鳳儀亭 (2)

宮室築成以後, 董桌強選民間少女八百多人, 充作宮娥彩女. 至於從民間搜刮來的財物更是不其數, 僅囤積的糧食, 便足夠食用二十年.

成 sing4, seng4, cing4. finished.

When the palace was finished,

選 syun2. to choose, select.

民 man4. People, citizen.
間 gaaan1. space, interval.

–> citizens

少 siu3/2. Few, less.
女 neoi5. girl

–> young girl

八 baat3. 8
人 jan4. Man. Person

–> 800+ girls

Dong Zhuo selected (forcibly) eight hundred young girls or more

充 cung1. to fill, full, supply
作 zok3. to make, work, perform.

–> supplied to work as

娥 ngo4. beautiful. good
彩 coi2. colour(ful).
–> 彩女 (lower-rank) maids in the palace.

And sent them to work as maids in the palace.

至 zi3. to reach, arrive
於 wu1, jyu1. in at oon.
從 zung6/cung4/sung1. from, by, since, whence, through
–> as for

搜 sau2/1. search, seek; investigate
刮 gwaat3. shave, pare off, scrape
–> plundered, seized

來 loi4/6, lai4. to come, return.

財 coi3. valuables, riches, possessions.
物 mat6 thing, substance, creature.
–> resources/property

更 ga(a)ng1. ang1. further, more.
是 si6. this. yes.

其 kei4. that, his/her/its.
數 sou3/2, sok3. number, several.

As for the property/resources seized from the public/civilians, they were innumerable.

僅 gan2/6. Only, merely, just.

囤 tyun4, deon6. grain basket.
積 zik1. accumulate, store up.
糧 loeng4. food, grain, provisions
食 sik6. eat, food
–> the accumulated/stored up provisions (food)

便 bin6, pin4. convenient, expedient.
足 zuk1, zeoi3. foot; enough.
夠 gau3. enough.
用 jung6. to use.
年 nin4. year

Just the accumulated food was enough to last 20 years.

鳳儀亭 (1)

董卓強迫獻帝遷都長安以後, 強征了二十五萬民夫, 在離長安二百多里的地方, 另築郿塢城, 建造宮室, 規模和京城不相上下.
董 dung2. Supervise. Surname.
卓 coek3/zoek3. Brilliant.
–> Dong Zhuo, died 192. Dictator.

強 koeng4/5, goeng6. Strong.
迫 baak1/3, bik1. Coerce. Busy.
–> Forcefully installed.

獻 hin3. Offer, present. Display.
帝 dai3. Emperor
–> Emperor Xian. Puppet of Dong Zhuo.

遷 cin1. To move, transfer.
都 dou1. Capital
–> Changed the capital to:

長 coeng4. Long.
安 on1. Peace.
–> Chang’An

以 ji5
後 hau6. After.

After Dong Zhuo installed Emperor Xian on the throne, and moved the Capital to Chang’An,

征 zing1. Invade. Conquered.
了 liu5. Past particle.
–> Captured.

二 ji6. 2
十 sap6. 10
五 ng5. 5
萬 maan1. 10K
–> 250,000

民 man4. People.
夫 fu1/4. Man, adult man. Those.
–> Men.

He captured 250,000 men,

在 zoi6. At.
離 lei4/6. Depart. Separate.
百 baak3. 100
多 do1. Numerous. Several.
里 lei5. Distance unit. Village.
–> At 100+ li away.

的 dik1. Genitive.

地 dei6. Place.
方 fong1. Region.
–> Place

另 ling6. Another. Separate.
築 zuk1. Build(ing).

郿 mei4. County in Shaanxi.
塢 wu2. Enbankment. Low wall.
城 sing4, seng4. Castle, town.

–> Meiwu (name of the new city)

建 gin1. Build.
造 zou6, cou3/5. Build. Begin. Prepare.
–> Build

宮 gung1. Palace. Temple.
室 sat1. Room. Place.
–> Palace

規 kwai1. Rules. Law.
模 mou4. Model, pattern. Copy.
–> Size, format.

和 wo6/4. Peace. Harmony. And.
–> with

京 ging1. Capital city.

