Today went back to Tanglin Secondary School for two reasons. The first is to celebrate Teacher's Day and the second is to collect my O level cert and testimonial. So I went to school together with Wai Yuen and Jason Tan happily but our happiness didn't last long
You see, those two idiots were wearing slippers and the new idiotic school rule set by some idiot was that any idiot who is dressed in flip-flops will not be allowed into the school. I was wearing shoes so I entered anyway. Walked into the general office to collect my prized antiques, placed somewhere inside waiting patiently for my arrival
There are still a few people who have yet to collect theirs because the paper which I had to sign on had some blanks beside several other names. So I am definitely not the last person to obtain it from my batch
Managed to see Kavitha, Sophia, Phillip, Charlie, Mary, in case you have misunderstood me, they are all teachers and not students. Then saw some old classmates. Everybody did not change a lot, still the same height, shape and size as before
Not a very impactful trip back to school. It was a rather tranquil one like we are still students studying and playing there, totally different from what I expected
Ok shall end here
Monday, August 31, 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Quizbook
Does anybody still play Pet Society on Facebook? I mean it's like so yesterday already. Just as recently as seven to eight months ago, it was the hottest thing on the social networking site. Now, to me, it is just another application of sending notifications about the game like someone's pet came to my pet's house and they had a hug or something. About a few weeks ago, I did login to take a look as curiosity got the better of me. I hadn't look at my pet for months and she is definitely starving and stinking. There are many new additions to the game now which had me trying them out
The one that interests me the most was the fishing part. You never know what you will get to hook because the possibilities range from a can to a shoe to a coral and of course, fishes. The garden looked rather lame to me since it requires time for the plants to grow. There are also more shops for users to spend their money but all these weren't interesting enough to tempt me back for a second time
Nowadays, Facebook is getting more and more boring because of all the stupid quizzes people(like your friends)are taking and publishing their results on their friend's home pages. It is really a turn-off looking at your homepage full of silly answers to silly quizzes. One or two a day is alright but posting every hour or even every five minutes is really irritating. Some of these quizzes are even related to race and religion. The main purpose of Facebook, which about sharing photos, staying connected with your friends and widen your social network. Well, and fun playing games on it too
Facebook should be renamed Quizbook
The one that interests me the most was the fishing part. You never know what you will get to hook because the possibilities range from a can to a shoe to a coral and of course, fishes. The garden looked rather lame to me since it requires time for the plants to grow. There are also more shops for users to spend their money but all these weren't interesting enough to tempt me back for a second time
Nowadays, Facebook is getting more and more boring because of all the stupid quizzes people(like your friends)are taking and publishing their results on their friend's home pages. It is really a turn-off looking at your homepage full of silly answers to silly quizzes. One or two a day is alright but posting every hour or even every five minutes is really irritating. Some of these quizzes are even related to race and religion. The main purpose of Facebook, which about sharing photos, staying connected with your friends and widen your social network. Well, and fun playing games on it too
Facebook should be renamed Quizbook
Thursday, August 27, 2009
The Final Destination
Sorry for leaving this blog un-updated for so many days as I was preparing for my exams
Raymond stepping into a cinema and him watching a horror film do not occur frequently. Today both things did happen
After more than three years, to be exact, it should be three years and six months, I have finally stepped into a cinema again. Went to watch The Final Destination at Jurong Point this afternoon. It was thriller and horror movie but I wasn't really disturbed throughout the show
Don't worry, I won't be talking about the entire movie experience, the plot, sound effects, visuals and whatever else like what your friends always do on their blogs as if they are some so called big movie critic when actually nobody will bother what they write
Ok cool, that's one sentence for one whole paragraph
In a nutshell, you should only go watch this movie if you can tahan seeing gross scenes like a body being mashed up, no use entering the cinema and close your eyes during the exciting part
Next week is Teacher's day and somebody said he will reply me on Monday or Tuesday whether if he's going back to secondary school but it's already Thursday and still no news at all
Raymond stepping into a cinema and him watching a horror film do not occur frequently. Today both things did happen
After more than three years, to be exact, it should be three years and six months, I have finally stepped into a cinema again. Went to watch The Final Destination at Jurong Point this afternoon. It was thriller and horror movie but I wasn't really disturbed throughout the show
Don't worry, I won't be talking about the entire movie experience, the plot, sound effects, visuals and whatever else like what your friends always do on their blogs as if they are some so called big movie critic when actually nobody will bother what they write
Ok cool, that's one sentence for one whole paragraph
In a nutshell, you should only go watch this movie if you can tahan seeing gross scenes like a body being mashed up, no use entering the cinema and close your eyes during the exciting part
Next week is Teacher's day and somebody said he will reply me on Monday or Tuesday whether if he's going back to secondary school but it's already Thursday and still no news at all
Saturday, August 22, 2009
NSM exam
Yesterday was my NSM examination. Guess what? Excluding the invigilator, I was the last person to leave the classroom where the exam was held. My writing speed slowed down considerably in the early stages of the exam thanks to the everlasting noise by passing MRT trains but that only bothered me for a while. By the way, did I mention that the exam took place at 5pm in the evening? Nothing surprising though, this is SP's style, the sadistic people style
I sat at the left side in the last row of the room, next to the window, and the view outside was terrible. It was dusky dark with a bluish tinge plus the MRT trains sounds. Yes, that's all I saw. It was really dark outside. Trying my best to look at something outside with my eyes, all I managed to see was the reflection of other side of the class. All humans sitting down and scribbling with their pens all racking their brains while stoning on their chairs. It is just like the reflection you see when you face the windows while taking the MRT as it is traveling in the underground tunnel
When I handed up my paper, I really had the feeling to knock the ang moh unconscious and then sit down comfortably and flip through the stack of papers to look at everyone's answers. It was not impossible actually, given the fact that it was already 7pm at night and the building was situated at a more deserted end of the campus. But then again, I did not have any weapon that was strong enough to black out the guy. My water bottle was the hardest thing that I could use during then other than the tables and chairs
When I finally stepped out of the room like a singer onto the stage, several people were standing outside waiting for me. For the rest who had left, I guess they waited too long for me and decided that it was not worth the wait. Anyway, someone approached me and she asked a silly but cute question. "Raymond, ni submitted le ah?". Of course I submitted my paper or else how would I be able to come out of the room?
