A Sports Freak Perspective From The Couch

My View

2007-07-21T14:19:00.000+08:00

Am currently now on a short break to our holiday destination of Langkawi Island. This is my current view, with beer (& notebook) in hand.

Did some 'touristy' things like visiting the Underwater World which I must say is quite good but the Crocodile farm which boasts itself as the biggest in Malaysia was rather dissapointing. Will post more later as I'm on holiday....

God Save the Queen

2007-07-08T11:00:00.000+08:00

What a great weekend to be in England and its not because of the weather. Personally, I don't fancy the country and would rather go to any other country in Europe or Australia, I was in gloomy and expensive London 2 weeks ago, but for this weekend there is no where else i'd rather be.

Why you ask? 3 reasons...

1. The Open Championships - Wimbledon

Last night Venus Williams won her 4th title, this time as 23rd seed. Tonights Men's dream final is between the top two... as usual Federer vs. Nadal with the World #1 going for his 5th consecutive title to tie Legend Bjorn Borg's record.

2. Le Tour de France

For the first time in its 100 year history Le Tour starts from London. Stage 1, the prologue time trial, was won last night by World Time Trial Champion Fabian Cancellara.

3. British F1 GP

Lewis Hamilton (see previous post) grabs pole position in his maiden home GP. Should be an awesome race later today with Ferrari finally giving a challenge to McLaren after last weeks 1-2 finish.

......................................................................................

by the way... as soon as I posted "I am not as busy now at work so I can start blogging again" in my blog, I was called to the office yesterday (Saturday) from 10am to 5pm and I'm actually in the office now (its a bloody Sunday!!!)...

Does my CEO read my blog?!?!

Future F1 World Champion??

2007-07-06T11:14:00.000+08:00

I look like a mess in this photo as it was after the Kanye West Concert at Stadium Negara. The same day as the 2007 Malaysian F1 GP at Sepang. Nevertheless, I got to take a photo with Lewis Hamilton (current Championship leader) at the after party at Zouk, thats all this posting is about.

Just Some Pictures of Aly

2007-07-06T10:33:00.000+08:00

Most of these pictures are 2 to 3 months old.

I'm Back......

2007-07-05T16:10:00.000+08:00

In an effort to revive this blog..... I have returned...

Well.. its been ages since my last posting and lots has happened since then. Some major highlights include being able to have a conversation with my daughter (yes, she can talk now), my wife being pregnant again and my house is now ready to be moved into bar some minor fixes (yes, all renovations have been completed). I plan to move into my new house in a couple of weeks.

On the work/career side of things, it has been relatively good. Not as busy (i.e. working long hours) like when I first joined here. Got a decent 12% increment and a very healhty 12 months bonus that 100% went to pay off credit cards and home renovations. At least I didn't have to take up a loan for the renovations and furniture for my new house. Although the renumeration has been good and I have no intention of leaving just yet, I have been approached by a few companies. To date, none have been exciting enough to make me leave but you never know.

I have also been traveling quite a bit. I have been in the office only 2 weeks in the last 7. The latest being a 14-day trip to Europe covering Madrid, Barcelona, Vienna & London. On top of that I took an extra 3 days for leisure in Amsterdam (my current favourite place on Earth). Anyway, during the trip, besides work i had the opportunity to visit and view 3 stadiums. The Santiago Bernabeau of Real Madrid, The Camp Nou of FC Barcelona and The Amterdam Arena of Ajax Amsterdam. Below are some photos of my trip.

Thats me at the Santiago Bernabeau stadium

In front of the Nou Camp

Was probably not smart enough to study here 17 years ago here but thats me at Cambridge University

Monument to Johann Strauss in Vienna

p/s: This is the first time I have posted my pictures on my blog since its inception. I figure it will be the only way to keep me interested in maintaining this blog. Therefore, you will see some changes in postings

Tomorrow, back to some sports....

Too damn long...

2006-09-05T11:23:00.000+08:00

Its been damn long, too long actually since I have had the time to post on this blog. I was even planning to kill off this blog. Mainly because work has been a bitch for the last 6 months with barely any weekends to speak of.

Anyway, work aside, Aly can now run, talk in broken sentences and revolt. Also, I am now a homeowner as my house is ready. This actually adds on plenty of new headaches financially. It costs an arm, leg and head to actually move into the house. Nevertheless, I now own my own place.

Although I have been busy, I have still been able to keep up, watch and play plenty of sports in the last few months. In summary (since my last posting), Italy won the World Cup, Tiger has won 5 tournaments in a row including 2 Majors, Spain won the World Basketball Championships with the American team of all NBA stars falling in the semifinals and the major leagues in European football have started. On a personal level, my squash and tennis have improved quite a bit.

I just hope I can find the time to continue posting here.

Temporary Bachelorhood Over, Aly & the Dutch Jersey

2006-06-15T11:49:00.000+08:00

For the last 3 days my wife and daughter was away in Singapore shopping. Due to this I was a reborn bachelor for 3 days. After not being one for over 2 years it was a weird feeling coming home from work to an empty house, having to 'plan' dinner with other single guys, even showering with the bathroom door open felt weird.

All this ended last night, truth be told, I'm actually happy they returned.

For one, I finally woke up on time. But most of all I miss having Aly around. I guess she missed me too. They arrived home at around 11pm last night and Aly was asleep in the taxi. When transporting her from the cab to the bedroom, she woke up. Then 'dah-dee' had to be by her side until she slept again, which took almost an hour as she was fighting it and kept on checking if i was lying down beside her. This morning she wouldn't let me shower to go to work and wanted me to be with her... I guess this is one of the joys of haveing a kid... and yes.. I missed my wife too..:)
I would also like to thank my wife for getting me an 'original' Dutch World Cup jersey in Singapore. I stress the 'original' as my Euro 2004 Dutch jersey was bought at PS Boutique or more commonly known as Petaling Street.

An Update

2006-06-13T10:22:00.000+08:00

Yes, the World Cup is currently the biggest event in the world of sports. Nevertheless, there have been other sports and sportspersons that deserve mention last weekend.

Rafael Nadal. He continued his dominance on clay by completely manhandling World #1 Roger Federer at the finals of the French Open last Sunday. This extended his record unbeaten run on clay to 60 matches. It is now being debated if he is the best ever player on the surface. All he has to do now is prove himself on other surfaces and he can be in position to replace Federer as the worlds best.
Fernando Alonso. 3 grand prix's in a row after winning convincingly at the British GP last weekend. He looks in like to win his 2nd world championship in a row after another well contolled drive. 7-time world champ Michael Schumacer came in a distant 2nd.
Se Ri Pak. In a weekend dominated by youth, Nadal is 20 and Alonso 21, Se Ri Pak would seem like a veteren at 28. Nevertheless, she came back to win the ladies LPGA Championship beating out up and coming 16 year old Michelle Wie and a few other ladies who were in contention.

Back to the World Cup, I am happy to state that both the teams I support have won their opening matches. The Dutch beating Serbia & Montinegro 1-0 and the Socceroos beating Japan 3-1 scoring all 3 goals in the final 8 minutes.

In news unrelated, my house has been damn quiet as my wife and daughter are away in Singapore with my mom-in-law. The good thing is I am a temporary bachelor...

Luck….

2006-06-08T12:19:00.000+08:00

Do we create our own or is it bestowed upon us?

Last night the French football team played their last friendly match before the World Cup finals. During this match their forward Djibril Cisse broke his leg. Now, this is the same guy who broke his leg playing for Liverpool (see picture-breaking of leg) but recovered amazingly and played well at the end of last season to get a place in the France National squad. Now his World Cup dream is over. At least for this World Cup. Is he just unlucky? Is he one of the unluckiest footballers around?

As for me I believe I have ok luck. I’m not the luckiest person in the world but certainly not the unluckiest. My gut says I will never win the ‘big’ one, like the multi-million lottery (although I buy lottery tickets every month) but I do ‘win’ smaller things. Besides, you can’t dream of winning the lottery if you don’t buy the ticket. Being a person that’s loves to gamble I also believe that we create our own luck, whilst some form of gambling has nothing to do with luck at all, planning and careful calculation usually result in some element of luck being created.

Now, I actually don’t know why I’m rambling on like this. Maybe it’s because for once in a long-long while, I actually have no urgent work to do. This may not last more than today but you never know.

p/s: 2 days till the World Cup… and counting…

Worlds 'Greatest' Sports Event

2006-06-06T11:51:00.000+08:00

With the World Cup only a few days away I guess its fitting of me to give my take on the worlds greatest soprts event. The term greatest is obviously up for debate with Olympians, as to some the Olympiads is the greatest sporting event. Anyway, here's my prediction for the upcoming World Cup.

Champions - I would love to say the Dutch will win but realisticaly, the Brazilians are a class above the rest. With a line-up of Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Adriano, Kaka, etc. they have one of the best lineups ever to compete in the World Cup.

Golden Boot - should the Dutch progress past the first round (they are in the toughest group with Argentina, Ivory Coast & Serbia Montenegro) then I expect Ruud Van Nistelrooij to grab the Golden Boot. Reason being, to prove to Sir Alex Ferguson that benching him at the end of last season and most likely losing him after the World Cup is a mistake. If not it will be a surprise striker such as Gilardino or Toni of Italy or even Crouch of England to grab the Golden Boot.

Surprise team - the suprise team of this World Cup will be either the Mexicans, Americans or Portugese. These teams will be "off the radar" of many analysts, journalists and even supporters. Japan & Korea, the surprise teams of the last World Cup will find it tough.

Dissapointing team - it will either be the Dutch or Argentinians from Group C as i forsee the Ivory Coast making it past the first round. This means one of the two teams mentioned to get sent home early. For me, I hope its Argentina.

Well thats my take.. it could be completely wrong but who cares....

Go Oranje!!

Grease The Musical

2006-05-19T16:06:00.000+08:00

I went to watch Grease The musical on Tuesday and here is my take on it.

1. "It was just ok for me" to quote Randy Jackson of American Idol.
2. I have seen better musicals.
3. Most of the singers were decent vocally except for the dude that played Danny Zucko (John Travolta's character). His voice was not powerful enough. Nevertheless, his resume seemed really good as he has played main parts in other musicals like playing Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar. Maybe it was an off-night.
4. Most of the Pink Ladies were a tad on the plump side. C'mon!! the original Pink Ladies were slim girls.
5. They should not allow small kids to watch. Some were noisy and 'spoiling' the show.

All in all it was only a 6/10 for me. Riverdance (my favourite musical to date) kicked the ass of Grease big time.

Sunday Bloody Sunday

2006-05-14T14:40:00.000+08:00

This has nothing to do with the song...

It 2.30 pm on a Sunday of a long weekend and I'm stuck here in the office. Been here since 10am this morning with no indication of estimated time of leaving. To make the situation even more uncomfortable, there is no airconditioning in the office today because nobody bothered telling the maintanence people on Thursday.

Anyway, last week I finally started what I have been meaning to start 14 months ago, a blog for my daughter Alyssa. So, there will be no more photos of Aly on this blog as I have started a journal for her. For those interested the url is http://alyssaazrein.blogspot.com

I guess its back to work now, waiting for the CEO to come at 3pm.

Damn!! my fingers are starting to itch. I hope there was nothing I'm alergic to in the Domino's we ordered for lunch... maybe i'm just alergic to working on Sundays...

Another Posting

2006-05-08T12:06:00.000+08:00

Wow... I just realised that I haven't updated this blog for the past 2 weeks. I have been so busy its not funny anymore. At least I got the weekend off to spend time with the family, friends and play some tennis. I made sure I did all I wanted to do thid weekend because this is going to be a long long week...

When the rest of you are taking a nice long weekend this coming weekend, I expect I will be in the office in preperation for a presentation to the Government on the 15th.

Anyway, I took Alyssa to the park (Lake Garden) to play for the first time and she truly enjoyed the swings. She actually stayed in the swings for over an hour. Everytime you'd try to take her off you'd get a sharp "NO!" as a reply.. and yes.. she still barely has any hair..

Till my next posting... Adios..

A bit more relaxed.. I hope

2006-04-25T13:31:00.000+08:00

Phew!!...

Thank god last week is over. The earliest I left the office last week was around 10.30 pm. The clincher was being in the office till 3.30 am on Wednesday night only to be back in the office at 8 am for a presentation to the CEO.

This week looks to be less busy than last week. Hopefully, I'll have more time for myself. Nevertheless, there is still tons of work to do as our deadline to present to the Government is the 15th of May. Hopefully I can take some time off mid year.

