#i love the one of them in malaysia. they both loved malaysia and spent so much time there

[handweavers]

my grandparents standing together outside of my parents' home in subang jaya, malaysia in 1997; me as a baby sleeping on top of poppy on a sofa in my grandparents' home in canada sometime in 1998

[1-800-kami]

margaret - lana del rey | nanami kento

.. just when you thought nanami left behind nothing, you discover a letter on the top of his closet... addressed to you.

content: 0.9k words, anime spoilers, fem!reader, small banana fish allusion at the end because i hate my life

author's note: i'm not okay.

it’s october 31st, 2019, and you think you’ve finally gained enough courage to clean out kento’s closet.

one year. that’s exactly how long it’s been since his death. ever since you found out that your fiance was a part of the thousands who fell victim to the shibuya incident, the days have blurred into one another. each day seems monotonous and devoid of life without the man who promised to spend the rest of his life with you.

each day, you just dream of the day that you’ll be able to see him again.

still, no one was using the clothes from his closet. you knew your fiance would’ve preferred it if you donated his clothes to someone who could actually use them. you’ve been putting it off, since you knew that the smell of his clothes would just fill your heart with yet another round of painful memories. despite that, you knew you had to do it one day.

you haven’t touched his closet since the day he died. his clothes still smell like his perfume, and everything is neatly folded. you take one of his shirts with a shaky breath and revel in his scent, eyes watering knowing that even though his scent is still there, he isn’t.

and that makes you feel alone. fuck, you feel so awfully alone. 

your eyes scan through the entire closet, wondering where you’re gonna start with the cleaning. then, something sticking out of the top of your closet catches your eye. it seems so deliberately placed- wait, is that an envelope?

standing on your tiptoes and taking the envelope, you gasp–realizing that it's a letter addressed to you. from kento.

as far as you knew, your fiance didn’t leave anything behind for you other than a few broken promises. your engagement ring still rests on your ring finger, and it breaks your heart knowing that your wedding day will never come. he promised to marry you, that your honeymoon would be in kuantan, malaysia; and eventually–you’d buy a small house there just for the two of you, where sorcerers and curses are finally alien words and the rest of your days are spent out on the beach.

of course, none of that would ever happen now. you live knowing that your engagement ring will never be replaced with a wedding ring.

still, you thought that you’d live the rest of your life knowing that nanami never left anything behind for you... but this letter was new. you open it up, finding words scrawled in the handwriting that you knew all too well.

“to y/n—my love,

if you’re reading this, then it means that i’m dead, and i’m sorry.

i’m writing this letter because i know that as a jujutsu sorcerer, coming back home is never guaranteed. and yet, if i ever die, i don’t want you to be left behind with nothing. so one day, you’re going to have to clean out my closet, and you’re eventually going to find this letter.

i’m writing this hoping that you’re never going to have to read this, and i’ll throw this letter away eventually because i lived to come back home to you. 

but we both know that there’s a chance i might not come home.

living to see the next day isn’t guaranteed for any of us. not for me, and not even for people like gojo. so if it ever comes to this, i want you to live for the both of us, love. it’s difficult but i truly don’t want to hold you back from being happy just because i’m gone. fall in love again and live your life. then, when i see you again, you can tell me everything, and i’ll be excited to hear all about it.

i can hear you outside right now humming while making dinner. i want the rest of our life to be domestic like that—but sometimes, life isn’t always fair.

i remember getting photos of us printed out, because whenever i would be out on a mission, i found myself missing you all the time… so i always kept photos of you and me in my phone case. i want you to have these photos because they kept me going whenever i wasn’t able to be with you. i hope you can eventually learn to do the same, love.

just know that i love you. i love you so, so much, dear. you’re my reason to live. you’re the reason why i love coming home every day—you’re the reason i work as hard as i can so you’ll never have to read this letter. and i really do hope that you’ll never, ever read this.

i love you and i’ll repeat it until the entire world knows it. i’m sorry that i never got to marry you. i’m sorry that we never got to go to kuantan together. i’m sorry that i never got to do the things that i promised i would. 

even though i’m sorry for everything, you might’ve noticed that i haven’t said goodbye. that’s because i won’t say goodbye, because eventually, there’ll come a time when the stars align and we’ll meet again, no matter how far apart we are. and i can’t wait to see you again…

…because then, i’ll make everything up to you.

love, 

kento.”

[linxuelian]

Comic Fiesta 2023 Anime Convention Experience Log - With Photos!

Hey there! After posting my previous experience log on Anime Fest+ 2024, I realized I'd shared photos from Comic Fiesta 2023 on Twitter but never did on Tumblr. Since this happened way back in late December 2023, I've forgotten a good portion of my experience there (I have unfortunately the memory of a goldfish) - so it'll mostly be photos of the crowd and MXTX cosplayers, whom I have some loose commentary on based on what I remember from our very short and random interactions.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this as an MDZS/TGCF fan as much as I do! I spent only a few hours there, but I did have a good time hunting down cosplays from the MXTX fandom during that time.

I'll begin with pictures of the crowd. If you don't already know, Comic Fiesta is an anime convention held in Kuala Lumpur Convention Center, Malaysia, and it's one of the oldest here too. As of 2023, it's opened its doors to roughly 70,000 attendees, which is rather big considering our country's quite small in size. I've heard from my friend that there are attendees from overseas too, namely Singapore and Indonesia, due to the famous people the organizers tend to invite, so it does make sense that it's grown this large over time.

While the convention itself is held indoors, there's a large park outside where cosplayers tend to hang around and take pictures. A number of people don't buy tickets and go into the convention hall either - and I get why; the last time I was in the hall, I was squashed like a sardine, and not the fancy kind, either. We're a sweaty bunch after a good whole morning of lining up.

Anyway, the park is very pretty, as well as mostly green and neatly trimmed:

It's at this park where you can get the best shots of cosplayers, and find some space to line up for photos of them.

It's got this giant Christmas tree up at around this time of year too, which is super wonderful:

With that aside, I'll get to the cosplays. Let's start off with my favorite best girl of all time, Jiang Yanli:

Credit: https://www.instagram.com/clairegsw/

I'll admit I was both surprised and stoked to see a Jiang Yanli cosplayer around! She seemed pretty surprised too to have someone ask her for a picture - she was taking one with two elaborate bride cosplays, but as I'm a fangirl with heaps of love for Yanli, I thought she shone like the brightest star at that event. You go, Claire!

Next up is our boy Xie Lian, who seems to get quite a number of cosplays done of him:

Credits: https://www.instagram.com/ayana_liyana/ and https://www.instagram.com/itsmeira_az/

These two came together and were looking for wild, lone San Lang cosplayers to catch in Pokemon battle-like sequences respectively. Sadly, as it goes in the BL cosplay world, there's always a shortage of gong/top/seme cosplayers in a con. Everyone wants to be the beauty, it seems, and quite understandably too.

That said, here's another beauteous Xie Lian cosplay:

Credit: https://www.instagram.com/jingzu518/

Cute, nice, and also decidedly not looking for wild semes to capture.

Anyway, no Xie Lian is complete without a Hua Cheng by his side in any event, so here's the obligatory couple cosplay I saw by the escalators when I got up to the entrance:

Credit: https://www.instagram.com/njq_03/

This particular Hua Cheng cosplayer's one of the first dudes I've seen doing TGCF cosplay, which is pretty interesting considering the reception of BL by male anime fans in my country hasn't been... the best - or the kindest, from personal experience. But I'm happy to see it and would like to take this as a positive sign of changing times where our BL fandom gets more mixed in demographics.

Speaking of HuaHuas, here's a particularly fun and cheerful one:

Credit: https://twitter.com/meechandes

When I told this HuaHua that there were Xie Lians looking to form a couple, I was told that they already have a Xie Lian of their own! Again, HuaHuas are in great shortage! You'll definitely get a lot of attention dressed as him as he's both very flashy and coveted in the danmei cosplay scene as a character.

Moving along, here's a pic of my favorite best boy Jin Ling, the snazziest and most golden young master in the universe:

Credit: https://twitter.com/koni_kn

This particular cosplayer was kind enough to humor me at a crowded, fast-paced subway. We managed to find a quieter spot to take a picture. Look at how pretty it looks, bless! 😍 I'm so glad Jin Ling got some representation as a side character. He's absolutely the best!

On cue are his uncles, the twin heroes of Yunmeng, Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian (whom Jin Ling will probably deny is his uncle, but hey, Mo Xuanyu's body will uncle him however he wants):

Credit: https://www.instagram.com/feza_yu/

The duo came with their own professional photographer, who also doubled as their translator (thank you, photographer man!). This Jiang Cheng's also the softest, gentlest and shyest Jiang Cheng I've ever met in my life. Legs are safe when he's around since he won't be breaking them anytime soon!

Next on the itinerary are our not-so-elusive, staple-of-any-con Wei Wuxians:

Credit: https://www.instagram.com/ken520.cos/

I dub this guy the Balenciaga Wei Wuxian, because, you know, I took his photo right in front of Balenciaga and he looked like the richest Wei Wuxian cosplayer there. No joke - his outfit even had pleather, and he'd spent about 270 bucks on it. I saw it up-close since he was pretty friendly. His arm bracers even had details sewn onto them instead of just being prints! Talk about luxury! I coughed up jealousy like blood from my mouth.

The outfit is from CQL, but he knows MDZS too. I'm familiar with the donghua but too lazy to finish it, so he's definitely put me to shame here as a fan as well, blast him!

Last but not least, we have kitty ears Wei Wuxian (a.k.a. Lan Wangji's Incense Burner Dream #965):

Credit: https://www.instagram.com/mikaecsr/

Now, I won't lie - I first thought they were wolf ears. But as Wei Wuxian does not like dogs of any kind, nature or breed, I'm going to assume that these are feline ears.

Whatever ears they are, though, Lan Wangji will be sure to get hot and toasty seeing them. Wei Ying, you devil you.

Anyway, this marks the end of my write-up! I hope you enjoyed the descriptions. As I don't have Instagram, feel free to hit up any of these cosplayers I've credited and link them here so that they can download pics of themselves and read what some random Internet weirdo had to say about their outfits.

Over and out!

[coimbrabertone]

Cautiously Optimistic - Liberty Media Buying MotoGP

So, Liberty Media, owners of Formula One, are officially trying to buy MotoGP. This has been rumored for the last few months, with Dorna Sports - the parent company of MotoGP and World Superbike - had spent the last few years making the kind of moves you'd make before a big sale. The launch of sprint races in MotoGP, appointing a new CCO in the form of Dan Rossomondo, and expanding the calendar with new races in new markets.

Nevertheless, there were always question marks over whether Liberty Media could own both MotoGP and Formula One, because precedent suggested they could not. As Simon Patterson reported for the Race, in 2006, CVC Capital Partners acquired Formula One and thus European regulators ordered them to sell off MotoGP. Thus, MotoGP was sold to another private equity firm, Bridgepoint. Bridgepoint would then acquire World Superbike in 2013, and evidently owning the two premier global motorcycle racing series didn't seem to bother any regulators at that point.

I can't help but combine that with a quote from Dan Rossomondo made at some point while being the Chief Commercial Officer of MotoGP. Rossomondo said, essentially, that MotoGP doesn't just compete with other racing series, it competes with going out for a walk, listening to music, and all the other things you could do on a Sunday instead of sitting down and watching a motorcycle race.

Was that more than just an innocuous quote? Maybe it's a hint of how Dorna and Liberty will make their case to various regulatory bodies to justify this merger.

Whether or not that's true, Liberty Media seems confident that they're going to pass regulatory approval. How exactly that'll happen remains to be seen - some have suggested that World Superbike will be sold off as a sort of sacrificial lamb to allow this to happen - but it now seems like MotoGP and F1 will very likely end up under the same ownership.

So...what does that mean for MotoGP?

Well, it means that the company that turned F1 into this trendy giant of a series is going to give some of that marketing love to MotoGP. That can only be a good thing - MotoGP is fantastic racing and it deserves more attention.

Will MotoGP see a move from historic venues to chase new markets? I would argue that it already has. Dorna has already been chasing emerging markets and a simple look at the calendar will show that - Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, India, etc, etc. Not only that, but that's arguably a necessary decision for MotoGP because, quite frankly, those are the countries that are buying motorcycles these days. 1000cc sport bikes? Not necessarily, but quite frankly, KTM doesn't even make a 1000cc sport bike, so MotoGP has become more of a showcase of the motorcycle industry rather than a marketing tool for a particular type of motorcycle.

Will this result in MotoGP chasing street circuits like F1 did? Well, Liberty Media has already said no, and as much as the word of giant corporations is worthless in 2024, simple safety concerns make it unfeasible. MotoGP needs a ton of space and big gravel traps to stop the bikes - and more importantly, the riders - in the kind of dramatic crashes that can happen in this sport.

What do I think will happen? Well, in the short term, not much, but come 2026, 2027 when circuit contracts start expiring, I suspect we'll lose a few existing venues - having four races in Spain presents an obvious opportunity for some trimming - and probably gain another race in the US (likely that Flatrock track in Tennessee) and if I had to guess, another one in East Asia, most likely China.

Maybe India will pave the way towards MotoGP reviving old, disused F1 tracks, and we could see the likes of South Korea and Istanbul Park added to the MotoGP calendar. If not MotoGP, then WSBK with a Turkish star in the form of Toprak Razgatlioglu really ought to consider it.

Anyway, the way I see it, the legitimate criticisms that F1 fans have with Liberty Media - being greedy, chasing new venues at the expense of historic ones, pushing the teams hard by constantly expanding the schedule - is all stuff that Dorna has already been doing. Even the complaints about the Drive to Survive drama, Dorna has tried two different DTS clones and neither one moved the needle. If you're going to be doing these things anyway, you might as well do them with the company that has at least been successful with it.

