Unduk Ngadau 2006 - What It Takes to Win?

Again I am tasked with the choreography arrangement of the Unduk Ngadau pageant for the State Level Tadau Kaamatan 2006. This will be my third time as I was involved and incharged of the choreography arrangment of the Unduk Ngadau pageant for the State Level in 2003 and 2005. Apart from choreographing for the main pageant which will be held on the 31 May (the highlight of the Tadau Kaamatan), I will also choreograph the fashion show (catwalk modelling) for the Gala Night or Malam Legenda (this year it will be called Sodop Unduk Ngadau) held on the 29 May 2006. (My other tasks for this year include choreographing for the Penampang District Harvest Festival mid of May, and Ratu Pesta Kalimaran on April 2).

The choreography patterns for the Unduk Ngadau is normally quite straight forward. There are divided into few rounds.

Round 1 is the first time that the audience will view all the Unduk Ngadau contestants coming out into the stage with their sash on indicating the district she represents. She will introduce herself and greet (normally harvest festival wishes) the audience in her own languages/dialects. Judging does not occurred during this round.

Round 2 is the formal judging of the Unduk Ngadau. Normally 5-7 judges with an independent auditor will be selected by the Judges Committee. At least one of the judges selected to judge is an expert in tradtional costume of the indigenous people of Sabah or he/she has vast knowledge on the culture and traditional customs of Sabah. During this round, each of the Unduk Ngadau participants will catwalk in front of the judges. She will deliver 3 poses - front pose, left and right poses each. At this point of time, on a big screen monitor/baco on both sides of the hall the contestant's pictures and video shots will be shown to the audience. While the contestant does her catwalk and poses, the MC will read the contestant's brief biodata, e.g. hobbies, ambitions, etc. (no mention of vital statistics, i.e. body measurement, which was banned few years back). The contestant is not allowed to pose her rear to show her backside.

Judging will be based on originality of costume, poise and beauty. The points or marks during this round will be added with the marks obtained in Round 3 - the IQ session. 15 finalists will be shortlisted based on the 15 highest marks from the judges during this round. *Please note that unlike the judging method used in international beauty pageants like Miss World or Universe, the marks/points during Round 2 is only used and applied solely to select the Top 15 finalists (winner of Miss World/Universe is based on who has the highest IQ during the question and answer session).

Once again all the Unduk Ngadau contestants come out into the stage and the Top 15 finalists will be announced.

Round 3 is the IQ session. Questions are prepared by the organiser and the MC will ask each of the 15 finalists a question accompanied with a slide picture shown on the baco. The topic is quite general ranging from local culture, native musical instruments, traditional costumes, accessories, etc. Each contestant is given 15-20 seconds to share her tought on the question/picture. Judging will be based on accuracy of information and her views as well as her poise.

After all these are done, marks from Round 2 and 3 will be added together and the Top 7 winners will be announced. The contestant who obtains the highest marks will be crowned as the 2006 Harvest Festival Unduk Ngadau. Her reign will last for a year until 31 May 2007.

For my English speaking visitors, here are few translations:-
Unduk Ngadau = Queen = symbolised as Huminodun (kindly refer the Story of Huminodun in my previous post)
Tadau Kaamatan = Harvest Festival (held 30 and 31 May every year, public holidays for Sabah only)
Sodop Unduk Ngadau = The Night of the Queen

Art of Nudity - Spencer Tunick

On March, 19 2006, a 1,500 Venezualan posed in full nudity for famous artist Spencer Tunick to portray an art of nude bodies in outdoor environment. For more pictures, click here.

Sometimes I feel like I am an explorer,
sometimes I feel like I am a criminal,
sometimes I feel like I am an artist.
I create my work under very stressful conditions.
While a lot of work done by contemporary artists
is very controversial,
I feel that my nudes are not controversial.
The controversy lies in the fact that
I am using the city as my landscape.
The conditions in which I create my work
are tense, crazed and unpredictable.
My models are urban adventurers.
I assist them in seeing the world in a different way.
I create dreams and I create memories
that they will hold with them forever.

