Hungry Ghost Festival

Common misconception: HGF is a fearsome month where all the spirits from the nether world comes out and haunts the earth.

It is partly true. In fact, it is the month where the deceased visits the living and us having rituals to transmute and absolve the sufferings of the deceased.

Anyway, my classmates and I decided to go for a poh toh for prayers. In pics:




















Taking turns to light up the joss sticks.




















The altar




















The God of Hades




















Praying




















Food attack...its free btw, charity sake.
















Crowd queuing for food.




















Posers #1




















Posers #2




















Got milk flour?




















Er....I am here.

One Moment of PG.

Two weeks ago. At Penang.




















Shud be somewhere near Juru. Shud be.

It was damn very short stay. Too short. But hell, I just need to breathe the Penang air. It is somehow fresher. And of course I need to see my family. Need. Miss them much.




















Dad repairing my headphone.

Then, there is the curry mee I promised my stomach.




















Not-so-famous curry mee of Sg. Ara. Oh well, I just need the dose. No need famous.

Not forgetting the temples and the Batu Ferringhi DVDs. XD

And of course the occasionally big big dinner with relatives.

Then, saying an early goodbye to my dear sis, which is leaving for Singapore for further studies. Is very proud of her. Can't really send her all the way there as the sem do not end yet. Sigh. And there goes my Singapore trip too.
















My ADHD dog, Murphy. Nice having a run with you.

Oh, sorry Lay, Phing and Dr. Geng Yan. No time to meet up. Really no time. Next time around, k? We go food hunting.

Doubt to Hope to Doubt to Ho...(press repeat button)

I am beginning to doubt myself. I used to believe that optimism in life had always get me through tough times and I had a strong believe that I am in control of my life. Now those thoughts don't seem to make sense at all. In fact, I sensed anarchy in self-regulation nowadays.

Perhaps the slaps and smacks of reality had made me dizzy and pathological in thoughts. If it is the clichéd its-just-a-rough-patch-in-life thingy, it sure is a long torturous patch. Don't remember a longer and meaner nerve-racking one.

The aversive stimuli, controllable or uncontrollable, has emotionally, mentally, financially and physically drained me out. At times, I just felt soulless and confused, as in like "hey, i got this...oh wait...no i don't....wait...argh...screw it..." X8.

Time and again, I have told myself to get up and reorganize. And then, another comet hit me. And another one. And another one. Right, so where am I now? Oh ya, the get up and reorganize part, once again.

I don't engage in self-pity. But once in awhile, you look at part of the life where you felt hopeless and shakes your head saying: Ghee, that sucks. See? Self-pity. Yeah, life sucks big time once in a while. Then, I thought of the saying: Every dark cloud has a silver lining. So, once again, it is time to buck up. Come to think of it, it is sort of a vicious cycle.

Great, I reread this post and felt redundant. Maybe that's how life looks like.

Oh Well

Sigh. Disappointment. Not even a fight. LD can close both eyes and demolish LCW. It's over in less than one hour. Really walau wei.

On the brighter side, we got silver. Yay. At least got medal.

















Everybody squeezed in to support Malaysia.

The mamak places are totally packed. There are even people standing just to go through the whole match. We clapped for every points he scored. The Malaysia Boleh spirit.

Oh well. Next time, Chong Wei. Enjoy your silver. We are still proud of you, just in case you don't know.

EPL

After a month's starvation of footie, it is now coming back. The English Premier Leagues starts today. Not a very nice way to open ceremony this time, as it clashes with the Beijing Olympics, still being the hardcore footie fan, it is time to once again salvage the dose of football for another year.














Season expectations and previews had already sprout since the past few weeks. So is pointless to repeat them over again. But in brief, it is as usual, the Big Four vying for the championship with the two front runner, Man U and Chelsea, as favourites. Then there are the teams killing off each other to get into the lucrative European Champions League spots. And then, the mid-table runners and of course, the relegation strugglers.

Being a die hard Liverpool fan, it is once again fill with hope that the team can win trophies this time around, with the 18-year wait EPL title as priority. With new signings, particularly Robbie Keane, and Euro Cup winner Fernando Torres in the squad, there is no way not to be optimistic that we can cash in more goals and winning the trophies offered.
















Keane and Torres, the perfect striking duo?

__________________________________________________

Olympics Notes:






















Is proud that Lee Chong Wei went into the finals for badminton. Malaysia is starved of gold and for once, I saw Malaysians of different backgrounds supporting him in the semis. A rare scene, considering that most of our athletes, particularly football, do not have the initiative to raise even the slightest hope of winning something. Just look at Chelsea vs Malaysia. Lets say you are a Chelsea fan, which jersey would you prefer to wear to watch the match, eh?

