master yeoda's scribbles of sentiments

x-men

doubleswords@gmail.com (~yeodΛ▼Λzumi~) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 18:02:00 +0000

did anyone watch x-men?

i must say, while i enjoy watching some of my favourite characters on the big screen, i'm disappointed by the persistent flaws in the narrative.

in x-men 2, jean grey sacrificed herself to save everyone. she used her mind powers to enable the plane to take off amidst collapsing rubble and such. she had to be outside the plane and so when the plane took off, jean passed away. i know, this had to be to allow the phoenix to appear in x-men 3. but storm was in the crew at that time. jean didn't have to sacrifice herself! jean can't fly. but storm can. all that was needed then was for storm to fly outside the plane, summon the winds and help the plane take off. she can then fly with the plane and maybe board it in mid-air or somewhere else safe.

in x-men origins, silverfox had to lie to wolverine becos stryker had frost imprisoned. in a bid to save her sister, silverfox worked for stryker. but silverfox has the ability to persuade people by touching them. if she could persuade stryker to walk away at the end to save wolverine, couldn't she have persuaded him to set frost free?

the metal and the pop

doubleswords@gmail.com (~yeodΛ▼Λzumi~) — Tue, 26 May 2009 19:02:00 +0000

last weekend, i went to watch julia pang's concert in san diego with christine and her family. and i made a relevation... many people have asked me over the years why do i have such extreme tastes in music - extreme metal and pop, and yet i can't stand anything in between. i could never answer the question but now i know the answer.

i'm not a fan of julia pang's, although ive played some of her songs years ago at the cafes in singapore. it's not that she's a bad singer. i just wasn't fond of her personally. but yet, i was moved many times during her concert.

the reason is simple. i could relate to her delivery, just like i can relate to many asian pop songs, whether or not i like the performing artiste. conversely, there are many silly mainstream artistes like green day (argh terrible music), celine dion (i don't understand how anyone can cry at her ridiuclous concerts), maroon five (this is one bloody sissy band), justin timberlake (why does he even exist in the entertainment circle?), the many folky musicians who pretend to be rockers (poseurs), and not to mention the numerous avant garde artistes who try too hard to be artistic and different but yet pathetically beg for attention in the mainstream media. not only do i not feel a thing, i'm consistently repulsed by their music and behavior.

perceived from a 3rd person, it could be a cultural thing. but it's actually attributed to the mediocrity of these kinds of music: every song sounds the same. sorry, i'm being very biased here. this is not to say i don't like the english mainstream at all. i like debbie gibson and carrie underwood. but i have to know that they are the performers before liking the song. if someone else performs their songs, i would label them as terrible.

there's an exception however: english oldies. i can relate to those, partially becos i used to listen to them in my folks' car when i was very young. these same classics, or everygreen hits, are sung by american idol contestants. also, if the songs are accompanied with visuals, such as in a movie or tv serial, i can also relate to the songs. in other words, other than oldies, it takes a lot for the english mainstream to appeal to me. without liking the artiste or the visuals that accompany them, i doubt i'll ever take a liking to them.

now on the other hand, i can totally relate to the musical intricacies, aggression, and cultural facets of metal. even though i don't know what the bands are singing about, or i may not even know the band, i still like the songs if they're good. the main difference is my liking for metal transcends the artistes. i may dislike songs performed by my favourite metal bands: for example, i don't like all the songs by slayer. but for english mainstream, i have to like the artiste first. in other words, i don't need to know who's performing to like a song.

for example. i personally don't enjoy clubbing at all becos i find the music pollution to my ears. i can't appreciate dancing. it's not that i can't appreciate the artistic form. i like ballet and headbanging. alright, you can say the same about headbanging. personally, i don't see what's so interesting about the bodily movements of the dancefloor. the only thing i find understandable at dance clubs is the social dimension. it makes sense as a social gathering. although i must say that i personally do not engage in these activities becos i think it's just an excuse for people to appreciate their consumer-driven existence. suffice to say, while i don't enjoy watching people trying to be cool, i find it rather comical at times. i have to say though, that i have nothing against this social activity. it's just not me, in that i do not enjoy the music.

but, if the danceable tunes were remixes of asian pop, that'll be different. this was a popular thing at cantopubs in the late 90s. at the very least, i like the songs becos i can relate to them. for the danceable english tunes, they're nothing more than noise pollution to me.

metal artistes tend to have better personalities in general. they're frank and true to the realities of life. they sing about world issues, history, and the dark realities we tend to ignore. life isn't as beautiful as the weak-minded will like us believe. it's a mixture, often with shades of gray. compare this to stoopid artistes like nickelback, disturbed and darkness. these bands have neither intelligent content nor are they musically smart. what about idiotic acts like kid rock? they may be nice people, but their personas will never have my support. i can't imagine anyone growing up listening to poseur music and aspiring to be like them. just look at the huge numbers of bands from around the world who try to imitate useless bands like the killers. and what's wrong with the killers? a mild sissy sound with a name that tries to be aggressive? ridiculous isn't it? conversely, look at the straightforward and depth of stage personas like iron maiden, hate eternal, dragonforce.... etc. upfront, no bullshit, no gimmicks beyong the usual marketing ploys, this is what it is, respectable.

and so lies the explanation for my polar musical preferences. this is just my personal opinion. no one has to agree with me, and i will not attempt to persuade anyone. the bias is mine on a personal level and i have no reason to justify it to anyone, except myself. to each his/her own and i will not judge anyone who differs in opinion. we are all entitled to our likes and dislikes. what i've expressed are just my personal preferences. i don't hold anything against anyone who thinks otherwise. i have many friends who like the things i dislike. and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.

