Here's something to make your day. I was in the bank with my parents earlier in the day purchasing the pin number for the PTPTN study loan that I was applying for when my dad texted my brother. I don't know what these two Mr.Lam(s) were talking about but my brother had replied my dad with a simple emoticon of the modern day that consisted of two equal signs. Something like: =.=

Now, given that it were the newer generation like us, we would all understand that this was the emoticon used to depict someone with sarcasm or boredom.No, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that the previous generation is clueless with these little details, I'm just saying that a majority have no idea what it means. Anyway, dad passed me the phone and asked in an extremely innocent face accompanied by a question that sounded like this: "What's your brother doing sending me 2 equal signs?" And to possibly no one's surprise, I laughed. It was funny because to my dad really it's just 2 equal signs, like as though my brother was doing a math equation or something. Of course, I did explain what those "2 equal signs" meant...by actually showing it on my face. I think I kinda amused mum because then she laughed too. Dad however, didn't like the idea very much. I suppose that a few cuss words were running through his mind.

So honestly now, newer generation people...if you're texting people of higher statuses than you, (eg. your parents, uncles, aunts or generally anyone that isn't from your generation) I would suggest you use less jargon, minimize on your emoticons and most importantly, do a spell check. To me, that shows how much you respect them and how effort you actually care to take in order to reply. Hey, I spell check all my texts regardless to friends or family members, okay?

SMS short forms are actually bad. Especially when it comes to those that go "I will c u 2nite." Because you would not only be spoiling your own mastery in English, you are also causing headaches to people who have no idea what the heck that shit means. "Dun 4get dat." "Or u will have me stab u wif a knife." "It's c2pid n it shows u have no brains."

Don't even let me get started with the short forms in Bahasa Malaysia. I will seriously throw a tantrum and be ticked off to no ends.