tour in Afghanistan years ago with the British army, I would speak Urdu with local Afghans who served as official translators or were selling goods on the base. These Afghans knew Urdu because an entire generation of Afghan boys and girls grew up in refugee camps on the Pakistani border during the different phases of the Afghan war. I have very fond memories of their friendship and hospitality, but less so of the war itself. 

With Arabic, it had lapsed woefully until I did a posting in Dubai in the past year (as catalogued in my blog) and I found myself suddenly remembering a lot and asking Arab friends. Soon I was able to hold my own amongst my colleagues and corporate clients. In these cultures it’s really hard to stay focused because so many of them speak very good English. So it’s hard to get them to stick with their own language because you want to learn from them - but they want to show off their English proficiency - and so you have to be polite but persistent to stick with Arabic.  

If you’re learning a new language then I hope you stick with it. There’s almost nothing more rewarding in your life than the disocovery a rich culture through language. The key is to find a way to make it fun rather than a trip to the dentist chair for a root canal operation.

Thanks for your question.

[dweemeister]

2023 Movie Odyssey Award for Best Original Song (preliminary round)

Tumblr’s new post editor has disabled completely the ability to make indented bullet points. I apologize in advance for how ugly most of this post looks.

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OPEN invites to (or at least people who are committed to the final, but would like access to the prelim): @birdsongvelvet, @derricklogan2, @dog-of-ulthar, @inmyworldblr, @machpowervisions, @memetoilet, @metamatar, @myluckyerror, @noelevangilinecarson, @phendranaedge, @plus-low-overthrow, @qteeclown, @shadesofhappy, and @the-lilac-grove. Some of you have participated in past MOABOS editions, some of you are longtime followers I've not really spoken to, but have interacted with quite a few of my posts... if you are interested, please let me know. I'll assign you a group or I'll put you into the final.

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Hello everybody,

If you were tagged here, that is because you graciously accepted my invitation to help out with this year's edition of the Movie Odyssey Award for Best Original Song (MOABOS). I welcome you to the eleventh edition of MOABOS (MOABOS XI) and the tenth edition with outside help from family, friends, and followers on tumblr. When I first opened this up to other folks in 2014 (MOABOS II), I believed that this would last but only a few years, at most. And every time the year is new, I have no clue whether or not there will be another edition of MOABOS.

But here we are yet again. The Movie Odyssey Award for Best Original Song is not possible without all of your help.

For newcomers near and far: This is a classic film blog (concentration: pre-1980s Hollywood, but I have various specialties outside of that and watch plenty of newer films). That blog's primary purpose is to host my nearly 800 film write-ups tagged "My Movie Odyssey" (an index can be found here). MOABOS is one of my blog's year-end traditions, and just a smaller part of a larger one. On my blog, the Movie Odyssey Awards honor some of the best achievements from movies that I saw for the first time this calendar year (the "Movie Odyssey") with an Oscar-like ceremony. I choose all the nominees and winners from each category, save one: Best Original Song. It is the only category that does not require you to watch several movies in their entirety. MOABOS is my way to say thank you for your friendship and moral support no matter how long I've known you. It is, sneakily so, a way to introduce all of you to music and movies I enjoyed this past year. And you might learn a snippet of film history through this!

INTRODUCTION

An unspecified number of songs have already advanced to the final round. 24 songs will contest this preliminary round in two groups - Group A and Group B. After three years of pandemic disruptions, the 2020s are finally making a significant mark on MOABOS, perhaps with a vengeance. Some of the highest-grossing films of both 2023 and 2022 are here to contend, as is a movie newly-minted as one of the highest-grossing anime films ever. But the defending decade, the 1980s (through Dolly Parton's title song for 1980's 9 to 5), has plenty of entries this year. It is the decade of pop culture I like least, but the 1980s have a decent shot at being the first decade to defend a MOABOS title.

Last year was regrettably a monolingual field of songs. Folks, multilingual MOABOS is back. This year, across both groups, English, French, Hindi (returning for the first time since 2020, or MOABOS VIII), Japanese (also returning after a three-year absence), Brazilian Portuguese, and Vietnamese will be represented. For their respective movies, they capture just a part of a nation's soul and filmmaking culture at a certain time. MOABOS, too, is its own sort of time capsule.

After a few years of slight decline, the preliminary round of MOABOS drew a record 36 people casting rankings. Might that record fall this year? That same preliminary saw a resounding rejection of American folk music (or spoofs of American folk, at least) and a decidedly mixed opinion of the style of Golden Age 20th Century Fox musicals (their plots might be silly and nonsensical, but at least they have no pretensions of being anything more than that!). No American folk this year, but 20th Century Fox has a few contenders this year.

1980s and contemporary pop have historically performed well in the preliminaries. With some formidable entries this year that receive regular radio play, does that hold up or are there upsets in the cards?

2019's MOABOS (MOABOS VII) preliminary remains the gold standard for sheer chaos. The miraculous comeback of "I Dug a Ditch" from Thousands Cheer (1943) in the prelim's final hour brought a song that seemed dead as a doorknob back to life. A song about digging a hole got out of its hole, if you will. No group since has ever matched that drama. Might this be a nailbiter of a result?

INSTRUCTIONS

Please rank (#1-11) at least seven of your group's songs. Please consider to the best of your ability (these are only suggestions, not strict guidelines): 

How musically interesting the song is (incl. and not limited to musical phrasing and orchestration);

Its lyrics (incl. and not limited to lyrical invention and lyrical flow); 

Context within the film (contextual blurbs provided for every entry for those who haven't seen the films);

Choreography/dance direction (if applicable; I know that almost none of us have a dancing background, but let's not discount this aspect entirely);

The song's cultural/sociopolitical impact and legacy/listenability outside the film's context (if applicable, and, in my opinion, least important factor)

A notice on audio/video quality and colorization of black-and-white film: Because it is sometimes difficult to find clean recordings of much of this music, imperfections in audio and video quality may not be used against any song while you are drawing up your rankings - you're on the honor system on this one. In addition, in respect to personal and blog policy, I will not provide colorized videos of films that were originally in black-and-white. You can call this snobby all you want. But to yours truly, film colorization of B&W is disrespectful to the artisans who plied their craft and made decisions based on the fact the film was shot in black-and-white. It is essentially redirecting a movie without consent.

You are encouraged to send in comments and reactions with your rankings - it makes the process more enjoyable for you and myself!

The top six songs in each group automatically advance to the final round. Unlike previous years, no at-large wild card picks outside the top six will advance to the final.

The deadline for submission is Wednesday, December 13 at 11 PM Pacific Time. That is 9 PM Hawaii/Aleutian Time. That deadline is also Thursday, December 14 at 1 AM Central Time / 2 AM Eastern Time / 7 AM GMT / 8 AM CET / 9 AM EET. This deadline - and some of you have joked with me that this is inevitable - will be pushed back if there are a large number of people who have not submitted in time. However, I very much do not wish to extend the deadline because the final round is more intensive and usually involves more participants. A small group of longtime MOABOS veterans will be asked to do both groups, if possible (but they are required to complete their assigned group first before moving on) - they are generally selected for their longevity of MOABOS participation and promptness. Tabulation details are under the "read more".

Please pay attention to the groups you have been sorted into, and please only submit rankings for the group you have been assigned. For your convenience, the YouTube playlists for both groups follow:

PLAYLISTS: (GROUP A) / (GROUP B)

Group A: be warned, I am somewhat trolling you on one of these songs. At least it comes early!

Feel free to listen as many times as you need, and I hope you discover music and movies that strike your interest. With the deepest appreciation from this grateful classic film fan, here are your group's songs. The following is formatted... ("Song title", composer and lyricist, film title):

GROUP A

“Apartment for Sale”, music and lyrics by Cate Blanchett and Todd Field, Tár (2022)

Performed by Cate Blanchett

After her cross-hall apartment neighbor dies, composer/conductor Lydia Tár (Blanchett; whose character is the first female music director of the Berlin Philharmonic) learns from the deceased's family that they think the classical music emanating from Tár's apartment is an unlistenable racket. They bluntly request Tár to stop playing music entirely when they meet with potential buyers. Moments after that encounter, this is her response. By this point in the film, Tár's rationality is very much in question. This is a drama about the hubris and manipulative ways for a person in power.

This is the shortest song ever to qualify for a MOABOS preliminary round.

“Barsaat mein hamse mile tum sajan (In the Rainy Season, We Met One Another)”, music by Shankarsingh Raghuwanshi and Jaikishan Dayabhai Panchal, lyrics by Shailendra, Barsaat (1949)

(initial version) / (end-of-film reprise)

Performed by Nimmi (singing voice dubbed by Lata Mangeshkar)

Lyrics in Hindi (translations in the CC's in provided videos)

Raj Kapoor was a major director/actor in the early decades of Bollywood. In one of his first directed movies, shortly after the Partition of India, we find Barsaat. This romance tells of two love stories of city men meeting women who live in Kashmir (a disputed region between India, Pakistan, and China). Later in the films, we will find Pran (Raj Kapoor) and Reshma (Nargis) quickly falling in love. But this song surrounds the womanizing Gopal (Prem Nath) and Neela (Nimmi), whose faithful love for Gopal goes largely unrequited. After much convincing from Neela, Gopal attends a local festival – and doesn't pay much attention to this Neela-led song-and-dance number.

