Summer ’25: VIII – “Hello A.C., my old friend…”

Guangdong didn’t miss me. Nor I missed Guangdong. The mosquito feeding service resumed, probably, as the train doors slid open. “Attack! Attack! Attack!”

Luofushan is a big bulging expanse of subtropical mountain. Swallowed by managed parkland,  concrete and stone passages loop and weave its sides. Temples, museums, and a cable-car ropeway dot the landscape amongst entertainment options like a jungle chair ride and multiple fish food vending machines. Huizhou’s economy is further boosted by passionfruit and banana sales at the gate. Cold tofu desserts add other sweet options. Water is essential. The big expanse commands your appetite.

In regards of appetite, a giant chicken restaurant, for consumption of regular-sized roast chickens was the final stop of the day. The playground, climbing walls, balance wires, and swings afterwards tested hands and feet, and possibly full bellies too. A decent enough end to a day of bug-spotting (including bee eggs for sale – as food). The stadium-sized chicken restaurant was stupendously busy and barely a quarter of it was open. Must avoid a fully-booked attendance.

“No one can construct for you the bridge upon which precisely you must cross the stream of life, no one but you yourself alone.” – Friedrich Nietzsche, otrovert

Heated up, overly tired, and distracted, we headed up GaoBangShan again. My mood was odd, angry (and not just at City losing to Spurs), and I should not have gone out. The distant lightning storm to the west was not just a metaphor. I really was starting to feel upset that soon I’d be leaving to the U.K. My emotions and behaviour were inexcusable. Hot heads can’t cool in heat. I had to apologise for being petty and silly.

“When anger rises, think of the consequences.” – Confucius (孔子Kǒngzǐ)

Time slipped away fast and no sooner had I arrived back in Guangdong, it seemed I was on a plane heading for Manchester, via Cairo. Time really is precious.

“How did it get so late so soon? Its night before its afternoon. December is here before its June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?” – Dr. Seuss, controversial author.

Summer ’25: 37:13 of railway travels.

There:

0838 Huiyang > Guangzhou South 1:18
1057 GZ South > Yangshuo 2:34

1321 Yangshuo > Guiyang North 3:07

1533 Guiyang East > Chengdu East 3:45

0909 Chengdu East > Guangtong 6:24
1622 Guangtong > Dali 1:08

1147 Dali > Shangri-la 4:19

22:35

And back again:

1200 Shangri-la > Dali 2:15

1413 Dali > Nanning 6:34

1128 Nanning > Guangzhou South 2:45
1430 GZ South > Huiyang 1:20

14:38

STRONG(ER)

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

Really?

Overused and overly spoken dross.

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

Parodied aphorism!

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

Resilience and affirmation for overcoming adversity?

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

“Out of life’s school of war…“

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

Twilight of the Idols, an unread book on the shelf I’ve yet to install.

“That which does not kill us makes us stronger.”

Friedrich Nietzsche, I don’t believe you.

Take suffering as an opportunity to build strength.

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

Kelly Clarkson sang about standing “a little taller.”

“Aus der Kriegsschule des Lebens.—Was mich nicht umbringt, macht mich starker”

It never feels that way.

Inference.

What do you make of it all? What’s the story morning glory?

“There was a mildness about his mouth and eyes that proclaimed no devil.” – The Lord of The Flies, William Golding

The noun inference (/ˈɪnf(ə)rəns/), according to the Oxford Dictionary, is “a conclusion reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning.” An example states “government researchers are entrusted with drawing inferences from the gathered data.” At present, it doesn’t take a boffin much guesswork to surmise the U.K. is up a creak without the necessary oars or a waterborne vessel, for that matter. Welcome to Brexit-Britain.

“Your worst enemy, he reflected, was your own nervous system. At any moment the tension inside you was liable to translate itself into some visible symptom.” – 1984, George Orwell

Should a public protest occur and all signs, banners, and flags have cryptic messages, Sherlock Holmes would probably mention to Watson about deduction. Rishi Sunak would be too busy asking someone to open a car door. He wouldn’t surmise anything from the obvious happenings around him. In fact. If the flags, banners, and signs were to display obvious messages, Rishi would struggle.

“This was the voice of one who knew his own mind.” – The Lord of The Flies, William Golding

In the spoken English world, we can often reach a conclusion based on clues around us. That reasoning often leads us to our opinions and thoughts, whether through presumption or assumption. At least, that’s what I assume and presume, but I haven’t benefitted from studying philosophy or maths until I was 18 years old.

“People who have given us their complete confidence believe that they have a right to ours. The inference is false, a gift confers no rights.” – Friedrich Nietzsche, German philosopher

Through conjecture, the people of Britain need no further speculation. Even students at secondary schools can fathom out that teachers are striking to highlight their drastically reduced education support. The thesis doing the rounds is that the rate of support is sat beneath that of inflation. By support, read into it as special education provision, language support, and resource provision. There simply isn’t enough woodwork for a design classroom.

“In books I have travelled, not only to other worlds, but into my own.” – Anna Quindlen, American author

By hypothesizing that students could support the classroom by donating recycled woods and old unwanted materials to increase classroom potential, it would be prudent to review other factors. Will floorboards be stolen? Will materials be toxic? Will students gain full permission for Nana’s antique Welsh dresser to be undressed? Will woods require treatment or extra work to condition them for suitability? Is upcycyling practical for planning for?

“Shadwell hated all southerners and, by inference, was standing at the North Pole.” – Good Omens, Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaimam

Guessing what word I hate most, many will suggest guesstimate or Brexit as prime candidates. Their ratiocination would be wrong. The u-word beginning with u and rhyming with knighted would be the obviously disliked word. U****d.

“The mask was a thing on its own, behind which Jack hid, liberated from shame and self-consciousness.” – The Lord of The Flies, William Golding

By my reckoning, I have extrapolated very little during my writing about theory. In supposition. I guess what I am struggling to say is:

Read

between

the lines.