:-) heya!

ps, julia pang's concert was excellent! she's a good performer and her delivery is very suitable for a live band atmosphere.

Return of the Three Lions!

doubleswords@gmail.com (~yeodΛ▼Λzumi~) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 22:38:00 +0000

It didn't seem too long ago when the bloody wally with a brolly took the Three Lions down the road of defeat in a miserably failed campaign in Euro 2008. No, we didn't even reach the tournament in Austria/Switzerland. What happened? It was one rainy night when the Talisman of England came and rescued the Lions. But the damage was done becos of the tactical stoopidity of one lousy boogie.

But redemption is at hand. In tonight's game, the Talisman of England shone on his 110th cap to set up the winner for Gerrard and Terry. It was also a remarkable occasion for beanpole becos he scored the opening goal before the half hour mark.

It was an incredibly exciting game for me and I wished I was among the audience at Wembley. Rather inspiring too I must say. Although I thought the display could have been more impressive without the weakness of Cole, Johnson, Lennon and Barry, who looked uninterested in the game. I have faith in the golden generation. And I'm eagerly awaiting the same lineup during the Eriksson's era. It was a mistake with tactics, not players.

Ole Ole Ole Ole Ole Ole!

the first of many more to come

doubleswords@gmail.com (~yeodΛ▼Λzumi~) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 23:39:00 +0000

hear ye hear ye! as my annoying arrogant self speaks...

i've just published my first book. it went on sale on amazon earlier this month. and hopefully it'll arrive at your neighbourhood bookshop soon!

of cos, it's a remarkable achievement to me and a very personal one too. throughout my life, i've written and published many papers/articles. some of which appeared in journals, while others as chapters in books. but this, is entirely my own and i'm proud of it. this is the first, and definitely not the last in my writing career.

actually to be honest, i've never thought that i would actually write a book. the thought crossed my mind as a dream many a time. and more than once did i give it up after having an initial idea. this one however, i saw it through till the end... it took about 5 years in total to finish it, mainly becos it required a lot of primary research. of cos, i couldn't devote all my time to it as i was working and playing music at the same time. this is an accumulation of my research all these years and it marks the beginning of many more to come...

and of cos, i have to say.... BUY IT HERE! or HERE! :-)

2008... stop, look, go... 2009

doubleswords@gmail.com (~yeodΛ▼Λzumi~) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 18:38:00 +0000

jill recently commented that many people look forward so much to a new year that it seems the previous year has nothing worth remembering. she's right. but i think many people look forward to a better year becos of the negative things that happened, and they want to have better things go their way. obviously, that's understandable and expected. we always want each coming day to be better. so i decided to take another look at 2008 before looking forward to 2009.

on the music side of me...

tea wolf (previously tww) finally stabilised our lineup. we played only 3 times in 2008 but it was fun and we were paid rather handsomely each time too! that's so rare in the scene, especially for an unsigned band. the new year's eve event went well. unfortunately, our highlight of the night - our last song - was cut off becos we took the stage late. howard did a good job on the mic despite the short notice (koso couldnt make it). i was nervious for the first time in a long while in regards to performing becos christine and her family was there. but all's well, ended well, and overall, i enjoyed myself.

the other part... i resigned from lightning swords of death in may, after a 2-year stint with those guys. i learnt many things and they'll always be etched in my memory. menno especially, being the proficient bass player he is, taught me many things about music and i will continue relentlessly to improve my playing on the metal side of music. maybe someday, we'll get to work together again. still, i recorded 4 songs with them this year and played a final gig with them on the main stage of the knitting factory. fond memories indeed.

in regards to friends...

i'm communicating with goy and it has been very interesting. ha! we lost touch for whatever reason after university days (daze) i dont know. she's still the same goy i knew - spontaneous, strange, allusive, yet carrying a special aura that sets her apart from her peers. the only difference is now she has to deal with 2 kungfu rascals everyday at home. ha ha! i'm going to have to witness this on my upcoming home visit. yes goy, where's my red packet?!

my good friends from penn state were in LA for a couple of days! it was excellent catching up with them as we spent many a weekend doing nothing back in boring state college. jerome, laetitia, lev, and fabia... but i must say we weren't full strength this time. maybe next time...

on the romantic front...

i met christine at 910's wedding in september. it didn't take long for me to realise that she's the one. i don't think there's anyone else who can put up with my boring antics, stale jokes, and still look after every detail of my life. i'm glad i found her, and i'm looking forward to a 2009 with her, and many many years after...

metal... music... metal... music... metal...

doubleswords@gmail.com (~yeodΛ▼Λzumi~) — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 18:23:00 +0000

alright, alright... many people have been asking me about what i'm doing musically.

on the asian side of me, tea wolf (renamed from tea west wolf) is doing well. our lineup is stable and we've added many songs to our repertoir. once again, we're playing on new year's eve at yes plaza in rowland heights. it's a fairly big event jointly organised by starzone usa and AM1300, and we'll be playing right before the countdown at 11pm. this time, we'll only play the high energy numbers. be there! be champions! :-) 茶狼 - 2008-2009 狼跡天涯跨年演唱會.

