Tuesday, December 20, 2005

Filipinos bag amateur mobile filmmaker awards

TAKING the Nokia N90 mobile phone underwater in Anilao, Batangas was enough to convince the judges to award Filipino Janice Yu the grand prize in a recent competition for Asian amateur mobile filmmakers.
Another Filipino contestant, Pangasinan resident Noel Osting, won the "Best Editing" award for a short documentary on Filipino farm life.
Yu, who takes home a 10,000-dollar cash prize, was among the six finalists in this year's "First Time Mobile Filmmakers Award" organized by Discovery Networks Asia, a division of entertainment company Discovery Communications, and mobile phone manufacturer Nokia.
The contest requires contestants to use Nokia's N90 phone to shoot short films.
Yu's winning short film experiments with using the phone's video features to make a personal travelogue of one of the country's top dive sites.
"With the advancement of technology we have now, it is a godsend for videographers like me who can have immediate access to equipment that despite their small size, are packed with walloping features and quality," Yu says in her profile at the contest's website.
In her blog written for the contest, Yu said she was quite nervous about shooting underwater using the N90. It was a "make or break" moment for her, she said.
"I felt I've taken a gamble with the concept I chose," she wrote in her blog, as she looked back at the process of creating her short film.
Thai Ndol Lerkwsirisuk won the Best Visualization award.

Report courtesy of INQ7.NET - December 20, 2005

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Interesting Conversation


A professor of philosophy speaks to his class on the problem science has with God, The Almighty.He asks one of his new Christian students to stand and.....
Professor: You are a Christian, aren't you, son?
Student: Yes, sir.Prof: So you believe in God?
Student: Absolutely, sir.
Prof: Is God good?
Student: Sure.
Prof: Is God all-powerful?
Student: Yes.
Prof: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to God to heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But God didn't. How is this God good then? Hmm?(Student is silent.)
Prof: You can't answer, can you? Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?
Student: Yes.
Prof: Is Satan good?
Student: No.
Prof: Where does Satan come from?
Student: From...God...
Prof: That's right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?
Student: Yes.Prof: Evil is everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything. Correct?
Student: Yes.Prof: So who created evil?(Student does not answer.)
Prof: Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness?All these terrible things exist in the world, don't they?
Student : Yes, sir.
Prof: So, who created them? (Student has no answer.)
Prof: Science says you have 5 senses you use to identify and observe the world around you.Tell me, son...Have you ever seen God?
Student: No, sir.
Prof: Tell us if you have ever heard your God?
Student : No , sir.
Prof: Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God, smelt your God? Have you ever had any sensory perception of God for that matter?
Student : No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.
Prof: Yet you still believe in Him?
Student : Yes.
Prof: According to empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your GOD doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?
Student : Nothing. I only have my faith.
Prof: Yes. Faith. And that is the problem science has.
Student : Professor, is there such a thing as heat?
Prof: Yes.Student : And is there such a thing as cold?
Prof:Yes.
Student : No sir. There isn't.(The lecture theatre becomes very quiet with this turn of events.)Student : Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat. But we don't have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold.Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.(There is pin-drop silence in the lecture theatre.)
Student : What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?
Prof: Yes. What is night if there isn't darkness?
Student : You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light.... But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it?In reality, darkness isn't. If it were you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?
Prof: So what is the point you are making, young man?
Student : Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.
Prof: Flawed? Can you explain how?
Student : Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it.Now tell me, Professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?
Prof: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.
Student : Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?(The Professor shakes his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the argument is going.)
Student : Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavour, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher?(The class is in uproar.)
Student : Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor's brain?(The class breaks out into laughter.)
Student : Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor's brain, felt it, touched or smelt it?.....No one appears to have done so.So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, sir.With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir?(The room is silent. The professor stares at the student, his face unfathomable.)
Prof: I guess you'll have to take them on faith, son.
Student : That is it sir.. The link between man & God is FAITH.That is all that keeps things moving & alive.

Wednesday, December 07, 2005

Take time to appreciate what you have now.