Spencer Tunick
May 30, 1997

Legend of Huminodun

As May is approaching soon and the much awaited Tadau Kaamatan or the Harvest Festival will be celebrated by the Kadazandusun (native of Sabah), it is both timely and appropriate that I post here the story of Unduk Ngadau, the Huminodun of the modern era.

I shall be writing the Legend of Huminodun in English for the benefit of my English speaking visitors. This article was taken from our HUMINODUN 2002 magazine, an annual magazine published by the Huminodun Foundation of which I am belonged to.

Unduk Ngadau Kaamatan 2004 - Ms. Fharelynne Ivonne Henry

The Legend of Huminodun
And so unfolds this legend:

Once long ago, when time was young and the earth was new, there lived a young woman whose beauty was reknown throughout the land. Her name was Huminodun, and she was truly beautiful that anyone who would chance on her would be mesmerised and held spellbound by this vision of loveliness. Her beauty was made all the more enchanting because she was gentle in spirit and blessed with kindness and wisdom that were beyond her years. Huminodun was the only child of the god Kinoingan and his wife Suminundu.

The Earth they lived in was generous, and the harvest was bountiful and there was plenty of food for the people. There were happiness and contentment everywhere.

However, a prolonged drought soon came over the land. There was and the earth became parched, the rivers ran silent and dry, the trees and plants wilted and died. The colour of the land but surely turned from bountiful green to stark arid yellow heat and dust.

Day came when the barns and threshing floors in the land were bare. In those days, the staple food of Kinoingan and his people type of grain called huvong. Kinoingan became very worried when he saw that there was no longer any food to eat; soon his people might die of hunger and starvation. Seeing his father's countenance, Humindun asked "Father, why do you look so distressed?"

"We have run out of food and we have no grain left to plant, not even the huvong," replied Kinoingan. "I am worried for our people; how are they to sustain themselves and their families?"

Huminodun reflected on this and said "Father, please do not worry." For a solution had come in that instance to her mind. "Go ahead and clear the land for planting. Father, I am willing to be sacrificed. Let me body, soul and spirit be offerings to the great Mother Earth. If you scarifice me to her, this drought wull soon end and you willhave seeds once agin for planting and there will be food for all our people," she said.

Such sorrow and sadness befell Kinoingan when he heard this but he knew that his daughter spoke the truth. He also knew that once Huminodun had made her decision, there would be no way he could change her mind.

With a laden heart, Kinoingan went ahead and cleared that land for planting. Through his supernatural powers, he was able to clear such a large area over many hills without any difficulty. When the time came for planting, Huminodun was brought to the cleared lot. Great indeed were the grief throughout the land that day. As she was leaving, one could hear the pitiful wails of Suminundu who begged her daughter not to go. The young men who had fallen in love with Huminodun beseeched her to reconsider. Many cried and begged her to change her mind, however, Huminodun remained steadfast in her decision; there was nothing anyone could do for she had decided that her father's people must come before her.

When she arrived at the cleared plot, she turned to her father and said, "Father, you will see that my body will give life to many plants for the people. My flesh will give rise to rice; my head, the coconut; my bones, tapioca; my toes, ginger; my teeth, maize; my knees, yams. Other parts of my body will become edible plants as well. Never again will our people go hungry; never again will famine be a visitor to our land."

She continued, "However Father, to ensure a good harvest, you must remember this: when you strewn parts of my body all over this clearing, do not come near here for seven days, and seven nights, When the rice has ripened, and it is time to bring them in, do not start the harvest without first taking seven stalks of this new rice and tying them to one end of a long bamboo stick. Put this pole in the middle of the rice field. Only then may you begin your harvest. When you bring home your harvest, place the bamboo pole in the tangkob (rice storage hut) along with the rice."