For now though, I have MotoGP coverage through Max and TruTV in the US, commercial free, and that's a dramatic improvement over how I had to watch the series last year. Dan Rossomondo's team has made MotoGP far more accessible and pleasant to watch already, and if that can continue under Liberty Media's ownership, then I hope this series that I've fallen in love with over the last year and a half can grow.

Thus, the overall verdict is...I'm cautiously optimistic.

[bklynmadman]

I grew up with Men like this.....PART III

Well, I've noticed I picked up some followers. Thanks to all you 3 people. I love you!

That being said, I'm honored to have readers. It's always nice. I just hope you like my stuff. I tend to write stuff that's somewhat depressing, but I'll try to be a bit more lighthearted despite the circumstances. I do want to stress that this current situation is terrible shit, and this was meant more of a diagnosis than a warning, but it wound up being both.

This is also for you people who thought it was a good idea to vote Donald. To you, I say, You don't realize how fucked you are yet.

Anyway, I hope you read on, and prepare yourselves.

ECONOMY

Let it be known that Donald J. Trump, for all of his time spent in the private sector has ZERO KNOWLEDGE of the Economy or how it works. He has ZERO knowledge of how world markets work, nor does he care to know.

He is also a business failure. How he got the image of being "good at business" is beyond me. It probably has to do with the "Wealth Worshipping" we do in this country. (HAS TO STOP)

He is still very much that spoiled child who likes to torture others simply for the attention, and LOVES more than anything else, having power over people to be able to do so. It's not so much about being in charge for Donald, it's the attention that goes with it. He loves being adored, and wants to be recognized for his lack of business acumen as if he is "Mr. Wall Street". Donald, like other white rich dudes, likes the role of gatekeeper. That's why he says when you ask him something directly "I may do it. I may. We'll soon see." He doesn't know much but he does not how much being publicly indecisive hurts other people's lives, as to whether or not he'll enact a policy that directly threatens a group of people's way of life. He LOVES the fact that he's being talked about right now around the world, doesn't matter if it's good or bad, he's in it for the attention folks and to be gatekeeper to our freedoms well, that is one surefire way to get attention.

Back to his failure of business, I would go into all of his business failures, but I don't have enough room. I will mention them briefly. (Trump Steaks, Trump Airlines, Trump University, Trump Water, Trump Board Game, The Trump Taj Mahal and Casino, Trump Tower Casino, and Trump Marina and Casino of Atlantic City.)

SIDENOTE: HOW THE FUCK DO YOU LOSE MONEY OWNING THREE CASINOS???? Not many can except for the Donny Rapist Man!

He was once quoted in his first term as president (Yuck!) when asked how he will manage the National Debt, he said "“People said I want to go and buy debt and default on debt, and I mean, these people are crazy. This is the United States government. First of all, you never have to default because you print the money, I hate to tell you, OK?” That alone should share the shit out of you for he truly believes if you print more money, you'll manage the debt. A basic understanding of economics would prevent him thinking this way, but then again, Donny fucktard doesn't do thinking!

Anyway, He has promised to apply tariffs across the board on all foreign goods coming into the United States. He promised a universal Tariff on all foreign goods, and a 60% tariff on all Chinese goods. He's proposing this for he wants to get the other nations "in line" that he feels abuse the US market. So he thinks the tariffs will do that. Only, once again, a basic understanding of economics would show that the cost of Tariffs are always passed onto the consumer. That means, All Clothes, Items, Goods, Foods, imported here from other countries will be getting a lot more expensive for everyone. (REMEMBER AMERICA MAGAMORONS, you voted for this. I'll be closing on you in a minute.) If there are any doubters that are reading this, check your current shirt. Let me know where it was made. I'll put odds it was made either in China, Malaysia, India, Bangladesh, or even Vietnam. That's just clothes imported into this country. Let me ask you this? You think GAP INC, or HANES, or a majority of Clothing Companies are going to pay that 60% tariff just because Trump said so?

A LITTLE MATH/BUSINESS LESSON (You can skip this if you aren't interested)

On one pallet, (meaning one shipment of t-shirts) you can fit about 2,160 t-shirts total. In one container, you can fit about 20-22 pallets (which depend on the goods and how they're packed but let's just say this for arguments sake.) That means in one 40 foot container, you can have up to 45,360 T-Shirts. (My memory as a former wine importer is getting jogged as I write this. I stopped doing that business officially in 2016 so I'm sure prices have changed and I know prices are different on clothes.)

Before that pallet gets to America, the cost per shirt is about 50 cents. So the total cost of the entire container before the shirts get here would be $22,680. Once it arrives in customs, that's when customs charges begin. Two charges are levied on containers containing "Textiles" which is the category the T-shirts fall under. Those charges are MPF (Merchandise Processing Fee) and Import Duty  The MPF is calculated as a percentage of the shipment's value, with a minimum and maximum amount. For informal entries (under $2,500), the MPF is a flat fee of $2–$9. For formal entries (over $2,500), the MPF ranges from $30.66–$595.35. So, since the cost of goods (Keep this in mind, these are cheap t-shirts found at WalMart) in that one container is $22,680, the total MPF would be the max, at $595.35. For Duty, which only applies when goods imported are valued above $800. (which this would be) that means a 5.63% tariff would apply, adding $1,276.88 to the cost.

Here is a lesson in Business, as these fees are added on to import your goods, those are costs that you tack onto the product when you sell it, because you have to lay it out to get it into the country, so you MUST make it back or your company will lose money. (Something else the Orange Fuckwad doesn't understand.) So, those incurred costs before it leaves customs would tack on a total of 3 cents to each T-Shirt, making the total cost of each shirt before it gets to your warehouse or store 53 cents. The cost of the truck that will pick up your container, depending on where your warehouse or store is located will vary, but let's go on a average, which would be anywhere from $500-$3000. It varies on distance. For this argument, let's go with $1800. That would add a total of 4 cents to each t-shirt. Now, each t-shirt landed cost is 57 cents. Stores charge anywhere from 30-40% to make a profit. They charge that because usually 100-400% mark up covers your rent (if you have any), bills (Electric, Gas, Water), Employees, Taxes (Payroll, Income, Federal, State, and City Taxes) So, the total cost that is known to the owner of the store is $2.28. They usually mark it up to maybe $5-$8.00 per shirt, and will do deals like buy 2, get one free or buy 4 and get one more. The profit on one shirt sold would be $4.43 per shirt. Remember, the landed cost is 57 cents.

The Trump tariff would charge an extra 60% to your container if it came from china. So, take 45,360 t-shirts in a container, which is valued at $22,680. Tacking on the usual costs

22,680 + $595.35 + 1,276.88 + 1,800 = 26,532.23 x (.60) = 15,919.34

(Total Cost before Customs) (MPF) (DUTY) (Shipping) + (Trump Tariff)

Take that number and add it to the total cost (26,532.23) = 42,451.46 total cost per container now.

Divide that cost by the amount of t-shirts in the container = 0.94 cents per shirt landed. A total added .37 cents onto each shirt.

This may seem like small potatoes but when you're selling t-shirts in bulk, you are not about to lose .37 cents per shirt. That would dip into your profits, and if you have backers or board members, that .37 cents will eat into your profit margins should it not be tacked onto the cost of the product. Backers and Board Members of a corporation don't do charity, and they will want to see that cost reflected into the sales.

Now, I know what many will say (if you got this far, bravo) BIG DEAL! It's small cents. In business, small change adds up A LOT! And this is just bargain Walmart T-shirts. Never mind graphic t-shirts, or designer t-shirts, or other clothes. And apply that to all GOODS.

This will be hurting Americans, not helping them. Donny Moron doesn't understand it, nor does he want too.

BACK TO TARIFFS

Economists have predicted that Trump's Tariffs will cost the average American family an extra $1700 per year for goods. To those MAGA morons who screamed and voted for "Lower Grocery Bills" will see those prices jump slightly higher now. Companies have already began to announce higher prices in retaliation to Trumps' Tariffs. Effectively erasing the work that President Biden has done to lower the effect of inflation. But Donny won't stop there. Oh No! What he's about to do tax wise is what got him donations from Billionaires like Elon Asshole Musk and Miriam Alderson (Widow of Casino Magnate Sheldon Alderson)

TAX CUTS (A BIT, NOT A LOT)

I went over this in some of my previous posts, and if you want to learn more about Tax Cuts and how they work, you can look back in my previous posts from 2015 and see what they are.

Trump is going to give Tax Cuts to the Wealthy and Corporations. He's going to say he's giving Tax Cuts to everyone. But the devil will be in the details. The IRS collects about $2.56 Trillion Dollars in Federal Income Tax alone per year. This money funds government services, and investments. Trump is proposing to lower the Corporate Tax from 21% to 15%, and proposes that those households who make over $400,000 will get a tax cut of about $60,000 roughly a 15% tax cut. So, if you make 1M per year, you'll receive a tax cut of $150,000. on $3M it's $450,000. On 1 Billion Dollars, it's 150M tax cut. A tax cut for those who don't know, are taxes you don't have to pay on your earned income. This is before deductions and Tax Loopholes that the super rich and Corporations have been doing for years. Just to recap, the following corporations paid ZERO in Federal Income Taxes.

Amazon

Google

Coca-Cola

Facebook

Nike

Tesla

3M

and many more. In fact, if they report losses, they take advantage of a Tax Deduction in which they don't have to pay on those, lessening their tax burden.

It will be the time of record profits for Billionaires and Big Corporations, and meanwhile the rest of us will see tax cuts like $500-$1000 that we wouldn't have to pay. The super poor will see none of these benefits, and New Yorkers know that $500 doesn't do much in a month or offer much breathing room. Meanwhile, fat cats like Elon Musk, who's net income is 1.4 Billion last year will see a 210M tax cut. The rest of us will have to pay our taxes however.

That's what this is mostly about. It's about Money, and the Rich, Like Don the fuckwad and his cronies, feel that they should have more control over their tax money and where it goes.

This will add onto the national debt, and the government will not be able to sustain itself for each tax cut given, that's less money going into the government. Less for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and other government services.

So, enjoy your tax cuts middle class, the wealthy will be enjoying theirs. And they'll sell it through their usual promise of "Trickle Down" Economics, which is been proven to not work a BILLION TIMES OVER.

Also, don't tell me that bullshit either of Rich People need those tax cuts to create jobs. They dont. Never have. Trump presided over the WORST PERIOD OF JOB CREATION in this country since the Great Depression in the 1930's. THE WORST. So, don't tell me these tax cuts are going to automatically start working and start creating jobs. They haven't since they've been getting them under Trump's first term. And Where did all that money go? Stock Buybacks. Made themselves richer, while at the same time putting it out there that no one wants to work anymore.

UNIONS

The other thing Donny is going to do, of which I will NEVER FORGIVE THE TEAMSTERS UNION.

He's going to attempt to destroy Unions, and get rid of Overtime Pay.

Unions are the only check against large corporations and big businesses. Unions offer Medical Insurance to it's members, and also collective bargain with employers for wages.

The Orange Rapist has said during a live conversation with Elon Dumbfuck Musk on Twitter (I will not call it what he wants me to call it. Fuck him and his money) has praised Elon for firing Tesla workers who voted to Unionize. He has expressed that workers conspiring to unionize should be fired. He also said in that same convo, that he "hated paying workers overtime." and that "He'd never pay it."

What to expect from this conman during a second term...

Trump changed the rules about who qualifies for overtime pay, making more than 8 million workers ineligible and costing them over $1 billion per year in lost wages during his first term as president.

You Trumptards think that in the past 4 years of dodging court dates and indictments, he suddenly found a heart??? If you think that, you are gravely mistaken.

He will repeat his actions with regards to labor again, only this time, go to more extremes to make it stick.

He has talked about replacing overtime, and giving workers Comp Time, which cheats workers over Overtime laws embedded in our Constitution. 1 BILLION in overtime pay in 2019 to be exact.

Hey TEAMSTERS, no more overtime pay for you. He thinks you're not entitled to it. And apparently, so did many of your members. Enjoy that shit when it's enacted under a GOP controlled House and a GOP controlled Senate. Scabs will be taking your jobs if you refuse, and you know what? Shame on you, because your membership wanted to support Donald.

Trump will also do the following.

Trump will continue to PACK the courts with anti-labor judges who have made the entire public sector “right to work for less” in an attempt to financially weaken unions by increasing the number of freeloaders.

Trump will stack the National Labor Relations Board with anti-union appointees who side with employers in contract disputes and support companies who delay and stall union elections, misclassify workers to take away their freedom to join a union, and silence workers.

Trump will make it easier for employers to fire or penalize workers who speak up for better pay and working conditions or exercise the right to strike.

Trump promised to veto the PRO Act and the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act, historic legislation that will reverse decades of legislation meant to crush private sector unions and shift power away from CEOs to workers.

I can't wait when the Teamsters start complaining about "scabs" being allowed to work due to Trump's push of "Right To Work" policy, which effectively emboldens Scabs or picket line crossers to work for companies for less pay than the union would allow them too. Some of these idiots think that wont happen. To that I say....Just wait.

The next time I hear of Teamsters Picketing, they can go fuck themselves as far as I'm concerned for failing to come out to support Kamala Harris, a president that would've protected their Union and advanced Pro-Union Policies. I hope the Teamster Union breaks, and I say that as a UFT member knowing full well that Trump and his merry band of assholes will try to dismantle my Union too. (They already are trying too with Charter Schools. If Governor Hochul had any balls, she'd pull funding from Charter Schools to embolden UFT and pro-union policies. But this is about the Spoiled Boy-King, not NY governor Hochul.)

