Ginger & Garlic

2008-02-21T09:51:00.010+08:00

"I wish I had seen those boys become men." - Sir Matt Busby

Duncan Edwards

October 1, 1936 - February 21, 1958

Roger Byrne (Captain)

February 8, 1929 - February 6, 1958

Geoff Bent

September 27, 1932 - February 6, 1958

Eddie Colman

November 1, 1936 - February 6, 1958

Mark Jones

June 15, 1933 - February 6, 1958

David Pegg

September 20, 1935 - February 1958

Tommy Taylor

January 29, 1932 - February 6, 1958

Liam "Billy" Whelan

April 1, 1935 - February 6, 1958

"They were all our sons... And they will always be young." - Mrs Sarah Edwards

We will never forget

Rove talks to Sesame Street's Elmo - ROVE LIVE

2008-01-24T11:16:00.001+08:00

Why we still love Elmo. =)

2008-01-16T23:44:00.001+08:00

This isn't right.

2008-01-08T19:09:00.000+08:00

Zi Hao's right. NP's missed.

Big time.

2007-12-30T12:43:00.000+08:00

Motherwell skipper O'Donnell dies

Its a sobering end to 2007. And it puts United's defeat to the Hammers in perspective.

Its been a year of ups and downs. A roller-coaster really. Where there have been many good things to be grateful for, there have been nearly just as many things to regret. But I'm not one for spending too much time looking back at what cannot be undone. The prospects for the year ahead are unclear, but its also a year in which change, change for the better, can come about. Here are just some ideas for a better year ahead:

1) Crackdown on drug cheats
In a year in which we've seen the ugliness of sport through Marion Jones and Floyd Landis, its time that all sports take a hardline stance against drug cheats. The IOC and other sporting organisations shouldn't be afraid of banning disgraced athletes for good. Athletes all over the world are viewed as role models for youngsters, and its time that they live up to that responsibility. Cut them loose from sports, cut out the vermin.

2) Saner football calendar
As I have always said, there's too much football. Some athletes easily play up to 60-65 games a year, or a game every 5 days, without breaks. Its just too much. Cut away the competitions that do not matter. Kill off the Intertoto Cup, Confederations Cup, the English League Cup, and cut down on the number of teams that can participate in continental competitions too. Reduce the number of competitions, and the number of teams that take part in the remaining competitions, and perhaps finally, we'll see teams that fight hard to win in every single game. And an end to the football deaths too.

3) Cleaner & Greener
Lets finally see countries actually hammering out enviroment accords that do make a difference. The world's dying, and we should do our very best to reverse that process. Climate change can, should, and must be stopped. And the only way to do that is to create a new accord with teeth to replace the toothless and dead-as-a-salted-fish Kyoto Protocol.

4) World Peace
Corny, yes, but it is after all, a time for looking forward. As improbable as it may be, I do hope, with all my heart, that the conflicts that we have all over the world come to an end. And none too late too. Gosh, I sound like a beauty pageant contestant. Bleagh.

Ah well, enough with my far-fetched hopes for 2008. Here's to wishing all of you a Happy New Year!

2007-12-27T00:38:00.000+08:00

With my computer's homepage being http://www.yahoo.com/, I often see all kinds of headlines for the day. And really, all kinds of headlines. Subprime, Elections '08, NASA probes, Al Gore, Guiness World Records, NASCAR, etcetc. But this one headline caught my eye.

Beatles predate dinosaurs by 70 million years, study finds

By golly, I thought. Finally, cold-hard proof that for of all the musical brilliance of the Fab Four, they're just a bunch of old fossils. Which would make my Dad, a fan of theirs in his teens, only slightly younger than the fossils. (Still older than the dinosaurs though).

But on clicking on the link, I found (to my dismay), that I had read it wrongly. Beetles, not Beatles. Hai.

2007-12-05T23:12:00.000+08:00

Hurt's a funny thing. Like laughter, it's contagious.

It isn't so funny when a friend's hurt and down in the dumps. The thing is, I haven't the slightest clue what to do to help. Plenty of reasons why. Not really talking for two years is one. Another, more wild, reason could be the fact that there's this whole "I'm-too-masculine-for-this-girly-emo-thing" syndrome.

As much as many guys like to think otherwise, we're all still stuck in a time bubble when it comes to communicating feelings and emotions. There are VERY few men out there who are totally comfortable with opening up, so much so that its probably safe to say that most guys are as much a chauvinistic brooding ape-man as their cavemen ancestors were.

This syndrome doesn't help when it comes to helping friends cope with emotional pain. Quite frankly, all I can really do is brood about it as well. Which doesn't help me, or the friend in question. Which begs the question, what's a guy to do in such a situation?

2007-12-01T19:25:00.000+08:00

Its one of those things again. Emotions that can't be described in a couple of sentences. No, even words do these emotions no justice. Funny how looking at the same things from different angles can evoke totally different, more powerful emotions.

I gotta stop thinking so much.

2007-11-27T01:42:00.000+08:00

When sports takes a backseat...

Sheng Yang showed me this site, dedicated to one of the brave paddlers who drowned in Cambodia. Even if they are strangers to me, their passing has evoked a sadness in me that is beyond description.

http://rememberingjerbroni.blogspot.com/

Men passing before their time. Lament, the reply.

2007-11-26T00:19:00.001+08:00

Happy birthday Chester! XD

2007-11-25T11:00:00.000+08:00

Excruciating. The football on offer was totally pathetic. Only one team was playing, and it definitely wasn't Manchester United. Sure didn't help my massive headache. Which are now an-all-too-common experience. Bummer.

2007-11-21T21:40:00.001+08:00

Tactless. Utterly tactless. May not have caught every single word, but the body language said it all. For someone who doesn't even KNOW us, she sure had formed her opinion of our abilities real early. Was it down to the fact that this course isn't in Business School? Or the fact that she thinks her juniors are morons?

Does it matter really? It doesn't seem like a very intelligent thing to do, dumbing down people you don't know. Hedge funds? Subprime crisis? Come on, we probably know more about both concepts than you and your friend combined, do, oh-so-thank-you-very-much.

And was there a real need for such pretentious enuciation? Pretending to be someone else never did any good. But, then again, it was a just warning about the supposed quality of the presentation.

Come on, if you could read this post, I'd love to remind that if you're so smart, you wouldn't be repeating this module. Bitch.

2007-11-17T17:35:00.000+08:00

Here's an early Christmas present for y'all,

http://www.goonestepfurther.co.uk/preview/

2007-11-11T21:31:00.001+08:00

Just caught the re-run of "The Fantastic Four". First time I've watched a movie of the series. Pretty good, fanboy stuff. Dr. Doom's pretty cool, as is Mr. Fantastic. But man, I tell you I'd watch it again and again just for Jessica Alba. Damn, she's HOT!

Not that I appreciate movies just for the babes. I mean, the movie's good, like I said. But it never hurt to have babes. The James Bond franchise for one is iconic for the Bond girls. And Jessica Alba is hot. But for the record, I appreciate movies cos I think they're good.

But for emphasis...

DAMN! JESSICA ALBA'S HOT!

2007-11-11T16:53:00.000+08:00

Before today, I never appreciated how discomforting it is for people to go around with their foot, or part of, bandaged. And I only required bandaging on my toe.

Pulling the nail out proved to be a short exercise. Indeed, the injection to numb the pain proved to hurt a lot more. A LOT MORE. Which proves at least one of two things. Either the injection's really effective, or I put myself through unnecessary pain. And if you were wondering, it felt like paper was being torn off. The nail of course, not the injection.

The whole consultation didn't take too long. 10 minutes, probably less. Go in, sit, explain, lie down, get the injection, have it pulled out and bandaged, and voila! I'm done. And oh yea, for that short time, its $65.

Shesh.

2007-11-05T23:25:00.000+08:00

As with all little boys, I sought heroes to idolise when I was growing up. One of them was Robin Hood. The King of Thieves, renowned for his chivalry and generosity. He and his band of loyal brothers-in-arms struck a chord with the little impressionable me, and still do. I don't think I've really forgotten those stories, and each and every time I revisit them, the deeds become an even greater legend.

Which is why the following story saddens me,

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071104/ap_on_re_eu/shrinking_sherwood

2007-11-04T11:31:00.000+08:00

90 seconds. We were this close from snatching all three points. I can't believe it. Just can't. Playing below our best, and we still comfortably held Arsenal at bay for large swarthes of the game. Quite frankly, its two points dropped, not a point gained.

2007-10-28T12:39:00.000+08:00

Self-help guru? Time to scratch that from my list of possible careers. Ohwell.

First week back's shown little evidence of the horrors we've been told to expect. But then again, school's proven time and time again over the last dozen years that true terror never gives a prior warning. And come to think of it, we might just be inches away from getting massacred. Bummer.

2007-10-21T18:40:00.000+08:00

Alright then, so we head back tomorrow.

Its a funny thing really, that I'm feeling worried about it starting all over again, all the deadlines and everything. Its not been as if deadlines ever left me this vacation. Nope, in fact, they've been hanging just around the corner, in its various guises. Why then the slight dread?

Perhaps Jun Hao's right. Its all down to psychology. And its probably the same with all the other events I had niggly worries about, like Poly Forum.

Ohwell.

2007-10-20T18:48:00.000+08:00

"Triple Threat". That's what the Straits Times' Sports Desk is calling this weekend. And its hard to disagree. Across the world, in 3 different disciplines, the biggest grudges have to be settled once and for all, or at least till the next meet.

In British football, the two biggest derbies are less than an hour away from kick-off. In Glasgow, Celtic and Rangers will slug it out in the most temptuous of sectarian derbies, while Liverpool make the short trip across Stanley Park in northwest England, to battle their most-hated of rivals, Everton. Derbies, as I have written before, are the biggest games of a club's season. Forget the cup finals, derbies are the ones that ABSOLUTELY have to be won. Losing is never an option. The TV big-wigs have left me, and other football fans with a momentuous decision: just which derby do we follow? How they could schedule both games to kick off just 10 minutes apart is beyond me. Derbies of this nature, the biggest of the land they are, are the ones that even the neutrals will take a keen interest, if only to have a taste of the spine-chilling atmosphere the hordes of ravenous fans will produce. Pity then.

But in rugby union and Formula One racing, the world champions will be crowned this weekend. The Poms of England play the Springboks of South Africa in the sixth World Cup final, in what is shaping up to be a clash of styles. The in-your-face-scrummage-and-kicking style of the English up against the fast and powerful running game favoured by the Boks. Grit versus Style if you wish. I've been proven wrong on two successive occasions already by the English, but this hasn't stopped me from again picking their opponents to beat them. The all-round class of the Boks team was built, it seems, for this Cup. Surely, they have no better chance than this to grab their second world crown. But rugby, like all other sports, has never been played on paper. The Boks will have to prove their worth on the biggest stage tonight in the Stade de France. And I'll be hoping they do. Or I suppose Joanna will have something to say first thing on Monday in her class. Lol.