I sat at the left side in the last row of the room, next to the window, and the view outside was terrible. It was dusky dark with a bluish tinge plus the MRT trains sounds. Yes, that's all I saw. It was really dark outside. Trying my best to look at something outside with my eyes, all I managed to see was the reflection of other side of the class. All humans sitting down and scribbling with their pens all racking their brains while stoning on their chairs. It is just like the reflection you see when you face the windows while taking the MRT as it is traveling in the underground tunnel
When I handed up my paper, I really had the feeling to knock the ang moh unconscious and then sit down comfortably and flip through the stack of papers to look at everyone's answers. It was not impossible actually, given the fact that it was already 7pm at night and the building was situated at a more deserted end of the campus. But then again, I did not have any weapon that was strong enough to black out the guy. My water bottle was the hardest thing that I could use during then other than the tables and chairs
When I finally stepped out of the room like a singer onto the stage, several people were standing outside waiting for me. For the rest who had left, I guess they waited too long for me and decided that it was not worth the wait. Anyway, someone approached me and she asked a silly but cute question. "Raymond, ni submitted le ah?". Of course I submitted my paper or else how would I be able to come out of the room?
Friday, August 21, 2009
21 August
Happy birthday to Xiao Jian Nan and your twin brother Xiao Jian Bei! Well, I bet you reading this either but this is what friends are for although you always seem not be a friend to us...The power of Facebook is really magnificent, without it, I will never know when is whose birthday
Ok, busy time, be back soon
Ok, busy time, be back soon
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
18 August
Firstly, I would like to congratulate Usain Bolt for winning the 100m final at the 2009 Berlin World Championships and breaking the record again to successfully defend his title of the world's fastest human to run a hundred metres. Before the race, I was hoping for Tyson Gay to emerge victorious as he has been out of the limelight for over a year but I have to admit that Bolt is still the fastest person currently. Don't worry Tyson, there's still the 200m race for you to snatch back something at least
The semester is coming to an end again or rather the holidays are arriving, depends on how you look at it. For me, it is the former because holidays are just a mere short period which passes as quickly as Usain Bolt sprints. People tend to get arrogant, anxious and afraid during this time. I am always the neutral observer looking from a distance, only then I can see the entire picture and analyse the situation better as an outsider. If there is something called office politics, then there is definitely something called school politics as well. I shall elaborate on this some other time
By the way, did you all see the new Clear shampoo advertisement which has Cristiano Ronaldo in it? Looks really cool, better than the Rain one
I shall end this post with a riddle, kindly post your answers in the tagboard
What didn't Manchester United come to Singapore for their Asia tour?
Hint: The answer has got nothing to do with Liverpool
The semester is coming to an end again or rather the holidays are arriving, depends on how you look at it. For me, it is the former because holidays are just a mere short period which passes as quickly as Usain Bolt sprints. People tend to get arrogant, anxious and afraid during this time. I am always the neutral observer looking from a distance, only then I can see the entire picture and analyse the situation better as an outsider. If there is something called office politics, then there is definitely something called school politics as well. I shall elaborate on this some other time
By the way, did you all see the new Clear shampoo advertisement which has Cristiano Ronaldo in it? Looks really cool, better than the Rain one
I shall end this post with a riddle, kindly post your answers in the tagboard
What didn't Manchester United come to Singapore for their Asia tour?
Hint: The answer has got nothing to do with Liverpool
Friday, August 14, 2009
Premier League preview
This is the post that you have been waiting for. The 2009-2010 Barclays Premier League preview. Another season has gone, another season has come, but the rivalry will always be there. 20 teams, 38 matches, 9 months of action, 1 champion. Who will it be?
