Discoveries Of The Month

Today, I bid farewell to my 30s.

Summarizing the 3 things I dropped out in these 10 years were watching American shows, watching physical sports (like football + tennis + MotoGP, etc.), and stocking up on paper books. The 3 things I’ve picked up instead are watching Chinese shows (for a purpose), watching chess, and reading ebooks.

The 3 things I used to quit at the 20s and tried again in the 30s are learning Chinese, swimming pools, and… a secret (let me talk about it in a later post).

What made December 2021 satisfactory to me was the 5th Chess Championship that Magnus Carlsen earned on Dec 10. Unluckily, he failed to protect his gold medals in the World Rapid and Blitz Championship. Heavy was the head that wears 3 crowns.

Den (a Vietnamese rapper) released a song called “Bring Mom money” that moved me from A to Z. This song so reminded me of my late mom.

“Good thing I found my path in endless possibilities.
Good thing I was born into poverty to know money doesn’t grow on trees.”

I’ve started celebrating the New Year (and Lunar New Year) quite soon, even before Christmas. I’ve eaten Vietnamese square sticky rice cake, beef hotpot, and sunflower seeds. I eat a lot to maintain my weight. In 2021, my only resolution was to exercise more. Yes, I kept it. This year was worse than the previous one, so I still dare not to try a new goal.

Last but not least, I hope that the covid-19 pandemic will end soon.
———–
2022 is coming soon, and for a 40-year-old person, there is infinite scenery everywhere.
//
2022年即将来到，对于一个40岁的人来说是人间处处风光无限。
2022 nián jíjiāng lái dào, duìyú yīgè 40 suì de rén lái shuō shì rénjiān chùchù fēngguāng wúxiàn.
//
2022 niên tức tương lai đáo, đối vu nhất cá 40 tuế đích nhân lai thuyết thị nhân gian xử xử phong quang vô hạn.
//
Năm 2022 sắp tới, đối với một người 40 tuổi mà nói thì phong cảnh trần gian vô tận.
———–
Happy New Year 2022!
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Zi Wei Dou Shu (紫微斗数), also known as Purple Star Astrology, is a traditional form of Chinese astrology that is based on the position of stars and planets at the time of a person’s birth. Learn more at https://ngocnga.net/zi-wei-dou-shu/.

1. Among what I’ve skimmed throughout November 2021, I suggest these 5 books:
– How to Be Alone by Sara Maitland
– The Cult of We by Eliot Brown and Maureen Farrell
– The Comfort Book by Matt Haig. I picked this as one of the best books of the year. It was also nominated for the annual Goodreads Choice Awards in the Nonfiction category.
– The Art of Rhetoric by Aristotle
– Do What Matters Most by Rob Shallenberger, Steve Shallenberger

2. A Gen Z info: A 2017 study by University of Bath that looked at British, American, and Canadian college students, found that perfectionist traits were much more common than in previous generations.

3. An old news made new: A retired Russian admiral has alleged that the 2000 Kursk submarine disaster was caused by a collision with a NATO sub, an unproven claim that defies the official conclusion that the country’s worst post-Soviet naval catastrophe was triggered by a faulty torpedo.

4. A funny story: Dutchman Emile Ratelband, 69, asked the Netherlands court to change his age to 49, as he claimed that people could change their name and gender.

5. A chef tip: Cook fish in the cool water before it was boiled so that the fish would not smell and taste better.

6. A marketing note: It’s the gift-giving season, and I’ve recently seen those incredibly impersonal gift codes mentioned by Seth Godin.

7. An MV was shot inside the newly operated Cat Linh – Ha Dong MRT, and I could see the outside scenery where the train passed. When the train stopped at the Thai Ha station, I told my friends that I didn’t remember where Thai Ha was because I hadn’t been to Hanoi for a long time.

8. Speaking of music, is there a trend of Metallica covers lately? You might wanna try these renditions.
– Nothing Else Matters by Phoebe Bridgers.
– The Unforgiven by Cage the Elephant.
I myself prefer the latter.

8. Last but not least, there’s something really exciting happening, the World Chess Championship Match is going on in Dubai. Chess is my most fav sport to watch at the moment, and Magnus Carlsen is my most favorite sport player at the moment, so I really look forward to the games in the next 2 weeks.

Category: Discoveries Of The Month

Discoveries Of December 2021

Discoveries Of November 2021