Internally-etched crystal balls (and other shapes) are everywhere here. You can find them in temple (Buddhist and Daoist both) souvenir shops, in souvenir shops in general for those not in ball form (for some reason crystal balls are used only in 风水(fēng shui)/religious contexts, less commonly as souvenir decorations) and they come in sizes ranging from 30cm+ (which are HORRENDOUSLY expensive!), down to 4cm or less.
I shared a pic recently of a 10cm crystal ball with Buddhist iconography in it, and here now are two 4cm crystal balls (again with Buddhist iconography).
Now here's a dirty little secret. Small crystal balls (10cm or less) are DIRT CHEAP. The 10cm ball I shared earlier can be purchased for about $6 and these two balls (not the stands, those I had from earlier) I picked up for about $0.50. Not each: total. Including shipping.
Which is why I laugh so hard when I see a supplier on Etsy selling 4cm crystal balls with identical etching for almost twenty bucks a pop. For $20 I can get a 20cm ball if I look carefully enough.
Oh hey, here's a question for the #RPG and/or #TTRPG fans out there!
Imagine you're playing a one-shot at a convention. How much in the way of background/personality notes would you like in a pre-generated character?
The last game I ran at a con, I just cheated and used GI Joe filecard bios for a GI Joe themed one-shot (using #FengShui 2, for the record), so that had that wrapped up. But I'm running something original now, so I wonder how much depth players might want.
#MuseumCurator & #author Helene Bartleson has extensively mapped the island’s #Chinese#cemeteries & describes them as unique in their melding of nature & culture as a “singular spiritual heritage.”
“If you go to China, you won’t find cemeteries like these anymore,” she says.
The 4th century Book of #Burial by #Taoist mystic #GuoPu was instrumental in how Chinese residents of the island, mostly miners, were buried based on #fengshui principles, Ms Bartleson explains.
Comme la reconnaissance professionnelle n'est pas vraiment le fort des employeurs, Charose donne une médaille d'excellence à tous ceux qui verront ce post.
Merci pour les bienfaits innombrables découlant de votre travail.