Well, after all that's said and done, I quote from the NYTimes World Cup blog...

"Who would have predicted that the whole thing would ultimately boil down to a single conversation conducted on a pitch before a global audience that couldn't hear a word of it?"

It's almost hilarious, really. But I shall not embark on another "Zidane-Materazzi" rant. I think the media and general public have already exhausted that topic beyond reason.

With this World Cup behind us, it's another 4-year wait before we come to South Africa in 2010 for another round of football madness.

* * *

I'm just wondering, am I the only MSN user who has been inundated with all sorts of weird contact requests to be added onto my list? From almost decent-sounding email addresses to weird numerical ones, I usually end up blocking most (with the hope that I'm not blocking anyone I actually know who is legitimately adding me!)

Take anita_wang032@hotmail.com for example. It sounds very normal - except that I do not know a single "Anita Wang". For some reason, I keep thinking of the late Hong Kong diva, Anita Mui... Ehh..?? Lol.

Another "normal" one was josie_mimi23@hotmail.com. Er... I don't think I know any Josies or at least, not a Josie Mimi either. *Blocked!*

Some other weird ones I had were: karenlia0360@hotmail.com (I know a few Karens, but no Karen Lia; on second thought, this one sounds more credible than Josie Mimi), minmin_6547@hotmail.com (Min Min? Minmin?), followed by minmincat0553@hotmail.com (stop adding me already, Minmin!). Then there was a period where I had the "numerical fanatics" wanting to jump into my list of contacts.

dekewu_dink31445@hotmail.com
xueyinabc040196@hotmail.com
pollynii8349@hotmail.com

I find it almost ridiculous. I don't know any of you; and where the heck did you get my email address from?! Or is it just a new type of spam that I'm not told of? *scratches head*

The most recent one which targeted me was xiaoxue_cai810@hotmail.com. Again, as I said earlier, I hope that I'm not blocking people I actually know. I don't know; I have this irrational fear of being hit by viruses and the likes if I add this people onto my contact list! Someone tell me that I'm not being ridiculous. =P

Of course, the one that stood out the most has to be this one: dfjkda223320@hotmail.com

Now,that, definitely sounds like some kind of spam. Otherwise, it's just someone bored who can't think of a better sounding email address.

Anyone else experiencing this "phenomenon"?

... The End.

I am utterly, utterly beyond words and misery.

A summary of my scattered thoughts:

- I'm almost (but not!) in tears over France's loss. I guess I was expecting it. Without Zidane and Henry ...
- This has got to be one of the most "drama" finals.
- France had better control and possession in 2nd half, but ...
- The question on everybody's minds: What in the world was that headbutt for??? Zidane, you have let me and the rest of France down... *hides in a corner and grieves* What a way to end your career. Regardless, you are still an amazing player. *Sigh*


I shall be in mourning for the next few days.

Don't bother looking for me till then.

Last (but not final)...

...and I'm referring to the football (soccer) posts I've been quite often posted on this blog, which would have bored most of you out there (if you even read this at all).



Tonight is the night.

Will the Azzuri claim the trophy for the fourth time in their World Cup history? Or will Les Bleus finally revel in the sweet taste of success and triumph when they lift the coveted prize four hours later? (Both teams' colours are, incidentally blue, but France will be in white tonight, as it's an away game for them.)

We shall find out very soon. ;p



Lygon Street is closed again tonight for the match; apparently they're giving out free pizzas tonight, so whoever's watching on Lygon Street tonight is lucky! I, on the other hand, am going to Adryll's (a brother in OCF) place later to watch the final match with a bunch of other brothers and sisters.


I caught the news at around 6 p.m. earlier at Felin's place before we went for the evening service at church, and they were broadcasting live footage from Carlton (the area where I'm staying in actually, where Lygon Street is situated as well). Lygon Street looks amazing. I wished I had a camera with me, so I could have gone down there and taken a few pictures. Almost every restaurant had Italian flags hanging outside, and it's just so ... Italian. (Well, it is Little Italy, but it just looks very festive and more "Italian" than usual. =P)

I must applaud the crowd who will be gathering at Lygon tonight. Today is one of the coldest days I've experienced in Melbourne so far, and it's been absolutely windy. It's freezing everytime I step out into the streets. Even now, I can hear the wind just banging against my window, howling outside.

The noise and revelry is already starting outside. Just a few minutes ago, someone was blowing on horns. I think the TV screen has already been set up; can hear some noise resembling the spectators at a football match. I can hear cars honking occasionally as well. It should get pretty rowdy when 4 a.m. nears later (that's 2 a.m. for you guys back home). I'm expecting at least a few brawls too, if Italy loses to France. Or vice versa. Hm. In which case, I should be glad I'm not at Lygon tonight! (Or should I not be glad? Hehe.)

I hear... singing now. Eh?


It's somehow different. The whole atmosphere here. Australia may not be a soccer nation (can't say footballing - it'll mean Aussie rules or rugby to them!), but with the Socceroos' appearance this time round, it's certainly raised the profile of soccer in Australia. Yesterday, while shopping with Ruth and Amabelle at Smith Street, there were restaurants putting up signs saying that they're open at 4 a.m., and what the menu would be. Most of them seem to be on Italy's side.

On the topic of atmosphere... not that back home, it's bad or what, but I guess, you just feel it here. It's in the air. The excitement and tension. Suddenly football fever takes on a different dimension. I don't remember being this hyped up back in 2002 (Korea/Japan).

Speaking of home, I've been at the helm, battling the throes of homesickness pretty well, I think. It's easier this time round than when I was back in Perth. Guess I've adjusted. I hope.


Russell Peters was in Melbourne the past two days for a comedy show. It's part of his world tour, I think. I heard that he was coming to Melbourne back in May, but I don't bother... I expect that the tickets must have been pretty expensive, but apparently he'll be back in December (I will be back in Brunei by then).

Some events can just fly past you, if you don't keep an eye out for them. I don't think there was much promo for the Russell Peters showThere's so many things going on around Melbourne. But I'm, incredibly, starting to feel bored, and almost can't wait for semester two to start.

I'm off now! Will probably post up a post-match update when I come back.

=D

VIVA LA FRANCE!!! ALLEZ LES BLEUS!!

A Rabbit's Life II

Watched the Germany-Italy match with a bunch of other OCF-ers.

A couple of them played Winning Eleven before the match started - they played through all the semifinals (with the same teams) up to the finals.

Funnily enough, the score was 2-0 after playing the Germany-Italy match - with Italy winning.

And ironically enough, in the real match a couple of hours later, Italy won the match to proceed to the final, 2-0, beating Germany in the dying minutes of extra time, scoring the two goals (which were a minute apart). Noooo! I think we slept through most of the second half anyway - 5 a.m. match in the morning... *looks in the mirror at a panda-eyed reflection* We can never seem to watch these matches at sane hours (excepting the 2002 World Cup, where it was the other way round).

As for the France-Portugal match, the game result was 5-0 (to France), but the real match saw Zidane scoring the only goal from the penalty to bring France to the finals. Haha, it would have been weird if France had really scored 5-0 last night!

However, if the game proves right, Italy would win the World Cup... Nooooo!! Thank goodness that was only a game... right... right?!

An Italy-France final. Sigggh. It should have been a Germany-France final!!! *continues mourning over Germany's loss*

Anyway, Allez Les Bleus!!

France for the World Cup!!

*

Football (or soccer) aside, I have around two weeks left before second semester starts. It has been a looooong holiday, and I am, frankly speaking, quite bored and I almost can't wait for uni to begin.

And yay, Jerry updated!! ^_^

And I went for a concert last Sunday by Eminence Symphony Orchestra at Melbourne Town Hall. The program was A Night in Fantasia. They perform music from Japanese animation films and video game soundtracks... YES, it was a night of my favourite music from Final Fantasy, and many of Hayao Miyazaki's works from Studio Ghibli (including Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro, Howl's Moving Castle, etc.) Aside from the music, footage from the films and the games were shown in the background on a high-def screen as well, making the experience not only an aural one, but a visual one as well! Music from Final Fantasy XII was premiered, by accompanying footage (the graphics look really good). But I think my expectations were too high (considering that I'm a huge fan of FF music and Joe Hisaishi's music), and the acoustics at Melbourne Town Hall weren't very good, so I was slightly let down. But it was still a wonderful concert.

