Here is what it might look like if the Halloween celebrations are taken too far:
Friday, October 31, 2008
Drunk Halloween
Happy Halloween to those in North America, & others around the world who are into Halloween.
Here is what it might look like if the Halloween celebrations are taken too far:
Here is what it might look like if the Halloween celebrations are taken too far:
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Maradona is Argentina's new coach!
Newsflash! Football headline of the day, possibly the month, & possibly the whole year: Diego Armando Maradona is now Argentina's new coach! Yes, I cannot believe it either, but it has happened. Argentina's greatest ever footballer, possibly the world's greatest footballer of all time, has just been appointed by the Argentine Football Association as head coach of his beloved national team.Maradona replaces Alfio Basile, who recently resigned after a string of poor results & performances by the Argentina football team. Basile has been under fire in recent months, during which Argentina's results have included a large number of draws against opposition that they are expected to beat comfortably, given the enormous amount of talent & potential in the Argentina players. The most recent result, the 1-0 loss away to Chile in a World Cup qualifier, was considered embarrassing & unacceptable enough to sound alarm bells & prompt much gnashing of teeth among Argentinian football fans. That result pushed Basile to the edge & he eventually resigned.
Quite what prompted the Argentinian football fraternity to appoint a man with limited top-level coaching experience, I don't fully know & might never fully understand. That lack of coaching experience is the main reason I'm not convinced that Maradona's appointment is the right move. I wouldn't have gone for him. There are a number of coaches with a lot more experience, who would seem more suited at present for the coaching position.
Carlos Bianchi: He's very experienced with solid track record, won plenty of Argentinian & South American club trophies with Boca Juniors.
Miguel Angel Russo: Like Bianchi, he has led Boca Juniors to become champions of South America. Before that, he won a number of titles with several other Argentinian clubs (Lanus, Estudiantes, Velez Sarsfield), so he knows how to build a side to success. He has also had spells coaching clubs in Spain, Mexico & Chile.
Sergio Batista: He coached Argentina to the gold medal at Beijing Olympics, so he knows how to relate to Argentina's talented young generation, though less experienced than Bianchi & Russo.
Hugo Tocalli: He won a couple of World Youth Cups for Argentina, so like Batista, he also has a rapport with the young Argentinian footballers.
Other names bandied around include Diego Simeone & Gabriel Batistuta, both of whom played for Argentina at the World Cup 1998. And then, some have suggested re-appointing past Argentina coaches like Daniel Passarella, Marcelo Bielsa & Jose Pekerman. On top of all that, there are a couple of other candidates who have escaped me. But Argentina are clearly not short of viable options for the coaching vacancy. Yet they went for Maradona. Nothing against him, but like I said, he doesn't have much coaching experience. Another thing is that his temperament can be questioned - he is never known for his calmness. Can he cope with all the intense pressure & scrutiny? If things turn sour, can he be relied on to make sound decisions?
For all my misgivings, there are some points that would appear to be in Maradona's favour.
One, his passion. He loves the Argentina team & fans can rely on him to do his utmost to bring success to his team. He will ensure his players play with the sort of passion that some feel has been lacking under Basile.
Two, his winning mentality. He has won the World Cup before as a player, so he knows what it's like to win & what it takes to win on a big stage. Yes, I know great players don't always (& often don't) make great coaches. But one cannot help but feel that Maradona's winning experience should be useful to "pass down" to Argentina's young generation.
Three, he will have the footballers respect. Due to his legendary status in Argentina, the footballers will all look up to him. People in Argentina simply will listen to him; he's got that presence about him. They might look to Maradona the coach & think: "He was my hero. Now he's my coach. He won the World Cup, gave a lot for Argentina & achieved much for Argentina. I want that success, too, I want to win the World Cup too & I will give my all for Argentina". Some observers feel that part of the problem faced by Basile was the "generational gap" - he could not relate to the young generation in the Argentina squad. Maradona should not have such issues.
Given the above, perhaps Maradona's appointment is not all bad. Perhaps. Who knows? I still would have preferred someone more experience to have been appointed. Personally, my top 2 choices would be Miguel Angel Russo & Sergio Batista. But we now have Maradona. Of course, as I'm a great fan of Argentinian football, I would love it if Maradona prove my misgivings wrong, & achieve great success as Argentina's coach. I wish Maradona the best of luck! Vamos Maradona, & vamos Argentina!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Women drivers
This morning on the Freeway,
I looked over to my left and there was a
Woman
in a brand new
Holden Calaise
doing 110 kms per hr
with her
face up next to her
rear view mirror
putting on her eyeliner.
I looked away
for a couple seconds
and when I looked back she was
halfway over in my lane,
still working on that makeup.
As a man,
I don't scare easily.
But she scared me so much;
I dropped
my electric shaver,
which knocked
the meat pie
out of my other hand.
In all
the confusion of trying
to straighten out the car
using my knees against
the steering wheel,
it knocked
my mobile phone
away from my ear
which fell
into the coffee
between my legs,
splashed,
and burned
Big Jim and the Twins,
ruined the phone,
soaked my trousers,
And disconnected an
important call.
bloody women drivers!!
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Stock Market terms - updated for 2008
CEO: Chief Embezzlement Officer.
CFO: Corporate Fraud Officer.
BULL MARKET: A random market movement causing an investor to mistake himself for a financial genius.
BEAR MARKET: A 6 to 18 month period when the kids get no allowance, the wife gets no jewellery, and the husband gets no sex.
VALUE INVESTING: The art of buying low and selling lower.
P/E RATIO: The percentage of investors wetting their pants as the market keeps crashing.
BROKER: What my broker has made me.
STANDARD & POOR: Your life in a nutshell.
STOCK ANALYST: Idiot who just downgraded your stock.
STOCK SPLIT: When your ex-wife and her lawyer split your assets equally between themselves.
FINANCIAL PLANNER: A guy whose phone has been disconnected.
MARKET CORRECTION: The day after you buy stocks.
CASH FLOW: The movement your money makes as it disappears down the toilet.
YAHOO: What you yell after selling it to some poor sucker for $240 per share.
WINDOWS: What you jump out of when you're the sucker who bought Yahoo @ $240 per share.
INSTITUTIONAL INVESTOR: Past year investor who's now locked up in a nuthouse.
PROFIT: An archaic word no longer in use.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
First home owners grant increase! Game on!
Kevin Rudd (Australia's Prime Minister) has announced today a stimulus plan for pensioners & first-home buyers in Australia. The stimulus for first-home buyers' is this: The first home owners grant will be increased from $7000 to $14,000 and first home buyers who purchase a newly constructed home will receive $21,000 in a bid to encourage activity in the housing sector. (Courier Mail)
But there is one proviso:
Mr DT's response to the above: It's game on!
But there is one proviso:
The first-home buyers scheme will be time limited. All contracts entered into by June 30 next year will be eligible for the new assistance. (The Age)
Mr DT's response to the above: It's game on!
