Note- I published this one on my original blog on April 8, 2016. The following post is identical to what went up on that day save for some formatting adjustments to the footnotes.
*******************************************************************
Hi,
Finally, the end of the first round...
March 18- Introduction
March 28- First round, part one (of four)
March 30- First round, part two (of four)
April 5- First round, part three (of four)
Some admin comments are below, after the breakdowns.
*****************************************************************
*'akihi / Hawaiian noun
Listening to directions and then walking off and promptly forgetting them means that you've gone 'akihi'
--vs--
*iktsuarpok / Inuit noun
The act of repeatedly going outside to keep checking if someone (anyone) is coming
Breakdown
This combination creates an interesting hypothetical- someone receiving directions to visit their friend goes 'akihi', prompting the friend's serial participation in 'iktsuarpok'.
There is certainly an 'I've been there' reaction for situations where you rely a bit too much on your memory only to promptly recognize that you have forgotten everything- but I am getting better and better over time at dealing with this (*).
I think modern society is finally leaving this feeling in the past. Most people I know are totally lost by default and rely on GPS-enhanced technology to find their way around. In fact, some may not even be able to spell 'ask for diretcions' without their iPhones.
On the other hand, like I alluded to in the preview, the Inuit representative describes a very specific action yet lends itself to easy generalization. And although modern technology is going to take its shot at this one, the spirit of the act is going to live on (*).
Speaking of that, I'm going to cut that thought short while I go check my email.
'Iktsuarpok' moves on by a shade, thanks to its resilience in the face of modern technology.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
*trepverter / Yiddish noun
A witty riposte or comeback you think of only when it is too late to use. literally 'staircase words'
--vs--
*mangata / Swedish noun
The road-like reflection of the moon in the water
Breakdown
I really like 'trepverter'. I get the impression that everyone has been there at one point or another. On first glance, this was an easy matchup to call.
But then, I considered just how much the word applied to my own experiences over the past twelve months. I thought about how, even though very little turned out right for me in the past year, I would probably not go back and change anything I did. A very process over outcomes kind of year, one could say.
I considered how I rarely, if ever, get into debates or even 'competitive witty exchanges' anymore. It feels like a natural stage in the progression toward trying to be more present and open in my interactions because instead of considering the counter to a comment, I seek a way to build on what was just said. This process is slowly reducing how much I worry about each word that I use since there is almost nothing at stake when you are affirming what another has said.
I've come to recognize that most people tend to forget what you say but they will remember how you made them feel. Words help toward impacting how you make others feel, but not as much as I used to fret about, and certainly not at all positively if used in the riposte or comeback mentality that 'trepverter' implies. Instead, I've come to think about words in the same way I consider pedals on a bicycle- you need to involve them but they don't do the real work.
The real work makes the ignored feel heard or the discouraged ready to try again. Words help make this happen, but only when used together with the way you carry your presence or the openness you bring to an interaction.
When I think about 'trepverter' again, I see a metaphor for a way to use words that I want to leave in the past. 'Trepverter' is a feeling I've only experienced after competitive situations, where winning and losing came down to the words or phrases I used. Words used in those contexts carry value only if they achieve a desired outcome. And in competition, the idea of winning and losing is built in, meaning the value one 'creates' is defined what is taken from something else.
When I think about 'mangata', I see a metaphor for the way I want to use words in the future. It describes a fundamentally cooperative situation, where value grows from creating something new out of combining component parts. In the same way that the 'mangata' effect grows out of intertwining the moon, the night, and the water- three elements that are always present, but rarely brought together-finding ways to bring together the right words to create rather than take value is a challenge I want to meet in the coming years.
It will require patience to wait for the right time to use a certain phrase or bring up a certain idea. It will require a capability to resist the temptation for the quick gratification of 'winning'. It might even require me to wake up in the dark, for the middle of the night sometimes is the only time to actually see the result of these elements being brought together.
Mangata moves on, narrowly. All I can do now is hope that I don't think up some great reason to move 'trepverter' into the next round over the weekend.
Quarterfinal matchup #4- 'iktsuarpok' --vs-- 'mangata'
**********************************************************************
So, that sets our quarterfinal field. I have posted the updated tournament schedule at the bottom of the post.
As always, thanks for reading. Back Monday. Slight twist on the usual- post is going up at exactly 12pm.
Tim
BUT WAIT THERE IS MORE...???
