New words for a new era

One way to make sure a website doesn’t become a cobweb site

A MAN AND A woman were sitting in a restaurant “accidentally” bumping their legs together under the table. Or in other words, they were at the early stage of a relationship which a friend of mine calls “kneegotiations”.

That was just one of the new words that has been coined by readers over the past years. “New words” is a subject we return to every couple of years. Why? Because it enables your lazy host to repeat some old stuff. No, the real reason is that it exploits the GENIUS of this site’s commenters. This is vital, since I am out of range of the Internet this summer.

“Every day, someone comes up with some new invention or habit or convention for which no word exists,” Joseph Da Silva from Sri Lanka said. To provide inspiration, here’s some greatest hits from the New Words file on my desk.

From the abovementioned Joseph:

Secretariot: When support staff go on strike and tear up the office.

Borediance: An audience which has fallen asleep.

Federal Reserve: Natural reticence which prevents financial officials from saying things like: “The economy’s collapsing! Run!”

Xenaphobia: Fear of warrior princesses and other tough women.

Reader Tom Marrin suggested that instead of “Army and Navy” (the name of a famous clothes shop in the west), Asia should have stores called “Armani and Navy”, for imitation designer clothes.

He also suggested a new noun, “abra-kebabra”. He explained: “This is an illusion performed after a night getting drunk, whereby a kebab is made to disappear down the performer’s throat, only to reappear a short time later on the back of a taxi driver’s head.”

Reader Therese Necio-Ortega came up with the word “Teension”, which describes the state of agitation in a household caused by adolescent mood-swings.

She also suggested three new meanings of the word AIDS:

For herself: Acute Income Deficiency Syndrome.

For corrupt politicians: Amassed Income Deposited Somewhere

For office workers: As If Doing Something.
*
Meanwhile, a tech-y reader from South Asia came up with the following, which all have a technological theme:

Open-Collar Workers: People who work at home on computers and never get out of their pajamas.

Cobweb Site: A website that hasn’t been updated for a year or more.

Selfsurfer: Egomaniac who types his own name into Google and Yahoo every day to see if anyone has mentioned him.

Grasian: Hair colourant that makes Asian hair black again.

Gaysian: Homosexual Asian.

Talking of this region, a reader who wished only to be known as The Stasian Master came up with these new words, all on the theme of modern Asians.

Abbreviasian: A shorter-than-average Asian.

Vexasian: An irritated Asian.

Emancipasian: Asian who achieves equality.

Agitasian: Asian who scored only 98 per cent in a math test.

Stagnasian: Asian in a rut.

Exploitasian: Underpaid Asian.

Flirtasian: Asian who laughs at someone’s jokes because they have a desirable passport.

Sensasian: Asian who feels a desperate longing for rice while on lengthy business trip to Europe.

Procrastinasian: Asian trying to work out how many rich or otherwise useful people are going to be at a party before they decide to go.

Invasian: What Hong Kong people did to Vancouver.

Taxasian: Doomed attempt by governments on the east side of the world to get money from their citizens.

Temptasian: The desire among Asians abroad to skip social events and go home alone to eat comfort food.

Standardizasian: The false suggestion that Asians are a homogenous group, as often demonstrated in Mr Jam’s column.
*
Ouch. Well, Stasian Master, I get your point, and I am not trying to commit the crime of evasian, but this column is subject to syndicasian, so I have to suffer a bit of generalizasian.

Can anyone think of any more?
*

Technorati Tags: new words

Comments

[Jason]

There is Palin's new word recently: Refudiate. Which she then tried to justify by claiming language evolves and Shakespeare coined new words, so why can't she?

I coined an Asian term 5 years ago for a ditzy, local friend of mine: blasian or blonde Asian.

[Lift Lurker]

I can not refudiate her claim.

There is no government bureaux that give out such thing as "You are now license to invent new words"

I overheard some Lift passengers talking. They said there are no new words in Chinese. When a new word is needed the old words are just arranged to mean new words. Example is internet which is made up of two old words.

Is there any Chinese here who can confirm? Thank you.

[Angela]

Connotasian – suggesting that Asians are confined to certain stereotypes. Synonyms: generalisasian; standardisasian.

