When the earth trembles

Do you know how tsunamis form? Undersea earthquakes or landslides cause the ground beneath the ocean water to abruptly move up or down. This sudden movement creates a substantial displacement of water. The displaced water starts moving in all directions as waves. At this point, the waves are still short and far apart since they …

Mein kampf

Confession time: The title is pure clickbait. This piece contains no actual Nazis. Nor figurative ones, for that matter. "Mmmm, this is good. I think this is actually good. You outdid yourself this time." "Are you sure? I think it's just about average. Anyone could have written that." "Yeah man, I am sure. You've got …

Choosing a life goal worth dying for

I get it, setting a life goal is important. No captain allows their ship to wander the oceans without a harbour in mind. Advice for setting life goals abounds, from the Internet, newspapers, and acquaintances. Everyone has something to say when it comes to choosing a goal for one's life. I figured I would throw …

Unpacking the palatable lie of introversion

"I am an introvert" is practically camping on everyone's lips these days. It's hip to (claim to) be an introvert. Introversion has been used to fuel the edgy teenagers who abhor social interaction and profess their dire need for alone time. Heaps of articles, websites, and talks have dissected the topic, analysing how difficult for …

[Book Review] The Prince, a Terribly Misunderstood Treasure

If you don't think you can entertain an idea without accepting it, you really should stop reading. On the shelf this week is The Prince. Nope, not The Little Prince universally adored by children and adults. I am talking about the book that was banned by the Catholic Church 27 years after its publication. The text whose …

[Book Review] Meditations, The Original Self-Help Book

I know Gladiator is an epic movie, with one of the most memorable lines in cinematic history ever written. It is also perhaps the most popular portrayal of the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius. Which is a sad thing, because all that people associate with the name Aurelius is an old king who makes the fatal …

My 2017 in one word

Packing 365 days into a single word is challenging. I spent quite some time identifying the common thread that would string the entire year together. Among multiple contenders, I have selected a word representative of 2017. And that word is control. The age-old issue man has wrestled with since the concept of free will was introduced. …

Lessons from Ms H

I wrote this for a competition last year. Won some money for booze. Edited for readability and put here for safekeeping. ******************************************************************************* I could never recall a day when Ms H wasn't grumpy. Maybe it was her old age, maybe it was our mischievousness. Maybe it was both. Many men had courted her but none …

Living, 365 days later

Warning: This piece is entertaining, educational and inspiring. Allegedly. Read on at your own risk. Alrighty folks. It has been a year since I relocated from Australia to Vietnam. Obviously, a lot of shit has happened and I won't be able to cover them all. So I am only going to address a couple of things …

[Book Review] The Stranger – Albert Camus

Mother died today. Or maybe yesterday; I can't be sure. I was thinking of a gripping sentence to start the book review but ultimately went with the first line itself. This is simply one of the best opening lines I have ever read (besides that of 1984, of course). Excellent way to start a novel. …