ABORTION/ IMMIGRATION

On this, Trump will demonstrate his extreme cruelty for he gives neither a fuck for Immigrants (Even though his family was once an immigrant from Germany) nor women (see the 32 Civil Court Cases when 32 different women across this country accuse Donny of Rape and Sexual Assault.) He won this election on getting others to hate Immigrants.

It's a big pet peeve of mine whenever a fellow American Italian hates on the "Hispanics and Mexicans coming over the border." To which I remind them how their family came here, and the adversity that they faced. This convo usually ends with "Well, my family pulled through" but what they don't seem to understand is We're supposed to make things better, not worse for the next guy. It's also what some of my fellow pisans consider retribution. "Well, I came here legally. They can too." Well, they can't. Imagine how desperate they must be to come over illegally. It's not to skirt laws or get away with something.

The thing about Immigrants that many don't understand is the following.

Illegal Immigrants make up for a good portion of our workforce. About 8.3M Illegal Immigrants are currently in the United States Workforce. They are hired by their bosses, who know full well they aren't here legally, and take advantage of that by paying them much lower than they would have to pay an American worker.

Check out the Kitchens of the Restaurants that you frequent. Who is making your food back there?

Also, who is building your houses? Take a good look at the majority of those building private housing. Let me know what you find.

Another thing about Ilegal Immigrants is that they don't mostly Bring Crime, Drugs, and are Rapists. (I always found it funny that a Rapist calling a group of other people Rapists especially when he's a known rapist and pedophile. When Jeffrey Epstein is your best friend...) Ilegal Immigrants make our economy go round!

The Food Industry, the Construction Industry are very very dependent on Illegal Immigrant labor.

Illegal Immigrants are less likely to commit a crime for fear of being deported. So they're mostly law abiding citizens.

Illegal Immigrants pay MORE taxes that Amazon, and Coca-Cola combined. (Yes, they file and pay while freeloaders like Elon and Donny pay nothing.)

Illegal Immigrants make up about 12% of sales for Telecommunication companies (i.e. Cellphone purchases.)

They rent apartments, spend for food, open bank accounts, and California was trying to pass a law that would've made it easier for them to obtain a mortgage regardless of Immigration status.

When he does send ICE and Immigration agents to do a mass deportation, he will be adversely affecting these industries. That is on the way, and I've read one economist suggest that the "mass deportation" that he has promised his fans and fellow racists will total 315 Billion Dollars. Will Donny want to pay that? Sure, why not? The money isn't his, and he'll be dead soon enough so why should he have to worry? Thats a problem for us to figure out later when he's gone.

That's another thing Richers do that Donald likes to do. He loves to spend money when it's not his to spend. Donald is a notorious cheap skate, and has stiffed many people who have done work for him in his hotels and casinos. However, that will go away now that Donald has the United States Purse strings. The next time I hear a Republican preach about Fiscal Conservatism, it will be very hard for me not to deck them in the mouth.

Again, Donny loves being Gatekeeper. He adores it. It doesn't matter if it's cruel, or if he is doing the wrong thing. He is directly responsible for separating 6000 kids from their parents at the border. 6000. And he put them in cages and didn't even bother giving them blankets. He gave them what amounted to aluminum foil for a bedsheet. ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME???? WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE???? Every single parent should've been outraged with that regardless of political spectrum.

Also any real Christian should've had an issue with that, and those who don't are not real Christians nor do they deserve to be called one. They deserve to be called what they truly are, CRUEL HYPOCRITES WHO WORSHIP SATAN'S COCK.

I had a convo I had with a Trump sympathizer about this once, and the other person had the balls to say "Well, they shouldn't have been there." Talk about the most Victim Blaming Bullshit I've ever heard. As if they brought about that cruel treatment upon themselves when they got caught on the border.

WARS IN GAZA AND UKRAINE

Trump gives a fuck about one thing and one thing only. He's cited it many times in his first presidency, and it's his biggest motivator.

His image.

Trump is such a textbook classic narcissist that his main drive is simply to protect and project his image. He wants to be that "Suave, Smart, Debonair, Wealthy, Strongman who is beloved by all, and everyone fawns over him and his every word while his enemies retreat in cowardice." Trump's self image, like much of anything he says, is not rooted in reality.

He's a wimp, and like all bullies, once someone stands up to them, they run and hide and tell the teacher on you. Trump would run and hide from anyone formidable and run and tell fox news how "unfairly mistreated" he was.

Keep in mind, Donald is still a Russian Asset. The reason he jocks guys like Putin is because he wants it like that. He wants to make American into the Dictator Image. Absolute Power. Absolute Fascism. We know Donald can't read, but he has probably watched a Hitler Speech or two, and realized how Hitler came to power. His path to power is very similar to Hitlers, in fact almost mirror image.

He couldn't care less about what happens in Israel. He couldn't care less about what happens in the Ukraine. He will do what he is told, which the super wealthy are tired of giving aid and money to these two countries.

Also, Putin will tell his bitch to bend over and let him have Ukraine. Trump will do so. He will claim "He made a great deal" but the deal made will be something along the lines of the following.

1.) No Admission to NATO for Ukraine.

2.) Russia will get to keep most, if not all of their occupied territory.

3.) Ukraine will have to enter a trade agreement with Russia over the oil pipeline and they'll maybe do some share. 10 years Russia will have it and then turn it over to Ukrainian control.

Ukraine will do all of this under Trump duress, or Trump will withhold any and all aid to Ukraine, of which that will stop immediately once Trump takes office. So the good news is, The war will end. The bad news is, the war will benefit Russia grately, and Russia will have an open way to take Europe if it feels like it.

Trump will say "Look how great I did. And Look, I ended the war." But in the real world, Trump will only have given Putin what he asked for, which is the part of Ukraine with the resources as a part of Russia. Also, there will be no NATO presence in Ukraine forever, or at least while Trump is president.

As for GAZA...

Many Gen Z people were upset, and rightfully so, over the mass genocide in GAZA by the Israeli government. If they were upset of Former President Biden's lack of action, then they're really going to hate how Trump handles this situation.

I'm sorry to say, but the Palestinian people's numbers will be greatly REDUCED once Trump is in power, and he will not only continue to do nothing diplomatically. He will also side openly with Netanyahu, and praise his actions. He'll even get a bigger contrat, and sell more bombs, guns, and ammunition there. He'll say "What a great deal for America" but what he means is "What a great deal for Smith& Wesson" "Raytheon", and L3Harris Technologies." because last I checked, the American people in general don't own stock in any of those companies, only a select few do. (Trump is one of them by the way. He owns some stock in Raytheon. Conflict of Interest much? Sure, but we wont be able to talk about that for much longer.)

CONCLUSION

So, this is where this series ends. There will not be a 4th installment. I've pretty much said all I needed/wanted to say. I know many are upset over this tyrant returning to the White House.

There has got to be some hope at the end of this fucked man and his deranged policies. It's almost comical how he's in a "Race for the Worst". To predict what can happen, just picture a worst case scenario for each situation, and that is the baseline that Trump is so thirsty to beat. He will also fuck the environment as well, and turn the planet back on Global Warming, why? In the name of money.

So, fellow trumpers, I hope you enjoy the world while it lasts. I hope there isn't another deadly pandemic waiting in the wings, because Donald will handle that one just as well as he handled the 1st one. The one where he got over 1.8M American's killed, and suggested as a cure to inject bleach into your veins. He was also the guy to Poo Poo Masks, and put doubt into the vaccine, despite himself getting it.

But whatever, RFK will be in charge of our health from now on. You know, because he's qualified and believes in Science. But that's talking way too much.

Brace yourselves everyone. Enjoy this last holiday season of peace. We are in for a reckoning.

(So much for a weekly post. I just blogged 3 times in 4 days. But man, does it feel good to write again.)

[kwisatzworld]

Vale's Last Year in 250cc - 1999

Malaysian GP, Sepang “The winter was fun. Usually I don’t like the winter because it' s too cold, but where I live, near the Adriatic coast, there are so many people in the summer. That didn’t used to be a problem, but now everyone recognises me, so it’s Rossi! Rossi! Rossi! all the time. I don’t like it!” “I spent a lot of time with my friends, as that’s when I’m happiest. We went skiing a few times, a big gang of us. Mad! Snowboarding is more fashionable nowadays but I’m faster on skis, so it’s better! Melandri came with me once, he’s my best mate in the paddock, plus Alessandro Brannetti, a new Italian 125 guy.” “I moved into my new house just before Christmas and that was great, though my mother came with me! I wanted to live alone, but she said no. It’s okay living with her, I’m so busy it’s good to have her around.” “My girlfriend Eliane came out to Malaysia with me. We’ve been going out for almost two years now, though she doesn’t come to so many races. Women need a lot of attention, so having her with me at races is both good and bad!”

Spanish GP, Jerez “Halfway through my victory lap I knew I’d never make it back to the pits without a piss, so I had to stop in that marshal’s toilet, otherwise disaster!”

French GP, Circuit Paul Ricard “I got into some big trouble for my celebration at Jerez. The GP bosses fined me after I won the race and then stopped at the toilet on my slow-down lap, but you’re not allowed to stop on the track after the race. But I was right off the track, so I wasn’t being dangerous. I don’t care if they fine me anyway, because Aprilia pays! Seriously, they should worry about really improving safety and also improving the show. For sure I will do the same thing again because I like to amuse the fans.” “I think the GP bosses want to make motorcycle racing like F1 cars and I don’t think that’s right. Sure there is more money in F1 and there are more fans, but bike racing is more fun and more exciting. The bosses don’t seem to understand that bike fans are very different from car fans, maybe they’re a little more crazy. I don’t like F1 because it doesn’t seem like a real sport to me. It seems that everyone in F1 is only there for the money, while motorcycles are about passion.” “You may have noticed I had some new stickers on my bike in France, they are insurance and tax stickers, just like you have on the street. Just for a joke!”

Italian GP, Mugello “Races in Italy are always difficult for me, so much pressure, so many people. But fun also. I’m used to all the fans coming after me now, the only way I can get around is to ride my scooter fast, and don’t stop; otherwise I get a hundred autograph hunters. Of course, I sign a lot, but I wouldn’t have time to ride my bike if I signed them all! A big gang of my fans camped out at Curva Casanova at Mugello. They made a lot of noise, but not as much as the crazy fans who rev their engines all day and night at Mugello. You cannot believe the noise!” “They liked my special paint job and leathers, it was a homage to the seventies, the age of love and peace: Valentini Peace&Love! I think they were good times and they were also the times when my dad won some 250 GP races. Respect!” “I crashed twice at Mugello, once on Friday morning and then once on my victory lap. It was crazy, the fans came on the track and tried to take my gloves, helmet, anything. Then I ran into Gigi [Soldano], one of the Dorna TV cameramen, and toppled off my bike. I guess he was looking through his lens, so he didn’t see how close I was!” “Before Mugello I spent some time at home, riding my 250 road bike and going motocrossing. I have a new motocross bike at home, but I can’t tell you what it is, because it’s not an Aprilia!”

Catanlan GP, Catalunya “People are already asking me what I’ll be doing in 2000. I’m not sure at the moment but I think I’ll stay in 250 for a third year. If I win the title I’ll probably stay, and if I don’t I’ll definitely stay. I’m not worried about running the #1 plate before I change classes again, #46 is better than number one.”

Dutch TT, Assen “After Barcelona I drove my camper van with my friend Uccio to Assen, but we broke down because the engine lost all its oil and water. We got it fixed and then carried on to Euro Disney. We spent a day there, very funny. I’d already been there once, back in ‘95 between two European championship rounds and I like it, it’s for kids and big kids like me. It’s a lot of fun, but you spend too much time waiting in queues for the rides.” “My favourite? The space mountain rollercoaster, it’s very, very, fast and turns left and right really suddenly and you’re in the dark so you don’t know which way you’re going to go next. I wouldn’t say it’s more fun than riding a GP bike, but you can sit there and enjoy the ride without worrying about your lap times.”

British GP, Donington Park “I like Donington Park; the only thing I didn’t like was the weather. I still don’t like racing in the water, so I just asked God to make it dry for the race. He did what I wanted, but only just!” “Me and my girlfriend Eliane dyed our hair bright green for Donington. Why? Because I like green! I’m almost running out of colours now, I’ve had my hair orange, yellow, grey, blue, yellow and black and the colours of the Italian tricolore. Tell me if you have any other suggestions!”

German GP, Sachsenring “I have been doing a lot of thinking about my future over the past few weeks. It’s not easy to decide what you want to do, especially when you have so many people offering you jobs. Number one, I know I am very lucky to be in this position and it’s very flattering to have so many people wanting me to ride for them. I’ve even been approached by Mick Doohan who wants me to ride for his Honda 500 team. Mick has talked with my father Graziano and my manager Gibo Badioli, and to get a job offer from a five-time World Champion is incredible.” “Basically, there are three offers open to me. The first is to ride a 250 again with Aprilia, who I’ve been with since 1996, and then two from different Honda 500 teams, Mick’s new team and the official Honda Racing Corporation squad. Everyone expects me to move up to 500 one day and I suppose I will some time, but I’m in no hurry, I’m not obsessed with doing 500. I love riding the 250 and this is only my second season in the class. Also, I’m still quite young so I believe time is on my side. Ideally I want to win the 250 title before I go to 500.” “That’s a problem because all the people who have offered me a ride want me to decide much sooner than that, whereas I would prefer to finish the championship and then think about next year during the off-season. Anyway, at the moment I feel like the three offers are in this order of priority: Aprilia, the official Honda team and then Mick’s team. So I think I will stay with Aprilia in 250s for 2000. I have a good relationship with the factory and I see no reason to leave them in a hurry.” “Now we have a four-week holiday, hooray! All I really want to do is sleep. During the break last year I went to Tunisia with a bunch of friends like Melandri, but all I want to do now is stay home and rest. My home is near a holiday resort anyway, near the Adriatic Sea, but to be honest I don’t like the sea so much. I prefer snow...”

