The year in Review

What can I say?

After witnessing the magical powers of the Iguazu falls on Christmas Day, it pretty much sums up my whole 2009.

You just end up not only having a great year, but you forget all the pains that happened along the way. At the end, we ended up shouting all our frustrations away only to be drowned by the powerful sound of the Iguazu.

Let's just hope 2010 has much better things coming up!

Axiomatic Lavatory Readings

The call of nature usually gives an opportunity to read up more on my housemates never ending supply of Glamour magazines.

It's not that I'm turning into a big softy, but rather I'd like to think in the mind of the audience reading its material - since most magazines know their target market. Yes, I'd like to know more about women and how they view themselves.

Recently though I read this article that was rather disturbing. It was about this 'gold digger' whose sole purpose in life is to, well literrally, dig for gold - meeting rich men and becoming their trophy 'girl friend'.

Although she made her motive quite clear, I couldn't see the difference between her and a high class escort.

Worse was in such a high profile magazine - to promote her 'business model' encouraging wannabes to be a gold digger like her, I just found it disturbing.

Seasons

When the weather suddenly turns cold.

When you are on a bicycle, you feel a gradual drop in tempreature as the seasons move from summer to autumn. But how rapidly do we actually feel the change?

Just two weekends ago, we enjoyed a hot sunshine in Guildford. Last weekend, the sun was out sparringly, never really reaching the highs of the previous week. Even the stops were shorter as it got cold quicker.

For once since April, my toes started to feel numb from the cold. A couple of days ago, even my fingers started to get a bit chilled.

But the ultimate tell tale sign of the worse to come is the morning cycle to work. When you actually realise you don't have any use for the body wipes as there isn't any sweat for you to clean. And the sudden rush of blood through your fingers as the warm water brings them back to normal body tempreature.

Gosh, it'll be winter soon.

Tour of Britain

This was one race that was not as feverishly followed as the Tour de France, I was onsite from 7.30am to make sure that everything was in place on my part.

After the Prostate Cancer ride at 10am, I had some time off to take my lunch and walk about Trafalgar Square.

I arrived back at my position just in time to receive the various teams arrival. When Team Katusha arrived I clapped my hands up high, applauding the previous days victory by Ben Swift. It was only appropriate

Met team Agritubel's Christophe Laurent before the race - he went to take a photo with the Horses Guard - WITH HIS BIKE!

My prized possession for the day - one bottle from Team Katusha, as one of the team members was standing beside me giving out bidon's to Ben Swift and Filippo Pozzato, so he decided to give me one of the extra bidon's as they left. *smile*

Organisation was quite a mess, as organisers were giving out orders in too many directions (too many parties involved) e.g. Army told me not to open up barriers for anyone, but then ambulance tells me that if an emergency occurs, then i would have to open the barriers for them. Then the people collecting all the steel barriers told me that immediately after the event, they would have to go onsite to dismantle things... who was I supposed to listen to?

One of the highlights was watching the horses guard, all throughout the day. had 'little ben' chiming away every hours, couple of seconds before big ben chimed!

*image courtesy of the Glasgow Ivy Cycling Club

Sony Ericsson W995

Recently, I got an upgrade from the K850i to the W995. Initially I was looking to get the C905, but after hearing that this version comes with 8GB memory, I was sold. So far after two weeks of use, I've found it to be one of the better ones I've used in a long time. Being a fan of Sony Ericsson since the K700i a couple of years ago, I got used to the phone's interface very easily. I found it easier to get use to this version more than when I upgraded from the K800i to the K850i a year ago.

Of course, even though I love this version, it does come with its drawbacks.

PROS:

1) Games - my phone came with loads of games courtesy from Orange and I've already spent many hours having a crack at some of the games.

2) Memory - The phone comes with a tiny 126MB memory, but it also comes with an external 8GB card which I've literally filled with music files. It still leaves me with enough space to enjoy my photos and videos.

3) Camera functions - there is a quick modifications function to 'correct' photos that appear too dark called photo fix which I found quite handy.

- There is also a comic strip function which I've dabbled with to give loads of laughs.

4) Music - The phone came with a Speaker + Headphones that provide very good sound quality, which is understandable as the W995 is one of the walkman versions from Sony Ericsson.

5) Video - The video quality was exceptionally good compared to the previous models and even when enlarged on a computer screen it looked very clear.

6) Keypad - This was a joy to use compared to the maze the K850i had with the semi touch screen function which was many a laugh to people who tried using my old phone.

7) Flash - The LED flash was downgraded from Xenon, but is acceptable. At least this time, they managed to put the flash in a sensible position unlike the previous model.

8) Applications - They have some really zany applications on this phone, which is bound to keep me entertained for hours!

CONS:

1) Slide - I'm not a big fan of slide phones. I always expect it to falter sometime sooner than the old phone and you need to slide it open for better quality sound (talking and listening) while on the phone.

