Yesterday, one of my friends texted me that my article was found in the Mindanao Times newspaper.
Actually, I was very busy with my out-door shooting in Jacks Ridge restaurant, somewhere in Davao. I was quite frustrated about the requirement of the non-linear video editing subject. I could not do anything and its beyond my control.:P
Anyway, if I show this article to my MC104 subject teacher, she will give me 100 points for my initiative effort in writing. I think that I deserve it for my great effort at least.( I will post it other time for you, friends). I also believe that it is a big opportunity to have this for practicing my writing. That is period.
I stayed in Thailand for three months. I met many Burmese students studying in the most expensive international schools in Bangkok. I saw them with different scenarios of their struggling there.
Imagining schooling in the foreign countries needs thousands of dollars. I was very happy to knowthat many brilliant scholars from my own country could study outside the country. I believe that that was a good sign for our country's future.
Things seemed to be unexpectedly happened in our lives after all. Until now, I did not hear the voice from those people that they would like to go back to Myanmar willingly and heatedly after the studies (some students only).
I just want to reflect this experience for this week.
Of course, for those who donot want to go back to the country, they may have lots of excuses and reasons that they do not want to go back. It was their choice.
Maybe, they find better opportunities for their future. It is up to them. My question is if they are happy for their choice to live for the rest of their lives in another country. Of course not. Then, why not?
It is not an unending and unceasing challenge for us. Let's ask ourselves to check your choice that you have made in past and rethink them by ourselves individually.
Yesterday, on January 26, I was in the AB. English class to have a talk about the history of our national language. I titled my talk, "the sunny side of a coin", which gave a big impression about my country, Myanmar (Burma).
Most of the students in the class were surprised to see them, including other foreign students. I was truly proud of being able to share about some of my country's natural beauties, rich heritages, full wealth of culture, custom and language and colorful lifestyles.
Of course, I can sense that other things about my country which tremendously influence us with a big negative impact after all. I believe that negative can not designate for positive.
"Change" must come in our country and our people.
Let's promote our country's face to enable to have a honorable and preserved dignity in the international community. Let's have good heart and will for the country.
Last night, January 25, the first Davao Chinese New Year was celebrated at Magsayay st., DavaoCity. The security guards and police personals strictly controlled along the areas where the celebration was held.
The Platinum Band entertained the crowd. Even though the songs were quite old, people still liked rock music. Wearing the Chinese favourite colour, red shirts with white spots, the vocalists made the audience more lively and enjoyable.
For around fifteen minutes, the Davao Chinese community showed the Dagron dance, Chinese traditional entertainment.
Then, counting minutes at 5 minutes to 12 am, the moment of waiting for a new year gave a great excitement and a big joy for all. At 12 am, people shouted "Kung Tsi Fa Cai."! At the same time, people watched the direct cable show of New Year celebration floating full of colourful firework in Bejin, China.
I noticed some differences from this Chinese new year with the Burmese-Chinese one. Most of the audience were not Chinese last night. But, I did not doubt that a lot of Chinese people would join the celebration. I admired people here to share the happy moment with non-Chinese and the Filippino-Chineselikely felt the same as the non-Chinese did. Of course, these Chinese control most of the business in the city as well as the country.
In my country, the Burmese-Chinese people were different from the Filipino-Chinese celebrating that kind of events. Most of my Chinese friends went to worship in their temple and crowded inside it. Aside from a lot of the street-children loitering around the temple,I thought it was a place in China because the Burmese people did not join the event. It became exclusive for the Burmese-Chinese alone.
In my city, there were thousands of Chinese living and the places were like a Chinese city more or less.Usually,I used to stroll along the night-market stalls where people ate food with their friends and families. In the coldest time in my city, I enjoyed eating noodles and soup with different kind of species and flavor while they were very still hot.
If I could turn back the time, I would do it. Please keep opening your mind and enjoying your time fully and worthily...
All students in the house went to their friend's birthday party. Also, I became a guard for the house.
Outside the house, there was another birthday party. They celebrated it with Karaoke music. A Lot of noise around the house made me feel better. Thinking there about music I heard from the neighbors gave a good evening even though I ate alone in the house.
Tomorrow will be Chinese New year ( Gon si ba cai!)...
I believe that cooking is a sort of art which can bring stronger closeness or friendship in the house. Everyone likes to eat good food. Good food does not mean first class but simple and cheap ones will do.
I met many people who said that they did not care about food. They do not choose food. I doubt that they may taste good cooks.
In Myanmar, most of people still assumed that cooking is women' s job. Of course, people who live far from their home will think about food their mothers used to cook.