Czech GP, Brno “I did pretty much nothing during the four-week break after Germany, just stay home, stay quiet and sleep very much! I did a bit of motocross with my friends, also some water skiing and a few parties. On weekends when I’m not racing, I never go to bed before six or seven on Sunday morning. If it’s a party, maybe even later, but going to bed at six in the morning is quite normal for me!” “Even when I was 14 I used to go to bed at 4am. Quite often I’d be riding around the local minimoto tracks until after midnight! If I go to sleep at 11 or 12 I just lie there, my eyes wide open. Maybe I would be good at 24-hour racing!” “Next race is Imola, another home GP for me, so big stress from all the media and all the fans. But that’s okay. As usual for an Italian race I will have a special paint job on my bike and special leathers, but I can’t tell you what they’ll be because I don’t know myself! We never plan this kind of thing, I’ll sit around with my friends, having a few beers, and someone comes up with some crazy idea and that’s what we go with!”

Imola GP, Imola “As always, I had to do something special for the weekend because it was an Italian race, so I had my hair done exactly like my chief mechanic, Rossano Brazzi. He’s a great guy, fantastic to work with, and he does such a great job on my bikes. I shaved the top of my head just like him, because he’s all bald up there, and you could hardly tell us apart! He’s quite old, but so am I nowadays. Twenty isn’t so young!” “Everyone was asking me at Imola about what I will do next year. If I got a few thousand lira for every time someone says ‘Valentino, what bike will you ride in 2000?’ I think I would be a very, very rich guy! Anyway, I’m planning to decide very soon and, of course, I’ll let you know as soon as I make up my mind.” “I’m looking forward to heading down to Australia, I like the place and the people have a lot of spirit, maybe that’s why they also seem to appreciate us Italians. My only worry is the weather. You always think of sunshine when you think of Australia but the race is too early in the spring and it can be really cold. The track even has a corner called Siberia!”

Australian GP, Phillip Island “As well as the cold, the other big thing about Phillip Island is jetlag. I arrived in Melbourne on Tuesday and you’re really tired for the next few days, waking up at four in the morning and all that. A lot of people use sleeping pills but you can’t really do that if you’re a rider, your head feels a bit dizzy the next day, which isn’t good at 280km/h. I was better by the time the GP started but still tired.” “Last year I was so tired I fell asleep during dinner at a restaurant in Cowes. It’s funny because we go all the way to Australia and everyone thinks it’s a very hot country, and it’s maybe the coldest GP of the year. They have penguins down there too, so maybe they should rename it the Grand Prix of Antarctica!”

South Africa, Welkom “We got to South Africa on Tuesdayand went straight to Welkom. This was my first time in Africa and I have to say I didn’t like it so much, though maybe we didn’t visit the best place. A few days before practice we went to a small safari park, not a zoo and not a game reserve. Some of the animals were in cages and some weren’t, the lions were. It’s better that way!” “Before I go to Brazil next week I’m going to spectate at the Italian round of the World Rally Championship at San Remo. I love rallying, it’s a fantastic sport and maybe I’ll have a proper go it if I ever get bored of bikes. I already do some rallying every year, in November I’ll be competing in a rally at Monza, probably in a Subaru. I know [Carlos] Sainz and Liatti, they’re great guys.” “Everyone says I have signed to ride 500 for Honda next year but it’s not true. Honda has made a great offer but the Aprilia offer is still more money, not that money is the most important thing. The big thing with the Honda is that it’s the best bike in 500, so I have a great chance to enter the 500 class with a really good machine and a great team.” “The Italian press is already going crazy about the whole thing, they make a big casino, a lot of noise about it! This is because I will be racing against Max for the first time, if I go to 500s. For sure Max would be difficult to beat, especially in my first year. He’s one of the best few 500 riders in the world but at the end of the day he’s only another rider.”

Rio GP, Jacarepagua “I am the champion! It' s difficult to compare this with the 125 title I won in ‘97 because while the 250 title is obviously more important and more difficult to win, the 125 was my first world title and it will always be special for that reason.” “Aprilia organised a big party at a Rio yacht club on Sunday night, right near the Sugar Loaf Mountain. It was fun because I paid for 20 of my best friends from my home town of Tavullia to fly to Rio. The guy who came around with me on my victory lap, dressed as an angel, was the 21st of my friends. He paid for his own ticket! I’m sure Aprilia will arrange another big party when I get back to Italy, but for sure the best party will be at my house, with all my friends!” “For sure there was even more pressure on me over the weekend, with the championship ready to be mine. But I don’t have a big problem with that kind of thing. So long as you can keep your concentration, nothing else matters, because you don’t let anything bother you when you’re on the bike. Life definitely gets easier when you’re on the bike, because you can stop worrying and get on with the fun part: riding!” “Before I went to Rio I spent a couple of days at the San Remo round of the World Rally Championship. I had a lot of fun there, even though I had to get up at 6.00am two mornings in a row, and as you probably know I hate getting up early.” “I spent some time with (Didier) Auriol, the French Toyota driver. He’s a crazy guy with a crazy face, he has really wild eyes, but he’s a good guy, very friendly. I also did some motocross during the break after South Africa. I’m much faster on a motocross bike than I was last year but I have to be very careful, especially because of the championship. I know how easy it is to hurt yourself doing motocross because I injured myself like that in ‘95 and I was in so much pain that I lost the next round of the Italian championship I was fighting for. My father was very angry!” “As far as next year goes, the situation is still the same, and I’m not going to make up my mind until I get home to Italy after the Argentine Grand Prix. I’m getting a lot of advice about what I should do from a lot of different people, but in the end it’s only me who can make the right decision.” “I have to be careful. I know that if Honda offer me whatever I want, the money I want, the team I want and so on, and I turn them down, maybe they won’t ask me to ride for them ever again. But if we can’t agree on which team, money and that kind of thing, maybe we can talk again another year when I’m ready to make the move.”

Argentine GP, Buenos Aires “So long as I’m up there fighting for the wins I don’t care if I’m on a 125 or 250. Or a 500! The biggest difference for me is off the racetrack. Every year there’s more journalists and television guys that want to talk to me. One day it will get to the stage where I won’t have any time to go out and ride the bike! I guess in some ways I preferred life when I wasn’t famous, but if I wasn’t famous it would mean I wasn’t winning races. So maybe I have no choice but to like being famous.” “I’m probably going to have my championship celebration party at my house in the middle of the month. It’ll just be my team and my friends, not a big press event like the one we had at Rio. Parties are more fun without cameras everywhere.” “The Rio party was a bit crazy, we had it at a big yacht club and everyone got thrown in the pool, fully clothed. I got thrown in twice and thought I was going to die of pneumonia.” “Then when there’s some snow I’m going to do a week’s skiing somewhere in Italy. And I want to go somewhere hot too, maybe Miami or somewhere in South America, so long as there’s sun, sand and sea, I don’t really care. I’m just going to spend seven days on the beach asleep. Perfect.” “As you know I don’t like riding under the water. I feel my wet-weather riding is improving and that’s important because it seems to rain at pretty much every GP these days.”

[thebrownsinasia]

First stop Thailand

Dear reader.... yes you,

Let me start by telling our story, the start of what lead us to embarking on this new journey. As we watched the last few years zooming by we felt like we could almost see how the next 10 years would go. Both of us lucky enough to have loving families and friends, a house, life was happy but we craved something more. We wanted to show Finn and Leo how to problem solve life, distance them from social media pressures, learn about the world around them and to spend as much time with them as we could.  So we decided to be brave, trust in ourselves and make this a reality. Life is short, go after it, take a risk and watch the beauty unfold. 

We had made it, successfully sold our belongings, said our sad goodbyes,  squeezed all our things into 2 suitcases and set off to Thailand. We had a long 12 hour flight to Bangkok and when we landed we all were well and truly ready for our beds. We loved our airbnb apartment and appreciated the pool in this heat!

Leo especially loved walking across the road to the food market to get his morning fruit and the whole hustle and bustle of a big city. Lots of interesting smells, taste's and so much to see and do. While we were there we checked out a swimming park on the top level of a shopping mall, Caturday ( a cat cafe) weekend market, carp restaurant and the Big Buddha. The boys experienced their first Thai massage, Leo's new favourite activity, a foot massage. 

After 5 days in Bangkok it was time to make our way to Koh Pha-ngan to meet our friends on Bottle Beach. We had to fly to Surrat Thani - 1.5 hour bus ride to ferry terminal - 2 hour ferry to Koh Phang nan then a bumpy 40 min drive in a 4x4 off road truck to Bottle Beach. 

Arriving back to bottle beach after 11 years was such a special moment, it still looked the same, the sound of the jungle humming in the background reminded me just how remote you are there. We followed the path up to our bungalow and were greeted by our friend Geoff. It was so good to see him after all this time and to be introducing the boys to him. Our bungalow itself was very basic, cold showers and mosquito nets with holes in them, nothing a good bit of duck tape cant fix, but it felt like home, being back to our happy place of what we call paradise. Over the next 4 weeks we had lots of different friends arriving from who we meet on this beach 12 years ago, it was like time hadn't passed. Backgammon is a game played a lot at Smile bungalows and Leo enjoyed challenging Geoff to his daily battles. Ben helped the boys with their Chess skills and lots of card games were played. Days spent swimming, playing with other kids visiting the bay, hanging out at Geoffs coffee bar and eating! Bottle beach is such a magical place, we aim to meet everybody back their next year.

We caught the ferry over to Koh Samui and stayed in a 2 bedroom apartment. While nice inside the late night barking of street dogs was too much! We hang out in Lamai for 2 weeks and the boys trained Jiu jitsu at Koh Fight under Coach Leonardo. We enjoyed swimming in our shared pool during the day, the 711 iced coffees and eating at the local night markets. Fruit shakes, coconut ice cream with mango, massaman curries and pad thai's. The local restaurant with kittens, Oreo and Kitkat became our regular place to go for dinner. During our time on Samui we saw an amazing cobra show, did outdoor fishing, snorkelling day out to Pig island and enjoyed driving around on a scooter, even managed to fit 4 of us on one! Three weeks was spent on Samui before we headed to Krabi for 4 days before our flight. 

Krabi we stayed out from the main town and were surrounded by big beautiful mountains. I had a private scooter lessons and we spent our time there just chilling by the pool.

We had spent the last 2 months in Thailand and it was time to leave, we were all feeling a little sad but excited to arrive to our next destination.... Malaysia.

[jaysficarchive]

A Swing at Love

Chapter 2

Description: After the death of his grandfather, Saizo Kaijura ascends to become the next president of the company he left behind. But before he can fully settle into his new life, some words from his mother cause him to think about the future.

Warning(s): Death

@julieemarine

Japan

June 1965

Saizo Kaijura, his brother Gen'ichiro, and father Gouma surrounded a dying, gray old man-- Daichiro Kaijura. His health declined through the past years, and even though he knew death was inevitable, he spent his lasts as though it were his everyday.

"My boys." Daichiro opened his bright eyes to gaze upon the pillars of his life. He first settled his gaze on Gouma. The two men were almost splitting images of each other with the same brown skin, bright eyes, and hair that was a perfectly rich indigo. Only Daichiro's were amber while Gouma had his mother's yellow eyes.

"Gouma, my son. I know we didn't always see through the same eyes in life, but I can rest easy knowing I have done right by you."

"Father..." Gouma closed his eyes to compose himself. When Gouma's life had changed from the simple farm he'd always known to having hundreds of flashing cameras take him and his father's pictures, it angered him. He resisted his father opening his own film studio Kaijura Studios, accusing him of being greedy and fame hungry. So even when the elder Kaijura accumulated millions that'd feed them for generations, Gouma refused to give up what he'd known.

Not that Daichiro faulted him then or now.

"I'm ashamed of what I'd said back then." Gouma's voice was heavy with guilt. "Everything just felt so sudden and fast..."

"I do not blame you, my son." Daichiro gave him the warm smile people came to know him for. "And now look at you-- grown from a boy to a man."

Daichiro then looked at his two grandsons, Saizo and Gen'ichiro. Both were strong, powerful men in their own right given that Gouma raised them well. Saizo was the eldest between them with his black hair that turned to the same indigo. His eyes were unique as one was yellow and one was sky blue.

Gen'ichiro was his brother's opposite, with his hair a mix between his mother's pitch black and father's hair and ruby red eyes. The brothers' skin was the same brown like their father and grandfather, making them look like sculptures with their strong frames and bodies. But even they couldn't resist crying as they watched their beloved grandfather die.

"My grandsons, I've seen you grow into men as well. I'm proud of what all of you have become. Don't be sad that I'll be gone, instead rejoice that I've fulfilled my life."

Saizo sniffled hard when another tear rolled down his face. In many aspects, Daichiro was more than just his grandfather-- his teacher, confidant, and inspiration. Everything that Saizo knew about film and cinema was taught directly from him. "You can't break my heart like this, Grampa."

Daichiro chuckled softly. "I wish I couldn't."

The morning sun had just peeked its head over the horizon when Daichiro Kaijura, founder of the famous Kaijura Studios, died peacefully in his sleep. It amazed Saizo how he could still be so joyful even in the final moments of his life.

