Last working day of the year for me....

Well, it has finally arrived. The last working day of 2008 for me..... 26 Dec 2008.

Sad life? True... but better then no life... Better late than never......
Will be spending my countdown in KL and then onto one of the wonders of the World. Angkor Wat. Just a short trip with the Mrs to welcome the New year and to wash off the old one...

A hint of regret for failing to meet all the new year resolutions for 2008. hahhaa.a... Well, we can always draw up a new list for the new year.

I did finish some charity work for 2008 and also tried to lose some damn weight.... (succeeded for 2 months)

What to look forward in 2009?
- Some luck for me
- Some luck for the Mrs.
- Some luck for the family.
- Some luck for Arsenal

hahaa.. you get the drift....
:)

Happy new year ppl.............

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

Hi Everyone,

Merry Christmas!!! And A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Hope the coming year is much better for Arsenal and for all of us!!

Cheers,
Rick

Arsenal vs Liverpool

Its a big big game tonight.

We are 8 points behind the leaders and we have a pesky Villa team trying to sink us out of the top 4. Our form being like a roller coaster so far, but when we are on form, we are unbeatable.
Worried? Yes, I am.
Having faith in my team? Still have!!! Shaky.. but still Having it.

With Nasri back and the very very slight possibility of Eduardo playing tonight, I believe we can still do it.

So going out on a limp, I am saying we would complete the treble tonight and be the conquerer of Manure, Chelski and Loserfool.

Come on, you gunners!!!
Go Go Go Gunners!!!

Quote of the Week

Success is getting what you want
Happiness is wanting what you get.

Think hard on this one. Its good....

Quote of the week....

Hi people,

neglected my quote of the week for some time and got some stick from some ppl... hahaha..

so here it is:
" Roses are red, but they do not stay red forever...."

Morale of the quote???? relate it back to your financial health...

Cheers....

Champion League game tonight....

Its Porto vs Arsenal tonight.

Not much of a match as Wenger is bringing all the youngsters to play in this inconsequential game. Well, at least Fabregas, Toure and company gets a rest......

I hope it will be 2-1 to Arsenal!

Go Gunners!!!

A lucky story.....

Last weekend, me and the Mrs went to Changi beach to chance some sea creatures for my little marine tanks. Of course, the easiest to catch are hermit crabs while i also managed to get my hands on some prawns and mud-skippers. It was a wonderful day spent at the beach EXCEPT that the mrs got bitten by nasty sandflies.......

while as she is applying some cream on the nasty bites on tues night, she casually shot some consecutive questions at me. How many prawns did i get? How many hermit crabs? How many ? and how many bites.. blah blah blah...

i answered 6 prawns. 5 hermit crabs but i also caught a very small lobster baby. At this point, she counted the bites on her and exclaimed that there are 9 bites in total.

Suddenly, the combination hit me and I put all the numbers together. 6519.

Sceptical at first, in the end, I still bought the number for Wed 4 D. Well, you guess it. It came out as a consolation prize. :) hahahaha......... amazing and totally weird!!!! ahhahaa...

A small win for our lucky story........

Warm fuzzy feeling....

Its been 2 days since our memorable win at Stamford crap. A brilliantly taken 2-1 win over Chelski was made even sweeter because of the comeback factor.

I have been basking in this warm glow that was seriously enhanced by a brave effort by West Ham to hold the toothless (Torres-less) Losefool to a goalless draw. hahhaaa...

Before i rejoice too much, of course, there is still a huge gap to close but well, as they say...... Always enjoy the moment!

Dont worry, be Happy! Go Gunners!!!

Arsenal's season so far..

It has been a turbulent week for my beloved Arsenal. However, it has to be said that the signs were coming as early as pre-season…..

Before the home game against Aston Villa, we have lost to Fulham, Hull and Stock City. The inexperience young team also allowed Tottenham to grab a 4-4 draw although we were leading with seconds left. The talent is there for all to see, most prominent in the 2-1 win over our arch rival Man U. After the debacle of Villa at home, we followed up with a successive loss at Man C. To rub salt into the wound, Man C actually put 3 behind us and we had no reply.

As early as pre-season, we lost so many players that that it easily adds up to a century of experience. Lehmann, Gilberto, Flamini, Hleb and even Senderos left, were sold or sent on loan. These few players add up to hundreds of premiership games experience. In addition, they had leadership and some were outspoken enough to rally the young ones. The painful part was that they were never replaced. To add to the trauma of losing so many experienced heads, Adebayor and Fabregas were duly psyched by the yearly bombardments of transfer interest from the usual suspects. In fact, I have a deep suspicion that Ade would have signed for Milan if Ronaldino did not sign for them.

After dragging ourselves through pre-season, we started dully and were never on the same pace as last year. The midfield fluency was gone as Fabregas find himself surrounded by new teammates. There was no Flamini to cover his back and no Hleb to do the simple one-twos that he got so used to. Fabregas had to go for his Hollywood passes in order to increase his tally of assist. The rest of the team struggled as our main man suffered. He also had to lead the team as all of the sudden; he is the most experience guy in midfield. Being so young himself, the burden on his shoulders made it difficult to express himself freely on the pitch.

In William Gallas, we have a time bomb ready to explode anything. He is like a nuclear weapon; extremely useful when you have him under control and utilize properly while extremely dangerous when he goes all haywire. As great as his reading of the game, scoring of crucial goals and fierce tackling is important for the team, his lapse of concentration, his crazy foray upfront and that bloody big mouth are causes of concern for the manager. His latest contribution is like an explosion on an international level. His fierce criticism of his team mates and disclosure of intimate dressing room details rocked a boat already in troubled waters. Instead of leading as a captain, he made a bigger hole in his own boat to sink it faster. True to form, the young gunners were sent to the slaughter house and suffered a most humiliating lost of 0-3 to Man C.

The problems are obvious to all, but what are the solutions? These will not be clear, but there are a few basic things for Wenger to do immediately:

1) Order has to be restored in the dressing room. If there is any truth in Gallas’s ranting of young brats and in-house fighting, Wenger has to step in and discipline the boys.
2) Wenger has to decide what to do with our crazy captain. Sell him, bench him, make him apologise to his teammates or just deep freeze him. A decision must be made in order to move on from this episode.
3) Confidence and Morale must be restored. Senior members of the team must take the initiative and lead the younger ones. There are not many left, but we must make do with what we have. Off hand, Toure, Almunia and even Clichy and Adebayor can do their parts.
4) Team Spirit must be instilled. If it takes a trip to some cold forsaken mountain top to do teambuilding, so be it. Throw the whole lot there with minimum food and drinks and see how the environment can turn them into men with a mission. At the end of the day, it is one team, Team ARSENAL. Not team Africa, team France or team Europe.
5) All the players must understand what ARSENAL means. Arsenal is a club with a fierce tradition to fight, to win and to be passionate about football. Over the years, how much blood has been spilled on the pitch? How many passionate footballers have graced the pitch in front of the fans, willing to die for the club? All the players must understand this passion.

After the Man C game, we have already suffered 5 losses this season. We have yet to face Liverpool and Chelsea. As we travel to Stamford Bridge next season, can we avoid a third successive defeat? Only one team can prevent that and that will be Team Arsenal. Wenger must lead this team out of the doldrums. Go Gunners!!!

