Who's that girl* - Madonna

Who is Evelyn Salt?

The many faces of Salt (pics obtained from various sites)

Well, thank goodness she is Angelina Jolie!!!!! Apparently, it could have been Tom Cruise (a male character - Ethan Salt???) but we were spared! *Phew*

Anyways, who else could have played the role? Go watch the movie and give me your views. I believe none could have pulled it off as well as Mrs Pitt! But i am biased! ;-)

All in all, a great show! Many say it's a no brainer compared to Inception (see here) - well, i must admit tho that it keeps you guessing quite a while - who indeed is Salt? Is she a CIA agent? If so why did she do that? Is she a Russian spy? If so, why did she do that? And it has sufficient twists and a whole load of good action sequences to please this blogger here.

But then again, just having Angelina Jolie on screen for a couple of hours would satisfy me. Hehe.

At the end of the day, i recall my dismay when i first caught the exciting trailer to this movie - another action movie??? Why????? Such a waste of talent! Why doesn't she do more roles like the ones she did in Girl, Interrupted, A mighty heart or Changeling? She has proven that she can be a brilliant actress, not just an action movie star or a pretty face (with a great body to go with it).

Having said that, as stated above, who else (female actor) can do action like she does too?

*Taken from the soundtrack of the movie of the same name

A brand new day* - Sting

It's a brand new day for LFC!!!!

We have unveiled our brand new Europa kit.

We played our first competitive match.

Our brand new manager has won his first real game!!!!

I'm really impressed with Roy Hodgson thus far. Just based on how he handled this first game really showed wat kind of a manager he is.

Being his very first competitive game, he must be under immense pressure - we're talking about Liverpool FC, not some small club. People say that new brooms sweep cleaner and he must have been under great temptation to show off a wonderful team and stamp his mark.

But no!!!! Surprise, surprise, he left out ALL OF HIS STARS!!!! The team was almost a brand new team too - look at some of the jersey numbers of the players who played last nite - no. 24, 26, 32, 34, 37, 38, 39 and even a number 46!!!!! Have you seen squad numbers like that for a first team?

Sure, the opposition was an unknown small club. All the more Roy should play his best team and start off not just on a winning note but an emphatic one!

Yet, players like Gerrard, Carragher, Cole, Reina, etc were not even on the squad list - they did not travel with the team. Why were they not brought along - just in case they are needed if the young players could not handle it?

Roy was saying that he really wanted to rest those players as they just had a long World Cup (some longer than others) - he doesn't want Gerrard to travel all the way just to play for 10 minutes.

So Roy has shown that he is a practical man. He was unhappy that the game was fixed so close after the end of the World Cup - but not being able to change it, he took a stand, resisted the temptation and made sure those who took part in the World Cup had sufficient rest.

Why go and thrash a small club with yr stars but risk tiring them further or even injuring them before the EPL even starts?

He must have been confident of his young team too - the opposition was indeed a small club but they were unknown. Still, Roy must have not worried too much about the opposition but focused on the ability of his own. After all, you can't do anything about the other side but you can make sure that yours is good.

Imagine how much confidence he must have given to the young players, having an opportunity to be on the starting line-up or to play as a sub in the first team!!!

All this bodes well for us Reds. With Roy at the helm, things can only get better - we hope! But no matter what, Roy knows that we'll never walk alone!

*The title song for his Grammy Award winning album.

You'll never walk alone* - Gerry & The Pacemakers

It was quite sad when he loudly declared that he was no longer a Liverpool FC fan. Well, not expressly - but it was so obvious. He knew both Ed and i were Liverpool fans and he said that there were only 2 Liverpool fans present.

Of course in situations like these, i wonder if he was ever a true fan of Liverpool or not! It's like frens - yr real frens will stick by you, thru think and thin.

