Café Philosofféé: FEELOSOPHY @ PHILOSOFFEE

20070624

FEELOSOPHY @ PHILOSOFFEE

I was pondering upon this word one day after an argument with another person, that it's okay to have different opinions because we all have our own identity. Used in such circumstance, I often imagine that the word 'identity' refers to the uniqueness of a person; like a character that defines me as me, and that I am who I am because my identity says so, and so I am like no others.

But upon careful dissection of the word, it actually means other that what I understood - that identity means the similarity with another! That my identity is a reflection of my similarity with another point of reference. That I am not my own, but my being is classified or realised by how much I am similar to someone else! (Now suddenly the word identical twins catches its meaning).

This brings me back to many years ago when I was brewing on the theory that one's characters or identity is formed by its surrounding - therefore a person is like a sponge, that absorbs the character of his environment. If that is so, what is my composition? If I can describe myself in 5 words, what would they be? What are the environmental factors or surrounding influences that contributes to the 5 words?

What do you feel about this thought?

2 comments:

All Blog Spots said...: nice blog; 24 June 2007 at 11:17
Sheena said...: What on earth??

How can identity be a point of similarity with other people? In my book, that's society, culture, etc. Identity is how you stand out from the crowd, or blend into the crowd, depending on whether you are the white or purple thread of a Greek toga - your personality, clothes, features, thinking. Point is, it's about you.

And I was going to try my hand at describing myself in 5 words... then realised I can't be bothered to psychoanalyse myself now. Quite happy being as superficial & as cynical as I am now. (Not that I'd use those 2 words to describe me... Just my current state of mind.); 1 July 2007 at 05:54

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COFFEECHAT

ACERBIC The dull, sour taste found in coffee that has been left in the heater too long after brewing. Not to be confused with acidity.
ACIDITY The zingy brightness felt on the edge and at the back of the tongue, characteristic of high-grown coffees. Typically, a coffee with heavier body will have less acidity.
AFTERTASTE The residual taste that is left in the mouth after you've swallowed your coffee. Usually discerned 1 - 3 minutes after swallowing, some could be distinctively different from the first impression.
AGED Description of a coffee that is heavy in boldness and low in acidity.
AROMA Heavily influenced by the flavour of the coffee, aroma does not only mean the fragrance of the coffee, but the sense of boldness and acidity that is contained in the vapour that is released by brewed coffee. That is why while accessing aroma, the cup is half covered and the steam is inhaled deeply. Can also be discerned by inhaling through the nostrils while swishing coffee in the mouth.
BALANCED Equal distribution of qualities in a coffee, without one that is overwhelming. Takes an experienced cupper to decide on characterising a coffee as balanced as the untrained cupper would try to imagine qualities that sometimes may not be there.
BITTER The most general description applied to coffee by the common tongue. Bitterness is not always unpleasant, and perceived primarily at the back of the tongue.
BLAND Coffee that is poor in flavour, aroma, body and other characters. Could be a result of thin brew or certain low-land coffees.
BODY The strength or fullness of the coffee that is perceived on the tongue. Body is not a description of flavour but of weight, so can be described as heavy, rich, thick, strong or the opposites.
BRINY Description of burnt or over-roasted coffee.
BUTTERY The enveloping sensation that is felt on the tongue due to the oil content that is present in the coffee, which also contributes to the aroma. Usually absent in coffee that is dripped through a paper filter.
CARAMEL The subtle sweetness which is touched by a tinge of bitterness, felt at the back of the tongue but pleasant.
CARBONY A flat bitter sensation that is perceived in the aftertaste.
CHOCOLATY An aromatic smooth sensation reminiscent of dark chocolate or unsweetened chocolate.
CLEAN The character of coffee that does not leave a strong aftertaste.
COMPLEXITY This describes the changing characters that are found in a cup of coffee. The characters can sometimes be found through-out the different temperature of the cup as it cools, or different prominence during the first impression, the midtaste and the aftertaste.
DARK Not the colour of the brewed coffee, but of the beans after roasting.
DULL A negatif character to describe the flat, blunt sensation found in bad coffee, lacking character.
EARTHY Sometimes considered as a flavour defect when overwhelmingly prominent, but a subtle hint of earthiness suggests authenticity and undisturbed wilderness. This describes the sensation reminiscent of wet soil after rain or a swamp.
zzz... more will be added, stay tuned