In the reprise, Neela has died near the end of the film. Reformed, realizing too late how horrible he has been to Neela, Gopal carries her body to her funeral pyre as the monsoon rains – as hinted in this film's very title – finally arrive.

“Ciao Papa”, music by Alexandre Desplat, lyrics by Roeban Katz and Guillermo del Toro, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022)

Performed by Gregory Mann

In this stop-motion animated adaptation of Carlo Collodi's Pinocchio, director Guillermo del Toro injects the tale with his signature gothic touch – moving the narrative up in time to Fascist Italy and not shying away from the original book's grotesqueness and the title character's sociopathy. This song appears as part of a montage where Geppetto (David Bradley) goes in search of Pinocchio (Mann) after Count Volpe (Christoph Waltz) abducts the wooden son.

“Esse Mundo é Meu (This World is Mine)”, music by Sérgio Ricardo, lyrics by Sérgio Ricardo and Ruy Guerra, Esse Mundo é Meu (1964, Brazil)

Originally performed a cappella by Antônio Pitanga; provided version performed by Marina Lutfi and Adriana Lutfi (lead vocals), Sérgio Ricardo (vocals), João Gurgel (vocal/guitar), Alexandre Caldi (winds), Marcelo Caldi (piano/accordion), Lui Coimbra (cello), Giordano Gasperin (bass), and Diego Zangado (percussion)

Lyrics in Portuguese (extremely rough translated lyrics... "Saravá ogum" is an Afro-Brazilian exclamation; I'm not sure what "Mandinga" means in the song's context, but it's an Afro-Brazilian word that either refers to an ethnic group or "magic")

In this film almost never screened outside Brazil, two separate romantic storylines – a white couple and a black couple – play out in a Rio de Janeiro favela. In the latter storyline, Antônio Pitanga plays a shoeshiner. One day, while setting up his shoeshining equipment along the beach, he sings this song – an optimistic number in hopes for a better tomorrow. Black Brazilian romance was and is rare in Brazilian cinema, and the inclusion of such a romance so prominently featured in this film makes it a landmark of the nation's film history.

From the song's humble origins and use in the film, Sérgio Ricardo turned it into bossa nova. That's the late composer/film director himself in the provided video (the older man furthest to the left). The lead singers are his daughters.

“Hold My Hand” , music and lyrics by Lady Gaga and BloodPop, Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

Performed by Lady Gaga

Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song

This song, with touches of '80s arena rock and torch songs, appears at the top of the end credits. It is not quoted in the film's score at any point in this equally jingoistic sequel to the original Top Gun.

“I Know Why (And So Do You)”, music by Mack Gordon, lyrics by Harry Warren, Sun Valley Serenade (1941)

(initial version) / (reprise)

Performed by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra, Lynn Bari (dubbed by Pat Friday), The Modernaires, and John Payne; reprise by Payne and Sonja Henie

This song's melody forms the backbone of the film's score throughout. In the opening minutes of this musical, we find the Phil Corey Orchestra (Glenn Miller and His Orchestra) rehearsing in preparation for a Christmas concert they will be headlining in the mountainous resort town of Sun Valley, Idaho. The first 48 seconds of the first video are an instrumental version of Glenn Miller's "Moonlight Serenade".

The reprise occurs near the end of the film as Norwegian refugee/figure skating extraordinaire Karen Benson (Sonja Henie, a 3x Olympic gold medalist in figure skating) and pianist Ted Scott (John Payne) find themselves stuck in a mountainside cabin. Karen, who has fled Norway due to the Nazi takeover there, has been pursuing Ted for almost all of the film, and Ted finally succumbs to her charms here - to the outrage of his girlfriend (Lynn Bari). Suffice it to say nobody should watch 20th Century Fox musicals for the plot (but refreshingly, they're not pretending to be any more than what they are).

“Jean”, music and lyrics by Rod McKuen, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969)

Performed by Rod McKuen

Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song

Adapted from Muriel Spark's novel of the same name and set in 1930s Edinburgh, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie stars Maggie Smith as Jean Brodie, a teacher at an all-girls school. Brodie, a woman with unorthodox teaching methods, has a cadre of favorite students nicknamed the "Brodie Set": Sandy (Pamela Franklin), Monica (Shirley Steedman), Jenny (Diane Grayson), and Mary (Jane Carr). Each of them are around twelve years old when the film begins. This film, an atypical "teacher movie", is about a breakdown of professionalism, betrayal of trust, loss of innocence, and hubris.

The melodic structure is inspired by the style of Scottish folk songs, and it forms the central spine of the film's score and plays throughout. The song itself is not performed with lyrics until the end credits. Due to the events in the film's closing act, the tone, placement, and lyrics of "Jean" become ironic. The lyrics are decidedly romantic but, in context, it's anything but.

“Miss Celie’s Blues (Sister)”, music by Quincy Jones and Rod Temperton, lyrics by Quincy Jones, Rod Temperton, and Lionel Richie, The Color Purple (1985)

Performed by Margaret Avery (singing voice dubbed by Táta Vega)

Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song

Based on the book of the same name by Alice Walker, The Color Purple stars Whoopi Goldberg as Celie Harris in her breakthrough role. Celie, forcibly married off to Albert "Mister" Johnson (Danny Glover) as a teenager, has grown resigned after a lifetime of parental and spousal abuse. Mister has a mistress named Shug Avery (Margaret Avery), who works as a showgirl in Memphis. After one stormy evening, a sickly Shug appears at Mister's homestead for the first time and, over a few weeks, Celie nurses her back to health. The two grow attached and, as tribute, Shug performs this song at the local riverside juke joint.

In the book, the romantic relationship between Celie and Shug after this moment is more explicit. Director Steven Spielberg's greatest regret over this film was not making more of this romantic relationship. Given that the movie was released at the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis and in an environment where LGBTQ+ themes were verboten to the major movie studios, I don't believe much more could've been done in 1985.

“Pink”, music and lyrics by Lizzo, Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt, and Ricky Reed, Barbie (2023)

(initial version) / (reprise)

Performed by Lizzo

After narrator Helen Mirren describes to the audience Barbieland, we are introduced to Barbie (Margot Robbie), just awakening from a good night's sleep, with the initial version of "Pink". At the end of that day at the nightly dance party, Barbie asks her fellow Barbies if they ever think about death – a Barbie faux pas. Barbie corrects herself, but remains haunted by her question when she goes to bed that evening. We hear the reprise as Barbie awakens the next morning after barely sleeping, and everything that can go wrong does go wrong.

“That Darn Cat!”, composed by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, That Darn Cat! (1965)

Performed by Bobby Darin

Appears in the opening credits and final minutes of this comedy. That Darn Cat! marked the end of an era and the start of another. This was Hayley Mills' final of six films for Disney (a run that included the title character in 1960's Pollyanna and in her dual role in the original Parent Trap) and Dean Jones' first for Disney. The provided version includes audio from the opening credits, extracted directly from the film itself (a stipulation in Darin's contract means that the original soundtrack version is nowhere to be found online).

“Trời Sáng Rồi, Ta Ngủ Đi Thôi (Good Morning and Good Night)”, music by Phạm Hải Âu, lyrics by Phạm Hải Âu and Chung Chí Công, Good Morning and Good Night (2019, Vietnam)

Performed by Hà Quốc Hoàng and Trần Lê Thúy Vy

Lyrics in Vietnamese (translation in provided video)

In this romantic musical influenced heavily by Richard Linklater's Before trilogy, indie musician T��m (Hà Quốc Hoàng) unexpectedly forms a deep connection with Thanh (Trần Lê Thúy Vy), a rideshare driver who challenges his view of life, love, and art. This song appears at the top of the end credits. Most of the numbers in this film are composed in a style suited to Vietnamese indie music.

“When I Grow Up”, music by Ray Henderson, lyrics by Ted Koehler and Irving Caesar, Curly Top (1935)

Performed by Shirley Temple; first reprise (not provided) by Billy Gilbert and Arthur Treacher; second reprise (not provided) by Esther Dale

Orphan Elizabeth Blair (Temple) performs this at a charity show meant to raise funds for the orphanage she is staying at. At certain points in this song, she dresses up in a wedding gown and dons "old" makeup in respect to the lyrics.

Where Alice Faye and Betty Grable may have been the two primary musical adult actresses at 20th Century Fox, Shirley Temple eclipsed both. Her modestly-budgeted movies showcased her childhood innocence and spunk, endearing her to a moviegoing public faced with the dire straits of the Great Depression. She was the highest-grossing actor in Hollywood from 1934-1938, and moviegoers of the Lost, Greatest, and early Silent Generations credit Temple's movies as needed morale boosters.

