"Nonna and Nonno, I think we are Good People"

I was invited to eat dinner at the house of an Italian couple here in Franklin Lakes, NJ last Sunday evening. It was a typical Italian dinner: tomato with mozzarella, salami di Milano, roasted pepper and olives for aperitifs, pasta for prima piatto and breaded chicken breast with salad for secunda piatto, apple pie with gelato, cappuccino and sambucha for antipasto. With us was their 12 year old granddaughter. After the antipasto, the wife packed some of the food and brought it to their neighbor who is a an 80 year old widow. When the wife returned, the granddaughter said "Nonna and Nonno (grandma and grandpa) I think we are good people because we share what we have with a neighbor". I was mesmerized. I remembered what my late father used to tell me- "Share your blessing with those who need it." The girl saw the goodness and kindness of her grandparents. I told her how lucky she is to have them as her grandparents and it's up to her and her cousins to continue that legacy- being good people. I hope that parents and grandparents all over the world would instill good value to their children and grandchildren through their example and not just through words.

G.C. UANAN
30 October 2006

The Devil's "that's all" is not all at all

After an impromptu get together with other Filipino priests at the Todai Japanese Restaurant in Manhattan last week, we went to the AMC movie house along 42nd Street. There were 20 movies in the offing. Three of us settled for “The Devil Wears Prada”. I was intrigued by the title (I didn’t read the novel and didn’t know that there is a novel with same title). It was literally about fashion as "Prada" denotes. The Movie revolves around the character of a fashion magazine editor Miranda Priestly (Merry Streep) and her naive (at least in the beginning) secretary Andy (Anne Hathaway). The office staff were like models themselves with elegant outfit and “skinny bodies”. They would tremble and panic as soon as Miranda arrives the at the office. Miranda acts like “God” (or rather the Devil) as her wish is her staff’s command. Andy on the other hand was a simple journalism graduate who thought that she will be able to maximize her journalistic skills in the Fashion Magazine. Unfortunately, her work was confined into buying meals and coffee for her boss as well as answering the phone. In spite of her seemingly naiveté’s to fashion, she strived to be efficient and eventually became fashion savvy.

Miranda has the penchant of saying “that’s all” without saying the details of what she wants to convey or done. That left Andy puzzled and terrified at first but it helped her strive to become efficient. Miranda’s “that’s all” symbolizes power, elegance and wealth. Andy was being gradually pulled into same trend of thought as her boyfriend Nate (Adrian Granier) says it all “you want to defeat her but you became like her (Miranda)”. But towards the end, it came into Andy’s senses that Miranda doesn’t care about people’s feelings. She doesn’t care if her actuations hurt others so long as she preserves the status of power, elegance and wealth at any cost. Andy realized that becoming like Miranda is becoming like a Devil dressed in Prada, Valentino, Versace, etc. It came into her senses that Miranda doesn’t care about other people’s lives. Thus, her “that’s all is not all at all. Her “that’s all” is limited to her everything. Her “that’s all” doesn’t include others. Her "that’s all" is egoistic rather than altruistic. Miranda knows this but she doesn’t mind so long as she is on top. Andy realizes this and made the right decision- there is more to life than power, elegance and wealth. Many people are like Miranda. Many people are like Andy, as well. The world has gone bad because of people like Miranda. Thus, we need more Andys. We must always bear in mind that a selfish all is not all at all.

If you can't seem to understand what I mean, just watch the movie.:)

G.C. UANAN
14 August 2006

Longing for Peace

What is happening to our world? There seems to be no end in war. People’s lives are set aside. Innocent non-combatants are killed helplessly. The warring sides seem to disregard the importance of life. In the midst of this, I wonder if a lasting peace is still possible. Yesterday, I had a conversation with an elderly Church-goer. He said that peace can still be attained if people focus on it. As I ponder on the wisdom of what he said, I realize that he is right. When the war between Hezbollah and Israel broke out two weeks ago, leaders of the most powerful nations were quick to point fingers on culprits. Not so many clamored for peaceful resolution. The immediate focus is punishment and retribution, not peace.

Does peace have a chance to reign in such situation? Certainly! There can be peace if both sides stop putting the blame on each other. There can be peace if the Lebanese Prime Minister will not allow Hezbollah to hold him and his government by the neck and order the Lebanese army with the help of UN to disarm Hezbollah. There can be peace if the United Nation leaders would stand firm and implement its resolution calling for the disarming of militias like Hezbollah in Lebanon.

DEAR GOD, please let there be PEACE.

G.C. UANAN
01 August 2006