on the english side of me, i'm still searching for the right metal band to join. i've been very selective and have met many bands. but first and foremost, i'd prefer one that doesn't rehearse too far from where i live. but more importantly, i realised the difference between an artist and a musician. while both utilise different forms of expression, i'd prefer a musician's band that focus entirely on the music, with less emphases on the art form. there's nothign wrong with that of cos. it's just that i'd rather not. so, i'm looking for a band that works hard musically and is technically skilled. and also preferably one that is melodic too. too many chromatic riffs can make 10 songs sound like one. but nonetheless, i'm in constant pursuit of the acme of extreme metal drumming. i think i've found the right band already. i'll be back in metallic form in 2009

in the final minutes

doubleswords@gmail.com (~yeodΛ▼Λzumi~) — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 07:59:00 +0000

it was a quiet day/night. but i liked it very much.

thank you very much for all your well wishes... i didn't want to be reminded but my heart was warmed by many thoughts from all of you... christine spent the day with me and it was very special indeed. we had a little cake too and i didnt break the tradition of making 3 wishes. she also made dessert. heya! my folks, as usual, left their usual auspicious packets under my pillow back home. i'm looking forward to the well wished luck. also, thank you fabia and pohsun for remembering :-)

of cos, to commemorate this important day of reckoning of the jedi master, coincidental important world events occurred too...
- manchester united was crowned the world champions in the CWC
- becks was unveiled as an ac milan player 32 (forget the galaxy)

but most importantly, the jedi master was happy

it's funny how many things in the world seem trivial compared to the little things in our lives. but these are also the little things that make us who we are and inspire us forward, for ourselves, or others alike.

thank you :-)

悠悠我心, 非彣莫屬

doubleswords@gmail.com (~yeodΛ▼Λzumi~) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 06:50:00 +0000

200X年X月X日。下午。晴。

一個朋友的婚禮。這一天會永遠刻著她的名字。

緣份，其實很奇妙。

很失禮的穿著，很害羞的我，很尷尬的坐在指定的座位。一起來的朋友也不知道在哪裡。左邊坐著兩位女生。為了掩飾我的不自在，我主動地自我介紹。幾句客道話后，我腦子一片空白。因為我很想跟身邊這位氣質非凡的女生要電話。她會不會記得我的名字？我把名牌移到她看得見的角度。

很藍綠的禮服，很嬌小的她，很自信的握著我的右手。和她一起來的朋友在哪裡？我不知道她們倆是否之前就認識，也不知道她們在聊些什麼。但我可以肯定，她今天沒有男生伴侶。因為我們坐在單身座位。那時我不記得她的名字。因為我已經情不自禁的被她吸引了。幸好我們都有名牌。