The folks assigned to GROUP A include: @cinemaocd, @cokwong, @emilylime5, @exlibrisneh, @idontknowmuchaboutmovies, @maximiliani, @shootingstarvenator, and @stephdgray. You are also being joined by 15 others including myself and my sister.

GROUP B

“Animal Crackers in My Soup”, music by Ray Henderson, lyrics by Ted Koehler and Irving Caesar, Curly Top (1935)

Performed by Shirley Temple

Young Elizabeth Blair (Temple) and her elder sister, Mary (Rochelle Hudson) are living in an orphanage and are the primary entertainers for their fellow orphan girls. This number occurs early in the film and is quoted multiple times in the film's score. For those of you who despised this song's placement in those Shirley Temple DVD infomercials, I have no apologies to offer you.

Where Alice Faye (MOABOS X's "A Journey to a Star" from 1943's The Gang's All Here) and Betty Grable may have been the two primary musical adult actresses at 20th Century Fox, Shirley Temple eclipsed both. Her modestly-budgeted movies showcased her childhood innocence and spunk, endearing her to a moviegoing public faced with the dire straits of the Great Depression. She was the highest-grossing actor in Hollywood from 1934-1938, and moviegoers of the Lost, Greatest, and early Silent Generations credit Temple's movies as needed morale boosters.

“Barbarella”, music and lyrics by Bob Crewe and Charles Fox, Barbarella (1968)

Performed by The Glitterhouse

Played over the opening credits (not provided, because they are extremely NSFW) in which the title character (Jane Fonda) slowly undresses herself in zero gravity. Based on a controversially racy and heavily sexualized comic book series in France (even for the French!), Barbarella is a campy sci-fi movie that obliterated Fonda's homespun image in cinema. The movie was and is far more popular in Europe than it was in the U.S. (where it never became anything more than a cult classic).

In the years since, Fonda, a noted liberal activist, has essentially pleaded no contest to accusations that the film was anything but feminist.

“Captain Crow”, music by Nell Benjamin and Laurence O’Keefe, The Sea Beast (2022)

Performed by chorus

Appears in part during a celebratory night at a pub in the film's opening act. Full appearance at the top of the end credits. This is a sea shanty celebrating the legendary monster hunter Captain Crow (Jared Harris). The melody is seldom quoted in the film's score. In The Sea Beast, an unnamed country has waged a centuries-long campaign to kill sea beasts, in defense of humanity. Similar to American Westerns, the film and this song plays with ideas of how popular narratives or mythoi are spun.

(Instrumental-only version for those interested... many versions in different languages are available on YouTube, including French, Hindi, Italian, Spanish, Vietnamese, and more – some lyrically clunkier than others)

“I’m Just Ken”, music and lyrics by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, Barbie (2023)

Performed by Ryan Gosling and company

The Kens of Barbieland have just taken over power from the Barbies. In response, the Barbies, Allan, and Mattel employee Gloria and her daughter Sasha have manipulated the Kens into fighting each other while they attempt to reestablish control. According to director Greta Gerwig, the dance segment seen here was influenced by "Lullaby of Broadway" from Gold Diggers of 1935 (1935; see the warm-up playlist I sent to many of you) and "The Broadway Melody" from Singin' in the Rain (1952).

“Mujhe Kisi se Pyaar Ho Gaya (I’ve Fallen in Love with Someone)”, music by Shankarsingh Raghuwanshi and Jaikishan Dayabhai Panchal, lyrics by Shailendra, Barsaat (1949, India)

Performed by Nargis (singing voice dubbed by Lata Mangeshkar)

Lyrics in Hindi (translations in the CC's in provided videos)

Raj Kapoor was a major director/actor in the early decades of Bollywood. In one of his first directed movies, shortly after the Partition of India, we find Barsaat. This romance tells of two love stories of vacationing city men meeting women who live in Kashmir (a disputed region between India, Pakistan, and China). This film juxtaposes the story of the womanizing Gopal (Prem Nath) and Neela (Nimmi), with that of Pran (Raj Kapoor) and Reshma (Nargis). It is the beginning of Pran and Reshma's romance that we see here, after she has been rowing Gopal and Pran around for the last few days.

“Qu'est-ce qu'on fait de l'amour? (What Do We Do with Love?)”, music and lyrics by Vincent Courtois, Ernest and Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia (2022, France)

Performed by Pomme

Lyrics in French (rough translation)

This song appears at the top of the end credits of this sequel to 2012's Ernest & Celestine, which was nominated (against the odds) for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. The original was, as I wrote back in 2014, "cinematic friendship at its most rewarding and profoundly beautiful." In this sequel for our dynamic mouse and bear duo, Celestine (the mouse) accidentally breaks Ernest's (the bear) precious Stradibearius violin. It leads the unlikely friends to search for an old violin maker acquaintance of Ernest's back in his homeland of Gibberitia ("Charabïe" in the original title, a name derived from "charabia", the French word for "gibberish").

A further shameless plug for all of you reading this to seek out animation that is not from the major American and Japanese studios.

“Return to Sender”, music and lyrics by Winfield Scott and Otis Blackwell, Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962)

Performed by Elvis Presley

The eleventh of Elvis' 31 movies (if MOABOS returns for future editions, let's just say there's a lot more Elvis to come) and the second shot in Hawai'i after 1961's Blue Hawaii, Girls! Girls! Girls! is a misnomer as there are only two girls vying for Elvis' affections (it would be an appropriate title for many other Elvis movies). My sister thinks this film should've been titled Girls? Girls. Girls!

Here, Ross Carpenter (Elvis) is a fisherman who spends his evenings as a nightclub singer. Fellow nightclub singer Robin Gantner (Stella Stevens) and the secretly wealthy Laurel Dodge (Laurel Goodwin) are very much attracted to him. This number occurs after Ross starts seeing Laurel, inflaming Robin's suspicions, and resulting in a spat at the bar that immediately preceded the song.

“Something He Can Feel”, music and lyrics by Curtis Mayfield, Sparkle (1976)

Performed by Lonette McKee, Irene Cara, and Dwan Smith

(use in film) / (soundtrack version with Aretha Franklin)

Loosely based on the history of the Supremes, the musical Sparkle is the story of the three Williams sisters (the late Cara as lead singer Sparkle, McKee as Sister, and Smith as Dolores). They decide, along with two of their boyfriends, to take their church singing experience and turn into a semi-professional group called the Hearts.

This song appears midway through the film, as the boys have dropped out to become the group's managers. The Williams sisters have renamed the group Sister and the Sisters (I would've kept the original name). The performance of this number is intercut with glimpses of Sister's troubled personal life – the film's Rubicon crossing, setting up the conclusion of her storyline.

The film's original soundtrack does not contain any of the original performances. Instead, Aretha Franklin sings all the songs from the film in the soundtrack.

“Suzume”, music and lyrics by RADWIMPS, Suzume (2022, Japan)

Performed by RADWIMPS and Toaka

Lyrics in Japanese (extremely rough translation)

This song's melody (especially the eighteen-note vocalized motif) appears throughout the film. But this version, with lyrics, only appears as the second song in the end credits. In this film, 17-year-old Suzume and a young man named Souta must journey across Japan to close a series of mystical doors. Mysterious phenomena are passing through these once-locked into our world, and are causing natural disasters.

Makoto Shinkai's latest, unadjusted for inflation, is the fourth-highest grossing Japanese film of all time. MOABOS regulars will recall previous entries from Your Name (2016) and Weathering with You (2019) – all RADWIMPS compositions. Suzume directly addresses a trauma that Your Name and Weathering with You danced around: the 3/11/11 earthquake, tsunami, and Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.

“Take My Breath Away”, music and lyrics by Giorgio Moroder and Tom Whitlock, Top Gun (1986)

Performed by Berlin

Winner of the Academy Award for Best Original Song

This song plays during romantic dialogue between Maverick (Tom Cruise) and Charlotte "Charlie" Blackwood (Kelly McGillis). Top Gun never plays the entire song. In its inexplicable four appearances in the film in a 20-minute span, the song itself is played muted underneath the dialogue, its lyrics barely discernible in those respective scenes.

“Tiền”, music and lyrics by Trần Khắc Trí, Good Morning and Good Night (2019, Vietnam)

Performed by Trần Lê Thúy Vy, Hà Quốc Hoàng, and company

In this romantic musical influenced heavily by Richard Linklater's Before trilogy, indie musician Tâm (Hà Quốc Hoàng) unexpectedly forms a deep connection with Thanh (Trần Lê Thúy Vy), a rideshare driver who challenges his view of life, love, and art over a full day. This song appears about a third of the way through, after a conversation about money ("tiền" means "money" in Vietnamese). Most of the numbers in this film are composed in a style suited to Vietnamese indie music.

“We Don’t Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)”, music and lyrics by Terry Britten and Graham Lyle, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985)

Performed by Tina Turner

This song plays at the top of the end credits of the Mad Max series' third entry. In this movie, the late Tina Turner herself plays the antagonist (but neither true villain or antihero) Aunty Entity - who leads a post-apocalyptic trading post called Bartertown. "Thunderdome" refers to a gladiatorial arena in Bartertown in which conflicts are settled in a battle to the death (an aside: awkward as "Thunderdome" sounds as a lyric, it makes more sense than "Thunderball" from the 007 movie of the same name).