And its a three-way fight between the McLarens of Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton and the Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen for the world title. In Schumi's time, I always backed the Prancing Horse, but Raikkonen, the Iceman, lacks the passion for motor-racing that the great champion had, and still has. So for me, I'll be backing the McLarens Mercedes team to have a driver crowned champion. So the question is, Alonso or Hamilton? Easy. Its Hamilton for me. Maturity beyond his years, added to a fearless streak in his driving, makes him a driver out of Schumi's mode. But whoever wins, I think this season has seen the birth of what will be the biggest rivalry in Formula One since the days of Prost versus Senna. Cheers to that!

2007-10-20T01:44:00.000+08:00

Here's a look at why us youths in Singapore have it good:

http://www.ideachannel.tv/video/videopreview2.php?video=victoria_long

Quality education? Its a priviledge, not a God-given right.

2007-10-11T23:19:00.000+08:00

Tired man, that's all I can say.

But Kelsey Grammer's new sketch show and this website, www.xkcd.com, put me right again. What a blast. =D

2007-10-10T16:26:00.001+08:00

I've been feeling pretty tired the last couple of days, but for some reason, I wake up way before the alarm goes off. Bummer.

Had plenty of time to think about stuff these hols. Serious stuff, lame stuff, and the seriously lame stuff. An item of consideration was why I've never used titles in my blog entries. The first reason I could think of was obviously the fact that I'm just too freaking lazy to think up something fancy. But I realised something a little more sinister.

I've noticed an unnerving trend in my writing, which as pointed by Ms Ng, happens in my presentations too. Rambling. I've been having conclusions that I didn't envisaged having when I started writing. Quite honestly, I've been allowing my arguments to lead me to whatever conclusion they fancied. The entry about Antonio Puerta's death is a case in point. Didn't mean to even include the rant at the heavy fixtures list, but I concluded with that in the end. And this can be seen in quite a few entries too.

Having arguments that lead to unexpected conclusions isn't really a problem; it might even be a boon. But it is in rambling, where the piece is all over the place, that kills good writing. Either that, or I take my writing a little too seriously. =\

By the way, I realised that this entry is another case in point.

2007-10-10T16:03:00.000+08:00

Ok. So I got it wrong. Twice. England WILL play France on Saturday for a place in the final, while the All Blacks and the Wallabies WILL be back home, in disgrace. Bugger. The great Aussie scrum-half, George Gregan's words have indeed come back to haunt New Zealand:

"Four more years, boys, four more years."

2007-10-07T23:43:00.000+08:00

Found this interesting article off a Freakonomics link just the other day:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119128309597345795.html?mod=e-commerce_primary_hs

Now, I found this interesting in a round-about interesting way. Let's start from the very beginning for this story.

I read somewhere, quite some time ago, that scientists had come to the conclusion that the universe had been growing from its very birth, many billion years ago. The thing is, the universe has never stopped growing, and the scientists believe, and in fact are quite sure, that the universe will continue to grow on for all eternity. This theory, which will be called the "Infinite Growth" theory for use here, I applied to some other concepts, including the Internet.

Well, the theory's been blown apart by this article, on the Internet count anyway. But reading the article got me thinking: what if, just what if, those scientists who came up with the "Infinite Growth" theory got it all wrong? What if there's a size limit in which the universe can grow in?

Imagine then, the growing universe meeting its boundaries on any given day. Now, what we call space is really a vacuum; there's nothing there. So it doesn't seem too bad in the beginning. But what if the universe continues to be able to grow, even when its boxed in? As more and more planets and more and more stars (very much like our Sun) are created over billions of years, would it not reduce the physical distance between such objects? And as time passes, probably over billions of years, wouldn't it lead to the gravitational pulls of the various planets and stars interfering with each other? Would it create disasterous phenomena on the scale of black holes or worse?

I'm just hazarding wild, nowhere-in-hell-right guesses after all, seeing that I'm no scientist (and the fact that I pretty much sucked in Physics). But I reckon if, touchwood, something like this happens, we won't be seeing it in our lifetimes, and maybe not for another twenty-seven to the power of sixty-three generations.

Yea.

Erm.

Right?

2007-10-04T00:31:00.000+08:00

My last post numbered 360, which to me seems like a very nice number. Which explains why I've taken so long to come up with a new one. NAY.

Simple inertia.

Well, the "Phony War" is finally over. The Rugby World Cup is now and truly into the sudden death phase. So the Irish and the Welsh won't stick around for the party, but for their performances, deserved the early trips home. England ought to have been eliminated too. Pity then, that throwing the kitchen sink didn't help the Tongans. No matter, four good quality ties this weekend should sort out the men from the boys.

If I were a betting man, I'd put my money on New Zealand, Argentina, Australia and South Africa knocking out France, Scotland, England and Fiji respectively. All Southern Hemisphere semi-final line-up? Can't wait.

OH! And I'm starving. Hai.

2007-09-21T10:57:00.000+08:00

So the contributors to Wikipedia aren't any much better at forecasting than I am. Avram Grant, a known-nemesis of Mourinho, is now in charge. The only question is how long, especially with the availability of big-name managers next summer, as well as the players' well-publicised loyalty to their "Special One".

So that bring us to the real question: what lies ahead for Mourinho? The bookmakers make the him the odds-on favourite to succeed Scolari as Portugal chief. Barcelona, Real Madrid and Spurs are mentioned as well, but I would agree with the bookmakers. He probably will be the man to lead Portugal towards qualifying for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The other clubs aren't real options at the moment, for one reason or another, but then again, football's a funny game. We'll see.

2007-09-20T15:39:00.001+08:00

Well, he's gone. That's what the headlines say. Mutual consent say the club. Sacked says a disgruntled member of the playing staff. Whatever the method, Jose Mourinho, aka the Special One, won't be in the Away dugout come Sunday at Old Trafford.

Despite having speculated at one time or another over the summer about him leaving Chelsea, this has come as quite a shocker. After all, few managers at the top clubs leave in bloody September, with the club still in the running in all of the competitions. Its madness really, to have a management reshuffle of this scale just days before facing a title rival, but I won't be the one to complain.

Even then, this has been a parting-in-the-making. The only question in this equation was when. So many reasons, so many factors, but I'd be wasting everyone's time if I went into the already well-publicisied spats between Roman and Jose. Instead, I'll use this post to do a bit of crystal-ball gazing.

After doing away with the possibly the winningest manager in the club's history, who can Roman get to bring the club forward? Quite frankly, I don't see too many guys being able to fit in Mourinho's shoes. First on the list would probably be Guus Hiddink. Great record in European club football, and with a great international pedigree to boot. The only problem is that Hiddink's Russia are still within a shout of getting into Euro 2008. Add that to the fact that Hiddink isn't among the most popular men now in England, and you can see this man's chances diminishing already. But you just can't count out Roman's petrodollars, so this scenario could change.

Other guys on the list would include the clubless Fabio Capello, the reigning Uefa Cup-winning manager Juande Ramos, or the reigning World Cup-winning manager Marcello Lippi. Capello probably is last on the list, given that his famed preference for the catenaccio in recent years makes him even more defensive than Mourinho, which was one of the reasons why he fell out with Roman in the first place!

Ramos on the other hand, is now well-regarded in footballing circles for building one of the most-exciting sides in recent times. His Sevilla are among the best attacking sides in Europe at the moment, and back-to-back Uefa Cup titles are testament to that. And with attacking football in short supply at Stamford Bridge, he could be the one that Abramovich hires. However, for all his success, Ramos has not managed at a real top level club, and this could count against him.

That leaves me with Lippi. Appointing him seems to make the most sense for me, objectively speaking. He's won everything there has been to win in European football, not to mention the World Cup in some very trying circumstances. Chelsea, and the Premiership would thus be a logical final challenge for him. Lippi is also known to be less defensive than Capello, and this could sit well with Abramovich. But then, who knows?

A quick check on Wikipedia shows Capello as the man most likely to take over. Well, I guess I'm not cut out for forecasting after all. LOL.

2007-09-20T13:52:00.000+08:00

Watch this:

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=49750&cl=4146706&ch=334515&src=news

Brilliant. Watch the rest of the clips too. =)

http://60minutes.yahoo.com/segment/91/rex

2007-09-20T00:27:00.000+08:00

http://post-gazette.com/pg/07262/818671-298.stm

Of all the articles you could read today, make this it. Probably will be the most meaningful one.

2007-09-17T19:11:00.000+08:00

Found this article in the Today on the rise of Indlish, India's version of English (Singlish anyone?). Cracked me up, but beyond entertainment value, this one shows how variations of English can, and should survive alongside good old snobbish Queen's English. Enjoy,

http://www.todayonline.com/articles/211614.asp

2007-09-17T12:20:00.000+08:00

Well, its been three days since my return, and as I would be the first to admit, this post has been a long time coming.

Wednesday was full of frustrating waiting, tempered by the fact that all bar one of my bunkmates were familiars. The frustration began to boil over for some people, especially when news filtered through that the earthquake had struck. Calls came pouring in from worried relatives, amid rumours that the captain and his crew were contemplating abandoning the trip, and the feelings of unease didn't lift for much of the early evening.

We were eventually allowed to board, to much relief. And the pall began to lift, replaced by optimism. Watching the ship move off, and out of the harbour was a most beautiful sight, and put us all in high spirits. Didn't sleep till after 2.

Thursday was a pretty long day. Plenty of presentations, and in between, plenty of work on pronouncing words the right way. Morning was spoilt by a most stupid argument. Man, I can't believe anyone could get angry over something like that. Agree to disagree, isn't that something we should all do? Ohwell, the whole incident let me know that idiots exist everywhere.

The food at the D&D wasn't great. In fact D&D didn't seem to stand for Dinner & Dance. More likely Dinner No Dance. Hit the international buffet with the other fellas for our watermelon buffet. XD

Friday started off late. Late for breakfast, late for presentations. But everything worked out well. Lunch at the Pavillion wasn't good either, but meeting new people over the meal was an eye-opener. Trip back to school was reserved for the power nap we all needed.

Enjoyed the final presentation, even if it didn't go the way we wanted to. We all made mistakes, but at the very least, we cracked the audience up. MOS Lui laughed along too, so it must have been a good thing. The fear of butterflies in my digestive tract didn't materialise, and I suppose I was pretty comfortable up there.

And you'd have guessed by now that I've reached the end. Was wrestling with the thought of putting down a paragraph that didn't have a real link to the rest of the post, but I suppose, by writing this in the first place, I'd already made up my mind. Its been an interesting three months, and I've met people along the way that have opened my eyes to what diversity in the polytechnics really means. To Ali, Clinston, Tianyi, Radhika, Sunny, Gim Kai, Marcus, Coburn, Eric, Elizabeth, Terence, Alex, Louis, Derick, Hady, Mark, Andrew, Aik Leng, George, Qingling, Raphael, Jacintha, Alan, Ms Meera, Ms Soh, Mr Tay, Ms Ng, and everyone else I missed out, its been a great experience working with you guys, and I thank you all for making this Forum something I'll cherish.

