February 2025 Issue

A MESSAGE FROM THE TEAM

Welcome back to the FIS Newsletter as we present our newest edition: in the theme of love as an homage to Valentine’s day. When we think of the word ‘love’ we often assume that it refers to romance. In reality, love is an umbrella of a word - many categories fall under it. Love for your parents, love for your best friend, or even love for that stray cat who occasionally accepts a piece of fish from your hand. 

English is one of the few languages that does not distinguish the different types of ‘I love you’: we say it to friends, family and lovers alike. Many other languages use other verbs to convey the nuances of the word, such as ‘ti voglio bene’ in italian, ‘te quiero’ in spanish, or ‘je t’aime bien’ in french, entirely different from ‘je t’aime’. ‘Amour’, ‘amore’, ‘amor’, and ‘爱‘ are all words reserved to romance, and romance only. Moral of the story - we shouldn’t gaze at love through a single lens: oxytocin, that warm little chemical, applies to so much more than a fairytale ending between a boy and a girl. 

With that, please enjoy this edition, as well as some hot chocolate. February can get pretty chilly.