天做媒。周圍什麼時候剩下我們倆？運氣，呼吸，掌握時機。。。

不喝酒的我，不容易體會什麼叫醉意。我卻常常因為一首歌而進入一個故事，感受歌詞在音律的漩渦中起浮。。。陶醉在描述的畫面。。。
~~~在她臨走時，我站在她的身邊~~~
~~~和她道別后，我望著她的背影~~~
~~~ 有一層互動，有一點心動，有一股沖動~~~

這一天，我醉了。我伸出手，仿佛重演我們的角色，清楚地看見了我心中留給她的位子。

從此，我們一起踏上了這一段旅程。每一個景點因為她而更美，每一首歌因為她而更動聽, 每一頓飯因為她而更美味。有時後，我偷偷地看她一眼，假裝很大方地望著她的一舉一動。其實我加速的心跳一直讓我躲避她的目光。不知道她現在是否和我一樣，帶著一點點花痴，一點點緊張，一點點傻氣地笑著。她讓我在漫長的生命中找到更多的意義，讓我重新相信這世上有專屬於我的另一半，讓我更加重視每一天的點點滴滴。如果這是一幅畫，落筆時一定帶有無盡的想象。因為她給了我無盡的美好。她的笑容在我生活中扮演著很重要的角色。她的思念讓我更興奮地往前走。只願彣心似我心，定不負相思意。

巧合，與緣份有啥不同？

我不在乎是什麼原因讓我們相遇。我感激重重的機遇讓我們能開始寫這一個故事。我希望它會很長很長。更願她的快樂會建立在我們的一切一切。且讓我在她的每一天書寫更多的幸福，很久很久+ 很久很久+ 很久很久。。。

the morality of morals

doubleswords@gmail.com (~yeodΛ▼Λzumi~) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 06:47:00 +0000

watching boston legal has its aftereffects. more often than not, besides the seemingly endless humour and wit, i find myself thinking about day to day issues that would have probably taken their stride across my senses, fading away from the weariness of mundane routines. tonight, the talk about morality topped the thought before the slumber.

revenge... is it a moral thing? i'm not a fan of the bible, but apparently, the sacred text itself is marked with contraditions. should we offer our left cheeks or take an eye for an eye? forgiveness seems to be preached as a noble act in many religious writings, and i respect this act as an utmost compassion. but why is dis-belief so unforgiveable? like alan, i find it hard to fathom the underlying moral principles.

it's therefore very reasonable to see morality as a value-laden concept. in other words, it simply depends on the situation and transcends universal measures of fairness that are thought to be ubiquitous by many. it's a reactive entity that should possibly be interpreted with respect to an initial act. this brings about an endless chain of reactions, giving a meta value to morality: the morality of morals.

that said, how does this apply to me? personally, i don't think i'm a vengeful person becos my heart often softens at the crucial moments. but i've burdened myself with some grudges that i find childish: typical bickerings during my younger days in school. i doubt many even remember i was in their classes!

it's difficult for me to forget some of those experiences, the double standards of so-called rules that put me at a disadvantage and the lack of compassion from people i was taught to respect under the heavily-valued value system. why do some rules apply to me but not to others? why was i condemned when i could be encouraged? i had a mathematics teacher who openly told me that i was never going to make it. well, i wasn't a bad student conduct-wise, but i didn't enjoy schoolwork. suffice to say, the quality of my homework was far from satisfactory. but i had seldom received encouragement from my teachers there. and in this particular case, very ironically, we were colleagues as teachers several years later in the same school. i was surprised when i saw her sitting next to me.

examples examples examples... i can go on and on... my chemistry teacher encouraged me to drop the subject so i wouldn't taint the marvellous record of the school in the subject. well, she didn't say it, but it was obvious becos i was never given a chance to brush it up. my physics teacher also condemned my abilities to make it to the university, with a 10% rate of admission at that time i think. the vice principal attributed every minor conduct issue i had to the length of my hair (i refused to cut my hair back then). these were two separate issues. but i vividly remember that the more i was reprimanded about my hair, the more i insisted on keeping it, even though it was unkempt and of cos rather unsightly. i really wonder, what would she have thought if i were the top student with long hair?

nonetheless, as much as i can't forget those rather difficult times (come on, i was a youth who was easily troubled by a little adversity becos life was too plain sailing), i find it hard to take it upon myself to prove to them that they were wrong about me. am i right to bear grudges? i don't know. should i appear smug and prove to them that they were wrong? perhaps. should i forgive and forget? yes, becos forgiveness is a virtue and also yes becos forgetting eases the burden of bad memories. as a chinese, we have a saying: a teacher a day, a father for life. but which act is in line with morality - one that is acceptable in the chinese teacher-student relationship? they all are, becos morality has to be interpreted within its context. and in this case, forgiveness is an act of revenge as it is an act of goodness.

years after graduation, i made it a point to never discourage my students. it was more important to be responsible for their own actions rather than being obsessed with the notion of morality, or in a smaller way, perhaps i should just say, rules. shades of gray are always harder to understand. but like it or not, morality always has an existential bias. moral values always have multiple standards. i opt for kindness.

this small heart of mine

doubleswords@gmail.com (~yeodΛ▼Λzumi~) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 05:42:00 +0000

yesterday on my way home, i decided to pump some petrol to my half-filled tank. the payment system at the pump wasn't working and so i had to walk inside to see the cashier. when i came out, this guy was putting the pump for me and offered to wipe my windscreen. the first thought that came to my mind was this guy is up to no good.

he told me he was from louisiana, and people there love everyone. he had to feed his 7 year old son and pay $40 a night to stay at a shelter for the homeless. i just wanted to leave, so i gave him $1. he took it of cos, and i was about to leave after pumping $20 worth of petrol.

he started talking and said he could work. he wanted to clean my windscreen so i could see better (my car was really dirty then). he explained that i paid hi, and it was only right that he did something for me. alright, i let him do it, although i was afraid he'd ask for more afterwhich.

to my surprise, he took his job very seriously. and in his eyes, i saw a glow of pride: one that said he felt he was earning an honest living. he did a very good job and said, "now you can see better. you'll be safer, and others will be safer."

i didn't even ask for his name. but dumbstruck as i was (mentally), i shook his hand and pat him on the back. he was a good man. i wanted to offer him $1 more, but was afraid that he'd offer to clean the tyres, but i was tired and wanted to retire early. so goodnight it was, and he walked away happily.

i'm not a rich man. but i could afford $1. i didn't refret my reservations on the first impression becos i know of many swindlers. but he turned out to be a good person, perhaps one among many who were not. when i was young, i've always sympathised with tragic events, including those in the media. but yesterday, i learnt that over the years, as i grew accustomed to the harsh realities of life, i became less compassionate and less empathetic towards my surroundings.