Let's start by analysing some teams
Arsenal
They finished fourth last season and almost lost their top four dominance to an energetic Aston Villa. As we all know, Arsenal are known for their young players and wily old manager. Arsene Wenger is a football Einstein but he shouldn't be as stubborn as a mule when managing his team by insisting on grooming youngsters. Remember how the Frenchman famously knocked Manchester United and Alex Ferguson off their perch when he first arrived in England? And don't forget that Unbeatables Team during the 2004 campaign (which eventually got defeated by Man U)
Speaking about The Unbeatables, the final player from that team has left the Gunners at last. Kolo Toure decided to move to Manchester City after thinking that he will have a brighter future there. With Toure gone for good, Arsenal have lost a physically strong player in their defence
Another guy who had became an ex-Arsenal player this season is Emmanuel Adebayor, who also signed for Manchester City. It is not hard to see that with the departure of these two African stars, Arsenal have a weaker team now. But don't underestimate them. Croatian striker Eduardo is back from injury and his finishing is better than Adebayor. It is just like a new signing for Wenger. As for Toure, former Ajax defender, Thomas Vermaelen in the latest purchase to fill up the void left by him
So how many good players do Arsenal have currently? Not really a bunch of inexperienced youngsters actually. They have Robin Van Persie. Samir Nasri. Tomas Rosicky. Who else? Oh yes, Philippe Senderos is back after a loan spell at AC Milan last season. Ok who else? There is the jet-heeled Theo Walcott, the versatile Emmanuel Eboue and last but not least, their playmaker and captain, Cesc Fabregas
Actually there is still one more player who can decide Arsenal's season. He is none other than Andrei "Sandking" Arshavin. The Sandking is going to be the next big thing at Arsenal after Theirry Henry. Arshavin can play in so many different attacking positions that without him, team wouldn't look like a team
See? There is still life at Arsenal after the departure of so many star players in recent seasons. They still possess a number of good quality players and a smart manager but they still have a weakness. Judging from the current squad that Arsenal have now, they are still a level below Manchester United or Chelsea. Wenger should just go sign a couple of big names instead of grooming young boys who might eventually grow up and leave Arsenal at the end of the day
Chelsea
The best football club in London currently should be the one in the West. Arsenal is in the North. Yes. It's Chelsea. Chelsea have the best squad currently for the past few years. Their players are made up of mostly the early 2000 batch of players (players who were in their peak in the early 2000)who are also my favourite batch of players. Non-Chelsea players that belong to this group are David Beckham, Luis Figo, Francesco Totti, Michael Owen, just to name a few
The current Chelsea players who belong to that batch include Andriy Shevchenko, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, Michael Ballack, Deco, John Terry, Nicolas Anelka and many more. These footballers are still in good form and all of them are blessed with good technique. Chelsea have managed to keep their entire squad from last season, something which the other big four clubs have failed to do so. In fact, their newest member is the manager himself
Other than Russian left-back Yuri Zhirkov, Carlo Ancelotti is the latest high-profile addition to the club. The Italian is renowned for his success in the Champions League with his former employer AC Milan, winning the 2003 and 2007 finals. Whether will he be a success in England is still a big question mark. He has only won a single league title in his eight years at Milan
Chelsea's destiny will very much be decided by Ancelotti the manager himself. He favours a 4-4-2 formation with a diamond midfield but whether this diamond will end up as an unpolished one or a bright and shiny gem will be crucial to the Blues. Actually, Ancelotti should play the 4-3-2-1 Christmas tree formation like what he did in Milan. The team operates without any natural wingers and the full-backs are relied on to provide width on the field
The Christmas tree formation fits Chelsea perfectly since they have both left and right footed world-class wing-backs and a whole lot of central midfielders. At right-back, they have up to four different players who will be vying to start in that position. From Branislav Ivanovic to Juliano Belletti to Portugese duo Paulo Ferreira and Jose Bosingwa, all are capable of doing a good job on the right. The Christmas tree formation can fit in five midfielders so t should be Ballack and Deco behind the lone striker while Michael Essien, Frank Lampard and John Obi Mikel make up the remaining three
With Shevchenko, the once-feared striker who shoots with deadly accuracy, back from loan at Milan, he will be teaming up with Ancelotti again. Ancelotti will definitely want to have his once star player regain all the glory again like what he did during his first spell at Milan. With Drogba and Anelka, Chelsea have a fearsome force in attack not to mention Joe Cole
Chelsea did not sell a single player this summer. By retaining all their players, they have already won themselves half a victory. The other half will have to won(or lost)by the players themselves, and the manager of course
Liverpool
Year after year, Liverpool and their fans say that they will win the Premier League this season but year after year, nothing has changed. Will the 2009-2010 season be Liverpool's year finally? No one knows
There is one thing which we can be sure of, that is, if either Steven Gerrard or Fernando Torres is unavailable to play, the Reds' results will be directly affected. Liverpool have lost some players this summer which include Anfield legend Sami Hyypia and deep-lying playmaker Xabi Alonso. At least Alonso's former central midfield partner, Javier Mascherano, has stayed on
Last season, Rafael Benitez the manager has finally found the formation for his four best players, GTAM, and it worked well for the entire team. Losing an "A" will more or less loosen up the team but Benitez was quick to found a replacement in the transfer window and he is a double "A". Introducing Alberto Aquilani. The Italian is the latest inclusion of the Liverpool team. A talented passer of the ball like Alonso, will he live up to the expectations at Anfield?
The Reds' main weakness is when either Gerrard or Torres is not playing, the other players can't seem to gel together. They will have to improve on this if they want to do better this season. Yossi Benayoun has all but done it last season. He scored the winning goal against Real Madrid in the Champions League knockout round and two important ones against Arsenal in the Premier League
He is the kind of skeptical player who plays as the role of third striker. Someone who is deployed on the flank but runs diagonally towards the penalty box to assist the second striker (Gerrard)in attacking. Until now, I still can't think of anyone in modern football who has a similar style as Benayoun. Maybe J.S. Park from Man U is the closest I can consider
Another new player in the team is Glen Johnson. This offensive full-back has good crossing ability and is tough in defence as well. I would say that it is a good buy with a bad price (£18m). Johnson is the kind of player that the Reds have lacked in recent seasons