My short trip to the ICA for my passport..

i am so impressed with ICA. hahaha...
in and out within 15 mins..

at first a bit stressed,... have to queue outside and it was very very long until behind the building.. so i sms my boss..
5 mins later... i was in...
2nd floor with a number, it was called within a min of me sitting down...

then thumb print etc signing on my new lovely pre-prepared passport... (once again, thanks to the magic of Internet)

another 5 mins +, Wala! I was out....
A happy customer.!!! haahhaaa..

A crazy week for Arsenal.

Will the week get any crazier?

We lost to Villa. We lost Walcott to a stupid injury. We lost a useless captain. We lost Toure and Adebayor to more stupid injuries. We lost Fabregas to a suspension.

Finally, we lost humilatingly to Man C. When is the last time we lost so many goals?Will we lose our manager? i am worried.

Gallas is a prick

Gallas is an A*(ho&^ ..

i hope he never dons an arsenal shirt ever again.

Good Riddance...

Soccerpro.com

Hi Guys,

Recently, I bought some jersey & soccer stuff off the internet from SoccerPro.com. Its easy to use and full of soccer stuff. I got the short and long sleeves home jersey of the Gunners.

The Arsenal Jersey is great on the details and also shipped to us with minimum hassle.
They also have a large variety of soccer jersey available here: Replica Soccer Jerseys
Maybe some of you can get the English national jersey.

So I thought I should give it a shout here! Feel free to check it out!

Inspiration

I went for a talk last Thursday and it was really worth the trip.....
Some of my extract:
1) What should you have or do to succeed?
a) Strong family ties
b) Passion for what you do
c) Read! Don’t reinvent the wheel

2) What characteristics make a good entrepreneur?
a) Person who wants to be in control
b) Person who wants to make decision
c) Person who wants to take charge of his life

3) Why be in Business?
a) Want unlimited Income
b) Create Passive Income stream
c) Leverage on OPT, OPM, OPE (Scalability business. Can Magnify)
d) Freedom – To give you more life
e) Most reliable way to create wealth (Your job can be gone tomorrow!)

4) How to go about planning it?
a) What lifestyle you want? Can be $1500 or $20,000 a month. What you want?
Sit down and plan with your spouse/family. And then share the ideas/aspirations. And set a TIME LINE!

b) What strategy for your business?
Plan this out with your partners (if any) or else force yourself to sit through and create it.....

,,,,,,

Anyway, makes me think about life a lot....

The Young Guns of Arsenal

After the breathtaking football that thrashed a full strength Wigan 3-0 in the Carling Cup, the world is convinced of the talent in the young guns of Arsenal. However, who among the young ones would become full blown Gunners?

Fabianski has come a long way after the 5-1 reversal by Tottenham in the Carling Cup last season. Although still suspected at crosses into the box, his reflex saves are reminiscence of Alex Manninger in his prime. His 2 reflex saves in the Wigan match, particularly against the red hot Zaki, served to remind us of how good he can be. At the moment, none of the other contenders (namely Vito Mannone or Szczesny) for the goalkeeping job measures up to Fabianski. Of course, with Almunia still at a young age for goalkeeper and the possibility of Wenger adding a more season campaigner if a right price appears, Fabianski needs to be patience and grab all the chances given to him to succeed at Arsenal.

There is a lot of talent in the full back department to burst into the first team. Gavin Hoyte, Kieran Gibbs, Kerrea Gilbert and Armand Traore are snapping at the heels of first team players of Clichy, Eboue and Sagna. It should only be highlighted that the first team players are also on the right side of 25. In addition to the established fullbacks, Wenger also had the penchant to play Toure, Djourou or even Gallas as emergency fullbacks when required.

So, which young gun would be able to break into the starting eleven? My best bets are Hoyte and Traore. Justin’s younger brother Gavin has displayed great determination and leadership in his many years at Arsenal. He is captain of the reserves and has also led the Under 18s in this time there. Combined with speed, agility and courage, this 18 year old Englishman is a real asset that should not be sold. On the left side of the defence, Traore has been knocking on the door like forever. Only the form and determination of Gael Clichy has managed to keep the skillful youngster out of the first team. Faced with 2 talented full back, Wenger sent Traore on loan to gain valuable playing time and experience. Watch Armand as he would come back stronger than ever to challenge Clichy for the spot.

Our aging center backs are an invitation for the young guns to step up. Sad to say, I can only see Djourou making the step up at the moment. Djourou is the tallest centre back that we have at the moment. He is strong in the air and can pass out of defence. With valuable experience gained with his time at Birmingham, he is the only viable replacement for old guards of Gallas and Silvestre. If Toure stays fit, I dare say that Djourou would complement him and together, we would have a very mean pairing as our last line of defence.

In midfield, I can see a whole bunch of kids challenging our already very young midfield for starting places. However, 2 of them really stand out for a variety of reasons. Jack Wilshere has already been labeled the new Liam Brady. The kid is quick and turns fast. He can pass and he is strong on the ball. With good dribbling skills, he has already managed to squeeze past defenders and opened his Arsenal account. He is so good that he won the Man of the Match against Wigan last Wednesday! The funny thing is that he is not of a legal age to drink his prize! (Champagne)

Aaron Ramsey is another one for the future or some say next season. With his Wales background and rugby playing experience, he has added bite into an otherwise ‘soft’ midfield. The 18 year old can tackle, can pass, can cross and is really strong on the ball. Shades of Vieira come into mind when he is marauding up the field into enemy’s territory and in time to come, I am very sure that Wenger’s payment of 5 million for a kid will be a very valuable investment.

With the current crop of strikers vying for limited space, it would take a real gem to break into the first team among the likes of Adebayor, Robin Van Persie, Eduardo, Bendtner and Walcott. Out of the mist and onto the stage, Carlos Vela provided a timely reminder of Wenger’s talent in scouting young talent. Already dubbed the new Maradona, Vela gained a bigger reputation for himself by proving himself in the La Liga with Osasuna over 3 seasons. He gamely built on that with a hat-trick against Sheffield United and a brilliant flicker over Kirkland in the Carling Cup tie against Wigan. It will suffice to say that Wenger would have a hard time keeping our front players happy for this season and next. Vela would definitely add to this problem with a sparkling run in the Carling Cup.
In summary, the young guns are ready! On their day, they have proven to be more of a match for anyone. Would Wenger be brave enough to throw some into big matches? On account of their performance, I dare say some are already ready to step up. Go Gunners!!!

Big mouths should be shut.. or else end up like clowns....

CHELSEA coach Ray Wilkins accused Arsenal of disrespecting the Carling Cup by playing a team of kids instead of their star names. And he insists Chelsea will not devalue the competition by doing the same.
He also taunted Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger by claiming the kids experiment has left his club trophyless.
This was of course before Chelsea LOST out to Burnley last night.
Wilkins even added: “It’s all about winning trophies when you’re a big club. The fact we’ve won the Carling Cup twice in the last four years and Arsenal have won none justifies our policy. You enter a competition to win the competition. Why go into it if you’re not concerned whether you win it?
So Who should be talking now? The kids that got into the last eight and may win the Carling Cup? OR the clown that blasted his mouth off before anything happened?

