After thoughts of my epic 49 day adventure #5

#5 Humility

Every single trip to Europe will only be completed by a football game at Old Trafford, the Theatre of Dreams. This visit is extremely memorable, not because of the back to back wins (at last, considering that the Man U lost on the first two occasions that I went) but of my personal experiences. I was very lucky to be able to see the stars that I have always admired, RVP and Juan Mata. :) Owing to differing time zones in Asia and Europe, I also accidentally booked the wrong air ticket back to Switzerland and ended up with an extra day in Manchester. I wanted to avoid the crowd so I went to the Megastore early and did the Stadium Tours. There happens to be an event for the first 70 supporters in line to take a photo with the players and since I was there early, I had the chance to do so! :)

My inspiration behind this post is none other than Juan Mata. :) I know he has a blog of his own and he updates it weekly or fortnightly. That made me wanted to revive this dying virtual space of mine, to have my thoughts written down and reflect many many years down the road. Through the few interactions with him, I find him a really humble person and that made me reflect on myself and the kind of person I want to be. This reflection that I did on the journey then made me realised that I can still do so much better in so many different aspects of life and I actually want to do that. Thanks for being such an inspiration, J. Mata!

Footballers are over-glorified these days because of the media - press or social ones and with huge advertisers pouring out billions to further market them. Many of them have become household names with superstars status or are simply global icons such as C.Ronaldo, W.Rooney, L.Messi, just to name a few. Week in week out, thousands of fans send them parcels or mails, ask for autographs, watch their every action closely, etc. so it is not surprising for some of them to become arrogant. However, Mata is not one of those people. He behaves like a commoner, taking we-fies with his supporters, smiles a lot, rallies people, his choice of words, expresses his own emotions - positive or negative ones. My takeaway from his humble behaviour is that we have a choice as to what kind of a person we want to be, regardless of our background (past), our social status or occupation (current), and from there shape who we will become in the (future).

As we age, we have more knowledge and life experiences and inevitably, we might think we know best. We try very hard to influence others to adopt our beliefs or give advices but most of the time, we have forgotten to keep an open mind and to listen to others. At least this is what I see in the majority of the elderly that I interacted with thus far. With great power comes great responsibility. With great responsibility comes ignorance though. We feel that we need to do many things in life right that we sometimes only believe in ourselves.

On reflection, I feel that humility is extremely important. You can become a very powerful person in your job or in your life because of your wealth, job title, social status, etc. But it is completely your choice as to how you want to treat others. If you constantly see life as journey and you have to be constantly learning along the way, you will be humble and listen to what others have to say. You will not have the "I Know It All or Best" mindset. After all, the day we shut our eyes and report to Heaven, no one will care about your wealth, your job title or social status. Not God nor the angels in Heaven.

Goodbye's the hardest word to say---Paul, David and Alex

It has been about two decades since I was first exposed to the world of soccer or football (I prefer this title). In the next one week or so, together with many of the football fanatics around the world, we will bid goodbye to three of the legends from my "girl-hood" club. Paul Scholes, David Beckham and Sir Alex Ferguson.

SAF's retirement came as a real shock to me last Wednesday after my physiotherapy session at AH. He was the soul of MUFC and as a ManU fan, I will terribly miss all the football action that he brought. The countless Fergie times, the rants at the referee, the chewing gum moments and not forgetting the last minute goal celebrations. Watching a man u game never fails to trigger an adrenaline rush for me. I used to think that Beckham's departure from United was a heartache that could not be matched until CRonaldo left in 2009. I was devastated that we lost one of our best players. I thought the disappointment and upset of losing CRonaldo could never be matched again until I hear of news of SAF retiring. As I watched him present his farewell speech on TV last Sunday, I too, was as emotional as he was and I believe all ManUnited fans around the world or even football fans would share my sentiments.  

SAF has been such an inspiration, legend, history-maker whatever you call it. His persistent hunger for success, his determination to elevate the club's status to not just being the biggest and richest in the world, but also with billions of fans and not forgetting being the best in England by knocking off Liverpool off their perch deserve my respect truly. With great power comes great responsibility, this cannot be more true for SAF. Gaffer as everyone in the United family calls it, he is also the dear grandfather figure for many of us who watched him since young. 

