Wdnesday Night #852, July 1st
Canada Day 1998 saw a very relaxed small group of guests who with
the Nicholsons represented a microcosm of the population of
Canada. The dress was by invitation informal and the rules
regulating the flow of conversation were eased. Several of the
guests arrived sporting red "Canada" berets and maple leaf flags.
The rest arrived early and enjoyed meeting and exchanging ideas.
Although the topics were few in number, the participation was
active and the guests left feeling that there was much that they
had learned or relearned and that they had passed a stimulating
three hours.
Hong Kong:
The following day, July 2, 1998, marked the first anniversary of
the return of China to Hong Kong. Some had forecast an economic
downturn following that event, but little seems to have changed,
probably for several reasons.
- Under British rule, Hong Kong had evolved into such a
vibrant city, it would have been unthinkable that this spirit
could be dampened over this brief period of time.
- Unlike other European nations, Britain has historically
relinquished control of their colonies gracefully, leaving behind
language, laws and structures. This is most evident in India and
Africa (with one or two notable exceptions!)
- Throughout history, China has been a nation of traders.
When the opportunity for gain is reduced, the best emigrate while
others move up to take their place. This remains true to this day, despite a
repressive regime which keeps the lid tightly on in other areas.
Memory:
A new face at the table, Sylvain Henry, a consultant in information technology, is writing a book on learning languages. Using his system, an individual can expect to learn 3,000 words of a new language in a week.
Sylvain attended the Memory Olympics last year and spoke about the wide range of ages in the competitors, notably two who had placed 2nd and 3rd in one category, one of whom was a 67 year old man, the other a 12 year old girl - they had devoted almost identical time to preparing for the contest.
Memory is wisdom. We are wise because of what we remember of what we have learned. All our senses are receptors of memorable experiences. The blind develop excellent powers of recognition through what they hear, the deaf, visual. Persons deprived of both sight and hearing can recognize individuals through a sense of touch and smell. A novelist among the guests described her ability to remember and recall conversation. Age is not a
determining criterion for memory skill, although the speed of recall may be diminished with advancing age. Memory does depend on interest in remembering, therefore, some individuals appear to be gifted in remembering names, or trivia, or lengthy quotations, while others have other "gifts". In fact, generally, one remembers what one wants to remember and what one focuses on.
The means exist to improve memory, through concentration,
association, various memory-enhancing formulas as well as making
best use of all five senses. By enhancing memory, we can enhance
wisdom, wisdom we can call upon to solve problems. Our
educational system unfortunately teaches us to become problem-
solvers, but does not teach us to develop the means of solving
problems or in other words, to become creative. Youth should be
encouraged to rethink formulas instead of memorizing them.
On Becoming Successful:
In order to become successful, one must set clearly defined
goals. Having defined these goals, it is necessary to draft a
plan leading to the ultimate fulfilment of these goals to the
suppression of anything which leads even momentarily along a
different path. Human ingenuity will enable the person who
really wants to achieve a given goal, to succeed.
Québec:
The current government of Québec has made monumental errors of
judgment in education and health and social services, which have
upset all sectors of the population, yet it still enjoys a 49%
satisfaction rating. Although the Liberals are ahead of the
Parti Québecois in the polls among the general population, they
are behind among the francophone population, thus making it
unlikely for the Liberal Party to win a majority of seats if an
election were held today. The paradox is that 71% of Quebeckers
do not want to hear about the constitution, and 68% do not want
another referendum.
This will make for a very interesting election in 1998 or 1999. It is unlikeley that a decision on the timing of the election will be made until the results of polls taken at the end of the summer. Stay tuned!
By Herbert Bercovitz and
Edited By Diana Thébaud Nicholson
Hong Kong one Year later
after #852 we received
Date: Thu, 02 Jul 1998 13:01:14 -0400
From: sylvain henry
Organization: QuadRA Systems Corporation
Subject: Wednesday's meeting
Dianna and David Nicholson:
I just wanted to thank you for yesterday's invitation. It was an
evening I wish to treasure. You are great hosts. Your idea of creating
a problem-solving think tank (or mastermind group) for our society is
noble and exciting. No doubt you have the power to do much good for
Canada. I was quite happy to meet such prominent and interesting guests.
sylvain henry
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