And yesterday, I went with Samuel to see the play Fiddler on the Roof at Her Majesty's Theatre. The play is highly acclaimed, starring also a highly acclaimed actor, Chaim Topol in the lead role as Tevye. The songs are beautiful, the actors were brilliant, and overall, a truly memorable play! The play is running in its last week in Melbourne. I think the company is on a world tour or something. An amazing production!

And...


Well, that's what I have been up to this past week.

When are you going back to the States, Jerry?

World Cup - (England + Brazil) = ...

Incredible - England and Brazil are both out of the tournament now - although I had been expecting England to lose anyway, but Brazil was a surprise.

This makes for a more interesting World Cup, especially since the number one favourites are out of the tournament now.

Just for the record, I will be supporting Germany in the Germany-Italy match (because Italy knocked out Australia, and I don't think I shall ever get over that match!), and for the rest, I will be with France all the way!!

So yes, I'm hoping for a Germany-France final. An all-European clash!

Go France!!



I've been AWOL recently, as I've been away for Winter Camp for the past few days; will be pretty free for the rest of the month (will be busy with some stuff now and then), until July 24th rolls around, and that's when semester 2 starts, but I expect to be a more busy a week before, 'cause that's when enrolments and subject selections, etc. have to be done and confirmed.

And back to the "normal" ending: Jerry, you may be in Brunei now, but just update - something, anything! - so that this blog will not become "Connie's blog from One Corner of the World". I can never think of anything to post on the blog (I still don't feel very comfortable blogging, with the whole "privacy" stuff and all, so I'm always 'limited' in my posts to a certain extent), and with World Cup ending on July 9th, this blog will become officially dead. =P

...and life goes on

THE AFTERMATH

Italy 1 Australia 0

Italy were the favourites to win, with Australia coming in as the underdogs.


Was hoping for an upset; it would have been great to go through the city and see the place in a state of euphoria. It's just the whole atmosphere thing, you know? Ah, should have gone to Lygon Street to watch the match instead; then can celebrate in full mode with the Italian fans. Wish I had a camera! Walking back, I took the Lygon Street route, and it was utter chaos; the police blocked off entrance into Lygon Street, and the roads were filled with bottles and rubbish everywhere. I think they were probably preventing a riot from occurring. Fed Square didn't quite have that football frenzy atmosphere I was expecting; on the contrary, it was quite distracting, with some people just wanting to cause disturbances. At the end of the match, some people even threw flares (even though it was banned) and bottles at the screen (probably out of frustration) after Totti scored the controversial (?) penalty kick.

I thought Australia played well, and almost matched the Italians evenly, but as a friend put it, their "finishing is just crap". Anyhow, Italy have been, after all, three-time world champions. But guess it's really a matter of opinion as well; we're all biased by nature (no one can truly be objective and impersonal), and I admit I'm biased, and that's only because I'm in Australia now. Heh.

Refereeing has been one of the biggest issues at this World Cup so far, and this match was no exception. That penalty kick was rather/very/extremely controversial, and will probably generate many arguments or discussions in the days to come; I'm not knowledgeable enough to comment on it, and I shan't bother. =P

Overall, it wasn't a spectacular match - I've seen better ones, but oh well, that's soccer for you. Life goes on; Australia will probably go through some days of misery and heartbreak. But give it some time, and the soccer fever will die down.

Sigh. What a disappointment. Not because Australia lost or anything (I don't really care for Italy or Australia; got better teams to support =P), but I was really hoping for the game to go into overtime, and maybe even end in a penalty shootout. Anything, except for this kind of a dubious end, especially in the dying seconds of injury time. You probably can't get more controversial than that! Some fans will argue that it was justified; some will continue to criticize and lash out at the referee's decision; there will be no end to this debate.

Seriously, Australia may have made it this far by "luck" or whatever you guys may call it. I personally thought they played rather well - they exceeded most people's expectations, and despite the sceptism and criticism, made it up to this stage; although I was expecting them to be kicked out sooner or later anyway. But they did not deserve to go out this way.

Definitely not this way.





Btw, I've been using the word "soccer", mainly 'cause the term "football" has very different connotations here in Australia, where it is taken to refer to Aussie Rules, which is something like rugby, and they call it 'footie' as well here... I think. =P Someone correct me if I'm wrong. It's quite a craze here in Melbourne, and even back in Perth.

Italy - Australia; your pick

THIS IS IT.

Italy vs. Australia, 1 a.m. Melbourne time.

In less than two hours' time, soccer/football fans all over Australia, Italy and the rest of the world will be glued to their TVs, listening to radios, hooked to their computers, or however they are accessing the game.

Go Italia!...

A street away, Melbourne's own Little Italy, Lygon Street (practically a long stretch of Italian restaurants and cafés) is already filling up with excitement and energy. A huge television screen has been set up on Lygon Street for the Italian fans or other people supporting Italy (I presume so, since it is Lygon, after all). I can hear the noise already. It's just as well that I'm staying up to catch the game, as I don't think I can be able to sleep with the noise from Lygon Street tonight! (Which is just a block away.)

Federation Square

Over at the other end of the city, Federation Square also has a huge television screen set up there (as it has been for the previous two games Australia had played); but tonight will probably be more significant than any other matches, since Australia made it to the second round, after all. I will be heading down there later on with my friends to join the massive crowd in supporting - actually, I still have no idea who I'm supporting. =P

... or will the Socceroos pull off another surprise again?

If Italy wins tonight, I can imagine headlines in tomorrow's papers: NO MORE PASTA/PIZZA/(insert Italian dish here). LOL. The Australians will probably boycott Lygon Street after that. The Italian community will have to endure being shunned for awhile.

On the other hand, if Australia wins, the Lygon restaurants (or any other Italian eateries) will probably treat the Australians coldly (just as well that I'm Asian, heh). Oh my goodness - I can't imagine how things would be like tomorrow morning when I go out. Wonder what I will see tomorrow. LOL. I recall a friend telling me about what happened after the Australia-Japan match; after the match, he was on the roads, in his car, and this car of Australians passed by him and one of them shouted at him, calling him something obscene, thinking he was a Japanese!

Will be leaving my place soon to walk down to Federation Square with a friend later to meet our other friends there. The match starts at 1 a.m., but we're going early to get a good vantage point where we can actually see the screen. I expect tonight to be even more packed than ever. I didn't watch at Federation Square, but from television reports and newspaper pictures, the crowd is MASSIVE.

The speakers from Lygon Street are SO LOUD, I can hear the commentator's EVERY WORD. The city is full and alive tonight. The roads to Lygon Street have all been blocked (and to Fed Square too, I should think; would find out later!), and people in cars, walking, on bicycles, are already travelling all over the city to wherever they are heading to. If I was staying home tonight, I can probably tell what's happening in the game even without stepping out. Probably can hear the crowd cheering and shouting all the way.

It's so alive. Tonight will probably be the closest I'll ever actually get to feeling an authentic soccer-mad atmosphere, and lose myself among the spectators. It probably won't be exactly the same as over in Germany, in the stadium itself, but close enough! (Note to self: something I definitely want to do when I can and have the means to do in the future- catch the World Cup live!)

It is extremely noisy outside; it's either from the gathering crowd or from the screen (and will probably be worse when the match starts later!) I can practically feel the tension and excitement hanging thick in the cold, Melbourne air.

Most of my friends think that Italy will be the one to get through; but then again, it's soccer we're talking about. Anything can happen. There's been many upsets throughout soccer history.

And tonight is no exception.

=D

Another soccer post

Yes, it's yet another soccer (football, if you prefer) post... you guys will have to bear with me throughout the whole of this World Cup. Considering that I have been waiting for 2006 Germany WC since 2002 Korea-Japan, you have to forgive and understand me. Lol. I'll probably post random stuff, probably complain/rant/jubilate about some matches, all the way to the finals on 9th July. =D Disclaimer: I do not know/understand everything about soccer, considering that I'm 'new' at this, hence, you may or may not agree with some of my viewpoints or 'ideas' about soccer, but heck. =P


Australia is through to the second round! The Socceroos are meeting Italy this Tuesday, 1 a.m. (Melbourne time). What glory for Australia; the television, radio and newspaper is full of jubilation over the win/draw, and Australia's advancement into the knockout rounds. What heartbreak for the Croatians, who fought bravely, but alas, will be heading home after yesterday's match; agonizing, considering that they were this close to getting through.

