#In a way that being Malay will likely never be

[thetruearchmagos]

Been watching a lot of Xiran Jay Zhao recently, and boy is it the sorta thing that makes me reflect on what, exactly, I 'am'.

[jeannereames]

From the Asian perspective, would it be fair to say Alexander isn't as remembered there in comparison to the Western world because, to them, he was "just one of the many" of their conquerors?

(Somehow, I mixed up this answer to a different question; I'm surprised nobody commented, "What does your answer have to do with Leochares! LOL)

This is an interesting question in that the basic assumptions are faulty.

First, thanks to the Alexander Romance, Alexander would vie with Genghis Khan as possibly the most famous non-religious historical figure worldwide. That is not an exaggeration. There are legends of Alexander all over, some in places you’d never expect, such as among the Mali in sub-Saharan Africa, and the Malays in Southeast Asia.

(Alexander Questions the Philosopher, the Physician, and the Goblet, from the Kamseh of Nizami, Muhgal, India)

In a former answer to an Ask, I said that I thought Alexander would at once be annoyed that Julius Caesar was more famous/recognized in the Anglophone West (thanks in large part to Shakespeare), but assuaged by the fact he beat Caesar all to hell in the wider world. He seeped into all sorts of legends, not always by the name we’d recognize. The Persian Iskander is probably his most famous alternate, but in the Malay legends noted above, he’s Dhul-Qarnayn, from the Muslim Dhu Al-Qarnayn, the Two-Horned One. And he was the inspiration for other heroes, such as King Arthur.

He's EVERYwhere. Ha.

(Alexander at the Wall of Gog and Magog, from the Shahnameh of the Persian poet Ferdowsi)

Richard Stoneman (the world’s leading expert on the Alexander Romance) has edited a recent (2022) book on this topic: A History of Alexander the Great in World Culture, Cambridge U. Press.

The other problem with the question, which the asker may not realize, is a seeming assumption that in contrast to the west, Asia was constantly being invaded and conquered. That also is wrong. There have been many, many conquerors in the West, too. How about Rome? She conquered all her neighbors, west and east, many of whom saw her as an unwelcome outsider and fought back, such as Vercingetorix or Boudica. Similarly in Asia, with the Chinese and their neighbors, or the Turks in Persia. Most Asian conquerors have been…Asian. Most European conquerors have been…European. Most African conquerors have been…African (Musa I of Mali, Queen Amina of Nigeria, or Shaka Zulu, for instance). 😊

What’s really afoot here is a deeply embedded leftover of Roman anti-Asian bias. “Asians” are weak and easily conquered compared to Westerners/Romans, who are strong and love their freedom. That passed into European thought during the Renaissance, fueling a lot of Colonialist ideas and behavior. We (the West) must save the poor benighted souls in the East, both religiously (Christianize them from Islam or their “native” [inferior] beliefs) and culturally (make them dress, talk, and think like Europeans).

This same attitude in reverse was part of first Abbasid, and later Ottoman thinking. 😊 To be fair, when the Abbasids were looking West, Europe was in a pretty sad state. But the much earlier Achaemenid Persians also found the Greeks uncivilized. The Other is frequently seen so by those who use their own measuring stick of what-is-civilization. And one of the ways the Other is “othered” involves portraying them as weak, chaotic, and ripe for conquest and/or frequently conquered in the past—as opposed to “us,” who are strong and the conquerors.

Again, this point of view is so deeply embedded that we may express it without realizing it or even believing it ourselves when pressed. Yet the narrative of the West as “free” versus the East (Asia) as “slavish” is also quite popular with the alt-right crowd—so I try to call it out when it rears its head, however innocently. And I do assume the asker meant it innocently, as most often when someone does make those assumptions, it’s because they heard it somewhere else and don’t have the historical context to recognize the inherent bias.

So I point out that bias.

[the-real-loser-otaku-girl]

jirai survey results (reminder that its ok 2 not agree w all of this (cuz theres also sum dumb takes/lh))

part one

most ppl who answered were from tumblr but there was some ppl from bsky and x

what introduced you to jirai?

online 52.6%

the fashion/jfashion scene 9.9%

partner/friend/ect 8.8%

being mentally ill 8.2%

idk/idr 5.8%

the menhera scene 2.9%

where are you from?

north america 60.3%

europe 22.8%

asia 7.4%

oceania 4.4%

south america 2.9%

caribbean 1.5%

africa 0.7%

what are your pronouns?

she/her 35.1%

they/them 24.4%

he/him 19.9%

it/its 10.0%

other 10.7%

are you in the LGBTQ+ community?

yes 88.8%

maybe 6.7%

no 4.5%

what social media do you use the most?

tumblr 36.2%

youtube 21.7%

pinterest 19.0%

tiktok 11.9%

twitter/x 8.3%

other 3.0%

do you wear dark girly kei?

i want to but i dont 42.3%

sometimes 18.3%

a lot just not everyday 9.9%

never 9.9%

i have but not often 7.0%

everyday 5.6%

i have but i didnt like it 1.4%

other 5.6%

whats your fav colour?

pink 24.8%

black/white/grey 20.5%

purple 15.6%

red 12.5%

blue 8.9%

green 6.1%

yellow 4.0%

orange 1.5%

other 6.1%

whats your gave kind of food type?

savory 42.7%

sweet 24.4%

spicy 9.9%

salty 8.4%

other 14.5%

where does your fav food originate from?

asia 34.4%

europe 32.1%

north america 19.1%

oceania 1.5%

africa 1.5%

south america 0.8%

other 10.7%

whats your fav thing to drink?

energy drinks 25.7%

soda 22.9%

coffee/tea 14.6%

alcohol 8.3%

water 4.9%

other 23.6%

what languages do you speak?

(everyone spoke english cuz yk...the survey was in english but a lot of ppl spoke multiple language!)

english 51.4%

japanese 10.1%

spanish 7.6%

german 5.4%

french 5.0%

korean 2.8%

mandarin/chinese 2.8%

russian 1.9%

polish 1.6%

italian 1.3%

portuguese/brazillian portuguese 1.3%

under 1.0%

welsh, asl, slovak, hindi, somali, serbian, esperanto, bulgarian, filipino, urdu, latin, malay, swedish, turkish, greek, ukrainian, maltese, indonesian, hebrew, dutch

how old are you?

