The Daily Bluster

Josh West is a 39-year-old bus driver from London. He drives a shiny double decker bus. Rogelio Castro, 49, is a Filipino jeepney driver in Manila. Rogelio and his family (wife, three children and their families—eight in all) live in a cramped two-storey home in San Andres Bukid, Manila. We meet them in Toughest Place to be a Bus Driver, a BBC television series that puts professionals from the United Kingdom in a Third World setting. (There is another episode, “Toughest Place to be a Midwife” that places a British you-know-what in Liberia). I must admit, the episode’s premise is fascinating—a London bus driver driving in Manila? I simply had to watch it. Mr. West however did not really drive a bus in the Philippines—he gets to drive a jeepney. “Madness,” observes Mr. West, referring to Manila’s traffic, the first time he experiences it. He is also fascinated by the fact that there seems to be no “bus stops"—people just “wave” at the jeepney to get on. And as to collecting ...

Severus Snape fooled us all. Those who actually finished reading the entire Harry Potter series would know what I am talking about (or writing about, if you want to be literal). Snape is one of the series’ bravest and noblest characters. Yes indeed—in fact, I would name my next dog Severus in his honor (If it’s a female, I think… Hermione ?— Here, Hermione! Come, Hermione! Nah, I don’t see it. But I digress). Of course, until the last part of the last book, most readers think Snape is a hateful toad, and would gladly cast a Killing Curse ( Avada Kedavra! ) in his direction, given the chance. J. K. Rowling (the author) neatly ties up all the loose ends (well, almost all the loose ends), and, in my opinion (which admittedly is as sought-after as a Blast-Ended Skrewt ), provides a very satisfactory ending. The Deathly Hallows unravels Dumbledore’s strategy in defeating Voldemort, which explains his previous actions, and also answers Harry’s doubts. Snape, as I have intimated, is t...