Anyway, go Chong Wei! We Malaysians will be backing you.

Relate

Three Days Grace gives me the option to release. James Blunt and Snow Patrol gives me comfort and consolation.

They are acts of balance of what I feel, of what I can relate to in life. There are many others...but yea, they currently have the biggest impact on me.

Self-Reminder

It all comes to week 12 now. And onwards. Time for self-evaluation and get kicking with the remaining task that is so going to affect my gloomy, if not uncertain future.

Four subjects and 20 plus days...if I don't start now, it will be cramped shit later on and I am going to regret time and again.

Starting with Behaviour Disorder of Childhood and Adolescence. It only consist of 3 chapters for exam. Sounds easy huh? Yes, 3 chaps for 3 questions. Do your math. The problem with such obvious path is that when the there-are-thousands-of-reason-not-to-fail-my-paper lecturer said: "You better get an A for this." Such highly and tall order to take in.

Next, Sports Psych. A rather easily understandable and interesting subject. Well, I sort of know what to expect it to be. This one is a self-impose ultimatum thing. So nothing much to say. Next.

Physiological Psych. Still figuring out why such subject exist in our course. Loads of bio stuff to get hooked with. And the sorta confused lecturer gave us these tips. Out of 15 "stuff" that he thought, 4 will come out. That is what he said, end of story.WTF on earth you call this a MTF tip?

Lastly, Human Motivation. Oh well, since it teaches you to be motivated, I should apply lah. Easy said. But theories and practicals often clashed, so I don't think its different from other subjects. But the lecturer was so good to us. And her class rocks. So another self-imposed subject to get results.

And then...the ongoing and ever delayed testical-like Thesis. I just sadistically love myself when I see everybody else panic finding literature reviews right now. Sooner or later, the suffering will be upon me. Might as well enjoy the sadist thoughts first.

This is a post where everything from language and perhaps content, seemed to be unorganized, unsystematic and unrecognizable. It is a self reminder and as long as it smacks my head when I read it, it will serve me well until the exams.

20 days to go...

Cheated

I cheated myself. My mind playing mind games with me. And then suddenly I realized.

This is all fucking bullshit because I was just being too stressed.

It came back because I was going through depression. I just need to be acquainted.

I was once there. Twice. Thrice. Time and again. Then I realized, I am actually activating my illusionary fuckup world once again. Now I really get it.

I need to get out more, think more outside the box. It is this stupid fuckup cheating mindset that had let me contemplate the stupidest thing ever to be considered. It might be a possibility but its simply fuckup because I put too much energy focusing on it. Fucking dumb.

Suddenly, everything comes to light. Yes. Enlighten. I should have ask at first place, why should I even bother? You are just one in millions, and I deserved much better. Much much better than what I thought that you are. The best, irreplaceable. Nonsense. Totally utterly nonsense. Certain Three Days Grace songs speak my heart now.

Thanks for all the enlightening THE certain people had gave to me. You know who you are. Although it might sound bullcrap to me then, it is words of wisdom to me now.

I will get through this. I had and I will. Maybe for the last time.

Sarah Tagged Me...Just Do It

1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves a comment, letting them know they got tagged and to ask them to play and read your blog. (wah, got written rules one neh....)

Starting time: 9.18pm (need bo?)
Name: Sin Eu
Sisters: 1
Brothers: From parents one, none.
Shoe Size: 7.5 to 9
Height: 172cm
Where do you live: Now? GK. From? Penang
Favourite drinks: Juice
Favourite breakfast: Penang Curry Mee.
Have you ever been on a plane?: 10++ years ago.
Swam in the ocean: Ocean? Penang Island surrounded by ocean right? You decide.
Fallen asleep at school: Almost....every time.
Broken someone's heart: Don't know. Nobody sued me yet.
Fell off your chair: Sheepishly yes.
Sat by the phone all night waiting for someone to call: I am a multitasker.....you think?
What is your room like: Rectangle
What's right beside you: Homo Sapient
What is the last thing you ate: Nasi Goreng Ayam or isit Nasi Ayam Goreng?
Ever had chicken pox: Yes
Sore throat: Yes
Stitches: Twice
Broken nose: Nah
Do you believe in love at first sight: Love? No. Infatuation? Yes.
Like picnics: 10 years ago.
Who was, were the last person you
Danced with: Can't recall.
Last made you smile: Denise
You last yelled at: Dad...sorreee

Today did you:
Talk to someone you like: Maybe
Kissed anyone: Nah.
Get sick: No.
Talk to an ex: No ex.
Miss someone: Family.
Eat: What stupid question is this?

Best feeling in the world: To be loved by someone.
Do you sleep with stuffed animals:Next question..
What's under your bed: Too long the list.
Who do you really hate: I am in peace with everybody. Just don't piss me off.
What time is it now?: Time to faster end this long tag.

