Democratic Violence
Back from week, back from tangent, back from 1150m mist. Been at science camp for the past five days, a fun experience, better than I expected. Lectures from various famous professors about various topics, I'd run through them but I'm kind of tired right now. (Which brings me to something that's frustrating about this journaling business--if I try the first time to write something down and realize I don't really feel like it, I probably won't ever get around to it again) Reverence was included in the entrance fee, which was free for me because I was doing their translation job for recordings of professors from a previous year (I got paid $150 with the other half of the payment to come when I do the other half of the job), so obviously there was no reverence on my part. I distinguish between respect and reverence.
In the evenings we played card games. I was introduced to one called "Assassin." In this game, the players sit around in a circle with one other as the Mediator. Cards equal to the number of players are handed out; at least one card is chosen as "Assassin," and other cards may be chosen as "Cop" or "Doctor." The rest are civilians. Everyone knows only what card he or she has. Mediator declares "night falls," everyone closes his or her eyes. Assassin opens his or her eyes and assigns one person to be assassinated. Goes back to "sleep." If the Doctor exists, he or she is allowed to choose a player to "save." Mediator announces "day rises," and who has been killed. No one has been killed if the Assassin and Doctor chose the same person (the Doctor may choose to save himself or herself). If the Cop is killed, he or she gets to take another person down as well. Remaining players vote to execute one player whom they believe is the Assassin. Game continues until Assassin is executed, or until three players are left. In this case, two players choose to hold hands; if Assassin has won the trust of one of the remaining two civilians, Assassin wins. If the two civilians hold hands, civilians win.
We went out on a treetop walkway in the middle of the night from where I saw my first shooting star. Another night, the night of Chinese Valentine's Day, we lied out on the pavement and looked at the stars. I was introduced to a few constellations that I wish I could remember how to find them again. I saw more shooting stars, there was a shower from the Perseus constellation (whatever it is called), some of them were huge and streaked across the Milky Way like phantom ferrymen. In jetskis, of course...I hate it when metaphors get out of hand. Never had time to make a wish, but whatever.
The last night, we hiked 10 kilometers up a mountain in the middle of the night to get to an observatory at the top. Typhoon night and couldn't see shit. 10 kilometers back down at 5AM. Only the mist and rain for company; actually, the other kids were there too, but mostly mist and rain for company. Sang a song for everyone to entertain and keep warm. Couldn't sing along to any of their Chinese songs, of course, although there was one I remembered from middle school...most of those kids were two years younger than me and they looked just as old. Or I looked just as young, which probably is the case.
And that's everything. Actually, that's far from everything, but I just don't feel motivated to talk. I'm getting bad at this journaling thing. I suppose I will soon go the way of those Lawrenceville forerunners who now update every other month.
Fourteen days. Can't wait to get back, get back, get back to where I belong...
In the evenings we played card games. I was introduced to one called "Assassin." In this game, the players sit around in a circle with one other as the Mediator. Cards equal to the number of players are handed out; at least one card is chosen as "Assassin," and other cards may be chosen as "Cop" or "Doctor." The rest are civilians. Everyone knows only what card he or she has. Mediator declares "night falls," everyone closes his or her eyes. Assassin opens his or her eyes and assigns one person to be assassinated. Goes back to "sleep." If the Doctor exists, he or she is allowed to choose a player to "save." Mediator announces "day rises," and who has been killed. No one has been killed if the Assassin and Doctor chose the same person (the Doctor may choose to save himself or herself). If the Cop is killed, he or she gets to take another person down as well. Remaining players vote to execute one player whom they believe is the Assassin. Game continues until Assassin is executed, or until three players are left. In this case, two players choose to hold hands; if Assassin has won the trust of one of the remaining two civilians, Assassin wins. If the two civilians hold hands, civilians win.
We went out on a treetop walkway in the middle of the night from where I saw my first shooting star. Another night, the night of Chinese Valentine's Day, we lied out on the pavement and looked at the stars. I was introduced to a few constellations that I wish I could remember how to find them again. I saw more shooting stars, there was a shower from the Perseus constellation (whatever it is called), some of them were huge and streaked across the Milky Way like phantom ferrymen. In jetskis, of course...I hate it when metaphors get out of hand. Never had time to make a wish, but whatever.
The last night, we hiked 10 kilometers up a mountain in the middle of the night to get to an observatory at the top. Typhoon night and couldn't see shit. 10 kilometers back down at 5AM. Only the mist and rain for company; actually, the other kids were there too, but mostly mist and rain for company. Sang a song for everyone to entertain and keep warm. Couldn't sing along to any of their Chinese songs, of course, although there was one I remembered from middle school...most of those kids were two years younger than me and they looked just as old. Or I looked just as young, which probably is the case.
And that's everything. Actually, that's far from everything, but I just don't feel motivated to talk. I'm getting bad at this journaling thing. I suppose I will soon go the way of those Lawrenceville forerunners who now update every other month.
Fourteen days. Can't wait to get back, get back, get back to where I belong...