Building a house with a raging river underneath seems outside logic. Who then will join a leader ‘on fire’ to build a house where underneath a mighty river flows? (more…)

The new Pope Francis epitomises the joy of living poor in today’s world driven by conspicuous wealth. His rise to Petrine Ministry triggers my reflection on the millions who transformed their lives by seachange, smoky mountain, and driving back to zero. (more…)

On my first career path, I picked up the convention of writing – 30 – to end a story going to press. Chicago journos extended this convention to remember fondly deceased colleagues by this mark on photographs posted on walls of favourite watering holes. (more…)

Playing Sudoku gives me trickles of happiness. Rule is simple: line up numbers 1 to 9 along nine rows, columns, and blocks. It heightens my acuity and logic unraveling the strategy set by a master.

Meanwhile, a friend wins in zero-sum game of strategy and chance by bluffing around a poker table. Some are champions in very complex combinatorial games like chess, go, or backgammon for which there is no provable optimal strategies. Others play jenga, where a wrong plank pulled brings the entire robust-yet-fragile (RYF) structure crashing. (more…)

Anywhere they may be in the world, Filipinos celebrate a most festive tradition about the eternal King of Kings born in a manger. Many spent Christmas in the place where they were born in the Philippines. (more…)