Subsequently, came the announcement of David Beckham's retirement, who was the first global football icon. When DB first left Man United, I stopped following the club's news for a while and for a moment, lost interest in football. He was the reason why I supported Man United as a young girl, vividly remembering how my brother and I used to have Man United's players' stickers pasted on erasers and played rubber wrestling. Nevertheless, I came to my senses that my heart lies with the club and not the player so I lost track of DB's achievements outside of Man United. He had not much of success on the pitch after leaving Man U, had he? But the thing I love about him is: He was a Man United fan like I do. Man U was his boyhood club and he would never play against Man U in another EPL team's shirt. His loyalty and love for the club never waver even after his departure. For that, I salute him. 

And lastly, not forgetting Paul Scholes, the last of the few one-club heroes. :) This time round, he will not put on his boots again for sure. But his achievements will be applauded worldwide by footballers and fans. 

As the Chinese saying goes, Time waits for no Man. The young boys of the miracle class of 92 of MUFC have all aged and is time for them to leave the football scene. A short 20 years it has been but it has definitely been one that is extremely fulfilling. And they all have their mentor accompanying them. Goodbye to a league of legends. Even though we will be welcoming a new crop of football icons, you will continue to live in my heart for as long as I live. For the contributions that you have made to football as a sport and the colours that you have brought to my life, I thank you for that! 

Once a Red Devil, forever a Red Devil. Old Trafford would not be the same without SAF even though we have his statute right outside the stadium. But like what he said, every book has a beginning and an ending. If you do not allow a good story to end, you will not move on to discover other good new stories that are being written. 

The Theatre of Dreams experience

It is yet another sensational return to Old Trafford! It is amazing to be here once again. Perhaps it's the acoustic of the stadium or the atmosphere, every time I step into the stadium, I feel excited and feel my adrenaline rush! :) no wonder they call the stadium the theatre of dreams. It is where you feel your dreams come true or that you are living in a dream. Sounds like inception yet again! The only difference i felt this time was the absence of C.Ronaldo in the team! :) Fortunately we have Chicharito to replace him! :p now, it's an hour away from kickoff and we should just sit back, relax and enjoy a good match! :)

Post-match
Now I really feel like 3.5 years ago. The away team scored 2 goals first and man u had to overcome the deficit. When Berbatov (my "favourite" player) scored the first goal, I was reciting to myself, "no déjà vu, please." indeed, man u did equalise and the score line became 2-2. It seemed like the dark clouds in the sky had been blown away by the cheers of the Manchester united fans or could it be that there's a silver lining in every cloud? Nope, it was none of that because Blackburn scored again to make it 3-2! Now I have resigned to fate that I will end up dejected like 3 years ago. Hordes or fans started leaving the stadium at the 83rd minute and I did have the urge too! It was way too painful to have to sit till the final whistle was being blown and coming to terms with united's loss.

The only consolation I got from the match was chicharito's signature on the ticket stub and a handshake with him! :) the feeling was so surreal! When I went to the red cafe the next day, the waiter was nice enough to console me after I told him about my encounters. He said it was a bizarre result last night and united is plagued by injuries. Once in a while, the big 4's or perhaps we should say the great 6 teams will drop points together in one weekend. I just happened to be at the "right" weekend! So he said I should not wait till 3 years to return to old Trafford and he wishes that during my 3rd visit, it will finally be a win where I could celebrate with all Manchester united fans. Shaking my legs, crossing my fingers and praying for that to happen. :)

Live your own dreams

I have always been skeptical about getting others to help fulfill my dreams. To put it crudely, I am cynical about whatever that has been said about getting help from others. Always rely on yourself. After all, we need to live our own dreams. However, about a week ago, I started to have this illusion that others revolve around my life and they actually help to shape my dreams and fulfill my dreams. So I joined a contest to garner likes. My family members and friends went all out to help me. Some broadcasted the message on their whatsapp, some risked bursting their monthly SMS limit to forward the message to their friends, others approach friends on MSN, my sister and cousin spamming their friends on facebook to get them to like or repost the message to like the photo until they got a warning from facebook that they have been posting the same message too frequently. We were leading the contest since day 1 and only 1 person came very close to us.

