footie, footie and a surprise buy!

Am really looking forward to football again tonight - yes, it's Germany vs Azerbaijan - and I can watch it live over ESPN (OK i'm hoping David doesn't decide to watch the UK vs Swiss match....). Not sure how well will Die Mannschaft play tonight...they've not been up to form of late. In fact, it almost fells like watching Bayern play! Lacklustre performances just kinda waiting for a spark/boom to happen, really. I'm obviously hoping for the best - so we shall see what happens today. After that, I'll be immediately switching over to watch the Argen vs Espana friendly! Woohoo. My money is on Spain but hope to see Messi score as well. I've never liked Argentina as a footie team but am pretty sure we're in for an exciting match for that...I just want them to hold off scoring before I switch over the channels =)

On a separate note, I've just purchased the new book by Carlo Ancelotti "The Beautiful Games of an Ordinary Genius". Surprised, eh? I guess I just wanted to read more about the coach and his thoughts about how he manages his teams. I've come across snippets from the book and Ancelotti seems like a humorous guy. I'm probably more interested in his life managing Milan than Chelski to be honest =)

Counting down the hours til tonight....

*Listening to Art of War by Anberlin*

'twas a good day..

...yesterday. Had a good day at work and then met a friend for drink with some of my colleagues, and then to dinner with some of my closest friends. Pinchitos was very good as expected (well, to be honest I've already had 3 drinks by the time for dinner and think any food would have been yummy! Lol!). And then found out Germany won 1-0 :D thank god for that. I'm watching the highlights at the moment...and definitely think that the team is still NOT performing well enough yet. Ozil fluffed a few chances in the first half - I really hope he learns to be a better finisher..argh I'm still annoyed that he isn't for Man U!!! Germany's only goal came thanks to poor defending from Van Buyten (the Belgies were really tough opponents though) and some quick, fast and accurate footwork from the Bayern guys (Schweini, Muller + Klose!) :D

Also just saw this awesome cut forward from Lahm - he is so quick and amazing! I wish he was a midfielder instead - he plays quite differently in Germany vs Bayern, probably because LvG doesn't allow Lahm to roam forward as much as when he plays for the German team?

Anyway, the next match vs Azerbaijan will be televised - so am really looking forward to watching that on Tuesday!!

Alrighto, I think I'm about to get ready to go out for my "official" birthday dinner =) =) =)

*Listening to A Day Late by Anberlin*

I'm back!

So I got back from hols on Monday - Morocco was REALLY FUN! I had an awesome time there...yes, even given the 47 degree weather ;o) I'll post some photos soon but it was great to take a breather out of London for a change.

On the footie front whilst I was away, major disappointments from Man U and Bayern dropping points, Real still struggling to glue and just read yesterday that Jogi Loew wants to reinstall Ballack as German's captain? As much as I like Jogi, I think he's bonkers! Grrr.....

Some new albums came out recently as well. Was sorely disappointed with the new GGD album - it's so bad that I can't even bring myself to sit through it again - I feel REALLY sad about it. However, the good news is that the new Anberlin album is totally wicked! Now I just can't wait for it to be available next week!

On a separate note, I'm about to turn a big 2-8 tomorrow - shocking that time flies so quickly when you're having fun (or when you have SO much stuff to deal with in life). The signs of old-age (other than getting increasingly forgetful) also includes the loss of motivation to celebrate your birthday (I was actually half contemplating watching the Euro qualifier match between Germany and Belgium at home instead!) - but hopefully I'll have fun tomorrow and on Saturday. I'm not feeling physically great at the moment (I've taken 4 panadols and 2 Imodiums since last night) but I really hope to feel completely fine tomorrow....life's never fair, is it?

*Listening to Closer by Anberlin*

Busy busy...

..it's nearly the start of my hols! Tomorrow, I'll finally get a chance to step out of the country after 8 months (yes, I have not been on hols abroad for that long) - mostly due to exams though. But now that my hols has finally arrived, I don't know why I'm not even remotely excited or actually really gung-ho about it yet? It must be my recent footie obsession that has glued me to the TV, foot i.e., blogs/ news/ reports at every other waking moment - perhaps part of me is already sad over missing the action over the next week or so. And I've not even started packing for my trip yet! How different this feels from the same time last year when I was so over-excited to go Bolivia and Peru!

The good thing is that I'll at least get to watch the first Bundesliga match between Bayern and Wolfsburg tonight (I swear I have no life :P). Then pack....maybe it's time for me to get my priorities straight =)

Oh - and a hint of where I'm going....

*Listening to Pray Tell by Anberlin*

Finally...

...Ozil signs for Real Madrid! I think I prefer this outcome to him signing for ANY other English team OR Barca. Also hoping he gets to play a lot...but coming from a team full of superstars, that may be difficult. But who knows - I'll be rooting for Madrid to smash Barca for the La Liga title this year! ^_^

On a separate note, glad we won yesterday night - albeit a bit disappointed with the 3-0 margin though. We should have a scored a LOT more. Oh, and to me, it's pretty much over for Rooney =(

*Listening to Everything You Wanted by Kele*

What the...

..and so we signed on ANOTHER new striker called Bebe for £7m instead of Ozil. I'm really curious about what SAF is planning to do. It's pretty clear to EVERYONE where the problem with Man U lies and yet nothing has been done on that front yet. I have no opinions on Bebe - after all, little more than 30 minutes ago, I never even knew that guy existed. Since he's with United now I hope he's as good as he's worth!

Really pleased with Chicharito's form - he scored against Spain in the first half! =D

*Listening to Land of Confusion by Disturbed*

is depressed....

...that Ozil is moving to Barca =( =( =(

Sigh - so much for the hype and excitement about him joining Man U. Never mind, it's probably about time I placed my order for the new away jersey then!

*Listening to Caught in the Moment by Default*

Footie's back! (well..nearly!)

