Ski trip

I got the pictures from Tim (yay!), and here's some of them, which ought to make this blog look more lively and colourful. A long overdue post.

In the train. Reflections in the window.

We set off from Flinders St. Station at 6.24 a.m. to Pakenham Station, where we have to take a bus from there to Warragul. Uncle Roy would pick us up from Warragul Station to Yarragon at around 9-ish.

One of many beautiful views on the looong ride up to Mount Baw Baw. Can't really see from here, but that's actually a really beautiful lake in the background - it's a spectacular view.

Blue skies with wide expanses of green, green fields were a common scenery.

Just arrived! Here we are, before...

...and after all the hassle of renting our equipment, deciding to ski or go snowboarding, getting our gear and clothes...

The snowboarders: Grace, Adrian, Yon How

The skiers: Tim, me, Calvin, Zoe

Snow, snow, snow!

Here I am! Somewhere near the top.

Blue sky, white snow. And that's Calvin's scarf.

Snowball fight!!

Skiers done for the day!

The snowboarders were still at it. The boots were really killing my feet (and Zoe's as well!) at this point in time! And... I think I really ought to get contact lenses, especially for events like this. My specs almost got killed during this ski trip.

Dinner!

The delicious food prepared by Aunt Ann. It was almost impossible to finish all that food - and dessert was truffle, which is the best. Thinking about Aunt Ann's dessert makes me wish I could have it now...

L-R: Zoe, Grace, Cal, me, Yon, Adrian and Tim
One final shot before leaving.

A herd of cows/buffaloes were watching us from the farm beside us. I thought they were buffaloes at first, because they were all black - I mean, they looked like buffaloes, so when one of them moo-ed, I asked the others, "Are they cows or buffaloes?", a question which was promptly met with laughter and exclamations of, "Connie, you are so blur!" and other sentences along the lines of me being blur.

But it seemed strange to me that if they were cows, why were they segregated like that? (I mean, by colour.) It seemed a bit unfair to me. And I still don't know if they are cows or buffaloes!! What sounds do buffaloes make anyway?? Maybe I'm just being weird.

Or maybe I am blur after all.

*
Anyway, I have to go study now. No, I'm not being a nerd. I have a test tomorrow!!

Signing out!

Ski and snow!

My arms and legs are aching all over. I just came back from a ski trip over the weekend to Mount Baw Baw, which is about an hour-plus journey from Melbourne. Went with a few other people from OCF. I'll post up pictures when I get them!

It was my first time experiencing snow!

I had my first snowball fight. (Being targeted at most of the time was not part of my plan, though. Lol.)

I ski-ed for the first time. (Well, I tried my best! ...With lots of falling down.)

I wished I could have stayed longer.. We stayed with Aunt Ann and Uncle Roy, through arrangements with a brother in OCF who had connections with them. Aunt Ann is from Sabah, but she's been here for 37 years..! And guess what, she lived in Seria!

The food was amazing as well. Aunt Ann can really cook! The countryside was beautiful, and the scenery absolutely gorgeous. It always feels so depressing coming back to the city after spending time in the country. Already I miss the peace, quiet and pristine country life.

Shall post more about it next time when I actually get pictures, so you guys won't have to keep looking at lines and lines of boring white text.

It's Monday again tomorrow... Time flies, and it's already week 5 of the semester. 7 more weeks left.

Catharsis

At the edge of the cliff, she took a deep breath and yelled, releasing pent-up emotions which had been accumulating for the past few weeks. Over and over again, she shouted into the air, the faceless wind carrying away her repressed feelings and fears.

She sank to the ground, exhausted. But the heaviness, the overwhelming feeling, was gone - replaced now, by a sense of restoration and refreshment; and together with it, a glimmer of hope for the future.





Bleh.

Rumination

It's been a year since Jerry and I started Opposite Corners of the World. Not that it's a big deal. Hopefully (?) more years to come (?), especially in the wake of recent blog-closings and decisions to close blogs. (It doesn't sound that bad, really.) Seeing that Jerry has gone MIA - again - this blog has literally become my blog instead of our blog. But anyway, for the sake of the interested people (if there is even anyone left who still reads this blog), we officially entered the blogsphere on the 4th of August, 2005.