Last year was a trying time for Liverpool fans all over the world. They started the season as one of the favourites to win the league. They ended a woeful 7th place - could not qualify for the Champions League and are only in the Europa League cuz Portsmouth had problems of their own.

As it is, we have put up with a lot of cr*p from fans of other teams in the past few years - last year, what was shoveled at the team was prolly deserved.

In times like these, the fair-weathered fans were weeded out - those who only support the team when they were doing well suddenly faded into the background. Some, like my fren gave up and turned his back on the team.

But at the same time, i started seeing more people wearing the red jersey - even when we were losing (yes, 'we'), when we weren't playing well, when we were slipping further and further down the table, these true fans stayed loyal.

I humbly declare that i am one of them. And as the new season beckons, i am ready with the brand new (original) red jersey - which i will be wearing proudly no matter what.

Liverpool FC will never walk alone - and i know that i will not walk alone either for there are still many true loyal fans out there!

When you walk through a storm
Keep your chin up high
And don't be afraid of the dark.
At he end of the storm
Is a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of a lark.

Walk on through the wind,
Walk on through the rain,
Tho' your dreams be tossed and blown.Walk on, walk on
With hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone,
You'll never walk alone.

The Shankly Gates @ Anfield
(Pic taken during my pilgrimage there in 2007)

*Written for the musical, Carousel, now more widely known as LFC's anthem!

Kung fu fighting* - Carl Douglas

Everyone will probably know Jackie Chan as a kung fu exponent. I've been a fan of his since young and i still enjoy his movies today - altho some are really bad, just watching him is worth it (eg The Forbidden Kingdom).

I read this interesting write-up and interview with him on the BBC Entertainment site - this was in conjunction with the release of The Karate Kid in the UK. I was glad the writer pointed out that Jackie in movie teaches Kung Fu - not Karate as the movie title suggest.

The Karate kid's teacher!

Here is an excerpt from the article about how his goals have changed in recent times:-

Chan says that he tried to correct the image he gave out in 1978's Drunken Master ("I taught people how to drink and how to fight.") by making 1994's Drunken Master 2 ("Don't drink, don't fight.")

He adds: "I'm not a god - I do bad things. All those years I was learning.

"Right now the box office is not important - I want to do something meaningful - like The Karate Kid."

The Karate Kid, however, does not skimp on the violence. Kids kick each other senseless and young characters get bashed about by adults.

So what is the overall message of the movie for its young target audience?

Jackie Chan gives some martial arts tips

"When you are learning about a martial art, it is about respect," says Chan. "You have to find a good teacher. If you knock somebody down - stop. Bring them up."

You read the article in its entirety here.

I really liked Drunken Master 2 - my favourite kung fu movie of his. It was also one of the chinese movies i watched while in London during my undergrad days - Chinese movies were hard to get over there at that time. The only place to watch chinese movies was at Chinatown - playing mainly old movies. Drunken Master 2 was screened at the South Bank!!!! I watched it with my old mate, Stephan. One memorable thing about the movie was that the audience applauded at the end of the show!!!!! We were amused at the reaction.

And altho it did not do too well, i really enjoyed The Karate Kid. I really enjoyed Jackie Chan too in the movie. I liked how these days, he is not too interested to be the main character, the ultimate hero - but is comfortable playing a supporting role. Just like earlier this year in the movie, Little Big Soldier, he played not the hero and warrior - even tho that role was written initially for him - but that was long ago. He recognised that he is old now and shud play the role of the older man.

Many people think he has passed his prime - maybe so but in my view, he is mellowing into good wine.

*Considered by many as one of the best one-hit wonders!

Still got the blues* - Gary Moore

The reaction of many mates were one of shock and dread!!!!!!

I dun know wat to feel. Old frens would know i used to be a huge fan of theirs!!! It would be nice to see them again - this time in 3D and on the big screen! And nice to hear the theme song again - and see Brainy being thrown away by the others! =)

*Taken from his album of the same name, interestingly, a court in Germany recently ruled that the guitar solo in this solo was plagiarised!!!