I have to admit that we invested a lot of energy and time into this competition. Our daily routine involved checking the website for the latest updates of the amount of likes that we have accumulated. On the 2nd last day, our likes finally crossed the 1,000 mark and we thought that we have started a revolution. :) But God hit us hard the very morning on the last day of the contest. One underdog accumulated the same number of likes as us in 8 hours time (from 418 at 1 a.m. till 1k at 9 a.m.) and in another 2 hours' time, he overtook us with 2,000 likes. In another hour, he overtook us with 3,000 likes. By 6 p.m. in the evening, he crossed the 4,000 mark. We were all disappointed and dejected, that includes my entire camp of family and friends who had done so much over the past 4 days, constantly monitoring the counter, pushing for likes, etc.

Some said, "your dream was shattered."

Another said, "I am not expecting you to bring me there, but I really want you to be there."

Another commented, "Don't give up. I have not given up. Why should you?"

And many many more...

So reality knocked finally. :) When the clock struck 12 a.m. on 19th May 2011, I need to get over this contest and return to my life. I am like Cinderella who has to wake up from the most beautiful dream ever. I will have to report to NIE, attend my enrichment classes, prepare my e-portfolio for show-and-tell next Monday. Come Saturday, I will duly switch on my television and my MIO TV set-up box at home and watch the Champion Leagues' Final. Hopefully, Manchester United will successfully lift the cup!

Halfway through the contest, I was skeptical about one of the competitor's comment on a forum, "Do your part to fulfill my dreams." Why should others do their part to fulfill your dream? What do they gain from it, especially when they are strangers? Even though I understood that, it seemed like I was not able to apply it in my own situation? So I indirectly fabricated my own disappointment and downfall. If I had not been so optimistic about the possibility of winning and actively roped in my family members and friends to help, they would not have to experience the disappointment so do I.

On a concluding note, I have always been an independent girl. I never believe that I should rely on others to help me fulfill my life's dreams. But why was I so foolish this time round? I would not think that this contest has been an epic waste of time though. As a result of me actively getting my facebook friends to help me, I reconnected with some ex-students and old friends. I knew that I once touched someone's life and she remembered it till this very day. :) I know who are the people whom I can rely on should I run into problems in future. I know who are the ones who helped me unconditionally. And of course, my family members and I are more united than ever. Together we try, United we stand. :)

Anyway, people who fail are the ones who know it all. That's what bestie told me. :)

Some day, I will fulfill my dream of watching a live Champions League final whereby Manchester United is a finalist. :) I will LIVE my OWN dreams from now on.

the power of the social media

There has been so much HooHa about the power of the social media over the last few years. The overnight success of Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg's rise to fame, the power of twitter leading to the uprising in Egypt. Over the last 8 hours, I have witnessed the power of the social media too! I took part in this singtel contest for a pair of Wembley tickets to the UEFA Champions League Finals in Wembley! My family members and friends were extremely supportive. Overnight, I had 32 friends sharing the same link on their wall and asking their friends to like the photo for me too. Well, it is not an uphill task to click on the link and like a photo but is it worth their time especially when they do not get to share the prize. All they get is a word of thanks. But I am really heartened by them willing to help me out and broadcast the message to their other friends.

Thanks peeps! No amount of thanks can convey my gratitude. People who know me well will know what I value in life and the "thank you" that I said came out from the bottom of my heart.! :) Eventually, even if I did not win the football tickets, I realise that I have won something even more important in life. The love and care and concern of the people around me. :) Thanks a zillion, everyone who helped me to like the photo! I may not know you, may not have met you, may not have spoken a word to you, but the world is small. Some day if you see me along the streets, call out to me. I will be glad to be able to thank you personally. And our friendship blossoms from there! :)

Here's the link. http://miostadium.com/contests/crazyfanatics Row 5 3rd column!

World CUp Updates V

WooLaLa~~~

Spain is the WORLD CUP 2010 CHAMPIONS!

The 8th nation to win the WC, succeeding Italy, Brazil, France, Germany, Argentina, England, & Uruguay.

Honestly, the first 90-minutes of the game was a tad of a bore.

You witness a team of thugs don in orange, known as the ORANJE running after a bunch of sleek street performers of football a.k.a.(also known as) La Furia Roja.