Do look out for the other players like Dirk Kuyt, Ryan Babel and the heavily criticized Lucas. They are all capable of changing the game while Fabio Aurelio is another crucial player in the delivery of set-pieces. Benitez is also pivotal to his team since he needs to have a Plan B in case Gerrard or Torres is absent which he unfortunately has yet to come up with
Liverpool's midfield always looked the best in England before Alonso signed for Real Madrid but even if they had lost their midfield lynchpin, they are still a formidable threat to everyone else in the league
Manchester United
Cristiano Ronaldo has finally left the Red Devils. I always say that Man U is nothing without Ronaldo, this season will prove that I am right. The purchase of Michael Owen seems to be a wise choice given that Alex Ferguson is a wily old fox. In one on one situations, nobody finishes the ball better than Owen in Manchester United not even Ronaldo. Although all the hype was on the new number seven during pre-season, the main threat from the United squad is still Wayne Rooney
Rooney is the most consistent player in the team. Young, energetic and strong compared to his older English teammate. Owen can only work well with one person. That is Robbie Fowler when the both of them were the twin terrors in Europe while playing at Liverpool. Unlike Arsenal and Chelsea, Ferguson has balanced the team with youth and experience. Younger players like Nani and Anderson are exciting to watch while veterans like Ryan Giggs and Edwin van der Sar are influential to the team
New signing Antonio Valencia is Ronaldo's replacement but he still needs time to adapt at Old Trafford. Valencia has the speed and agility for a winger, his movement by the touchline is instrumental to Man U's attacking game
It is not hard to notice that most of the United players are British. This should be their main advantage in the race for the Premier League. Unlike Liverpool who have so many different colours of flags from their player's nationalities, the Red Devils look more united
Who will score the goals for Manchester United now that Ronaldo is gone? Rooney will score, Owen will score but how many can they score? It is a fact that Manchester United are a one-man team during the Ronaldo reign, now they have to switch back to an eleven-man team
Manchester City
They are the only club who can match Real Madrid in terms of spending power. During the off-season, manager Mark Hughes must be thinking that he was playing Championship Manager, having being able to buy players of his own choice and assembling his dream team. Having six strikers in a team is a big headache though. Unless Hughes uses a 2-2-6 formation with the goalkeeper playing the long ball to six fowards in the opposing penalty area, it is hard to keep all of them happy every week
Hughes might opt for a 4-3-3 formation this season. I am eager to see how former Arsenal and Manchester United strikers, Adebayor and Carlos Tevez teaming up. Man City have a pool of talented midfielders from Stephen Ireland to Martin Petrov to the "mercenary" Gareth Barry. Like their neighbours Man U, City also boast a number of British players. Even the entire management team is British. This will definitely work in their favour when the season begins
Can City finally become the number one team in Manchester? Will blue be the new colour of the city? Does money really change a team's fortunes? For the first two, I cannot say anything about them at the moment but I am quite definite about the third one. Chelsea have shown everyone that splurging on star players and putting them together in a team(despite the lack of chemistry)to play does work. You think Man City will suffer because all their new players need time to adapt? I tell you that there is nothing new to adapt to. It is still the same country, same league for them, so the Big Four better watch out
In my opinion, I think that it will be two-horse race between Chelsea and Liverpool (100% un-biased here). I feel that Chelsea have an edge over everyone and it might be their year again since Jose Mourinho left them. Liverpool might not be technically the best, but the psychologically they are strong and will push the Blues all the way to the end of the season. Ronaldo-less Manchester United will finish third and it is not surprising that they will struggle without the Portugese ace. Man City can grab fourth spot with the quality of players they possess thus finishing above Arsenal by one or two points or even goal difference and putting the Gunners to an embarrassing fifth place
Let's start by analysing some teams
Arsenal
They finished fourth last season and almost lost their top four dominance to an energetic Aston Villa. As we all know, Arsenal are known for their young players and wily old manager. Arsene Wenger is a football Einstein but he shouldn't be as stubborn as a mule when managing his team by insisting on grooming youngsters. Remember how the Frenchman famously knocked Manchester United and Alex Ferguson off their perch when he first arrived in England? And don't forget that Unbeatables Team during the 2004 campaign (which eventually got defeated by Man U)
Speaking about The Unbeatables, the final player from that team has left the Gunners at last. Kolo Toure decided to move to Manchester City after thinking that he will have a brighter future there. With Toure gone for good, Arsenal have lost a physically strong player in their defence
Another guy who had became an ex-Arsenal player this season is Emmanuel Adebayor, who also signed for Manchester City. It is not hard to see that with the departure of these two African stars, Arsenal have a weaker team now. But don't underestimate them. Croatian striker Eduardo is back from injury and his finishing is better than Adebayor. It is just like a new signing for Wenger. As for Toure, former Ajax defender, Thomas Vermaelen in the latest purchase to fill up the void left by him
So how many good players do Arsenal have currently? Not really a bunch of inexperienced youngsters actually. They have Robin Van Persie. Samir Nasri. Tomas Rosicky. Who else? Oh yes, Philippe Senderos is back after a loan spell at AC Milan last season. Ok who else? There is the jet-heeled Theo Walcott, the versatile Emmanuel Eboue and last but not least, their playmaker and captain, Cesc Fabregas
Actually there is still one more player who can decide Arsenal's season. He is none other than Andrei "Sandking" Arshavin. The Sandking is going to be the next big thing at Arsenal after Theirry Henry. Arshavin can play in so many different attacking positions that without him, team wouldn't look like a team
See? There is still life at Arsenal after the departure of so many star players in recent seasons. They still possess a number of good quality players and a smart manager but they still have a weakness. Judging from the current squad that Arsenal have now, they are still a level below Manchester United or Chelsea. Wenger should just go sign a couple of big names instead of grooming young boys who might eventually grow up and leave Arsenal at the end of the day
Chelsea
The best football club in London currently should be the one in the West. Arsenal is in the North. Yes. It's Chelsea. Chelsea have the best squad currently for the past few years. Their players are made up of mostly the early 2000 batch of players (players who were in their peak in the early 2000)who are also my favourite batch of players. Non-Chelsea players that belong to this group are David Beckham, Luis Figo, Francesco Totti, Michael Owen, just to name a few
The current Chelsea players who belong to that batch include Andriy Shevchenko, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, Michael Ballack, Deco, John Terry, Nicolas Anelka and many more. These footballers are still in good form and all of them are blessed with good technique. Chelsea have managed to keep their entire squad from last season, something which the other big four clubs have failed to do so. In fact, their newest member is the manager himself