2) Battery - I'm delighted with the functions of the phone, but I just don't seem to get the mileage I used to get with my old K850i. Previously I had to charge my phone once every 2 or 3 days, while now the battery is almost down in 1 day - although this is attributed to the amount of time I've spent playing around the games, music and applications.

3) Service - Compared to the K850i, this phone has a lower range of service. Where I stay, I usually get full bars of service, but with this new phone, that range has been halved. Also, in my office, I'm facing times when my phone has no service at all! The seeking of service possibly contributes to the lost of battery throughout the day too.

4) Earphones - Right. SE has provided the phone with a 2 part earphone. No doubt, the quality of the music is very good, but when detached and hooked into the jack for 'walkman' mode, the earphone line is just too short. So, unless we have a spare pocket on our shoulders, it would be very difficult to place while using it this way.

5) Camera - a minor qualm, there is no cover for the lens.

6) Music list - I've just loaded a bulk of music (1400+ files) onto the phone, but navigating through the songs is a bit cumbersome. Probably I'm used the ipod so I'm still having trouble looking for certain songs.

Some other needless facts of the phone:

1) Size and weight: 97x49x15mm and 113g

2) 3.5mm headphone jack (see earphones in CONS)

3) LED flash instead of Xenon flash

4) A small metal flip stand

5) LCD screen with 240x320-pixel and 262,000 colours

6) Connectivity

7) GPS

Verdict:

As I said before I really like this phone, so ignoring all its cons, I'll just say yes please, thank you very much!

Pre-Season Predictions.... again, something from football365.com

12/08/09

After a couple of weeks without football, most of my time was spent following the Tour de France. Well, the time has come around again and I'll be doing my predictions for this year.

I'll be reviewing my predictions at the end of the season in May and have a laugh at how badly I've failed.

Obvious one to start - who will win the title?

I've got it in my heart that Arsenal will win the title, just to be the surprise package of the season, BUT my head tells me that it would be Chelsea, even though I can't imagine the proud faces of Fat Frank and JT doing when they accomplish it.

Name the rest of the top four.

I've got to admit that I believe the top four won't be the usual top four with Manchester City breaking the mould. Something has got to give and I'm sorry to say this but Liverpool just do not have the quality back ups as the other teams. They should be hit by injuries in key positions (READ: Torres / Gerrard) and suffer a rough ride to the end of the season. Manure just have too much back up to fail, so I expect them to finish second behind Chelsea.

I'll have to state that Citeh are not in Europe this season and if they focus just on the league and FA Cup, they have more than enough players to fight for trophies.

Will Mickey Owen make a significant impact at Manchester United?

I've spoke to Ah Kah about this, so yes I expect him to have a significant impact. Most people rate players by their contributions and usually the easiest qualification of contribution would be goals scored. Mickey still looks like he's got 15 - 20 goals for the season, albeit not from starting positions, more like super sub roles. He won't really contribute much to the team though other than being the fox in the box target man.

Will Liverpool cope without Xabi Alonso?

No. This is the main reason I've rated them below Manure, the Arse, Chelsea and Citeh. Also, they do not have much reliable cover for Gerrard and Torres, how will they cope when either or both of them are out injured. We probably won't see the effects early into the season, but after Christmas, the strains of several cups will start to show.

Which of Man City's players will be the first to throw a wobbler (annoyed/upset)?

I would say definitely Adebayor - Even when Arsenal were performing he seemed to be unhappy about something or the other. I don't see much difference here especially when you have the competition of Santa Cruz, Tevez and Bellamy... Oh not to mention Robinho!

Who will go down?

This is a tough one. Especially after the debacle last year in the form of Newcastle and Middlesborough. Looking at the newly promoted teams, I would say Burnley definitely do not have the quality to stay in the Premier League. Of the teams remaining from last season, we can predict Portsmouth doing a Newcastle and self destructing. I would love to see Bolton go down as usual, but I would have to say Hull.

So teams to be relegated - Burnley, Hull and Portsmouth.

Which of the promoted three - if any - will surprise us, a la Stoke?

I have a hunch that Birmingham will go a long way. Alex McLeish has been in the Premier League before and he's suffered relegation. He won't be repeating the same mistake again. Also, Joe Hart is a good addition to the team, so hopefully with a sound defence, the will be able to surprise us ala Fulham last season.

First manager to go?

I've got a feeling that Paul Hart may just get sick and tired of running a body of skeleton bones. So, he'll probably do a runner and be replaced by the beginning of September.

Best and worst signings of the summer?

I guess best signings will be ones who prove their worth by scoring goals. There is not much choice of skilled strikers proving their worth in the top four, as they have stable partnerships already, so may I say Adebayor for Manchester Citeh? If you ask me in terms of actual form, I'll put my money on Joe Hart. He's got something to prove to Citeh - and since I said Birmingham would do good, he would be the best signing of the season.

