Not A Table, A Dog Or A Pencil

“Imagine the following situation: Bob X from B. Town meets John Z at a barbeque. John Z introduces himself as ‘John Z from Pretoria’ and holds out his hand. Bob X smiles politely, shakes John’s hand and introduces himself as ‘John Z from Pretoria’.”

“In 2000 I was confronted again, this time in Taiwan, with people to whom I had to identify myself after once again functioning for a year in relatively obscure anonymity – where the most basic information about my person was good enough.”

“In man...