"These are my instructions, Father: of your first day's harvest, keep them in the kakanan (big jar). Do not give away any part of your first year's harvest lest the remaining grains turn bad. The second year onwards, you may do as you wish to your harvest." (This is why, to this day, the Kadazandusun people do not give any part of their first year's harvest).

Kinoingan agreed to abide by all her instructions. Thus done, he proceeded to sacrifice his only beloved daughter. At the instance of her death, the world turned black, thunder clapped and lightning struck, and the ground beneath shook and rumbled.

And then the rains came. Great was the torrent on that eventful day; the parched earth soaked in the reviving moisture, and the air became pure and clean once more. Humnidun's predictions came true; as her blood touced the earth, life was reborn. It was as she had said, as the dry earth drank in the rain and her blood, plants of many kinds began to bud and sprout in all the land.

That year, Kinoingan's people saw a harvest of such bounty never before experienced in their memory. In adherence to Huminodun's instruction, he kept the first day's harvest in the kakanan and chose the first seven stalks of the harvest for the bamboo pole.

The seven stalks of rice were to honour the seven Bambaazon, the paddy spirit.

As for the rice in the kakanan, it produced another gift. On the seventh day of the sacrifice, a beautiful maiden rose from the jar. She was the beautiful, selfless Huminodun, resurrected in spirit to return and care for her people.

She was called the Unduk Ngadau.

And it was this spirit of Huminodun that first taught and instructed the Bobohizan (priestesses) in their chants and rituals, thus beginning the spiritual traditions of the people.

To this day, the Unduk Nagdau pageant is the central part of the Kadazandusun Murut harvest festival, to commemorate the legendary Huminodun, who despite her beauty and position, gave her life in exchange for the lives of her people.

Her gift of life remains our legacy, exemplary deeds which will continue to teach and remind us of the importance of sincere caring, and love for peace and prosperity through the spirit of our culture.

Ratu Pesta Kalimaran 2006

Penyertaan pertandingan Ratu sempena Pesta Kalimaran 2006 adalah dialu-alukan kepada semua remaja perempuan warganegara Malaysia berasal dari negeri Sabah yang akan diadakan seperti berikut.

Tarikh: 2 April 2006
Masa: 10 pagi hingga 5 petang (pada waktu pertandingan)
Tempat: Pusat Kebudayaan Murut, Tenom

Hadiah-hadiah menarik (trofi, wang tunai dan hadiah tambahan, dll) akan diberikan kepada para pemenang.

Sekadar Gambar Hiasan: Seorang remaja berlengkapkan pakaian tradisi suku kaum Murut.

PERATURAN-PERATURAN DAN SYARAT-SYARAT PENYERTAAN PERTANDINGAN RATU PESTA KALIMARAN 2006

1. Berumur 17 tahun ke atas pada 1 April 2006.

2. Belum Berkahwin/Bujang dan tidak beragama Islam.

3. Penyertaan terbuka kepada semua kaum warganegara Malaysia berasal dari negeri Sabah.

4. Tidak pernah terlibat dalam mana-mana kegiatan negatif.

5. Pakaian hendaklah daripada suku kaum Murut.

6. Semua peserta headaklah berada di Pusat Kebudayaan Murut tenom satu (1) jam sebelum pertandingan dimulakan.

7. Raptai (rehearsal) pada 31 Mac 2006 jam 12.30 petang.

8. Keputusan Pengadil adalah muktamad.

9. Borang penyertaan hendaklah dikembalikan sebelum atau pada 30 Mac 2006 kepada Jawatankuasa Kecil Ratu Pesta Kalimaran 2006.

Untuk keterangan lanjut dan pengambilan borang penyertaan, sila hubungi;-

a) Puan Sylvia Olas
No. Telefon: 088-725306/019-8608844
No. Faks: 088-729306

b) Puan Connie Makulin
No. Telefon: 088-728133/088-726133
No. Faks: 088-729133

c) Pejabat Daerah Tenom (Puan Ruanin Nasipin)
No. Telefon: 087-737492
No. Faks: 087-736334

d) Pejabat PKR (Cik Hilda Madusin)
No. Telefon: -87-725306/019-5310935
No. Faks: 087-736602

Help Wanted!

