Olympic torch

BBC News reported : "French security officials have been forced to extinguish the Olympic torch three times as it passes through Paris ahead of the Beijing Games in August. "

I am a modest person, but I tend to become a aggressive person when we have to act to get the rights which we believe. So, I approve the protest demonstration for Tibetan independence, and I think I would take part in if the torch relay were planned in Tokyo instead of in Nagano. However I have no idea why the activists try to extinguish the fire of the Olympic torch. I think no one should not have been arrested during the relay. The most important thing is to raise a voice in protest. If the activists acted of violence, it would be same as China.

To change the subject, although I don't leave any message on it, I visit sometimes David Barker's blog site. His story is not always my cup of tea, and he usually has opinions which is contrary of mine. But today's topic was so nice that I was moved to tears. He introduced us a series of five short stories about how we treat people. Here is one.

"Always remember those who serve."

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him. 'How much is an ice cream sundae?' he asked.'Fifty cents,' replied the waitress.The little boy pulled is hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it.'Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?' he inquired.By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient.'Thirty-five cents,' she brusquely replied.The little boy again counted his coins.'I'll have the plain ice cream,' he said.The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies..You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.

How was that? What a sweet boy he is! We don't have a custom of tipping in Japan, so I think the boy didn't have to leave the tip because the waitress was not kind to him. But it was not the matter. He had known already that we need to return a favor to anyone who served to us. It is a shame that I am lack of the spirits.


BBC News : Protests cut short Olympic relay

David Barker's blog site : How we treat people