On footwear and foliage

2 pieces caught my attention and interest in yesterday's issue of the Philippine Star. The first was a news article on the dress code for Mass to be implemented by the Archdiocese of Manila. Churchgoers are now discouraged from wearing shorts, skimpy tops, and apparel deemed inappropriate for the solemnity of Mass (I can hear my mom going "Finally!", though she doesn't even go to Mass :p). Apparently the Church has received numerous complaints from more "conservative" Catholics regarding the increasingly casual attire of other people sitting in the pews.

For once I find myself agreeing with Church policy (cue the rolls of thunder and lightning bolts). However, I noticed that the dress code did not prescribe anything for footwear, which I think should have been addressed, given that we have backslid to a tsinelas culture in the past couple of years. Just recently my brother blogged about how Filipinos are taking the whole Havaianas/Crocs craze too far. I share his opinion that no matter how expensive or sosyal or trendy, flipflops are still basically nothing more than rubber slippers, fit for the beach and bathroom, but not the ballroom or boardroom. Sure, I own some pairs of flipflops myself, but I would never wear them to formal occasions or venues, including upscale restaurants, business or academic functions, and religious ceremonies/places of worship (the rare times I do go to those). I suppose the Archdiocese of Manila's Ministry of Liturgical Affairs didn't include a footwear provision in their dress code because the less fortunate members of their flock cannot afford shoes, but what's the excuse of parishioners of Santuario de San Antonio or Mary the Queen? Churches in more affluent neighborhoods should seriously consider adding footwear guidelines to the dress code; after all, what's the point of asking them to dress properly if they're not going to complete the look with a decent pair of shoes?

The second Star article that made me sit up and take notice was Alfred Yuson's column Kripotkin. The title was "Caballeros" (another name for the fire/flame tree, I learned), and there was a photo of the gorgeous fire tree outside Ateneo's Gonzaga Hall. I smiled at the coincidence, because earlier in the day I had suggested to a budding photographer friend that he visit Ateneo while the fire trees are in bloom, for he's sure to get some great nature shots there. I stand by my belief that the campus is one of the loveliest places in the city (and in my biased-by-sentiment opinion, the planet), and ironically, it's the greenery that makes it so. I loved how Yuson, who teaches poetry in Ateneo, took some Taft jabs while rhapsodizing over his beloved trees ("...the beauty of Loyola Heights depends so much on clear and green spaces, that at some point a cease-and-desist order must preempt any more construction, else Katipunan starts to look like Taft in Manila..."). But more importantly, I liked having someone show a genuine appreciation of the beauty of my beloved campus in all its lush, efflorescent glory.

I suddenly have a yearning for an afternoon stroll under the fire trees. :)