On the last day before Christmas, I hurried togo to the supermarket to buy the remaining of the gift I didn't manage to buy earlier. When I saw all the people there, I started to complain to myself," It is going to take foreverhere and I still have so many other places to go. Christmas really is getting more and moreannoying every year. How I wish I could just lie down, goto sleep and only wake up after it..." Nonetheless, I made my way to the toy section,and there I started to curse the prices, wonderingif after all kids really play with such expensive toys. While looking in the toy section, I noticed asmall boy of about 5 years old, pressing a dollagainst his chest. He kept on touching the hair of the doll andlooked so sad. I wondered who this doll was for. Thenthe little boy turned to the old woman next to him, "Granny,are you sure I don't have enough money?" The old lady replied, "You know that you don'thave enough money to buy this doll, my dear." Then she asked him to stay here for 5 minuteswhile she went to look around. She left quickly. The little boy was still holding the doll in hishand. Finally, I started to walk toward him and Iasked him who he wanted to give this doll to. "It is the doll that my sister loved most andwanted so much for this Christmas. She was so sure thatSanta Claus would bring it to her." I replied to him that maybe Santa Claus willbring it to her, after all, and not to worry. But he replied to me sadly. "No, Santa Claus cannot bring it to her where she is now. I have to givethe doll to my mother so that she can give it to her when shegoes there." His eyes were so sad while saying this. "My sister has gone to bewith God. Daddy says that Mommy will also go to see God very soon, so Ithought that she could bring the doll with her to give it to mysister." My heart nearly stopped. The little boy lookedup at me and said, "I told daddy to tell mommy not togo yet. I asked him to wait until I come back from the supermarket." Then he showed me a very nice photo of him wherehe was laughing. He then told me, "I also wantmommy to take this photo with her so that she will not forget me." I lovemy mommy and I wish she doesn't have to leave me but daddy says that shehas to go to be with my little sister." Then he looked again at the doll with sad eyes,very quietly. I quickly reached for my wallet and took a fewnotes and said to the boy, "What if we checked again,just in case if you have enough money?" "Ok," he said. "I hope that I have enough." I added some of my money to his without himseeing and we started to count it. There was enough forthe doll, and even some spare money. The little boy said, "Thankyou God for giving me enough money." Then he looked at me and added, "I askedyesterday before I slept for God to make sure I haveenough money to buy this doll so that mommy can give it to my sister. Heheard me." "I also wanted to have enough money to buy a white rose for mymommy, but I didn't dare to ask God too much. But He gave me enough to buythe doll and the white rose." "You know, my mommy loves white rose." A few minutes later, the old lady came again andI left with my trolley. I finished my shopping in a totally differentstate from when I started. I couldn't get the littleboy out of my mind. Then I remembered a local newspaper article 2days ago, which mentioned of a drunk man in a truckwho hit a car where there was one young lady and a littlegirl. The little girl died right away, and the mother was left in acritical state. The family had to decide whether to pull the plug on thelife-assisting machine, because the young lady would not be able to get out of thecoma. Was this the family of the little boy? Two days after this encounter with the littleboy, I read in the newspaper that the young lady hadpassed away. I couldn't stop myself and went to buy a bunchof white roses and I went to the mortuary where thebody of the young woman was exposed for people to see and makelast wish before burial. She was there, in her coffin, holding abeautiful white rose in her hand with the photo of thelittle boy and the doll placed over her chest. I left the place crying, feeling that my lifehad been changed forever. The love that this little boy had for his motherand his sister is still, to this day, hard to imagine.And in a fraction of a second, a drunk man had taken all this awayfrom him.