This weekend has been good for me in terms of footie results - first Bayern beat Schalke to grab the Super Cup yesterday and just now, Man U clinched the community shield from Chelski! Wee!! :D I even went the mile to watch the Super Cup match (which was NOT shown on TV in UK) - but it was all worth it. Bayern, even weakened by the absence of Ribery and Robben, was definitely the better side - given that the WC10 players only came back only at the beginning of this week, this was a very good result indeed. Both Muller and Klose scored typical "WC" goals - and Lahm captained Bayern (Neuer captained Schalke)! Was good to see Klose finally getting a goal in for Bayern - he's been dissed a lot for his lack of goals in the recent seasons (especially since he always seems on-form when he plays for his nation!) - hopefully this will spur him on to score more for his club this season! Not so positive yesterday was that Werder were thumped by Fulham 5-1 - and Ozil played for about an hour!?!?!? Man, I am a bit relieved that I didn't watch that match - otherwise, I'd probably be screaming out of frustration! =( But overall - Bayern winning definitely made my day yesterday.....

The good feeling continued today as Man U outscored Chelski 3-1 - I'm not being biased but Man U definitely outplayed Chelsea for most of it. Chelsea could have equalised when they were more threatening during the last 10 minutes of the match but I guess it just wasn't their day. In the end, a 90th minute goal from Berbatov sealed the deal for Man U. Chicharito's goal was hilarious - I'm glad we signed him up - he's definitely one of those players that is capable of lighting up a match when things get stale....hopefully his good form continues throughout the season. Rooney, who played in the first half, was good - way better than his WC10 form and for that I'm relieved. Let's hope this is a good omen for better things to come this season!!

On a totally separate note, I managed to catch Toy Story 3 today as well - all I can say is that it's definitely one of the best cartoons I've seen in a while. And I admittedly nearly (yes, nearly but NO) teared during the last few moments of the cartoon...can't say I share Andy's enthusiasm for his toys but I can pretty much understand the feeling of not wanting to let the things you cherish in the past go....

*Listening to Witchcraft by Pendulum*

So much things going on...

..and not enough time! Last weekend was awesome - 4 matches in 2 days definitely cured my footie withdrawal (that has been going on for a while). 3 draws and 1 win. That's the final results. Out of the 4 teams, I have to admit that the Arsenal vs Celtic match was the most exciting...if only Celtic put Samaras from the beginning! Milan were weak....and slow. Somehow I hate the way they DON'T run for the ball. Such lazy play...reminds me of a certain striker in Man U. Grrr. Michel Bastos and Nasri were the standout players for me. Exciting and energetic play from the both of them. Oh, and the Emirates stadium is really cool too! Don't worry I'll never convert into a Gunner ;o) As much as I think Man U will probably not win the league (or CL) this year, I'll never support any other English club! =)

*Listening to Marching On by One Republic*

Wow...

..I can't believe I actually won tickets for the Emirates Cup this weekend! Basically I randomly entered a lucky draw on the Telegraph newspaper and a girl called me up to say I won the tickets! :D Woohoo!! (Let's see if she is actually pulling my leg tomorrow when I go collect the tickets ;o) )

Anyway if I do manage to get it, I'll be watching 4 awesome matches over the weekend, starring Arsenal, AC Milan, Lyon and Celtic. Can't wait!!!!!!!! This will probably cure my football withdrawal for a while... =)

*Listening to Top of the World by The Blackout*

So here I am at Koko's...

...tapping away on my iPhone and waiting for Good Charlotte to get on stage. I've never been a huge huge fan of the band but I definitely like most of their songs. They've always never failed to produce really catchy and mostly happy tunes. It's pretty packed in here - I'm standing by the stairs - hopefully no one's gonna obstruct my view!!! :D

P/S: don't you just love technology ;)

*Listening to Victim of Love by Good Charlotte*

Is relieved...

..can't believe I scrapped through! Really happy and relieved right now :D

*Listening to Happy by Sister Hazel*

Congratulations...

..to Sheryl and Tim and wishing the both of you a lifetime of happiness! I've just gotten back from their beautiful wedding at Magdalene College earlier today - t'was a really great experience as I have never been to an English, let alone Cambridge wedding before! Also met lots of friends and had a really wonderful time. Indeed, I think weddings can sometimes the best places to meet friends whom you've lost touch with after years of slogging in the working world.

Anyway on a totally separate note, I think I will start watching/following the Bundesliga from next season onwards. Everyone who knows me will know that I'm the most judgemental and bias person on earth so no surprises for the team/s that I will be supporting! Bayern - definitely - and Werder if Ozil stays though. I'm pretty sure Lahm and Muller are not leaving Bayern - and as for Ozil, it's a tough call. I think he will leave...but not to Man U - the club is probably too strapped for cash to spend on a new buy...methinks. Can't bear the thought of supporting another English team - and I somehow could never bring myself to support Barca - yes, as hard as I try to, I've just never been a supporter. Well, we shall see...

*Listening to Tomorrow by James*

Into oblivion...

Don't you wish you could immerse yourself into nothingness sometimes? Well, not always - but sometimes I wish I could hide myself into oblivion. Btw this is a fantastic song by FFAF - I really hope they play it tonight!! :D :D :D I've been wanting to see them play in years and am glad that I'll finally get to catch them playing live tonight.

The days I've felt alone

And the sea, it brings me back again

So that I can see my wife

And I can see my child

Home, I'm home, it never changes

Same old faces, same old places

I stared into oblivion and found my own

I stared into oblivion, into oblivion

Find in me the home

That you have never known

Find in us the faith

The faith to bring you home

I stared into oblivion and found my own

I stared into oblivion and found my own

I stared into oblivion, and found my own reflection there

(reflection there)

Home. Now that I'm coming home

Will you be the same as when I saw you last?