Resurgent Gunners

After beating manure 2-1 over the weekend, the younger than young gunners took on Wigan and won with a convincing 3-0 victory.

What a turnaround from last week.

All the gunners' fans are really basking in the warm glow at the moment.....

GO GUNNERS!!!

Quote of the week

The mark of a successful man is his consistency........

Quote of the week

Life sucks...
Hang in there and suck harder...

(You may just suck hard enough and succeed.)

debacle loss to stoke...

unbelievable and sad loss to Stoke city.
Time to buy !!! Buy Buy!! We need defenders!
We need DMs!!
We need big players and EXPERIENCED ones...

Arsenal vs Tottenham (4-4)

to me, the draw is like a lost.

Leading 4-2 in the 89min, we should have just shut the door, pass the ball around and wait for the final whistle. Instead, we conspired to lose 2 goals in 2 mins.

All night long, Almunia has been letting all the 30-40 yards shot go pass him. He is really not a WORLD Class keeper if he does not for many games. Steady but unspectacular. sigh.........
Is it his fault? or is it our aging centerhalfs ? or is it a lack of a 'Flamini'?

I say all three. We need reinforcements. Quality ones!

What a lousy start to the day.....
I hope the players know how many gunner fans they make sad and sick today.....

Mood: Extremely Disappointed...

Memoirs on a MRT.....

It never occurred to me that some rides in the MRT can be so interesting……

For the past few months during my commute to work on the MRT, I have met beautiful babes, smelly uncles, dirty workers, talkative aunties, rowdy school children and even goose-bum-me lovers....... Every one of them has a story. Funny, horrible, cute, beautiful and gross ones varied….

One particular incident was quite heartbreaking. One Malay girl was telling her friend on the train on how her boyfriend broke up with her after she caught him with anther girl. She cried and sobbed her story out on the train, oblivious to the crowd that was listening to her as she poured her soul out to her friend. Well, its probably hurts her heart so much that she did not bother to keep it down and bottled in her heart.

Another time, I was stuck near to the door; my face nearly plastered to the window pane due to the incredible peak hour crowd. As the train door open from the other side, I feel myself pressed even closer to the glass. Sticky arms and feet, bag packs and even breasts were pushing and squeezing every ounce of me against the door. I wondered momentarily whether I should shout ‘Molest!!!”……. Horrible experience that made me realize that sometimes, it may help if you have a big bag pack or smell like shit to warn off these crazy pushers.

This morning, I had a bag pack ready and my hands glued tight to the side of my body; ready to defend my circle of space……. Well, sometimes, the attack comes from the air. There was this I-don’t-smell-so-good guy who came in and stood right in front of my nostrils. Needless to say, he had a good circumference of space given to him out of respect for his all powerful odor!

After some time, I develop a new interest for my MRT rides. Come rain or shine, squeeze or space, smell or fresh…. Every new ride promise another adventure if you open your mind and endure the ‘torture’… Trust me….. it may be worth your while to try a ride

Bank vs Bank

I visited 2 banks on a particular day to help my friend re-activate her account in case it is suspended due to in-activity after 6 months. The experience was totally difference.

The first (blue colour)bank I visited had just renovated and a pleasant service staff welcomed me in and directed me to the 2nd floor for a deposit service. I was happy with the new environment and service although i was irritated by the steps to reach the 2nd floor. I need not wait long although there were about 10 people in the queue. The counter staff was helpful and had initiative. She swiftly bank in the deposit I brought for my friend and gave me forms to direct my friend for a monthly statement to be sent to her Malaysia address. At the same time, I was correctly informed that no suspension would be carried out even if there is no transaction done as long as sufficient funds are kept in the account. The pleasant staff had the confident to seek my feedback and I pressed " Extremely satisfied' on the computer screen. I left the blue local bank a happy and satisfied customer.

The second (red colour) bank was quite a disaster in contrast. It was also recently renovated. I was lost as I stepped in. As I stood there wondering what to do for a good minute or so, no staff bothered to help me. I happened to catch one of the exec there as he breezed pass me. I asked politely where to do a deposit and all I got in return was a hand action pointing to the staircase for the 2nd story. ( for heaven's sake, God gave you a voice to talk)

As I climbed grudingly to the 2nd floor, my sense of irritation grew as I had to hurried up because two men were waiting to come down in the same narrow hallway. Although there was only 5 people in the queue, I had to wait slightly longer than the blue bank's queue. When it was finally my turn, I get a weird look when I said I was depositing money into my friend's account. In addition, the old bank book (from a previous bank this bank bought over) seemed to be a relic to the counter staff. He said I must change the book. For heaven's sake, just changed it then.

After a few mins of struggling and WRONGLY informing me that accounts will be suspended if there is in-activity, he called his manager Daisy over. ( I was thinking maybe I will get better service BUT BOY was i WRONG!!!!!) Well, Miss Daisy walked over and Mr Counter staff proceeded to complain about me bringing friend's bank book, dont have friend's name or ic or address, want to deposit using old book IN FRONT of me...... HELLO! where is your EQ? or IQ?

Miss Daisy started to address me in a condescending tone and starting speaking to me in Chinese like I know nuts about the banking industry. I replied in a calm but threatening tone in English. She insisted that by no means must I get to know 'her client's" bank account number and insisted that she called "her client" directly. After a few phone calls, she finally got hold of my friend and deposited my $50 into her account.

As I asked for the receipt of my $50, she said it is not possible to give and its a matter of security etc etc.... I told her to "please photocopy without account number then" and also told her," Please update your staff over there when is no suspension of account instead of just updating my friend". Totally unpleasant experience.....

I am just happy I have not a single cent in red bank because with this type of customer service in this financial crisis, I see no future for them.......

What is the world of Football coming to?

What were the last 10 Record Breaking moves in the Barclay’s Premier League (formerly known as the English Premier League)?

The last 10 record breaking moves in the BPL are as follows:
June 1992 – Paul Gascoigne moved from Tottenham to Lazio for £5.5 mil
Jan 1995 – Andy Cole moved from Newcastle to Manchester United for £7 mil
June 1995 – Dennis Bergkamp from Inter Milan to Arsenal for £7.5 mil
June 1995 – Stan Collymore from Notts Forest to Liverpool for £8.5 mil
July 1996 – Alan Shearer from Blackburn Rovers to Newcastle for £15 mil
Aug 1999 – Nicolas Anelka from Arsenal to Real Mardrid for £22.5 mil
July 2001 – Juan Veron from Lazio to Manchester United for £28.1 mil
July 2002 – Rio Ferdinand from Leeds to Manchester United for £29.1 mil
July 2006 – Andriy Shevchenko from AC Milan to Chelsea for £30.8 mil
Sept 2008 – Robinho from Real Madrid to Manchester City for £32.5 mil

If you take a close look at the spender, you can see that Manchester United broke the record 3 times. In fact, they nearly broke it again with an around £30 mil transfer for Berbetov in September 2008 only for Robinho’s stunning transfer topping their bid. What do the last 10 changes tell us?

