Message in a Bottle

This afternoon, while walking along the Mugnone, I came across a message written by chalk on a gray trash bin. As far as I understand, it is written in Japanese, and whoever the recipient is, now she or he can be sure that it will never fade away.

Cosmos and Metacosmos

2020 is the Year of the Metal Rat, beginning on January 25, 2020, and ending on February 11, 2021. The Rat is the first animal in the 12-year cycle of Chinese zodiac, and its Year symbolises a time of deep transformations, both on personal and professional fronts. Photo: Vladimir Astapkovich/Sputnik.

Pigs with Wings

A folk artist makes dough figurines of pigs holding couplets to greet the Year of the 豬 (Pig) in 临沂 (Línyí), 山东省 (Shāndōng province), China. Photo: VCG/Getty Images.

The Name of the Rose

• Fabien Simonis, 侯 (Hóu)? 逸凡 (Yìfán)? What’s in a name..., ChessBase.com, December 19, 2013

“Your discussion of ‘Kosteniuk, Kosintseva, and 逸凡 (Yìfán)’ in recent articles sounds as dissonant to a Chinese reader as ‘Clinton, Bush, and Barack’”, writes Fabien Simonis from 东莞 (Dōngguǎn), China — and goes on to give us a primer on the correct use of Chinese names. To his very useful instructions we add a reprint of a 2004 article explaining Indian, Russian and other names. [Read more].

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)’s autograph on letterhead of the Marina Mandarin Hotel in Singapore. Photo: sgchess.net.