In honor of today's opening matchup- I tried to create a fill in the blank game. Each of these sentences were, once completed, intended to form a one line description of hypothetical stories based on the 'akihi-iktsuarpok' combination I joked about in the first paragraph of the breakdown.
Unfortunately, I quickly lost track of the plot(s) and ended up with a series of semi-sarcastic commentaries about different situations. Oh well. It still sort of works- you will need to read this as 'if I am lost in the situation described in the first section, how will I return to the path dictated in the directions?' This might be fun if you are particularly bored today but I would advise not trying too hard to make each combination align with the 'intent' I describe above.
I'll post answers when the tournament resumes.
Good luck.
-> If you are in an Apple commercial...
-> If you are in a Haruki Murakami story...
-> If you are on the green line...
-> If you are in the next Harry Potter book...
-> If you are in a Budweiser commercial...
-> If a man smiles back at you...
-> If you are at an NBA game...
-> If your friend is The Rock...
-> If your friend is a rock...
-> If you are watching the Flying V...
-> If you are at a Republican presidential debate...
-> If you are at a marshmallow test...
Word Bank
...you will get out of the subway system at Oak Grove.
...your friend is going to grow up to be impulsive.
...the smell of your friend's cooking will guide you.
...an iPhone will be used to look it up, possibly among dancing youths.
...a puppy or a horse will probably appear in the middle of the night to lead the way.
...you will never arrive (but at least there will be jazz in the background) and your friend would not have been there, anyway.
...Ron will probably fuck it up anyway.
...Iceland will score on a breakaway.
...there will be six timeouts anyway (during which one of those above commercials will be shown) and you'll probably be seen on TV by your friend.
...don't worry- you have generations to remember.
...run away. You are in a song called 'Sloom'. It's about sloom.
...Trump will probably explain that the friend lives in the middle of nowhere because he is a loser.
**********************************************************************
Upcoming bracket
April 18
Quarterfinal #1: wabi-sabi –vs– kabelsalat
Quarterfinal #2: tima –vs– komorebi
April 20
Quarterfinal #3: mamihlapinatapai -vs- meraki
Quarterfinal #4: iktsuarpok -vs- mangata
May 1
Semifinal #1- to be determined on 4/18
Semifinal #2- to be determined on 4/20
May 10
Final- to be determined on 5/1
*******************************************************************
Hi,
Finally, the end of the first round...
March 18- Introduction
March 28- First round, part one (of four)
March 30- First round, part two (of four)
April 5- First round, part three (of four)
Some admin comments are below, after the breakdowns.
*****************************************************************
*'akihi / Hawaiian noun
Listening to directions and then walking off and promptly forgetting them means that you've gone 'akihi'
--vs--
*iktsuarpok / Inuit noun
The act of repeatedly going outside to keep checking if someone (anyone) is coming
Breakdown
This combination creates an interesting hypothetical- someone receiving directions to visit their friend goes 'akihi', prompting the friend's serial participation in 'iktsuarpok'.
There is certainly an 'I've been there' reaction for situations where you rely a bit too much on your memory only to promptly recognize that you have forgotten everything- but I am getting better and better over time at dealing with this (*).
*I mean, just make a big old checklist, right?
I think modern society is finally leaving this feeling in the past. Most people I know are totally lost by default and rely on GPS-enhanced technology to find their way around. In fact, some may not even be able to spell 'ask for diretcions' without their iPhones.
On the other hand, like I alluded to in the preview, the Inuit representative describes a very specific action yet lends itself to easy generalization. And although modern technology is going to take its shot at this one, the spirit of the act is going to live on (*).
*Anyone check their phones while reading this post?
Speaking of that, I'm going to cut that thought short while I go check my email.
'Iktsuarpok' moves on by a shade, thanks to its resilience in the face of modern technology.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
*trepverter / Yiddish noun
A witty riposte or comeback you think of only when it is too late to use. literally 'staircase words'
--vs--
*mangata / Swedish noun
The road-like reflection of the moon in the water
Breakdown
I really like 'trepverter'. I get the impression that everyone has been there at one point or another. On first glance, this was an easy matchup to call.
But then, I considered just how much the word applied to my own experiences over the past twelve months. I thought about how, even though very little turned out right for me in the past year, I would probably not go back and change anything I did. A very process over outcomes kind of year, one could say.
I considered how I rarely, if ever, get into debates or even 'competitive witty exchanges' anymore. It feels like a natural stage in the progression toward trying to be more present and open in my interactions because instead of considering the counter to a comment, I seek a way to build on what was just said. This process is slowly reducing how much I worry about each word that I use since there is almost nothing at stake when you are affirming what another has said.