The face of soccer is changing as the increase in transfer records grew exponentially. Within a period of 15 years, the record has risen around 6 times. At this rate of growth, a player will cost £180 mil in another 15 years time. What kind of crazy club will pay that atrocious sum of money for one single player? If this superstar player gets injured in an International game, will his country pay the club for his injury? Or worse still, God forbid, some ‘wise’ club manager decides to invest in a £10,000 player and the mission is for this guy to take out the superstar by hook or by crook. What will happen to soccer in general?

Scanning through the list, one can also see that only a few of them justified their price tags. In my humble opinion, the best from the lot would be the brilliant capture of the non-flying Dutchman Dennis Bergkamp by Arsenal. At least Bruce Rioch did something right before leaving Arsenal! For only £7.5 mil, we had a great bargain as Bergkamp finished his career with Arsenal, appearing 315 times, scoring 87 times and providing numerous assists in his 11 years here. The worst? It would be a tough call between Stan Collymore, Juan Veron and Andriy Shevchenko. Well, at least Stan the Man did score a few stunning goals (barely a few). So I am going to give my condemning vote to Shevchenko. At his price, I think one can buy a few John Carew or Zaki and they probably score 3 times more goals than him.

What does all this tell us? Money can’t buy you the best soccer players and money is getting smaller in value by the day. In this time and age of global financial crisis, it is about time that someone stepped in to regulate soccer players’ wages and the clubs’ finances.

Quote of the Week

I am not henpecked. I just respect my wife a bit more.

From a not so strong friend....

another week flies by....

Another week flies by.... fast and furious....
I did 3 focus groups this week in my job and it has been a whirlwhile ride....

Had a great time meeting up with my ex-colleagues from Maersk at Roy's kid one month party.
Welcome to the world, Reyes and good job Roy! :)

Going to K again today. With my horrible voice, I would still be fighting for the mike to torture my friends. hahahaa.... Looking forward to a wonderful time later...

Soccer note: International weekends are boring. Praying hard that none of the Arsenal players come back injured.

Quote of the week

'God' gave us beer because he\she loves us!

From a very drunk friend
:)

Been a busy Sept...

whoa... sept is over in a flash... as the Mrs and I complete our 3 weddings and a baby shower....
been brother and sisters in the weddings + an emcee gig was really energy sapping for the past month....

well, the emcee gig was our first and we had a great blast learning about it and actually finally doing it. :)

Onwards to October....
2008 is really flying past fast...

Quote of the Week

Life is a beach....
If you have a hot bod, nice beach ball and a darn good tan........

the F1 week....

F1 week is making some slight inconvenience to my travelling to work... closing some roads and there have made the MRT overloaded with people....

causing slower MRT movment and also a slight breakdown last evening.......

dreading the travelling for this 2 days and VERY looking forward to my telecommuting on Thurs! Hope it does not get cancel again like the other 2 times....

On the soccer front, its been a good week with Arsenal sitting pretty on top of the BPL! Go Gunners!!!

What a Blast!

Its been a very busy September so far....
3 weddings and a baby shower interspered with work issues and lots of visits from overseas friends.

On the one hand, its quite fun to be involved in so many happy gatherings and catching old friends and knowing new friends. On the other hand, its been so tiring that catching hours of sleep becomes a luxury that me and the Mrs craved for. Playing, playing, playing.... Work life balance? hahahhahaa....

Well, just before next week gig as an Emcee at a wedding for the first time, I just like to wish Daniel and Ann a very very happy life together. And Bro, you rocked last night. Dancing with everyone in the Ballroom, dragging yourself back into the ballroom half drunk after i half carry half dragged you into your hotel suite, downing the drinks so fast that you had to grab my glass too!!! It was a blast..... Hope you wake up remembering the shits you did on your Wedding Night!

and Ann, dont get mad at the man. Its the most important night in his life.

Cheers! Happiness forever......

Quote of the Week.....

I know it is a bit early for the next quote of the week.. but well, here it goes:

Appreciate the little SHITs in life.......
because they make you realise your priorities in Life......

True or not? If you never gone through shit, would you know the little sacrifices your loved ones made for you? Would you know that your mum or wife or daughter irons your shirt straightly so that you are not ridiculate by others? Would you know that the breakfast you had every morning actually help build immunity against sickness if you never had a cold? well... you get the message .. i hope...........

An opportunity given up.....

I gave up an opportunity yesterday.
Although everything was perfect and the cost-benefit analysis does show a slight improvement over time if the option was taken, something very close to my heart said no.

I dont understand it and i dont know why, but the heart just says no.
Sometimes, things in life cannot be explained. So, I harden my decision and moved along. Hopefully, this is the right choice. But if it is not, I know that I made the best decision at this moment with whatever information I had and whoever I spoke to.

Well, life is tough. Choices in life are tough too.......

Quote of the Week

You only live once.........
dont CORK it up!



in life, we have to make important decisions along the path where we grow.......
we cant afford to make any serious mistakes...........

My SAP exam... and I .......?

Yesterday was my SAP MM examination. I have spent 3 months studying for this on top of my 2 years practical work in SAP.

It was very very stressful and difficult for me. Partly because I have never hit the books for like 7 years! hahahaa.... it feels great to be a student again.hahaha.. to re-experience the reading and panicking for exam..... The difference is this time there was no teacher nor fellow students to exchange notes......

Well, after the panic and stress, yesterday morning i took off to the examination place. When i open the exam paper online, i tell you i was like am i sitting in the right paper!?!!?! hahhaa... That's right, the questions asked are like so different to what i study. I went crazy man.. i was like SHIT! am i going to waste all the money, effort and sacrifices and do this again?

Bit the bullet and went about doing my best..... Thinking and answering..... answering and changing.....changing and challenging myself.... for 2 hours 45 mins, i was in a state of staggering between believing and despair...

What the time came, I hesitated to press the button to tabulate the result. Well, when it has to come, has to come............ I pressed...... and WALA!!!!....

I PASSED!!! YAHOOO>>>>>>>>...... I PASSED>.....

I am a qualified SAP MM Consultant now. hahaa... One of the happiest things in the past few months!!! hahhaa. As martin says, I can go out and CON some money while (IN)SULTing some intelligence of some horrible ppl... hahaha...

I must thank the MRs for her dedicated care in the pass few months. Also, must thank Avinash for his advices and teaching and also Sameer for encouraging to undertake this challenging expereince.

Well Done, Rick!
:)

Quote of the Week

Ambitions and Needs Vary....
So must Leadership......

Sadly, a lot of leaders do not understand this.
However, a lot of followers also do not understand why their leaders fail in this aspect.

my SAP exam.....

its coming soon.. next Friday..... 29 August is my SAP MM examination...
so stressful...

study study study....
but progress is slow and i just finished the first round of the 4 books
4 books adding up to 2400 pages!!! hahahaa... never read so much in like...er... 7 years!!
rusty brain at work. hahahaha...

ok. 9 days to go. hope i can make it.
:)

Quote of the Week

A person lost in his passion is better than one who has lost his passion.

How true is that for many of us who has lost his or her passion?
Will you be able to find back that passion?

Welcome Back, Mrs Chong!

Today, the Mrs will be back from a tough work week in Prague.

Welcome home..to Sunny Singapore!!!

:)

our great olympic hopes...

Today, our little flying fish (Tao Li) was involved in the 100 m butterfly final in the Olympics.