Empty* - The Cranberries

Alonso won the GP at Germany!

There he is, celebrating! But what kind of a person would celebrate over a win like that?

Everyone knew what happened.

Massa, who trailed his team-mate by 31 points prior to the race, was told by his Ferrari race engineer, Rob Smedley, over team radio: "Fernando is faster than you. Can you confirm you understand?" - to which he responded by letting Alonso through on Turn Six moments later.

Following the move, Smedley added: "Good lad. Just stick with it now, sorry."

(Taken from here)

Alonso did not win the race. It was given to him!!!! Massa should have won it! And how meaningful it would have been as he 'celebrates' one year of life after an accident last year which could have killed him.

But nooooooo. He was told to let Alonso win.

Look at poor Massa

I cannot understand what happened. It is as bad as if a boxer was told to throw the match, or a tennis player told to lose the game, or a goalkeeper told to let in goals. It is blatantly cheating in my books. At best, it is still a slap on sports!

i thought sports was all about competing to see who wins, deservedly. Imagine paying good money to watch a game and the players just do not bother to play the game at all. You wold feel cheated, won't you? How did you feel when Massa slowed down to a crawl to let Alonso pass?

Yes, some will say that F1 is a 'team-sports'. It's not about the individual. But if that is the case, why is such an act AGAINST the rules of the sport? Ferari were found guilty - see here - but given a slap on their wrists with a measly fine of $100,000!!!!! Peanuts! Spare change for Ferari.

Team boss Stefano Domenicali had the gall to say this - "In the interests of the sport, we have decided not to go through a procedure of appealing against it...".

Stefano in the middle. And poor Massa again

IN THE INTERESTS OF THE SPORT????? They had made a mockery of the sport!!!!!!!

But even if F1 is indeed justified to act as such - of which it is clear and obvious that they are not - then what about Alonso? If i were him, i would have been so embarrassed! Sure, i may be happy i got the points, but i would not go and celebrate it openly like he did. The victory, altho belonging to Alonso, is an empty one. Everyone knows Massa should have been the true winner. Alonso may have been officially the winner but everyone knows it was not by his effort.

But it looks like he doesn't care, does he?

Yes, i wouldn't have wanted to win a race in such circumstances - maybe's tt's why i'll never be an F1 driver... not that i could ever be good enuf to be!

*Track n0. 5 from their album, No need to argue.

Somewhere down the road* - Amy Grant

This morning's sermon was really good. Very encouraging - and some parts even moved me to tears. I sent a FB message to some of my old frens after the sermon. Here it is (the relevant parts, anyways):-

hey,

douglas and ruby came to tlc this morning to share abt the work they are doing at temerloh. it was very encouraging.

the most encouraging thing for me was to see Man, now a full time worker of Bangsar Gospel Center. douglas and ruby have been discipling 4 OA couples and one of the couples is Man and Liz.

there were so many photos of Man, teaching and sharing God's word. i was thinking of how he was back then - and how he is now! truly God is faithful and he is great! and the work at temerloh seems to be going well. sure they have problems but they have good committed workers and christians there.

just thought i'd share with u all. i was really touched by the sharing. i was also reminded of the times we spent together, serving God for the OA.

compared to wat is being done by douglas and ruby, we may not seem to have done much back then - but i'm so thankful to be able to play a small part in God's plans. so may OA youths we came into contact - it is so encouraging to see at least Man serving the Lord faithfully.

The first time i met Man - on his baptism day in May 2004.
(That's him in the lighter green t-shirt, standing)

What really moved me was to see God's faithfulness and how he continues to work - and the way how he works in the lives of people. I am reminded that we are all called not be be successful but to be faithful - when my frens and i were helping out in the OA work back then and got to know Man, we could not have seen so far and know how God was going to work in his life. But somewhere down the road, God moved him and equipped him - and today he is a faithful servant of God.

