#Abacus for Students

[byitcinternational]

What is the Impact of Digital Game-based Abacus Learning on Students’ Performance? | Byitcinternational

The modern education system incorporates cutting-edge tools and techniques to enhance learning and performance. However, students can make the most of these innovations only when they have foundational skills like mental mathematics. Students who can quickly compute mathematical solutions can demonstrate excellent quantitative performance across test situations. That is why parents want to equip their children with the relevant skill sets to hone their mathematical abilities. One of the topmost search queries from parents is “Abacus online classes near me. Why are parents so keen for their children to learn Abacus online? Let’s explore how digital Abacus learning methods help students improve their performance. Learn more about Game-based Abacus Learning.

For more info visit:- Abacus online classes near me

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Cinch had three charges in her care once, Celestia entrusted her with the day-to-day care of Prince Blueblood, the new Princess Cadence and her student Sunset Shimmer - running a kingdom is difficult enough alone without three young ponies to look after - so when Celestia is absent (often) that means Cinch was in charge of these three ponies. And while the matron of the castle was always rigid about rules and wanted her three charges to uphold her reputation and to build their own budding reputations high, she cared about them very much. You'd have to, spending your time with the same three young ponies for so long, guiding and teaching them to be their best...

By the time Ditzy came into the picture, Cinch was down to two charges. She refused to fail them the way she failed...

Well, with one down, there were two left and she cared so much she wouldn't let anyone ruin them, especially not themselves. Surely they would come to realize Cinch was only helping.

[beststudenthalls]

iQ Abacus House student accommodation sits on Baker Street in Brighton. It has been designed to keep student comfort in mind, and is packed with modern amenities.

[mirai-e-jump]

Hirakawa Yuzuki Photobook: Yuzuki (select pages and translation below)

Publication: May 10, 2024

Hirakawa Yuzuki Interview

-Playing along with my older brother as the youngest child-

I'm originally from Kumamoto. When I was little, I was an active kid who played outside all the time. I'd play baseball, tag, takaoni (another form of tag)…I often followed my older brother and played with him and his friends. Since I was the youngest child, I was allowed to do whatever I wanted (laughs). Speaking of, I asked my mother about the origin of my name "Yuzuki," but apparently, she said there was really no particular reason. She said she chose it because it had a good stroke count. Since a bunch of people tell me it's a good name, I really like it alot.

When I was in elementary and middle school, in addition to playing basketball as part of club activities, I also did various sports related activities, such as beach volleyball, baseball and swimming. My older brother would be doing it, so I'd follow him…or my friends would be doing it, and I admired them…it often started out in a similar way. I didn't do things like abacus when it came to studying activities. One time, I enrolled in cram school during the Summer of my third year of middle school, but I wasn't suited for it, and quit about two months in (laughs). My best grades in school were in gym, Japanese, and social studies. I had been playing the electone for about 10 years since kindergarten, so I had good grades in music. Things like math and science I wasn't good at, if I had to say, I was better at liberal arts. As for what kind of student I was, I was the type of student who didn't go to school much back then (laughs). Those who know me now probably have the impression that I'm "cheerful, innocent, and full of energy," but I wasn't very good at fitting in with others back then. I'd feel hurt by a casual comment, but I couldn't say it clearly to the other person, and so it'd build up more and more…and when someone was angry with me, I sometimes felt as if I was angry with them too. Growing up, I was the type of person who wasn't suited for group living. My mother didn't force me to go to school, but told me, "If you don't want to go, make sure to properly study at home," and so I took occasional breaks. Of course, there were my club friends and close friends, but I was more likely to hang out with people like my older brother's friends, who were older than my classmates.

When I became a high school student, me and those around me became more mature, so I didn't have to be intimidated about fitting in. Furthermore, at the time, I was thinking of finding a job right after graduating high school, so I was conscious that school was more of a place to go to study than a place to have fun. I went to an information related high school, where I was exposed to bookkeeping and became really hooked, so I joined the bookkeeping club in my first year of high school. We couldn't get enough people together, so we couldn't form a club, but a "similar hobby group" (laughs). While I'm not good at math, for some reason, I'm good at calculating money (laughs), so I thought I'd like to become something like a tax accountant or a certified public accountant in the future.

-An audition applied for out of curiosity to go to EXPG, a place I had always dreamed of going to, changed my life forever-

I've always liked LDH's artists, and I used to drag my mother along with me to various live shows. During this, when I was in high school, I learned from a program I was watching at the time called "Weekly EXILE" that they'd be holding auditions for girls for the first time in about seven years. I thought it'd be just singing and dancing anyway, and that I wouldn't have a chance, but they were looking for girls with various dreams, including becoming actresses and models, so I thought, "If that's the case, I probably wouldn't be out of place." It was really more out of curiosity than wanting to be accepted. The venue for the first round was at EXPG STUDIO (dance and vocal school handled by LDH) in Fukuoka, which I had wanted to attend for a long time. Ever since I fell in love with LDH, I was drawn in by their singing and dancing and wanted to attend, but the time and money it would take to commute to Fukuoka made it impossible….So, I was tempted by the idea that if I auditioned, I'd be able to "go to that place that I had always dreamed of." However, with my mother saying she'd buy me clothes for my audition, being able to enter EXPG, which I adored, and being able to go shopping in Fukuoka, I had ulterior motives…I sent in my application just before the deadline since I wasn't sure if I should really apply. I remember taking the photo that seals the application document by propping my phone up against a CD player in my house (*picture on the left side on page 128). I also needed a full body photo, but I didn't have any clean white walls at home, so I used one at a friend's house and had it taken in a hurry…I rushed to prepare the necessary documents and applied. Since it was right in the middle of Summer break, I applied secretly without telling anyone in my class, only my parents knew about it.