After a long-drawn 120 minutes, 14 yellow cards and a resulting red card were flashed.

It makes you ponder if the Oranje are really homosapiens or our origin as Ardipithecus Ramidus had once again penetrated their souls.

Honestly, La Roja was a bit off the mark in the beginning whereas the Oranje were taking their gloves off!

La Roja's possession was a dime a dozen! :))

I guess "Total Football" is causing much destruction to the Oranje despite the latter being the true masters of it.

But anyway, they should feel proud that today's Spanish football is to a certain extent of Dutch lineage.

After a month's long of football and tennis action, I am feeling empty now that everything has come to an end.

Gone are the days where I will have to drink cups of teh-beng to keep myself awake, stumble upon going to work because I simply find my bed irresistible, or go out like a light the very next day after the football match! :))

Oh well well well, CONGRATS NADAL; CONGRATS LA FURIA ROJA! It's a morale booster to the Spanish because they managed to hold all their aces but hope all of these victories and success will not be a flash in the pan! GO SPAIN!

World CUp Updates IV

Oh well well, Lady Luck donned the Oranje's colour this time round, didn't she? And when that happens, there's absolutely nothing Mr. Outstanding Footballer can do. :)

First WC ever to be held in Africa, First-time WC winner emerging. Ambivalent about the emerging winner though. I am definitely going for Espana though. This is the golden age of Spanish football, with the likes of David Villa, Fernando Torres, Xavi Hernandes, Andres Iniesta, etc. There really isn't a better time than 2010 for the Spaniards to indulge in World Cup glory!

The curtains are gonna be drawn this coming Sunday and a month of sports-filled action is on the decline. I am so gonna miss Tennis & Football. If Spain were to lift the prized trophy this year, then it has indeed been a rewarding year or rather a bumper harvest for Spanish Sports.

The most bizarre occurrence. Poor Paul, he's on his way to being fried or the sushi menu!

Before the curtains fall, let's once again call to mind the Official Theme Song for this year's WC:

World Cup Updates III

can't believe that Brazil is out of the competition at such an early stage in the competition. I guess the curse that I bring upon the downfall of the team and people I support is en route to its glory days.

RFederer was sunk by Tomas Berdych, a rare phenomenon, and Murray got kicked in the ass by Nadal, which was pretty much predicted.

Netherlands is through to the semi-finals thanks to Melo's own goal, foul, and eventually the sent-off. Honestly, I was filled with respect and in awe of Robben's dazzling runs @ defenders in the competition but he went off the rails when he started playacting to earn free-kicks and get his opponents sent off. And I was extremely devastated by the fact that Brazil is out because I just blogged about how united the team is and how entertaining their football can be. I better not praise any team in particular otherwise I would be heartbroken to have to witness their exit again.

David Villa's goal against Paraguay to ensure their place in the semis was the only silver lining after the drama-mama 5 minutes of two penalties at both ends of the field. He's the bomb, pick of the tournament, and top on my chart currently! :))

Germany is thus far the most consistent team in the competition so the game between Germany & Spain is a tough one to pick, having to take into consideration the fact that both teams had just met in the 2008 Euro Finals. To maintain a neutral stance and objectivity, the better team tomorrow night should prevail and earn themselves a place in the finals. :))

Nonetheless, like ZH said, the jabulani is a perfect sphere and anything can happen. This WC has been filled with dramas and playacting esp. Slovakia, Robben, etc. Does this spell hope that Spain might eventually prevail or Uruguay might just lift the cup this coming Sunday?!

World Cup Updates II

Well, Round of 16 is over, the best 8 teams move on to the quarter-finals and this year seems to be South-America's year with 1/2 of the 8 teams coming from the continent!

Since young, everyone has been discussing how awe-inspiring Brazil's football is and I never truly appreciated it until this year. I caught 3 out of 4 of Brazil's matches this year and they impress me every single game. No sophisticated moves or tricks, No Rambo in the team, simple yet successfully completed passes, plentiful of scoring opportunities created, stream of goals coming in (at least 2 every game except the one against Portugal). They are SIMPLY AWESOME to watch! I hope they move on to win the CROWN! :)) Go Brazil!