I finally caught up on some sports last weekend. The highlights:

R. Federer still cannot beat Nadal on clay courts.
M. Schumacher is still one of the best (if not the best) on four wheels.
Baseball season has started but I guess not many people in Malaysia give a damn.. I do though
LeBron James is set to be the next legend in the world of basketball. The 'new' number 23 (Jordan's old number) scored a triple double in his first playoff game ever. Last person to do so was Magic Johnson.
I played tennis on Sunday and my backhand and serves still suck big time.

Monday & The Week Ahead

2006-04-17T10:39:00.000+08:00

Firstly, I would like to thank everyone for their Birthday wishes.

Its Monday again and it will definitely be a long-long week. For the past 3 weeks I have barely had a weekend (was in the office again last weekend). On Saturday, the 'boss' of the project had already warned us to be prepared for a week of late nights in the office. Looks like I have to stock up on my ciggy's and snacks for the late nights.

I really need a good holiday after this project proposal reaches the Government. I would really love to go to Sydney, Australia (I haven’t been back since graduation) but I doubt I’ll have enough saved up by that time. Looks like its either Bali or Phuket again (my prefered Air Asia destinations). Anyone have any other 'cheap' holiday destinations?

TM – read your comment on my previous posting. Does this mean I can organize a stag night in Thailand soon??

Happy Birthday to Me!!

2006-04-10T10:59:00.000+08:00

Today I turn 33.

Reflecting back on last year, I feel that my life has continued to be blessed. I have nothing to complain about (although a higher salary never hurts). I have a wonderful family, a decent job and have decent health. What more could a person need.

The only thing that pissed me off last weekend was that I had to be in the office from 9am till dinnertime on both Saturday and Sunday. This took time away my normal weekend time to be with Ally. By the way, she can say "dah-dee" now... I guess at 33, little things like that mean more than getting pissed drunk at the stroke of midnight... how age has tamed me..

Anyway, I would like to that my wife for giving me a 30GB iPod for my birthday.

Next target.. 34...

Damn Technology!!

2006-04-06T12:35:00.000+08:00

Can't live with it, can't leave without it..... just like a woman...

For the last week my notebook has been diagnosed to have a virus via our IT department. They have taken the bloody notebook thrice to 'clean' it. Nevertheless, every time they return it back to me its still residing somewhere in my notebook.

I work for a 'technology' company and they can't clear a damn virus!!

Anyway, got to go... I would like to post more but i'm using my collegues notebook...

Committed to this Blog!!

2006-04-03T09:53:00.000+08:00

I know it has been almost a month since my last posting but I have been quite busy. I still am but I am now committed to have at least one posting every 2 days. I think that should suffice for me to keep track of what going on in my life through this blog.

Anyway, in the last month there has been 3 birthdays…

1) Happy 1st Birthday Ally… Sorry daddy didn’t have time to create a special posting just for you
2) Happy 30th to my wife…. Hope you enjoyed the party I organized
3) Happy 29th to my sister… Will catch up with you soon…

8 Stiches

2006-03-09T08:57:00.000+08:00

A good name for a song or even a novel but in reality its what I have on my forehead right now. Two days ago I ran into a glass door. Duh!!

The only good thing to come out of this is the 2 days MC the doctor gave me.

PGL The Musical

2006-03-02T11:19:00.000+08:00

I know its probably a bit late to do a review on PGL the Musical but I have been damn busy. Anyway, last Sunday I went to see the production.

My thoughts:

1. For a local production it was outstanding. The set was better than some foreign productions I have been to either locally or abroad. If I could, I would go see it again.

2. All the actors played their part really well. Hats off to Tiara, Stephen, AC Mizal and Sukania in particular.

3. Vocally, Tiara is not an outstanding singer but can sing well. Stephen Rahman-Hughes is an outstanding stage singer.

4. Musically, the content was very well written and produced. The mixture of slow ballads, duets and upbeat songs were good.

5. On the negative, I found that at times the music was too loud and drowned the singing voices of the actors.

All in all, i'll give the production a strong 8.5/10 rating.

Can't wait for the P. Ramlee production at Istana Budaya later this year. Rumour is the budget for this production is RM3.5 million, almost twice the budget for PGL.

Tammy oh Tammy...

2006-02-24T15:44:00.000+08:00

Tammy is the 17 year old girl in Singapore that recorded a 10 minute sex act on her mobile phone. The act included anal sex. Anal sex is illegal in Singapore and has quite serious penalties. Funny law for such an ‘anal’ country. hehehe

Anyway, according to reports, the video was ‘stolen’ from her mobile phone by a ‘rival’ cheerleader. When I was growing up rival cheerleaders just had catfights and bitched about each other. How times have changed. Wonder how’s it going to be like by the time my daughter is a teenager. (Note to self – always be in the know about the latest technology)

I can only imagine how wonderful life would have been if I had a videophone when I was growing up. I would have had so much fun. I could be a major Hollywood producer by now or I could be locked up in a jail cell somewhere for producing and distributing prohibited video content. Nevertheless, if I could turn back time to include mobile technology when I was growing up, I’d probably not. Life was so much more less complicated, friends were more punctual to meet up (no way to call anyone once they had left their home) and we actually remembered phone numbers..

Well, enough of that… time to continue searching for Tammy’s video in the Net.

‘Have a Good Weekend!!!’

p/s: anyone with Tammy's video please tell me...

Development

2006-02-17T00:11:00.000+08:00

Its midnight, i'm in Meritus Mandarin Hotel on Orchard Road in Singapore, I'm alone in my hotel room and I am bored. Nevertheless, I dont know what to post. So i'm just going to type down whatever comes to my head.

Today, I got to see why Singapore is a 'more' developed country than Malaysia. Everything from the public transport system to the way people cross the street showed me this. Does it mean they are better than Malaysian's? Maybe not.

Did I have more fun at drinking free wine at the product launch than I would have in Malaysia? Probably Not. (any free alchohol is good but when no one is smoking it just doesn't seem complete as it made me feel uncomfortable smoking)

Would I want to migrate here? Definitely not.

So here's the question, should being 'more' developed be an aspiration for undeveloped and 'less' developed countries??

Just some photos

2006-02-12T18:46:00.000+08:00

Sunset at Port Dickson... yes it really is PD

Ally with her cheeky smile

In her private 'tub'

Déjà Vu

2006-02-10T23:27:00.000+08:00

Its 11.30 pm again and I’m still in the same conference room I was in last night. The only difference tonight is right now I believe my good friends are all at Heritage Row partying and drinking away. Yesterday was the birthday of my best friend and they are all out celebrating while I’m stuck here in dull Bangi. I just hope that somewhere in their moments of drunkenness they will remember me and drink a glass for me.

Anyway, today is also my father’s birthday and lucky enough my boss let me leave for a couple of hours earlier to go to my dad’s house for his birthday and housewarming party (his house was recently completed in Putrajaya).

Again, similar to last night, the brain has little energy left to construct full sentences. Therefore this entry shall end here…

Happy Birthday Dad & Best Friend!!!

Prison or Retreat?

2006-02-09T23:38:00.000+08:00

Its 11.30 pm and I’m still in the same conference room that I have been in all day. The only time I have left this room today is for meals, to use the toilet, have a smoke and a quick shower. I guess it’s very similar to being a prisoner. We’ve been in here for so long that even the boss has let us smoke in the conference room. I pity those that don’t smoke, but too bad. I can’t be damned to walk out for a ciggy anymore.

Where am I? I am at the Equatorial Hotel in Bangi for a 3 day strategy retreat. I wouldn’t call it a retreat but that was the term coined for the e-mail I received that requested my presence.

Anyway, working is fine. It’s what I get paid to do, but what I can’t take is being so close to a resort golf course for 3 days and not being able to hit a single golf ball. Damn, that hurts. It really does.

My brain is drained to continue this entry any longer. Will update my life here at this ‘retreat’ tomorrow.

Just a Posting

2006-02-07T14:48:00.000+08:00

I know somewhere in my previous posting I promised that I will try to update my blog more often. Well, its been alot tougher to keep my promise than i expected. Work has been regular and any free time in the office I waste on YM. Anyhoo...

Gong Xi Fatt Choi and Selamat Ma'al Hijrah to everyone... I know i'm a bit delayed on both counts but who cares. I hope everyone had a safe and fun break, as for me I had a family golf tournament. There were 8 of us family members and I came in 3rd after 2 rounds of golf. Not too bad I guess, although I was leading after the first round but 3rd aint bad.

A short update on the NFL. The Pittsburgh Steelers won the Superbowl to tie the Dallas Cowboys and San Fran. 49ers with 5 Superbowl titles. Hopefully the Redskins will win next year and have 4 in their trophy cabinet.

An update on Little Ally, well, she aint so little anymore. Next month will be her first birthday and currently she is trying to walk and talk. So far she can say "ball" and "egg". Ball I understand as I bought her all types of balls since she was born. Football, basketball, American football, you name it, she has it.... but egg I dont know... maybe because its the easiest word in all her flashcards to pronounce.

I guess thats it for this posting...

24 hours, Balance & Reflection

2006-01-24T20:31:00.000+08:00

What a difference 24 hours make. Yesterday at this time I was already at home in my shorts playing with my daughter. Now, I’m still in the office, working on my notebook in my boss’s room with no indication of when I’m leaving.

Yesterday, I got to catch up with friends and mates on YM, today YM was just on. No conversations at all. I guess in the whole big picture of things, everything tends to balance itself out.

There are rich people that aren’t happy, they are poor people that are. There are rich and happy people longing for their own children, there are children of rich people that long for their parent’s time and affection.

I subscribe to this theory that everything will eventually balance itself out and once in while I get worried. I believe I have been blessed in many ways. I believe I have been lucky, I am not mega rich but neither am I poor. I have a perfect a family as one could have. I have been blessed with a beautiful daughter. I have many wonderful friends that I can call upon in time of need. So what am I worried about??

Well, if everything is good I subconsciously worry that one day the balancing power would bring me some sort of disaster. Maybe I’m paranoid. It could be all the drugs I tool when I was younger. Who’s to say. I just hope that my blessed life will continue. God willing.

My Boss, Liverpool & YM

2006-01-23T16:32:00.000+08:00

What a day this has been... Boss was in a foul mood, she was up last night to watch Liverpool lose (yes, she's a hardcore Liverpool fan). Luckily, she was in meetings most of the day and only 'popped' into my room in between meetings. That was enough to make the hairs on my neck stand.

Anyway, as boss was in meetings the whole day, my day was just chatting on Yahoo Messenger, read agreement, YM, read, YM, meeting with director, YM and more YM. It seemed like everyone I knew on YM was online today. A minimum of 8-10 conversations going on. I now realise why the Bank I used to work in banned YM. Its a bloody waste of time!! but its a Monday so i deserve to be lazy..

A few things I realised out on YM today:

1. Some people are more open when chatting than face to face.
2. Some people are the opposite of 1.
3. People can hide their true feelings through emoticons.
4. I am not the only person unmotivated on Mondays.
5. I have friends that are dating. Although they might say they aren't
6. It improves my typing skills.

The Weekend past

2006-01-23T11:54:00.000+08:00

It was a relaxing weekend. Played tennis on Saturday and went to the racetrack on Sunday. In between had played with my daughter, watched football, the Australian Open and had some beers.

In summary:

Tennis – my backhand sucks.. couldn't hit a beach ball, if i tried.

Racetrack – lost some money but was with good company and had good food so it was all good.

My Daughter – tiring to handle her now as she can crawl at lightning speed and climb with no fear. Also now she is more ‘manja’ with me than ever.

Football – Chelsea drew, United won, Liverpool lost… read the papers for results.

Australian Open – the women’s 4th round match between Sharapova and Hantuchova was a great match to watch. Who wouldn’t want to watch two nicely figured ladies one wearing a nightgown designed by Stella McCartney for Nike and one wearing the shortest shorts (hotpants) possible playing tennis. The grunting went well with the dressing too.

Beers – bottle, pint, draft.. what’s the dif?

Things I Think I Think

2006-01-18T10:34:00.000+08:00

Things I think I think (today, right now)....

1. I think that all nursery rhymes have hidden meanings. Trust me, that’s the only CD in the car that would put Ally to sleep.

2. I think that I’ve been watching too much sports on TV. I knew or have heard of all the quarterfinalists in the World Darts Championship. Thats scary.