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
And now, the AUD has crashed to 5-year low :(
Given the fall in my investments & super account (which I ranted about in the previous post), any thoughts that the week can't get any worse have just been swiftly dashed. My brother Ryan just told me that the Australian $ (AUD) exchange rate against the Malaysian Ringgit (RM) has gone down - it's now AUD1 = RM2.23. His announcement completely shocked me & made me dismayed. Then I later discovered on the internet that the AUD has crashed to a 5-year low. The details of the crash made for a depressing reading. Sheesshhhh....
Just a few months ago, it was RM 2.90, even RM3 for every AUD. At the time, I did consider converting some money to RM because I'll be heading to Malaysia at the end of this year. I didn't act, & now I'm furious & feel like kicking myself, because now I have to bring more money with me to Malaysia.
Fantastic, thank u very much. This is just what I need, after my investments & superannuation have devalued. Arrrrrrgggghhhhh! I'm not happy! I'm cursing Lady Luck & I'm waiving my fist at the global financial markets, at all the elements, for causing the AUD to drop. **DT waves his fist harder**
What have I done to deserve all this??? What's going to happen next?? My car get confiscated by the authorities??! Am I going to be placed under house arrest?? Internet ban??
Eeeerrrrrrrrrr, I think I'm going beserk. I really need some wintermelon tea. Hmmmm, where's the nearest Easy Way outlet when u need them? Say, there's a couple in the CBD. Guess I'll have to wait till tomorrow then when I'm on my way to work. Bah humbug.....
Just a few months ago, it was RM 2.90, even RM3 for every AUD. At the time, I did consider converting some money to RM because I'll be heading to Malaysia at the end of this year. I didn't act, & now I'm furious & feel like kicking myself, because now I have to bring more money with me to Malaysia.
Fantastic, thank u very much. This is just what I need, after my investments & superannuation have devalued. Arrrrrrgggghhhhh! I'm not happy! I'm cursing Lady Luck & I'm waiving my fist at the global financial markets, at all the elements, for causing the AUD to drop. **DT waves his fist harder**
What have I done to deserve all this??? What's going to happen next?? My car get confiscated by the authorities??! Am I going to be placed under house arrest?? Internet ban??
Eeeerrrrrrrrrr, I think I'm going beserk. I really need some wintermelon tea. Hmmmm, where's the nearest Easy Way outlet when u need them? Say, there's a couple in the CBD. Guess I'll have to wait till tomorrow then when I'm on my way to work. Bah humbug.....
Sunday, October 5, 2008
My money's going down :(
My investments & superannuation (also known in some countries as provident fund) are not in good shape at the moment. And I'm not happy about it.
My shares & managed funds at the end of September 2008 were only worth little over 80% of their value at the end of March 2008. Yeah, that's effectively a drop of almost 20% in that 6 month period. Fantastic. Arrrgggh!! To be fair, I knew that shares & managed funds have not been in spectacular form of late. For instance, if I recall correctly, my investments in Colonial First State went down by almost $940 during the March 2008 quarter. That was at a time when the stock market was not considered to be in a very bad shape. So if my Colonial First State investments went down by $940 during the first 3 months of the year, I would hate to imagine how much more it has fallen by the end of September 2008. And that is just 1 managed fund institution. I got quite a few more managed fund investments, & as already mentioned, they fell by almost 20% in the 6 months to 30/9/2008.
My super has not been performing much better. My super account balance at the end of June 2008 is about 10-15% lower than the balance at the end of December 2007. In the 6 months to June 2008, my super account has been getting the usual mandatory employer superannuation contribution. But all that money coming in was more than outweighed by the size of the negative earnings during the period. And then, there's the usual administration/management fee that gets deducted from the super balance. Of course, my managed funds also get slogged by management fees. All of them do.
My hard-earned money is going down the drain! Nnnnnooooooooo! Ggggrrrrrrrr! I am officially not a happy man :(
My shares & managed funds at the end of September 2008 were only worth little over 80% of their value at the end of March 2008. Yeah, that's effectively a drop of almost 20% in that 6 month period. Fantastic. Arrrgggh!! To be fair, I knew that shares & managed funds have not been in spectacular form of late. For instance, if I recall correctly, my investments in Colonial First State went down by almost $940 during the March 2008 quarter. That was at a time when the stock market was not considered to be in a very bad shape. So if my Colonial First State investments went down by $940 during the first 3 months of the year, I would hate to imagine how much more it has fallen by the end of September 2008. And that is just 1 managed fund institution. I got quite a few more managed fund investments, & as already mentioned, they fell by almost 20% in the 6 months to 30/9/2008.
My super has not been performing much better. My super account balance at the end of June 2008 is about 10-15% lower than the balance at the end of December 2007. In the 6 months to June 2008, my super account has been getting the usual mandatory employer superannuation contribution. But all that money coming in was more than outweighed by the size of the negative earnings during the period. And then, there's the usual administration/management fee that gets deducted from the super balance. Of course, my managed funds also get slogged by management fees. All of them do.
My hard-earned money is going down the drain! Nnnnnooooooooo! Ggggrrrrrrrr! I am officially not a happy man :(
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
[FFO] Drunk Finalists - 2008
8th place
7th place
6th place
5th place
4th place
3rd place
2nd place
And 1st place goes to......
~
~
~
~
~
~
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Ryan & Nicole :) :)
What a great weekend this is!! That's mainly because my brother Ryan & Nicole got married yesterday (27/9/2008). Well, they didn't have a ceremony as such. Rather, it was a registry wedding - so technically, they are now married. But the grand celebration (ceremony & reception) will come in exactly 3 months time. I'm really excited!!
The registry wedding took place in a marriage room at the Brisbane registry in George St. Those present were my parents, myself, my youngest brother Brendan, my sister Val, brother-in-law Andrew & Nicole's mum (Aunty Ivy). Just immediate family members. The registry wedding was short. The marriage celebrant impressed me with his handling of the wedding - professional yet with a personal touch, for he joked quite a bit. At the end, mum, Nicole & Aunty Ivy were a little emotional (just a little!). The registry thing finished very quickly. Then we left & took some pictures nearby. Everyone (except myself & BT) then headed to the University of Qld for more photos.
All of us then had a family lunch at Shangrila, that new-ish Chinese Restaurant in Sunnybank (the same place where I had Chinese NY banquet back in February). We were cramped in a so-called private room with other diners (it would have been nice to have had the room just to ourselves). We ordered quite a few dishes & were full at the end. But the food was quite enjoyable, & everyone was satisfied.
To continue the celebration, there was going to be more food at night - family dinner at Rydges South Bank. The place was really nice (& so happens Fi's cousin Alex works there). The food was pretty good, too - seafood buffet was what we had, & so I lost count of the number of platefuls I had of fresh mussels, oysters, crabs & the like. There was live jazz entertainment, too, to add to the atmosphere. And of course, I had lots of dessert. There's always room for dessert, no matter how full I might be. The fact that I have sweet tooth always helps. Rydges was really nice, & I would definitely return again.
