Monday, January 23, 2006

manchester united 1 (ferdinand 90' + 1') liverpool 0

despite all my lamenting of a boring game throughout the match(in tandem with interspersed curses and swears), in hindsight, the game wasn't all that bad. all it lacked was goals to set the match alight. i guess the game got much better, with liverpool almost doing a chelsea on united when rio ferdinand had to clear almost off the line to save united's skin that really got some adrenaline pumping in that heart stopping moment. in all fairness, neither team deserved to lose. like united at highbury, both teams adopted a highly tactical approach to the game, leading to a rather dour and cautious duel between 2 teams of such historic and legerndary rivalry. in the end, one extremely outstanding united player stole the show, with a performance on the night that shone through like a lighthouse on a foggy evening.

at £120,000 a week, rio ferdinand is one the most expensively paid footballers in the world, and has been of late the subject of a lot rather justified criticism. often lambasted this season for united's defensive frailties, some wonder why sir alex ferguson puts up with his hefty wages. what an occassion to choose to tell the critics to stuff it. rio was in tremendous form tonight. while he might have made one or two too many forward runs, he single-handedly(or footedly) saved united's hide on more than one occassion on the night, displaying the strong calm and elegance that convinced fergie to part with £30 million to sign him.

while it might already be too late to catch chelsea this season, the signs are there that the blue juggernaut can be stopped in the seasons to come. two very lethal and potent red giants stalk the london blues. and they're not too happy about playing second fiddle to them.

Sunday, January 22, 2006

heaven at 5am in the morning is...

having sweet secrets scones toasted in a toaster oven for 1 minute.

Friday, January 20, 2006

run whereever you wish...

ok... i gave up on trying to table the translation with the romaji... sorry folks if japanese songs ain't your cup of tea, but i love the translation for this one, and it's from full metal panic: the second raid. hope you enjoy the words as much as i do. =)

Minamikaze
Shimokawa Mikuni

kokoro egakidasu chizujou no michina FRONTIER
tobira hiraitara michi wa tsuzuiteiru yo
hitori tayorinaku senobi shite miru UTOPIA
yumemiru kurai nara kamawazu sagashiku yo

hokori makiagete kimi no machi e
sora to daichi ga kasanaru ROUTE de

hashiru minamikaze ni notte aoku somaru kaze wo kitte
kokoro goto kakedashiteirunda
mahiru no tsuki wo oikoshite kinou to wa chigau sekai e
doko made mo hashirinuketeku ano kaze no you ni

toki ga mezamedasu kibou ni michita IDEA
uta ni tsumuidara kazari mo suteteiku yo

hikari maichireba mune ga sawagu
kumo to midori ga toketeku SPEED de

yureru ushirokage otte kesshite nidoto nigenaide
kotae nara hitotsu janai sa
kaoru natsu no hana ga saite yagate furisosogu mirai de
atarashii kimi no egao ni deaemasu you ni

karada tsutau ase wo fuite kawaku nodo wo uruoshite
mayoisae furikitteikunda

hashiru minamikaze ni notte aoku somaru kaze wo kitte
kokoro goto kakedashiteirunda
mahiru no tsuki wo oikoshite kinou to wa chigau sekai e
doko made mo hashirinuketeku ano kaze no you ni

ano kaze no you ni


Southern Wind

It's the unknown frontier off the map outlined by the heart
If you open the door
You'll find the road continues on and on
It's a Utopia that you don't have to rely on only yourself to try and reach
If you just dream it, go looking for it no matter what

Kick up the dust as you head towards your town
Along a route where the sky and earth meet

Ride the rushing southern wind, cutting through the blue-dyed breeze
Run with your whole heart
Overtake the noonday moon, heading to a different world from yesterday
Run whereever you wish, just like that wind

Ideas, which are full of the hope awakened by time
If you spin them in a song, you'll throw away the decorations, too

If the lights are dancing around, your heart will jump
With a speed that melts away the clouds and greenery

Pursuing the wavering backs of those in front of you, never running away again
Without any answers at all
The fragrant summer flowers blooming, the future finally pouring in
So that I can finally meet your new smiling face

Wipe the sweat running down your body, quench your parched throat,
Shake off any hesitation and take off