Other than Russian left-back Yuri Zhirkov, Carlo Ancelotti is the latest high-profile addition to the club. The Italian is renowned for his success in the Champions League with his former employer AC Milan, winning the 2003 and 2007 finals. Whether will he be a success in England is still a big question mark. He has only won a single league title in his eight years at Milan
Chelsea's destiny will very much be decided by Ancelotti the manager himself. He favours a 4-4-2 formation with a diamond midfield but whether this diamond will end up as an unpolished one or a bright and shiny gem will be crucial to the Blues. Actually, Ancelotti should play the 4-3-2-1 Christmas tree formation like what he did in Milan. The team operates without any natural wingers and the full-backs are relied on to provide width on the field
The Christmas tree formation fits Chelsea perfectly since they have both left and right footed world-class wing-backs and a whole lot of central midfielders. At right-back, they have up to four different players who will be vying to start in that position. From Branislav Ivanovic to Juliano Belletti to Portugese duo Paulo Ferreira and Jose Bosingwa, all are capable of doing a good job on the right. The Christmas tree formation can fit in five midfielders so t should be Ballack and Deco behind the lone striker while Michael Essien, Frank Lampard and John Obi Mikel make up the remaining three
With Shevchenko, the once-feared striker who shoots with deadly accuracy, back from loan at Milan, he will be teaming up with Ancelotti again. Ancelotti will definitely want to have his once star player regain all the glory again like what he did during his first spell at Milan. With Drogba and Anelka, Chelsea have a fearsome force in attack not to mention Joe Cole
Chelsea did not sell a single player this summer. By retaining all their players, they have already won themselves half a victory. The other half will have to won(or lost)by the players themselves, and the manager of course
Liverpool
Year after year, Liverpool and their fans say that they will win the Premier League this season but year after year, nothing has changed. Will the 2009-2010 season be Liverpool's year finally? No one knows
There is one thing which we can be sure of, that is, if either Steven Gerrard or Fernando Torres is unavailable to play, the Reds' results will be directly affected. Liverpool have lost some players this summer which include Anfield legend Sami Hyypia and deep-lying playmaker Xabi Alonso. At least Alonso's former central midfield partner, Javier Mascherano, has stayed on
Last season, Rafael Benitez the manager has finally found the formation for his four best players, GTAM, and it worked well for the entire team. Losing an "A" will more or less loosen up the team but Benitez was quick to found a replacement in the transfer window and he is a double "A". Introducing Alberto Aquilani. The Italian is the latest inclusion of the Liverpool team. A talented passer of the ball like Alonso, will he live up to the expectations at Anfield?
The Reds' main weakness is when either Gerrard or Torres is not playing, the other players can't seem to gel together. They will have to improve on this if they want to do better this season. Yossi Benayoun has all but done it last season. He scored the winning goal against Real Madrid in the Champions League knockout round and two important ones against Arsenal in the Premier League
He is the kind of skeptical player who plays as the role of third striker. Someone who is deployed on the flank but runs diagonally towards the penalty box to assist the second striker (Gerrard)in attacking. Until now, I still can't think of anyone in modern football who has a similar style as Benayoun. Maybe J.S. Park from Man U is the closest I can consider
Another new player in the team is Glen Johnson. This offensive full-back has good crossing ability and is tough in defence as well. I would say that it is a good buy with a bad price (£18m). Johnson is the kind of player that the Reds have lacked in recent seasons
Do look out for the other players like Dirk Kuyt, Ryan Babel and the heavily criticized Lucas. They are all capable of changing the game while Fabio Aurelio is another crucial player in the delivery of set-pieces. Benitez is also pivotal to his team since he needs to have a Plan B in case Gerrard or Torres is absent which he unfortunately has yet to come up with
Liverpool's midfield always looked the best in England before Alonso signed for Real Madrid but even if they had lost their midfield lynchpin, they are still a formidable threat to everyone else in the league
Manchester United
Cristiano Ronaldo has finally left the Red Devils. I always say that Man U is nothing without Ronaldo, this season will prove that I am right. The purchase of Michael Owen seems to be a wise choice given that Alex Ferguson is a wily old fox. In one on one situations, nobody finishes the ball better than Owen in Manchester United not even Ronaldo. Although all the hype was on the new number seven during pre-season, the main threat from the United squad is still Wayne Rooney
Rooney is the most consistent player in the team. Young, energetic and strong compared to his older English teammate. Owen can only work well with one person. That is Robbie Fowler when the both of them were the twin terrors in Europe while playing at Liverpool. Unlike Arsenal and Chelsea, Ferguson has balanced the team with youth and experience. Younger players like Nani and Anderson are exciting to watch while veterans like Ryan Giggs and Edwin van der Sar are influential to the team
New signing Antonio Valencia is Ronaldo's replacement but he still needs time to adapt at Old Trafford. Valencia has the speed and agility for a winger, his movement by the touchline is instrumental to Man U's attacking game
It is not hard to notice that most of the United players are British. This should be their main advantage in the race for the Premier League. Unlike Liverpool who have so many different colours of flags from their player's nationalities, the Red Devils look more united
Who will score the goals for Manchester United now that Ronaldo is gone? Rooney will score, Owen will score but how many can they score? It is a fact that Manchester United are a one-man team during the Ronaldo reign, now they have to switch back to an eleven-man team
Manchester City
They are the only club who can match Real Madrid in terms of spending power. During the off-season, manager Mark Hughes must be thinking that he was playing Championship Manager, having being able to buy players of his own choice and assembling his dream team. Having six strikers in a team is a big headache though. Unless Hughes uses a 2-2-6 formation with the goalkeeper playing the long ball to six fowards in the opposing penalty area, it is hard to keep all of them happy every week
Hughes might opt for a 4-3-3 formation this season. I am eager to see how former Arsenal and Manchester United strikers, Adebayor and Carlos Tevez teaming up. Man City have a pool of talented midfielders from Stephen Ireland to Martin Petrov to the "mercenary" Gareth Barry. Like their neighbours Man U, City also boast a number of British players. Even the entire management team is British. This will definitely work in their favour when the season begins