England was a disappointment to watch YET AGAIN! Since my passion for football was ignited by the English players in the Premier League, supporting England is in succession to my love for the game. 8 years ago, the likes of David Beckham, Michael Owen and the teenage wonder boy Wayne Rooney caused a big hoo-ha about the possibility of England being crowned champions. But the rising young star Ronaldinho sent the English team packing their bags home in the quarter-finals. I continue to hold strong belief that the golden age of England has yet to come. God knows the quarter-finals against Portugal in 2006 was yet another bummer that shattered all hopes and dreams I hold of England!

So come my very own 3rd anniversary of the WORLD CUP FEVER, I decided to take an objective stand and support teams that deliver and bring out the best football in them. Indeed, it turned out to be one of the wisest footballing decisions I've ever made. Teams like Brazil and Spain never fail to take my breath away even in the wee hours of the morning whereas England time and again shattered their fans' dream. Goals changed games I concur, and the outcome would have been as different as day and night in the match against Germany. Blame it on poor luck.

The champion is still hard to predict, tough tie between BRAZIL, SPAIN, and ARGENTINA. BUT GO BRAZIL! GO SPAIN!

World Cup Updates I

No doubt the 7-0 Scoreline in Portugal's game last night stole all the headlines possible. Ronaldo is as mesmerizing as ever, not a tad lesser though his goal was of lesser celebratory compared to the others. You could still see his exasperation when the first 3 goals had absolutely nothing to do with his fabulous football skills. Nonetheless, this guy just wanna be a part of everything, and stealing his limelight is nothing that should never happen or rather he will never allow it to happen. :))

I am seriously wondering if Portugal is under imminent threat of missiles or terrorism now. :))

However, what captivated me and left me lingering for more is DAVID VILLA.! I've always been an avid fan his but due to the bizarre timings of the La Liga matches, I probably see him in action once in a blue moon. Furthermore, the constant exposure of his fellow countryman Fernando Torres in the Premier League definitely resulted in David Villa being in the backdrop more often than expected.

Last night, it all changed. The game between Spain and Switzerland brought some hype in me towards this star striker who is on his way to Barcelona. The game against Honduras uprooted Torres's dream Spanish boy image in me! Argghh! The wonder goals he scored, his deportment, blah blah blah, it definitely made Torres pale in comparison without any warning.

I know I sound like an adolescent who is falling head over heels over a footballer or a typical fanatic who is smitten. But, considering that the decisions made by referees have been waywardly unreasonable resulting in unentertaining football and idiosyncratic results, I have to seek solace in the alluring faces of the footballers.

Since my bro and sis are pretty sick and are becoming less responsive of my "Ronaldo is the BEST OF THE BEST", "Ronaldo is second to no one", etc. lines, it is time for me to reanimate my overtly exaggerated "footballers are the apple of my eye" behaviour! Lol!

No doubt the conclusion I derived from my Europa trip 2 years ago still stands.

SPANISH BOYS = GORGEOUS!

David Villa

DV7

Celebrating the goal over Honduras. :))

Fernando Torres - as charming as ever. :))

FT9

I see the stud on their right ear as a charm. :))

No World Cup and No South Africa for me.... :((

Glory Glory Man United!

The ManU victory over our arch-rivals Liverpool last night certainly made my Sunday night a memorable one. 2 months ago, the same kind of euphoria filled me when Arsenal was thumped by ManU and Federer completed his 15th grand slam title on the same day.

The past 3 occasions had seen us ending up in double blows of a defeat and the sent-off of Nemanja Vidic. :( This time round, I can finally hold my head high up in front of my fellow Liver (Loser)pool friends!! Not only was the victory a sweet revenge, Chelsea-Blackburn's draw definitely added icing to the already decorated cake. :))

Since time immemorial, I had become such a huge soccer fan! I guess your childhood addictions and hobbies do follow you through life. My unspoken and eccentric passion for soccer was deep rooted in my childhood. My brother would buy packets of sticker cards from the Mama-store near my Granny's place and then we will meticulously cut out the faces and photos of the soccer players. After which, we will glue it onto those rectangular shaped erasers with countries' flags printed on it. Constructing a full soccer team was always a tough nut to crack. More often than not, the stickers were repetitive and those big stars from ManU, Arsenal, Liverpool, Blackburn (they were hot favourites back then), etc. were always difficult to get.

