After Christmas lunch, I managed to remind myself again that alcohol & chocolate makes a great combination. And no, I am not talking about liqueur chocolate either. What I am talking about is taking some alcohol & chocolate, putting it in your mouth at the same time, enjoying the taste of both together, then gulping everything down.
More specifically, what I had after Christmas lunch were some Orlando Trilogy sparking rose wine & Lindt chocolate. I put the Lindt in my mouth & chew for a bit. While still chewing, I took a sip of the Orlando Trilogy wine (which on its own has a mild & balanced taste) & enjoyed the alcohol & chocolate combination. It was superb. The Orlando rose wine tasted even better with the Lindt. Or was it a case of the Lindt tasting better with the Orlando rose wine??? Ooohhhh well, let's just say I enjoyed the combination.
That wasn't the first time I combined alcohol & chocolate at the same time. A long time ago, I had Heineken beer & a Ferrero Rocher chocolate. I put the Ferrero Rocher in my mouth, then gulped down some Heineken & then chewed on the chocolate while the beer was also in my mouth. It was superb.
Alcohol & chocolate....I must do this again sometime!
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Boxing Day shopping - not all that great
So I went out to Boxing Day sales today, at the Indooroopilly Shopping Centre. The sales seem to get worse over the years (though this time last year, I was in Malaysia so I can't comment on how good or bad the Boxing Day sales were in Brisbane last year). I was at Myer, & I didn't see any earth-shattering bargains to get excited about. In fact, I'm not certain if anything I saw can be classified as bargains. So I hardly bought anything from there this year.
I, did, however, manage to bump into church friend Chris Ooi at JB Hi-Fi, just across the road from Indooroopilly Shopping Centre. I was scouring through the DVDs & CDs when I looked around & saw a grinning Chris. I was in "dream mode" at the time, so it took me 1-2 seconds to realise who he was. He was there looking for a giant LCD TV (or did he say plasma?). We chat for a while, before he moved on to look at the selection of TVs on offer, while I left with some Seinfeld DVDs which I partly paid with a JB Hi-Fi gift card that I got for Christmas.
Apart from that, nothing really to get all excited about. Hopefully the sales will be better next year.
I, did, however, manage to bump into church friend Chris Ooi at JB Hi-Fi, just across the road from Indooroopilly Shopping Centre. I was scouring through the DVDs & CDs when I looked around & saw a grinning Chris. I was in "dream mode" at the time, so it took me 1-2 seconds to realise who he was. He was there looking for a giant LCD TV (or did he say plasma?). We chat for a while, before he moved on to look at the selection of TVs on offer, while I left with some Seinfeld DVDs which I partly paid with a JB Hi-Fi gift card that I got for Christmas.
Apart from that, nothing really to get all excited about. Hopefully the sales will be better next year.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
UEFA Champions League 2009/2010 - the draw for knockout stage
Here is the draw for the knockout stage of the 2009/2010 UEFA Champions League (ties to be played on a home-and-away basis):
Bayern Munich (Germany) v Fiorentina (Italy)
AC Milan (Italy) v Manchester United (England)
Olympique Lyon (France) v Real Madrid (Spain)
Olympiakos (Greece) v Bordeaux (France)
Internazionale (Italy) v Chelsea (England)
CSKA Moscow (Russia) v Sevilla (Spain)
FC Porto (Portugal) v Arsenal (England)
Stuttgart (Germany) v FC Barcelona (Spain)
Bayern Munich (Germany) v Fiorentina (Italy)
AC Milan (Italy) v Manchester United (England)
Olympique Lyon (France) v Real Madrid (Spain)
Olympiakos (Greece) v Bordeaux (France)
Internazionale (Italy) v Chelsea (England)
CSKA Moscow (Russia) v Sevilla (Spain)
FC Porto (Portugal) v Arsenal (England)
Stuttgart (Germany) v FC Barcelona (Spain)
Monday, December 21, 2009
Pedro Rodriguez - remember the name
In scoring Barcelona's equaliser against Estudiantes in the 2009 Club World Cup final, young FC Barcelona forward Pedro Rodriguez has done something remarkable. He became the first player to score in 6 different competitions in 1 single season.