The worst would again be another striker since it's always funny to state price of a striker in comparison to their game per goal ratio. So I would have to go for Kevin Doyle as I don't see him scoring a large number of goals the way he scored for Reading in their first appearence in the Premier League some years back. Also, I think Mick Mc Carthy sucks as a manager, so his head will be on the chopping board by Christmas.

Plainly on form, I would say Glen Johnson for Liverpool. He's more an attacking winger than a right back. He'll probably shine against smaller sides, but against the top 6, he'll probably be rubbish.

Which youngster will make a breakthrough?

I think Fabian Delph as I'm a supporter of Leeds United. Although there are some exciting young names in Zola's West Ham and they are always the people's 'second team'.

How far into the season will Harry Redknapp first use the phrase 'bare bones'?

He he... Does he always use bare bones? I suppose he'll use it coming into December when the season heats up and Spurs start cocking up.

Will the bonkers circus at Real Madrid succeed, or will it fall hilariously flat on its arse?

I don't like Madrid and I don't really like the buying of success. Call me traditional, but I really enjoy what Zola is doing at West Ham, nurturing the young ones through a strong academy.

So yes. Madrid to fall flat on their faces. Potential 2nd round packing from the Champions League.

Tour de France ala Malaysia - Travellers Tips

Sometime in mid June an idea to catch Le Tour de France during the last 3 days of the Tour was hatched and within days plans were proposed and a week later most accommodation and travel was booked accordingly.

Sometime two weeks ago, the plan was put in place and Le Tour de France ala Malaysia was on its way.
Some advice for potential cycling travellers:-

1. If you plan to get the Eurostar to Paris (or where ever), get a rough idea how you are getting to King's Cross/St. Pancras.

- for me, I had to get there by 10am (train due to depart at 10.25am) so I got a bit worried as it meant I would probably have to jostle on the tube for space during the tail end of rush hour at 9am. Eventually, it took me around 40 minutes to get from North Greenwich station to KC/SP without much fuss except some curious eyes on the huge bike bag.
- Oh and another thing, London Eurostar departure halls are heaven compared to their French counterparts. As I usually take the Eurostar to Brussels, which is quite a respectable station, Paris Nord felt like it was part of a ghetto and it took me at least 30 minutes to get through the queue to get to the terminal, luckily I arrived 1 hour early! Over in London, I remember arriving 25 minutes before departure and still made it to the train in 15 minutes.

2. I used my mates X Planet bike bag which was sufficient for its purpose and it met all the standard travel requirements for trains 120cm X 90cm. Now this works relatively well as it fit perfectly in the top section of the Eurostar luggage storage area. When I got on the second stage of my journey to Avignon, I couldn't bring it into the storage area, but managed to place it out of passengers near the exit. My only qualm about the bag though was the lack of wheels which could have made the fight from the Jubilee line to the Northern line easier. Also, the walk from Avignon train station to the hotel was a short but taxing one.


3. As I stated before, I was worried about getting on the trains with bicycles as I was getting various signals from different people about their views on trains and bikes. Well, to be safe, travel like how I did - with your bike bag. The bike bag holds quite a bit of stuff, so there would be more areas to keep extra materials (e.g. lock, spanner, tools, shoes, helmet, extra attire, etc.)

4. Check your shoes, see if any of the screws are missing or if you have spares - What happened to me was on the way to Mont Ventoux, I realised my shoes were a bit loose on the pedals. After unclipping in Carpentras, I realised I was missing a couple of screws. A visit to the local bike shop after lunch - the owner kept stating that he didn't have any TIME (my clip and pedal brand) products, so he could not help me. In the end I had to buy a whole new set of Look pedals for Euro50.


5. When riding, always avoid man hole covers. I know this sounds like one the basic rules to cycling, but I happened to literally stumble upon a man hole cover as we were cycling pass a round a bout. I was more concerned with a car approaching on the right exit that I lost concentration and hit the middle of the man hole cover (there was a hole just big enough to suck in both my wheels) at 40km/h. Initially I thought that I busted BOTH tyres, but upon initial inspection it was merely an optical illusion created by some chewing / bubble gums across the tyre. I probably still am the first and for a long time the only person my cycling mate will know to blow BOTH tubes in a single incident. On the bright side, at least I didn't tumble flat on my face as some may have done.


6. Always do tests run on the GPS before you travel. I didn't do a long session with my GPS on my first trip out before going to France, so I failed to see potential problems I would face as I hit the French soils. After about 2 hours of pretending to be professional cyclist, the GPS advised me to turn right into an unpaved road. Further inspection at Carpentras later, we realised that I had wrongly set it to avoid major streets and go on unpaved roads and not vice versa. After correcting the initial mistake, trips from Bedoin to Avignon took a bit over 2 hours.