Can City finally become the number one team in Manchester? Will blue be the new colour of the city? Does money really change a team's fortunes? For the first two, I cannot say anything about them at the moment but I am quite definite about the third one. Chelsea have shown everyone that splurging on star players and putting them together in a team(despite the lack of chemistry)to play does work. You think Man City will suffer because all their new players need time to adapt? I tell you that there is nothing new to adapt to. It is still the same country, same league for them, so the Big Four better watch out
In my opinion, I think that it will be two-horse race between Chelsea and Liverpool (100% un-biased here). I feel that Chelsea have an edge over everyone and it might be their year again since Jose Mourinho left them. Liverpool might not be technically the best, but the psychologically they are strong and will push the Blues all the way to the end of the season. Ronaldo-less Manchester United will finish third and it is not surprising that they will struggle without the Portugese ace. Man City can grab fourth spot with the quality of players they possess thus finishing above Arsenal by one or two points or even goal difference and putting the Gunners to an embarrassing fifth place
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Pulau Semakau
Recently I have been thinking of this thing. Whether to buy the book . It was launched to commemorate the tenth anniversary of Singapore's offshore landfill island, Pulau Semakau
Well, the main emphasis of the book is not about the rubbish of course but the wildlife there. Actually the whole place didn't even looked like landfill, it looked more like a portion of East Coast Park floating on the water like an island for people to enjoy recreational activities
I can assure you that it is a beautiful place because I had ever been there before, only once though, but it was an unforgettable visit. That was three years ago in Secondary three. Ok get ready, I am going to talk about my good ol' secondary school days again. Ok maybe I shall leave it some other time or I will be writing a whole of things here
By the way, do you all watch the variety show It's A Small World(国记交意所) which airs on Channel 8 on Tuesdays 8pm? The theme song sounds quite cool, does anyone has it? Can send it to me?
Well, the main emphasis of the book is not about the rubbish of course but the wildlife there. Actually the whole place didn't even looked like landfill, it looked more like a portion of East Coast Park floating on the water like an island for people to enjoy recreational activities
I can assure you that it is a beautiful place because I had ever been there before, only once though, but it was an unforgettable visit. That was three years ago in Secondary three. Ok get ready, I am going to talk about my good ol' secondary school days again. Ok maybe I shall leave it some other time or I will be writing a whole of things here
By the way, do you all watch the variety show It's A Small World(国记交意所) which airs on Channel 8 on Tuesdays 8pm? The theme song sounds quite cool, does anyone has it? Can send it to me?
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Waterless washing machine
Today I shall share with you all something interesting. In case if you haven't heard of it before, it is the Xeros washing machine. Just a cup of water and a bit of detergent. Yes, you did not read it wrongly, that's all which is required to be added into the machine. This almost waterless washing machine cuts water usage by 90% because it cleans clothes using reusable nylon polymer beads with an inherent polarity that attracts stains
The beads are added to the wash along with as little as one cup of water and some detergent. After the water dissolves the stains, the beads which become absorbent under humid conditions, soak up the water along with all the dirty stuff. The dirt is not just attracted to the surface but also absorbed into the center of the beads
The beads are removed automatically within the washing machine at the end so there is no need for you to worry about separating the beads themselves. The technology was developed by researchers at Leeds University and have started a spin-off company called Xeros Ltd to market this brillant technology. In the meantime, it will only hit the market next year in America so we still have to wait for it
The beads are added to the wash along with as little as one cup of water and some detergent. After the water dissolves the stains, the beads which become absorbent under humid conditions, soak up the water along with all the dirty stuff. The dirt is not just attracted to the surface but also absorbed into the center of the beads
The beads are removed automatically within the washing machine at the end so there is no need for you to worry about separating the beads themselves. The technology was developed by researchers at Leeds University and have started a spin-off company called Xeros Ltd to market this brillant technology. In the meantime, it will only hit the market next year in America so we still have to wait for it
Saturday, August 08, 2009
Happy birthday SIngapore
Happy National Day!
Happy birthday to Singapore! What do you all have to say to her? Mine is pretty simple
I wish
that the government will give more money to your people because they always say that the country is getting richer but the people are getting poorer
that you will have less ERP gantries on your roads which is impossible but it's still a wish right?
that your schools will have more PE lessons
that there will be less China, India and whatever foreigners coming to you and more job opportunities for your people
Ok I'll take back what said in the previous wish
Indian workers are welcome because they are responsible for your cleanliness, safety and development. Hope you get what I mean
As for China, hmmmm let me think. No, most of them are just a nuisance in public, making lots of noise, blocking other people's paths, reading magazines in shops for free and snatching places with local students. They are only making you look unglam and more backward. The national anthemn is Onward Singapore(Majulah Singapura) right?
Alright, continue my wishing
I wish
that the TV station can produce better shows for your people to watch because the complains never stop
that the Singapore Flyer will not break down ever again
the $100 entrance fee for Singaporeans for your IRs can be decreased
that your government-owned investment company will not change CEOs here and there to create confusion among your people
that your NS boys do not need to shave their heads botak when they serve you, the country
that you can be lovely forever with your neighbour Malaysia just like South Korea and North Korea. Wrong? No I mean the South Korean bird that migrated to the North and found his female partner there will they had a nest on top of a tree near a nuclear missile base
that you can attract more ang mohs to visit you because without them, those Hippo Tour buses will be relatively empty since no one else boards them for sightseeing
that you can have more shopping malls in the heartlands. Orchard Road is too packed already, look at those pitiful cars that wonder about like a lost child as they can't find a place to park. From 313 to Ion(how to you pronounce it?), so many names, how to remember?
that your local football league can attract more foreign talents to play here and up the quality of Singapore football. You can't be poorer than Spain or England right?
that there are more badminton courts in you because finding a place to play badminton is as hard as finding a well-behaved China man living in Singapore
that there will be less nights of hot weather because I have to switch on my fan/air-con and electricity bills have gone up again recently
Last but not least
I wish that Miss Singapore wins the Miss World Universe!
