Chinese Snuff Bottle Discussion Forum 中國鼻煙壺討論論壇

Hi All,

I just  listened to  this  very useful  talk  on TEDx

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Work, parenting, creative hobbies: We all want to continuously improve, to get better at the things we care about doing. In this talk, educator Eduardo Briceño reveals a simple way to structure your time so you can always keep learning.

http://www.ted.com/talks/eduardo_briceno_how_to_get_better_at_the_things_you_care_about?utm_source=newsletter_weekly_2017-02-04&utm_campaign=newsletter_weekly&utm_medium=email&utm_content=talk_of_the_week_button#t-124478

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I think there's some  very useful lessons for us all in that talk  (certainly  for me !) as regards our collecting : both in the learning mode (e.g. private  research and reading)  and  in the performance mode (e.g  when  giving  talks  on SBs  -   or, on a  smaller  scale,  when writing on the Forum.)


Cheers
Peter

Thanks for the link Peter.  Good stuff...

Yes, thank you Peter...  :)

Peter,

Thanks once again for your sharing.

Though not many of us often give talks on subject like snuff bottles ( i.e. in the  performance zone ), some of us do occasionally share life / working experiences.
The TED talk does highlight the need for all of us to find time for the learning zone,
like the Chinese adage ' learn as long as one lives ( 活到老，学到老 ）‘。

In the area of our interests, since Richard Baey initiated the Sunday tea-time meeting of collectors, I have learnt a lot as we view and exchange views on the bottles we bring along. Yesterday afternoon, I could sense my own level of appreciation went up when I handle and examine some of the bottles brought by
the other 4 collectors ( I was in the learning zone ! )


Inn Bok

Hi  Inn Bok,

Wish I was  in Singapore with your Sunday  afternoon  tea-time !   :)

You  really  have a    great  VMIPB -collecting community there  in  S'Pore - for  which  thanks to  Richard Baey, a  true   stalwart if  ever  there   was one (from my visits to  Richard's home  it seems  he  has  twice as  many  books and  catalogs  on SBs than  actual bottles  -  and he  does  have a LOT  of  bottles)

That TED talk really  taught me some lessons !  One is  never  too old  enough to  learn !

But I  think  I can honestly  say I always applied those  TED-talk  lessons  because  I really (really)  put  in  about  2  years full-time work  =  4,000  hours*  in my spare  time  (spread  over  8  years elapsed  time   2006 - 2014)  working  on  building  my data  base  and  studying,  reading,  copying,  scanning  book  after  book  after  book on VMIPBs  and  then cropping/ titling/ filing  every   VMIPB pic  jpg   by  artist.

The 2014 ICSBS presentation  on VMIPBs,  which you  all can read  in  the  side  bar "Contemporary Schools Of Inside Painting",   took me  at least  2  months  full-time  work,  spread  over  about  8  months  elapsed  time  (not to mention the  time  my  PA  devoted  gratis  to  help  me make the  complicated charts  ! )

I'm  slowly  getting  back into the   swing  of the  Forum  after a voluntary   "time out"  caused  by various  factors.

But  once  back in  - it's  fun  to  "swim  in the  deep" with  you  guys

I only  have  one  plea  for  those  others  reading this ....   please  let's  keep  our  personal    stuff    (and the woffle !)  in the Lounge  and  let's not  mess up the  specific  topic  areas   with  personal   stuff -tempting  though it  often  is to  do so.

The  Lounge was  created (partly by  my own request)  as  THE  place  to hang  out  and  share  the personal  stuff

Cheers
Peter

* The  average working  year  in any  normal  company  is  about  2,000  hours, taking  into  account  working hours/week,  vacation  time, public  holidays   etc 

Thanks for sharing.  Powerful lessons and very thought provoking. 

Peter,

For your information, our afternoon tea group shares not only IPB's, but also material ones, and regardless of their age !

Currently, we meet on the first Sunday afternoon of every month.

Inn Bok

Hi Inn  Bok,

Yes  of course  material  bottles !   ;D

Please forgive my accidental over-emphasis  on IPBs  - although perhaps I can be  excused  because  S'Pore  more than  anywhere  has  lead the world in collecting MIPBs !  :)

(Also, indeed,  Richard  has a wide personal collection of many different types of  bottles)

I am now wondering  if  HK could possibly do something similar  if there  is a  quorum  of collectors   willing to  join (perhaps, initially,  Forum members,  and  then later inviting  ICSBS  members )

 ???    ???    ???   

Cheers
Peter

You are making me jealous... I so wish there were other collectors nearby in North Carolina.  I always learn from other collectors by talking as well has handling beautiful bottles.   I am so happy to be included in the Northern VA Group when they meet, but it is never more than twice a year.

Peter,

Including you, there are at least 3 Forum members living in HK, right ?

Start with three. And as the Chinese saying go, there is always a teacher among the three  :D :D.
So far the Singapore group ranges from 5 - 7 persons in the past few meetings. Richard can verify this.

Inn Bok

Dear Inn Bok,

     I think there are 4 or more: Samson, Curt, Geoff, and Peter. Have I forgotten anyone?
Best,
Joey

Hi all

Thanks for your kind words.

I have invited some local collectors to meet on a regular basis, once a month.

So far, we have 10 members and we meet on the first Sunday of each month. These are all serious collectors and many of them have years of collecting experience.

Although not everybody can attend every session, the turnout has been encouraging and we all learn quite a bit from each other's experience, not to mention the viewing of each other's bottles!

If any forum member happens to be coming in this direction, you are most welcome to join us for tea/coffee!