The funeral was two days after, giving enough time for Daichiro's affairs to be settled. Not that Saizo cared much, he was still busy mourning his beloved elder. If he had a choice, he'd never went to have the will read to him. But his mother Biru insisted that he go.

News of Daichiro's death brought grief to many. Business partners, directors, and actors all gave their condolences to both Saizo and his family. But yet again, he had no care.

"My son, and only child, Gouma Kaijura will inherit both the land and the farm he devoted his life to in the event of my passing. All funds associated with the farm will go directly to him."

Gouma and Biru held each other's hands as the family lawyer read the will aloud. They'd met when Gouma accompanied his late father on a business trip to Malaysia. Biru held all the makings of a wife for a man like him-- patient, understanding, and capable.

Since their first meeting, Gouma decided to make residence in Malaysia for a year to ask Biru's father for her hand in marriage. A year into their marriage they brithed Saizo, making him a Malaysian citizen in both birth and blood.

"And to my grandsons Saizo and Gen'ichiro, I leave the company I built and the vast fortunes acquired from it to the both of you. You may split the money as you please."

The brothers looked at each other. Saizo doubted Gen'ichiro wanted anything to do with the company other than the money. He was never a white collar type, instead choosing a career that fed his active lifestyle, and Saizo couldn't fault him. It was the same blue collar blood that ran through their father's veins.

"Thank you, sir." Gouma dismissed the lawyer before facing his sons. "You boys heard the will. I'll be heading back to the farm with your mother. The company is in your hands."

"You do know I'll only take my share of the money, right?" Gen'ichiro shifted in his seat. He appreciated the increase in funds despite being successful in the both fishing and farming. All it meant was more money.

"We know. That's why your brother will take over the company." Biru looked towards Saizo expectantly. She knew from the moment his interest in cinema developed that he'd be the one to take over Kaijura Studios when Daichiro passed. Saizo had always had a love of the arts-- especially film-- since he was a small child.

Sensing her sentiments, Saizo nodded wordlessly.

"And I'm sure that'll attract lots of lovely ladies to you." Biru gave him a smile. Now that she'd gotten older, Biru was determined to see both her sons married. "I heard a white collar man is all the rage these days."

"Biru, let him live." Gouma slightly squeezed her hand. "Our boy has just buried his grandfather."

"I'm just saying, my love. But we're also getting older, and so are they. They're at an age where they should be thinking about settling down and creating families." Biru rested her other hand atop his. "Gen'ichiro is already married. It's Saizo's turn."

"But he's already married-- to his work and his money." Gen'ichiro added. Like the other men in his family, Saizo was a hard worker-- so much so that he often neglected his personal life. It's made him the butt of several of his brother's jokes. "Hasn't had a girl since we were teenagers. Do you even remember your high school girlfriend?"

Saizo sighed as his face flushed with embarrassment. When did they go from settling his grandfather's affairs to discussions of marriage to his lack of a love life? Not to mention that he was in no state or mood for such conversations.

Oh, ibu, you have no idea how busy my life is going to be from now on.

Later that night, Saizo went into his office to make some phone calls. With a massive firm left in his hands, he had to get down to business immediately. The next hours were spent contacting business partners and other Studio executives informing them of his ascend to company presidency.

His servants brought him drinks in between calls to hold him until dinner was ready.

With the calls done, another matter arose: one named Monster Wars. Monster Wars was the first Kaijura franchise created by Daichiro and his late wife Sango-- who died when Saizo was eighteen. It was the family's greatest treasure.

With the current events, Saizo had no doubt in his mind that competitors would try to buy the franchise, but he'd never allow it. Monster Wars was made by his family so it would stay with them. Same with the studio bearing their family name.

But the question was how would the franchise move on without the people who made it? How could they stay true to both Daichiro and Sango's visions while improving? Such inquiries sent Saizo deep into thought.

"Mr. Kaijura, dinner is ready." Arisa, one of his servants, informed with a bow.

Saizo got up out his chair. "Thank you."

As he made his way to the dining room, his mother's words rang in his head. They're at an age where they should be thinking about settling down and creating families. As much as it irritated him, he couldn't help but find truth in Biru's words. Sure he was only twenty-six but perhaps it was time. He'd been so focused on his work as a filmmaker and screenwriter that he'd completely neglected greater parts of his personal life.

As he ate, Saizo began to think about his ideal woman. Let's see. I'll need a woman who is tolerant to traveling, possibly one who travels herself. She'll need to be cultured, artistic. I also want her to have her own opinions. I can't do a shrinking violet.

For the next few weeks, Saizo began dating. Testing the waters to see if there was a woman out there for him, and it wasn't hard to meet many delightful women.

But while the ladies were nice, they didn't have what he was looking for; which confused him. They met all his criteria yet he didn't feel a connection to them. Yes he had chemistry and feelings for them, but there wasn't anything there.

After a while, Saizo just stopped dating altogether. Not that it was any of his suitresses' faults; but rather, his own. Thus drawing him back to his new work as the CEO of Kaijura Studios. When he told his family this, Gen'ichiro laughed while Gouma offered his condolences. Biru, however, gave him some simple advice.

"Sometimes you don't need to be looking for the one, my son. She'll come to you and you to her."

Part of Saizo hoped what his mother was saying was true; but for now, he had work to do. And lots of it.

[mibeau]

[People] From Penang with Love: Practice Tolerance and Be Proud.

Disclaimer: This is based on Irma’s experience with snippets of my observations.

Greetings all!

Today I’m going to share the story of my dear cousin, Irma. Her father is my late mother’s elder brother. This probably seems nothing, but, the most memorable memory I had with her was when she slept over at my place back when my family first moved to Johor Bahru, in 2002. The conversations we had felt more intimate, as that was also the first time I had my own bedroom. The first time I learnt that she is 5 years older than I am. I clearly remember all my maternal girl cousins were big fans of Backstreet Boys, we were influenced by Kak Nat and Kak Shima a lot! So, we actually spent the night discussing about the boys, haha. It was memorable probably because it was the first time I had a “girls only” sleepover ever! Because, even though I visited my grandmothers’ homes quite frequently growing up, and did sleepovers with my cousins there, most of them of my age were boys and we played games outdoors a lot. I love those days as well, but I’ve never actually had any girls' night up till then. So, that is why, the night Kak Irma came all over from Pulau Pinang(Penang) and slept over at my place is memorable.

Irma was born in Kuala Lumpur, raised in Penang, and then moved to Kuala Lumpur(KL) for tertiary education and work. Now, after 16 years in KL, she is back in Penang.

There are four members in her family unit. Her father is Malay, originally from Johor, and her mother is a Thai-Chinese(local Siam in NRIC) mualaf(Muslim Revert) from Penang. She has one younger brother and she is the eldest. Her parents were national athletes. They met during the SEA Games back in 1973. Her father was a High Jump athlete and her mother was a sprinter as well as a hurdler.

At home, although she’s fluent in Malay, regardless of Johor or Penang dialects, the family mainly used English, as her mother’s vocabulary in Malay was not as strong as in English. It was also due to the fact that the Malay dialects spoken by northern and southern Malaysia are different made her parents choose English in most family conversations. She used to learn Padsa Thai(Thai Language) when she was a young girl. But, the lack of practice leads her to lose that language skill. Yet, she is still able to understand whenever her Thai relatives speak during gatherings.

As a kid, we rarely define or categorise ourselves by race and whatnot.

We thought we were supposed to be just like everyone else. We want to fit in and feel belong. When we were not, then we began to question our identity. Irma said,

“When I was younger, I didn’t feel like I was a local. I was confused. Am I really a Malay? Or who am I really? I was raised in a Muslim household, yet, when I visit my maternal grandparents' home, there are other gods, why? Why there were differences in the way they worship God(comparing relatives from both parents)?”

She further added,

“So, when we first moved back to Penang and frequently visited my mother’s kampung, I felt awkward chatting with my relatives and cousins due to language barriers. My mother tongue is Malay-English, and theirs is Thai-Hokkien. Since I do not practice my Thai at home, it was difficult for me to mingle and joke around. I was unable to carry on conversations freely. I used to question myself, “Why am I even here? I am nothing like my cousins.” But, as time passed by, I understood situations better and accepted myself as it is. Thanks to my dear mother who patiently reminds me to accept myself and address my confusions, especially things involving religions and culture.”

Most probably inherited from her father’s Dutch ancestry, Irma and her brother have bigger frames than average Malaysians. As an adult, they are both over 180cm. In addition to that, her looks are not exactly like a Malay or Chinese either. Let’s just say that, she looks Thai but her build is like a European. So, growing up, among her peers, not many opened their hands and invited her to play together. She was very thankful for a few friends who accepted her as she was back then. Oftentimes, it was because she was taller and bigger than others. They appeared to be intimidated by her. Even outside of school, strangers thought she was at least 15 years old when at that time she was only about 11 or 12 years old. It was a bit disheartening to be misunderstood often because her heart and mind were still like other children her age. Also due to her background, her views on things were not aligned much with others, thus, sometimes, she felt misfitted. She also shared,

“As I reach adulthood, I am proud of my identity as a Muslim Malay. Yet, especially whenever I go to new places, people tend to treat me differently. They often assumed I was a foreigner. Only after I started to put on my hijab, that I feel a warm welcome from the Muslim community.”

In her honest view, growing up in a mixed background was not much different culture-wise, Thai and Malay are very similar. From how we behave, the way we eat, cooking styles and others. The best thing about being a mixed race would be food, language and lifestyle. Food, Irma gets to enjoy Chinese, Malay and Thai mouth-watering cuisines in the comfort of her home.  Her favourite dishes are anything Masak Lemak Cili Padi(Spicy turmeric coconut milk curry) and her mom’s homemade Thai Laksa(a delicious spicy coconut broth served with noodles, a protein and a handful of other fresh, crunchy toppings), chef’s kiss! There were no clashes in upbringing values from her parents. Irma said,

“My mother is a mualaf, and since my father also was not a pure Malay, he was not so strict about the traditional Malay culture either. Still, our household is a practising Muslim Family. So, I would say, I might experience differences whenever I visit Kampung Siam. My mother’s family is actually a religious practising Thai Buddhist. Her late father was a Menora performer. So, often, there are so many ceremonies happening. I used to sit next to the stage and watch. That is why I feel that when you’re already exposed to this tolerance from a young, your mindset will be different from those raised in a single-race household. You will be more understanding and we are all at its core, Malaysians. Takde beza sangat lah! (not much different indeed!)”

She gets to celebrate many festivals and observes people of different races effortlessly. She was exposed to language practices firsthand without attending classes. It was all up to her how she was able to absorb and manoeuvre all the good things. That is why she regretted not embracing her Siamese heritage properly and practising the language regularly. Her mother rarely uses Thai at home. Irma usually used and listened to it only when she visited Kampung Siam in George Town, Penang. She said, “Tu lah, bila balik kampung dengar uncle semua cakap, kita paham. Tapi keras lidah ni nak cakap.” (Hmm… I understood everything my uncles chatted away back in our village, but it was difficult for my tongue to articulate any responses in Thai) Her maternal grandparents do not speak English and are more comfortable using the local Malay dialect. Thus, that is the language she used when conversing with them. Her late grandfather, Wandee Aroonratana, better known as Noo Wan, was probably the

last Menora performer in Penang Island. Marking George Town’s 13th Anniversary as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, he was awarded with Lifetime Achievement Award as one of the “Tokoh Warisan Pulau Pinang” for his dedication to Knowledge Transmission back in 2021. He was one of the backbones that actively conserve, preserve and promote the Siamese heritage locally. Indeed, being a public figure, he is fluent in Malay and Thai languages.

Except for her late maternal grandfather who had only Thai blood, her parents and grandparents were of mixed ethnicities. That is why she sees herself as the embodiment of the 1Malaysia concept. Regardless what is her stated race in NRIC, she proudly identifies herself as a Malaysian. In her words,

“Honestly, we Malaysians are so unique. We live together in a multiracial AND multi-religious society. We have the privilege to easily learn about another race, another culture, literally every other minute. Unlike people from mono-race countries, Malaysians are relatively able to adapt to other cultures more easily. We are “trained” since young of the importance of tolerance and understanding different cultures and their lifestyles.”

We often hear that people with mixed backgrounds are less impacted by culture shocks and have better tolerance in facing situations.

In Irma’s opinion, it must be due to our constant exposure to cultural differences closely, since birth. So, whenever we face a new lifestyle of surrounding, our first response will always be to observe and respect. We may be surprised but we rarely judge or feel weird by anything that is out of our comfort zones and existing knowledge. We learn to accept and understand that people can have different ways of approaching matters and values in life. Nurturing tolerance in the community will create a beautiful harmonised living.

“That is why, when you asked me what was the major differences in our ways of living, honestly, I couldn’t think on the spot. But, as I paused, yes, the biggest differences are the way we worship and practice our beliefs. As an adult, mixing around be it with my mother’s side or my father’s side, feels natural, no awkwardness at all.”

But, yes, the difference was only significant when she visited her non-Muslim family members. She clarifies that due to different belief systems, shifting mentality is inevitable. Of course, in her father’s side homes, not much changes since everyone is Muslim and speaks fluent Malay and English. Our mindsets are similar, too. However, when visiting her mother’s side homes, especially when chatting with the elders, she would need to mix languages with her broken Thai, like “I want to Apna.” Apna means “to shower or to bath” in Penang's Siam dialect. And use simple words or short sentences when chatting. Because she learnt from experience, whenever she was excitedly explaining things back then, in the end, her stories were not properly conveyed. Especially jokes. In gist, whenever visiting her mother’s side, she will be more conscious of her choice of words.