Indicasian – clear sign that a person is Asian. Such as pathological desire for academic excellence in school. And the probability that a traveler will be called for random luggage inspection at a western airport and found to be carrying stinky fish sauce inside the suitcase.

Implicasian – Asians' inherent disability to be direct, hence the preference to drop hints. Generally practiced by the female Asians.

Complicasian – complex structure and hierarchy of a typical Asian family. It is what a western man discovers after marrying an Asian woman and finding out he has to feed her whole clan.

Attractsian – The ability of ugly Asian women to partner with above average looking western men.

Celebrasian – extended festivities, such as Malay and Indian wedding parties that last 3-5 days of eating and dancing.

Devosian – Extreme loyalty of Asian children to their parents. Also an Asian woman’s enduring love and faithfulness to her partner.

Instructsian – complicated manuals usually found inside the packaging of products made in Asia, especially from China.

[Angela]

erratum:

Instructsian – complicated manuals written in strange english vocabulary and grammar pattern, usually found inside the packaging of products made in Asia, especially from China.

[Jason]

Nice job Angela, did you make those up or copy them?

I loved: Implicasian – Asians' inherent disability to be direct, hence the preference to drop hints. Generally practiced by the female Asians.

That requires a follow-on...

Exasperasian - what transpires in westerners, especially the male species, when encountering the above implicasian.

[Angela]

More...

Indigestsian: discomfort of the stomach after eating Asian delicacies

Constipasian: stuck-up Asians

Concessian: special discounts given to overseas Asians when they come home.

*

Jason, all originals, Copyright Angela 2010.

[Angela]

aiyoh! another erratum, or is it errata now that there's two?

Concessian: special preferential treatment given to overseas Asians when they come home.

[Chamin AKA Maria Chaminda Veneracion DeJesus III]

Wapanese - the term used to refer to Westerners who have fallen in love with Japan, by the Westerners who hate or bash Japan. Long arguments between the two groups are common in bars of Tokyo midtown.

SLapanese - Some day, I might be referred to by this term, because I am a Sri Lankan who likes Japan more than most of my foreign friends and colleagues.

[Lift Lurker]

Ehsian - canadian who adopt asia as home. Eh?

[Paul]

Allow me to add;

Caulkasian - the process and application of various pastes, creams, and gels with the intent of lightening the skin, but that results in the dusty look resembling that of a drywall construction worker for the user.

;-)

[Jason]

Good one Paul. You know, I think we should receive a share of Nury's compensation since we write so much of his material!

[Chamin AKA Maria Chaminda Veneracion DeJesus III]

Paul,

Good one! Used to see so many of them in Singapore, and see quite a few in summer here.

[Lift Lurker]

Crustasian - lobster and crab cooked asian way.

Imaginasian - day dreaming about asia and asians, which led to

Colonizasian - westerners visiting asia and overstaying by several hundred years

[Lift Lurker]

Immigrasian - asians visiting west and planning to overstay by several hundred years

[farah]

Frutasian - for all the Asians who are frustrated with mental, physical, psychological, political, wedding etc etc problems.

[farah]

we often use the term 'banglish' for those who speaks in Bengali as if they're speaking in English.

[Lift Lurker]

Frustrasian - what farah feel when saw the typo in her great post.

Explanasian - demand of immigration office why there are illegal asian workers in factory

[Mahjuja]

Angela, the attractsian seems like a very puzzling phenomenom to me, how does it happen?

[Lift Lurker]

Amerasian - just an asian ( a mere asian)

[Munsonmike]

This is an email a friend sent me along some lines.

The Washington Post's Mensa Invitational once again invited readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition.

Here are the winners:

1. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period of time.

2. Ignoranus : A person who's both stupid and an asshole.

3. Intaxicaton : Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.

4. Reintarnation : Coming back to life as a hillbilly.

5. Bozone ( n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.

6. Foreploy : Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.

7. Giraffiti : Vandalism spray-painted very, very high

8. Sarchasm : The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.

9. Inoculatte : To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.

10. Osteopornosis : A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)

11. Karmageddon : It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.

12. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.

13. Glibido : All talk and no action.

14. Dopeler Effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.

15. Arachnoleptic Fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.

16. Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.