Pedro is very new to FC Barcelona's first team squad. He made his first team debut during Barcelona's 2008/2009 treble winning season, & overall appeared 14 times during that season. But since season 2009/2010 started in July 2010, Pedro has slowly but surely been making his mark, culminating in that achievement of scoring for Barcelona in 6 different competitions.
Firstly, in August 2009, he scored against Atletic Bilbao to help Barcelona win the Spanish Supercup.
Then, in the same month, he came on as a substitute & scored in extra-time against Ukrainian club Shaktar Donetsk in the UEFA Super Cup.
Next, in September 2009, he came on as a substitute in the Champions League against another Ukrainian side (Dynamo Kiev) & scored.
Then in early October 2009, Pedro scored his first Spanish league goal, a brilliant strike against Almeria. Later in the same month, he scored a couple of goals in the Spanish Cup against a lower division opposition.
And finally, the strike against South American champions Estudiantes ensures that Pedro became the first to score in 6 different competitions in the same season. Let's run through all the competitions again: La Liga, Spanish Cup (a.k.a. Copa del Rey), UEFA Champions League, European Super Cup, Spanish Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.
That is a remarkable achievement. But never mind the achievement, it is his footballing ability which fans are happy with. He is flexible & can play in a number of attacking positions - centre forward, supporting forward, or on the wings. He still has some way to develop, but already has all the makings of a top star for club & country. I hope he has a long & rewarding career with FC Barcelona & Spain!
Remember the name, Pedro Rodriguez.
Pedro is very new to FC Barcelona's first team squad. He made his first team debut during Barcelona's 2008/2009 treble winning season, & overall appeared 14 times during that season. But since season 2009/2010 started in July 2010, Pedro has slowly but surely been making his mark, culminating in that achievement of scoring for Barcelona in 6 different competitions.
Firstly, in August 2009, he scored against Atletic Bilbao to help Barcelona win the Spanish Supercup.
Then, in the same month, he came on as a substitute & scored in extra-time against Ukrainian club Shaktar Donetsk in the UEFA Super Cup.
Next, in September 2009, he came on as a substitute in the Champions League against another Ukrainian side (Dynamo Kiev) & scored.
Then in early October 2009, Pedro scored his first Spanish league goal, a brilliant strike against Almeria. Later in the same month, he scored a couple of goals in the Spanish Cup against a lower division opposition.
And finally, the strike against South American champions Estudiantes ensures that Pedro became the first to score in 6 different competitions in the same season. Let's run through all the competitions again: La Liga, Spanish Cup (a.k.a. Copa del Rey), UEFA Champions League, European Super Cup, Spanish Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.
That is a remarkable achievement. But never mind the achievement, it is his footballing ability which fans are happy with. He is flexible & can play in a number of attacking positions - centre forward, supporting forward, or on the wings. He still has some way to develop, but already has all the makings of a top star for club & country. I hope he has a long & rewarding career with FC Barcelona & Spain!
Remember the name, Pedro Rodriguez.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
FC Barcelona wins 2009 Club World Cup
Spanish & European champions FC Barcelona have won the 2009 Club World Cup, beating South American champions Estudiantes de la Plata (of Argentina) 2-1 in the final after extra time. Estudiantes took the lead in the first-half through Mauro Boselli. Pedro Rodriguez equalised for Barcelona just 1 minute before the end of normal time. So the game went to extra-time, where the Argentine wizard Leo Messi scored the winner, & with it, the Club World Cup for Barcelona.The 2009 FIFA Club World Cup had taken place in Abu Dhabi, UAE between 9/12/2009 & 19/12/2009. As expected, both Barcelona & Estudiantes got to the final. Barcelona had beaten Atlante of Mexico (CONCACAF champions) 3-1 in the semi-final, while Estudiantes beat Korea's Pohang Steelers (Asian champions) 2-1 in the other semi-final.