I'm truly truly happy for Ryan & Nicole :) Of course!! What else can I say?? In 3 months time, we will celebrate big time!! May God bless this fabulous couple & their future!
PS: Oh yeah, it's my birthday today - which is why this weekend is truly meaningful for me. I had lunch with a few church friends at Song's Restaurant, & had family dinner at home (roti canai with curry & dhal). Everyone gave me birthday presents, which I'm grateful for.
The registry wedding took place in a marriage room at the Brisbane registry in George St. Those present were my parents, myself, my youngest brother Brendan, my sister Val, brother-in-law Andrew & Nicole's mum (Aunty Ivy). Just immediate family members. The registry wedding was short. The marriage celebrant impressed me with his handling of the wedding - professional yet with a personal touch, for he joked quite a bit. At the end, mum, Nicole & Aunty Ivy were a little emotional (just a little!). The registry thing finished very quickly. Then we left & took some pictures nearby. Everyone (except myself & BT) then headed to the University of Qld for more photos.
All of us then had a family lunch at Shangrila, that new-ish Chinese Restaurant in Sunnybank (the same place where I had Chinese NY banquet back in February). We were cramped in a so-called private room with other diners (it would have been nice to have had the room just to ourselves). We ordered quite a few dishes & were full at the end. But the food was quite enjoyable, & everyone was satisfied.
To continue the celebration, there was going to be more food at night - family dinner at Rydges South Bank. The place was really nice (& so happens Fi's cousin Alex works there). The food was pretty good, too - seafood buffet was what we had, & so I lost count of the number of platefuls I had of fresh mussels, oysters, crabs & the like. There was live jazz entertainment, too, to add to the atmosphere. And of course, I had lots of dessert. There's always room for dessert, no matter how full I might be. The fact that I have sweet tooth always helps. Rydges was really nice, & I would definitely return again.
I'm truly truly happy for Ryan & Nicole :) Of course!! What else can I say?? In 3 months time, we will celebrate big time!! May God bless this fabulous couple & their future!
PS: Oh yeah, it's my birthday today - which is why this weekend is truly meaningful for me. I had lunch with a few church friends at Song's Restaurant, & had family dinner at home (roti canai with curry & dhal). Everyone gave me birthday presents, which I'm grateful for.
Nicole & Ryan :)
Aunty Ivy with the lovely couple :)
It's about to start
Exchanging the vow
Taking pics after the registry
Absolutely fabulous!
Yes, the place is mine!
The couple with their parents
Family dinner at Rydges South Bank (errr, the flash is not good enough)
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Congratulations, Nigel & Phuong!
My dear friends, Nigel & Phuong, got married today! A great day to savour for the lovely couple, their family & their friends. It was a nice day to have the wedding, for the weather was fine, though slightly too warm for my liking in the afternoon.
The ceremony was held at the Albert St Uniting Church. As me & BT were among the last arrivals at the church, we couldn't find a seat at ground level. Instead, we had to settle for seats at the upper level of the church & watch the ceremony from above. Yeah, the wedding was that big. But it was difficult take any pictures from the distance - I still tried but I don't think the pictures were great. Anyway, the one interesting feature of the ceremony was the lighting of the unity candle (which I really liked), by the newlyweds & their respective parents. The lighting took place after the exchange of the rings & proclamation of marriage.
We then had some nice refreshments after the ceremony concluded, mainly finger food. I managed to briefly catch up with a few people I haven't seen for a long while (including Johnnie & Cherie, whose baby I saw for the first time). The usual wedding group photos were taken. After all that, there was still some time to kill before the reception. So a few of us headed back to the Westside to chill out & have a few drinks. While walking towards the reception, we were joined by Ivan, who just flew back from Sydney (he couldn't leave Sydney before the evening, so unfortunately missed the ceremony).
The wedding reception was held at Brisbane City Hall. And what a huge reception it was - some 300 guests @ 30 tables! It was grand! Me & BT were seated at the 30th table (the "last"), & my name was the last on the list. So I joked with a few friends that I was probably a "sympathy invite". The hall was dimly lit - the bright lighting was saved for the bridal table at the front (just like a theatre, I guess). Because of the distance (our table was right at the back of the hall), it was difficult to get many pictures. Anyway, that didn't stop us from enjoying ourselves. There was much to enjoy, & not just the food either. There was that Chinese Vietnamese cultural performance from the bridal party, which I really liked. The speeches were good, but those delivered by the best man (Jin) & 2 of Nigel's groomsmen did not bag Nigel quite as much as I had expected. I suppose that can't be a bad thing:) Nigel's speech was eloquent, which didn't come as a surprise at all, knowing that he can show his "formal, cultured" side when the occasion warrants it.
Of course, the enjoyment was greatly helped by whom I was seated with. My table was filled with mainly Clayers plus Dennis who came from Melbourne. I reckon our table was by far the loudest, especially when it came to toasting the newlyweds ("yam seng") - a deliberate group decision to be the loudest! Not only we were the loudest, we possibly drank the most alcohol as well! I would have had at least 3 Crown Lagers, on top of the the 2-3 beers I had before the reception. Just as well the tab closed at 9:30pm, or else I might have really been carried away. That aside, there was much warmth & laughter at our table, as we enjoyed each other's company. It was a great evening.
All good things had to come to an end, so we bade farewell to Nigel & Phuong before they headed off to their honeymoon. I dropped a few people off before arriving back home after midnight.
Nigel & Phuong, I am so so happy for the both of u. Congratulations big time on your marriage. I pray that God will bless your future richly!
Exchanging the vows
And the kiss!
Lighting the unity candle
Just look at that
The newlyweds & relatives (Nigel's side, I believe)
Dennis & the newlyweds
Chinese-Vietnamese cultural performance - Phuong looking fabulous :)
Sherin, myself & Sylvia
Worth another look....wow
The ceremony was held at the Albert St Uniting Church. As me & BT were among the last arrivals at the church, we couldn't find a seat at ground level. Instead, we had to settle for seats at the upper level of the church & watch the ceremony from above. Yeah, the wedding was that big. But it was difficult take any pictures from the distance - I still tried but I don't think the pictures were great. Anyway, the one interesting feature of the ceremony was the lighting of the unity candle (which I really liked), by the newlyweds & their respective parents. The lighting took place after the exchange of the rings & proclamation of marriage.
We then had some nice refreshments after the ceremony concluded, mainly finger food. I managed to briefly catch up with a few people I haven't seen for a long while (including Johnnie & Cherie, whose baby I saw for the first time). The usual wedding group photos were taken. After all that, there was still some time to kill before the reception. So a few of us headed back to the Westside to chill out & have a few drinks. While walking towards the reception, we were joined by Ivan, who just flew back from Sydney (he couldn't leave Sydney before the evening, so unfortunately missed the ceremony).
