This week has mostly been spent on boring work, dull and meaningless, and there's still no raise in salary. It's frustrating; continuing with this salary will likely lead to a situation where I can't make ends meet, but changing jobs seems just as bad in this environment. I think the color scheme of my blog is really ugly, but I'm too lazy to redecorate.
The First Rule of the Workplace#
This week, I was assigned a colleague's work, which made me a bit annoyed; doing work for my colleague didn't earn me a dime.
What's worse is that my work efficiency is much higher than that of the colleague who originally did this task.
At this point, I have to quote the first rule of the workplace: "Don't do the work you dislike too well."
Doing work I dislike too well won't lead to a raise; it will only result in more undesirable tasks being thrown my way. So, never do the work you dislike too well. Especially after testing the waters with last month's salary, which was on the brink of being insufficient, I want to slack off next week. Really slack off!
No Effort is Wasted#
While slacking off at work, I came across this video1. I feel that changing oneself, whether it takes two years or two months, as long as you keep at it, will yield results, even if they may not be obvious.
I never thought I would exercise, but I've been doing it for two months now. Regardless of whether I've lost weight, I feel that my mindset towards problems has improved a lot.
Actually, I've heard a term called "no effort is wasted," which should be a Buddhist saying. I remember seeing it when I was reading something related to Vimalakirti. (I don't particularly like Buddhist philosophy, but I used to like Vimalakirti.)
The reason I say no effort is wasted is that they believe the merits gained from good deeds are never wasted; for every good deed done, there is a corresponding merit. You may not see the results now, but one day it will bear fruit, perhaps sprouting in places you can't see.
When I interviewed for my current job, one of the points in my favor was my lack of interest in my studies in college, which led me to learn front-end knowledge and build a website (it might have been a bit early; at that time, the HTML5 specifications hadn't even come out yet, but it was simpler back then, not as complicated as it is now).
Although my job has nothing to do with front-end development, my boss, who also transitioned into this field and developed the current system himself, particularly likes people like me.
Similarly, last Friday, my boss asked me to participate in the arrangement because of my little front-end knowledge. He said as long as he showed off the system's functions, I would know how to use it, and I wouldn't even need detailed explanations. Other colleagues had to sit next to him, working while asking how to implement things.
The front-end knowledge I've learned hasn't made me a programmer, but it has made many things in my current job feel logical. This is what I understand by the meaning of no effort is wasted.
Follow-up: Just got paid, and it still feels like effort wasted.
Digital RMB Light Experience#
When ordering Burger King on Meituan, I was prompted that using digital RMB could save an extra 2 yuan. Being frugal like I am, I definitely wanted to take advantage of that 2 yuan.
In fact, if there is money in the digital RMB, the payment experience feels smoother than the other two payment methods. I ordered through a WeChat mini-program, and logically, WeChat Pay should be more compatible. Although the steps are similar, it just feels smoother (XX illusion XX).
It's just that the process of adding money is quite troublesome.
Speaking of adding money, the Changsha Bank app couldn't even add money and required me to go offline to activate something, while the 招商银行 (China Merchants Bank) was super fast.
Gambling Dog Behavior#
A few days ago, while sitting in the restroom, I saw that USDT had risen by 50 due to the exchange rate. Out of boredom, I exchanged it for BTC, and when I checked, it was already worth 1125.
I felt a little happy and then indifferently exchanged it back to USDT; it's impossible to trick me into the casino.
Gambling dogs are not worth sympathy, nor are they worth envy.
Autumn Feelings#
I feel that autumn has arrived; although the temperature hasn't dropped yet, I can't help but drink water like crazy.
My favorite season has come.
Thinking of this makes me happy for three seconds.
I suddenly realized that I have no special thoughts about cities with spring-like weather; the reason is that I actually like autumn. I wonder if there are cities that feel like autumn all year round.
I want to go out and play, to run.
After work, I changed clothes without eating and rushed out to run; I love autumn so much.
Then, coincidentally, it was the Ghost Festival, and many people were burning things by the river. The air was filled with a faint smoky smell, but the wind by the river was strong and dispersed it quickly.
The Ghost Festival is my holiday; cute ghosts are still ghosts, lazy ghosts are still ghosts, poor ghosts are still ghosts. Anyway, today is my holiday, and I don't care.
I only felt hungry after running for a while, so I ordered Burger King on a whim. Although I don't know if this will help with weight loss, I don't care; I'm celebrating, and I'm happy.
Memories of Tooth Extraction#
I forgot how it started, but I ended up searching for content about dental fillings on Xiaohongshu. With a mouth full of rotten teeth, I need to find a day to get them fixed. I remembered telling my mom that I had four wisdom teeth that needed to be extracted, but she didn't believe me at all and didn't take me to the doctor to get them removed, even when I told her I was troubled by toothaches every month. She just kept asking me to open my mouth and count if I had four wisdom teeth.