Old Is Gold. Hear hear.

2007-09-12T11:53:00.000+08:00

Well, I'm leaving in a matter of hours. After months of hard work and practice, it all boils down to this last leg. They tell me its gonna be bag loads of fun, but I can't shake off this feeling that something just isn't right. Ohwell. Wouldn't do me any good now to dwell on it.

Its time.

Novak Djokovic Imitator

2007-09-09T17:53:00.001+08:00

Novak Djokovic. He's the world number 3, and playing tonight against Roger Federer in the US Open final. Helps that he's only 20 years old. But the most important thing about him is the fact that he's completely looney. XD

2007-09-05T01:28:00.000+08:00

Oh. And Jen reminded me.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has retired at the age of 34, having played the last eleven years of his magnificant career in the brilliant scarlet red of Manchester United. If my recollections serve me correctly, he was the first supersub I came across, and perhaps the only one who played the position in the truest sense of the word. Despite his slight build, he managed to hold his own against the many ruffians who passed themselves off as defenders, and smashed home 267 goals in 453 games for both club and country, a brilliant goals-to-games ratio by all accounts.

The "Baby-faced Assassin" played an integral of many United teams over the years, but the Red legion will remember his part in the Treble-winning side best. His championship-winning goal against Bayern will forever be cherished in the memories of United fans. And while he might hold records (his 28 goals off the bench represents the most from any United player past and present), he will always be remembered for the smile he had even in playing hard and dirty. His commitment to the team personified best by his heroic dash against Rob Lee of Newcastle (video as given in Jen's link). Few men will ever have the impact he had on the club, and long may the fans remember and love the finest supersub ever.

OLE OLE OLE!

2007-09-03T22:23:00.000+08:00

Saw a shirt with the words "It Ain't A Sport Unless I Can Die From Massive Internal Injuries" emblazoned on the front.

Doesn't seem so funny anymore.

2007-09-03T21:26:00.000+08:00

A week is a long time in football as they say. And its been an awfully long week. One no doubt overshadowed by the death of Sevilla defender Antonio Puerta. Sevilla and Spain fans know him as a fine leftback, with occasional forays as a left winger, as a member of a most impressive Sevilla team that conquered the Uefa Cup in consecutive seasons, a feat most rare. They also know him as a promising player, ready to burst onto the international scene, to help Spain in their quest to dominate world football. Alas, at the age of twenty-two, his career is over. A series of severe heart attacks during the game against Getafe, and after coming off, put him into a coma that he never woke up from.

Thousands the world over in football have mourned his death this past week, and the grief has been heartfelt. AC Milan, Sevilla's opponents in the European Super Cup, offered to postpone the meaningless fixture. Uefa and the Spanish league postponed Sevilla's Champion's League qualifier with AEK Athens and the Primera Liga fixture against Osasuna, respectively, in respect of Puerta. But the greatest of all gestures happened in the city of Seville itself. The two halves of the city, so bitterly divided between Real Betis and Sevilla, united in grief for one of their own, with both sets of fans bemoaning the loss of Puerta, some openly crying in the streets outside the hospital where Puerta spent the last of his days, as well as around Sevilla's home ground. Even the presidents of the two clubs, infamous for the vitoril in their words against the other, hugged in public, in a sign that the city was one for Puerta. Perhaps a sign of better things to come between the two arch-rivals?

Even then, it would be of little comfort to Puerta's wife, and unborn child, due in five weeks. The city of Seville could become one and whole again, above all the bitterness normally associated with local rival clubs, and it would never bring back Puerta. Nothing will bring him back, but the football authorities could help prevent a tragedy like that from unfolding again.

Puerta isn't the first man to die playing the game, Marc Vivien Foe of Cameroon the last example four years ago. Although their deaths have more to do with underlying conditions that are next-to-impossible to detect with in the first place, there is, without a doubt, too much football for the players. At the top clubs, teams can play over 60 games a season, or about one every five to six days all throughout the year. Adding in fifteen international games a year that all top nations must fulfill and you get a glut of matches. Thats putting the bodies of the players through sheer physical and mental strain. The fact that the much-criticized rotation policy is becoming common even in smaller clubs is an alarm sign in itself. Surely now, the powers-that-be have to do something about it.

There are just far too many meaningless "tournaments", and its time to cut them off the calendar. The above-mentioned European Super Cup, the Conferations Cup, the Intertoto Cup, the World Club Championship, the League Cup in England, the list just goes on. Even much-cherished tournaments have grown too big, and too many games are becoming meaningless. The European club competitons, for example, allow entry to too many teams, many of whom don't deserve to be there. How about following the Asian club competition example of teams from stronger footballing nations in one tournament, and teams from weaker footballing nations in another?

Puerta will never have the chance to see his child grow up, but the powers-that-be in football can help ensure that other players will have that chance.

For Puerta.

2007-08-20T23:53:00.000+08:00

Lion's share of the possesion, a hatful of chances. In short, total domination. The result? Another loss of precious points. Seven points behind now, with just three games gone. A bit too early to hit the panic button, as even I would admit, but the the games against Reading, Portsmouth and Manchester City ought to be worrying Fergie.

Our guys had plenty of time on the ball, but the lack of clincial efficiency was unnerving for all of us so used to the free-flow of goals from our boys in scarlet red. Woeful finishing all round, and the attacking displays so far have reminded me of a strange phenomena for United; plenty of corners and no goals if we're not winning.

Its disturbing to note the absence of a true goal-poacher in our ranks, and while we didn't really need one last season, its become something to pray for this term. Linked to the likes of McCarthy and Anelka all summer, I'm surprised at the fact that we only got Tevez. No disrespect to him of course, but he seems much too similiar to Rooney. The build, the pace (or lack of), the power. The biggest worry of course, is the fact that both men operate best working behind a striker, and neither's a striker in the true sense of the word. How then do you play both men upfront effectively?

With Rooney out till October at the earliest, Fergie's not really had much to worry about on that account, but the fact that we've struggled so much to get so little back is a grave cause for concern. If Fergie's insistence on not getting a striker upfront to work with either Rooney or Tevez, or both, holds up, we could be in for a long hard slog.

Liverpool found out last season that a poor start kills off any championship ambitions. I just hope this season it isn't our turn.

2007-08-18T00:16:00.001+08:00

Ok. Its true. I've bitten off more than I can chew.

2007-08-17T12:21:00.000+08:00

Its a total letdown. I mean, what else can I say? Can ya blame me for feeling this way?

2007-08-05T12:42:00.000+08:00

I think I might have just reinvented the weekend warrior. Ah. Well. Happens when one makes a futile effort at squeezing everything into that bit of time.

Did some catching up on the lives of others. Man, what a shocker.

Sports over the weekend's shaping up to be fascinating. And in good time too. Was beginning to wonder what to do with my weekend nights. England dominated a third-string Wales in their Test Rugby battle last night. Awesome power from the forward line. England are finally getting somewhere for next month's World Cup. Men in several positions to look out for; Shaun Perry at number 9, Nick Easter at number 8, Lawrence Dallaglio either in the forward pack or off the bench, Jason Robinson at full-back, and of course the key man, Johnny Wilkinson at fly-half. Frightening the way they tore at an ineffective Welsh fifteen. But of course, the Welsh side that took to the field at Twickenham aren't the best they've got, and even the best Wales squad wouldn't figure among the most-feared sides in the world. Plenty of work then for the defending world champions.

And the annual football curtain-raiser tonight. Glorified friendly or not, its gonna be hard-fought. No quarter asked, and none will be given. Come on ya Red Devils!

And I realise, after reading through this rubbish piece, that this has been one disjointed, poorly-written post. Dang.

2007-07-29T17:54:00.000+08:00

19 days now, since my last post, and as always, I see my knack for starting off each post abruptly hasn't vanished. Its been a busy time, and my commitments are starting to catch up with me. Its, of course, a poor excuse to stop updating, and I realise that this hasn't been the first time there's been a long lull between posts. Its something I'm working on, this time-management mumbo-jumbo, and I'd like to think I'm improving in this aspect. But of course, time will tell. Bitten off more than I can chew? We'll see.

Hmmm. Spent a good part of an hour trying to come up something for Iraq's fairytale run to the Asian Cup final. A pretty long post too, nearly as long as my longest posts have been, only that I was only half-done. But when I read it again, I scrapped the whole part. Coming from someone so far removed from the actual harsh realities in Iraq, the whole post seemed so hollow, so pretentious. Who am I to write as if I know what it is like for the Iraqi team to play through it all? Who am I to write as if I know what it is like for the people for their team to win in this difficult time? No, I have no right, whatsoever, to do so.

But if there is one right I have in this, that would be the right to root. And I hope the fairytale continues...

2007-07-10T00:01:00.000+08:00

And Federer's done it. 5 Wimbledon titles in a row. Only Bjorn Borg for company for such an achievement. And thats 11 Slams now, just 3 short of arguably the greatest one of all, Pete Sampras. And to do it in an epic five-set thriller of a final to boot. Genius. Absolute genius.

4 more Slams, and a French Open title in that bag, and there'll be no more dispute. The greatest ever.

Man, and I used to doubt this dude.

2007-07-09T23:55:00.000+08:00

Fact: The power used to keep your computer on for the whole night can power 100 light bulbs for an hour.

Fact: Plenty of people are more than willing to keep the school computers on, instead of turning them off, for the pathetic excuse of "convenience".

Imagine the number of hours, and the amount of power, wasted. Tsk.

Alright. So here's a simple litmus test to see if Live Earth's been any much use. Look around the school labs over the next couple of weeks, and count how many computers haven't been switched off. That'll will give you a rough idea how many people give a damn.

2007-07-08T17:10:00.001+08:00

Its been playing on for round about twenty-two hours now, Live Earth that is, and its just under another two that the biggest concert since Live Aid will come to a close. The music's great, I must say, aided no doubt by a fantastic sound system. And you have to admire the vision of Al Gore for a greener, better Earth, or the energy of many of the performers in nine diverse locations across the seven continents, or the creativity of the film makers whose short clips turn up every now and then. Its all adding up to be a great show then, I must say.

But when the dust settles, then the most important question for this concert, and everybody else who cares about what happens to the Earth, will no doubt be asked: just how has this concert changed the world for the better?

I'm under no illusions of course, about the enormity of the issue of climate change, and I laud the many people who have put in their considerable time and effort to do something they feel can help better the world. But would this concert achieve anything concrete? I'm sure this mega-event will, and has, whipped up a huge media frenzy, and its helped get many people excited about doing their part for the enviroment, but this brings to mind another question: will this excitement last? Would all the new "converts", buzzing with energy as they are now, remain as committed to the green cause say, six months from now? Would they continue to find it worth their while to get involved, to work towards a greener world? Or would this be just another passing fad, like Lance Armstrong's wrist bands for cancer just a couple of years ago?

