"Original translation by Wow and Joshua Pettigrew" ""The harder you search, the harder something is to find, but if you stop looking, it will find you. "" "Hey Pod!" "Remember your grandmother's words." "When you get work in Bangkok, you'll wake up one morning and find you have a tail growing from your bum!" ""Pod: the man without a dream"" "This is Pod, our hero." "He was born in the country." "He was always a bit different." "He was always making foolish mistakes." "For instance, when he wants to use his fan... he plugs in the iron instead." "But when he irons his clothes... he plugs in the fan." "When Pod came to Bangkok to work, weird stuff started to happen." ""Citizen Dog"" "Before the day dawns" "Before the warmth of the sun" "Before the flowers bloom" "Before the dreams that are sweet" "My heart was empty until your love came in and showed my eyes the light" "Beside me there was no one until your compassion inspired me to keep fighting" "Before stars appear in the sky" "Before I knew the value of life" "Before I lose heart" "Before I lose the fire" "My heart was empty until your love came in and showed my eyes the light" "Beside me there was no one until your compassion inspired me to keep fighting" "My heart was empty until your love came in and showed my eyes the light" "Beside me there was no one until your compassion inpired me to keep fighting" "Before stars appear in the sky" "Before I knew the value of life" "Before I lose heart" "Before I lose the fire" "Inspired me to fight!" "Pod works for a sardine company" "His job is to cut the fish and put them into cans." "Everyday Pod has to work fast" "Faster." "Faster." "Even though he doesn't believe the world could eat that much that fast." "Pod has a few personality quirks." "For instance, he taps his finger when he has nothing to do." "He also thinks that everyone's food looks better than his." "One day, it was really hot, and the fans broke down." "The foreman became careless and made the workers work way too fast." "Much too fast." "Before Pod realised it, his finger was packed into a can, sealed in a box, loaded on a truck, driven down the highway, unloaded at the supermarket, and put on a shelf." "After that," "Pod would go to the supermarkets in search of his finger." "After a long search," "Pod found his finger." "Luckily, his finger still had a habit of tapping." "Hey!" "You want to die?" "What's wrong Kong?" "I don't want to die yet." "Pod began to wonder if the finger he found was really his." "That's it." "That's your finger." "No!" "Help me!" "Help me!" "That thief stole my finger!" "Don't you have a finger of your own?" ""Yod's Finger"" "Yod works at the same place as Pod." "He believes that the harder we search for what we want, the less likely we are to find it." "We should just wait until it finds us." "Like Yod's finger, it came back to him." "Like how Pod found Yod, even though a good friend is hard to find." "Hey, Pod?" "Don't you know that lots of people at work get their fingers cut off, and shipped away in cans?" "Some people are lucky and get their finger back, but some aren't so lucky." "How many do you think get their fingers mixed up like ours?" "I'm afraid to eat sardines, because I might find a finger!" "Pod decided to quit his job, and so did Yod." "Yod decided that if there was another finger mixup, he would rather his finger got mixed up with Pod's." "The next day," "Pod got a job as a security guard." "Every day," "Pod had to take the elevator to the top floor." "Pod feels uncomfortable being in the same elevator with other people." "Except when he's with" "Jin." ""Jin: girl who chases her dreams. "" "Jin is a cleaner in the same building Pod works, but Jin isn't like the other cleaners." "Jin loves to clean with all her heart." "She can't stand to leave even a little dust." "Jin has a few personality quirks as well." "She loves to eat stir-fry with chilli and basil, but she scrapes off the chillis and basil." "She likes everything neat." "The other cleaners think she's crazy." "Mainly because of the white book she keeps with her all the time." "She is always looking at the book, even though she can't read a single word." "Jin found the books when she was living in a village." "The book fell from the sky one day." "and changed her life." "Jin believes the book chose her, and that it wants to tell her something." "So Jin tries to read it anytime and anywhere." "The white covered book has really changed her life." "Jin decided to move to Bangkok, hoping to find out the meaning of the book." "On his breaks, Pod always sees Jin reading and talking aloud about romance stories." "The other cleaners mock her, but