Things I Saved in the Fire

There’s an oft-posed question: If your house were on fire, what would you save? Me, I’d grab my cell phone so I could contact my loved ones. My wallet for emergency provisions. My keys in case I get to come back. It gets kind of murky after that. I’d grab my down jacket because it’s […]

A Day Without Internet

It’s only one day. Not even a full day at that. From about 8:45 am to 7 pm, maybe even 9. But for that stretch of today, for that stretch of right now, I’m at an international conference where the building has no wifi, and I have no alternative means to securing internet access. …It […]

Suspended in Midair

Already I’m annoyed. There’s a group of about 30, strewn across the grassy area where the bridge ends (or in my case, begins). They’re Americans of course. I surmise this because they’re a little too excited – ‘enthusiastic’ if I were feeling more generous, ‘obnoxious’ because I am not. One by one, another of their […]

A Sunday

Telling a drunk story entails risk. For those who weren’t there, who weren’t involved, the recounting is never as enjoyable. Their appreciation – if it is to be found – derives not only from the merits of the story , but from how the story plays off their knowledge of the storyteller. Yet, even with […]

Blood and Water

What is it about family that can be so frustrating, difficult, even infuriating? My mom sometimes reminiscences about how patient, how obedient, how “good” I used to be, wonders what changed. I tell her it’s because I’m not a child. I have thoughts and beliefs of my own, draw upon experiences and knowledge that I […]

My Schwarzenegger Saga

The context I was all of eight years old when my cousin, quite irresponsibly, took me to see Terminator 2: Judgment Day. It was one of the first theatrical experiences I can recall, and still one of the most indelible. The movie remains my favorite of all time. The action is breathtaking, the effects spellbinding. […]