Happy Wednesday! Last week I appreciated the diversion of everyone sharing their favorite Pokemon. While, as promised, I’m still interested in hearing your favorite ceiling fan (Scientician13) and your favorite Digimon (comradequestion), I thought maybe I ought to actually write something again. So let’s take a look at some world news.
China’s new DeepSeek AI sent ripples throughout the stock market when it launched. And while it’s making big promises on much, much more efficient AI, it’s also revealing its own problems: Don’t ask it about Tianannmen square.
As the ceasefire in Gaza takes effect, hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have begun returning home. However, much work remains to be done and the ceasefire may prove to be fragile. Israeli troops maintain a heavy presence in Gaza.
New Zealand, where I am currently dreaming of a vacation that I cannot afford, is relaxing its visa rules in order to entice “digital nomads” – those who work remotely and can travel pretty freely – to come to the country.
Its neighbor Australia is thinking about energy policy, and the new chief scientist is pushing back against nuclear energy, saying to wait 5 or 15 years for nuclear energy to “rebuild their social license” – and highlights nuclear’s challenges competing against the cheaper and more readily available wind and solar energy.
Indonesia’s president has been in office for 100 days. And while his popularity is high, his administration has also drawn criticism, in part for acknowledging China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea – and then backtracking on it.
Lastly, this really neat story about Pakistan opening its first textile museum, highlighting the rich history of Pakistan’s textile traditions.
As a young medical student in 1970s Pakistan, Nasreen Askari had an encounter that would shape her for ever.
After asking the mother of a sick boy routine questions about his family history, the woman looked outraged. Marching Askari outside, she took off her colourful shawl and laid it on her lap. “Most of the answers to your pointless questions are here,” she said, pointing to intricate embroidery that symbolised everything, from the woman’s community, to her marriage status and her number of children.
“I know my son is very ill and he will die,” the woman told Askari. “When he is gone, I will go home and unravel one of these black flowers here on my shawl.”
This was Askari’s first brush with the ornate fabrics of Pakistan’s south-east province of Sindh and the stories, biographies and histories woven within them. It awoke her curiosity, which grew into a lifelong passion for collecting unique textiles crafted by the diverse communities of Sindh and her attempt to understand the narratives documented in the cloth.
Be kind and thoughtful today. Cheers.
P.S. My internet history is deeply, deeply intertwined with the Digimon fandom, so I could write pages about my favorite Digimon over the years and how they’ve changed. But if I had to pick just one, I’ve settled on Piccolomon/Piximon as my favorite. Small but mighty, and with some cool abilities. I don’t have a deep knowledge of ceiling fans, but as someone whose house always feels so dark, I’d like a fan with stronger lighting. Maybe this one?