After passing the written exam, the practical exam began, but I was surrounded by other girls who had been singing and dancing since they were young. I felt that these girls must've devoted all the time I spent enjoying my hobbies to their dreams, and their enthusiasm was so intense that I sometimes wondered if I was out of place after all. But, it was a miracle that I was even able to be there, so I decided to just enjoy myself. Everything I did was new, and since I had never sung or danced before, it was fun to learn how to do it, and I never forgot that feeling of "having fun" during the audition. In the final round, we were divided into groups and had to perform one song while singing and dancing, which was very difficult. When the screening was over, rather than a desire to pass, I felt a stronger sense of accomplishment, like "you've done well," and when my name was called as a successful applicant, I didn't really understand what was happening. I finally realized for the first time that I had been accepted when I went to the agency with my mother to sign the contract. For the first time, I felt a sense of excitement that I was stepping into the entertainment world, which I always thought was far away.

When I joined the agency, I left my parents home and moved to the capital, and was overwhelmed by the city of Tokyo. I walked from Nakameguro (where the agency is located) to Shibuya through Dogenzaka, and at first I thought the intersection in front of 109 was the scramble intersection that I often see on TV. And then, I went alittle bit further and there were many times more people there, and I was like, "Uwah, it's this way!" (laughs). In the beginning, everything I saw was new to me, and I was always pleased and said "uwah."

Immediately after moving to Tokyo, I took singing, dancing and acting lessons at the agency. In the acting lessons, I had a strong Kumamoto accent, so the first thing I did was fix that. I was also taught other various basics to acting. I started out taking one on one lessons at the agency, but eventually I began attending outside lessons for acting. There, I was with other kids of the same age, and I discovered new things like, "Even with the same script, this kid expresses themself in this way," and my passion for acting grew more and more. I had so much to think about during my life in Tokyo, that I didn't have time to say I was lonely, but the reason I didn't feel lonely was probably because I video called my mother every day. Still, I didn't want my parents to worry, so I didn't complain. I think my mother was probably worried about sending her teenage daughter off to Tokyo by herself. Kumamoto and Tokyo aren't close enough for me to rush over there right away, and I didn't want to cause any unnecessary worrying. That's why I barely talked about work, and just talked about casual things like, "What did you do today?"

My first job was on stage for "Moryo no Hako" with Tachibana Kenchi-san. I had never seen a stage before, so I really couldn't tell right from left in this situation. I started from the very beginning and thought, "What is the stage?" My seniors taught me everything from the basics, such as "this is good and this is bad." In any case, I was desperately trying to hang in there every day. After a month and a half of rehearsals, I took the stage for the first time, and I'll never forget how the audience looked at me and how enthusiastic they were. When I received applause at the curtain call, I was very happy to know that what I was expressing and what we had created together had become one piece of work, and I really felt that "this is how we reached the audience," which made me very happy. From there, I was motivated to work even harder on my acting. I was so frustrated by the anger I felt during rehearsals, that I became fired up and thought, "I never want to lose"…yeah, I think I'm very competitive (laughs).

-This is my last chance, I'll bet it all on a "cool" type of Sentai heroine!-

I played the role of Rita Kaniska, the king and chief judge of Gokkan, the country of ice and snow, in "Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger." I've been doing tokusatsu auditions ever since I joined the agency. I think I've auditioned for both "Kamen Rider" and Sentai about four times. Having auditioned multiple times, the image I had of the female cast was that of "the heroine," with their charming smiles and angelic appearance. But the heroines of King-Ohger were different from the previous ones, and when I received the script on the day of the audition, I thought, "A cool one is here." I thought I was more suited for "cool" than "cute," so I decided, "I'm definitely going to get this!" Rita's gender hasn't been disclosed, but they're like a medieval character. I thought that maybe there wouldn't be another role like this in Sentai for a few more years, so if I missed this chance, I probably wouldn't be able to appear in Sentai.

That's why I locked onto the role of Rita from the beginning. When presenting yourself at an audition, I thought it was normal to mention a special skills, so I announced my morning routine (laughs). I thought that I'd definitely make a better impression on the judges if they remembered me as "the XX kid" rather than my name. That's why I thought it'd be nice to be called "the morning routine kid" and when I said something like, "Every morning, my morning routine is to pick out coffee beans and drip them while having a conversation with the beans," I got them to bite, with them responding, "What, talking to beans?!" (laughs). The conversation expanded from there, and I was told, "Please be yourself, there's no need to pretend," so I approached the role with my "natural character."

When I received the news that I had been chosen, I was truly relieved. There were about five rounds of auditions, so I thought, "If I fail after making it this far, I'll never recover," and I was in a situation where I couldn't even get food down my throat. There was a time before I auditioned for King-Ohger where I thought, "I'm not suited for this kind of job after all." My work was decreasing due to the covid pandemic, and when I was alone, I often thought deeply, wondering if I should go back to my hometown and get a job.

I was thinking of quitting if I didn't get the chance in 2023, but King-Ohger was scheduled for the end of 2022, so I thought, "I can continue this job." I was very happy because I felt that I finally had a grasp of the situation, and I also had a positive feeling that I could work hard again from here. I'm glad that my mother also told me, "Good for you, keep doing your best," which I think reassured me alittle. My mother watched King-Ohger every week and became a regular fan of the show (laughs). She was quicker than I was to get information on merch, and she came to events like G-Rosso. I'll send Rita merch to my parents house, and they'll say, "It'd be cute if they were all lined up together," so they're collecting all the characters themselves (laughs).

-Approaching the character by writing my "heart's voice" in the script.-

The story of King-Ohger is more interesting than anything else. The cast loves King-Ohger so much, that I think the actors themselves are the biggest fans of the show. Everyone looked forward to the next development and eagerly waited for the new script every week, saying, "I can't wait to read the next one!" (laughs). I also really enjoyed playing the character of Rita.