7. This is a mini mistake, but when I ordered my Michelin Pro 3 Race tyres, I thought they come in pairs. Now I know, they come as one, so you always need to buy two!


8. Getting a cab with a bike bag - if you plan to do so, expect a feeling of discontentment from the driver. The nature of the bag is that it usually fits an MPV-like taxi and not a normal saloon car. Thus, choose the taxi wisely. Next tip, if there are TWO of you, you'll probably do better with a van like taxi. It will cost more, but it's better than getting into petty arguments and avoiding the possibility of damaging your bike by forcing into a small space.

9. Lodging - We stayed in the Holiday Express in Avignon. Now, it's not a bad place when you consider the price and distance to the train station (15-20 minute walk) and it suits our purpose of getting the train back to Paris as soon as possible (8pm train) after rushing back to Avignon after the tour passed us at the entrance to Bedoin. However, it's worth a little more investigation into alternate options, e.g. leaving for Paris on the earliest train possible the next day, thus enabling us to enjoy an easy stroll from Bedoin to Avignon OR the possibility of viewing the Tour from the top of Mont Ventoux. Another option would be to try and stay closer to Ventoux, say either Carpentras or another small town nearby so that conquering Ventoux wouldn't be so taxing (or any other future climbs!)

10. Climate - This is totally out of human control, but its best be prepared for the worse case scenarios. For Ventoux, I brought along a gilet and some arm warmers just in case it got extremely cold on top of Mont Ventoux. However, battling the cycling under an extremely sunny day (no clouds AT ALL) and temperatures of 35 degree Celsius, planning for pit stops at towns nearby is a wise idea. This is to avoid the possibility of dehydration and some really fowl mood swings (trust me when it's hot and you're dehydrated, getting lost doesn't help with the mood!)

11. A colleague of mine claims that whenever he rides (his mountain bike) he makes sure he brings along an extra derailleur hanger. One of these probably cost about GBP10, but it definitely can save a trip! What happened to me was that as I was weaving through the hundreds of thousand people along the road to the top of Ventoux, I came across a (possibly) Spanish couple who chose to suddenly brake and enjoy the view. As there were other cyclist coming down the hill from the opposite direction and lots of other people walking along the road, I had no option but to brake as well. Unluckily for me (AGAIN) some Brit (the irony) girl rammed her front wheel into the back of my bike. Not suspecting the damaged done, I thought my chain had been dislodged from the crank. Upon closer inspection by the side of the road, I noticed my derailleur hanger had been bent 90 degrees. According to my colleague, this is to prevent damage to the frame. After about 30 minutes to an hour of messing about trying to straighten it, I conceded defeat and took a Frenchman's advice to slowly make my way back to Bedoin and get it repaired at one of the bike shops.

12. Bike shops - from my experience this trip, it would be always good to know WHERE the bike shops are and if possible their hours of operation. For me, I was quite lucky to meet a very helpful and genuine bike shop at the foot of Ventoux. Even though they didn't carry Specialized bike products, he managed to make a bespoke derailleur hanger after I pleaded for some help (bear in mind I had to make it back to Avignon to catch a train that night and with the Tour happening, taxi's were a rarity!)

13. Contingency - not just for cycling trips, but probably applies to all trips around the world, always have extra cash in case you face any of the above problems I had throughout my trip. Always bear in mind not all stores accept credit cards and when some of them do, they charge over the Mont for the use. Extra cash in hand does no harm.

Overall the verdict for this Tour was 6 out of ten. This was because we probably achieved 60% of what we set out to do and bar some major disappointments; there will always be NEXT time. Some of the tips above may sound really like common sense, but as it is, shit happens along the way and even the simplest of issues may become major problems without proper planning.

I dream of Jeannie

The Genie's caught up with life and is hanging out more with other Genies, leaving the astronauts to ponder if they'll ever hear from her again.

Qui procul ab oculis, procul a limite cordis?

Gender reversals

A recent study has shown more women excelling in University than men. The question was raised if the switch in the education system in the UK from O Levels to GCSE’s has led us to this rise.

Although there was wide spread criticism that the GCSE's were a dumbing down of the O Levels, it does not really mean that women were suddenly given the advantage.

I think throughout the years, women were traditionally always seen as second to men and most high level positions and high paying salaries were landed by men. This has created a will for women to prove men wrong. Women usually have to work twice as hard to prove successful and still women are sometimes deemed a liability due to their ability to get pregnant.

However I do believe that this rise of power and influence in women has impacted negatively on some men. Now it is not uncommon to read about men who are more in touch with themselves, so much so as they seem insecure about themselves. All this while women prayed hard that men will eventually come to terms and understand women better, but now when men have finally become more 'metropolitan', women just wish that they could have the old fashioned man back.

But why of course, the old fashioned traditional man was so much easier to control, weren't they?

