Archive for the Kids Category
International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day
Posted in Kids, pictures with tags Chernobyl, Chornobyl, ICRIN, International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day, Kiev, memorial, nuclear safety, Russian invasion, Soviet Union, Ukraine, UN International Chernobyl Research and Information Network, United Nations, Zaporizhzhia on April 26, 2026 by xi'an
interpretable Bayesian learning for physical and engineering sciences [06-10 July 2026]
Posted in Kids, Mountains, Statistics, Travel, University life with tags ABS26, Applied Bayesian Statistics summer school, Bayesian learning, Como, IMATI CNR, interpretable Bayesian learning, ISBA, ISBA 2026, Italy, Lake Como, Milano, Nagoya, SMAI, summer school on April 22, 2026 by xi'an
a journal of the stone ages year
Posted in Books, Kids, Mountains, pictures, Running, Travel, University life, Wines with tags AIs, anchovies, Black Plague, book reviews, Camels, cocoa, COVID-19, cuisine, cyborg, Daniel Defoe, gnoccheti, Jo Nesbo, Journal of the Plague Year, kimchi, Korean food, Napoli, Netflix, nordic noir, Norway, Nowr, Olso, pasta, restaurant, riccioli, Russian invasion, science fiction, serial killer, smuggling, space opera, Stand Up To Trump, sweet potatoes, udon, Ukraine, Venice, WW II on April 19, 2026 by xi'an
Read—in French—The Grave of the Fireflies (火垂るの墓), written by Nosaka Akiyuki in 1967, and which inspired the eponimous Ghibli Studio anime by Takahata. A very vivid reporting on the slow deaths of the young narrator and of his sister, in the final days of WW II that left them to try to cope by themselves from the lack of food. I was quite surprised by the style, raw and oral, with hardly any punctuation, that reminded me of the early Céline. The book contained a second short story, Amerika Hijiki (or American weeds), also related to the WW II trauma suffered by the author. Recommended, if not for young readers. I also read The Wrong Unit, by Rob Dircks, a science-fiction novel set in the 2800’s, which follows a humanoïd robot caring after a child with a particular destiny. Not as fun as Murderbot, and not particularly deep in its human-AI-robot relationship, even less in its scenario and its creation of a 2800’s environment where everything sounds 2020’s, except for teleportation (!), but definitely readable.
Just as during my previous, private, visit to Venezia, I cooked there a large dish of (spinach) gnoccheti with anchovies that lasted the week, plus had the possibly best-ever squid dish I ever tasted at Da’a Marisa. Where else?!
Watched Jo Nesbo‘s Harry Hole’s Devil Star series on Netflix. With mixed feelings. On the one hand, the rendering of a gritty, harsh, unromantic, fantastic, Olso and of a unequal, corrupted, crumbling, society far from the usual postcards is riveting. With the actor playing Harry Hole fitting the role brilliantly. (Maybe not the most adequate adjective for an alcoholic, Camels chain smoking, (hyper)violent, insubordinated, police officer!) On the other hand, the scenario is very weak and with too many red herrings and convenient coïncidences and global conspiracies. Given the last scene, there may be another season in the near future…
[defunct] Radio Free Europe
Posted in Books, Kids, pictures with tags free press, Iron Curtain, LP, R.E.M., Radio Free Europe, Trump administration, Voice of America on April 18, 2026 by xi'an
a journal of the no-end-war year
Posted in Books, Kids, Mountains, pictures, Running, Travel, University life, Wines with tags AIs, Black Plague, book reviews, cocoa, COVID-19, cuisine, cyborg, Daniel Defoe, Journal of the Plague Year, kimchi, Korean food, Napoli, pasta, restaurant, riccioli, Russian invasion, science fiction, smuggling, space opera, Stand Up To Trump, sweet potatoes, udon, Ukraine, Venice on April 15, 2026 by xi'anRead Braking Day, an archi-classic space opera of a spaceship travelling for generations to a substitute planet. With the archi-classic reproduction of earthy behaviours and habits (how on,,, Earth!, one could imagine smoking being allowed on a spaceship? commercial goodies on sale when approaching destination? shopping malls?) Archi-classic heroes as well, standing just on the wrong side of the rules as a shipbound form of smuggling… The no-so-classic is a class A spoiler that emerges half of the book, non-too-soon, and turns the charactera and then some into actual heroes. Very very light and not recommended!
In-between two weeks in Venice, I cooked a veg curry with (old) butternut, leeks, (new) onions and a yellow species of beetroot I had never seen before, Eaten with my freshly made kimlchi that was somewhat too fresh. The second pot is still burping! And had the worst ramen dish in my culinary experience, in Strasbourg, obviously not the centre of the ramen universe!, where half the ingredients were freezer cold (and the other half just marginaly warmer). (But tasted a new and nice category of curly pasta while in Venice (2), the week before, the Napolitean riccioli!) Also cooked a second sweet potato and cocoa cake for Venice (
3), which led to a lengthy security check at the CDG airport!
Watched Undercover Miss Hong, a Korean drama set in the 1990’s, with vintage computers, clothes, and (just emerging) mobilephones. Beyond that plunge in the past… The scenario is paper-thin and is spread over too many episodes, with a soapy ending, but the duo of (female) central characters is enticing (if not for their borderline ethics). The series’ soundtrack is original, if not particularly striking. Slightly funny but not particularly recommended!
Xi'an's Og 