It's too early for countdowns, but for lack of better subjects to post about, it is approximately less than five months before I find myself back in the hot and humid 'Land of Unexpected Treasures'. Ong Chi told me that apparently last week, The Age, one of Australia's national newspapers, featured an article on Brunei in their Saturday edition! I didn't catch it, but yeah, they were highlighting all the main attractions in Brunei, and it seems that there is another Brunei tourism promotion thing in 2008? Hm.



This is a capture from a video taken at my house, late November back in 2004. I can't remember who took the video. It was just the kittens playing with their mom's tail. (Yes, I can't believe I still have the video - I must have uploaded it to my laptop when I bought it the following year.)

Things have changed since then. The cats are gone. There's only the dog left (despite being very fierce, he's a really good guard dog - and I hope he still recognizes me when I return home (!) or I risk being attacked - seriously).

The pool is gone as well. When I left in late February this year, the workers were already chipping away at the edge of the pool. The wooden ledge thing at the side had already been taken away. I don't know how that area of my home looks like anymore; probably been a few months now, but I didn't ask my sister about it till last week, although I had been meaning to find out about it months ago. Apparently, it's just a garden now, often visited by birds. My sister used to throw barley seeds, but she stopped, and she said that the maid (a new one whom I have not even met yet) continued throwing rice for them after that. Probably lucky we don't have cats now! They used to love catching birds... I've seen a few of the unlucky victims, and it's not a pleasant sight!

There were a few reasons why my dad decided to demolish the pool, among which included the fact that it was under-used. When my family first moved into this house in 2000, my siblings, especially my sister, used to swim and play in it everyday. There were a few pool parties (usually mine, my brother's or my sister's), the most memorable being my sixteenth birthday. Where it was once a novelty, it just became part of the house after awhile.. I feel almost sad, really.

Probably may come as a surprise to most of you... I don't think I mentioned it at all before I left. There'll be no more pool parties again. My house is just like any other house now. Hahaha.

On other matters, I don't know what to expect when I return to Brunei in December.

But this is where my ruminations for the day end.

A Rabbit's Life III

It's routine, as usual.

Just sitting here at the table, in front of my laptop, typing this now, looking forward to the weekend, and hoping to get some work done over the weekend as well.

I've been idling my time away here, when the faint, familiar, and undeniably recognizable sounds coaxed gently and skilfully from strings, floated from somewhere outside my room, reaching my ears. At first, I thought, Nah, it can't be. But the almost haunting melody persisted. I could almost see the graceful bowings, the fingers stretching and nimble, pressing on the appropriate places on the fingerboard. I muted the random music playing from Winamp and went to my window and strained to listen for that almost fairy-like music, which hid itself among the other sounds of the city night and apartment life.

Someone is playing the violin, somewhere in the rooms above my floor.

For a moment, I reflected on the past gone by, when I took up the violin for about a year, before I gave up, mainly out of laziness. I admit, I didn't invest as much time as I should have. I did not put in much effort into practicing regularly. For me, it was just ... cool to take up a new instrument, and knowing the basics was good enough for me.

But for that moment, I almost wish I hadn't stopped. I kind of miss playing it sometimes. And I would love to take it up again sometime in the future.

And for a moment, I try to grasp the wisps of music coming into my room. I can almost envision myself living in 17th century Venice, experiencing Music as we move from the Renaissance to the Baroque period..

(The last sentence is kind of related to what I'm studying now in Baroque & Classical Music. Lol. Oops. Maybe a sign that I need to get my head out of the books and relax over the weekend. =P)

The Green Man/The Thing

Before I head to bed, just thought I'll do a random update.


