5 CM/S

I just had an ex-classmate from college who IM-ed me out of the blue (shark-like even, like I’m a lonely raft in the middle of the South China Seas), then pitching me an online wireless package that will allow me to go online anywhere, possibly even at my local mamak, and it will only cost me RM138 monthly and with no phone-lines to be hassled with. I said I’m sorry, of course, because I have no need for it, and she went offline quicker than a rabbit down its hole, and I don’t know whether to make for an irony of her connection or the fact that it could’ve been just an attempt to sell me an internet package.

Either way, at least I knew that she’s alive, and I wish her good luck in her work.
Many things happened last week, but it didn’t mean that I have more at work to worry. Handing two grants may be hard work, but afterwards there was barely anything to do, apart for being a dispensable office-chore boy, and I was bored all over. And at the end of the week things got busy again; the bosses gave me work over the weekend, which is now somewhat complete, albeit in an unsatisfactory manner.

Still, the weekend had been a peaceful one. Saturday had been largely occupied with chores, but chores that I found a reason to be enjoyable with, especially when the day was windy and the garden strangely inviting; scattered bougainvillea petals all over, tumbling around by the breeze, and it was painting-like. I would’ve wished the press release would’ve sounded nicer after that, but in the end it was forced and stale.

(It also sucks to imagine that if the press release DO actually get out and be distributed and that a fellow journalist course mate do happen upon it, they would look at it and wonder who is the darned bloke that wrote this, and somewhere in my office I would sneeze.)

*******************

It took me some time, but I finally found it.

The anime is Byōsoku Go Senchimētoru , meaning 5 Centimetres per Second, which is (as indicated in the movie) the speed of which a sakura petal falls.

It is directed by Makoto Shinkai, who I find is a very delightful movie-maker, who likes to repeat his storytelling mannerism and themes, but one who makes it work every time (3 times so far).

It is love story. A very simple one, told with wonderful pictures and words, and it’s not Romeo or Titanic or Fuishi Yugi. It’s simply about life and how easily things can drift away. Like sakura petals. Unpredictable and helpless, bore by the winds and weather.

Here's the movie's theme song, accompanied by scenes from the movie.

I don’t ask ‘what if’, or ‘what else’, but I guess there were train rides I should’ve run away from.