Ride the rushing southern wind, cutting through the blue-dyed breeze
Run with your whole heart
Overtake the noonday moon, heading to a different world from yesterday
Run whereever you wish, just like that wind

Just like that wind

Thursday, January 19, 2006

frustration doesn't even describe my state of mind at the moment...

bloody freaking hell. at the moment, i'm doing just about everything within my will to keep this blog family friendly. at the same time, i have a tonne of red hot frustration threatening to boil over and make me swipe at anything in sight. sure, friends fight, but disagreeing over money is stupid. STUPID.

whatever the heck happened to company being more important? whatever the heck happened to family? friendship? whatever the heck happened to sticking together, supporting one another? friends don't count the cost, do they? friends are friends. can't we just come together, and enjoy each other's presence?

what makes it even more frustrating and painful is when there's an element of hypocrisy involved... things have been said and are now being disregarded. has that magic of friendship been lost? how much must one tolerate before he stands up and puts his foot down? tell me. how much?

Tuesday, January 17, 2006

spray o' doom

it's funny when a rather domesticated lad like me takes on the usual household creepy crawlies when they inevitably invade my no-crawl zones. just as i slipped out of my shorts and headed to the cupboard for a new pair of shorts to leave for charismatic prayer group, i had to see something budge behind my hanging towel. instinctively, i grabbed a stack of notes and pulled the bed to the middle of the room, expecting a bloody conflict to unfold. grabbing the nearest loose object, my tube of gel, i attempted to drive the invader out of hiding by flinging it at the towel. no response. just as i start to feel i'm losing it and seeing things, a tiny brown body drops unceremoniously to the floor with a slight splat. a baby lizard.

what happens next is what a typical domesticated singaporean young male who hates handling bugs does to your usual household pest. grabbing the can of shieldtox in my cupboard, i proceded to wage a chemical war upon the hapless reptile of unholy proportions, in a manner even saddam hussein would have been envious of. i unloaded spray after spray of insecticide on the intruder, hoping that it would get the idea and come out and either leave by its own consent or with the assistance of my notes, get bludgeoned to death by the same sheets of paper or just perish quickly in the poisonous clouds of white mist it was being exposed to. unfortunately for the unwitting critter, it chose neither. it kept crawling towards the crevice under my cupboard door, and i continued the pelting it. after about half a can of shieldtox later, the brave gecko succumbed to the horrible torture. even i felt a tinge of guilt for subjecting the poor creature to such a terrible fate. after almost stepping outside clad in only my german football jersey and briefs, i slipped back into my shorts to dispose of the carcass...

from this little escapade, i've learnt a few things. one, i'm too damn domesticated for my own good. it would've been so much easier if i had the guts to pick up the stupid little thing and throw it outside. two, it's incredible how much time and work ridding a lizard can take. thirdly, lizards aren't roaches and will take forever to spray to death. fourthly, invest in proper flyswat... and last but not least, i sure as hell wouldn't wanna be in the poor lizard's webbed feet...

Monday, January 16, 2006

a good monday... rare indeed...

not sufferring from monday blues is a rare thing indeed. i guess cleaning the room and getting off my bum to run really instilled some sense of achievement in me, considering how filthy the ceiling fan was before i turned it white once more. you know the fan is absolutely screaming out for a nice, wet, soapy cloth when the dirt and dust comes off the edge of the fan blades in one long, stringy piece. picture a grey, dusty worm and you'll get what i mean... not to mention i got some book and hall-hold shopping done... as well as perfecting my man united jersey on my computer for pro evolution soccer 5... ah. life is good.

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

a blast from my past...

i've never been hit so hard by one of my morning prayers from sji. during rcia, it just so happens that we chanced upon psalm 63, and i've never viewed it much other than a simple psalm we used for thursday morning prayer. till now. it's a true love song to God, using the language of lovers, describing the desire the Jews had for God. more than that, it was a powerful testament of faith that they had in their God. and now i share this beautiful psalm with you.

Psalm 63
O, God, you are my God, for you I long;
for you my soul is thirsting.
My body pines for you
like a dry weary land without water.
So I gaze on you in the sanctuary
to see your strength and your glory.

For your love is better than life,
my lips will speak your praise.
So I will bless you all my life,
in your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul shall be filled as with a banquet,
my mouth shall praise you with joy.