3. I think the world weather is slowly but surely getting f@#ked up.

4. I think the Americans made a huge blunder ‘invading’ Iraq.

5. I think the Malaysian football team will not make the World Cup during my lifetime.

6. I think I should get back to work.

p/s: the Redskins loss their playoff game in Seattle 20-10. Hence, the season is over. At least we made the playoffs this season, maybe the Superbowl next season.

Redskins Update

2006-01-13T15:05:00.000+08:00

On the request of ‘9’, a new Redskins fan, here is the update of the Redskins playoff game.

Last Sunday I woke up at 5.30 am, put on my Redskins jersey and cap and watched the game*. The Redskins were playing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Tampa. The Bucs entered the game with the #1 defence in the League. True to the statistic, the Redskins only managed 120 total yards on offence (the average is 350-400 yards per game). Nevertheless, the Redskins defence stepped up and played and awesome game, setting up the first touchdown, whilst scoring the second. The defence got 2 interceptions, fumbles, 3 sacks and a touchdown. A pretty decent game defensively.

In the end the Redskins won the game 17-10 and will now play the Seattle Seahawks this Sunday morning at the same time. Win 2 more and we will be Superbowl Champions. It seemed impossible before but if the team maintains it current form, its possible.

Hail to the Redskins!!

*Thank you ESPN for showing the game.

Extended Holiday Period & Work

2006-01-06T15:32:00.000+08:00

Is it just me or has the holiday period feel extended? The first week of work in the New Year is almost over but the mood to work is still at very low levels. The funny thing is that I am very motivated to work. Hopefully things will change next week as work is actually piling up. Saying that it doesn’t help that Tuesday is a holiday too…

Hail to the Redskins!!

2006-01-03T12:52:00.000+08:00

Jan 1 2006 : Washington Redskins 31 – Philadelphia Eagles 20 (final game of season)

What a perfect start to the New Year.

The Redskins whom I have supported since 1981 have finally made the playoffs after a 6 year absence and will be playing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Tampa this Saturday (Sunday morning local time*). If anyone sees a guy wearing a Redskins Jersey and cap around Bangsar on Sunday, it will probably be me.

The Skins will most likely not win or even make it to the Superbowl but making the playoffs for the first time in 6 years is a great springboard for next season. Nevertheless, as a fan I obviously want them to go all the way this season.

Hail to the Redskins!!
Hail Victory!!
Braves of the Warpath!!
Fight for Old D.C.!!

* I just hope ASTRO televises this game.

My Top 5 of 2005

2005-12-30T11:08:00.000+08:00

It’s the last Friday of the year. Simply an awesome feeling. So as a fitting tribute I am currently listening to “Friday, I’m in Love” by the Cure for the last time this year.

Every year I list my top 5 songs but since I have this blog I will list my top 5 sports related issues of 2005. I might miss something as my brain is in holiday mode, so do highlight any sporting issues I might have missed.

My Top 5 Songs of 2005
1. Mr. Brightside – The Killers
2. Scars – Papa Roach
3. Because of You – Kelly Clarkson
4. Encore/Numb – Linkin Park & JayZ
5. Crazy – Simple Plan

My Top 5 Sporting Moments of 2005
1. Nicol David being World Squash Champion. Malaysia Boleh!
2. Miracle in Instanbul – Liverpool’s amazing victory in the Champions League Finals.
3. Tiger Woods chip in on the 16th hole at the Masters, eventually winning the Major and also Tiger’s 2 wins, a 2nd and a 4th in all Major. Simply awesome stuff.
4. Lance Armstrong breaking the hearts and spirit of other competitors upon entering the second week of the Tour De France by dominating the Pyrenees on route to winning his 7th and final Tour De France.
5. The Chicago White Sox winning their first World Series of Baseball in 88 years.

My Top Sports Athletes of 2005
1. Tiger Woods - Golf
2. Roger Federer - Tennis
3. Anika Sorenstam – Golf
4. Ronaldinho – Football/Soccer
5. Lance Armstrong - Cycling

My Top 5 Sports Teams of 2005
1. Chicago White Sox for beating an 88 year ‘curse’.
2. Chelsea for the consistency and for winning the English League for the 1st time in 50 years.
3. Liverpool for the Miracle in Istanbul.
4. Discovery Channel Team for assisting Lance in his final bid for Le Tour.
5. The New England Patriots for winning their 2nd Superbowl in 3 years.

Top 5 Personal Moments
There is only one moment this year that will top any 5 moments put together. The moment happened on March 7 when precious little Ally was born.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!

The Life Candle

2005-12-29T12:27:00.000+08:00

I was taught by one of my ex-GMs about “the life candle”. This is how it works. Imagine a candle that is burning from both ends. One end being career, work and the chase for material possession whilst the other end is your family, social life, etc.

The ideal place to be is right in the middle where your life is well balanced. You never want to be to close to the flames. The logic behind it is you are too close to either end you will get burnt. Working too hard or concentrating too much on you career can burn you and so will having too much of a social life.

After much self review my current position on the candle is as follows:

I believe I am currently pretty much balanced with probably slight leaning towards the family, social side. I also believe every once in a while you should gauge yourself to ensure that you do not get burned by either end.

Return from LOS

2005-12-27T10:19:00.000+08:00

The fact of the matter is that I returned from Thailand last weekend but being still in holiday mode it took me a week to write this entry.

As usual, Thailand never disappoints. Great food, great service and some decent shopping. A highlight of the trip was Ally’s first time on the beach. I also played golf and did my usual tailoring. Where else can you tailor ten double cuffs working shirts at RM50 each.

Anyway, as I am still in relax mode (will probably be until next year) this will be a short posting. I have posted a few pictures form the Phuket trip.

Family Holiday Photo

(Wife, Ally, Me and the Stroller)

Ally in the van from the Airport to our Apartment

View of the marina where we stayed in Boat Lagoon, Phuket

Working over the Weekend & The Land of Smiles

2005-12-06T11:46:00.000+08:00

It’s been a long long time since I had to work weekends. Last weekend I was in the office both days with the project team (6 of us) till after 8pm. I am not complaining as I understand that the pay increase I got when I accepted this job would probably cause me to work such hours when required. Also it was good exposure for a new employee like me.

Anyway, due to this I am so left behind in sporting news. I only realized Nicol David won the World Championship this morning. So, Congratulations Nicol for making the Nation proud. I believe she is the catalyst (along with a now declining Shalin) for putting Malaysia on the global map in sports. Now all we need is a few more World Champions in other sports.

On a lighter note, I shall be going on holidays starting this Friday. I shall be in the Land of Smiles for 8 days with my wife and daughter. We (my wife & I) really need this holiday as we haven’t had one since she was pregnant (my daughter is now 9 months old – you do the maths). I really can’t wait to chill by the beach with a beer in hand.

My Fitness and New Motivation

2005-12-01T17:09:00.000+08:00

Yesterday I had my weekly* squash session. I ended the night losing more sets than winning. I spent some time last night trying to figure out why that happened. After much deliberation, I came to the conclusion that my fitness level has decreased tremendously in the last year. Points that I should have won I lost, I reckon I would have won at least 70% of the points I loss if we played last year.

To me this is disheartening, I use to pride on my fitness and stamina. I used to have the fitness of a 22 year old but in the body of a 30 year old. What happened? When in it start to go downhill?

I guess the main reason is I’ve been playing less sports the past year. I stopped my weekly futsal sessions with the 20-somethings (and these guys are fit) and I’ve been playing barely any squash or golf.

Anyway, I will make this a motivator for the coming year. I know I might not be able to have the same fitness I had when I was 17 but I’ll take being a fit 33 year old anyday.

p/s : Mr. Pseudo & Porno, I know I lost to you guys last night but come 2007 it will change. I might not get back to peak fitness but i'll most likely be fitter than you overweight mofo's.

*the plan is to play every Wednesday.

Blogs In The News

2005-11-29T14:58:00.000+08:00

In the past 2 days there has been 2 reports of local Malaysian Blogs making the newspapers. Both these blogs made the papers because of the content they were providing. (the media have also provided these blogs free ‘advertising’ and have increased their hits tremendously.

The first one I read was about this dude called Man Motor. The blog was mostly about his sexual escapades and sex tricks. It is written in Malay and has attracted over 50,000 hits. I checked out the blog but didn't think it was great. Mainly because the blog itself wasnt structured properly. Nevertheless, if you are interested in the life of a Malay dude chasing after bohsia's, this could interest you.

The second is a 24-year old systems engineer in Kuching. His was all about drugs. How to get it, use it, prices for it, etc. The police is actually making a case against the blogger based on complaints that said that such a blog was defying the Malaysian Laws. I haven't found this blog yet as The Star wasn't very informative on the blog title or blogger.

Now, since my knowledge in ICT law in minimal at the most, it would be appreciated if anyone out there can clarify whether these people are actually defying Malaysian law or not. Can they be charged i found?

Maid in Malaysia

2005-11-23T17:13:00.000+08:00

Last week my maid returned to Indonesia, now she’s not returning. This has caused undue problems in my household. My wife has to take no pay leave, we can’t go for dinner functions, no happy hours for me, etc. If the maidless situation continues for a lengthened period, my wife would have to quit her job.

Now, the story started 2 weeks ago when my maid received a phone call from home. She said a family member passed away. Obviously, as compassionate human beings, my wife and I let her go back for a week. On the day of her supposed return to Malaysia she never boarded the plane in Indonesia. Later on she smsed saying she wont return. Well, what to do? Just adapt I guess but the thing was she was a really good maid. Saying that though, I wouldn’t want a maid to take care of my baby if she didn’t really want to work. Its better she goes than not being 100% with Ally.

The funny thing was in the same week my bosses maid didn’t come back, my financial controllers maid disappeared and my colleague’s mothers maid also didn’t return. So I know I’m not the only one in the boat.

Oh well, the only consolation I have (if I want to look on the bright side) is that the pay increase in my new job covers the monetary loss from my wife not working plus a bit extra. Also I guess, Ally gets to spend more time with ‘family’ rather than the maid. It could be a blessing in disguise, at least that’s how I am looking at it.

New Job, New Experience

2005-11-15T23:02:00.000+08:00

Some people say that changing jobs often is not good for career development. My personal view is if I had stayed in my first job I would probably be paid less now, be bored to death, have limited corporate experience and be unhappy.

I started my new job on Monday and for the past two days the most apparent difference is time. When I was doing banking it seemed like I had ample time. Sometimes it felt like time was crawling along. I was waiting for lunch hour, waiting to go home, sometimes just waiting for something to happen. It could be because I wasn't challenged by it, it could be because I really didn't enjoy, it could be because of many things but for the last two days time has flashed by. I look at my watch and its 1.00pm, have a quick bite and return to work. Next time I look at the watch its 5.45pm. Its wonderful when you don't have to wait. I hate waiting.

Anyway, so far I have enjoyed the past 2 days. Maybe because I feel like I'm finally doing work, maybe because its new and boredom hasn't struck yet, maybe its because I've matured as a person, maybe, maybe... i just hope I can maintain this spirit because to me its the best opportunity for so far in my 11 year career.

Some Images of Hari Raya

2005-11-11T20:21:00.000+08:00

Ally Pondering her first Raya
(picture taken on the Eve of Aidil Fitri)

My great-grandparents home. Where we always sleep on Hari Raya.

The Right Stair. Every house in Melaka has at least one decorated stair. This house has two.

The dreaded well. Years ago Raya baths were taken here. I think I last bathed using the well over 10 years ago. Raya baths also lasted less than 2 minutes as the water was freezing cold. Thank god for the hot water heater installed 2 years ago.

A few seconds before the official family photo was taken. In picture are my mother, step father, Ally, wife, sister, bro in law, 2 nephews and my youngest brohters elbow.

Final Day at Work

2005-11-10T14:39:00.000+08:00

Today is my final day at RHB Bank. It’s funny how you can get attached to some places and not to others. Somehow I feel that if the core of the people remain at this institution, my relationship with it will also be strong. This is because I have made some really good friends here.

So, as I spend my final few hours here I can confidently say that I leave this place without any enemies and some good friends. What else can you ask for from 18 months but its time I close another chapter in my sometimes volatile career.

Monday starts a new challenge, a new career path. Something I know I can do, probably really well too but the scope is out of my comfort zone i.e. Banking. Nevertheless, challenges is what I strive for, without the challenge I get bored and start bitching. Lets just hope there will be no bitching about my new job on this blog for a while.

