The colours of English (pojok)

The colours of English By Dr LIM CHIN LAM
(Jumaat 10 April 2009 mstar)

THE natural world is not monochromatic. From outer space, our home planet appears blue – hence the appellation Blue Planet – because of the vast expanse of water over 70% of the planet’s surface.

Much, much closer to home, our world is not like that depicted in the photographs and movies of yesteryears, the ones cast in sepia tone or black-and-white. Rather, it is a vibrant world of colours of the rainbow, and more – in the minerals in the ground and in the flora and fauna around us.

The physiological perception of colour is a complex one. One can talk of colour in terms of hue, brightness, and saturation. Hold on – we are not delving into optics. A ramble in the English language makes one realise how colourful the language can be with the incorporation of the names of colours! But some of the colourful expressions set me wondering ...

Let us look at a few examples.

Black, white

These colours appear in the similes black as night and white as snow. Just ponder – are these locutions truly applicable in the modern urban setting? Completely turning away from electrical power for a scarce hour did not happen, even during the recent call for an Earth Hour; and snow can hardly be white with all the polluting particles around us.

There are some interesting observations to be made about the colour black.

It is the colour of mourning (although, among the Chinese, white serves the same purpose as well). To get a pledge or an agreement in black and white simply means to get it in writing. A blackboard is not necessarily black. It is desirable for a company to get back into the black again – meaning “to become profitable again”. Yet it is not desirable to get into someone’s black book – which is a book listing people for disdain, censure, contempt, or punishment.

Red

I wonder why children with ruddy cheeks are described as rosy-cheeked. I have seen roses that are white, yellow, pink and even purplish. Why do we not just say “red-cheeked” to be more truthful?

Then there is the adjective red-faced, meaning “ashamed or embarrassed”. Some of my friends become “red-faced” when they have had a bit too much alcohol – but they are not the least ashamed or embarrassed about the condition.

What about the expression to see red and what of its origin? The expression, meaning “to become enraged”, obviously comes from bullfighting. Yes, the bull is enraged, but by what? By the mere red colour of the matador’s cape? Or by the stylised sway and swirl of his cape? Or by the fact that the animal has been suitably goaded into a rage by fancifully-named stage-hands sticking fancifully-named knives into the animal before the matador makes his entrance to finish off the poor animal?

A favourite of officialdom is red tape – no, not the red- or pink-coloured ribbons for tying together official files, but “the excessive bureaucracy or adherence to rules, especially in public business”, “excessive formality and routine, as in multiplicity of forms, records, and often unnecessarily detailed information required before action can be taken”.

With red tape, tinpot Napoleons in the civil service can take their time to perform a service or derive dubious pleasure in placing obstacles in the path of someone applying for, say, a licence or permit. Why is there a need to cause misery in a convert who has to be classified, and therefore treated, as a Muslim against that person’s will? Why does an application for permanent stay or for citizenship for a foreign spouse take forever?

Blue

People are generally fascinated with blue-blooded personages. Ah! So monarchs and aristocrats have blue blood. So have horseshoe crabs, those creatures that have existed since prehistoric times. I wonder whether the bluebloods can trace their genealogy to the said living fossils.

Green

Why do we say that a person turns green with envy? I have never seen a green-coloured person, no matter how envious he is. In fact, green is the soothing colour of verdure, “a consummation devoutly to be wish’d”. Thank goodness there is a greater awareness and respect for the environment. The word green has even become a verb.

On a more mundane level, I have to contend with pests and diseases to keep my garden plants reasonably healthy and productive. My neighbours have no such problem. They have green thumbs. I checked – their thumbs are anything but green!

Yellow

I wonder why a cowardly person is called yellow. A jaundiced person is yellow and, by extension, cowardly. Right?

Parting note: Once in a blue moon, I get the blues. Then I read that one can get over the blues by singing the blues. Now when I sing the blues, my neighbours see red.

Malaysiaku Tercinta

Khamis April 9, 2009
SENARAI PENUH KABINET 2009
Oleh ARIFFUDDIN ISHAK dan ZIEMAN

PUTRAJAYA: Senarai jemaah menteri yang diumumkan oleh Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak hari ini:

PERDANA MENTERI:

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak

TIMBALAN PERDANA MENTERI:

Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin

MENTERI DI JABATAN PERDANA MENTERI

1. Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon (Hal Ehwal Perpaduan & Pengurusan Prestasi)

2. Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz (Hal Ehwal Perundangan dan Parlimen)

3. Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop (Unit Perancang Ekonomi)

4. Mej Jen (B) Datuk Jamil Khir Baharom (Hal Ehwal Agama Islam)

Timbalan-timbalan Menteri:

1. Datuk Liew Vui Keong

2. Datuk Dr Mashitah Ibrahim

3. Datuk S.K. Devamany

4. Ahmad Maslan

5. T.Murugiah

MENTERI KEWANGAN:

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak

MENTERI KEWANGAN II:

Datuk Ahmad Husni Mohamad Hanadzlah

Timbalan:

1. Datuk Chor Chee Heung

2. Datuk Dr Awang Adek Hussin

MENTERI PELAJARAN:

Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin

Timbalan:

1. Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong

2. Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi

MENTERI PENGANGKUTAN:

Datuk Ong Tee Keat

Timbalan:

1. Datuk Abdul Rahim Bakri

2. Datuk Robert Lau Hoi Chew

MENTERI PERUSAHAAN, PERLADANGAN DAN KOMODITI:

Tan Sri Bernard Dompok

Timbalan:

1. Datuk Hamzah Zainudin

MENTERI DALAM NEGERI:

Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein

Timbalan:

1. Datuk Wira Abu Seman Yusop

2. Jelaing anak Mersat

MENTERI PENERANGAN, KOMUNIKASI, KESENIAN DAN KEBUDAYAAN:

Datuk Seri Utama Dr Rais Yatim

Timbalan:

1. Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum

2. Senator Heng Seai Kie

MENTERI TENAGA, TEKNOLOGI HIJAU DAN AIR:

Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui

Timbalan:

Noriah Kasnon

MENTERI KEMAJUAN LUAR BANDAR DAN WILAYAH:

Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal

Timbalan:

1. Datuk Hassan Malek

2. Datuk Joseph Entulu anak Belaun

MENTERI PENGAJIAN TINGGI:

Datuk Seri Mohd Khaled Nordin

Timbalan:

1. Datuk Dr Hou Kok Chung

2. Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah

MENTERI PERDAGANGAN ANTARABANGSA DAN INDUSTRI:

Datuk Mustapa Mohamed

Timbalan:

1. Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir

2. Datuk Jacob Dungau Sagan

MENTERI SAINS, TEKNOLOGI DAN INNOVASI:

Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili

Timbalan:

Fadillah Yusof

MENTERI SUMBER ASLI DAN ALAM SEKITAR:

Datuk Douglas Uggah Embas

Timbalan:

Tan Sri Joseph Kurup

MENTERI PELANCONGAN:

Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen

Timbalan:Datuk Seri Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Abdul Taib

MENTERI PERTANIAN DAN INDUSTRI ASAS TANI:

Datuk Noh Omar

Timbalan:

1. Datuk Johari Baharum

2. Datuk Rohani Abdul Karim

MENTERI PERTAHANAN:

Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi

Timbalan:

Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad

MENTERI KERJA RAYA:

Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor

Timbalan:

Datuk Yong Khoon Seng

MENTERI KESIHATAN:

Datuk Liow Tiong Lai

Timbalan:

Datuk Rosnah Rashid Shirlin

MENTERI BELIA DAN SUKAN:

Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek

Timbalan:

1. Datuk Razali Ibrahim

2. Wee Jeck Seng

MENTERI SUMBER MANUSIA:

Datuk Dr S.Subramaniam

Timbalan:Datuk Maznah Mazlan

MENTERI PERDAGANGAN DALAM NEGERI DAN HAL EHWAL PENGGUNA:

Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaakob

Timbalan:

Datuk Tan Lian Hoe

MENTERI PERUMAHAN DAN KERAJAAN TEMPATAN:

Datuk Kong Cho Ha

Timbalan:

Datuk Lajim Ukin

MENTERI PEMBANGUNAN WANITA, KELUARGA DAN MASYARAKAT:

Datuk Seri Sharizat Jalil

Timbalan:Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun

MENTERI LUAR:

Datuk Anifah Aman

Timbalan:

1. A.Kohilan Pillay

2. Datuk Lee Chee Leong

MENTERI WILAYAH PERSEKUTUAN:

Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin

Timbalan:

Datuk M.Saravanan

Salam Maulidur Rasul

Selamat Menyambut Maulidur Rasul 12 Rabi'lawal 1430 bersamaan
9 Mac 2009.
Sesungguhnya kasih sayang itu suatu rahmat. Silaturrahim itu rezeki.

Salam Maulidur Rasul 1430 dari Moscow.

EQ

Your EQ is 100

You're average. It's easy to predict how you'll react to things. But anyone could have guessed that.

You're a bit moody, and sometimes you have trouble coping with every day life.
But you're by no means depressed, and your good days definitely out number your bad days.

There's nothing really wrong with your life, but you may not be living up to your actual potential.
Negative emotions can be a real drain of your energy, so make sure you have them under control.

Positif

Salam,

Saya nak kongsi apa yang baru dibaca. Guna bahasa asal supaya mudah difahami oleh semua. Diambil daripada buku bertajuk Massage by Vivienne Simberg.

Petikan:

Affirmations are conscious thoughts that help you direct your life as you choose.
Repeating them aloud will help you to strenghten your intention and achieve your goal.
Make up an affirmation of your own that applies to your daily life.
Here some ideas:
1. Just for today I will not be angry.
2. Just for today I will not worry.
3. I can be what I will to be, what I choose to be.
4. I am happy,loving,healthy,wealthy and whole.
5. I am always in control of my ow mind and body functioning.
6. I will always act and react in a positive manner to any given situation.

Affirmation to help you to help yourself recover from ill health:
Every molecule, every cell,every tissue of my body consta akalntly renews itself in perfect health.
I am perfection personified.

Bagi sesiapa yang nak ikut, ikutlah. Tidak ada salahnya. Tapi sebenarnya dalam Islam dah diajar perkara-perkara ini, cuma tidak dikomersialkan aje.
Islam mengalakkan kita mengamalkan zikir harian sebagai makanan dan kekuatan jiwa.

Negara Baru Rumah Baru

Salam,

Kami telah selamat selamat sampai ke negara baru dan rumah baru. Insyaalah, segala berita terkini akan update setelah segala urusan-urusan asas selesai.

Jumpa lagi dan doakan keselamatan kami di tempat baru.

Salam untuk semua yang mengenali kami.

Sejuk

Salam,

Sejak minggu lepas cuaca amat sejuk. Hari ini -8 darjah. Katanya ditempat baru -20 darjah. Masa amat cepat berlalu. Packer akan datang pada hari Isnin 5 Disember. Sedih hendak meninggalkan Topbrinkken 22. Selepas semuanya di'kotakkan' kami sudah tiada apa-apa lagi.