She is the only Singaporean woman that ever qualified for the final in recent years. So, at 1012 hr, we were glued to the television, waiting with abated breath to see if she can bring back a medal after so many years from uncle tan howe liang.....

Splash... and away they go....... Tao li was snapping at the heels of the Australian and American..... Half way thru and she was still in with a chance...... But Alas.... stamina is a big issue i guess..... well.. she finished 5th. A very very good result... but.. no medal.. and hence, the wait continues......

will Li Jia wei stop choking and bring back a medal for Singapore?
Personally, my best bet is for the Singapore Table Tennis Women team to do so.

Go Team Singapore!

08.08.08

Its the start of the Olympics!
I am watching the opening ceremony of the Olympics. Must say China has done a great job!
I hope it is going to be a successful Olympics and lets keep politics out of it!
Go Team SINGAPORE!

Also, Today is the ROM of my cousin Thomas Chai!
Congrats, cous! Here's wishing you and your wife forever happiness together....

:)

Quote of the week

"....A Candle loses nothing when lighting another candle......"

How many of us do that?
Many choice to keep quiet and not share knowledge or experience that could benefit another (candle)........

think about it...

Away for a week.....

Well, the Mrs is away for a week in Europe due to work purposes...

I miss her already..

but its part of life in Singapore where the young working executives should go out and see the world.....

Have fun, Dear... and may you have a successful trip!
:)

Quote of the Week

contributed by my neighbouring colleague:

There is black and there is white...........
...........
.............

and then there are many shades of grey.....

Gallas says: "I will be a different captain next season."

Gallas says: "I will be a different captain next season."

What do you guys think about this?Do you think he will really be a different guy?Will he have the mental strength to last all the way to the final match? Will he be fit? Will he lead the team when the chips are down?
I have no confidence in this guy, but I have no better choice to recommend. Toure will be the best alternative candidate that I can think of after all the departures. But I think if we do that, Gallas will be very affected and then our central defence will be another weak link.
If we persist with Gallas, then we must keep our fingers crossed that he can really lead by example.

Quote of the Week

'Dont write what I say... Write what I think"

My Quote of the Week

Dear friends,

I am going to start my quote of the week. Should be inputting every Friday or Saturday for the week ahead. Hope this can entertain some of the bored ppl.....

This week's quote:
" Consistent Planing in life brings about a Failure for Execution."

Think about it....

Cheers...

Are Players getting too much for their own good?

The news nowadays is dominated by "star" players trying to squeeze every cent out of their current and prospective clubs. Are players getting too arrogant for their own good? Is this a tell tale sign that the wage and transfer system currently used is outdated?

Frank Lampard has an offer of £135,000 per week for the next 4 years. If I were him, I would be jumping for joy at being the highest paid individual in the BPL! Majority of the Earth’s population do not earn that figure in one year! However, what does he do? He bulked at the offer because he wants a 5 year deal. Although I can understand his need for security at the age of 30, but he would definitely retire a millionaire regardless of 4 or 5 years for his contract. How about a bit of loyalty for your club?

Emmanuel Adebayor is another want away player. After a season of 30+ goals (which was achieved with many misses in the process), he feels that he is the best striker in the world. No doubt that is good for his confidence and morale; however, the way that he is handling his new found confidence is certainly rubbing off in the wrong way with his flip flopping of comments to the media. One moment, he is declaring his love for Arsenal while the next moment, he is saying that he is open to offers. Some papers are stating that he said this, “I will play like Henry when I am paid like Henry!” while other papers waived off the rumors that the player himself wants to leave. The latest news is that AC Milan and Barcelona are scared off by Arsenal’s valuation while Arsenal may be forced to lower our asking price due to the player’s and his agent’s antics. In all these mess, the club supporters have labeled the player as Ade- “BYE”- yor.

The biggest punk of all is Cristiano Ronaldo. With the player of the year award in his bag as he travels to Euro 08, he thought he was the best player on Earth. He publicly declared that he loved to “wear white instead of red”. For the uninitiated, he implied that he prefer the White of Real Madrid to the Red of Manchester United. Well, he promptly went on to flop at Euro 08 while Real Madrid made overtures to sign him from Man U. Mind you, red nose was furious and launch a verbal attack on the Spanish club’s antics. As the clubs fight tooth and nail over the issue, Ronaldo conveniently gets himself injured and will be out for the next 12 weeks. I am no fan of Manchester United, but I do feel for them as they do their best to nurse their errant child back to health only to face the possibility of losing him to Madrid.

To rub salt into injury for the case of Ronaldo, Sepp Blatter publicly declared, “In football there’s too much modern slavery,” the FIFA president said on Sky News. “I’m always in favour of protecting the player. If he wants to leave, let him. If Ronaldo stays at a club where he does not feel comfortable to play then it’s not good for him or the club. The important thing is that we should also protect the player. And if they want to play somewhere else, then a solution should be found.” God knows what he was thinking………

Is there any player bigger than a club? Soccer is a game of 11 players on the pitch and many more on the bench. I dread to see the day while players dictate a club…. Or am I seeing it already?

life sucks... make sure you dont suck with it....

"life sucks... make sure you dont suck with it...." That is my quote for this coming week...

things are piling up but all are waiting to be explode... nothing much can be done on my part as some Ass&^*% did not update me with what he is supposed to do.. or supposed to FINISH before leaving.... I often wonder how these ppl can go home and face their kids with a clear conscience... well, some ppl just lack integrity...

Good news is I am going to take my examination next month end.. Its going to be damn tough on me to start studying again.. after so many years.. I think its 7 years since the old machine starting running for examination. Can i still do it? You BET ON IT! the old guy is gunning after the top spot in class! hahahaa....

21 days to the olympics and 35 days to the Arsenal's new title run!
life sucks, but it sure ignores you if you suck too bad...

Go GUnners!

another day, another life....

I had a dream last night... I was Wenger!
haha... it was funny. I was given a transfer booty of 30 million Euros. So what i did? I sold Loud Adebayor for another 30 Million Euros!

With a transfer booty of 60 Million Euros, I bought the Turkey Team. I put them together with my current stars of Fabregas, RVP, Toure etc etc..... The rest is history. We were tough tackling and intimidating. Lucky and come back from anything and everything.

In the end, we won the league by a MASSIVE 30 points! crazy??? YES>> enjoyable dream? YES
Reality!?!?!!?!,........


MAYBE MAN!!!

Lets look forward to the new season!!!

Wenger admits...

Wenger admitted that we are a selling club....
to many of us fans, it is really very sad news......

Well, its the demands of the new stadium and the tied up of funds by the board.....
sigh.. life is not so good with this sad news.. and nothing much to look forward to in this off season...

Personally, life is peaceful in my new job. Its cool to have some Work Life Balance.... to see the sun when you go to work and knock off work.... well, its a totally new feeling.. not going to comment more until i experience it a few more months....

To the Gunners!
Arsenal Forever...... in good times.. and poor times...

Saving Gaia

I am doing my own little bit to save Gaia (also known as Mother Earth)

Me and my Mrs have started to contribute to the fortnightly collection of recyclable material, using our own shopping bags instead of plastic bags and walking instead of driving sometimes.