The wedding reception was held at Brisbane City Hall. And what a huge reception it was - some 300 guests @ 30 tables! It was grand! Me & BT were seated at the 30th table (the "last"), & my name was the last on the list. So I joked with a few friends that I was probably a "sympathy invite". The hall was dimly lit - the bright lighting was saved for the bridal table at the front (just like a theatre, I guess). Because of the distance (our table was right at the back of the hall), it was difficult to get many pictures. Anyway, that didn't stop us from enjoying ourselves. There was much to enjoy, & not just the food either. There was that Chinese Vietnamese cultural performance from the bridal party, which I really liked. The speeches were good, but those delivered by the best man (Jin) & 2 of Nigel's groomsmen did not bag Nigel quite as much as I had expected. I suppose that can't be a bad thing:) Nigel's speech was eloquent, which didn't come as a surprise at all, knowing that he can show his "formal, cultured" side when the occasion warrants it.
Of course, the enjoyment was greatly helped by whom I was seated with. My table was filled with mainly Clayers plus Dennis who came from Melbourne. I reckon our table was by far the loudest, especially when it came to toasting the newlyweds ("yam seng") - a deliberate group decision to be the loudest! Not only we were the loudest, we possibly drank the most alcohol as well! I would have had at least 3 Crown Lagers, on top of the the 2-3 beers I had before the reception. Just as well the tab closed at 9:30pm, or else I might have really been carried away. That aside, there was much warmth & laughter at our table, as we enjoyed each other's company. It was a great evening.
All good things had to come to an end, so we bade farewell to Nigel & Phuong before they headed off to their honeymoon. I dropped a few people off before arriving back home after midnight.
Nigel & Phuong, I am so so happy for the both of u. Congratulations big time on your marriage. I pray that God will bless your future richly!
Exchanging the vows
And the kiss!
Lighting the unity candle
Just look at that
The newlyweds & relatives (Nigel's side, I believe)
Dennis & the newlyweds
Chinese-Vietnamese cultural performance - Phuong looking fabulous :)
Sherin, myself & Sylvia
Quite a few drinkers at my table (including myself!)
Ahh yes, the wedding cake
Worth another look....wow
The boys!
Me with Nigel & Phuong
Mr & Mrs Chan all set for their honeymoon :)
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Terrific weekend!
Friday 12/9/08
I stayed back at work for a bit (past 5pm). Manager thanked me for all my hard work; I appreciated his compliment but mentioned that I stayed back this evening because I had a bucks nite to attend. Anyway, I left work just around 6pm & headed to Jojos at Queen St Mall, for the second part of Nigel's bucks celebration (first part was last Saturday). I arrived, followed very shortly by Terence. Then later, Dennis (who flew up from Melbourne in the morning) came along with Nigel. We ordered dinner. Me & Dennis each ordered beef sausage & chips. Everyone else either had pasta, pizza or Thai curry with rice. Of course, we had a few drinks too - me & Dennis shouted each other & Nigel some grog (why is it that everytime I get tipsy, Dennis is around??). Then Nigel's best man Jin arrived, together with the costume that Nigel was made to wear. And guess what it was? Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story! Yep, Nigel wear all that, body suit, wings, & all - the only thing missing was the space helmet. It was so so hilarious. The guys then took him out into Queen St Mall. Plenty of photos were taken (a bit of a shame I didn't bring my camera) - Nigel had quite a lot of pictures taken with random strangers who were drawn to the Buzz outfit! It was really funny. We went to a couple of nightclubs/similar places to have some fun & more drinks. Of course, Nigel was wasted. We stayed out so late, but of course some left earlier than others during the course of the night. I forked out some $33 for a cab home (there were practically no buses after midnite), & arrived home just before 1:30am.
Saturday 13/9/08
Yesterday was really full for me as I had spent most of the day in the Brisbane CBD - from arriving in bus stop just before 8am heading to work, to leaving CBD after 1am. So of course, I spent most of the day resting & recovering. I didn't do much. Still, I managed to go out at nite (with BT & Mark) - to Terence's place to watch Liverpool v Manchester United. Liverpool went a goal down, but hit back to win 2-1, & all in all, the result was probably fair. We were all happy. Terence was beaming from ear to ear, that his team won. For Terence personally, this would be a huge weekend - he is part of Nigel's bridal party.
Sunday 14/9/08
Wedding bells! Nigel & Phuong's big day! See next post for more details.....
I stayed back at work for a bit (past 5pm). Manager thanked me for all my hard work; I appreciated his compliment but mentioned that I stayed back this evening because I had a bucks nite to attend. Anyway, I left work just around 6pm & headed to Jojos at Queen St Mall, for the second part of Nigel's bucks celebration (first part was last Saturday). I arrived, followed very shortly by Terence. Then later, Dennis (who flew up from Melbourne in the morning) came along with Nigel. We ordered dinner. Me & Dennis each ordered beef sausage & chips. Everyone else either had pasta, pizza or Thai curry with rice. Of course, we had a few drinks too - me & Dennis shouted each other & Nigel some grog (why is it that everytime I get tipsy, Dennis is around??). Then Nigel's best man Jin arrived, together with the costume that Nigel was made to wear. And guess what it was? Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story! Yep, Nigel wear all that, body suit, wings, & all - the only thing missing was the space helmet. It was so so hilarious. The guys then took him out into Queen St Mall. Plenty of photos were taken (a bit of a shame I didn't bring my camera) - Nigel had quite a lot of pictures taken with random strangers who were drawn to the Buzz outfit! It was really funny. We went to a couple of nightclubs/similar places to have some fun & more drinks. Of course, Nigel was wasted. We stayed out so late, but of course some left earlier than others during the course of the night. I forked out some $33 for a cab home (there were practically no buses after midnite), & arrived home just before 1:30am.
Saturday 13/9/08
Yesterday was really full for me as I had spent most of the day in the Brisbane CBD - from arriving in bus stop just before 8am heading to work, to leaving CBD after 1am. So of course, I spent most of the day resting & recovering. I didn't do much. Still, I managed to go out at nite (with BT & Mark) - to Terence's place to watch Liverpool v Manchester United. Liverpool went a goal down, but hit back to win 2-1, & all in all, the result was probably fair. We were all happy. Terence was beaming from ear to ear, that his team won. For Terence personally, this would be a huge weekend - he is part of Nigel's bridal party.
Sunday 14/9/08
Wedding bells! Nigel & Phuong's big day! See next post for more details.....
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Michelangelo's David goes home to Italy
After a 2 year visit to the United States, Michelangelo's David is returning to Italy . .
His proud sponsors were:
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Ecclesiastes coming up!
Last Monday, when my Clay study group decided on Ecclesiastes as the book that we will be studying next, I was pretty happy. Not only that, something inside me clicked - it's a sort of warm, positive feeling, & it's like something inside me say "hey, wow, that's really good". Strange, that - I can't remember ever being that "excited" over a decision to study a particular book of the Bible. I can't quite put a finger on what caused all those feelings. Maybe it was because one of the Clayers said she liked & was encouraged by Ecclesiastes (which she looked at in her own time)?