On my bed I remember you.
On you I muse through the night
for you have been my help;
in the shadows of your wings I rejoice.
My soul slings to you;
your right hand holds me fast.

Monday, January 09, 2006

the day can only get better...

after the misery of yesterday's non stop rain, waking up to the shining sun is a wonderful change of pace. after the coldness and darkness the past few days have brought, a sight like this really warms the heart and lifts the soul. it's rather invigorating actually.

of course, having a baffling chemistry lecture at the moment with maths to come doesn't start a monday very well... but at least things will only get better. =)

burton albion 0 manchester united 0... an utter disgrace.

forget united's draw against exeter city. united were totally out of this game in comparison. whilst outclassing non-league burton by miles, none of it mattered as united were totally outfought by the conference side. professional footballers, paid thousands of pounds a week, couldn't even brush aside a team consisting of part-timers. credit to burton for battling united all the way, and even putting in a decent chance or two that must've left tim howard thanking his lucky stars that it didn't go in. while united started to look their colour after rooney and ronaldo came in, they simply weren't good enough against a side battling to earn a lucrative replay at old trafford. one must wonder when united's 2nd string will finally get it right when it comes to dealing with more experienced opposition. while there were a few glimpses of brightness, the future still looks uncertain as united continue on into their period of transition on very shakey feet.

an awfully disappointing match to end an absolutely miserable and soggy day. what a combination.

Sunday, January 08, 2006

rain rain rain...

talk about a washed out sunday... it's been raining non stop since i woke up this morning, and somehow, it's really dampening my spirits. i can't explain it... but i just feel hollow at the sound of the constant pitter patter of the falling rain and the frosty chill it brings. it's different from that chill one feels in an aircon room. it's an abnormal, perpetual chill that permeates through one's being...

maybe it's tied into that feeling of longing i've been feeling lately and i still haven't figured it out what it is yet... it's the same feeling, with the addition of the icy chill that's carressing my skin...

don't get me wrong... i like the rain sometimes, but there's just something in this rain today that's nibbling at my core. and i just can't put a finger on it...

Saturday, January 07, 2006

football rant... subject: real madrid

ok... for once, i shall use my tiny little space here to rant about football... it's been a long time coming, but i've been wanting to tear into real madrid's questionable(bordering on stupid and senseless) policy when it comes to signing players for quite a while. seriously. even roman abramovich is made to look like a middle class workman when compared to the usually over luxurious spending exploits of florentino perez, president of real and the one who makes all the decisions. and while chelsea's overwhelmingly disgusting wealth makes a united fan like me cringe, one cannot help but acknowledge the astute signings that jose mourinho makes for the londoners. while one can complain that chelsea has spent excessively, there is no doubt that most of their purchases are quality and effective transfers. in madrid, on the other hand, it's a different story. within the past year or so, the bernabeau has seen the arrival of michael owen, thomas gravesen, julio baptista, jonathan woodgate, robinho, sergio ramos, pablo garcia, carlos diogo and more the more recent arrivals in the forms of brazil wing back cicinho and italian starlet striker antonio cassano. what a repetoire of names. football stars from all over the europe and south america. surely real are going places?

if only that were the reality. real lie in 5th place in the spanish primera liga, 11 points off league leaders and current holders barcelona. when it comes to common sense, real madrid seemingly have none of it. zero. zilch. obviously when it has been said over and over again that david beckham should be played on the right, something must be seriously wrong with the mental states of the managers at real when they insist on playing a world class right sided midfielder in the center of the park when they have thomas gravesen, danish ace, holding midfielder and playmaker all rolled into one, who can do the job so much more effectively. instead, poor gravesen has to warm the bench while beckham struggles in central midfield. oh, but real's true strength lies in their attacking prowess, their ability to score one more whenever the opponent scores, some might say. but honestly, signing so many strikers to fill two forward berths is utter stupidity. most elite clubs usually have 2 men for every position, real have ronaldo, raul, robinho, baptista and now cassano. some might argue that baptista is a midfielder, but he was signed more for his exploits as a robust and physical striker rather than as midfield general. for a club whose defence is leakier than the wreckage of the titanic, the question why real doesn't chase world class defenders is baffling. if you have a major problem with defenders, the natural response would be to sign better ones, wouldn't it?