Assessing the initial Assessment...

LINK to initial Assessment HERE

As the season draws to a close, I’m left to reflect on another season of disappointment. Well, I did have a disclaimer about the predictions that it was done early days, so let’s just see how I fared.

Simple one to start - who will win the league?
I predicted Liverpool – they came close, but the worse bit of this prediction was that for Robbie Keane to make up an ultimate partnership with Torres. That role became Steven Gerrard’s and Robbie went back to Spurs without a whimper. Tough. Full marks to Liverpool though for taking the title challenge right down to the second last week of the season.

Which team will go down with Hull and Stoke?
How wrong was this? BOTH Hull and Stoke didn’t go down. The bottom three teams were just too poor to be in the Premier League for another year. Imagine, all the bottom teams needed a win on the last day but NONE of them got a win. The really bad news is that another team of Bolton’s mould has remained in the Premier League, in the form of Stoke City. It’s just another testament to Tony Pulis’s ability as manager – keeping the belief in the team and its fans. I heard somewhere that they have the noisiest fans in the country.

And will either of those two beat Derby's 'total'?
Surprisingly, the margin between the bottom and the seventh place team is much less that the margin between the champions and seventh place. For much of the season any teams below seventh were in danger of the possibility of relegation. This was true in the case of Hull. One of my predictions that were correct for this section was that Newcastle is NOT a big team anymore.

How many points will Liverpool finish behind the champions?
As with the first question, I assumed Liverpool would be the champions, so I didn’t really predict the points they would trail by. But its still watch to see them fight to the final 3 weeks of the season. Still 4 points behind Manure is not a bad achievement. It’s just the minor blips against smaller teams that became draws was their downfall. Now, if only Torres and Gerrard will be fit for the whole of next season.

First manager to go?
Paul Ince did get the boot eventually. But who would have guessed the number of managers to go? The debacle at Newcastle claimed 3 ‘managers’. The margins of winning and losing have become so huge that every manager (less Arsenal, Liverpool and Manure) was in danger of being the first to go. As much as it’s like playing Russian roulette.

Will Cristiano Ronaldo be that good again?
Well, 50/50 I would say for this prediction. True, he didn’t perform that well in the beginning of the season, he had a bit of a spoiled brat tantrum, but then again, how do you ever top last season’s performance? At the end of the day, he still finished top scorer. He’s been part of the team in dominated in all fronts for most of the season, so it’s not a BAD season at all.

Will Mark Hughes do a better job than Sven?
I was right on this one. Sven worked with a tighter budget (compared to the one that Mark Hughes has NOW) and yet managed to motivate his players to do the double over Manure and get into Europe. Mark just whinged about everything else. However, I reckon the Citeh board will stick with him for another season.

Which newcomer will have the biggest impact?
Well, wrong again here. However, if you look to Arsenals victory over the champions, it was Samir Nasri who shone brighter than the rest of the Arsenal team. Another Arsenal player deserves a mention here Arshavin – four goals. Nuff said.

And which one will flop horribly?
I supposed I was right here again… Jo did flop terribly in Man City, but he did turn up and do well for Everton when it mattered most. Shall we just come to the conclusion and agree that he did flop? (Originally)Who has the best chance of cracking the top four?Again, I was spot on for this prediction until back in April. Aston Villa have crumbled without the now retired Martin Laursen and they just ran out of steam after MON decided that fighting for a place in the top four was more important than Europe. Doesn’t look very sensible now does it?

Which transfer saga will be boring us all this time next year?
Surprise surprise, the fake Ronaldo is still with Manure and Didier Diver is still with Chelsea. A far more boring saga would be the never ending links of top players to a certain Man Citeh. Even if they don’t play in the Champions League. It’s all about the money.

What goes around comes around

The great British economy is slowly being brought to its knees by various commitments locally and internationally. From pensions to job seekers allowance, from asylum seekers to single parents, everyday the list becomes longer and the British government becomes poorer.

Not forgetting about the already widely known disease the 'recession' and its various military commitments in several war ravaged countries.

How did it all come to this?

Many Britons have come to hate the idea of foreigners taking up space and resources in the country, but wasn't it the powers behind the government showing its strength through its then unlimited resources once earned through imperialism, making other countries problems its own business?

Is this one big example of karma? A long time ago, British imperialism plundered many a country, raping it of its most exotic and precious resources. Are people from these various countries returning the favour in kind?

heart

When you love someone, you don’t have to see them all the time or have them by your side, only have them in your heart

The Art of Muses

Music plays a big part in our lives. Certain music brings back the nostalgic feelings of years gone by and defines the character during the times of growing up. It acts as inspiration, brings sense to dramas, tragedy, comedy, romance and just lifts us when we are down.

Growing up as a teenager in the 1990s, here is a list of some of the memorable acts/songs that have left a deep mark in my memories.

