heliopausa: (Default)
heliopausa ([personal profile] heliopausa) wrote2016-02-03 12:35 pm

On the more cheerful side...

Life is getting busier and busier in the streets around me - everyone's gearing up for Tet, with frantic cleaning and gift-buying and planning to get back home (wherever home is).  Last weekend, though, was one of the last actions of the old year - it was time to release goldfish (bought for the purpose) into lakes and rivers, to take the report from the Kitchen God to Heaven about how virtue has fared in the household through the year.  Which in the busy city can mean that when the fish is slipped into the water, the plastic bag it's travelled in has gone in with it - but not this year! 
This year a group of students spent the day on Long Bien bridge, equipped with buckets, so that people could put the fish and its travel-water in the bucket, and lower it into the water, and let the fish swim off valiantly, while the students took care of the plastic bags.  Great win for both the river and the fish.  :)

For those interested in the diplomatic side of environmental matters: the Wuppertal Institute have released their report on why the Paris talks (yes, much farther to go) worked as well as they did.  It's a 54-page PDF document, but has some really important points about how negotiations, and humans negotiating, work.  Some points were so simple, but so totally effective.  For example, Laurent Fabius' decision not to release the absolute latest draft negotiation text as soon as it was hammered out, i.e. on the last Friday night, instead announcing that it would be released on Saturday morning, in the interests of allowing everyone to get a good night's sleep before the last, make-or-break, deciding session.   (and there's a little more about the indaba method I've mentioned earlier.)

Fandom is bustling,too, with many challenges and fests happening - including halfamoon: 14 days of celebrating women.  I'm thinking hard about what I can contribute.  Recs? Meta? Maybe I'll seize a prompt.  Can't let the chance go by to join the celebration, anyway!

From Ethiopia - the Lion returns.  This, the dark-maned largest lion, is the kind I've preferred to write as aslan in my Narnian fanfic. 

Speaking of Narnia:  over on the NFFR site the Narnia LWW Reread has reached Chapter Twelve, with some very interesting meta, sources, questions, suggestions...

after last week's complex-character exertions ( :P to all those laughing!) it's back to the simple side for this week's character! 

and in the tiny domestic triumphs department:  the last of the missing socks has revealed itself!  My sock-bag is now only holding pairs!

autumnia: The apple orchard in Cair Paravel (Pevensies (at the Cair))

[personal profile] autumnia 2016-02-04 02:18 am (UTC)(link)
I've never really given much thought as to what Aslan would look like, as long as he was a Lion. Dark mane or light -- it's something that's never really crossed my mind before!

I went and read the discussion over at NFFR. Am really enjoying the discussion and analysis though I don't really have much to contribute about LWW at the moment since I don't have time to reread the book. Though, with regards to the Great Cats carrying Aslan's crown and standard, I just assumed they carried them in the mouths when moving around, and cradling in their paws when stationary. It's another thing I haven't paid too close attention too. :-)
redsnake05: A red teapot with steam coming out (General: red teapot steaming)

[personal profile] redsnake05 2016-02-04 05:48 am (UTC)(link)
That's so awesome about the fish! I rather imagine they prefer that to being tossed over the side in a plastic bag too.