What Am I Doing

Recollect and modify my body, mind and soul

February 9, 2009

Share a Piece of Your Mind

My friend and I is planning to set up an online shopping system in order to open a trade route between Japan and Malaysia. We are now conducting an internet survey to learn the potential market in Malaysia. We would appreciate any of your experience and suggestion.

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The survey forms is listed on the below: (choose either one)

For those have NOT yet experienced purchasing Japanese product online.
http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?key=pqyJvyU-M7V_N7gKZtzzoLA

For those who HAVE experienced in purchasing Japanese product online.
http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?key=pqyJvyU-M7V-IJiSKQrD_HA

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These collected data will be shared and presented on our temporary website
http://sites.google.com/site/yourjmart/reports

February 1, 2009

The Fire Demon in the Stove, Calcifier

OUR DEAL


There was a night, I could barely hear a heavy footstep approaching my secret sanctuary. Was it a missing lamb or the bear of wood seeking for shelter?

In past ten years, I have never met a single man nor talked to them. This man sat down before of me, and remained in deep silent. He was a handsome old man, who wearing a black-colored hat, silver glasses and Japanese traditional cloth, Kimono. I would like to tell him that it is the weirdest clothing I have seen over past centuries, but I couldn`t. Not in my current condition. I have nothing to eat for years but the straws and leaves that bring me close enough by the gentle gust.

Just when I trying to figure a way to make contact with him, I found myself being stuffed with woods. Yes, wood! I meant I never taste it for years. It made me felt alive!

`Yummy!`

The man in front of me was frightened like a lamb seeing a lion. He was almost paralyzed and shaking violently. He cannot even make a stand.

`Pardon me, my friend. I am Calcifier, the master of the stove. Welcome to the Shelter in Wood.`

I gave him a blaze to light up the place and show him my sincereness. He seemed to be calmed and ready to listen. Then I told him my thankfulness for the wood and would be honourable to grant him a wish in return.

He laughed.

He laughed with tears coming out from his eyes; all I could remember is that he was sobbing in the next seconds. He told me how miserable his life was. He failed in his business and lost his company. His friends and family betray him and left him without a penny other than the cloth he was wearing. He would like to start another company again, but he was aged and feeling weak. That`s no way I could fix his life. He sobbed.

Then, I smiled.

I smiled like the hope and the brightest star in the sky. I said, `We could make a contract. Under this contract, If you fed me a piece of lumber, I could make you a day younger. ` I cleared my throat and asked, `Deal or not?`

And, you guess.

SIGN OF CHANGE


That day onwards, the old man would pick up his axe, went to the forest on the mountain in the early morning. There, he cut down the trees and collected bunches of trunks. At night, he would pay me a regular visit, fed me with lumbers and made sure I am doing fine. Usually, he told me what happened on that day and who has he met while feeding me.

Then, one day he complained the harshness of his life and a person named, `Economy` who was not doing fine and led to many cases of suicides and robberies. He told me that he owed a lot of money to the local bank, and if he couldn`t pay them by tomorrow, he would be forced to sale his company. Thus, I asked, `Why don`t you feed me another piece of lumber so I could grant you a wish?` And, he did.

Another day, he turned to me in the evening and told me a girl who he wanted to get married with. How she sang a melody of love and danced like butterfly. He could not sleep well ever since he met her. It was all because of love. I guessed I would never understand why. Thus, I asked him why `Why don`t you feed me another piece of wood so I would cast a spell on that beautiful girl to make her falling in love with you?` And, he did.

Days passed, the man didn`t pay me a visit for months. Luckily, the storage still has enough woods for me to prolong my life. I almost forget him if he was not turning out on that day. On that day, he dressed smartly and never looks the same. He was nobody the day I met him, but right now he was doing great in his career and was the leading man in his field over the globe. However, something told me he was not satisfied.

Hence, I asked, `Is there anything wrong? `

`No, no, no, it`s going all wrong. I am not fine at all. I has money, I has women, but there is something left and I don`t know what it is. ` He kept mumbling and grumbling by himself until one point, he suddenly shouted, `Yes, that`s it. I want power! A man without power is nothing as nobody in human history. Calcifer, I demand what I worth for. Grant me the power of ruling the world`

Without waiting for my reply, he grabbed a bunch of lumbers and stuffed them into my mouth. His wish was granted and he left.

The man never shows up again.

LAST LUMBER

This winter broke the record of century. It reached minus 30 degree Celsius without an upfront warning. Wild animals and trees have been freeze to death. The lumber in the storage was getting lesser and lesser. Weeks passed; there was no sign of spring.

On the so-called `Christmas Day` that celebrated by human beings, there is the last piece of lumber in the storage. I gulped it and waited for the moment to come. Then, all in a sudden, a deadly wind breezed through me, soaked out my last breath and placed a full stop in my life.

Without life, my casted spell was broken.


(Japanese-version)

欲張る男

真っ暗の闇の中で、炉に僅かな(わずか)火が燃えていた。ある年上の男が炉の前に帽子をそばに置いて座っていた。その男はメガネを掛けて、日本の伝統的な着物を着、下駄(げた)を履いていた(はく)。男の周りに、山ほどの木材が積んであった。それは彼がこの一年に毎日山で木を伐って集めた木だそうだ。長く嘆いたら、男は炉に住んでいるカルシファーという忠実な火の精霊と話し始めた。

「偉い精霊様、わしの願いを聞いていただけませんか。わしはある商売に失敗しました。この世はお金がなければ生活を営む(いとなむ)ことができません。この木の換わりに、無限の金を下さい。」

男は一個木材を炉に入れた。一瞬で彼はウォーレン・バフェッwarren buffet)より世界一のお金持ちの人になった。

「全能な精霊様、わしの悩みを聞いていただけませんか。お金があっても、一人で暮らすことは寂しくてたまりません。わしはこっそり隣村(りんそん)のある若い少女が好きになりました。どうしても、彼女と暮らしたいです。この木をお受け取りください。」

男が一個木材を炉に入れたとたん、彼女は魔法(まほう)の影響で彼を好きになった。

精霊や精霊、わしの難問を聞いていただけませんか。美しい少女が妻になってもわしもう人生の半ば(なかば)すぎだ。欲しくても力が足りません。この木をあげる代わりに、わしを若くしてくだいませんか。」

男は一個木材を炉に入れるや否や、二十四歳の若者になった。しかし、彼の欲は底がなさそうだった。

「おれの精霊、この世に権力がないと他の人からいじめられるようだ。そのため、世界の統治権が欲しい。」

今回、この欲張る男はいくつか木材を炉に入れてしまった。火はどんどん燃えたあげく周りの木材も燃やしてしまった。男は世界の統治者なったが、火災から逃げられないから、結局、亡くなった。