不 bat1. Not.
相 soeng1. Mutual. Each other.
上 soeng6/5. Up/top, superior. Go/send up.
下 haa6/5. Bottom, below, inferior. Send down.
–> comparable, equivalent

sent them to a place 100 li or more from there, and had a new city built, Meiwu, and a palace comparable to the one in the capital.

Starcraft II Terran Build Order

While I am by no means a pro player, I have 1,300 wins, so I do know a thing or two about SC2. I only play Terran, and have refined my strategy some. Here’s my standard build order:

* SCV x 2 – mining
* SCV to build depot
* SCV
* SCV
* Depot is built – build refinery
* SCV x 3
* Refinery is built – build Engineering
* Divert 3 SCV to gas mining
* More SCVs (I’ll have 21 by the time I’m full speed)
* Engineering is built, build depot
* More SCVs
* Depot is built build second refinery
* Base upgrade to fortress
* Refinering is built divert 3 SCVs
* the SCV that built refinery goes to build 2nd base
* Divert one SCV to start building Barracks
* Divert SCVs to build turrets by the truckload, while building more miners on my bases.
* Build Factory, then Armory.
Upgrade tech as often as possible.

In the end I’ll have 2 bases (or 3 if opponent is a slow, strong building type), 2/3 Barracks, 1 Factory, 2 Spaceports. And maybe 2 Engineerings if I hv the time. I’ll build 50 infantry units (mostly Marines, Thors, tanks mostly for defense), 20 banshees, sometimes some Battleships. I might skip banshees for a change and go Battleships all the way. Or if the opponent is Terran and builds Battleships, Vikings by the truckload: 2/3 spaceports building 2 Vikings each simultaneously. Amazing how 20 well upgraded Vikings can tear apart Battleships…

There are adjustments made to this strategy depending on who I’m fighting — not just the race, but the actual person. Some dudes I seem to see a lot and know how they fight. So I have a better idea of what (not) to do.

Code that just works. Bleh.

dda$ ./editrocket 
[LaunchRunner Error] The main class "load.EditRocket" could not be found.
[JavaAppLauncher Error] CallStaticVoidMethod() threw an exception
Exception in thread "main" java.lang.NullPointerException
	at apple.launcher.LaunchRunner.run(LaunchRunner.java:113)
	at apple.launcher.LaunchRunner.callMain(LaunchRunner.java:51)
	at apple.launcher.JavaApplicationLauncher.launch(JavaApplicationLauncher.java:52)

Starcraft 2. Move along. Nothing to see :)

Mi bucket list es su bucket list

So following a convo online I decided to update my travel bucket list. But first, places I have visited:

Now the bucket list – you’ll notice there isn’t anything in Europe. And of course some of the “visited” countries could also go into the want to visit (again) bucket list.

Most of these countries are in South-East Asia and the Pacific – Laos, Burma, all these funny Pacific Islands, OZ, NZ, Nouvelle Calédonie, Easter Island, Tahiti, etc. Plus Chile, Argentina and Mexico.

 

 

#TTOT Round-Up: Visa & Immigration

I didn’t have time to join #TTOT so I just read the roundup. Since Visa & Immigration is a favorite subject of mine – I’ve been in quite a few places in the last few years – I thought I’d add up, late as it is, to the discussion.

Q1: Ever been stopped at the Airport Immigration? What happened?
In the US. See this story.

Q2: Most treasured visa in the passport and why?
Chinese visa. Costs an arm and a leg and takes 5 days to renew.

Q3: What’s the funniest question you ever got at immigration?
Why are you in this lane? Seoul.

Q4: Have you ever been refused a visa and been given the weirdest reason as to why?
China, once in 2008, once in 2010. For being French. Seriously.

Q5: Do you think it’s fair that the world is not open to travel by everyone?
Fair doesn’t enter the equation. Life ain’t fair. Deal with it.

I could use a few questions of my own:

• What’s the fastest immigration you’ve been through? (HK, of course. But as a tourist, Kuala Lumpur)
• Longest, most tedious immigration? (Honolulu and Bangkok; Saigon a close 3rd)
• Nastiest Immigration officers? (USA, constantly; China & Korea, best and worst)
• Most ridiculous visa requirements? (China)