I went shopping with Ong Chi today, and some shops had the radio on as the background music, and the every single time the DJ was on, he/she just had to spout a sentence with at least the words 'Socceroos', 'advance', 'World Cup', 'win', 'Australia', etc.

Waiting at my friend Grace's place before heading to church for fellowship, I read the newspaper while her cousin switched on the TV and channel-surfed randomly. The huge headlines on the front page of The Age read: "KEWELL!" with the "Australia 2 Croatia 2" score in smaller font size on the top and below the huge "KEWELL!" caption were little bullet-points saying:

"History is made" , "Socceroos into round two" , "Now for Italy on Monday"

Harry Kewell, by the way, is the Australian player who scored the equaliser, which saw Australia's dreams come true. It had been a crucial match; Australia needed at least a draw to get through to the second round, while Croatia needed a win, and the score went back and forth as each side fought intensely. But what was with Hiddink's decision of putting in Kalac as goalie? He made terrible blunders!

The 5 o'clock news was full of Australia's win, and the Kewell equalizer which saw their World Cup dreams revived. The Australians are obviously very, very proud and happy. On SBS, they were showing the replay of the Australia-Croatia match again.

Funny, there have been these ads on TV as well, by Nike, shown very often during halftime breaks, before matches, and after matches; basically the ad shows this old man laughing at the Socceroos' chances of winning in World Cup:

"Soccer-whos?"

And stuff like, "You'll never beat Brazil, etc. etc."

(Can't remember exact words)

But anyway, the advert ended with the players aiming the soccer ball towards the old cackling man, knocking him off the stands. Haha, it's just sadistic, but it is funny.

Basically, it pretty much summed up the general perception of the Australian team - "Soccerwho", but defies that by:

STUFF history.

So I guess in a way, history really has been stuffed, seeing that Australia has defied all odds. Whether lucky or not, they've done it, and made it to the second round.

Anyway, it's been rather amazing. I'm not really supporting Australia as yet (I'm not supporting any particular teams, for that matter!), but I have to admit, they have been playing rather well so far, with Guus Hiddink at the helm, guiding the team. (Guus Hiddink coached South Korea at the previous WC, bringing them from mere 'outsiders', all the way to the semifinals - can the magic work again this time? Heh.) Guess this victory would be silencing most of the critics and doomsayers who haven't been too optimistic or positive about Australia being in World Cup.

I have almost recovered now, save for this annoying cough. It'll take another few more days for it to clear; but in the meantime - it's back to World Cup for me!!

=D

A Rabbit's Life

I’ve been rendered hapless since Friday night. Saturday and Sunday were spent in isolation in my apartment, away from the world outside my door as I idled away my time in my bed, sniffing and coughing – hibernating like a real rabbit during winter.

Yes, that’s right; the miserable creature called virus has found its way into my body, generating an immune response from my defence system. I could practically feel my B cells and T cells hard at work as they whoosh around my circulation killing off the infected cells – and in the process, killing some of my healthy cells as well. That probably explains my aches and pains.

My throat cell lining have been destroyed in the process as well, as I’m left hacking like an old man every five minutes. I have been suffering from a constant throbbing headache since Saturday (and that is due to dehydration, I was told by a friend who’s a practicing doctor now). So I’ve been drinking bloating myself up with endless intake of liquids, liquids, and more liquids, that I’m visiting the toilet every one hour now.

Worst of all, I have been missing FOUR DAYS OF WORLD CUP!!! (I heard Argentina thrashed Serbia 6-0!! 6-0!! And I missed the Germany-Ecuador match and England-Sweden match last night...Somebody, anybody, tell me I did not miss any great matches… *sob*)

Okay, that should be the least of my concerns, as I should actually be concentrating on getting well now. Heh. *grins sheepishly* (How do you grin like a sheep anyway – okay, never mind, lame joke. Cold getting to my brain cells as well.)

I dislike being sick. I feel heaps better now than I felt on Sat/Sun. The headache's gone, the aches and pains are gone, but the cough has not gone away. And because of the constant coughing, my stomach muscles are aching now. Great – a place where you think that the cold virus won’t affect. Well, actually no – I haven’t had much of an appetite lately as well. Although I'm recovering that as well. Hehe.

I haven’t been out at all. Although I did go for prayer meeting yesterday (which kind of sapped my energy out of me). =( I was supposed to go berlepak-ing with my music friends today, but I didn't feel up to it today and stayed home (again), thinking that I could do with one more day of rest. I want to go out...! I’m sick of being cooped up! Although I do have plans for the next two days.

=(

PS: Juang, I got your e-mail, really made my day! =D I'll reply it ASAP.

PSS: Sharon, glad you like it. =) I was worried you wouldn’t like it!

PSSS: Sherissa, nooo, I missed the Czech-Ghana match as well!! I can’t believe Ghana defeated Czech!

PSSS: Karen – shouldn’t you be complaining to Charles instead? I know nuts about computer technical problems. Haha.

PSSSS: Ern - I know I should have put your name first, but - here, I saved the best for the last. =P I've been sick, so you can't blame me! And if you've got "something to tell" me, I can just predict that by the time I get online and talk to you, you'll just go, "Oh, I forgot what I wanted to tell you."

As always.

-_-"

Ohh, btw, JUAN, Happy 18th Birthday! Hope you read this. Sorry I can't be there to celebrate with you, but hope that you have a wonderful day with many beautiful moments to cherish =) I'll see you (hopefully) at the end of the year or something.

England...

...may have won (2-0 with Trinidad), but damn, that was one of the worst and most frustrating matches I've ever seen. My friend informed me that was England's style/way of playing. It was almost agonizing to watch the match. I can't believe I wasted my two hours of sleep for that kind of match.

They will never make it with that kind of performance.

Crouch's goal in the second half wasn't worth the jubilation and celebration. It just didn't match with their level of playing. Although I have to concede that Gerrard's goal was a nice one, something is just lacking - England has good and talented players, but somehow they're just lacking something: They didn't seem as if they were playing to win, and those goals seemed more like lucky shots than anything else.

No offense to England fans out there. But if they expect to go far, then they better buck up.

Kaki bola

I pulled an all-nighter with a few friends from OCF at Lee's place.

Three soccer matches in a row.

No more... this is the last time I'm ever doing this... *groan*... It's overkill, I tell you! There was an hour's break between each match, and we tried to squeeze in a little nap time. Not that I can sleep anyway. Lol. Sleep an hour, get up, watch, sleep an hour, get up, watch... I think we've just joined the legion of crazy soccer fans around the world. It's truly a soccer lifestyle now.

S. Korea 2 - Togo 1: Great match (or second half - I only caught the second half, lol!) S. Korea fought back from 0-1 to 2-1 to win the game at full time. Ahn Jung Hwan, the hero of the 2002 Japan-Korea World Cup, scored the winning goal.

France 0 - Switzerland 0: First half was exciting and fast-paced, but the game just dwindled into frustration and disappointment as neither side managed to score a goal at full time. And oh my gosh - what is wrong with that block-headed referee??? He must really, really like giving out yellow cards - Zidane got a yellow card from him for not waiting for his whistle before he took the free kick. (There were countless of undeserved yellow cards as well.) I was like, Whaaaat??! Kick out the referee already!! He's probably a huge factor in why the game's atmosphere was just ruined. You can obviously see the players' (from both sides) frustration at this nincompoop.

Brazil 1 - Croatia 0: If I thought the previous match was fast, this match seemed like you were watching it at a fast-forward speed! Very, very quick and overall, a very good match. Brazil, for all its "invincibility", was matched almost equal-for-equal by the Croatian team. Kaka scored the winning goal, and there were many great shots from both sides. That said, I have to mention the Croatian fans sitting in the stadium, who were simply cheering on their team and still full of enthusiasm and energy even till full-time (and after!). Towards the end, the match was even disrupted by a Croatian fan running onto the pitch... (Okay, maybe that's too much lah.) Haha, first time I catch this live on TV.