Every little bit counts. So do your part for mother earth.

:)

Euro Fever at its peak

Last night, we saw one of the best game of Euro 08. The fiery and under-rated Turks gave it all they have and ACTUALLY played better than Germany. But alas, they lost to a 90 min goal by Lahm (German Left back) that sent them home with a very respectable score of 3-2.

The neutrals would have enjoyed the game thoroughly while the punters must have been sweating profusely with a handicapp of 1 goal rumoured in the market.

Forwards the German go..... to the Final to meet who????
Tonight we will find out...

Euro Fever

Well, its day 14 of Euros 08.

been crazy so far..... try to catch the late night games....
at first, was able to and then.. got more and more lethargic.. and then.. started missing some or only catching the last 10-15 mins or so...

only arsenal player that seems to be playing well is RVP. He is absolutely flying with Holland. maybe its because he did not play much in the season and so, is relatively fresh. More games are good for him to regain his match fitness.

Fabregas has been used sparingly by Spain. Hence, it is quite good for us in the sense that he will come back fresh for next season.

France elimination is also good news for the old legs of Gallas. get some rest, old man and get yourself up next season. No more tandrums!

All said, my prediction for the final is Germany vs Holland.

Go Gunners!

A New Start

this is the second week into my new job. Whirlwind first week but well, I can safely say i feel much happier....

I have a desk, a laptop, cupboards with drawers, a paltry, NO mickey mouse, civilisation area and welfare. Three Cheers for all these....

However, as I am no longer a newbird in this rat race world, I also feel the negative sides like Red tape, inflexibility, Expensive lunches, ERP rates, lost in a million of employees, anti-efficient tactics......

Putting on a weighing scale, i feel much happier as I am near my family and able to breathe Singapore air. You may think that is crazy but when you are stuck in some cold country for months, away from any warmth, you will know Singapore air is quite heart warming at times... at least you know downstairs/down the road of your HDB, Condo or Terrace or whatever, you can get a cup of Teh or Kopi for a sensible price.

Welcome back, home.....

Arsenal Ticket Site

Check out this site: http://www.worldticketshop.com/tickets/arsenal_tickets

They are quite good with tickets availability...

Wonderful Taiwan.....

As there was some time before i start my new job, the Mrs and I took a short trip to Taiwan.
It was a free and easy trip and we promised ourselves to pace it better than our last Europe tour. 5 nites 6 days in Taipei only (and one day for short trips around taipei)

The expectation was low but boy was I pleasantly surprised by the warmness and kindess of the Taiwanese people. And the FOOD is good!!! Eat and eat and eat... of course the Mrs. Bought and BOught and BOUGHT! hahaaa.......

The trip started well as we had to upgrade to business class due to a lack of economy seats. Blame it on bad timing as school holidays started. Well, anyway, since i was using my krisflyer points (courtesy of the countless trips to Germany), i thgt might as well enjoy the flight. And Business Class is GOOD! Good seats, good food and good shows..... :)

There are many highlights of this trip and it probably take me days to write out all the highlights.... But one main thing that sticks out is we felt the warm of the Mrs' Taiwan colleagues..... They really took care of us in between their work.

Glen, Dolly, Martin and Kailing, THank you VERY MUCH!! xie xie ning de zhao dai.....

I guess i can only put some photos here... so here we go.....

Eating HAO DA DA JI BA on the roadside

Qing Ren Qiao

Karaoke Session

Wo Cai Wo Cai Wo Cai Cai Cai....

There are so many fun things to write about.... I guess we need to go Taiwan again! hahahaa...

Last day.... New Life......

Last Friday (23 May 08), it was my last day in my previous company (DXXXCIL)

2 years passed by in a flash. I have learned much and also done much for the company. However, it was time to leave......

best thing that i have gotten from these years are the friends i made. To my closest team, Bayu, Shelly, Robert and Jasline, THank You Very much for all the help you given me..... We must keep in touch and meet up often

To my German friends, it was very nice to know you and hope to see you guys and Gals soon...

To all my bosses and friends, thanks for everything....

I was also very touched by the gift of a Samsonite Backback and Wii Game from my colleagues. 'sob' sob/.......

Next Monday (2nd June), i will be going to my new job. Pray hard everything goes well!
:)

End of Season 07/08

How did we fare? Good, Bad or just not good enough?

83 points - highest ever total for a 3rd place team
3 losses - Less than manure and only twice in last 40 years have we had fewer defeats in a season (1991 & 2004)
11 draws - this cost us the title.
0 lost at home - superb performance to build on for next season.
31 goals allowed - not good compared to the other big 3. We need to get our focus together on this.
43 on goal differences - firing from a lot of angles. only second to manure.

Not too bad overall compared to last season and the loss of Henry. We were better than ourselves last season BUT manure and Chelski really bought theirselves up one level.Chelski kept their core together and added a few more useful player to have a healthy 2nd cover for each position. Manure exercise their financial power and bought Tevez, Nani and Anderson which rejuvenated the aging legs of Giggs and Scoles.

Well, together with injuries and lack of a quality 2nd stringers, we lost steam at the very last hurdles (last 2 months).So we really need to beef up the squad in anticipation of injuries and suspension.

Look forward to next year.....Go Gunners!!

Derby vs Arsenal

We will play away at Derby tomorrow night.

Which team will Wenger play? that will be an interesting question.



i hope we can get a nice result.



6-0 is my guess.



Go Gunners!

Derby vs Arsenal

We will play away at Derby tomorrow night.
Which team will Wenger play? that will be an interesting question.

i hope we can a nice result.

6-0 is my guess.

Go Gunners!

My last working trip for Domicil?

finally landed in singapore yesterday morning. sleepy saturday morning. My last working trip for domicil? i sincerely hope so......

It was a whirlwhile 6 hotels in 12 working days trip. Potsdam, Berlin, Lindau, Magdeburg, Berlin. Plus a transit in Frankfurt! Crazy itinery? yah, but what to do when you got crazy agenda.

Major crazy thing is some hotels got NO lift. That is the beauty of east germany some say. I say "give me a break!" and i got the 4th floor on my first day there. nearly killed me to drag my luggage up some high in the alstadt hotel.

Major Plus point is i got to see Berlin. My first sort of holiday or visit or tour chance as this time it was for stock take and not support functions.

I will miss some people in Domicil GmbH. They are simple and direct people. UNlike some of the people in certain other companies... hehee...

Well, one more month to go before i go to my new job..... count down starts...

Arsenal All the way...

The season is over but the spirit is alive.

Have to get back to winning ways. Beginning with Reading this saturday

Go Gunners!

Arsenal vs Liverpool - The Trilogy

Tonight is the start of the Trilogy against Liverpool.

I saw a copy of our local newspaper and they have a very nice picture not unlike Alien vs Predator. Do you think so?

In Arsene we trust.....

Go get them, gunners.

Life is tough......

the constant instable life that I have is having a detrimental effect on my outlook to life.......

"you are flying coming Monday", "we need you to be with the team..."
You are the best we have and that's why we need you there......
Chinese New Year is over in 3 days. Not one week.....

Just one more trip...

Just one more trip........

Just ONE MORE trip.............

and then i showed them the letter...
:)

Kudos to me... hahahha..
Well done, I said.
And good riddence....

