Good Morning Lowcountry

Oscars

The Oscars came and went Sunday night with GMLc, as usual, having seen only three of the five films nominated for best picture ... "Juno," "No Country for Old Men" and "Michael Clayton." We haven't gotten up the courage yet to cry through "Atonement" or cringe through "There Will Be Blood."

As we write this in advance, we don't know which film won, but we hope "No Country ..." got the nod, despite its minor confusions, if only for the stunning last scene. After we see "There Will Be Blood," reportedly a masterpiece, we might change our minds.

Oscar, the gold, bald, naked knight standing on a film reel and holding a sword, hasn't changed much since he was designed in 1929.

The awards show by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences hasn't changed all that much in recent memory, except that they now say "And the Oscar goes to ..." instead of "And the winner is ..." for fear "And the winner is ..." could hurt the feelings of the other nominees by branding them losers by default.

But films certainly have changed. Oscar doesn't reward box office, so there are usually a number of moviegoers who whine that nominated films are either depressing, message- oriented, "indie" or all of the above. GMLc doesn't quite see the popular films, "Alien vs. Predator: Requiem" or "Spider-Man 3," being put up for Oscars.

GMLc proposes an Oscar night for films made in the Lowcountry ... from "The Notebook" to "Die Hard With a Vengeance" to "Swamp Thing" to "The Patriot" to "Cold Mountain."

In the category of Best Showcase for the Natural Wonders of the Lowcountry, the award goes to Wes Craven's "Swamp Thing" (1982).

Travel with purpose

GMLc has a friend who spent three weeks last summer in Sudan, helping administer vaccines to the Dinka people.

Personally, we wouldn't have been able to stand the heat.

But the numbers of American volunteer tourists are growing.

Local waitresses Nicole Miller and Erica Oblinger traveled to Tanzania two years ago to volunteer with schoolchildren, and the experience changed their lives. They returned to Charleston to found the nonprofit Tanzanian Education Foundation.

Sandra Slavin of Charleston, a volunteer traveler to Costa Rica, will hold an information session March 8 on her experience abroad.

She traveled with the agency Cross-Cultural Solutions, which sponsors Volunteer Abroad, Intern Abroad and Insight Abroad programs from one week to 12 weeks long.

The program begins at 2 p.m. at a location to be disclosed. It's free. E-mail Slavin at chinaslavin@yahoo.com to attend. Cross- Cultural Solutions can be found at 800-380-4777 or www.cross culturalsolutions.org.

GMLc

Call 937-5564. Write gmlc@postandcourier.com. Find the blog at gmlc.typepad.com.