Tell me how much time has passed?

I stared into oblivion (and found my own)

I stared into oblivion (and found my own)

I stared into oblivion (and found my own)

I stared into oblivion and found my own reflection there

P/S: I sometimes wonder what's up with me and Welsh rockers! Haha!!

Yay!

Joachim Loew to stay as Germany's coach..for 2 years - hopefully capped with winning the Euro 2012 :D :D

Man, I'm turning into a Deutscheland fangirl I swear....

*Listening to We Owe This to Ourselves by Anberlin*

A nice dream...

..would be for MU to get Ozil AND Lahm in time for the start of the season....now that would be way beyond awesome. Maybe I should stay in dream-land ala Inception! (which was really mind-bogglingly fantastic!)

By the way, I'm still terribly obsessed with the song Impossible by Anberlin...

Make my teeth clench
And my hands shake
Do you ever see
What you do to me?

You're wearing me out
Just wearing me out
But I'm wearing you down

You're impossible
Lovely
So impossible
To win or please

I'm wearing you out
Just wearing you out
But I'm wearing you down

Take what you want from me
It means nothing now
Take everything from me
It means nothing now

Not so easy to forgive
Harder to forget
Take what you want

I make your lips red
And your moans quake
Try to think through
What I can do to you

It's wearing you thin
Can I begin
To wear you out
Wear you out

Take what you want from me
It means nothing now
Take everything from me
It means nothing now

Not so easy to forgive
Harder to forget
Take what you want

I'm impossible
To figure out
So impossible
You've had your doubts

Take what you want from me
It means nothing now
Take everything honey
It means nothing now

Not so easy to forgive
Harder to forget

Take what you want from me
It means nothing now
Take everything honey
It means nothing now

Not so easy to forgive
Harder to forget
Take what you want from me
Take what you want from me

*Listening to... :o)*

Phew...

After scrambling around for 2 days, I managed to get my laptop fixed today! Amazing isn't it? Have to admit that this came with a lot of "travelling" effort - I was at the point of giving up last night and already psyching myself to write off 2-3 weeks by sending it in to Apple - but luckily, I decided to try an independent service provider and they got it fixed almost immediately (I have to thank my lucky stars that work hasn't been too busy lately as well). Very impressed with this ISP - seeing that Apple was about to quote me £50 for the repair (saying that the socket had to be replaced, bla, bla, not in warranty, etc.), I was shocked when these peeps contacted me back within an hour to tell me that my laptop was ready for collection (with no charge!)! I guess it must have been a really easy fix - I will have to be very careful with my laptop from now on - I don't know how it got damaged in the first place though....

That aside, weather has continued to be crappy today - and doubt I can run outdoors. Looks like I will need to start going back to the gym if the weather continues to be like this. Not so fun now that I've experienced how lovely it is outdoors!

On a separate note, Stone Sour and A7X just announced a double-whammy tour in Oct - and tickets go on sale tomorrow! :D :D That will defo been an amazing concert....now I just need to start clicking at 9am tomorrow...

*Listening to Say You'll Haunt Me by Stone Sour*

Footie withdrawal syndrome hits...

..and my laptop is buggered. Sigh. I'm quite lucky to have booked myself a slot at the Genius Bar this afternoon so hopefully it'll be OK by tonight.

The weather has been a bit gloomy today - which would have been quite a nice welcome after 2 weeks of blazing hot sun - except that I've recently started running by the Canal near my house and it's really nice and relaxing when the weather is looking up! (P/S: Need to thank JJ for convincing me to run outdoors - I've been running indoors for 1+year!) Maybe it will stop drizzling later today and I can take a short jog this evening....

*Listening to Forever Young by Alphaville*

Spain are champs!

And so the match finally ended after 120 minutes of gruelling football - and by gruelling I mean filled with quite a lot of drama and violence! Although goalless until the 116th minute, both sides fluffed "sure score" chances but also showed sheer grit. Maybe this has something to do with nerves? I have to give credit to the Dutch for they managed to shut out the effective passing of the Spanish in mid-field and their defence was solid...in fact sometimes they looked even more impenetrable than Spain. But hell were they rough! That kungfu kick by De Jong on Alonso must have cracked at least one of his ribs, no? Anyway, I think they had a total of 8 yellow cards in the game, and one of the guys got deservedly sent off. Nonetheless, Spain's dominance was pretty much unquestionable although the Dutch were a dangerous lot (esp Arjen Robben - Sneijder was completely shut out in this game though...). Given that Spain actually fluffed a lot more chances than they usually do, I was over the moon when Iniesta's goal happened - I wouldn't have been able to bear watching Spain lose due to penalty shoot-outs! The one sad Spanish element (to me anyway) was watching Torres being relegated to a sub (he came on during extra-time), barely got a chance at the ball and later on injured himself (apparently a groin injury). I wonder if this will be the end for him?

All in all, the champs did win as they should have - but I have my faith in the young German team. Looking forward to the Euro 2012....

I'm already wondering how am I gonna survive now that WC10 is over - any ideas?

*Listening to Over and Over by Three Days Grace*

Happy day!

Today was a great day. Woke up early, had a run - and went off to have a 4.5 hours 10 course lunch at Fat Duck! Although it cost the 6 of us a bomb, it was definitely an unforgettable experience - and with a good bunch of friends, was a delight! Food was strange - as expected - my favourite course came in the form of a snail porridge - it was green, tasted like congee with pea puree but with yummy snails! A close 2nd was the dessert course of Black Forrest Gateau, which was amazingly delicious!