So just the other day, I decided to have a read of Ecclesiastes. Actually, I must confess that before I got on to Ecclesiastes 1, I read the "preliminary overview" to Ecclesiastes. Well, it was right there (I use Life Application Study Bible) so I had to read! The "preliminary overview" gave me a good idea on what Ecclesiastes is about, & what I can expect from studying it. Here is my summary in a nutshell of what I gathered from reading the "preliminary overview":
The author of Ecclesiastes, Solomon, is trying to teach us that life without God is empty & meaningless. He tells readers of the book that things like knowledge, wealth/money, pleasure, work or popularity will not lead us to find meaning in life. Seeking those things will ultimately lead to disappointment. Instead, true satisfaction comes from seeking a relationship with the Lord, & knowing God's purpose for our lives. All of that was based on Solomon's own experience, & Ecclesiastes reflects on Solomon's personal life journey. He was looking back at his life, & was trying to spare his readers from learning through their own experience that everything apart from God is empty.
The "preliminary overview" captivated & inspired me. It immediately showed me why I had been excited when Ecclesiastes was chosen for our next study. You see, I have been thinking a lot about my life situation, & where my life is heading. More specifically, I have been thinking (& even talking to some friends) about my work & career, climbing the corporate ladder, future aspirations, my future earning capacity, wealth-building ambitions, & how to get there. There's also some other things which I won't elaborate on here. I have also been reflecting on timeframes to achieve various milestones, i.e. thinking along the lines of what I want to achieve in X number of years, what I want to own in X number of years, what I want to accumulate by the time I am X years old. Those are all secular stuff. I have poured so much thought into all those secular things, & so very little thought to spiritual things. As times, I feel like my head is getting "messed up" the more & more I think a lot about all that secular things. Yet I keep thinking about them. But on the other hand, how much thought have I given into how I can read the Bible more regularly, how I can devote more time to prayer, how I can be an encouragement to Christian brothers & sisters, & how I can improve my relationship with God? Not much at all.
All that secular stuff that have been plaguing my mind are exactly the stuff that Ecclesiastes warn against seeking, as they will lead to disappointment & emptiness. That is why I was excited when Clay decided to study Ecclesiastes. Because I feel that here is something that can help change my mind & priorities. Because I feel that here is a book that can come to my rescue, & prevent my head from being further "messed up" by all those secular things. So one could say that given all that I said above, it is timely that we will be studying Ecclesiastes next - because I think I really need to pay heed to whatever Ecclesiastes has to teach. My hope is that Ecclesiastes could kick-start my spiritual life & start afresh. I hope that the book will help me recommit myself to God, & focus on Him & seek Him first instead of pursuing those secular things.
It's going to be very difficult, because it might be relatively easy for me to recognise my issues, but difficult to actually act on them. Because it is so easy to be tempted, & it is so easy to be sucked into not doing what is right. So I hope that tomorrow's study (the first) on Ecclesiastes will be the first step in the right direction. Roll on the Ecclesiastes studies!
By the way, I did read Ecclesiastes 1. It doesn't mean I know a lot about the passage or that I will be able to answer everything about the passage. But what I can say is that the tone of the passage does seem pessimistic. This is meaningless, that is meaningless - looks like it's saying all things are meaningless without God. Things happen over & over again, all of that is meaningless.....Hmmm, well, we can discuss this further at Clay tomorrow, yeah??? And I will see if I can post reflections on the Ecclesiastes studies as I go. We'll see what happens.....
So just the other day, I decided to have a read of Ecclesiastes. Actually, I must confess that before I got on to Ecclesiastes 1, I read the "preliminary overview" to Ecclesiastes. Well, it was right there (I use Life Application Study Bible) so I had to read! The "preliminary overview" gave me a good idea on what Ecclesiastes is about, & what I can expect from studying it. Here is my summary in a nutshell of what I gathered from reading the "preliminary overview":
The author of Ecclesiastes, Solomon, is trying to teach us that life without God is empty & meaningless. He tells readers of the book that things like knowledge, wealth/money, pleasure, work or popularity will not lead us to find meaning in life. Seeking those things will ultimately lead to disappointment. Instead, true satisfaction comes from seeking a relationship with the Lord, & knowing God's purpose for our lives. All of that was based on Solomon's own experience, & Ecclesiastes reflects on Solomon's personal life journey. He was looking back at his life, & was trying to spare his readers from learning through their own experience that everything apart from God is empty.
The "preliminary overview" captivated & inspired me. It immediately showed me why I had been excited when Ecclesiastes was chosen for our next study. You see, I have been thinking a lot about my life situation, & where my life is heading. More specifically, I have been thinking (& even talking to some friends) about my work & career, climbing the corporate ladder, future aspirations, my future earning capacity, wealth-building ambitions, & how to get there. There's also some other things which I won't elaborate on here. I have also been reflecting on timeframes to achieve various milestones, i.e. thinking along the lines of what I want to achieve in X number of years, what I want to own in X number of years, what I want to accumulate by the time I am X years old. Those are all secular stuff. I have poured so much thought into all those secular things, & so very little thought to spiritual things. As times, I feel like my head is getting "messed up" the more & more I think a lot about all that secular things. Yet I keep thinking about them. But on the other hand, how much thought have I given into how I can read the Bible more regularly, how I can devote more time to prayer, how I can be an encouragement to Christian brothers & sisters, & how I can improve my relationship with God? Not much at all.
All that secular stuff that have been plaguing my mind are exactly the stuff that Ecclesiastes warn against seeking, as they will lead to disappointment & emptiness. That is why I was excited when Clay decided to study Ecclesiastes. Because I feel that here is something that can help change my mind & priorities. Because I feel that here is a book that can come to my rescue, & prevent my head from being further "messed up" by all those secular things. So one could say that given all that I said above, it is timely that we will be studying Ecclesiastes next - because I think I really need to pay heed to whatever Ecclesiastes has to teach. My hope is that Ecclesiastes could kick-start my spiritual life & start afresh. I hope that the book will help me recommit myself to God, & focus on Him & seek Him first instead of pursuing those secular things.
It's going to be very difficult, because it might be relatively easy for me to recognise my issues, but difficult to actually act on them. Because it is so easy to be tempted, & it is so easy to be sucked into not doing what is right. So I hope that tomorrow's study (the first) on Ecclesiastes will be the first step in the right direction. Roll on the Ecclesiastes studies!
By the way, I did read Ecclesiastes 1. It doesn't mean I know a lot about the passage or that I will be able to answer everything about the passage. But what I can say is that the tone of the passage does seem pessimistic. This is meaningless, that is meaningless - looks like it's saying all things are meaningless without God. Things happen over & over again, all of that is meaningless.....Hmmm, well, we can discuss this further at Clay tomorrow, yeah??? And I will see if I can post reflections on the Ecclesiastes studies as I go. We'll see what happens.....