If you are on job hunting or may want to change your career path this may be your dream job. If you know anyone looking for a job you may want to recommend them to write in.

Many Positions Available. No experience necessary. Free on the job training. Applicants must be good on their hands and posses excellent oral skills. Strong stamina and creativity an asset. Excellent Benefits provided.



Just for fun guys!!

A Smile Story

Just to share a lovely story of what smile can do to change our perspective about life and the surroundings. Read a previous post on Smile - what's it with Smile?

I am a mother of three (ages 14 , 12, 3) and have recently completed my college degree.

The last class I had to take was Sociology. The teacher was absolutely inspiring with the qualities that I wish every human being had been graced with.

Her last project of the term was called "Smile."

The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document their reactions.

I am a very friendly person and always smile at e veryone and say hello anyway, so, I thought this would be a piece of cake, literally.

Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest son, and I went out to McDonald's one crisp March morning. It was just our way of sharing special playtime with our son.

We were standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden everyone around us began to back away, and then even my husband did.

I did not move an inch... an overwhelming feeling of panic welled up inside of me as I turned to see why they had moved

As I turned around I smelled a horrible "dirty body" smell, and there standing behind me were two poor homeless men. As I looked down at the s hort gentleman, close to me, he was "smiling". His beautiful sky blue eyes were full of God's Light as he searched for acceptance.

He said, "Good day" as he counted the few coins he had been clutching.

The second man fumbled with his hands as he stood behind his friend. I realized the second man was mentally challenged and the blue-eyed gentleman was his salvation.

I held my tears as I stood there with them.

The young lady at the counter asked him what they wanted.

He said, "Coffee is all Miss" because that was all they could afford. (If they wanted to sit in the restaurant and warm up, they had to buy something. He just wanted to be warm).

Then I really felt it - the compulsion was so great I almost reached out and embraced the little man with t he blue eyes.

That is when I noticed all eyes in the restaurant were set on me, judging my every action.

I smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter to give me two more breakfast meals on a separate tray.

I then walked around the corner to the table that the men had chosen as a resting spot. I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue-eyed gentleman's cold hand.

He looked up at me, with tears in his eyes, and said, "Thank you."

I leaned over, began to pat his hand and said, "I did not do this for you. God is here working through me to give you hope."

I started to cry as I walked away to join my husband and son. When I sat down my husband smiled at me and said, "That is why God gave you to me, Honey, to give me hope."

We held hands for a moment and at that time, we knew that only because of the Grace that we had been given were we able to give.

We are not church goers, but we are believers. That day showed me the pure Light of God's sweet love.

I returned to college, on the last evening of class, with this story in hand.

I turned in "my project" and the instructor read it.

Then she looked up at me and said, "Can I share this?"

I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class.

She began to read and that is when I knew that we as human beings and being part of God share this need to heal people and to be healed.

In my own way I had touched the people at McDonald's, my husband, son, instructor, and every soul that shared the classroom on the last night I spent as a college student.

I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn: UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE.

SMILE - What's it with Smile?

So, what is it with smile? Did you know that it takes 43 muscles to frown and only 13 to smile? So smile, smile, smile and smile - it conserves energy!!

I know it is easy said that done! To most of us putting up a smile is not an easy task, isn't it? Of course we smile to people whom we knew or closed with i.e. friends, colleague, family, etc. but we always tend to reserve when it comes to stranger, or unexpected guest, or acquaintances. There is always the phrase 'Who smile first?' or he smiles then I smile back or 'if she smile then I smile also la' or who bother!! so long I talk nicely and professionally.

However, there is a tendency to put on a smile to important people (people that we knew or close to us) or good looking people e.g. guys tend to smile excessively to attractive ladies. But how often do we put on a smile to people that is totally unattractive or less fortunate people?

