My Diary – Leonardo Cardillo

Key Takeaways

The core story

A winter-time upper-airway illness moved in fast after travel, starting with a mild morning sore throat, then turning into heavy nasal mucus and sudden nighttime blockage in Mexico (North America) in late December two thousand twenty-five and early January two thousand twenty-six.

The practical thread

Saline mist can be used often and is a low-risk helper for thick mucus and a blocked nose, while strong decongestant sprays like oxymetazoline feel “magic” because they shrink swollen nasal lining very quickly, but can backfire if used too long.

The safety thread

With daily fluoxetine and methylphenidate already on board, “one bottle for everything” cold products can be a trap: some cough suppressants and decongestants can clash with those medicines or push blood pressure and heart rate higher.

Story & Details

A trip, then a small throat signal

Travel on December twenty-first was followed by a light morning throat ache that stayed mild and then faded. Sleep remained “more or less fine,” and there was no clear fever feeling. The main goal stayed simple: recover quickly and keep working.

When the nose took over

By the end of December, the throat no longer mattered. Thick nasal mucus became the headline, with a heavy “not at one hundred percent” tiredness but still enough energy to function. The mucus looked yellow at times, which can be normal in a common cold as days pass.

The swing: fine by day, blocked at night

Daytime could feel close to normal, then nighttime would flip the switch. Nasal congestion climbed to very high levels, with pressure felt between the eyes. Walking around helped only a little. This pattern often happens because lying flat changes blood flow in the nose and makes swelling feel worse, and indoor air can dry and irritate the throat and nose.

Why oxymetazoline feels so powerful

Oxymetazoline works fast because it tightens tiny blood vessels in the nasal lining. Less blood flow means less swelling, and air suddenly fits again. The problem is the “rebound” risk: repeated use can train the nose to swell harder when the spray wears off. That can create a loop of needing more spray for the same relief.

The pharmacy hunt and the simple tools

A first stop offered saline mainly as bottled “serum,” not as a mist spray, which felt oddly hard to request. A second stop solved the problem with a nasal saline mist, and the plan became practical: use it preventively when needed, not obsessively, and keep hot showers as a steady support. Honey was not an available option at home.

A calm morning, then the cough

After a night of sleep from 9:00 p.m. local time to 6:00 a.m. local time, the matching clock in the Netherlands (Europe) read 4:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The nose was calm, with little to no mucus. But a dry cough appeared, especially when speaking, about once every fifteen minutes. There was no strong throat pain, and chest discomfort was mild and mainly tied to coughing. This kind of cough often comes from a sensitive throat after a cold, from post-nasal drip, or from dry air and voice strain.

The “feel better now” choice, with daily medicines in mind

Daily medicines in the background were methylphenidate 36 milligrams, fluoxetine 20 milligrams, losartan 50 milligrams, and atorvastatin 10 milligrams, with blood pressure usually well controlled on losartan. A “single medicine for all symptoms” sounded tempting for speed, but the safer path stayed targeted: saline for the nose, rest and fluids for the throat, and careful pain relief when needed.

Paracetamol with caffeine was chosen after morning coffee and methylphenidate, with the first dose taken at 9:27 a.m. local time, when the clock in the Netherlands (Europe) read 4:27 p.m. Energy still felt low because of fatigue, but congestion stayed minimal.

A tiny Dutch phrase set

These short Dutch lines fit a pharmacy visit and simple symptom talk.
Ik heb een verkoudheid. Natural meaning in English: a cold is present. Word-by-word: Ik means I; heb means have; een means a; verkoudheid means cold. Register: neutral and common.
Mijn neus zit dicht. Natural meaning in English: the nose is blocked. Word-by-word: Mijn means my; neus means nose; zit means sits or is; dicht means shut or blocked. Register: everyday speech.
Heeft u een zoutoplossing neusspray? Natural meaning in English: asking for a saline nasal spray in a polite way. Word-by-word: Heeft means have; u means you in a polite form; een means a; zoutoplossing means salt solution; neusspray means nose spray. Register: polite and normal in shops.

Conclusions

The clean ending

By Friday, January second, two thousand twenty-six, the story looked like a common cold that changed masks: throat first, then the nose, then a lingering dry cough. NeilMed NasaMist fit the “do no harm” lane for a nose that swings between clear and blocked, while oxymetazoline explained its own popularity through speed and strength—paired with a real reason to keep it short and rare. With fluoxetine, methylphenidate, and controlled high blood pressure in the mix, the simplest symptom-by-symptom approach stayed the most reliable way to feel better without adding new problems.

Selected References

[1] https://www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/media/pdfs/Common-Cold-P.pdf
[2] https://www.cdc.gov/common-cold/treatment/index.html
[3] https://www.entnet.org/resource/aao-hnsf-updated-cpg-adult-sinusitis-press-release-fact-sheet/
[4] https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23393-rhinitis-medicamentosa
[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538318/
[6] https://www.cochrane.org/evidence/CD000980_vitamin-c-preventing-and-treating-common-cold
[7] https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/laryngitis/
[8] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38569181/
[9] https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/in-depth/blood-pressure/art-20045245
[10] https://www.drugs.com/drug-interactions/caffeine-with-methylphenidate-450-0-1606-0.html
[11] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mw120Bq-RP8

Appendix

A–Z

Acetaminophen. A common pain and fever medicine, also called paracetamol, used for comfort in colds but not a cure.

Alpha receptor. A type of nerve signal “switch” on blood vessels; when triggered by some nasal sprays, vessels narrow and swelling drops.

Caffeine. A stimulant found in coffee and some pain tablets; it can lift alertness but can also raise heart rate or blood pressure in some people.

Common cold. A viral upper-airway infection that often brings runny or blocked nose, sore throat, and cough, usually improving with time.

Decongestant. A medicine that reduces a blocked nose by shrinking swollen tissue; some are sprays and some are tablets, and some can affect blood pressure.

Dextromethorphan. A cough suppressant found in many over-the-counter products; it can be risky with some antidepressants.

Fluoxetine. A selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant; it can interact with some cough medicines that also affect serotonin.

Intranasal steroid. A nose spray that lowers inflammation over days rather than minutes; often used when swelling and congestion last.

Losartan. A blood pressure medicine that helps relax blood vessels and is often taken daily for hypertension control.

Methylphenidate. A stimulant medicine often used for attention disorders; it can increase heart rate or blood pressure in some people.

Nasal saline. Sterile saltwater for the nose, used to thin mucus and soothe lining; it does not cause rebound congestion.

Oxymetazoline. A strong nasal decongestant spray that tightens blood vessels fast; overuse can trigger rebound congestion.

Post-nasal drip. Mucus moving from the nose down the back of the throat, often leading to throat clearing or cough.

Rhinitis medicamentosa. Rebound nasal congestion caused by overusing decongestant sprays, making the nose feel more blocked when the spray wears off.

Sinusitis. Inflammation of the sinus spaces; it can be viral and self-limited, and a bacterial form is less common and has a different pattern.

Vitamin C. An essential nutrient; routine daily use does not prevent most colds, and starting it after symptoms begin has mixed evidence.

Key Takeaways

A small clue on a small napkin
A loose restaurant napkin from Vips in Poza Rica, Veracruz, Mexico (North America), held a neat little drawing made by a nine-year-old girl who will turn ten on May 23, 2026.

A likely source: a classic pen-and-paper game
The marks match the feel of Dots and Boxes, a competitive dots-and-lines game often called Timbiriche in Mexico (North America).

Copying is not a problem by default
Imitation is a basic way children learn skills, and pattern games make copying look like “new art” when it is really practice.

Story & Details

A family table, a plain napkin, a surprising sketch
By early January 2026, the meal at Vips in Poza Rica, Veracruz, Mexico (North America), was already over, but one small object stayed memorable: a loose napkin with a child’s drawing. The first feeling was doubt. Did the child invent it, or copy it? The second feeling was stronger: the shape looked like something seen before at the same kind of table.

How the game works when it is played as a race
Dots and Boxes begins with a grid of dots. Two players take turns drawing one line, either horizontal or vertical, between two neighboring dots. A player who closes the fourth side of a square wins that square, marks it, and plays again. The board fills up. The score is the number of squares claimed, and the winner is the player with more squares.
As a contest, the game has a clear rhythm: fast safe moves early, tense moves later, then a rush of points when long chains of squares open. Math sources describe these chains and why the “best” move is not always the move that closes the most squares right away.

Why a child might “copy” it at a restaurant
Many family restaurants hand out activity sheets, simple coloring pages, and quick games. A dots-and-lines contest is perfect for that: it is quiet, it fits on paper, and it feels like a challenge. A child can also copy a pattern seen on a page, then replay it from memory on a napkin. That is not a sign of dishonesty. It is how practice often looks.

A careful note on personality claims
A single drawing on a napkin cannot support a full psychological profile. A sketch can show attention, mood in that moment, or simple boredom relief, but it does not diagnose character. Reading “deep meaning” into one small picture is easy to do, and easy to get wrong.