Father's Day 2008
Ohhh, & it's Father's Day today. We had a very quiet dinner at home - we got some Vietnamese takeaway.
Happy Father's Day, pa. I thank God for saving u & electing u to be part of His Family. Thanks for being a good, godly dad, & for looking us all these years. I thank God for looking after u & for blessing u with much. I pray that He will continue to bless u richly in years to come.
Happy Father's Day, pa. I thank God for saving u & electing u to be part of His Family. Thanks for being a good, godly dad, & for looking us all these years. I thank God for looking after u & for blessing u with much. I pray that He will continue to bless u richly in years to come.
Nigel's bucks day (6/9/08)
My good friend (Nigel) is getting married next Sunday. Of course, we are all excited & happy for him. So yesterday, some of us took him out for the first instalment of his bucks day/nite. (The second instalment is this coming Friday nite, when more people will be available to catch up with Nigel).
We kicked off yesterday with lunch at the Little Taipei foodcourt in Sunnybank. We mostly ordered either Korean or Taiwanese-style steak. My Korean dish was ok. I also shouted Nigel a taro milk tea. All up, about 11-12 or so guys turned up for lunch. After lunch, most (but not all) of us then headed to the Gold Coast. We went in 2 cars. Melvin took Nigel, Winston, Jay (who didn't join us for lunch) & myself in his BMW 4-wheel drive. Wong drove Sean, Kwang & BT - these 4 would head off to Byron Bay later in the evening for Maria's birthday celebration. Melvin's car arrived first near the Surfers Paradise Boulevard.
We arrived at a place called Sling Shot/Vomatron - basically motor-powered devices designed to give passengers a fun/amusement ride by spinning & propelling in the air, creating the sort of "adrenaline rush" that is not too different what u would get from roller-coaster rides. Nigel got worried when he saw the slingshot & vomatron, & protested his reluctance to take the rides. We watched as some of the other riders in the vomatron screamed & screamed as they Wong's car then arrived. Eventually, after much persuasion, Nigel relented after Wong agreed to accompany him to the vomatron ride. It was fun watching both of them spin clockwise a few times, then anti-clockwise a few times. And we can't forget Nigel's facial expression when both he & Wong were up in the air, as well as how tight Nigel gripped the bars while Wong appeared calm & had both his hands free. Fortunately, neither of them threw up, although Nigel said he might have had the vomatron ride carried on for a few more rounds. But both of them looked clearly hammered.
After that, we walked over to King Tutt's Putt Putt just a few minutes away, for a game of miniature golf. Part of the place had ancient Egyptian theme, the other part had Jurassic Park theme. We had to settle with the outdoor mini-golf course, as the courses inside were already taken. We had an 18-hole course, so that meant 1 game of 18 rounds. Some of the guys displayed flair for golf (Sean & Jay being among them). There was much laughter all round, especially with the various putting bloopers (at one stage, Wong & BT managed to put their balls out onto the road!) & botched attempts to get the ball into the hole. It was quite windy, so that made it a tad more difficult for us to putt as well as we want. I yelled at my golf ball a few times, telling it to stop at times when it kept moving (at the final round 18, I let slip some expletives as I was frustrated that the ball didn't go well). Anyway, Sean ended up winning the game after the 18 rounds, with the lowest score of 56. Jay & myself were tied on 58 (but Jay is definitely better than me). BT had the worst score of 104! (At one stage, a fake crocodile's head protruded out of a small cave at the side of one of the course & gave Nigel a scare.)
We managed to get a group photo together, in front of the dinosaur at the entrance of King Tutt's Putt Putt. Then we headed out separate ways, with Wong, Sean, Kwang & BT off to Byron Bay to join Maria & friends. The rest of us returned to Brisbane, to play poker at the Woollongabba home of Kris, one of Nigel's groomsmen. Jay got dropped off (he didn't/couldn't join us), & Nigel & Melvin went straight to Kris's place while I grabbed my car (which I had left at Jay's parents' place) & headed with Winston back to his place. We rested for a bit, & after Eilen came back, me & Winston left in separate cars to Wolloongabba.
Henry was at Kris' place when we arrived. Long time no see, Henry. He seems to be well, which was good. Most of those present at Kris' place were Nigel's high school & uni friends. They were extremely loud & boisterous. We played a round of poker (about 12 people took part), with me & Winston being the earliest casualties. We only had finger food (some dips & nibblies), & I left relatively early (around 10pm-ish), without getting to have the pizza dinner that we all thought we would have. Nigel would later tell me (earlier today at church) that he stayed on till 4am & that the only thing he did after I left was play Risk.
Anyway, it was a good bucks day. But that is just the first instalment. The second instalment on Friday nite will see a lot more people turn up, & promises to be significantly more wild! But not if Nigel has it his way - because on Saturday, he has to do arrangements at the church where the wedding ceremony is held. It will be interesting to see how easy (or not) people will go on Nigel this Friday nite!
We kicked off yesterday with lunch at the Little Taipei foodcourt in Sunnybank. We mostly ordered either Korean or Taiwanese-style steak. My Korean dish was ok. I also shouted Nigel a taro milk tea. All up, about 11-12 or so guys turned up for lunch. After lunch, most (but not all) of us then headed to the Gold Coast. We went in 2 cars. Melvin took Nigel, Winston, Jay (who didn't join us for lunch) & myself in his BMW 4-wheel drive. Wong drove Sean, Kwang & BT - these 4 would head off to Byron Bay later in the evening for Maria's birthday celebration. Melvin's car arrived first near the Surfers Paradise Boulevard.
We arrived at a place called Sling Shot/Vomatron - basically motor-powered devices designed to give passengers a fun/amusement ride by spinning & propelling in the air, creating the sort of "adrenaline rush" that is not too different what u would get from roller-coaster rides. Nigel got worried when he saw the slingshot & vomatron, & protested his reluctance to take the rides. We watched as some of the other riders in the vomatron screamed & screamed as they Wong's car then arrived. Eventually, after much persuasion, Nigel relented after Wong agreed to accompany him to the vomatron ride. It was fun watching both of them spin clockwise a few times, then anti-clockwise a few times. And we can't forget Nigel's facial expression when both he & Wong were up in the air, as well as how tight Nigel gripped the bars while Wong appeared calm & had both his hands free. Fortunately, neither of them threw up, although Nigel said he might have had the vomatron ride carried on for a few more rounds. But both of them looked clearly hammered.
After that, we walked over to King Tutt's Putt Putt just a few minutes away, for a game of miniature golf. Part of the place had ancient Egyptian theme, the other part had Jurassic Park theme. We had to settle with the outdoor mini-golf course, as the courses inside were already taken. We had an 18-hole course, so that meant 1 game of 18 rounds. Some of the guys displayed flair for golf (Sean & Jay being among them). There was much laughter all round, especially with the various putting bloopers (at one stage, Wong & BT managed to put their balls out onto the road!) & botched attempts to get the ball into the hole. It was quite windy, so that made it a tad more difficult for us to putt as well as we want. I yelled at my golf ball a few times, telling it to stop at times when it kept moving (at the final round 18, I let slip some expletives as I was frustrated that the ball didn't go well). Anyway, Sean ended up winning the game after the 18 rounds, with the lowest score of 56. Jay & myself were tied on 58 (but Jay is definitely better than me). BT had the worst score of 104! (At one stage, a fake crocodile's head protruded out of a small cave at the side of one of the course & gave Nigel a scare.)