2 Live Crew – As Nasty as they want to be (1989)

As a budding teenager, this is the first group that have really made used of sexually explicit lyrics to make music. One of their popular singles - The F*ck Shop, left a deep impact in my mind. Of course, being a teenager at that time, it was cool to be able to rap the lyrics to impressed mates around school.

EMF – Unbelievable (1990)

Unbelievably good, this song became one of the anthems of the 1990s. With all the mystery in the initials and the lack of information now found through the World Wide Web, speculation on what E.M.F. really meant was one of the hot topics.

Guns and Roses – Use your Illusions (1991)

Metallica – Black Album (1991)

Nirvana - Smell's like Teen Spirit (1991)

1991 was a good year for music, producing legendary performances by Metallica, Nirvana and Guns and Roses. All three of the above mentioned albums have been so widely played that I can almost hum to any one their songs with ease. Funnily it was more to the mid 90s when I started listening to some of the more popular tunes like Enter Sandman, Smells like Teen Spirit and Estranged. It’s been almost 20 years since the emergence of these albums and the mid 90s has seen a duplication of many similar sounding bands, the alternative rock movement for example. Some of these successes will not be replicated and after such a long time, it may be better to let has beens remain as has beens, so please do us a favour Axl, don’t come back…

Beyond – 繼續革命 (1992)

This was before the unfortunate incident which left this quartet as a trio. Ever since Wong Ka Kui passed on, the band has never been the same. True, some remember one or two songs after Ka Kui’s passing, but you imagine most of the records sold were more of a sympathy purchase. Most of Beyond’s old songs are still largely popular with the Cantonese speaking world with Paul still lending a hand to the underground movements in Hong Kong. Legendary band, legendary songs and I still remember singing their undisputed most renown song during one of my friends wedding back in 2005. Stuff made for legends, ‘nuff said.

Radiohead – Creep (1993)

The lead singer still insist to date that he doesn’t particularly enjoy the success this song has garnered throughout the years, but it will stick to me as the song that opened my eyes to the Brit pop and alternative movement (again in the mid 90s). Of course, it also reminded me on the dreadfulness of piracy as for years I assumed that the name of the band singing this song was Pablo Honey. I got a recap of this song in Sydney while watching a Vietnamese movie starring HKs Tony Leung, Cyclo and it’s moved on to become of my favourite karaoke songs that I try to belt out (rather pathetically) after a couple of Johnnie’s.

Green Day – Dookie (1994)

One of the albums of my high school years, this dog shit was rather good shit. I used to think that Billy Joel started an extra band just to expand his already wide musical credentials.

Oasis - What's the Story Morning Glory (1995)

I’d like to think of Oasis as the band that reconfirmed my belief in Brit pop. Although one or two of Blur’s songs are still rated highly in my book, Oasis stands up there next to the Beatles. Much of my college years were spent singing about Sally and how we should not put our life in the hands of a rock and roll band. Liam and Noel looked smug on the wall in my bedroom poster for a good couple of years.

Suede – Beautiful Ones (1996)

One of the songs that used to get the party going back in Sydney in the year 1999, its amazing how everyone used to thing they were beautiful. Yes, even us guys.

Ben Folds Five – Brick (1997)

This song brings back memories about time spent in a room during the Sydney years in Unilodge. Although the days spent in there were never as dark as the song, some of the experiences were. Still, I’ve got a copy of this single stuck somewhere back ‘home’. Thanks to the baughty noy.

Smashing Pumpkins – Adore (1998)

People still don’t believe it when I say I saw them in Sydney back in 98. Well, I did. And it was really good. Although not as good as I expected as they were touring to promote their new album Adore, so they didn’t get around singing more of that Mellon Collie stuff. Still, to see Billy in action with the rest of the crew was a once in the lifetime experience I’ll never forget.

Smash Mouth - All Star (1999)

One of the funny bands, Smash Mouth has never been one of my favourite bands, but the All Star song has always got a special place in my mind. For some reason memories of the Beach Club resurface – times when you’re young, dumb and time just stands still.

Effects of alcohol and the ensuing embarrassments

One day at the pub by New Cross, I was having a pint of Guinness with my mate CP when the topic of mutants came about.

We were talking about the latest Wolverine movie and how the mutant genre in movies evolved from the early 80s till now.

"Hey do you remember that series done in the 80s about a group of people with mutant like powers?

I remember vaguely one of the members having the ability to run really fast, with a name not dissimilar with Johnny Blaze.

And the girls name was Gloria.

Do you remember the name of that show?" I asked.

CP had a huge frown, either from the weight of the alcohol or the searching for an answer in his brain.

"Not really. When you mentioned Gloria, I keep thinking of Estefan.

Any further clues?"

Just as we were about to proceed with this intense discussion, this beautiful lady pops over and taps my shoulder.