So after a long lunch, we came home just in time to rest a bit before the Germany vs Uruguay game started. I have to say I was slightly disappointed with the line-up - 3 of their key players were struck by flu (Klose, Podolvski, Lahm) - so it was a visibly weaker midfield and the lack of these players were quite obvious in Germany's gameplay. Butt started for Neuer, but he was very experienced (he's 36) so was quite good at the goal. Cacau (who came in for Klose) was slow and ineffective (he was later subbed off for Riessling - who although better than Cacau, was definitely not Klose!) - but luckily Muller was around. To be honest, I still think Muller would have made a difference had he been able to play on Wednesday....but that is my biased opinion, of course. It was a really exciting game - both sides attacked freely so defense was lacking (yes, for the Germans in particular!). The Uruguayan strikers were dangerous - somehow it felt a bit like when Germany was playing against Argentina - you never know whether one of them will strike! Forlan had an excellent game, dangerous at all times while Suarez was the anti-hero - booed whenever he touched the ball but threatening in presence nonetheless. Ozil was good - watching him play is a joy - and I can only hope he comes to the EPL next season...otherwise I might need to revert to watching the Bundesliga instead!! ;o) I'm happy with the 3-2 result - it was enough for Germany to win 3rd place - although for most of it, I was hoping for Ozil to strike...but maybe next time. I have faith in this team...so bring on Euro 2012!!! :D

Tomorrow will be a much more tactical game - hopefully the Dutch will unrattle Spain first so that the Spanish armada will set off quickly!!

*Listening to Shameful Metaphors by Chevelle*

Melancholy...

..after listening to the new Anberlin song - absolutely awesome! Definitely cheered up after a terrible start of the day but at least, I've gotten a couple of things sorted, and have learnt some new things in the midst - and it's not even noon yet!

So Wesley Sneijder doesn't want to leave Inter - which leaves SAF to sign on Mesut Özil quickly (or so I hope!) =) I think he will be able to make a difference to the team. As we all know from last season that Ronaldo was sorely missed - that playmaker cum scorer cum crosser role has been lacking in MU's game play. To be honest, the team was never quite the same quality compared to '99 - when MU was at the pinnacle of success! Anyway, let's hope for a better year ahead.....

*Listening to Impossible by Anberlin*

Even in my gloom...

..I've managed to discover a new band that I really like! The band is called Hail the Villain, a fairly new Canadian heavy metal band (formed in '03) - their songs are just my cup of tea: Punchy, strong rifts, awesome tunes. I'm not done listening through their new (also first!) album but so far (4 tracks down), it's been definitely promising.... :D

Good solution to mend my disappointment - I'm still amazed about how upset I am still though...

*Listening to Take Back the Fear by Hail the Villain*

It still hurts..

...even when you've predicted the outcome. 1-0. Oh well. The better side definitely won (by the sounds of it) - but I will be looking forward to watching 2 stress-free matches this Saturday and Sunday. If there's any consolation, phantom of the opera was excellent - definitely one of the best musicals I've ever seen :o).

Special thanks to my lovely friends who know how upset I would have been today...

Now to get over and move on....bring on Spain!

*Listening to Knock You Down by Keri Hilson*

Is it even possible...

...to feel nervous when you're not even going to experience the 90 minute agony that might end the road for your favourite team? Probably so. Sigh again - I sure hope that damn octopus got it wrong....

*Listening to Everything and Nothing by The Classic Crime*

Ain't nothing but heartache...

It's surprising how I'm gonna be missing the most highly anticipated match of WC2010. Yeah, when Germany play Spain tonight, I'll be watching Phantom of the Opera (albeit checking the scores every minute!). Maybe it's meant to be? Or perhaps it's to stop me from the heartache of watching the annihilation of Germany, whom I've been supporting so far..... Sigh. I know I should have more faith in them - and they've already exceeded everyone's expectations so far. But me being me, hates getting my hopes up for fear of falling flat on my face. It hurts. Real bad. Anyway, I'll be supporting them even if I won't be watching it live - and as I always believe, come what may, the best team always wins, right?

*Listening to So Alive by Ryan Adams*

I love Germany!

Can't believe they pulled this off. I was rooting for them.....in hope that they can spring a surprise on the favourites Argentina - little did I expect them to be able to thump the mighties 4-0! :D I'm so happy right now and can't quite describe how ecstatic I am feeling at the moment. I really should have really had more faith in them... =) =)

*Listening to Keep the Faith by Bon Jovi*

Kudos to Oranje!

Awesome match where Oranje deserved to win! Too bad for Brazil - all seemed to be going well until they fell apart in the 2nd half. Such is life I reckon.

Looking forward to the football tomorrow albeit cringing at thought of Germany getting whipped by Argentina =( =( =(

*Listening to Closer to the Edge by 30stm*

Oranje or Green?

In any case it will be a salivating showdown between the Oranjes and Brazilians. Out of loyalty, I'm throwing my support for Brazil (and Kaka! :D). However, I won't be too upset if the Dutch manage to spring a surprise on the favourites. With Robben back from injury, the Dutch offence looks even stronger now - as was proven when he subbed in the 2nd round match against Slovakia the other day. Brazil will always remain everyone's favourite team - has been lots of complaints about how they've sacrificed flair for structure/technique but I actually prefer the team now compared to years ago. Yes, they have changed their style of playing - but I do admire and appreciate how much their defence has improved. If it were any other Brazilian team, I would always get a heart attack when the opposition came near the Brazilian goal - but not anymore!

Awaiting the match to start in 1.5hours. In the mean time I'll be dreaming of Mesut Özil coming to Man United! =)

*Listening to Lights by Interpol*

Day 2 of withdrawal...

...and still suffering! Sigh.

*Listening to Another Way to Die by Disturbed*

Football withdrawal...

I can't believe that it's only just been a day without any football action on the pitch (2 day break before the quarterfinals ensue) and I am already experiencing withdrawal symptoms. I'm literally itching to watch a match...but looks like I can't do anything but to wait 'til Friday. Oh well.

*Listening to Mission Statement by Stone Sour*

Daughter...