The final was a hard-fought affair, with Estudiantes pushing Barcelona all the way before succumbing in extra-time. Commiserations to Estudiantes for the final defeat, but they have done Argentina & South America proud for the way they provided Barcelona with stiff resistance. They certainly gave Barcelona more problems than Manchester United did in the Champions League final.
Barcelona's Club World Cup win means that they are now champions of Spain, champions of Europe & champions of the world. It also meant that they have won 6 trophies in the 2009 calendar year - a record trophy haul. What a great year 2009 has been for them!!!! Barcelona's trophy cabinet must be really bulging now!! I am extremely proud of them!!
Visca Barca!!
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Football Manager 2005 - Feyenoord wins treble! (season 2029/2030)
Remember Feyenoord's 5-1 win over archrivals Ajax in season 2028/2029? (refer last month's post: http://daplanetdt.blogspot.com/2009/11/football-manager-2005-feyenoord-5-ajax.html).
After that astonishing result, it was thought that Feyenoord would go on & complete the treble that season. Well, it didn't happen. Feyenoord got knocked out of the Champions League quarter-finals by AC Milan. They finished second in the Dutch League, 1 point behind champions PSV Eindhoven. They did win the Dutch Cup, beating NAC Breda in the final (2-0, i think). So after all the hype & hysteria from the Ajax demolition, Feyenoord ended season 2028/2029 with just 1 trophy. Injuries & bad luck didn't help.
After that astonishing result, it was thought that Feyenoord would go on & complete the treble that season. Well, it didn't happen. Feyenoord got knocked out of the Champions League quarter-finals by AC Milan. They finished second in the Dutch League, 1 point behind champions PSV Eindhoven. They did win the Dutch Cup, beating NAC Breda in the final (2-0, i think). So after all the hype & hysteria from the Ajax demolition, Feyenoord ended season 2028/2029 with just 1 trophy. Injuries & bad luck didn't help.
Feyenoord headed into season 2029/2030 with added motivation to succeed where they fell short in season 2028/2029. For season 2029/2030, Feyenoord kept most of the key players in the squad but sold a fair few players, including Serbian forward Milovanovic & Czech forward Krejcik. Those forwards would be replaced by youngsters Simek (another Czech forward) & Chinese striker Li Wei. Both chipped in with their share of goals, though Simek is more regular than Li Wei. The chief attacker is still Roy Van Der Linden (worth more than 13 million euros). The emergence of Dutch young forward Bert Rijsbergen is particularly encouraging - he has a mixture of the pace of Fernando Torres & the aerial ability of Nicolas Anelka. Feyenoord has other quality forwards, too. The midfield department is also very competitive, where young midfielders like Dutchman Bert Bakker & Martijn Verhoeven had an excellent season 2029/2030.
In fact, Feyenoord had a lot more than just these players - most of the squad had an excellent season 2029/2030. Why??? Because Feyenoord won the treble!! Yes they did!! Dutch championship, UEFA Champions League & Dutch Cup. All in 1 season!!!
Feyenoord won the Dutch championship with a few games to go. They regained the Dutch title after beating Ajax 1-0 thanks to a goal by Verhoeven (for Ajax, it's better than losing 5-1 last season). That win meant that no one could catch Feyenoord on the table, & how sweet it is to clinch the title by beating your greatest domestic rival. Feyenoord ended up 20 points ahead of second-placed Roda JC & 21 points ahead of Ajax, who finished third. But this Ajax are no mugs - they reached the Champions League semi-finals before losing to Milan. Feyenoord's comprehensive semi-final aggregate win over Roma prevented an all-Italian final. So the Champions League final took placed in Lisbon on 22 May 2030, & it featured Milan (representing Italy) against Feyenoord (representing the Netherlands). Feyenoord won after a nail-biting penalty shoot-out 3-2, after the scores were 1-1 after 90 minutes & extra-time. That was revenge for losing to Milan in last season's Champions League quarter-final. So that is the second trophy in the bag, & Feyenoord are 2029/2030 champions of Europe.
