If I were…

Shamcey…

…my answer to her Q&A question would be: “Before I answer that, let me rephrase the question into what I think is the meaning of it. The question should be ‘would I change my faith for love?’ I believe that faith is the foundation of a relationship, one of the important things that bind two people. Having the same faith is more than just having the same religion. It is believing in the same things, living with the same values, moving towards the same goals and having complementary dreams. Although we are allowed to be different as individuals, to love fully is to believe as one. Faith is the key to nurturing love. Beyond the question of whether we have the same religion, we have to first know if we both believe there is a God, and if we both believe our God is a God of love. So will I give up what I believe in so I can keep the person I love? The answer is no. Because in the first place, I cannot end up loving someone who does not believe the things that I do.”

Lea…

….Shamcey should have been my top choice. What the heck was she doing?

The organizers of the Ms Universe pageant…

….I would have added points to finalists who are non-native English speakers but who require no interpreter to deliver their answers. Being able to communicate in a language other than your own tongue within a time-bound situation, and ensuring that your message is universal and understood by every person watching the pageant is a skill that only the most brilliant contestants possess. It gives the message: I’m speaking in your language because I want to reach out to you, to speak to you and understand you.

Those who require interpreters send the message: This is the only language I know. If you do not understand me then there is nothing I can do and I cannot speak to you directly. You have to do something if you want to understand me.’ So centered on self, so detached, so unlike a person vying to be the world’s ambassador of peace and friendship. 

Oprah...

....I made the right choice.