5 things I was doing 10 years ago
1. Study.
2. Eat.
3. Shit.
4. Play PC Games.
5. Curse.

5 things on my to-do list today:
1. Sleep.
2. Faster finish this tag.
3. Use the toilet.
4. Wash clothes.
5. Play helluva games. C'mon, its sunday.

5 snacks I enjoy:
1. Kit-Kat
2. Chips
3. White Chocolate
4. Low-life junk food....say Mamee
5. Viagra....why so serious?!

5 things I would do if I were a billionaire:
1. Continue study. Seriouslar...
2. Buy my own car and house.
3. Pay back to parents.
4. Donate.
5. Invest.

5 of my bad habits:
1. Curse damn too f***ing much.
2. Smack people's head.
3. Slacking
4. Being rude.
5. Eat too fast.

5 places I have lived/stayed a night in:
1. Parent's house.
2. Friend's house.
3. Graveyard.
4. Hostel.
5. Aunt's House.

5 things I will do after complete what i'm busy with:
1. Meditate
2. Sleep
3. Curse.
4. Watch Movie
5. Kick Ass. Yes, yours.

5 people I tag: Thomasi, Eunicheh, Darth Jem, Cynthia, Vincente

Feel Like Writing Maa Write Loh

Mid term is tmr. And I will be boasting around that I can still party at the eve of a test. I mean, Why so serious? It is just a take-the-whole-friggin-50percent-of-my-courseworkmarks-test mar..I still got the another 50....

And after I watch Wanted, I suddenly think Angelina Jolie is hot...real hot...dono why...maybe she has grown older and maybe *gasp* I like mature women...Hello Ashton Kutcher, meet your new buddy...

It has been two weeks since I worship public transport once more...freedom sorta really really restricted since....

Just felt suddenly everything is insignificant around me....must be the cranky feeling that comes once every sem, especially this time around. ok, too abstract, I will explore this section more...alone.

And I also like the movie St. Trinian's. It brought the rebellious and anarchistic feeling back. Can't resist Gemma Arterton too. And am attracted to British accent girls. Real British accent girls. Not the ones that fake it.

Oh and once again, Penang, here I come...

Suddenly

Suddenly, I think of home. I miss home.

I miss the incomparable curry mee with lots of blood cubes.

I suddenly miss my granma. Long time since I visited her grave.

I miss my friends back at Penang suddenly.

I miss the beach too.

I suddenly have the urge to go back.

Ok. I think I should.

Random

I am not sure what to write. It is so random. Maybe not. But I don't get it. Things are as blur as Gotham City is to Batman now.

Perhaps I had tortured myself long enough. Perhaps. I dunno. But any other time, I had successfully suppressed it. Or maybe I thought so. I mean I have training in such skills. And it might have done me good. Keeping my mind alive and sane. But I know things always had a limit. I might not cross the line yet, but the gut feeling says it is near.

When am I going to do so, I asked as always for a few years now. I had shaken off this feeling for countless times, but it came back to me. Each and everytime. I tried everything possible to abandon the feeling, but it just came back again. I really tried. Hard and with anything I have learned. It. just. want. to. come. back.

I had no idea of picking up clues or indications where shall I lead myself. I had seen things gone so awry on the other side, but all I can do is watch with fist clenched. Unable to strike. Unable to solve anything. It complicates as the drama folds out. And all I can do time and again is just smacking my head. Alot of things I had wanted to share, alot of personal stuff, happy or sad stuff, but in the end, I just kept to myself.

Sometimes, I realized that this might be it. But I just don't have the guts to open it out. All these years, I am in denial and so far I have covered it so well. But sooner or later, it will outlive me. It will eat me from the inside. Still, the guts, and maybe chance just won't budge and make way.

A friend had told me I might have show some emo-ness lately. Maybe there is a point there. But seriously, all I want is a release.

Still waiting.

OK

Had a brief conversation with Bodhisattva Guan Yin.

It was fill with peace and hope.

No hatred, no curse, just peace.

I am ok now. Calmer and much more enlightened.

P/S: Thank you all for your concerns. Appreciate that.

Stolen

My car got stolen.

I wish it was all nightmare but it wasn't.

Why So Serious?

I tell you seriously (pun intended)....The Dark Knight is truly awesome. One of the few movies I just won't say "Ok loh."



















I tell you seriously....The Joker is simply fascinating. Not a lot of antagonist earn my respect. In fact, I think he is the only one in my books. I was scared for years of Jack Nicholson's version. I never liked clowns since then. But hell, the late Heath Ledger just bring a whole new fantastic version of Joker. He is sinister and unsympathetic, yet I enjoyed his every moves. I mean, you don't laugh at a sadistic crime, but I can't help it with Joker's antics.

