Sportula, Cane, tibi suprema nocte petita est.
Occidit puto te, Cane, quod una fuit. On the night you died, Canus, you looked for a dole. What killed you, I think, Canus, was that there was but one. |
On the morning of December 30, 2018 four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) attended the presentation of the “新纪元杯” (“New Era Cup”) — a mass tournament which includes the participation of about 500 people — to be taking place at the 天南大酒店 (Tiānnán Hotel) in 南通 (Nántōng), 江苏省 (Jiāngsū province), China from December 30, 2018 to January 1, 2019. The schedule will also feature 13th Women’s World Chess Champion performing a simultaneous exhibition. Photos: sohu.com.
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Edere lascivos ad Baetica crusmata gestus
et Gaditanis ludere docta modis, tendere quae tremulum Pelian Hecubaeque maritum posset ad Hectoreos sollicitare rogos, urit et excruciat dominum Telethusa priorem: vendidit ancillam, nunc redimit dominam. She who was cunning to show wanton gestures To the sound of Baetic castanets And to frolic to the tunes of Gades, She who could have roused passion in palsied Pelias, And have stirred Hecuba’s spouse even by Hector’s pyre — Telethusa burns and racks with love her former master. He sold her as his maid, now he buys her back as his mistress. |
The rule that women must wear heels on the red carpet of the Cannes Film Festival was introduced long ago. Last spring Kristen Stewart rebelled against the “high-heels-only” rule by taking off her Christian Louboutin heels, and walking down barefoot the famed red carpet. Photo: Andreas Rentz/Getty Images.
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Tijuana, Mexico: A migrant child tries to retrieve his backpack after jumping the border fence to get into the United States. Photo: Daniel Ochoa de Olza/AP.
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The Club Deportivo Basilio in Valencia, Spain announced on December 28 the hiring of two chess stars to represent its team in next season’s FACV Interclubs. They are, namely, Iranian Grandmaster and newly World Junior Chess Champion Parham Maghsoodloo, who will spend three months in Valencia on an Erasmus scholarship, and four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) (pictured above right), who, quite curiously, came from nowhere to here along the interstellar trajectories of the asteroid 78071 Vicent, discovered in 2002 and named after Francesch Vicent. Photo: Club Deportivo Basilio.
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Isabella, ballerina of Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”, claims she actually sent her wishes on Ester’s birthday at 23,59... So maybe not all clocks were well synchronised!
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Apparently everyone in the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” wished Ester (pictured above right) a happy unbirthday just one minute after midnight on December 30, the day after her birthday. Can it be a coincidence?
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Cursorem sexta tibi, Rufe, remisimus hora,
carmina quem madidum nostra tulisse reor: imbribus inmodicis caelum nam forte ruebat. Non aliter mitti debuit ille liber. I sent you my messenger, Rufus, at the sixth hour, And I think that he was drenched when he delivered my poems; For it chanced the sky descended with a downpour of rain. In no other way should that book of mine have been sent. |
An Iraqi youth dressed as Santa Claus delivers gifts to children in the old city of Mosul. Photo: AFP/Ahmad Al-Rubaye.
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Two participants, dressed as characters from the movie Avatar, during a slackline competition in the Five Fingers Peak of 黄石寨 (Huángshízhài) in south-central China’s 湖南省 (Húnán province). Photo: AFP/Stringer.
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While enjoying a sunny winter day at sea, I’m just wondering whether or not to take a bath. Photos: Mado Flynn.
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Artemidorus habet puerum sed vendidit agrum;
agrum pro puero Calliodorus habet. Die uter ex istis melius rem gesserit, Aucte: Artemidorus amat, Calliodorus arat. Artemidorus possesses a young slave, but has sold his land; The land Calliodorus possesses in exchange for the slave. Say, which of those two made the better bargain, Auctus? Artemidorus has his pleasure, Calliodorus his plough. |
Photographers and tourists try to catch a glimpse of the now famous mandarin duck in Central Park, New York City, United States.
Photo: Peter Foley/EPA.
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Cuban ballerina Alicia Alonso in the dressing room of the Philharmonic Auditorium on Friday night, February 8, 1957 in Los Angeles, California, United States. Photo: USC Libraries/Corbis via Getty Images.
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Havana, December 27 (Prensa Latina) — The Instituto Latino de la Música appointed Cuba’s prima ballerina assoluta, Alicia Alonso, “Star of the Century” for her work heading the Cuban ballet school.
Alicia Alonso has been a true promoter of “the Latin cadence” since classical dance, communicated the cultural institution with headquarters in Mexico. The world’s most renowned Cuban artist will receive the award in February 2019. [Read more]. |
The Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” will participate in the fourth edition of the ballet festival “Le ali della danza”, which will be staged at the Teatro Aurora, Via San Bartolo in Tuto, 1, 50018 Scandicci, Florence, on Friday, January 25, 2019, starting at 20,45 as usual.
