-1, 0, 1, 2, 3

The laundry room is on the basement level; the floor labeled negative one. They do that here in Europe. I’m still formulating an opinion on that.

My work is starting to reach its conclusion. The data has been gathered and all that’s left is analysis, well, that and a write up of the findings. This part of the process is necessary, but anticlimactic. The highpoint of scientific research is the initial viewing of a graph. You have a mental picture of what a “correct” data set should look like if your procedure worked. With the ClampEx software, I can get an immediate, albeit rough, visual representation of the data.

The whole data collection saga played out like an episode of Batman (1960). First, Batman would meet that show’s foe and lose the initial confrontation. Some time would go by and they’d meet again, this time they’d stalemate. The third iteration would finally yield a win for the Batman. This three-act structure is the skeleton of any classical adventure.

Like I mentioned earlier, that’s data collection. I was grappling with the system for weeks; dragging my fingers across the many control panels, clicking each button, toggling each switch, twirling each knob. The best way to learn is through playful manipulation. I was proficient within a few days, but mastery came slowly. I’m probably not even considered a master yet, maybe an advanced acolyte?

Anyway, everything eventually worked out and I’m left with useable that supports my hypothesis. Joy.  

On a side note, I despise the exclamation point. I bring this up because I’d like to apologize for using it in two informal, public posts and a few informal, private posts.  

TTFN

If only I could be so grossly incandescent

Shigeru Miyamoto decided to bring the Legend of Zelda to life because of an early childhood experience. In a recent interview, he recanted the notion that his inspiration came from Western folklore. He instead spoke at length about the concept of adventure as a whole. He grew up in a rural area of Japan, replete with hills, ponds, caverns, and ravines. He used to invent scenarios as he ventured. This type of plastic imagination, thoughts that grow around one’s surroundings, is the most beautiful.

Today I decided that I’d have an adventure. I set out on foot and looked toward the sky. I found the highest point in Budapest and I walked toward it. I was met with a long, white suspension bridge and hundreds, maybe thousands of stairs. The stairs were broken up by long sections of paved sidewalk. These sidewalks were angled sharply upward. As I climbed up the edge of the cliff, strong winds and the awful, guttural squawking of mountain trolls buffeted me. This was a warning of the challenges yet to come. I ran through supplies quickly. Within an hour I had used up all of my water and stamina potions.

A beautiful panoramic view of the city was my reward. I took some time to soak in the sights in preparation for the next leg of my journey. Turrets that looked like they were transplanted from Helm’s Deep caught my eye. I decided I’d head there next. I haggled with a merchant and added a health potion and a stamina-boosting snack to my inventory. With newfound strength I shoved off. The turrets were about four kilometers away and I knew that some kind of foul beast would block my path.

I reached the edge of the Danube river without running through too much of my stamina meter. It was quiet for a time, until I encountered the Castle Hill guardsmen. There were riding large creatures whose strength and ire were both limitless. They were strong enough to fell buildings, so I decided to slink past them. I made it to the entrance of the passage without incident. I guess my equipment boosted my stealth status buff. I eventually made it to the top and was again treated to a beautiful view.

The mind is like a stove and the environment is like a cast-iron pot of water. If no heat is added, the water will remain calm and unchanging. Once heat is applied, it will boil vigorously and create a dense layer of steam. The steam will distort the environment and allow it to become a canvas on which you can paint your own picture.

Go outside and have an adventure. Walk around the block or around the world; just remember to let your imagination turn mundane sights into fantasy.

TTFN

yo na-poat kee-va-noak

Debrecen, a place I haven’t quite adopted or rejected. It certainly is boring, but most of my day is filled with concentrated joy. Maybe, by the end of the day, I’m burned out from the excess joy and an above average night seems dull. I’m a seventeen-year-old boy who harbors two great loves, one for science and one for art. Each day I spend here I’m given free reign to explore both. On the science end, I’ve ventured down to the infinitesimal world of molecules and ion channels. On the art end, I’ve been accumulating a mental museum filled with classical and modern European art. And, if you know me, I’ve also spent fragments of my time training. The gym here is solid, but they seem to think that Jay Cutler endorses them. They’ve got his image on everything and they even call themselves “Cutler Gym”. When I get sufficiently inspired, I will tell you all about the strange goings on in there. But for now, let’s start the old fashioned way.

I’m Jay Silverstein and I’ve been told many times that writing helps pass the time. Therefore, I will write.

Expect posts every so often. Keeping a regular schedule would probably lead to missed deadlines. I also want to make this like an open conversation. I encourage you to respond and share your own thoughts. Please call out any ugly sentences or grammatical mistakes. Those are always fun.

In the words of Tigger the bouncing tiger, TTFN (ta-ta for now)