*Spoiler Ahead*
His hospital visit, his "watch me make this pencil disappear" trick and his soon-going-to-be-quote-of-the-year confession to batman, "You complete me." I tell you seriously, The Joker makes watching TDK much more comedic then watching a comedy genre film.
*Spoiler Ends*

TDK is no typical hero-action-action-and-more-action movie. The characters buildup was unabridged. The plot just twist till you don't recognize the climax. The ending is not some cheesy hero-wins-hero-get-girl-happy-ending sequence; it just make you desperately waiting for the next sequel. It is truly inspiring.

I will definitely watch it again. Maybe at IMAX. I tell you seriously.

P/S: "Why So Serious" is going to be my tag line and inspiration for years to come.

Keep In Touch of Life

Nothing much. Just a small reminder (to myself as well) that I'm still alive.

Assignments, as usual. Cliche.

Then, there is this headache that is bothering me, right after I had recover from flu. What's worrying me is that it just occur in my right side of my head. Weird, never had before. Was worrying it might be tumour. Ok, maybe too much Dr. House. Maybe it is true. Will see how it goes.

On a brighter note, I won a competition, maybe for the first time in my 20 years existence. Join this Nike Next Level contest on a day that I was sodamnbored. Just answer a few questions and wrote a slogan. Lucky enough to be the 5 winners of a RM200 Nike voucher. Whee. 5 you know. Just 5 people. Singapore one got 24 people won the thing.

Then there are assignments. Oh, had mentioned. Getting old. *snort*.

See me next time around.

Found Nothing

Why the hell is there no stats of epilepsy in Malaysia?
Googled using keywords such as epidemiology, epilepsi, statisitic, prevalence, malaysia...
Even the noobass Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia gave a stupid statement concerning occurance of epilepsy in Malaysia:

Bagaimanakah kedudukan epilepsi ini? Malangnya, data mengenai epilepsi di Malaysia adalah terhad. Terdapat sedikit sahaja kajian yang telah dijalankan terhadap epilepsi. Ciri-ciri epilepsi di Malaysia adalah agak serupa sebagaimana yang dilaporkan di tempat-tempat lain. Daripada 165 kes yang dilaporkan, 42.4% merupakan epilepsi menyeluruh.

Geez. Wtf? They don't keep statistics? Can somebody with such data help please?

Malangnya......

The Low Self Esteem Tiger

Lecturer: ....this is why snake hisses, dogs barks and tiger roars.
Me: (somewhere at the back) Dude, what if the tiger meows?
Jan: Damn. That will be a low self-esteem tiger.

It might be lame, but its the joke of the day. Had to laugh till the lecture ended 45 minutes later.

Razored

Sorry for the no-updates for a while. Beezee. Yes, Tia, I know you like updates.

And now I want to lansi abit. I got new phone. Teehee. Jz lemme perasan a bit k?

Anyway, my new tech pet is Motorola RAZR² V8.


















Now, Im not going into the specs. You can get it here.

What I like about this phone is, first of all, the stylish look. Slim and sleek. And I had always craved for a clamshell. You know, the stylish way of answering a call.XD.

Besides, it runs faster, and I mean way faster than my previous gadget, E398. It comes with 420MB, which is enough for me to put as many songs that I can afford to listen in a day. And oh, the 2.0MP cam is enough for me to replace the VGA cam that I previously used. The only feature that it cannot compete with the E398 is of course the sound system. Then again, I chose style over sound for this.

Friends had complain that Motorola phones are not user friendly. It is friendly to me tho, just because I have been a loyal Motorola user that is.

Sleeker, Stronger, Smarter is its motto. Don't you think?

Market price is around 1100-1200, as of this post. But I got it for 900, thanks to a friend who mistakenly bought a wrong phone.

It is a major transition... as it is way too slim that sometimes, I missed it while trying to grab hold of it. And so is the width. It therefore makes it fragile. And I promised to take extreme care in handling it. A good way to improve my inability of handling stuff.

V8, I think I gonna love u lots.

Chaotic Scene

Short note on the ever-increasing drama in the political world of Malaysia.

Just as everybody thought that a new dawn has come for M'sia's politics, allegations smeared on the paper every now and then, accusing each other like 3 year-olds. "He said that just to ruin my reputation one." "I no friend with you anymore, because you report me of this." Good lord. What happen to all those development stuff that we are suppose to keep track on? What about government's progress on their promises since election? Now, the news are like entertainment tabloids. The Star's headline today: Head-On. Wtf? Will there be boxing rings and firecrackers and uncivilized crowds and dumbass commentators appearing now? Wtf is wrong with you guys? Grow up and do your fucking job. Serve us, not playing the blame game, the allegation battles or the accusing wars.

