Newsletter No. 452

452 • 4.2.2015 5 字裏科技 Tech Talks 舌尖上的中大 CUHK f+b Selfie世代及演化 The Selfie Era and More 英文「self ie」（自拍）一詞初見於2004年相片分享網站 Flickr，只是短短十年間，自拍潮流席捲全球，已成我們日常 生活的一部分。 自拍風靡一時，始於智能電話的普及，特別是具前置鏡頭的 iPhone 4於 2010年面世後，每天都有數以千萬計的自拍 照上載至臉書、Twitter及Instagram等社交媒體。2012年底 《時代》週刊便選出「selfie」為年度十大流行語之一。 隨之而來的，是各種關於自拍的研究，範疇涵蓋自拍人士的 個人背景、姿勢及表情等。一群來自不同國家及地區的學者 更組成「自拍研究網絡」，研究自拍背後的社會及文化含義。 《時代》週刊的調查發現，原來菲律賓馬卡蒂是全球最愛自 拍的城市，這個人口五十萬的地方，人均自拍照片上載數量在 調查的四百五十九座城市中高踞榜首。 「selfie」以大熱當選為牛津詞典2013年度詞彙，毫不出 奇。今天，「selfie」不只是流行語，還轉化為新興商機。英 國City Lit College將於3月起開設首個自拍造像藝術課程， 為期一個月，收費132英鎊。在眾多自拍周邊商品中，「自 拍神器」應是最為火熱的，在剛過去的聖誕節前一週，美國 便售出超過十萬支。休士敦四季酒店於1月起亦常備「自拍 神器」，供客人像借雨傘般借用。《時代》週刊選出「自拍 神器」為2014年最佳發明之一。諷刺的是有網民在日本於 1995年出版的《無用發明》大全中，重新發掘出一款「自拍 相機棒」，竟與自拍神器驚人類似。 不過，不是所有人都喜歡「神器」，有人認為自拍是自戀的 表現，謔稱此物為「自戀神器」。東京迪士尼樂園、新加坡一 些旅遊景點、英超球會阿仙奴和熱刺的酋長球場及白鹿徑 球場看台，便予禁用。南韓最近亦禁售具藍芽遙控功能而未 經驗證的「自拍神器」，違例者最高罰款三千萬韓圜及監禁 三年。 不管如何，自拍神器仍會 續受追捧，剛剛就有另 一款改良版的「自拍神 器」面世，挑戰大家的接 受能力！這款稱為「belf ie stick」的神器，焦點不在臉孔，而 是閣下的臀部，真的是全面關顧！這 「影後神器」可不便宜，盛惠79.99美 元，據說迅即售罄，向隅者還得預訂呢。 The term ‘selfie’ began appearing on the photo-sharing website Flickr as early as 2004 and is now by all accounts more popular than ever and fully integrated into our daily lives. The selfie went viral because of the introduction of smartphones, most crucially the iPhone 4, which came along in 2010 with a front-facing camera. Thousands and thousands of selfies were posted on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram every day. By the end of 2012, Time magazine considered ‘selfie’ one of the Top 10 Buzzwords of that year. There is related research on every aspect of the selfie, including the demographics of people taking selfies, their poses and expressions. The Selfies Research Network, comprising an international group of academics, studies the social and cultural implications of the selfie. Time reveals that Makati City in the Philippines is the world’s selfie city. The city, home to 500,000 people, produces more selfies per capita than all of the 459 cities being ranked. It is not surprising that ‘selfie’ was chosen as the Oxford Dictionaries Word of the Year for 2013. Today, it’s not just a buzzword, but an emerging economy. Starting from March 2015, City Lit College, UK, will offer a first ever month-long selfie course—‘The Art of Photographic Self Portraiture’—for £132. The latest craze of the selfie economy is definitely the fast-selling selfie stick. More than 100,000 selfie sticks were sold in the week before last Christmas in the US. The Four Seasons Hotel in Houston started making them available to guests, similar to providing umbrellas, in January. Time also declares it one of the best inventions in 2014. Ironically, Redditors rediscovered a device published in a 1995 Japanese catalogue of useless inventions that looks awfully similar to the selfie stick. But the stick is not welcome by all. Some consider it narcissistic and dub it the narcissistick . It is banned in Tokyo Disneyland, certain attractions in