While my brother's memories are still fresh in my mind, I'd like to share with everyone the life of my brother through my eyes. I would like to stress that it is just that: through my eyes. What I am going to say is opinionated and subjective, and there will certainly be people will different views. But who would be better to tell Mako's story than his older brother?

There is a natural tendency to paint a nice picture of someone that passes away. This is not my intention here. I would like to tell his story as I perceive it. My brother was a very complex person with many flaws. But he was also very gifted in many ways. I hope I will be able to describe Mako in an accurate fashion.

People often ask if I was close to my brother. While he was alive, I would have probably said "no". We didn't share secrets and we didn't talk about girls. But no matter how you look at it, we were brothers. This one time in Europe, I looked at myself and what I was wearing. A yellow "Helly Hanson" rain jacket that Mako bought for me for no apparent reason, runners that Mako bought for my 22nd birthday, and his Khaki pants that he gave me because they were too small for him. On that very day, I'm sure Mako spent some time on the computer that I had bought him, spent some money somewhere which could have very well been part of the cheque I sent him for Christmas, and rode on the mountain bike that was passed down to him. While these are simply purchased products, it demonstrates our willingness to support each other. And I can't think of anyone who spent more time with him than myself.

So without further ado, here's my take on his life...