Hi friends,
Greetings from Cape Town!
It’s summertime here in the Southern Hemisphere ☀️. But for most of you, I hope you had a great first week of Winter, maybe you saw the first snow ❄️. As someone who grew up in suburban Massachusetts, I’m used to having 4 seasons, all very distinct from each other.
Every place teaches me something new. Vietnam taught me military and political history. South Africa is teaching me about the natural world.
Here’s what I wanted to share:
Documentary. “Hit the books” is synonymous with study, but I don’t glorify books. While books are an excellent transmission of the written word, audio and video can be just as useful. This week, I watched a few documentaries: My Octopus Teacher, Jiro Dreams of Sushi, Ghislaine Maxwell, Japan in WWII, and Xanax.
Humor. My dry, sarcastic humor doesn’t land for everyone, so I’m exploring other types. Believe it or not, I’ve seen zero sitcoms or comedy shows. So this week, I decided to start the Big Bang Theory. PS: Share your comedy recs!
Financial Audit. Every month, I do a financial audit. In Vietnam, I spent $300 on travel, $300 on housing, $400 on food, and $1200 on entertainment. Moving forward, one of my foremost objectives is to reach a financially healthy state, which I define as Cash in > Cash out. So I’ve begun to prepare a series of course materials, with the hope of becoming a CS tutor. I’m also keeping my eyes and ears open for writing or Virtual Assistant gigs.
Best Things I Read
Anna Karenina. I recommend AK to anyone who wants to read something “outside the box”. It’s the opposite of a modern business book. Instead, it’s a panoramic view of Russian life in the mid-19th century. Very special to me because it was my gateway book to Russian Literature. After AK, I went on to read War and Peace, Pushkin, and Gogol. It’s relatable, palatable, and easy to read. I recommend the Pevear and Volokhonsky translation.
Madame Bovary. “She bought herself a map of Paris, and, with the tip of her finger on the map, she would take walks in the capital.” Emma Bovary is a French countrywoman who dreams of living in Paris, but finds herself with a man who doesn’t share her ambitions. Instead of telling a romantic tale, French novelist Gustave Flaubert chooses to tell a “realistic” story. This style of writing is called “Literary Realism”. I’ve found the Lydia Davis translation to be the most accessible.
5,000 Years of Debt. I first studied the history of money when I was researching crypto. This book debunks the classic Economics story, which says that money evolved as a solution to bartering (eg. trading apples for clothes). Historical records show that bartering did not actually exist. Instead, debt came first. Graeber also questions the assumption that “debts must be repaid”, claiming that by removing morality, debt turns into a pure accounting method.
Substack Chat. If you haven’t yet, download the Substack app, and follow my Substack chat! There I post daily updates, where you’ll see pictures of my favorite museums, foods, and hiking spots. After all, my goal this month is to try something new every day!
Cheers, man! (as they say in South Africa)
Leo Ariel
Hey Leo! If you are looking for comedy recs then I must mention one of my favorites from Netflix, "Comedians in cars getting coffee" created by Jerry Seinfeld. He picks up famous comedians and they do exactly what the title says. If you only watch one, watch the first one he does with Sebastian Maniscalco (15 mins).
I'm currently listening to the Debt audiobook by Graeber. It's been fascinating so far! Seth Godin recommended it on his first Tim Ferriss pod.
I'm inspired by your novel idea to explore alternate types of humor. I hope you share a future article on the topicl