Singapore, and the Emirates Stadium and White Hart Lane, home of Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, respectively. The South Korean government has recently banned sale of uncertified Bluetooth-equipped selfie sticks citing that the devices caused other electronics to malfunction. Retailers who are caught can be fined up to 30 million won and face up to a three-year jail term. Anyway, selfie stick sales will likely soar across the world. A new kind of selfie-enhancing technology has just appeared in the market—the belfie stick. The device is designed to take a picture of your behind, instead of your face. An all-round view! Though belfie sticks are sold at US$79.99 each, it is said that they are quickly snapped up and shops are taking pre-orders. 咖喱的魔力 Curry Power 信不信由你，印度其實是 沒有「咖喱」這道菜的， 有的只 是 五 花百門的 辛 辣菜式：k o r m a、r o g a n josh、vindaloo、dopiaza 等。十七世紀歐洲商人被這 些紛繁複雜的名字弄得一頭 霧水，於是籠而統之一律稱 作「咖喱」。這個代號沿用至 今，咖喱也傳播到世界各處， 衍生出豐富變奏。 蘭苑主廚 關少貞 說，她的咖 喱準確應叫作「馬薩拉」，屬 於南印度派，煮法是她早年 在國際學校工作時跟印度廚 師學來的，絕對有資格稱得 上正宗。廚房每天要購入十 八種新鮮蔬菜，包括甘筍、洋 蔥、青椒、番茄、薑黃、西芹、 指天椒、薄荷葉、芫荽等，剁 碎後加入咖喱粉炒香，再慢 煮四小時，才製作出有蔬菜 味道的咖喱汁。 這種馬薩拉嚐起來香味層次 豐富，辣味重，足以令舌頭麻痺，蔓延到肚子也開始發熱，關 小姐說是新鮮指天椒的效果。東南亞咖喱帶甜，是因為加了 椰漿；而印度咖喱放的是乳酪，所以濃郁且辣度強烈。 Strictly speaking, there is no such thing as a ‘curry’ dish in India, but spicy dishes by their specific names: korma , rogan josh , vindaloo , dopiaza , etc. Perplexed by the mass of unfamiliar words, 17th-century European traders simply grouped them all under the term ‘curry’. It has been in use ever since, and curry has become a global dish that continues to evolve. Ms. Frances Kwan , head chef of Orchid Lodge, said the proper name of their ‘curry’ should be masala, which is made in a South-Indian style. She learnt the authentic recipe from an Indian cook when she was working in an international school. Every day the kitchen acquires 18 types of vegetable, that include carrot, onion, green pepper, tomato, turmeric, celery, Facing Heaven chilli, peppermint leaves, and coriander. They finely chop the ingredients, mix them with curry powder and stir-fry until the mixture is aromatic, then simmer for four hours until it becomes a pot of curry flavoured by vegetables. The taste of the masala was pleasantly complex, and strong enough to numb the tongue and bring a burning sensation in the stomach. Ms. Kwan said it was the fresh Facing Heaven chilli doing the trick. Curry from South East Asia has a bit of sweetness, for it uses coconut milk, while Indian curry requires yoghurt which gives it a creamy texture and retains the intense flavour. On top of the various benefits of curry, recent studies have suggested turmeric—a spicy ingredient of many curries—is an effective treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. If you’re a big fan of curry, you may be delighted to know that when you are satisfying your appetite, you are also doing your brain a great favour. 咖喱除了醒胃提神的功效之外，最新研究發現，當中的薑黃 素有助對抗腦退化症。咖喱迷在滿足口腹之餘，原來腦筋還 會有得着呢！ Photo by ISO staff