In fact, there's a niggling fear in me that Live Earth could end up the way Live Aid did; a spectacular event, with many people empathising with the plight of those caught in poverty, but nothing more. In short, although Bob Geldof might disagree, a failure. Like Live Earth, Live Aid had bold aims: the eradication of poverty. While the concert did raise a great deal of awareness about the plight of those caught in the vicious cycle of poverty, little has changed for the desperately poor. Rich fat-cat nations have turned up every single year at meetings and summits and what-have-you-not, and pledged aid and support for the less fortunate countries, but little of that aid has actually reached the people who really need it. Just how many people remain below the poverty line, forgotten and ignored by the world? And even though a study last year found that the world is now home to more overweight poeple than the under-nourished, it brings little comfort to those who have no money for food, and know all too well how it feels to starve. How many people then, swept up in the euphoria of Live Aid, still feel empowered to do something for the desperately poor?

But, as the critics would counter, poverty and climate change are two very different issues. Many in the developed world will only see, and feel, for the desperately poor when they see them, be it on the telly or at the cinema. But climate change is something you see, hear, feel, touch, every single day. The soaring temperatures, the increasingly quirky weather, the disappearance of many types of fish once familiar on the dinner table, the increasingly foul air... the list just goes on. Its all around us, and we can't ever run from it. Climate change is something we have to fight now, or we're all going to burn in hell, literally.

Everytime I look at the trees, or the flowers, or feel the fresh breeze early in the morning, I wonder whether I'll still have those luxuries the next day, or the next week, or the next month, the next year. Will my kids have any of these? Will their kids have any of these? This planet may not be a perfect place, but its still a real beautiful world. Lets all keep it that way.

Answer the call.

2007-07-07T00:42:00.000+08:00

Twice I've written eulogies for the Grand Old Lady, but it was all a little premature. This time, they tell me, its for real. Its sad to see her go, after all these years. The SEAP/SEA Games, school competitions, National Day Parades, and of course football; she's seen it all.

Quah Kim Song, Dollah "Gelek King" Kassim, Eric Paine, David Lee, Fandi Ahmad, "Mr Razzle Dazzle" V. Sundramoorthy, Malek Awab, Abbas Saad, Lim Tong Hai... the list of greats to have played for Singapore in international and Malaysia Cup matches in her domain could go on and on, and yet, even if we do, it wouldn't do justice to the great things these guys did that she witnessed. How could mere words ever describe Sundram's magnificant bicycle kick goal against Brunei in an 8-0 trounching in the Malaysia Cup semi-finals? Or the spirited battle put up by the boys in beating China 1-0 in 1980? Or stunning Malaysian football by prising the Cup that year? No, words won't ever do justice. I wonder then, what it would have been like to have been with her, witnessing those historic events, to feel the emotions that reverberated around her in victory and in defeat. I've not seen enough of her beauty, her majesty. I've not known the taste of sweet glory whilst by her side, only the sting of bitter defeat. And it pains me to know I'll never see another day of glory for our boys with her. I wonder what would have been had I been born a generation earlier, to experience the rush of the Cup, to feel the energy of the Roar at its peak. But alas, it will now be confined to simply being a thought, and nothing more.

Dad's stung too I suppose. Unlike me, he had the good fortune of being around to be with her in her most glorious days. He still remembers queuing up for tickets under the unforgiving Sun, just to watch, and will, the pride of the nation to beat the buggers up north. He remembers her well, of the "DRINKS, KOROPOK, EPOK-EPOK!" guys, of roundly abusing the opposition, and of cheering on our boys. He still remembers those great moments, and although he didn't say it, I sensed the lament in him that final day.

But that was not the only thing I saw, for there was pride too. Pride that his son got to be a part of the National Stadium, the Kallang Roar, the Kallang Wave, even if it was for one last time.

The National Stadium will be missed.

2007-06-30T00:37:00.000+08:00

How many times, I wonder, does a person have so many ideas on what to write about, but lack the time to do so, and when he or she does get that spot of time, the fella forgets what the whole point was, and abandons the whole idea of writing it down?

Really. I really do wonder. I've had it happen too many times. =\

2007-06-30T00:08:00.000+08:00

Its been quite a week. Quite a week.

Chris "The Rabid Wolverine" Benoit, as you all know now, is dead. Suicide. Well, that after he killed his wife and son. How bitter the irony, when you consider that Benoit, Royal Rumble champion in 2004, was once featured in WWE video as being a devout family man, torn apart by having to spend so much time on tour, away from his family. And its funny too, now that you think about it, that I should even give a damn. I've known for a helluva long time that wrestling, or the one we see on WWE, is all a phoney business. That for all the blood, guts, and tears, its all choreographed, with unbelievably cheesy scripts anchoring the whole thing. Man, sometimes I myself don't get why I should care.

If only it were that simple. Since the day my Dad plonked me in front of the telly to watch one of them episodes of the then-WWF, wrestling's held this strange fascination for me. For what reason, I cannot fathom. But the why isn't important anymore. Its taken root, and no matter how disillusioned I've become with it, its still in my blood to care what happens to those blokes. Especially a guy like Benoit, with his likable in-ring persona, and his fantastic technical skills, both on the mat and in the air.

I'll never forget his exploits. Entering Royal Rumble 2004 as the first man in the ring, and going on to outlast all 29 other guys to emerge as winner; or taking on Triple H (I think) on that title-shot two months later at Wrestlemania, and winning in a most bloody encounter; or his massive rivalry with Kurt Angle. Unforgettable moments all. But of course, the one I'll always remember, would be of then-WWE Heavyweight Champion Eddie Guerrero celebrating with Benoit, the then-newly-crowned World Heavyweight Champion, at the end of Wrestlemania, in March 2004. The euphoria that erupted that night still gives me the tingles when I think about it, but sadly, we'll never see either of them compete again in the ring.

How bitter then the irony. Both champions on the night, and now both dead.

Rest in peace, ya' Canadian Crippler.

2007-06-24T00:54:00.000+08:00

Settlers Cafe. New hangout place. Nice.

Football's all but over now in Europe, and the weekends have been that much quieter since. Copa America's kicking off Tuesday, and the Asian Cup's starting early next month, so it isn't too bad. But till then, its simply been about finding something to fill in for my addiction.

Tri-Nations rugby's on. Not exactly like football, but it comes close. I've seen South Africa in action twice now, and they're not too bad. Questions were asked about the forward pack prior to the start of the series, but they've been holding up well. Could go far in the World Cup in September. Something to look out for then.

New Zealand's the hot favourite, what with their fantastic form over the last thirty months or so, but they've been a little off-colour the last two weeks. The victory over Canada last week was a little sloppy, and the score-line flattered them. This week wasn't too different. Aside from the last fifteen minutes, the All-Blacks didn't look like they deserved to take anything from the game. South Africa's defense was frighteningly solid, and only two lapses in concentration cost them in the end against a poor All-Blacks team. Well, it makes things interesting then. South Africa's played two, winning one and losing the last game. Australia's lost their only game, to the Springboks, and New Zealand's won their opener. So things could change dramatically when Australia play New Zealand next. Hmmm. A lot to look forward to then.

And yea. Looking back, I've learnt plenty here, and we're not talking about school-work. Plenty to look forward to then eh?

2007-06-10T17:56:00.000+08:00

Cringe-worthy, I tell you, are my posts from the past. That lack of maturity, that brashness, but I guess I'll be saying the same for this post in a couple of years. I suppose we all have that, the embarrassing immature past, and some people, like yours truly, have cultivated the unfortunate habit of show-casing it to the world. I must confess that, on occasion, I've had the temptation to delete my old posts, or even start afresh some place else. But that would just be running away for my past, and if I do it once, whats gonna stop me doing it over and over again?

Nay, no running. The past is what it is: past. Nothing I do now will change my past, the good or the bad. There's always the temptation to try and lock away or destroy the less savoury aspects of that past, but lets be honest, its a futile exercise. There's no point in hiding from my past; that would be akin to hiding from who I am, or was, deep down inside. I am who I am, scars, warts and all.

The posts will stay.

2007-05-31T00:09:00.000+08:00

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY LEONARD! Wa. Super belated man.

Its been five-and-a-half years, and if anyone could read me inside out like a book, damn, you sure found out how. Haha. Solid la brudder. Solid.

Sunday to the KUKU, so named by Celestine. Lazed away at Carrefour and Spotlight. Gawked at all the goodies at some $2 shop. Tried to pull a fast one on Wei Qiang (TRIED). Malufied at the new Japanese restaurant in Plaza Singapura. Seriously malufied man. Thai Express was ok. Swensens ice-cream wasn't too bad. But it wasn't the food that was important. The gang made it great. Long winding walk from Dhoby Ghaut to Lavender. Belated birthday boy's last present from us. Might as well eh. Walk walk walk, walk walk walk.

Spicy doesn't go with ice-cream. Dang. Sure found out the hard way. =\ Got me all queasy when I got back, and killed my sleep. Woke up several times during the night, and with a bloody little fever too. It pretty much went away by morning, but like the gaffer said, viral infection. Knocked me out the whole day. Sleep sleep sleep, sleep sleep sleep.

My hair's in bad shape. Pictures on Meiling's blog can attest to that. I'm getting a bloody centre parting man. Dang. Its irritating the hell out of me. Man, and Dad SURE made me feel a whole lot better telling me my hair's meant to look like one of them Beatles. -_-"

"Pirate of the Caribbean" on Tuesday. Draggy. Disappointing. Geoffrey Rush's Barbossa seemed like a lame duck this time around, and he was one of the better fellas. The intention for a script was a stupid idea. The whole franchise doesn't revolve around stories; its the actors and their relationships with one another. And thats piratey relationships, not the mushy ones. Little part at the start's intriguing though.

Ok. I'm tired.

2007-05-18T22:41:00.000+08:00

Quirky little fact: my last post numbered 333. Nice.

Alright. So its been ages. The world's moved along, and yet, I've starved all you ardent fans of this space the goings-on in my life that you so badly crave (LOL!). So here it is. United finally sealed the title, to jubilation in the house, and all of the non-Blue world, I suspect. The relegation battle absorbed my entire Sunday night, while the promotion battle just one rung down's keeping my Dad fixated (his beloved Derby's in the final!). So its been football, football, football.

Not that I'm complaining of course. But the new semester has added a whole new dimension to my life. Yea. We're working around tighter deadlines and ever shortening fuses. And yes, I'm getting a lot more involved in CCAs. Late, late, late nights I tell you. But the friends make it all worthwhile. Fun, fun, fun!

And FA Cup Final week's here! And its the west London snobs again. Sitting here, on a Friday night, 23 hours removed from kickoff, and the anticipation's driving me nuts already. First final at the new Wembley, and we're looking to put Moan-rinho out of his misery. COME ON YA REDS! CHAMPIONS!