11-14 15.7%

15-17 38.1%

18-21 23.9%

22-27 18.7%

28-34 3.0%

70+ 0.7% (i dont believe u lmaoo theres so way i think ur lying (its only one person so whom art thou))

do you have unhealthy coping mechanisms?

yes 93.3%

maybe 4.5%

no 0.7%

other 1.5%

do you smoke?

no 49.3%

yes 22.1%

only if offered 11.8%

i have just not often 6.6%

other 10.3%

do you drink?

no 38.3%

yes 28.6%

i have just not often 15.0%

only if offered 13.5%

other 4.5%

do you do drugs?

no 41.7%

yes 23.5%

i have just not often 12.9%

only if offered 10.6%

other 11.4%

do you have an ED?

yes 51.9%

maybe 20.7%

no 14.8%

other 12.6%

do you SH?

yes 68.4%

i have in the past 26.3%

no 3.8%

maybe 1.5%

PART ONE ILL REBLOG WITH THE REST!!!!

[jadejasiones]

everyone say hello to my favourite diva ever- Aster! a lot of yapping underneath cos I love talking about her so much

she's my friend Rei's spring MC who is childhood best friend's with my girl Saoirse. they are soulmates!!! DO NOT SEPARATE!!!!

anyway here are some misc titbits about the campus diva

she is the A in ABCD, and also the one who actually realised the fact the group names can be abbreviated to ABCD

transfer student from Malaysia that came during the second year! she came all the way to wryn mayer on the opposite side of the world just to be with her bestie

the 3rd roomie, Sage and Deja moved into a 3 person place with her (Sage vouched for her which is why Deja went along with the move initially)

when we say she's the resident flirt we mean it, she's even worse than Percy because she's more insistent about it and also flirts with everyone with no exception -> she's hot and knows it

got a roster (as she likes to call it) of friends with benefits etc and enjoys sleeping around and partying so she's got quite the reputation on campus

is also generally an utter social butterfly so you can bet she knows basically the entire campus and the tea

a middle child through and through, severe middle child syndrome, often feeling out of place which is why she's excessively social to try and make up for that feeling that she isn't wanted (too bad for her we've woven into the narrative that she's the odd one out 💕)

noticed how her bday is a day after Valentine's day? even her birthday gets compounded with Valentine's day and she is forever overshadowed 💕💕

her and sage have this borderline unhealthy codependent friendship and they complete each other in some ways, they both look up to each other for different reasons and think the absolute world of each other

speaking of which! they're friends cos their moms are old friends, which is how the two know each other despite being continents away -> sage's mom is Chinese Malaysian and will bring the family over for the holidays

will cuss like a sailor and in all the different languages she knows (English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Malay, tiny bit of Irish), especially if she's actually angry.

horrendous morning bird, will rise with the sun

ship name is moonlight cocktail, both cos of the song and also because their love is something new to the both of them and keeps the morning birds up late at night thinking and yearning (its Jamie, OH MY GOD ILL MAKE ANOTHER POST OF THEIR DYNAMIC BECAUSE ITS SO DAMN INTERESTING!!!)

absolutely loves flowers but cannot keep plants alive for the life of her (Deja had banned her from taking care of the houseplants -> Deja is having a hard time with one roomie who kills all her plants and the other who burns all her food)

sunglasses stays on during sex /j but for realsies she wears it everywhere

contrary to first impressions, she's actually the kinda girl who believes in true love (not that she would know, girly has never loved someone like that before and also believes no one will love her like that)

as you can tell, girly has MAD self esteem issues so our idea for her story is mostly confrontation and accepting that she is worthy and is capable of love 💕 overcoming that self sabotaging habit of hers yknow

[synergysilhouette]

10 Disney hot takes/unpopular opinions (Part 5)

I did not realize how many unpopular opinions I had until I started back on part 3. Anyways, here are some more, and be sure to check out part 4 here.

Merida should NOT be part of the Disney princess roster--I mainly say this because Disney over time has become conflated with the companies it owns, resulting in people calling Marvel, Pixar, Lucasfilm, Fox, etc. "Disney," despite them all having different creatives and teams. While "Brave" was made after Disney buying out Pixar, I feel like making Merida a Disney princess contributes to the conflation, and I feel like the DP line should only be something Disney has for their own company, especially when you remember the fact that Disney doesn't really market or promote Merida as much as the other princesses (and Pixar barely acknowledges her film), though I will say it's probably because her film isn't a musical, similar to how underrated Raya is, despite being a Disney princess. Speaking of which...

2. Raya should only be marketed with one cultural background, two at the most--The fact that her film is a mix of Southeast Asian cultures without defining barriers or specific influences has gained polarized reviews for generalizing the culture, and some people have even surmised it was so Disney could market her in various Southeast Asian clothes rather than just one. While Kumandra is kind of a mess, I do think it'd help to present Raya (at least in dolls/associated merchandise) as having a specific cultural influence to her, maybe two if her mother was from a different land than her father. I am biased towards making her Vietnamese due to the whole "dep la" verbiage between her and Namaari, as well as Raya's voice actor and one of the writers for her film being of Vietnamese heritage. That said, I could also see her being marketed as Malaysian, due to the other co-writer being of Malaysian heritage and Raya's name being Malay for "celebration."

3. "Frozen" is Disney's "Shrek"--At least on the animated side; "Enchanted" is the true rival to "Shrek" overall (and can we PLEASE get a 2D film with an art style like they did?! Alphonse Mucha's art is gorgeous!). While the meta moments sometimes felt heavy-handed, it felt like the foil to classic Disney the same way that Dreamworks had done, and honestly I feel like it worked in it's favor. I'm glad the sequel didn't try to copy that, though.

4. Pocahontas is one of the best Disney protagonists--Yes, the film was inaccurate and included a sexualized lead (who had several non-Indigenous women as her physical influence) along with including a romance that never happened. I get why people hate this movie and her. I'm just saying I love her personality, her spitiuality, athleticism, kindness, intelligence, and reverence for her culture (because it would've been very easy to make the "dissatisfied character forsakes their culture in favor of another one"). NGL, I feel like if her deerskin outfit was longer, a significant portion of her criticism would cease.

5. "Oz the Great and Powerful" should've been animated--Given the success of "The Wizard of Oz" and "Wicked," it seems that Disney doing a take on "The Wizard of Oz" would've been a hit, but as "Return to Oz" and "Oz the Great and Powerful" will tell you, they did not reach those heights. While OTGAP wasn't spectacular, had it went through the Disney Animation pipeline during the 2010s (the best part of the revival era; another hot take?), I think the writing and story would've been better. Bonus points if it was a musical! Of course, the main idea for the film could've easily been used for an original property instead of one related to "The Wizard of Oz." I also think "Hocus Pocus" should be animated, but that's another post.