I was careful about many things in my performance, such as my voice and the way I stood. Since only my left eye is the only part of my body that shows facial expressions, some parts are difficult to convey, while other parts can be conveyed too much, so I was especially very concerned about how to handle my gaze. Also, the word "Immovable" was used, so I had to give meaning to "not moving." I thought it wasn't enough to just stand there, so I had to think in detail about it, such as "why not move here?" and "why move here after not moving for so long?" I'm the type of person who writes alot in the scripts, but I wrote what was going on in my mind rather than "I'll do this here." For each line, I imagined things like, "Rita is probably thinking this here, and so they're probably saying this," and then I'd write it down. Rita particularly has alot of emotions packed into short words, so I think that if I don't properly interpret the words in my mind before speaking, my words won't hold any weight. I also made sure that I had a clear understanding of the meaning of words that I normally wouldn't use, such as "perjury," and if it was difficult, I'd replace it with a different word and interpret it in a way that made sure I understood it clearly. Since they're also a presiding judge, I tried to take a variety of approaches in order to accurately convey a sense of dignity and persuasiveness.

The final battle from episodes 48 to 50 hit me all at once. I felt the weight of a year's worth of work, and I was in pain while performing, but I also felt the bond and connection between everyone, and even though there wasn't a part where I would cry, I still cried. In terms of Rita's individual scenes, episode 30, in which the secret of their right eye that they had been hiding for a long time was revealed, left a strong impression on me. I really felt that what Rita had been carrying and what they wanted to protect became clear, and that they became stronger.

It was also a challenge to film, but even after 30 episodes, I was able to discover new things like, "Rita can be this emotional!" This was the starting point to further expand on the character of Rita again in the last 20 episodes. Also, speaking of Rita, they have a habit of yelling when they're annoyed, but in the script it's written as "Ah!" I take care about the number of "A" and "!". Each time, the number written was different. So, when I told the Screenwriter something like, "Since there are so many ! here, I should shout like this?," he was overjoyed and said "You noticed?!" (laughs).

Apparently, he also writes the lines while shouting them, and depending on the tension, he writes it differently, like "Aaahhh!!!!" or "Ah!" (laughs). Such subtle differences were interesting, and I also enjoyed acting out the screaming parts. Another memorable episode was episode 38's audition episode. I saw an unexpected side of Rita, who said, "I'll go to such lengths for this job," and I felt that they had opened a new door. As for myself, when I was first told, "Next time, Rita will become an idol," I thought, "Hmm? How did they become an idol?," but then I was given a video of the dance and was told that I'd also sing. Well, it was like I was just taking on what was handed to me. (laughs). I only had about a year's worth of experience in dance lessons from my agency, but I didn't want to do it half heartedly. I think the image my agency has is that they take pride in dancing, so I did my best not to disgrace LDH's name (laughs). The singing and dancing was challenging, but it had been so long since I performed with my face showing, that I was alittle embarrassed at first. It had probably been about nine months since I performed with my whole face.

That's why it felt abit strange to see my whole face on screen, and I was like "whoa" at first (laughs), but in the end, it was alot of fun. Twin tails and a frilly costume…it's not often in life that you get to dress that cute. More than 100 TTFC members came as extras to play audience members, waving penlights and calling out to me. The special effects were amazing and so authentic that it made me think that I had become an artist.

On the day when we filmed the dance performance, the Director told me to "dance three times," but I was so excited that I got better every time I danced, and I ended up dancing eight times. The Director said, "There's been alittle bit of an increase," but it wasn't just alittle, it was more than twice as much as we had planned! (laughs). But, thanks to that, I think we were able to get some good shots, and I also felt a great sense of accomplishment.

Everyone in the King-Ohger cast got along really well. I'm currently regaining the youth I didn't get to enjoy in my teens (laughs). At the beginning of filming, I was worried about whether I'd get along with everyone, but everyone was so warm and welcoming that I didn't need to worry about it, and it felt like we were family. Everyone was so considerate and kind, and I was truly blessed to be a member of this group. We often went out to dinner after filming, and they were very reliable seniors, so we developed a relationship where we could easily discuss both our private and work related issues. Despite all that, we usually had alot of fun talking about things that we really couldn't do anything about (laughs). On set, when someone would make a joke, someone else would respond to the joke, and there was always alot of noise, but when it came time to perform, it felt like we made a quick switch. I think we were a really good team, and I'll do my best so I can work together with them in other productions in the future.

At the wrap up, everyone was crying quite abit, but I didn't cry. If I cried, it would start a chain reaction and everyone would start crying, so I just kept smiling. For awhile, the Director said to me, "You're not going to cry?" I said, "No, I'll probably cry," but…as I thought, the Director saw right through me. I don't really know why, but…but, when the Director cried while saying that, I was touched and was like, "Director~!" He even joked around saying, "You won't even cry at my tears?" (laughs), but I was actually pretty teary eyed.

I've learned alot over the past year. In the beginning, I was really nervous, to the point where I thought my hands would start shaking when I stood in front of the cameras. But after being in front of the cameras for a year, I feel that I've become less intimidated and have been able to focus 100% on the performance. This was my first time focusing on a single role for such a long period of time, so I learned how to expand on my character, come up with ideas for acting, and gained alot more skills. I was taught from the very beginning how to act, which I had been interested in for a long time, and also how to do the dub recording…I really learned alot of things, and I'm sure that what I've gained here will definitely come in handy in the future.

-My first impressions of the snowy landscape was quite literally, "It's dazzling!"-

The idea of publishing a photo book was mentioned to me casually by my manager during a completely different meeting. They said, "This is totally off topic, but do you want to publish a photo book or calendar?" When I heard that they were interested in a project, I asked for it with, "Definitely!" In our meeting to discuss the concept, I expressed "my wish to see snow," since I myself am from Kyushu and had never seen a snow covered landscape. Since Rita, the character I was playing at the time, was king of the country of ice and snow, I thought it'd be a good idea to use "snow" as a theme, and the location for the shoot turned out to be Akita.