17. Caterpallor ( n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you're eating.

The Washington Post has also published the winning submissions to its yearly contest, in which readers are asked to supply alternate meanings for common words.

And the winners are:

1. Coffee, n.. The person upon whom one coughs.

2. Flabbergasted, adj. Appalled by discovering how much weight one has gained.

3. Abdicate, v. To give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.

4. Esplanade, v. To attempt an explanation while drunk.

5. Willy-nilly, adj. Impotent.

6. Negligent, adj. Absentmindedly answering the door when wearing only a nightgown.

7.. Lymph, v.. To walk with a lisp.

8. Gargoyle, n. Olive-flavored mouthwash.

9. Flatulence, n. Emergency vehicle that picks up someone who has been run over by a steamroller.

10. Balderdash, n. A rapidly receding hairline.

11. Testicle, n. A humorous question on an exam.

12.. Rectitude, n. The formal, dignified bearing adopted by proctologists.

13. Pokemon, n. A Rastafarian proctologist.

14. Oyster, n. A person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddishisms.

15. Frisbeetarianism, n. The belief that, after death, the soul flies up onto the roof and gets stuck there.

16. Circumvent, n. An opening in the front of boxer shorts worn by Jewish men

[Lift Lurker]

genreasian - asian literature

inveighsian - protest rally by asians

ok i stop now.

[farah]

thanks for the correction Mr. Lifotisker (lift + otis + lurker)

at least that made me think another term, fruitasian - asians who go on a fruit diet (but might end up having biriyani at the end of the day).

[Ram]

Revelasian - Revealing that he/she is an asian in an active or passive way. Synonymous to Indicasian.

Communicasian - Asian who struggle to communicate properly their ideas. Especially, when it comes to communication in English.

Relaxasian - Necessary for all asians who think that they are the ones who are responsible for the whole world to function. Also for frustrasians.

Picturisasian - Tourist asian who is more interested in taking pictures than enjoying the location.

[Angela]

oh! I thought fruitasian is a synonym of gaysian.

[farah]

these came to my mind while i was in my thinking place aka toilet,

cointerm method - the act of 'inventing' new word

adjournius - a genius at procastination

dozier - writing a report while sleeping

naponference - sleeping during meetings

brain job - genius at work

[Jason]

Picturisasian - Tourist asian who is more interested in taking pictures than enjoying the location.

Ram, have you not noticed the locals who take pix of their food? Not restricted to tourists. And would one of our local Asians please explain to me the fascinasian with taking pix of your food?

[Vernette]

@ Lift Lurker

"Is there any Chinese here who can confirm?"

Yes, we do not need to create new words, we only do mix and match, which is an "in" thing already hehehe Also, we don't have different tenses, we just add a character or 2 to a sentence to do the job, simple.

Well, as far as I know, the only so-called new words were created a a few decades ago to enable easy language learning. It is called "simplified" Chinese, where new simpler characters are created to replace some of the "too-difficult-to-remember-how-to-write" characters e.g. 龍 became 龙 (dragon)
學 became 学 (learn, study)
會 became 会 (meet, know how-to, gathering...) and so on.

[Will]

I think its a japanese thing. food presentaion in japan is very big and they look like works of art, so i guess thats why people take pictures of them, but it seems to be a trend everywhere in asia now, even the boring old noodles people take pictures of...

Transmigrasian = what a lot of mainland chinese people did when the british left hongkong

Modernisasian = Asian's trying to improve quality of life...this word has not been introduced to North Korea

Correlasian = asians associated with each other

Urbanisasian= Movement of chinese people from the villages to the cities looking for jobs

Asianisasian = Invasion of asian culture to the west..

Assassasinasian= The legal term for murdering an asian

[Vernette]

@ Jason

"... And would one of our local Asians please explain to me the fascinasian with taking pix of your food?"

Some ppl's lives are so boring that the only excitement they get is from food?? Or that's just about the only thing they want to share with fella netizens without having to worry about any negative feedback/impact...

[Jason]

Observasian - the fine art of admiring hot Asian girls. See Yellow Fever.

[Angela]

Socialisasian – Efforts by Chinese government to educate its citizens on social etiquettes prior to the Beijing Olympic.