whilst one may argue that real bought woodgate, ramos and cicinho, there is little wisdom in letting go of a world class centre half in walter samuel. sure, he made mistakes, but an experienced defender like samuel should not have problems picking himself up, especially after being given a season to adapt to spanish football. in woodgate, they have a signed a walking casualty and in ramos, a talented but as yet unproven and very inexperienced defender more known for his marauding exploits at right back. yet real has to sign in this winter transfer period cassano, a highly rated but troublemaking itallian striker, and cicinho, a wing back. whilst cassano may have been bought at a real bargain price, he won't make real's defensive problems go away. obviously oblivious to the saga of michael owen, he'll be left on the bench if he fails to oust ronaldo or raul once they both return to fitness, and with his reputation of being a troublemaker, it can only mean even more trouble within the political infighting of the real madrid dressing room. cicinho, whilst being a defender, is a right wing back. unless he's really good in defending, i don't see the logic in buying another right sided defender when the club already has salgado and ramos with the big question mark of central defence hanging over their heads. the current pairing is a recipe for disaster, with the rookie ramos partnering ivan helguera, another misplaced player who has somehow found his way into the heart of los merengues's defence from playing a defensive midfield role.

whilst the galactico policy saw the greats of football in the likes of zinedine zidane, luis figo and ronaldo grace the santiago bernabeau, players who could've added the much needed steel at the madrid outfit like makelele and patrick vieira have slipped through their hands, defensive midfielders who are, at the moment, both the heart and engines of chelsea and juventus respectively. both teams that are currently runaway league leaders in the english and italian leagues. spurned by perez for not performing *glamorous* enough roles. i rest my case.

unless he stops playing his fantasy game of football manager and starts making the right buys, real madrid don't have a glimmer of hope of further success in the league in the near future with perez at the helm. their defensive frailities combined with their ineffective style of play have proven all too costly. that 5 million pounds for cassano is probably better off being used to fed homeless people who actually need that money out there. not a bunch of overpaid football prima donnas who could have the football world at their mercy, now consigned to complete underachievement for the moment.

Thursday, January 05, 2006

first mass of the new semester...

very memorable indeed. there's nothing like sprinting from nie back to hall 9 just for the mass slides when the internet connection in the lt fails. in the pouring rain. with 30 minutes to spare when a normal walking journey takes about 8 minutes there and 8 minutes back. woohoo. talk about cutting things too close for comfort...

well, at least everything after that went smoothly... and even more people will show up next week ^_^... and thankfully, i didn't mess up my 1st attempt at baking... everyone who tried my apple cake put in a positive word, so i guess the work was all worth it. credit to my younger sis for orientating me around the kitchen and pointing me in the right direction when i needed it though...

school... how i dread thee. but i will strive to make things right this semester and try to do my best...

Wednesday, January 04, 2006

one day in school and i feel homesick already...

after an hour of computing and an hour of physics, i fear i'm in for another long long sem struggling with subjects i'm not exactly gonna leap for joy about. will be reciting this prayer often, starting very very soon...
The Programmer's Prayer

The Lord is my programmer, I shall not crash.

He installed his software on the hard disk of my heart; all of His commands are user-friendly.

His directory guides me to the right choices for His name's sake. Even though I scroll through the problems of life, I will fear no bugs, for He is my backup.

His password protects me. He prepares a menu before me in the presence of my enemies. His help is only a keystroke away.

Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and my file will be merged with His and saved forever.

Amen.

Monday, January 02, 2006

hall hall hall...

well, the late night prata, parties, endless civ iv and msn sessions, football matches and all that other fun eventually had to come to an end. school's back in the house, and i've got a helluva spring cleaning looming ahead of me... oy vey. =P

Sunday, January 01, 2006

goodbye 2005, hello 2006...

cliche as it sounds, time has flown by me this year. one year ago i was in camp doing cos duty on this very day... and since then, i've gone through atec, ord, work, school, csa... everything's a blur. and while 2005 wasn't the best of years, with a seemingly endless torrent of bad things occurring around the world, i think it's important to try and remember the good that occurred in between. most would groan at the way i ended my 2005, but at least watching united thrash bolton 4-1 left my 2005 on a high. forget the bad, and look forward to a year of possiblity. a year of chance. and embrace these chances as we move along towards 2007. you only live once. so live it good. =)

happy new year everybody. *hugs*