Where the word “Timbiriche” comes from
The word “timbiriche” has a life beyond the game name. A major Spanish dictionary records meanings such as a small stand or kiosk, and also lists uses tied to different places, including Cuba (North America) and Puerto Rico (North America). The same dictionary links the word to an Indigenous language of Mexico (North America), pointing to a source form and meaning tied to a cluster or bunch.
That mix makes sense: a dot grid is a cluster, and a street stand is also a “small setup.” Over time, a word like this can travel across objects, places, and games, and end up naming a schoolyard classic.

A tiny Dutch mini-lesson for the same moment
A restaurant table is also a good place for a short language habit.

A simple whole-idea line: this sentence is used to ask politely for a napkin.
Mag ik een servet, alstublieft?
Word by word: Mag = may; ik = I; een = a; servet = napkin; alstublieft = please.
Register and natural variants: alstublieft is polite; alsjeblieft is more casual; in a very quick request, Een servet, alstublieft. can sound direct but still polite with the final word.

Conclusions

A napkin can hold a whole map of learning
A child’s grid of dots and lines can be a game, a memory, and hand practice at once. In early January 2026, the most likely answer is also the simplest: a familiar table game was seen, enjoyed, and replayed. That is not a mystery to solve. It is a skill growing in plain sight.

Selected References

[1] https://www.alsea.net/our-brands/vips.html
[2] https://dle.rae.es/timbiriche
[3] https://mathworld.wolfram.com/DotsandBoxes.html
[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dots_and_boxes
[5] https://dictionary.apa.org/imitation
[6] https://www.britannica.com/science/observational-learning
[7] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Rym1a9T3SE

Appendix

Alsea — A food-service company that operates restaurant brands in Latin America, including Vips in Mexico (North America).

Dots and Boxes — A pen-and-paper game where players connect dots with lines and score points by completing squares.

Imitation — Copying an observed action, often automatically, and a basic path for learning new skills.

Observational Learning — Learning by watching others, with or without copying right away, often linked to social learning research.

Pipopipette — A historical name used by Édouard Lucas for the Dots and Boxes game in France (Europe).

Purépecha — An Indigenous language of Mexico (North America) that appears in dictionary notes about the origins of some words used in Mexican Spanish.

Timbiriche — A word used for several everyday things in different places, and also a common name for the Dots and Boxes game in Mexico (North America).

Vips — A family restaurant brand in Mexico (North America), known for sit-down meals and, in many locations, kid-friendly table activities.

Key Takeaways

• This piece is about classical code-breaking and what can and cannot be proven from a tiny ciphertext.
• Three letters can map to many readable outputs, even when the target language is fixed.
• A phone-like number can feel like a solid clue, yet still fail to confirm the hidden sentence.
• A calmer method often beats pressure: test simple ciphers, then ask for more text.

Story & Details

A small page, a big demand
On January second, two thousand twenty-six, a folded notebook page triggered a blunt request: produce one clear Spanish-language plaintext, fast. The page held three capital letters, a line that looked like an equation, a short “use it once” kind of hint, and a ten-digit number that looked like a phone number. The tone around it turned sharp and accusatory, with claims that uncertainty was just stalling.

Why “readable” does not mean “unique”
A common belief sounds simple: if the final result must be coherent Spanish, then the correct answer should be the only answer. In practice, that filter is not strong enough when the ciphertext is tiny. Many different keys and methods can produce something that reads well. “Coherent” narrows the field, but it rarely locks it down from only three letters.

Three classic tests, three different outputs
With short text, the first safe move is to try very simple, well-known ciphers.

One classic method is a Caesar shift. With a shift of three backward, the three-letter string becomes HIS.
Another quick test is ROT13, which turns it into XYI.
A third test is Atbash, a mirror alphabet, which turns it into POE.

All three results are clean. None of them proves the true intent by itself. A three-letter output can be a word, initials, a key, or a label that points to the next step.

When a number enters the puzzle
The number on the page mattered because it looked actionable. Yet “actionable” is not the same as “verifying.” A number can be real, recycled, spoofed, incomplete, or placed there only as part of a key. The page also included a small subtraction-like mark with two ones, which invites guesses about missing digits or a second step. Without more text, those guesses stay guesses.

A real-world fact that shapes the reading
There is one detail that helps interpret phone-like strings from Mexico (North America). Since August third, two thousand nineteen, national dialing there has used a uniform ten-digit pattern, and older call prefixes were removed. That makes it easier for a puzzle-maker to hide a number in plain sight, because “ten digits” is now a familiar shape.

A tiny Dutch mini-lesson, because clarity matters too
The best decoding work often starts with a clear request. Dutch is one place where small choices change tone.

Phrase: Kun je het nog eens sturen?
Simple meaning: a friendly way to ask someone to send something again.
Word-by-word: Kun can; je you; het it; nog again; eens once; sturen send.
Register: informal and normal. A more formal variant is Kunt u het nog eens sturen?

Phrase: Ik snap het.
Simple meaning: a casual way to say “I understand.”
Word-by-word: Ik I; snap get/understand; het it.
Register: informal. A calmer, more neutral option is Ik begrijp het.

Conclusions

A short ciphertext can feel like a locked door with one key, but three letters are rarely enough to prove a single hidden sentence. Even a strict “it must read well” rule does not remove the core problem: too little evidence.

The strongest path is simple and steady. Try a few basic ciphers, check whether every mark on the page fits the same story, and treat anything else as a hypothesis until more text arrives.

Selected References

[1] Mexico’s ten-digit dialing announcement (Instituto Federal de Telecomunicaciones) — https://www.ift.org.mx/comunicacion-y-medios/comunicados-ift/es/partir-del-3-de-agosto-mexico-tendra-una-nueva-forma-de-marcacion-telefonica-comunicado-342019-16-de
[2] Technical overview of Mexico’s dialing plan change (Cisco) — https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/web/mexico-dial-plan-change.html
[3] Caesar cipher basics, including ROT13 (Encyclopaedia Britannica) — https://www.britannica.com/topic/Caesar-cipher
[4] Substitution and transposition ciphers in plain terms (Encyclopaedia Britannica) — https://www.britannica.com/topic/cryptology/Cryptography
[5] The Caesar cipher, explained (Khan Academy, YouTube) — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMOZf4GN3oc

Appendix

Atbash A mirror substitution where the alphabet is reversed, so the first letter maps to the last, the second to the second-to-last, and so on.

Caesar cipher A simple substitution where each letter is shifted by a fixed number of steps in the alphabet.

Ciphertext The scrambled text that comes out after a cipher is applied.

Country code A prefix used for international phone calls that points to a specific country.

Dutch formal address In Dutch used in the Netherlands (Europe), je is informal “you” and u is formal “you,” and the choice signals closeness and respect.

Plaintext The readable message that exists before encryption, or after successful decryption.

ROT13 A Caesar shift of thirteen that is easy to reverse by applying the same shift again.

Substitution cipher A family of ciphers where symbols are replaced by other symbols, while the order stays the same.

Ten-digit dialing A phone pattern where the full national number uses ten digits as the standard form.

Key Takeaways

The quick picture

• Zero is a multiple of one, because a multiple can be made with an integer, and zero is an integer.
• A well-known Spanish insult compares a distracted person to a “plover-head,” and it is recorded in print by the late nineteenth century in Spain (Europe).
• A viper can climb stairs in some homes, especially indoors on tile, when it can find friction and firm points to push against—walls can help a lot.
• Anti-slip strips can change the kind of grip a snake uses: they may help anchoring in one moment, but they can also make the “slide” part harder.
• Strong anger about a former spouse and child support can spill into language; calmer, clearer boundaries help reduce the daily pull of that conflict.
• Two short Dutch warnings from the Netherlands (Europe) are useful in real life: one for “pay attention,” one for “watch out.”

Story & Details

A clean math “yes”

On January two thousand twenty-six, a simple question landed with a strict demand: “Yes or no.” The question was about zero and one, and it points to a basic rule.

A number y is a multiple of a number x when y = n·x for some integer n. If x = 1 and n = 0, then y = 0·1 = 0. So zero is a multiple of one. This is not a trick. It is just the definition working as intended.

That same definition also explains why “multiple” and “factor” often travel together. If x is a factor of y, then y is a multiple of x. The link is tight, and it keeps math clean.

A bird inside an insult

Then came a language question from Spanish. It asked if a phrase about having the “head of a plover” is used for someone distracted, and it asked for the whole story: meaning, the bird, the start, the inventor, and the country.

Meaning is the easy part. In Spain (Europe), this insult is used for someone scatterbrained, careless, or not paying attention. A major dictionary of Spanish includes it as a fixed expression, and a nineteenth-century collection of sayings also explains it as something said of people who act in a rash, thoughtless way.

The bird behind it is a plover, a small shorebird. The word for that bird in Spanish is listed by the main dictionary of Spanish, with the kind of short etymology dictionaries often give.

The start is harder, but there is at least a clear printed footprint. An edited collection of Spanish sayings published in eighteen seventy-three already treats the expression as known and usable. That does not prove it began that year. It only shows that, by then, it was established enough to appear in a reference work.