The match ended with a lot of handshakes all around. Great sportsmanship. Excellent game!!



The Australian fans have to learn from those Croatian fans. I didn't comment on this, but now that I'm on this topic, watching yesterday's match, did any of you catch how dejected and subdued the Australian fans towards the end of the match? I've never seen such a 'give-up' attitude. Come on, where's your spirit?! Don't tell me you flew all the way to Germany just to sit and watch. Cheer on your team! A little encouragement goes a long way. Only when Cahill scored the first Australian goal in the last 8 minutes of the game, then the Australian fans were 'awakened'. Oh, for crying out loud.

No offense to all Australian fans, but I can't imagine when the Australia-Brazil match rolls around. They better show more spirit, even till the end. I'm not really supporting Australia, but it'll be nice to see them put up a good fight, and not just go down. Anyone hopeful for an upset?


I'm truly turning nocturnal... this is really a makan bola, tidur bola lifestyle now.

But no more crazy all-nighters!

Astounded, flabbergasted, speechless...

OMG, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT:

AUSTRALIA 3 1 JAPAN

I cannot believe it, I cannot believe it!!!

Distant sounds of cars honking are all over the place. The Australians are really celebrating tonight! There's no rest for the soccer fans tonight, who are exulting over the totally amazing win. Amazing!! I probably can't sleep properly tonight either, due to the perpetual honking noises.

That was one of the most spectacular matches I've ever seen - amazing comeback by Australia!!! Looking at my MSN contacts, there's apparently mixed feelings - on one friend's personal message: Brazil shall take revenge for the Japanese! i promise to support socceroos if they beat BRAZIL. :D good luck with that :p

Another not-so-updated-with-soccer-fan: did Aussie win the match?cuz i hear loads of screamings everywhere..

One 'sceptical' friend has this to comment: Lucky Australian win...

Strong sentiments: uwaaa.. I hate you Australia I hate you

A happy fan: OZZIE OZZIE!!! 3-1!!! dam good game

Anyway! What made this an amazing game was the fact that Australia scored the equalizer, and the subsequent two goals in less than 10 minutes!!! 10 MINUTES!!! I was left flabbergasted, astounded, and speechless. Did you guys catch it?! That was simply shocking. It is definitely one of the best soccer matches I've seen!! Action-packed all the way, and not without tension as well! The Japanese goal, for one, was a controversial one.

I was totally expecting the Japanese to win, especially after the first half of the match which saw better skills and better tactics from the Japanese side. I really admire their defense; the Japan defense was rock solid, and the Australians couldn't seem to get through it. The Japanese were playing a man-on-man marking, and making it almost impossible for the Australians to have any scoring opportunities at all.

My support went from Japan to Australia, and I'm mixed now; LOL. When Japan dominated the whole of the first half, it was good - and then I started feeling sympathy for the Australian team (the Socceroos, as they are called here). It's the first time in 30+ years that Australia has qualified for the World Cup, and it will be disappointing for them to lose, especially since the nation has been hyped up about soccer recently (considering that Australia is more of a cricket and footie nation).

The game was well-played by both sides. The Japanese and Australians both worked hard, and one of my friends whom I was watching with commented that the ball seemed to fall so easily to the Japanese players, and it was true; the Australians were almost fighting constantly to get the ball back into their possession. There was considerable tension in the air after the Japanese scored the first goal by Nakamura, and you can just sense this determination in the air; a lot was at stake for this game.

The tension went all the way into the 2nd half; my friends and I agreed that the Japanese team definitely had more skills than the Australians showed. The Japanese was very strong on their defense in the second half (if not, tighter than it had been in the first half), and the atmosphere and in the playing, was tinged with this desperation as the Australians fought to find a way through the Japanese defense. I thought that Japan would just end this with their win, and I started supporting the Socceroos.

Marianne and Lee Yung started joking: What if you had an Australian man with a Japanese wife? They probably watch the game on separate TV sets, and will probably sleep on different beds after the game! Hahaha!

Anyway; the turning point came when the Australian coach started substituting his players. Lee Yung was quite familiar with the Australian players, and was constantly supporting the Australians the whole way, while Marianne and her housemate, Jean, were supporting the Japanese team. My support swayed from side to side, and I'm still flabbergasted at this stage.

The equalizer was just wow.

(The car honking is still going on outside! Man, I don't think I'll be sleeping tonight!)

Even so, you can tell that both sides were just NOT going to settle for an equalizer - the tension went up a notch (if not, more!) in the atmosphere after that. The Japanese stopped 'relaxing', and started to push with their attack as well, and just minutes later, when Cahill scored the second goal (he scored the first one as well!), emotions were running high. It was just heart-pounding - there was just less than 10 minutes left of the game, and it was nerve-wrecking!! I honestly can't remember such a high-tension game (that I've watched myself, anyway! =P).

The 3rd goal was stunning - the Japanese players were practically all down on the other end of the field, bent on attacking, and wow, wow, wow... I am just left without words.

If you didn't watch the game, then you definitely missed one amazing game! I feel sad and disappointed for the Japan team, though; they fought hard, but the Australians finally got their act together in the final 10 minutes. That said, they had absolutely no tactics at all before that, and seemed to find the teamwork and balance in the final desperate moments. And despite the win, the Japanese are obviously more skilled - and the Australians can certainly learn from the Japanese's defense (and their own mistakes as well)! The Japanese are quick to act, and hopefully will still make it to the next round.

Tomorrow night: Brazil vs. Croatia! (early morning, actually; 5 a.m. here). That'll be another game I think soccer fans have been looking forward to.

At least tonight's game was a REAL soccer match; power and tension all the way, unlike the England vs. Paraguay one (which was just boring, as you put it, Sherissa!). England didn't score a goal, but they won - thanks to an own goal from the Paraguayan side. Hopefully we can see more high-quality matches in the upcoming weeks!

On another note, I finally understand what an offside means on the soccer field! LOL. I may just turn into a soccer fan, even after World Cup ends. ;p

Honking still going on! No rest for Australia tonight, who apparently seems to be celebrating till morning and the rest of the week (probably till the next game!)

No rest for me tonight, either! (Who can sleep with the ruckus going on?!)

WORLD CUP 2006 GERMANY!!!

GERMANY 4 2 COSTA RICA

Oh my gosh!!! Did you guys catch the last goal by Frings?? That was a spectacular goal!!! Straight kick from quite a distance, past the heads of the Costa Rica players, flew right over the hand of the Costa Rican goalkeeper, straight into the net!! Two goals by Klose (and it's his birthday, apparently!) , and the first goal by Lahm. (Not that I actually know these players - but I do recognize Klose.)


Just came back from Adrill's place (a fellow brother in OCF - Overseas Christian Fellowship). A bunch of us gathered at his place to catch the first match of the World Cup, and I left feeling much more enlightened on the technicalities of soccer. Lol.

I was watching soccer with these soccer fans, who really knew their stuff. I learnt that Costa Rica isn't a very good team to start with (no offense to Costa Rica supporters), and the fact that they managed to get 2 goals was due to bad defense on Germany's part. But anyhow, it was fun - I was, a-hem, quite enthusiastic, at the fast-paced moments.

I'm not technically a soccer buff - you can call me (and a few other people who were present as well) those soccer fans who only exist during the World Cup fever. LOL. (Yes, I can feel the cynical scorns of the real fans now.)

Having said that, I discovered that I am still as gullible as ever as I was tricked, not once, but twice. (Deceived is more like it -_-" )

I was just wondering about Oliver Kahn's absence as Lehmann was playing as goalkeeper instead (for Germany), so I asked it out loud. I was first told about some match between Bayern Munich and Manchester United some time back (I think; when you're a super-gullible person, some things just fly over your head), and apparently Man U won, and Oliver Kahn withdrew into depression, and that's why he's not playing in the World Cup, and for the same reason, the captain of the German team is now Michael Ballack.

"Really?? He was depressed so he retired??"

...

Okay, okay, so that's a really lame story, and I can't believe I believed it.

So then I was told that he had simply retired lah, I mean, he is getting old after all.