Giggsy is my Bro's favourite player and Becksy is mine. :)) After having their faces stuck on those erasers, we will then play football on the ground using those stickers or play rubber-wrestling with it. How stupid can we be! That was my very first encounter with soccer.

As I age, I drifted away from soccer since it was such a boyish thing but somehow the passion was re-ignited after the 2002 World Cup. Perhaps the proximity and timing of the matches played a vital role. And after the Europa experience, soccer passion runs in my blood and soul.!

Some people will perceive us as a bunch of idiots who spent tons of money purchasing the merchandise and idle away time to follow up with the latest news and stories, be ready for every weekend's action, blah blah blah. But until you actually sit down and really read into the game, you will never discover the true beauty of the game. Of course, the hunks in the games are bonuses to girls like me. :))

I can't always convince or relate to others about how soccer has become an integral part of my life, all I know is I feel for the game. When the team I support wins, it feels like I've been flown to the moon. When the team loses, I would really wanna just dig myself into my pillow and sleep. But of course, I do not get too emotional otherwise it will kill the passion for the game.

Soccer RAWKS!

Take Me Home United Road

2 Sweet Victories over the weekend, Federer + ManUnited.

Sunday was a full day of Sports action!

ManU beat Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium to sit comfortably in 2nd place, and a point behind the leaders Chelsea. It will be really nice to be able to win the Premier League for 4 seasons in a row, ain't it?

Last weekend, I caught a match with Brian @ the ManU Cafe @ Boat Quay. It was a really joyous occasion as we upset Hull City at home 0-4 and Rooney scored all 4 of the goals. All of us there were singing right to the tune and beat of "Take Me Home United Road" outside the bar at 1 a.m. I never foresee myself doing that in Singapore at least. It is common per se in United though. :))

This is my favourite chant among all the United Songs, much more than Glory Man United. I had picked it up when I went to Old Trafford almost 2 years ago. The chant is actually being sung to the tune of Take Me Home Country Road by John Denver. I am missing the Old Trafford pitch, missing the chanting and rowdy fans around me, missing the game, missing Europe.

Two versions, first for the upbeat lads like me who love a faster tempo and the second goes the ballad style.

The full lyrics go like this but at matches, we usually chant to Chorus I only:

Verse A:

I was born to be United,

Daddy told me, when I was just a baby;

When I was five, I went down Warwick Road;

Now I'm addicted to the only place I'll go

Chorus I

Take me home,

United Road,

To the place I belong,

To Old Trafford,

To see United,

Take me home, United Road

Verse II

All my memories,

Bobby Charlton,

Georgie Best and Cantona,

They came to us from heaven;

And at the Nou Camp in 1999,

On Matt Busby's birthday,

Oh it was party time

Chorus

I watch the Reds,

I feel the noise,

The crowd is roaring;

The Stretford End is singing

And the fans are going wild;

And when I'm gone I get a feeling

That I should've been home yesterday,

Yesterday, oh!

Love United Like WE all DO :))

That's what you do when you are bored....

The love for the sport.... That's what I do when I am bored and feels stagnate amidst the thesis work......

Bring back, Oh Bring back....!

Bring back, oh bring back.. Oh bring back my SOCCER to ME!

I really dislike the fact that Singtel has taken over the Champions Leagues' broadcast rights! With no MIO Tv at home currently, I am missing out all the good fun in the Champions League... To rub salt on my wound (still recovering), they had to rival Starhub for the BPL rights! WTH! If Damien sees this, he will probably gloat over my misfortune again since he used to mock at my MAC for not being able to stream the soccer matches online while his "amazing" PC does it effortlessly.!

Honestly, I need to sniff around for matches that can be streamed on MAC. I don't believe in this advanced technology age, such a task can't be accomplished.! When there's a will, there's a way!

Updates

Rock & Roll...