2007-04-29T18:53:00.000+08:00

Loads been happening in thirteen days since I last posted, but it would be a pain for you guys if I went into details. So, lets cover it all quickly. Orientation Camp (C171 OEI!), start of school, "200 Pound Beauty", first leg of United-Milan (a cracker of a game), CCA Recuitment Drive, and smashing makan sessions. Phew.

Its all been pretty much interesting, but the rush of the first twelve days paled to the two hours of nail-biting tension last night. Honestly. For the first time in a long time, United and Chelsea kicked off their games at the same time, just not playing against each other. If there was ever such a thing as an Molotov cocktail of emotions, those two hours had it all.

United started off pretty bad, and conceded early, much to the chagrin of us fellas watching at home, and to the glee of the boys in blue at Stamford Bridge. Three minutes later, however, those smirks were wiped off their smug little faces when Bolton put their noses in front. Parity restored in the title race (for us anyway). But Chelsea, being Chelsea, refused to lie down and they didn't just pull themselves level, they put themselves into the lead. Our three point lead gone, and so did our fuses.

With every agonizing minute that passed, with every misplaced pass, with every mishit shot, the tension rose significantly, and frankly, it was difficult to continue watching. Half-time came and went, and United started the half pretty much the same way they did the first: poorly. Manuel Fernandes, on loan at Goodison, decided to show the world that Ronaldo wasn't the only brilliant Portuguese in the arena with a smashing goal. But the wonder at having seen such a good goal was tempered by the fact that we were now two down, with Chelsea in the lead in their game. Level on points in the title race. Indescribable agony.

Then, faint hope. Kelvin Davies, the pesky little forward, came up with a surprise, and pulled Bolton level. Two apiece at the Bridge, and a two point lead for us in the race. Still, the football offered by our boys in red was disheartening. The ineffective Smith was taken off, and suddenly the verve was back in United's game. O'Shea pulled one back from Carrick's corner, and hope was restored to the faithful. The boys in the red pushed forward now, this time with Ronaldo finally in the fray, with all their worth, and another corner would bring us level. Ronaldo's header bounced off Turner in goal, and in his frentic bid to clear the ball off the line, ex-Red Phil Neville only managed to stab it home for us. Irony. Three point lead at the top restored, our boys went in for the kill. First Rooney, with a well-taken goal (ironic eh?), and then the unheralded Chris Eagles with a smashing shot, gave us the win, the three points, and the extension to our lead at the top of the table. Chelsea failed to score again, and had to settle for the draw. Five points now separate the two teams, with three games to go.

What a roller-coaster ride of emotions in a short two hour span. No scriptwriter could have written the ending better for United, and tough luck to Chelsea. We're now this close to winning the title that is rightfully ours, and I can just smell the silverware, the glory. Come on ya Reds! Champions!

Man, I love sports.

2007-04-16T22:20:00.000+08:00

Funny creatures, us humans, when you consider the fact that, aside from memories or material possessions, we can't store a single thing for further use. Not sleep, not food, nor emotions.

You can sleep for as long as you want, for many days on end, but the one day you don't sleep at all wrecks you. You find it difficult to concentrate, and the urge to doze off grows stronger with every passing minute. Its almost as if you didn't spend all those days resting up for it!

Food works a little better in this respect. Stuff yourself, and you probably will eat less for the next meal, or maybe even skip it all together. But the effects don't last very long. Metabolism strips you bare of what you've already ingested, and demands for even more. Our bodies just can't store any form of food for long-term use, the way camels do with water, or bears through hiberntation. Irritating isn't it? Imagine trekking through the desert lugging around all that food on top of the weight you're already carrying. Wonders what food storage organs would do for us.

And when you think about it, you can't store and re-use emotions. Take happiness for example. How wonderful life would be if you could keep recalling and re-using the emotions you felt when you were most happy. Not one more day of sorrow, or anger. Just pure bliss. But reality is never like that. Negative emotions will always be there, and we'll all have to grapple with them at one point or another.

Plenty we could do if we just could store all these things for further use, but the Chap-Upstairs has other ideas. Perhaps to remind us of our own vulnerability, or that life isn't just a bed of roses; to fully appreciate it would be to take in both the thorns and the roses. Ohwell. Who can read His intentions?

Which reminds me. Randomness like this is something else that can't be recycled. =D

2007-04-15T20:54:00.000+08:00

Went to the market for breakfast with Dad. Said something I probably shouldn't have. Anyway, it got him into a rage, not with me, but with everything thats gone wrong with his family. As much as he wears his heart on his sleeve (something I think I got from him), he isn't want of opening up. Today was one of those rare occurances when he lets everything thats troubling him out, and despite the unfortunate circumstances that brought it about, I decided against interrupting.

Fresh insights of course, into the complexities of a family so big and yet one so divided. But it wasn't anything about his family that left any impression on me. No, it was something that had to do with me.

You see, when I was little, perhaps even before my brother was born, my Dad got me started on watching wrestling. Of course, this was before he found out it was all a phoney show, but thats another story. Anyway, it was probably the earliest form of father-son bonding we shared, and come Saturday nights, he'd have the TV on and plonk us both on the sofa, watching the Undertaker decapitate another hapless opponent, or Bret "The Hitman" Hart retain one title or another with his Sharpshooter. But, those nights didn't always end so well, for me anyway. Granny would call him to go down to her place, or someone else's, for him to play mahjong with his siblings and their spouses, and he would oblige, just to please her. But of course, at that age, I didn't understand, and he remembers me, standing at the door, close to tears, begging him not to go. "Papa, don't go", as he recalled.

I remember little of my Dad on Saturdays as a young child because of this, but it seemed to me that I had gotten over it all. After all, it was nearly a decade and a half ago. But when he said the words I purportedly said then, I felt something give. It was like I had locked away the emotions I felt then, and now had them come roaring back at me, the dam holding them back broken. Outwardly, there was no marked change, but inside, I was dealing with a maelstrom.

It hasn't stopped swirling since.

Who knew a kid no older than four could feel so much?

2007-04-15T20:06:00.000+08:00

Saturday was great.

Meiling's right; our gatherings only see the regular faces. But on the bright side, it was fun. Worked up an appetite waiting for just the first person to come, and in the process got my hands reeking of newspaper print. Meiling finally turned up after an hour and a half, and the first thing she did was drag me half way across Orchard so she could buy earrings or something. Managed to find Jen on the way, and he helped kill my boredom at the bazaar. Lunch at Subway, before Jun Kiat found out we had wasted his time and money to come look for us when we were heading back to where he was anyway. So it was back to Dhoby Ghaut, and the start of the wait for our star of the moment. Jaime finally turned up a quarter to 4, and we trooped down to Mind cafe to chill out.

Real cosy place, and so many games to choose from. Man. Spent a good part of 2 hours playing an assortment of games without even realising that all that time had gone by. Love the place. Pity the prices for food and drinks.

Jun Kiat left for a family gathering, and we walked back up to Takashimaya to look for Leonard at work. Damn paiseh la, for him, what with Jaime waving and giggling and generally making a scene.

Ran across the road in the rain like mad folks just to get to Swensens. Tex-Mex Fish was so-so, and oh-so-pathetically small. =\ Dessert was pretty good though. Caught up on the good old times. Man, miss them.

Went back to wait for Leonard to finish with work, and we walked down the street to McDonalds, where we talked somemore.

Smashing outing! How about another one?

2007-04-14T00:33:00.000+08:00

Its not been an exceptionally good day. Friday the 13th. What are the odds?

The day's never been an issue. Well, most of the time anyway. But this time, my luck ran out on me. See, I was on the train, heading west. Minding my own business (ie. daydreaming), when I noticed this guy inching close to the pole I was next to. He smiled. And the courteous thing's to smile back right? So that's what I did. BIG MISTAKE.

He began introducing himself. Fine, I thought. Charity? I'll donate. But turns out, he wasn't soliciting for donations, he just wanted to talk. Argh. So i let him do it. Then it got creepy. Whipped out his handphone, showed me photos of animals and asked me which was cutest. RIGHT. Then went on about this story of this Japanese friend of his who looks like Wang Lee Hom. YEA, SURE. Started to piss me off.

Approaching Tanjong Pagar, he appeared to be getting ready to alight. Relief. But he decided to first ask me, "Where you arighting?". I JUST HAD to tell him the truth, didn't I? "Outram". Thats when he really spooked me. "OH. Me too."

DIE LA!

He just didn't stop talking. And I started to panic. What a creep. How? HOW?

I bolted for my life when the train doors opened at Outram.

2007-04-06T00:22:00.000+08:00

A lot's been going on the last few days, and if I wrote down every event worth mentioning, this entry would run on far too long. Nay. I'll restrict this one.

Service is a subjective creature. And I experienced it firsthand, both in front of and behind the counter. Expectations of customers tend to vary from person to person, and it is hence difficult to nail down what exactly is good service. But, allow for a little give and take in expectations, and the picture's a little clearer. Promptness in services, an ever-ready smile, good hygiene, and a willingness to serve. Thats what we have all come to expect, and accordingly demand for. In most places, we tend to receive average service. You get what you asked for, plus maybe a smile or two. Nothing out-of-this-world, but its alright. You can live with OK treatment. But doesn't it just get under your skin when you encounter terrible service, especially when you get that from the same company even in different outlets?

Walk into any Long John Silvers outlet, and the chances are that you'll find yourself stuck with messy tables, long queues, rude staff and long waiting times for your food to be served. I've had that quite a bit. I remember a trip to the outlet at Bedok, when this guy forgot my order, even though he had asked me FOUR times for it. And it wasn't even the peak period! Or the time when I was at the Tampines Mall outlet, when the lady who was bussing tables yelled at customers over the slightest things. Or the time when I had breakfast at the Tanjong Pagar outlet, when this other lady had a conversation with her colleagues WHILE attending to me. She made me feel invisible! And I got rubbish treatment again today! This time at the Century Square outlet. I could just go on and on about the horror stories I've had to endure at the hands of the staff of Long John Silvers, but that would be me going off-tangent. The service sucks. Period.

Among fast food joints (notice the word 'joints'; they simply aren't good enough to be called 'restaurants'), Long John Silvers has, consistently, the worst service standards. And I don't get why. Is it the lack of adequate training? Or is it down to a case of terrible work culture? I just don't get it. Compared to its rivals, the food's unique. No burgers, just good ol' fried chicken, fish and shrimp. The layout's distinctive too. Mural of the docks? Complex knots in frames? Definitely a Long John Silvers outlet. Its brand recognition man, brand recognition! And its all going to waste cos of horrible, HORRIBLE service. Just what would it take to get good service at Long John Silvers?!

I'm sick of getting the short end of the stick.

