Wednesday, August 29, 2007

a sad day for football...

it's a really sad day for football. first up, the less important, but nonetheless significant to me and other red devils out there.

another united stalwart has passed through the gates of the theatre of dreams in his playing boots for the last time. goal nets around europe must be heaving a sigh of relief as the baby-faced assassin will no longer be targetting them any further as ole gunnar solskjaer hangs up his boots after battling with injury. truly, it is rare to see a player struggle so long against the odds, especially since he isn't a sure starter in the team. i am infuriated that some people have the temerity to compare him with the infamous winston bogarde, but here's the main difference between ole and that slack, money grubbing mercenary of a dutchman: ole was wanted by united. and adored by the fans. we will never forget the goals ole gave us, and even though he was a super-sub of a player, he never moaned. he just got on with it and did his job when called upon. none ever more important than that crucial goal on that fateful night in barcelona. the one, snatched in the dying minutes, if not seconds, poked past oliver kahn to give united that unprecedented treble in one of, if not the most dramatic cup finals in history.

while you'll still remain at old trafford, whoever takes upon that number 20 will have tremendous shoes to fill. you will be missed ole.

sadly, while football waved away the illustrious career of one son, it bade farewell to another one from these earthly shores.

antonio puerta of sevilla fc passed away after suffering a heart attack during a match in spain. now, i ain't no sevilla fan, nor do i follow spanish football with very great a gusto. nonethless, it is very, very sad to see someone die. it may just be a game, and there are other people dying out there. but it is still really tragic to see someone my age die just like that.

i may not know you, but may you rest in peace, and God look after you and your family.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

i am...

I AM
63%
BUMBLEBEE
Take the Transformers Quiz

Bumblebee

As an Autobot spy, Bumblebee is the ultimate robot in disguise. What he lacks in size and strength, he makes up for with courage. He enjoys the company of humans and would do anything for his Earthly friends.

Like Bumblebee, you are good by nature. But beware because mischievous thoughts sometimes tempt you. You want to be a leader and show some promise, but you have much to learn. In addition, you use technology when you need to, but you do not embrace the latest trends.

slow day

s
o

s
l
o
w

t
h
a
t

i
'
m

t
y
p
i
n
g

l
i
k
e

t
h
i
s
.

Friday, August 24, 2007

like diamonds hanging in the sky

i've raved about the moon, now i'm gonna rave about the stars.

was walking home after clocking three and a half hours of OT at ibm, and while it threatened to rain, the half moon still shone out. somehow it seemed more intense than usual, and looking up, i was soon captivated by the stars that surrounded it.

sure, it's the usual suspects in our night sky like orion. but goodness me, the stars were positively sparkling from where they were, in spite of the strong light emanating from the moon. they glittered like tiny, distant jewels, glowing with an array of colours. a star could be a sapphire one moment, then a ruby the next or a pure white diamond after that, changing and twinkling with such a rich beauty of colour that simply enchants and bewitches.

i don't know how long i did it for, but i just stared up at the heavens, and sent a small word of prayer of thanks up while i did for the grand celestial display.

Friday, August 17, 2007

the "no shit sherlock" headline of the day...

"Chernobyl 'not a wildlife haven'"

spotted on football365's mediawatch, which was taken from the bbc.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

it's gonna be a long week ahead...

busy, busy, busy.

as if packing up to get ready to shift out at given time was bad enough, i've now got a 9-6 job at ibm to contend with on top of rushing my rwac. well, at least working at ibm's not so bad. the pay's good even though data entry's boring as hell, plus feeling like the village idiot (yeah i like that phrase these days... and it all began with shebby singh... haha...) for the day to familiarise myself with the system and processes. it's pretty fun when you have friends to work around with at least.

and the return to post lunch syndrome sucks big time. somehow it just doesn't happen at home, does it? only when i'm in an office environment does lunch lead to excessive and almost unbearable drowsiness.

still have no idea when we're gonna leave the house. i've done with my reminiscing tho. all there is now is to look forward. and finish packing and hawking off of my unwanted stuff through leonard. haha.

tomorrow's gonna be a long, long day.

