Not because I had nothing to say —
but because I wasn’t sure my voice would still feel like mine in another language.

This is the first English letter of Fish-Letter.

Fish-Letter began on April 29, 2023. It was first written in Chinese, then in French. And now, on her third birthday, this journey continues in English.

1. Why an English version of Fish-Letter ?

As a writer, I have always believed in the power of writing — not only to describe the world, but to shape it.

Writing makes the unseen visible.
It gives voice to what cannot be spoken.
It illuminates the hidden corners of the human spirit.

As an independent anthropologist, I believe in cultural translation — in the effort to understand one another, and to search for peace.

As a humanist, I believe in dignity of humanity, in connection, and in the urgency of defending freedom of expression, especially in our digital age.

But ideas alone are not enough.

What really shaped this new step are four encounters.

“My voice counts.”

This is what a French IT woman leader told me recently.

She was born in a remote village in Africa, where girls are often married at fourteen, and where higher education for women is rare. Yet she held onto one belief: her voice mattered.

She carried that belief across continents — from Africa to France — through her studies in IT, where she was the only woman in her program, and into her career in innovation.

Today, she speaks at UNESCO, helping and empower women find their own voice especially in IT in order to contribute to a futur world where women are builders.

She told me something simple:

“When you believe your voice counts, most limits exist only in your mind.”

I grew up in a culture where listening and obeying authority and elders is deeply rooted. Her words stayed with me.

Not only for women in tech —
but for anyone who hesitates to express themselves freely.

So this is what I am doing here:

I am writing in English, even if it is imperfect.

Because meaning, growing and action matter more than perfection.

“Beautiful encounters.”

This year, I asked a French woman who welcomes and helps numerous refugees in her own house:

How do you connect with people who are totally different from you and who are totally broken— without fear?

She said:

With this mindset, the world becomes a school.

And maybe Fish-Letter is part of that learning.

“Build bridges.”

A French cyberpunk once said to me:

“You build the bridge.”

By chance, I had connected him with another cyberpunk. They discovered they were thinking in the same way — but had never met.

Two French men living in the same city for all their lives but always staying in their own digital social bubbles finally found each other through a Chinese girl who is non-tech. I think there is a meaning in it.

Through my anthropological fieldwork — in China, in the Himalayan region, in France, and in cyberspace — I keep seeing the same thing:

We live close but rarely truly meet.

We live far but never try to encounter others.

Maybe what we need is not more information.

Maybe we need more bridges.

“Defend life.”

This comes from a 98-year-old French woman.

She likes to laugh, tell jokes, and invite people to dinner in her warm home. She always has the energy to share stories, to serve at the table, and to provide delicious food. Most people are astonished when they learn her age, because we all think that she is just in her 70s.

One day, she asked me with a shiny smile:

“My husband died when I was 39. I stayed alone for almost sixty years. And recently, someone told me I could find a man on the internet. Is that true?”

“Someone once asked me how old I was. I said I’m so old that I lived through the World War. ‘The war of 1914?’ he asked me. Come on, I’m not that old!”

On her fireplace, there is always a beautiful prayer by Mother Teresa.

I remember the first and the last line:

When Fish-Letter first started in Chinese three years ago, it had readers in only 3 countries.

Three years later, today it reaches readers in 68 countries.

Life grows.
Life spreads.
Life resists.

Maybe writing does too.

2. Fish-Letter Logo

I designed this logo for the English version of Fish-Letter, 0% AI work. Fish-Letter is a love letter of connection, drifting in the cyberspace. Perhaps one day it will find you!

3. What kind of articles will you find in Fish-Letter?

Anthropology

Reflections, readings, and fieldwork exploring the diversity of cultures, languages, and societies.

Cyberspace

My journey as a beginner in technology, exploring how digital tools can help defend freedom of expression.

Art

Literature and artworks—my own and those of others. Artists and artisans, their “beautifully miserable” or “miserably beautiful” lives.

So if you are interested in Fish-Letter, don’t hesitate to support and to share it with your English spoken friends!

See you next time!

Fishear

04/29/2026