The folks assigned to GROUP B include: @addaellis, @halfwaythruthedark, @rawberry101, @rosymeraki-blog, @theybecomestories, @umgeschrieben, @underblackwings, and @yellanimal. You are also being joined by 14 others including myself and my sister.

Would you like to know something more about a song or a movie featured above? Do you have a question or comment about MOABOS's processes? Feel free to ask me! If you are having difficulty accessing any of the songs (especially if region-locked) or if there are any errors in the links above or the playlist, please let me know as soon as possible.

You will be contacted for the final round regardless of your participation or non-participation in the preliminary. If turnout in one group is lagging behind compared to another, I will ask some of the more senior participants to participate in the other group, too. Do not worry too much about this if you cannot participate, although I will be checking in as the deadlines near.

Once more to all of you here, my thanks for your support for the Movie Odyssey, the blog, and for me personally over however long I've known you. It's a privilege and a pleasure to share all these movies (well, excerpts of them) and musical numbers with you. It's my hope that you not only learn something new about film and/or music, but that you also find this very fun to do!

Happy listening, all. And thank you again!

TABULATION FOR THE PRELIMINARY ROUND

This preliminary round uses a points-based, ranked choice method which has been in use since MOABOS II (2014). A respondent’s first choice receives 10 points, the second choice receives 9, the third choice receives 8, etc. The winner is the song that ends up with the most total points. The tabulation method described here for the preliminary round is used only as a tiebreaker in the final round (more on how the final is tabulated when we get there). 

The tiebreakers for the preliminary are:

total points earned;

total #1 votes;

song(s) which is/are ranked higher on more ballots than the other(s);

average placement on my and my sister's ballots;

tie declared

[hindisoup]

15-week learning review

Reading and Writing (15 out of 15 weeks)

Since I reached out to Hindi speakers in search of penpals in a couple of places (namely Conversation Exchange and Slowly app) I've found some interesting people who are patient enough to correspond with me using Devanagari and bookish language. It's been quite fun and I've been able to reply to emails quite regularly. Both my reading and writing skills have improved and I've learned many useful phrases for discussing opinions etc.

Listening (8 out of 15 weeks)

I found an interesting podcast for Hindi learners, All About India Insider Tales, where they make short about 15-minute episodes about Indian history in both English and Hindi. They have a Patreon through which a listener can download the full script of each episode in both Hindi and English for a small monthly fee. This is not an ad, I was just so happy to find this resource that I need to share it. I've also listened to some episodes of विश्व चर्चित हत्याएँ and Indian Crime Story but so far I haven't found the perfect true crime podcast in Hindi or Hinglish - recommendations welcome!

Watching (7 out of 15 weeks)

Another, and completely free resource I want to share is STARTALK Hindi Audio-Visual project which is a collection of 42 videos with complete downloadable .pdf scripts in Hindi. These videos are based on real-life situations and show naturally spoken Hindi, sometimes mixed with English and local languages. I've also watched three Hindi films, finished Mismatched and started to watch Taj Mahal 1989 on Netflix.

Grammar (6 out of 15 weeks)

Because of regular correspondence, I have had less time for grammar books. One of my pen pals shared a great resource, however, for both reading and grammar: a vast collection of online textbooks by the Indian NCERT - National Council of Education Research and Training. There are Hindi and Urdu textbooks starting from grade 1 upwards and there are also adult education materials downloadable as pdf. Speaking (2 out of 15 weeks)

I've spoken to myself in Hindi almost every day, but only on two occasions, I have spoken with a native Hindi speaker. I'm still seriously considering finding a new Hindi tutor on iTalki. I just got a new job and getting adjusted to it makes me super tired on the weeknights at the moment, so this plan is on pause.

[drpreetityagilecturers]

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Download the Turning Brain app

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[wordhobbyist]

This blog is dedicated to my WIP conlang, Plamanetan. (That name is temporary and will probably change throughout the project. I will update this post whenever I change it.) The main purpose of this blog is to get feedback via polls as I work on the project. Any detail about Plamanetan that I post on this blog is subject to change until I finalize the project.

If you are interested in the details of Plamanetan, I will go into detail below the cut. Thoughts and feedback are appreciated but not required :)

A couple notes:

I currently only have 23 words in the vocabulary and am just starting the process of applying new formation guidelines to them so they might all change. For that reason I am not including any specific vocab in this post.

The grammar is VERY loosely defined at the moment because I am still trying to nail down the best approach to it.

Goals & Inspiration

Plamanetan is intended to be an International Auxiliary Language. I started it because 1) I have wanted to make a conlang for a while now, and 2) While watching Conlang Critic I heard him say that he doesn't think an Auxlang can be good (or something to that effect) and I took that as a challenge.

Is that the best motivation? Probably not. But it has gotten me to stick to this project longer than I have stuck to any previous conlang project.

To be more specific about my goals here is a bulleted list of specific targets I have made for myself:

Keep the phonology simple and use sounds that are common across languages.

Avoid loaning words directly from existing languages (to keep cultural neutrality and to avoid bias toward any particular language or language family). (Exceptions may be made for things that are well known by a specific term, if that seems like the best thing to do in that scenario. Probably would only apply for very modern technology or concepts whose terms have been coined recently in a specific language and then adopted around the world.)

Make words sound representative of the thing they refer to by using things like Onomatopoeia and the Kiki/Bouba effect whenever possible (This is the most challenging goal so far)

Be minimalistic with the grammar that is required, but keep in easy workarounds to communicate information that would be lost by omitting a particular feature (For example, making adjectives for male and female for speakers who are used to denoting the sex of living things with grammatical gender.)

Use nouns as a base and derive all words of other types from them using suffixes. (To decrease the amount of vocabulary that has to be memorized without limiting what can be concisely expressed.)

I also intend to eventually create a corresponding sign language with the following goals:

Can be signed with a single hand (To make it more practical to use even if you are holding something.)

Be a 1-to-1 match of the spoken language (so that spoken and signed versions can be used simultaneously without much effort, and so that the signs can be a visual tool for deciphering spoken words you don't recognize.)

The only reason that I haven't started on the signed part yet is because I don't know exactly how to approach it, considering I do not speak any sign languages. I think it would benefit the project though, so I am keeping it in my goals list. I'll learn some ASL before I try to tackle that part.

Phonology & Orthography

So currently what I have is this:

(Ignore the pink "a," that's just because it was added later.)

IPA symbol on the left, Latin alphabet in the brackets. I chose to use the Latin alphabet because it is the most common writing system and also because its the only one I can type.

I came to these sounds by:

Using a very messy not-really-criteria criteria to pick 15 source languages across various language families. (Lithuanian, Russian, English, German, Hindi, Bengali, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, Swahili, Yoruba, Arabic, Hausa, Somali, Indonesian, Malay)

Going through the wikipedia page for each language's phonology and writing down all the sounds on the chart.

Making a list of all the sounds that showed up in at least 2/3 of those phonologies.

Picking sounds from that list while avoiding voicing distinctions and any sounds that seemed a little too similar too another sound.

As for punctuation, its pretty much just English. Period (.) to end a sentence, comma (,) to separate clauses, quotation marks ("") for quotes and dialogue, exclamation point (!) for exclamations, and a question mark (?) for questions (though I plan to add a question particle so that may be redundant). I'll edit later as I get a clearer structure for the grammar.

Phonotactics

I decided that syllables in Plamanetan will have a ccvc structure. The only restrictions on what can go where are in regards to consonant clusters in the onset.

I allowed for consonant clusters at the start of syllables to give myself a little more flexibility in word formation. I chose the permitted clusters based purely on what I personally think are relatively simple sound combinations because I cannot for the life of me find documentation on this topic for any of the source languages. Its pure guesswork which really isn't good for my goals but its the best I got. Anyway, here's my list of permitted consonant clusters:

I originally had a list of diphthongs with this but decided to remove them so that I can write vowels next to each other without confusion. They weren't that necessary and I think its easier without them.

Also, not sure if it belongs in this category but Plamanetan words have an alternating stress pattern starting with the first syllable. so like Plamanetan.

Grammar

As I mentioned before, the grammar is the least developed part of this language so far. Or at least, its the part that feels most incomplete to me because I'm not very satisfied with it yet. And also my personal notes on it are very messy.

First thing I decided on was word order. I chose SVO as the primary word order because it was the most common among the source languages. Originally I wrote that the SVO order would be very strict, but I think the fact that different word types have different endings may allow for some flexibility. I also decided that words that modify a noun or verb should come after the thing they modify (like in Spanish) rather than before (like in English). I don't remember if I had a reason for that choice.

As stated in the goals, I have chosen to base the entire vocabulary on nouns. Every non-noun word must correspond to a noun of an equivalent or at least related concept. These words are formed by adding suffixes.

