By Mark Teo (2023)
Photos by Leonard Lim and Luigi Meguizo

On the eve of Oct 21st, UP Meridian held its Annual Dice Game at Paz Mendoza Hall to foster a deeper appreciation of Chinese culture in the UPCM community. The Chinese Dice Game, a hallmark of the Chinese Mid-Autumn festival, is played with a bowl and 6 6-sided dice. Depending on which numbers one is able to roll, one can win a whole plethora of prizes ranging from the amazing 1st prize to the relatively smaller 6th prize. The goal of the Chinese Dice game is to have the lucky roll that gets you the coveted 狀元/1st prize. 

Splitting into two groups, members and applicants of UP Meridian wasted no time in seeing if the odds were ever in their favor. Much was at stake, for at the top at the prize hierarchy sat 2 mini-grills, perfect for condominium life. Prizes such as fans, notebooks, watches, and lots of food were also up for grabs. Several rolls later, 2 winners emerged as the rightful owners of the mini-grills- Rona Canlas and Gabriel Montemayor. Fortune may not have shined as brightly on everyone else, but a great time was had by all who attended. By the end of the event, no one was left empty handed and all had a greater appreciation for Chinese culture. Meridian “Emperor” Kester Ng Wee had this to say about the goal of the Annual Dice Game: “Like most traditions, I see the dice game as a reason to get together! I feel that it’s easy for two cultures to have misunderstandings when they have no chance to interact with each other, so the dice game can be an avenue to open up dialogue while we wait for our turn to roll the dice. Then hopefully, communication leads to understanding and then to acceptance and integration.”