Campiones

Viva Espana.

The team that I favoured right from the start did not let me down. And for once, the best team won (Euro 2004 was won by the anti-football style and resilient Greeks, not that I hate them tho).

The Spanish Armada reigned throughout the match. Their German counterparts are of no match, save maybe the start of the game and 5 minutes somewhere in the final quarter. Other than that, the sleek short passing and creative play, once again, had triumphed. Added the icing of the cake of course, its my long time favourite, Fernando Torres scoring the vital goal.

I would say that the whole team is much to my admiration. The back four of Puyol, Ramos, Marchena and Capdevilla improved every match and had not conceded any goals in the knockouts. Of course, there is the ever reactive and alert Casillas. The midfield cab boast the best in the world, consisting EURO best man Xavi, the light-footed Silva, creative Iniesta and the ever hard-working Marcos Senna. Upfront, Torres and top-scorer David Villa is the best combination I've seen in the EURO, though sadly Villa cannot participate the final. Even their substitutes are great...Fabregas, Guiza, Xabi Alonso and Santi Carziola. They had the aura to change the game when called for. And not forgetting grumpy old tactician, Arogones.

Thanks for the entertainment, Spain. It is so worth supporting the team all the way.

















The decider.
















The joy.
















The champions.

EURO 2008 Preview: Vienna Calling

Tonight, two top teams are going to compete for the ultimate prize. A short analysis then:

Germany:
There are always a team which performed insufficiently in the group stages and then suddenly gets the call of form just in time for the elimination rounds. Portugal was the typical one in EURO 2004 and France in World Cup 2006. This time, it is the Germans. The team had barely got through the group stages, but inspirational performances from certain individuals provide them a sort-of dream final. German might miss inspirational captain Michael "the log"Ballack to injury.

Men to watch:











Bastian Schweinsteiger: The man that is giving me trouble in spelling and sometimes pronouncing his name. Almost a flop in the group stages with a red card, he turned inspirational in the knockouts.














Lukas Podolski: Top scorer for the Germans. A converted left winger with speed and good instinct for goal.














Miroslav Klose: Had always been impressive since I followed World Cup 2002. Best stuff is his aerial ability.

Spain:

After 44 years of waiting, the time has come. Simple said. Winning all matches in the tournaments, they can be called the slight favourite here. With a pool of talents, they have finally shag the tag of tournament underperformers. Also, their football technique is a joy to watch. Sadly, they will miss tournament top-scorer David Villa to injurty.

Men to watch (too many in fact, just pick three here):














Iker Casillas: The ever-present goal keeper for my generation since WC 2002. Always impressive and with good reaction. Arguably the world's best keeper for me since Kahn's retirement.














Fernando Torres: El Nino had always been a favourite to me. Skill, technique, aerial and pace. A complete package. Let's hope he perform better than in the semis.














Cesc Fabregas: Super-sub for most of the tournament matches, he is set to graduate into first team selection. Dynamic young playmaker with good passing and vision.

Who will win? I am a supporter of Spain. Nuf' said.

Futsal Investment

adidas has been my first option when finding a footwear since I started playing football. I somehow find the three stripes attractive and significant. Of course I love their design too.

This time, due to my sports psych. involvement in playing (and studying) futsal, I decided to invest in one of their futsal boots.



















adidas Absolado PS.

It costs me Rm179.90. Sounded pretty expensive. Why not get brandless futsal shoes for only like 30 bucks you asked? First of all, it definitely last longer, say 3-4 years. The 30 bucks shoe that my friend wear are already giving him problems in just 5 weeks. Plus, adidas shoes (and mostly all branded shoes) provides the technology to keep your feet safe and comfort. Unless you bought a wrong-size footwear or chapelangs from black markets, it practically protects your feet from being prone to most injuries.















Slick, comfy and effective.

...think adidas should sponsor me for the publicity.Hint. But seriously, they do provide me good stuff. Thanks for that.

EURO 2008 Update: Semi Finals

Match #1: Germany vs Turkey

I fancied the Turkish side. They battled every moment on the field, giving the Germans almost no air to breath. But in the end, fatigue and slight inferiority of skill and technique gave way. I would say the Germans are lucky, the Turks had too many chances waisted or kena tiang. The most potong stim moment of the match is that we lost live coverage for almost ten minutes. And in that ten minutes, two goals were scored. Gaahh. All in all, salute the Turks for their fighting spirit.