I'll probably make some exceptions to this rule for conjunctions and adpositions unless I can come up with a creative way to implement them. Because I don't think that the "add suffix, now you're done" method works very well for these words. Maybe adpositions could be treated as adjectives? I'll figure it out later.

(You may also notice that this is very regular. No exceptions to grammar rules. This is on purpose because it makes the language easier and I have no intention of making this naturalistic.)

I decided to omit verb conjugations and instead have time information be communicated by adding words like "yesterday," "tomorrow," and "5 minutes ago." If time is necessary it can be added to the sentence. My logic here is that its easier to not require a grammatical distinction by making the information optional than it is for someone whose language doesn't have this grammatical distinction to be required to learn it. But if I find a good reason why it would be easier or more intuitive to add tense then I will do so.

^Same concept applies to other grammatical features such as gender, plurality, possession, mood, and evidentiality. Its easier not to require speakers to figure it out if their language doesn't have it. My only concern is that this will over inflate the sentence size and make it hard to follow what is being said. If you're interested enough to have read this far, I would love to hear your thoughts on this because I am truly torn on whether or not this is a good idea.

Word formation

And finally, the most recent thing I have added is a rough outline of how I intend to make words sound like what they mean. I may make edits to this process in the future but for now this is the system I am running my vocabulary decisions through. Most of this is based on what I intuitively think sounds best for these concepts so it may be English-speaker biased. But there's not really a lot of actual information out there on this topic for me to pull from so this is the best I've got.

As you may be able to tell if you squint, this is the part that I tried to derive from the Kiki/Bouba phenomenon. I'm not sure if I fully understand how it works (I mean, no one fully does. But as far as whats known I am unsure,) and I also made up some of my own things. But hopefully this system has the desired effect. I'll test with polls as I go to see if people can accurately guess what a word is supposed to mean based on its sound.

----------

If you read this far, thank you! I'm glad someone found this interesting! If you have any thoughts, questions, or suggestions I would love to hear them.

I hope you stick around!

[jonahlocke]

BASICS

FULL NAME: JONAH LOCKE » MEANING: Jonah [The name derives from the Hebrew word "Yonah," meaning "dove," sharing ties with prophet Jonah, who was a leading figure in the Book of Jonah. As legend has it, the namesake prophet was swallowed by a whale, only to reappear on land days later unharmed.]; Locke [Origin German. Meaning locksmith; woods; fortified place; pond. Locke is a masculine name of German, Old English, and Dutch origins. Traditionally a surname, it was used by locksmiths and lock keepers—a great way to inspire baby to become the keeper of the keys.]

VERSES:  The Game, Excess Baggage, Life's A Drag, Fear of 13.

NICKNAME(S): Jonesie

AGE: 37-years old.

DATE OF BIRTH: 1986 May 29th.

PLACE OF BIRTH: Queens, New York.

OCCUPATION: Co-owner of Giarrusso-Locke Gardening and Maintenance. Ex-boxer, he still trains tho.

RELIGION: None.

ORIENTATION: Heterosexual; heteroromantic.

GENDER: Cisgender male.

PERSONALITY

STRENGTHS: Gentle, Affectionate, Curious, Adaptable, Loyal.

WEAKNESSES: Nervous, Inconsistent, Indecisive, Stubborn, Jaded.

APPEARANCE

FACE CLAIM: Oliver Jackson-Cohen.

HEIGHT: 6′3 ft. [190]

WEIGHT: 169 lbs. [77 kg.]

BUILD: Athletic.

GAIT: Relaxed.

HAIR COLOR: Dark brown.

EYE COLOR: Blu.

BIRTHMARK: TBA.

OVERVIEW: » SCARS: Plenty. He used to box so he's got many scars from that. » TATTOOS: Yes. TBA.

BACKGROUND

HOMETOWN: Queens, New York.

RESIDENCES: Queens, upstate, and a small home in Hawaii.

NATIONALITY: American.

ETHNICITY: Caucasian.

FINANCIAL STATUS: Upper-middle class. He and Dante used to be the poorest poor bastards.

EDUCATION LEVEL: GED.

DEGREES: Degree in kicking people's ass.

SPOKEN LANGUAGES: English and plenty of Spanish. He speaks a lot of Hindi and Mandarin, too. Korean's a struggle.

RELATIONSHIPS

PARENTS: Unknown. He was told that he was of English and Jewish descent. He has no clue who his parents are. Or at least he chooses not to know coz he actually has a relationship with his younger half-sister, Delilah.

SIBLINGS: Half-sister, Delilah, she's the coolest.

CHILDREN: None.

PETS: None.

SIGNIFICANT RELATIONSHIPS: » Jonah had a few relationships in the past but he was never close to actually keeping any of them. He's a workaholic.

HISTORY: 

Born on the 29th of May, 1986 in New York, Jonah Locke is the quintessential tough guy. Taken away from his mother at the age of three for abuse and neglect, Jonah had to learn to take care of himself at a very young age especially when he had to move from one foster home to another. Jonah didn’t have any luck with any of the families that took him in despite his effort to be a 'normal' kid. Eventually, after sending his last foster father to the hospital after he stood up for himself against the man’s abuse, Jonah was sent to a juvenile facility and emancipated himself from the state when he was released. 

Jonah’s life had been full of challenges since then and he never had a proper place to call home or any people to call family. Getting involved in gambling and drug dealing, Jonah’s life was surely going downhill but he didn’t fully realize this until he was being beaten to death after being caught stealing from the gang he recently joined. With a sack over his head, he was taken out of state but instead of putting a bullet through his head, the gang threw Jonah to an underground fighting ring which, ironically enough, straightened him out.

Through the months, Jonah struggled to live a normal life, but circumstances lead him to commit assault which he ended up going to jail for. On his release, Jonah was put on probation and during this time, he worked with his good friends Dante and Olive, doing maintenance and gardening. With enough money saved between him and his friends, they started a business which turned into a success. 

After a little over a year, Jonah returned to his home city of New York after where he hoped for his new business to also took off. His dedication paid off and even started dating a lovely businesswoman. Things seemed to be going smoothly for Jonah even though he knew coming back to New York was a risk. He had a lot of history in the place and the roots of all his problems began in the same city. When things between his girlfriend and him started to fail, Jonah wondered if it was even worth it moving back. He thought he needed a change and finally answered a long time friend, Isko’s call to take on a job in Hawaii. It's been a year since he started expanding their landscaping in Hawaii and it's doing great. Another success but despite all that, there seems to be something missing...

ROMANTIC HISTORY: Jonah dated but because he's so focus on work, he ends up neglecting his partners and the relationship didn't last.

PLATONIC RELATIONSHIPS: Jonah is very good friends with Dante Giarusso. He is also very good friends with Isko who owns a chain of bar, The Devil's Pit.

THOUGHTS ON LOVE: “Love? What love??”

HEALTH

PHOBIA(S): None.

HANDICAP(S): None.

MENTAL DISEASE(S): ADHD, depression, alcoholism.

PHYSICAL DISEASE(S): None.

PREDISPOSITION(S): None.

[aclickbaittitle]

Language (s) in Moonbase Theta Out:

English as a language is taking over the world at an alarming rate, most other countries in which English is not the majority language have it as part of their school curriculum, and like math, you can fail the year if you do not pass the subject.

Why? Well, most of your job prospects will be severely impacted if you do not have at least a grasp of it. Though not as “present” as other consequences of USAmerican and England’s hold over the world, language imperialism is still something to worry about.

Like Minnie Degawan, activist of indigenous people’s rights says: “For Indigenous peoples, languages ​​are not only symbols of identity and belonging to a group, but also vehicles for ethical values. They constitute the fabric of the knowledge systems through which these peoples form a whole with the land and are crucial for their survival. The future of their young people depends on them.”

Of course it is not only the English language that is guilty of the linguistic masacre, my own mother tongue: Spanish is equally if not more guilty. And, unlike how I would like to blame the Western Europeans for everything, Hindi, Mandarin Chinese and many more also play their part. Please notice how all of this is backed by Nation-States Agenda of “Linguistic-Ethnic Unity” like Mexico’s “not-white, not indigenous but (light-skin) mestiz@” project that asked for indigenous peoples to exchange their language (and culture) for social integration.

But what does this have to do with a small little podcast called Moon Base Theta Out?

Moonbase Theta Out is a sci-fi audio fiction podcast produced by Monkeyman Productions. It is 2098. The Moonbase program has been determined unprofitable. The last base, Theta, is twenty weeks from being decommissioned. Most of the crew is in stasis awaiting retrieval. Five remain – Roger Bragado-Fischer, Nessa Cheong, Ashwini Ray, Michell L’Anglois, and Wilder. (monkeymanproductions.com)

In Moonbase Theta Out, our current way of organizing the earth in nation-states has fallen out of fashion. Instead we got corporate enclaves run by mega corporations, and if it sounds terrifying it is because it is. There is a saying that goes “english is the language of money” and in a world where neoliberalism has taken over every character is expected to know english from Brazil to North Africa to France.  It is not uncommon for US american media to portray a world in which everyone knows english somehow, but in Moonbase Theta, Out it actually makes sense. 