These four wisdom teeth have troubled me since high school, and later on, I had a toothache for almost a week every month. But I never went to get them extracted because I was very afraid of dentists, even more afraid of going to the hospital alone, and most afraid of hearing that dental work is expensive and I couldn't afford it.
After working for a while, I still didn't dare to get my teeth extracted. Eventually, I couldn't stand it anymore and went to have them removed, extracting the four wisdom teeth in two sessions.
The first time, the one who extracted my teeth was a sort of assistant doctor, probably using me to practice. It took almost an hour; sigh. It wasn't too bad, since my insurance covered it, and letting newcomers practice is also for the benefit of future patients, but it took too long, and I was so tired.
The second assistant doctor was very handsome, really handsome; even Bai Jingting would be overshadowed by him. But he was really inexperienced; he couldn't even administer the anesthesia properly and was sent away by the attending physician. The attending physician personally extracted my teeth, and it was done quickly in just a few minutes.
Actually, having my teeth extracted twice didn't cost me much; even without insurance, it wouldn't have been too expensive. I'm really angry at myself for not having the courage to get my teeth extracted sooner, enduring nearly ten years of toothaches, which led to a mouth full of rotten teeth.
Plus, a few months after the extractions, I got COVID, and this series of events greatly changed my outlook on life: don't keep enduring broken things. Don't expect bad things to get better with time; it will only make other things worse, and the cost of resolving that bad thing might be much lower than I imagined.
Sunset and Full Moon#
Running towards the sunset
Is chasing time
Is the lost youth
Just kidding
I don't have such a youth
But the gradient clouds are really beautiful, like a piece of red-hot iron? (What a metaphor)
The algorithm can't capture it, which is really frustrating.
Clearly such gentle clouds, captured by me in such a mediocre way.
On the way home, the moon was very big and round. When I climbed the bridge, it felt like the moon was slowly rising from the river, just like the line "The bright moon rises over the sea." Unfortunately, I didn't bring my camera.
There were old masters taking photos, young ladies stopping to take pictures, and an aunt happily returning home with a big bag of marinated food. This moment was still very beautiful.
Lost in such a night.....
Cooking#
After listening to a podcast last week, I felt that "restructuring life should start with cooking."
Cooking generally falls into two categories: one is the experiential type, perhaps a family recipe or something done in the past, relying on years of cooking experience to prepare meals; the other is the recipe type, lacking experience and thus following a recipe step by step.
As for me, I am outside the three realms and not in the five elements, belonging to the inspiration type. Before making any dish, I first visualize how it should be made, and when cooking, I rely entirely on my feelings, neither drawing on others' experiences nor my own, and certainly not referencing recipes, focusing on doing whatever I want.
The biggest problem with this approach is instability; the taste varies each time. Sometimes it's delicious enough to break through the taste buds, and sometimes it's so bad that even the dog won't eat it, which is why I rarely cook. But today, I was in high spirits and spent a fortune buying two pounds of beef at the supermarket.
The inspiration type is about to challenge itself with a high-end dish it has never made before.
Archive 1: Braised Beef#
It took about two hours, and we finished eating in less than 20 minutes. The flavor was rich, but it tasted a bit like the braised beef noodles from a snack street. Of course, with so many spices thrown in, it's bound to taste good.
Then I opened a bottle of newly bought gin and mixed it with oolong tea, feeling very high and happy. It was my first time drinking gin, and I felt so tipsy and joyful (looking back, I might have poured too much), dancing at home with the speaker on, experiencing the joy of being an "E" person for the first time.
But after the high, all that's left is emptiness.
Archive 2: Cilantro Beef#
Cilantro and beef are undoubtedly a perfect match. When I stir-fried it, I even doubted whether I was the one who cooked it. I was so eager to eat that I completely forgot to take pictures; I just wanted to hurry up and eat!
After finishing the meal, I even drank the soup and ended up eating a bit too much.
I feel like there's still a pound of beef left, so I have to cook again tomorrow.
Archive 3: Curry Beef#
As I write this, I haven't made it yet. The plan is to throw everything in and stew it with curry, so I can eat it for several meals. I'm a bit tired and don't want to cook, and the workweek is about to start.
Movie Watching#
Only Murders in the Building S2#
The first season of this series was quite stunning, and I almost finished it in one go. It was also this show that got me into listening to podcasts. But overall, I feel that the pacing of the second season isn't as good as the first; it lacks a solid structure, and many episodes in the middle feel like filler. The sudden acceleration towards the end to identify the murderer was quite clever, but still, the structure is poor, as if several different writers were involved in the middle.
{{< notice notice-tip >}}
BBQ's subjective rating: 7.5/10
The final twist deserves extra points, but the plot's drive and character relationships are quite confusing. In short, it's acceptable; if you enjoyed the first season, you can watch this as a filler, as it's probably the best in its genre.