We managed to get a group photo together, in front of the dinosaur at the entrance of King Tutt's Putt Putt. Then we headed out separate ways, with Wong, Sean, Kwang & BT off to Byron Bay to join Maria & friends. The rest of us returned to Brisbane, to play poker at the Woollongabba home of Kris, one of Nigel's groomsmen. Jay got dropped off (he didn't/couldn't join us), & Nigel & Melvin went straight to Kris's place while I grabbed my car (which I had left at Jay's parents' place) & headed with Winston back to his place. We rested for a bit, & after Eilen came back, me & Winston left in separate cars to Wolloongabba.
Henry was at Kris' place when we arrived. Long time no see, Henry. He seems to be well, which was good. Most of those present at Kris' place were Nigel's high school & uni friends. They were extremely loud & boisterous. We played a round of poker (about 12 people took part), with me & Winston being the earliest casualties. We only had finger food (some dips & nibblies), & I left relatively early (around 10pm-ish), without getting to have the pizza dinner that we all thought we would have. Nigel would later tell me (earlier today at church) that he stayed on till 4am & that the only thing he did after I left was play Risk.
Anyway, it was a good bucks day. But that is just the first instalment. The second instalment on Friday nite will see a lot more people turn up, & promises to be significantly more wild! But not if Nigel has it his way - because on Saturday, he has to do arrangements at the church where the wedding ceremony is held. It will be interesting to see how easy (or not) people will go on Nigel this Friday nite!
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Kevin Keegan resigned!
Alas, Kevin Keegan has resigned as manager of Newcastle United. The man, dubbed King Kev, had been in charge of the English Premier League club for only 7-8 months since he returned to the club earlier this year. Frankly, I'm shocked & very sad - & I'm not even a Newcastle fan!! I'm sure most Newcastle fans would be extremely depressed by the latest developments at their club. Who could blame them for feeling down in the dumps?
Keegan left because he was at loggerheads with Newcastle's billionaire owner Mike Ashley, & the club's managing directors, over what he feels to be a lack of control over player transfers & other football matters. Keegan feels that the owner & managing directors are interfering with his job as a football club manager. Recent developments have served to undermine Keegan's authority at the club. Basically, Ashley & the managing directors told Keegan which players he should sign, & they are having a say in which players should come & go at Newcastle. Recently, the club sold promising young midfielder James Milner to Aston Villa. He's only 22, is a key player for Newcastle & is expected to play for the senior England team sometime soon. The decision to sell him might have been for financial reasons, most probably not for football reasons, & it certainly was not a decision made by Keegan - after all, Keegan is a known admirer of Milner. Not only that, some players that Keegan has never heard of, nor want, have been recommended for him to bring to the club. And to top all that off, it has recently been revealed that the club has been trying to sell a couple of key players behind Keegan's back. How could Keegan work in such circumstances, when there are people trying to interfere & undermine his authority?
I find all of that appaling, & I just don't get it. Why were they doing all that to Keegan? Why can't Keegan be allowed to do his job the way he sees fit? Newcastle fans don't get it, & are upset by all this. Some have demonstrated against Mike Ashley, voicing their disapproval of the club owner. I don't blame them for that, & I have much sympathy for the fans. As football manager, Keegan knows the strengths & weaknesses of his squad. He should be the one who decides which players come & go to improve the squad. He should be the one who makes team selections & decide on tactics. The club owner & board should have no business interfering with such matters - they are not football managers & shouldn't try to be one. They should stick to their respective jobs, & let Keegan do his - let him be the football manager that he was paid to be. As Keegan rightly pointed out in a statement he issued on the day he resigned, "a manager must have the right to manage & that clubs should not impose upon any manager that he does not want". Very well summed up. With everything that has happened, Keegan felt he had no choice but to leave the club. His decision marks a sad day for Newcastle United, neutral football fans (including myself), & for football. He is a nice guy, never arrogant, very emotional perhaps, but I appreciate him for always trying to get his teams to play positive, attacking football.
Mind you, Keegan is not the only manager to have left in such acrimonious circumstances. Just a few days before Keegan's departure, Alan Curbishley resigned as West Ham manager for the same reasons. I don't think Newcastle or West Ham will find it easy to get a replacement. Who in their right mind would want to manage a club where its owners & board of directors interfere in footballing matters? Prospective managers will think twice before considering an offer to manage Newcastle or West Ham. Not a good situation for the clubs to be in. I hope both clubs eventually find the manager that can lead them to better things - & I hope that the "powers that be" at both clubs leave well alone & let the managers do their job without any undue interference.
Keegan left because he was at loggerheads with Newcastle's billionaire owner Mike Ashley, & the club's managing directors, over what he feels to be a lack of control over player transfers & other football matters. Keegan feels that the owner & managing directors are interfering with his job as a football club manager. Recent developments have served to undermine Keegan's authority at the club. Basically, Ashley & the managing directors told Keegan which players he should sign, & they are having a say in which players should come & go at Newcastle. Recently, the club sold promising young midfielder James Milner to Aston Villa. He's only 22, is a key player for Newcastle & is expected to play for the senior England team sometime soon. The decision to sell him might have been for financial reasons, most probably not for football reasons, & it certainly was not a decision made by Keegan - after all, Keegan is a known admirer of Milner. Not only that, some players that Keegan has never heard of, nor want, have been recommended for him to bring to the club. And to top all that off, it has recently been revealed that the club has been trying to sell a couple of key players behind Keegan's back. How could Keegan work in such circumstances, when there are people trying to interfere & undermine his authority?
I find all of that appaling, & I just don't get it. Why were they doing all that to Keegan? Why can't Keegan be allowed to do his job the way he sees fit? Newcastle fans don't get it, & are upset by all this. Some have demonstrated against Mike Ashley, voicing their disapproval of the club owner. I don't blame them for that, & I have much sympathy for the fans. As football manager, Keegan knows the strengths & weaknesses of his squad. He should be the one who decides which players come & go to improve the squad. He should be the one who makes team selections & decide on tactics. The club owner & board should have no business interfering with such matters - they are not football managers & shouldn't try to be one. They should stick to their respective jobs, & let Keegan do his - let him be the football manager that he was paid to be. As Keegan rightly pointed out in a statement he issued on the day he resigned, "a manager must have the right to manage & that clubs should not impose upon any manager that he does not want". Very well summed up. With everything that has happened, Keegan felt he had no choice but to leave the club. His decision marks a sad day for Newcastle United, neutral football fans (including myself), & for football. He is a nice guy, never arrogant, very emotional perhaps, but I appreciate him for always trying to get his teams to play positive, attacking football.