To what extent that we should have this smile to to them. What would they think of us? Would they be putting on a smile on us too? Would it be embarassing experience if we smile and that person look back rather strangely? Would you be confortable (or would the other person feels confortable) when you smile to same sex individual? How big could a smile be - whole mouth open?, half mouth open? or merely a closed-mouth smile (not showing teeth that is!)?. Is there a such thing as to what level of smile that we shall put on to a specific groups of people or gender. Anyway, something to ponder love your comment on these.

Here are some sayings about smiling.

A smile costs nothing but gives much. It enriches those who receive without making poorer those who give. It takes but a moment, but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever. None is so rich or mighty that he cannot get along without it and none is so poor that he cannot be made rich by it. Yet a smile cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is something that is of no value to anyone until it is given away. Some people are too tired to give you a smile. Give them one of yours, as none needs a smile so much as he who has no more to give. ~Author Unknown

Today, give a stranger one of your smiles. It might be the only sunshine he sees all day. ~Quoted in P.S. I Love You, compiled by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

People seldom notice old clothes if you wear a big smile. ~Lee Mildon

A smile is a curve that sets everything straight. ~Phyllis Diller

The world always looks brighter from behind a smile. ~Author Unknown

A smile is an inexpensive way to change your looks. ~Charles Gordy

A smile is the light in the window of your face that tells people you're at home. ~Author Unknown

Always remember to be happy because you never know who's falling in love with your smile. ~Author Unknown

Everyone smiles in the same language. ~Author Unknown

I've never seen a smiling face that was not beautiful. ~Author Unknown

Wear a smile and have friends; wear a scowl and have wrinkles. ~George Eliot

Everytime you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing. ~Mother Teresa

Beauty is power; a smile is its sword. ~Charles Reade

A smile is the universal welcome. ~Max Eastman

Keep smiling - it makes people wonder what you've been up to. ~Author Unknown

You're never fully dressed without a smile. ~Martin Charnin

A smile is a powerful weapon; you can even break ice with it. ~Author Unknown

78th Annual Academy Awards

It's LIVE!! Who is your favourite to grab the OSCAR this year? Jon Stewart will be hosting the star-studded event from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. Enjoy!! (Oscar winners are in italic).

Best Motion Picture of the Year
Nominees:
Brokeback Mountain (2005) - Diana Ossana, James Schamus
Capote (2005) - Caroline Baron, William Vince, Michael Ohoven
Crash (2004) - Paul Haggis, Cathy Schulman
Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005) - Grant Heslov
Munich (2005) - Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy, Barry Mendel

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Nominees:
Philip Seymour Hoffman for Capote (2005)
Terrence Howard for Hustle & Flow (2005)
Heath Ledger for Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Joaquin Phoenix for Walk the Line (2005)
David Strathairn for Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Nominees:
Judi Dench for Mrs. Henderson Presents (2005)
Felicity Huffman for Transamerica (2005)
Keira Knightley for Pride & Prejudice (2005)
Charlize Theron for North Country (2005)
Reese Witherspoon for Walk the Line (2005)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Nominees:
George Clooney for Syriana (2005)
Matt Dillon for Crash (2004)
Paul Giamatti for Cinderella Man (2005)
Jake Gyllenhaal for Brokeback Mountain (2005)
William Hurt for A History of Violence (2005)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Nominees:
Amy Adams for Junebug (2005)
Catherine Keener for Capote (2005)
Frances McDormand for North Country (2005)
Rachel Weisz for The Constant Gardener (2005)
Michelle Williams for Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Best Achievement in Directing
Nominees:
George Clooney for Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005)
Paul Haggis for Crash (2004)
Ang Lee for Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Bennett Miller for Capote (2005)
Steven Spielberg for Munich (2005)

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
Nominees:
Crash (2004) - Paul Haggis, Robert Moresco
Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005) - George Clooney, Grant Heslov
Match Point (2005) - Woody Allen
The Squid and the Whale (2005) - Noah Baumbach
Syriana (2005) - Stephen Gaghan

