Tuesday, May 30, 2006

MyTeam!

I switched to TV3 to watch the Myteam vs. Malaysia game last sunday after the F1 race at Monte Carlo. And i was shocked that the national team was trailing by 1 goal. It burst into laughter when i saw the results and my father's right. He suggested that the national team is 'lap sap' compared to the glory days of SOH CHI AUN and co. How can our national team which trains day in day out lose to a bunch of amateurs who just started training 3 months ago?!! Where is our national football heading to?

Thumbs up for Khairy and JLo for their effort and dedications in making this team possible. And a bow to the myteam players who are just normal folks, eg. waiter, boatman, toll collector, etc. They really shown the Malaysia Boleh spirit with their relentless style of playing and in the end, they could still have their heads held high even after a defeat.

National team? National football? Dad, i never agree to you more. I don't understand how can a national team perform on such level. They have lost the match if not for the 2 free kicks which went pass the Myteam goalkeeper. SHAME! And the commentator still made some ridiculous excuse that the national team is inexperience and this kind of game shouldn't have been arranged as it would tarnish the national team's image. Haha! Do they deserve any reputation?

Saturday, May 27, 2006

Fact Sheet: Sexual Health

Does using a tampon causes loss of virginity?

It's dependent to the cultural and sexual perception of virginity in different cultures and societies. But factually, using a tampon would not cause the loss of virginity. It is only restricted to first sexual experience when you SLEPT with a man. But you mustn't SLEEP with a tampon on. Although it does not qualifies as a sexual intercourse, but it might cause Toxic Shock Syndrome(TSS).

i'm so hollow, babeh

Used to think that it's a far fetch dream whenever i see Kevin Bacon disappear in thin air in Hollow Man on tv.

A scientist from Imperial found some way to bend light in such a way that it will literally put you out of sight. Light will just bend around you and you become invisible!

A great invention. Loners would never feel enstranged in an unfamiliar place anymore as they could just make themselves invisible as easily as people ignore them.

No more infringement of privacy as people would never know what you are doing behind your mystical cloak. You wouldn't need to leave digging your nose back home, moreover, eating what you had dug. HAHA!

It makes you invisible, not invincible. So its not a good idea to wander around with your invisibility suit. You might be unlucky that a bulldozer might run over you as you cross the street. It's your fault that you do not want to be seen.

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Exam Results

Revelation. Tomorrow i would either be punching the air with joy or sink my head into disappointment. Exam results are due to be out tomorrow evening. Damn scared. This semester's exam is real tough! I wish i can pass every one of them. I don't want a resit. It would definitely ruin my holiday and my plans.

Thursday, May 18, 2006

The Da Vinci Code: The Movie

Manila banned the movie. Thailand censored 10 minutes of the end of the movie. Believers around the world is fuming over the screening of this highly controversial movie. The protest reaches a new height since the introduction of the novel three years ago. It's just fiction! Why grudge about it. The more you do, the more publicity it gains. Why don't just sit back and just take it as entertainment. Or just boycott the movie so that less money goes into their coffers. I watched it today and its a fine movie!

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

The Final

Four more hours to the final of the UEFA Champions League. The ultimate prize of europeon club championship. The final show down at Stade de France, set perfectly for the occasion. What lie ahead is not just a competition between players, but a battle of men for pride, honour and most importantly, the accolade of "greatest of all".

Barcelona vs. Arsenal. Champion-elect vs. underdog. Ronaldinho vs. Thierry Henry. FIFA World Player of The Year Ronaldinho shall create magic to consolidate his place in the history as one legends of football. Thierry Henry shall let his skills and potent instinct speak for him, silencing the verdicts of inferiority to Ronaldinho. Tonight, uproars of cheers and moans of anguish would rule the night as fans guarding their TV sets with their eyes locked onto it. I shall lose sleep.

I am a fan of neither both the clubs, but i would not miss a match with such magnitude. The Champions League always promised great entertainment and surprises. Episodes of previous finals are ingrained in my mind and i could still vividly recall Liverpool's magnificient comeback the year before. The jubilant milanese thought they already had the trophy within their grasps and yet, came crashing down into defeat in a matter of minutes.

Will Barcelona win the coveted trophy? Or Arsenal would win something great to avoid another barren season? GMT +8:00 3.00a.m. The beautiful game begins.