But if you can cook good food, it is no doubt that you will have many friends especially in the foreign countries.
Let's just share taste that we cherish most with the close ones.
I met some groups in Davao. I dont know it may be a sort of life style. They live on the street and beg food from the Christian communities. They are going here and there without having any job.
Life is not simple, my dear friends. Somehow, they are regular comers in the Marist house.
Rarely I met women but normally I found groups of men which include 2 to 5 men in each group. They all look very strong and healthy. None of them seems to have a family or child but I doubt that they do not have families.
When they come around the place where I stay, I normally share food in the house. In fact I stay with the Marist community in Sta Ana. I just wonder if any one of us do the same thing.
Of course, we may have different ways. I just want to say this to my friends in my country. Normally, there are plenty of people lived on the streets and use many ways of technique to enable to survive for a day,but not strong and healthy ones.
Strange things are everywhere throughout the globe..
Last two days ago, one of my friends in Yangon mentioned that he could not open my blog because its access was denied. But some of my friends in Yangon said they could read it.
Flashback to my previous days in computer field in my country, I met many good people in the computer world. I received a lot of their help, guide and teaching during my debut-life in that field.
Some may be familiar to this symbol which I have found in Davao City.
Hoping that these people did not ban my penny blog.
May Buddha Bless those who have kind heart and good will!!
Fr. Pat Breeze, SM, the international English Novice Master, finished his Visayan language from the Mary Knoll language and cultural institution in Davao city on January 23.
He took the course five hours a day for two months and three weeks to enable to help the Philippine district miniseries.
He will be in charge of the International English-language Marist Novitiate in Dumalug. Fr. Pat comes from New Zealand. He is one of the five New Zealanders serving in the Philippine Marist district.
Internships Asia is proud to announce its first Regional Internship Program of 2009 for Myanmar nationals.
This year, the 2009 Regional Program will accept individuals of Myanmar nationality as interns for placements ranging from three (3) to six (6) months with non-governmental and community based organizations around the region. Through each placement, interns will develop new knowledge and skills, enabling participants to grow academically and professionally.
For more information about the program, please visit www.internshipsasia.org. You can review the program requirements and download the application materials directly from this site.
Application Deadline: February 28, 2009
If you have any questions or comments about the program or the application process, feel free to contact us at Internships.Asia@gmail.com.
We look forward to hearing from you!
-The Staff of Internships Asia
source://A friend from Myanmar shared it to me. Thank you, friend, for your news...
Yesterday, on January 22, three English major students approached me in my Philosophy class and asked me if I could be their guest speaker in their class. I said yes if I would be useful in their subject. I was glad to help other students. It is just a help but it is also a learning process for me.
After a long quiz in my Philosophy class, I went to my Econ class. At this time, my teacher was to come to our class on time. We knew that she would give us a quiz today. She did. I did my best for the quiz.
Writing for TV production always is my last class on Thursday. Normally the class ends at around 9:10pm.
Yesterday, Carren, my class monitor, decided to run for representative of the Humanities Division. She seems very confident for her launching campaign. She is very energized and active in the class. She has a lot of natural talents such good voice, leadership and management in her section, persuasion and jolliness to other classmates, and creative skill. I came home late because I wanted to support Carren for her candidacy and I was with her campaign meeting.
When I checked my mail in the late evening, I found two mails from Fr. Ron, SM in Australia, one from Fr. Peter Hka Awng Tu in Manila, and one from Philosophy Division inviting me to attend a lecture ”POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE DEMOCRACY IN THE PHILIPPINES". The speaker is my professor in the last semester, Christopher Ryan B. Maboloc, Chairperson of the Philosophy Division on February 11, 2009, Wednesday, at 3:40-5:40 in the afternoon at F-213.
Hoping I can post some of his thoughts and insights in my blog "my knokbuk".
Yesterday, I went to Bureaucrat of Immigration office for my annual report. The Reputation of waiting period in the office seemed slightly wrong. I waited for only 1 hour there.
Then, I went back to school and checking my shooting sites for the midterm project in Non-linear edition. The music video is required to submit before the end of this February.
Good things are that I have borrowed a digital video camera with a fire-wire device from my classmate. Now, looking for shooting sites at campus with my point-shot camera is prerequisite for the preproduction of my music video.
I choose "You and Me" by Lighthouse. There, one of my friends asked me the reason for this song. I told her;"wala lang uy." (nothing byar) It is my honest answer but I like the song very much when I heard it in the first time in the movie, Smallville. Maybe that's why I decided to use this for my music video.