Carbonasian – happens when Asians fall asleep on the beach and get sunburned.

Immunizasian – preventive measure against Observasian and yellow fever.

Condemnasian – collective bashing of Asians, like during SARS period and during melamine milk scandal, and for propagation of cantopop music.

Mutasian - Asians speaking english with western accent after spending a week on holiday.

[Ellie]

good grief! Mr Jam has gone off to sit in a jungle and write a book and you guys are writing a whole book in a single day!!!

[Ram]

@Jason,

Ya...you are right... Especially, with the new technology which made cameras pocket-size or even smaller than that, people are crazy taking pictures... In this way, the old way (Film camera) seem to be better...

When I was backpacking in China, I had a chance to visit Shaolin temple... Me and my friend got into a private tourist bus instead of a public bus which takes us to Shaolin (because of our poor Chinese, we understood in a wrong way)...

There were few people in the bus and instead of going just to Shaolin temple, the bus went to some other place (Package tour...4 or 5 places for certain amount)... Thats when we understood that we were in a tourist bus...

you know what?... in each and every place, they spent not much than half an hour... run to the hot spot, take few pictures and run to some shops nearby, buy souvenirs and get back to the bus... We didnt know where we were and so couldnt jump out...

Finally, after a couple of stops, we reached Shaolin temple and we didnt get back to the bus in which we came... We spent as much time as we wanted to and got back by some other means (Thats another big story...)

[Ram]

Agglomerasian - Where ever Asians go, they find their own community and live as groups.

[Jason]

Immunizasian – preventive measure against Observasian and yellow fever.

Why would you want that?

[Angela]

Immunizasian will only be administered to married men.

[TS]

I thought that Devosian was an Asian who like to "Whip It"?

[farah]

isnt devosian supposed to be committed asian partners?

oh well, at least we can have synonyms.

[Dinu]

Somebody explain Anastasian. Would that be a Russian princess lost in Asia?

Its close to Anaesthesian; The guy who knocks you out in the Operation Theatre...

[Lift Lurker]

@Munsonmike, that is some seriously funny Mensa words! LIL (laughing in Lift)

@Vernette, thank you for Chinese clarificasian.

@Angela, your wit is on overdrive today.

[fardel]

Angelion:
woman ( kind of bipede with a lot of brains, who acts like an angel at night and who acts wild at day, or is it the opposite? )
No man knows how to handle (i.e as predictable as weather)

Vitachism: Worldwide disease which instantly transforms readers into wild writers,
This happens usually after the first cup of coffee.
It usually does not last , only a few lines at a time

Nuryne ( pronouce New ree n) a virus which spreads worldwide through the internet.
It is responsible for vitachism

Karunutism : When engineers are impressed by the wild side of the angelions

Ma joo jism: Asian deep belief that westerners are totally unable to genuinely understand , appreciate and love Asian culture ,art or music

Lif lurkism : intense belief that people move only vertically

Fardelism: intense belief that people move only horizontally , at birds' level

Farahonism: the idea that the future is as big as a pyramid

[Christyn Rana]

that last line Uncle Nury was so eminem. my brother would sure fb it whether he understood any part of it or not.

[mike]

Quickey: the act of quickly clicking off the website you are on when the boss enters the room.

[Marble]

Jason,

They took pictures of the food so that they can post them in their own blogs for fun and sharing or upload them onto established food blogs like "foodeasy" and "open rice" for wrting a food review. Eating good food is very important to asians. We love telling and asking people for dining tips. I saw in one of the personal blogs that the blogger even took pictures of the patterns on a paper cup he found interesting.

[Chamin AKA Maria Chaminda Veneracion DeJesus III]

About food photos:

Japan now has a few Internet services where a person can send the photos of their daily meals and get health advice. They pay a small amount of money to get an expert (dietitian, not dietasian :-p) to look at the photos. There is also some research on automatic analysis of food photos.

[Angela]

sounds like a new topic for mr. jam.

food fascinasian
etymology: japan
refers to obsessive compulsion to document food items into photographs to be shared among fellow asians.

[sej]

TS,

an Asian who like[s] to "Whip It"?

I thought that would have been Domminasian??

[TS]

sej,

I stand by my definition of Devosian.