Happy birthday to Singapore! What do you all have to say to her? Mine is pretty simple
I wish
that the government will give more money to your people because they always say that the country is getting richer but the people are getting poorer
that you will have less ERP gantries on your roads which is impossible but it's still a wish right?
that your schools will have more PE lessons
that there will be less China, India and whatever foreigners coming to you and more job opportunities for your people
Ok I'll take back what said in the previous wish
Indian workers are welcome because they are responsible for your cleanliness, safety and development. Hope you get what I mean
As for China, hmmmm let me think. No, most of them are just a nuisance in public, making lots of noise, blocking other people's paths, reading magazines in shops for free and snatching places with local students. They are only making you look unglam and more backward. The national anthemn is Onward Singapore(Majulah Singapura) right?
Alright, continue my wishing
I wish
that the TV station can produce better shows for your people to watch because the complains never stop
that the Singapore Flyer will not break down ever again
the $100 entrance fee for Singaporeans for your IRs can be decreased
that your government-owned investment company will not change CEOs here and there to create confusion among your people
that your NS boys do not need to shave their heads botak when they serve you, the country
that you can be lovely forever with your neighbour Malaysia just like South Korea and North Korea. Wrong? No I mean the South Korean bird that migrated to the North and found his female partner there will they had a nest on top of a tree near a nuclear missile base
that you can attract more ang mohs to visit you because without them, those Hippo Tour buses will be relatively empty since no one else boards them for sightseeing
that you can have more shopping malls in the heartlands. Orchard Road is too packed already, look at those pitiful cars that wonder about like a lost child as they can't find a place to park. From 313 to Ion(how to you pronounce it?), so many names, how to remember?
that your local football league can attract more foreign talents to play here and up the quality of Singapore football. You can't be poorer than Spain or England right?
that there are more badminton courts in you because finding a place to play badminton is as hard as finding a well-behaved China man living in Singapore
that there will be less nights of hot weather because I have to switch on my fan/air-con and electricity bills have gone up again recently
Last but not least
I wish that Miss Singapore wins the Miss World Universe!
Thursday, August 06, 2009
Subway
Today I did something for the first time in my life. I ate Subway! Yes, I ate fresh. So much so for this fast food franhcise's rising popularity when there are still many people who have yet to taste it before like me and did I mention Zhiteng?
While queuing up to place our order, we were like a bunch of sua gus which include Vernon and Alice. At least the both of them ever tried it so they had some experience about it. Seriously, before I ate Subway today, I really don't know how to order a submarine sandwich, as in what should I tell the counter and how should I order the food
So when we were queuing, the topic we were discussing about was obviously how to order a meal, sounds rather simple but it was very complex to me. I forced Vernon to make his order before me as I had no idea how to go about doing it and I roughly copied what he did. Actually it is quite simple, choose the type of bread, meat, vegetables, sauce and that big cookie
My combination was some cheese bread with ham, topped with tomatoes and lettuce with mayonnaise as the sauce. Plus a "lao hong" chocolate cookie. I think that the cookie is rather useless, Subway is just trying to be different from McDonald's and KFC
At least the drink made up for the lousy cookie. Getting your drink is own time own target self service. So I showed Zhiteng and Alice the true Singaporean spirit. Kiasuness. After filling up half of my regular-sized cup with coke, I poured it down into my stomach immediately on the spot and refilled again. In the end, I decided to stick with my usual 3 in 1 combination. Coke plus Sprite plus ice lemon tea. Not bad, at least I didn't had a stomachache unlike previously when I drank it at Jurong Point's KFC
Overall, it was quite filling because of the excess amount of carbonated liquid I gulped down, otherwise I don't think it will keep me full for the whole afternoon
Next time I will add more veggies into my sandwich to eat fresher
While queuing up to place our order, we were like a bunch of sua gus which include Vernon and Alice. At least the both of them ever tried it so they had some experience about it. Seriously, before I ate Subway today, I really don't know how to order a submarine sandwich, as in what should I tell the counter and how should I order the food
So when we were queuing, the topic we were discussing about was obviously how to order a meal, sounds rather simple but it was very complex to me. I forced Vernon to make his order before me as I had no idea how to go about doing it and I roughly copied what he did. Actually it is quite simple, choose the type of bread, meat, vegetables, sauce and that big cookie
My combination was some cheese bread with ham, topped with tomatoes and lettuce with mayonnaise as the sauce. Plus a "lao hong" chocolate cookie. I think that the cookie is rather useless, Subway is just trying to be different from McDonald's and KFC
At least the drink made up for the lousy cookie. Getting your drink is own time own target self service. So I showed Zhiteng and Alice the true Singaporean spirit. Kiasuness. After filling up half of my regular-sized cup with coke, I poured it down into my stomach immediately on the spot and refilled again. In the end, I decided to stick with my usual 3 in 1 combination. Coke plus Sprite plus ice lemon tea. Not bad, at least I didn't had a stomachache unlike previously when I drank it at Jurong Point's KFC
Overall, it was quite filling because of the excess amount of carbonated liquid I gulped down, otherwise I don't think it will keep me full for the whole afternoon
Next time I will add more veggies into my sandwich to eat fresher
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
Dentist
What kind of job is recession-proof and can make you earn big money? Be a minister? Wait long long. How about an F1 driver? You can't even get gold for your NAPFA test. Or a pop star? Look at yourself in the mirror first. So what job can be so fantastic? It is none other than..."drums rolling*...a dentist!