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

The Da Vinci Code

I bought The Da Vinci Code as a new read during the holidays. There is so much hype around this book and the newly-released movie that i couldn't resist to set my hands on it. I read the previous installation of Robert Langdon's quest of mystery revelation in Angels and Demons but the Da Vinci Code is just as good, if not better, as the former.
The book transpire the alledged cover-ups in Christianity history and mysteries which dwelled among the secret societies which guard the ultimate truth. The story evolved around the works of the revered artist, architect and philosopher of the 15th century, Leonardo Da Vinci. With his creativity and ingenious intepretation of Da Vinci works, Dan Brown really had the readers spiralling down an abyss of confusion between fact and fiction. His assumptions that there were clear indication of metaphors of the biblical character Mary Magdelene in Da Vinci's work and that some historical monuments around Europe manifest some hidden secrets was mind-blobbing. Incessant episodes of code breakings and more code breakings added much suspense to the already intriguing book.
As a buddhist myself, i read this book for mere entertainment and i had no interest in historical facts. I knew there were debates about the authenticity and credibility in Dan Brown's work all around the world. Some Christians were left in tears of disbelief as some theories had shaken the very foundation of their inner faith. Some Christians held strongly to their ground and branded the book heretic and blasphemous. So Dark the Con of Man, and so Smart the Business Man. So smart of Dan Brown. What drew more attention and concerns emotionally than religion itself? With little creativity and some parts and pieces of research of past historians, he produced a fictitious novel which makes his one of the richest and influential writers after JK Rowling.

Then, i thought of another recent controversial book called 1421: The Year China Discoverd the World. The author Gavin Mendes proposed some theories about Zheng He finding the world before Christopher Columbus which caused a stirrup among historians, East and West. But his findings have loose ends and not strong enough to support his argument. Thus, in a documentary by National Geographic, he fell victims the masterful interrogation of the interviewer and his theories fell into parts, one by one. It left Mendes grasping for air, desperately concealing the flaws his ambiguous claims and theories which was quesionable for their credibility. Since then, his book was branded as more of a lie to earn attention and business ventures.
But you can't blame a former sailor and seafarer who had little training in writing like Dan Brown, a graduate of Amherst College and Phillip Exeter Academy for creative writing. With a little more craftmanship and some innovations, he could have made a much more interesting story of Zheng He playing tennis with King George, of Zheng He playing mahjong with the Timbaktu Chiefman, of Zheng He's rendezvous with Red Indians, ec cetera, ec cetera... With a pinch zest and some fabrications, he could have turned a boring book into a money-making machine. Whenever people find faults in his theories which question his credibility as an historian and claiming him as a fake, he could easily flip his book to the back of its hard cover, directing his readers to an inconspicuous corner with a punny statement:

"Work of Fiction".

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

Pulau Redang!



Exam was just over last friday and on that night, we packed our stuff and headed to Pulau Redang! We took the 10.30pm bus at PWTC bus terminal and slept our way throughout the journey.

We reached Kuala Terengganu about 6.30 in the morning. We should have reached early if not that the bus driver took his time for his supper break and toilet stops. Fortunately we arrived about the same time our friend in the other bus which left 30 minutes earlier.

We had our breakfast. Kuala Terengganu is a small town and we had some chinese food for breakfast. The food doesn't taste good, perhaps due to the fact that chinese is a minority race in the northern states.

We took a speed boat and reached Pulau Redang in about 45 minutes from Merang Jetty. We were dumbfounded by the scenery. Crystal clear water and a white sandy beach. I will never forget the moment i first lay foot on this island, literally, as the sand is soft like silk.

After a small briefing from a guide, we sprung into action and headed for our first snorkelling trip. Snorkelling took a big chunk of our stay there and i cherished every moment of it. Each snorkelling trip was better than the last and every one of them was spectacular. Its a good feeling of freedom and relaxation to swim among fishes like one of them. And we were lucky to see a couple of turtles, sharks and a super gigantic eel. I never knew the water was so robust with life! Nothing compared to the experience, not even National Geographic. =)

We took part in a squid catching competition organized by the Malaysian Tourism Board. That night, an entourage of 20 ships headed to deep sea to be the champions of cangatan sotong. Too bad i didn't get any sotong. Damn! Anyway, its put a great deal of test to our patience and our stomach. The ship we were on rocked so violently that it left everyone of us nauseatic and put us off contention. Fortunately, at the very last minute of the expedition, Sumin worked miracle and got a 40cm squid. It was his first and the longest of our group. We won the 5th prize for it and got a big hamper!!!

I would not post any more photo on my blog. It will all be on flickr.


Pulau REDANG was GREAT!!!!!