Mind you, Keegan is not the only manager to have left in such acrimonious circumstances. Just a few days before Keegan's departure, Alan Curbishley resigned as West Ham manager for the same reasons. I don't think Newcastle or West Ham will find it easy to get a replacement. Who in their right mind would want to manage a club where its owners & board of directors interfere in footballing matters? Prospective managers will think twice before considering an offer to manage Newcastle or West Ham. Not a good situation for the clubs to be in. I hope both clubs eventually find the manager that can lead them to better things - & I hope that the "powers that be" at both clubs leave well alone & let the managers do their job without any undue interference.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Hard to keep sport & politics separate
This weekend sees World Cup qualifying action around the globe in the race to be at the big stage in South Africa 2010. Plenty of matches, promising lots of goals, excitement & drama.
Among the list of qualifying matches are 2 intriguing ties: Cuba v USA, & Armenia v Turkey. Intriguing because the matches had meaning beyond just a sporting contest - the nations involved in the respective ties have a deep history with each other, off the field. In the lead up to the matches, internet articles have been talking about all the history. It seems that it can be difficult to separate football & politics.
This weekend will be the first time in over 60 years that the US soccer team play in the Cuban capital. America still has a trade embargo on Cuba (which has been running for about 50 years), which means that there will be no American fans in Havana to cheer their team on. So that will be a new experience for the US squad. One could say the US team will face hostility from the Cuban fans, given the (non-football related) history between both nations. But then again, another viewpoint is that any hostility from the Cuban fans simply represent normal behaviour of home fans wanting their team to win - it's normal that they would be against the visiting team. Some of the Cuban footballers downplay the political aspect of the fixture, saying that their rivalry has nothing to do with politics & that Cuba doesn't like losing to USA in any sport. The US coach, meanwhile, says he is aware of the extra attention the game is bringing, & wants his team to take the opportunity to show what it can do.
As for Armenia & Turkey, their history run all the way back to era of the Ottoman Empire, & alleged atrocities committed by it against the Armenians. Both neighbours have been at odds over the extent to which the Ottoman troops were responsible for the deaths of Armenians during the Ottoman period. (I'm not taking any sides, by the way). That aside, there have also been various regional & territorial disputes between the nations. I won't go into the details. But anyway, the Armenian president has invited his Turkish counterpart to attend the football match in the Armenian capital, Yerevan. The invitation has been accepted, as both nations look to establish relations. Unlike the US team in Havana, the Turkish team will enjoy support in Yerevan. About 5,000 Turkish fans are expected, after Armenia relaxed the normal visa restrictions for the match as a goodwill gesture. This has raised concerns of possible violence between both sets of supporters. Turkey's coach, Fatih Terim, tried to diffuse such concerns by appealing for calm, saying: "This is only a football game, not a war. We cannot carry the weight of history on our shoulders".
Well, all I would like to say is that I hope all the World Cup qualifying matches (including the above 2) go ahead without trouble. Hope the fans enjoy the action on the field, & not think too much about the political stuff off the field.
Among the list of qualifying matches are 2 intriguing ties: Cuba v USA, & Armenia v Turkey. Intriguing because the matches had meaning beyond just a sporting contest - the nations involved in the respective ties have a deep history with each other, off the field. In the lead up to the matches, internet articles have been talking about all the history. It seems that it can be difficult to separate football & politics.
This weekend will be the first time in over 60 years that the US soccer team play in the Cuban capital. America still has a trade embargo on Cuba (which has been running for about 50 years), which means that there will be no American fans in Havana to cheer their team on. So that will be a new experience for the US squad. One could say the US team will face hostility from the Cuban fans, given the (non-football related) history between both nations. But then again, another viewpoint is that any hostility from the Cuban fans simply represent normal behaviour of home fans wanting their team to win - it's normal that they would be against the visiting team. Some of the Cuban footballers downplay the political aspect of the fixture, saying that their rivalry has nothing to do with politics & that Cuba doesn't like losing to USA in any sport. The US coach, meanwhile, says he is aware of the extra attention the game is bringing, & wants his team to take the opportunity to show what it can do.
As for Armenia & Turkey, their history run all the way back to era of the Ottoman Empire, & alleged atrocities committed by it against the Armenians. Both neighbours have been at odds over the extent to which the Ottoman troops were responsible for the deaths of Armenians during the Ottoman period. (I'm not taking any sides, by the way). That aside, there have also been various regional & territorial disputes between the nations. I won't go into the details. But anyway, the Armenian president has invited his Turkish counterpart to attend the football match in the Armenian capital, Yerevan. The invitation has been accepted, as both nations look to establish relations. Unlike the US team in Havana, the Turkish team will enjoy support in Yerevan. About 5,000 Turkish fans are expected, after Armenia relaxed the normal visa restrictions for the match as a goodwill gesture. This has raised concerns of possible violence between both sets of supporters. Turkey's coach, Fatih Terim, tried to diffuse such concerns by appealing for calm, saying: "This is only a football game, not a war. We cannot carry the weight of history on our shoulders".
Well, all I would like to say is that I hope all the World Cup qualifying matches (including the above 2) go ahead without trouble. Hope the fans enjoy the action on the field, & not think too much about the political stuff off the field.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Chinglish at its worst!
Those of u who speak Chinese, & are from Malaysia or Singapore would understand & appreciate this!
*********************************************
Lim Ah Lek was asked to make a sentence using 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 and 10.
Not only did he do it using 1 to 10, but he did it again backwards from 10 to 1. This is what he came up with......
"1 day I go 2 climb up a 3 outside a house to peep. But couple saw me, so I panic and 4 down. The man rush out and wanted to 5 with me. I run until I fall 6 and throw out. So I go into 7 eleven and grab some 8 to throw at him. Then I took a 9 and try to stab him. 10 God he run away. So, I put the 9 back and pay for the 8 and left 7 eleven. Next day, I call my boss and say I am 6. He said 5, tomorrow also no need to come back 4 work. He also asked me to climb a 3 and jump down. I don't understand, I so nice 2 him but I don't know what he 1".
*********************************************
Lim Ah Lek was asked to make a sentence using 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 and 10.
Not only did he do it using 1 to 10, but he did it again backwards from 10 to 1. This is what he came up with......
"1 day I go 2 climb up a 3 outside a house to peep. But couple saw me, so I panic and 4 down. The man rush out and wanted to 5 with me. I run until I fall 6 and throw out. So I go into 7 eleven and grab some 8 to throw at him. Then I took a 9 and try to stab him. 10 God he run away. So, I put the 9 back and pay for the 8 and left 7 eleven. Next day, I call my boss and say I am 6. He said 5, tomorrow also no need to come back 4 work. He also asked me to climb a 3 and jump down. I don't understand, I so nice 2 him but I don't know what he 1".
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