But I have to go a lot more than I can imagine.. My teacher has been signalling to start shooting the video because he reminds us that edition will take long time. God bless me..
Today, my teacher said my feature article was submitted to the Mindanao Times newspaper. She told me "keep writing".
In my social Philosophy class, Ma'am Shy, my beautiful professor,gave a bonus that we did not have a quiz after the discussion. She smiled a lot. Its really different from other days.
Again, in Econ (Agrarian reform and taxation), my professor gave some lectures about land redistribution. We had group discussion. All my group mates are the graduating students, so they did the best for this minor subject. I was quite sleepy in the class....:P
Then, I went back to my room and ate my early supper at around 5pm. My last class starts at 5;45pm. I was in a hurry for that. My journalism professor is very beautiful but very strict with the attendance. I got 86 in my prelim exam with this subject. It is my favorite subject too. Anyhow, I was very frustrated at my group mates because our midterm project for the tabloid, the Origin, was very late to submit. The cover was black and white instead of colorful. I understand it is another style of the creative project. But it is a group work after all...beyond my control...
Again, I am now quite upset because I cannot watch the Obama's inauguration. What a day! Please give me some remedy for my dishearten moment...
Yesterday (Monday), January 19, one of my professors, Ma'am Bel,(Ma. Isabel S. Actub), Chairperson of Theology Division invited me to have coffee during the activity period which is between 3:40pm to 5:55pm in Ateneo de Davao University. She brought me a beautiful Italian coffee shop, Fagioli. We had Cappuccino and some chocolate cakes ( I have never eaten before).
Ma'am Bel is very friendly and helpful. Even she is a Chairperson of Theology Division (Department), she has no pride but approachable to ask her help anytime. She has always a big smile when she talks. She is a simple and humble professor but very creative and articulate one.
Hoping next time I can post her thoughts and insights for my Burmese friends in this blog. She has written many articles. In Ateneo, we study some of her articles in theology subjects. Currently she is also an associated editor of Tambara journal, which is one of the very influential journals studying about Mindanao.
Thank you, Ma'am Bel, for inviting me to have different foods. Also, I am really grateful to know you. You energized me to develop my thoughts and reflection through your powerful sharing and insights yesterday. God bless you always!!!
Ires, my new Filipino friend, who studies in HolyCrossDavaoCollege, invited me last Friday to come to her town, Don Carlos which is 160 km far from Davao (a 3:30 to 4 hours trip by bus). Ires told me about the Sto. Nino feasta which is the patron saint of Don Carlo. Sunday of Jan 18 was Sto. Nino feasta. ( Little Jesus Christ' feast). She also invited her roommate, Ann.
We arrived Don Carlos at 11:20pm on Saturday of Jan 17. I was quite tired after eating a light supper and went to bed. I liked the climax there because it reminded me a lot about my country, even though it was not much colder than my city, Myikyina in Myanmar.(It was time like between 4-6pm in the cold season but not deeply cold) I slept that night soundly and I thought I was back to my own home.
Next morning, Ires introduced her friends to Ann and me. I was very happy to have many new friends in a new place. They liked to talk to me but they were very shy to speak to me. I understood some words in Tagalog but I tried to apply my broken Tagalog and Basaya. (Tagalog is national language in the Philippines and Basaya is one of the major tribes in Mindanao)
I was very amazed to see Ires' younger sister, Erika Mae, who is only a grade two student, enable to sing many English songs fluently and perfectly. I could not stop gazing her talent with a big surprise. While she sang English songs with full mood, she seemed lost in music. Her voice was also beautiful.
Then, I went out of the house. I found Ires' younger brother, Win Mark, sitting a chair in their small garden. I was curious to talk to him. I noticed he has big ears like the President-elect Barack Obarma does. He told me about a movie "Wrong Turn 2: Dead End", which was about fighting against the inbred family of cannibals. I was surprised to know that he was only grade 5. But he explained to me about the movie in English.
During lunch, I saw about 30 people in the house. Ires explained to me that they all were her relatives. They came to her house to celebrate the party of the Sto. Nino feasta. I was really surprised to see hospitality of Ires and her parents. They had plenty of foods and soft drink for all visitors.
I saw almost all the families along the main street of Don Carlos having their own parties with hard music. (like our new year celebration) I learned that there were non-Catholic families who did not celebrate the feasta. (Catholics are still majority in the Philippines, like Myanmar, Buddhists are majority.)Ires explained to me that the Sto Nino feasta became a traditional celebration in the town.
After lunch, Ires and her friends toured me firstly to the Don Carlos municipal hall, where I found many different shapes of Christmas trees. We went to watch "Off Road" entertainment which was a kind of show-off driving talents but very dangerous. The audience was crowded on the ground. I had a goose bump when the car was turning over into upside down in the air, but nothing happened to the driver.
"Off Road" the most popular entertainment in Don Carlos. This unique entertainment makes its audience breathless and amazed.
Later, Ires explained it to me about "Off Road" show. It is the Don Carlos' own version entertainment in every big feasta sponsored by the town's Municipal.
They brought me to PinamaloyLake. Ires told me about the legend of the LakePinamaloy. Pina was a woman and Maloy was a man. They were lovers but they died in the present location of the LakePinamaloy. So, the lake became Pinamaloy. Around the lake, it was very peaceful and full of attraction to me. Amazingly, its shape is a guitar. I saw many lovers out there sitting and enjoying time together.
With a strange legend story, PinamaloyLake still remains Don Carlos town's beauty pageant.
Time seemed too short for me to see other beauties of Don Carlos such as Sinangguyan and KahuluganFalls and LinkingCaves and Spring. We went back to Ires' home. I said goodbye to her parents who were very hospitable and generous to me during my stay in their small and beautiful house. Then, I went to the bus terminal and waited for a bus for an hour. Finally I was standing in the air con bus because there was no seat and so were some passengers.
After three bus stops, I was only standing in the bus. And the conductor came up and told me to sit on the stair backward in the bus. I really did not know what he said. When he learned I was nota Filipino, he was very uncomfortable to ask me then. But he was very kind and gave me a sheet of newspaper to cover my seat. I sat for a while, a young man who would be at late thirty of age, came and told me that there was a vacant seat. Later, I found him sitting in my previous stair seat along the way to the Davao terminal gate. I was quite uncomfortable to say thank you because I seemed to take advantage of his hospitality. At the same time, I was overwhelming and speechless because of his pure sincerity.
I will never forget this trip learning more about this beautiful country's culture, customs and sites. I will always cherish this memory in my life. Dahang Salamat ka a yo!!!(Thank you all)
Dear friends... Sometimes, you might feel the same what i feel now especially when you are far away from your home. Thinking about the joyful past and food in my own home fuels me homesick. Really, I miss it now.
This morning, I get up late coz I spoil myself and stay in my bed a little bit longer. Thinking about my home and imagining what they eat this time for their breakfast makes me more hungry. Hoping that i can swallow my breakfast easily. It is a kind of challenge that i face every morning.
But i just have a cup of coffee while listening to a song "you'r beautiful" from my roommate's mp3. I know this will kill my time pass quickly.
Wowo.. I have to prepare for my class. I need to rush. I will write a good one tonight. Promise.:P
On Jan 14, President Jose Ramo-Horta came to Davao city for a lecture titled "Is Lasting peace an attainable dream" at 7th floor Finster Hall Auditorium of Ateneo de Davao University.
I was inspired and moved by his excellency's humility and simplicity. His vast experience as a peace-maker and activist for his own country, Timore, kept my mind and heart full of inspiration and admiration.
He used very simple words to make me understand his lecture clearly, which took almost 2 hours. Before I attended the lecture, i di some research online. Of course, I was so excited to see a person who led his beautiful country to achieve independent from Indonesia and won Nobel peace prize in 1996.
I am not going to exaggerate about him but I believe that he is a hero, loving-care father, true leader, and highly intellectual professor.
Some of his words are "peace is not absent of war but also absent of domestic violence,"
"Dialogue is the key to lasting peace"
"Mindano problem can only be solved if the Filipinos believe that violence is only futile but talk about peace seriously."
I did enjoy his lecture. I tried to take some picutures with my point-shot camera. It was worthless after all. Maybe my seat was quite far from him. I was upset about that.:P
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
I traveled to Surallah for my new year. Surallah is a small town in Marbel city. Unfortunately i did not have time to explore the town. Majority is Ilongano living in the town. They are soft speakers when they speak. It is very interesting the way they speak their language. Plenty of drink and food made all of us. I got drunk and danced about three to four hours.
It was on December 25 almost midnight. I could feel a silent night. Even though it seemed very quiet and a bit lonely, it made me realize about the different ways of celebrating Xmas. After midnight Mass, we had another small and simple party.
Here I sang a Burmese song among non-Burmese.! Try to listen to the music. Everyone can have the same feeling with music. Music has power to more know each other.
I had a home Xmas party in the house too.! That time was with my Marist seminarians and Marist fathers . We had plenty of food and drink.
In front of the municipal, no time to pose properly.