Halfway through the match, the cameras panned to the sidelines, and I saw Oliver Kahn sitting on the bench, looking as relaxed as his stony face can allow.

"Hey, isn't that Oliver Kahn?? You told me he retired!!"

NOOOOO, I can't believe I am tricked again.

But my friend insisted that he really thought that Kahn had retired, and then he speculated that perhaps he'll be playing when Germany enters the knockout phase. There was some soccer technical talk from a few other people at this point, and they lost me.


Anyhoooo~

That was quite good, albeit rather slow at certain times. I still think the last goal by Frings was spectacular, and it's a good start to the World Cup - I mean, come on, a total of 6 goals!! I found out that it's usually common to have only one or even nil goals in the first match (that was how it was for the past few years, I think?)

Tomorrow: England against Paraguay!! There's supposed to be another match as well, after Germany and Costa Rica, and that's between Poland and Ecuador (but I'm told that they're quite 'rubbish' teams this year - again, no offense to Poland or Ecuador supporters, although I did find out that Poland was quite decent in the 1980s, reaching 4th place at one of the World Cups).

Anyhow, I'll definitely be catching the "big" games. And right now I need to sleep. It's almost 5 a.m. and I'll probably get up late again tomorrow. Haha. I think my sleeping patterns will be totally disrupted due to World Cup now (seeing that most matches are late at night).

World Cup!!!!

Lalala

Just one more exam to go - and that's my practical tomorrow afternoon.

(Repeatedly chants to self, "I shall not stress, I shall not stress, I shall not stress!")

Funny, isn't it? You'd think that after YEARS of sitting for exams or going through it, we'd be "used" to it by now. And yet we still feel stressed/anxious/nervous before AND after an exam. We stress and worry over the questions that would come out, and we fret over the results that would be released after.

Too bad we can't "immunise" ourselves against exams.

Personally, I think practicals are more nerve-wrecking than written papers. Simply because practicals are ... practicals. I don't know, is it to do with preparation? With written or theory papers, you can study and memorize, and at least feel a bit confident if you've done your preparation well, but with practicals (for music, especially), you can practice for hours, days, weeks, months beforehand, and when it comes to the real thing, you sit at the piano, and you can just break from all the stress and pressure emanating from the atmosphere (and the examiner's stern/friendly look). Once you place your fingers on the keyboard and play, you may panic halfway through and slip up a few notes, or even just forget what you're doing entirely halfway through and stop (it happens!) - you know, those sudden moments of brain blocks, where you suddenly forget what's the next note, and that's it.

Anyway... the exam tomorrow would constitute 50% (if I recall correctly) of this subject, so it's not that bad. Still, I hate having to face the nervousness and anxiety. And with the cold weather, it doesn't help to have almost-stiff frozen fingers. Anyway, all I can do now is commit it all into God's hands and trust that He'll be with me throughout the ordeal. =)

I can't believe you're back in Brunei, Jerry!!! Argh. How long is your holiday for? I probably won't see you in YEARS (you're not coming back in December, are you?) since our holidays don't really correspond. (That, and the fact that, yes, my mom wouldn't let me go back these holidays. =P Laugh if you must. >=/)


(Continues chanting "I won't stress" mantra...)

Stress (or not)

Blogging from the Music computer labs now (yes, we have computers in the Music building - all Macs, for that matter). It took some time getting used to using Macintosh, but it's actually not too bad. Its user-friendly capabilities are NOT that rigid, as I initially thought it to be.


I finally finished my MIDI assignment!! Argh, spending hours in front of the computer is seriously mind-numbing. It may seem 'fun' to create MIDI tracks, but nevertheless - I shall never ever take another computer-related subject again! I thought I saw the last of computers back in Form 5 (with that major Computer project), and to think that I was practically thrown into this subject called Computing for Musicians. To sum it up, it's basically just learning how to use music programs like Finale and Logic.

Computers to me are good as long as it's NOT study-related.


Guess everyone's been busy stressing over exams and such... I don't know if I should be worried. I finally finished this assignment today (it's dued tomorrow, and guess what - I did it all in one afternoon - *heaves a great sigh of relief*). I've got a major research essay dued on Monday (which is also the first day of exams) and I've barely started. And I still have to revise my Music Techniques.

But anyway, no big deal... right! Right? Right...?



I can't wait for this period to be over... I tend to feel quite homesick around this time of the year, and that feeling's especially augmented around exam period. My mom used to make chicken soup or some other healthy meal at the start (for brain power! =P) Sigh.

I confirm won't be back until December... half a year more to go.

Okay, I see this post going into the "Danger - Depression mode" zone... stop!


On a lighter note, World Cup 2006 Germany!! One good thing is that I'll be done with all my exams on the 8th (World Cup begins on 9th!) Need to unwind and relax with something - but Sherissa can probably tell you that my football-watching antics are.... very amusing. (Remember when you showed me the clips of goals by Paul Scholes? LOL.) I get quite ... "excited".

A-hem.

Anyway, must get started on my research essay... But I'm destressing tonight! I'm watching a Bell Shakespeare production of Romeo and Juliet later at the Arts Centre with a friend!! One great thing I LOVE about Melbourne is the endless concerts, theatre productions, musicals, etc. that goes on around the city. It's just so HAPPENING with art-related activities. Back in Brunei, I used to rue about the lack of musical concerts and the likes. But I can just indulge myself totally here! It's ENDLESS!!! (Okay, Connie, chill it...!)

Romeo and Juliet may be "over-done" in some ways, but it's still an amazing play, especially the language. I'm looking forward to it.

Perfect way to de-stress after spending the entire afternoon with a computer.

The Blue Bird of Happiness

Alamby (one of my new friends) shared with me this conversation she had with Lily (another friend). Apparently, Lily told her that she was very happy, and of course, Alamby was inclined to enquire the reason behind this state of happiness (curiosity is human nature, after all!). Lily gave her this answer:

"Because I can play the piano everyday. That's why I am very happy."

And I thought, Wow.

She simply felt happy to have the chance to be studying at the Uni. of Melbourne, to be able to play the piano everyday, and just to enjoy Music, in all its essence. That was contentment enough for her.

Alamby felt the same as I did; we were simply struck speechless by the simplicity of her statement. I mean, I wouldn't know how to give a reply to such a statement. Here we are, all of us Music students, yet each of us share different ideals and thoughts about being able to play an instrument or sing, or the fact that we have this opportunity to experience it everyday.

I still can't (or maybe I dare not) completely fathom Lily's statement. It's so simple, yet powerful. Maybe sometimes we just search too hard in life for the things which would keep us 'happy' and 'satisfied'... yet what we yearn for may just have been right in front of our eyes all along.

