Sign Posts on the Road of Life

There is this saying that "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away".

Likewise, I remember my life not by calender years but the events that act as sign posts along the way, such as the progress of these young men in their footballing careers.

Fergie's Fledglings : Butt, Giggs, Beckham, G.Neville, Scholes, P.Neville

I remember when they were first given full rein in the 95/96 season and wondering who these guys were. Giggs I knew, of course, as he was in the first eleven by then but the others drew a blank. That was back when we didn't have Astro and soccernet and Man United had not yet grown into the global icon that we know now.

Now, 13 years later, Giggs and Scholes have talked of retirement and some of the group have even started their coaching badges in preparation for the end of their playing careers. Beckham then is incredibly different from the Beckham that we know now, but throughout his career he has remained the consumate professional as far as the footballing side is concerned. Nicky Butt and Phil Neville have joined other clubs and Gary Neville is no longer the automatic first choice right back at United.

But I guess that the first sign post for me will be when one of them announces his retirement. It will mark the beginning of the end of an era at Man United. And because they've been a part of my life for so long, it will be a poignant moment for me. And it will be a moment that lingers until the last of them has announced his retirement.

For me, at least, Fergie's Fledglings will be the group who fulfilled their talent the way the Busby Babes never had a chance to do.

Obligatory CNY Traditions

Through the passing of the years, many traditions have been dropped in my family's CNY. However, some new ones have been added some of which I'm showing here :

The sampling of local hawker fare, something which emigrant

Penangites like to do when back in their home town.

The ubiquitous television set is frequently on mainly, I suspect,

because they usually command a prominent spot in the living room.

Checking out the birds in the street.

Said birds happen to be pigeons,

not the Andy Williams walking on the streets-types.

The mahjong set made a reappearance after a break of many years

- so long that the players had to take out a manual to help them out.

Spending time with the young.

Spending time with the peers.

Spending time with the elders (try not to sleep on their beds, though).

Spending time with yourself.

And you know what's really great about CNY ? The opportunity to sleep in late - an absolute luxury for me.

The Perils of Socialising with a Blogger ..

Isn't this comic strip so very descriptive of what it's like being with a blogger ?

One question I've been asked is why blog ? Is it that I have too much time with nothing to do ?

I'm not sure that I can answer that with any kind of certainty other than that I'm an accidental blogger. I've simply started writing again after keeping a journal in the years before I married Michelle.

It's like writing in a diary, except that it's very public; and I'm not limited to words but can throw in all manner of photographs, videos and what-have-you.

An online journal which I can read in a few years time and say "Darn, was I stupid then !"

An avenue to vent or to explain how I feel about certain things.

A place to show photographs that I would like to share.

A way to keep relatives updated on our family.

Maybe something that Catriona can read and see how she was then and realise that maybe her parents understand her a little more than she thinks.

Things and events and emotions which can be described in words which don't always translate particularly well if it's just a video or a photograph. You know the expression 'a photo is worth a thousand words' ? What happens if you have a thousand and ten words to say ?

That's why I blog.

NB. probably loads of other reasons too, but I can't think of any right now.

and in The Star today ...

"Nasarudin is first BN rep to join Opposition"

"Musai PAS branch head, 40 members join Umno"

Lovely headlines to greet the 1st day of CNY. In a reciprocal game of tit-for-tat, UMNO/PKR/PAS are exchanging members with abandon, sort of like how you can trade properties in Monopoly. I wonder if we will we get to a stage where we can't differentiate between the various parties due to the number of defections ?

I wonder how many of the defections are about the struggle ? Or for political mileage, to be polite.

And So It Begins ...

Obama signing the executive order for the closing of Guantanamo detention camp within a year

"Obama orders Guantanamo, CIA detention sites closed"

That was the headline that caught my eye when I browsed the front page of The Sun yesterday - online of course, I rarely read newpapers on print nowadays - the article here.

Now, we could get into a discussion about how this will adversely affect security in America, or how it "will draw a close to a chapter of the Bush era that alienated allies and enraged enemies". In any case, Obama believes that it will make America's security stronger.

My point is that Obama has a starkly different approach compared to Bush when it comes to resolving issues. I'm not saying that it's right or wrong, nor am I qualified to hold a discourse on this issue. I'm just saying that closing a detention camp that basically legalises torture (depends on how you define what constitutes torture) and allows for indefinite detention without trial is an approach that I'm more inclined to agree with.

