A champion anywhere!

Love him or hate him but he's a winner! In Portugal, in England and now in Italy. Off course there's still Bayern Munich in the Champion's League and Roma in the Italian league and the cup to think about. Nevertheless, Maurinho may just walk away with the treble this season.

Still playing after all these years

Playing with players, some of them half my age, really took a toll on me. I couldn't match them in speed, stamina, agility and everything else. All I had was the memory and the will.

Barcelona vs Inter, who will win?

Barcelona will play an open game, using the length and breadth of the field, with an attack minded midfield and getting the ball to Messi as many times as possible while Inter will play a very tight game, crowding the midfield and making sure Messi don't get the ball. Barcelona needs to score early. That will open up the game. Otherwise, Inter will be happy if the ball stays in the middle of the field. If Messi can conjure a few magical tricks during the match, Barcelona will be in Madrid. Otherwise, Maurinho will have the last laugh.

When the mind is willing but the body is not

The last time I kicked a ball was more than three years ago. The last time I played a football game was more than five years ago. Today I played a game. However, most of the time I found that it was more a case of the mind is willing but the body is not. I knew what I wanted to do but the execution was left wanting. Still, I enjoyed myself. I guess at over fifty years old, I couldn't ask for more.

Images

Enjoying lunch by the roadside


At UTM Skudai

In Johor Baru over the weekend

Last Saturday, I was supposed to attend a reunion in Subang Jaya with the Brighton Technical College class of 74-76. Unfortunately at the last minute I had to go to Johor Baru for some family matters. Stayed there overnight before driving home late Sunday. A 'Jom Heboh' carnival was going on in Danga Bay and that cause a massive jam along the Skudai road Saturday and Sunday.

Red, yellow or.......?

I was in Bangkok a few years back. The city is nice enough and getting 'halal' food is not a problem if you know how to find your way. I only had to be careful not to wear a red or a yellow shirt lest I'm being mistaken as being a supporter of one. However, recently, a new group of protesters have emerged. They called themselves the multi coloured. Now that poses a problem! What colour should I be wearing if I were to visit Bangkok?

Whatever in the world is happening?

Yesterday morning, on my way to Bangi from Sungai Buloh, I made a wrong turning and ended having to make a U turn almost three kilometres away somewhere in Cyberjaya. Then on my way back after work, wanted to go to Shah Alam for a jog but again made a wrong turning and found myself in Subang Jaya. This afternoon, coming back from Bangi to go to Bangsar, made another wrong turning and ended having to make another U turn along the Kerinchi Link near Intan.
That's three wrong turnings in two days. The thing is, all those routes are familiar to me, having driven through them countless times. What in the world is happening to me........?

A class above

Talking about integrity, Brain Davis beats them all. In a playoff for the title against Jim Furyk and with a million dollars on the line, the British golfer disqualified himself when he thought he had faulted. The truth is, nobody would have even noticed if he didn't. Not the spectators, not the television cameras and neither the referees. That is a real class act! Would we do the same given the situation?

Funniest story I've read in a while

It was reported in one of the daily newspaper today of a British woman who suffered from severe migrane. It didn't say if she is still suffering from it but as a result of the migrane, she suddenly finds herself speaking her native English with a Chinese slang. At the moment, she is undergoing speech therapy to regain her speaking self.

Volcanic ash causing havoc

I have never heard of the word Tsunami until that fateful day on Dec 26 2006. I still remember, I was watching TV that morning when suddenly news appeared on the screen about a few people killed due to rough sea. This was in Penang. I said to myself the storm must be real strong. Then the same story repeated itself, this time its in Thailand, then Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia and so on. By the time the whole story unfolded, more than 250,000 people had died. That was my introduction to Tsunami.
Now its volcanic ash. Never heard of it before until now. Thousands of people stranded at airports all over the world because of it. I wonder what's next?

Life goes on

April is almost over. Soon it will be May, then June followed by July, August...... and then December and.........before I even have time to finish reading the newspaper, 2010 is gone. Wow! Where have all the days gone? Come to think of it... where have all the years gone? Fifty three years gone in a ..... shall I say, a flash?

Its anybody's title

MU scored a dramatic last gasp winner.... and Chelsea got beat. With the way things are going, can we count Arsenal out? Looks like there's still life in the premier league.

For the love of it

Its early Saturday morning and I'm already at my desk, thinking what to write today. Its getting harder and harder trying to keep up with the target of updating my blog daily. Sometimes I feel I write nonsense just so that I'm still on track. Earlier I was at the mosque for the morning prayer. Came back, read the Quran a bit and now here I am, at the desk. Been almost an hour already and I'm still struggling.............!

Day of reckoning

With Chelsea in the driving seat and the end already in sight, one more defeat will spell the end for both Arsenal and Man U. Can they rise to the occasion?
Over in Italy, Inter Milan have nobody to blame but themselves if Roma steal the title from under their nose. What seem impossible just months ago is now more than possible. All Roma need to do is win all their remaining games.
In Spain, what can I say. Barcelona with Messi in the form of his life will take the title for sure. Ronaldo and company will have to wait another year.