Alone...listless...breakfast table in an otherwise empty room
Young girl...violins...center of her own attention
The mother reads aloud child tries to understand it
Tries to make her proud

The shades go down it's in her head
Painted room...can't deny there's something wrong...

Don't call me daughter not fit to
The picture kept will remind me
Don't call me daughter not fit to
The picture kept will remind me
Don't call me...

She holds the hand that holds her down
She will...rise above

Don't call me daughter, not fit to
The picture kept will remind me
Don't call me daughter, not fit to be
The picture kept will remind me
Don't call me...

The shades go down
The shades go, go, go...

P/S: I just can't wait to watch Pearl Jam tonight!

PP/SS: Don't worry I'm not depressed or anything - it's just a brilliant song - prob my fav from the band =)

Football fever!

The football fever has indeed set in - the overall performance has been mostly unexpected but genuinely entertaining! Some traditionally strong teams were rattled in the group stages (Spain, Germany), losing to the underdogs - some even failing to get through (read: France). Now as we're nearing the end of the group stages, the 2 teams that I support (admittedly one grudgingly - Spain - and the other willingly - Portugal) are still far from safe. All will be decided on Friday so maybe I'll learn the positive or negative outcome while watching Pearl Jam in Hyde Park! I obviously have little faith in the England team and really detest how their supporters seem to have unrealistic views on the abilities of their players (I mean, have they seen how Kaka or Messi plays??). Don't get me wrong, most of these players play for top-flight clubs in the premier league - but somehow the skills displayed don't show any sense of fluidity or even style. Perhaps I shouldn't expect every team to play like Brazil or Portugal - the beautiful passes, the triangle formation...even Spain (in my view) can't compare!

Oh well, enough ranting. I'm glad Germany scrapped through tonight - don't ask me why I'm supporting them in the first place! Hopefully this world cup will introduce a new winner into the hall of fame (only 6 previously: Argentina, Brazil, England, Germany, Italy, Uruguay).

*Listening to End of me by Apocalyptica feat. Gavin Rossdale*

It's not healthy...

..to watch the same band twice in a week. But I HAVE to accentuate that Bon Jovi, without a doubt, is one of the BEST (i.e, my favourite) bands ever! OK, bar the fact that their past 4 albums have been utter rubbish (note: this means anything after These Days except for It's My Life), the gems that they play during their gigs are a joy to listen to. My only regret is not being to watch them perform during their prime - I guess this is something I can't help :o( Anyway I've been obsessing over their old songs for the past few days and I think this will go on for days....until my next gig comes along! (next week: Stone Temple Pilots).

Bon Jovi forever! =D

*Listening to Blood on Blood by Bon Jovi*

Standing on the rooftops, everybody scream your heart out!

My nightmare is finally over. Phew. And I have my life back. It's been a long 3 months leading up to yesterday and yet, I think I will have to taste some bitterness when I find out my results in 2 months time. Anyway, at least it's done and dusted and life starts again!

It sure does feel as though I have this massive backlog of things that I want to do and can finally start doing again! I need to start playing my guitar (which I haven't touched for the past 2 weeks), read this pile of new fantasy books lying on my bookshelf that I've been refraining from touching, meeting up with too many friends that I've neglected for months, holiday plans, ..and the list goes on. The only part of my life that has been unchanged is my search for new music (ok it's quite limited to rock in any case) - it's probably one of the few things in my life that can actually keep me motivated and happy. Strange, but true - good music can leave a big smile plastered on my face - not something human beings can emulate most of the time! LOL!

In terms of personal motivations, I think a change has been long overdue and I will try my best at getting to those now that exams are behind me. To be a better person, to reach some personal goals and most importantly, to be a better daughter to my parents. Somehow being away from home all these years seems to have created a vault between us - it has probably made me too independent and easily irritable. I should probably try to put myself in their shoes to understand why they are how they are :o). I never quite understood this - but I think it's probably down to me being envious of my brother who has always been the apple in my parent's eyes (Note: don't get me wrong, I'm not even going to argue about why this is the case! LOL!) and always having to prove to them that I'm not a failure as how I think they perceive me to be. Obviously, this is just a one-sided assessment and I have absolutely no clue if it rings true or otherwise - but on the other hand, it might be safer not to know - as one would say, what you don't know, doesn't hurt. In ANY case, that should not deter me from trying - so yes, I will try from now on to be a better daughter. Enough said. :o)

Moving on from emo-stuffs, June will be one of those epic months in my life where I'll be overdosing on concerts starting with Rage Against the Machine tonight, followed by 2 Bon Jovi concerts next week, then Stone Temple Pilots and rounding off with Pearl Jam at the end of June! Awesome, isn't it?

*Listening to Killing in the Name by RATM*

So much for the afterglow...

So it's the end of my hols and it's been really awesome (with the exception of a minor glitch at the end) - but in any case I had a wonderful time exploring Angkor Wat with my buddy from high school - and later had a really fun time playing/partying in Hong Kong. I also managed to catch up with quite a few friends, family and brother/sis in law as well! It feels a bit surreal trying to recall what I've done in the past 2.5 weeks - too much fun, too little time sums it all pretty much. In any case I think I'm most at fault for not spending enough time with my family this time around...pretty selfish of me, but I've promised myself to be better next time =)

Life shouldn't be full of regrets, should it? I did something really unpredictable (by my standards!) last night. I don't regret it and yet I'm not sure what really urged me as well. In the past few years I've written of my fear of taking risks and how terrified I am of failure. Yes I failed but as wrenching/pathetic as I was, I can now look forward to a new start...not easy, but I'm pretty sure it's not undoable. Just takes a bit of courage, time and support (of friends that I'm eternally grateful to have - you know who you are!).

Alrighto it's nearly time for me to bugger off to the airport so I should hope this post will last for the many months to come! =)

*Listening to Walk On by U2*

the art of being lazy...