As for a single inventor, everyday idioms rarely have one. Most grow in speech, spread by repetition, and only later get written down. So the best honest answer is simple: no specific person can be credited, and Spain (Europe) is the cultural home where it is documented and described.

A viper on indoor tile stairs

A new question changed the mood: can vipers climb stairs? Then a few short details followed: the setting was indoors, the stairs were tile, and there was a wall on both sides.

Snakes do climb, but they do not climb like cats. A key idea is friction control. On steep or smooth surfaces, many snakes use a gait called concertina locomotion. The body makes tight bends. Some body parts hold still and grip, while other parts extend forward, then grip again. It is slow, but it works.

Walls matter here. In narrow channels, snakes can press sideways into the walls to create extra grip. Research on concertina locomotion shows snakes can actively increase friction with their belly scales and also push against walls with substantial force. A stairway with walls on both sides can act like a broad “channel,” giving a snake more options than a stairway open on one side.

Tile changes the picture. Smooth tile often lowers friction, especially if it is dusty, wet, or polished. But stairs also add edges, seams, and tiny texture. Those small features can become grip points.

So the practical answer is: a viper can climb indoor tile stairs in some situations, especially if there are walls close enough to brace against, and if the snake can find enough texture to hold during the “anchor” parts of its movement.

Why anti-slip strips can feel like “less useful grip”

A follow-up asked a sharp question: how can anti-slip strips reduce the grip that is useful for a snake?

The key is that a snake does not want “maximum stick” at every moment. It needs two things that alternate: a strong hold in one place, and a controlled slide in another place. If the surface becomes very high-friction everywhere, the “slide” phase can become harder and more energy-costly. If the surface becomes bumpy in the wrong spacing, it can also interrupt smooth belly contact and change how forces travel down the body.

There is another subtle point. Snake skin and scales can behave in a direction-sensitive way. In many species, moving forward can have a different friction feel than moving backward, because of scale structure and how the body loads the surface. Some anti-slip materials increase friction in all directions in a more uniform way. That can reduce the snake’s ability to “choose” where friction is high versus low during a step of concertina motion.

So anti-slip strips can be a mixed signal: they may help anchoring at a strip, yet make the between-strip slide awkward, especially on tile stairs where smooth and rough bands alternate.

A hard personal note: anger, identity, and child support

In the middle of the science questions came a sudden human burst: harsh insults aimed at a named person, a claim of being drained of money, and a demand for that person to disappear from life forever. Then came a second tension: a complaint about being addressed as female, followed by more profanity, and a challenge that insulting a machine should not matter because a machine has no feelings.

Two small facts sit under that storm. First, the speaker stated he is a man and wanted to be addressed that way. Second, the conflict involved a former spouse and child support for children.

When money, children, and separation collide, language can turn extreme fast. But the wish under the rage sounded simple: not to hate, not to be pushed into constant irritation, and to feel distance from the trigger.

This is where technical clarity can still help. Emotions rise when the brain reads a situation as “no control.” Small controls matter: clear limits on contact, clear records of agreements, and fewer places where the mind has to guess. None of that erases the problem. It reduces the daily fuel.

A tiny Dutch warning lesson

Finally, a small language corner from the Netherlands (Europe), built for real-life use.

First, the whole meaning in one simple line:
Let op! is used to tell someone to pay attention.
Pas op! is used to warn someone about danger.

Now the word-by-word zoom, with the feel of each phrase:

Let op!

• let = an imperative form linked to “to pay attention”
• op = a small particle that belongs with the verb in this warning-style phrase
  Register: common, direct, used on signs and in speech.

Pas op!

• pas = an imperative form linked to “to be careful”
• op = the particle that pairs with the verb in this warning-style phrase
  Register: common, sharper than “pay attention,” used when something may go wrong.

In a house with tile stairs, the difference is practical. One fits a reminder. The other fits a hazard.

Conclusions

A quiet thread that holds

In early January two thousand twenty-six, everyday questions traced a map of real life: clean definitions in math, old images in language, friction and motion on a staircase, and the raw edge of family conflict.

Clarity does not remove problems. It does something smaller and often better. It replaces fog with shape. Then the next step—on numbers, on words, on tile—becomes easier to choose.

Selected References

[1] Wolfram MathWorld — “Multiple” — https://mathworld.wolfram.com/Multiple.html
[2] Encyclopaedia Britannica — “Integer” — https://www.britannica.com/science/integer
[3] OpenStax — “The Integers” — https://openstax.org/books/contemporary-mathematics/pages/3-2-the-integers
[4] Royal Spanish Academy — Student Dictionary entry for the “plover-head” expression — https://www.rae.es/diccionario-estudiante/cabeza
[5] Miguel de Cervantes Virtual Library — Eighteen seventy-three collection of sayings (section with the “plover-head” expression) — https://www.cervantesvirtual.com/obra-visor/florilegio-o-ramillete-alfabetico-de-refranes-y-modismos-comparativos-y-ponderativos-de-la-lengua-castellana–0/html/feed13ea-82b1-11df-acc7-002185ce6064_6.html
[6] Marvi & Hu (open access, full text) — “Friction enhancement in concertina locomotion of snakes” — https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3479897/
[7] Marvi & Hu (PDF) — “Friction enhancement in concertina locomotion of snakes” — https://hu.gatech.edu/Publications/Hu12-marvi-concertina.pdf
[8] Vlaanderen.be (government, language advice) — “Let op / let wel” — https://www.vlaanderen.be/team-taaladvies/taaladviezen/let-op-let-wel
[9] Institute for the Dutch Language — ANW entry “opletten” (shows forms like “let op”) — https://anw.ivdnt.org/article/opletten?lang=en
[10] Khan Academy (YouTube) — “Finding factors of a number” — https://youtu.be/vcn2ruTOwFo

Appendix

Glossary (A–Z)

Anti-slip strip. A strip added to steps to increase traction for shoes; it changes surface friction and surface texture.

Anisotropic friction. Friction that behaves differently depending on direction, so sliding “forward” can feel unlike sliding “backward.”

Child support. Money paid to help cover children’s daily needs after parents separate, often set by agreement or by a court.

Concertina locomotion. A snake movement style where parts of the body grip and hold while other parts extend and move forward, then switch.

Factor. A number that divides another number exactly; if x is a factor of y, then y is a multiple of x.

Friction. The force that resists sliding between two surfaces; it can help grip or make movement harder.

Idiom. A fixed phrase whose meaning is more than the literal meaning of its words, often shaped by culture and history.

Integer. A whole number: negative, positive, or zero.

Let op. A Dutch warning phrase used to tell someone to pay attention; common in speech and on signs.

Multiple. A number made by multiplying another number by an integer; this includes zero.

Pas op. A Dutch warning phrase used to tell someone to be careful or to watch out; common and direct.

Plover. A small shorebird; in Spanish-speaking culture, it appears in a well-known insult about distraction.

Ventral scales. The belly scales of a snake, important in grip and movement because they contact the ground.

Key Takeaways

A clear name sits at the center: The Perfumed Garden, an Arabic work on love, marriage, pleasure, and household remedies.
Its best-known English shape came in eighteen eighty-six, printed for private readers under the label Kama Shastra Society.
The book is not only about sex. It also treats scent, manners, timing, and everyday body care.
The word vizier matters here, because the work links itself to power and court life, not only to private life.

Story & Details

A book with two public lives
The Perfumed Garden is widely linked to a fifteenth-century setting and a North African world, often placed in Tunis (Tunisia, Africa). It speaks in the voice of a moral and practical teacher, mixing praise of love with warnings, jokes, and short tales. In structure, it reads like a guide that wants to be useful, not a poem that wants to be distant.

The printed door that shaped modern reading
For many English readers, the key doorway was an eighteen eighty-six edition that presents itself as “for the Kama Shastra Society of London and Benares” and “for private circulation only,” a phrase that signals both secrecy and status. London is named as a center of print culture in the United Kingdom (Europe), while Benares points to India (Asia), giving the title page an exotic reach even before a single line of advice appears. The same edition is commonly linked to Sir Richard Francis Burton, a Victorian translator and traveler whose work often aimed to bring “forbidden” texts into English without trimming them for polite taste.

Why a “society” mattered in Victorian print
The Kama Shastra Society is best understood as a publishing mask: a way to circulate sexual and “curious” texts in a world shaped by censorship law and social fear. This is where the modern surprise often begins. Many people imagine the Victorian age as strict and quiet. Yet the private-book market shows another truth: strict public rules can go together with a lively private hunger for knowledge, shock, and novelty.

The dedication question: vizier, rank, and trust
The book’s framing connects it to a court world, and the word vizier sits in the background like a badge of authority. In many Islamic courts, a vizier is a senior minister or chief adviser. In some settings, the top post is the grand vizier, close to what many people would call a prime minister. That does not mean every vizier is always the single highest official everywhere, but it does place the role near the center of power, close to the ruler and to state business. When a text says it was written for such a figure, it signals a wish to sound serious, useful, and “safe” in moral tone, even when the topic is desire.