I am reminded to just carry on doing what is right and good for the Lord. Eventually, we will see the results. All our efforts for the Lord is never in vain.

Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. I Cor 15:58

*This was a single from her old album, Behind The Eyes. It is now found in her new album which is of the same name.

Rhythm is gonna get you* - Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine

I just got back from watching Nanta with tGiF!

It was brilliant! =) Cash flow has been low lately and i did wonder if i shud have spent money on this - but i have absolutely no regrets now!

What is Nanta? According to it's website, it's "a non-verbal performance (that) integrates Korea's traditional rhythm, Samulnori, with comedy and drama in the kitchen". Apparently, 'nanta' in Korean means to strike relentlessly or hit recklessly.

So you get the idea? Actors basically having a ball of a time on stage hitting and striking out on all kinds of props using all kinds of stuffs - including one actor's own head (which was hilarious!!!).

And being a rhythm person (drums, bass, rhythm guitars), it is no wonder i love it!

But it's more than just that - cuz surely a cast of 5 knocking on kitchen utensils on stage for 90 minutes or more can get a little boring? Well, it doesn't.

It uses comedy and great creativity to tell a story!

One of the classic scenes!

And it incorporates audience participation. IMHO, the audience participation made it a winner!

Audience participation

Even befor the show started, it got the audiences involved! I was really amused but they managed to get the people cheering loudly, clapping and even singing!!!!!! All this before the show even started! How? Well, i'm not gonna spoil it. Catch it if you can!And if you can, you should.

Thruout the show, there were many occasions when either members of the audience was pulled onto the stage or the cast basically communicating with us, getting us all into the act - and laughing - both at the actors and at ourselves! It helps too the fact that the actors themselves find it hard to take it seriously at times! =)

So yes, go and catch it if it comes to a theatre near you - the rhythm will get you going, and you will have great fun too!

The finale - loved the really loud bassy drums - reminded me of the Japanese taiko drums show

But for those who will not get a chance to catch it - and for those who wanna have a little preview of wat's it all about, check out this wonderful promo clip:-

What a show. What a nite. And it was great to watch a really good stage performance. I guess i'm starved of it - and was wondering if i would ever get a chance to catch a London musical this year or not. It would be the first time in many years if i dun. =(

Pics obtained from varies sites online including their own FB page

*The lead single from their 10th studio album, to me, this is one of their most memorable songs of theirs.

Bad* - Michael Jackson

Overheard at a press conference:-

Reporter #1: What is "ratify"?

Reporter #2: Oh, it means that there was something wrong so they have to correct the mistake...

Err... madam, i think you are defining "rectify", not "ratify"!!!!

Ok, that may have been an honest mistake - she may have misheard (but surely she should have known better as it was stated in the context of ratifying an International treaty) - still, i cannot help but cringe at the standard of English i hear all around me!!! It truly is bad!

Look, i will state from the outset that my English is not the best ever and i do make mistakes, more often than i would like! But some of the English i come across is truly atrocious!

Take a look at this person's status on FB after Brazil got knocked out of the recent World Cup:-

And how does one cancel one's mind???

OK - she's just a student in a local institution. But how about this - a comment made on one of my previous student's status. The maker of the comment apparently is a barrister!!!!

We are a qualified barrister???? It's a good thing she did not indicate which Inn she qualified from!!!!

I was looking thru the on-line leave application programme we have at my work place - and was shocked by what i saw (underlined in red):-

My application details will be sending to my supervisor(s)?????

I guess the worse was during a staff-management meeting i attended recently. An academic staff actually made the following statements:-

"We can actually felt (the vibration)..."

"...it is quite distractive..."

"The glass is very glare..."

To say that i was shocked is an understatement!!!! I stared at her in disbelief each time she uttered anything. This here is a lecturer. She is a teacher. In an institute of higher learning, teaching a degree course to undergraduate students, a course which is conducted in English!!!!