Nowhere to go

Its crawling inch by inch

A long drive home

From Kuantan to Gombak, a distance of more than 250kms, I made it in about three hours. However, from Gombak to my house in Sg Buloh, a distance of only 30 kms, took me four and half hours. Terrible! and that tells the whole story. What else if not the jam, this time a massive one. Heard on the radio it was caused by an accident but I personally did not see one. I actually was too tired to even care. All I wanted was to get home as soon as possible but the jam delayed my homecoming by a long four hours!

Enjoying the sights

For a Sunday, traffic was quite busy

By the riverside.

A disturbing news

I had just checked in at the hotel and was about to enter my room when I received the SMS. Earlier, I had driven for almost 3 hours from KL and finally arriving in Kuantan at about 5 pm. On reading the SMS, I was shocked. A friend had been admitted to the ICU after complaining of tiredness. Why! I met him only a few days ago and he was .......okay!

My life changing moment

It came when I was in form 5. The exam was coming and my attitude was nonchalant, to say the least. I was busy with other things like playing football everyday and not paying attention to my studies. Then one day my father got so frustrated that he practically said, "you can do what you like. I give up. I just don't know what to do anymore to make you study". Somehow those words had a reverse effect on me. From then on, I stopped everything and paid attention to my studies and the rest.. as they say... is history.

Non stop election

Even before the by election in Hulu Selangor gets underway, another one looms in the horizon. Since the general election in 2008, we have had so many by elections that I have lost count the number of times. I get tired just thinking about it. Wonder how its like on the politicians.

Maintaining a routine

The rain has been creating havoc to my exercise routine. This week for example, I only managed to jog once. All the other days were ruined because of the rain. What is most frustrating is that the sun shines brightly in the morning and afternoon but come evening, its another story altogether. To make up for it, I do a few laps of swimming during weekends.

When Messi is on song, you better be singing

Unfortunately Arsenal didn't and as a result, they got ripped. Four goals from Magical Messi. What a performance! On that performance alone, he is the best player in the world by a mile. I can already see the World Cup in Argentina's hand.
Over in the US of A, Tiger's comeback is already creating such a frenzy, you'd think he has already won the Masters.

There's a reason for everything

Sometimes things happened when you least anticipate it. You never thought it would happen, not even in your wildest dream but happened it did. When you finally realised it, it is too late. You cannot turn back the clock. Perhaps your only consolation is knowing that God don't make things happen without a reason. You may not know the reason and whatever is happening is not making life any easier for you but as long as your faith in God remains intact, everything should turn out alright.

Living the life

Its 6.45 am in the morning and I'm already on the road. Rain or shine, tired or not, that is the routine for me and millions of other people, unless off course if you're born with a silver spoon in the mouth. Leaving the house when it is still dark and coming back when it is already dark. All for an honest living. Yes....to make an honest living and God willing, be rewarded in the hereafter.

Jotting on a lazy Sunday

When I was schooling some forty years ago, a cinema ticket would cost 40 cents. I remember the Lido cinema in Taiping which was a favourite of mine. Some weekends, I would be there watching a movie. Getting the ticket was always a hassle. Queueing was unheard off then and I had to push and squeze myself among the crowd in order to get one. Still, it was good fun.
Since those days forty years ago, I have seldom been to the cinema and have no idea how much a ticket cost. 5 rm.. 10 rm...20 rm....?

Everything to play for

What a night! First Chelsea knocked Man U off the perch in the Premier League. Then Arsenal left it very, very late before securing all three points against Wolves. With five matches left, the race is still wide open.
Meanwhile, back home, Its Negri vs Kedah for the FA cup final although it must be said Negri was helped by a 'hand' which almost certainly denied Selangor a second goal.

Its a Saturday!

Its Saturday again! Wake up, go to the mosque for the morning prayer, come back, sit in front of the computer thinking what to write, serve the internet, read the papers, have a leisurely breakfast, watch TV, sleep and half the day is gone. Meantime, wait in eager anticipation for the football matches tonight. Today, its Man U vs Chelsea. This could be the season decider!

A remarkable woman

I seldom watch the Oprah show but a few days ago something on the show got me interested. Oprah was interviewing a woman who was mauled by a chimpanzee. She survived that incident but suffered horrific injuries, especially to the face. During the interview, her face was covered with a cloth but it was visible as the cloth was transparent. From what I saw, its not a face anymore. It looked so terrible that it was unbearable. I couldn't bear to watch and turned to other channels after a while.
I was told that later the woman removed the cover and showed her face to the audience. I just cannot imagine what its like. Even now I shudder at the thought. I salute her for her bravery.

1st of April of the year 2010

The whole body was lethargic today. After just 20 minutes, I thought I couldn't carry on anymore. It was as if my legs were carrying 20 tons of weight and they felt damn heavy. Even the sight of the finish line couldn't relief the burden I was feeling. Yet, I plodded on, little by little, step by step and finally... yes....finally.... I made it.