They say, " come on, stay with us. We can discuss...."
Suddenly, all the options are open..... why do ppl take years to realise how good the ppl are around them? how much sacrfice have been made?

Too late, bro...
life is short...... Chosen and moved...

Miracle in the making

4 draws and a lost in the last 5 games brought a cruising season to a premature halt. Will a stirring comeback do the trick? Or is it the last flash in the pan?

When the gunners drew 4 times and lost to Chelski in a little uneven bump in the season, critics came flying back with their comments of “I told you so” and “kids don't win you anything”. The 4 draws hurt the team badly as they involved teams like Birmingham, Villa, Wigan and Boro; hardly your regular title contenders.

Coupled with the loss to Chelski and a broken leg to Eduardo amidst the run, team morale and motivation were at an all time low. Hardly surprising, goals from Adebayor and Fabregas dried up as the team forgot how to win.As such, there could not have come a worse time to visit the Reebok Stadium.

With a dismay away record there, the danger of the title race going up in smoke similar to previous years was imminent. Although Bolton themselves are mired in a relegation battle themselves, they still had Kevin Davies, Ivan Campo, El Hadji Diouf among others who had the experience and determination to beat Arsenal and continue their domination against the gunners.

For a while, it looks like history is repeating itself when Bolton raced to a 2 nil lead and a man up. Young and ignorant, Diaby was never a match against crafty old heads of the Bolton players. His rash tackle ensuring that the gunners go into the break with a bleak result in the gloomy rain.

Well, in Big Sam’s days, being 2 goals down and a man less will meant game, set, match for Arsenal. However, the players reek of confidence after a half time talk by Le Boss. God knows what happened in the dressing room but my guess is “IT WAS NOT PLEASANT”.

Anyway, back to the hope. RVP continue his drastic return to form by missing sitters and mis-kicking the simplest of passes. I felt my hope for a comeback almost extinguished until a certain maligned captain ghosted in at the far post during a corner kick and slam the ball into the net!

The rapturous applause by the traveling fans broke the sickening repetition of the pounding rain. Gallas issued the war cry and how the team responded! Within 6 mins, the referee was pointing to the spot after a tackle sent Hleb sprawling in the penalty boss. My heart was in my mouth when I saw his hesitation during his run up to the penalty kick. The look of elation and relief mixed in his joyous shout was evidence to all when he sent the keeper the wrong way.

Leveled at last with the nemesis, the gunners pushed further and pressed harder for the winning goal. 2-2 was never enough in this final stretch of the title race. As the passes grew precise and legs tired, we found holes in the Bolton’s defence to suggest we would be able to exploit. Alas, with Lady Luck finally smiling her way at us, a hit by our boy wonder (Fabregas) bobbled its way among bodies and finally decides to deflect on the side of Jloyd Samuel into the net. Fabregas’s goal or own goal? Who cares! We got our winner!

To label this an amazing comeback is an understatement. Even Monsieur Wenger declared that it was the most amazing comeback he ever seen. To me, I feel that this is the turning point of our season. After this, we would be indestructible and will go on to win the remaining 6 matches and even the Champion’s League. The question now is, “Will winning the remaining 6 matches get us the league title?” It seems a bit too little too late with Man U 6 points ahead and even Chelsea is 1 point ahead of us.

Well, its never to late to hope and its never too late to get a miracle!
Go Gunners!!!

Germans in a Chinese restaurant

Last Friday, I brought my colleagues over to the Chinese restaurant. This is per the request of the 2 German guys who wanted to taste real authentic CHINESE food. Well, they got more than they bargain for. I told Uncle Phoon, my good friend and boss of Palmer Garden to prepare chicken feet for them. It was a hair-raising event for them. hahahaa... check it out...

Christine was covering her face while Heidi just smile politely.

The boys were game while the girls just gave very disgusted looks. They wolfed down the chicken feet quickly and then declared that they tasted 'komisch' (weird in German)

Matthias and Christian even challenged me to eat chilli padi. A mistake which I believe Christian really regret as he felt shity after that.

All in all, it was a very fun and happy dinner.

Arsenal vs Boro

Today, we face Boro (known as mee rebus in Asia) knowing that another slip up in the title race will hand Man U the title on a plate.

The good news is we get a fit Walcott, Toure and RVP fighting for a starting position. The bad news is that Rosicky and Diaby are out injured. For Eboue coming back after his 3 match ban, it remains to be seen if it is a good or bad news.

We are unbeaten in our last 5 games but have drawn the last 3 games. Boro has won 2, lost 2 and drew 1 in their last 5. Aliadiere returns to the ground that developed his skill and started his football career in England.

I am keeping my fingers crossed for this. Really hope we can win this. According to market sources, the Gunners are giving a 1 1/2 ball handicap to Boro. So the bookies expect us to win at least by 1 goal.

My Prediction: a 2-1 victory for us with RVP and Fabregas scoring for us and Aliadiere scoring for Boro.

Go Gunners!

A week in Germany

Another week of my life spent in Germany.... away from my friends and family.. and no recognition but just condemnation.... i guess its almost at the end of the road...
Endure loh. what to do.

In army, we will say, "Luh loh, bo pian....."
is life really so meaningless at times?
Is it ok to watch unsrupulous things happening around but just keep mum about it? I know my Dad would never approve of that.. but.... well..... the ever vocal me has gotten into much trouble before for opening my mouth.. lets see how it develops before the sense of justice force me to speak again...

hahahaa...

Well, at least the weather is much better now. EXCEPT for mornings and evenings, the sunny afternoon in the sub 10+ deg celsius weather is quite an enjoyable feeling..

7 more days to HOME SWEET HOME.


p.s : Why do I have to fly on Good Friday and waste more company resources is a mystery to me.

Enjoying my one week in Singapore.....

I have been back in sunny Singapore since 1st march. Well, not so sunny the past few days because of the rain.... but at least not dry and cold and killing my skin.

Arsenal had a turbulent week too. Drawing with Villa but finally realising their potential in Milan by beating the reigning champs in the away tie of the Champion league. A healthy 2-0 victory that sent all gunner fans into fits of happiness all around the world.... A really welcome relief after the horrible results in the past 2 weeks...

I guess I have tasted all my favourite food in this week like chicken rice, bak ku teh, curry chicken, barbecue sting ray and sotong and a little bit of ba cho mee and bi dan zhou... hahaha..
that goes the diet out of the window....

My old buddy, Mr Alvin Low Mun Seng is getting married this Sunday. I will be able to help him 'fetch' the bride.. but unfortunately, will miss his wedding dinner on Monday because of this stupid flying around again.... What sort of buddy miss his good buddy's wedding? Maybe not a buddy.............God knows how much sacrifice I have made for this job... is it worth it? I dont think so at the moment... well....

Well, a few more happy days... and then off i fly again on Sunday night... back to cold and colder germany....


p.s: fishing this saturday.. hopefully, i will catch some real deals....
p.s.s: Dinner still not confirmed for Friday. Is it so difficult to get busy Singaporeans together? hahaa...

What i survive on in Germany...

there are many good and delicious food in Germany.......


but they are not very good for my growing waistline and after some time, you do miss your mee rebus, chicken rice, roti prata, chinese dishes, nasi pandan etc etc...