MY SHORT ESSAY ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES by Jaeyoun Kim

Filipinos always complains about the corruption in the Philippines. Do you really think the corruption is the problem of the Philippines? I do not think so. strongly believe that the problem is the lack of love for the Philippines. Let me first talk about my country, Korea. It might help you understand my point. After the Korean War, South Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world. Koreans had to start from scratch because entire country was destroyed after the Korean War, and we had no natural resources. Koreans used to talk about the Philippines, for Filipinos were very rich in Asia. We envy Filipinos. Koreans really wanted to be well off like Filipinos. Many Koreans died of famine. My father & brother also died because of famine. Korean government was very corrupt and is still very corrupt beyond your imagination, but Korea was able to develop dramatically because Koreans really did their best for the common good with their heart burning with patriotism. Koreans did not work just for themselves but also for their neighbourhood and country. Education inspired young men with the spirit of patriotism. 40 years ago, President Park took over the government to reform Korea. He tried to borrow money from other countries, but it was not possible to get a loan and attract a foreign investment because the economic situation of South Korea was so bad. Korea had only three factories. So, President Park sent many mine workers and nurses to Germany so that they could send money to Korea to build a factory. They had to go through horrible experience. In 1964, President Park visited Germany to borrow money. Hundred of Koreans in Germany came to the airport to welcome him and cried there as they saw the President Park. They asked to him, "President, when can we be well off?" That was the only question everyone asked to him. President Park cried with them and promised them that Korea would be well off if everyone works hard for Korea, and the President of Germany got the strong impression on them and lent money to Korea. So, President Park was able to build many factories in Korea. He always asked Koreans to love their country from their heart. Many Korean scientists and engineers in the USA came back to Korea to help developing country because they wanted their country to be well off. Though they received very small salary, they did their best for Korea. They always hoped that their children would live in well off country. My parents always brought me to the places where poor and physically handicapped people live. They wanted me to understand their life and help them. I also worked for Catholic Church when I was in the army. The only thing I learned from Catholic Church was that we have to love our neighbourhood. And, I have loved my neighbourhood. Have you cried for the Philippines? I have cried for my country several times. I also cried for the Philippines because of so many poor people. I have been to the New Bilibid prison. What made me sad in the prison were the prisoners who do not have any love for their country. They go to mass and work for Church. They pray everyday. However, they do not love the Philippines. I talked to two prisoners at the maximum-security compound, and both of them said that they would leave the Philippines right after they are released from the prison. They said that they would start a new life in other countries and never come back to the Philippines. Many Koreans have a great love for Korea so that we were able to share our wealth with our neighbourhood. The owners of factory and company were distributed their profit to their employees fairly so that employees could buy what they needed and saved money for the future and their children. When I was in Korea, I had a very strong faith and wanted to be a priest. However, when I came to the Philippines, I completely lost my faith. I was very confused when I saw many unbelievable situations in the Philippines. Street kids always make me sad, and I see them everyday. The Philippines is the only Catholic country in Asia, but there are too many poor people here. People go to church every Sunday to pray, but nothing has been changed. My parents came to the Philippines last week and saw this situation. They told me that Korea was much poorer than the present Philippines when they were young. They are so sorry that there are so many beggars and street kids. When we went to Pasanjan, I forced my parents to take a boat because it would fun. However, they were not happy after taking a boat. They said that they would not take the boat again because they were sympathized the boatmen, for the boatmen were very poor and had a small frame. Most of people just took a boat and enjoyed it. But, my parents did not enjoy it because of love for them. My mother who has been working for Catholic Church since I was very young told me that if we just go to mass without changing ourselves, we are not Catholic indeed. Faith should come with action. She added that I have to love Filipinos and do good things for them because all of us are same and have received a great love from God. I want Filipinos to love their neighbourhood and country as much as they love God so that the Philippines will be well off. I am sure that love is the keyword, which Filipinos should remember. We cannot change the sinful structure at once. It should start from person. Love must start in everybody, in a small scale and have to grow. A lot of things happen if we open up to love. Let's put away our prejudices and look at our worries with our new eyes. I discover that every person is worthy to be loved. Trust in love, because it makes changes possible. Love changes you and me. It changes people, contexts and relationships. It changes the world. Please love your neighbourhood and country. Jesus Christ said that whatever we do to others we do to Him. In the Philippines, there is God for people who are abused and abandoned. There is God who is crying for love. If you have a child, teach them how to love the Philippines. Teach them why they have to love their neighbourhood and country. You already know that God also will be very happy if you love others. That's all I really want to ask you Filipinos.