Studying Chinese in times of illness

It would be nice, while lying sick in bed, I could study my latest Chinese vocabulary. Making mental notes along the way to look up missing words later.
Writing characters with my mind’s eye, stroke after stroke ( all virtual, of course ).
Occasionally even babbling some hard to pronounce words, like 睡觉 ( ‘to sleep’ – yes, for a little longer ), or 起床 ( ‘to get up’ – let me be, I’m busy dying ).
I might still come prepared at tomorrow’s class.

An additional advantage is that it takes away the attention from the sore throat, the heaving lungs, and aching back.
Are we our body, or do we have one ?
Abstracting away the headache is little more demanding.
Are we our mind, or do we have one ?

It’s the utilitarian viewpoint innate to most of us Westerners: value is derived from usefulness. Even while the body is healing, the mind is not excused of not making itself useful.
Hail to Saint John.

This week, my body and mind are united in illness; and not of the utilitarian belief.
So I yield and let the Chinese for what they are.

Calligraphy

I was in a drawing tools shop with my daughter the other day.
That’s where I spotted a set of calligraphy brushes. And couldn’t help myself from buying a few. Not in the least hindered by a complete lack of competence on the subject, as the saying goes.

Back home, I set myself to work. The result was a set of characters that have every imaginable irregularity. Things aren’t usually as simple as the youtube instruction videos seem to suggest.
I mean, after this experience, I’m in awe about how good some of these people actually are.

Nevertheless, I’ve always enjoyed writing Chinese characters, so I do give myself a fair chance of really making something out of this.
I’ll post a picture of my writing when I’m not too embarrassed about it.