FARMERS, WE NEED YOU ALL!

Some people find the law of economy a bit confusing, but it actually pretty logic. You will experience that law over and over again, whether you live in big cities or even in a remote island.

As in my previous holiday trip, I visited one small island in Thousand Islands, along with my wife and friends. If you haven’t heard of it before, Thousand Islands is an area that consists of a string of around 105 islands. This string of islands stretched along 45 kilometers north to the Java Sea, with the closest island lays only a few kilometers off mainland of Jakarta city. Many of the islands are still uninhabited, while some others have become recreational areas and privately owned by very wealthy people.

Anyway, enough of the pretty stories about beautiful beaches and white sands. What I want to say here is, my stomach growled of starvation when I arrived at the island, because of long way sailing and snorkeling activities. So as my friends decided to try on banana boat activity, I preferred to hunt for some food.

As I explored the island, I found very few places to eat. It was going to get dark very soon as the sun began to hide at the other end of the sky. But even so, there were still many people enjoying their time on the island. In fact, the island was nearly crowded and full of people. Later on, I finally found one place to eat that sold roasted corn, noodles and branded-bottled-drinks.

Guess what, the corn and drinks are sold more expensive than the corns and the same drinks sold throughout the malls in the city where I live. Yes, the drinks in a remote island are far more expensive than the drinks sold at malls in big cities. Why? The law of economy is the answer.

In big cities you will find so many stores that sell drinks so the price cannot go that high. On the contrary, there are so many people in the island and only one or two spots that sell drinks, so the price can go as high as possible.

In case you haven’t noticed, the food price around the world is rocketing pretty fast. Why? So many people, so little food… That’s why…

We have too many bankers and accountants, but we don’t have enough farmers. We will also be doomed if too many people play Farmville without applying it in the real life. We need real farmers who create real food for us, our elders, and our children.

The world will be in lots of troubles and catastrophe if the number of people exceeds the number of food supplies. When the food price skyrockets and people can no longer afford to buy them, then that will be the true end of this world.

Let’s support our farmers and fishermen for that are probably the most potential and crucial job in the near future. Unless we create more farmers and fishermen, we will face an era where we all have to swim to catch fishes to feed ourselves.

Ivan the Freelancer

MISGUIDED MARKETER

Have you ever watched Godfather movie, the scene where a severed horse head purposely slipped under the blanket of a sleeping old man? The old man woke up, found it and the rest you already knew.

One day my boss received an unusual package delivered in the morning. It was a children’s sized coffin filled with real flowers, clearly addressed to my boss with my boss’ name on it. One of the flowers was a white rose that attached to a piece of paper that said Rest In Peace Soon.com.

Well, my boss’ face turned pale, so I was told. He wondered who hate him so much and did this. But being an expert and experienced as a marketer, something crossed his mind moments later, that this could be a marketing gimmick, or new kinds of promotion.

It turned out right as I spent about an hour monitoring news throughout Internet. It was a promotion from a person who was about to launch a book about the death of advertising because of the power of word-of-mouth campaign. The sender sent 100 coffins throughout the city to selected media figures, public speakers, and professionals in marketing industry.

The senders did not say anything about the promotion. The story would have been different if he did. We realized that it’s actually a promotion from the public news, that is, after the police had taken the senders into custody. The thing that arrived were the coffin, real flowers for the dead, my boss’ name and a note “Rest in Peace Soon.com”. What would you expect? It sounds more like a terror than a promotion.

I wonder how much is the difference between the Godfather’s scene and the act of sending a children-sized coffin directly to an individual? The sender’s act caused massive anxiousness throughout the people who received the package.

Has it ever occurred to the sender’s mind that there might be people who are pregnant, shocked mothers and children (It’s a children sized coffin), or maybe even still grieving from loosing a child?

There is a thin line between stupid and creative. Creativity is definitely not stupidity. The act of unpleasant behaviors can never be categorized as creativity.

Education, as well of anything, is like a two-sided coin. If it is not digested and delivered in a right way, it can only create madness.

It was a misguided marketing. That’s all I can say.