When Raya Comes Around

2005-11-01T13:09:00.000+08:00

I'm pretty much a non-traditional Malay. Having been brought up mostly overseas during my growing up years and living life against conventional 'malay' customs, I understand if people call me "melayu murtad". But when Raya comes around all this changes. My Raya is still full of traditions.

Every year we will pack our bags and return to my mothers kampung, Tampin. In this part of the country stairs leading up to the main house were status symbols. There are houses that could not withstand the test of time but the stairs are still standing strong. Some look quite spooky. Luckily, the house I stay in every year is still strong. It is our ancesterial home, home of my great grandparents and over 100 years old

Anyway, my raya starts on the Eve. We would go to each some relatives house in the kampung and 'takbir'. Actually, most of the houses on the street are relatives. Lately, we have been just doing the main houses. i.e. the Elders. This usually happens after Maghrib. After this is completed all the houses would bring out their fireworks. Little battles would take place. Obviously, most of the 'hooligans' are the KL kids. The fireworks go on till late in the night.

Early Raya morning, before Subuh, the whole kampung would congregate to the village cemetary. Again most of those laid to rest in the cemetary are relatives. Everyone from my great grandparents to my grandfather are laid to rest there. After the cemetary its back home to 'mandi' and prepare for Raya prayers. The process of 'mandi' has changed so much over the years. I remember having to mandi from the freezing well at the outside of the house when I was younger. Then we had a toilet built in the house, it was still damn cold. Last raya, we had hot water installed, I guess there are benefits of development. Nevertheless, the freezing well always waked you up for raya prayers.

Every year I will do my raya prayers at the masjid in the kampung. Here, after prayers, I would usually meet all my granduncles, uncles, cousins, etc and do the customary 'salam-salam'. After this I would go home to get ready for the eating routine. Eating starts at the ancesterial home, followed by my Grandmother's house (200 metres away), then one granduncle house after another. After that it moves to a few uncles houses. By lunch everyone looks like they overate, which is actually the case.

For the next 2 hours all activity in the kampung is put on hold. I reckon everyone is asleep. By 4pm, it starts getting active again. This time cars are used as some relatives do not live in the kampung so visiting requires a car. At night the fireworks starts again. Usually, I shoot off to KL after lunch the following day. A familiar tradition continues as when I return to KL its raya at one of the clubs or bars where I will meet all my friends that Raya in KL and do not have a kampung.

This year things will be a bit different as I will be spending Raya eve at my in-laws then olny back to Tampin on Raya day itself. This will also be my daughters first Raya. I guess its time for me to start little traditions of my own for the Family.

by the way, I am already at my wife's kampung, posting this post using TM's 1515 prepaid dialup and it is sooo damn slow. I will update this posting with photo's when I get back on Braodband.

To all "Have a Safe and Happy Aidil Fitri"... Make sure you guys are SAFE...

Finally

2005-10-28T11:19:00.000+08:00

I did it!!

Today, I tendered my resignation!!

After months of bitching about my current job, I am leaving the Bank, hopefully, to greener pastures. Monetarily its waaaay greener but the job scope is also waaaay more. I know it will be more challenging and probably more exciting. Two words that I have not used to describe my current job. It is also two words that I usually thrive and perform better under. Hopefully I will thrive as I think this is the opportunity that I have been waiting for.

The smily face above is a true reflection of how I feel right now. Overjoyed.

SECRETS

2005-10-26T16:40:00.000+08:00

ADJECTIVE: 1. Kept hidden from knowledge or view; concealed.

We all keep some. Some ours, some on behalf of other people. Some people keep secrets better than others, some you learn never to tell secrets to again. I am true believer that information given in confidence should be kept such. These people (who can’t keep secrets) I will still smile and talk to, but they definitely will not get anymore private information from me. You see, I am a truster. I trust everyone until that trust is broken. Then getting that trust back is damn hard.

Anyway, for the past few weeks I’ve been keeping a secret or two. Somehow, people like to confide in me. I’ve kept secrets that I myself have forgotten about. Here is a thought to ponder. Is revealing someone’s secret in a blog breaking their trust in you? I’ve never done it and it has never happened to me but I’m just wondering.

The 100 Greatest and No Flow

2005-10-24T15:25:00.000+08:00

Babe’s blog today had a link to Time’s 100 Greatest Novels and 100 Greatest Movies. Not surprisingly I had only read one book from the list. I must have read 100’s of books when I was growing up as my dad ensured I read a book a week. Every weekend we would go to the bookstore and buy a book for me to read.

This got me wondering, are those books on the list actually that damn good. Are they better than the spy novels I read and loved reading so much even until I entered university? Would these books have had the same affect on my imagination? I desperately wanted to be a spy growing up. I still think I’ll be a damn good one.

As for the 100 Greatest Movies, there was an improvement in the numbers I had viewed (circa 20 movies). My #1 movie of all time would have been Pulp Fiction. Is it normal to watch a movie you really like close to 50 times? I reckon I have watched Pulp Fiction that many times. I even downloaded the script from the internet and read it line by line.

Reading back the posting above, I realize there is no flow at all to my writing. This I blame on the low blood-sugar levels due to fasting. Anyway, I’m also too lazy to edit and correct it.

The Sloth in Me

2005-10-18T15:32:00.000+08:00

Someone actually asked me to update my blog today. I realized that during this whole fasting month I have had no mood to think, write or even speak at times. I’ve done minimal work in the office and have not been my usual self. Is it due to the lack of carbohydrates, proteins and irons? Or is it just a subconscious excuse… “Mana larat buat kerja… puasalah..”

It hasn’t just been updating my blog too. For the past two weeks I’ve read and researched less on sports. Read less blogs. Done less work. All in all, I’ve been a sloth. A hungry, thirsty sloth with a greater hunger and thirst for nicotine (and alchohol*) that is movingg eeevvveeerrrr ssooooo ssslllooowwwllllyyyy....

*This will have to wait...

Malaysia Boleh Bersukan

2005-10-17T13:33:00.000+08:00

It’s not often Malaysia makes headlines in the sporting news. Today there are two results that deserve its credit.

Story 1
Place : Manchester, UK.
Date : 16/10/2005
Sport : Squash

Nicol David became the first Malaysian to reach the Finals of the prestigious British Open when she defeated World No.1 and two time defending Champion Rachel Grinham of Australia. Nicol, 22 years old and World No.3, has won all the other age-group titles at the British Open. This is her first attempt at the Senior class and she enters the Finals as favourite as the other two semi-finalists are ranked 4th and 7th in the world respectively.

Story 2
Place : Maaspoort, Holland.
Date : 16/10/2005
Sport : Badminton

Malaysian men dominated the Dutch Open with Hafiz Hashim crowned the Men’s Singles Champion and the combination of Choong Tan Fook & Lee Wan Wah winning the Men’s Doubles title. Although some of the higher ranked Chinese and Indonesian players chose to not play in the Dutch Open, the win is still something to be proud of.

Now, lets hope that Nicol wins the British Open and the A1 GP team have a good race in Estoril, Portugal this weekend.

Oompa Loompas and Remakes

2005-10-14T11:25:00.000+08:00

“Oompa, Loompa, doom-pa-dee-do. I have a perfect puzzle for you.”

A couple of days ago I finally saw the remake of Willy Wonka/Charlie & The Chocolate Factory. I was expecting the same emotions I had when I watched the original version as a young boy. I was truly disappointed. They made an excellent children’s movie into an arty-farty trippy movie.

The remake would have been awesome to watch after taking a tab of acid, coming down from a night out on ecstasy or being completely stoned on hash but I would rather let my daughter watch the old Gene Wilder version than the Johnny Depp version. Even without the help of computer animation the Oompa Loopa’s looked better, the music was better and in general the storyline was better (although adapted from the same book) in the old version.

The arty-farty people might not agree with my assessment of the remake but to me it was supposed to be a children’s story and not an art project. This made me wonder why people invest money in remaking movies and music without improving the quality.

Below are a few remakes that to me have not improved form the original version:
1) Uptown Girl by Westlife – Why the hell do you remake (more like duplicate) a song to sound exactly the same as the original? Just play the Billie Joel original I say.
2) Psycho – never touch a classic.
3) Planet of The Apes – never have one of your character to look like Michael Jackson

Some that are actually better redone:
1) The Lord of the Rings – did anyone see the animated crap they did in the 80’s?
2) The Italian Job – the original was good, the new one was awesome.
3) Emotions by Bee Gees – redone very well by Destiny’s Child.

I know there are plenty more good and bad ones but due to the lack of food in my system my brain could only muster up three each.

p/s : as usual its Friday and I’m in a good mood and listening to The Cure.

Call Me "Bruce"

2005-10-13T11:43:00.000+08:00

I usually don’t dream when I sleep but during this fasting month I have been dreaming quite regularly. I guess its because my deep sleep (REM) is disturbed for Sahur. I have also been able to remember these dreams vividly, something not common to me. Again I believe this is because I never had a dream to remember to begin with.

Anyway, last night I dreamt that I was some sort of ‘Protector Against Racists’. I was walking through a city similar to L.A. or Sydney and around corners were people screaming racists abuse towards the minority that were walking the streets. What I did was go to these racists and beat them up. Bruce Lee style. I was kicking Ass big time. Funny I did that because I’m one of the least likely people to be in a fight.

A couple of nights ago a dreamt that I woke up bald. I only had hair on the sides and the back of my head. I could see myself in the mirror and I remembered thinking to myself. “I’ve got to go shave the sides off, there’s no way I’m walking around with a ‘comb-over’ hairstyle”. Does that mean I’m going to get bald?

I reckon I should start documenting these dreams and see if there’s any resemblance of it when I’m awake.

At least for now I still have hair.

7 / VII

2005-10-10T12:51:00.000+08:00

Seven.
My wife's favourite number.
The day my daughter was born.
Supposed to be the 'easiest' golf club to hit.
The number of inches in my.....

I was tagged by Pseudo. Please note that religious stuff are not on the list. Safe to say it is assumed I will get it done (god willing), like performing the Haj.

7 things to do before I die
1. Go Skydiving. Once mastered go Base Jumping.
2. Learn and master the art of Tantric Sex.
3. Play 18 holes at the home of golf, St Andrews.
4. Go to a Superbowl, preferably when the Redskins are playing.
5. Visit all the Wonders of the World.
6. Find the ultimate porn movie. The one porn that will make me watch no other porn coz it fulfills all my requirements to make it perfect.
7. Start a Sports Freak Sports Foundation to assist future champions of sport in Malaysia.

7 things I just can't do
1. Be motivated to do something I care nothing about. Like Banking (my job).
2. Eat Taugeh. I hate Taugeh and will always hate Taugeh.
3. Have Zero debts.
4. Play the piano. Why did my mom send me to learn violin and organ but not piono I still wonder.
5. Sleep early. Normal sleeping time is between 12.30am to 1.00am.
6. Draw. Art is not my forte.
7. Sit in one place long, unless I'm playing my PS2.

7 Celebrity Crushes
1. Maria Sharapova (Hottest lady in sports)
2. Siti Nurhaliza (Malaysia Boleh!)
3. Dian Sastrawandoyo (Indon pun Boleh!)
4. Eva Longoria (The Hottest Housewife)
5. Cytherea (My Favourite Porn Star)
6. Tyra Banks (Yummy...)
7. Alyssa Milano (where do you think my daughter got her name)

7 Often repeated words/phrases
1. Fu#k!!/Fu#ker!!
2. What the Fu#k?!?
3. "You know what I mean?"
4. Huh?
5. Somebody 'roll'lah!
6. I know
7. ZZZzzzzzz......

7 Things that attract me to the opposite sex
1. Tits
2. Ass
3. Intellect
4. Common interest
5. She enjoys porn too. i.e. Horny.
6. Good undergarment collection. (No grannies, just thongs and g's)
7. Independent. i.e. not clingy

Tagging
No one, I think all the patrons of of this blog have been tagged. If you haven't then you've just been tagged.

The 10 Million Dollar Girl

2005-10-07T09:30:00.000+08:00

"I'm finally happy to say I'm a pro starting today,'' said Wie, wearing a pink Nike shirt and high heels that made her stand even taller than 6 feet. "The first time I grabbed a golf club, I knew I'd do it for the rest of my life. Some 12 years later, I'm finally turning pro, and I'm so excited.''

Wednesday marked one of the biggest day in Women’s Sport. 15 year old (turns 16 only next week) Golf prodigy, Michelle Wie announced that she was turning professional. Upon announcement she signed endorsements from Nike and Sony reported to be worth over $10 million per annum. This automatically makes her one of the highest endorsed sportswomen behind Tennis’s Maria Sharapova and the Williams Sisters.