Pod sees that they cry over radio dramas." "They are like little girls pretending that dolls are real." "When Jin reads romance stories, her voice is beautiful, and her eyes sparkle." "She also taps her right leg happily." "Every single thing that Jin does is wonderful to Pod." "You won't be able to sleep, if you drink that much coffee." "That night Pod couldn't sleep, but it wasn't because of the coffee." "Pod began to see Jin's face in everything." "Pod could even see her in his food." "He wouldn't eat, because he couldn't bear the thought of eating Jin." "He also wouldn't close his eyes, because he was afraid her face would disappear." "So Pod didn't eat or sleep that night." "In the morning, he avoided looking at pictures, because he might see Jin." "Kong, what have you been doing?" "You look dead!" "It's because I am dead!" ""Kong:" "Ghost Rider"" "Kong said that one day it rained." "But it was a strange rain, because motorcycle helmets were falling also." "Now Kong is dead, but he is still here because, he really likes riding his motorcycle." "The sky is dark." "I wonder if it will rain again." "Wait!" "Hold on!" "Hold on!" "This was the first time Pod spoke to Jin." "She doesn't like to talk to other people." "But she speaks to Pod, because there is no one else to talk to." "Pod decided to tell Jin a story he hasn't told anyone before." "Only special people can have a tail." "Movie stars, singers, politicians, rich people, or people that learn a different language." "Normal people like you and me will never have a tail in this life." "But my grandmother said that when I get a job in Bangkok," "I will have a tail grow from my bum." "And have you grown one?" "Wanting to have a tail is just a dream," "Do you know what a dream is?" "Like me, I dream that one day" "I'll be able to read this book." "I'm not able to read it now, but I believe that someday, my dream will come true." "When I can read and understand this book," "I'll be special." "I'll get a tail like other special people." "but I'm not sure this will ever happen." "Pod didn't know what Jin was talking about, but Pod knew for sure the difference between those that dream and those that don't." "You talk crazy!" "You must get it from Jin!" "Dreams?" "That makes no sense!" "There are no such things!" "If you asked me whether I believed more in dreams or ghosts, I would say ghosts." "How come?" "Well, in my hometown lots of people have seen ghosts, but no one has ever seen a dream." "Don't believe what Jin told you." "She's nuts!" "Have you seen that book she carries around?" "Yesterday she showed the book to people in the building asking," ""Can you read this?"" "Nobody could read it." "She even asked our boss." "He just looked at a few pages and shook his head." "Even the boss couldn't read it!" "To other people it is silly to carry a book around all the time that you can't read." "Jin found out that not only does Bangkok have supermarkets, billboards and commercials everywhere, but it also has language schools." "Everyone comes here to learn different languages, even Jin." "But after a few weeks," "Jin still couldn't read a word of the book." "Pluk-Pleung is gone!" "She's gone!" "Pluk-Pleung is gone!" "I don't want to live anymore!" "Only Pluk-Pleung gave me a reason to believe that my life would be better!" "What am I going to do now?" "If Pluk-Pleung is the heroine, then the only person that can find her" "is her Prince Charming." "Prince Charming!" "Prince Charming!" "Why are you calling me?" ""Prince Charming and Pluk-Pleung"" "Please sir." "Please find Pluk-Pleung." "You're the only one that can find her." "Pod started to believe that ghosts are real," "the heroine in a soap opera is real and that dolls can speak to children." "Pod thinks about people, tails and all the other weird things that have happened to him here." "But Bangkok does have some good things." "I'm going home now." "Bye!" "Wait, Jin!" "You look very pretty in that blue uniform." "Crazy!" "I wear this uniform all the time." "You said it as if it was your first time to see it." "I'm leaving now." "The image of Jin in her blue uniform is pretty to Pod's eyes." "Even if Jin never wore a different color, even if she wore the same uniform," "Pod would never tire of looking at her." ""Top Story:" "The Color Blue"" "Pod was still not sure where to begin with Jin, until Yod introduced Mui to him." ""Mui:" "The Empress"" "Mui is a Chinese girl who believes here ancestors were royalty." "If she still lived in China, she would be an empress by now." "But in Bangkok, she is a waitress in a Chinese restaurant." "Mui looks very pretty waiting tables in her Chinese dress." "When