was this man out to cheat me? perhaps yes. but what's $1 at this point in time? even if he did, i can afford $1 in exchange for a smile - an honest one out of gratitude, or a sinister one out of truimph - it really doesn't matter. i probably would think twice if it were $5. but $1, and even so, small change, is really worth giving.

this morning, i read another blog post from dorothy. we were classmates back home and we've kept in touch for a long long time. dorothy has one of the biggest hearts i know among my peers. she volunteers a lot of her time for charity work. she travelled to 3rd world countries to help the poor (and to feed her desire for adventures). and she adores the little children in these countries who have so little.

compared to her, my heart is so small. but yet, i almost denied (and many times denied) the extension of a kind gesture. perhaps, i should begin to see the world the way i once knew it to be, with reservations of cos, since there's a difference between being kind and gullible. i don't think this guy will ever know. but he taught me a great deal last night. thank you.

tasty and healthy don't go together

doubleswords@gmail.com (~yeodΛ▼Λzumi~) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 15:50:00 +0000

i'm not a medical doctor, and neither am i a nutritionist, not even someone capable of telling you what vitamins are good for what purposes. but as a consumer with sensitive taste buds, i know what is tasty and what isn't.

over the years, i've heard so much about eating healthy, particularly from ladies who want to remain slim. actually, i want to maintain my figure too. so it's only natural that i, like many others constrain my diet to food that won't make me put on weight unnecessarily. i can lose a few inches from my waist if you ask me.

but this personal choice has transcended onto another level. it is no longer "i want to slim down, so i eat less fattening food." it has become "i want to remain healthy, so i eat less unhealthy food." sure, being healthy and staying slim can be said to be along the same lines. but are we taking things a little too far?

as far as i know, the key to slimness and health is exercising. how about 30 minutes of exercise each day? instead of wasting our tastebuds on things we don't really enjoy eating? which brings me to what i'm trying to say - is healthy food tasty? my answer is a straight no.

think about the delicacies in this world that many crave for... uni, ikura, exotic chinese dishes, european cuisine, even the fragrance of friend chicken down the street. is 2% fat milk more tasty than fat-free milk? is an ice cream shake more tasty than a non-ice cream shake? don't we all crave for these things? but we choose to ignore our tastebuds to maintain our health?

sure, there's nothing wrong with this choice. what i'm trying to say is, by choosing so, we are choosing to eat distasteful food in most cases. i have to qualify my statement becos there could be healthy food that's very tasty, that i'm unaware of at this moment. in other words, we are choosing to eat lousily for other benefits.

admit it, if healthy and tasty go together, why is it so difficult to persuade people to eat healthy?

it is a choice to go healthy at the expense of tastiness. nothing wrong with that. it's a rational and justified choice. but it's a tradeoff, not a win-win situation.

and becos i live to eat, healthy and happy don't go together...

a long, long time ago, in a place far, far away

doubleswords@gmail.com (~yeodΛ▼Λzumi~) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 21:02:00 +0000

well, should scribbles of sentiments be sentimental?

recently, i was in contact with 2 of my very old friends. and by "old," i mean those from many years ago in another part of the world where i grew up.

for a start, goy sent me an email out of nowhere and i was really quite surprised becos i never thought i'd hear from her again. strangely enough, the thing she remembered of me was my mane. ha! i used to have a lion's mane becos i had long, thick hair that wouldn't sway with the wind. i told fabia about it and how i was sometimes referred to as "lion king." she was amused, but she didn't know that "lion king" in this context actually had a negative connotation: it's the name of the comic character played by alamak on singapore tv.

goy was 1 year my junior at NTU. our conversations then centred around ranma 1/2 and music. although we conversed in english, she was very chinese in her likes. we lost touch after i went for my internship, and never corresponded again after graduation. there was nothing wrong, except maybe our paths led to different things that never crossed again.

so suffice to say, i am very happy to be in touch with goy again! she's a mother of 2 now and her family life is blissful. maybe i'll drop by her place and receive an auspicious red packet? if i'm invited of cos!

then, i was surfing the web on a sunday night, after i finished writing an oriental song. and i found elaine's webpage. wow! she's an accomplished designer now! the girl who once daydreamed about the abstract put her thoughts in a single place that showcased her talents. i couldn't resist the temptation to write to her immediately becos elaine and i go way way way back. i'm not sure if she'll reply though. she must be busy with many things, as she always had been. i think the last time we met was in 2000. i walked past her at borders. confession: i saw her wave at me from the corner of my right eye, but chose to ignore her gesture. becos i thought it would have been another disappointment... the previous time we met coincidentally, we tried to catch up but i later felt she didn't really want to me in touch with me at all. yes, i bore a mild grudge. but on hindsight, i should have been nice and said "hi." that was very rude of me.

anyway, we didn't get to meet up before i left for the U.S. in 2002. Many things have changed since and from the last I heard, she was doing very well. evidently, she is. and i can certainly relate to that as a musician. maybe someday we'll have a good chance to catch up, one without distractions and the constraints of time. for some reason, this reminds me very much of tempting heart, although things are a little different in this case.

it's time to get back to reality. i get sucked into sentimental stories all the time becos i live in the past. maybe it's time to feel new and afresh again? for a start, i cut my hair (mane) ...

ps. the most common reaction was... "did you cut it yourself?"

fuerza espania!

doubleswords@gmail.com (~yeodΛ▼Λzumi~) — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 23:56:00 +0000

and spain won the euro! finally!

i thought that the curse would live on and bestow the germans an undeserved victory. alright, the germans are good. and they're consistent. unlike my favourite three lions, and les bleus. but i'm not a fan of germany when it comes to futbol.