When it comes to food spread during family gatherings, if there happens to be non-halal food presence, her mother’s family will notify them whenever they come over. She appreciates this about her mother’s family. She said,

“Because, as a growing Muslim child, we may not be sure of what we can and cannot consume. So they are always there to advise me. If events were going on at Kampung Siam, they would inform me whether I could participate or not. If it was a religious thing, they would make sure to ask me to step aside and watch only. To observe and understand their culture and conduct. I love my family. All these enriched my views in life.”

Reminiscing her good memories in Kampung Siam, Pulau Tikus, Penang.

“Perhaps, it is the last Kampung Siam in Penang, God knows when it will last. My mother’s kampung used to be the main place in Malaysia for Thai Buddhists to come and study the religion, especially to be Monks. Like a Madrasah. As far as I remember, on most days, the vicinity is very quiet, and serene. Basically, we can say that the whole kampung is a Thai Buddhist Centre. There are worship places, graveyards, cremation places and a few Wats. There are non-Thai Buddhist temples nearby, too. But, you can differentiate them by the colour of their gates. The gate Thai Buddhist Temple or Wat, will always be blue. So, the little me with my brothers and cousins all, used to play everywhere within the compound of Wat Chaiya Mangalaram. Although I don’t speak Thai, no one actually realised that I am Malay. No one cared, I was treated like any other Thai kid in the village. It was fun and free, haha, good days.”

Due to the large Siam community there, whenever there are holy ceremonies or Thai celebrations like Songkran, it is a huge event! It seems like we were in Thailand itself. She adds, “So yeah, when it comes to religious celebration, it was really a different exposure. Otherwise, mannerisms, food, as long as halal, we are all the same.”

Irma encourages fellow Malaysians to venture out and try to mingle with others outside of our racial circles as well. Especially, those in the suburbs, please do not be dictated by ideas that divide our beloved racial harmony. Take part in community events. At least, enough for us to respectfully understand others' way of living and perspective of life. From her own experience, once upon a time, she had a friend who hailed from a rural place and used to hang out only with her “own kind”. When her friend first moved to Singapore, the friend experienced major culture shock and developed anxiety issues. It took the friend a long time to adapt to the changes.

Therefore, being Malaysians, we must not be one-track-minded. Seize the opportunity, to explore the country and our rich culture. InshaAllah, if we can adapt to every state in Malaysia, we can make ourselves at home anywhere in this world!

---

Photos not tagged are taken from: Thai Laksa, Ayam Masak Lemak Cili Padi

[dogflowers23]

Author

(https://redroompoetry.org/poets/omar-musa/)

-Omar Musa is a Bornean-Australian author, visual artist and poet from Queanbeyan, Australia. He has released four poetry books (including Killernova), four hip-hop records, and received a standing ovation at TEDx Sydney at the Sydney Opera House.

His debut novel Here Come the Dogs was long-listed for the International Dublin Literary Award and Miles Franklin Award and he was named one of the Sydney Morning Herald’s Young Novelists of the Year in 2015. His one-man play, Since Ali Died, won Best Cabaret Show at the Sydney Theatre Awards in 2018. He has had several solo exhibitions of his woodcut prints.

Other Information

(https://www.timeout.com/sydney/music/how-hip-hop-poet-omar-bin-musa-discovered-a-garden-of-delights-through-his-cultural-heritage）

(https://thegarretpodcast.com/omar-musa/)

-Omar Musa is a Malaysian-Australian rapper and poet from Queanbeyan. In his writing and his music he confronts the dark realities of Australian history and culture. He does so in a way that both entertains and demands attention.

-Musa’s literary work mostly focuses on the themes of migration and racism in Australia, violence, virility and loneliness.

- Born to a Bornean father and Irish-Australian mother in what he describes as a “very working-class” universe in southeastern NSW, Musa grew up surrounded by many contrasting ideas of what he should be in a world that offered him a lot of criticism but very few answers.

“My dad was from a shanty on the ocean, those stilt villages in Southeast Asia, and he was born in a logging camp into poverty. So I was actually the only cousin out of many, many cousins that grew up in the West, and so I think there was an expectation that I might go down a different path in life,” Musa reflects. “And maybe I held onto that myself for many years, because I had this feeling of responsibility, and guilt because I had grown up with such privilege.”

-Guided by his roots, Musa spent much of his early career as a poet, playwright, author and rapper referring to his experiences of racism and Islamophobia in Australia as fodder for his stories. He believes that the darker, more twisted moments of his life acted as the main engine behind his earlier work.

Reflection

-I sailed upriver on a ferry once, right to the heart of my homeland Borneo (an island shared by Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei). On my journey, there were times I wanted to cry from joy at the beauty of nature — the ancient, primary rainforests and rare, vibrantly-coloured birds — but also many times I wanted to cry at the devastation caused by logging and mining. If humans can be the cause of so much destruction, it stands to reason that we can also be a part of the solution.

Nature inspires me with its resilience, whether it's a chilli seed I nurtured to a full grown plant on my windowsill during lockdown, or a coral reef slowly rebuilding itself from pollution and fish-bombing on the coast of Borneo (if given the time and space). There have been many times in my life when I looked to nature to teach me about regeneration and renewal. It doesn't mean one thing to me. Nature is generous, terrifying, tough, fragile, cruel, majestic and humbling. Even a seedling can make me feel very, very small.

I once found a rose bush in an empty lot. A friend had told me that the lot had once been a garden full of pink roses. But when I got there, the bush I found was dry, bare, abandoned and looked dead. I dug it up anyway, just in case — soaked its roots, planted it in my garden, watered it with love. It just bloomed with the brightest yellow roses.

Other Information

(https://thegarretpodcast.com/omar-musa/)

-I write because there's something within me that compels me to do so. I feel like I've got a lot of churning emotions and ideas, a frenzy of thoughts and a frenzy of feelings, and I have to get them out in some way. And a lot of those feelings are very negative ones. They're feelings of fear and aggression and frustration and pain.

Ted x talk

(a transcript of the last 120 seconds) (https://dialogcrm.com/blog/2013/05/omar-musa-captures-downtown-with-words/ )

“i’m talking about the unrecognized street tumblers

numberless underground kings and queens who taught us the power of our voices

of nonconformity that each lyric, each windmill, each scarred forty five and fan of paint from a nozzle

was a story aching to be told

unfolding before us the fractals of cosmos and starlight

a world all of a sudden unbearably bright

so linger now

linger with me

consider that somehow

somehow despite the broken bottles and tattered bigotry

we could still own that something

be that something

something airborne something gold shot (shod?)

beings arranged in a calligraphy of rhythm and rebellion

people with so much damm resilience

its impossible not to smile

so let it play that something

let it play weave your stories into shining nets

drag them behind zig-zagging decks souped up cars trains and trams

through streets and sunsets

trawl for the things you thought you’d lost because you, me, us

we are more than statistics

we are more than misfits

we are more than your dreams are unrealistic

this is the paint that drips from every brick

the spirit that soothes the weary limb

this is the new scripture of our lives spelled skyscraper high in capital letters

BOLD”

Idea explosion

From his reflection, Omar has two very different attitudes towards nature: Reverence and love for nature, and sadness at the destruction caused by human activity. We can therefore show these two attitudes through the change of color.

We are coming out of winter now， The phrase in a way alludes to the coming of hope, so that in the first half of the poem we can express it in bright colors. Light colors are also able to express the beauty of nature.

Silken snapdragons, swaying on stalk tower,

open their mouths. The tiny roars of colour

— sherbet, red velvet, purple wine — bees waltz

in haloes around them, sever the thread from earth

& float float to high heaven, leaven the bread of

story & song — we are coming out of winter now

Omar refers to nature as generous, terrifying, tough, fragile, cruel, majestic and humble, and we can express these words in 'haphazard' lines and use dark colors to highlight the destruction caused by human activity.

I sit on the steps, chewing fat, smoking time, watching

flowers push up, between empty bottles, chip packets &

coiled curses — struggling, finding a way, like ideas do, like we do.

I forgot I’d even planted them, in an hour of loss,

in a moment of need, in long, dark months when my

brain was jewelled in crystals & frost.

Such a stylistic transformation adds visual layers and allows for a more intense viewing experience. These tonal shifts also convey Omar complex moods.

“ On my journey, there were times I wanted to cry from joy at the beauty of nature — the ancient, primary rainforests and rare, vibrantly-coloured birds — but also many times I wanted to cry at the devastation caused by logging and mining.”

-Ke

[purplesurveys]

1688

Any recent purchases? I got sooooooooo much pasalubong from my Thailand trip that I’ve barely spent anything on my current Malaysia trip, lol. But besides vacation expenses, the last big purchase I did was my new sneakers.

Have you ever thought about giving up on life completely? Well yes, many times. I wasn’t exactly the healthiest person mentally not too long ago.

Have you seen the entire Harry Potter series? Nope. I haven’t finished any of the movies, then book-wise I stopped at around the fifth book.

Do you still have both of your parents? I do.

Do you live very far away from Kansas? VERY far.

Do you enjoy cuddling? Sure, it’s cute. I haven’t done it in a while though.

Do you play video games? Just basic, family-friendly ones. I can never finish those that actually have a storyline, aka a good 90% of video games haha; I leave that skill to my sister and dad.

How many colors are in your hair right now? I just had it dyed earlier this month so the purple is still extremely dominant and vibrant and I don’t see much black growing back just yet.

Do you have your full license yet? As opposed to an...incomplete(?) license? Hahaha in any case yes I have my driver’s license. Kinda need it on me at all times as I drive a lot and you never know what establishments would ask an ID from me.

Do you have the same color eyes as your mother? Yes. Well all Filipinos have dark brown eyes anyway, so it’s not like we have a lot of wiggle room as far as physical features.

Does your significant other boss you around a lot? I’m not seeing anyone.

Do you prefer winter or summer? I wanna pick out winter even though I’ve never experienced it, just because I like feeling cold and I know what summer feels like (aka not pleasant).

Do you know anyone who has overdosed? Hmm. I don’t think so. Maybe just from gossip that goes around but I’ve never been invested to care or to stalk deep enough to figure out if it’s true.

Are you a fan of PDA (public displays of affection)? It’s whatever. I have the choice to look away if I think the couple looks gross. Otherwise, you do you. Love away!

Have you ever been put to sleep for surgery? I have not, and the thought terrifies me. What do you mean they’ll slice me open and I won’t even feel it? 😭

Where are your siblings as of now? They’re in their respective rooms in our Airbnb, most likely sleeping as it is currently 1:40 AM.

What color shirt are you wearing as of now? It’s white.

What is your favorite class? I’m not in school anymore but I always looked forward to history. Back in college I had a bit of freedom in terms of electives I could choose, and I made it a point to make most of them history majors classes, hehe.

Are you in love with someone right now? Nopes.

Can you speak any other languages than the one you’re fluent in? I’m fluent in both English and Filipino. I can understand extremely basic spoken Spanish and Korean, but I’d be a lot better reading either language.

Do you take a lot of photos? Nah. The only time I whip out my phone camera is if I’m going through an extremely new experience, which doesn’t happen a lot anyway. Topline examples: my Yoongi concert and ongoing vacations in Thailand + Malaysia.

When you were little, did you think band-aids healed everything? Yes. And the Asian way of healing wounds and bruises – blowing on them, lol.

Have you ever had a pregnancy scare? Not at all.

Where do you download music from? I use Spotify; I haven’t downloaded music in more than a decade.

Have you ever cheated on someone before? Never.

Have you ever attempted suicide? Yes more times than I can count.

Do you know what ‘irony’ means? Yes, but I will say the word sometimes still confuses me...it’s the reason I just opt to never use it in sentences hahahaha.

How many pillows do you normally sleep with? Two is more than enough.

Do you lose your remote often? I don’t really use remotes anymore. I can control stuff using my phone anyway.

Have you ever skipped class before? Yeah, mostly in college. If the class felt like a chore more than anything, I usually didn’t hesitate to cut if I felt lazy.

Are you a regular school skipper? I wouldn’t say I was a regular skipper, though I did have my fair share of cuts. In my school you had a max number of cuts before the prof failed you, and in most cases it was like 6 cuts per class – and for each class, I just budgeted those cuts across the semester. Like I never went over, but I didn’t waste those free absences either hahaha.

Do you have any Pay-per-View channels? No, we haven’t even had cable since the pandemic. We canceled our subscription and ever since then we’ve just been using YouTube, Netflix, and Disney+ to watch stuff on the TV.

Who, in your life, makes you feel discouraged? Nobody.

When was the last time you went bowling? Years ago.

Do you ever suspect your significant other of lying to you? Don’t have one.

Are you expected to help fix Thanksgiving dinner? I don’t celebrate that.

Is there anything bothering you right now? It’s our last day in Malaysia and everything goes back to normal for me tomorrow...eugh. The feeling is gross. My overall trip (including my stay in Bangkok) the last two weeks taught me a couple of things about how to live my life though...here’s hoping that feeling will be sustained even well after I’ve returned to Manila.

Would you like to talk to someone about it? No, I would rather process it by myself.

Do you live by any major bodies of water? Yeah, the Pacific Ocean + West Philippine Sea.

Do you tend to make the first move in a relationship? Historically, yes. I am not opposed to doing so again.

Do you spend a lot of time with family? As much as I can, especially when my dad is home.

How many times have you been to Disney World, if any? None.

Have you ever lost anyone close to cancer? Yes.

Have you ever been accused of being on drugs when you weren’t? Never.