I've come to recognize that most people tend to forget what you say but they will remember how you made them feel. Words help toward impacting how you make others feel, but not as much as I used to fret about, and certainly not at all positively if used in the riposte or comeback mentality that 'trepverter' implies. Instead, I've come to think about words in the same way I consider pedals on a bicycle- you need to involve them but they don't do the real work.
The real work makes the ignored feel heard or the discouraged ready to try again. Words help make this happen, but only when used together with the way you carry your presence or the openness you bring to an interaction.
When I think about 'trepverter' again, I see a metaphor for a way to use words that I want to leave in the past. 'Trepverter' is a feeling I've only experienced after competitive situations, where winning and losing came down to the words or phrases I used. Words used in those contexts carry value only if they achieve a desired outcome. And in competition, the idea of winning and losing is built in, meaning the value one 'creates' is defined what is taken from something else.
When I think about 'mangata', I see a metaphor for the way I want to use words in the future. It describes a fundamentally cooperative situation, where value grows from creating something new out of combining component parts. In the same way that the 'mangata' effect grows out of intertwining the moon, the night, and the water- three elements that are always present, but rarely brought together-finding ways to bring together the right words to create rather than take value is a challenge I want to meet in the coming years.
It will require patience to wait for the right time to use a certain phrase or bring up a certain idea. It will require a capability to resist the temptation for the quick gratification of 'winning'. It might even require me to wake up in the dark, for the middle of the night sometimes is the only time to actually see the result of these elements being brought together.
Mangata moves on, narrowly. All I can do now is hope that I don't think up some great reason to move 'trepverter' into the next round over the weekend.
Quarterfinal matchup #4- 'iktsuarpok' --vs-- 'mangata'
**********************************************************************
So, that sets our quarterfinal field. I have posted the updated tournament schedule at the bottom of the post.
As always, thanks for reading. Back Monday. Slight twist on the usual- post is going up at exactly 12pm.
Tim
BUT WAIT THERE IS MORE...???
In honor of today's opening matchup- I tried to create a fill in the blank game. Each of these sentences were, once completed, intended to form a one line description of hypothetical stories based on the 'akihi-iktsuarpok' combination I joked about in the first paragraph of the breakdown.
Unfortunately, I quickly lost track of the plot(s) and ended up with a series of semi-sarcastic commentaries about different situations. Oh well. It still sort of works- you will need to read this as 'if I am lost in the situation described in the first section, how will I return to the path dictated in the directions?' This might be fun if you are particularly bored today but I would advise not trying too hard to make each combination align with the 'intent' I describe above.
I'll post answers when the tournament resumes.
Good luck.
-> If you are in an Apple commercial...
-> If you are in a Haruki Murakami story...
-> If you are on the green line...
-> If you are in the next Harry Potter book...
-> If you are in a Budweiser commercial...
-> If a man smiles back at you...
-> If you are at an NBA game...
-> If your friend is The Rock...
-> If your friend is a rock...
-> If you are watching the Flying V...
-> If you are at a Republican presidential debate...
-> If you are at a marshmallow test...
Word Bank
...you will get out of the subway system at Oak Grove.
...your friend is going to grow up to be impulsive.
...the smell of your friend's cooking will guide you.
...an iPhone will be used to look it up, possibly among dancing youths.
...a puppy or a horse will probably appear in the middle of the night to lead the way.
...you will never arrive (but at least there will be jazz in the background) and your friend would not have been there, anyway.
...Ron will probably fuck it up anyway.
...Iceland will score on a breakaway.
...there will be six timeouts anyway (during which one of those above commercials will be shown) and you'll probably be seen on TV by your friend.
...don't worry- you have generations to remember.
...run away. You are in a song called 'Sloom'. It's about sloom.
...Trump will probably explain that the friend lives in the middle of nowhere because he is a loser.
**********************************************************************
Upcoming bracket
April 18
Quarterfinal #1: wabi-sabi –vs– kabelsalat
Quarterfinal #2: tima –vs– komorebi
April 20
Quarterfinal #3: mamihlapinatapai -vs- meraki
Quarterfinal #4: iktsuarpok -vs- mangata
May 1
Semifinal #1- to be determined on 4/18
Semifinal #2- to be determined on 4/20
May 10
Final- to be determined on 5/1
