The beloved dog frequently featured on this site is a delightful girl named Lulu, a mix of Pomeranian and Chihuahua. Lulu resides at my parents’ house. As summer approaches, she recently visited the groomer and got a complete shave. While I always found her fluffy and slightly unruly coat adorable, I must admit she looks equally adorable with her new buzz cut. Pets, whether cats or dogs, hold a special place in the hearts of many owners, don’t they? By the way, when Lulu returned from the groomer, my father laughed and exclaimed, ‘Take a look in the mirror!’ I have come to believe that this is my father’s way of expressing his affection for Lulu, after being his son for many years. Personally, I find those words to be profoundly meaningful. They encompass uniqueness, love, and even a touch of gentle criticism. It’s remarkable how such a concise expression can convey a range of thoughts and opinions.
Climbing the Mountain: The Long Journey to Achieving the Goal
From late April onwards, I have been sorting numerous pearls by grade and creating necklaces as I go along. The process of selecting and crafting necklaces goes beyond a few hours of focused attention required to make a single piece or a set of earrings. It demands sustained concentration over several weeks. This realization came to me after I began the work. I work as an office employee during the day, so these tasks have to be done in the evenings or on weekends. With one necklace, you can push through for a few hours and experience a sense of accomplishment upon completion. However, this work takes a considerable amount of time. My plan is to create 100 necklaces initially from over 10,000 pearls. The ultimate goal is still far away. It’s like climbing a tall mountain, one step at a time. Currently, I have completed a dozen or so necklaces, and it has taken about two months. Initially, it took a bit longer as I incorporated feedback from buyers. I believe I can increase the pace a bit from now on. These tasks involve gradually categorizing people from their teens to their sixties into similar groups. It’s akin to categorizing based on age, shared interests, similar height, weight, personality, and so on. While pearls may not have as many categories as humans, they can be classified by factors such as their brilliance, of which there are six levels. They come in different shapes, ranging from those close to round to those resembling drops, and everything in between. They are also classified based on colors, such as shades closer to white, strong pinks, silvery hues, intense reds, and more. Initially, I sort pearls based on their brilliance, then consider their shape, followed by matching colors. Oh, I almost forgot – the extent of any blemishes is also an important sorting criterion. The work progresses by considering these factors in combination.
A Small Revolution: Adopting Individual Pearl Washing with a Kitchen Waste Bag
The pearls that have been sorted one by one can now be drilled. They are washed to remove the powder residue. Starting from this time, I washed each set of pearls in a mesh bag. Previously, I used to wash them in batches, which took quite a long time. However, using the mesh bag made the process much faster. Although it may seem like a trivial matter, it was a small revolution for me. By the way, to be precise, it’s not a laundry bag but a kitchen waste bag that I use. I bought around 50 bags for 7 cents. They seem reusable multiple times.
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