Do you have a more quiet or loud voice? I use my louder voice more often, but I definitely know how to whisper. I point this out because I know so many people who only know how to speak loudly and seem to not know how to modulate their voice lol.

Do you personally know anyone who is transgender? Yes.

When was the last time you got a shot? Last April when I was getting followup shots after Cooper bit me in the face.

Can you play any instruments? If so, what are those instruments? Nope.

Do you have any diseases? No.

Have you ever been into a car accident? Yeah but they’ve all been relatively minor. I have never gotten hurt, fortunately.

[qnewsau]

Gogglebox Australia's Tim Lai married his partner Mark

New Post has been published on https://qnews.com.au/gogglebox-australias-tim-lai-married-his-partner-mark/

Gogglebox Australia's Tim Lai married his partner Mark

Gogglebox Australia‘s Tim Lai got married to his partner of 25 years Mark in Melbourne on the weekend 

The couple were surrounded by family and chosen family as they celebrated at a ceremony at the Old Melbourne Gaol.

“It was an incredible fairy tale wedding. Everyone told us that marriage is like a life sentence, so we figured why not get married in Melbourne’s oldest gaol?” Tim told QNews.

“For us to actually now be to be together and have it be legally recognized is the most amazing thing.

“I’ve got friends from and family from Malaysia who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community. Unfortunately, they’re not allowed to live their authentic selves. They were blown away that we can publicly get married and show our love for each other.”

Their wedding was officiated by Mark’s best friend from high school, with family and friends creating floral arrangements and taking care of the photos, as well as a magnificent cake baked by Aaron Hawton from The Great Australian Bake Off.

“We spent six months collaborating over the flavours,” Tim told us.

“One tear was a Malaysian flavour classic Kaya, which is a coconut jam with a pandan sponge. The second was a black sesame and yuzu curd. It was delicious.”

But why have just one wedding…

Tim laughed, “When we first met 25 years ago, we actually said that if it was ever legalized we’d never get married. We’d do it purely so that all our hetero friends would have to pay back all the presents we’ve given them!”

But he and Mark have come up with a special way to mark their nuptials. Instead of a honeymoon, they spoke to us this morning from Melbourne airport, as they head overseas to get married again!

“Melbourne was actually the first, the legal wedding with our biological family and a few chosen family who couldn’t make it to our second wedding,” he said from Melbourne Airport.

By the time this interview is published, Tim and Mark will be on a plane flying to Scotland. There, they’ll hold their second wedding with chosen family and loved ones from around the world.

“My best man is my best mate since high school and he’s organising a stag do which happens to coincide with Edinburgh Pride. Apparently, we’re marching! He’s told me to be prepared to be embarrassed in public.”

Tim told us, “Despite what people may think, I don’t actually like attention on me.

“Having every single set of eyes on both my husband and I this weekend was quite intense.

“But being able to be legally recognized as everyone else, having this equality that all my heteronormative friends have always had, when Mark and I have been together for so long is the most amazing thing.

“It’s really special to be together and have it legally recognised.”

Congratulations and have a safe trip, Tim and Mark! Enjoy your next wedding and time in Scotland.

For the latest LGBTIQA+ Sister Girl and Brother Boy news, entertainment, community stories in Australia, visit qnews.com.au. Check out our latest magazines or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

[thomasmastersunithinking]

20 objects

In the image above, you'll see a numbered collection of objects. Nostalgia, in my experience, provides valuable insights into personal growth and identity, especially in the creative realm.

These objects mainly relate to my childhood and significant life moments. While their thematic connections might not be obvious to others, they symbolize my personal growth and its impact on my creative work.

As a creative, these objects deeply influence my work by carrying memories, emotions, and past aspirations. They remind me of my journey from who I once was to who I am today, infusing my creative projects with depth and meaning.

In short, this collection represents the strong link between personal history and creative expression, bridging my past experiences with my ongoing creative narrative.

the tape unused is a remnant my grandfathers many tapes in which he would record family holidays birthdays and any event he felt the need to record. It holds a lot of significance to me as my friends and I have been shooting on old cameras in a way trying to emulate the same memories we look back on and in an attempt to create more visceral memories for our future selves and other.

Marlboro golds a bad habit I thought I would never pick up my Bapak used to smoke so too did his son my uncle and cousin. I always hated seeing other members of my family smoking but there's something about the memories I had of them always seemed so cool smoking while riding a bike reading the paper or tagging.

this is a rosary gifted to meh family at the passing of a distant relative who was a catholic brother upon his passing the other brothers gifted it to my mother and us telling us stories of him and his love and prayers for us before he passed

my first film camera a k1000 I barley use due to several parts being broken. This camera holds significance to me partly because it was the first one I've ever bought but because it was my foray into the analogue world stories of my grandfather and great grandfather with old rolleis and them staring down their viewfinder and seeing their photos from around the world (Kenya, Malaysia, New Guniea, Arizona) gives a different perspective to the world than digital images

An earring I got from a friend from the past im not too sure why I still hold onto it there's no catch in the back the spine is bent but Ii think the memories etched into it from them wearing it will always hold dear

My grandmothers pendant with a photo of my grandfather. It's a memento to me in a weird way of their life the joy theey brought to me and ultimately their unparalleled love for one another. They both passed away when I was six from leaving this world together as they couldn't see one without each other.

a kina from Moititi. My uncle is one of my greatest role models taking me fishing diving teaching me how to drive be a good human. The kina is from a dive I went out on his land on Moititi which I was lucky enough to spend time on during my formative years.

letrasets given to me by a tutor last. I somehow managed to be gifted some letrasets by a tutor and they really opened my eyes to design. Getting to use them in journalling or whilst playing around with ideas has proved really useful in my enjoyment of design as many of my graphic design idols emulate or continue to practice with them

A skelleton of a bird from my cousins families batch in opotiki. I brought this back after a floundering trip and my Mothers kept it for me since in one of her shadowboxes. After my Uncles passing earlier this year it took me back to the days spent out there.

a coin from a century before I was born gifted to me by my grand uncle on my second visit to England. The amount of hands this coin must have passed through the pockets its been in and the things it has bought amazes me to think about.

A ring, it docent hold much significance to me but it's a placeholder of sorts I guess in many ways im trying to imbue some meaning into it over time.

A pin from my grandfather that my mother gifted me after his death. Im unsure of the meaning it may be from his time in the masons.

A old used roll of Kodak I try to shoot mainly on fuji because I love the colours but the old rolls of kodak all of the branding just has this odd nostalgia to it

Fuji film I love the colour the way it looks having the negatives everything about shooting on film.

Four leaf clovers. I like to say im not superstisuos however I can't get around the weird feeling I get when I see someone walk under a ladder break glass or in this case when I find four leaf clovers.

pressed flowers, growing up with two older sisters I got to experience a good amount of pain pressing flowers was not one of them I loved the process when I was a child.

The skin of a python from Malaysia, my grandfather (Bapak) gifted this to me before his passing a six meter long python he shot while in his time in Malaysia. Probably the best show and tell experience I had.

Journal/sketchbook, less full than I want it to be missing pages and in surprisingly good condition. Its hard for me to express myself using words or images a bad trait for a designer which I am attempting to remedy through this books pages.

Coffee mug, I was running out of objects around the house at this point. Recently bought from Asia gallery and probably the most non-eccentric item I could find.

Glug Glug Jug, a gift from my mother an avid collector of all things currently sourcing these odd fish shaped jugs for all of her friends and family.

Im unsure if I may continue with all of these objects as some lack real meaning hence there may be some personnel changes in the coming weeks.

[0613magazine]

230228 L'Officiel Hommes Malaysia

Jimin on being Dior Men's global ambassador, his true self, future and more

Jimin of BTS communicates through his movements onstage, which changes, on cue, from being swift and light to magnificently powerful – and in front of the camera, he radiates nothing but inimitable charm.

A man known for his ethereal looks, fluid dance moves, angel-like vocals and vivacious personality, Jimin of BTS is a name that needs no further introduction.

And this March 2023, he leads as the cover star for our L'Officiel Hommes Malaysia issue, all decked in the latest Dior Men collection, signifying his new era as the brand ambassador for the Parisian couture house.

A powerful talent that is now a household name known globally, Jimin shares with us his many worries, new projects, future prospects and what it is like as a Dior global ambassador.

Congratulations on becoming Dior’s new ambassador! You attended fashion week earlier this year. Can you tell us how you feel about experiencing fashion week for the first time?

It’s been a long time! I feel very grateful and blessed to have become an ambassador for a prestigious global brand like Dior. I hope I can take this opportunity to learn more about fashion and contribute something to Dior. I’m a little worried about fashion week as this is my first time and I think I’ll be very nervous.

Do you remember your parents’ first reaction when you told them you became the global ambassador for Dior? Or when you were invited to the White House?

My parents always look very happy and tell me they’re proud of me. Those were also opportunities for me to realise how proud I am to be a part of BTS.

How are you feeling these days with everything that’s been going on? Are you mostly doing okay? Do you have any worries, or do you feel lighthearted despite being busy?

There hasn’t been a drastic change in how I feel, and I don’t feel heavyhearted. But since I’m in a period when I’m preparing many new things that are soon to be revealed, I do think a lot about my direction and plans for the future. It’s a time that’s filled with more thinking than doing. (laughs)

What are some topics that really get you going – ones that make you talk louder, in a different tone of voice?

I become very absorbed in the conversation when I’m talking about the BTS members or people that I love and care about. Doesn’t everyone? They are the ones I know the most about and therefore enjoy talking about the most.

You and Ha Sung Woon jointly published the song “With you,” from the TV show “Our Blues,” in the first half of 2022. Proof, anthology album, which closed a chapter on BTS, was also available. We are curious to know how you spent your downtime following the release. Did you get a chance to organise your thoughts or discover something that allowed you to properly comprehend and consider yourself?

I think that was the first time you could actually stop and take in your surroundings. I tried to be mindful of what I was feeling in the moment. I tried to record those feelings in as much detail as possible because I was afraid they might disappear if I didn’t. For some reason, I felt like those feelings had to be documented.

To be honest, both BTS and I have experienced a lot of changes in recent years. And since I was able to stay strong throughout those changes, I felt that if I wrote down the thoughts and feelings I had during that time, I would be better equipped to handle similar situations in the future. So, I took some time to look back on them, especially on the kinds of thoughts that made me feel happy or overwhelmed in the past.

Where do you find happiness? I mean, you can name anything. But I know ARMY would be the first thing you will think of.

Since ARMY is a given, let’s leave that out. (laughs) I know talking about my fans sounds very typical, but I really can’t leave them out. (laughs)

For many years, I’ve shared all kinds of happy moments and sad moments with my fans. And when it comes to smaller things, spending time with my friends is my only hobby and pastime.

Can you tell me something about your temperament that you enjoy?

I guess my sense of curiosity? I think I’ve always been very curious since I was young. I always had to look up things that I didn’t understand or wanted to know more about.

But then I wasn’t very faithful about following things up. (laughs) And I was always curious about a lot of useless things.

When you’re performing at a concert, you’re surrounded by the roars of everyone in the audience like stars in the galaxy.

There are also the bright lights, the performance, the teamwork, the catharsis... After being on stage, when you’re back in the quiet of your home, what kind of thoughts do you have before you fall asleep? What kind of state are you in? I would like to hear your description of that combination of euphoria and feeling of emptiness.

From the moment the curtains fall at the end of a concert to the moment I return to the hotel and fall asleep, that roar keeps pulsing in my ears. There are moments when that thrill returns after a concert has ended, but it’s not always euphoria or a feeling of emptiness; it’s a mixture of all kinds of emotions.

I’ll be visited by this enormous euphoria that I can’t even describe, but then I’ll feel this emptiness when I’m lying alone in bed. To be honest, right now I’m only left with touching memories, and I miss being on stage. I really want to perform again, and I especially can’t wait to do a concert with the other members.

Did you ever cry because of how difficult things felt, either when you were a trainee or after you debuted? Is there anything you’d like to say to the past Jimin in those years?

There were so many times when I screamed and cried because I was so tired and exhausted and felt like I didn’t know what to do.

I don’t really have anything to say to the past Jimin, because I’m here after having gone through all those years. (laughs)

Are there any memorable kind words that someone said to you? Sometimes, people can say something that wasn’t even intended to make you feel better but somehow touches you.

There are lots of things that are memorable to me. I’ve heard so many beautiful words from my fans, probably more than most people get to hear in their entire lifetimes, and I’ll never be able to repay their kindness.

And I’m still hearing them now. There’s also my manager, who gave me a hug and told me he was sorry he didn’t understand everything I was going through; the staff who cried with me; friends who just came to be there for me at my house for several days; and my family.

Another thing that gives me the most strength and at the same time makes me feel very apologetic is when the other members tell me that everything’s okay without saying anything else.

What do you think you need the most right now?

Time. I need time to look back on my twenties, accept the fact that I’ll soon be in my thirties, and think about the direction I want my life to take. I also wish I had more time to prepare my album, have fun with my friends, etc.

I’d like to hear about the future you’re anticipating and drawing for yourself – in all kinds of aspects including music, as a person, etc.

You can choose how far in the future you want to think. I want to be someone who’s relaxed. When it comes to work (like creating music or performing on stage), that means I’ll have to be good at it. When it comes to my state of mind, I’ll have to become stronger and create stronger surroundings. I want to become someone who can protect those things.

Source: L'Officiel Malaysia

[interact-if]

Day 1 of our Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Featured Author Interviews, starting with Zico!