6. Disney should take a break from Europe for a while--While getting more specific with European cultures recently with "Frozen" (Not sure if was specifically Norwegian or just Scandinavian in general) and "Wish," I do feel like it's a bit played out, at least for now. With growing cultural awareness, Disney's diversity with "Moana," "Encanto," and even "Raya and the Last Dragon," I do want to see Disney explore more cultures outside of Europe. I mentioned in my "Part 3" post that I'd like diversity for the next musical, but this part goes beyond that; I feel like the next 5 films after "Frozen 3" that are set with real-world influence should take place in countries outside of Europe. Asia and the Americas have my vote, but if Disney makes an animated musical in Africa with HUMANS, I'll be very happy. In fact--

7. Disney should've used Beyonce's "The Gift" and Lin-Manuel Miranda's work on "Mufasa" for their animation department--Both of them crafted really gorgeous work, but they used it for films that's existence has gained mixed responses due to Disney's live-action remake trend. Imagine if Beyonce and Lin worked together on a soundtrack!

8. John Musker and Ron Clements need more work--It ASTOUNDS me that they directed "Moana," one of Disney's best-received films EVER, and have been behind several other classic Disney films, but over the past 20 years, they've only directed and/or written two films for Disney. Can we circle back to that "Swan Lake" idea the duo overlooked in the 90s? (Note: It'd be cool to explore an Eastern European culture since the composer was Russian, but as per #7, that'll have to come later. Plus political situations probably mean Russia itself isn't an option for now.)

9. Collaborate with other creatives--I've made fanmade posts about potential Disney films, and they included using well-known directors and songwriters. I really feel like it'd be nice for Disney to work with these creatives for something fresh and fun. AND GIVE THEM SPACE TO WORK!

10. More "Making of" documentaries--"Frozen 2" was EYE-OPENING, and I'm sure Disney isn't eager to earn the ire of the fans again, especially if they explain why their recent movies have been the way they are, ie why "Raya and the Last Dragon" had a major upshake 7 months from release, why "Wish" is so different from the OG concepts, how the crew for "Moana 2" adapted to making the show a film with only 10 months, etc. "Making of..." would make a fun series on Disney+; I'm sure it'd be VERY popular.

[dyemelikeasunset]

would you be able to include flag country names for the dom&mor characters lineup? ty!

(i love how diverse all your art and characters are, i wish i could read thru all about your ocs and stories like browsing through a wiki in an autism way)

THANK YOU!! In fact I can do you one better and write little blurbs for everyone! Including our leading ladies too of course Under the readmore:

Mor's side

Morgan: Jamaican American Lesbian. Mor's parents came from Jamaica but she was born in the US, where she grew up with her mom in Boston before moving to NYC. Mor went to university for a BA in Graphic Design and met most of her friends there. She works from home these days. Mor doesn't really realize she's the resident Pretty Girl in her group of friends (she has bad self esteem)

Lexi: American Nonbinary Lesbian. Lex met Mor in high school when they both played on the softball team, and they both came out to each other. They've been able to stay friends all these years cause their tastes in girls are wildly different. Lexi belongs to a different group as the rest of Mor's friends since they didn't go to the same college, but they're Mor's very annoying ride-or-die

Panos: Greek Ethiopian and Bisexual. Panos met Mor through their shared degree and has been a mentor and big brother figure for her since. They help onboard her to a lot of projects, and the two of them rely on each other professionally. He never really stops talking about his wife and daughter-- it's the price everyone has to pay, since he's so reliable and understanding and helping everyone all the time

Ryan: (Sansei) Japanese American and Gay. Out of Mor's art friends, Ryan is the one who's most practical about his job. Instead, he puts his energy into being a menace in his dating life. He loves to gossip about his and Mor's very messy love lives and is convinced Morgan is just as much of a heartbreaker as he is behind her innocent facade. She has unfortunately told Ryan all her dirty laundry so he teases her relentlessly every chance he gets

Barjis: Malay Trans and Bisexual. Barjis came to the US with their boyfriend to pursue their degree and also start their transition. They have a surprisingly cute illustration style and work with Panos and Mor often. They love to talk animated movies with Morgan, and it's one of the few things that gets them to talk a lot. Very skittish and tired all the time, and has a bit of a fear of "normies"

Elsa: Norwegian Lesbian. Elsa is Mor's unwitting rival in love because they always crush on the same girls (Ryan loves to tease her about this). Elsa is currently losing (Mor: 7, Elsa: 2) but she's not bitter, just single and sad. She's currently working in web journalism even though she wants to publish her novel. Friendly and considerate, but awkward

Dom's side

Dominique: Korean/Chinese and Asexual. Dom was born in Beijing but grew up in Seoul with her mother. She started working as a model at 16 and moved to the US alone when she was 18. She's currently coming back into the modeling world after a 2 year hiatus. She's charming and good at socializing, but she doesn't really know how to make friends, which frustrates model coworkers who want to be closer to her

Farid: Afghan French and Gay. Farid became a model in his late father's footsteps, so he's often accused of being a nepo model. He's fussy and annoyed easily, but he can never refuse helping people. One of Dom's only real friends, he's a bit like a little brother to her and relies on her a lot. He has a bad habit of dating married men and acting like it doesn't matter to him (it matters. A lot.)

Maithili: Indian Canadian and Pansexual. Maithili is breezy and easy-going, but behind her dreamy facade is a very level-headed personality. She works with Dom often for body diversity shoots, but she'd really like to do more high fashion. Very flirtatious, calls Dom and Farid her "work boyfriends" all the time

Wynter: British Trans woman. Wynter started modeling a little later than her peers. She was scouted after a big transition point, so modeling has brought her a lot of euphoria. She's one of the more mature personalities in Dom's life, and looks after her and the other models a lot. She lives with her boyfriend and is hoping he'll propose soon

Evita: Argentine American and Bisexual. Evita started as a social media influencer and has been able to make her way to the runway as a petite model. Despite their nonchalant persona, they work very hard and are very passionate about their job. Her current romance hangup is how oblivious Dominique is, and she knows she needs to move on

Inessa: Russian (and no fruity business). Inessa met Dom backstage at a Fashion Week while having a breakdown that Dom helped her through, so she's been attached like an inprinted duckling ever since. The type of straight girl who is obsessed with pretty women in a platonic way, so she really wants to get to know more about Dom's cute new girlfriend

[tinytangerine1003]

1, 6, 7, 14, 20, 23, 33, 34, 35, 51, 52, 53, 61, 63, 78, 87, 88, 89 and 100 for the Get to know me uncomfortably well, sorry if this is a lot

Eh no, it's not a lot. I like answering these, so thank you for sending me an ask ^^

What is you middle name? I don't have a middle name

6. What’s your lucky number? I don't really have a lucky number but if I had to consider any it would probably be my birth date i.e 1

7. Do you have any pets? No, I wish I did :(

14. Are you psychic in any way? I don't think so. I don't even have a good intuition. I never listen to my gut. I probably should.