Firstly, yes, I know I look very different now; probably a bit different, even if you compare pre-Brunei (when I left Brunei back in February) and now. Yep, for some reason, my hair is "curlier". But Ern (that's one mention!) and I both agree that I should lay off straightened hair in the future. Lol. And yeah, keep the fringe, too. But how about the new specs?

Second, Ern is now (that's 2!) officially The Green Man a.k.a. The Alien. You may call him The Thing, if you want to, as well. I shall explain another time. (The "tribute" post will probably come later, Ern - and that's 3 times =P).

Thirdly, I have an early class tomorrow, so I can't spend too long here now.

Fourthly, Ern (4 times!! =D), I was just joking when I was *choking/chortling/laughing* just now. Honestly, you don't look THAT bad. You look... normal, actually. I don't know what reaction you were hoping to get out of me, actually. Hahaha.

I am so very tempted to put up that picture along with this post...


In other news, I went to the OCF Ball on Saturday night. It was basically a fund-raising event for OCF Convention at the end of the year in December. It was a great night... and I will try to put up some pictures of the whole glitz and glamour once I snitch those pictures off the other people (I seriously need a camera!!).

Workload is heavier, as I have mentioned before, this semester. I've been putting a lot more effort into longer practice hours as well, and I'm quite happy about that - but not enough. Need time management, planning, etc. etc.

I don't want to do this, I promised myself I wouldn't, but I have to: Jerry Wong!!! I don't think I need to say more, do I??

By the way, Ern, hope these are enough mentions for you. =P And there ARE more to come.

Heh.

9-teen

Thanks for all the birthday wishes.

Gosh.

Esther, a fellow sister in my CG (cell group), told me that this is my final year in the "10's"; I'll be joining the "2's" next year. It's almost scary - I can't believe I'm - we - are approaching our twenties soon. It seems too fast suddenly. To think that when I was younger, I couldn't wait to grow up - and now that I've hit this - this number called nineteen, I wish I can remain young forever. Come to think of it, why was it that we wanted to "grow up" back when we were still young 'uns, carefree and innocent? Lol.

My CG gave me a not-so-surprise dinner party on Monday night. (It's quite obvious when your CG leader decides to organize a CG dinner on the night before your actual birthday!) Originally, we were supposed to go to this Korean restaurant, but apparently most restaurants are closed on Mondays (beginning of week = not much business), and we went to this Japanese restaurant called Yamato instead. It's pretty pricey, but the food's quite good.

Let's see... there were pictures (you can see a few posted up by my CG leader at our CG blog here), a blackforest chocolate cake from Brunetti, and a gift - my very first perfume. Lol. (There's a picture of me posing with it at the CG blog.)

Amidst it all, thanks for all the SMSes and emails. I really, really appreciate it... And I know that you guys probably think I'm silly for saying this, but seriously, it's nice to be remembered, though I'm miles away, across the oceans and continents.

On the actual day itself, I went KTV-ing with some people from OCF, together with Mei Sun, who shared the same birthday, except that she's a year older. It was pretty good, and we all sang our hearts out - we sang mostly Chinese songs. (Yay! Lol.)

Despite it all, I still miss celebrating my birthday at home. Home with family, and with friends... But I still thank God, for all His blessings. I don't feel as homesick as I did last year, and I think I'm actually a bit more comfortable here in Melbourne. (Perth is still great, though!) Maybe I've kind of adapted to living by myself.


Anyway, Jerry, you will be 19 soon enough, so don't start calling me old!! 20 September is coming... =P


Second semester's a busier time. The number of contact hours I have per week isn't all that different from first semester, but my workload is a bit heavier - with a Music History subject, I have to do a lot of reading and listening to music by all these Baroque and Classical composers. I'm putting more effort into spending longer practice hours as well. But I don't think you want to hear - I mean, read - about the monotonous school life I am leading. Lol.

Anyway, Jerry, those are nice pictures! What was the occasion? You didn't explain in your post... I think. Or maybe I didn't read it properly. Haha.

Till the next time I update - take care, people, and to you guys back home, all the best for your exams. =)


love,
con.

Usual...

...from my corner of the world.