2007-04-01T18:50:00.000+08:00

The world's abound with all sorts of new inventions, but this very one, in my opinion anyway, is just plain stupid. You see, there's this guy in Thailand, a government scientist, who's come up with odourless durians. Called Chantaburi No. 1 (after the dude's home province), its supposed to be for people who can't stand the smell of durians, especially the picky ang moh. It seems pretty good on its premise; durians that even the ang moh can appreciate. But as a durian traditionalist, I love the smell of my durians; its not a durian if the rich pungent aromas don't assault the senses and call out the good old Singaporean in me. After all, to quote from Adrian Tan's Teenage Workbook (a dear favourite of mine), "A durian by any other name would smell as sweet". Although he does continue on, that Shakespeare, being a bloody ang moh, would, instead, probably have said, "A durian by any other name would still smell as strong". Regardless, durians taste best in their full, rich aromas. No room for argument.

I miss my durians.

2007-03-26T23:53:00.000+08:00

Received an SMS for help earlier. It was in Chinese. Help for this person with cancer , for people to donate blood and forward the message to as many people as possible. I just stopped what I was doing, and eye-balled my phone, eye-balled that message. I couldn't help but wonder, is this message for real? After all, it could just be a phoney.

We all get messages for help every now and then, be it by e-mail or text message. Its all very simple, step forward and offer help if you can, but if you can't, its alright. Just forward the message to as many people as possible. In the beginning, its no problem at all. You think to yourself, why not? But as time passes, you get more and more of such requests, and you begin to tire. You start to pick and choose what messages you wish to forward, and this number progressively drops to zero. But its still fine. You still bother to read the messages. But one day, you receive a familiar message. Its one you helped forward a long time ago. You hit your limit. You convince yourself that the messages must be fakes, and from then on, never open another one of those messages.

I'm one of those people. Sick and tired of it all. But as I stared at that message, the shame hit me. It doesn't matter whether its real or not; what matters is the sincerity in a person's heart. What stops people from forwarding those messages? Is it truly because they believe that the message is fake, or is it simply the fear that people will laugh at them for wasting their time on something that must be fake? Sure, there will be fakes out there, but do we then treat every single message for help as fake?

I think its down to the world we live in. Long gone are the days when a man's word could take him places; nowadays its all in black and white. We have grown apart, detached from one another. We have no time for each other, only enough time for work or study. We have built walls around ourselves, growing cold and indifferent, and it has hardened our hearts. Fooled once, and we prefer to shut ourselves off, sometimes for good. Trust is something we find hard to rebuild.

Could I trust this one message?

I guess I can. Well, I did. I forwarded the message. To a number of people.

After all, I'm still working on my sincerity. I wanna break down these walls.

2007-03-25T18:13:00.000+08:00

Hmmm. Dad's gone to watch Liaoning Guangyuan's first game at home against Tampines. All the way to Queenstown. Haven't been there in nearly 10 years now. Not the fanciest of stadiums, but the atmosphere back then was memorable. The crowd roared on Tiong Bahru United (as they were known then) every single time they had the ball. Brilliant atmosphere really. Haven't had that very often in our stadiums lately. Either that, or I haven't been to a game in a long time. Hmmm. Which reminds me. I haven't been to a game in a year. Its time to go again. Yea.

"Ugly Betty" is on tonight! Woo~hoo! Funny show! Must watch!

2007-03-25T12:31:00.000+08:00

There's been a great hoo-har this past week over the probable pay rise that civil servants can expect. Judging by figures released by the Government, this appears justified. Pay for top civil servants, ministers, judges and other top mandarins is well below the formula as prescribed back in 1994. Pegged to two-thirds of the median pay of the top forty-eight earners across six professions, the formula aims to provide renumeration that the best in Government deserve. At present, top civil servants are paid at only 55% of what their counterparts in the private sector are earning. But of course, at this level, only seems to be a very unfortunate word to use. After all, we are looking at increases of $1 million for the top mandarins. Per person. Astronomical amounts compared to what many low wage workers will ever earn in the span of their careers.

The timing of this announcement, just months before this country prepares for the impact of an increase in the GST, has led many to come up with wild tales. The increase in the GST is to cover the increase in pay for the Government's top brass, some say. And that is just one of the many now circulating all around the Web. Rubbish, I say, all rubbish. Did these people not know that as the GST increases, the corporate tax has fallen? That in the same budget that called for the increases, social welfare benefits like Workfare were rolled out? The money for the benefits we enjoy must come from somewhere.

But I digress.

I believe that its only fair that we give the brightest minds in the Government and Civil Service the renumeration they so richly deserve. The facilities and benefits we enjoy are only possible because of the work they do. While it may be true to say that people looking to work in the public sector should put serving the people ahead of making money, it isn't fair to insist they settle for poor pay packages as compared to their peers in the private sector. That would only lead to massive staff turnover. Incidentally, this latest pay review comes after rising resignations in the Civil Service.

The salaries of public sector staff must be brought in line with their private sector peers. There is no doubt about that. It is impossible to expect people to work themselves to the bone for a pittance. But just how much is fair? How can the size of the pay increases be justified? There is no simple answer to this, of course. But instead of just using the wages of top private sector earners as a yardstick, perhaps key performance indicators (KPI) can be used as well? For example, the pay of minsters can be determined by using a formula that takes into consideration the GDP of the country, along with the pay scale of private sector peers. Coupled with an annual review that allows wages to rise and fall within a suitable range, this could be fairer, and thus easier to justify to the people, the taxpayers who finance the Government.

Yea. About sums up my argument. Apologies if my arguments are weak, and they invariably should be. Will be working on them. =)

2007-03-23T18:19:00.000+08:00

Everytime I look out the window and see the many shades of green, I feel a sense of comfort, a sense of relief that helps keep me sane. The colours, the smells, the sounds. Brilliant. Simply brilliant. Mother Nature in all her glory is a sight to behold, there is simply no doubt about that.

But as I take in all her beauty, I wonder to myself, will she stay this way? When my time ends, will people still see her beauty? And if so, when their time ends, will there be any left of her? I fear that there will be precious little left, if any, of nature in years to come. Every single day, in almost every part of the world, people pillage from nature, taking more than they should. Deforestation, emission of green house gases, whaling, overfishing, poaching - each and every single case an abuse of our planet. We, as a people, have overburdened this planet which we depend on, and I fear this will be our undoing. By some estimates, the destruction that we have wrought on Planet Earth will heal in about 75 years at the earliest. It makes one shudder to even think of what would happen to us all if the worst case scenario were to happen.

We must move now to confront this malaise, and right all the wrongs. Efforts, have no doubt been made, but they are feeble ones. There are many international agreements out there, but each and every one has been neglected and forgotten. Talk simply is cheap; there must be action. The leading countries in the world should step forth, and show the way. There must be a stronger, more concerted effort to drive the international agreements to fruition, to accomplish the goals as stated in them.

Singapore, despite its small size, is well-poised to be that leader. We have, as a country, punched well above our weight on many occasions. Cast your thoughts back to 1995, when Professor Tommy Koh chaired the UN Conference for the Law of the Sea. Or some years back, when Khoo Swee Chiow became the first man to conquer the highest peaks of every continent as well as both poles. Singapore has shown an uncanny ability to be at the forefront of human development in years gone by. Surely now, after more than four decades, we still have that ability within us. Let us be the champion for conservation and the enviroment. Let us take the first step to saving the world for our children, and their children.

Singapore = Conservation? Why not?

2007-03-23T10:19:00.000+08:00

Plain as it is for all to see, its been a while.

Tuesday was spent out at the movies. "Pursuit of Happyness". Pretty good. Not on the level of bloody brilliant just yet (in my humble opinion anyway), but its one of Will Smith's best performances. Based on a true story, you could almost see the fairy-tale end, but unlike most other films of this nature, it managed to keep the viewer at the edge of his seat, eager to find out just how he did it. More than worth its admission price, no doubt about that.

Wednesday was spent out with the class in Sentosa. Fun, fun, fun! Wouldn't have missed it for the world. =)

The rain washed out our trip to the course yesterday. Which means we'll have to head back some other day to finish up. Dang. I just wanna get it over and done with. =\

And so it is, the end of the week again. Which means football's live on the telly again! WOO~! And it starts tonight. Man, can't wait. Can feel the buzz already. =D

Lostprophets - A Town Called Hypocrisy

2007-03-19T15:44:00.001+08:00

Doesn't it just make you wonder what they get up to behind the scenes of "Sesame Street"?

Great song. Pity the video quality.

2007-03-18T23:41:00.000+08:00

Alright. Got my computer back. Hard disk had to be changed, for a reason I can't recall now. Everything's gone as well, and this just reminded me about dropping the old girl off at the PC Clinic on Tuesday. See, as always, the guy asked the one question they never forget to: anything important? "No, not really," was my reply. Just ALL my songs, photos, and stuff I can't find on the web on my own. =\

Anyway, on to more... pleasant things. Camp was pretty good. Sapped by the time I reached school, so I was pretty subdued much of the way. Lack of sleep didn't help. But, it was fun. Nice to go to Ubin again; been months since I was last there. Turning a tad orangy wasn't too nice though. I need to get out in the sun more. Football anyone?

Strength returned by the third day, so I got a LITTLE more rah-rah. A little. Throwing hand let me down. Guess I'm not cut out for baseball or cricket. LOL.

4S gathering on Saturday rocked! Steven actually came along for once, would you believe? We guys (as in Hao Jie, Kiren, Hayden, Steven, and moi) had a rollicking good time, and I bet the girls did too. Steamboat steamboat steamboat. Man, what can I say?

4S rocks! WOO~!

2007-03-12T13:44:00.000+08:00

In entries past, I have been guilty, as some of you have pointed out, of rambling on and on about matches that I have had the pleasure of following. This may not seem like much of a travesty to those who share my obsession for the Beautiful Game, but for those who do bother reading those entries of mine, you'll realise that you can find most of that in match reports in the papers or off the web. Most of what I write is a simple rehash of how the game flowed, and nothing more. And I do apologise for putting all of you through such torturous treatment. Starting from this very entry, I promise no more rambling nonsense, no more regurgitation. (Funny, I hear cheering.) Instead, I'll buckle down, and make this space a much more interesting read. I will, instead, write on a deeper, technical level, detailing my humble analysis of tactics, teamsheets, players, and managers.

Got ya there didn't I? Read it again. Didn't mention who I'd make it interesting for. Grins.

Anyway, enough posturing, and on to the serious stuff. The Cup tie between Chelsea and Tottenham last night was basically a tale of two halves. Berbatov and Lennon, playing out of position on the left, combined to great effect to put Spurs 3-1 up at the half, and could have made it even more embarassing for the newly crowned League Cup champions had they been more clinical in at the start of the second.

However, as always, Martin Jol found a way to shoot his team in the foot. With Chelsea at the start of the ascendency, he pulled off both of his in-form stars, and put on Mido and Malbranque respectively. Straight switches I hear some of you say, but the two substitutes were, and are, no where near being as good as the men they replaced. Malbranque appeared in need of a shepard for every single minute he spent on the pitch, and his poor first touch betrayed him everytime he went near the ball. It speaks volumes of Spurs' true strength in depth (or lack of) when an out-of-position Lennon still played better than both Malbranque and Ghaly, who both played on their preferred flanks. Speaking of the Egyptian, despite getting his name on the score-sheet, Ghaly bore more of a resemblance to a block of wood than a Premiership footballer. He is clearly out of his depth at this level, but it seems only Jol is oblivious to that fact.