20. Are you religious? Yeah, I am religious (I am Hindu, in case you're wondering)

23. Have you ever met any celebrities? I have. I don't think anyone recognises him anymore though. I mean even I didn't know who he was until my parents told me about it.

33. What do you typically have for breakfast? Cheela or Utappam (they are easy to make)

34. Have you ever fired a gun? Definitely not a real one!

35. Have you ever tried archery? I find it interesting but I have never actually tried it.

51. Are you scared of spiders? Yeah

52. Favorite food? Anything with paneer on it is good for me. I also really love ice cream and ras-malai

53. Favorite foreign food? Pasta

61. Do you sing to yourself? Sometimes. I am really bad at it tho 😅

63. Biggest Fear? Eh Idk Probably losing my loved ones

78. Have you ever done drugs? Nope

87. Do you keep a journal? I have tried to several times but as it turns out I am really not good at it. I can't be consistent for the life of me.

88. What do your parents do? My father is in business and my mother is a teacher.

89. Do you like your age? Maybe. It's a weird age honestly but I definitely don't miss being a desperate little helpless kid.

100. Colour of your room? My room where I am living temporarily is white and I can't do anything about it. My room back at home is yellow and purple which I know isn't the greatest colour combo on walls but I was a kid when I chose those colours so you have to consider that.

[cadet-aviator]

Mess & Household training (4)

The toughest part of this Mess & Household training I had been ordered to follow was, however, the serving. It was not entirely new to me: during my weeks in Elite Camp I had had to serve drinks and dinner to the officers in their mess every night, and then I had to be on hand afterwards as they sat on the porch in the evening cool, chatting and laughing. That had been very tough, not because of the activity itself, but because the hours of serving came after a long day of gruelling marches and drills (and I wasn’t even 15 at the time). My preparation there had been only very basic.

This was, again, a whole new level, and it proved fiendishly difficult to get to terms with the finer details of being a Mess servant. It was worse than what went on in Downton Abbey. 

We were taught, first of all, to lay a table, which knife went where, which fork; we were taught what a normal menu in an officers’ mess was like, which dish followed which dish, and what the menu would be on a special occasion, and what was expected for those menu’s when it came to setting a table.

We were taught how to fold a napkin. That took hours and hours. So many ways you can fold one (and so many ways to get it wrong).

How to hold a plate of soup or an plate of rice (different technique).

We were taught how to ‘deliver’ a plate or a glass with a minimum of intrusion, and how to remove a plate or a glass unnoticed. The same for pouring wine or water, or opening a beer.

We had to learn how to carry trays (angle of 90 degrees in front of us, not touching our stomachs).

We were taught how to polish glasses (and then to polish them again, and again).

Of course we were also instructed how to stand, when no direct action was needed; how to keep a straight posture and not move your head but at the same time keep a sharp eye out for anything that needed attention.

This is not a skill you pick up in a few afternoons. It’s a proper profession, like that of top waiters in top restaurants, or professional butlers. But in the Malay military it was a specific branch, these Mess & Household servants, you could have a full career like that (and never see a battlefield or hold a rifle).

My little group of obedient cadets was assumed to be gearing up for such a career, and we had to get to grips with, well, everything. I had a quick brain, I was a fast learner, but as I was now getting accustomed to the superiors just piled on the tasks, the information, the challenges. No let up, no mercy, always that 100% perfection.

I had noticed during Camp that officers when they were not on alert would really take their time, sitting down for lunch or dinner, and so serving could take hours, sometimes well into the night. During training, this was copied – but then without the actual dinner guests. So it took hours of physical stress, just to stand quietly with a tray with a pitcher of water, staring ahead, trying to see if this or that person had emptied his glass, and was ready for some more – or not (we were not to ‘intervene’ when it was not called for).

I coped, I guess, because I quite liked to be in the presence of older officers. I liked the style of their mess rooms, their uniforms, the old-school (British-colonial) atmosphere of the thing. 

Actually, that was exactly why I stuck with it. I wanted to be there and serve.

(All images are AI-generated)

[pandoraa-sbox]

Hi,there. I'm quite new here so I'm gonna ask you a question and your opinion? What do you think of projek high council actually? Because im trying to spread the fandom around to some people actually and it has potential to grow as a fandom everyone no matter what country they are enjoys it,also do you have any headcanons about projek high council if so please tell me what the headcanons are.

Hi!!! i’m so glad you asked! sorry for the late reply.

I apologise if i don’t sound cohesive in this post 🙏

i’m

What do i think of it? I think it paints a good message about the private school culture in malaysia, i’ve never been in one since i go to public school(plus being sporean). But when i had done the research for the show to understand why it was created and the reasoning, i found so so so many posts and reddit discussions about the toxic environment that Malaysian private schools have.

And i feel like the show spreads awareness to how the environments in that school are.

I also felt like it tackled some sort of generational trauma, and not to mention the fantastic writing it has for a malaysian show. Lemme get this straight, i myself am a malay, i have watch my fair share of shows and when i say this blew me away, it blew me away.

The show itself handles topics in a mature way, and it made me cry for 3 episodes straight. Fakhri and Naim hit close to home for me, and their entire arch was written beautifully.

I’m not sure what else to say besides high praise for it, it’s mature, it’s gritty, it’s not scared to send a message or tackle things other shows are scared to. And the way it’s written feels not just tied as a just malay show i genuinely felt like if other people were to watch it they would enjoy it to the max like the rest of us.

That’s all i have for the show

Hc’s? i have one only (i’m basic and i apologise for it) Kahar used to act like Ejoi (from kisah cinta Pheobe dan Ejoi) before the toxic school environment got to him

atleast, ill keep that hc until Projek Kahar comes out.