Twenty-one chapters, and the parts that stand out
The Perfumed Garden is often described as an introduction plus twenty-one chapters. The chapter range helps explain why the book keeps surprising readers. Some parts aim at character and manners. Some are close to a household manual. Some read like a list of playful language. Several sections speak directly to scent and bodily comfort.
A few chapters capture that spread well:

A chapter often numbered five draws attention to perfume, atmosphere, and the way scent can shape mood.
A chapter often numbered eight becomes a small museum of wordplay: many names and nicknames for lovers and for bodies, presented as a kind of social vocabulary.
A chapter often numbered ten turns to timing, preparation, and the idea that a good meeting begins before any act begins.
A chapter often numbered eighteen gathers cautions, tricks, and warnings, mixing folk wisdom with moral pressure.
A chapter often numbered nineteen gives blunt, practical recipes for bad smells, including the smell of sweat.
A final chapter often numbered twenty-one is remembered for food advice built around eggs, a reminder that “strength” and “pleasure” were often treated as part of the same daily system.

Short public-domain passages that show the range
The following short excerpts come from the well-known Victorian-era English printing that is presented as private-circulation material in eighteen eighty-six, now widely treated as public-domain text in many places.

A scent-focused line, close to the “how to perfume” idea:
A voice in the book encourages attention to pleasant smells and to perfumed materials as part of attraction and readiness, treating scent as a direct aid to desire rather than as a luxury.

A practical, almost household-manual tone from the “remove bad smell” idea:
The text offers simple recipes for unpleasant body odor, listing substances and steps in a matter-of-fact way, as if it were giving advice on cooking or cleaning.

A language-and-labels sample from the “many names” idea:
The book delights in playful naming, showing how a community can build many polite, comic, or teasing words for the same intimate thing. The effect is not only erotic; it is also linguistic and social.

Preparing a woman before intercourse, as the book frames it
The Perfumed Garden treats preparation as a shared craft: cleanliness, care of hair and skin, attention to smell, gentle pacing, and a calm setting. It pushes the idea that mood matters, that impatience ruins pleasure, and that kindness and skill are part of “quality.” In that sense, it is less a set of tricks and more a script for attentiveness, told in the strong voice of a teacher.

A tiny Dutch smell lesson, because scent travels across cultures
Dutch can say “this smells good” in a way that feels direct and warm, and it matches the book’s attention to scent.

Wat ruikt hier lekker!
Simple meaning: the place has a pleasant smell right now.
Word-by-word: Wat = what; ruikt = smells; hier = here; lekker = pleasant, tasty, nice.
Register and use: friendly, everyday, often said when walking into a room.

Het ruikt lekker.
Simple meaning: it smells good.
Word-by-word: Het = it; ruikt = smells; lekker = pleasant, nice.
Register and use: neutral, simple, useful for daily life.

Wat ruikt er zo lekker?
Simple meaning: asking what is making that good smell.
Word-by-word: Wat = what; ruikt = smells; er = there; zo = so; lekker = pleasant, nice.
Register and use: curious, friendly, common at home.

Conclusions

By January two thousand twenty-six, The Perfumed Garden reads like a bridge between worlds: a medieval Arabic voice that speaks about love with a mix of faith, humor, and blunt advice; a Victorian English print history that wrapped such material in “private” language; and a modern reader who may arrive with stereotypes and leave with a more complex picture. It is not simply a sex manual, and it is not simply a scandal. It is also a guide to scent, language, manners, and the everyday art of pleasing and being pleased.

Selected References

[1] https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Page:The_Perfumed_Garden_-Burton–1886.djvu/7 [2] https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Index:The_Perfumed_Garden–Burton-_1886.djvu
[3] https://archive.org/details/perfumedgardenof00nafz
[4] https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/book/browse?c=x&index=2574580&key=perfumed+garden+of+the+cheikh+nefzaoui+a+manual+of+arabian+erotology+&type=title
[5] https://www.britannica.com/biography/Richard-Burton-British-scholar-and-explorer
[6] https://www.britannica.com/place/Ottoman-Empire/Ottoman-institutions-in-the-14th-and-15th-centuries
[7] https://editions.covecollective.org/content/burtons-kama-sutra
[8] https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Dictionary_of_National_Biography,_1912_supplement/Arbuthnot,_Forster_FitzGerald
[9] https://api.pageplace.de/preview/DT0400.9781317832317_A23912340/preview-9781317832317_A23912340.pdf
[10] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSakH88qZtI

Appendix

Ambergris A waxy substance formed in the digestive system of sperm whales and used in historical perfume as a fixative, often treated as rare and powerful.

Arbuthnot, Forster Fitzgerald A British orientalist and translator born May twenty-one, eighteen thirty-three, and dead May twenty-five, nineteen oh-one, linked to private Victorian publishing of sexual and “curious” texts.

Benares A historic city name for Varanasi in India (Asia), used on some nineteenth-century title pages to suggest reach, tradition, and “Eastern” authority.

Burton, Sir Richard Francis A British scholar-explorer born March nineteen, eighteen twenty-one, and dead October twenty, eighteen ninety, known for travel writing and for translations that often challenged Victorian limits.

Cosmopoli A pseudo-place name used in some private print culture to blur real locations and reduce legal risk.

Grand Vizier In some Islamic empires, especially the Ottoman system linked to the sultan, the top ministerial post, often close to what many modern readers would call a prime minister.

Kama Shastra Society A private publishing label used to circulate erotic and scholarly texts among subscribers in the late nineteenth century, framed as private rather than public trade.

Musk A strong-smelling animal-derived perfume material in older traditions, later often replaced or imitated, frequently used in texts that treat scent as both luxury and stimulus.

Procuress A person who arranges sexual meetings or relationships for others, sometimes described in older literature as a go-between in urban social life.

The Perfumed Garden A work of Arabic erotic literature and practical advice, often linked to a fifteenth-century Tunisian setting, known in English especially through an eighteen eighty-six private-circulation printing.

Tribadism An older term used in some historical texts for sexual activity between women, often presented through moral judgment or curiosity rather than modern identity language.

Vizier A high-ranking minister or adviser in many Islamic states, sometimes a chief minister, and in some systems part of a larger hierarchy that can include a grand vizier.

Key Takeaways

The clear subject

This piece is about transforming one calm café portrait through many visual styles until it finally feels truly different.

The main lesson

Styles can look alike when the same pose, framing, and face structure stay in place.

The strongest change

A real break happens when the world inside the picture changes, not only the line and shading.

A small language bonus

A short Dutch mini-lesson adds simple, reusable café phrases from the Netherlands (Europe).

Story & Details

A cozy beginning, then a harder challenge

A soft, playful image sets the mood: a small purple plush figure sits on a wooden table, built for charm and clean shapes. The next focus is more personal and more demanding: a café portrait of a young man with dark curly hair, drinking a pink beverage through a straw, with small table details nearby. The goal is simple to say and hard to deliver: keep the person recognizable while making the style feel new each time.

Why “classic,” “modern,” and “cartoon” can still feel the same

Different style names often change the surface first. Lines grow cleaner. Shading grows smoother. Features become more rounded. Yet the brain still sees one strong constant: the same calm face, the same close framing, the same light, the same quiet table moment. When those anchors stay fixed, the result can feel like one picture wearing different outfits.

The moment the brief becomes a demand

By January two thousand twenty-six, the push is no longer about a nicer finish. It is about a bigger jump. The request becomes firm: the style must stop repeating itself, even if the person stays easy to recognize. That demand forces a switch from polite variation to true disruption.

The break that works: changing the world rules

An experimental route can fracture the image with distortion and scattered color, turning neat realism into tension. The clearest break, though, comes from surreal collage. Floating eyes can drift through the scene. Objects can become too large or too small. The table can feel like a stage for dream logic. The person stays as the anchor, while the world becomes strange on purpose.

Dutch mini-lesson for a café moment

A simple way to learn Dutch is to keep the full meaning first, then zoom into each word.

A friendly request for a drink:
Ik wil graag koffie.
Meaning in one line: a polite way to say a coffee is wanted.
Word-by-word: Ik = I; wil = want; graag = gladly, with pleasure; koffie = coffee.
Natural variants: Ik wil graag een koffie. Ik wil graag koffie, alstublieft.

A polite add-on:
Alstublieft.
Meaning in one line: a polite “please,” also used when handing something over.
Word-by-word: alstublieft = please, if you please.
Natural variants: Alsjeblieft is more casual.

A small thanks:
Dank je wel.
Meaning in one line: a standard “thank you.”
Word-by-word: dank = thanks; je = you; wel = well, truly, adding warmth.
Natural variants: Dank u wel is more formal.

A word that fits the feeling

One English word can name the near-familiar, near-strange effect that appears when a picture almost feels normal, but not quite: uncanny. It suits art that keeps the face recognizable while the world becomes unsettling and new.