However, english is not the only language spoken in Moonbase Theta Out, within the constraints of the audio medium (in which subtitles are not possible, and the only way translations can be provided is through transcripts) the podcast manage to include portuguese, french, arabic (don’t ask me which dialect) and even some few words in spanish and bengali. The reason for this linguistic diversity? Because Moonbase, even amidst the cyberpunk hellscape, wants to show a future that is blooming with diversity and love. 

In a small mini-episode showcasing the poems used in the show, writer D.J. Sylvis talks about how poetry is the connecting vehicle between our main-lead Roger Brigado-Fisher and his husband, Alexandre Brigado-Fisher (their relationship also works to tie the events that happen in the moon and earth). I want to extend this sentiment, and argue that language is the way in which several characters expressed their unique relationship.

Alexandre, for example, is Brazilian (go my latin boy!) and a native Portuguese speaker, Roger on the other hand is not but has learned the language, however when he takes a job for the Consortium he is asked to only speak english. His job causes a rift between him and his husband which ends up in a fight, when Alexandre slips into Portuguese, Roger tries to do the same but ends up forgetting the words; just another example of how their relationship is deteriorating because of the corporate overlords.

Then we have Michelle and his sister Maria, both French. They have had a very rough life that led them to security jobs for the Consortium and said jobs have led them apart.

Michelle tries to establish contact with her while knowing that everything he says would be listened to by his boss (and his enemy Roger). He slips into French when in distress, and the only one to calm them is another French speaker, her sister. 

There’s also this very short moment in which Dr. Ashwini Ray has made a friend ze didn’t expect to make and can’t do anything about it because ze is going to the moon in just a few days with hopes of never came back, so ze says a few works in Bangla that ze knows hir friend, Jen Ponton, won’t be able to understand but that anyways, is a subtle way to express hir love for her.

Moonbase Theta Out is far from the only multilingual podcast out there (see: Desperado, MOONFACE, Hi Nay, Dos After You, Monster Dash and Celestial Blood) and I hope we continue to see more. 

I also want to motivate you, reader, if you speak any other language, to write a story with it. The best way to help a tongue live is through the beauty of literature, afterall.

[classiqals]

{peter capaldi, 61, cisman, he/him} We are so glad to see you safe, KING GRAEME STUART of SCOTLAND! It’s dangerous out in the world these days, but I hear that you are PASSIONATE and BRAZEN enough to handle it. Just don’t let your HUNGER FOR POWER bring you down! Stay on your guard, because with your secret being at risk for exposure, you wouldn’t want everyone to find out THAT YOUR EYESIGHT IS RAPIDLY FAILING AND YOU ARE NEARLY BLIND.

BASICS;

nicknames:  don't even consider it.

sexuality:  heterosexual/undecided.

relationship: married to the queen of scotland.

date of birth:  january 2nd.

zodiac sign:  capricorn.

moral alignment: neutral evil/chaotic neutral depending on the day.

hobbies: spectating sports, especially horse racing & archery, large feasts, a brisk chilly wind, playing && hearing bagpipes, theatrical performances about heroes and war, war itself, strategic thinking, strategy games, spending time with his family, formerly, writing strongly worded letters.

dislikes: the answer 'no', being proven wrong, backtalking, losing, sneaky behavior from his children.

languages spoken: scottish, english, french, learning german, hindi.

politics/loyalty: politically linked to germany, has ambition to gain alliance with spain, and ultimately, would like to gain as much power as possible. heavy eyes are now on the sharma's wealth and influence. he wants a piece. loyal to himself, first of all, and secondly, his family. judges germany poorly.

inspirations: the power hungry, the crimson, the girl dad, the tragic backstory antihero, the conqueror. + king magnifico from disney's wish

DETAILS;

likely one of the more well-known royals, has quite the reputation/legacy preceding him, and is easily one of the older royals in the investigation, thus far. his opinion of the mysterious deaths is more intrigue than fear - graeme does not believe scotland will ever fall, and thinks the forces against other kingdoms dare not touch his realm.

for the last 2 years, his eyesight has worsened rapidly, and he has gone through a number of physicians trying to fix this progression to no avail. now, it is very poor, and he is in a lot of migraine pain most days - and yet, he maintains his secret.

people know him as loud, boisterous, opinionated, power seeking, strong, and protective, especially over his youngest daughter.

will beef with anyone, hates france & england with a passion, and is now trying to play nicey-nicey with the sharma royals.

CONNECTIONS;

to be filled out !!

bring wife

BACKSTORY;

to be filled out, for now, reference the scotland blurb on the main here!

[bourgeoning]

we  are  so  glad  to  see  you  safe  ,  MASTER OF SECRETS COURT PHYSICIAN ISRA AL - AMIN  of  EGYPT  !  it's  dangerous  out  in  the  world  these  days  ,  but  i  hear  that  you  are  RESOURCEFUL  and  GENEROUS  enough  to  handle  it  .  just  don't  let  your  RETICENCE  bring  you  down  !  stay  on  your  guard  ,  because  with  your  secret  being  at  risk  for  exposure  ,  you  wouldn't  want  everyone  to  find  out  YOU'RE DESPERATE FOR AN ESCAPE FROM YOUR CAREER IN ESPIONAGE  .

BASICS .

FULL  NAME :  [ redacted by order of the ruler of egypt ]  . currently known as isra al - amin .

NICKNAMES  &  ALIASES :  innumerable . her most well - known alias is ISRA KARIMI  , which she used in the years leading up to the reckoning .

TITLES & OCCUPATION :  master of secrets ,  court physician , apothecary ( former ) , thief ( former ) .

BIRTHDAY  &  AGE :  march 25 (  33  )  . allegedly .

GENDER :  cis woman  .

PRONOUNS :  she / her / hers  .

ORIENTATION :  homosexual graybiromantic  .

STATUS :  unwed and ( mostly ) uninterested  .

LANGUAGES SPOKEN : arabic , turkish , persian , hindi , tamil , oromo , amharic  , english , others .

TRAITS :  resourceful , generous , reticent . neutral good .

INSPIRED BY : lucy tara ( ncis : hawai'i ) , hanna heller ( hanna ) .

HISTORY .

TL;DR :

she's  lived  a  thousand  different  lives  ,  each  full  of  drama  and  intrigue  —  though  the  reality  was  always much more  grounded  .

born  sadaf  karim  ,  daughter  of  an  apothecary  and  a  schoolteacher  ,  middle  of  the  pack  in  a  large family  ,  she  promptly  learned  the  importance  of  both  knowing  how  to  care  for  her  younger  siblings  ,  and  how  to  fend  for  herself  .  she  took  on  odd  jobs  to  support  the  family  ,  then  turned  to  stealing  when  money  from  those  jobs  wouldn't  provide  enough  to  put  food  on  the  table  .

her  success  as  a  petty  criminal  gained  her  a  sort  of  notoriety  —  though  no  one  knew  her  by  name  ,  everyone  knew  to  keep  their  purse  strings  tied  tightly  in  her  hometown  .  and  even  then  ,  their  money  and  personal  belongings  may  not  have  been  safe  .

one  day  ,  she  stole  from  the  wrong  (  right  ?  )  person  :  the  master  of  secrets  for  the  egyptian  royal  family  .  with  a  refined  and  discerning  eye  ,  they  easily  saw  through  her  .  upon her arrest  ,  sadaf  was  given  a  choice  —  punishment  ,  or  recruitment  .  knowing  only  one  included  the  possibility  of  getting  money  back  to  her  family  ,  she  joined  egypt's  vast  network  of  spies  . 

training  was  grueling  ,  but  it  was  also  her  metamorphosis  .  sadaf  went  on  assignment  all  over  ,  gathering  intel  and  performing  duties  for  the  egyptian  crown  ,  and  rose  through  the  ranks  as  a  competent  field  agent  , working mostly in the shadows .

five years ago now , she was given her latest assignment : infiltrate the royal soloman family , evaluate them . as the job required more direct contact , she was given a falsified backstory and a new alias . a backstory that has since been expanded on , following the reckoning . the current story is as follows :

born  into  something  of  a  mercantile  family  dynasty  ,  as  close  to  noble  as  one  can  be  without  a  title  ,  from  birth  ,  isra  al - amin  had  certain  expectations  for  the  path  her  life  would  take  .  as  a  teenager  ,  that  included  being  introduced  to  potential  suitors  ,  children  of  other  wealthy  merchants  who  could  expand  the  family  businesses  .  resenting  the  idea  entirely  ,  she  ran  away  ,  and  was  taken  in  by  a  traveling  apothecary  .  in  exchange  for  food  and  shelter  ,  isra  learned  the  trade  ,  changed  her  name  (  to  isra  karimi  )  ,  and  over  time  became  a  fully - fledged  apothecary  .  somewhere  down  the  line  ,  after  her  training  was  over  ,  she  and  her  mentor  parted  ways  ,  setting  isra  down  the  path  of  treating  the  ails  of  those  in  need  .

her  " travels "  eventually  brought  her  to  ethiopia  .  a  notoriously  closed - off  kingdom  ,  word  of  her  healing  abilities  convinced  the  late  dowager  queen  to  give  isra  an  audience  .  from  there  ,  it  was  as  easy  as  charming  the  woman  ,  to  whom  she  became  a  close  friend  ,  a confidant  ,  and a willing  student  .  she  spent  years  in  ethiopian  court  ,  studying  the  soloman  family  ,  sending  information  back  to  her  superiors  in  egypt  .  it was merely a job , at first , but she grew to love the solomans .

trusted  by  the  royal  family  ,  she  even  joined  their  envoy  to  the  mughal  empire  .  a  golden  opportunity  ,  to  be  able  to  finally  relay  information  in  person  .  until  it  all  fell  apart  .  she  had  her  theories  as  to  what  happened  ,  but  as  the  chaos  only  ramped  up  ,  her  theories  were  for  naught  .

then , she was recognized for an old job . one from the beginning of her career . they had to be eliminated . as isra faced immense guilt , she was pulled from her mission , called back to egypt . her liege closed their country off , and informed of her promotion to master of secrets . something she once dreamed of now only filled her with dread . publicly , however , she would serve a different role , as a court physician , controlling the spies from the shadows . isra al - amin was merely a prodigal daughter , after all , finally returned .