They wear funny hats too...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xbt30UnzRWw

[Vernette]

hahaha! I agree with you, TS, what a funny video!

[Karuna aka Kaye Moreno]

@Fardel
All men in this blog suffer from the same ailment that you call "Karunutism" :D

[fardel]

@Yes
But it did not have a name (°_°)

[godiva]

@Jason,on why we take pictures of our food: that's because we suffer from MEMORIZASIAN (asians' inability to remember)... we need to take pictures so that when we suffer from INDIGESTSIAN (thanks, Angela), we would know what caused it.

[Mahjuja]

@ fardel it's more complex than that!

[Chamin]

Mahjuja,

Don't get too serious about the definition :o)

[fardel]

@Mahjuja
Life is "more complex than that."

As a half glass of water which can be half full or half empty
as a piece of paper which, like stories has two sides,life has its bright sides and dark moments.

Should we stop moving for this?
The world is wide; people , worldwide are interesting and beautiful...
One just has to get up and move up to them ,in order to meet them
Did you see the movie I mentioned?
Very inspiring.....
Brighten up , cheer up!

[Mahjuja]

@ fardel What movie was that?

I just realized that I've been blinded by a complete shamster for quite a few years. People seem to be so good at acting to be what they're not and keeping their agenda hidden. If it's one thing I hate it's that sort of hypocrisy and so, ironically I end up bonding with the Queen of Hypocrites.

[farah]

are you talking about Sweet November? the movie with keanu reeves and charlize theron?

[fardel]

I am talking about Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi
Enjoyed it very much

[Mahjuja]

@ Fardel that's like watching propaganda like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, etc.! Trust me, in real life, Shah Rukh Khan's character would not have been the least bit humble and he would not have done the (considerate)things he did in the movie. This is what I meant by cultural gap I guess, because perhaps you don't know the ground reality here.

[Chamin]

Mahjuja,

My two cents on this topic:

When it comes to relationships, I have met both bad people and good people. Looking back, the bad ones have been what one could expect them to be. The good ones, on the other hand, have been nicer than I could have ever imagine.

[Christy aka Miss-Conception]

On food photos...

While in Korea I met someone who would dutifully snap away at every meal -- even if he's just having cup noodles :P

[fardel]

@Mahjuja
A good movie is like a good book; If it was closer to reality , it would be called a history book, or a social report ...

a good movie , or a good book conveys ideas, awakens people to what would or be good.
With time a good movie, or a good book changes the perception one has on his environment or society.

As you, not being happy with it, you can do a lot for yourself or the generations after you.

This applies to everybody.
" As for the ground reality here.... I would like to remind you that the grass is not greener anywhere else."

[fardel]

I would like to add ....
the very existence of such a movie , its success, shows that a very traditionalist society is changing...
It is inspiring: when the young girl who loved it grows up , she will be more demanding for respect, and changes

When you watch this movie again , in 30 years, you will see it differently.
The fact that today you seem so angry about the life in your region shows that your generation has discovered that changes would have to be made.
But do not get angry at me....

I asked my shopkeeper ( an Indian man) if he could tell me about pani puris;
He gave me a basic idea on the reipe, and sold me some products he has in his shop.
A few days later, when I went back , his son asked me where I heard about that.

It is his favorite dishes and his mother makes the best ones.
Next time she makes some they will save some for me.

They are nor angry at me for asking, on the contrary

This is how we close the gap between cultures...

I took my daughter ( mixed color ) to see a traditional Indian dance show.
She loved it very much.

This is an opening to other people's culture.
I believe that anything can be changed with time an education

It is not "too complex"

[Lift Lurker]

@fardel, "grass is not greener anywhere else" this remind me of a saying my jewish friend told me.

Once there was a man who complained about the town where he lives. He alwasy find something wrong in his town. If his friends tell him its not so bad, he find another thing wrong.

"Oh if only i can live somewhere else he said".

Then God appeared with a globe and said "i give you one wish. pick any place you want and you can live there."

So the man looked and looked at the globe but could not find one other place that meet all his wishes.

Finally he said "do you have another globe?"

[Chamin]

Christy,

Welcome back!

[Angela]

I am sorry but this time Grandpa is wrong.