My English may not be perfect but u have to admit that hers is bad! And it is just so sad.

p/s - no offence meant to anyone (tt's why i tried my best to ensure the identity of persons involved are hidden) and i hope none will be taken.

*One of his classic hits. Apparently, it was supposed to be a duet with Prince. Now that would have made it even more interesting!!!

Invisible man* - 98 Degrees

I was walking up the stairs and he was seated not too far away. he looked at my direction and i was not more than 10 feet away. I smiled - but he just looked away. As if i wasn't there at all.

This is not the first time things like this happen to me. Weeks ago, i was at the nasi lemak stall near campus. Being a typical roadside stall, there was no proper queue. People just came and stood around the stall and waited to be served. Usually, the ladies there would know who came first - and if they were mistaken, us customers would kindly point out that another person came before us. But that morning, the lady kept on ignoring me!!!! And it's not like i'm such a small person that she could miss me. Furthermore, i was wearing a bright orange shirt (Holland won earlier that morning).

At another incident, i was walking into a building. The security guard greeted the man in front of me. He then acted like he din see me. I thought, fine. Maybe he knew the guy in front of me personally. As i walked pass him, i heard him greeting the man directly behind me!!!!!

But honestly, the incident with security guard and the nasi lemak lady did not bother me much. But the first incident above did. And i was surprised at how hurt i was.

However, at the end of the day, i told meself that it does not matter. So what if my own church elder who has known me for more than 20 years ignored me? I am reminded of our BSF study of the gospel of John, specifically John chapter 10 verses 1-18 that God knows me personally. He knows me by name. He is the good shepherd and i am his sheep - and he will never forget me nor will he neglect me.

And that should be all that matters.

He has a lot of sheep but yet he know each one by our names!

*The first single from their debut album which was their breakthru hit.

Diamond ring* - Bon Jovi

Will you let me spend the rest of my life with you?

Note: Pic was randomly taken from the web.

*One of the best songs in my favourite album of theirs, These Days.

New* - No doubt

The new thing found on blogger is the 'Template Designer'. I discovered it recently and have been having a lot of fun using it! Too much, i think.

But here are the results - brand new looks for all my blogs (including neglected ones too):-

If you wanna read these blogs, the links are on the side bar. Enjoy!

*This song was initially written for the movie, Go.

Reality* - Richard Sanderson

Watched Inception during the weekend. No worries - no spoilers here!

Why no spoilers? Well, to be absolutely honest, i'm not sure about a lot of things in the movie!!!! There were many occasions when i went "But why...".

Yeah, maybe i'm just too dumb for such a sophisticated movie! But what a movie it is! for me to go thru it despite having many questions only shows how exciting and interesting it was. A movie which requires you to think!

Basically, it is about dreams - and reality, and where one ends and the other begins. Or does it end/begin at all?

I liked how it uses our real dream experiences to explain certain things - like how we can never remember when the dream starts (we just end up there and then), how a dream so absurd can yet feel so real when we are in it, how the dream can seem to last for a long only for us to wake up and discover we've only dozed off for a few seconds only!

So be warned - if u're tired and dun wanna think much, go watch Predators! But if you want to watch a clever movie which makes u sit up and think, and even challenges what u think u oredi know, this is the movie to watch!

Many are saying this is the best movie of the year! Well, i cannot agree with that. It is good. Very good in fact! But the best? Still, i do not disagree that Christopher Noland is one of the best film-makers of our time.

*This song kept on running in my head when i watched the movie! A really old favourite of mine.

Back for good* - Take That

"Robbie Williams rejoins Take That on new album" - these headlines greeted me when i went to BBC news online early this morning. Read the report here.

In my exhausted sleepy stupour, i suddenly perked up and read it excitedly. It was true! They have in fact recorded an album!!!! =) If you're too lazy to read the report, watch this clip:-

Now why would i be so excited? Truth be told, i'm not expecting the album to be brilliant. No, their days of brilliance have passed. When they reformed (sans Robbie) in 2006, they did not impress me - altho their single Patience was good, it went nowhere near wat they used to do. Still, they were successful enuf to prompt a comeback by New Kids on the Block!!!

So why the interest then? I guess it's more for sentimental reasons. Take That IMHO was the best ever group in the 'boy band' section. I was exposed to them when i went over to the UK to study, way back in 1993. And i really liked their music.

Sure, i think that the only musically talented people in Take That are Gary and Robbie - dun really know wat the others do (except sing lead in one or two tracks). But the talent between those 2 is enuf to cover for all of the rest of them.

So perhaps the reason why i'm happy over this piece of news is cuz it brings back memories of those wonder days i spent in London, defined by a lot of things, among others, Take That's singles Pray and Babe. Listening to these tracks is like taking a ride on a time machine - it transports me back to those days.

Here is the video for Pray:-

So is Robbie gonna be back for good? We'll see. Apparently, it is only for a year - but i'm sure him being back is good for Take That!

Now where's my old Take That album...

*This Robbie's last song with Take That. Now it will no longer have that status!

Immortality* - Celine Dion

Jason Tripitikas: I'll never forget you.
Lu Yan: I guess that's what being immortal truly means.

The lines above were taken from the terrible movie, Forbidden Kingdom. Still, i enjoyed it cuz i like Jackie Chan. And i'm glad he prolly got the best line of the movie.

You may find it cliched but i think it's so true - people will continue living on in our hearts and memories forever.

Here are some people who will be immortal to me - i'll never forget them, even if i'll never see some of them again - as they are no longer physically here on earth.

If you wanna know who these people are, go here.

p/s - i've omitted my family members, tGiF and people i'll never forget for the wrong reasons!!!!

*Composed by the Bee Gees who oso sing backing vocals for this song.

Who knew* - Pink

Well, someone became a celebrity thanks to the World Cup - and no, he is not a football player!!!! Nor a coach too.

He is none other than Paul!!!

It's so amusing reading about Paul - how he managed to correctly 'guess' who was gonna be the match winners for certain games. So what are the odds that he got all his predictions correct? Who would have guessed?

Perhaps most can guess the same as Paul - but to predict that Germany would lose to Serbia, the team which finished last in Group D? Who knew that would happen?

Well, i dun believe in Paul - c'mon, he's just a squid who wants to eat it's mussel! It's hilarious at how some people got so mad at Paul and started blaming it when their team lose as predicted by Paul!!!!! Hello? your team lost - and u want to put the blame on an 8-tentacled creature???

But others loved Paul - and wat do you know, i found out that a song was written about Paul!!!!! Here it is - u'll like it (even a Germany fan found it funny):-

Oh, Paul wasn't the only one who could predict wat was gonna happen in the World Cup. Even before the group stages end, i oredi bought 3 jerseys. The first was England's - now that was purely for sentimental reasons.

The other 2? Here they are:-

You would note that these two jerseys were the same ones that were worn during the finals - the Netherlands' home one and the Spain's away one!!!!! How did i know? a coincidence? ;-P

Maybe i shud call myself Paul...

*One of my fav songs as it reminds me of the time spent at UoE, specifically, the summer.

Top of the world* - Shonen Knife

They must indeed feel like they're on the top of the world!!!!

The first time Spain winning the World Cup (after making it to the finals for the first time ever too)! The first time an European country winning the World Cup which was held outside of Europe! The first time a team which lost their opening match went on to win the World Cup!!!!

But more than that, in terms of football, they are IMHO on top of the world. In 2008, they achieved the status of being the best in Europe. Now, they they without the shadow of a doubt the best in the world!!!!

They started out as favourites in the view of many - and when they made it to the finals, many also were sure they would win it. They did.

But what i was happy about was the manner in which they won it - they won the World Cup by playing football!!!!

Duh? No. They really played some nice football. They kicked the ball around with great skill and when the opportunity came, they put the ball into the back of the net.

There has been some great football teams in the past - but seriously, looking at how Spain played, i seriously doubt if any team in the world - past or present - can beat them (i'm not saying no one can ever beat them - the ball is round after all).

They have the best midfielders around, they have a potent strike force that even with an obviously not match-fit Torres, they can still win, they have an excellent goalie and a strong defence. On top of that, they have a coach who seems to understand what football is all about - and who is not afraid of 'offending' the stars in the team.

If there is a weakness, i have to say it is the lack of pace of the defenders - and Robben exposed that in the finals recently.

But they have a goalie to cover for that!

I wonder if they can still perform in 2012. But for now, they are the best in the world.

Pics taken from various sites online

*Their brilliant alternative remake of the Carpenters' classic - never fails to raise a smile on my face when i listen to it.

Disappointment* - The Cranberries

Well, followers of this blog would know i'm a supporter of the Holland football team.

But those who have been following my blog for a long time would know oso that i'm a supporter of Spain (see here).

So it was a nice dilemma i faced when i went to watch the World Cup finals - it was between Spain and Holland. Who was i gonna support???

But after watching the first few minutes of the game, the choice was easy - Spain! This was because Spain was the only team interested in playing football. Unfortunately, the Dutch did not feel the same.

In some ways, you cannot blame them - they have seen how teams that played well and 'legally' like Germany unable to break the Spanish team. The only way to break this Spanish team probably is to literally break them!!!!!

Only one - but surely they deserved more!

No, i'm not being biased - i am a Dutch supporter after all! But their performance was an utter disappointment to me. Some may say it was a disgrace.

Petulant behaviour. Unacceptable!!!

This is wat Alan Hansen, BBC pundit said:-

If the Dutch had have triumphed, it would have been bad for the game because there is no place for the way they approached the match.

It's one thing to have a game plan, be organised and get men behind the ball, but the cynical way in which they operated for the first 45 minutes was a total and utter disgrace.

Even the coach got into the act. Tsk, tsk tsk...

Lee Dixon, another BBC pundit said this on MOTD:-

Bert van Marwijk's men played to a gameplan that was wrong. They had a few breakaways but their mentality was to stop the Spanish playing and we didn't want to see that, we wanted an open game.

On the one hand you can't totally blame them - they've got to go out and play against one of the best teams in the world - but kicking your opponents off the pitch is out of order.

Shaolin Soccer? Alonso got an extra souvenir to take home

The BBC chief football correspondent had harsher words:-

The good news is that Spain are the champions and worthy champions, but the bad news is the biggest match in the world was soiled and stained and betrayed by the Netherlands.

I know part of football is to stop your opponent, but you must do it legitimately and I don't really see the point of getting to the final if you're going to disrespect it like the Dutch did so crudely. It was a bit like watching a child trying to build a sandcastle and another child then knocking it down.

Robben like a crybaby, crying after the referee

So it was with a great relief that Spain manage to score a goal and win it. It was good for the match, it was good for the tournament and it was good for the sport!

I had been wearing the Dutch jersey with some pride in the recent weeks - now, due to their disappointing attitude in the finals, i dun know when i will wear it again.

ADDENDUM: I just read today that even the Dutch football legend Johan Cruyff criticised the dutch team!!!! He described it as "ugly, vulgar, hard, hermetic, hardly eye-catching, hardly football style" (You can read the article here). So if you think i'm biased, surely you can't say Cruyff is biased too, can u?

Pics taken from various sites online (except for the first one)

*Track 8 from their album No Need To Argue - of only that was the slogan for the Dutch team last nite.

Everybody's talkin'* - The Beautiful South

One thing beautiful about the beautiful game is that it transcends almost everything! No matter how old you are, whether you're a guy or a girl, which country you come from, what language you speak etc., people everywhere are talking about the world cup!

I remember occasions when i had to go to the bar alone to watch a match or sit at the common area in a backpacker's place or have a meal in a restaurant screening the game - suddenly, everyone around you is a fren!

Why, someone even wanted to be my fren on FB just becuz i'm a footie fan!!!!

Even google is into the World Cup:-

What are we gonna talk about when the World Cup ends? ;-)

As one German fan puts it - "What are we going to do now that the football is over for us?"

Well, we'll just have to wait for another 4 years. At least in the meantime, the English Premier League is gonna resume soon!

*Their remake of Harry Nilsson's classic, released in the UK when i was still there.

Let me blow ya mind* - Eve feat Gwen Stefani

I thought they banned all these clips using the scene from Downfall. So better watch this clip quickly b4 it is removed!

*Won the Grammy in 2002 for the very first Best Rap/Sung Collaboration category.

Best of you* - Foo Fighters

What a match!!!!! =)

Finally, Spain really up its game! To be honest, they haven't really been that convincing yet. A lot of possession in their earlier games but never really impressive. Everyone was expecting Germany to win - some even to steamroll over them! After all, if the likes of Messi et al fail to break thru the tough Berlin wall of defense, can Spain fare any better?

Fair better they did. Much more than that!

They took charge of the game. They held on to the ball as they are so good in doing. They denied Germany (m)any opportunities to move forward. And they just patiently prod and prod and prod until an opening appeared.

Soon chances were created - and finally the goal was scored!

Germany was not given a chance to play like how they did - especially how they destroyed England and Argentina. It wasn't that they were bad - Spain was just too good. And the few times the Germans managed to launch an attack, they found the Spanish defense and their goalie not in a generous mood!

And i must really thank Germany for bringing the best out of Spain! Truly only in the face of strong opposition will the true colours come out - and Spain passed the test with flying colours!

If only Pedro had selflessly passed the ball to Torres when the latter was clear in the open, it would have added the icing onto the cake!

Now for the finals!!! Oh dear... wat a dilemma... but a nice dilemma!!!!

ADDENDUM: I also want to congratulate the Spanish coach for daring to drop Torres to the bench. A lot of coaches (eg Capello) did not have the guts to drop their star players even tho they have not been performing well. Let this be a lesson to them all!

Pics taken from various sites online

*Apparently, this song is about "breaking away from the things that confine you." It's their highest chart topping single in the US and in UK, and it was oso nominated for the Grammy for Best Rock Song.

Fool* - Marié Digby

Suarez did what ANYONE would have done.

Anyone who says otherwise is either a liar or a fool.

This was a comment left at the BBC Sports website by a reader regarding what Uruguayan football player Suarez did (see here).

I respectfully disagree with it.

I'm not trying to take the moral high ground here - but doing such a thing is not an option. It will not even cross my mind. What i would have done is to throw myself towards the ball and try to deflect it away with my head or my body. But to blatantly use my hands intentionally to push the ball away - no. I know a lot of my frens in church would think the same (altho i know of others too who think that people like Suarez is a hero). I guess it's cuz of our upbringing based on the Bible and the lessons learned - to be right and blameless in everything we do.

[i'm not saying all Christians would not react in the same way, nor am i saying all non-christians would react in the same way.]

This matter came to mind again as we did our Bible study recently on 1 Peter 4 - that others would think it strange when Christians refuse to join in things like "debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry".

Yeah, a lot of people will think we are fools - but as Christians, we are to expect it. If you are one of those who are considered fools (for doing wat the Bible says, not for being a fool!!!!), then take heart - you are on the right track. If you are one of those who think we Christians are fools, well, you are entitled to your views, no worries. But do give us a chance to explain why we follow the Bible like we do.

Pic taken from various sites online

*First track from her debut studio album, Unfold.