Lahm with the decider of the match.
GettyImages

Match #2: Spain vs Russia

Russia is another Turkey sort of team, their never-say-die attitude is much accounted for their claim in the semis. Too bad Spain had much more entertainment and a better team to offer. And as they had done once in thrashing the Russians in the group stages, they met the expectations. A 3-0 thrashing by the Spanish armada is too much for the Russians. Fast tempo and the short passing are too much to handle. And maybe Russia got a lil'bit relaxed or fatigued by now. They don't really show the determination that was apparent against Holland. The Spaniards bossed around. Of note, Torres was awful and Fabregas is well, Fab-ulous. Casillas can seat at the goal post and play PSP almost the whole match. And oh, finally alot of people now know who Daniel Guiza is.
















Daniel Guiza: "Esta manera al final."
GettyImages

The ultimate final to follow: Spain vs Germany.
Stay tuned.

Short Simple and Straight

"You don't live to please others. You live for yourself."

It is the simplest straight-to-the-point advice that I haven't got for some time. It is so cliche that we tend to ignore the some of the most basic principles in life. I trailed away, it is time to receive a whack at the back of the head.

Sometimes, the simplest of sentence is much worthier than a long winded, you-know-lah-hoh-sortof explanation. A reality check like this doesn't make you go back snoozing after a wake up call. It is these short piercing truthful words that enlightens.

To J&J, thanks for the slap of reality. I should consult you guys more often.

EURO 2008 Update: Quarter Finals

Just a short update here.

It is halfway through the quarter finals now. Lots of surprises so far. Dutch out. Portugal out. Croatia out. In fact, the pattern so far is the winners of group stages were beaten by runner-ups of their own groups (confusing leh..). Anyway, was disappointed that the Netherlands were out. Their group stages football was a joy to watch. Total football. Too bad they can't perform in the Russia game. So was Portugal..although Germany's football is starting to look more like...er...football now. Good thing. As for the Croats, never a fan of their football, favoured Turkey to go through that one.

















Poor van der Sar. No last hoorah before his retirement.
GettyImages.
















Turkish Delight. Can't really figure how they gonna compete with so many players injured and banned in the next round. Empics.

















Joao's emotion practically says all for Portugal.
GettyImages.

Tonight's will be a competition for a team famous for their attacking flair (Spain) and a side with tenacious defending (Italy). Hope they don't cancel each other out. I want a GG.

Update:
















Spain went through with Iker Casillas stopping two penalty kicks in the shootout. The whole match was mostly uneventful as the two sides expectedly canceled each other out. For once, one of my favoured team went through. Deja vu for Russia? Finding out in 3 days time.

Impact of Reinforcement.

You receive an assignment which gives you like 5 minutes to present. You looked at it and you have absolutely no friggin idea what the hell is about. In addition, the lecturer accidentally(or rather the pessimistic thought of he-purposely-do-that-one) skip the part you are suppose to understand in order to present.

You then go read the text book. You read first time, stare at wall. You read second time, mumbling: "Nabeh, can this book speak English ah?". You read third time..fourth...fifth....and again. Again. You go googling, wiki-ing, dictionarying, E-journaling. It would take you the whole damn night just to understand at least at skin level. It was tomorrow, the presentation. You are still at skin level. Ok, a lil deep inside, say dermis level. You rap on with only the gut feeling telling you are on the right track.

After 5 minutes, the non-pleasing lecturer, with a big satisfying grin, says: "Very good." =.=



.....you think I don't appreciate that?! Hell, you are wrong. The two words, very powerful words was enough to make me feel elated. After all the hard work, all you need is an acknowledgment. Marks sure doesn't matter at the moment.

Moral of the story...I am so easily pleased...Ok...the real one...You just need a short comment, say two simple words, to really motivate and encourage and to keep going. It's Psychology 101. XD

European Football Feast

I really don't know where to start about EURO 2008, because I can keep on barraging you with facts with one friggin 69 pages long post. Should I talk about the players? The team I supported? The history? The managers? The pitchman? Or the hot chicks that flaunt around the stadium?

Ok, maybe I should talk about teams that I had admired this time. And trying to talk in laymen terms.

Holland













Prior to their amazing record against current and former World Champions this time, Holland is known for their history of total football and attacking flair. And to see them demolish current World Cup winner Italy 3-0 and France 4-1 is just simply breathtaking. Armed with a flair of talented attackers, organized defence and slick free-flow passing, it is hard to discard them as favourites.

Men to Watch:
Ruud van Nistelrooy (aging but still haven't change the ability to find best position and score goals), Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder, Robin van Pussy..sorry..Persie and Rafael van der Vaart. Plus they are sort of a eye candy, except maybe almost bald Robben.

Spain














Another team that I had supported for years. Though always had a bad record in big time tournaments, you can't deny that their aggressive technique-based direct play of the game. Another team with lots of attacking flair.