The event is organised by Lions Club Fiesole under the patronage of the Comune di Scandicci. The proceeds will be donated to support a school of massotherapy for hypo-blind. |
The Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” shall reopen its ballet and dance classes on Monday, January 7, 2019 starting from the early afternoon. In the meantime, may you have a Happy New Year!
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On Wednesday, December 26, 2018 four-time Women’s World Chess Champion and Rhodes Scholar 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) gave a Q&A lecture for the students of the 龙岗区外国语学校 (Lónggǎng Foreign Language School) in 深圳 (Shēnzhèn), China. Needless to say, although shining in her almond-shaped eyes, Caïssa spoke fluent Oxfordian English. Photos: 龙岗区外国语学校 (Lónggǎng Foreign Language School).
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Cuba has three treasures: sugar, cigars, and Alonso. Indeed, Cuba means “fertile land”, and there, as a most precious gift of nature, shines also a ballet dancer named Alicia Alonso. At the age of 97 [Translator’s Note: By now 98], she is the living legend of a century. With all the ups and downs, the sunshine and fragilities of her own personal and artistic life. But she, like in Andersen’s fairy tale, “The Red Shoes”, just spinning, rising and falling, dancing from her heart, never surrendered to time. Last night, the Ballet Nacional de Cuba, founded by her, performed at 上海大剧院 (Shànghǎi Grand Theatre). The classical ballet Don Quixote was a grand finale worth the 20th 中国上海国际艺术节画上 (China Shànghǎi International Arts Festival. One hundred years of beauty in one night, and the Dancer in the Dark conquered the world. [Read more].
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Alicia Alonso in her prime. Photo courtesy of 新民晚报 (Xīnmín Evening News).
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Shoppers inspect shoes during the Boxing Day sales at Selfridges, Oxford Street in London, United Kingdom. Photo: Henry Nicholls/Reuters.
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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez walks and talks with IIhan Omar prior to a member-elect briefing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., United States. Photo: Pablo Martínez Monsiváis/AP.
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Footage from the ballet Giselle being performed at Bolshoi Theatre in 1958 by Alicia Alonso, guest ballerina from Cuba. Her partner is the Russian soloist from Kirov State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet, Vladilen Grigorievich Semenov.
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Poto ego sextantes, tu potas, Cinna, deunces:
et quereris quod non, Cinna, bibamus idem? I drink cups containing two measures; You, Cinna, drink cups holding eleven. And do you then complain, Cinna, That we don’t drink the same wine? |
Die mihi simpliciter, comoedis et citharoedis,
fibula, quid praestas? “Carius ut futuant”. Tell me candidly, O clasp, What do you guarantee to comedians and harp-players? “The greater value of their favours”. |
Eugenio Lucas Villaamil, Arriving at the Theatre on a Night of a Masqued Ball, circa 1895. Credit: Carmen Thyssen Museum.
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The Earth rises into view over the lunar horizon for the astronauts aboard Apollo 8 on December 24, 1968. Photo: Bill Anders/Corbis/Getty Images.
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Haec, quae saepe solet vinci, quae vincere raro,
parma tibi, scutum pumilionis erit. This, which is wont oft to be overcome, rarely to win, Will be to you a small buckler, but a dwarf’s great shield. |
As previously announced, on the afternoon of Sunday, December 23, 2018 four-time Women’s World Chess Champion and Rhodes Scholar 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) walked up the staircase to the fourth floor of 深圳书城 (Shēnzhèn Book City) in 龙岗区 (Lónggǎng District), 深圳 (Shēnzhèn), China to entertain a crowd of youngsters and families with the tale of her extraordinary chess carreer. After summing up the highlights of her bio, without hiding any of the difficulties which she encountered along the way, 13th Women’s World Chess Champion graciously answered questions and offered suggestions on a variety of matters related to priority of study. “Children must never interrupt their scholastic studies, no matter how much they are interested in chess”, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) said. According to her, chess, if teached as an interlude, is not in conflict with scholastic study protocols, and yet it may serve to help the psychological growth of students. “I suggest that third and fourth graders must first focus on their scholastic studies. They can study chess during the summer and winter holidays, and eventually squeeze out some time on weekends to study and play a little”, she said. Once again 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) vindicated her preference for the Pawn — the weakest of all chessmen — that is often sacrificed in the name of success, but which carries in itself its own gift of reborning to anything but King and itself once it reaches its eighth square. Finally, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)’s last recommendation to her young audience was not to be afraid of losing, as learning — even from defeats — is the best way to win. Photos: sznews.com.
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