Ruminations

Leaving and Arriving

Detroit International Airport

There is a certain sensation that often hits me whenever I queue up to board for international flights. The feeling is particularly palpable when the majority of the passengers in the queue are citizens of the country of destination.

The US of A

A colleague of mine warned me that I might get strip-searched - like what happened to a friend of hers a month back - when I pass through immigration in the US. Reasons? I'm male and my last name starts with a "bin".

The Book Catalogue

I can no longer remember why I decided to catalogue my books. Maybe one of my book-collecting friends suggested it. Or maybe, looking at the mess that is my life and my book shelves, a catalogue seems to be a good place to start imposing some order (ja, Ordnung muss sein!). Or maybe I began to notice the number of books in my collection that are missing; and what better way to keep track of their whereabouts than to start a catalogue?

Whatever the reason, there I was, sitting on the floor of my bedroom many a weekend ago, my laptop in front of me and my books in high piles around me, taking on the daunting task of reviewing my book collection and in so doing - of course, for how could I avoid it? – my life.

Farewell!

My name is Fazu, and before long, I and those who are like me will become extinct. And this is the first of my farewells.

Don't Tell Me That ALL Cardinals Speak English?

The Italian newspapers have started spreading the rumour that John Paul II would be entombed in the crypts of the Vatican instead of previous speculations of the pope's wish for his mortal remains to be buried in his home country, Poland.