A Taste of News: Rocking that wall

As many in my direct circle know, I read quite some news. I try to mention at least once per day that I read something in the news, casually, in a conversation. And since commentary and reviewing is something else I like to do, I thought of starting a series where I write my thoughts about an article I read. A lot of them will be related to China, since that is one of the topics I follow most closely.

Rock Climbing Gains Traction as After-Work ‘Meditation on a Wall’
Sixth Tone

I like mountains. Living in the Netherlands, I feel the lack of mountains has increased my need for height. At the same time, it sometimes seems that bouldering and climbing both exploded in popularity the last few years.

When I was still swiping on the dating app, the algorithm seemed to discover fairly quickly that it should show me some sporty guys. As a result, almost every other guy was either an avid skiing fan or a bouldering champion. In real life, the balance seems to be quite different, although my current partner also boulders.

For the Chinese, it is almost surprising that the sport is only now catching on. Bouldering and climbing seem quite adjacent to martial arts disciplines. It reminds me of Shaolin monks who could probably (not really) scale boulders and mountains without any problems. Unsurprisingly, the article mentions that practitioners do find the sport quite meditative.

Another thing that surprises me in the popularity of bouldering is that it is not very competitive. Although this is a broad generalization, my memories of doing sports in China is that you are pushed to do something to become good at it and so that you can then win. I guess the lack of competition makes it a good antidote for the rat race that is modern society.

Moreover, the article mentions that climbing is also becoming more popular. With all the empty flats and skyscrapers, I guess there should be a good opportunity to turn those locations into climbing gyms. It is at least slightly safer than turning them into bungee jumping attractions.

A Taste of News: Rizz it up

Oxford’s 2023 Word of the Year Is … ‘Rizz’
New York Times

Ah, at last the end of the year is close. Lists shall be created daily to commemorate anything and everything. And looking at this headline, I could not help but wanting to write down some ideas about this word.

The more year-end-lists are being created, the more I am aware of my age. As older things tend to be put in categories with taglines like ‘do you remember…’ or ‘nostalgic for…’ I seem to understand less and less of the new things coming in.

In other words, every time a new word enters the mainstream, I am almost surprised to find myself with knowledge of it. I most certainly will not really have a use for ‘rizz’ but it is recognizable to me.

I am not really a fan of the word, mainly because I think it is not used seriously. If a word can only be used ironically, it means there is something up with the concept it represents.

On the other hand, it is a pretty benign word to have made it to the top, all things considered. I certainly have more feelings towards some of its contenders. Fear for Swiftie, exasperation for de-influencing, frustration for prompt.

So I will accept this truth and bemusedly listen to the youngsters who use it. Oh but not Tom Holland, any moviestar at that level does not get away with saying he has little rizz. It is about time for certain people to realize that the shy, bubbly personality is a type of charisma. A very effective one at that.

Just wait and see, and then I did not

A funny little thing as I grow older, is that my concept of time feels somewhat warped. Either things are going really slow or really fast, there seems to be no inbetween anymore. I either feel like I am 11 or 88. Becoming 30 is weird.

Of course when you are not 30, right up until you are 29 or so, it feels very far away. And most people around me liked to sum up all the things I for sure would do, change or become before or once I hit that milestone. It is now becoming 50, but that is way too far ahead for now. So I thought it would be a good moment to take stock and see if these predictions were actually true or not.

Having a lot of stuff: not true

Up ’till I moved to China 5 years ago, I loved having stuff. Almost half of it was with my parents, because I did not feel like moving it around all the time, and the other half I mostly used. I also tended to buy quite some physical things still, mainly books. Which are great to read, but also pretty heavy to carry. Then I moved 4 times in the last 5 years, and my view changed. I started to question this whole idea of wanting or needing to have stuff, and managed to cut down on a lot of it. Being back in the Netherlands, having almost everything in 1 spot now and knowing what I have is very satisfying. I thought things would just pile up as I got older, but it turned out to be a choice, not a natural course of life.
Not fitting in my clothes anymore: (mostly) not true

I used to consume a lot of food, and I still do, especially compared to most Dutch people. When I was younger, I combined this with a fast metabolism, half-hearted attempts at sports and generally convincing myself I was okay with not being very thin. Fast forward to 2019 and I started doing aerial silks fanatically. Not only is it the first sport in years that I actually enjoy, but it is also a pretty good way to ensure I am not going to grow out of my clothes anytime soon. Only perhaps in shoulder width, but my belly is flatter than it was 5 years ago. Also, now owning multiple pairs of yoga pants will also help me fitting in my clothes for the next 10 years.
Getting children: not true

I have never really liked children and it is largely mutual. I try to look menacing to any kid that comes within 1.5 meters reach. When I was still young, around 12 or something, my mom once joked that there could be babies falling from the skies. I told her mortified that I would never go out again if that happened. Many people told me I would change my mind once I got older. I have not yet and I do not think it will happen. Especially now I have the age where more people around me get babies and I see more of them. Babies are not cute, they cannot do anything themselves and they cannot communicate anything clearly. I would much rather have a cat in that case. Which I coincidentally do.
Stop crying: not true

How I wish this one would be true. I do not bruise easily, but I cry really easily. I think for the longest time I held out hopes that I would grow out of it and when I was younger I had the perception that adults never or only rarely cried. Perhaps it would only happen around the times that my hormones were whack and I could blame my period. Alas, it did not work and it is probably the reason I drink 6 liters of tea every day. I need to keep myself hydrated so I am ready whenever I need to be.
Reading the paper daily: true

With one of my best friends I have the running jokes that everything I know or hear about I get from the newspaper. It is true about 90% of the time. I used to be very ignorant about the news and everything happening in the world, probably like more teenagers, but it all changed in my second year of university. I took some journalism courses and learned to understand the importance of knowing what is happening around you. Further than your parents’ backyard. I now think time spent reading the news is time well-spent. I will become one of those elderly people who will complain about all the bad things happening and how it was better in my days. I am earnestly practicing for it.