[noxhalas]

If it's not too much to ask, could we know a little more about your bug guy? Their design is sooooooo cool, I absolutely adore it! :D

auUaHGhHGhGh MAN I DID NOT EXPECT SOMEONE TO ASK ABOUT HIM SO SOON GHGHHG THANK YOU AHHH I DONT KNOW WHERE TO START

He's from a collaborative RP group I'm in! He's based off a coconut rhinocerous beetle and his outfit is based off WWI/II Pilot Uniforms. His ethnicity is filipino/malay, even though the world he's from isn't really parallel to ours exactly (Whole different continents, mythos, history).

If you ask him what his name is, he'd reply with "Knocks" or "The Wanderer", but this is because he doesn't know his real name. He was Vincent Marcus Catacutan, so you'll see me tag pieces with him as Vincent or Knocks, but they're the same character in two very different stages of his life.

Vincent is pre-[REDACTED] and is a bit of a bitch, but really smart, head of weapons research and development for his country. I typically draw him with long hair, but you can easily tell it's him by his horns/antennae/eyes, which are all brown/black, or a usually dour or maniacal expression.

Knocks doesn't know anything about all that though. He just knows he has an affinity for building machines and making potions, and that he was in a war. He's very jovial and friendly, making silly jokes and naming things weird things, but there's definitely a mean streak to him and he doesn't take social cues very well. That being said, he's undyingly (or, dyingly) loyal, which he shares with Vincent, and he has a big heart and boobs (also like Vincent, but he'd never admit it). Even though they're the same character, they're so different from each other in a lot of ways that he occupies two different spots in my mind. Maybe I can explore this some more if y'all/you're interested :>

Here's a portion of the page I posted earlier with colors, as thanks for reading all that if you did! I'm sorry for rambling, it's hard for me to summarize things, though I'm always eager to answer questions!

[liamthemailman]

Lieutenant Ace

Call of Duty OC Info

• General Info •

Rank: Lieutenant

Alias: Ace (Formerly known as Mad Dog)

Nationality: N/A

Age: 35 years old (as of 2023)

Gender: Masc

Birthday: 27 February

Language spoken: English

Other languages: Malay

Sexuality: Bisexual

• Appearance •

Height: 5'2 feet / 159 cm

Blood type: B Pos

Eye color: Brown

Hair color: Dark brown

• Personality •

Introverted - Ace has some trouble approaching people, and with his resting bitch face doesn't make him any more approachable either. He doesn't speak much but only because he doesn't have much to say.

Problems - Ace is practical. He sees an issue, he fixes it the quickest and most effective way he can. Ace doesn't like to spend time sitting around when there should be things to do. There's never a time on missions when nothing is happening.

Straightforward - Ace says things as he sees it. He gets the point across as fast as possible. Ace has gotten several complaints for being abrasive but he's not one to sugarcoat.

Emotional - Despite the above, Ace isn't all that much of an asshole, believe it or not. He'll take the time and effort to hear out anyone for their woes and worries, just listening to those who need it.

Down to earth - Outside of work, Ace is generally a laid back person. If actually approached, he's more than able to hold a conversation and is surprisingly really chatty.

• Bad Habits •

Bottling - Despite knowing there are trustworthy and competent people who are willing to help, Ace would rather drop dead than ask for help with generally anything. This then leads to being frustrated silently, but Ace works on it. Tries to, at least.

Anger Issues - This only applies to missions. Ace has difficulty working with people due to his tendency to snap. Be it a snarky comment or directly yelling at someone. Even when things were looking positive, and god forbid someone makes an avoidable mistake.

Mean - Being someone as quiet as Ace, he is not above being a mean bitch, his actions speak louder than any word could ever express. Gives nasty side eyes through with his eyewear but no one can see them.

• Skill set •

Weapon - Long range and/or knifes

Combat Style - Usually sticks to long range guns. Good with close combat, Ace is very nimble and agile though it comes with the downside of larger weight classes going against him.

Special Skill - Breaches through any security systems and can intercept rigs of explosives and traps that use electronic signal triggers. Ipad Kid on the field.

• Trivia Facts •

Sneaking

Ace startles just about everyone when he seemingly appears from nowhere. He swears he's not doing it on purpose, he's kind of below most people's line of sight, and it's not like he'd want to stomp around the base either.

Goggles

Unintentionally glares at people. Ace has tired looking eyes and spaces out a lot, which leads to a lot of misunderstandings. So he settles for goggles.

Hair

Has been nagged to keep the back of his hair short, and as much as he really tries, it grows back within the week. It doesn't get any longer than it usually is so they just let him keep his very short mullet.

Daisies

Ace loves daisies, and also loves to fuck with people. Ace will make daisy chain crowns and/or bracelets and gift them anonymously to people around the bases he's on. It's been driving everyone crazy. No one has caught him yet.

Dumb Shirts

Under his hoodies, jackets and gear, Ace is wearing those novelty shirts with nonsensical words. He thinks it's hilarious and it's fueled by Johnny giving him more dumb shirts to wear. Ace got caught by a rookie at 2.30am, making tea and wearing one of those shirts. No one ever believes them whenever they try to share their experience.

Favourites

Drink: Earl Grey with one cream and two sugars

Food: Oranges

Animal: Cats

Hobby: Writing short stories, feeding the stray cats on base

Song: Aces - dkj

Colour: Dull, desaturated colours

Flower: Green thumb, Ace loves all flowers

• (B)romance •

Johnny 'Soap' MacTavish was the first to approach Ace after his transfer into the 141. That means he's the first to form a connection to the dark and broody shadow and discover that he just has RBF™.

They become quick friends, one was never present without the other. Like they were attached to the hip.

Word got around when a rookie saw Lieutenant Ace wearing an oversized jacket that belonged to Sergeant Soap, and said sergeant wearing one of Ace's dumb shirts. It was quickly shot down, no one believing the outlandish claim.

Ace just enjoys Johnny's company, nothing more and nothing less.. is what he claims when asked. So what if Ace only drinks the tea Johnny brings him, only he knows how to do it right. So what if Ace lets Johnny sit on his lap despite being so much larger, there's no other seats. So what if Ace and Johnny held hands under the table like a pair of juvenile lovebirds-

• Background •

Alias(es)

- Mad Dog

Former and unofficial nickname rather than actual callsign from when he first enlisted. He used to be a loudmouth that talked back to his superiors, yelling his arguments and being reckless and near uncontrollable on the field.

He was compared to that of a dog barking madly, and thus, the nickname stuck.