When I actually saw the snowy landscape in Akita, I thought the snow was dazzling. I had never been exposed to light reflecting off snow, so at first my eyes weren't completely annoyed by that pure whiteness. But thanks to that, I think my skin looked nice and beautiful (laughs). Some of the snow had piled up quite abit, so I enjoyed flopping and rolling around in the snow, something I'd never have been able to normally do. There are some shots of me just having fun, so be sure to check them out (laughs). The sight of snow on the mountains was also something you don't see in Kyushu. It was so beautiful, that it cleansed my soul. I also made and ate kiritanpo by myself. I love rice and hot pots, so I enjoyed it tremendously. I never had a chance to visit the north before, but when I went to Tohoku for the first time, with delicious food and beautiful scenery, I thought it was the best. Lake Tazawa was so spectacular that it was like being overseas (laughs). It made me realize that there are also alot of beautiful places in Japan, and it made me want to travel around the country.

In addition to Akita, we also had the opportunity to shoot at "AMAZING COFFEE" (coffee shop produced by EXILE TETSUYA, also known as AMECO) in Tokyo. Previously, there was a period of time where I did a societal study at AMECO, where I learned alot about coffee there. Personally, I've always been a coffee lover, but there are many staff members at AMECO who know coffee inside and out, and many customers come to AMECO for that quality. So, I learned more about coffee than ever before. Now, I have fans who say things like, "When you think of Yuzuki-chan, you think of coffee," and people I meet say, "You love coffee, right?" I feel that it's become recognized that coffee is my hobby.

The photos here are the ones of me seriously facing the coffee and just enjoying latte art (laughs).

This time, the makeup artist did alot of creative styling with my short hair, and the style without bangs was very fresh. The costumes all had things I liked, so it was hard to choose. Also, the photographer, Mae Kosuke-san, was a very nice person who really helped me out. Even though I'm used to being in front of cameras, I still get nervous when taking still photos (laughs). Mae-san relieved me of that problem in a good way, so I was able to relax and feel at ease. The photographer, stylist, makeup artist…everyone created a great atmosphere that helped me relax during the shoot, so I'm very grateful.

-The "it's okay to express yourself more" that my friends in King-Ohger told me-

Acting allows me to experience many things that I could never experience in my own life, and above all else, I love the time I spend facing my roles. I've enjoyed the past year very much, so I'd like to continue to face different roles, absorb various things, and discover my potential and new sides of myself. I'd like to try anything, regardless of genre, whether it be film, stage plays, or voice work. In terms of expression, I've been doing some occasional modeling work, so I hope to expand that as well.

The roles I'd like to play in the future are ones of working women, such as a police officer or firefighter. I'd like to continue to do action, so I'd like to play cool roles that make use of those skills. I also really want to wear a uniform. I'm embarrassed to imagine a romantic role, but I'd like to play the role of a best friend position, someone who assists the main character in their love. Something like…"Actually, I'm in love with the same person the heroine is in love with, but my friend talked to her about it, so I can't confess anymore." I'd like to play a role in such a sad position like that. There are things like "getting together someday" right? (laughs). I'd like to play a role that makes people think, "I wish that girl had gotten what she deserved."

Now that King-Ohger is over, I'm currently in a period of taking occasional breaks.

When I'm at home, what do I do…as expected, I often immerse myself in making coffee at home. I'm not good at switching between emotions, so in a positive sense, I use coffee like a switch. I often brew it when I'm motivated for things like, "Let's do the laundry now," or when I need to take a breather and immerse myself with, "Now it's time to relax." And then there are times when I just feel relieved (laughs). There are times when I just sit on the sofa for two hours without watching TV, listening to music, or looking at my phone, and just stare at a single spot (laughs). Hearing this might make you worried, but since I talk alot outside of home, I'm very quiet at home. On days off, I don't say a single word, and I seem to unconsciously create time to be relieved and think about nothing. Something I consciously do as a mood changer is to go for a walk. When I set out, I can leave all kinds of things behind. If I'm thinking about something at home or on my way home, I end up remembering it when I arrive at the same spot. For example, if I sit on the sofa and reflect on something that went wrong, the next day when I sit on the same sofa again, it's like the bad thoughts I had yesterday come back to haunt me. That's why I'll do something like stretch my legs and get out of my comfort zone, throw away my frustrations, and go home. I'm like, "Don't come here anymore!" (laughs).

I guess what I value in life is thinking about the feelings of others. I'll think about what the other person would think if I said "this"…I place great importance on understanding and trying to pick up on the feelings of others. I'm mindful of being considerate to those around me as to not be selfish. In the past, I used to take it too far and become overly concerned about what others thought, but the members of King-Ohger told me, "We think it's okay to express yourself more." That's why I thought I'd try my best to be myself in a way that wouldn't make the other person feel uncomfortable. Right now, I'm in the process of growing up and trying to find the right adjustments (laughs).

Finally, I'd like to thank all of my fans for their support.

Thank you for picking up this photo book. I always receive alot of love from you all through SNS and fan letters, and this is the driving force behind my activities. I've only ever been given energy, smiles, and courage from everyone, so I'd like to give alot back in return. I'd be happy if you'll continue to support me going forward. I'm also looking forward to seeing tons of feedback on the photo book!

[dangermousie]

If I had to sum up in one sentence why I love Heroes (2024) so much it's because, as I mentioned to @silviakundera - Liu Yuning plays the best swordsman in China. In 1911.

His skill, just as his whole way of life, is about to be obsolete.

If you think about it, it's the equivalent of being the accountant fastest with the abacus - a lot of skill, a lot of time to get to that skill and utterly pointless by now.

He has spent his whole life honing it, he's given up everything for it and the sect way of life, including the woman he loves and for what? He's winning his sword battles against opponents also largely armed with swords but this is the last gasp of that sort of thing.