...that sounds like me - i haven't blogged for more than a year! to be honest, not much has changed (for me personally) but like everyone else, i've had my share of ups and downs. since i usually update my FB status, my friends DO know what i'm up to =) strangely whenever i blog, it's because there's something nagging me - so there is something right now but hey ho, not for anyone's ears except mine! :P anyway, since it's so close to xmas hols, i don't really have that much things to worry about for the time being...except LDN -> KL-> cambodia -> KL -> HK -> KL -> LDN - yippee!

2009 was a year filled with more concerts than ever, excellent travel adventures (must go back to south america!) plus lots of fun nights hanging out with friends....so for my new year resolution for 2010, i vow to...(in no particular order)

1) bake a cake

2) learn to play the guitar properly - yes, i need to make it a regimented routine otherwise i'd never get around playing the diary of jane in my lifetime!

3) more travelling! (south america again for sure!)

4) go for my concerts! (duh!) and to watch our lady peace/breaking benjamin/three days grace in concert even if it requires me to fly to US!

5) marry jared leto (ok, maybe not)

sounds ambitious? yeah, i think so too - it'd be great to just do all those things above. and i made a separate promise to myself to be more honest, listen to others and talk less.... =)

doubt i'll write in the next year or so (knowing my personality as highlighted in the title of my entry today) so hopefully there'll be something worth writing about in 2011!

*Listening to Because I want you by Placebo*

some things never change?

I think it was more than a year ago (maybe two?) when I was in this state of emotion => mixed, confusion, excitement... and then reality bit. Yup, before I knew it, it was all over - just one moment and now I'm back to square one. This feeling is indeed so-very familiar to me and I'm sure many people have gone through this as well. I guess I have to learn to wish not and want not. Although I think I've conditioned myself well enough to expect nothing so that I won't be left feeling empty - reality still hits you right where it hurts and at the end, I'm left with this unexplainably challenging situation..... Argh, but such is life - as one always says - so I guess all I can do is cheer up and look forward to the next best thing that's happening in my life? Now, that's a tough call - I think I'm better off counting down the days to Nickelback's concert.....one more week :D

*Listening to The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows by Brand New*

random thoughts....

Sometimes I wish I were more risk-adverse - however, I ultimately know that I am the type of person who would never take uncalculated risks in life. Is that a good or a bad trait? There's always this part of my brain that unconsciously tells me to make the most practical and sensible decision i.e. never make a decision where P(success)<50%. I guess this is my way of avoiding facing a potentially bad outcome. It's actually pretty sad if you think about it....I guess I'd never truly find out since I wouldn't take that leap of faith, would I? On the other hand, because I've already calculated that the P(success) is pretty much lower than 50%, then it's really not worth going through the potential pain/sadness/dissappointment/embarasssment/etc from one *risky* decision, right? I guess I'll never find out....

OK I think I'm growing way too old and senile now rambling about nothingness :o)

*Listening to The '59 Sound by Gaslight Anthem*

the end is the beginning is the end?

My two week break in KL is finally coming to an end - however, since I'll be back in about 2 months time, I'm not quite feeling the *missing* pangs this time around. I do sometimes wonder whether I'm missing out on things that are happening back home...on the other hand, perhaps I'm not quite ready to give up on my rock concerts just yet :P (not forgetting the limitless freedom living in London! ;o))
I do realise that things have changed in Malaysia over the past few years - with the slowdown of the global economy, the price of living necessities become incessantly more expensive. I guess my friends working here are quite lucky to be amongst the proportion of working adults that earn very decent wages and thus are not quite as affected by the increasing prices of goods in Malaysia. It is also quite interesting to observe how ones priority in life shifts with age - it used to be studies and getting decent grades - now it's work work work. I wonder what the next stage of life would be?
Ok time to go get my final dose of char siu from Overseas restaurant... :o)

*Listening to Build God, then we'll talk by Panic at the Disco*

Panic mania....

Yesterday's concert was totally AWESOME!!!! Panic at the disco were amazing on stage: great singing & showmanship and the lead singer, Brendon Urie, is toooooo damn cuteeeeeeee ^_^ (damn I sound like a paedophile - yes, he is only 21 - sighhhh....). Unfortunately, there really wasn't much of a crowd as the turn out was REALLY poor....not befitting for such a great band :o(. On the up side, less people meant more space to jump about and less squashing involved - which is GREAT!

OK I'll stop drooling now.....I'll write more soon....I hope ;o)

*Listening to Nine in the afternoon by DOH?!?!*

One year later.....

Has it been a year since I last wrote anything on this page? I guess it must have been. Gosh - time sure does fly - especially when you're busy either working, sleeping or going for rock concerts (which has been my main passion in the past year or so :o) )
Since I'm not trying to summarise the past year, I'll just briefly update my current state of mind. It's GREAT to be FREE from any form of burden or responsibility....at least for a while. Although waiting for my passport is getting on my nerves. Grrrrrr....... on the bright side, London has been amazingly nice and sunny :D ...which could be a good or bad thing....for me anyway. The equations below usually apply:

Good weather = Going out = Shopping = Spending lots of $$$
while BAD weather = Stay at home and sleep

Hmm it's already 715pm and none of my housemates are back yet! O_O Weird. Looks like it's going to be a quiet night for me. I can't wait for the Dark Knight to be shown in the cinema! It really annoys me how movies get shown sooo much later in UK than everywhere else in the world - don't they realise that this encourages more piracy? But then again, everything in UK is usually slow and behind time. I think I've lived here long enough to accept this as a fact of life....oh well.

Time to plan on what to do tomorrow...

*Listening to Itsumo by Feeder*

Back to blogging...after 7 months (!)