Guantanamo

And on his second day in office, too ........

Obama's inauguration

Mr Obama swore his oath of allegiance on the same bible used by Abraham Lincoln at his inauguration in 1861

Yes, it's happened. It's not an exaggeration to say that this is an event that all Americans were looking forward to (some with dread). It's certainly one that many wanted to witness.

The crowd at Washington's National Mall

And many in the world watched as well - not so much that they liked Obama per se, but more because it was a historic moment full of symbolism. A high point in the civil rights movement in America, and a highlight in the struggle against racism everywhere.

I think that the following statement from this Bloomberg article here says it all.

Still, Obama’s inauguration may have its biggest impact on children who will grow up in a country where minority aspirations for high office don’t seem beyond reach. “For a 5- year-old, this will be what they know -- they will know it’s possible,” said Bread Montgomery, 33, a Philadelphia clothing designer. “They won’t question it.”

So my question is : "Wherefore art thou, Malaysia ?"

The Late, Late Show

The three decisive moments that changed the top of the table in this weekend’s Premier League fixtures, all occurring late in the matches :

* Dimitar Berbatov scoring for Manchester United in the 90th minute against Bolton
* Frank Lampard scoring for Chelsea in injury time against Stoke City; and
* Tim Cahill scoring in the 86th minute against Liverpool. Yay !

Screams of “Gooooooaaaaalllll !!!!!” greeting two of those occasions and “Nooooooooo !!!!!” the other one.

And this is what Premier League looks like now : http://soccernet.espn.go.com/tables?league=eng.1&cc=4716

It’s a tight race but Man United are at the top and you know what ? Aston Villa are all of 3 points away from the Red Devils. Talk of the Villans winning the Premier League, while sounding far fetched initially, isn’t exactly out of the question at this point in time.

And if you thought that the fight for the Premier League was exciting, then you ain’t seen nuthin’ yet. The fight at the bottom of the Premier League is akin to a stampede to stay out of the trapdoor of relegation.

The bottom five teams all have the same points with the bottom three being relegated and the entire bottom half of the Premier League is separated by a mere 4 points. I don’t recall any season where the bottom teams in the Premier League have been so tightly bunched together – not at this stage of the season.

Anyway, for supporters of those teams in the dog fight, the term “relegation six-pointer” has never been applied to so many games.

The Countdown Begins .....

No, not for CNY, but for something slightly earlier.

The inauguration of Barack Hussein Obama as the 44th President of the USA on 20th Jan 2009 is just 3 days away . Not only America, but the World awaits ...... in Anticipation ..... with Trepidation ..... but mostly in Hope.



Make no mistake about this : A New World Order is at hand.

The Recession/Iraq/Taliban/Gaza/North Korea/Environment/etc. situation will still be there. And it will take a long time to resolve (if ever). And sometimes it may seem like nothing's changed. But what I am pretty certain will change is the APPROACH to solving the issues.

Where Bush says "If you're not for us, you're against us", and acts accordingly, Obama wants to have dialogue.

Where the line between Republicans and Democrats were starkly drawn in the Bush era, and things were seen in black and white terms, Obama sees shades of gray and seeks bipartisan teamwork.

Where Bush gives tax breaks to the wealthy, and increases the USA's national debt simultaneously, Obama wants to take those same tax breaks away and give it to the poor and middle class. He may not be able to do it immediately, but he's put it on record.

Where Bush started wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and was willing to stay there, Obama's set up a task force to plan for the USA's withdrawal from Iraq. Afghanistan just won't go away.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not a fan of Obama ..... yet. He, after all, has little track record of note. But if he is able to run the USA the same way he ran his presidential campaign, then we have hope that the USA will be able to get out of the mess that Bush got them into.

I think that part of the Hope in Obama lies in the fact that he's a symbol of the culmination of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have A Dream" speech. That black and white people can stand side by side and see one another as equals.

I don't think that I can spell out what this means to minority races in other lands when they see that the USA has elected a coloured President. But I do think that the word "HOPE" is somewhere in their dreams.

And the other part of the Hope lies in the fact that there are so many who are just glad to see the back of George Walker Bush.

Twinkle Toes

It's been some time since this pair of futsal boots that Catriona is modelling last met leather, but it happened last night.