Zico, author of The Night Abridged

You were supposed to be a sacrifice but instead of dying, you find yourself being the new vessel of an old Eldritch Horror who offers you power that no other could have for a little taste of freedom. Unfortunately for you, your captors had other plans for you and decided to utilise your newly given abilities as their own personal puppet.

After being sent out to hunt down a traitor of The Court of Night, a series of unfortunate events sends you off the intended path and onto another where you then find yourself fighting an evil greater than the ones you know.

Will you remain a puppet of The Court or will you cut the strings that tie you to them?

Read more about The Night Abridged here. DEMO: TBA. Tags: Fantasy.

Zico is also the author of Exurgo. a fantasy project where you play as a newly awaken immortal being. For more information, click here.

[INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT UNDER THE CUT!]

Q1. Hello! Could you tell us a little bit about to yourself and your project?

I actually never quite got into writing but then I discovered IF a few years ago and was like "oh wow, these are great fun!". I love how you could discover new routes and how each character reacts differently to the choices you make. I had a bunch of ideas in my head and I thought the best way to get them out was to write them down and share it with people. Discovering IF really helped give me the motivation to start writing.

I want to say that there will be a good bit of angst in my IFs. That stuff is like oxygen to me. It sends a rush through your veins that can be addicting and it's incredibly satisfying to see the reactions of people it was intended to have ;)

The Night Abridged is about someone who happens to become a vessel for an eldritch horror named Alzurahm after a failed ritual. I've always loved horror and supernatural themes because I think they just leave you so much room to create your own creatures or powers and it's a great way to get all those ideas out no matter how little it may seem.

Exurgo is about an mortal turned immortal who wakes up to a modern world after seven hundred years and has to conceal whonor what they are. But something from the past seems to follow them. I'm just a sucker for powerful MCs who have to act like they aren't. I think it's very fun and I love the surprise on character's faces when they discover another character is not exactly "normal".

Q2. What inspired your current project?

A little bit of everything really. I'll probably be watching TV and see an object that becomes a seed of inspiration, or simply the tone of a film or story, or the soundtrack of a game. Once that little seed is planted, it sort of just grows until it becomes something bigger.

If I'm being completely honest, The Night Abridged was influenced by the artwork and music of "Arcane". Everything about it was just so beautifully made. Exurgo was influenced by the soundtrack of the game "Deathloop". The whole vibe of that game is just brilliant.

Q3. Do you pull from your own identity for inspiration? How has that been reflected in your work?

Both my parents are from Malaysia but they moved around a lot for work and thus so have I. We lived in Korea for some of my adolescent years before moving to Ireland where I spent most of my school years there. Then we moved to Amsterdam for almost a year and we recently moved to the UK. Every move was always a big change and took some time getting used to so I was always bombarded by how different each country was.

But to stop myself from straying from the question any more, my answer is that I don't think my identity reflects on my work as much as my surroundings do. I tend to just soak in the vibe of something and work it into my stories.

Q4. What are you most excited about your project?

The drama…

In real life, I'm about as undramatic a person can get but that's mostly because I daydream a lot about fun little situations. One thing I'm most excited for are the reunions in my IFs. I absolutely love reunions. Some could be tearful and just so heartwarming; others can be twisted and cruel *wink wink*.

I very much love the reactions of character when they reunite with people. I don't know if it's just me but I always find myself waiting in anticipation for a reunion and the relief (or uncaged rage and shock) you feel after is so exhilarating.

Q5. What has your experience writing an IF and with the IF community been like?

So far it's been good! Everyone has been very kind and supportive, which always pushes me to be better with my work. Though from what I've seen on other IF blogs, there are some anons who seem to be a bit…entitled to a story that doesn't belong to them and always end up saying very unappealing things to the authors. It's cruel to make comments at someone who built up the courage to even share their work with you in the first place and in turn can becoming very demotivating to some even if they don't quite show it. But thankfully there are many other people who are incredibly kind and just stomps out the mean words of anons.

My experience in writing an IF has been a bit challenging if I'm being honest. It's mainly because I'm new to coding and I forget some things lol. I'm also learning twine as it gives more freedom to the customisation of the interface and I always find myself playing with the code for a long time because it's so fun.

One of the best experiences from writing IF has to be learning a completely different language that is called coding. It's very relaxing until you're stuck at a piece of code.

Q7. What piece of advice would you give to fellow creators?

I feel like many people say this but I'll say it again. Don't be afraid to put out whatever it is that's on your mind. Maybe it's a small piece of lore in your world that seems insignificant but it's not! Nothing you do is small if it brings joy to the people you share it with. 

Even if you think that no one would like your story, I can say for a fact that it is not true. Everyone has their own tastes, that is true but I can guarantee that there are some people out there that will absolutely soak up every little detail of your story.

Don't be afraid and happy writing!

[shokami]

santa baby . . . ; gojo satoru

synopsis ; a small town florist finds themselves moving across the country to tokyo, after a childhood friend promised to help fund their new business in the city… from flowers, to accidental meetings, and hidden worlds — will lies and fear of the unknown turn into a christmas dream, or an aching heartbreak?

authors notes: and with that, santa baby is OFFICIALLY completed. this was a wild journey, because it’s the only series i’ve ever felt the need to actually finish. thank you loads for all of the support, and kind words as the story progressed. much love, jin xx

previous | series masterlist

where are they now? headcanons.

word count : 1.9k

i know you're asking the question. where are they now? did they get the happy ending they deserved after everything was said and done? where are the students? did suguru reconcile his ideals, and grow? did satoru find peace within himself, and find the time to grow a life with y/n?

… well, about that. it's been five years. so, let's have a look.

the explanation behind the betrayal of mei mei, and the doom of toji: years ago, when toji had met y/n… he really did fall in love with them. the idea of y/n terrified him. especially considering what clan they had been born into. with the choke hold the zen'in clan had on him, he had no choice but to murder their clan and parents. the closer he got to y/n after that, he knew of his own emerging feelings. he had never felt like that with anyone before, at least, after megumi's mother. when he thought he killed y/n, deep down he knew they survived. years were spent hoping, and wishing they never resurfaced. until the zen'in clan caught wind of them being alive. even after escaping his clan, he was never fully free of them bending him to their will. he was sent to find mei mei, and explain that if she did not help in assisting in the murder of y/n and gojo, they would kill her brother, and find a way to kill megumi. mei mei, had no intention of ever killing y/n. her idea was to 'slip up', and throw a fit of rage at the gala. that day, she knew that if she died, y/n and her brother would be safe. toji on the other hand, he only ever planned on killing satoru. he and mei mei were in agreement. if they died, no one else had to.

about a year after that accident, y/n found three letters. one addressed to megumi from toji, and the other two to them. it was an apology on both of their behalfs, and an explanation. it was the true closure, and release y/n needed. after that… they visited both of their graves every day.

nanami kento: after some time, when the sorcerer world finally came to a calming state, he felt he was of no more use to their society. after one too many trips to local bakeries around tokyo, he met a girl who made a suggestion on a type of bread he had to try! this girl excelled in engineering, and worked in a lab in shibuya center. she became everything to him. not wanting to blossom his relationship with her on a lie, he told her about his life and what he had done. to his surprise, that hadn't made her run away from him. retiring from being a sorcerer, he moved to a small town outside of tokyo with his girlfriend. granted, that wasn't until after he got his long awaited vacation to malaysia. nowadays, he has a white cat named finn, that reminds him a little too much of gojo. as well as two beautiful children, loana maria, and andrei. currently, they're planning their wedding.

shoko ieiri and utahime iori: shoko ended up moving schools, and became a doctor at the kyoto sister school. uta, on the other hand, is now the principal at the kyoto school. after years of dating one another, the two women decided it was finally time to tie the knot. they've now been married for three years. they ended up adopting a little girl that stumbled upon the schools' campus, lost, wounded, scared, and alone. after some time, they realized she had her own cursed techniques. in due time, they'd enroll her into the school and further teach her. for now, she's a part of a human elementary school, while being taught about the sorcerer world at home. currently though, shoko is trying to convince uta to let her buy a few cats and let them roam around the school.

fushiguro megumi: is now a special grade sorcerer, taking up where gojo left off. on the side, he assists the school on mentoring students, training them, and monitoring them on missions. he excelled rather quickly, and had his heart set on becoming a powerful sorcerer after the death of toji, and the accident that happened merely two years afterwards. though he is known to still be somewhat of a hardass, and a brat, he still has a soft spot for those he's close with, and his students. they are everything to him, as every student he sees, reminds him of his once existing friend group. recently, however, he's been working on correcting the zeni'n clan with maki.

itadori yuuji: a few months after where they all used to be, they had retrieved the remaining fingers belonging to sukuna. now, with the higher ups being replaced, yuuji no longer had a target painted on his back. after consuming the last finger, it appeared as though they had nothing to worry about with him being sukuna's vessel. they had been wrong. two years in, sukuna decided he was tired of playing around. for one final time, sukuna took over. this led to a heart winching fight, as everyone tried desperately to make sure yuuji survived in the end… when it was all said and done, yuuji sacrificed himself, and made peace with dying at the hands of megumi and satoru.

kugisaki nobara: after the loss of itadori, she took it pretty hard. she went on to leave the sorcerer world, as she could no longer take the mental pain of continuing to see people she cared about lose everything they fought for, and their lives. she went on to travel the world to experience other countries and cultures. today, she owns a clothing shop in shibuya. though, when they're in desperate need, she won't shy away from lending a hand to the school's. before, she had distanced herself from her friends, but after healing, she now see's megumi and everyone else regularly. 

yuuta okkotsu: is now the principal of the tokyo school. after gojo stepped down, it was rightfully supposed to be passed onto geto– but that isn't now it went. ontop of being the principal, he is a special grade sorcerer, and has taken the reins from gojo, as the world's most powerful sorcerer that's active. although he and megumi are nearly on par, yuuta still outranks him in power and strength. after spending years discovering himself, he is proud in taking up the mantle for his former sensei and mentor. 

geto suguru: was supposed to become the next principal of the tokyo school, however he was pushed further beyond, and became the top sorcerer within the ranks of the higher up's. he is now the one in charge of making sure the sorcerer world no longer peaks in corrupt activity, and makes it safe for all of the new generations to come. with him in charge, he ensures to protect the ideals his best friend had within this world. it took time to change his view on humans, and life, but surely enough, he bettered himself with the help of his friends.

i bet you're still wondering where gojo and y/n are… well, they've faced many trials together. some that were simply in the bounds of their relationship, others that were a face off against life and death. they've come a long way with one another, but despite that, they will never be the same as they once were. remember some time ago, when i mentioned their love story would end in either blissful and ignorant love… or heartbreak and disaster? well. for them, this was a story of both. you can't have love, without disaster… as long as they're strong enough to prevail in the depths of this world– together.

gojo satoru: he dreamed of a world of peace. he yearned to create a safety net for sorcerer's finding their way. he was desperate to craft a semblance of light for his kids, his love, his friends, and the humans that were trying to live their lives. satoru thought he had finally accomplished that, despite his never ceasing fear. it turned out… he was wrong. satoru had a job to finish, and it was to find each and everyone of the cursed objects belonging to sukuna. he had hoped, with any luck, along the way they would find a way to save itadori. that didn't happen. in the process of the battle, they lost many things.

sukuna had betrayed the word he gave yn, though perhaps that was their own fault. the promise to protect those y/n cared about, was only during that dreadful gala. so two years later. he extracted his revenge on the sorcerer world. although, he was not successful, he did win in some sense. in the process of the formidable fight, gojo was nearly taken down alongside yuuji. in a moment of weakness, his infinity slipped from his grasp. sukuna targeted y/n, and in an attempt to protect them, gojo mistepped.

satoru no longer wears his glasses or blindfold due to the six eyes technique… instead, he wears them to hide the scars. both eyes were brutally slashed, leaving him completely blind in both eyes. had six eyes not relied on every sense, it would have rendered that technique useless. now, he suffers ten times worse. being overstimulated from cursed energy, as well as his own, it causes a burn behind his eyes that leads to migraines and days on end of not being able to leave his house. the loss of his sight made him rely more on hearing, and the constant sounds became too much. these days, the only sound that offers peace is the sound of y/n's voice. after becoming blind, and losing itadori, gojo retired from the sorcerer world. he now lives in okinawa, enjoying the sounds of the beach waves, and being with y/n… at least when the guilt isn't eating him alive.

… y/n on the other hand? they lost many things. their flower shop, and even both of their friends. as they had become a target of sukuna, as well. during that fight of bloodshed, their throat had gotten nearly crushed by the curse. for months, they were mute. no words could be spoken, and it had put a great strain on their relationship with gojo. as he could not see, and they could not speak. they relied on physical touch alone. after some time though, shoko was able to use her reversed techniques on y/n to heal their vocal chords. however, they lost the ability to ever create a perfect harmony again. this mirrored the loss of their cursed techniques, chaotically, and perfectly.

unfortunately… shoko had not been strong enough to reverse the blindness that gojo now suffered from.

after all the pain and loss– they have now found some semblance of peace and serenity. knowing the sorcerer world was now in good hands, they both agreed to live a life without regret or interruptance. after some strings were pulled, between their kids, and their friends, they were pronounced 'dead' to the sorcerer world. geto and shoko find most of their free time spent in okinawa, spending days of peace with their best friends. megumi, nobara, and yuuta still visit. as well as nanami, who sat aside his journey of pretending to be annoyed by gojo. 

… with their fake deaths, they were no longer targets.

when you find true love, it's worth dying for. most importantly, it's worth living for. so, that is what they did. with that sealed promise, they loved one another… like no one had ever done before.

© All rights reserved by SHOKAMI. Do not modify, repost on any platforms, plagiarize, or claim as your own.