how do you memorize a thousand new Mandarin words CY ?
Sometimes casually thinking about something a solution manifests.
Call it serendipity on the display shelf there it was a book by Dominic O'Brien who won the World memory Championships eight times and 54 decks of cards (that's 2,808 cards!) after seeing each card only once.
Amazing memory feat, maybe I can learn some of the secrets, so what is his secret ?
I know it will be hard, if I can improve 1% each day, I let the mathematical law of compounding do its job to reach a desired level of skill.
Wondering if you will eventually collect all your scifi stories into a published book.
I like to see that
It would awesome to carry around whilst hiking, traveling or going on holidays - it will be like your going on an escape while you have escaped.
Also my first semester in Mandarin language and cultural studies starts soon in Autumn, i I hope to have time to read your posts. I have to learn 1000 words ...
I instinctively clasped the letter opener I was ready for anything.
I was about to let out a scream. The door was ajar then someone entered.
It was the postman, he said " Hello, anybody there ? He saw me, "Oh hi, I need you to sign this, you have a package from Argentina"
I lowered the letter opener and picked up a pen, still confused as I was not expecting anyone at this time, let alone a package from Argentina. I did not order anything online" I signed his receipt booklet. He nodded his head, smiled and left. I saw outside, his van and as she slid shut the door, I glimpsed there were bags full of items to deliver. He seemed genuine as far as I could tell.
Wait a minute, perhaps it is from my sister, she knows my love of Borges and she was there recently researching early Chinese alchemists in Buenos Aires presumably during the Silver rush mining days.
I removed the wrapping, and saw it was a book, I was right it was a slim line Borges book. How sweet my sister that she sent me a book. I looked at the time on my cellphone and felt tired. I needed a short nap. I checked for any messages. Nothing. Had my sister escaped and fled her European haunts ? Good, I hope she evaded her trackers.
Flipping the pages I saw two sentences highlighted in yellow and emerald highlighter. My first
thoughts were it a used book that someone studied in the past. But was it ? I could not help and think the recent events my sister encountered and described. Or is she trying to tell me something in a non digital way. Lately she has been very suspicious or email and text messages being monitored. Too much idler speculation, I felt drained then went to my bedroom.I look back at these events now, twenty years later and it's all water under the bridge. Never say never and you never know .... I once joked to my sister about finding a partner and settling down. Then one day, several years later, she called me and said, that she has a baby girl. Remember what you told me: Never say never. I pretended I did not. I wanted to see where this chat was going and for her to reveal more. I could foresee, if my sister had any say in the matter, her daughter would be an A-student, but would she teach here Alchemy to prepare for the virtual worlds or maybe encourage to study archaeology ?
My dear Sister, I was thinking of how I do not like Summer anymore with it's relentless heat and humidity. I simply can not do deep work; slow focused work and with the problematic desperate blur of social media and messaging engagement. There are far too many distractions for my liking.
I decided autumn, spring and the last weeks of winter as it transitions to warmer conditions with fewer social messaging are useful seasons for my work as a multi disciplined creator/producer.
I was resilient as you but not any more. The Networked world is accelerating fast to the abyss where mounds of garbage memes and refuse misinformation pile up.
No doubt about it, the Internet gods have made attention the new currency. Are we the mere playthings and toys to be discarded when their interest wanes. They always seek rent from new garbage on their platforms.
So your email pop up on my screen stopped my reflections. Physical distance or time does not matter for us, as you and I are the same. I understood you and cared for you as a younger brother and you likewise shared you secrets as a knowledge seeker.
Our older sister Ophelia is not like us, she rigid, traditionally formal in this modern age with her self limiting views and beliefs. She is our sister of course and we do love her. It is funny how some siblings have diametrically opposing personalities. I always felt comfortable with you and had sparkles in my eyes listening to talk to see and hear what you would say next.
I read with deep interest about your phantom artifact, the pace of the story flowed like a river and usual your trademark cool logic was present never wavering.
Then things jarred for me with that sentence of your ... "something was off", I felt looming danger and immediately thought of your safety before reading the rest of the paragraph
But it got worse, realizing that I too must be a construct in someone's cruel simulation threatening me as well as you.
I panicked and all I could think of was Alchemy, a process to fight this danger.
You are a planetary Alchemist now, you explained to me you have assimilated by the union and intersection of Chinese and western alchemy traditional practices.