At the age of 7 in her first round of golf she shot a very respectable 14-over par. A score that many weekend golfers still dream of getting. At the age of 10, she shot an amazing 64 or 8 under par. For those that play golf, you will know that 8-under is an amazing score. Even the Malaysian Pros would have lost to the 10 year old Wie. She has redefined success since winning the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links at age 13, the youngest champion of a USGA title for adults. To list all her golfing achievements would take up too much space. Suffice to say Wie would be a name to grace the sporting world for years to come.

Her ambition is simple. To eventually play in the PGA (Men’s Tour) not the Ladies PGA and to play and eventually win the US Masters.

Michelle, you have 15 years to win as many events as possible then my Ally will come and whip your ass...

My Quest for the 'Perfect' Murtabak.

2005-10-06T12:07:00.000+08:00

Every fasting month there is only one item I look for at every “Pasar Ramadhan”. It’s the ‘Murtabak’. I think last year during Ramadhan I had on average one murtabak a day. Some days I had two.

For breaking fast on the first day yesterday I had two pieces from a stall in Bangsar. It was decent, nothing special. I'd give it a 5.5/10. It had too much onions and not enough meat fillings. Anyway, I wasn’t expecting it be special as it was the least busy murtabak stall there. I was too lazy to wait in a non-existent line (people were just shouting orders and getting their murtabak in no orderly way) at the busiest stall which I assumed to be the best.

I guess, its become a mission for me to find the ‘perfect’ murtabak accompanied by the ‘perfect’ onion sauce. By the way, I don’t eat my murtabak with curry, it has to be with the red onion sauce/vinegar. So far, the best Ramadhan murtabak I have found is the one at the Pasar Carpark in Taman Tun Dr. Ismail. It’s the murtabak done by the Malay dude and his wife. If you get there late the queue for the murtabak would be 20 people long. The TTDI one i'd give an 8/10.

If any of you know of any good murtabaks please tell me. I'm still looking for the 10/10 murtabak. Oh ya, I only take murtabak from the Ramadhan stalls. I don’t enjoy the thick, full murtabaks from you local mamak outlets.

Damn.. writing a posting about murtabaks during lunch when you're fasting is not such a good idea..

The No News Sporting News

2005-10-03T21:21:00.000+08:00

My usual routine is to watch ESPN's Sportcenter whilst having dinner and watch a comedy or a drama series thereafter. Tonight I decided to watch the last half hour of TV3's Bulletin Utama to catch the sports news after Sportscenter. Now I remember why I don't watch the local sporting news.

The sporting news wasn't really about sports. It was questioning why the Selangor players didn't stop celebrating their FA Cup win when "Negaraku" was being played. Firstly, Malaysia is the only country to play their National Anthem after the Trophy has been presented to the Champions and whilst the players are celebrating by parading around the stadium*.

If I had just slogged my ass for 90 minutes to win the damn trophy I would be celebrating with my 60,000 fans too. I doubt if anyone expected or even heard the National Anthem.

The second item in the sporting "news" was some parties unhappiness that Bambang (Selangor's striker from Indonesia) was parading around the stadium with an Indonesian flag and not a Selangor flag. I agree with the discontentment of these people. You don't see Henry or Robben parading around with a French or Dutch flag after they win a match for their clubs. The Damn Idiot was playing for Selangor and not Indonesia.

But the cream of the non-sporting news was the interview given by one of the Head Honchos of our FAM in relation to Item 2 above (Bambang & the Indonesian Flag). This was what he said when questioned.

"Kalau saya main untuk Chelsea saya pun akan 'celebrate' dengan bendera Malaysia" or something to similar effect.

What the Fuck?!?!?! Yes, you can be patriotic but there's a place and time for everything and celebrating with the Malaysian Flag at Stamford Bridge is just plain stupid. More so if the other 15 Non-English international players are not running around in their countries flags. In all reality though I doubt he could run the length of the field and back without getting a cardiac arrest. Chelsea my Ass!!

And that was your local sporting news.

*Negaraku was played to mark the leaving of DYMM.

Best Friends & 18 holes

2005-10-03T10:30:00.000+08:00

Last weekend I played golf with my two best friends. Each of us were Best Man at one of the others wedding. Anyway, when we meet on the golf course the rivalry goes through the roof. You see, I met my best friends at the golf course when I was 15 and we have been playing golf with each other for the past 15 years. Nobody wants to lose. We play by the rules scripted in the Rulebook and there is no negotiation. We trash talk and give shit to each other like there is no tommorrow.

Best Friend 1 : There’s a small stone under my ball, can I move the stone? I’ll put the ball back to exactly the same spot.

Best Friend 2 : Yes, you can but you have to take a 2 stroke penalty.

Best Friend 1 : But then I might break my club if I don’t move the stone.

Me : Too bad, you want to move it, take a penalty.

So, Best Friend 1 hit the ball with the stone. Anyone else, we would let them move the stone but not one of us.

Last weekend was even more enjoyable as we “psychoed” Best Friend 1 into playing some really bad golf (by his standards). He was hitting balls "out of bounds", he was missing putts and he was stressed. The things that were coming out of our mouths really got to him and he lost money all around. Nevertheless, it wasn't the money that made the game enjoyable it was the joy of winning and seeing a really good friend struggle and I have never seen him struggle that bad.

He later stated after the game when we were having drinks. “Its no wonder I do well in competitions, playing with you guys is worst than playing in any competition”. True… very true. I just hope things don’t change between us in the next 15 years.

The Cure for My Weekend

2005-09-30T11:29:00.000+08:00

TGIF. What a week. Somehow this week felt long and I can’t wait for 5pm today and the ensuing weekend. I did nothing exciting or recreational this whole week. It was just work and more work. Sad. The only good thing this week was that I got my results for my CCP exams I sat last month and I passed both the papers I sat.

This is how my weekend should pan out.

Today 5pm onwards – Happy Hour (should cure all the ailments from the past week)
Tomorrow morning – Golf (last game before Puasa)
Tomorrow night – Watch Football
Tomorrow Late Night – Go out (assuming I win money playing golf, If I lose money I’ll be at home playing my PS2)
Sunday – Sleep (if my baby lets me)

As usual, I’m listening to The Cure’s “Friday, I’m in Love”

Have a good weekend everyone, I plan to.

40 songs

2005-09-29T23:32:00.000+08:00

That's the number of songs I downloaded tonight.

To everyone that recommended songs, Thank You.

I downloaded songs from Dire Straits, Queen, Rolling Stones, The Police, The Doors & Bob Dylan amongst others. I also found Rolling Stone Magazines 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. I have downloaded the Top 10 from the list and hope to download as many as possible over the weekend. I reckon I already have 50-60 songs from the list already burned or in my hard disk.

Now all I need is an I-Pod.

A Classic Rock Song

2005-09-28T14:49:00.000+08:00

Some songs just survive the test of time.

For the past 3 days I have been listening to the same song over and over again. I don’t know why but I have. Actually I didn’t even realise I had the MP3 on my PC in the office until I went through the 500 MP3’s I have one by one. The song is “Wish You Were Here” by Pink Floyd and covered a numerous amount of times. The best cover version to me is by Radiohead (which I have been listening to). Those who followed the reality show Rockstar INXS will remember Marty singing this song superbly.

Anyone have any recommendations of classic (not classical) songs I should download?

I'm in the mood for good classic songs. I've had to much house, hip hop and rap lately.

Where Is The "Relevant" News?

2005-09-27T15:00:00.000+08:00

Last weekend saw two international motor sports series. A1GP with a Malaysian team and drivers and Formula One without both. Now, you would expect with the Government trying to promote nationalism and patriotism there would be a decent write up on the Malaysian teams 5th place finish in the Main Race of the A1GP. Surprisingly there was only a very short four paragraph article in The Star. This was on the 10th back page of the paper below a huge picture of Fernando Alonso and a half page article on Formula One.

Why is our sporting achievements put so far in the background of sporting news behind news* from the EPL, Tennis, Spanish Football, etc.? Is it not important? Shouldn’t we be proud of our countries achievements?

I might not be the most patriotic person but I am a firm believer that sports can bring communities together. The rich, the poor, people from all races and political alignment can come together when a country is participating in a sporting event. So if you are free on November 20th and have a little excess cash to spend on tickets, go to Sepang, bring your Malaysian Flag and support the Malaysian A1 team. I know I will.

*The importance of sporting news start from the backpage and goes backwards.

Thank You

2005-09-26T10:22:00.000+08:00

Firstly I would like to thank everyone for their well wishes for my Dad. He is now out of the hospital. My advice, everyone should learn to relax and take care of their food intake. My Dad doesn’t smoke or drink but still gets heart problems.
***********
Sporting Review

A1 Grand Prix. I really enjoyed A1GP. To me it is good to see true racing again. No drivers aid, slick tyres, no traction control and all teams drive the same car. To top it off the race format is also exciting. After watching the A1GP, I switched channels to watch the F1, I watched for about 5 minutes and got bored. This from a person who has been to every F1 race in Sepang. I just hope tons of people will go to Sepang in November for the Malaysian Leg of A1GP to support Malaysia. By the way, Malaysia finished 5th in the main race out of 25 teams, not bad.

F1. Although I was bored watching the race, I still made sure I know what happened. JP Montoya won the race and Fernando Alonso was crowned as the new World Champion.

Moto GP. I was happy to be at Sepang to see Valentino Rossi capture another World Championship. Although he didn’t win the race it was still good to see “The Doctor” flying around Sepang.

AFL. The Sydney Swans finally wins the Aussie Rules Football Grandfinal after 72 years. I was damn happy to see the match live on Astro and to top it off Sydney (my team) won in a very close match with the West Coast Eagles. I don’t know many in Malaysia that follows the AFL, so to those that watched it, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Matters of the Heart

2005-09-23T00:06:00.000+08:00

Coronary Angioplasy - One way to unblock (open up the lumen) of a coronary artery (or other blood vessel) is angioplasty, or Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA). A wire is passed from the femoral artery in the leg up to the diseased coronary artery, to beyond the area of the coronary artery that is being worked upon. Over this wire, a balloon catheter is passed into the segment that is to be opened up. The end of the catheter contains a small folded balloon. When the balloon is hydraulically inflated, it compresses the atheromatous plaque and streches the artery wall to expand. At the same time, if an expandable wire mesh tube (stent) was on the balloon, then the stent will be implanted (left behind) to support the new stretched open position of the artery from the inside.

All this happens in an artery. The wonders of modern medicine.
****************
2 days ago my Dad had pains in his chest and had problems breathing. The next day he went for his third angioplasty. For those that don't know, this is a procedure to unclog a blocked artery. It is a step before having to undergo a heart bypass operation.

My Dad is one of those that takes work very seriously. When he works, he really works. I guess that is why he is what he is today. He has had 2 heart attacks, one of these in the back on a Minister's car. I guess trying to be successful has its price.

This is the total opposite of me. I take things easy. I don't panic, don't stress out and don't get bothered by 'little things'. I believe life is not all about work but play too. Maybe this is why we never got along. Only recently, since I got married and had a baby have we been on better terms. I actually went to the hospital this time. The other 2 times I didn't. Maybe I wasn't around, I don't remember.

I just hope that since I don't easily get stressed I don't have to go through similar medical procedures. I guess the ciggarette I'm about to have doesn't really help. But hey, I'll stop eventually.

p/s: Dad, get well soon.

Divorce

2005-09-20T10:45:00.000+08:00

Die-vorce or Dee-vorce, either was you pronounce it, it represents the breakdown of a relationship. In the past week I have 2 friends that are getting divorced and a friend who’s marriage is on the rocks. This is a scary trend. Is it because they got married too young? Did they not know what the institution of marriage is about? Or was it just fate?

I come from a broken home so when I got married I promised myself not to get divorced. It can still happen as fate is beyond our brains comprehension but I hope it won’t.

Weekend In Review

2005-09-19T11:42:00.000+08:00

As this started out as a sports blog, I have decided to post sporting updates at least twice a week. The world of sports was relatively unexciting over the weekend so I guess it wasn’t such an ideal week to start but what the heck.

In football (soccer), Chelsea confirmed their status as the team to beat in the EPL with a clinical 2-0 victory in the top of the table clash against Charlton Athletic. In Italy, Juventus maintained their 100% record while in the German Bundesliga, Bayern Munich also maintained the 100% record. The Spanish La Liga is the only major league in Europe not going to preseason expectations with Getafe topping the table with giants Barcelona and Real Madrid in 8th & 16th places respectively.