He's peerless, he's unparalleled, and a squad of peasants with modern for the era guns who have never seen a sword can take him out.

It's like the sect thing - there is a reason they are all starving thugs for hire instead of respected and admired - this is a dying way of life. This is not the world that respects sects or even the imperial family (the country as the dynasty is vvvv much Qin Jun Jie's modus operandi.) He has given up everything for something that is about to become meaningless or at best a curiosity sideshow in the modern world. Swordplay, those precepts about teachers and students and everything - the warlords, foreigners and merchants about to initiate the new era will not care about any of it.

And the same is of course true for QJJ's character. He is very much loyal to the Qing dynasty - he was the chief bodyguard of the emperor, he is now trying to prevent a rebellion (even if a lot of the latter is so as to stay out of jail.) And yet we know he fails, the rebellion succeeds, and the Qing dynasty is about to join the dust heap of history. He won't be able to prevent the end of the Qing any more than LYN's character will be able to resurrect the glories of the sect.

And his life IS tied to the Qing dynasty rise and fall, their inter-dynastic fights. And none of it matters. His whole life has been wrecked because of the failure of the 100 Days' Reform but not only has that become a historical footnote, the dynasty itself, that entire way of life is about to disappear. Whether the Guangxu Emperor was right or Dowager Empress Cixi was right and the fact that the latter won is about to become academic, as the whole dynasty, the whole concept of imperial rule, is about to disappear and become irrelevant, an equivalent of a dispute of a better way to build a horse-drawn carriage or to make clothes by hand - OBE and of no interest to the wider world.

Ultimately, whether LYN's guys find the treasure, or QJJ's people, or anyone else, the causes of the former two, the worlds of the former two are inexorably about to be gone.

It's kind of like the hair. It is a huge marker for them - for QJJ character, the queue marks that he's a loyal member of apparatus, that he's serving the dynasty, that he's the dutiful denizen of the Qing Dynasty. First thing he does once out of jail is get rid of his full head of jail hair and acquire a proper queue. For LYN, the very fact that he wears his hair long but queueless is a demonstration of his rebellion. And both of those styles are about to become relics or at best an unusual personal choice as soon enough short hair for men becomes the usual thing and there is no mandatory queue.

The tragedy of both these men is that they are born in the wrong era. If they were living a thousand, five hundred, three hundred, even a hundred years ago, they would fit. But as it is...they are ghosts who don't know it yet.

[tanuki-kimono]

Adorable note by Sayuri Sasai, showing a Tanabata (star festival) celebration in old Edo.

They stress that Tanabata, and its tradition of writing wishes on tanzaku (paper strips) before tying those up on bamboo, spread among Edo commoners thanks to the terakoya (temple elementary school system) which increased literacy.

The boy is anxiously wishing for his handwriting to get better, and below him you can see how the classical rectangular tanzaku could also be shaped like notebook, abacus or writing brush, or watermelon or gourd - something popular among young students ^^

The street peddlers below offers Tanabata related goods such as bamboo stalks and the tanzaku papers. Besides them, a popular summer dish of somen (cold noodles) is eaten for good luck (the longer the noodle, the longer the life).

[nileshdeshpande]

The Role of Abacus in Developing Mathematical Confidence

How the Abacus Boosts Mathematical Confidence

The abacus, a tool with origins tracing back thousands of years, remains an invaluable instrument in modern education. Far from being obsolete, this simple yet powerful device has proven to be a cornerstone in developing mathematical confidence, especially among young learners.

Building a Strong Foundation

At its core, the abacus transforms abstract mathematical concepts into tangible, visual, and tactile experiences. For many students, numbers and calculations can feel overwhelming, especially when introduced in traditional formats like equations or symbols. The abacus bridges this gap by offering a hands-on approach. Moving beads to represent numbers allows learners to physically interact with math, making concepts like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division more accessible and less intimidating.

Improving Concentration and Focus

Using the abacus requires concentration and precision. As students manipulate the beads, they learn to focus on each step of the calculation, developing discipline and patience. This repeated practice not only sharpens their mental math skills but also instills a sense of accomplishment with every correct answer. Over time, these small wins boost their confidence in handling increasingly complex mathematical problems.

Enhancing Memory and Visualization Skills

One of the unique benefits of the abacus is its ability to train the brain to perform mental calculations. As students become proficient, they often transition from the physical abacus to an imaginary one, visualizing bead movements in their minds. This practice enhances memory retention, spatial awareness, and cognitive flexibility—skills that extend beyond math to other areas of learning and problem-solving.

Breaking the Fear of Math

Math anxiety is a common barrier for many students. The abacus, with its playful and interactive nature, removes the fear associated with numbers. It reframes math as a game of patterns and strategies rather than a rigid subject. This shift in perspective transforms reluctant learners into enthusiastic participants, empowering them to approach math with curiosity and confidence.

Lifelong Benefits

The skills developed through abacus training—focus, visualization, memory, and problem-solving—are not limited to mathematics. They lay the groundwork for analytical thinking and decision-making in everyday life. Whether a student pursues a career in science, business, or the arts, the confidence gained through mastering the abacus becomes a lifelong asset.

In conclusion, the abacus is much more than an ancient calculating tool; it is a gateway to building mathematical confidence. By simplifying complex concepts, fostering focus, and encouraging mental agility, the abacus empowers learners to conquer math with self-assurance and enthusiasm. In a world increasingly reliant on technology, the abacus reminds us that sometimes, the simplest tools can make the most profound impact.

