BANK JOB

There was once a man, who loved his job so much, always took good care of his friends, good with women, courageous and had great self confidence. Unfortunately, he was arrested many times and finally got killed. Why? Because he became one of the most successful bank robbers in America and number one wanted most dangerous fugitive.

John Herbert Dillinger (June 22, 1903 – July 22, 1934) took a highly risky and dangerous line of work – specializing as a bank robber in Midwestern United States. Being able to hit dozens of banks, police stations and escaped from prisons made him famous.

His career drew too much attention from the police – and so he became wanted – Dead or Dead. He was ambushed by the police outside a theater after watching a movie. One bullet that drove through his face instantly killed him. He died at a relatively young age.

Don’t know whether the job picked the man – or the man picked the job. But loving the wrong jobs could be dangerous. Success and fame do not always bring happiness indeed.

Are you happy with your job? Are you sure you have picked the right job? Because it affects not only you, but also the people you love…

Ivan the Freelancer

LITTLE CHINA TOWN - Ivan’s Journal

It was a quiet stroll at noon, enjoying cool breezes in the mal.

My butterfly saw a place she likes. A place to eat filled with Chinese ornaments.

“This must be your first time.” I said.

Red Chinese lanterns wiggling, following her hand held on to me.

She smiled and nodded.

I returned the smile… “Me too.”


I sat down as I took off my glasses and slipped a lemon-mint candy into my mouth, “Hey, let’s try that yummy roasted chicken over there.”

Her sparkling eyes gazed into me, “Oh, I like this place… Let’s walk some more.”










Places make memories – and like Optimus Prime said, “By those memories, we live on.”

Ivan the Freelancer

OUR WAR THEIR WORLD - Ivan’s Journal

The Autobots and the Decepticons are at war in our world if you have watched the Transformers. The same thing happens in our own planet. There is a world so white, so cold and filled with magical creatures. We may never touch that world, but somehow we are closely connected.

Our war rages on even until now. The war without guns, bullets or swords, but it still can destroy forests, jungles, even nature itself. Our weapons include pollutions, toxic waste, dangerous chemicals and the most dangerous of all – Greed.

So the earth is dying. It is heating up. Our war affects another world that we may never have seen. The bears, penguins and wolves are crying. They never know what had happened. They never know what had hit them. All they know, that they are dying.



No one can predict the end of the world – and none of us should. But sadly, we are heading that way. The North Pole is melting because of our war – and the water is heading our way.



If we destroy them, they will destroy us. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.









Ivan the Freelancer

NEEDED BUT NOT WANTED

Sometimes a hero is needed but not wanted. It takes more than ordinaries to be a hero. Like they said, “A hero is an ordinary man who does extraordinary things”. Batman once again had to cross a very thin line between the force of law and the vigilante to save Gotham city and the people he loves. A triangle force between Batman, Harvey Dent and Jim Gordon had to face a psychopathic Joker.


Are you a freak? You should be thankful if you are… because you’re different… and you are doing something different. Only different things have capabilities to make change. Batman and Joker had something in common – They are both freaks. But they do things differently and see things in different point of view.



It is not easy to do good things. In fact you often get punished for doing something good. Why? Because the world is never fair – and don’t expect it will be. Furthermore, we do good things because it is the right thing to do – and not to get other people’s approvals or compliments.

What Batman can do? He can take lots of punishments to do good things – Punishments to live as the dark knight. What Batman cannot do? He cannot take off his mask to let other people see his good deeds and live as a white knight.

If you do good things, keep them for yourself.

If you do bad things, tell them to the world.

Batman is the hero who is needed, but not wanted… The Dark Knight.



Ivan the Freelancer

MY FATHER’S CAR - Ivan’s Journal

It is my father’s legacy from the year of 1993. The dark metallic green Vitara. Discontinued from a long time ago but the next generations kept on rolling – the Escudo, Sidekick and Grand Vitara. A mixture between a sedan and a jeep, my father’s Vitara was bought from brand new and well maintained.

The Vitara was inherited to me since I was still in high school. The journey we had since high school to college and work – from alleys to highways – from beaches to mountains – from romantic to frantic. You took me to places. You make me see the world.

Lately since 2007, I knew that you tried to tell me something – something wrong with your engine. We visited the car mechanics so often. They performed so many engine “surgery” to you. It must be painful, I know. But you kept on rolling – Rolling although I “sense” that your performance was degenerating.

I had bad feelings about your health and I hate it when my bad feelings turned out to be true. Hurts me so bad when I hear they finally had to take down your engine. It took millions since 2007 to keep you rolling, but it is ok… You deserve it… But now (2009) it reached a point where I cannot afford to fix you anymore.

The cost hurt my pocket so bad that I had to release you – back to my father. I have failed to take care of you. I’m sorry… It may be our last time… Which I hope not… At least now you are in good hands…

Maybe we are not Sam Witwicky and Bumblebee – But from all the cars I love, you will always be my first car…

Thanks for everything…


Ivan the Freelancer

CLASH OF THE METALS

Sometimes our responsibilities go beyond ourselves. Sometimes we have to be responsible for other people’s problems. “Their War, Our World”. It is said that we are not alone in this universe. A long time ago, in the planet called Cybertron, there was a war so vicious between the protector Autobots against the destroyer Decepticons. They are living beings, pretty much the same like us, but more powerful and sophisticated.

The planet Cybertron finally destroyed and shattered but their war somehow continue in our planet. The Autobots, led by Optimus Prime tries to protect our Earth from being consumed by the Decepticons, commanded by Megatron. It is said that they arrived and dwelled in our planet since the beginning of our civilization, seeking matters and power source to support their life.

Unfortunately, the Earth is dying and collapsing even without the existence of ferocious Megatron and his Decepticons army. We are destroying our own Earth as we eliminate the forest, disrupt the nature’s balance and pollute the air. We are the ones who are responsible for the destruction of Earth. There are too many “Decepticons” than “Autobots” in Earth – We, humans, are no exception – There are too many destroyers than protectors.

Optimus Prime and his friends feel responsible to protect our Earth because they cannot let the humans pay for their mistakes, but what about our own mistakes? Who is going to pay for it? We are also at war with our own kind to save our own world.

As Optimus Prime said, “Humans deserve to choose for themselves”.

Fate rarely calls upon us at a moment of our choosing. Whoever we are, we decide and make our own fate.

Whether you’re a mighty Transformers or ordinary humans, you can still do something to save the day.











Ivan the Freelancer

NOT JUST PHYSICAL

Above the sky, there’s always another sky. As you already know, you can always learn things the hard way or the easy way. Some people learn martial arts not because they want to, but because they have to. Some people learn from masters in peaceful and quiet rooms, while others learn from real violence on the streets - the streets that teach us the most valuable lessons in life - that is... if you manage to survive.

It reminds me of my past where I used to watch people trained martial arts and finally join them. In peaceful times, it seemed useless to learn martial arts, as there is no need to practice them. But martial arts is about discipline whether in times of peace or chaos.

Experience taught me that whether you learn it through the hard way or the easy way, the results will always depend on yourself. To defend and protect are the main purpose of learning martial arts. If the purpose is simply to attack or destroy, there’re lots of other lethal instruments other than martial arts that you can use.

Kung fu can be hard but it can also be soft. It requires as few movements as possible to defeat the hardest attacks. But what can a man do – or cannot do with kung fu? In times of trouble or peace, from families to wars, this movie tells you all.

Ip Man – The celebrated kung fu master of Bruce Lee.

It’s not just physical. It is the combination between mind, body and soul.







Ivan the Freelancer