You both like help.
You: hello
Stranger: Hi there.
Stranger: What's your name?
You: Adam
Stranger: You doing okay, Adam?
You: pretty much
Stranger: Here to help? Or is something on your mind?
You: What do you desire?
Stranger: I could do with some food.
You: mentally desire
Stranger: A new episode of Westworld to watch.
You: ah
Stranger: Yourself?
You: Honor. Something honorable.
Stranger: What are some examples of honour that you admire?
You: In myself?
Stranger: Anywhere.
Stranger: In anyone.
You: Thich
Stranger: Nhat Hanh?
You: born Lam Van Tuc
You: but I suppose most Buddhist monks would due
Stranger: What makes them admirable?
You: sacrifice
You: I higher cause than themselves
Stranger: Do you have a higher cause that inspires you?
You: Perhaps.
You:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effective_altruism
Stranger: Yeah, I've read The Most Good You Can Do.
You: That's great.
You: Are you religious?
Stranger: I'm not really, no. Buddhist, if anything.
You: Do you meditate.
You: ?
Stranger: I do, yes.
You: What kind?
Stranger: Zazen.
You: I hear that a lot.
You: I don't want to show my judgment...too much though.
Stranger: Like disapproval?
You: No. More-so lukewarm type acknowledgement.
Stranger: Haha, that's fine.
You: I recommend a course or finding a teacher.
Stranger: A course in what?
You: Meditation.
Stranger: Why is that?
You: It's worth it if you want to continue to meditate.
Stranger: Is there a particular course you'd recommend?
You: Vipassana
Stranger: Ah yep.
Stranger: Well, I've done a 10-day retreat from Goenka's lot.
Stranger: I'm happy with the teacher I have.
You: Do you mean had?
Stranger: No, I mean my current zazen teacher.
You: So you have a teacher?
Stranger: Yes, I attend a zen sitting group regularly.
You: Are groups worth it?
You: I feel as though it's somewhat distracting
You: or a supplement
Stranger: It's a little different. Of course most of your practice is alone. But there is something supportive about sitting as part of a group. There are distractions, of course, but there always are wherever you are.
You: I agree then.
You: What do you do?
You: For work.
Stranger: I do freelance writing, mostly for marketing agencies and companies making websites.
You: Do you have essays that you've written, such as for a blog?
Stranger: Nah, not really. What do you do for work?
You: I'm a green young student, who would like to write...but I have this mental construct of the starving artist...along with not wanting to be forced to write things
You: I wouldn't want to do...naturally on my own
Stranger: Well, yeah, that's the price you pay.
You: But I suppose I'll do that anyway in my future job.
You: anyway
Stranger: But writing to a brief - that is, writing what someone has asked you to write - can be challenging and rewarding.
Stranger: Have you done a Vipassana retreat?
You: Yes
Stranger: 10-day?
You: That's the minimum.
Stranger: How did you find it?
You: Online.
Stranger: Hah, sorry, I mean, what was the experience like for you?
You: Productive
You: useful
Stranger: Man, it was tough for me.
Stranger: I spent the first few days just mentally climbing the wall.
Stranger: walls.
Stranger: I'd just watched a whole season of a TV show before I went.
Stranger: And I relived the whole thing.
You: Ah, ha ha
Stranger: And Goenka mispronouncing "equanimity" drove me mad. Little things.
You: Oh, I didn't know
Stranger: Haha, it's a bit mean. Just his Indian accent.
Stranger: He puts the emphasis on the second syllable instead of the third.
Stranger: And then runs the rest of the syllables together.
Stranger: Petty, but that's what was in my head.
You: Where do you like to live?
Stranger: As in, which counry?
Stranger: country?
You: America, but whichever you'd like.
You: I feel like you are a part of the future "me"
Stranger: I haven't been to America.
You: ah
You: Then in your country.
Stranger: Well, its a small country. I'm in New Zealand.
Stranger: I like living in Auckland, which is the biggest city.
Stranger: But I like travelling around too.
Stranger: There are some beautiful places.
You: Hmmmm
Stranger: Where in the States are you from?
You: Wisconsin
Stranger: And how old are you?
You: 22
Stranger: What are you studying?
You: Electrical engineering is what I struggle with
Stranger: Why is that?
You: It is hard. I have ADD. I have trouble understanding with bad prof, such as those who don't give prior reading
Stranger: Is there support for that?
You: Yes, I get more time on tests.
Stranger: That's all?
You: Um, ya. Quizzes too I gues.
You: s
You: Well, I could have a note taker...but that's not useful.
Stranger: No, it wouldn't be.
Stranger: How about medication for it?
You: I prefer not to. I believe it would negatively alter my cognitive ability in the long run.
You: I did some light research a while back.
Stranger: What did you find?
You: What I just said. Although, it was implicit or not hard evidence. I don't think it could be anyway.
Stranger: On the other hand, you're finding it hard to study right now.
You: Depends.
You: It's hard to study when the professor does not define nor assign homework/practice problems
You: That's the issue right now in my Modern Physics course
Stranger: Are other students having the same problem?
You: For Modern Physics, yes.
You: not ADD related
Stranger: Okay, so there are two problems, and they're compounding.
Stranger: Has anyone talked to the prof about it?
You: He realizing the material he is teaching is very hard. It's solid state physics.
Stranger: What's solid state physics about?
You: semiconductors, phonons (a specialty field in which his research is based), etc
Stranger: Okay, what are phonons?
You: like photons except with sound
You: there's a tech. definition
Stranger: Like little travelling units of sound?
You: not quite
Stranger: What makes them like photons?
You: definition - quantum of lattice oscillations
Stranger: Okay.
Stranger: So phonons are quantum of lattice oscillations through matter?
You: Yes
You: I'm pretty sleepy, do you have skype?
You: to chat another day?
Stranger: Sure. My Skype is max***max
You: thanks, chat with you another time ;)