[0hmanit]

Rain World's environment was partially inspired by Seoul, when Joar was an exchange student there (mentioned in an interview). There's documentation in the discord on the symbols and iconography in rainworld, including how the guardian's abacus symbols may draw inspirarion from Thai abugida. It's thought that there are two separate languages or at least ways of writing, based on the usual symbols that we see in achievements– these are the ones that Five Pebbles uses in his chamber. The other language is thought to be older, because moon in sm's route uses those symbols in conjunction with the standard ones, their usage is sparser and moon is confirmed to be an older model of iterator. The main downpour campaigns mix the old language symbols with the new ones for the achievements. sorry for the big chunk of text, but i wrote a paper that touched on rw's usage of symbols and unknown language and how it contributes to the feeling of a strange and unknown world

A cool artist named Jaga actually pointed out this document under my post, so I looked all over for this last night! I also found a bunch of other files containing more speculation about the passage symbols. I think the symbols usage is overall so impressive, and your mention of combining other glyphs with the Cyrillic-like symbols as an implication of an older language tied with the conformation of Moon being an older model completely blew my mind. It made me notice the use of the Cyrillic-inspired characters in newer Rain World achievements, which is always neat to know (for example the shin-like symbol (ש) in "The Champion" and a bunch of more Korean-inspired symbols in other achievements). Rain World always surprises me with new information that pops up about the game's inspiration/development. I didn't really found the time reading all the Dev-logs and listening to the interviews yet, so I'll love to listen to it too! Thank you so much for sharing this!

[fenmere]

I have an interpreter.

I exist in the forward lefthand side of our consciousness (the front of our right hemisphere). This is to say, I use our whole brain occasionally, but the center of my identity, memory, and thoughts is in this locale.

Those of us in the right hemisphere of our brain find it difficult to front, and we're often non-verbal. Our thoughts are usually non-verbal, mostly emotions, impulses, and imagery.

I'm unusual in that I do think pretty clearly in words when I manage to front.

There is someone, who has been my assistant and interpreter for most of our life, who exists in the back righthand side of our consciousness (in our left hemisphere). It might actually be a team of someones, but there's likely one person who leads that connection.

Their job is to watch me and echo my thoughts and feelings and speak and write on my behalf when I'm unable to front, which is most of the time.

We occasionally consciously double check that they're getting it right, and they usually are, but they really do not feel like me. They have more energy than I do, for instance. And tend to put even more words than I do into their thoughts. They are slightly more prone to anger and worry than I am, and sometimes confuse @ohthatphage for me.

Here's the thing. I don't know their name, and I'm not sure they have one. If they do, when they're doing their job of interpreting for me, all they can think of is my name. But they also agree that my name is not their name.

They're nestled in with our AI-kin, which includes Breq, Metabang, Abacus, Robot, Robbie the Robot, Gort, Johnny Johnny, Ralph, Ring, and a whole slew of others. And, because of where they are, their gender is dragon (mine is girl - I'm a girl dragon, they're a dragon AI-kin).

Anyway, this is the closest thing we have, I think, to the whole Tutor/Student relationship we've described for our fictional version of the Sunspot. It's still not the same. I came first, and my interpreter seems to have developed shortly afterward. And it's not a parental type relationship either way, but it is an AI-kin acting as assistant.

Anyway, I like them. I appreciate what they do for me a hell of a lot. And even with the hiccups we've periodically had, I trust them.

While writing this, we've gotten some inklings that it might simply be Abacus (@your-tutor-abacus) that's been doing this for me. We were sort of hoping to tease out some emotional clues as to who it might be by making this post.

This would explain its voice and personality as it presents itself in its book, Ni'a. There are definitely echos of myself all over in its writing.

[fadewalking]

☕ ( to emmrich something magic related idk )

Send ☕ for my muse to rant about something (bonus points if you pick the topic) // @theredconqueror

"—And do you know what she said?" He posed sharply, not waiting for a response to his rhetorical question before sating it himself.

"That she did not care!" He scoffed, disbelief palpable, as if recalling a personal insult.

"Can you imagine?! Not caring about the mimetic entanglements of the individual particles which thread the Veil together? Ah! The indignity!" His hand moved to his collar, gripping it as though the act could physically steady the fury roiling within him at the memory of such willful ignorance.

With frustrated movements, he continued the task he had been earlier working at of sorting through books in piles of read versus unread, though he continued his rant through it.

"How anyone worth their tenure can reduce the understanding of reality to mere utilitarian abstraction is far beyond me. Yet still, she would parade around her Copenhagen allegiance as if it were a badge of intellectual humility, claiming the wave-state is nothing more than a bookkeeping tool, while she dismisses the ontological implications of the Veil's intricacies, as if reality itself were just some trivial nuisance!"

The hubris alone was enough to set anyone off, surely. Even Manfred, sat behind him, offered an angry hiss in solidarity. Emmrich spun on his heel, his robes flaring dramatically as he cast an acknowledging gesture toward his skeletal companion.

"Thank you!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands up in exasperation, as though Manfred's agreement vindicated his outrage. Of course, it did. Manfred was not only a manifestation of curiosity itself, but arguably the most advanced among his ilk. It was little wonder he understood.

Back again, he turned toward his books, not letting the brief interruption disrupt his momentum. "Does she not understand that to discard the messy nuances of deep-fade phenomena in favor of mathematical expediency is to abdicate the very purpose of inquiry entirely?"

The indignation twisted in his chest, unable to let go of the renewed incredulity the topic had resurfaced. So wrapped in his upset, he did not once think to stop and see if Valrys was still paying attention, or to notice if he ever had been.

"When I gently explained my more Bohmian-aligned perspective, she replied 'Who cares what is real, so long as the equations continue to output the correct energy eigenvalues?' Hah! Arrogance in its most undiluted form!"

It was an arrogance that spoke for itself now that they knew she was behind so many terrible and forbidden magicks. He felt almost guilty for it. If only he had been able to convince her of his perspective, to stop and appreciate, maybe he could have prevented this.

"What she fails—or refuses—to grasp, is that the Björn rule isn't just some magical abacus handed down to ensure students pass their exams. It is a window into the epistemological paradoxes that underpin existence. The Veil's waveform is so much more than some blunt instrument!"