And maybe then we'll be able to finally be content with ourselves (and our lives) for once; and simply enjoy and cherish what we already have.


~~~
The title of the post actually refers to a French play by Maurice Maeterlinck, L'Oiseau Bleu (The Blue Bird). The play, in short, is about two children who embark on a journey to search for The Blue Bird of Happiness, only to return home to discover that the Blue Bird has been in their bird cage all along.

This blog is...

... dead.

For one thing, I have absolutely nothing interesting to post about, unless you want to listen to boring details about my course and assignments, and the fact that semester exams are coming up in June - and the fact that I have only one paper to sit for (Music Techniques 1-1), a Listening Test, and a practical exam - is just not right, when everyone else is suffering through 4-5 papers. (Not that I'm complaining.)

Melbourne may be a city, and there ARE many happening things around, but the most I've been to are music concerts (classical ones, for that matter), which I HAVE to go as a requirement of one of my units (which dictate that I MUST attend 5 concerts per semester, otherwise I fail the course =/ ). That's not to say that going to those concerts are a drag - I enjoy classical music, and I enjoy the concerts. (That does NOT make me a boring person - I just happen to be a person whose interests lie in Literature and Arts =D). I have to fill in Concert Report forms (basically I have to write a review on each of these concerts), and the "purpose" of forcing, oops, I mean, making us attend concerts around Melbourne is basically:

"To broaden the perspective of students by stimulating their learning experience and faculties of reflection and criticism in a variety of musical contexts of international standard."

That's quoted from the coursebook.


And I told myself not to do this, but anyway - (for the lack of better 'blog'-worthy material to post about) - JERRY, where's your updates??

Movies

"Remember, remember, the fifth of November,
gunpowder, treason and plot,
I see no reason why gunpowder treason
should ever be forgot."

I went to watch 'V for Vendetta' with my CG on Thursday night, and ... it was the first time I stepped into a cinema ever since I came to Melbourne. I know that my life here isn't terribly exciting, but still, to have gone without cinema trips for two months is just bad (for a cinema lover like me). I realized how much I enjoy the cinema experience then, and just the comfort of sitting in front of a huge screen, the surround sound system...

I digress.

Anyway, for all its political content, the movie was surprisingly enjoyable and captivating for someone like me who walked into it without any high expectations... Is it shown in Brunei at all? Somehow I doubt it, since all I hear from there is 'Ice Age 2', etc.! Lol. I mean, V for Vendetta is a movie with strong political themes (to quote: "People should not be afraid of their goverments; goverments should be afraid of their people"), themes bordering on homosexuality, Islam and paedophilia, including modern-day references like terrorism, war, epidemics, biological weapons (lots of post 9/11 themes, in all) - so I don't think the Brunei cinemas would show it. The story is set in a dystopian future, depicting the regime of a totalitarian state.

I won't go into details, but a few remarkable scenes include Natalie Portman's character, Evey, having her head all shaved (and what's amazing is that Natalie Portman really had her head shaved bald completely); never seeing Hugo Weaving's face (who is hidden behind the Guy Fawkes' mask the entire time); and my favourite scenes included the fireworks (never mind the fact that the fireworks and explosions were during the destruction of government buildings), and the most amazing one: the domino scene, where Hugo Weaving's character, V, tips over red and black dominoes to form the letter 'V'. There's something about watching the domino effect which I enjoy immensely - it's just fascinating. Apparently, 22, 000 dominoes were procured, assembled by 4 professional domino assemblers, and took 200 hours to set up... and it was all over in less than 3 minutes.

The Wachowski brothers (directors of 'Matrix') wrote the script, and there were some 'Matrix' moments in the final scenes of the movie - and throughout the movie, there were a couple of times where I kept thinking, "Agent Smith" whenever V appears (even though we never see Hugo Weaving's face). I think it's the costume. It's almost the same as in 'Lord of the Rings', when you just can't stop associating Hugo Weaving's elf character, Elrond, with his Matrix character, Agent Smith. Haha.

Story-wise, I found it highly enjoyable, and the dialogue, though very philosophical at times, does get you thinking and it's more easily understood than the Matrix trilogy, where certain themes simply flew over my head, and which I'm still trying to understand the ending! But an appreciation of a film is never completed without mention of the score - the music is by Dario Marianelli, who has entered the list of my favourite film composers. He did the music for Pride and Prejudice (the 2005 film version) as well. Themes from Tchaikovsky's 1812 overture and Beethoven's 5th Symphony were included extensively in the film's score - more pluses. =D Again, I found myself being distracted by the background music at times during the film, and the dialogue became the background instead. I had to force myself to focus on the film and not get carried away by the music. Lol.

Okay, this might be turning boring for you guys who probably have no idea what I'm rambling on about.


Semester exams are in June, and I've already received my practical exam details... it's not something I'm looking forward to, especially not when my examiner happens to be the Head of Keyboard, and when your piano teacher goes, "Ooooh", it simply confirms your worst fears. It's not that the Head of Keyboard is an evil man - he also happens to be the chairman of the AMEB (Australian Music Examination Board - the Australian equivalent of the ABRSM), and it's just - "pressure, pressure, pressure"... I'll probably faint from the stress on 8th of June even before I step into the room!

Temperatures have been ranging from the low '-teens' to high '-teens', but it feels like it's perpetually in the low '-teens'. Come winter, it will be single-digit temperatures.

I don't want to be paler... I'm serious! I can't get darker (been there, done that, failed miserably); so at the very least, don't let me become some weird translucent being..

Workload is getting heavier lately, as the end of the semeste draws near... I have to juggle my time now, and really learn to stop procrastinating. The proverb 'once bitten, twice shy' certainly doesn't apply to us procrastinators - I never learn from past experiences, and I think I'm setting myself up for another familiar roller-coaster ride of last-minute fiascos. Ahh!

Btw, Jerry's last post was, a-hem, interesting... Haha. It's always interesting to hear from a guy's point of view for us girls, don't you think? But sometimes, we tend to get distracted by the fairy-tale romances we read about in books and see in movies, and forget that reality is always a different story. "And they lived happily ever after" endings just don't happen in real life (except maybe a small percentage out there). And because of that little voice which says, "Just maybe, you never know!", I guess that's why we hope to be "different" and continue dreaming about being swept off our feet, and enjoy a happily-ever-after bliss ending. And that's why, even though I know that those kind of movies are 'unreal', I still enjoy the happy endings. At least someone gets a happy ending (fictional or not). =P

Okay, I have to get back to doing my weekly music assignment now... And then I have a 25% essay to finish up (dued on Thursday), another music assignement dued at the end of May (30%) AND a research essay (50%) dued in June (and I have to start my research now, or I'll never get it finished on time).

On top of that, I have yet to attend 5 concerts, which is a compulsory requirement for me to pass my Ensemble subject.

All that by June!

*faints*

Ern and I were just chatting online just now, and from talking about our "new" glasses, the conversation somehow veered to English lessons with Mrs. Manik. We both agreed that our spelling and vocabulary have gotten worse after graduating from SAS. I remember one particular lesson, where we had to "fill in the blanks" with whatever. Anyway, one statement went:

"Let us be _____, Frank."

Or something like that, anyway. Ern and I were sitting beside each other, as usual. Mrs. Manik was making her rounds around the class. So Ern and I were figuring out what to put in that blank, and Ern suggested...

"Let us be frank, Frank."

Okay, that's like so retarded, I know! Anyway, we proposed it to Mrs. Manik.

Needless to say, she was not... very amused. But Ern and I really think that we did "tickle" her, it's just that she didn't want to give us the satisfaction of knowing that we succeeded in making her smile or laugh. Ern said that if she wasn't in one of her PMS-y days, she would have laughed.

Thinking about it, most of our female teachers were always going through those PMS moods - (suddenly I'm struck with the thought that a teacher might just stumble upon this blog. Scary!! Lol). Okay, maybe I shouldn't name names, but a certain teacher who dealt in the field of figures and graphs was always PMS-ing. But she was still fun! When she's not in her moods lah.

Anyway, the conversation led to the English compositions we used to write in class... one incident stands out in mind.

One of the topics we had on that particular Compo day was to make a story from the sentence "...and all that was left were footprints in the sand."