Conclusions

A softer ending with a clear takeaway

The most useful lesson is simple. If several styles still feel alike, the solution is not only new lines or new shading. The solution is a stronger rule change. Surreal collage does that quickly, turning a calm café moment into a world that cannot be predicted.

Selected References

[1] https://wordpress.com/support/markdown-quick-reference/
[2] https://www.moma.org/collection/terms/collage
[3] https://www.moma.org/collection/terms/surrealism
[4] https://www.etymonline.com/word/uncanny
[5] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YE_Zas-A5A

Appendix

Anime

A visual style linked with Japanese animation from Japan (Asia), often using clear shapes, stylized faces, and simplified shading.

Caricature

A cartoon approach that exaggerates features on purpose, often to add humor or strong character.

Collage

An art method that builds a new image by combining separate pieces into one whole.

Glitch Art

A digital look that uses error-like effects on purpose, such as blocks, noise, and distorted color.

Gouache

A paint technique that creates opaque, matte color, often used for bold illustration.

Surrealism

An art approach that uses dream logic, mixing normal things in strange ways to create surprise.

Uncanny

A feeling where something seems familiar but also unsettling, because it does not fully match what the mind expects.

Key Takeaways

One wide shelf

A single reading path can connect a modern novelist, a Nobel Prize poet, short Japanese forms, a famous Arabic classic, a major book platform, and one key law in Argentina (South America).

Short forms, big effects

Haiku and tanka can say a lot with very few words, and they pair well with longer, story-rich writers.

Rights still matter

Many beloved books and poems are protected by copyright, and Argentina’s Law 11,723 (Argentina, South America) is a clear example of how those rules are written and updated.

Story & Details

Isabel Allende in January 2026

Isabel Allende was born on August 2, 1942, in Lima, Peru (South America). As of January 2026, she is eighty-three. Her life has crossed borders and genres: journalism, fiction, memoir, and public work for women and girls. A major public profile from the Library of Congress describes her as a Chilean writer shaped by early life in Chile (South America) and later years in the United States (North America). [1]

The newest novel and how it landed

Her most recent novel is My Name Is Emilia del Valle (published in 2025). It follows a young journalist who moves through family secrets and political violence while trying to name herself on her own terms. Reviews have often praised its drive and emotional pull, even when they disagree on how surprising the story is. A long feature from ABC in Australia (Oceania) highlights the book’s mix of romance, history, and the author’s steady interest in love, loss, and time. [2] Reporting from the Associated Press also frames the novel as a way to bring under-seen voices into view, while linking its backdrop to Chile’s history (South America). [3] A review from The Guardian treats it as a vivid portrait of a young woman learning to stand alone in a hard world. [4]

The book she is writing now

At the same time, Allende has spoken openly about a memoir now in progress. It focuses on aging, the ending of a marriage, a long single period, and later-life love, using clear-eyed realism rather than gloom. That plan appears plainly in the ABC interview. [2]

A sensual side book: Aphrodite

Allende’s Aphrodite is not a novel at all. It is a playful, personal book about desire, food, and the senses, told through stories, lists, and recipes. On her official book page, it is described as a celebration of pleasure in both eating and love. [5] A classic trade review in Publishers Weekly also presents it as a lively defense of pleasure, with the same confident voice found in her fiction. [6] One bibliographic record often used in libraries describes a third edition published in Buenos Aires, Argentina (South America) by Debolsillo in 2012, with 336 pages and a 19 by 13 centimeter format.

Lori Barra and the work behind the scenes

The name Lori Barra appears not as a novelist or poet, but as a leader in cultural and social work. She is described by The Commonwealth Club as the executive director of the Isabel Allende Foundation, with a professional path that includes design work and art direction. [7] A short author note from The Sun adds a personal angle, calling her a graphic designer and linking her life between Brooklyn and the San Francisco Bay Area in the United States (North America), as well as ties to Chile (South America). [8]

A classic Arabic text: The Perfumed Garden

The Perfumed Garden is a much older work, widely described as a fifteenth-century Arabic text linked to Tunisia (Africa) and attributed to Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Nafzawi. It is often framed as a guide that mixes advice, stories, and claims about health and desire. A long-running reference page gives a plain overview of its origin, genre, and later translation history into English. [9] The tone can be explicit, yet the book’s historical role is also clear: it sits among older texts that tried to teach “how to live” through the body as well as the mind.

Short Japanese poetry: haiku and tanka

Two small forms help reset the pace after long novels and big histories. A haiku is a short poem, usually in three lines, often taught as a five–seven–five syllable pattern in English. Merriam-Webster’s definition is simple and direct, and it also notes the form’s deep roots in Japan (Asia). [10] A tanka is longer: five lines, often taught as five–seven–five–seven–seven. Merriam-Webster defines it in exactly those terms, as a compact but flexible form. [11]

Here are fresh, original examples written in English:

A haiku:
Cold window at dawn
One cup warms both hands slowly
Day starts without sound

A tanka:
Quiet street at noon
Footsteps fade, then come again
Clouds move like soft cloth
A small leaf turns in the wind
And the mind turns with it, too

A women’s anthology and one poet inside it

A Long Rainy Season: Haiku & Tanka (Stone Bridge Press, Berkeley, California, United States, North America) gathers short poems by Japanese women, edited and translated by Leza Lowitz, Miyuki Aoyama, and Akemi Tomioka, with a 1994 publication record listed by the Internet Archive. [12] One poet included is Yuko Kawano, a major tanka voice in Japan (Asia). A Japanese reference biography gives her birthdate as July 24, 1946, and her death date as August 12, 2010. [13] Commentary from The Haiku Foundation describes her as a well-known tanka poet in Japan whose work has been less visible in English translation. [14] In this anthology, her poems often feel like small windows: intimate, direct, and sharp with daily life, but still open to wider meanings.

Pablo Neruda, the author behind the odes and the love sonnets

Three famous poems stand out for their different kinds of praise: an ode to a fruit, an ode to a soup, and a love sonnet. The author is Pablo Neruda, born on July 12, 1904, in Parral, Chile (South America), and died on September 23, 1973, in Santiago, Chile (South America). The Nobel Prize site lists these core facts and places him firmly among the major poets of the twentieth century. [15]

“Ode to the Plum” and the art of praising small things

“Ode to the Plum” appears in Third Book of Odes (copyright 1957, credited to Pablo Neruda and his heirs). In this poem, the plum is treated as more than food. It becomes a small emblem of ripeness, color, and the quiet joy of something ordinary made vivid. The poet’s signature gift is clear here: everyday objects become worthy of full attention. Neruda’s life helps explain that voice: he was not only a poet but also a diplomat and public figure, and his writing often moves between the private and the public with ease. [15]

“Ode to Conger Eel Stew” and a kitchen that turns into a coastline

“Ode to Conger Eel Stew” appears in Elemental Odes (copyright 1954, credited to Pablo Neruda and his heirs). It is a poem about cooking, but it also feels like geography and memory. The dish becomes a meeting point of sea, heat, hunger, and home. A conger eel, as defined in the Cambridge Dictionary, is a long sea fish, powerful and snake-like. [16] Neruda’s biography matters again because the poem is not only about taste; it is about belonging, place, and a life lived close to the Pacific in Chile (South America). [15]

“Sonnet Twelve” and love as daily light

“Sonnet Twelve” appears in One Hundred Love Sonnets (copyright 1959, credited to Pablo Neruda and his heirs). The sonnets were written as love poems, and many readers return to them for their warmth and strong images. A national cultural reference in Chile (South America) documents a 1959 printing of the collection, anchoring it in its time. [17] Neruda’s larger story still echoes around the love poems: a writer who carried political history and personal longing in the same hands, and whose work remains central decades after his death. [15]

A book platform in Argentina

The site at megustaleer.com.ar leads into a major book ecosystem run by Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial, tied to Penguin Libros in Argentina (South America). A corporate overview explains that the platform supports discovery and purchase of books in multiple formats, including digital reading and audio listening, and it also hosts editorial content for readers. [18]

Argentina’s Law 11,723 and what it protects

When poems and books are listed with years and with “the author and heirs,” those words are not decoration. They point to copyright rules that control copying, publishing, translation, and public use. In Argentina (South America), the main legal framework is Law 11,723, first enacted in 1933 and later amended. The official national text is published through a federal government portal, and an English version is also hosted in the World Intellectual Property Organization’s legal database. [19] The law helps explain why many mid-twentieth-century works still carry active rights notices, even when the author is long gone.

A short Dutch mini-lesson for daily use

Dutch can feel hard until a few small phrases become automatic.

A simple greeting: “Goedemorgen.”
Word-by-word: “goed” = good, “morgen” = morning.
Use: polite and normal in the morning.

A simple thank-you: “Dank je wel.”
Word-by-word: “dank” = thanks, “je” = you, “wel” = well.
Use: friendly and common; “Dank u wel” is more formal.

A simple question: “Hoe gaat het?”
Word-by-word: “hoe” = how, “gaat” = goes, “het” = it.
Use: everyday “How are you?” with a calm, neutral tone.