- Ace

He's mellowed out, somewhat, compared to his rookie days. Ace earned the name Ace from his former team for being the go-to for intelligence and gathering intel for missions, giving his team a great advantage over enemies.

Former team

Task Force Cards was a small group consisting of four. King, Queen, Jack and Ace himself. They found comfort in each other, coming from different countries and backgrounds, all of them strangers to a foreign land.

Unfortunately, the team had to be disbanded after his fellow team members went rogue on mission.

Scar

A result of a brash action Ace made while trying to reason with his rogue team. While arguing with them, Ace had stepped forward in anger to grab the collar of one of them. A physical altercation broke out.

While the slash was barely skin deep, it hurt Ace seeing them too far gone in their own heads. The wound stung as he testified against them.

Family

Ace had run away from home and enlisted shortly after. He hasn't had contact with them ever since he was 17. As much as he wanted to, Ace knows contacting them again was a pipe dream.

[adamsandlermealplan]

Every Meal is Shared With You Now and Forever

Bún Bò Huế at Tương Lai (Cabramatta) | 1 August

It's nothing new under the sun to write about how love and food are entwined. How preparing a meal, the deliberate act of taking someone to a restaurant that you enjoy, the times when the scent of a familiar flavour sends you into a wave of emotions... A humanity that has been forever. It's what really made me want to start writing more, although I fear reproducing half-baked diaspora musings. But maybe that's why I do want to record it, precisely because of its eternal and intrinsic nature that transcends time and fuses communities together.

My grandma passed away on Sunday, and food has not tasted the same since. She was my third parent, and my constant. Until the last day that she could stand she would cook lunch and dinner for everyone. After school and work, the first thing that she would ask is whether I was having dinner. Almost without missing a day, she would cook for us. My gut wrenches from remembering the times when I declined and said I would eat later. The times that I've told her I was going out for dinner and her subsequent dejected mood. More than anything, I had declined her act of love. I deserve to feel this terrible, brokenhearted remorse.

She grew up learning to cook with her eyes and her nose. Being the fourth daughter of a Chinese immigrant in British occupied Malaysia, she was prohibited from getting an education by her father. She was basically illiterate, bar the few Chinese characters and basic English words she had to teach herself. I had always considered myself fortunate to be able to indulge in a cuisine many had only later been introduced to. A cuisine that was an almagation of Indian immigrants, Malay locals, many generations of Chinese-Malays and even the influence of British and Portuguese colonisers. She would pound her own spices for curries, cook herbal soups when we came into flu season. So much knowledge through simply absorbing the world around her. Learning the only way she really knew how. I loved her sambal which she would use on a variety of dishes. Nasi lemak. Fried okra. Fried fish. She really loved golden, deep fried delicacies. She introduced me to what Westerners would consider more "challenging" foods. Liver, blood jelly, tripe. I feel so lucky to be able to appreciate these foods. When I had a 2 year vegetarian stint, she would take the effort to cook me a separate dish with no meat. I'm honestly glad I started to eat meat again so I could taste her original cooking before it was too late. I should have known that through her cooking and her hours of preparation, her commitment to make sure we were fed were all intrinsic acts of love. I will never be able to taste it again. I will never be able to repay it.

I ate this bún bò huế after visiting the temple where my family and I have now decided to place her ashes. I had been crying until my eyes had become swollen, and looked bee-stung. I was weepy, still, when they brought this soup noodle out. While it was delicious with its spicy tang and careful notes of fermented seafood, like most of the meals I've had since, it was dampened by the flavour of grief. The thought of being unable to share this with her dulled the usual melody of aromas I would get from that first taste of the soup. If she were with me, I would have asked for a separate little bowl for her to try the silky noodles and bits of Vietnamese ham. Now and until forever, I thought, I could not ever return those acts of care to her. So from that day I promised that every meal is shared with her. I will think of her in every bowl of noodle soup, every bite of curry, even whatever bland work lunch I may have. Tonight is the 7th day since her death, so I poured us a glass of her favourite beer (Guiness) and we served her a little plate of our dinner on the makeshift altar in her room and I feel a little better about it all.

[sujantim]

John Rai And The Locals.

I have probably seen multiple live shows in person. After a long time, I felt like I had never heard or seen this kind of magical performance for a long time. It was the live show of the band "The John Rai and The Locals." The lead vocalist was John Rai, and there was Steve Rai for electric guitar, the bass guitar by Manu Rai, drums from Jasper Rai, and beautiful flute and acoustic guitar from Sudarshan Thapa. The show was electrifying and full of emotion and craziness. Everyone was enjoying the show and was full of energy.

John Rai and The Locals are known as the Nepali Pop Rock band for their electrified live performances. This band became very popular in Nepal recently, with some of the raw vocals and an original pre-recorded version by John Rai. The band was initially formed with classmates and neighborhood friends. Backstory: They were a small local band who used to jam and play some during the twenties. After some, The lead vocalist moved abroad for his undergraduate studies. After being abroad, he was not satisfied with anything, neither his studies, work, or the culture. The lead vocalist left the country without completing his studies. He formed a band with his friend Manu and his friend's brother Steve, and they formed the band with the other members and started releasing songs. They were not so popular at that, and they used to perform in the local bars and restaurants. Slowly, some of the raw version songs of the band started getting popular. The raw version of the "Hawa jastai malai" song was a massive success. They started doing live performances. In the larger mass, they were known for being the best performers and new faces in the Nepali music industry.

The live from March 8, 2024, in Pokhara still reminds me of those moments. That wasn't any tour show or grant show. It was a typical show with 1500 people. Whenever there is a live show in my hometown, I usually go to watch the live show. The biggest advantage of watching shows in my hometown was that I didn’t usually need to buy the ticket because I used to have a connection with people who were event organizers, or I would find a way to enter the venue through bouncers because somehow I or my friends would know the bouncers. Or We find an other way to enter to see the show. The show was organized by the  NYC Ratnachowk Club on the day of Shivarattri. Shivarattri is a tradition of a Hindu people who follow the god Shiva. On this occasion, people smoke marijuana and stay all night doing bonfires and enjoying. It is the only day in a year when marijuana is legal. Usually, nonsmokers also try, and most people are high on marijuana this day. I was enjoying my day in the Shivaratri at the bonfire, and I got a call from my friend to go to the show  1 hour before the show. We didn’t have a ticket for the show, and it was already too late to call someone who had access because none of them answered the call because they were busy. The show was at the junction of a road surrounded by a big border from two sides of the road (entry and exit point) and between the two sides of the house. Luckily. One of my friend's houses was there where we could enter the house through the back door, and we could directly enter the event through the front door. We were successfully able to access the show. I know this sounds crazy. This was a new experience for me. 

