My year 2024

Priorities First
Keep June 21, 2025, free and come to Perugia! I am organizing a party to celebrate my 70th birthday and the first 10 years with Nixy. Please confirm your participation by May 31!

2024 Highlights
My main activity in 2024 was settling down in Perugia, centered around the restructuring of the flat at Via Enrico dal Pozzo, which we bought in January. We now call it "Villa Orfei," honoring the stone mason who constructed it in the 1950s. The place is still in the historic city center but opens to the countryside with stunning sunrises and a view toward Assisi. It even has a little garden. It was completely rundown, and from mid-April to early August, I spent my time on the construction site with bricklayers, plumbers, and electricians, transforming it into a house to our liking. Since September, we have been living there, and I promise (again!) that this will be my last move.

The Setback
The worst happened at the end of July: I fell on the staircase at Via Graziosa 5, breaking three ribs. Beyond the immediate pain and inconvenience, this injury severely disrupted my exercise routine—a critical part of managing my Parkinson’s Disease (PD).

Regular physical activity, particularly running and structured workouts, has been my main tool to counteract the progression of PD. During recovery, my only option was "gentle walking," recommended for rib injuries. While this kept me moving, it was far from my usual intensity, and the limitations were frustrating.

By late November, I was finally back to normal: running at least 15 km per week on the treadmill and doing mobility and strength training four times a week.

For anyone managing PD, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of consistent physical activity. Whether running, walking, or training, maintaining a routine is essential. Alongside medical treatment, exercise remains one of the most effective methods to slow the disease’s progression and improve quality of life.

AI and Parkinson’s Research
I try to stay informed about developments in PD research, and an invaluable help is my personal AI assistant. The application of AI tools to problems like Parkinson’s could revolutionize treatment. Unfortunately, this will take time due to the compartmentalization of knowledge.

Many doctors remain IT illiterate, still relying on pen and paper for anamnesis. Even if they collected data, European data protection rules often inhibit the productive use of such data. Scientists are slightly better with IT but mostly focus narrowly on evaluating their own data. Engineers, more connected to IT, have led PD-AI advances in diagnostic tools, but there’s still no system to synthesize all available knowledge into actionable insights.

China might win the AI race simply because societal interests there often outweigh individual concerns—both a blessing (massive datasets) and a curse (state control).

Nixy’s Residency Saga
Nixy remains, legally, an "illegal immigrant." Despite our marriage in April 2023 and applying for the "permesso di soggiorno," we are still waiting for the "carta di soggiorno." While some parts of Italian bureaucracy, like the "Agenzia delle Entrate," are highly efficient and fully online, the "questure" remain a nightmare.

Food, Wine, and Business
We are still working on developing a business around our shared passion for food and wine. Follow our updates on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/MingleclubWineSong) and our blog (https://wuhan-umbria.com/). We now collaborate with the restaurant "Garibaldino" on Corso Garibaldi, where we host weekly wine presentations.

I’ve also joined discussions about "natural wines," too often dictated by ideology instead of taste, curiosity, and science. If you visit Perugia, contact us for a wine tasting—and tell your friends visiting Italy to do the same!

Matilde’s Success
My daughter Matilde still lives in Berlin and has become a brilliant stand-up comedian (https://www.instagram.com/matikeizer/). Next year, she will embark on her first solo tour in Germany. She’s proof that following your dreams is the best professional decision.

Reflections on the Future (hahaha)
Long-term trends matter more than short-term politics. The internet’s global communication will ultimately defeat nationalism. Scientific advancements will secure the triumph of rational and free thinking. And AI will bring opportunities and challenges that overshadow today’s problems.

It feels different now and there are no guarantees. Here’s my random (and complete useless) wishlist for next year:

A Ukrainian victory against Russian imperialism, making Ukraine a European powerhouse.
A new Syrian government initiative for peace and regional cooperation.
A strategic rethink by the SPD after February’s election defeat, aligning with the Greens to offer a progressive development model for Germany.
Trump’s continued good health to prevent worse leadership alternatives.. Vance would be a catastrophe
China reclaiming territories lost to Russia under the Qing dynasty.
Sam Altman continues to ridicule Elon Musk.
Calenda and Renzi cease to ridicule themselves.