Ivan the Freelancer

WILL SAKURA BLOSSOM IN MAY ?

My neighbor said that the disaster in Japan is a message from God. The only message actually is my neighbor is an idiot.

What’s wrong with you? Is your mind so shallow that you think God have a heart to wipe out His own creation?

Each time Sakura blossom so gracefully, have you ever thought “that” is actually a message from God? Does it ever occur to you that God maybe busy trying His best to save as many lives in Japan recently?

I wonder how many times in one day do you send messages, via your BlackBerry, your Twitter, your Facebook, your iPad and your other gadgets, and yet how many times in one day do you send messages to God Himself? It is free and you certainly do not need your gadget to do that.

So I quoted and borrowed my wife’s posting from her Facebook, which I think is really enlightening and comforting, “Will Sakura Blossom in May?”

With the earth shaking so badly and sea water poured and wiped out the land of Japan, we should all send a message to God so Sakura will certainly blossom in May. God help us all.

My prayer for Japan.

Ivan the Freelancer
Photo taken from www.wallcoo.net

THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING

It’s been a long time since the last time I poured my thoughts into this juicy Popcorn blog of mine. Four months?? That long?? Well, I’ve been busy lately enjoying the new chapter of life. Yes, I have married the girl I love and moved to a new place so-high-in-the-sky called apartment.

Being a husband is exciting indeed, plus hoping to become a father next year. Well, a man gotta do what he gotta do.

Anyway, the most important purpose in writing this post is to thank all the people who are involved in uniting us into the happiest couple on December 4th 2010, for without them, we could never make it happen.

As no words could ever describe our gratitude and joy, so I think it is better to present these photos as our way of expressing gratitude to all of the people in it.

“Many thanks for all of your supports and encouragement. We owe you all a debt we can never repay.”

This is only the beginning…

“Many thanks for all of your supports and encouragement. We owe you all a debt we can never repay.”

This is only the beginning…

Ivan the Freelancer

HE IS BACK

Continued from:

http://thepopcornstory.blogspot.com/2009/07/my-fathers-car-ivans-journal.html

It’s been a year since the last time I’ve lost him. The dark green metallic Vitara. I’ve been walking on foot ever since. I had a replacement car, but it never felt the same. Not long after that, I decided to return the replacement car back to my father. Feeling unnecessary to ride a car, I’ve decided to become a walker.

Until that time came. The time I was going to step into the next stage of life. It’s really expensive to rent a car, especially for such a short period and short distance. In the middle of desperation and confusion, he came back. Not only that, he came back with far better condition than the day his engine got broken.

So dressed with wedding flowers from our friends, he took us to a location where we held our wedding ceremony and places that we needed to go. It’s really an honor to have a chance to ride you again. I’m really not worthy to keep you. So back you are to my father once more.

Thanks again for everything...

Ivan the Freelancer

TIME IS “NOT” MONEY

What’s the matter with people who keep on saying, “Time is Money”, throughout their lives? Unexpectedly, I received enlightenment about this at a marketing seminar. An old man who is an expert of Guerrilla Marketing named Jay Conrad Levinson finally told something that caught my attention.

He said one of the biggest mistakes that we have learned from our parents is, “Time is Money”. If we keep on saying this, we will never be happy for the rest of our lives. Make sense though.

Time is Life, “not” Money. When we run out of money, doesn’t mean that we run out of time. But if we run out of time, our life will surely end, no matter how much money you have. That’s why doctors only tell how much time that dying people have before death.

Be happy if you still have time, because you can still live.

So the future lesson for your kids is, “Time is Life”.

(Picture is taken from Omega Watch).

Ivan the Freelancer

THE HERO INSIDE

When we are weak, someone has to carry us around.
When we fall, someone has to pick us up.
That “someone” is our hero.

But

When a hero is weak, he will try to carry himself around.
When a hero falls, he will learn to pick himself up again.
Heroes also need help, but a hero will always try to help himself first.

There is a hero inside of everyone, for a hero comes from the inside.

A hero doesn’t have to possess super strength.

For we become a hero not because of what we are, but because of what we do.

Ivan the Freelancer