I saw them for the first time. There was also a massive crowd of people watching the performance. The whole road intersection was blocked for the concert. Most of the people could see the show from the balcony of their house. There were a lot of people in the window of the house.  The show starts with the beautiful electric guitar and bass guitar drums. The vocalist entered the stage, and the whole audience started cheering. The scenes started to be crazy. The show started with the all-time favorite song, "Hawa jastai malai." This song reminds me of inner freedom and flying like air. The other song, "K Garu," an unreleased version, starts with a beautiful melody and flute. In the middle of the show, the light went off. But the audience didn't stop for a moment and instead continued singing with their phone torchlight on. Most of the audience was crazy high that night due to the chemicals, so they didn’t need a big speaker and electricity because most of the people knew the song's lyrics and had a mobile torchlight. After some time, the electricity comes, and the show continues show with Songs: Nihit , K Garu, Vanana Matra, Farkhana hola, Samaya , Sadhana and ends after midnight.

That's why they have one of the greatest audiences and one of the greatest live shows I have seen, and it is the craziest night. Definitely, A Night to be remembered!

[shefanispeculator]

Her collaborators noticed a change instantly. “We had anger, we had sadness, we had flirtation, we had sexy, and now we’re madly in love,” Tranter said. Stefani described the shift with one of her frequently used terms — “crazy!” — and added, “Never in my wildest, craziest dreams would I ever have seen this coming.”

Stefani, unguarded and reflective, spoke quickly in torrents of words, pausing only to sip tea from a cup that, like most of her décor, was black and white. She thought back to her childhood in Anaheim, California, where she presumed she’d one day lead a happy family like the one her parents had built. “I literally was so sheltered and naïve, and that’s a lot why I think I got myself into so much trouble, in a way,” she said. She lamented that because of her split from Rossdale, she now has her sons 50 per cent of the time. “It’s like, the most unjust, unbelievable system,” she said, adding that the “blessing” in it was she had time to heal and write. Atop her work table sat a book of photos from her youngest son’s first year, two pairs of sunglasses, her journal and a tin of Dr Martens Wonder Balsam.

Sessions for the band’s first album in 11 years, Push and Shove, followed, and Stefani wasn’t brimming with ideas. “The LP failed to take off commercially, and when the band returned to the studio — this time with collaborators including Sia, Greg Kurstin and Williams — Stefani got pregnant for a third time. “That’s when I started to really find my faith again,” she said. “It’s like a miracle, at my age.”

Weeks after giving birth to Apollo, the offer to become a coach on The Voice arrived, and Stefani found herself relishing her new role as mentor. “I needed so badly to do something different, and I needed so badly to be in a different role, a giving role.” Freshly inspired, she felt the urge to make music and mulled a solo album. “I started to think, well, I’ll just curate a record, and I’ll do it like every other pop girl does.”

This was the first time Stefani had dipped a toe into the new pop economy, where ace songwriters for hire shop tracks from artist to artist. “Every song that people would write for me felt like me 12 years ago, me 10 years ago. And lyrically they could never touch my heart, ever.” She recorded a full album, but decided to shelve it once sessions for Truth took off.

Considering how much the pop landscape has changed in a decade, Stefani is incredulous about her ability to continue recording. “I don’t even understand how I could possibly have had this long a career, or a career at all,” she said. “And that anyone cares, and that I’m relevant or anything, it just blows my mind.”

Tranter said Stefani’s sweetness and humility aren’t put-on. “At first I thought she was just being polite,” he said. “And then I was like, oh, she actually doesn’t realise the lives that she’s changed. She has no clue.” Describing Stefani’s appeal as “that amazing combination of extreme fabulousness and extreme honesty,” he noted the 1995 No Doubt album Tragic Kingdom “defined one whole era of music, and then she did it again as a solo artist, which is very rare.”

Janick said the longevity of Stefani’s career is one reason the label is confident in her new album’s viability. “Obviously there���s a lot of people that have grown up with Gwen over the years. Her being on The Voice, what she does in fashion, she’s all over all the magazines. You can say it’s a grown-up pop record, but I feel like it touches on all different things that people can relate to of all different ages and sexes.”

Stefani, who sometimes reminds herself “Wow, I did do that! I wrote those songs!” to boost her own confidence, said singing about being happy is “so fresh” to her. “I needed something new to happen. And not just in my career, in my life. Something had to change.

Gwen Stefani climbs back from the abyss with new album | Malay Mail

[lostinatrainofthoughts]

A month plus ago, someone randomly slid into my dms claiming they knew me from primary school.

He finally said his name was danial K (oh boy, not another danial 😂). Funny enough, this was the last person i would think to ever try to connect with me? He was one of the popular ones back in school and i was surprised he knew me. we would sometimes see eachother in passing but we never acknowledged the other’s existence. So i was caught off guard he even recognised who i was. A little back story, him and his sister were well known in school because theyre half white in a sea of purely malay kids intrigued by the exoticness of an anomaly.

He told me he wanted to get to know me better and be friends? He was apparently very close to (probably seeing?) my bestfriend at the time so he mentioned that he knew me from her i think. Or observed? He said we looked tightknit (we fought often btw but she did give me a hamster) and he says if shes nice then i must be nice too. I dont know if hes trying to replicate what he had with my friend with me bc our conversations always somehow involved her. And i feel like one way for him to reconnect with her was through me? I lost contact with her agesss agoo, and shes off the grid. So i dont know how i felt about this whole thing.