people compliment her, she just tells them it comes from her royal blood." "Mui met Yod one day on the bus, when passengers were packed tighter than sardines." "Get closer!" "Shove in!" "Pack in tighter!" "Tighter!" "Come on!" "Get closer!" "Any closer and we might as well be married!" "Yod and Mui were smashed together and quite enjoyed the experience." "After that, they wouldn't get on a bus that wasn't crowded." "They would only get on packed buses, so they could get that same feeling." "They kept all of their bus tickets as mementos." "Mui believes that the more tickets they collect, the more they will love each other." "Hey, Pod." "Why don't you collect tickets too?" "We could have a contest to see who collects the most!" "Jin?" "Do you want to take the bus home?" "No." "I break out in a rash every time I ride the bus." "Let's take the train." "Pod was a little disappointed, because the train wasn't as packed as the bus." "But Pod was still happy to ride home with Jin." "Pod wished that Jin lived far away, so he could stay with her longer." "Everytime I get on the bus, I get a rash." "To be honest, even on the train I still get rash, but not as much as when I take the bus." "That's why" "I take the train to work everyday, but I still get a rash." "I don't think" "I was meant to ride the bus." "It would be nice to have my own car someday." "Then I wouldn't have this stupid rash anymore!" "I'm sick of it!" "To Pod," "Jin is so innocent and fragile that he views her rash as evil and violent." "Pod wants to relieve Jin's discomfort more than he would like to be smashed together on a bus." "Here's where I live." "This is it?" "Yeah." "I pay 500 baht for rent." "I wonder if Prince Charming has found Pluk-Pleung yet." "Would Pluk-Pleung not like my lousy home?" "If Pluk-Pleung was a true friend, she would like Jin." "Well... it's late." "I'm going inside." "Thanks for seeing me home." "Pod thought that the only way he could relieve Jin of her rash was to get a car, so he could drive Jin every day." "But how was he going to get a car?" "In the morning," "Pod quit his job and became a taxi driver." "Being a taxi driver allowed Pod to be close to Jin, even if she doesn't have any feelings for him." "But when he saw her rash go away," "Pod thought he might have a chance." ""Little Mam:" "Girl or Woman?"" "I'm 22 years old." "Why can't I smoke?" "All grownups think I'm a child." "Especially Mom and Dad." "They're always wanting me to hook up with little boys." "Makes me feel like I'm 8 years old!" "Would you believe that I still drink from a baby bottle?" "For real!" "You don't believe me?" "Here!" "See?" "Little girl?" "Where would you like me to take you?" "Just take me to the mall!" "And please don't call me "little girl"." "It's annoying!" "Oh, would you watch Tongchai while I'm inside?" "Who would think cute little bears like me would be addicted to cigarettes?" "Sorry about smoking in here." "I can't help it!" "I've been with Little Mam for twenty something years!" "I can't help it if I'm addicted to smoking!" "Waiting for Little Mam?" "It'll take forever!" "Why don't you just go home, take a shower, dress and go play golf?" "You would still have plenty of time." "Really!" "Tongchai said that Little Mam plays games at the mall every day." "She likes to play shooting games." "She can shoot a long time without stopping." "Tongchai also said Little Mam's home is very quiet." "That's why she gets out of the house every day." "She also lost her voice." "The more Little Mam is away from home, the less her parents talk to her." "So now Little Mam doesn't have anyone to talk to." "If it wasn't for me, she wouldn't have any friends." "Maybe her parents just want good things for her." "Maybe they don't want her to play shooting games, because they fear she will become a violent person." "That's not true!" "Grownup talk is always exaggerated." "Little Mam can't stand even a little blood!" "She passes out every time!" "She passes out!" "Talking about me again, Tongchai?" "Little Mam." "The more he learned of Little Mam and Tongchai, the less Pod understood how these two personalities could get along." "Mainly, Pod didn't want to see little girls that don't act their age fighting with teddy bears in his car." "But no matter how much she threw away Tongchai, she would always ask Pod to drive her back." "Tongchai!" "I'm sorry!" "I won't throw you away anymore!" "The two cry and feel bad about fighting." "But the real reason they feel sorry is because they have no one else." "Pod thinks that maybe someone took away their friends, so they would understand how they need each other and what love is." "Hurry up and tell