We all did our compos, handed in, and it was marked and returned. Anyway, Zakhir had always been notoriously protective of his compositions, and for that particular composition, Mrs. Manik made a really interesting remark, I think, so that got all of us curious. During recess time, we managed to "steal" his exercise book.

Oh man... it was the funniest composition we've ever read.

It was also the composition which made the least sense. I mean, there was no head or tail to it!

I can't really remember (someone correct me if they remember!) I think the essence of his composition was basically about this necklace with a curse on it... and there were a few paragraphs of this long-winded fantasy plot involving the necklace. And later on, for some reason, this girl found the cursed on the beach. She put it on, and -

She exploded.

Or was it the necklace which exploded?

But it was just hilarious!! She exploded, and "all that were left were footprints in the sand."

We have never laughed so hard before. I mean, it just didn't make sense at all!!

But to quote what Ern said: The funniest part was that Zakhir was convinced he deserved a high mark for it.

Jonathan Kok's compos were always revolving around the same theme: romance, and he always, ALWAYS kills off his main character at the end, usually by suicide. It led to Mrs. Manik labelling him as a romantic person, or something. Haha. I guess we all had our characteristics in our compositions.

Mr. AJ's Physics classes were funny as well... Ern lah! Always get me into trouble =P I remember one incident where we were sitting together (again), and we were doing absolutely nothing, but Mr. AJ gave us this really mean glare. Scaaary, okay! I didn't know what I did - maybe Ern did something. Lol. The "silence, class" and the "bang-bang-bang" with the palm of his hand on whatever surface he can find.

But I think Ern and I kind of created a "name" for ourselves, especially in Mr. AJ's classes. I remembered when Ms. Mary told Ern and I that Mrs. Manik (or some other teacher) thought we were a couple or something? That was in Form 3 or something? Lol.

But Ern and I do go quite a long way back... I remember we used to wait for each other everyday in Primary 4, and walk together to the bench to wait for our cars. Even when we were "split up" in Form 1, he always came to bother us in Form 1B. Lol. Yeah, Ern, I know you're drawn to me. =P But we were reunited in Form 4! Haha.

Okay, I should end this before I sound any more mushier. But anyway, bottom line is... I miss everyone back in Brunei! And the dream I had last night doesn't make it any better either. And to answer Ern's comment - no, it's not real! It's just a dream!! Just a dream.

But all that aside, I don't feel as homesick as I did last year (which was the whole year round, actually). I'm enjoying Melbourne, and already settling into life here... But I still can't wait to move out of this stupid apartment next year, and find my own place!! I need to find someone to share with, as well, and then I can rent my own piano from the Music Faculty instead of walking down to the practice rooms everyday.

It's ANZAC Day tomorrow, and it's a university holiday, so no school again! The classes I'll be missing tomorrow are replaced on Wednesday, though. Which is supposed to be my free day, but never mind!

Anyway, must go to sleep now... btw.. I want to see more pictures from Jerry. =P I've got no camera with me, so you can't exactly force me to put up pictures.


"So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodnight!"

Random

Easter break's over, and Easter camp was just amazing. Shall post more about it next time.

It's already autumn, and the weather's already chilling me to the bones - it feels like winter in Perth!! I can't imagine how I will be able to cope when winter really arrives later on. It's been raining/drizzling intermittently for the past few days (although it didn't today). I kind of miss the rains we had back in Brunei - the heavy, several-hours-long kind of rain. On those kind of rainy days, it's just lovely to stay home and do what I love best - either eat or sleep. =D

Speaking of sleep... wonder if any of you ever had a dream... where you're with all your friends, but for some reason, they're all denying you, and sever all ties with you. They pretend not to know you anymore, and whisper about things behind your back, and you just keep walking on, trying not to show that it's affecting you really badly. And when you try to find out what happened, no one wants to tell you anything, and for some reason, it's all your fault that you are no longer friends.

It's scary... I woke up from a dream like that this morning. A few of my closest and good friends were just being really mean... one or two were neutral, but I felt so alone and hurt. And it really did felt as if I had done something wrong. But I didn't know what.


Anyway!

Let's cast away that air of gloominess and depression and come back to happier things - like Jerry! You look different! Post more pictures of yourself =D

Speaking of that... I don't think any of you have actually seen me with my "not-so-new" glasses anymore... I was web-camming with my sister a few weeks back, and my brother saw me. Well, my sister as well. And my youngest brother said that I look really weird... Eeargh... brothers! My sister didn't really say anything, except that, "You have new glasses!"

I guess I really do look different, in terms of looks now! I mean, if you just compare how I looked the year before and now, it makes me wonder how I decided to have a perm, and at the same time, chop my hair off to have a fringe. And knowing me, it's quite a radical change, since I don't usually just go "all out". I mean, just before I had my hair permed back in M'sia, I even SMS-ed Ern just to get his opinion, so that I won't end up with weird octopus hair or something!

He never replied me, and the next minute I know, I was already seated on the chair with the curlers attached to my hair. =( I was seriously, seriously nervous - I didn't even know what I was doing, okay! It took a long time getting used to it - I remember after everything was done, I was regretting it, and complaining to my aunt (who probably can't be bothered putting up with my whining, since I wanted a radical change in the beginning). After a few weeks or so, it became part of "me".

Even my new glasses were just weird - I mean, I had worn my frameless glasses for three years, and though my prescription didn't change much when I had it checked at the beginning of the year, my astigmatism increased (again), which wasn't much, but my mom and I thought that I should have spare glasses, just in case. The spare, being my old glasses... And because thick-framed glasses are "in", I thought, heck, might as well be different.

And even after my new glasses were made, and even though my world was so much brighter and clearer, I couldn't, I just could NOT get used to seeing my face in the mirror with these thick-rimmed purplish-blue and metallic red glasses. I instantly went back to my old glasses after that, and once again, complained to my aunt and mom who were with me in S'pore. I wore the new pair on and off, and slowly got used to it. Now I can't wear my old glasses, because they feel weird!

And you guys know that I've worn my dolphin necklace for seven years now, right? Well, I'm not wearing it anymore - and that was a "painful" choice for me too. My mom bought me this new necklace in S'pore, with a really beautiful treble-clef pendant. Sort of a "present" for passing my Diploma... my dolphin necklace was ironically bought in S'pore as well, from my dad, for passing my Grade 5 exam with a distinction. I miss my old necklace! =(

=( Obviously, I have a complexity about letting go of the "past".

This is so random.

Er...

I need sleep now! School tomorrow, Easter break is over (and by the way, the first time in my entire schooling life that I had an Easter break). Haha, sakai of me, I know. =P

Night!

Dislike #1: Chain-Letters (grrr)

I received yet another one of "those" chain letters - sheesh, don't people just get tired of reading the same things over and over again?? I usually sort through my inbox email by email, starting from the top, and sometimes even the most innocent subjects can be the worst chain-letters. And you just seriously wonder why do people keep falling for it?! Especially when there are glaringly obvious flaws in the contents of the chain letter (email, I should say), itself.

Anyway, chain letters tend to follow a pattern; it's usually "if-you-don't-send-this-out-your-love-life-will-suffer" or "you-will-die-in-16-hours-if-you-do-not-follow-the-instructions". Or it might be "suffer-bad-luck-for-the-rest-of-your-life". Otherwise, it's always something related to love lives (makes you wonder about the people who aren't even in relationships) - "if-you-do-not-send-this-your-loved-one-will-dump-you".

Let's use the one I received today as an example. I won't reproduce the whole thing - it's just sheer idiocy, but let me have my fun of dissecting and lambasting it. *evil grin*

"This chain letter is real so follow the instructions and something good will happen!!"

*Huge, exaggerated yawn* Yeah, yeah, we've heard it all before. And how can you PROVE that it's real?? How is it real? Stop making all these ludicrous statements.

And as if they know you aren't convinced, they have to add an extra statement:

"Listen to this letter and good luck!!"

I won't even bother.

"Sorry, but this chain letter is for real. When Anne Wichert got it for the first time, she ignored it and a week later the love of her life jumped her for no good reason so BEWARE, and just send the stupid letter!!!!!!"

Okay, who the heck is Anne Wichert?! And why do we even care?! If you have like, an article with her photo, with details of her failed relationship, right down to proof of identification, and whatever nonsense, maybe we just might care a little. And why are you apologizing, anyway?! And anyway, millions of rational people probably ignore chain letters, and every day, someone probably gets dumped for "no good reason". And if this letter is "stupid", why are you even creating it?? (I assume that all chain letters must have originated from some smart wiseguy who has nothing better to do than to mess with the lives of innocent people.)