In the MotoGP, my wishes came true as Valentino Rossi crashed out of the Montegi GP. Now he can clinch his Championship in Sepang. I should be at the track on Race Day. If anyone else is going, please tell me.

In Cycling, Roberto Heras wins the Tour of Spain for the fourth time.

This coming weekend marks the start of the A1 Grand Prix series. This is the only motor sport series where teams are based on the country. There are currently 23 countries/teams participating. Malaysia will have a team in the A1 series which will have its first race in England starting 25 September. In A1 Racing, all points are allocated to the winning Nation and there are no driver points. A1GP is a team effort and a team sport. The winner is the driver, team and most importantly the Nation is the winner. In 3 years time the team will be fully Malaysian with the drivers, mechanics, team manager all being local. I hope we can all support the Malaysian team in the A1 GP.
***********
I would to congratulate my sister for giving birth to her second son, Ryan, on Thursday last week. My sister now has 2 sons.

Also, Friday was my Moms birthday. It was the first time I actually sang “Happy Birthday” at a hospital. We had the cake there too. I guess Mom was happy as all three of her grandchildren was there. Usually Ally doesn’t go to ‘night’ functions as she is asleep by 8.30pm.

1st Competition Win

2005-09-15T11:20:00.000+08:00

For the last 2 days this blog has been about Ally. Well this posting is too. Got home from work yesterday and my wife told me Ally won her 1st competition.

Last month my wife submitted a few photos of Ally into competitions. Ally won one of them. She is currently in this months issue of Mother & Baby magazine. Next, I must send her to talent agencies. Then maybe she can get into ads. Anyone know any good agencies I can send her to?

Apologies to Roadie (wherever you are)

2005-09-14T14:16:00.000+08:00

Dear Roadie,

I am sorry. I know I promised to call you the next time I went to Sg. Wang Plaza. Well, I went today, but since you disappeared from the blog world I kinda forgot to call. It would be easier to remember if Roadiementary was still alive as it was always the first blog I’d read in the morning. Maybe if you return I will remember next time.

Your Mate,
Sports Freak
******
Items bought at Sg. Wang today:

1. DVD - The Longest Yard. Adam Sandler comedies always crack me up.
2. DVD - 9 Songs. Have no idea what its about but someone said it was good.
3. PS2 game - Winning Eleven 9. The best soccer series for the PS2, ever. Makes EA Sport's FIFA series 2nd best every year.
4. CD - Ministry of Sound Funky House Sessions (2 CD set). Listening to it now. Pretty good so far, ecspecially if you enjoy funky house (mix of sexy house and funky disco).

Total Cost - RM39 (Not bad at all for 5 discs)

Ally Part II

2005-09-13T22:34:00.000+08:00

Cherry b, since you requested more pictures of Ally, here are 2 more.

There will be no more pictures of Ally to be posted on this Blog for now. I will post pictures of her periodically. When something exciting happens. I guess those that patron this blog will also see her progress as she grows, as long as I keep this blog up.

2005-09-13T22:33:00.000+08:00

Little Ally

2005-09-12T21:42:00.000+08:00

Above is the picture of my daughter over the weekend. It was her first time in the swimming pool. Anyway, I've realised I've always refered to her as my daughter well we call her Little Ally.

Weekend Highlights

2005-09-12T10:08:00.000+08:00

1. My 6-month old daughter went swimming for the first time.

2. Playing the Business Times Golf Tournament and coming in 7th place in the first nine. Won a Sony DVD player. Now I have 4 DVD players. Anybody want to buy the one I won yesterday?

3. The Washington Redskins winning their season opener against the Chicago Bears. Hail to the Redskins!

Not many things happened over the weekend as half of Saturday was gone due to work.

Why Am I here?

2005-09-10T11:48:00.000+08:00

Walked into the office today and the first comment I got was "dude, you look 'semak' today". I wear cufflinks everyday, so I guess my colleague has never seen me dressed down or seen me after a heavy night of drinking. In reality I do look pretty messy today.

It’s a Saturday and I’m in the office. I feel like crap (it takes longer to recover from drinking when you're 32) Why the hell do bankers have to work on Saturday? Its totally a waste of time. I haven’t done any work today. The simple logic is that people do their banking on Saturday. So here’s a question to the wonderful people that patron this blog, it could justify the logic (or not). Do you do banking on a Saturday?

J - you look really good today but why? Got date after work is it?

Another Office Incident

2005-09-08T16:05:00.000+08:00

A group of females colleagues were talking then one said loudly* “That’s the reason I don’t marry a Muslim man”.

After the conversation was over I asked my colleague (another person to the one above) what the commotion was about. Supposedly, one of our Indonesian cleaners was slashed by her Indonesian husband in our office car park. Supposedly (again), her husband slashed her face and ears and she is currently in the hospital.

Now, a statement like the one made by the colleague really pisses me off. It’s like saying all Indian men get drunk and beat on their wives or all Chinese men gamble and keep mistresses. For all you know the Indonesian wasn’t even a Muslim. For God’s sake woman you’re an Assistant Vice President in the Bank. People that say remarks like that loudly in public should be locked up. If you’re in your little private circle of bigots it’s a different story but not in the office at 80% of your vocal capability.

*loudly - I was 30 feet away and it was still loud. I reckon you could hear the statement from at least 60 feet away.

"Hello Handsome Man"

2005-09-07T15:45:00.000+08:00

No, its not a Thai Hooker but this dude in my office.

Every time we cross paths he will say that. In the stairwell when I’m having a ciggy, in the toilet when I’m having a piss, in the lifts, anywhere. I find this hilarious. And No, he’s not gay. He’s new and I think he’s trying to break the ice and be friendly but imagine hearing “Hello Handsome Man” a few times a day. I find it really-really funny. I guess if you see him you will find it funny too.

Tagged by Madnessinvain

2005-09-05T14:29:00.000+08:00

As I was tagged by Madnessinvain, I will do what is right and not run or cower away but to be true and self reflect my life so far. Having read Mudsters, MiV's and Silent's reflection over the last 20 years, mine is pale in comparison. Nevertheless, we all live a life thats full of trials and tribulations. So here goes...

1985, 20 Years Ago
* I was very much an Americanized Malaysian, living in Washington DC for the past 5 years. My father was doing his PhD, so we (my mom, sis and I) followed along.
* Spoke English like an American, couldn’t speak a word on BM. Prior to living in the US we were also living in Belgium and in the UK. My Dad was very much into academic qualifications.
* Life was simple, Dad went to University, Mom became a hairdresser, my sis and I went to school and spent the whole day at school in day care.
* My parents were still married together. Was close to my sister.
* I had a normal parent-child relationship with my parents.

1995, 10 Years Ago
* I am now in Australia in my final year of University. I was lucky to be an ‘all-rounder’ in boarding school with good results and with even better non-academic representations. Due to this I received a full scholarship to pursue my studies in Medicine. Nevertheless, after one year of pre-med foundation I realized that being a doctor was not right for me. I decided to do Banking & Finance instead. No regrets there.
* Spoke English like an Aussie. After 5 years in boarding school could speak decent BM. Actually got A2 in BM for my SPM. Shocking!
* Life was more complicated. 5 years in Australia and I only went back to Malaysia once. My relationship with my parents was almost non-existent. Mom and Dad have been divorced for 8 years now. Mom had moved to Rome, Italy with her new husband and my sister, Dad remarried too. Didn't get to see my sister for 5 years. Didn't see her grow up. Both my parents had kids. Didn't see them either.
* I worked my ass off in University as a prep chef to make money. I made loads of money. Became a pretty good cook along the way too. Did not live like a student but like a working person. Lived in a huge bungalow with 2 ‘rich’ kids.
* Started doing soft drugs (marijuana and acid) a couple of years earlier during 1st year University. Nevertheless, I still represented University in Hockey and American Football (my proudest sporting achievement)

2000, 5 Years Ago
* I was in the midst of my ‘blurry’ period in life. I was living with 2 other bachelors who were my closest cousins. We we’re living in a condominium in the center on KL. We had loads of fun. Backroom and later Movement were my actual homes.
* Speaking English like a Malaysian now... People can understandlah, ok what?
* I had my own consulting firm with 3 other partners but I was out drunk and on ecstasy at least 4 nights a week. The firm was just a front and a source of cash to finance my wayward tendencies.
* My mom and sister were back from Italy. Relationships with females were on a short term basis. Relationship with my parents were strained. Could barely sit for dinner with my Dad without getting into some sort of argument. My stepmother was the saving grace of the relationship between my Dad and I. She would mediate very well. I also was getting close with my sister again. I also got to know both my half-siblings although both are 18 years younger than me.
* I actually didn’t give a shit about my career or anything else. It was probably out of rebellion towards my parents.

2002, 3 Years Ago
* Made life changes. Amongst other things changed my lifestyle. Late nights, especially on weekdays, were a thing of the past.
* Got my career back on track with a development bank. Pay was crappy but I had to do something or I would have ended up in the gutters.
* I would soon meet my wife to be. She met me probably at my lowest point in my adult life. Was in between jobs and had substantial debts.
* Relationship with my parents greatly improved. Its either they were getting older or I was getting older.
* All in all, a good year.

2004, Last Year
* Improved my career again to where I am now. A commercial bank.
* Tied the knot. Got married to a beautiful woman. Understands me for who I am. Sometimes I don’t even know who I am. We are similar yet different. One of our common friends say that if we were books we would come from the same section in the library.
* I actually consider my relationship with my parents quite normal now. Although I see my parents only on average once a month it is more ‘normal’ when we meet.
* My English has gotten from outstanding 20 years ago to average.
* Life itself is less havoc and more controlled again.

2005, This year
* The highlight of my life so far was born. My daughter. Nothing can compare to what my daughter has brought to my life.
* My daughter has also brought my parents and I a bit closer. Not as close as normal people but closer.
* Trying to get my golf handicap down again. Took too much time of golf. Mind you, I started playing when I was 8 years old. I should be a single handicapper now. Not 16.
* Started this blog. I thought I could never write. I guess I still can’t but I’m trying.
* Careerwise, all is fine. Nevertheless, I still want to get into the sporting industry somehow. I know I’ll be awesome at it.

2006, Next Year & 2015, 10 Years from now (my Hopes)
* I am not one who plans for the long term. I have lived my life on a short term basis but now with added responsibility of my wife and baby. I hope to consolidate my position in the corporate world should I not be in the sporting industry.
* I hope to have another one maybe two kids. Hopefully, one will be a golf prodigy, another a football prodigy. I’ll be happy if one of them becomes a musician. Even if they don’t, at the end of the day if they are happy I’ll be happy.
* I hope that my relationship with my parents improve even further.
* I hope that my English will improve back to its original levels and that I’ll find time to read more books again.
* Most importantly, I hope to have a happy and full life. I see no sense in having all the money in the world but no happiness. I’d rather be middle class and happy.

That's pretty much what were important in those years.

Now.... run J, run... J, I'm tagging you. You're it!! Maybe it will let you forget the stresses in the office right now.

The Weekend

2005-09-05T13:06:00.000+08:00

Hospital Visit - My grandmother had an operation as she fell and broke her pelvic bone. They had to remove it and replace it with a man-made one. Hope she recovers well for an 80-something.

The Exam – 100 questions. Not too bad. Hopefully, I should pass.

In the News – Couldn’t help but watch lots of CNN, CNBC and BBC. Its funny how the richest, most industrialised and technological advanced country gets out of control by a hurricane with advanced warning. Why did President Bush take 4 days to get to the disaster zone anyway?

In Sports –
US Open : Nadal lost, Roddick lost, Federrer wins. Looks most likely that Federrer will add another Grand Slam trophy to his cabinet. I don't see anyone able enough to beat him on the Hard Courts at Flushing Meadows.

F1 : Montoya won, Alonso 2nd, Kimi 4th. Kimi’s fight for the Championship seems almost lost. Alonso should be Champ barring any unforeseen events.

Football : England & Holland won unconvincingly. They still need to prove they are true contenders for the World Cup next year.

Brain Dead

2005-09-02T17:11:00.000+08:00

I think my brain is dead......

I must have done over 500 sample exams questions today. I guess its the price you pay for doing shit at the very last minute. Its 5pm and my battery is flat. It must be the age thing again. I reckon if I was 21 I could have covered all the questions, went for a round of golf, had sex and all whilst being stoned and still have enough energy to do other stuff.