"Hi B! It's been a long time, how have you been?"

I've been quite known to remember a ridiculous amount of useless information from my past, but for the love of god, I just could not remember the name of this young lass.

She looked eagerly towards CP waiting to be introduced, as I blurted out some nonsense about the South of Spain, hoping to get some recollection about her and where I've met her.

Then CP introduced himself, sensing the uncomfortable environment I've turned this in because of my memory lapse.

Ah, Anita... She must have been a friend from my time in Kuala Lumpur.

We proceeded to head off home after paying the tab when Anita mentioned, smiling "By the way B, it was nice meeting you after our last trip to Greece together, you never did call"

To which I grabbed CP, "Misfits of Science!"

"What?"

"That's the name of that series!"

"Lame B, just lame...”

Barbecue Pork Rice

Thirty six years of age later this year, I first saw her appearing alongside Eddie Kwan and one of my all time favourite actresses Gigi Lai in 'The Link' back in 1993.

I remember cursing her character as she was so evil and manipulative. She was also rather wooden in her role and I remember hating her for a long time after. Of course this was during a very young age and I didn't appreciate the fact that it was just her second series and that she was only 20 back then.

I saw her again in 'At the Threshold of an Era' which was done from 1999 to 2000, but she didn't leave much of an impression then as there were some other spectacular performances from Gallen Lo, Roger Kwok and Flora Chan (Oh Flora...)

Recently I caught up with TVB's blockbuster production which spanned 80 episodes over 2008 and 2009 - 'The Gem of Life' where she teamed up with Gigi and Eddie again, along with a whole long list of superstars. It was not one of the better productions, but it allowed her to develop more of her character from a seemingly evil and manipulative person (sound familiar?) to someone the viewers sympathised with her predicaments. Sort of shows how much she has improved in acting, commanding most of the scenes she is in.

Then I watched 'Secret of the Heart’ after which was done back in 1998 - again one of the bigger productions, her character was allowed to develop from being very money minded (sound familiar) and simple to a kind hearted and determined woman. Her on-screen chemistry with Sunny Chan was genuinely moving and viewers were left gutted for Sunny at the end of the series.

I've just finished 'To Catch the Uncatchable' in which she stars alongside Dayo Wong. Produced back in 2004, this comedy series is very different from the routine TVB comedy due to the comical presence of Dayo, but once again the on screen chemistry between her and Dayo is amazing. Her character, an insurance agent, acts like a 38 (sam pat) tai-tai and her the way she bosses Dayo around is so funny.

Aiming to catch the 'Armed Reaction' series soon to see more her in a different role, but I think we can safely say she has progressed well since the times of 1991 when she set alight the stage during the Miss HK Finals into the mould of a superstar.

Hard to imagine her lasting to where she is through all her well publicised personal troubles, but I guess no pain no gain, what a wonderful superstar, the lovely Ada Choi Siu Fun.

impossible

People keep saying that through fate we can eventually find the one we love.

In actual fact, they are lying to themselves, reasoning that their love is fate.

Because it is impossible to find a person who loves you as much as you love them.

As fate would have it, we always seem to be chasing the impossible.

It’s just human nature.

"I want to smurf Smurfette."

The Only Smurfette in the Village.

Years ago, Yang was telling me this argument that Smurfs are asexual creatures. What it is, if you watched the Smurfs when you were growing up is that the whole village with the exception of Smurfette (until they added Sassette) were males. He argued that they reproduce ala Gremlins by coming into contact with water - which is why each time it rains (at the start of the programme) they run under mushrooms for cover.

Well, in actual fact, Papa Smurf didn't create Smurfette. Gargamel did. She was sent in as Gargamel's evil spy with the intention of destroying the Smurf village.

Then there was Nanny smurf. Being an old flame of Grandpa Smurf's, Nanny enters the cartoon series after being trapped inside a cursed castle for centuries. It is unclear if she is a naturally occurring female smurf or if she was somehow created via sorcery like Smurfette and Sassette.

This itself provides an argument that as Smurfs may be asexual, its just the fact that a Smurf could have been more feminine than the rest, earned enough money and went to Bangkok to get a 'sex' change.

Thus, Tranny Smurf became Smurfette. And then it became socially acceptable that tranvestites could co-exist with the rest of the smurfs, it paved way for more tranny smurfs to come out of the closet.

Banks and Insurance

It is now harder to get a loan to buy a new house.

People are complaining how difficult it is to set up anything new with banks is.

Well, serve's them all right!

Several months back, I moaned about the vultures in the guise of banks and insurance agents, leeching off others. Every single deal had only one thing behind it - more money.

Money has grown to such importance that the greed of men ensured a swift downfall into what we now call a recession.

For all the singular dollars the banks have made over late payments or overdrafts or missed repayments, karma has had a strange way of working back against them.