This was very puzzling to me when you once read the rubric (annotated below by you, so I can understand its meaning -- bit I didn't )
Its father is the Sun. [Fire]
Its mother the moon. [Water]
The Wind carries in its belly. [Air]
Its nurse is the Earth. [Earth]
It is the Origin of all,
the consecration of the Universe,
Its inherent strength is perfected,
if it is returned into Earth.
This still did not make sense, just what is this inscrutable force that is steeped in over the top metaphor and allegory ?
You offered me Carl Jung's Book: Alchemy and Psychology as an approach to western alchemy to unlock secrets for readability and understanding.
Then I remembered you had a second book on practical steps to alchemy.
What was the author's name ... Hauck something ? you said he was one of the few living practicing alchemists today. That's it: Dennis William Hauck .... and the book's title ... something ... Tablet.
Got it, it is all clear when you read a passage to me: The Emerald Tablet -- alchemy for personal transformation.
I rushed to our bookshelf, I saw Jung's book, but where is Hauck's book ?. It not there, until I opened a plastic cover. I flipped through the pages to the section on applying the steps to transformation.
And there they were on a glowing white page after all these years when I tried to make sense of them.
1. Calcination: Burning Off The Dross
2. Dissolution: Learning to let go
3. Separation: Identifying essences
4. Conjunction: Creating The Oneself
5: Fermentation: Fire In The soul
6: Distillation: Consecration Of the Stone
7: Coagulation: Ultima Materia Of the Soul
but which to use and alert you my dear sister or perhaps remind in moments of danger.
It had to be (1) burn off all the lies, memes so only truth remains
and (2) to separate the the false internet gods essence.
I go excited this is way to collectively let fight off the danger
I started typing then I heard footsteps outside my door. I stopped and held my breath. The door creaked ... and Oh god , the door opened.
If you can sense me dear sister. Do Hauck (1) and (2) ...
我正在吃干无花果和红葡萄
how do you memorize a thousand new Mandarin words CY ?
Sometimes casually thinking about something a solution manifests.
Call it serendipity on the display shelf there it was a book by Dominic O'Brien who won the World memory Championships eight times and 54 decks of cards (that's 2,808 cards!) after seeing each card only once.
Amazing memory feat, maybe I can learn some of the secrets, so what is his secret ?
I know it will be hard, if I can improve 1% each day, I let the mathematical law of compounding do its job to reach a desired level of skill.
Ni Hao CY
It has been fun !
Wondering if you will eventually collect all your scifi stories into a published book.
I like to see that
It would awesome to carry around whilst hiking, traveling or going on holidays - it will be like your going on an escape while you have escaped.
Also my first semester in Mandarin language and cultural studies starts soon in Autumn, i I hope to have time to read your posts. I have to learn 1000 words ...
彩虹阿姨 超市有多远
你为什么问，需要一些东西
我需要一本笔记本来完成我的故事
约三十公里
这么远没关系
我以为有些故事还没有结束
我下周要去补充物资，跟我一起去
午餐准备好了
午餐准备好了，你最喜欢的面条
大蒜辣椒青椒配凤尾鱼丁，我的秘方和蚝油
太棒了，我感觉很饿
I instinctively clasped the letter opener I was ready for anything.
I was about to let out a scream. The door was ajar then someone entered.
It was the postman, he said " Hello, anybody there ? He saw me, "Oh hi, I need you to sign this, you have a package from Argentina"
I lowered the letter opener and picked up a pen, still confused as I was not expecting anyone at this time, let alone a package from Argentina. I did not order anything online" I signed his receipt booklet. He nodded his head, smiled and left. I saw outside, his van and as she slid shut the door, I glimpsed there were bags full of items to deliver. He seemed genuine as far as I could tell.
Wait a minute, perhaps it is from my sister, she knows my love of Borges and she was there recently researching early Chinese alchemists in Buenos Aires presumably during the Silver rush mining days.
I removed the wrapping, and saw it was a book, I was right it was a slim line Borges book. How sweet my sister that she sent me a book. I looked at the time on my cellphone and felt tired. I needed a short nap. I checked for any messages. Nothing. Had my sister escaped and fled her European haunts ? Good, I hope she evaded her trackers.