The magical treble was secured on 25 May 2030 (a day to remember for Feyenoord fans), when Feyenoord beat PSV Eindhoven 3-2 in an entertaining, closely fought Dutch Cup final. Each time Feyenoord take the lead, PSV Eindhoven equalised. However, PSV could not respond to Feyenoord's third goal, so the final result was 3-2 to the Rotterdam side. Worthy but vanquished opponents PSV finished a disappointing fifth in the Dutch championship, & were beaten by Milan in the Champions League. That's interesting......Milan had to face all the big 3 Dutch clubs in the Champions League. They got past PSV Eindhoven in the quarters & Ajax in the semis to get to the final. But once there, they could not overcome Feyenoord, although perhaps Feyenoord did have a bit of luck in the Champions League final.
The next challenge is to do it all again, & this time to win the Champions League without the penalty shoot-out. Meanwhile, season 2029/2030 is Roger Kronendijk's best ever. He is the most successful manager in the Netherlands, in Europe & in the world. He has led Feyenoord to 20 Dutch championships, & champions of Europe for 5 times!!
Feyenoord Rotterdam, treble winners of season 2029/2030. Champions of the Netherlands! Champions of Europe!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Failed Plans; God's Plans
Interesting article from the Gospel for Asia website, which I saw a few months ago....but only now managed to post it up here.
Failed Plans; God's Plans
July 20, 2009
A prayer tower stands tall in Sabal's field, reminding him of who he used to be and the grace that changed him. Now a church leader, it wasn't long ago that Sabal was a drunk and a debtor, with the structure of his life crumbling before his eyes.
Sabal was a businessman who always had new ideas for success, but his drinking problem ensured that they all failed. With each new endeavor he borrowed more money from his friends to get the business running, and he soon found himself bankrupt.
Sabal never panicked. Like any good businessman, he had a back-up plan to pay off his debts and, perhaps, start another business. This time it was a farming venture. His crop was small, but he was certain the high-demand plant would give him a large return come harvest time. All he had to do was wait.
Before long, though, the crop was attacked by pests. This time Sabal was out of ideas. As he watched the leaves of the thriving plants turn yellow, Sabal began to lose hope. Pastor Jaideep, a Gospel for Asia–supported missionary, arrived in the village just in time.
Sabal asked the pastor to pray for the dying plants, and within a few days, God healed them. The leaves became healthy and green, and Sabal was able to pay back all his debts. He gave his life to the God who had saved him from ruin, and built a tower in his field where he prayed for hours.
The change in him was impossible to ignore, and his friends and neighbors became jealous when they saw the great blessings taking place in his life. As Sabal prayed for his neighbors, many of them chose to receive Christ, too.
One day, Sabal invited Jaideep to a prayer meeting with three other pastors, and 50 believers came. When a group of religious fanatics heard praises to the Lord coming from Sabal's house, they tried to disrupt the meeting by throwing sand, stones and clay at the believers. One even grabbed Sabal's neck and threatened to kill him, but the believers ignored the commotion and continued to pray.
After an hour, the fanatics realized they weren't having any effect, and they left. The Christians thanked God for His favor and mercy. They knew God had protected them, just like He protected Sabal's plants.
Please pray for the continued protection of the believers in Sabal's village, and that the fanatics, along with the rest of the village, will come to know the Lord soon.
July 20, 2009
A prayer tower stands tall in Sabal's field, reminding him of who he used to be and the grace that changed him. Now a church leader, it wasn't long ago that Sabal was a drunk and a debtor, with the structure of his life crumbling before his eyes.
Sabal was a businessman who always had new ideas for success, but his drinking problem ensured that they all failed. With each new endeavor he borrowed more money from his friends to get the business running, and he soon found himself bankrupt.
Sabal never panicked. Like any good businessman, he had a back-up plan to pay off his debts and, perhaps, start another business. This time it was a farming venture. His crop was small, but he was certain the high-demand plant would give him a large return come harvest time. All he had to do was wait.
Before long, though, the crop was attacked by pests. This time Sabal was out of ideas. As he watched the leaves of the thriving plants turn yellow, Sabal began to lose hope. Pastor Jaideep, a Gospel for Asia–supported missionary, arrived in the village just in time.