I need to rejuvinate. I think a nice cold beer will really help. Thank god I took leave today. Tonight another 200 or so questions and I hope to be ready for tommorrow morning.

Exams Anyone?

2005-09-01T13:50:00.000+08:00

This Saturday I’m sitting to be a Certified Credit Professional in Business. Actually, I’m sitting for the first 2 papers. I have done minimal studying.

I’m trying to pull off what I did through High School and University. I used to be one of those at school that liked to take exams (weird but true). I breezed pretty much through both with minimal studying. In High School I was a top 10 student just by sitting examinations. At Uni I went to classes for 14 hours whilst I worked 40 hours a week as a prep chef. I still graduated. The last exams I TRIED was the CFA. Didn't study, so I failed miserably. I just hope my 30-something brain can still deliver as the CCP is much-much easier than the CFA.

Now, where did I put that study manual?

Merdeka Feelings

2005-08-30T12:20:00.000+08:00

It seems there are less flags flying, less TV and radio ads, less ‘feeling’ towards this years Merdeka celebration.

I am not the most patriotic person having been brought up overseas for the first 12 years of my life but I have been back for over 10 years now (since Uni) and this year it seems to me that Merdeka just like another day for most. Most people are just happy they get a day off work and not excited about Merdeka. It used to be a fairly ‘big’ occasion with a majority of cars, office buildings and apartments flying the Jalur Gemilang proudly. The best TV ads used to be during the Merdeka period and most with the underlying message of unity and striving for success. Are Malaysian content with what they already have? Are we getting complacent?

In my view, this is very disheartening. It’s no wonder that we can’t get people to support our sports teams. If we can’t even support the Country in its biggest celebration, how are we supposed to love and support our football or hockey team.

Although I use to “Pledge Allegiance to the Flag” and Sing the “Star Spangled Banner”, I am no longer a ‘fan’ of the United States. It could be because of their political policies, but that’s a discussion for another day. If there is one thing we should follow the Americans when it comes to Independence Day, we should follow the way they celebrate it. There is no difference between the 4th of July or 31 August but the way it is celebrated. The Americans are proud on the 4th of July and have BBQ’s, parties and functions. Most Malaysians will be sleeping in or at shopping centers. Sad but True.

Last Week In Review

2005-08-29T17:20:00.000+08:00

Top Achievers
Last weekend saw Valentino Rossi continue his domination in MotoGP. I seriously think he is the most dominant person in any sport at the moment. Winning 9 out of 11 races (the other 2 were podium finishes) is no easy task. He needs to win only one more race to be the Champion yet again.

The English Cricket Team winning the 4th test after forcing Australia to follow on. Follow on is when you force a team to continue with their seciond innings as their 1st innings score is more than 200 runs short. The English need to win or draw the final test to win the Ashes for the first time since 1989 and to temporarily halt Australia’s dominance in world cricket.

The All-Blacks beating the Springboks in a very fierce game. The All Blacks just have to beat Australia next weekend to win the Tri-Nations Cup. The All-Blacks also have a new kicker now. He's young and good. The All Blacks tend to dominate when they have good kickers (like the days of Grant Fox) in their squad. Could be a start of an All Black revival to the top of Rugby.

Disgraceful matters
The Malaysian Taekwando Federation for dashing the hopes of Junior fighters by sending a junior national team to Khazastan for the Asian Junior Championships only to find out upon arrival that they were not eligible to participate as the Malaysian Taekwando Association has been deregistered.

EPL referees. In my opinion there has been more bad calls in the first 4 weeks than there were in the same time last season. To date, 3 cards have been either rescinded or downgraded due to bad calls. There is also no consistency whatsoever amongst referees. To many are getting away with bad tackles whilst some are getting unduly penalized.

The French trying to discredit Lance Armstrong’s achievements in the Tour De France by claiming that frozen piss from 1999 has been tested and is positive for the banned drug EPO (blood booster). French Logic: How can an American dominate OUR sport? Lets tarnish his reputation. Human Logic: A guy comes back from death (fighting cancer). Why the F#%K would he take drugs to be a better cyclist?

My hopes
Australia wins the final test of The Ashes and retains the trophy. I’m an Australian fan and I dislike the English in sports. On that note, I also wish that England do not qualify for World Cup 2006. Unlikely but I can hope.

Maria Sharapova reaches the final of the US Open. I just want her to be on TV in skimpy tennis clothes for as long as possible.

Valentino Rossi does not win the next race in Japan but clinches his Championship in Sepang. I want to be there to see a living legend win a Championship.

Just Like Life

2005-08-23T17:09:00.000+08:00

Why I'm a Sports Freak

Excitement as your team is about to win.
Joy when they do.
Despair as your team is about to lose.
Sadness when they do.
Accomplishment when you get a birdie.
Frustration when you miss a 2-foot putt.

To me sports represent a snapshot of life. During a 90-minute game of football, 4 quarters of basketball or even during the final over of a cricket match every emotion can be felt. Depending on who you are these emotions will vary. Two people sitting beside each other watching the same game will have two different emotions at the very same time. That’s the beauty of sports.

Just like life there is a timeframe and in this timeframe you try to win or at the very least, play your best. Just like life, it’s not over until the final whistle blows or the final ball thrown. Just like life, you win some and lose more but the sweetness of victory outweighs the despair of defeat tenfold. You can play golf on the same course for 20 years but you will never play exactly the same game. Just like life, no two games are ever the same. Just like life you have to beat the challenges in order to succeed and if you don’t succeed you just have to try again. Just like life there are people better than you in something but on any given day you can be better than them too. Just like life decisions have to be made. Just like life you make wrong ones and some correct ones too. Just like life there are heroes and villains. Just like life there are obnoxious ones too.

I enjoy life, i have to enjoy sports too... because, its just like life.

Star Spangled Badminton

2005-08-23T13:31:00.000+08:00

How do you elevate the status of a ‘second tier’ sport?
Create American World Champions. Then Nike and Adidas will invest in the sport.

I like to believe that all sports are played in a fair and true manner. Games aren’t fixed, no winner is decided before hand and sporting apparel companies to not decide which sports succeed and which don’t. It might be naïve of me, but it makes me believe in the truth of sports. But when you have an American World Champion in Badminton it shakes my beliefs. What next? America wins the Thomas Cup?

Although my beliefs are shaken, I still believe in the true meaning of sport and the Americans won because of passion and determination. Suprises do happen in Sports. Also because the World Championships were played in Anaheim, California.

Fourth and One

2005-08-22T14:02:00.000+08:00

One of the toughest situations to call a play in American Football. Do you go for the First Down and risk losing possession advantageous to your opponent or do you punt the ball away?
******
Besides being a terminology used in American Football it is also the name of a book I am currently reading. It is written by Joe Gibbs a Hall of Fame coach for the Washington Redskins. Firstly, some background. The Washington Redskins is the team I support the most in any sport on this planet (The colour of this blog is based on the Redskins team color). I was surprised to walk in to a second hand bookshop in Ampang to find this book.

1983 was the first and only time I saw Coach Gibbs, it was the first time the Redskins won the Superbowl and I was with 500,000 other Redskins fan lining the streets of D.C. in pouring rain just to catch a glimpse of the team and coach. I was 10.

Imagine my surprise to find this book in Ampang. It is a semi-autobiography of Coach Gibbs, a self proclaimed sports lover that was average in almost every sport growing up. It is a story of a man from a small town in North Carolina whose passion is sports and eventually became one of the greatest coaches in American Football.

Reading the few chapters of the book, I realize the few traits we have in common.

Firstly, he said that he was never great in sports, he was just good but he always had more passion than others. He was chosen for school and university teams not because he was the best but he had the drive and passion. I found this inspiring as I was not the best athlete in school or university but I still played rugby, cricket and hockey for my school. I even played American football and hockey for my university.

Secondly, he was always ‘bored’ or felt unfulfilled until he got his head coaching job. He changed jobs often but had good contacts and friends around him all the time. He loved to take employment risks but had to always think about his wife and kids. Again, this is similar to the way I feel about my job, bored and unfulfilling. I also have to think about the family consequences should I have to change jobs. I also would like to believe I have a lot of good friends.

The only difference is with his drive and passion towards sports there are opportunities for him to go for his dream in the sports industry in the US. Here, my opportunities in the sports industry is limited. It’s something for me to think about. How to succeed in the sports industry here in Malaysia? I do have the passion.

Maybe the answer will come when I finish reading his book.

Finally Its Here..

2005-08-19T15:42:00.000+08:00

I love Fridays. More so that tomorrow is not a working Saturday. I’m in such a good mood. As usual, my tune of the day is Friday, I’m in Love by The Cure. The song always makes me feel good. I have also been listening to all the songs I downloaded last night. Ahh…. good old school R&B. They just make good R&B anymore.

On the sporting front this weekend will probably be all about the EPL here in Malaysia. In particular Chelsea vs. Arsenal. What to watch if you’re a sports freak this weekend:

Rugby Union – Australia vs. South Africa
EPL – Chelsea vs. Arsenal
Golf – NEC Invitational
Formula 1 – Turkish Grand Prix
Tennis – Cincinnati Masters Series

I guess I’ll pretty much watch all the events listed above either live or on a delayed telecast. As for playing anything, I doubt I’ll have time. Too many family commitments, maybe a game of tennis or hitting some balls at the driving range on Sunday evening is the best I can do.

Have a great weekend!!

Slight Reminiscing..

2005-08-18T23:22:00.000+08:00

Song I just Downloaded:

1. Bobby Brown - Every Little Step I Take
2. Lisa Stansfield - Been Around The World
3. Sybil - Don't Make Me Over
4. Bvsmp - I Need You
5. Marvin Gaye - Sexual Healing
6. Faze - Cold Sweat
7. Timex Social Club - Rumours
8. Shalamar - Night To Remember

Three words.... Piccadilly Tea Dance...

Damn.. those were good days... anyone who stepped foot in the place would understand where I'm coming from... It would also give away your age.

Only Music in My Head

2005-08-18T15:18:00.000+08:00

Colleague : Don’t forget to prepare the Letter of Offer by today.

Me: …..

Tap on shoulder… “Don’t forget to prepare the Letter of Offer by today.”

Me : (removing earphones) huh??.. oh… ok..
********
I've finally solved my office boredom issue.
I have loaded my office PC with 398 mp3s. Now I can shut the office out. YES!!
I reckon by next week it will 500 mp3s. Time to go home and start downloading again.

For those who still use Real player or Media player to listen to mp3s or music, I highly recommend downloading i-tunes, its free and its awesome.

Note : Is someone out to get me or am I just absent minded? I came back from lunch to find one of my earphones in my coffee...

River of $$$

2005-08-17T14:08:00.000+08:00

Sg. Wang Plaza. Literally, the River of Money, is still my favourite shopping centre. KLCC, Lot 10, Starhill, Midvalley Megamall are all decent destinations but it doesn’t have the character of Sq. Wang. As soon as you walk in your emotions change, it could be lighting, it could just be layout of the place but I’ve never left the place without buying something. Anyway, things that interest me are cheap here. PS2 games, DVDs, Music CD’s, computer software.

Today’s lunchtime adventure to Sg. Wang

Madden 2005 for PS2 – RM4
Mac Software (4 discs) – RM20
Acoustic guitar strings – RM16
Three DVD 9s – RM20

Countless amounts of ah-mois - Priceless.

Missing the Point

2005-08-16T17:22:00.000+08:00

Dear Boss,

I have no motivation to perform. I will do just enough of what is required of me and no more. Should I get a better offer somewhere else, I will be forced to move. Please, please, increase my motivation.

Regards.
Unmotivated Worker
**********
4.00pm – meeting started.
4.50pm – meeting ended.

50 minutes of “blah, blah, blah…. blah, blah, blah… and more blah, blah blah.”

My boss had a bank wide strategy workshop and brainstorming session over the weekend with other bosses. Today she called her team in. The ‘bosses’ have come up with strategies and ideas (with help from external consultants) to improve the Bank.

They have new plans every year but they always miss the most important point. All the new strategies and ideas do not address this one simple factor. Motivation. The level of motivation is so low amongst the working level that if it is not taken care of, all the strategies and ideas they spent time and money on will go down the drain.

I'm a Neutral

2005-08-15T16:40:00.000+08:00

Typical Football Fan : Which team do you support?

Me : None, I’m a neutral.

Typical Football Fan: How is that possible?