Then as we got to chatting, the more wariness i felt about him being a douche lessened. He was notoriously known to be a player. He told me he peaked in primary and was bullied violently in secondary. He told me people made fun of him being short (i didnt know this) and name-called him saying he looked like megamind (this i knew). There were awful rumours about his sister too that she leaked her nudes (which apparently i bought in at the time and he said none of it was true). It wasnt just the name-calling, it was physical abuse too. I felt bad because of what he went through. he wasnt the type to fight back and hes super patient, which is admirable. It dispelled my initial perception of him and i really fed into the rumours. He really did peak in primary as he mentioned how much he enjoyed his time there (i hated primary). he also has broken English eventho his father's white.

so after all the conversations of good ol times in primary (of his). he started to text me every single day. he would ask me what I ate for lunch, breakfast, dinner and repeat; asked how work was and wished me good luck for work, repeat. now it was getting a little exhausting when conversations were like this. since he asked if we could be friends, and i said sure why not. but he was taking this label very seriously, like something he had to prove himself worthy of. he started calling me "bestie waina" and with every single breath. he always without fail, mentioned that I was his "bestie" and striving to become the "best bestie I ever had". He was becoming borderline obsessive about being my best friend. he refers to himself in third person;__; (ex: "danial is going to work", "danial misses my bestie waina") or "oh I love working offshore, you [sometimes he would also call me "you"]" + "i only think about 3 things when I'm away: myself, my family, and my bestie waina". he asked me once whats a green flag in a bf. so at this point i haven't expressed me being uncomfie bc I'm a ppl pleaser and an avoidant, so when he pulled that qn i was like oh this is my time to shine! so i told him "besties don't always text each other every time, only when they have something to say, they give space, and being bestfriends takes years :) " he reads my texts as soon as it was sent. no matter the time of the day, even at ungodly hours, hoping he wasnt gonna reply bc he was asleep - he still did! like girl............... but after that particular text, he opened it 16 hours after lol, and said he will tone it down. it didn't last. it took 5 days for him to resume his routine of asking me what I ate again.

it was getting out of hand because he said things like "where are you? what are you doing? i would teleport to where you are if I could" and it was just plain creepy. so I lied and I said I'm seeing someone I matched with on tinder. he replied "I support you my BFF waina" so I started to think, maybe he does only want to be friends. but then he pulls "thanks for telling me you're going out w a guy" and I was like huh?????? I didnt say it because I felt obligated but I said it so that he would back off. again, the male species fails to understand these things. But I knew it tipped him off, bc he replied over a day later. to add, he also said he wanted to save "kr8" (as in credit, yes he types like he's stuck in the early 20s) because the wifi wasnt stable so he's gonna log out and stay in touch in April (before knowing he was like this, I said yeah we could meet up :") ) so we stopped texting.

but it doesnt end thereeeeeeeeeeeee.

i told this ordeal to my cousin 2 weeks after who said I should block him. she convinced my avoidant ass by saying I don't owe him anything. I like the idea of running away from my problems, thinking it would solve itself so I did! at the time, ig didn't give me the option to "also block new accs they might create".

oh boy, two days later, he made two different ig accounts to text me...... . i knew it was him because one had a similar username as his old one. i immediately disabled my ig for 3 days bc I was so damn frightened.i only opened it back because everyone was telling me to communicate.

Both DMs from those two accs were sent at a 15 min intervals. one was a cryptic ominous "You". The other was a long text message about how he was upset and he didn't get why I did what I did (I felt bad of course, bc again I didn't say anything instead my people-pleasing ass was just going w the flow until it all became too much). then he started victimising himself, said things like he'll heal on his own, he will stay strong. he even gaslit me and said "he forgave me" lmao. he said he didn't see the point of ig anymore (the ig he used to contact me was a burner account. i was the only mutual) so he disabled all three accounts.

his final text was him giving out his phone number if i ever wanted to talk to him. so although all his accounts were disabled, i could still text these accounts from laptop (glitch). so i lied and said i had a bf (bc ya... i didn't want the blame all on me) and that this "bf" wasnt happy w me talking to other guys so i did what he told me. i told denial i was sorry repeatedly. that he deserved a meaningful friendship with someone else. because the guilt ate me alive. he's sent his phone no. before on 3 diff occasions btw. the first one, I told him I was uncomfortable w sharing. so in that final text to him, I made it clear that i was NOT gonna text him through whatsapp (that's just asking for it). i told him this already. then consumed by anger, i retorted saying that i mentioned friends give each other space, but he chose to ignore that. and also "please don't create any more new accounts to text me. it makes me feel unsafe." the end

[cadet-aviator]

Discipline choices (1)

This event affected me more deeply than I realised at the time, perhaps. I think I was mostly impressed and a little proud, that the Admiral knew me and wanted to talk to me, and not to any of the other cadets. Of course I was also very pleased that my appearance had been in order and that I performed that awkward bow well. I also felt the kind of boyish satisfaction of having achieved that all by myself – without the guidance or even support of my parents. 

I’m not ashamed to say (now) that when I got home, I got on my knees again and repeated my new little drill routine. It made sense – I was trained to obey, and being on my knees felt like the epitomy of obedience.

Like before, I never felt that any of this was strange. I was a cadet and of course I would be taken in by real military men. All my drill training and all those hours ironing my shirts and polishing my shoes had been for that: to be allowed to belong.

But I had not considered joining the army, any army. I was a good student, I felt most at home in things like history and languages, on the rare occasions when I was asked what I wanted to do after school I usually said something like Law, or International Relations – in line with what I knew my parents did. 

So that was confusing. Joining that Elite Cadet Camp would mean a serious involvement in military training. Other cadets were quite keen to go. They saw it as a first step towards a military career, a place to get noticed, if you wanted to be selected for the Military Academy. That was not what I had in mind. Besides, I wasn’t even a Malay national. Joining a foreign army could compromise my citizenship. 

Immediately, I received a colourful folder in the mail – the ins and outs of that Elite Camp. Three-week courses and Six-week courses. Stuff to make boys into men, and all that. Adventure, the great outdoors, lots of discipline and rules and regulations and potential demerits, but a solid programme, by the looks of it. Truly ‘Elite’. 

But was this something I could turn down? I was a cadet, and so technically subordinate to orders. Could the Admiral force me? If I declined, would that damage my school grades?

I talked about it to Dad. 

He was kind, as always, but also suprisingly straightforward about it. ‘You don’t have to do this, son, even though I can see it’s quite a thing, to get a recommendation from His Excellency.’

He could see, of course, that I was seriously confused by this. He seemed to hold my own cadet-arrogance against me, in a subtle way, as if to say: ‘We’ve had to put up with this bizarre love of uniform of yours for months now, so I think you need to put your money where your mouth is, and go and play soldier for a few weeks, see if you like that.’

He didn’t say that, but that’s what I heard anyway. 

What he really said was: ‘I can’t tell if you’re really meant for a military career, but everything you’ve done so far seems to indicate that there are lots of aspects of the military that agree with you. I guess you’ll have to see for yourself if there is a next step for you.’

 ‘You have been invited to go to Army Cadet HQ and get a briefing on what this camp is all about. Perhaps you should just go and hear what they have to say?’

Which was reasonable. And I did as he suggested.

(All images AI generated)