As we speak, several banks face several billions (some trillions) of dollars wiped off their portfolio. Same goes for some of the insurance companies like AIG.

Maybe we'll all learn to be a bit more prudent now.

What of the Louis Vuitton's when you have kids at home to feed?

People Change

It's funny how we always have the best memories where they should be, in our minds.

Usually we remember people the way we want to remember them, but sometimes after some time, we find that that same person has changed.

I guess it's the same for myself.

I seem to be more tolerant towards certain issues that I would not have compromised in the past and opened up to enjoy life more.

The past is always a memory, but we still have a long way to go. I hope we can make it in the end.

Sic vis pacem, para bellum

JD commented that people have been comparing the current economic crisis to the Great Depression. The only thing missing is a World War to churn the economy by setting up weapon plants and giving people jobs in the manufacturing side.

Will Israel and Gaza be the new World War?

Sic vis pacem, para bellum

Foot in mouth

Ian Rush had a successful season at Juventus but returned to Anfield in 1988 claiming:

"I couldn't settle in Italy - it was like living in a foreign country."

Another examples of footballers putting their foot in their mouth.

Rich

Many people consider themselves rich in monetary terms.

From the recent credit crisis of 2008, many of these monetarily rich people may not have maintained their level of 'rich-ness'.

Of course there are others like myself who view rich = experience.

Be it bad or good, we continuously experience life. A friend recently asked what the meaning of life is and what our role in life is.

I used to think that I am the variable in a set of equations, e.g. X + 1 = Y, where Y and 1 will remain constant - thus being able to predict my 'future' or path in which I will be moving towards.

Years later I found out the hard way that I wasn't the only variable, but Y and 1 were also variables and I could not possibly predict what the future would be. Which also means that I can say for sure what our roles in life are.

So, what I could say was that we are all variables in life, so why be so fussed about our role? Why not just enjoy the ride and experience and become rich in this way?

Reflections of my life, the 08 edition

It's come to that point of time when the year is about to come to a close and I'm excited of getting off for a little boogie in Berlin (ok, so I just got back from Berlin...)

Looking back at 2008, I think the feng-shui master has failed quite miserably in some of his/her predictions.

It was meant to be a bad year for me - but thus far, I've come to conclusions that we make our own destiny. Feng-shuis masters reassure us what we already know, just like psychiatrist, only try to go one up by predicting the future. Take everything with a pinch of salt and take in consideration the magnitude in which we look at it all.

For example, who could have predicted the credit crunch? And how has the credit crunch affected me? The answers to these questions will only be known when the Chinese year has officially come to end (25th January 2008), so I better not curse it. Not just yet.

Taking the format of last years reflections, here they come:

The Good
- Making lots of new friends at work. It's given me a new perspective towards life in London
- Having lived with my landlord for almost two years, we've become more than the usual landlord and tenant.
- My marketing qualifications! Fingers crossed, by February next year I will get some good news about my results
- Cycling, it's the latest fad, the British Olympic Cycling team has led the way in promoting the 'sport' and the only irritating thing is that I have to share the road with some newbie’s; who are usually quite impatient
- Amsterdam is the new Paris. It feels more romantic in the autumn than France in spring.
- Cooking! Except for some normal injuries obtained while cooking, it's the best thing since I've discovered (or rather re-discovered) TVB serials
- TVB Serials... Love it or loathe it, they usually have ongoing family based themes, promoting different values and touching sensitive topics like divorce, single parents, etc. Most of the time, the stories have happy endings, but once in a while we get the solemn endings.


The Bad
- The Credit crunch. How can it not be? As defiant and indifferent as I can be towards this normal economical cycle, it affects the lives of those close to me and the world that revolves around me. The silver lining is that I am not in debt, so I am free from all the knee jerk reactions that banks have to all their debtors.
- The Pound. When I first returned to the UK, it was RM7.5 to a pound! Look at where it is now? This just means that for every £10,000 I convert, I have officially lost about RM20,000. Look at it in this light and it is very scary, as some people in Malaysia struggle to save RM20K just for their first down payment for a house or car...
- Leeds United. They just failed to get back into the Championship at the last hurdle. A long frustrating season follows as we fail to replicate the (almost) perfect start to the 2007/08 season.


The Ugly
- Eduardo.
Not him, but that ugly tackle by Martin Taylor back in February in Birmingham. I've always said the people over there were rough. Did anyone see it on TV? ewwww.
- Bombay.
Why do people find it necessary to terrorise others this way? Why can't we all live in peace? God bless the poor souls who lost their lives recently.
- Britney Spears.
I know a good friend of mine who loves Britney, but please... did anyone see some of her 'live' performances recently? It reminds me of Milli Vanilli back in the early 90s. Some say she has rebounded from her worst days, but once a Britney, always a Britney. Will someone please ask her to do the world a favour and retire?

Happy New Year everybody!