Monday, August 06, 2007

emptying the drawer...

sifting through my stuff brings back a tonne of memories. good and bad, happy and sad.

gifts from friends, like the metal bookmark chung got us and the pair of looney tunes name socks from brother mike.

gifts meant for friends... keychains that i got for friends on holiday and expedition but never got the chance or forgot to pass to them.

trinkets from past relationships...

stuff that the two sisters got me, like the eagle keychain sam got me when she went to the zoo with dad all those years ago.

stuff that i bought, like my battletech cards, airplane pins and my turtle keychains.

my badges from sji and cj, including my legion and ncc collar pins as well as the whole host of ncc badges, back in the day when each tiny badge meant more than a pound of gold. even the flower we got when stepped down from council, accompanied with my two badges.

my first rosary, which is plastic and glows in the dark which i got when i was what... primary three? when i was still at holy fam, during the really good days.

and of course, that silver medal. the one we got when 4a3 came in second for inter-class games in 2000. miss ong was so proud of us, cos someone told her that even though we were just second, we behaved and celebrated like we were first. really, really good days.

and this card that mr ang gave me... God bless the man.

SMILING THROUGH THE TEARS

It is easy enough to be pleasant
When life flows by like a song.
But the man worthwhile
is the one who will smile
when everything goes dead wrong,
For the test of the heart is trouble.
And it always comes with the years.
But the smile that is worth
The praises on earth
Is the smile that shines through tears


just walking, walking down memory lane.

Saturday, August 04, 2007

looking back...

In My Life
The Beatles

There are places I remember all my life,
Though some have changed
Some forever, not for better
Some have gone and some remain.
All these places have their moments
Of lovers and friends I still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life I loved them all.

And with all these friends and lovers
There is no one compares with you
And these mem'ries lose their meaning
When I think of love as something new
And I know I'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I'll often stop and think about them.
In my life I love you more.

And I know I'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I'll often stop and think about them.
In my life I love you more
In my life I love you more

farewell smudge

you may not have always been first choice, nor were you the best player around. but you definitely left your mark on all of us united fans. like diego forlan before you, you were always fighting, never giving up. your grit and determination to try and fit shoes that will probably be impossible to ever fill again firmly made you a favourite son at the theatre of dreams. we sorely missed that never-say-die attitude and ferocious tackling when you broke your foot, but we will never, ever forget that magical european night when you were instrumental in dismantling a strong as roma team and making them look like a bunch of sunday league footy-in-the-park players. or those wonder-volleys against arsenal and norwich which were simply breathtaking to behold.

good luck smithy. we hope you get back to your snarling best in the toon. all the best.

Thursday, August 02, 2007

and this one's thanks to mag...

and before i knock off, here's a really great poem that i got from mag. it's really beautiful. you can read more about it here.

The Wait Poem
by Russell Kelfer

Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried;
Quietly, patiently, lovingly, God replied.
I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate...
and the Master so gently said,"Wait."

"Wait? you say wait?" my indignant reply.
"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!"
Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?
By faith I have asked, and I'm claiming your Word.

My future and all to which I relate
hangs in the balance and you tell me to Wait?"
I'm needing a 'yes', a go-ahead sign.
Or even a 'no,' to which I'll resign.
You promised, dear Lord, that if we believe,
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.
Lord, I've been asking, and this is my cry:
I'm weary of asking! I need a reply.

Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate
as my Master replied again, "Wait."
So I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut,
and grumbled to God, "So, I'm waiting...for what?"
He seemed then to kneel, and His eyes met with mine...
and He tenderly said, "I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead and cause mountains to run.

I could give all you seek and pleased you would be.
You'd have what you want, but you wouldn't know Me.
You'd not know the depth of My love for each saint.
You'd not know the power that I give to the faint.
You'd not learn to see through clouds of despair;
you'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there.
You'd not know the joy of resting in Me
when darkness and silence are all you can see.

You'd never experience the fullness of love
when the peace of My spirit descends like a dove.
You would know that I give, and I save, for a start,
But you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart.
The glow of My comfort late into the night,
the faith that I give when you walk without sight.
The depth that's beyond getting just what you ask
From an infinite God who makes what you have last.

You'd never know should your pain quickly flee,
what it means that My grace is sufficient for thee.
Yes, your dearest dreams overnight would come true,
but oh, the loss if I lost what I'm doing in you.
So, be silent, my child, and in time you will see
that the greatest of gifts is to truly know me.
And though oft My answers seem terribly late,
My most precious answer of all is still "WAIT".