At the very beginning, there was Ratopia. Then, there's ratology. In ratology, we observe whether psychotic and neurotic people could amount to something. Then came the spinal disc herniation and impingement, bringing forth the stage of physical disability. Could someone like me go anywhere or amount to anything is the question. After the official ending of the second psychotic episode lasted for five years, I am ready to move on to the next phase of Ratology- as the solutions unfold.
One thing important I learned from my first experience in translating an academic paper, after all the years, let along the writing style, I still have problems with simple grammatical issues such as:
the book described or describes, has/had described
the definite article "the": national history(-ies) or the national history(-ies)
plural/singular and un/countable nouns: mutual understanding or understandings),
prepositions such as "on," "in," "of, and "for" at times.
For instance, "The book described/describes people's mutual understanding(s) of the national history(-ies).
What does it mean in the context of all the writings done in the reign of Ratology?
Mindless writing, especially in the form, surely has not much bearing in the improvement of writing skills and the understanding of the language usage. 8-X (Ouch.. this b from hell surely is harsh... 8-O lol)
In my much younger years, I used to proud myself for being bilingual- only to realize after I came back to Taiwan that- me ain't so good in Chinese composition no more... or, to be more exact... I've never written an academic paper for publication purpose in Chinese in my entire life...
Recently, yours handicapped in the body and in the head ying-ying-mei-dai-zi grade of unemployed workaholic (such way to replace "I" or "Is" is surely dasein-ish... Love it! 8-O lol) took on a part time job to translate a paper on the topic of history.
I have done translations before but was never at the scale of 23000 Chinese words... with a whole lot of terminology-- so to speak- to me- unheard of.
In the process of living through my first time experience in the department of translation.
So far, what I figured after the over 13000 words translated....
The process of translation is like what I do when trying to clean up my room- a whole lot of moving things around.
When I first wanted to work on a book on my health condition,
depression was the label I had with panic disorder the side dish. The older I grew, en route to the collection
of an academic credit or two, and, one diploma or two, I collected as well a
label or two, if not more.
At the same time, in the beginning, I had wanted to work on a
fictional story- through the story of a fictional figure my own story to
tell. Later, after I documented my life
all the way into the psychiatric ward through the first person narration, I
wanted to analyze the texts and turn it into a methodologically sound
qualitative study. At the end, I decided
to simply let who I was speaking for herself- in good times, in bad times and
everywhere in between- with the preferred bad English of my own- a combination of vernacular, faux Archaic English and more.
While I might not be able to dazzle you with brilliance, I
intend not either to baffle you with bullshit.
All I want to present to you, I guess, is the rite of passage through
the reflections in Dasein when la dirrita via era smarrita.
No man is an island- not even a longer like me. The compilation of this book would not have
been possible without the love, help and support from all the fine people I
have come across throughout the years.
This book is, thus, dedicated to, in Taiwan, New York and beyond, my
families and friends as well as all the acquaintances, who have shown me the
bright side of life whenever possible (in my realities shared or not shared with the external world)!
At the same time, were not for blogger, Ratology might not
have had itself to me revealed- a word of thanks to the service provider-
albeit the fact that I might be, to them, on the servers, 1s and 0s. lol
During the winter time last year, to hide away from the cold and rain, I took it down to the East Metro Mall ( 東區地下街) to do my daily walk. There I came across the long term exhibition for the selected 17 famous buildings in Taipei.
After many of a walk through them buildings- version miniature, I decided to walk them through at large.
Many a up-and-down of my health conditions after, I finally moved my butts through them all... and with my dear grandpa camera Canon A570IS, a camera almost as adama shorto as me, pictures taken and images captured.
Funny enough, some time after I started my walking them buildings at large, in the news, one day, I heard that mistakes in the labels were found in the exhibition that has been there for 10 years or more... and... eventually they were corrected... (which, of course, made yours grandiose delusional thought it might have something to do with my diligent efforts in walking the walk- though such delusion was well-handled. 8-X)
Sure, were I who I was, these places could have been easily visited within 3-4 days- rather than extended for the duration of almost an year. Yet, were I who I was, some of the path I traversed might not have occurred at all... At the same time, the path I traversed... nothing but the consequences of walking the walk.
At the same time, some part of journey really resonated only too well with my beloved song de Whitesnake..
The the spirit of you can call me Al cuts it pretty well as well... (an youtube clip I inserted by mistake as opposed to da "I don't know where I'm going...")
When walking da walk... "I don't know where I am going." (I just... go go go allez allez allez lol)
Right now... "I sure know where I've been." (Hopefully)
Synchronously, my MBT sandal got totally worn out at the last spot... the presidential palace with the the sole totally out... Thank you, Mon chéri, for absorbing the pressure and helping me walk across continents and in all seasons... (Guess, I did leave traces on the path I have traversed... somehow.. 8-O 8-X lol)
If you are in Taiwan or will visit Taiwan, be sure to visit the following buildings and... beyond...