And then, after all this "declarations" and "statements", you have the usual contents - it's either some sort of retarded quiz, or just a really lo-so article on love and in my case, an article describing the rules of kissing and what-nots. (Tet~) Nonsense lar!!

Let's move on to the funniest (and lamest) joke I've ever seen -

"This chain started in 1887."

1887?! You've got to be kidding me. I almost fell off my chair. Wah-lau eh, I don't think technology was so advanced lor. And yeah, you may have the traditional "snail mail", but still!! I'm just thinking that it's extremely retarded that let's say, one person received this letter by snail mail in maybe 1995? (Computers becoming quite household already.) And let's say this person freaks out and goes, "Hey, look, e-mail! Fast, right? And can spread to even more people! Muahaha. I'm saved from the bad luck! (And I save tons on postage and envelopes as well~)."

Or whatever.

Never mind. Basically, it just sounds ridiculous to make a statement like that - for all you know, it might have started in 1500s or the Middle Ages~

Anyway.

"It is a love chain letter."

Like, duh, we know that.

"In an hour you are supposed to send it to 25 people. It is easy, just look into chat rooms and find them."

-___-"

I don't even go to chatrooms anymore (except when I want to download something, and we have MSN now~ maybe this chain letter was created in the late 1990s after all. And hey, what do you know, another major flaw - chatrooms in 1887!! You've got to be kidding me, right. And in 1887, can any ordinary person be able to replicate this letter and send it out to 25 people in only one hour??

Let's imagine:

A woman living in 1887 receives this in her mailbox outside her pristine country home. "Oh no," she exclaims. "If I don't send this to 25 people in 1 hour, I'll have bad luck in my love life! (What are chatrooms, anyway?) Never mind - must quickly get some pen and paper now, and envelopes and stamps!" (By the way, was the postal system already in effect by the late 1880s?)

I estimate that to replicate one letter will probably take 10 min or more - in cursive writing some more. (Since people tend to write in cursive in those times.)

Forget it.

"Anyway, send it to 25 people in 1 hour."

Yes, we've already got that in our heads.

"Now here comes the fun part."

Ooooh, what's that?? (/sarcasm)

"You then say the name of the person you like or love and then the person will say 'I love you,' or 'will you go out with me?'"

You know, if things can happen this easily, just by simply following some dumb instructions in a dodgy chain letter... And anyway, that's supposed to be "fun"?

And as if knowing that we doubt the authenticity of the letter -

"NO JOKE!!!!!"

In caps some more - plus 5 exclamation marks to augment the "seriousness" of the situation. -_-"

And as with every chain letter, you have the "consequences":

"If you break the chain letter, you will have bad luck in future relationships. If you don't break the chain, then you will be a happy camper!!!"

This ridiculous statement speaks for itself. Moving on~

"CONgRatULaTioNs! !"

Congratulations? Read on...

"You have been chosen to participate in the LONGEST and the LUCKIEST chain letter on the Internet! Once you read, this letter you must IMMEDIATELY (meaning within the hour) be sent to 25 people. After you send it, make a wish and it will come TRUE"

Oooh, don't you just feel honoured to have been "chosen"? It's not like we had a choice lor! (And again - 1887 = Internet??) They just keep reiterating the "1-hour, 25 people" thing.

Make a wish and it will come true? That belongs in the fairytales. And because these doubts are creeping into your head, and in case you're one of those people who decide to "send it later on, just in case", the chain letter warns you in a really loud voice (because it's typed in CAPS)

"YOU MAY NOT WAIT FOR A CERTAIN TIME TO SEND IT......"

Okay, okay, don't need to shout!!

"....REMEMBER, IT MUST BE SENT TO 25 PEOPLE WITHIN 1 HOUR, OR YOUR WISH WILL NOT COME TRUE!"

I think the numbers 25 and 1 hour will be floating around in my head for the next hour or so.

The climax is really at in this statement:

"If THIS CHAIN LETTER IS CONTINUED UNTIL THE YEAR 2004, IT WILL BE PLACED IN THE GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS!"

LOL. I won't even try to tear this statement apart. I think the absurdity of it pretty much brought it down already.

And because you still won't believe it, the letter begs you not to listen to the logic in your brain which tells you to just press the "Delete" button on top of the screen and watch it sit in your Trash folder:

"PLEASE CONTINUE IT NOW!!!"

x_x

And as usual, after the "consequences", you have the familiar "warning":

"IF YOU DO NOT PASS THIS ON, SOMETHING BAD OR WORSE WILL HAPPEN TO YOU:"

I think we already got that idea from the very beginning of the letter when we read about Anne-what's-her-name who got dumped.

"NOTE: THE MORE PEOPLE YOU SEND THIS TO THE MORE LUCK YOU WILL HAVE IN YOUR LOVE LIFE."

I think we'll get more bad luck considering the irritation of our friends who receive childish chain letters like this.

*Whack*
"What was that for?!"
"Flood my inbox with such nonsense lah!"

"IF YOU BREAK THE CHAIN LETTER (IT HAS BEEN GOING SINCE 1887) YOU WILL HAVE BAD LUCK WITH YOUR LOVE LIFE FOR SEVEN YEARS."

Sheesh, enough with the 1887 thing already! And that whole bad luck thing! Life itself is full of ups and downs - if we can make our lives stress-free, bad-luck-free, and everything else free, then what's the point? There's no excitement and "life" in cruising along smoothly. We need bumps now and then to help us learn and get us through our journey.

The funniest part of all:

"THIS IS NO JOKE".

LOL.

And hey, what do you know, it's already an hour *huge grin*. Does that mean I will be plummeted with bad luck from now on for the next seven years?

If I add up all the chain letters I've ignored thus far, I think I should be suffering for the rest of my life. =D Otherwise, I ought to be, by right, already dead. -_-" And I'm sure a lot of people ignore chain letters as well.



P/S. I might sound a bit too condescending in this post... but it's all in jest! Just pretend I'm Jerry blogging. =P (No offense meant to you, Jerry! Lol. J/k.)

....

今日さむいですね。

The weather's turning colder and colder... if I'm already freezing now, I can't imagine the situation when June comes around. I'll probably turn into an icecube.

JERRY WONG SIA HOW, WHERE ARE THE PICTURES YOU PROMISED???? WHERE IS THE POST YOU PROMISED TO PUT UP???

Now that's over and done with... onto my usual "updates"...

....

......

..........

*mind blank*

Okay, this certainly shows how interesting my life is.

Rant

Bloody lifts...!! GRRRR.

This has to be the 3rd time this week that I have to walk up and down NINE floors of stairs.

What the heck are the maintenance people doing??!

'Poke-able'

Does that word even exist? I doubt it! But I can't think of any other word.

Today during lunch, I was sitting with Chiew Hui and Pamela.

(A conversation is carrying on between Connie, Chiew Hui and Pamela. Suddenly...)

*Poke*

Connie: (startled) What?!

(Connie turns around in her usual blur fashion, searching for the culprit. She turns to her right and sees no one, and whips to her left to see...)

Connie: ONG CHI!!

(After some random conversation - a lot of exclamations coming from Connie, as expected - Chiew Hui has to leave for her lecture. Ong Chi takes her place.)

(More random conversation. Suddenly~)

*Poke!*

(Again, Connie looks left and right to see the culprit. This time it was - )

Connie: Bell!!

(Bell goes off to sit with her friends at the next table. Conversation carries on, with more 'exclamations' from Connie before the conversation actually gets back on track.)

(Conversation resumes. Time passes. And then~)

*Poke!!*

Connie: (not again! Turns to see) Grace!!

(Connie is very sorry to say that she started 'ranting' in her very Connie-way about why everyone is 'shocking' her today by poking her from one angle and appearing at another angle. All that at Grace's surprised face. Sorry!! =P)

As lunch break nears its end, Fate and a little bit of Suay-ness decides to play with Connie for one last time -

*Poke!!!*

Connie: (immune by this time liao~ turns around and sees) Lin...



I think lor, if someone poked me one more time, I won't be surprised anymore, even if I see a real ghost. Probably just stare and be sotong.

Titleless

Hello!~

Daylight savings end today - yes, an extra hour in my day!! The time difference between Brunei and here is now 2 hours; not that it's significant in any way at all. Just felt like saying it. =P

I'm bored.

No, I'm not bored, actually. I have a presentation tomorrow, a couple of assignments dued on Thursday, a response paper dued on Thursday as well. This is my busiest week by far. I'll be tackling all that later.

What's that I hear? Music, you ask? Oh, I'm quite enjoying it, thank you very much for asking! I have to "build up the strength in my fingers", though. I have to work on my technical skills to achieve that. Gah.

I see your eyes glazing over now, your attention shifting. I know my post is boring today, but it's just to *huff* keep this *puff* blog going... *breathe*. If no one else blogs *HINTS VERY STRONGLY AT A CERTAIN SOMEONE*, then it'll just slowly die a sad and painful death again. I have to do my part to "inject" a bit of life into it.

No matter how boring my posts may be.


[edit]


By the way, if anyone wanted to know, Chiew Hui definitely was in pink that day!! (So I'm not that blur!) I've clarified that with Ong Chi, but Chiew Hui showed me her shirt the other day when I was at her place - we've come to a compromise: She was wearing an orange-shirt-turned-pink.

^_^