Appreciating Ourselves
By Mary Gesare
Sometimes in life we only look at what we don’t have and forget about the good things we have, but a time comes when we have to seize the moment and enjoy life to its maximum. Let us not live our life complaining about what we don’t have instead embraced what you have and never let go.
This is a documentary about a teenager by the name Yu-Ming who uses a camera to record what his daily life is like. The story starts at school whereby they have to wake up early in the morning and there is someone to wake them up. They meet in the dinning hall and most of the time it’s the soccer team which is always there. They take breakfast and later go to the football pitch to play. Yu-Ming says that he likes football very much and that’s why he’s always practicing it, the only problem they have together with his friends is concentrating in books and at the sometime play football.Yu-Mings roommate and also a friend nicknamed fatty is always a joker, during music lessons he makes fun of the music and sings in a croaky voice to make the other students laugh and not concentrate.
Yu-Ming started playing football since he was at grade three and that’s why it’s like part of his life. The winter season has finally arrived and Yu-Ming has to part with his friends because they are closing school, that is the sad part but the good part is that he is finally going to meet with his other friends at home, who they parted after graduating from grade 8, the feeling of being re-united together with his other friends, family members, relatives and cousins make him happy. Yu-Ming travels home by train and on the way he takes photos of the beautiful features of Asia which include: mountains, rocks and even trees using his camera.
On arrival at home, he receives a warm welcome; they celebrate together with family and friends. The following morning Yu-Ming wakes up early in the morning to go practice football together with his friends. They play football, make jokes and tell each other stories of what has been happening when some of them are away. The day is finally over and Yu-Ming is looking forward to the next day so that he can go visit his other friends who live in the next town.
The night becomes long since Yu-Ming is really looking forward to the next morning but finally its morning, Yu-Ming sets of early that morning so that he could be able to meet two of his friends and share quality time together. He starts first by visiting Yu-Ming Wang and not forgetting he has his camera with him to collect data. Yu-Ming Wang’s family is really struggling even though they lack luxurious things like T.V, cooker, fridge they still have basic things like food, shelter and clothing even though they use traditional way of cooking, using three stones, firewood and then lit a fire compared to Yu-Ming’s home, they have cooker, fridge and all the luxurious things one can ever dream of having furthermore they have over 300 pigs at home.
After visiting Yu-Ming Wang’s home, Yu-Ming sets off to visit his other friend Yu-Jiun Huang he goes by bicycle means, Yu-Jiun Huang lives with his grandmother who still works so as to make ends meet. Yu-Jiun Huang’s life is not different from Yu-Ming Wang, they also use the traditional way of cooking only that they have a T.V set something that Yu-Ming Wang don’t have. The family of Yu-Jiun Huang still has hope that they will get through with all their struggles, since people show their help by donating some stuffs to them and that’s why Yu-Jiun Huang always writes a thank you note to them. Yu- Jiun Huang grandmother leaves him together with his friend to have fun, they cook some traditional food, play soccer and finally time to say goodbye to his friend has come.
Yu-Ming sets of with all his findings in his camera, on his way he looks at his findings through the camera and notices that whenever he’s away he has never thought of the way his friends are living and the kind of things they have to pass through so as to make ends meet. He notices he has all along being unfair complaining about what they don’t have and on the other hand he is living a better life compared to his friends, he has everything he needs and what more could he ask for.
Yu-Ming learns that he should be thankful for what he has cause others out there lack even the basic necessities in life. That’s why it is important to know that what you get by reaching your destination isn’t nearly as important as what you become by reaching that destination.
About the writer
Mary Gesare is a member of the Lola Kenya Screen 2008 Festival Press
Sometimes in life we only look at what we don’t have and forget about the good things we have, but a time comes when we have to seize the moment and enjoy life to its maximum. Let us not live our life complaining about what we don’t have instead embraced what you have and never let go.
This is a documentary about a teenager by the name Yu-Ming who uses a camera to record what his daily life is like. The story starts at school whereby they have to wake up early in the morning and there is someone to wake them up. They meet in the dinning hall and most of the time it’s the soccer team which is always there. They take breakfast and later go to the football pitch to play. Yu-Ming says that he likes football very much and that’s why he’s always practicing it, the only problem they have together with his friends is concentrating in books and at the sometime play football.Yu-Mings roommate and also a friend nicknamed fatty is always a joker, during music lessons he makes fun of the music and sings in a croaky voice to make the other students laugh and not concentrate.
Yu-Ming started playing football since he was at grade three and that’s why it’s like part of his life. The winter season has finally arrived and Yu-Ming has to part with his friends because they are closing school, that is the sad part but the good part is that he is finally going to meet with his other friends at home, who they parted after graduating from grade 8, the feeling of being re-united together with his other friends, family members, relatives and cousins make him happy. Yu-Ming travels home by train and on the way he takes photos of the beautiful features of Asia which include: mountains, rocks and even trees using his camera.
On arrival at home, he receives a warm welcome; they celebrate together with family and friends. The following morning Yu-Ming wakes up early in the morning to go practice football together with his friends. They play football, make jokes and tell each other stories of what has been happening when some of them are away. The day is finally over and Yu-Ming is looking forward to the next day so that he can go visit his other friends who live in the next town.
The night becomes long since Yu-Ming is really looking forward to the next morning but finally its morning, Yu-Ming sets of early that morning so that he could be able to meet two of his friends and share quality time together. He starts first by visiting Yu-Ming Wang and not forgetting he has his camera with him to collect data. Yu-Ming Wang’s family is really struggling even though they lack luxurious things like T.V, cooker, fridge they still have basic things like food, shelter and clothing even though they use traditional way of cooking, using three stones, firewood and then lit a fire compared to Yu-Ming’s home, they have cooker, fridge and all the luxurious things one can ever dream of having furthermore they have over 300 pigs at home.
After visiting Yu-Ming Wang’s home, Yu-Ming sets off to visit his other friend Yu-Jiun Huang he goes by bicycle means, Yu-Jiun Huang lives with his grandmother who still works so as to make ends meet. Yu-Jiun Huang’s life is not different from Yu-Ming Wang, they also use the traditional way of cooking only that they have a T.V set something that Yu-Ming Wang don’t have. The family of Yu-Jiun Huang still has hope that they will get through with all their struggles, since people show their help by donating some stuffs to them and that’s why Yu-Jiun Huang always writes a thank you note to them. Yu- Jiun Huang grandmother leaves him together with his friend to have fun, they cook some traditional food, play soccer and finally time to say goodbye to his friend has come.
Yu-Ming sets of with all his findings in his camera, on his way he looks at his findings through the camera and notices that whenever he’s away he has never thought of the way his friends are living and the kind of things they have to pass through so as to make ends meet. He notices he has all along being unfair complaining about what they don’t have and on the other hand he is living a better life compared to his friends, he has everything he needs and what more could he ask for.
Yu-Ming learns that he should be thankful for what he has cause others out there lack even the basic necessities in life. That’s why it is important to know that what you get by reaching your destination isn’t nearly as important as what you become by reaching that destination.
About the writer
Mary Gesare is a member of the Lola Kenya Screen 2008 Festival Press
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