Looking forward to the next gathering in March!

Regards.


Richard

Hi Richard, All

I have many good  memories  of  times  spent  with  Richard,  who  - in turn  - introduced  me  to other  S'Pore  collectors, besides   welcoming me  to his  home   several times

Does  Yeo  Kong-Hoo   sometimes  join ? 
He's  a  great  guy  (as we both know)  and  also  a  ICSBS  committee  member

So...  I am  thinking  whether  we  should  set  up  a monthly gathering  in HK, and if so  what  is the  best  day :   Saturday  or  Sunday   dim sum ?  Or even  a  Friday dinner  somewhere  central and cheap ?

All ideas  welcome  from HK-based  Forum members

Cheers

Peter

PS:  I am  still  (just)  a  member  of  the  ICSBS  but  I am seriously considering  not  to  renew  my  membership  in May  this  year because   at  $150  for  a  3x  year  journal which  I  never read  it's  not  worth  it.

 Better  to donate  to  George  to  continue the  Forum !

But I still  have  access  to the  ICSBS  membership  handbook (as  does  Joey and  any other  Forum members   who are  also  ICSBS  members)

If there  is  even  a  remote  possibility  to  bridge  a  gap between the  Forum and  the  ICSBS ,  starting  in HK,  I'm  "in  for a  penny  -  in for a  pound"

Hi Peter

Yes, Yeo Kong Hoo is one of our members.

Regards.


Richard

Hi Richard,

Thanks  - that's  great  news.    :)

I  think that  Yeo  is  one  of  the most  truly  great-heated  (and most  modest)  guys in the  whole  SB  world

If  anyone  can  help  build  bridges  it's  Yeo !

Cheers
Peter

Dear Peter,

That's a great idea. Saturday dim sum is fantastic. How about let's begin the monthly routine this coming Saturday? We can get Geoff to join as well!

Best,
Samson

Hi Samson, Geoff, All  HK-ers,

You can  count me  IN  for  dim sum this  Saturday

I will  happily join a  monthly  gathering and any day of the  week /weekend  is OK for me because  I am retired  and I have no  have  big  family  weekend commitments   (IF I am in HK,  which often I am not because  these  days  I spend  almost half my time  at our second  home in China)

I'm also   wiling to  "bring a   bottle  or  two"  - I can imagine  that   bringing a  few hand-picked  bottles  would be a lot of  fun  and   also much more  focused  interest  than  visiting someone's  home  where  one is  faced   with a  bewildering display  of  bottles

I'm also willing to  bridge  to  the  ICSBS  members  in HK  as  long as  I  still   subscribe to the  ICSBS (not much longer)

Cheers    :D

Peter

Hi Guys and Gals,

Like Peter and Jo, I am quite envious that you Singaporean collectors manage to organize these "tea parties"! And then I read that the idea may take off in Hong Hong.

But after a few moments I thought.....
Why limit a regular meet-up to geographic location? I use Skype a lot to chat with friends and colleagues in group calls, often with camera, so we can all see each other. And it's completely free.

Why can't we extend this to a regular get-together to chat about and show (by web-cam) our bottles?

I'm not too IT savvy, so perhaps someone can propose how this could be set up.

Tom

Hi Tom

That's a good idea!

Perhaps this online sharing session can be done in addition to the local real live gatherings.

Setting up should be quite simple. You just need a free Skype account and a group can be set up. The admin can then invite people to the group and set up a date and time for the Skype session.

Once done, any member can just log in to Skype session and join the conversation.

However, as the transmission is over the internet or Wifi, sometimes the audio/video streaming may not be very smooth. Otherwise, it should be doable.

For your reference.

Regards.


Richard

Hi Richard,

Of course this could never replace a hands on gathering over tea, but does give others an opportunity to participate.

Skype is best for me as it is in my comfort zone. Other systems like facetime and line are beyond my reach.

So if anyone is interested in following up on this via Skype let me know.

Regards,
Tom

I am in too, qualified for my frequent travels and client engagements ...

Dear Tom,

Skype is a great idea too, I have a Skype account! ;) Ever advancing technologies do so much good in removing geographical boundaries between people and nations!

Dear Peter,

I will get in touch with Geoff and see if he's free to join us this Sat. Will let you know.

Best,
Samson

Hi All,

While  Skype is   great  for   compulsory   cross-world / time zone  business  meetings  it  would   surely  never  work  for  hobbies  like  SB  collecting

One needs  tea , food,  beer .... and the  personal interaction, which is  what  "lubricates"   sharing  hobbies

Just my  two  cents  worth

Cheers
Peter

Hi Peter

Yes, I agreed that meeting face to face is the best choice and cannot be replaced.

However, if that can't happen in reality, online meeting such as Skype will be the next best thing.

Regards.


Richard

Hi Peter,

This is a case of the well-fed preaching to the under nourished!
(in terms of proximity to fellow collectors)   ;)

Tom

Tom

We need one more person here in Bangkok... so we can have our own (hobby) 'lubrication'

Peter

Interesting choice of word...  :P

Pat,

There IS another collector in Bangkok. He has a nice collection assembled in Hong Kong in the 1960s.
I took Joey to meet him last time he was here, and more recently two other collectors. Unfortunately he no longer actively collects, so may not be too interested in regular meet-ups.

Can discuss further by PM.

Tom

Hi  all  HK  Forum members:

Samson  is  taking  great  initiative to arrange  a  local  HK  Yum-Cha  meeting

I am definitely  IN  for this  and  - if  later -  it  works  I will  try to  draw  in local  ICSBS members

Cheers
Peter