HEADCANONS .

hasn't seen her biological family in years , but keeps tabs on her parents and remaining siblings , sending them money when she can .

during her training as a field agent , isra mainly focused on poisons as opposed to combat , to account for her being of such small stature . if she has to use physical force , she prefers her fists or knives .

the  sort  of  person  who  seems  very  friendly  ,  but  one  can  walk  away  from  a  conversation  and  realize  they  know  nothing  about  her  .

really  enjoys  art  ,  and  is  something  of  an  artist  !  however  ,  most  of  her  creative  endeavors  have  to  do  with  her  cover  (  which  really  just  means  they  all  have  to  do  with  her  work  )  .

NAMES & ETYMOLOGY .

SADAF : from the arabic صَدَف ( sadaf ) , " mother - of - pearl , seashell . "

KARIM / KARIMI : both derived from the arabic first name كَرِيْم ( karim ) , " generous , noble . "

ISRA : also spelled israa , or اسراء in arabic , meaning " night journey . it is derived from the arabic سرى ( sara ) , " to travel at night . "

AL - AMIN : spelled الأ��ين in arabic , derived from امين ( amin ) , " truthful , trustworthy . " al - amin , therefore , translates to " the truthful , " or " the trustworthy . "

is her fake last name a reference to emine ?? or an ironic thing because it's actually a fake name ?? i'll never tell .

WANTED CONNECTIONS .

HER FAKE FAMILY : actually a few of her spies , playing the part of the al - amin family who brought her back home after the reckoning .

GHOSTS OF HER PAST : from before she became a spy ( her biological family , maybe ? ) , and from ethiopia ( she grew to genuinely enjoy her time in the solomans' home , and made many friends before having to leave court so suddenly ) .

CLIENTS : previously posing as a traveling apothecary , and now as a physician , isra is able to provide a remedy to a number of ailments . as such , she likely has regular clients seeking cures for their problems , medical or otherwise .

CONTACTS : there was a point when isra actually aspired to be the next master of spies in egypt , and early in her career established a network of contacts from around the world , experts in both their fields and discretion . since ascending to her new position in the egyptian court ( even if that's no longer what she wants as a career ) , she's started using these contacts more often .

MUTUALLY - ASSURED DESTRUCTION : a spy from a different kingdom ; they're both aware that the other is in espionage , in addition to another secret that simply cannot get out , or they'll both be ruined . for that reason , this muse is the person isra feels she can trust the most ( though that may not be saying much ) . she occasionally goes to them for intel and resources , and they ask the same of her .

PAST OR CURRENT DALLIANCE - TURNED POTENTIAL LOVE INTEREST : isra ultimately has little interest in finding a partner , finding it incompatible with her current lifestyle . but she still has needs to be fulfilled . and , sometimes , beliefs can change .

[amarhastings]

google doc ・ connections ・ pinterest ・ playlist

STATS

full name: amar hastings

nickname(s): am (only by a selected few, most people call him hastings or amar)

age/date of birth: 33 / october 6th, 1990

zodiac sign: libra ☼ capricorn ☾ taurus ↑

gender identity: cis male (he/him)

face claim: dev patel

place of birth: oxford, england

current location: fairford, wa

neighborhood: mountainside

sexual orientation: pansexual

relationship status: single

occupation: businessman

education level: mba in business

fears: heights

hobbies: driving, gardening, reading, crafting

languages spoken: english, hindi, french, punjabi, italian and spanish

height: 6'2

instruments played: piano, french horn, violin

tattoos: none (yet)

piercings: none

labels: the soiled dove, the benefactor

positive traits: earnest, reliable, dedicated, meticulous, articulate

negative traits: secretive, unyielding, workaholic, resentful, argumentative

favorite color: depends (for clothing is neutral colors, for decorations a wam orange/brown pallet— he tends to graviatate towards that pallet more when it comes to most things)

favorite food: italian food

allergies: none

right or left-handed?: right-handed

parents: aadhira bhatt (oncologist), thomas hastings (ceo), amber hastings (step mother/real estate mogul)

sibling(s): tba hastings

pet(s): a 5 year old golden retriever that used to belong to his late fianceé

TL;DR

tw: death mention

was born in london to a single mother who tried her darn best to raise him to be a good man while also continuing her higher education to become an oncologist, dad didn't knew about him until he was 3 but once he did, he took care of him. comes from a rich family (on his dad's side), is expected to inherit the family's company and he pretty much handles half of it since it moved to america under his care. had a fiance, richard, who was a fairford local who tragically passed away a few years ago.

HEADCANONS

his family means SO much to him, he'd do anything for them, esp his mom (who now lives in california)

has a proper english accent that he absolutely claims not to have

he's not shy per se, he loves meeting people and making friends, but he has a hard time actually letting people in/learning to trust

he's a charmer by nature, though he claims he isn't. and claims to have no game— he does.

business was never something he wanted to do himself, instead something that was chosen for him. had it been his decision, amar would be either a historian or a psychiatrist (something he may do in the future, who knows? 👀)

loves art: music, painting, litrature... all of it, big advocate. sucks at each and every one of them but he is drawn to those who excell at them

okay he is still mourning so he hasn't done much of it in a while but man knows how to party. he is very reserved and proper most of the time but when there's an opportunity to party he. turns. up. and he can DANCE

hopeless romantic through and through

technologically challenged (he TRIES though, technology is just against him half of the time)

CONNECTIONS

sibling(s) (wc on main soon)

family of his late fianceé

maybe family of his own?

friends he met when his fianceé was still alive

family friends

neighbors

best friend(s)

possible love interest (?)

flirtationships

(future) fwb?

enemies

business rivals/friends

maybe future business partners?

literally anything, the sky is the limit and he is very easy going i promise!

[ko-existing]

Ko, I don't know what your native language is, but is there a language similar to yours that you can understand through nuances? You don't need to understand everything, understanding a little and understanding the context is enough. My dad (italian) speaks portuguese and italian, he said that it was relatively easy to learn Portuguese mainly because he had the encouragement of my mother, he also commented that there is a certain similarity. I think this is really interesting and I wanted to know if it happens to you too, I believe it must be the same with sibling/cousin languages (that's what I call them)

My opinion: I think portuguese is closer to russian in sound sometimes (sonically speaking), I even understand the nuances with portuguese and so on, but sometimes I hear my mom talking to my grandma and it sounds similar. Maybe because I'm still improving and learning, well I believe in this. In short, it sounds similar, but not very similar.

Anyways I would love to hear your thoughts on this if you have one, I have asked this to a lot of people and I love the answers, they make me even more intrigued

Hi!

Your question is interesting, and I can relate to your experiences with Portuguese and Italian. My ""mother tongues"" aka languages I grew up hearing around me (i put it in quotes because my situation is complicated & funny) are English, Tibetan & Mandarin , so languages in the Tibetan language family like Dzongkha, which is spoken in Bhutan, sound and look really familiar to me.

When I hear Dzongkha I can pick up on a lot of the context and even some of the words, even though I don't understand everything perfectly. I find it very easy to learn other languages like hindi, nepali, japanese and korean but i have a massive problem with dialects in general..

Dongzha (different from bhutan's language Dzongkha) is a dialect spoken in amdo-tibetan regions like Qinghai province. It's easy to understand and similar but I'm not still not a friend of dialects😒

For example, when I try to communicate with my best friend Dawa (if you're new: She's another admin & speaks mainly cantonese), it’s funny because we both struggle to understand each other if we don't put in effort🤣. I'm not 100% fluent in any language. My fiancé and I have language related communication problems every now and then and Another friend of mine grew up in china but he has been living in france for i think more than 12 years and he has a light french accent (i think?) and that's already enough to throw me off in conversations.