And while Mido possesses the same massive frame as Berbatov, he lacks the good first touch and creativity that the Bulgarian has in abundance. Mido did manage to trouble the Chelsea backline with his size, but otherwise, his impact on the game was limited.

Chelsea had one of their rare off-days, and for everyone who caught the game, it was rewarding (or painful, depending on your allegencies) to find Chelsea concede three on their own ground. Without the formidable presence of Terry at the back, the boys in blue seemed to quiver in fear whenever the ball was played in their half, and deservedly trailed by two at the break. Things looked even bleaker when Wright-Philips, brought on for the unfortunate Ferreira, found himself out-hustled by the more eager Spurs midfielders. For 21 million pounds, he has been a poor investment, and it looks increasingly likely that his future lies away from Stamford Bridge. But apart from him, the rest of Mourinho's changes did their jobs, and supersub Kalou fired home the equaliser with just 5 minutes left on the clock. And so the replay it is come next Monday, joining Manchester United-Middlesbrough on the FA Cup replay fixtures list.

Larsson scores vs Aston Villa

2007-03-11T18:34:00.001+08:00

The 12th of March is tomorrow, and aside from it being Yvonne's birthday, its also the final day that a certain Mr Larsson will spend in United red. Its been a brilliant 3 months, and his contributions to the club will never be forgotten. Thanks for the memories Henrik!

Glory glory Henrik Larsson!

2007-03-11T12:35:00.000+08:00

Thanks to an odd spot of TV programming from the media bigwigs, most of this week's FA Cup games will be played today, instead of the usual Saturday kickoffs. So, deprived of my usual fix of the Beautiful Game, I decided to buckle down to follow my first Six Nations rugby game in full. Scotland vs Ireland.

The Irish were the more dominant side in the first 20 minutes, running rings around the Scots with their powerful forward pack and brilliant ability to spread play. The gulf in class eventually showed, even as the Scots began to get themselves more into the game, when a mistake from the Scottish number 10 allowed Ronan O'Gara to steal in for the try. O'Gara converted, and added to the two penalties he had scored earlier on. 13-9 to the men in green at the half.

The Scots lost Nathan Hines, their number 4 to the sin bin at the start of the second, but survived the resultant brutal Irish onslaught. This gave them the confidence to take the game to the Irish, and they deservedly took the lead after three consecutive penalties took them up to 18-13. Going behind to unfancied opposition finally stirred the Irish, slumbering as they had been much of the half, and they roared back, with O'Gara netting two more penalties, and the Irish put their noses in front, 19-18. The scores stayed that way till the end, and allowed the Irish to win the Triple Crown, after earlier disposing of Wales on the opening weekend, and thumping the English 43-13 two weeks ago.

Watched the game between Italy and Wales after that, and it was a little more exciting, what with the expansive styles employed by both sides, unlike the parasitic tactics of the Scots in the earlier clash. Brilliant game, but it was sad to watch it end in contravesy at the end. With 10 seconds on the clock, Wales were down 20-23, and had a penalty. Hook, the number 12, received assurances from the referee that they was enough time for a line-out, and he proceeded to boot the ball out to touch. But almost as soon as the ball crossed the line, the referee blew the final whistle, and the furious Welsh surrounded him, robbed of at least a certain draw. Take nothing away from the Italians, I think they played a good game, but the Welsh deserved more than they got out of it.

2007-03-07T23:50:00.000+08:00

Woo-hoo! Class chalet was major fun! All the games, talk-cock sessions, the Great Chase, the February birthday surprises... Man, just fantastic. Up for another one. What say you?

Picking up from what we talked about at chalet (the Eagles, Hotel California, and the little legend of the Satanic messages), William did some major research, and man, its all pretty interesting. http://www.reversespeech.com/music_reversals.htm Its worth checking out. And have a laugh at some of the silly reverse messages.

2007-03-04T17:30:00.000+08:00

Life. Purpose. Fulfilment.

There isn't much in life I can complain about. Life's been more than fair. Things are pretty much going smooth. Looks pretty good. Man, I ought to feel good. But funnily enough, I don't feel all that fantastic. Yea, its all pretty good, and I'd be pretty greedy to ask for more, but you know, its just not right; it doesn't feel complete.

I feel a void in my life, a gap that I just can't seem to plug. My life lacks purpose. I don't know where I want to go, I don't know where I want to be. I enjoy what I do, but will I still enjoy all this two or three decades from now?

I seek fulfilment. I seek happiness. And right now, I can't find it. What is my purpose here? Will I accomplish what I am meant to do? When this all ends, will I look back and feel satisfied?

I don't know.

But everytime I look up at the sky, be it in the day with the billowy clouds, or at night with the beautiful little stars, I find comfort. Its a big world out there. Someday, I'll find my place in the world.

2007-03-04T12:15:00.000+08:00

1-0 to Utd! Its a massive win for the lads, and puts us one step closer to taking back the Premiership title that is rightly ours. For 90 whole minutes, Liverpool looked the better of the two, and could've easily won the game at the Kop end with two or three chances just going a-begging.

They came storming out in the second, and had us on the ropes for much of that 45 minutes. Fergie tried to reverse the flow by pulling Rooney back into midfield, but to little effect. A flurry of changes followed for both teams, enforced or otherwise. Utd threw on Silvestre, Saha and O'Shea for Evra, Larsson and Rooney, while Rafa played around with the formations, first pulling off Bellamy for Pennant for the 4-5-1, then back to the 4-4-2 with Crouch on for Sissoko. The latter change was the turning point in the game for me. Without the man-hulk in the centre, Utd managed to push back the tide, and started making forays of their own into the Kop half. One of those forays resulted in a freekick, intelligently won by Giggs in his 700th game no less. Ronaldo's inswinger befuddled the Pool defence, and Reina's poor stop only managed to push the ball out to O'Shea, who made no mistake from less than five yards.

And so it is, yet another smash and grab effort from the boys. Mark of champions? Damn sure is.

2007-03-02T01:33:00.000+08:00

Alright. I've got it all over and done with now, but it has been, to borrow a sporting term, a wretched run of form. I picked wrong. And for back-to-back papers too, would you believe it? =\

Hmmm. Come to think of it. My work this semester seems to resemble how Ballack's playing at Chelsea; distinctly below-par.

Anyway, mammoth game on Saturday. We visit Anfield for what is the biggest rivalry in Premiership football. Could ultimately decide where the title ends up. We HAVE to win this. Absolutely have to. Come on ya Red Devils!

Ireland vs England Anthems @ croke park

2007-02-25T12:16:00.001+08:00

Got back late from the library, and I'm sure glad I did. Aside from the West Ham-Charlton football game (4-0 to the Addicks!), I managed to catch this bit of the Ireland-England Six Nations game. Rugby. Sure, I didn't get to see any crunching tackles, or superb running tries, but what I did get to see left an even deeper impression. The Irish in full voice, rocking Croke Park to its very foundations. On this important ground in Irish history, the anthems whipped up a maelstrom of pride and emotion from the men in green, reducing even the big forwards in the line-up to tears. What it means to them to represent their country. Electrifying. Made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Imagine then if I was there in person. Or better still, imagine the National Stadium in full voice, bellowing in pride along with our Lions. Magic.

Sports. Brilliant. Just brilliant. Love it.

2007-02-23T22:48:00.000+08:00

Had a little problem writing this down along with my last post. Found the quiz off Andrea's blog, and with her sudden interest in quizzes, decided to try it out, just for a laugh. The results are pretty... interesting, to say the least.

Its been a long day. In fact, I think its been a long week. Late nights, early mornings. To be honest, its been tiring, and as a dear friend pointed out, I'm probably wrecking my health. Its probably not as doomsday-ic as the observation might suggest, but I'll admit, I could be doing a lot more taking care of myself.

2007-02-23T22:47:00.001+08:00

The Keys to Your Heart

You are attracted to those who have a split personality - cold as ice on the outside but hot as fire in the heart.

In love, you feel the most alive when your lover is creative and never lets you feel bored.

You'd like to your lover to think you are optimistic and happy.

You would be forced to break up with someone who was emotional, moody, and difficult to please.

Your ideal relationship is lasting. You want a relationship that looks to the future... one you can grow with.

Your risk of cheating is zero. You care about society and morality. You would never break a commitment.

You think of marriage as something precious. You'll treasure marriage and treat it as sacred.

In this moment, you think of love as something you thirst for. You'll do anything for love, but you won't fall for it easily.

What Are The Keys To Your Heart?

2007-02-19T22:15:00.000+08:00

Ok. So I did forget to mention. Happy belated birthday Chuan Liang!

The annual family movie today. "Just Follow Law". Little's changed in Jack Neo's films. Highlight a couple of issues close to the heart of the everyday Singaporean, add in liberal amounts of jokes, with a dash of melodramatic emotion, and voila! Easy-to-digest-consumer-friendly-money-spinning-run-of-the-mill movies! Nothing wrong with doing this of course, but its been some 10 movies now. 10 movies with the exact same formula, a formula that has been done ad nauseam. Surely its time to up the ante, and bring something new to the table? I'm done with being bored. Lets have more smashing movies shall we? Movies that touch the heart, that remind us of our humanity, that feed not just the brain, but also the soul. To have every movie be brilliant, that would be the day eh?

2007-02-18T18:28:00.000+08:00

Hey! Happy New Year y'all! Its been a crazy few days. Caught "Ghost Rider" with the class on Friday. It was disappointing. Uneven pacing, weak character development, corny lines, and an over-reliance on special effects ruined it. Hardcore fans of the comic must have felt robbed. What a waste of what is a fantastic premise for a story for all comic buffs (yours truly included), and it isn't surprising that the critics have ripped into it. Hey Hollywood! A bit more effort please!

Stayed out the whole night to chat. Funny how we're finding more rubbish to talk about.

Didn't sleep much yesterday, what with the spring cleaning and all. Even with the lack of sleep, it was rewarding to finally get my stuff in order, and in time too for the countdown. First session of the IR. Plenty more rounds to go. =D

Visiting today. Good to see some of the cousins today. Missed out on the rest due to timing. =\ Perhaps tomorrow. Ohwell. We'll see.

2007-02-14T00:04:00.000+08:00

Woke up feeling pretty lousy. With a splitting headache to go with it. Visit to the family GP confirmed it. Fever, caused possibly by a throat infection. Mom thinks its all down to the lack of sleep. I don't know. Perhaps it is.