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published
Nominees:
Brokeback Mountain (2005) - Larry McMurtry, Diana Ossana
Capote (2005) - Dan Futterman
The Constant Gardener (2005) - Jeffrey Caine
A History of Violence (2005) - Josh Olson
Munich (2005) - Tony Kushner, Eric Roth

Best Achievement in Cinematography
Nominees:
Batman Begins (2005) - Wally Pfister
Brokeback Mountain (2005) - Rodrigo Prieto
Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005) - Robert Elswit
Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) - Dion Beebe
The New World (2005) - Emmanuel Lubezki

Best Achievement in Editing
Nominees:
Cinderella Man (2005) - Daniel P. Hanley, Mike Hill
The Constant Gardener (2005) - Claire Simpson
Crash (2004) - Hughes Winborne
Munich (2005) - Michael Kahn
Walk the Line (2005) - Michael McCusker

Best Achievement in Art Direction
Nominees:
Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005) - James D. Bissell, Jan Pascale
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) - Stuart Craig, Stephanie McMillan
King Kong (2005) - Grant Major, Dan Hennah, Simon Bright
Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) - John Myhre, Gretchen Rau
Pride & Prejudice (2005) - Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer

Best Achievement in Costume Design
Nominees:
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) - Gabriella Pescucci
Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) - Colleen Atwood
Mrs. Henderson Presents (2005) - Sandy Powell
Pride & Prejudice (2005) - Jacqueline Durran
Walk the Line (2005) - Arianne Phillips

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score
Nominees:
Brokeback Mountain (2005) - Gustavo Santaolalla
The Constant Gardener (2005) - Alberto Iglesias
Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) - John Williams
Munich (2005) - John Williams
Pride & Prejudice (2005) - Dario Marianelli

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song
Nominees:
Hustle & Flow (2005) - Jordan Houston, Cedric Coleman, Paul Beauregard ("It's Hard Out Here For a Pimp")
Crash (2004) - Michael Becker, Kathleen York ("In the Deep")
Transamerica (2005) - Dolly Parton ("Travelin' Thru")

Best Achievement in Makeup
Nominees:
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) - Howard Berger, Tami Lane
Cinderella Man (2005) - David LeRoy Anderson, Lance Anderson
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005) - Dave Elsey, Annette Miles

Best Achievement in Sound
Nominees:
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) - Terry
Porter, Dean A. Zupancic, Tony Johnson
King Kong (2005) - Christopher Boyes, Michael Semanick, Michael Hedges, Hammond Peek
Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) - Kevin O'Connell, Greg P. Russell, Rick Kline, John
Pritchett
Walk the Line (2005) - Paul Massey, Doug Hemphill, Peter F. Kurland
War of the Worlds (2005) - Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer, Ron Judkins

Best Achievement in Sound Editing
Nominees:
King Kong (2005) - Mike Hopkins, Ethan Van der Ryn
Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) - Wylie Stateman
War of the Worlds (2005) - Richard King

Best Achievement in Visual Effects
Nominees:
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) - Dean
Wright, Bill Westenhofer, Jim Berney, Scott Farrar
King Kong (2005) - Joe Letteri, Brian Van't Hul, Christian Rivers, Richard Taylor
War of the Worlds (2005) - Pablo Helman, Dennis Muren, Randy Dutra, Daniel Sudick

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
Nominees:
Corpse Bride (2005) - Tim Burton, Mike Johnson
Hauru no ugoku shiro (2004) - Hayao Miyazaki
Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005) - Steve Box, Nick Park

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
Nominees:
Bestia nel cuore, La (2005) - Cristina Comencini (Italy)
Joyeux Noël (2005) - Christian Carion (France)
Paradise Now (2005) - Hany Abu-Assad (Palestine)
Sophie Scholl - Die letzten Tage (2005) - Marc Rothemund (Germany)
Tsotsi (2005) - Gavin Hood (South Africa)