My mandarin is abysmal. I am a disgrace BUT as bad as it is, if you ask me to compare your behavior or personality to random historical things like the Terracotta Army of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China from 210–209 BCE I'll be able to do that without a mistake. So, my language skills depend on how bad I want to make a point🧐

Now here in germany (where I study) they have a billion dialects too and sometimes I just stare into space because the words they use are not in my dictionary so I look like this: "????" as a person.

Something I always found so interesting is how Mongolian sound russian-related if you're only listening to it. I want to get better at it but I'm busy with arabic so I'll continue my studies most likely afterwards.

[musicindustry123]

How JioSaavn is Shaping the Future of Podcasts in India

With podcasts becoming an increasingly popular form of entertainment in India, JioSaavn - music & podcasts has stepped up as a pioneering platform, bringing this trend to a massive, diverse audience. Although initially known for its vast music library, JioSaavn has expanded its scope to offer a rich collection of podcasts, tailored to the Indian market. The platform's unique approach involves supporting regional language content, partnering with local creators, and investing in exclusive shows, all of which have made it a top choice for Indian podcast listeners.

As more people discover the joy of podcasts, JioSaavn’s efforts are helping to shape India’s podcasting industry by making content accessible, relevant, and diverse. From offering exclusive podcasts to creating a welcoming space for regional voices, JioSaavn - music & podcasts is not only popularizing the medium but also fostering a vibrant community for podcasters and listeners alike. This article will explore the role JioSaavn plays in India’s podcast landscape and how its initiatives are paving the way for the future of Indian podcasts.

1. Expanding the Scope of Audio Entertainment in India

In India, audio streaming has primarily been synonymous with music. However, JioSaavn has taken a bold step forward by expanding its focus to include podcasts, turning itself into a complete audio platform. This strategic shift benefits both users and creators, as it introduces a new avenue for storytelling, knowledge-sharing, and cultural conversation. By making a wide array of podcasts available on a popular and accessible platform, JioSaavn is encouraging more Indian users to explore podcasts for entertainment, learning, and personal growth.

Podcasts on JioSaavn cover a variety of genres, such as news, comedy, storytelling, spirituality, health, and lifestyle, catering to the different tastes and needs of its user base. This diversification sets JioSaavn apart, making it more than just a music streaming service. With this expanded scope, the platform is transforming itself into an audio destination for users who want more than just music.

2. Catering to Regional and Linguistic Diversity

One of JioSaavn’s greatest strengths in the podcasting domain is its commitment to regional language content. India is a linguistically diverse country, with hundreds of languages spoken across its vast population. By offering podcasts in languages like Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Marathi, and more, JioSaavn reaches listeners who may feel disconnected from English-language podcasts or international content. This regional focus makes JioSaavn - music & podcasts an accessible platform for everyone, irrespective of language preference.

For instance, JioSaavn features popular Tamil podcasts such as "Bigg Boss Tamil Talk," and Hindi exclusives like "Bhaskar Bose." These shows connect with regional audiences and contribute to the growth of a podcasting culture in India’s smaller cities and rural areas. By fostering content in local languages, JioSaavn promotes inclusivity, making podcasts available to millions of people who otherwise may not engage with audio content.

3. Supporting Local Creators and Original Content

JioSaavn is deeply committed to supporting local creators, helping them bring their voices to a national platform. Through partnerships and exclusive deals, JioSaavn has become a significant player in the Indian podcast market, encouraging original content that resonates with local listeners. These collaborations allow creators to reach a larger audience and make podcasting a viable career option in India.

A few notable originals include "Kahaniyon Ka Mantra," a Hindi storytelling series, and "Edge of Sanity," a psychological thriller that keeps listeners hooked episode after episode. By investing in such original productions, JioSaavn has shown its commitment to innovation and creativity in podcasting. This effort not only attracts new listeners but also establishes the platform as a place for high-quality, homegrown audio content.

4. Exclusive Shows That Appeal to Indian Listeners

One of the major differentiators for JioSaavn in the podcasting market is its range of exclusive shows. Unlike other streaming platforms that may feature largely international or generic content, JioSaavn offers India-specific podcasts that cover themes and topics relevant to Indian listeners. For instance, "Cricket Adda" brings insightful commentary and analysis to cricket fans, while "The Vishnu Ki Secret Life" delves into intriguing mythological tales from Indian folklore.

By offering exclusive shows, JioSaavn provides its audience with unique content that cannot be found elsewhere. This approach not only builds loyalty among listeners but also enhances the platform’s appeal as a podcast provider, as users know they’ll find fresh and exclusive content that is both entertaining and culturally relevant.

5. Ease of Accessibility and User-Friendly Features

JioSaavn’s user-friendly interface makes it easy for new users to explore and discover podcasts on the platform. The app’s layout and search features allow users to browse through different podcast genres or languages, making discovery a smooth process. Users can save podcasts for later, bookmark their favorite episodes, or download them for offline listening, which is especially beneficial for users with intermittent internet access.

Moreover, JioSaavn’s algorithm suggests podcasts based on the user’s preferences, ensuring that users receive recommendations that match their tastes. For those who are new to podcasts, JioSaavn’s intuitive design and recommendation system make it easy to start discovering and enjoying audio content.

6. Transforming Podcasting in India’s Audio Industry

By merging music with podcasts under one platform, JioSaavn - music & podcasts has created a unique listening experience for Indian audiences. It has helped redefine how people interact with audio content, popularizing podcasts among listeners who might never have discovered them otherwise. As a pioneer in India’s podcasting landscape, JioSaavn is influencing the future of this medium by helping both established and new creators find an audience.

As the platform continues to grow, it has the potential to change the Indian audio market significantly. Podcasts have historically been a niche area, but with JioSaavn’s support, they are reaching new levels of popularity. As more listeners are introduced to podcasts through JioSaavn, this cultural shift will likely have a lasting impact on India’s digital entertainment landscape.

7. JioSaavn’s Plans for the Future of Podcasts in India

Looking ahead, JioSaavn has the potential to drive significant growth and innovation in the Indian podcast industry. As it continues to support new creators, develop exclusive content, and add regional language shows, the platform will likely further entrench itself as a leading podcast provider in India. By embracing advancements in audio technology and maintaining its focus on user preferences, JioSaavn can play a crucial role in shaping the future of podcasts in the country.

In time, JioSaavn’s impact may extend beyond entertainment, influencing education, business, and communication through audio. As a platform, JioSaavn’s accessibility, cultural sensitivity, and diverse offerings uniquely position it to lead the next phase of India’s podcast revolution.

Conclusion:

As one of India’s most popular streaming platforms, JioSaavn - music & podcasts is redefining the audio landscape by making podcasts accessible, relevant, and engaging for Indian audiences. With its extensive catalog of regional and exclusive content, JioSaavn has created a space where listeners can connect with content that feels personalized, meaningful, and resonant with Indian culture. From supporting local creators to offering exclusive shows and a user-friendly experience, JioSaavn is actively shaping the future of podcasts in India.

By creating a platform that serves listeners from every corner of the country, JioSaavn is not only popularizing podcasts but also fostering a community of audio enthusiasts. For anyone interested in discovering India’s vibrant podcasting scene, JioSaavn offers a rich experience that goes beyond typical streaming. With a commitment to innovation and inclusivity, JioSaavn - music & podcasts stands as a true pioneer in the world of Indian podcasts, ready to lead the next wave of audio storytelling in the country.

[marwahstudios]

British Delegation from UK Hindi Samiti Visits Marwah Studios to Celebrate Hindi Language and Culture

Noida: In a significant gesture towards strengthening cultural ties and promoting linguistic exchange, a delegation of Hindi-learning Britishers and members of the UK Hindi Samiti visited Marwah Studios at Noida Film City. The visit, led by Surekha Chophla and under the patronage of Padmesh Gupta, marked an important occasion in the ongoing efforts to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of Hindi language and culture across the globe.

The UK Hindi Samiti, founded in 1990 by Dr. Padmesh Gupta, has been at the forefront of promoting Hindi language and literature in the United Kingdom. Through various initiatives, the Samiti has played a crucial role in keeping the rich heritage of Hindi alive and thriving among the Indian diaspora and interested learners in the UK.

Dr. Sandeep Marwah, President of Marwah Studios, warmly welcomed the delegation and delivered a compelling speech in Hindi. He shared insights into the establishment of the media and entertainment business in Noida and provided an overview of the Indian media and entertainment industry. Dr. Marwah emphasized the global significance of the Hindi language, noting, “Hindi is the fourth most spoken language in the world after English, Chinese, and Spanish. We all should be proud of our language, as it forms the foundation of our culture and history.”

The delegation was given an extensive tour of Marwah Studios, including visits to MSTV, the television station, and Radio Noida. Both mediums actively covered the delegation’s visit and conducted interviews with the members in Hindi, further showcasing the studio’s commitment to promoting the language.

During the visit, Dr. Marwah also engaged in an interactive session, addressing numerous questions posed by the delegation members. The visit not only highlighted the shared love for Hindi but also underscored the importance of cultural exchanges in bringing people together. The event was supported by Indo UK Film and Cultural Forum.