Men to Watch:
Fernando Torres (me is big fan simply because he score goals like nobody's business), David Villa (another crazy scoring machine), Iker Casillas, Cesc Fabregas

Portugal














Much like Spain, with different set of players. Afterall, they are neighbours. Once again, it was free-flow football and skill showing players, albeit a slower tempo of play.

Men to Watch: Cristiano Ronaldo (much as I don't like his attitude and because he is with ManU, his footie skill is still undeniably breathtaking), Deco, Pepe and Simao.

That's it for now. More to come......

College Starts...

Or at least it was 3 weeks ago. 3 weeks ago, I was eager to go back college after 3 months of hiatus. I was excited, I was anticipating, I was motivated. Ahh...u got it now huh? I was.

Now, I am tired, exhausted, slacking and slightly unmotivated. College sucks the soul out of people. Even when you had a bright halo with the sunlight shining at the background, you will ended up like a zombie dragging twenty inches under the floor.

Subjects come in with full strength of nukes ready to blow me up anytime. First, it was physiological psychology (even the title already get me into trouble while typing). Describing in short, it is 2 years of secondary biology plus new bloody medical terms plus Ingerris version of nightmare revisited after 3 years discarding it.

Child and Adolescence Disorders is tough partly kids are hard to study and partly our hardcore lecturer emphasized critical thinking. I am not complaining the critical thinking, but there are always times when your brain comatose itself. Frequently that is.

Then there is Motivation and Emotion. Title sounds motivating but. More like the Emotion part plays the bigger role when we all go emo-ing about how hard to really adopt them in real life with all those theoretically rigid paradigms.

Sports psychology is fun, at least practically. We got to play futsal and study it. Hehee. In any dark gloomy days, you had to admit that there is always a silver lining. And that is the one and only. Apart from that, we sort of suffer from the language deficiency lecturer. I would give him credit for the lots of effort put in to let us understand but sometimes when you don't get it after many alternative explanations, you still have to go:"Pfft. Lousy lecturer."

And then there is THE thesis. It might be the preliminary round, but it has taken toll on us. Tension, stress, anxiety...gah.

It is mid-week 3 now. And it is time to regain strength.

Really Bo-Lui Liao Lar

WTF is wrong with the PM? Was the chaos in the political arena not enough ar? Testing on where our patience can go isit?

Abstract from the Star, 5 June:

The Government announced yesterday an increase in petrol and diesel prices, stating that it can no longer continue to subsidise fuel.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the new prices were still at a 30-sen per litre discount from market prices.

In other words, if the market price is RM3 per litre, Malaysians will be charged RM2.70 at the pump. He said the price would be adjusted monthly based on the global oil price.

Gah! I damn bankrupt d...and here comes the political suicide move that the government takes...pisses me (and millions of Malaysians) off. KNMCCB.

And to add salt to wounds, the have to add a list of "consolation"like this:





The Star, 5 June.

Why?! Why Thailand and Singapore? They don't friggin produce oil. We do. What's the point of listing it out? Why don't you list out UAE who is only RM1.10 and Venezuela with only RM0.16?
This is no consolation ok? Think that Malaysians are damn dumb issit?

Whatever not, the plans for going to occasional trips with my fellow driving kakis sure do have to cut down..or might as well cut off. Can't really afford. 41% of increase...and we are students.
















RM1 fuel prior (left) and after (right) the hike.

And as for trips to college, I will gradually revert to taking bus. No more faraway yam chas. No more midnight movies. No life.

....And The Sui-ness Continues

I believe in Feng Shui, partially at least. And to see my ass kicked time and again is sort of exhausting. I am totally worn out by now.

So, they say that bad things comes serially, in mandarin (huo bu dan xing). As if going pokai is not enough, my car bat was gone again last night, so I have to borrow roomie's scooter bike to go yam cha at TBR. It rebelled and I crashed. External injury. Pain. Agony. And there goes my cash again. RM130 for just the signal lights. Sob.

I ponder upon the calamity that was torturing me these few days and wonder whether it had come in full circle yet. I hope it already did. Apart from the physical and financial disasters, there is the psychological and emotional struggle that threaten to rip me off anytime from the inside. People around me changed, for the good, the bad and the ugly. And partly, I had to adapt to those changes. Shrugged these off as test of faith was the easiest avoidance technique, but to this level, it had little effect as consolation.

I talked to mom this afternoon about all those non-scientific stuff as in being so sui and every nightmare seems to come true thing. She said it was sometimes a patch of life. I agree. But never had I felt so fatigued and energy-draining. How I wish I can like cut-and-paste good file patches of life into this struggling period.

I have to go through this. It is a matter of perception and I definitely knew better for being a psychology student. But sometimes and maybe just sometimes, luck, fate and all those Feng Shui stuff sort of intervened and I can't really disregard them. Part of me is still religious.