anyway, this post cames very late... becos i was away for an extended period of time and didn't have easy access to my blog.

so suffice to day, i'm happy spain won, but only becos england and france were out...

on to the world cup!

euro 2008 semi finals 2 spain-russia

doubleswords@gmail.com (~yeodΛ▼Λzumi~) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 23:46:00 +0000

Spain-Russia: 0-0, 3-0

For a moment, i thought the russians would pull a miracle. but given their humility after beating the dutch, i think the russians were worthy opponents.

there wasn't much to say except spain kicked their butts with a clean sheet in rainy vienna. so, on to the finals... germany-spain... i think spain will be crowned this time. they're the most consistent in the tournament so far. well, until 2010... the three lions will rise again!

sunday will be exciting... galaxy will thrash dc united (like it did before), and spain will take the crown... forget the 3rd place match between turkey and russia... i think it'll be boring :-)

euro 2008 semi finals 1 germany-turkey

doubleswords@gmail.com (~yeodΛ▼Λzumi~) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 04:18:00 +0000

and the score for germany-turkey: 1-1, 3-2

the turks are very strong comebacks. they scored first on a silly goal becos lehman made a mistake. it was unnecessary, and the germans quickly tied.

in the 2nd hanf, the germans scored to make it 2-1 in the 70+ minute. i was in the gym with jorge, daniel, jose, and another guy (we've said hi many times but i still don't know his name. but he's a great guy). at 2-1, everyone wanted to leave becos they thought the turks would never tie it. and there was a power failure in the transmission system at espn and no one could see the live action.

during the break (of technical difficulties), the turks tied it. soon enough, germany scored in nearly extra time to win the game...

i'm not a supporter of either team. im not a fan of turkey, and the germans are enemies of the english. so it cna go either way. but i think the finals will be more interesting if germany was in. after all, they have better players

next, i think spain will win against russia and defeat germany in the finals

euro 2008 quarter finals 4 spain-italy

doubleswords@gmail.com (~yeodΛ▼Λzumi~) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 17:36:00 +0000

spain-italy: 0-0 (HT), 0-0 (FT) 0-0 (ET) 4-2 (PK)

it was a tough tough tough tough tough fight... 120 minutes were insufficient to allow one side to produce a goal... italy was closer to winning in game time becos they came very close. but i felt the referee was biased against the spanish... many times, he didn't see a foul on the spanish forwards and many times, he awarded the italians a free kick when nothing was fouled against them

nonetheless, the penalty kicks proved to be thrilling. with italy having their 2nd spot kick saved by ral madrid's goalie. they went on to miss the 4th shot and the victory went to spain.

i texted fabia before the game "fuerza el espanol!" she responded with a "i hope we win just to annoy you" :-) sorry fabia. i need a consolation after azzurri disappointed me time and again... ;-) but i think both teams were very evenly matched. although italy didnt feel like world champions, i think they put on a very good fight and were much better than they were in the group stages. if the dutch faced the italy today, oranje would never stand a chance to top group C.

oh well... on with the show... from the way it is, i think the final will be germany-spain. but fate always says otherwise. especially with this wierd euro (as is the last one), it may very well be turkey-russia. yucks!

ps, why did galaxy have to lose yesterday? we were clearly better than clumsy columbus crew! they scored only becos the ball bounced and stumbled at their feet, not becos they played better and with a smarter strategy! argh! why did becks miss in the 90th minute?????

euro 2008 quarter finals 3 netherlands-russia

doubleswords@gmail.com (~yeodΛ▼Λzumi~) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 17:36:00 +0000

netherlands-russia: 0-0 (HT), 1-1(FT), 3-1(ET)

you know, i find i really hard to believe. the dutch started off so well in the group stages and were unbeatable. i thought they were going to go very far in the tournament. and yet, they failed to beat russia? what's going on?

russia was never good to begin with. no, i have nothing against russia, except guus hiddink who annoys me. guus is dutch. so he must have been very professional to help the russians beat his own countrrymen.

anyway, it's good for russia to win. becos they'll face spain or italy (hopefully spain) in the next round. netherlands will be harder to beat under ordinary circumstances. so it's probably better this way.

on to spain-italy. i'm rooting for spain. and for the first time, jorge, patricia, and i are all on the same side. jorge has always been a supporter of spain. as for patricia, her teams (austria and croaia) had an early exit. so united, we stand!

once again, sorry fabia :-)

euro 2008 quarter finals 2 croatia-turkey

doubleswords@gmail.com (~yeodΛ▼Λzumi~) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 17:35:00 +0000

croatia-turkey: 0-0 (HT), 0-0 (FT), 1-1 (ET), 2-4 (panelties)

wow! what a boring game! for the first 118 minutes, that is... i think croatia doesn't deserve the hype. granted, billic hailed the three lions and becks before shooting us down at the wembley on 21-nov-2007. but they didn't play very well. they missed several good chances. but when i saw their faces, i saw a lack of confidence. the turkish however, fought well after 90 min of no action. they couldnt even get close to the final third during the 2 halves. but they got their act together in extra time.

at 118 min, croatia scored with a header. for some stoopid reason, the turkish goalkeeper decided to do what some MLS goalies like to do - go out of position. that cost them dearly.

at 120 +2 min, the game could have ended. but the referee didnt blow the whistle. the turckish goalkeeper kicked the ball as far as he could and it got onto 2 strikers who netted the ball. 1-1!

on to panelties. the first taker from croatia had a look of no confidence. i knew he was going to miss. surely enough, he did. and croatia went on to miss the third panelty, and then the fourth. turkey scored everything and so, the night belonged to the turkish.

turkey meets germany on the 25th. tomorrow, i'm not sure if i want the netherlands to win. they've had too much hype and a part of me wants them to lose. guus hiddink from russia annoys me. and he coached the korean team. but he's dutch! so it'll be funny if....

i want russia to win. then the media will criticise him for letting his national team win. ha! and with the media flurry, the russians will go on to lose to spain/italy (hopefully spain).

sorry, fabia :-)

euro 2008 quarter finals 1 portugal-germany

doubleswords@gmail.com (~yeodΛ▼Λzumi~) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 17:34:00 +0000

portugal-germany: 2-3 (1-2 HT)

