'...you was engage, isn't it?'

Now watching Morning Musume's latest single, Seishun Collection. Tanaka Reina's wearing her hair down, crazy awesome and tho I'm no fan of Mitsui Aika, I think she's a natural at looking diva. Hehe. Personally, I think their vocals have eminently improved throughout the years. And their comebacks had been impressive since Onna ni Sachi Are. Better music, better outfits and better looks. I only wish Tsunku would recruit more members. Back then when there were sixteen in the team, they were unbeatable. I'd say part of Momusu's strength is in their numbers. I like the song, period. And I like how they all sound now. No more members squeaking in the microphones and no more hideous ad-libs. By the way, when's Takahashi Ai graduating?

Right, enough of Momusu. I will now start a short rant on the very thing that had recently been stamping on all my wrong buttons; the Insanely Discomfiting and Aggravating Usage of English (IDAUE).

I bet a hell of a number of you, readers have heard of (or might even have done) these before:

My bestie,

Hye babez, how are yous? I heard that you was engage, isn't it? Congrates gurlz! Happy for yah! That's mean you gonna marriage soon! OMG, lucky!! Anyways, would like story sumthin'. Near my house have a bridal stall, I'll take you there when you come to visiting me, 'kay?? If can, bring your future husband also, 'mkay?? He don't mind, of coz. Wif this letter I send also my latest picture on my new haircut, OMG am I look nice, right?? Thank yous in advanced! I know you'll praised me. Ahakz. Anyways, I gonna go now. Until pen meet paper again. Bubbyez!

Your bestie.

Contoh sahaja. Ehem.

Oh come on, please don't tell me you're not the slightest annoyed after reading THAT! Here I am in school, trying to wash off the enraging grammatical errors fossilized in my kids' spoken and written English and some people out there are doing this shamelessly on the internet, rubbing dirt all over my hard work everytime my kids surf their blogs or whatever damn sites they run! I mean seriously, some people even post stuff like THAT as their Facebook status! Don't you guys have the least pity towards your English teachers back in school? And what's with the Z-end Syndrome? Why must every single doomed thing be spelled with a Z?

This thing, this IDAUE thing has been busting my fuses ever since one of my friends in UiTM said, 'I like black colour.' That was the time I realize that I might be one in a billion persons who just doesn't know how to get angry but if there's one thing that could just irritate me beyond reason, it's that. And it amazed me that of all the things that could make anyone angry, grammar makes me.

Man. I need to stop blogwalking for a while. It's exasperating, reading those intentionally horrendous posts and feeling sorry for their teachers and weeping over my teaching hours that are known to no one whether they are going to be fruitful or not. It's highly disappointing I'm just going to stay away from blogs other than the ones on my lists for the moment. Seriously.

I'll stop now.

What?

I told you it's just a short rant. Pft.

A thousand summers.

I couldn't remember the last time I had ever run across a field of lavender, hand in hand with a friend. I guess I never did. That's why I couldn't remember. But today I was running freely, despite the fact that I couldn't see. My hand in his. Heavenly. There was the purple-covered land my eyes might never feast upon, and there was the bluest painted sky I had only heard of, but there was the present, and there was also him – whose heartbeats I could hear from where I stand, and that was all that mattered.

Suddenly his grip on my hand tightened, and he pulled me closer, his warm breaths against my cheek and the smell of his cologne thickened in the air, to whisper, 'I wish time would stop now, at this moment, when I am still in control of myself and the madness you have driven me to, so I could be silently crazy about you for all eternity. But it won't ever, and I'd be crazy about you anyway as long as I'm still breathing, I'm sorry if this will break your heart, I promise to God I'll mend it flawless, I promise to God I'd keep it safe.'

And his lips met mine for a thousand summers.

Tokyo Magnitude 8.0

Dear Yuuki,

Our home is full of your scent. Whatever I do, whether I'm asleep or awake, the smell reminds me of you. I'm sure it'll always make me sad, and it'll probably always hurt. So when I become too sad, or when it's so painful that I can't stand it anymore, I'll tell you instead of holding it in. When I'm happy and having fun, I'll tell you. I'll tell you everything.
Yuuki, thank you.

Thank you for being born as my little brother.

***

I swear, I cried throughout the last episode of Tokyo Magnitude 8.0. Sumpah Teacher Nani menangis teresak-esak macam tengok One Litre of Tears. Sedih gila! Oh my God, I must have surprised many of you sebab Teacher Nani mana pernah menulis semacam ini sebelum ini kan? Tak apa, no time to linguistically behave anymore. Ini bukan blog orang lain.

Anyway, this is one of those insanely good animes out there which hits you powerfully in the guts and at the heart with perfectly flawed and believable characters plus the realistic storyline and setting. An A+ for the animation, sumpah over the top punya dia engineered. Another A+ for the seiyuu – one fantastic bunch of people who really, really know what they're doing. And triple A+s for the story and dialogues. Need I remind you that I'm a nasty reviewer most of the times?

There were some scenes which were really hard to watch, especially in the last episode, but the whole series had been both beautifully depressing and heartbreakingly uplifting at the same time. I don't know how the studio managed to achieve that crazy effect on me (and a whole bunch of people who had also cried watching the last episode) but it was worth the bucks spent. I'd say this is one of the best shows I'd ever spend my reading hours on. Seriously. You'd better ask my sister about how stingy I am of my reading time.

For one simple reason the last episode hit me real hard. I'm a big sister, just like Mirai. I bet it would hit many of you out there with younger siblings similarly. And then the realization that your heart is in the right place. Nicely done. Sumpah sedih gila.

I want my siblings to watch this. Because there was so much love in it. And so much warmth, too.

And I think YOU should watch this. Because I'd say this out loud if you'd ask me to, 'Only a hardened, bitter, d*ckheaded cynic wouldn't be moved by Tokyo Magnitude 8.0.'

I've learnt a lot from the series. But there's one scene permanently stamped on my mind and I'm glad that of all the scenes, this one chose to stay:

You just won't know when you would regret not holding your sister's or brother's hand as much as possible when you once could.
-Teacher Nani

I recommend this to anyone, even non-anime watchers. You won't be sorry. I promise you.