A new semester has begun, and already I can foresee that it will be a rather busy semester for me. I've attended a couple of lectures today. Here's a summary:

Creative Writing - I'm trying not to have doubts. I'm trying not to worry too much. It's going to be challenging, but I hope to be able to enjoy this course, regardless. I've looked through almost the subjects available in the undergraduate handbook for the Arts course, and there are no other subjects which captivated my interest, save for this one... Gah.

Baroque & Classical Music - I am absolutely loving it! Okay, maybe not really loving loving it. But I really enjoyed the first lecture, though it was just a brief introduction and background to the subject. The professor is very engaging - he had been "voiceless" for about a few weeks now, but still had some voice left to introduce us to the course and a bit of intro on the Renaissance period leading into the Baroque period. One of my friends said that she liked his voice though - LOL. It was low and husky (dued to the sore throat!). Hahaha. Anyway (!), he makes the lectures quite interactive and enjoyable.

Bought my books and course packs today, and feeling quite motivated to work hard this semester. (I have to!!)

I'm such a nerd for being excited over school. Haha.

=P

Reflections

One of the pictures I took of a lake at Rottnest Island, Perth, last year.

I found this particular lake very intriguing, partly because of the unique patterns of the aquatic fauna. If you observe closely (if you can), there are actually sort-of circular patterns in the clear waters. Apparently, the fishes kind of "chomp" a circle (a sloppy circle, I might add!) around the region where their habitat is. So basically, they live within the circle they have created. I don't think I've posted about my trip to Rottnest Island before, but thinking back, I remember sending an e-mail about my cycling trip around Rottnest Island to you guys last year. All words, and no pictures! Lol. I'm not surprised if you have forgotten that e-mail.

Waves crashing against the rocky coastline.

I remembered it was rather windy; the day started out rather fine, but it drizzled towards the end of our cycling trip. It took all my energy to reach back to where we started. An exhausting 3-hour trip cycling around the island, going over and down little hills, on straight paths, winding paths, narrow paths, wide paths, etc. But it was absolutely a great experience. I loved scenery... the huge waves, the beaches... There were a few surfers out in the sea, and the picture above was actually near an area where there were dolphins. It was quite an 'exciting' experience for me (think Connie's 'excited' reaction), as I saw dolphins in the wild for the first time. It was around the time of the year for dolphin-watching, I think, as they are usually seen in that particular area during that period. Migration and all.

Alas, these were the closest pictures I could get of the dolphins I saw. The school of dolphins were quite far out in the distance, and my camera was already 'zoom-ed' to the max. If you look closely enough, you can see the fin and back of the dolphin in the above two pictures.

Anyway, this is a very random post, I know! But anyway, was just looking back on the pictures I took while I was in Perth last year (before my camera died on me towards the end of the year!), and I guess I just really like doing outdoor activities (contrary to the popular perception of the 'like-to-stay-at-home' me!). It'll be good if we could have a trip together somewhere, just anywhere, before all of you are done with A-Levels or whatever, and before we all split up forever/temporarily; either way, it'll definitely be harder to meet up from next year on, since we'll all be parting our separate ways. Right?

It's so silly - we've been talking about going on a backpacking trip since forever. When will we actually put our words and ideas into actions?

Anyway, Jerry's MIA. I don't have a camera with me here (I know I should have brought one), otherwise I could have more recent pictures to show you guys. And at least liven up this slowly-dying blog, which has lately consist of nothing but lines and lines of text.

Uni starts again tomorrow, and it's back to routine for me! (As routine as it can get, anyway!)

It's been raining frequently lately; 'typical Melbourne winter', I was told. It's been much colder in recent weeks, but I think I'm getting used to it! I seriously miss the sun and the warm weather, though!!

Anyway, all the best to you all who are preparing for your mocks!

Random musings

With less than a week before semester 2 begins, I almost can't believe that half a year has already gone by. I believe that I am speaking for the multitude when I earnestly say that: "Time flies!" Sometimes, Time really just passes you by, and you are left in its wake, trying to pick up where it stunned you, and you run after Time, chasing after it.