wow! a thrilling match! no, i'm not a fan of either team. but i'm leaning towards the germans. portugal have too much hype. and they're arch enemies of the english - they beat england twice on penalties on unfair grounds. it should have never gone to penalties. and ricardo, you didn't save beckham's shot. he missed unfortunately. but all great players have their down moments - even ronaldo missed 2 crucial penalties. that said, i acknowledge that ronaldo is a wonderful player, but only when he has the likes of tevez, rooney, hargreaves, etc on his side. his touch in portugal was a far cry from that of man utd.

so the germans will face croatia most probably. but i hope the turkish team wins croatia to face germany instead. i don't like turkey but have nothing in particular against them.

on to the next quarter-finals...

euro 2008 group D 18-06-2008

doubleswords@gmail.com (~yeodΛ▼Λzumi~) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 17:25:00 +0000

group D

greece-spain: 1-2

russia-sweden: 2-0

relatively inconsequential... after yesterday's uninspiring performance by les bleus, i'm in no mood to blog today's matches.

but even if i did, i don't have much to say... spain has already qualified, and the 2nd place in group D goes to the winner of russia-sweden.

i would have wanted greece to exit without a goal. but the reserve spanish team let them concede one.n well, that's ok. the greek team shouldn't have won in 2004 and shouldn't have qualified this year anyway - if not for the fact that they won the euro championship title and automatically qualified. 5-4-1 that looks like 10-0-0 doesn't work! this trick only works once!

as for the russians, they played well. i like neither the swedes nor the russians. so i was hoping for lots of red cards and injuries. there were several yellows though. i dont like russia becos of their coach - he used to coach korea (a team i dislike) and was arrogant about beating england in the euro 2008 qualifiers. the swedes always beat or drew with england becos the three lions fell short of form everytime. these two teams are lousy - still - but why is it that other teams seem to beat them easily and not england?

anyway, raymond domenech will probably be given the boot next month after failing austria/switzerland. well, his tactics are questionable. and he can't make up his mind. i don't think he's a leader who can unite his players either. but what disturbs me is no one remembers that he brought les bleus to the runner up position in the world cup 2006. if zidane didnt fall into the psychological ploy by materrassi, france would have scored and won the night instead of losing on penalties to azzurri... (hear that fabia? :-P)

alright, no revenge for the french this year. world cup 2010 - france will meet italy again.

why am i talking about the french team today? oh, becos the matches today are inconsequential to me... that's why... this is a strange euro. there are many teams i the last 8 that i dislike. but next to watch is germany-portugal. i dont know who i want to win. but on sunday, spain meets italy. i think i'll support spain.

till then...

euro 2008 group C 17-06-2008

doubleswords@gmail.com (~yeodΛ▼Λzumi~) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 18:13:00 +0000

group C
netherlands-romania: 2-0
france-italy: 0-2

it's a sad sad day

the victory from oranje was a good sign. becos that meant that france and italy both stand a chance to qualify. the victory from the dutch came in the 2nd half, so it was nerve wrecking. obviously i didn't watch that match. my fish and chips lunch with patricia was spent watching france-italy

i was waiting for patricia to finish her work in the 7th minute before heading to barney's. and bad news struck... zambrotta did a nasty foul on ribery and rendered him injured for the rest of the match. ribery was replaced by nasri, who was obviously less effective than the bayern munich left winger. i decided to book a seat before she arrives. so i left at the 20th minute for barney's. during my absence from the live blog, a red card was issued to abidal and left france with 10 men. a penalty was awarded and pirlo struck it in in the 25th minute. 0-1 italy.
not good not good...

les bleus didn't play very cohesively in the 2nd half either. although i must say that crappy coupet made a few good saves. buffon also saved a wonderful shot from benzema to keep the italian sheet clean. de rossi fired a free kick and was deflected off henry's left foot into the goal. 0-2 azzurri... what else is there to play? les bleus need to win, not draw!

and so les bleus went down... and azzurri survived the group of death... i even called fabia before the match and mocked at her impending defeat. hmm........ i still feel france should have won...

i almost missed the match becos someone made a fuss about some meeting that was scheduled on friday. apparently, the intention was to re-schedule it to match time today. that pissed me off very badly becos there was no good reason to re-schedule. just becos the match only matters to a minority of us doesn't mean it isn't important, especially when the reason to re-schedule was personal as well.

anyway, i managed to catch the action... albeit to heartbreak, heartache, and heartburn (from the fish and chips)...

euro 2008 group B 16-06-2008

doubleswords@gmail.com (~yeodΛ▼Λzumi~) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:16:00 +0000

Group B
poland-croatia: 0-1
austria-germany: 0-1

let's see... of course croatia won. i would have wanted poland to win, but it wouldn't make a difference since croatia was already in, and austria (3rd place in group A) has the goal difference advantage against poland. alessandra must be devastated. i remember she was a big fan of the national team. oh well, they put up a good fight against the croatians though. and still, i hope croatia will lose in the next round against turkey.

the germans are in, thanx to ballack's set piece goal outside the box. but compared their usual standard, germany now are a far cry from their attacking prowess. austria, with their homeground advantage, came very close to tying, and i'd say, winning the match. the finishing touches lacked composure becos it was such a crucial match. as a host nation, they should move further along to the knockout stages. i watched the match with patricia and she wasn't too happy, of cos, since she's austrian. i would have been ambivalent to austria's results if their opponent were not an arch enemy of the three lions.

nonetheless, germany will face portugal. both are arch enemies of the english. but just for this match, i'll support the germans against the portuguese...

on to les bleus vs azzuri... alle les bleus!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i hope romania doesn't beat the dutch, or france-italy will be pointless.

euro 2008 group A 15-06-2008

doubleswords@gmail.com (~yeodΛ▼Λzumi~) — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 22:11:00 +0000

group A:

switzerland-portugal: 2-0

turkey-czech republic: 3-2