Jin you love her before it's too late!" "Wha... what did you say?" "Hurry up and tell Jin you love her before it's too late!" "You never know when it will rain motorcycle helmets again!" "He agreed with Kong, but he's not going to buy a helmet." "He decided that today he would tell Jin that he loves her." "If people like us marry, not only will our children not have tails," "but they also won't have dreams." "I can't allow that." "I don't want our children mad at me saying I took away their dreams." "You know, Pod, that's worse than not having a dream." "Hey, Pod!" "Hey, Pod!" "Don't you remember your grandmother?" "You haven't been in Bangkok that long!" "You don't remember me?" "That's how the story goes." "Do you believe me now Pod?" "Gr..." "Grandma?" "It's good that you remember your Grandma!" "Don't think about killing yourself again!" "Goodbye!" "Grandma!" "What?" "I'm not going far." "Just going to get a few bugs to eat." "But tomorrow... who knows?" "I might turn into something else." "If I see you again, I'll let you know." "I'm going!" "After she told Pod she didn't want to go out with him," "Jin saw something that would change her life." ""Peter the Protester"" "Jin doesn't know his real name, but she calls him "Peter"" "because that's the only foreign name she knows." "But no matter who Peter is, he's the only one that can solve the riddle of the book." ""There is an environmental protest in Washington, D. C."" "Jin believes that Peter must be one of the protesters." "The white covered book must have something to do with what Peter is doing, and the Police must not agree with it." "Just like her boss didn't agree." "Jin thought she would have to be more careful." "She can't just go around showing people the book." "Take me to Nameless Island." "Where sir?" "Nameless Island." "Never heard of it?" "It must be your first time driving." "Let's go!" "Tick has lost his memory." "He only remembers his name is Tick, and he likes to get in taxicabs." "He doesn't remember where he's supposed to go, so he just calls it "Nameless Island. "" "Usually that's all he says before the driver kicks him out." "Tick had an odd habit." "He likes to lick everything in front of him." "Pod thinks that Tick must have worked as an envelope licker but had a stroke of bad luck and licked a poison envelope." "Maybe that's why he can't remember anything." "Not knowing where to take Tick, Pod let Tick stay with him." "Pod's room began to get very clean due to Tick licking everything." "Tick licks everything, but it is also his way of expressing affection." "But Pod doesn't like having to wash his face constantly." "Pod!" "Can I lick you for a bit?" "Pod takes Tick along in his taxi in the hope that someone will recognise him." "Nobody seemed to know Tick." "At least, most got out of the car before their destination." "How dare you!" "Crazy fucking jerk!" "Then one day, Tick disappeared." "That night, Jin saw another newscast." "She saw a protester get shot, but there was so much confusion she was unsure if Peter had been shot." ""Horoscopes"" "This month, you will lose what you love." "Jin believes Peter is dead." "Even though it makes her sad that she won't see Peter again," "Peter's death has shown her something." "We must protect the Earth!" "Every day the Earth gets hotter!" "We will wind up under water, due to the polar ice caps melting." "This is happening because we make everything from plastic!" "We must use less plastic!" "Remember!" "Plastic must be stopped!" "We don't want plastic!" "We don't want plastic!" "Please reuse this!" "We need to reuse plastic, so it isn't wasted." "Peter's death must not be in vain." "Peter?" "Yes," "Peter would be happy that what he was doing meant something." "Pod!" "Stop the car!" "Don't you know that plastic harms the Earth?" "You are also the reason Peter is dead." "Because you like to order food in plastic boxes and put your groceries in plastic bags." "From now on, I'm not going to use things made from plastic!" "Luckily, Pod's taxi isn't made from plastic, so Jin can still ride with him." "It hurts Pod to know that Jin loves Peter, but he's happy to know Peter's dead." "At the same time, Pod is sad that Jin won't forget about Peter." "Pod wants to kill himself again, but he doesn't want to see Grandmother now." "Jin are you okay?" "Are you going to work?" "I quit my job, so I could have more time to help save the Earth." "Peter will be happy that someone has taken his place." "I feel bad that I can only do so much." "There are far too many people that use plastic." "Where are you going, Jin?" "I'm going to protest with everyone else." "Let me take you." "No thanks." "I