Best Documentary, Features
Nominees:
Darwin's Nightmare (2004) - Hubert Sauper
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005) - Alex Gibney, Jason Kliot
Marche de l'empereur, La (2005) - Luc Jacquet, Yves Darondeau
Murderball (2005) - Henry Alex Rubin, Dana Adam Shapiro
Street Fight (2005) - Marshall Curry

Best Documentary, Short Subjects
Nominees:
God Sleeps in Rwanda (2005) - Kimberlee Acquaro, Stacy Sherman
A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin (2005) - Corinne Marrinan,
Eric Simonson
The Life of Kevin Carter (2004) - Dan Krauss
The Mushroom Club (2005) - Steven Okazaki

Best Short Film, Animated
Nominees:
Badgered (2005) - Sharon Colman
The Moon and the Son (2005) - John Canemaker, Peggy Stern
The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello (2005) - Anthony Lucas
9 (2005) - Shane Acker
One Man Band (2005) - Mark Andrews, Andrew Jimenez

Best Short Film, Live Action
Nominees:
Ausreißer (2004) - Ulrike Grote
Cashback (2004) - Sean Ellis, Lene Bausager
Síðasti bærinn í dalnum (2004) - Rúnar Rúnarsson, Þórir Snær Sigurjónsson
Our Time Is Up (2004) - Rob Pearlstein, Pia Clemente
Six Shooter (2005) - Martin McDonagh

A Beautiful Day - It's Spring Time

It's March!! - if you are in Europe, it is the start of Spring season when daffodils are blooming like mushroom in the open field, creamy, yellowish you name it. It is also the holy month of Lent - if you are Christian, and Ash Wednesday if you are celebrating Good Friday and Easter.

Nearer at home in Sabah and in most Asia countries it is the start of the new growth of young paddy aka rice which will take a couple of month to mature before harvesting in May. I will be spending my first weekend of March in Matunggung, Kudat on an invitation by a dear friend of mine to taste and savour a local delicacy of pounding young paddy grain mix with young coconut milk to mark the start of paddy growing into maturity. I will be writing on this special occasion in my upcoming post.

In the mean time, what a better day than to share with you a story entitled A Beautiful Day, an email I received yesterday (28 February 2006) from a friend in KL. It is also a Food for Thought.

A Beautiful Day
A voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of the men on it were able to swim to a small, desert like island. The two survivors, not knowing what else to do, agree that they had no other recourse but to pray to God. However, to find out whose prayer was more powerful, they agreed to divide the territory between them and stay on opposite sides of the island.

The first thing they prayed for was food. The next morning, the first man saw a fruit-bearing tree on his side of the land, and he was able to eat its fruit. The other man's parcel of land remained barren.

After a week, the first man was lonely and he decided to pray for a wife.

The next day, another ship was wrecked, and the only survivor was a woman who swam to his side of the land.

On the other side of the island, there was nothing. Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes, and more food. The next day, like magic, all of these were given to him. However, the second man still had nothing.

Finally, the first man prayed for a ship, so that he and his wife could leave the island. In the morning, he found a ship docked at his side of the island. The first man boarded the ship with his wife and decided to leave the second man on the island. Heconsidered the other man unworthy to receive God's blessings, since none of his prayers had been answered. As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a voice from heaven booming, "Why are you leaving your companion on the island?"

"My blessings are mine alone, since I was the one who prayed for them," the first man answered. "His prayers were all unanswered and so he does not deserve anything."

"You are mistaken!" the voice rebuked him. "He had only one prayer, which I answered. If not for that, you would not have received any of my blessings."

"Tell me," the first man asked the voice, "What did he pray for that I should owe him anything?"

"He prayed that all your prayers be answered."

For all we know, our blessings are not the fruits of our prayers alone, but those of another praying for us. This is too good not to share. With obedience come blessings. My prayer for you today is that all your prayers are answered. Be blessed.

"What you do for others is more important than what you do for yourself"

A good friend shared this with me, please share this with your friend.

Have a great day!