Ok I know I should have been better at blogging but the past 7 months flew by with so much happening (more like work+work+work -__-). Life's been great, though. To sum it up I've spent possibly about a month in Egypt since my previous entry and about 1.5 months in Istanbul working. In between I've managed to make an unforgetable trip to New York (Ref: nicocism.blogspot.com for pictures and story :P) and numerous concerts. Amazing how eventful this year has been so far! Oops, actually am due for dimsum lunch in half an hour so I better get my b** moving. Will blog more in near future (or so I hope)

A taste of one of my (many!) obsession's in the recent months as the below..

Listening to We danced together by The Rakes

Back in London...

Finally back in London after 3 eventful weeks in KL. So many unfortunate incidents occured and thankfully things are looking better now :-) Went to see the ophthalmologist yesterday (which btw costed me a big big BOMB) but was told my cornea ulcer is completely healed.
Yippee!! I guess I'll stick to spectacles for the time being.....until I'm brave enough to wear contacts again. Sob sob. Sigh, I HATEEEEEEEEE wearing spectacles. But shit happens. Oh well...
Other than being bogged up with work for the past week or so, I've been reading Death Note! It's such a fantastic manga (up to chapter 58, after which it becomes a LOT less interesting because ... I won't spoil it for those of you who have not read it yet muahahahaha *evil laugh*). I was reading them religiously for the past week and reached the finale chapter (108 FYI) on Tuesday. The ending was a bit...ermm...dissappointing though. Although one would easily predict the ending, the execution of the ending made the main character (i.e. Yagami Light = oh-so-evil-but-ultra-smart-and-cool guy) quite...ermm...lame. (Yeah, I was rooting for him right from the beginning :P) However, the manga is still worth a read and this explains my temporary Death Note withdrawal syndrome up until today. Am waiting for episode 13 of the anime to be subbed in English and actively searching for another manga to read. Anyone with any good suggestions?

In the mean time, I'll be needing some distractions (which will definitely come handy in the near future)....for the next few months ;-)

*Listening to Broken Hearted by Eighteen Visions*

Foggy Blue Mountains and then some..

Yippee, I finally made it back to Sydney on Tuesday! :D On the flight here, I have to admit that I was more than a little worried that the Australian immigration officers would chase me back to KL for attempting to spread an infectious eye disease as an act of terrorism or something to that effect -_-". My eye has gone better....not clear vision yet, but according to my doctor bro (and of course, the opthalmologist back in KL :P), it should take a few days for the ulcer to recover. So in the mean time, I have to make do with looking like this => o_O, and trying my best not to bump into something on the road.
Back about Sydney, I came to Sydney previously back in 3rd year of uni. Nothing much has changed, really. It's just as exciting and interesting as I've remembered the city to be. I probably enjoy it more now since I have a *local* guide (yeah, that's my bro and his gf, Kim), who can bring us around when they aren't working. One thing I really love about Sydney is the view of the Royal Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. It's a bewitching sight...ahhh....
We went to Blue Mountains yesterday (about 1.5 hours from Sydney - famous for 3 prominent rocks called the 3 sisters). Unfortunately the weather was...ermm..foggy. Took quite some skills and patience for our 2 *local* guides to drive us there and back. My poor dad never got to see the awesome view :( - me and mom have been here during our previous trip. I'll post some pics when I've uploaded them soon.
Oops, just got bugged by my dad to get out of the house. I'll sign off now and babble more later :P

*Listening to Famous Last Words by My Chemical Romance*

Can't believe all these are happening to me...

Trust me, I am not the sort of person who likes complaining BUT the past few days has been a total nightmare to me (and yes, the nightmare is taking place in KL, not any other place -_-")
First it started last Tuesday when a good friend of mine reversed my car onto a cleaning vehicle in a shopping complex.
Outcome: Big dent at the back of my dear old proton....sob sob. If that wasn't enough, I caught chills on that day itself and am still coughing up until today.

Next came my major wisdom tooth operation on Thursday. Was only supposed to remove the lower bottom right tooth but the doctor said
"Why not remove both? The additional pain is only about 10-15% and you have to pay another RM500 for the anaesthetics if you come to remove the left side next year"
Hence, extremely cheapskate yours truly said "Yeah, okay. Why not?" (Totally forgetting a warning from my previous dentist who told me that I would be knocked for about a week if I were to remove both at the same time)
Outcome: Round-face yi fei has temporarily become square-face due to the swelling on both lower right and left of the jaw. Only compensation is that at least my face is still symmetrical...hmpph... Besides that, I've been surviving on WAYYY too many buns and ice-cream. I really want real food...sob sob

To round off an already horrible week, I may have to do without contact lens from now on. Yup, I got a really BAD infection on Friday late night, which led me to seeing 3 doctors and actually spending Sunday night at an eye hospital. I have cornea ulcer due to a cut in my cornea (due to contact lens) and it's really taking time to recover. As I am typing this, I can only see through my left eye. Right eye is still on the road to recovery and I really pray that it heals...sigh. It really doesn't help that I am supposed to fly off to visit my brother tomorrow. I sure hope I don't get kicked out of Australia for spreading contagious eye disease. Gulp.....

Such a triple-whammy week. On the brighter side of things, I believe that things can't possibly get any worse (or if it does, I guess I'd be immune to it by now :P). Have to thank my mom and dad for being there for me all the time (putting up with all my childish whims, fancies, bad mood etc) and my friends who have shown so much concern for me the whole week. Really really appreciate it... :)

Okay, I'd better stop blogging now and try to rest my right eye. Really don't like to be big-eyed, small-eyed => o_O

*Listening to Keep Holding On by Avril Lavigne* <=Not like I have a choice, do I??

I'm back in KL!! :D

Let's see, so much happened since I got back on Satuday:

Saturday
3pm Arrival at KLIA
6pm Sleep
8pm Mel's wedding
11pm Zeta bar
4am mamak
5am sleeeppp....

