---
title: Week 38, 2026
created: 2026-09-20
modified: 2026-09-29
issue: 142
---

# Wisdom I Pondered This Week

* “You have to work hardest for the things you love most.” — Carol S. Dweck
* “Home is where all your attempts to escape cease.” — Naguib Mahfouz
* [“We can’t control the level of talent we’ve been given. We have no control over the nature of our gift. What we can control is our self-motivation, our self-discipline, our self-validation, and our self-reinforcement. We can control _how hard_ and _how smart_ we work.” — Steven Pressfield](https://stevenpressfield.com/about/)
* 寧為太平犬，不做亂世人。
* “As you take your eyes off the false prize, you put them on the real prizes: friends, family, sharing, caring, learning, meeting challenges, intimacy, rest, and being present, connected, and respected. In other words, those best things in life that are free. Like all things natural, building this wealth takes time, attention, patience, and reciprocity.” — Vicki Robin, [Your Money or Your Life](https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/1509321)

# Things I Learned This Week

* 「[干碟](https://www.google.com/search?q=干碟)」是四川/重慶火鍋桌上不可或缺的乾式沾料，與「油碟」（香油＋蒜泥＋蠔油等）形成兩大蘸（ㄓㄢˋ）料流派。常見配方：乾辣椒粉、花椒粉、碎花生、白芝麻、鹽，吃法：把燙好的食材直接在上面「滾」一圈，讓粉末均勻附著。選干碟的人通常是「無辣不歡」的重口味愛好者，因為乾粉的辣度比油碟更直接、更濃烈。
* [寫字樓](https://www.google.com/search?q=寫字樓) = 辦公大樓 = Office Building，是香港、澳門和廣東地區的常用語。
* 全球三大航空聯盟：星空聯盟（Star Alliance）、天合聯盟（SkyTeam）及寰宇一家（oneworld）。他們透過代碼/航線/票務共享、機場貴賓室共用及哩程互通，為旅客提供更好的轉機便利性。
* In Japanese, Gakuen (学園) translates to “academy” or “school”.
* [Dog Days 酷暑時節；淡季](https://www.google.com/search?q=dog+days) refer to the hottest time of the year, which in the northern hemisphere is usually between early July and early September. Dog days can also refer to a period of stagnation or inactivity suggestive of hot, sultry weather when it can be difficult to summon the energy required for hard work.