After an enforced break since my last futsal group disbanded, I finally got to join a new group and played my first futsal session in about two years. In the meantime, I've been playing badminton but that doesn't have quite the same effect in keeping the inches off the waist line. So I'm glad for the opportunity to be part of a group of grown men running around chasing a little ball.

I must say that after two years, I played ........... terrible. Where once one of my practice routines was trying to hit the goal post from around the halfway line (NB. futsal court), and doing it on a regular basis, now I find that the same shots are missing the post not by feet, but by yards.

One guy, Soh, described it as needing fine-tuning. Dude, missing by yards does not require fine-tuning. We're talking about some major maintenance work here BUT it shall be done. In the words of that darn Christmas song "..... if only in my dreams".

Ngap Thui Meen

I have long heard Michelle say that Puchong doesn't have any gastronomical delights to offer. The comparison, of course, is to Cheras where she used to stay. I do admit that Cheras has some delightful eating places, but apparently there is a foodie who thinks that Puchong does have something to offer :

NGAP THUI MEEN

The foodie contends that Puchong has one of the best Ngap Thui Meen stalls in Malaysia situated right next to the Tesco hypermarket at the Ramai coffee shop. His article is right here:
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2009/1/15/central/2964163&sec=central

Now, we've been to this coffee shop donkey times but we've never ever ordered from this stall. Looks like that situation will have to change - at least for a trial.

So the next time you're in Puchong, you might want to try this Ngap Thui Meen and taste what the fuss is all about.

Socks and Puppets

For some reason, Catriona's in this phase where she's wearing socks in the house - mis-matched ones at that.

And then there are the finger puppets that she's discovered hidden away in one of our boxes.

We get a finger puppet story every day - at the very least.

Then And Now

Catriona on 19 weeks. I miss that hair standing up.

On Monday, we recreated that photo we took some 27 months ago.

Catriona on 31 months

One of the tips for taking good photos is to take lots of photos, now cheap enough to do with digital cameras. You get to pick and choose which photo is suitable. This is what really transpired :

A Note of Appreciation

I would like to record my appreciation to Liverpool and Chelsea for not running away with the Premier League while Man Utd were away in Japan for the FIFA Club World Cup.

This are the results in the Premier League since United left for Japan :

Manchester United
Fri. 26 Stoke City 0 - 1 Manchester United
Mon. 29 Manchester United 1 - 0 Middlesbrough
Sun. 11 Manchester United 3 - 0 Chelsea

Liverpool
Sun. 21 Arsenal 1 - 1 Liverpool
Fri. 26 Liverpool 3 - 0 Bolton Wanderers
Sun. 28 Newcastle United 1 - 5 Liverpool
Sat. 10 Stoke City 0 - 0 Liverpool

Chelsea
Sun. 14 Chelsea 1 - 1 West Ham United
Mon. 22 Everton 0 - 0 Chelsea
Fri. 26 Chelsea 2 - 0 West Bromwich Albion
Sun. 28 Fulham 2 - 2 Chelsea
Sun. 11 Manchester United 3 - 0 Chelsea

In the period since, Liverpool have managed to drop 4 points and Chelsea 9 points including that terrible loss to United last Sunday. So guys,

The Boat That Rocked

Do you know why Mr Bean doesn't speak in his movies ? Here's why :

This scene is from the movie "Four Weddings And A Funeral", the movie that first introduced me to the work of Richard Curtis (imdb : http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0193485/).

He's a writer who's credited with work in the Blackadder series and the Mr Bean and Bridget Jones movies but I know him primarily for his work in three movies : "Four Weddings And A Funeral", "Notting Hill" and "Love Actually".

Those three are among my favourite movies and "Notting Hill" and "Love Actually" have gotten a viewing every year or so. In fact, I can't think of any other movies that I've given such consistent viewing time to other than maybe the first Matrix movie which I watch once every 2 years.

Anyway, he's got another movie in post-production :

It's slated for release in various coutries from April-June 2009 and here's hoping that it doesn't take too long to reach Malaysia.

trivia - a personal quote from Richard Curtis : "The worst moment of my life was when I watched Notting Hill and thought: 'Oh, God, it's exactly the same as Four Weddings and a Funeral.' I'd been working on it for four years and it never occurred to me..."

A Violinist in the Metro

This note is about an article in the Washington Post :


A man stood at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that thousands of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule.

A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk.

A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.

The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.

In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written,with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars.

Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston and the seats average $100.

This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of an social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people. The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?

One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?


The original article is here : http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html?referrer=emailarticle
Be forewarned that the original article is pretty lengthy.

Anyway, the note reminds me of this quote which is attributed to peace activist Anne Herbert :

"Practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty"

It's a quote which I read in Reader's Digest aeons ago and which has stuck with me since. It speaks to me of joi de vive (joy of life) and carpe diem (seize the day), sort of a signpost to living life to it's fullest.

And while holidays in exotic locations and intoxicating parties are wonderful occasions, I think of this quote in the context of everyday life. Finding beauty, capturing moments, and yes, stopping to listen to a busker play music on a sidewalk.

And while I know that we are all busy people living busy lives, sometimes it's necessary to stop to smell the roses and to dance in the rain.

Job Fair in China

This photo was taken at a job fair in Zhengzhou, China. Just look at the sheer mass of people crowding the booths. As this photo was taken way back in November 2006 when China's economy was booming, can you imagine what it's like now when China's economy is suffering from the world wide downturn ?

Let's contrast that with the situation in Malaysia. I was supposed to have conducted three interviews last month to fill a vacancy but two of the candidates didn't turn up for the interview. If that wasn't bad enough, one of them didn't even bother to inform me that she wasn't going to turn up ! Other than the fact that she was wasting my time, I would consider it a matter of professional courtesy, or even plain good manners, if she had bothered to inform me via a phone call.

It bothers me because this behaviour is something that happens all too often in Malaysia. I'm not blaming Jobstreet for this as I believe that they've been good for the job market (for both employers and employees alike), but the flip side of it is that too many applicants find it too easy to apply for a job. Where once an applicant had to scour the newspapers and print a resume and fax/mail it, now they just click it. And if they don't feel like turning up for the interview, well, they haven't lost anything anyway. As for the interviewer/s who are left waiting around, well, they probably didn't cross the candidate's mind other than remembering not to answer any phone calls from unknown numbers.


And while we're on the topic, I don't understand the demand that the Malaysian Trade Union Congress (MTUC)has been making all these years for a minimum wage. Oh, I understand the part where imposing a minimum wage on employers will raise the standard of living for the employees as they'll have more $$ to live on. But seriously, in a global economy where MNCs can just pack up in Malaysia and head for China or Vietnam or Indonesia or any other emerging economy where labour is X times cheaper than Malaysia, can we afford to have a minimum wage ?

Would the imposition of a minimum wage lead to a situation where employers/MNCs would rather not set up shop in Malaysia which, in turn, would lead to a situation where we have no wage at all ?

Man United sign Serbian starlets

Zoran Tosic & Adem Ljajic

That's the headline on the Soccernet news item and, for me, it confirms a pattern that has emerged over the past few seasons i.e. that of Sir Alex Ferguson rolling the dice on young, exciting, emerging talents.

Look at the list : Nani, Anderson, Rafael, Possebon .... and now, Zoran Tosic and Adem Ljajic. All signed before the age of 22 and all not-quite-yet proven goods at the time they were bought. Oh, they have all got more than their fair share of talent but we're also talking about adapting to the Premier League, a new country and culture, language, food, family, home sickness ... and we're talking about very young men here. Mere youths, even. With a boat load of cash. And with legions of nubile, young girls who know who they are and maybe, just maybe, where to find them.

I guess that Sir Alex has learned a harsh lesson from the whole John Obi Mikel scandal with Chelsea. Buying these players young seems to be a pre-emptive strike to get his players before the big money at Chelsea, or latterly Manchester City, talks (NB. big money at Chelsea has since dried up). And it really is rolling the dice because these guys aren't coming cheap. Still, with Christiano Ronaldo as the original poster boy for this select group, Sir Alex looks likely to continue with this policy.

I leave you with a Youtube of Zoran Tosic. Judging from his left foot, Nani should start worrying.

Christmas for Catriona

Christmas for Catriona was all about the balloons. Oh, there were a few gifts but those were boring things like books and the like. No No No No .. it was all about the balloons picked up on Christmas eve and the children's Christmas party.

We still have over a dozen balloons in the house.

Christmas 2008

Meet up with old friends at Midvalley.

Nice deco at The Curve.

White Christmas at Ikano.

Christmas children party in church.

Catriona's present from Aunty Rachel. A beautiful hamster club bag.