Last weekend saw the return of the English Premier League. Surprisingly, this is one of the only leagues that I do not support a single team. I am as neutral as Switzerland when it comes to the EPL. Some people don’t understand this. They walk around wearing their jerseys, talking like they own the team, i.e. we bought so and so this season… but then some of them don’t have a clue in hell why they supported the team in the first place.

To me there has to be some reason to support a team… “I studied there”, “ever since I can remember my dad made me support xxx”, “it’s the only team I have ever watched live in a stadium”, etc… these are legitimate reasons to support a team… not “because they won last year mah…” these people don’t even know the name of their home stadium let alone any other statistics...

I guess its these ‘bandwagon fans’ that make the money for the Man Uniteds, Real Madrids, Liverpools and Arsenals of this world…

“What, jersey RM300? Bolehlah.. I support them mah!!”

Hazy Days Part II

2005-08-12T21:19:00.000+08:00

Since my last posting, the haze has not improved. It seems to have worsened. Damn.. Its a weekend, so I guess all sporting activities have to be cancelled.

Things I can't do this weekend-
(1) Play Golf (I just got a new driver too!!)
(2) Tennis (played once in the last month but would like to play if it wasn't hazy)
(3) Chill by the Swimming Pool (Note by the pool and not in the pool. I can swim well, I just don't like to)
(4) Watch the start of the EPL season in an outdoor beer garden (e.g. Oasis) due to the haze.

What I'll end up doing-
(1) Play sports on my Playstation 2
(2) Spend too much time indoors
(3) Watch the EPL from my couch (probably stoned* as I can't go out)

*I don't want to but due to circumstance (the haze), it looks like I have no option..

Hazy Days

2005-08-10T15:42:00.000+08:00

KL is engulfed in a haze that is worse than ever. It smells like someone set fire to the city. Nevertheless, there is a haze that has been around longer than the one outside my office window… The haze in my head… Shit!! There’s someone actually playing golf at RSGC!!

*******
I forget why I enter a room;
I forget who I was suppose to call;
I forget birthdays I used to remember;
I forget the date;
I forget who you are.

Damn… I’ve stopped smoking weed but my head is still hazy…

The Weekend that Ended and Started

2005-08-08T18:46:00.000+08:00

Last weekend there were two important events.

1) The Final AF concerts marks the end of 2 1/2 months of Melayu's going gaga over Mawi. No more Aznil, no more Hotlink AF ads, no more, no more... thank god for that.

2) The Community Shield marks the official start of English League Football. 9 1/2 months of Dykes, Shebby & Masefield, Celcom ads, football and more football...

*******

Final AF concert - As predicted by the Media (The Star, Malay Mail & other prints), Mawi won AF season 3. He could have croaked through both his songs in the final concert and he still would have won. The Malay "Rednecks" decided this since Week 1.

Talent wise he wasn't the best, he can't dance, can't act and wasn't the best vocally but he was an icon for the Malay "Rednecks". Why? Mainly because he is from Felda, has a nasyid group and has won various 'mengaji' conpetitions.

The other Malay in the Finals was Amylea, she sings alot better, is the best dancer in the academy and the best performer. She was the only person to get a standing ovation, for her rendition of GnR's Sweet Child of Mine. Why didn't she win? Her parents play in a pub band in Langkawi, she is not shy and she has an attitude more acceptable in other countries, not here in Malaysia.

Saying all this, this is Malaysia, so, our 'rednecks' are the majority and in the case of AF, it has spoken (or smsed).

*******

As the Community Shield is the curtain raiser for the upcoming EPL season. Below are my predictions for the upcoming season.

Champions - Chelsea will still be at the top of the League at the end of this season. They further strengthened an already strong team with the singnings of Wright-Phillips, Del Horno and the return of Crespo.

Runners Up - Liverpool. I putting my head on the line by predicting Liverpool above MU and the Gunners. This is mainly because they have vastly improved the team with their offseason signings. Team morale is high with Stevie G staying at Anfield but The key factor is Rafa Benitez.

3rd & 4th - It will be a toss up between Arsenal & Man. United. This is mainly because both didn't spend during the off season and will be relying in pretty much the same team that didn't win last year. Arsenal signed Hleb but lost Vierra. Man U signed Park Ji Sung and Van De Sar. Neither team has improved much this offseason on a team that never looked strong enough to win last season.

Friday, I'm In Love

2005-08-05T17:44:00.000+08:00

The whole week has been a long struggle. Like a Gen-2 in an F1 race or a mule racing stallions in the Kentucky Derby. But now its 5.30 on a Friday and I'm rejuvinated. I'm alive again. I feel Good!!. I'm going to listen to the perfect song one more time. Then go home. Maybe have a drink. Well.. most likely have a drink. To those that have never listened to this song, I advise you to download it. The perfect Friday evening song.

Friday I'm In Love - The Cure
I don't care if monday's blue. tuesday's grey and wednesday too. thursday I don't care about you. it's friday I'm in love. monday you can fall apart. tuesday wednesday break my heart. thursday doesn't even star. it's friday I'm in love. saturday wait and sunday always comes too late. but friday never hesitate...

I don't care if monday's black. tuesday wednesday heart attack. thursday never looking back. it's friday I'm in love. monday you can hold your head. tuesday wednesday stay in bed. or thursday watch the walls instead. it's friday I'm in love. saturday wait. and sunday always comes too late. but friday never hesitate...

dressed up to the eyes. it's a wonderful surprise. to see your shoes and your spirits rise. throwing out your frown. and just smiling at the sound. and as sleek as a shriek. spinning round and round. always take a big bite. it's such a gorgeous sight. to see you in the middle of the night. you can never get enough. enough of this stuff. it's fridayI'm in love.

Another Late Night

2005-08-05T01:51:00.000+08:00

Baby's asleep...
Wife's asleep....
85% of Malaysia's asleep...

As usual, I'm still up. Its hard being a nocturnal creature. I sleep on average at between 1.30am-2.00am everyday. Its no wonder I'm late for work everyday.

Oh well... to past time tonight I did a 100 question quiz on liquid generation. I chose this particular quiz because last week Ms. J had created two 80's based quiz for me to do. Now, I had found the ultimate 80's quiz.

How can that be? Knight Rider is what made David Hasslehoff... I HATE HASSLEHOFF!!

I don't plan to release an album that sells only in Germany although I wouldn't mind playing his part in Baywatch.

Man... I need to get some sleep. Hopefully, a few blondes with silicone injected breasts wearing red bikini's running in slow motion up and down a beach will be the focal point of my dreams tonight... I just hope David Hasslehoff won't be singing or running in the background..

Local Bloggers

2005-08-04T13:22:00.000+08:00

Just a thought.

Being relatively new to blogging and just recently started reading blogs I have come to realize that there are quite a number of Malaysians that can express well in English. Most of the local blogs I frequent justifies this statement.

It is quite refreshing to know that not all the money invested into overseas education was wasted in the so called "kampung melayu/cina/india" syndrome. Saying this, I even expect that some of these good writers didn’t even go overseas to pursue their education. The only downside is that I feel that most of these bloggers are from the more affluent sector of society.

End of thought.

In the Realm of Fantasy

2005-08-03T11:45:00.000+08:00

Fantasy Sports.

It is dream of many testosterone filled males to be a Manager, Chairman or Owner of a sporting club. Be it football (soccer), baseball, basketball or even Formula 1, running a team and winning is the ultimate goal. With the existence of fantasy sports, this has become psuedo-reality. The English Premier League is starting in 10 days and parallel to it so will fantasy football. Here comes –

9 ½ months of long nights analyzing players…
9 ½ months on deliberating on decisions as if the world depended on it…
9 ½ months of talking of nothing but fantasy football during happy hour…
9 ½ month of watching games I wouldn’t watch if it wasn’t for fantasy EPL…
9 ½ months of sheer frustration and joy…

I play fantasy baseball & basketball with people I don’t know in America but I play fantasy EPL with my mates… It matters a lot to win… It matters a hell of a lot!!

Out of Bounds and The BSB

2005-07-31T23:04:00.000+08:00

Saturday morning I had one of those golf games where it would have been better if I had stayed in bed. My game started decently well with a couple of pars and a birdie on the front nine. I actually made some money (whats golf without betting) from the others in my flight, then it just went south.

Right... Right... Right...

That seemed to be the only direction my ball would go. I was striking the ball well, It just wouldn't go the correct direction. I couldn't hit on the fairway for the life of me. "Out of Bounds!!" were the words my golfing partners gleefully shouted on almost every hole on the back nine. I played 18-over for the second nine!!! Thats more than my handicap!!

To complete the mindnumbing golf I played, one song was stuck in my head through out the golf game. Actually, it was more like the chorus kept on repeating in my head.

I’ve tried to go on like I never knew you
I’m awake but my world is half asleep
I pray for this heart to be unbroken
But without you all I’m going to be is incomplete

'Incomplete' by the Backstreet Boys. WTF!!! Why did Hitz.fm have to play that song when I was reaching the golf club?!?!

p/s: eventually I lost all the $$ I made from the first nine plus a lot more.

Metrosexuality

2005-07-28T17:12:00.000+08:00

There has been many a conversation on whether one is just a good dresser, a closet gay or a metrosexual. I use cufflinks, colour my hair at a salon (yes its salon and not saloon, saloons are where cowboys go to get drunk and hit on whores), use hair and facial products but ultimately I just enjoy looking good.

Does that make me a metrosexual? I still love my sports and I am obviously not a closet gay as I am married with a kid. Anyway, I’ve loved the female species for as long as can remember. Buying a pink, lilac or fushia shirt as posted in Roadies blog could create even more unwanted confusion. Not that I have.

As usual, when in doubt, Liquid Generation will have a solution quiz for you. I live in metropolitan KL and am quite sexual, so I took the test.

There you go!! I’m sort of Metrosexual. I guess Liquid Generation is right again.

The Waiting Game

2005-07-27T23:40:00.000+08:00

Does anyone realise how much we have to wait in a day?

We order food, we wait. We press the up/down button, we wait. We turn on the PC, we wait. We want to pay something, we wait. Now, I'm a very patient person but I hate to wait. It might sound contradictory but its true. To put it simple, I have a high tolerance for waiting although its one of my main peeves. Play golf with me and you'll understand.

Yesterday, I went to my job interview and everything went well. The only issue was my pay demand, even then the interviewer was going to fight for what I asked for from Management. I was on top of the list of prospective candidates but they had one more person to interview. So, at the end of the interview I was told to wait. "We will call you".

I hate to wait!! I guess i'll have to tolerate it like I wait for anything else. Duh!!

Interview Phone Call

2005-07-27T10:49:00.000+08:00

As some of you know I’ve been bitching about my job ever since I started this blog. Well, at 9am this morning I received a phone call for an employment interview. What a perfect way to start the morning. I know that it is just an interview and not a confirmed job offer but at least it’s an opportunity.

The best thing about the interview is that the company is one of my biggest accounts in the bank. I can just imagine my bosses face if I told her that I’m leaving to go to them. Anyway, I will only be able to tell her that should all go well this evening when I meet up with the prospective employer.

Even if I don’t get the job at least I am starting to get interviews again. There have been at least 4 companies that have asked for my CV and all of them say that they are interested to meet with me but to date this is the first call I have received. Hopefully this first one is an indication of things to come. If I don’t get this job and no other company calls me, I guess I’m just destined to be a Banker.

ps: Now I need to get a haircut during lunch hour, my hair is a mess and the colour is now uneven since its grown (yes, I do colour my hair).

Damn Streamyx!!!

2005-07-26T21:21:00.000+08:00

Yes, the inevitable happened. On Friday my Streamyx just went KAPUT. I had it instaled for 10 days and suddenly, while surfing, it just disconnected. I tried everything but couldn't get back online. Now, I have to check my sports results daily, there's always a sporting event somewhere in the world especially on a weekend. This weekend I couldn't, didn't even know that the Aussies won the first test at Lords until I read the papers on Monday.

To make matters worse, I am on course and have no access to the Internet during the day. Oh well, I guess thats life in the modern day world. They (streamyx) said they'd come tommorrow to fix it. They'd better!!

***********************************************

Although a bit late, due to the Streamyx problem above, I would like to congratulate all the winners from last weekend. Fernando Alonso, The Australian Cricket team, Valentino Rossi and most of all 7-time TdF winner Lance Armstrong all deserve special mention.

Also a special shout out to world No. 3 Nicol David. Currently, she is Malaysia's top sportsperson no matter what anyone says.