want to walk." "I'm going to use less energy and not harm the Earth." "Pod feels that Jin is slipping further from him." "It's almost like Jin is in a world that Pod doesn't know." "Mui... gone." "Yod said that Mui decided to return to China, because she doesn't think Yod is that special." "That he isn't good enough for her, because he isn't of royal blood." "Mainly, she has grown tired of getting on the bus with Yod." "Yod can't forget Mui." "He sneaks into language class to learn Chinese." "Mui!" "Yod believes his voice will carry to China, if she still loves him." "But he wonders if she can understand what he says." ""The sad story of Tongchai"" "Tongchai said Little Mam got a mobile phone for her birthday." "After that, she won't speak to anyone unless it's on her mobile." "Tongchai was put with other neglected things." "One day, Tongchai got thrown away." "Little Mam." "How can she do this to me?" "Tongchai got lost and wondered around for a while." "He became a tramp, wondering the roadways." "Every night, Tongchai looked at the sky and dreamt of Little Mam." "Did you buy some smokes?" "Pod decided to help make his dream come true." "Maybe Pod would be able to dream about Jin." "Pod has found that, in this world at least, there is someone that truly loves Little Mam." "Hello?" "Hi, Pod!" "I'm planting a tree." "Have a seat." "Some of the other protesters told me that we needed to plant trees, because they are the only thing that can heal the Earth." "What kind of plant is that?" "I'm not sure." "I just know it's a plant." "I'll show you my favourite plant." "I named it Peter." "I think this plant was born to fight plastic." "But this is corn, Jin." "No, this is Peter." "Where are you going?" "I'm going to protest." "I have to go everyday." "This world is getting worse." "I'm scared it might be too late." "Sorry sir, this is Jin's home right?" "Jin!" "Jin!" "Pluk-Pleung returned!" "Pluk-Pleung returned!" "Prince Charming found Pluk-Pleung and brought her back!" "I don't have time for nonsense like that anymore." "I have more important things to do now." "I'm going now." "I might get left behind." "Since Pod didn't have to give Jin rides anymore, he didn't have a reason to drive a taxi anymore." "Pod waits for Jin everyday, but she doesn't return home." "The plastic bottles at her door have been building up." "It's turned into a mountain of plastic." "Jin!" "Where are you?" "!" "Mui!" "Mui!" "I still think of Mui everyday." ""Your dreams are within reach. "" "When I see the Chinese tourists here," "I give them bus tickets to give to Mui all the time." "Maybe she's thinking of me too." "In China, there are a million people named "Mui. "" "How are things with you, Pod?" "I haven't seen Jin for several days." "She left home to join a protest march and hasn't returned." "I don't know where to look." "Like I said before, the more you look for it the harder it is to find." "Stop looking for her." "Be patient." "She'll show up." "Hey!" "You looking for your Dad?" "!" "Dad!" "Where have you been?" "Come back home with me!" "Pod decided to take Yod's advice and quit looking for Jin and then Pod found Jin." "Plastic was born to destroy the Earth." "Trees are the most wonderful things." "They help protect the Earth." "Trees are the good guys, and plastic is the bad guy." "That's why we must stop plastic!" "Thank you." "That is the opinion of one of the protesters." "They are now marching toward the plastic company." "Kong!" "Kong hurry!" "Step on it!" "You got it!" "That day, Jin saw a dead man." "Wait Peter!" "Don't go!" "I'm so happy you're still alive!" "Do you know you've changed my life?" "You inspired me to protect the Earth." "When I would think of giving up..." "when I would see the Earth suffer," "I would just think of you, and what you did for the Earth." "Look Peter." "I've been carrying around this plant." "I named it Peter!" "I think you've made a mistake." "My name isn't Peter." "It's André." "André?" "Yes." "And this is a corn plant not a Peter plant." "Wait!" "You have a book like mine." "Don't you?" "You're the only one I know that can read this." "I've been wanting to know for a long time what it has to say to me." "You really want to know?" "Jin!" "Jin!" "Jin?" "Jin?" "André told Jin that the book was really a pornographic gay Italian novel." "Jin's world came crashing down." "From that day on, Jin never spoke of the white covered book." "Jin never went out." "She didn't do anything." "She didn't even speak to anyone." "Even with Pod." "That day, Jin saw the book again." "She thought it must be searching for another girl so it can ruin her life." "Like it did to Jin." "I want to stay away