The grass is always greener over the septic tank

Good morning folks!

[Angela]

but not over the skeptic's tank

[TS]

If the grass appears to be greener on your side, skeptics will suspect that it is AstroTurf™.

If however it turns out to be real grass and greener, we'll be over on your side in a split second.

[Mahjuja]

@ Fardel I'm not angry at you, I just don't like Cinderalla-type fairy tales, maybe it's something I got from grandma here. And I guess I must mention that though I don't like certain cultural aspects of life in my region, I definitely don't hate living here.

[Lift Lurker]

Perhaps grandpa can explain why he live on other side of the world if the grass is not greener there? Maybe pina colada is tastier on the other side?

Maybe We must start counting number of days since Uncle Nury Jam decide to disappear.

Force him to work faster on his book so he can come back.

I feel entropy beginning to creep in to this website.

[Angela]

Are we waiting for godot?

[Angela]

Today I am deleting all “personal” emails in my office account, flattering emails from young men working in this building at one time or another, asking me to have lunch with them.

I guess this cemented my reputation as the cougar mama of JamNetwork. Well, it’s all in the network trash basket now. I guess I had quite a run in this place. But it has come to an end. No more office lift experiments, no more winking at innocent young men, no more pranks. I will have to think of new pranks now :)

[sej]

Angela,

You know you will never truly be able to get rid of all those incriminating emails? They will be saved somewhere for posterity.

Lift Lurker,

For me, the grass is greener, right here where I live. Why? I choose to fertilise it, rather than let it wither and die.

Mahjuja,

Liking and believing in Cindarella-Type fairy tales are two different things. Please don't get this confused.

And also remember, a fairy tale story, is only going to happen to you, if you make it happen. It's not going to happen by itself. This is where most fairy tale stories go wrong.

[Mahjuja]

Oh god, how much explaining do I have to do? Guess my mother's advise about the less you talk, the less scope there is for misunderstandings is correct. Lucky for me, she doesn't read this column.

I like fairy tales just like a lot of people admire ideals like communism, but if you try to put them in practice, we all know what happens...Of course we all like ruminate about the loftier of human emotions but everyday life is here to remind us of the more baser ones. Still I hope & endeavour to at least feel some of these emotions sometimes.

[Mahjuja]

like *to*

@ Angela, I never felt any cougar vibes on you...

[fardel]

@Mahjuja
"@ Angela, I never felt any cougar vibes on you..."
You are not her kind of prey.(°_°)

[fardel]

..She preys only on tropical bears

[Lift Lurker]

sej, "fertilizing, green grass, wither, etc" that is nice saying. Full of wisdom. Food for thought.

It remind me Stephen Covey when he talk about 'sharpening the saw'

Or was it sharpening the chainsaw? shrapneling the sore?

[Chamin]

Real-life relationships are BETTER than Cinderella-type fairy tales :-)

[Karuna aka Kaye Moreno]

Life just happens. Our experience makes it a fairy tale, nightmare or boring.
When stuck with concepts about the "right" guy or "wrong" guy, we never will be able to experience. Just surrender to life and experience.

[grandpa aka Faye Libad aka fardel]

I my next life , I shall marry Cinderella...
Hummmm
I did that already in a previous life.
Hummmm
My memory is faileing me

Who didn't I marry yet?

[Angela]

Sej, did you use organic fertilizer?

*

I like polar bears in the tropics. Out of its element, it evolves and adapt. Not talking about the zoo :)

*

Fardel, have you married Pocahontas?
If Pocahontas is already taken you can go for Mulan. I will give you her coordinates. Do not get lost. But beware, she is a warrior, not a princess.

[Angela]

Life is what happens while you are making plans.

[Mahjuja]

Okay, I confess I lied, I want to marry Peter Pan! :P

[grandpa aka Faye Libad aka fardel]

There is such a thing as a tropical bear called:
It is called sun bear, or in French: l'ours des cocotiers ( Helarctos Malayanus).

Pocahontas was not a princess.
She was a diplomat.
When Indian tribes were massacre by Americans, she could save her tribe and get privileges which are still in order in 2010.
Her posterity is the only american minority to have enjoys such privileges.

Mulan?
Did she ever exist?