The refrigerator got too tired of breathing and decided to check out the other day. Since it is now about 20 something years old, we decided to get a new one.
Went with my mom and sister shopping for the next refrigerator today... with my sister's expert skills in haggling, bought a refrigerator for the first time today!
So they say, in Taiwan, Panasonic and Hitachi are two of the most energy efficient brands. In addition, the freezer is at the bottom to make it even more efficient.
Since, with another 500 NT dollar, we could get cashback rebate and additional gift. I bought a USB flash drive for myself for the first time in my life as well!
Down the memory lane with down with meds, over a thousand US dollar kinda spending for an unemployed psychotic who's still broadcasting thoughts... Makes me wonder... lord... am I swinging to the other side characterized with shopping spree? 8-O lol
Yet, having lived without a refrigerator for the past few days, I guess, refrigerator is as essential as broadband in the modern time... 8-X
Regardless, two first time experiences in one day- I bought a Flash Drive for the first time in my life- (though-- whispering--- was waiting to buy 128 GB instead- although I didn't see 128 GB in stock- good excuse for a cheapskate like me) - en route to buy a refrigerator for the first time in my life!
(This post is cross-posted in Ratology Reloaded Blog)
I grew up using this Japanese expression "kimoji"- sort of like gemütlich in German, good atmosphere in English and 氣氛 in Chinese.
Since I have been trying to learn the Japanese alphabets since around the time when I became telepathic again, based on the sound I have used gazzillion and a time in my life so far, I used hiragana to come up with the spelling for kimoji- きもじ. Yet, I simply couldn't find in any of my googling result stating kimoji is like 氣氛 in Chinese.
So I thought of this Taiwanese friend of mine who seems to be really well-versed in Japanese and sent her this SOS message, "how do you write in Japanese "kimoji"?"
Following is the ensuing conversation:
Expert, "気持ち (きもち)"
Ratprincess, "thanks... so it is not ji but chi?"
Expert, "ya"
Also (German)...
So it is... 気持ち (きもち or kimochi) in Japanese is きもじ (kimoji) in Taiwanese Japanese!
Could have continued to be wrong in a million and a time more! Except for, in Taiwanese Japanese, 気持ち would remain to sound like きもじ (kimoji)-- I guess.
Finally got done with reloading Down with Meds: A revelation of Ratology... yet another iteration with one of the main task this round... getting rid of words-- too many words. 8-X
Got the task restarted on September 20th and finally got this round of reloading done today... at around 2 o'clock in the afternoon.. according to the timestamp on the picture I took at Guang Hua Mall (光華商場).
For this iteration, I took it done at large as I was on the road.... or... when I took my breaks during my daily walk. Though I might not have traveled thousands and a mile, I surely went through thousands and more words of a past I traversed back.
At the same time, since it ain't quite all that enticing to be an unemployed handicapped in the head and in the body with thoughts still broadcasting to the entire world plus the setback in my bodily condition in the last week of September followed by a combination of cold and allergy symptom that left me wearing a mask for 3-4 weeks long, I surely was not gonna entrap myself in suffering of any kind more and took it out and about at large.
Remaining to be accomplished, the last chapter and the first chapter thereafter... since it might take the coming out of the last chapter before I can get a better estimation about what Down with Meds: A revelation of Ratology is about... though the true value might not be approachable. I do have to digitize the corrections and edit work that I did with paper and pencil.
Yet, afterwards, I would have to find someone else to do the editing work regardless whether DWM might outsell the first book I published... my dissertation... which sold, I guess, around 10 copies or so. 8-O lol
And, after going through DWM so many times, one thing I know for sure now is... No longer could I say nobody ever really read the writings in my blogs since, oh, Lord, I myself along have gone through it God knows how many time and pondered gazillion and a time... "Man... Why so many words?" lol
Whit
-
Whit sounds like wit and according to dictionary.com, it means
a particle; bit; jot (used especially in negative phrases).
I have changed not a whit. I do...
A dream: Backpacking
-
On my way back from NYC to Taipei in April, I managed to get myself an
extended layover (over 2 weeks) in Japan, landing at and exiting from the
Narita Air...
Ratprincess in Technology not lost?
-
Given my sick-in-the-headness, sometimes it's hard to trust my LTM. Did
Ratprincess in Technology really exist or was it my false memory?
As I was marv...
Traces of the past
-
A link I found that has been live online from the Down with Meds age.
Apparently, the past has always been there whether I knew it or not.
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