Flipping the pages I saw two sentences highlighted in yellow and emerald highlighter. My first
thoughts were it a used book that someone studied in the past. But was it ? I could not help and think the recent events my sister encountered and described. Or is she trying to tell me something in a non digital way. Lately she has been very suspicious or email and text messages being monitored. Too much idler speculation, I felt drained then went to my bedroom.I look back at these events now, twenty years later and it's all water under the bridge. Never say never and you never know .... I once joked to my sister about finding a partner and settling down. Then one day, several years later, she called me and said, that she has a baby girl. Remember what you told me: Never say never. I pretended I did not. I wanted to see where this chat was going and for her to reveal more. I could foresee, if my sister had any say in the matter, her daughter would be an A-student, but would she teach here Alchemy to prepare for the virtual worlds or maybe encourage to study archaeology ?
神秘又非常有趣
My dear Sister, I was thinking of how I do not like Summer anymore with it's relentless heat and humidity. I simply can not do deep work; slow focused work and with the problematic desperate blur of social media and messaging engagement. There are far too many distractions for my liking.
I decided autumn, spring and the last weeks of winter as it transitions to warmer conditions with fewer social messaging are useful seasons for my work as a multi disciplined creator/producer.
I was resilient as you but not any more. The Networked world is accelerating fast to the abyss where mounds of garbage memes and refuse misinformation pile up.
No doubt about it, the Internet gods have made attention the new currency. Are we the mere playthings and toys to be discarded when their interest wanes. They always seek rent from new garbage on their platforms.
So your email pop up on my screen stopped my reflections. Physical distance or time does not matter for us, as you and I are the same. I understood you and cared for you as a younger brother and you likewise shared you secrets as a knowledge seeker.
Our older sister Ophelia is not like us, she rigid, traditionally formal in this modern age with her self limiting views and beliefs. She is our sister of course and we do love her. It is funny how some siblings have diametrically opposing personalities. I always felt comfortable with you and had sparkles in my eyes listening to talk to see and hear what you would say next.
I read with deep interest about your phantom artifact, the pace of the story flowed like a river and usual your trademark cool logic was present never wavering.
Then things jarred for me with that sentence of your ... "something was off", I felt looming danger and immediately thought of your safety before reading the rest of the paragraph
But it got worse, realizing that I too must be a construct in someone's cruel simulation threatening me as well as you.
I panicked and all I could think of was Alchemy, a process to fight this danger.
You are a planetary Alchemist now, you explained to me you have assimilated by the union and intersection of Chinese and western alchemy traditional practices.
This was very puzzling to me when you once read the rubric (annotated below by you, so I can understand its meaning -- bit I didn't )
Its father is the Sun. [Fire]
Its mother the moon. [Water]
The Wind carries in its belly. [Air]
Its nurse is the Earth. [Earth]
It is the Origin of all,
the consecration of the Universe,
Its inherent strength is perfected,
if it is returned into Earth.
This still did not make sense, just what is this inscrutable force that is steeped in over the top metaphor and allegory ?
You offered me Carl Jung's Book: Alchemy and Psychology as an approach to western alchemy to unlock secrets for readability and understanding.
Then I remembered you had a second book on practical steps to alchemy.
What was the author's name ... Hauck something ? you said he was one of the few living practicing alchemists today. That's it: Dennis William Hauck .... and the book's title ... something ... Tablet.
Got it, it is all clear when you read a passage to me: The Emerald Tablet -- alchemy for personal transformation.
I rushed to our bookshelf, I saw Jung's book, but where is Hauck's book ?. It not there, until I opened a plastic cover. I flipped through the pages to the section on applying the steps to transformation.
And there they were on a glowing white page after all these years when I tried to make sense of them.
1. Calcination: Burning Off The Dross
2. Dissolution: Learning to let go
3. Separation: Identifying essences
4. Conjunction: Creating The Oneself
5: Fermentation: Fire In The soul
6: Distillation: Consecration Of the Stone
7: Coagulation: Ultima Materia Of the Soul
but which to use and alert you my dear sister or perhaps remind in moments of danger.
It had to be (1) burn off all the lies, memes so only truth remains
and (2) to separate the the false internet gods essence.
I go excited this is way to collectively let fight off the danger
I started typing then I heard footsteps outside my door. I stopped and held my breath. The door creaked ... and Oh god , the door opened.
If you can sense me dear sister. Do Hauck (1) and (2) ...