....and to make matter worse, PM announced the price of petrol goes up to RM2.70 from Rm1.92 moments ago. Mere coincidence? I doubt that.

Going Pokai

I am really slow to see that coming, but it has been friggin 1 month that my money is go going gone fast and furiously. And to think that I just realized that, I do need salvation army financial version, and that first thing come to mind is... er... dad. Too bad he doesn't read my blog. Crap.

As I was putting the links together in the steps of destruction to my precious account, output was in mad pace. At first, it was my cam gone awry with a bruise on the screen, then my contact lenses solution. And then have to go back KL, which means after 3 months of absence, there are dozens and tons of things to pack up in order to survive (TV series Survivor is total crap for me in this context).

Then, my car bat gone. Then I bought a fuckingdamnexpensive moisturizer that I thought was like RM10 and without looking at the price, just grab. It is 3X that price. Niamah. Showed how noob I am in facial stuff.

And then, there is the indulgence in food and going places. Petrol and rice is the modern Depression Era stuff, and most of my activities involved them. Now, don't tell me to be thrifty on food expenses. Been there, done that. Stopped by at most 5 days. Fail miserably. Gah.

And then, the new sems starts, which comes all the books and college fees. Fark.

And now, just 5 minutes ago, my specs go huan heng, and spoiled. Longer fark.

I think I need financial management, consult and advice is welcomed. And so is the spiritual aunty-like belief that bad financial luck would go away sort of thing.

Now, come to think of it, I am glad my dad doesn't read my blog. Or does he?

Bon Voyage Cynthia

As usual, the pics are hard to come by. So, while waiting, I will go into the other event that also involved pics that hard to come by too.

This was a farewell event for Cynthia, our beloved friend that is going to Liverpool, England for further studies. Luna Bar was the preferred choice.

Going to Luna Bar is simple. Going up Luna Bar is sort of complicated if you don't get reference from websites. Basically, it was well-known for its breezy and relaxing atmosphere, located on the rooftop of Pacific Regency, with great night views and bizarre names (try ordering the Blow Job, you won't get the literal one) for their drinks. It wasn't breezy and relaxing as advertised that day tho, with definitely no hint of wind and techno music all night long.

Too bad we didn't had a nice cam with us. The best we can come up with is Lydia's SE W200i. I'll let the pics do the talking...
















Luna Bar from our initial sitting. Stim part is they are renovating the upper storey. How convenient.
















The main character in red (or isit pink?).

















The kinky-named drinks.

















KL Tower view.
















The optimal, more Feng Shui place for a nice view out.
















Pool view from the bar.





















Vintage mermaid-on-the-rocks-sortlike pic of Cynthia.
















Crew-and-cast pic.

As of the publish date of this post, I would like to say, Bon Voyage, Cyn. We will miss you....and don't..panic.

Savouring Penang

I was talking to Denise about how Penang was sorta dead and I want to return to KL asap the other day, and I guess I want to take that back now. In fact, the four short days here was much more meaningful than the three long months that I spent working here.

Day one was rather bored, hence the sorta-dead conversation. It was some quality time with parents and sis and also my pet dog Murphy. Nothing out of routine.

Day two was rather a day that I wander Penang alone. After dropping sis to work, I went to Paradise Hotel private beach at Batu Ferringhi, which was a thing I sort of embraced 6 months ago. There was nobody there, and under the inviting morning sun and the ever calming waves, I sat at the soft silky sand, sometimes staring at the horizon and sometimes closing my eyes to hear the waves emerging and going, as if taking my troubles away with them by sweeps. Throughout the years I lived in the island, I took the beaches for granted. Appreciation always come when you are missing it at some point.

It was nearly lunch time before I left. I decided not to have lunch and visited several temples, which I seldom go alone. Later, a visit to the Buddhist temple at Kampar Road was much needed as I missed to come here on Wesak Day for the second time in a row. After making some offerings, I had a brief meditation inside the shrine where the Lying Buddha..er...lies. Another of my calming therapy. I felt very calm now, heh.

Day three was an ambassador-role sort of day, where I accompanied Lydia and her Taiping/KL friends to Batu Lanchang for lunch and also Gurney Plaza, which obviously they don't need much guidance there. I left to fetch my sis while Thomas hanged out with his old buddies. At night, a dinner with close relatives much summed up the day.

Speaking of old buddies, day four was where all gatherings and reunions are organized. I will reserve the next post for this day. With pics, I hoped.

Template

The art was so cool, that it was love at first sight. I don't know about the rest of the page...but...the art was so so cool. Sounds gay, but what the hell. It's time to change anyway. The previous one is a lil'bit dull now. Hope you guys like it.

Thanks to skins4blogger.