from you for a while." "Jin wants to stay away from Pod for a while." "Since he couldn't see Jin," "Pod went back to the country." "Pod notices that everything moves more slowly in the country." "Pod?" "You're back already?" "His Dad said that the reason it was like this was that Pod had been in Bangkok." "Time in Bangkok must move faster than in the country." "His Dad said he had just got there, but he'll get used to it." "Many days passed by, but Pod didn't get used to it." "Time passed slowly, making him hurt even more." "Every breath, when thinking of Jin, took half the day." "Pod decided to return to Bangkok." "He wanted to tell Jin that she didn't have to love him, but he can't stay away from her." "Staying away made Pod think of her even more." ""Bangkok:" "The city of people with tails. "" "Whilst Pod was away, Bangkok had quickly changed." "Having a tail isn't nonsense anymore." "Anyone can have one." "Everyone tried to hide it, so no one would see." "Pod became a special person there, because he was the only one without a tail." "Hey!" "How do you feel not having a tail?" "Can we touch your bum to see what it feels like?" "It's amazing that there is still one person without a tail in Bangkok." "Reports indicate that his name is Pod, and he was born without a tail." "Who's there?" "Pod?" "It's me." "Yod." "Now you're a famous person!" "Let me see." "Wow!" "You didn't change a bit!" "Still wearing the same old clothes." "Still just as ugly!" "Still without a tail." "Don't tell me you have a tail." "I do." "It's long too." "Everyday, I force it into my pants, but it won't stay in!" "Pod?" "I'm your best friend." "Can I ask you a favour?" "What?" "I forgot what a bum without a tail feels like." "Can I touch yours?" "Crazy!" "Just once!" "Nobody will see!" "I don't think so!" "Have you heard anything about Jin?" "I've heard some news." "Do you want to know?" "If you want to know... let me touch it once!" "Because he wanted to know about Jin, Pod agreed." "Yod said that Jin has a tail like everyone else." "No matter how many times she has it cut off, it grows back." "But Yod didn't know where she was, and Bangkok is very big." "There was no way he could find her." "Jin!" "Pod?" "Have I changed a lot?" "Can't you recognise me?" "No." "You haven't changed a bit." "You haven't changed either." "You're still wearing blue, and you're still pretty." "No." "I've changed a lot." "Not like you." "Now you're a famous person." "Your arms..." "Yeah." "No more rash." "I've got my own car now." "But I'm not used to it." "When I itch, there's nothing for me to scratch." "Jin." "There are so many bad and sad things that keep us from seeing the good things that are right in front of us." "The feelings I have for you will never change." "When you mop the floor, tap your foot, separate your food, dream dreams, or grow a tail..." "Everything you do is wonderful to me." "Jin began to feel very happy, enough to tap her foot." "It's the same feeling she had chasing her dreams, hoping to find the meaning of the white book and grow a tail." "It's the feeling she's had ever since she met Pod." "But she never stopped looking, so she didn't see." "But... if you marry me, then you'll get a tail too." "You'll be like everyone else." "Our kids will have tails, and our kids will be call..." "From that day forward, no one in Bangkok had a tail." ""Six months later... "" "The love story of Pod and Jin makes Yod think he can forget Mui and make a clean start." "When they realised there was no one else in this world to talk to," "Little Mam and Tongchai got married." "They talk every day without getting tired of it." "The mountain of plastic became a picnic spot for people in Bangkok." "A lot of new couples found their first loves there, and threw their plastic bottles to leave their mark." "Now the top of the plastic mountain reaches the moon." "After getting married to Pod, Jin went to work for a plastic company." "She worked very hard to get promoted, and now she's become a big business woman." "Jin tries to lose business, so the company will shut down." "Jin says this method keeps more plastic from being made." "It works better than her old way." "Pod argued that plastic won't ever go away." "because people still order takeout in plastic boxes." "But this is Jin's dream, so Pod understands." "Pod started to have his own dream as well." "Pod dreamt that his Grandma died, turned into a lizard, and a few other things happened, including a pig that was made into some stir-fry with chilli and basil, that Jin ate six months ago." "Now Grandma is in Jin's stomach." "Three more months and we'll see each other again, Pod!" "Grandma..."