Sabal asked the pastor to pray for the dying plants, and within a few days, God healed them. The leaves became healthy and green, and Sabal was able to pay back all his debts. He gave his life to the God who had saved him from ruin, and built a tower in his field where he prayed for hours.
The change in him was impossible to ignore, and his friends and neighbors became jealous when they saw the great blessings taking place in his life. As Sabal prayed for his neighbors, many of them chose to receive Christ, too.
One day, Sabal invited Jaideep to a prayer meeting with three other pastors, and 50 believers came. When a group of religious fanatics heard praises to the Lord coming from Sabal's house, they tried to disrupt the meeting by throwing sand, stones and clay at the believers. One even grabbed Sabal's neck and threatened to kill him, but the believers ignored the commotion and continued to pray.
After an hour, the fanatics realized they weren't having any effect, and they left. The Christians thanked God for His favor and mercy. They knew God had protected them, just like He protected Sabal's plants.
Please pray for the continued protection of the believers in Sabal's village, and that the fanatics, along with the rest of the village, will come to know the Lord soon.
Link: http://www.gfa.org/news/articles/failed-plans-gods-plans/
Saturday, December 5, 2009
RIP Eddie Fatu (aka Umaga)
I cannot believe it. I simply cannot believe it. Former WWE wrestler Eddie Fatu (ring name Umaga) has died, only age 36. Heart attack claimed his life, according to reports.
The wrestler, also known as The Samoan Bulldozer, was actually my favourite when he was in WWE. He was a good worker, with good moves & very underrated. In case u don't know, Eddie Fatu is the cousin of Dwayne Johnson. Yes, that very same Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock during his WWE days. The very same Dwayne Johnson who featured in films as The Mummy Returns, The Scorpion King & Get Smart (as agent 23).
I will remember Umaga for his match at Wrestlemania 23, in 2007, against Bobby Lashley, in a hair match.
There u are.....another person who died prematurely, way too young. Very very sad.....this well & truly sucks. It's as if someone has to die every few months. Umaga will be sadly missed by his family, relatives, friends & wrestling fans. Wrestling is poorer for his passing.
My thoughts & prayers are with his family. RIP Eddie Fatu. You will be very sadly missed.
The wrestler, also known as The Samoan Bulldozer, was actually my favourite when he was in WWE. He was a good worker, with good moves & very underrated. In case u don't know, Eddie Fatu is the cousin of Dwayne Johnson. Yes, that very same Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock during his WWE days. The very same Dwayne Johnson who featured in films as The Mummy Returns, The Scorpion King & Get Smart (as agent 23).
I will remember Umaga for his match at Wrestlemania 23, in 2007, against Bobby Lashley, in a hair match.
There u are.....another person who died prematurely, way too young. Very very sad.....this well & truly sucks. It's as if someone has to die every few months. Umaga will be sadly missed by his family, relatives, friends & wrestling fans. Wrestling is poorer for his passing.
My thoughts & prayers are with his family. RIP Eddie Fatu. You will be very sadly missed.
2010 World Cup draw
I woke up early this morning to watch the draw for the 2010 World Cup finals, live from South Africa.
Here is the draw:
Group A
South Africa
Mexico
Uruguay
France
Group B
Argentina
Nigeria
South Korea
Greece
Group C
England
USA
Algeria
Slovenia
Group D
Germany
Australia
Serbia
Ghana
Group E
Netherlands
Denmark
Japan
Cameroon
Group F
Italy
Paraguay
New Zealand
Slovakia
Group G
Brazil
North Korea
Ivory Coast
Portugal
Group H
Spain
Switzerland
Honduras
Chile
Here is the draw:
Group A
South Africa
Mexico
Uruguay
France
Group B
Argentina
Nigeria
South Korea
Greece
Group C
England
USA
Algeria
Slovenia
Group D
Germany
Australia
Serbia
Ghana
Group E
Netherlands
Denmark
Japan
Cameroon
Group F
Italy
Paraguay
New Zealand
Slovakia
Group G
Brazil
North Korea
Ivory Coast
Portugal
Group H
Spain
Switzerland
Honduras
Chile
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