i didnt watch the swiss-portugal game becos it was a pointless match, except maybe for the portuguese to give some caps to new reserve players. for the swiss, it meant more than just a formality. it was to exit on a high note. so, the swiss won and i'm happy for them. they deserved more than the early exit. i wanted swiss and czech to be the 2 teams to advance to the quarter finals actually. but as it stands, the 2 teams are portugal and turkey.

which brings us to the drama of the turkey-czech match. it was 0-2 at half time and i thought the czechs won the day for sure. but some adjustments in the midfield on the turkish side left the czechs outclasses in the 2nd half. if it ended in a draw, it would have gone to penalties - something petr cech probably has something to prove since his last shootout in the chelsea-man utd champions league final. anyway, cech didnt hold the ball tight enough and gave the turks the chance to equalise. with their confidence shaken, the turks pulled it to 3-2. at this point, the turkish goalkeeper pushed a czech player down and was red-carded. ha! good news! unfotunately, that happened after the ball was out of bounds and it wasn't a penalty. so #17 took over as the goalkeeper but it was already in extra time. the czechs couldn't use the opportunity to equalise. if they had more time, i'm sure it'd have gone the czechs' way since the turkish goalkeeper was out ad couldn't be replaced by a reserve goalie.

all i can say is, i dont like the 2 teams that advanced from group A. turkey should be out quickly since their #1 goalie is banned for 2 matches. as for portugal, they're good. but i hope they'll lose. turkey will face croatia. this time, i hope they'll beat croatia. but i doubt it since their #1 is out. as for portugal, they'll face either austria or germany. i hope austria will defeat germany and go on to defeat portugal. they have the home ground advantage after all.

euro 2008 is so different without the three lions. england should have been here... argh! don't get me started on that bloody wally with a brolly!

euro 2008 group D 14-06-2008

doubleswords@gmail.com (~yeodΛ▼Λzumi~) — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 22:09:00 +0000

group D

sweden-spain: 1-2

greece-russia: 0-1

let's see... i wanted spain to win. primarily, i'm not a fan of swedish football. when it was 1-1 at HT, i thought this was going to be a draw. but in the final injury time, spain managed to score from a long pass and a mistake in defending by larson. so spain makes it to the next round, and are likely to top the group. hopefully sweden makes it to so the irritating russia and the extremely annoying greece with their 10-0-0 formation will lose. so spain will face romania/italy/france next. i hope it'll be france.

ha ha! bloody greece is out! they definitely deserve to be out after playing a 5-4-1 that looks like 10-0-0. it's not that i dont like defensive teams. but greece plays as though they man their goal with 11 players and refuse to move the ball forward. well, such tricks only works once. they were lucky in 2004. this time, they lost to a mediocre russia, whom i'm not a fan either. guus hiddink annoys me and his antics with korea in the world cup of 2002 got on my nerves. that said, im not a fan of the korean national team at all becos of their pride after obviously referee mistakes in their match against italy (italy had 2 goals denied and deemed offside when they were obviously onside). anyway, it's now up to sweden to take the 2nd place in group D. leave russia and greece out...

here are the current scores... alle les bleus!

Group A
Team	Mat	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Points
Portugal	2	2	0	0	5	1	+4	6
Czech Republic	2	1	0	1	2	3	-1	3
Turkey	2	1	0	1	2	3	-1	3
Switzerland	2	0	0	2	1	3	-2	0
Group B
Team	Mat	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Points
Croatia	2	2	0	0	3	1	+2	6
Germany	2	1	0	1	3	2	+1	3
Austria	2	0	1	1	1	2	-1	1
Poland	2	0	1	1	1	3	-2	1
Group C
Team	Mat	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Points
Netherlands	2	2	0	0	7	1	+6	6
Romania	2	0	2	0	1	1	0	2
Italy	2	0	1	1	1	4	-3	1
France	2	0	1	1	1	4	-3	1
Group D
Team	Mat	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Points
Spain	2	2	0	0	6	2	+4	6
Sweden	2	1	0	1	3	2	+1	3
Russia	2	1	0	1	2	4	-2	3
Greece	2	0	0	2	0	3	-3	0

euro 2008 group C 13-06-2008 (the group of death)

doubleswords@gmail.com (~yeodΛ▼Λzumi~) — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:03:00 +0000

group C:

italy-romania: 1-1
netherlands-france: 4-1

i'm not a fan of italy, and neither am i a fan of romania. i remember watching euro2004 with fabia when we sat at opposite sides of the room. today, i thought romania would have won becos they were the more pressing of the two. and they're playing with less pressure becos they see themselves as having accomplished a great deal having come this far in the tournament. with both teams tied at 1-1 in the 2nd half, i thought romania won the day when they were awarded a penalty at the 80th minute. unfortunately, buffon made a miraculous save to keep the italian dream alive. so 1-1 it was written...

as for netherlands-france, i wanted france to win badly. they're my 2nd favourite team after all. i even wore france #17 petit's jersey today. henry missed at least 2 good chances, and that bloody coupet didnt save 2 easy goals. he was just off-position. for the rest of the game, the central forwards in the french offense were out of position. ribery played well but couldnt give the french their much-deserved victory. the dutch however, didn't press as much but managed to put on the finishing touches. that lousy coupet was out-of-position most of the time! barthez is gone, so is zidane. but where's madanda from marseille? i don't pay attention to the french league, but i was told he's excellent and definitely far better than coupet. so it was a humiliating defeat for les bleus in a sea of orange... but the french usually start late. they take a long time to warm up to a tournament. so... france-italy next....

as it stands now, the dutch are through to the quarter-finals with 6 points. romania drew twice to get 2 points. that leaves italy and france tied at 1 point each. assuming romania don't beat the dutch on the 17th, the winners of the france-italy match will take the 2nd spot in the quarter-finals. but, this winner will most likely face spain next. that is a difficult game. but group C, known as the group of death, is interesting now. all 3 remain teams must win to qualify.

something i hope wouldnt happen:
if i were the dutch coach, i'll use my reserve players to meet romania. since i've already qualified, i'll let romania win. so france and italy will both be out. becos the runner up of group C will meet spain in the quarter-finals. among romania, italy, and france, i'd rather face romania in the semi. spain has a tradition of finding a way to lose. so assuming spain will lose to the runner up of group C, among the 3, the dutch will have the best chance of winning against romania.