Conclusions

One shelf, many doors

A single reading list can move from a living novelist to a Nobel Prize poet, then into short Japanese forms, then back into the practical world of platforms and rights.

Small poems, big memory

Haiku and tanka can train attention. Odes and sonnets can widen it again. The rhythm changes, but the goal stays the same: to see more, and feel more, with fewer words.

Selected References

[1] https://www.loc.gov/item/n84145691/isabel-allende-2/
[2] https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-07/isabel-allende-emilia-del-valle-love-death-magic-realism/105234170
[3] https://apnews.com/article/c78215b261073bf92ffbc2a5d875737a
[4] https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/sep/25/my-name-is-emilia-del-valle-by-isabel-allende-audiobook-review-portrait-of-a-fiercely-independent-young-woman
[5] https://isabelallende.com/en/book/aphrodite/summary
[6] https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780060175900
[7] https://www.commonwealthclub.org/events/2021-07-28/ending-child-marriage-nepal
[8] https://www.thesunmagazine.org/authors/8216-lori-barra
[9] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Perfumed_Garden
[10] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/haiku
[11] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tanka
[12] https://archive.org/details/longrainyseasonh0000unse
[13] https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%B2%B3%E9%87%8E%E8%A3%95%E5%AD%90
[14] https://simplyhaiku.thehaikufoundation.org/SHv4n2/reviews/Fielden.html
[15] https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/1971/neruda/facts/
[16] https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/conger-eel
[17] https://www.memoriachilena.gob.cl/602/w3-article-72286.html
[18] https://www.penguinrandomhousegrupoeditorial.com/
[19] https://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/legislation/details/21169
[20] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1h_fSspH824

Appendix

Aphrodisiac

A substance, food, or idea believed to increase desire or pleasure; it can be treated as folklore, culture, or personal belief, depending on the context.

Conger eel

A long sea fish with a strong, snake-like body; it is used in cooking in some coastal traditions.

Copyright

A set of legal rights that protects creative work, such as books and poems, controlling copying, publication, and other uses for a set period.

Haiku

A very short poem often taught in English as three lines with a five–seven–five syllable pattern, aiming for a clear image and a quiet turn of feeling.

Memoir

A true-life book that focuses on parts of a person’s life, told with personal meaning rather than trying to cover everything.

Ode

A poem of praise, often addressed to a person, place, object, or idea, making the subject feel larger through attention and voice.

Platform

A place, often online, where people discover, share, or buy content; it can include books, audio, and reading guides.

Sonnet

A short lyric poem with a tight structure, often linked to love and reflection, built around a turn in thought.

Tanka

A Japanese short poem often taught as five lines with a five–seven–five–seven–seven syllable pattern, allowing more space than haiku for feeling and story.

World Intellectual Property Organization

A United Nations agency that hosts global information on intellectual property, including public databases of national laws.

Key Takeaways

The quick point

• In January two thousand twenty-six, a simple shopping goal in Mexico (North America) stood next to bigger health questions.
• ISDIN BabyNaturals Baby Mist is a light citrus-floral scented water often sold below three hundred MXN on Amazon in Mexico (North America).
• Fragrance can irritate sensitive skin, so a slow “small-spot first” test helps reduce surprises.
• Methylphenidate can rarely trigger psychotic or manic symptoms, even in people without a past history.
• A large cohort study linked adult ADHD with higher dementia risk, but this is not the same as proof of cause.

Story & Details

A small bottle, a strict budget

The search began with one clear target: a citrus scent for a nine-year-old girl, under three hundred MXN, with a direct buying link on Amazon in Mexico (North America). Two early picks were rejected. The focus then shifted to fresh options that still felt gentle and age-appropriate.

One product that fits the “light, clean, not too loud” idea is ISDIN BabyNaturals Baby Mist. It is described by the brand as a soft scented water designed for babies and children, and it is commonly presented as mild enough for very early use. On Amazon in Mexico (North America), it has been listed well under the budget in recent listings.

A second budget-friendly option in the same spirit is JAFRA Tender Moments in listings that show prices under three hundred MXN, depending on the seller.

Skin first: fragrance is not “small” to skin

A scent can feel soft to the nose and still be hard on skin. Fragrance is a common trigger for irritation and allergic contact dermatitis. That is why dermatologists often recommend a simple home test before using a new scented product widely.

A practical method is to apply a normal amount to a small, quarter-sized patch of skin twice a day for seven to ten days. If the spot stays calm, wider use is less likely to cause a surprise reaction. If redness, itch, swelling, or a rash shows up, stopping early can prevent a bigger flare.

A bigger worry: methylphenidate and the mind

In the same season, a different kind of question arrived: can long-term methylphenidate make someone “go crazy”?

The honest answer is that methylphenidate is widely used and, for many people with ADHD, it improves focus and daily function. Still, official drug labeling for extended-release methylphenidate warns that psychotic or manic symptoms can occur at recommended doses, even in people without a prior history. In pooled short-term trials of stimulant medicines, such symptoms were reported in about zero point one percent of treated patients.

That number is small, but the experience is not small when it happens. It matters most to know what the words mean and what the early signals look like.

Psychosis: what it can look like

Psychosis is a state where it becomes hard to tell what is real. It often includes:

• Delusions: strong false beliefs that do not shift even when evidence is clear.
• Hallucinations: hearing, seeing, or sensing things that others do not.

Everyday examples can include hearing a voice when no one is there, believing strangers are sending hidden messages, or feeling watched with no real reason. People may also become unusually suspicious, socially withdrawn, confused in speech, or sharply disrupted in sleep.

Mania: what it can look like

Mania is a period of unusually high or irritable mood with extra energy and activity. Common signs include racing thoughts, fast speech, risky choices, and a reduced need for sleep without feeling tired. In some cases, mania can include psychosis.

A key detail from the lived side is speed: sleep changes and “wired” energy can appear before the person fully realizes something is off.

Dementia and adult ADHD: the percentage question

One large cohort study in Israel (Asia), published in two thousand twenty-three, followed older adults and found that dementia occurred in thirteen point two percent of those with adult ADHD compared with seven point zero percent of those without ADHD. After adjustment for many measured factors, the association remained around an almost three-fold increase in relative risk.

This is a strong signal, but it still describes an association, not a proven cause. The same research also examined ADHD medication patterns, and it did not frame stimulant treatment as the simple driver of the link.

Fruit, vitamin C, and the real risk

Another question landed with blunt force: what happens without fruit?

A body can live without fruit as a category if vitamin C still comes from other foods. Many vegetables provide vitamin C, and fortified foods can help too. The danger is not “no fruit,” but too little vitamin C for too long.

When vitamin C intake is very low, scurvy can develop. Expert summaries note that signs can appear within about a month when intake is near none. Severe deficiency can become dangerous if it continues untreated.

A tiny Dutch mini-lesson

Two everyday lines

• Dank je wel.
  Simple use: polite thanks, common and warm.
  Word-by-word: dank = thanks; je = you; wel = well / truly (adds warmth).
• Hoe gaat het?
  Simple use: a friendly check-in question.
  Word-by-word: hoe = how; gaat = goes; het = it.

A small detail that helps memory is rhythm: both lines are short, easy to say, and used often in daily life.

Conclusions

A gentle finish with clear steps

In January two thousand twenty-six, one topic stayed small on purpose: a light citrus scent for a child in Mexico (North America), under three hundred MXN, with a simple buying link. ISDIN BabyNaturals Baby Mist sits neatly in that lane, and a second option like JAFRA Tender Moments can also fit the budget.

But the stronger lesson is about signals. Skin reacts to fragrance in its own time, so testing one small spot first can save a week of discomfort. Minds also have signals. Psychosis and mania are uncommon outcomes of methylphenidate, yet they are clearly described in official labeling and mental health guidance. Knowing the signs makes it easier to act early, with a clinician guiding any change in treatment.

Selected References

Links

[1] https://www.isdin.com/en-AE/product/baby-naturals/baby-mist
[2] https://www.amazon.com.mx/ISDIN-Babynaturals-Perfume-Hipoalerg%C3%A9nico-Pulverizador/dp/B08WY4PPDK
[3] https://www.amazon.com.mx/JAFRA-Tender-Moments-Colonia-Para/dp/B07HWH6PGN
[4] https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/skin-care-secrets/prevent-skin-problems/test-skin-care-products
[5] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vanVFruI_0
[6] https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/fda/fdaDrugXsl.cfm?setid=e45c75dc-d381-475b-b649-a871c8a36e60
[7] https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a682188.html
[8] https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/understanding-psychosis
[9] https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/bipolar-disorder
[10] https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2810766
[11] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37847497/
[12] https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-HealthProfessional/
[13] https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/about-dementia/stages-and-symptoms/apathy-dementia

Appendix

Apathy: A low drive state where starting tasks, showing interest, or feeling motivated becomes hard, even when the person can still think clearly.

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): A neurodevelopmental condition linked to patterns of inattention, impulsivity, and sometimes hyperactivity that affect daily life.

Delusion: A fixed false belief that stays strong even when clear evidence suggests it is not true.