Forget about the traditional ambitions like doctors, lawyers or engineers. An oral health therapist has a very promising future since dental hygiene is a must for anyone and everyone. Any human regardless of race, language and religion(sounds familiar as National Day is coming)is your potential patient so long as they care about their oral health
I used to wear braces so I do know a little about the dental profession through my regular visits to the clinic. I have since graduated from having metal on my teeth but my orthodontist requires me to return for a regular check-up every six months. I made an enquiry with the counter staff and she said that it will cost about seventy bucks for one session
Seventy dollars just to polish, scale and clean those small whitish structures in my mouth. Don't you agree that dentists will be filthy rich in no time? They just need to apply the techniques they learned during practical sessions for their dentistry modules at their work place day in day out. It is the same concept as a hairdresser but the latter might not earn as much as it's health science counterpart
Orthodontists fare even better. Yes, they are the kind of dentists who specialize in braces or rather the misalignment of teeth. Any orthodontist including mine can easily pocket a few thousand dollars from you by simply changing the colour of your braces every month. Well ok, they put on the braces for you and take them out after the entire treatment. But aren't they just doing the same thing over and over again for all their patients?
See? This is what I mean. No sweat and lots of money all done in a comfortable air-con place. Even teaching a patient basic oral hygiene like how to brush his teeth and using dental floss can easily cost about fifty dollars. A dentist is fully protected both physically and psychologically too. With the mask, gloves and whatever dental attire, you won't get infected easily. Also, if you are afraid that the patient sees your not-so-perfect face, the mask will always be there to save you and your blushes
Last but not least, I have never heard of a dental clinic operating 24 hours. This means that unlike doctors, dentists are not required to do shift work. Now how great can it be to become a dentist?
Ok, let's play a game. Try pronouncing the word "dentists', make sure you pronounce the "t" and "s" at the back as well. If you have mastered it, try saying "zoologists", "botanists" etc
Forget about the traditional ambitions like doctors, lawyers or engineers. An oral health therapist has a very promising future since dental hygiene is a must for anyone and everyone. Any human regardless of race, language and religion(sounds familiar as National Day is coming)is your potential patient so long as they care about their oral health
I used to wear braces so I do know a little about the dental profession through my regular visits to the clinic. I have since graduated from having metal on my teeth but my orthodontist requires me to return for a regular check-up every six months. I made an enquiry with the counter staff and she said that it will cost about seventy bucks for one session
Seventy dollars just to polish, scale and clean those small whitish structures in my mouth. Don't you agree that dentists will be filthy rich in no time? They just need to apply the techniques they learned during practical sessions for their dentistry modules at their work place day in day out. It is the same concept as a hairdresser but the latter might not earn as much as it's health science counterpart
Orthodontists fare even better. Yes, they are the kind of dentists who specialize in braces or rather the misalignment of teeth. Any orthodontist including mine can easily pocket a few thousand dollars from you by simply changing the colour of your braces every month. Well ok, they put on the braces for you and take them out after the entire treatment. But aren't they just doing the same thing over and over again for all their patients?
See? This is what I mean. No sweat and lots of money all done in a comfortable air-con place. Even teaching a patient basic oral hygiene like how to brush his teeth and using dental floss can easily cost about fifty dollars. A dentist is fully protected both physically and psychologically too. With the mask, gloves and whatever dental attire, you won't get infected easily. Also, if you are afraid that the patient sees your not-so-perfect face, the mask will always be there to save you and your blushes
Last but not least, I have never heard of a dental clinic operating 24 hours. This means that unlike doctors, dentists are not required to do shift work. Now how great can it be to become a dentist?
Ok, let's play a game. Try pronouncing the word "dentists', make sure you pronounce the "t" and "s" at the back as well. If you have mastered it, try saying "zoologists", "botanists" etc
Monday, August 03, 2009
Creative
Oh damn it, I still can't upload pictures to this blog and the good people from Blogger don't seem to care at all. Never mind, I'm a very kind and patient person anyway because I know being angry will make you look older. I have some really interesting pictures to share and I'm sure they will cause some commotion in the tagboard if uploaded. So stay tuned. In the meantime, please bear with all these words that you are reading now or if you have Blogger's hotline, don't hesitate to share it with me
Tomorrow, I need not wake up so early as it is not my turn to present during law lesson this week but that doesn't make a difference. I will still rise and shine early to catch all kinds of news around the world
Heard that Creative Technology's share price shot up like a rocket today because of some awesome good news. I don't care, I never liked Creative before even though it is a local brand. They sued Apple over the slightest problem(it may be a big one but it looks small to me) and earn money indirectly from the sale of iPods. So you will never see me buying a Creative Zen, I will rather buy an Ipod since Creative gets to pocket money from either one of the MP3 players so why bother buying a Zen and let them earn all the profits from you? Bringing Apple to court might make Creative an overnight celebrity but this is some sort of the same situation as North Korea. People get turned off by their actions instead
Anyway, iPod is better in everything although I do not own one
Really. Because Apple are the more creative company
Tomorrow, I need not wake up so early as it is not my turn to present during law lesson this week but that doesn't make a difference. I will still rise and shine early to catch all kinds of news around the world
Heard that Creative Technology's share price shot up like a rocket today because of some awesome good news. I don't care, I never liked Creative before even though it is a local brand. They sued Apple over the slightest problem(it may be a big one but it looks small to me) and earn money indirectly from the sale of iPods. So you will never see me buying a Creative Zen, I will rather buy an Ipod since Creative gets to pocket money from either one of the MP3 players so why bother buying a Zen and let them earn all the profits from you? Bringing Apple to court might make Creative an overnight celebrity but this is some sort of the same situation as North Korea. People get turned off by their actions instead
Anyway, iPod is better in everything although I do not own one
Really. Because Apple are the more creative company
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