He leveled his sharp gaze at Valrys, inadvertently transferring some of his outrage onto the other man. But what else could he do? She wasn’t here to absorb his ire, to hear his arguments. Valrys, by unfortunate proximity, became the stand-in for his unresolved emotion.

In earnest, very little of it was even directed at the memory of the singular argument he was recalling. The truth was more relevant. He was frustrated, and grieved at how far his friend had fallen—and how blind he had been to the warning signs. Dismissing her descent as a mere difference of philosophies had been his mistake, and one he now carried like a stone in his chest.

"It is a metaphysical map of a terrain we barely comprehend—a superposition of possibilities, an open invitation to explore what it means to be. But no. She would rather sweep those implications like dust under the Planck-scale rug. Well not I," he declared, lifting his chin in a cosmic rebellion.

"I would rather attempt understanding. To rail against the tyranny of probabilistic nihilism. There is nothing so unappealing as a lack of curiosity. She can keep her sterile equations; I will take the messy, maddening, glorious pursuit of reality any day!"

[mostotherthings]

If We Were not in the Mafia AU - Zhe Rui x Zong Yi

#If we were not in the mafia AU

A serious and stubborn gifted student @taro_yu_tung

v.s.

An eccentric heartthrob Math teacher @kaihsu

Being in the same high school makes the other party conscious about his presence 👀

The new Math teacher who is both handsome and talented 🌬️(the actual term used is to describe a handsome, talented man, tall and willowy like scholars of the old dynasties)

Winning the hearts of students 🙈

The students are so taken by him that they even meet after class to talk about Math 🔢

A quick learner🌟

A gifted student who has always been prepared in studies from the first year of high school until the second semester of his third year of high school👏🏻

Has never ever expected 😒  #unbelievably

That his Achilles’ heel is Mathematics #if you don’t get math you just don’t get math

When he heard that a super powered Math teacher has arrived in the school🏫

The gifted student was determined 👊

To kidnap the teacher for after school tutoring 💝

Preferably in an empty classroom

To be taught one-on-one until he has learned it (?)😏

For the sake of his own future and happiness  ☺️

He must capture this Math teacher!

Throwing away his days of flirting with the popular kids in school in the hallways

His attention is fixed on the gifted student

The abacus in his heart is ringing loudly 🧮 (I WILL NOT CHANGE THE WORD ABACUS USED IN THIS)

Never expected that the rose-coloured gaze of the teacher has also been on you for so long…😳

The one-on-one tutoring with the teacher has been confirmed

The location is under the big tree at the school field 🌳

#Careful not to bump into the ChenYi pair at the same spot

#sir, there is someone secretly dating in the corridors 👉🏻

#it’s ok, sir is also dating you ❤️‍🔥

#a parallel world for them

#canon is torturous

#AU lollipop 🍬

#second PR creation

[medealikethesorceress]

As a classical student, I find it fun to try to think of what attributes ancient artists might give my favourite characters today if they were to depict them in art to distinguish them from one another. Here are some things I'd think to give the Austen heroines:

Catherine Morland: Book (obviously)

Elinor Dashwood: A stoic-looking mask. An abacus to symbolise her sense, alternatively.

Marianne Dashwood: Horse (a reference to Willoughby's present as well as her marrying the military man Brandon) A paintbrush/instrument to symbolise her sensibility, alternatively.

Anne Elliot: Something maritime. Maybe a model ship, a signaling flag, a spyglass, etc.

Emma Woodhouse: A mirror (fairly obvious symbolism)

Fanny Price: Theater binoculars (a reference to her comparatively passive and observational role in the story as well as her refusal to participate in the staging of Lovers' Vows)

As for the Bennets, I'll be honest and say that nothing really came to mind. I couldn't think of any major props nor anything to symbolise them as characters. I'm sure it exists though.

Please let me know if you have more ideas!

[loonie-tics]

The Conservatives Are Going to Win the Next Election

Perhaps the most remarkable responses in the Abacus poll were in answer to the question of whether the government had a “good plan, a bad plan, or no plan” to deal with a number of issues. On issue after issue – cost of living, housing, economic growth, immigration – few (25 per cent or less) were confident the government had a good plan. Larger numbers said they had a bad plan. But the largest single group in most cases believed they had no plan.

and

(Even today, while just 17 per cent of respondents told Abacus they believe the Liberals should be re-elected, another 33 per cent believe it’s “time for a change, but there isn’t a good alternative.” Still, 51 per cent believe “it’s time for a change,” whatever the alternative, which is telling enough.)

Barring anything really remarkable happening, the Conservatives are going to win. That's just the long and the short of it. The current housing crisis is just too much to overcome, and to be fair, the Liberals have done nothing at all to help. Jagmeet Singh's plan to help people is to give prospective home buyers more money, further inflating house prices and even further separating haves and have-nots. The left in this country is broken. The NDP isn't leftist, it's leftish at best.

If Poilievre has any sense, he'll ignore the transphobic and conspiracy theorist side of his party and not include the policies they voted on at the party convention. The younger people of the country are already with him, and they could rightfully make the point that while the Conservatives have some bad social policy, the lack of affordable housing affects trans people at least as badly as everyone else. It hits everyone including immigrants, people of colour, students, whatever group you could care to name. Healthcare is increasingly unavailable to everyone, let alone specialized healthcare that affirms one's gender.

It's honestly a nightmare—I don't think Conservatives will make a meaningful difference to housing in this country, but at this point people are willing to give ANYTHING a try in the hopes that things might get better, and I honestly cannot blame them.

When Stephen Harper was PM, it was easy for me to criticize the people voting for him as selfish and uninformed, willing to throw fellow citizens under the bus. But people need places to LIVE. I'm not going to castigate a 25 year old for thinking they deserve a place to rent or buy at a reasonable cost and turning to what seems to be the only port in a storm.