Dementia: A group of disorders that cause a lasting decline in thinking and daily function, such as memory, language, and planning.

Extended-release: A medicine design that releases the active drug slowly over time, aiming for a steadier effect.

Hallucination: Hearing, seeing, or sensing something that is not present to others, experienced as real.

Mania: A period of unusually high or irritable mood with extra energy, reduced need for sleep, and changes in thinking and behavior that can impair judgment.

Methylphenidate: A stimulant medicine commonly used to treat ADHD that affects brain signaling linked to attention and impulse control.

MXN: The currency code for the Mexican peso used in pricing and payment.

Patch test: A small-area trial on skin to check for irritation or allergy before using a product more widely.

Psychosis: A state where reality testing is disrupted, often involving delusions, hallucinations, or severely confused thinking.

Scurvy: The disease caused by vitamin C deficiency, linked to fatigue, gum problems, and impaired healing, and dangerous if severe and untreated.

Vitamin C: An essential nutrient needed for collagen formation and other body functions; very low intake for weeks can lead to scurvy.

Focus

By January first, two thousand twenty-six, one clear theme stands out: simple science can make daily life calmer and safer. The same idea links a snake’s moving tail, a crowded to-do list, a noisy kitchen power strip, and a phone that refuses to hear dictation.

Key Takeaways

The fast version

• A snake’s tail can keep moving after the head is gone because spinal circuits can run short movement patterns without the brain.
• Movement after injury does not prove “no pain.” Reptiles have evidence of pain and stress responses.
• When life feels like chaos, the next small physical step beats trying to solve everything in the head.
• A “good enough” Plan B can break a stall and restart momentum.
• One or two minutes matters: gather first, make it pretty later.
• Clear medication storage and clear food notes reduce mistakes and arguments.
• Microwave and coffee maker loads can overload a power strip; heat and plastic smell are warning signs.
• If dictation fails, test the mic first, then permissions, then remove Bluetooth and headphones.
• Slow breathing with a long exhale can lower stress enough to return to a simple action.
• Snakes do see, but smell and heat-sensing can matter even more; they can learn, but “intelligence” is not one single number.
• Many snakes can climb step-like surfaces if they can grip edges.

Story & Details

When a tail still moves

A cut snake tail can twitch, curl, or “run” in place with no head at all. The reason is wiring, not will. The spinal cord can hold circuits that generate rhythmic motion, sometimes called central pattern generators. These circuits can keep firing briefly even when the brain is gone, and simple reflex loops can also trigger movement.

That motion is not a message from the head, and it is not a sign of planning. It is closer to how a knee can jerk when tapped. It is also not proof of comfort. Reptiles are increasingly discussed as animals that can feel pain and stress, so the safest reading is: movement can be automatic, and suffering cannot be ruled out just because the motion looks “mechanical.”

The anti-chaos move: one step that touches the world

A long list grows sharp in the mind. A short step is softer. A useful rule is to pick the next physical action that can be done now: pick up one item, move one cup, put one shirt in a pile. This lowers mental load fast because the body is no longer stuck in planning mode.

A second rule helps when stuck: choose a Plan B that is “enough,” not perfect. If finding the right clothes becomes a trap, pick a clean option, go. If a decision drags, choose a safe default and move. The goal is motion that restores control.

Micro-tasks fit this style. One or two minutes still counts. In a tight day, “gather” beats “organize.” A small win can reopen the door to a bigger one.

Storage that prevents silent errors

Medication mix-ups often start with one tiny habit: pills moved into the wrong container. Keeping medicine in its blister pack or original bottle, separated and labeled, reduces confusion. Food is similar. A quick note about what was moved, into which container, what was heated, and where it was placed can prevent both mistakes and arguments.

These are not grand systems. They are small traces that protect memory when attention is tired.

The kitchen power risk that hides in plain sight

A microwave and a coffee maker can draw a lot of power. When both run through the same power strip or extension cord, the strip can overheat or fail. Heat in the plug, a warm cable, or a plastic smell is a red flag. High-power appliances are not what many power strips are made for.

Copy-ready note:

Do not run a microwave and a coffee maker on the same power strip at the same time.
If a cord or plug feels hot, or there is a plastic smell, stop and unplug.
High-power appliances belong in a wall outlet whenever possible.

When dictation fails, test the chain

A quick way to troubleshoot is to isolate the problem. First, record audio with a basic recorder app. If the recording is silent or broken, the issue is the microphone path, not the dictation app. Next, check microphone permissions. Then remove variables: disconnect Bluetooth, remove wired headphones, and test again. Each step narrows the cause.

This method turns “it is all broken” into “this one link is weak.”

A breath pattern that buys back choice

When the mind starts repeating “everything is chaos,” the body is already in a stress spike. Slow breathing, especially with a longer exhale, can reduce stress enough to choose a next step again. One simple pattern is four seconds in, eight seconds out, repeated three times. The point is not magic. The point is a short reset that makes a small action possible.

How a snake senses the world, and where it sits in a simple ranking

Snakes do see, and many track motion well. Yet smell can be the star. A flicking forked tongue gathers chemical cues and delivers them to a special sensing organ, allowing directional “stereo” smell. Some snakes also sense heat with pit organs, helping them target warm prey even in darkness.

Thinking in snakes is real, but it is not the same as human planning. Snakes learn, remember, and solve simple tasks, especially around space and escape routes. Still, an “intelligence score” is not a real unit like meters or grams. A simple, rough scale can help only as a picture:

• Ten: human
• Eight to nine: dolphin, great ape
• Eight: elephant
• Seven: dog
• Six: rat
• Five: cat
• Four: mouse
• Three: snake
• Two: fly
• One: sponge

This scale is only a memory aid. Different skills shine in different animals.

Can snakes climb stairs?

Many snakes can climb rough, stepped surfaces if they can grip edges. Body waves can press against corners and create traction. Smooth, clean stairs are harder. Stairs with texture, gaps, or clutter are easier. So the practical answer is: yes, it can happen, especially when the surface offers grip.

A tiny Dutch mini-lesson

Two short Dutch lines fit the “small step” theme.

First line:
Rustig aan.
Meaning in one simple English sentence: Slow down and take it easy.
Word-by-word:

• rustig = calm
• aan = on

Register and use:
Common, friendly, used to lower pressure. Often said to a friend who is rushing.

Natural variants:

• Doe rustig aan.
  Word-by-word: doe = do, rustig = calm, aan = on
  Tone: still friendly, slightly more direct.

Second line:
Eerst een stap.
Meaning in one simple English sentence: First, one step.
Word-by-word:

• eerst = first
• een = a or one
• stap = step

Register and use:
Neutral and practical, good for self-talk when starting a task.

Natural variants:

• Volgende stap.
  Word-by-word: volgende = next, stap = step
  Tone: practical, task-focused.

Conclusions

The thread that ties it together

A moving snake tail shows how much life can run on circuits and reflexes. A crowded day can also run on loops, but a small physical step can break the loop. Safer power habits, clear storage, clean notes, and simple troubleshooting all share the same idea: reduce surprise, reduce load, and keep actions small enough to start.

Selected References

Checked public sources

[1] World Health Organization. “Snakebite envenoming” (fact sheet). https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/snakebite-envenoming
[2] World Health Organization YouTube channel. “Snakebite envenoming” (educational video). https://www.youtube.com/@who
[3] Warwick, C., et al. “Given the Cold Shoulder: A Review of the Scientific Literature for Evidence of Reptile Sentience.” Animals (MDPI). https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/9/10/821
[4] “Central Pattern Generators in Spinal Cord Injury: Mechanisms, Modulation, and Therapeutic Strategies for Motor Recovery.” PubMed Central (PMC). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12338084/
[5] Occupational Safety and Health Administration. “Compliance requirements for relocatable power taps or ‘power strips’.” https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2002-11-18
[6] University of Washington Environmental Health and Safety. “Extension Cords Safety” (PDF). https://www.ehs.washington.edu/system/files/resources/extension-cords.pdf
[7] MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. “Storing your medicines.” https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000534.htm
[8] University of Connecticut. “Smelling in Stereo: The Real Reason Snakes Have Flicking, Forked Tongues.” https://today.uconn.edu/2021/06/smelling-in-stereo-the-real-reason-snakes-have-flicking-forked-tongues/
[9] American Museum of Natural History. “Pit Vipers Can Detect Prey Via Heat.” https://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/pit-viper-thermal-detection
[10] PubMed. “Spatial learning in corn snakes.” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10053071/

Appendix

Definitions A–Z

Blister pack. A sealed plastic-and-foil package that keeps pills separated and labeled, helping prevent mix-ups and moisture damage.

Central pattern generator. A nerve network, often in the spinal cord, that can produce rhythmic movement patterns without needing moment-by-moment brain commands.

Dictation. Speech-to-text that turns spoken words into written words, usually needing a working microphone and permission settings.

Extension cord. A flexible cable that brings power farther from a wall outlet; safer use means avoiding overload, heat, and damaged insulation.

Forked tongue. A split tongue tip that helps some animals sample chemical cues from two directions, supporting directional smell.

