故
=
古
+
攵
:
Mnemonic symbol: This character only appears in 做, so we don't need a strong mnemonic symbol. We should be able to refer to 故 when we think of 故事 or 故意. Because it fits nicely to its components, I'll think of it as in the meaning of 故墓, an old grave.
故
=
古
+
攵
:
There is an ancient cloister in the space station's bathroom, and Gitta Giraffe once heard a story from her fellow astronauts that there's an old tomb inside with lots of treasure. One day she can't hold herself back anymore and deliberately breaks the cloister open using a sledgehammer.
重
=
千
+
里
:
Mnemonic symbol (from the shape of the character): this one looks like a space elevator. The two top strokes are the heavens, the two bottom strokes are the earth, and the part in between is the cabin (or climber) of the space elevator.
Chantal Chicken (chu) is working in the engine's kitchen ((e)ng2). Her job is to crush sunflower (里) seeds with a 1 kg weight (千) to get the kernels. Then she has to put the kernels into the cabin of a space elevator (重) to send them to outer space. This repeats (重) again and again day in, day out.
重
=
千
+
里
:
Mnemonic symbol (from the shape of the character): this one looks like a space elevator. The two top strokes are the heavens, the two bottom strokes are the earth, and the part in between is the cabin (or climber) of the space elevator.
Julian Giant Squid (zhu) installed a space elevator (重) in the engine's bathroom ((e)ng4). For the maiden trip, and as a stress test, he loads one thousand (千) one kilogram weights (千) and decorates them with sun flowers (里) to celebrate the occasion.
演
=
寅
+
氵
:
Maud Younger (y) and her plush tiger (寅) are drinking inside of the anthill (an3). Maud is drinking bai jiu, but her plush tiger is just pretending: he acts as if he was drinkingn bai jiu, but secretly he exchanges the booze with water from a bottle of water (氵) next to him.