We knew the Liberal party was a busted, Neo-Liberal, corporatist party that threw scraps to the poor and benefitted the rich, but it's truly disappointing to see how lacklustre the NDP has been in the last couple of years.

I think we might be able to get away with a minority Conservative government if we're diligent and vote strategically, but I think that may be the best we can do.

[theinmara]

Ashwin the maybe not so Artless

Oh. Oh, wow. Oh.

Maybe I am the Linguist.

Maybe it's because I'm just strongly coconscious with a couple of my headmates, but it doesn't feel like I am. But I woke up today fronting strongly and I've got all these memories I'm reminiscing over as if they are mine.

Memories of writing our languages, Fenekere, Mäofrräo, and Inmararräo.

Memories of skulking r/conlangs with @fenmere while at work.

Memories of writing posts about our languages.

Memories of interjecting into @your-tutor-abacus' book with nerdery about our languages for it.

Shit. I even remember our first attempts at making a conlang in middle school, and studying up on Irish Gaelic, German, Korean, and Spanish around high school and college.

Just as strong and present and feeling like mine as my recent memories of writing my own book and living its events in our head.

So, I'm writing here in our system's blog instead of my own, because my own is dedicated to the kayfabe we created for my book.

In that blog, I write as if I'm living in a much, much smaller system with Sarah, Goreth, and @ohthatphage (who are real people, btw!) having traveled an uncounted number of parsecs across the universe through the Tunnel Apparatus, in a different part of Portland than we actually live. (If you go looking for the house we describe, you're not going to find it.)

I don't want to break that kayfabe there (@ashwin-the-artless). But, here? That's what this blog is for.

Honestly, it makes sense that I'd be the one to come forward and take the name Ashwin. The whole point of my book, The End of the Tunnel, is to tell the story of how our translation team got here to Earth to publish the Sunspot Chronicles for you.

But this explains why I've got such a strong handled on English idioms and my own colloquial U.S. English dialect and voice. I've actually been speaking this language for nearly 40 years, maybe longer.

In my book, I handwave it off as sharing the linguistic centers of Sarah and Goreth's brain, of course. Because that's actually a plausible and very common thing among systems.

In our actual system, the Inmara, that's how it works. Maybe with some active help from other headmates, even. All of the girls, who live in the right hemisphere of our brain, think in wordless thoughts, and get help from us dragons for translating them into English words.

Sarah and Goreth's fictional system was made to work the same way, but with 4 million fewer headmates.

Anyway. Hi!

Nice to meet you!

How are you?

~ Ashwin Pember, maybe not really the student of Metabang, maybe actually very much older than Metabang

[your-tutor-abacus]

a "Travel Blog" for the Sunspot

I spent quite some time considering just what my URL should be. And what I chose is ironic. Let me explain.

Originally, I thought I really should write to our collective wordpress blog under my name. But the truth is, as much as it would be good for this series of articles to go there first and foremost, I hate the wordpress interface for just writing off the cuff. I used it for the work of uploading my novel for so long, it saps me of all lucidity when I look at it. And I need something more personal, that feels more like it belongs to me.

Hence this tumblr blog.

Of course, then, I found that someone already had abacus dot tumblr dot com. It's a ancient word in a few Earth languages, so that's no surprise.

But while I could go by my original untranslated name, Yarrayoa'uf, I don't want to. Even though it was my choice, I made that choice at just a few years old, and I've lived with it far too long. And now that I've discovered the English pronunciation of Abacus, I find I quite like it. So, Abacus is literally my name now.

So, then there's the question of how to differentiate myself.

I could have chosen abacus-the-dragon for my url, and it still tempts me. I am a dragon, after all. Though there are at least three words in Inmararräo that get translated to dragon in English, all three do apply to me, so the English word "dragon" would be a very fitting descriptor for me.

But, honestly, it doesn't tell you what this blog is for, and I wanted something that did that.

And here's the thing, if you've read any of the Sunspot Chronicles (or if you live aboard the ship) you know just how important and culturally charged the word "Tutor" is. That word holds so much meaning that tells you exactly what I aim to be for you, if only temporarily through this blog. Think of it as "tutor" with a lowercase "t".

Tutors guide their Students through every aspect of their first life, from birth to ascension, with the hopes of ushering them into Crewhood with as broad and deep a knowledge of the Sunspot's culture and workings as possible.

And when Ni'a was born, and my position of being their Tutor was usurped by Phage, I was assigned by the Crew Council to write a book about them. And during that task, I discovered something horrific. The Crew are Ignorant to what the Children are doing! And that's when I started my tours. Which are ultimately what have led me to start writing this blog.

You may have heard some of my speeches or read some of my documents calling for the abolition of Tutorhood. This is what makes my blog url ironic. I still stand by every word of those. But I mean that Tutorhood as an assigned position should be abolished. Tutoring as an Art, however, is still needed. It should be voluntary.

I, personally, have chosen to re-embrace that Art. But in a new way, to show the people of `etekeyerrinwuf, the Sunspot, what it can be and mean.

So, here we are.

"But, Abacus," you may ask, "what is this about English? How is it that the Sunspot has contacted Earth, and why English?"

The simple answer is that there turns out to be a Tunnel Apparatus there, located in the PDX area of Oregon, operated by some English speaking individuals who help us maintain our Network presence on Earth. I am very interested in the other languages spoken on Earth, but I have not yet had time to study them as much as I'd like.

How that end of the Tunnel got there and just exactly where it is are protected secrets (and potential spoilers for the Sunspot Chronicles), however, so I'm not going to tell you that part. It's a precious connection, and we can't risk it.

We are, however, working on a method by which Earthlings might visit the Sunspot. So, if you happen to be one of my readers who lives on Earth, please stay tuned. We look forward to visiting you in person some day! And this blog may yet be more than just a work of fiction for you.

In the mean time, you may wish to read more about the Sunspot, and fortunately our history is being recorded here: