Flying Made

For the past few weeks I've been wondering about the meaning of being BIG. This BIG thingy includes, having a BIG dream, doing a BIG action to the society to establish your legacy, creating a BIG application that would be useful for humankinds, having a BIG house for me and my pets, and probably ... marrying a BIG girl with BIG ***** and a BIG *** =).

Anyways, yeah... lately I have encountered some situations whereby small stuff can be really satisfying. For example, I met someone who looks cheerful most of the time. She loves to say sentences halfway which are then continued with bla... bla... bla... to make the sentences longer. For example, "Today I went to buy groceries, books and bla bla bla... then I met a cute looking guy *twinkling eyes". Apparently, this bla... bla... bla... means nothing to most people, but for me this small little thing can actually make my day =D (knowing something unique always makes me happy).

As a person with big ambition we always think to leave our legacy by doing something BIG which people in large cannot forget. Though, probably we forget that every BIG thing is always started small. Only when we can do something small that make others feel BIG, we will be able to leave a legacy.

Maybe I haven't travelled around the world or visited 50 countries; or I haven't dived the deepest sea in the world; or climbed Mt Everest; or created a special pills that can make some males throw away syringes. However, though, I will be thankful if I can leave an good impression about to the people near me which can inspire them to do something better.

This sentence below, I quote it from Greenday's Billy Joe speaking about the success of their newest album, The American Idiot:

I think to do something that you feel in your heart that's great, you need to make a lot of mistakes to get there. Anything that's successful - I think it's a series of mistakes.

I'm freaking tired now, however though, I've promised some guys to tell them about what I did on Thursday night (yesterday). If Kungfu Master can do the popular Drunken Fist, let me show you that I can do this martial arts called: Weary Fingers, to prove that I'm still sober even when my eyes are half open.

... fine, i just finish bathing to make sure what I wrote here won't be something stupid or just a useless blaberring.

All right, yesterday I went to a discussion forum with Israel ambassador, Ali Yahya. He is an arab who grew up in the jewish state country. He said that though he is a minority, in the end human beings are the same. Being a minority, he used that as a motivation to perform better than the so called majority. He went to Jews schools while the most of his arab friends went to arabic schools. He taught Jews how to read/write Arabic and to understand Arabs. Now, here he is, the first Arab ambassador of Israel.

Anyways, he talked about one thing for sure, the need of peaceful society in middle east, especially between Palestine and Israel. And here's my opinion about Israel-Palestine: We all know that this problem has deep rooted and some people even don't know what was the cause of the problem. Interestingly, some people even believe that there won't be any peace in middle east as it is mentioned in the Holy book. And I just knew it yesterday, that in another Holy Book, there're teachings saying for people to be careful with Israelis.

Pretty amazed when hearing those things. Pardon me if I was too ignorant that I didnt know these facts that have existed for a long time till yesterday. Gosh, this really bothers me, even after other friends of mine raised a question, "Why some religious movements are stronger than social activities". When some religious teachings tell, Love your enemies, they really mean it. Thus, hopefully, when they said that there won't be any peace in middle east, then hopefully there's any continuing sentences such that it says: "There won't be any peace in middle east, unless...". Coz I believe for every problem there lies the solution (not a solution).

For me, when someone told me that there won't be any peace there in middle east, I would've replied, "Why?" Also, when someone told me, "Don't trust your buddy as he's different from you", "Don't hang around with him because his parents/ancestors are criminals", or "Don't go out with Bob as his great great grandfather has kicked our great great grandfather's butt". If I were 5-year-old kid, I would've believed that guy. But now I have my own opinion, I'm very very sure that Bob will do no harm to me, he can even be my best man in my wedding. Poor Bob that he has to suffer the result of his ancestor's action. But heck, it was my and his ancestors' problem. What I need to work on now is that for me to understand Bob and then make sure Bob understand what I want, so there will be a mutual understanding. Kicking Bob back won't solve our ancestors' problem I guess. All right, bob?

Let me back to my point, I'm not trying to critise any teachings here nor that I said that Israel's actions are rightful. What I wanna say is, let's open up our minds. We know weapons/hatred/knives are not working, at least we have our brain though. Put down our walls and try to understand people before asking them to understand us. If we can't change other people, at least we can change ourselves.

-made
For peace and fulfilment of human kind's potential

It's been raining since the beginning of this year. It seems that the rain can't stop. This makes the morning weather very cold. At this point, sometimes I feel really lucky not to install any air conditioner at home =).

It's freaking cold. I feel like a bear, which needs to be dormant during winter. It's very difficult for me to rise up early in the morning to catch the company's bus. Hmm... If I were an animal, I don't think a bear would suit me... Too much sleep is not my style. Well, I mean, I PLAN not to sleep too much, but in the end if I sleep very long hours, then I'll just consider it as a divine intervention =P.

Speaking about doing things too much, there was someone said that I tend to get addicted to something very easily. Hmm... let's see. Football. I just can't get enough of it. There was a day when I spent it by placing my butts comfortly on the couch, holding a cable tv's remote control on one hand, raising my legs on the table, and watching ESPN's English Premier League. Pheuwww.... I tend to read too much, study too much, and laugh too much, hahaha... That's why it's really hard for me to imagine when I've got married =D. Once I have a kid, then I tend to father too many kids, lol.

I found this short writing is really interesting. It gives a rather different perspective with what most people believe on how to develop a nation. Enjoy the article. It's really worth-reading.

My short essay about the Philippines

First posted 04:59am (Mla time) Dec 21, 2005
By Jaeyon Kim, Korean
INQ7.net



(Editor's note: This essay was e-mailed to INQ7.net as a "Koreans letter for all Filipinos," with a note that it was posted on the La Salle Greenhills website. The note says: "My Short Essay about the Philippines" was written in simple, imperfect English, and understandably so, for it was penned by a young Korean student named Jaeyon Kim. Professor Marlon Aves Diloy, a Filipino professor of Information Technology as well as English at the Yeungjin College in Daegu, Korea, shares with all Filipinos this essay, which sparked a renewed sense of nationalism and love for country for the thousands of Filipinos in South Korea. Diloy hopes that it will also touch your heart, the way it has deeply touched them.)

FILIPINOS always complain about corruption in the Philippines. Do you really think the corruption is the problem of the Philippines? I do not think so. I 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 to 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 the country was destroyed completely during the war, and we had no natural resources.

Koreans used to talk about the Philippines, for Filipinos were very rich in Asia. We envied Filipinos. Koreans really wanted to be well off like Filipinos. Many Koreans died of famine. My father's brother died because of famine. Korean government was awfully 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 neighborhood and country. Education inspired young men with the spirit of patriotism.

Forty 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 or attract a foreign investment because the economy of South Korea was so bad. Korea had only three factories. So, President Park sent many mine workers and nurses to Germany so they could send money to Korea to build a factory. They had to go through a horrible experience.

In 1964, President Park visited Germany to borrow money. Hundreds of Koreans in Germany came to the airport to welcome him and cried there as they saw the President Park. They asked 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 worked hard for Korea. 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 US came back to Korea to help in developing the country because they wanted their country to be well off. Though they received very small salaries, they did their best for Korea. They always hoped that their children would live well off country.

My parents always brought me to the places where poor and physically handicapped people lived. They wanted me to understand their life and help them. I also worked for the Catholic Church when I was in the army. The only thing I learned from the Catholic Church was that we have to love our neighborhood. And I have loved my neighborhood.

Have you cried for the Philippines? I have cried for my country several times. I have 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 the church. They pray every day. However, they do not love the Philippines. I talked to two prisoners in the maximum-security compound, and both of them said that they would leave the Philippines right after they were released from the prison. They said 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 we can share our wealth with our neighborhood. The owners of factories and corporations distributed their profits to their employees fairly so that the 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 saw them every day in the Philippines.

The Philippines is the only Catholic country in Asia, but there are too many people here. People go to church every Sunday to pray, but nothing has 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 Pagsanjan, I forced my parents to take a boat because it would fun. However, they were not happy after taking the boat. They said they would take the boat again because they sympathized with the boatmen, who 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 the boatmen.

My mother who has been working for Catholic Church since I was very young told me that if we just went to Mass without changing ourselves, we are not Catholic in deed. 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 great love from God.

I want Filipinos to love their neighborhood and country as much as they love God so that the Philippines will be well off. I am sure that love is the keyword that Filipinos should remember. We cannot change the sinful structure at once; it should start from the person. Love must start in everybody on 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 neighborhood 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 children, teach them to love the Philippines. Teach them why they have to love their neighborhood and country. You know that God also will be very happy if you love others. That's all I really want to ask you Filipinos.