Sunday
12pm Wake up
1pm KLCC
7pm 1-Utama
3am sleeppp...

Monday
730am Wake up
930am pull wisdom tooth
1230pm Lunch (and agony over the pulling of wisdom tooth. sob sob...)

Extremely annoyed that my dial-up at home doesn't work AND i can't check work e-mail's at my dad's office. Grrr......

looks like I'll be spending lotsa time in starbucks.... :P

Off to lunch now! Damn, it'll be congee for the next 2 days...

*Listening to Pain by 3 Days Grace*

KL, here I come!

Counting down the hours now.....10 hours more until I get on the plane and escape the crappy weather here!!! AND I am not even packed yet.....(not like it's gona be a problem :P)

Will arrive on Saturday 2pm tentatively (Msian time, of course), Mel's wedding is at 830pm, then comes party time in KL!

Can't wait..... :D

*Listening to Last Train Home by Lostprophets* <= Hmmm, probably last flight home should be more appropriate hehe :P

Home is where the heart is...or is it?

I don't entirely agree though, strangely enough. In uni, I used to get terribly homesick about once a year (yeah, and this usually happens few weeks before Tripos :P ). BUT as soon as one enters the working world, one's priority in life totally changes, which isn't such a bad thing, really. I guess there's so much responsibility and things to do in your everyday life that you don't have the time to get *homesick* at all! To say my heart belongs to home right now isn't quite correct. Being young(or not so anymore...sigh... -_-"), adventurous(that's what I like to think) and ambitious(yes, I can hear you smirking now), I want to venture out into the world before returning home...or not. Who know's what the world holds for us anyway ;-) It will be a long time before I would need to decide on that *fingers crossed* so in the mean time, I should just enjoy working in the *exciting* places I get sent for work. :D

Hmmm..now i know why Asian parents are so afraid of letting their children study overseas => they never come back!

Speaking of home, I'll be flying back to KL in less than 36 hours! Gosh, how time flies....the last trip back was in March. Anyway, am absolutely looking forward to seeing my parents, friends, visiting bro in Sydney, loads of shopping+food+fun! :D In fact, I am quite sure I'll be partying all night this Saturday already! It will be a good 3 week break before coming back on NY's eve. Gives me time to shop on NY's Day! *evil laugh muahahaha*

Argh, I really should be asleep by now since it's already 2am. Oh well, I'll just blame it on my over-excitement of going home and the fact that I have a LONG LONG flight awaiting me on Friday...Last day of work tomorrow (erm..today I mean)...hope it won't be a long one ;-)

*Listening to Home Improvement by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus* <=Don't think my home need's it but anyway...

Back from hiatus!

I haven't updated my blog in eons due to my overly busy life in the past 2 months (Yeah, right. It should actually read: I haven't updated my blog because I am a one-minute hot and extremely lazy git). HOWEVER, I still have a little pride in my little and highly unimportant blog to write some things that I do feel like sharing (although they're pretty trivial to everyone else except me anyway :P).
I guess I could start by writing about what I have been up to for the past 2 months....
In September, I made my final trip to Turkey and did some travelling in between my 3 weeks there.
I had my first overnight train experience from Istanbul to Denizli, which was REALLY fun, to visit Pamukkale. Pamukkale (or Cotton Castle) was amazing. Really worth the journey there...

Next, we went to Ephesus. An awful lot of Roman Ruins left and managed to visit whatever that's left of one of the 7 Ancient Wonders of the World i.e. the Temple of Artemis.
Pic taken in Ephesus...
...and the Great Temple of Artemis!

Hahahaha I bet most people were expecting something really amazing but hey, you can't really expect much from a temple built in 550BC AND having survived a fire just about 200 years after it was built! (Not much of a sight, but at least I can say that I've been there :P)

Ironically, I managed to catch my 2nd ancient Wonder of the World shortly after the first. Yes, the Great Pyramids of Giza.

Definitely a country for me to re-visit in future (possibility in January - evil laugh hehe..). Cairo really reminds me of a mish-mash of Turkey + Abu Dhabi + India. I can identify many similarities between the food and culture of Egypt with Turkey and easily associate the sandiness of Cairo with Abu Dhabi. The noisiness+haphazardness of the city definitely rivals that of Delhi. Other than the fact that you have to go out with the mindset that everyone is out there to con/cheat/ take advantage of you because you are a foreigner, Egypt is a wonderful and exciting place to be!

In between work and travel, I also finally met up with my MIA housemate, whom I haven't seen for the past 5 months (Glad to have you back, Fred! :D), attending Goo Goo Dolls in concert for the 2nd time this year (It was better than the first, I have to say :D :D) AND receiving 2 wedding invitations from my friends (ARGHHHH WHAT IS THE WORLD COMING TO!?!?! -_-"). On the last point, I am, of course, extremely happy for the happy couples and am really looking forward to meeting them in Kuala Lumpur soon ;-). Congrats to Mel & Jays and Gareth & Elaine!

Johny Rzeznik in action at Shepherd's Bush...

Other exciting things that took place recently involved bugging people around me to attend MORE rock concerts, which led to my crazy concert-ticket buying stints last week that probably contributed to yi fei's recent declaration of bankruptcy. Sob sob :'( ...(Okay, I have to admit that this isn't entirely true but oh well....). Although the concerts won't be happening until April 2007, I am nonetheless still looking forward to them...

Incubus + Lostprophets = One crazily happy gal! :D

Besides that, I have also been obsessed over so many new bands recently that I sort of lost count *sheepish grin*. Anyway, my most recent obsession is 30 seconds to mars....of which I NEVER knew JARED LETO was the lead singer of! :O (Oh yeah, he's my fav *american rocker dude* at the moment :P)

Nearly5am now. Time for a snooze....listening to 30stm, of course ;-)....

*Listening to From Yesterday by 30 seconds to mars*