The famous phrase, "Time waits for no man and tide" stands true indeed.

Time doesn't wait for anyone at all. Time is constantly pushing on ahead, and never looks back. Time rushes on mercilessly, attacking the nothingness in front of it, creating the Present, leaving the Past locked in its grasp, and giving us a Future of uncertainties... We are compelled to oblige by its rules; we plan our our life according to Time. As we wake up each day, we allocate special parts of the Time of the day to certain activites. It almost seems right to say that we would almost be left floundering helplessly without Time...

In a blink of an eye, suddenly you find yourself standing in a different place. It seems like only yesterday that we were still studying together in the same school. A blink - and that Present dissolves into the Future that is Now. Another blink, and we're scattered all around the world. Yet another blink, and we're already adults, venturing into the working world. And another blink brings us to a Future that is determined by what we do Now.

Doesn't it feel as it Time is moving too fast... ? Too soon... ? Or even too slow...? Amidst it all, things change around us... friends come and go, you meet new people, adjusting to new environments, making important decisions that would impact on our future...

It's funny, whenever someone leaves, we always say, "Keep in touch! Send letters, e-mails, yada-yada-yada..." It's so easy to promise to update each other, but when you sit in front of your laptop/PC and place your fingers on the keyboard, your mind goes blank, no matter how hectic your day was, no matter what happened. Suddenly we're living in different worlds now, and I may be able to share with you "what happened to me today...", but it's hard to relate... And on the other hand, you may feel tinges of homesickness and the occasional lapses of loneliness when you read or hear about what everyone's been up to back home. It's not easy.

Back in SAS, we used to joke that Diya's mom, Mrs. Peter, put a "curse" on us. We had barely begun Form 1 when she told us, "Before you know it, you'll be in Form 3." Sure enough, we found ourselves in Form 3 almost the next day, preparing for PMB... ("Curses, what she said came true!!" was a common utterance in class that year!) and suddenly we found ourselves graduating from SAS.

I guess I'm not really posting about anything special in particular... just reflecting on Life gone by. Orientation has begun for the July intake in uni, and I went to the uni to meet a few friends to discuss some stuff, and it's almost intriguing to see the new students walking around with bags and brochures and random things that are usually given to you during orientation week. I was asked a couple of times if I was a new undergraduate student! But there weren't many people around... maybe there'll be more people in the coming days. The July intake isn't as big as the start of the year, though.

I still have no idea what I'll be doing with my degree...or my future, for that matter. Been thinking about it lately; pondering on transferring degrees, and even dropping one component from my double. Have discussed several times with my mom, but just have to see how things go, I suppose.. My results for semester 1 were not too bad, but I'm not satisfied. (Note to self: must work harder in sem 2!!)

It used to be all about achieving 80s and 90s... but somehow in uni, most people are just glad to even pass. Aiming for H1 (first class honours) seems almost an impossible task, depending on what course you are doing. (Not to say that it is totally impossible.) Sometimes, I almost long to go back to the past, where everything was so much more simpler, with less worries and cares about the future.

Despite the uncertainties, I am enjoying life here and now... except for the cold! I'm dying to see some sunshine and feel some warmth! It's been cloudy almost everyday, and it occasionally drizzles (it doesn't actually "rain" here; more of wispy, light drizzle). It drizzled almost the whole day on Saturday.

Oh yes... Sharon: what love life?? Hahaha. I'm sorry to disappoint you (and my "audience") out there (hehehe), but I have absolutely no love life. =P Check with me in a few years' time, and maybe by then I'll have a story for you. LOL.

Going out later to catch a movie with some friends from my youth fellowship. We're watching Click, starring Adam Sandler. Apparently it's a feel-good family movie (?), and it's a tear-jerker as well... I'll report back and don't be surprise if I told you that I was bawling my eyes out at the end of the movie. Lol!

And of course, a post by Connie is usually incomplete if I don't say this: Jerry, update, update, update!!

=D

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.