Harold & Kumar's Enlightenment

There are a few short words that are usually associated with the tandem of Harold and Kumar. Silly. Nonsense. Marijuana. They are the Cheech and Chongs of the new millenium. Some might even say that watching the movie may make you dumber than when you came in.

However, there were a few isolated moments when characters were philosophical and to a certain extent, enlightening enough to redeem the rest of the film.

CASE # 1 : Dubya the Wise

May sound like an oxymoron of the highest degree, but the actor who played the ex-President said (through his role) something that may be applicable not just to Americans, but to anyone.

"You don't have to believe in your government to be a good American,

you just have to believe in your country"

Hearing that, especially from Dubya himself, is enough to kill the strongest buzz from anything, but he makes absolute sense. As I said, this applies to all, not just Americans. We complain a lot about how the Government and the system sucks, yet we don't do anything for ourselves. These coming elections are not a lost cause, because our country will choose its rightful leader. Should cheating occur, people will not just take it lying down.

CASE # 2 : The Square Root of 3

Apparently, the poem was written by someone called David Feinberg, and not Kumar Patel as the movie suggests. However, the spirit of the poem is universal and applies to any case. Reading the words to the poem, I found the language very moving that I just had to post it.

It has a number of major elements : Musicality, Meter, Imagery... all types of brushes to paint the poem itself. The poem goes:

I’m sure that I will always be

A lonely number like root three,

The three is all that’s good and right,

Why must my three keep out of sight

Beneath the vicious square root sign,

I wish instead I were a nine

For nine could thwart this evil trick,

with just some quick arithmetic

I know I’ll never see the sun, as 1.7321

Such is my reality, a sad irrationality
When hark! What is this I see,

Another square root of a three

As quietly co-waltzing by,

Together now we multiply

To form a number we prefer,

Rejoicing as an integer

We break free from our mortal bonds

With the wave of magic wands

Our square root signs become unglued

Your love for me has been renewed

The language barrier seeks not to exclude the writer from the world, but include him in the language of love. Sure, this may sound geeky with all the mathematical terms but they fit. They provide the syntax that makes the poem itself a conundrum...a "square root of three". And yet, looking into the essence of the poem, one can slowly unfold its meaning in a few simple words: Despite being weird and different, one can still find Love.

In this case, it appeals to the Nerdy-types that dabble in technical mathematical terms and conquers the barrier and stereotype that literature is only for the artsy free-spirit. They can now simplify their "square root of three"-ness by co-waltzing with the other "square root of three" to remove the square root sign that so obviously delimits and thus reveal a perfect number 3.

Tell the World

I woke up to a strange LSS. It was the theme song of the World Youth Day Celebration back in 1995 held in Manila, "Tell the World of His Love".

For those that don't know the song (it is infectuous, believe you me), I'm sure you can easily find the source for the audio (maybe even video) track, but let me share with you the chorus:

Let us tell the world of His love
The greatest love the world has known
Search the world for those who have walked astray
and lead them home
Fill the world's darkest corners With His light from up above
Walk every step, Every mile, Every road And tell the world,
Tell the world of His love

Then it struck me: Over the past week or so, the Filipino People have done just that. With the aftermath of Ondoy, despite the threats of Pepeng, We the people, remained steadfast in helping and sharing what we could, what we had with those who lost and did not have.

So scripture says that Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13) But what if there were a greater love by living and continuing to live for not just one's friends but our neighbors?

I remember one of our Philo101 lessons "the Socius and the Neighbor", in that society dictates that by mere association, we are all everyone else's socii. However, we choose to be someone's neighbor through our actions. With our deeds and actions this past week, the Filipino People have just become one enormous neighborhood, whether friends or not.

These relief operations are tangible examples of "giving until it hurts, giving until it hurts some more and eventually until it hurts no more". Sweat and Tears (maybe even blood?) in amounts equal to Ondoy's onslaught were (and are still being) given, all in the name of Goodness, Goodwill and Generosity.

With the light generated from within us, we have truly lit the world's darkest corners and told the world of His Love.

Standing Up to the Storm

I have never seen so many angels as I have today, not surprisingly, on the feast of the angels. I remember this day yearly because today also happens to be the birthday of my cousin, martina ANGELa. (Happy Birthday, Mima!)

Who says angels have to have wings? Church doctrine and common practice has associated the term with cute Cherubs and Seraphs, and the archangels Michael, Raphael, Uriel and Gabriel.But as far as I know, the term "angel" is derived from the latin term for "Messenger".  So, technically, when you've got a message to deliver, you are an angel. Maybe that's why even in his most evil state, Lucifer, is still referred to as a "Fallen" angel.

But lest I veer off from the goodness of this day, I have never seen so many angels as I have today. I have also witnessed the miracle of the multiplication of loaves and fish. But this time, it was the multiplication of relief goods.

Lyceum's CPAD (Communication and Public Affairs Department, where I belong) all went to Poveda to help out with repacking the relief goods. When we got there, the place was filled with angels with a unified message to send: "No storm is going to stop us from doing our little part". Classes were suspended for a whole week, yet students of all ages (some even as young as Grade 2) were all there, packing sacks and sacks of relief goods for families they don't even know.

The strange part is that the boxes of relief goods for repacking just kept on coming and coming. No politicians' names, no NGO name-droppijng, just boxes and boxes, sacks and sacks. In his time, Jesus did this same thing with just 5 loaves and 2 fish, and this took place in a specific location (a small mount, with around 5000 people, or so they say). Today we packed goods that will go out to a much bigger range and number of people. Humanity and the spirit of "bayanihan" transcend and religion. I will go out on a limb by saying that not everyone present today is Catholic (maybe not even Christian). But the angelic message still remains.

Immortalized by the most controversial "angels (in their own right)", Lennon and Macartney... "All you need is LOVE".