Everyone's down with something, everyone save Mom. Dad's mood has darkened pretty much since he got the flu, and he's been giving us a reminder of the explosiveness of the family temper, not that we needed any reminding. =\

2007-02-12T23:02:00.000+08:00

People at home falling sick. I might be next. =\

Hmmm. And it seems thats not the only bug going around. Doesn't it just warm your heart to know that some bugger in school so idiotically infected all of IT School's computers with a nice little Trojan horse? And a Trojan horse that does nothing but unleash mayhem on unsuspecting innocents too? Fantastic isn't it? A year's work on the line...

If I ever find that bugger, I'm so gonna kill him, or her. Whoever.

2007-02-11T23:26:00.000+08:00

Its been an awfully boring day. After two whole days outside, I feel like a caged bird today. Didn't manage to get up for market, so missed my Sunday prata. Feels pretty odd without it. Yea.

Tell me people. Deja vu: how normal a phenomenon is it? How often does it strike you? Is there ever such a thing as too much deja vu? These questions have been bugging me quite a bit. 2 or 3 weeks back, for a fortnight or so, I experienced deja vu almost every single frigging day. And to top it off, the dreams I had weren't pleasant ones. I saw death in those dreams. Not of people I know, but of the people you walk past everyday and don't give a hoot about. I saw people dying very violent deaths, and it felt real. The world felt real. Most of my deja vu experiences start off with dreams, and there's this nagging worry that what I saw in those dreams will happen, and pretty soon too. Its gnawing away at me. I hope its just some frigging stupid dreams. But I don't know. I just don't.

2007-02-08T19:24:00.000+08:00

You're happy. That's all that matters. Full stop.

To y'all collecting results tomorrow, good luck!

2007-02-04T22:56:00.000+08:00

WE'VE DONE IT! WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS! Things looked bleak when the Thais put themselves ahead midway through the first half. But like on Saturday against Malaysia, we showed our mental fortitude in coming back. Khairul Amri's well-taken goal putting us on level terms on the night, and 3-2 up on aggregate. When the final whistle rang into the night, the whole estate went bananas in a collective roar. Man, its brilliant, just brilliant. Majulah Singapura!

2007-02-04T11:45:00.001+08:00

You're happy. Its probably not me though. But it doesn't matter. You're happy. And its enough for me.

I love your smile.
You tell me its all a charade,
that your smiles don't come from the heart.
But imagine how I would feel
if your smiles did come from the heart?
I love your smile.

2007-02-03T19:25:00.000+08:00

You're beautiful.
You're beautiful.
You're beautiful.

I'm going crazy over you.

2007-02-03T18:02:00.000+08:00

Slept pretty late last night, so I was pretty surprised to find myself awake on my own, barely hours after finally managing to fall asleep. The first thing I was conscious of was this huge, and very crushing, wave of emotion, and it pretty much wrecked the rest of my day. Mom kinda guessed I was going through a rotten day; she packed me off for home even though there was grocery shopping still to be done.

Negative emotions breed negative feelings and thoughts. I've let negativity take control, and its just wrecked me. Wake up feeling bad, and I let it affect my whole day. Its pretty much self-inflicted I guess. And I'm tired of it. I just want this weight off, this monkey to get off my back. Its time I stopped wallowing in self-doubt and reproachment, and start believing in myself. Its time for me to step out of my comfort zone, time to step up and confront my fear. Its time for me to move on with my life. I don't want regrets. I'll take my chances.

Its time.

2007-02-03T01:15:00.000+08:00

If only for a short while, our cares, our responsibilities were carried away by the breeze. Instead, there we were, parking our rears on the kerb. And so we sat there, and talked the hours away. Candid humour, if there was ever such a thing. We ought to do it more often, but then as one of the guys so astutely pointed out, you just can't replicate it. Its a lot like writer's inspiration. It just happens. And though it may be true that what we talked about wasn't the stuff of magic, it did help us learn more about ourselves and each other, and we came off feeling better for it. Candid humour. What could be better?

2007-02-01T23:48:00.000+08:00

There's just so much I want to say, so much I want to say to you. I just don't know how to say it.

2007-01-30T23:51:00.000+08:00

18. =)

Thanks guys! To Leonard, Meiling, Jen, Jaime, Sheng Yang, Chee Seng, William, Jun Hao, June, Wan Ting, Joyce, Jun Kiat, Andrea, Joel, Chiaw Khim, Chuan Liang, Cherylene, Michelle, Jodeline, Pei Yun, Jun Jun, Zhi Hao, Shawn, Chee Leng, Ahmad, Darren, Yanda, Meimei, Xiangyun, Joan, Anqi, Ambrose, Victor, Si Jing, Sarah, Cheryl, John, Fiora, Hui Joo, Shi Han, Daphne, Hui Chan, Asri, Kiren, and all the others I might have accidently left out, I owe a BIG thank you! You guys really made my day. =)

2007-01-28T12:38:00.000+08:00

It hurts. It hurts to see you in anguish. But as much as I want to do something for you, I can't. I don't know what to do. I don't even know whether you'll let me do anything for you. I just want to be the one to catch your tears, to make you smile. Man, what I would give for that.

I just want you to be happy. Everything else doesn't matter.

2007-01-27T23:20:00.000+08:00

OLE! Singapore's done it! We've beaten the Malaysians! How sweet this revenge. Was in the stands the last time the last time the two sides met in a competitive fixture. THAT very match. It was hard to swallow, and it still hurts la. Even after so long. So to win in the cruellest manner possible (penalties) was just fantastic. Didn't get to be there in the flesh this time, but it still feels so damn great.

Things looked bleak when the Malaysians went ahead early in the second half. It was agony for us fellas around the telly; another painful defeat staring at us. But Ridhuan's goal put back on level terms, and set up a tense half-hour of extra time. With both sides failing to capitalise on their chances, they put us all through the agony of a shoot-out. Man, the most hellish five minute periods in my football life. When Lionel Lewis made the save that ended it all, we went bananas. Just pure relief, pure ecstasy. Revenge tastes so so so sweet. Man, I should've been there. LOL.

You're the vision of an angel. What can I say?

2007-01-26T21:43:00.000+08:00

First formal duty. What can I say? Its tough. Mentally taxing. Pretty much the same as NPCC, just a lot less sweat, and I get to come off looking pretty good. =P

There are some things that you can't put out of your head. And then there are some things that you CAN'T put out of your head. =\

2007-01-24T19:12:00.000+08:00

If I could do it all over again, I would've been a lot more daring, a lot more expressive. Probably shouldn't have held back. But then, time will never turn back. So I guess I'll never ever know.

You're beautiful.

2007-01-22T19:14:00.000+08:00

Promised myself not to let the world get to me again. Broke that promise much too soon.

Remember the question you asked me bro? Its not right. I'm not right. This isn't right.

2007-01-21T09:57:00.000+08:00

Its gonna be 10 years this week, aye, 10 years since Granddad's passing. He's missed; still spoken about in revered tones. My memories are sketchy, and most of what I know is taken from the stories my relatives tell me. But even then, at 8, I knew he was a giant among men.

He loved children, and would spend his Sundays playing with us. Bouncing the little ones on his knee, or tickling us till we teared. He was selfless, and put off starting his own family to help look after his brother's brood, which numbered 20 in all. Eventually, he had 6 of his own, and despite earning a pittance from his work at the shipyards, he managed to put them through some form of education. He was a pious man, and often helped out at the temple, especially during big events. Even when he was close to the end, he stood fast to his beliefs and his faith, and never gave up believing. He was active elsewhere in the community, helping the neighbours, or at various organisations like the union. He had a band of close friends with whom he would go gallivanting around Singapore. To places such as the airport, or to take in some new place somewhere. It might not seem like much to many people, but he did that without being able to read, and being able to converse only in Hokkien. He must have had a way with people, charisma, or perhaps it was simply down to his caring heart, for at his wake, there were many people who came by, each one bemoaning his passing, each one having a story to tell about how he made a difference in their lives. For a man who led as simple a life as he did, the number of people who turned up over those 3 days was overwhelming. Aye, he was a good man, a great man.

When people talk of men they admire and aspire to be like, they usually mean men of great fame or fortune, sometimes both. But my choice is a simple man, a humble man, but without a doubt, a man of strength, of honesty, of integrity.

Tickles just haven't been the same.

2007-01-17T23:47:00.000+08:00

Alright! Singapore's through to the semis! Yay! Missed the first half and five minutes of the second, but what a finish the game produced. It was nail-biting to the very end. Came back just in time to see Indra put Singapore into the lead with a poacher's header. The euphoria didn't last very long though, with the Indonesians storming back within 5 minutes. A well-worked corner and a superb chest-and-volley restored parity.

So, for some of the longest 30 minutes of my life, Singapore put everything on the line to prevent the Indonesians from scoring. A draw would've been enough, especially with the 11-0 rout of the Laotians on Monday. And so it was, brutal and scrappy, right up to the very end. But the wait was worth it, and we've been rewarded with a semi-final clash against the Old Enemy. Next Wednesday's the visit to Malaysia, with the 27th the return leg. Man, so wanna beat them. Come on Lions!

Falling sick. Bleagh.

2007-01-15T00:08:00.000+08:00

Happy birthday Meiling! First one to 18! Its gonna be 6 years of fantastic friendship, and even after all that time, things haven't changed by much, have they? 2304 rocks!

"One Last Dance". Unconventional, and very interesting. Francis Ng was superb really; carried the show right to the end. Most of the other actors weren't all that good, save the police captain. But its worth the ticket price. So yea. Watch.

Dinner at Swensen's. It was pretty good. Saw Derick there with his friends. Yea. Small world. Very small really. Met loads of people around City Hall in just one day: Denan, Joel, Ren Liang etc. Man, its been a long time. Anyway, dinner was great. Plenty to laugh about.

Ran out of cash and didn't know till the cab reached the foot of my block. LOL.

Hope you liked your surprise!

2007-01-13T13:39:00.000+08:00

Alright then. Loads of football coming up, almost as if Santa decided to give us all another dose of the festive programme. Our very own Lions begin the defence of their AFF Cup crown today, up against Vietnam. Our chances look pretty slim this year. The strikers are either not in the best of form, or they're just on their way back from injuries. We look a little weak defensively; a cause for concern surely, especially with the forwards that teams like Indonesia have. But we're on home soil for the first round, and playing in the National Stadium. So that could work out, crucially, in our favour. Hoping for the best now.

Come on Lions!

2007-01-11T23:27:00.000+08:00

Computer's dying on me. First the mouse. Then the clock. And now sound. All my music files rotting away. Dang. What a bloody waste. Probably have to get it changed before the year is out. Crap.

Had a terrible night yesterday. Couldn't sleep. Man, too many things in my head. What am I doing with my life? Is this all right? I just don't know. Am I carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders? I might have to say yes. I simply think too much, too far. I'm might just be doing too many things. I'm just so tired man. And not even sleep can give me my rest. I just want to be at peace man. Surely that ain't too much to ask?

Keane - Crystalball

2007-01-10T21:33:00.001+08:00

Took me a while to figure this out, and I'm glad I finally did. Many thanks to Sheng Yang for giving me the idea for where to start.

Song lyrics speak volumes.