Have been extremely occupied the past 2 weeks with the term papers, project website, tutorial presentation all raining down on me. I do not deny I procrastinated quite a fair bit in the initial weeks of the special sem that led to me having to hug the Buddha's leg come the deadlines. Ever since I was back from Stockholm, I am always trying to catch up with deadlines in school, I don't know why. Perhaps it is due to the numerous tuition assignments I have on hand and also my way laid-back lifestyle that I have grown accustomed to.

Anyway, what has been going on in my life exactly other than school? LOl!

Manchester United Asia Tour 2009.
Bro and I had planned to go to Seoul for it but the tickets were snapped away the day it was released itself thus we decide to go to KL instead, near and cheaper as well. I love busking in the atmosphere inside the stadium, with the cheers and claps and singing that goes on. I will just post some photos and videos I guess...

Patrice Evra during warm-up

Nani

Michael Owen - hope he scores a lot more against LIVERPOOL! wahahaha..

Ah, my fav player after Ronaldo's departure - Macheda!

While I was in KL, I was lethargic all the time. I slept in the hotel all the time unless it was time to go for training or the match itself and of course dinner. The only time I got to shop was when it was time to check out then I went down to Bukit Bintang to walk around and shopped. The fatigue that plagued me should be attributed to all the late night stays and drinking sessions during the vacation. I sleep at 4-5 am every night having to wake up at 12-1p.m then bouncing off to school once a week on Wednesdays or to tuition in the evening. It was an extremely unhealthy lifestyle and no doubts, more pimples on my face these days!

As for tuition, sometimes I feel so fed-up and am on the verge to give up on those kids. You can see an apparent difference in motivation levels and learning attitudes between the Express and NA kids. More often than not, I feel like a nanny who has to pacify those little kids, stimulate interest and also ensure they concentrate during tuition. Majority of them have shown improvement but a handful of them are just incorrigible! They do not seem to express interest in learning and I see myself repeating the same concepts every week which gets on my nerve so much that occasionally I lose my temper and control. :( I hate to flare up during tuition because that unhappiness and anger lingers in me subsequently. :(

Now, school's starting in a week once again. I do feel excited about the start of school because it is my final semester at last!!! However, the uncertainty plaguing my honors thesis is worrying me a bit. The HT has huge implications for my graduation. I pray that everything goes on smoothly and may I be blessed with luck and determination to never give up on it. :)

This invited whelming response.

Ginnelle took What Is Your Future Job

Footballer
You will be a footballer.
You will earn £60,000 a week.
You will play for your dream club.
You will never get married but have a fit girlfriend.
You will have loads of kids (accidently).
You will die young because of your alchohol abuse.

*I wished* I guess it's the picture that suits me! :)

From Ronaldo..

"I have to thank him for all that he taught me. He's been fundamental. I'll always have great affection for him and he will occupy a special place in my heart.

Ronaldo, who is set to travel to Manchester in the coming days to say his farewells to Ferguson in person, also thanked the United fans for their support.

He added: "It was my home. I played there six seasons and I was always well liked by the United fans.

"We won many things together. They always sang my song in the stands and I have to thank them for the affection they showed me during all the time that I played at Old Trafford. The fans of Manchester (United) are special."

Even though he will not be putting the United Shirt anymore, I'll always support him for all that he brought to the club and to my world of Football. Obrigado, Ronaldo! :)

Ronaldo's Song. Just before he leaves.

Just before I bounce off to bed... And before he leaves...

He plays on the left
He plays on the right
That boy Ronaldo makes England look shite



BenC a.k.a Liverpool fan showed me this.

Nonsense Transfer Market

I honestly have no clue what Real Madrid is doing exactly. First, they brought Kaka over from AC Milan, with a record transfer fee of 59.7GBP. Subsequently, they baited Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United for 80GBP. Now, Zidane is being employed as a messenger to try to lure Franck Ribery to Real Madrid as well. If all of the top players in the world play in your team, what else is there to watch?! STUPID!

Like I mentioned in my previous post, I anticipated that C.Ronaldo will leave for Real Madrid this Summer. I do not deny that I feel the pinch that he's leaving because he is someone who scores like 30-40 goals a season and he is an eye-candy of mine. He is near to being irreplaceable. With him gone, no doubt it will take some time to reorganise the squad and do something in the coming season.

I hate Real Madrid! I will never buy any of their merchandise. They are a bunch of idiots! :(