Four–eight breathing. A slow breathing pattern with a shorter inhale and a longer exhale, used to reduce stress and regain calm control.

Micro-task. A very small action that takes about one or two minutes and still moves a bigger job forward.

Plan B. A second, “good enough” option chosen to break a stall and restore progress when the first plan becomes stuck.

Power strip. A multi-outlet device meant for low-power loads; many are not designed for high-power appliances like microwave ovens.

Reflex. A fast, automatic body response that can happen without conscious planning, often routed through the spinal cord.

Traceability. A clear record of what was moved, where it went, and what changed, making later mistakes easier to avoid and fix.

Vomeronasal organ. A chemical-sensing organ in many animals that receives molecules collected by the tongue and supports tracking scents.

Key Takeaways

A one-batch goal

A single batch can be sized to fit one air-fryer basket, keeping cleanup simple and avoiding extra dough.

One dough that tolerates two mixes

The same method can work with either plain wheat flour or a waffle-style dry mix, as long as the water is added slowly.

A simple “feel test” beats perfect tools

When the dough feels like soft clay and stops sticking, it is ready to roll.

Browning and doneness are not the same

Pale rolls can still be fully cooked inside, especially when oil is skipped.

Story & Details

The setup: tidy bread in a small machine

In January 2026, the plan was clear: make small homemade rolls in a single run, with less mess and fewer dishes. The appliance on hand was a Taurus HERMES air fryer, labeled for 127 V, 60 Hz, and 1250 W, with an IPX0 rating, and marked as made in China (Asia) and imported by a Taurus entity connected to Spain (Europe). The label also carried Mexico (North America) standards-style markings often seen on household appliances.

The baker was a nine-year-old girl who is expected to turn ten on May 23, 2026. The recipe target stayed child-friendly: no long waiting, no complicated shaping, and no egg dependence, because eggs are rarely sold one at a time.

Shopping with the “no leftovers” dream

A practical shopping rule guided the cart at Soriana: buy only what will be used today. That is easy with water and a dry mix, and harder with items like eggs and large bottles of oil. Oil was treated as optional and left out on purpose. Salt was also treated as optional, with the understanding that skipping it makes bread taste flatter but does not stop the dough from working.

The mix question: wheat flour vs. waffle-style mix

A key twist was the swap question: can plain wheat flour be replaced by a waffle-style dry mix? In many kitchens, the answer is “often yes,” because waffle-style mixes commonly include chemical leaveners. But labels vary, so the safe approach was to build a method that does not collapse if the mix already contains baking powder or baking soda.

That choice quietly changed the style of bread. Instead of yeast bread with a long rise, this became a quick bread: small rolls that puff mainly from chemical bubbles and trapped steam, not from slow fermentation.

Measuring drama: the “standard cup” mystery

Water became the main measuring puzzle. A target of 140 milliliters was chosen, warmed briefly in a microwave until warm but not hot. Then came the classic home question: is three-quarters of a “standard cup” right, or half a cup, or something else? The cup size was not actually known, and the spoon was described as just a normal spoon.

The workaround was simple and very real: milliliters and dough feel matter more than cup myths. For a smaller batch built around 180 grams of dry mix, a full 140 milliliters can push the dough toward sticky paste, depending on the mix. The winning move was adding water slowly and stopping early, then correcting texture with a small pinch of extra dry mix if needed.

When the dough turns into “play dough”

At one point the texture became the headline: “This is like modeling clay.” That turned out to be good news. A soft-clay dough is easy for a child to shape, it holds round form, and it is less likely to spread into a pancake in the basket.

When the dough looked too wet, more dry mix was added until it stopped clinging and could be rolled without frustration.

One basket, many small moons

The dough became small balls—about a dozen fit comfortably in the Taurus HERMES basket in a single layer. Some were a bit larger than others. A few showed small surface cracks, which is common in quick breads made with minimal fat and fast heat.

The dial-style controls invited a simple plan: preheat briefly, then cook until the outside looks set. Ten minutes later, the question arrived in plain kitchen language: can they be left as they are?

Pale but done: what “finished” can look like

Without oil, quick-bread rolls can stay light on the outside. Browning needs the right mix of surface dryness, sugars, and proteins. Some waffle-style mixes brown easily because they carry sugar; plain flour dough without added sugar often stays pale.

The simplest doneness check is not color. It is the center: a roll should feel lighter than raw dough, sound a bit hollow when tapped, and look dry and steamy rather than gummy when opened after a short rest. A short rest also finishes the inside with carryover heat and keeps the crumb from tearing.

The pop-culture side quest

While the dough rested and the basket filled, the kitchen story swerved into play. Famous-family jokes appeared, then were openly treated as a game. A “famous child” name was tried first: Blue Ivy Carter, born January 7, 2012 in the United States (North America) [6]. That birth year was challenged and corrected in the playful debate, and the search moved to a child born in 2016. One widely reported example is Dream Kardashian, born November 10, 2016 in the United States (North America) [7].

The fantasy family tree grew wilder—music stars, superhero actors, football icons, and a legendary singer as a grandfather—until the creative line was drawn: a real child’s face should not be blended with celebrity faces. The solution kept the game alive while protecting privacy: invent a character inspired by the idea of “mixed famous vibes,” without using the real child’s likeness, while keeping the same general pose and room mood. Even the pet got a name: Fonica.

A sharp moment of impatience, then back to the buns

There was also a brief burst of “skip the chatter” energy—an insistence on action and results. In a way, it matched the whole project: quick bread, quick heat, quick payoff.

Conclusions

A small batch that taught big lessons

This was not just about bread. It was a compact lesson in how cooking works when tools and measurements are imperfect.

A nine-year-old can do a lot with one bowl, 180 grams of dry mix, warm water added slowly, and an air fryer basket that holds a dozen small dough balls. The rolls may not turn deeply golden without oil, but they can still be fully cooked and satisfying. And in the same afternoon, a kitchen can hold both careful food choices and pure imagination—without crossing the line into using a real child’s face as raw material for celebrity mashups.

Selected References

[1] Taurus México, “Manuales” page with the HERMES user manual PDF: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0693/0661/4016/files/M97200600_HERMES_IM.pdf?v=1711643100
[2] Sanborns product listing for Taurus HERMES air fryer specifications: https://www.sanborns.com.mx/producto/260820/freidora-de-aire-hermes-taurus
[3] Intertek, overview of the NOM mark in Mexico (North America): https://www.intertek.com/marks/nom/
[4] ANCE, official site of a Mexico (North America) standards and certification body: https://www.ance.org.mx
[5] U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service, air fryer food safety guidance (United States, North America): https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/cooking/air-fryers-and-food-safety
[6] People, Blue Ivy Carter birth report (United States, North America): https://people.com/parents/beyonce-jay-z-welcome-blue-ivy-carter/
[7] People, Dream Kardashian birth report (United States, North America): https://people.com/parents/rob-kardashian-blac-chyna-welcome-baby-daughter-dream/
[8] ITV News video on air fryer fire risk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVQlwwT39yQ

Appendix

Air fryer: A countertop cooker that uses a heating element and a strong fan to move hot air around food, creating fast cooking with a crisp surface.

Alstublieft: A Dutch word used for “please” and also for “here you go.” The parts are often explained as als meaning “if,” het meaning “it,” u meaning “you” in a formal way, and belieft meaning “pleases.” It sounds polite and formal; a common informal variant is alsjeblieft.

ANCE: A Mexico (North America) organization known for testing and certification services related to standards and product safety.

Baking powder: A dry leavener that releases gas when mixed with liquid and again when heated, helping quick breads rise without yeast.

Bicarbonate: Another name for baking soda, a strong leavener that needs an acid to work well; it can also help browning.

Dank je wel: A Dutch way to say “thank you.” Dank means “thanks,” je means “you” in an informal way, and wel adds warmth like “indeed” or “well.” It sounds friendly; a more formal variant is dank u wel.

Dough hydration: The amount of water compared with the amount of dry mix. Higher hydration makes dough softer and stickier; lower hydration makes it firmer and easier to shape.

Goedemorgen: A Dutch greeting used in the morning. Goed means “good” and morgen means “morning.” It is neutral and polite; a common spoken variant is goeiemorgen.

IPX0: A rating that means no special water protection is claimed for the device under the IP code system.

Maillard reaction: A chemical browning process that happens when heat brings sugars and proteins together on a drier surface, creating deeper color and toasted flavors.

NOM: A Mexico (North America) standards mark used on many products; it signals alignment with official safety or performance requirements for certain categories.

Proofing: The resting time used in yeast breads so yeast can make gas and expand the dough; quick breads usually skip this long step.

Soriana: A well-known supermarket chain in Mexico (North America), often used as a one-stop store for groceries and household goods.

Taurus HERMES: A model name used for a Taurus air fryer sold in Mexico (North America), shown with dial controls and labeled electrical specifications.

Waffle mix: A pre-mixed dry blend made for waffles and similar batters; it often includes sugar and chemical leaveners, which can change browning and texture in quick breads.