So luckily for me, I have a good friend in Mr Phoon (or Pan). Well, Phoon Gor (Bro Phoon) runs a Chinese restaurant in the Tuas of Germany (Weingarten). Speaking fluent Chinese, Cantonese, Vietnamese and Germany, this Viet-chinese have grown his roots deep into Germany from the past 30 years.





Anyway, we were lucky to chat him up and being friendly and hospitable, we are now like good friends. He provide us with good food at a reasonable price while we provide him with Ba Gua, conversations in Cantonese and Chinese and Chinese videos. And of course, long term support for his restaurant.





This is the last Chinese meal I had for this trip before my flight back to Singapore tomorrow. The simple but difficult to fry: YANG ZHOU CHAO FAN

Delicious in a foreign country...... and a nice pot of chinese tea to go with it.

Simple pleasures in life.....

First Ski trip

On a bright note, I successfully Skiied on Sunday! Yeah, my third attempt to try after failing to go the previous 2 times. (weather and work)

Its freaking tough to move around in those ski. Its damn fun when you are going down but it kills you when you are going down. I had no proper clothes as it is a last min thing (as work is excused for once) so every time I fall, it gets heavier and heavier as my Jeans get heavier with the water......

I joined a class and we were 10. Unfortunately, I was the worse. hahahaha.... dont know why as I am normally good at this type of shit..... well, an American guy gave up after 1 hour. I rested and preserved after my numerous fall..... Still i sucked at it....

The lesson started at 10 am and went on and on without break and water... hahahaa.... talked about Ski holiday... feels like camp... anyone i got 1 day off while the rest of my 'classmates' got one week holiday. So envious....

After lunch break and another few falls in 1 hour, I threw in the towel. The injured ankle could take no more. By this time, an English lady also gave up so we both went for a nice cold beer. You cannot imagine on top of a mountain at 2000 feet, the temperature could have been 16.5 deg celius. I was all soaked with sweat in the end and had to remove my scarf, gloves and jacket. And I have gotten a sun burn in the snow!! hahahaa....

Crazy weather indeed....

Anyway, that is my ski experience. Lost the first battle, but I think I am gamed for more!

hahaha.....

Eduardo breaks leg..... Taylor in jail

Matt Taylor has broken Eduardo legs in many places... it was the most horrible tackle i have seen in my life.... sickening and no intention at all to play the ball. Clumsy or malicious? you decide......

Been a sad week for all Gunner Fans. Hope next week will be better!

Go Gunners!

Cold and Bored

Once again, I am stuck in Germany.
This time in Lindau.

I am working in Weingarten. Hence, every morning, i will be Driver Rick and fetch all my colleagues to Weingarten. 50 mins one way, 100 mins a day, 50 km one way, 100+ kms in a day.
Tired and unfamiliar, I even drove on the first day of my arrival to Germany. With no sleeep at all. Super planning and documentation. Documentation? yes, documentation?

DOCUMENTS!!!..........

Anyway, life is not a beach now, more like a bitch. After 6 months from Go Live, we still have a weird system that needs to be taken care of like an unwanted baby. Dont get me wrong, I love babies. In fact, I love this baby but it is cute: Ugly and adorable. Many people failed to see the cuteness of this baby to start playing with her. I refer it as her because she is temperamental.

Well, a lesson in life to learn. Dig below the surface; not all things are as it seems.

Mood: Gloomy like the weather here.

Back to the premiership

this weekend, we must concentrate on getting ourselves up after the 4-0 lost in the FA cup and the 0-0 draw with Milan in the CL.

come on, you gunners...

Preview of FA Cup

Tomorrow, we will face Manure at Old Toilet in the FA Cup.

Troubled by an injury crisis, our squad is stretched to the limit. RVP is still out, so we will be depending on red hot striker, Adebayor to put a goal or two behind Van der Sar. Walcott and Rosicky are also out so we need Hleb, Clichy and maybe Eboue to put the crosses in. Flamini the destroyer is there and Fabregas should be fit to spread the play.

I think we can still manage to put out a decent team out there and record a win against the manures....

Go Gunners!!!

3 more days....

3 more days to the dreaded flight back to the cold and forgotten place.....

The Tuas of Germany (a.k.a Weingarten).........

The song of, "i should be so lucky; lucky, lucky, lucky....i should be so lucky, love......." keep swirling round my head......

Well, good news is today I managed to arrange to meet 2 old friends at the very last min. hahha... its a pleasant surprise as in the busy world of Singapore, you dont even meet your neighbour friend sometimes in years.......

Ok, to two HOT mamas... cheers and see you later.....

(hahahaa... ..my nose is getting very long for the lie on HOT mamas....)

Happy Chinese New Year!

To my friends: Happy Chinese New Year (CNY)! Huat ah!!!!

been a busy 2 weeks when i have been celebrating and celebrating CNY. as with all CNY celebrations, there is lots and lots of food and gambling sessions! hahahaa... ate and ate and ate...( .. my campaign to lose weight is in a big mess..) What to do? chinese new year.... hahahaa.. perfect excuse....

A great start to the new year for my Gunners!!!
with all the right results, we are now 5 points clear at the top. After manure lost at old toilet and loserfool holding chelski to a draw, we dutifully squeeze out a 2-0 win over blackburn.

Wohoo!!!

Go Gunners!!!!

Arsenal at the Top!

Cool Dudes!!! We are back on top.

Comfortable 2 point lead. Go Gunners!!!


Personally, i have started a new misssion. LOSE my blo*&(y FATS away...
toughest task i ever taken..

failing miserably at the moment.. but i will keep it up. Whatever i can do just to keep the body pumping...

Go Gunners!!

Since last post....

Have been busy like dont know what since my last post 2 weeks ago...

running around with my management of financial issues, investments et cetc....

bringing the Mrs to lasik today is another eye opening experience. (literally and figuratively..... hahahha...)

In between we thrash newcastle twice with a very nice score of 3-0 in both games.
look forward to the sat game and put more pressure on man u to slip.

Arsenal with a Big win!

yeah, we are in sync....... a 3-0 thrashing of Fulham on saturday was a beautiful icing to my anniversary celebration.

:)

Ade got both goals with his heading skills and rosicky added the last one after some beautiful moves by the team.

Watch out ppl, the gunners are back!

A New Year: 2008

I felt that the year 2007 flew past in a flash. not sure what i did but it seemed like i got married, i started and finished? a project, i stayed in Germany like half the time, i moved housed and what else did i do?

in between, Arsenal climbed to the top of the BPL and stayed there for a long long time...

And as I approach 2008, i cant help having the same feeling that the circle is repeating itself. Am I too engrossed, too busy to think and plan my life properly? What is the road ahead? and Where does it lead?

confused 'old' man.....

happy Birthday to me...

Well, another year passed and i am now at the grand old age of 32.

A big thank you for my wife for arranging a very nice dinner celebration for me on the exact day of 14 Jan. Romantic and wonderful dinner. Thanks Dear! I totally love it.

Must also thank my family for always being there for me.

And not forgetting those friends who celebrated with me on the sat before. Love you guys....

And HAPPY Birthday to Junita Tan ping ping who is born on the same day as me!

:)