{{< /notice >}}
The Incredible Story of Rose Island#
Since this is a true story, halfway through, I remembered seeing a report about Rose Island in a magazine when I was a child (the magazine mentioned that you could gain citizenship by writing to them, and I even searched for it).
It's a very romantic film. Rose Island is a utopia, symbolizing beauty and romance.
The latter half of this film easily reminds one of the Pirate Radio; the Italian government smeared the "government of Rose Island," and after there were no tourists, they sent warships to blow up Rose Island, which was called "the only war Italy has ever won."
I found out that the Italian government even asked the male lead to pay for the destruction of Rose Island.
That's why they say weak nations have no diplomacy.
Rose Island is a daydream, but once someone hoped to forge this dream into reality.
{{< notice notice-tip >}}
BBQ's subjective rating: 8.5/10
Although I gave it a high rating, it's mainly due to the story of Rose Island itself. The film's romanticism is too strong, and the packaging is excessive, making it less enjoyable. The ending inevitably invites comparison with Pirate Radio, which is much better.
{{< /notice >}}
Park Visit#
The Museum is the Disneyland for "E" People#
At a certain stage in life, one begins to ponder questions like "What is the ultimate goal of this life?" "What is the purpose of living?" "Where are we headed?"
Of course, I'm going to the pier for some fries!
This week at work has been so dull, and I thought that once school starts, I could go to the museum. I wanted to go a few weeks ago, but I didn't expect so many people to bring their kids to the museum during the summer vacation; the line was hundreds of meters long. I'm not one to wait in line, so I finally came to the museum when school started (the arrogance and freedom of adulthood). I always feel that the museum is the Disneyland for "E" people; they are incredibly happy in the museum.
I took a few interesting pictures on the way.
It's a bar, but I'm too "E" to have ever been to one (I'm scared, but I want to get rich (humble).
Before going to the museum, I stood by the river for a while, seeing a father and daughter, an enviable parent-child relationship, and couldn't help but take a picture.
The Wonderful Journey of the Museum#
Before entering the museum, the Xiaomi bracelet recorded about 10 minutes of moderate to high-intensity activity, and by the time I got home, it was 136 minutes. This intensity could rival Disneyland!
To be honest, I visited the National Museum and the Palace Museum when I was a child, and since then, I have had a feeling of "just displaying some worthless stuff" towards other museums.
A very cute artifact, like a civil servant with a tie?
A big cat with a smile!
A frugal gold seal, but I noticed that other seals seemed quite small; perhaps ancient seals were generally smaller. Wouldn't such a small one be easy to lose?
Treasure of the Museum! This is displayed on a separate wall, indicating its importance. This is called "Western Han · Double-sided Carved Dragon and Phoenix Pattern Jade Ring," and its name suggests it's extraordinary.
According to the official description, it is "double-sided carving, with a coiled flying dragon, surrounded by flowing clouds and phoenix patterns, creating a sense of movement as if the clouds are steaming and the dragon and phoenix are dancing."
Western Han
frying pan (it's a copper lamp).
Does it look more like a pig or a dog? I can't remember XD?
The clown is actually me!
I don't even know what this is?
Dream of the Red Chamber Special Exhibition#
There are actually many pictures, from the first chapter to the last. But I only looked at the beginning because I only read the first few dozen chapters of the book.
I only looked at the first few pictures, then skipped ahead to the end of the exhibition. The ending was very sad; a young lady was listening to the commentary at the last few chapters, gently crying.
Another Special Exhibition, I Forgot the Name#
The cultural and creative store should make a similar one; this thing is quite artistic and can be used to hold rings and necklaces.
Want some fries?
Going Home!#
The reason I remember the name of the treasure of the museum so clearly is that I brought it home! I bought two bookmarks!
The autumn feeling is getting stronger; I really like autumn.
There are actually many more photos, but I don't want to dump them all at once; I've selected some interesting ones.
Input#
- Hugo | Custom Showcase Page If you have time, you can try making a similar one; I just haven't gotten around to redecorating.
- FF14 Equipment Appearance Query Website Although I haven't logged in since completing 6.0, it's still a game I've played for so long, and seeing this brings back memories.
- In the companies I've worked for, those with "hard work pays off" plaques have all gone bankrupt I really like this writing style, hahaha.
- After three years of exploring restaurants, I've gained 30 pounds and don't want to be an accomplice to pre-made dishes anymore Pre-made dishes can go to hell.
- The History of the Decline of Northeast Flavors In conjunction with the previous article.
- Changsha Cuisine Checking for omissions; there are indeed many dishes mentioned that I think are quite good (at least they smelled good when I passed by, but I didn't eat because I had to wait in line).
This week, I didn't have much energy to slack off, and I didn't see anything interesting.