January 14, 2010

Los Angeles


I am taking a walk on the cliff walk where some of Los Angeles’ most stately houses are located. So many people are friendly to me. Friendly people make me friendly. The dogs are also very comfortable in approaching me. Small, but perfectly landscaped recreational parks dot the village roads. The vegetation in the gardens contains unusual fauna. It seems that neighbors really take care of their property and maybe engage in some competition. Beautiful views of the Pacific are seen along the pathways. I like this because everyone can take in the beauty, not just the wealthy residents. The wealthy can manufacture beauty and all people pursue beauty. As I return to campus I notice that the neighboring streets are named for Jesuit Universities. The downside of the day was watching the Jets win. What happened to the Bengals?

Travel to Hawaii.

The flight was very satisfactory. I could not rest my head against the window to take a nap because they are scorching hot from the sun even though the outside temperature was listed as -56 Fahrenheit. I watched 500 days of Summer, which was excellent. It began by saying that it was not a love story. They told the truth. I also watched District Nine. It is not one that I recommend, but there is a decent subtext about how we treat refugees. Even the best of us treat refugees as alien life forms who are a drain on society. This is why immigration is having such a difficult public discourse. I do highly recommend Precious. It is a difficult story to see, but it makes us so much more human if we look at how some people are actually forced to live their lives.

Hawaii

I was given a beautiful lei as I stepped into the airport terminal and was greeted by my host, Dave Travers. Thirty LMU swimmers from the girls’ team saw my lei and asked me a provocative question. They would be scandalized if they knew I am a Jesuit. We visited the military bases and grabbed such lunch. We had dinner at Zippy’s with some parishioners from Sts. Peter and Paul Church. The next morning we ate at the Pancake House and was served by an enthusiastic waitress. I loved my pineapple pancakes and corned-beef omelette. Later that day I went to the Mauna Loa mall and looked at some rather classy Reyn Spooner shirts. I’m grateful to Al Groskopf, SJ for the shirts he gave me. He found them for a buck at goodwill. People give me directions by street names, but they are not spelled the way they sound.

I feel sad that Hawaii has no professional sports affiliation. All the television shows and games are finished by the time it is time to watch television at night. I do like how every public building is wide open. No glass windows are needed. Al fresco living is the way to go. We had dinner at a restaurant called (Anna Miller’s). It is a Dutch restaurant with a wide variety of pies – their specialty. Dave Travers, SJ was a great host. I regret that I could not get to the Arizona memorial. The small ferry boats are being painted and are out of commission for two weeks. Sad to know that the Patriots lost. The ball just did not bounce their way. They are still better than the Baltimore Ravens.

Travel to Auckland.

I had very comfortable seats with plenty of leg room. The 10 hour trip was very tolerable. My mind adjusted to the duration of the flight and I read several books – Dan Harrington’s Jesus and Prayer (2009), William Martin’s Back Bay (1979), A Child deserves Respect (1929), Dave Fleming’s To Whom Do We Belong?, and several pamphlets and articles. I wish I actually brought more to read for my flight from Sydney to Auckland. The stewards on Qantas are very beautiful. For one, this was her last flight as she leaves to get married. The stewards’ beauty from the flight from Qantas to Auckland radiates through their smiles. I sat next to a Catholic woman named Sue who promised me dinner with her two Monsignor friends. The International Date Line change does a job on your mind. This will take some adjustments.

Auckland, New Zealand

Auckland, New Zealand is hilly, like Holy Cross, but steeper; first class city with lots of young people; saw Dunkin Donuts and felt right at home. The temperatures are great. This is a climate in which the strong sun doesn’t affect me. The air is not so humid. I could easily live here. It is 9:00 p.m. and still has some vestiges of daylight. The parks are well-kept and the residents take pride in their city. The people are very friendly to me. I just have to keep remembering to walk on the left hand side of the street. I get annoyed back home when I try to stay as far to the right as I can and someone approaching from the other direction bumps into me. People give you space here and if they bump into you, they say, “Sorry or pardon me.” I like this type of civility.

My hosts are terrific. Msgr. David Tonks is so pleasant and affable. Msgr. Bernard Kiely is also very kind. They love the Red Sox caps I bought them. Two other priests from the Philippines live here as well. They were taught by Jesuits with whom I lived in Cambridge at Weston.