July The Twelve

It has been a tiring Sunday..
Some of us who went for Copa Iba came back with tired bodies, aches, and sore throat..

And there was also the ride to the airport for a certain farewell and welcoming back..

And yet, we were able to brave through all these to catch an event that should never be missed - the World Cup Final!!



So.. for those who do not already know, there have been 2 huge stars at this year's FIFA World Cup - namely Spain and Paul the octopus


Prior to the Final, Paul the octopus (who has been used as an animal oracle to predict football results) has wisely chosen Spain over Holland to lift this year's World Cup trophy..
The Dutch would've imagined the worst as Paul has almost been 100% correct coming into the Final..


Paul the oracle octopus
















Holland then had to come out with an extraordinary strategy to prove to the world that Paul can sometimes be wrong..

It wasn't gonna be a very pleasant strategy and for those of you expecting a friendly match, boy were you wrong!


Pictures from the Final match between Spain and Holland (courtesy of SkySports.com and ESPN Soccernet)














But Spain (somewhat fortunately) did not crumble into the dirty tactics of the Dutch, and eventually emerged victorious!

Congratulations to the World Champions - SPAIN

LOL

Ego 1-0 JTan

JTan has a friend.
His name is Ego.
He's not a very good friend.

JTan admits.. today, he let Ego control him.
Bad, bad Ego.
And bad, bad JTan for allowing Ego to control him.

So what happened?

It all started with a missed turning.
First, JTan's lousy driving caused him to be on the wrong lane - wanted to take a right turn (which would've made our lives easier) but had to go straight since the traffic lights were green for straight and red for right.
Well, "It's alright," JTan thought, "there's another road which leads back to the road we wanna be on."
So everything settled? Mission accomplished? Back on the same road?
No. JTan just had to miss that particular "road which leads back to the road we wanna be on."
*tries to hide embarrassed face*

Well, "No worries," JTan thought again, "this road we're now on seems to be heading towards another road which will eventually lead us back to the road we wanna be on."
YM gave a good suggestion to make a U-turn.
But Ego came into play. Ego suggested that JTan was correct and had good reasons to believe he was right. Well, at that time, neither Ego nor JTan realised that Kampung Pandan is actually NOT Pandan Indah.
So did JTan take YM's advise? Obviously not.

After about 5 minutes, JTan finally realised his mistake.
*tries to hide embarrassed face again*
It's a bit too far to U-turn now. JTan was thinking hard, "Where in the world does this road leads to?" And after passing by the Rain Tree Club, he thought, "Hey, this road actually leads to another road which will also eventually lead us back to the road we wanna be on. Woohoo!"
He had a feeling that he was supposed to turn left. But took a right, he did instead. And once again, Ego told JTan that he's right. There's no need to call for help from others or ask them for advise. Moreover, JTan's sense of direction was supposed to be quite good. So he thought.

After another few minutes, MK called. At the same time, JTan kinda realised he made another judgement error once again.
*wah, really no face to hide this time*
MK suggested another route - which will lead back to "the road we wanna be on." - a way faster route but involves the toll.. a price to pay for letting Ego win.
AL made a brilliant request by asking HY to take the lead this time.
*paiseh.. JTan really, really has got no more face to hide*

In short, we got to our destination in time.
But we could've reached way earlier if JTan hadn't allowed Ego influence him.

So what has JTan learned today?

Maybe God was trying to teach him something today.

It is important to have a teachable heart.
When one is stubborn and self-centred, it's a bit difficult to have a heart that's humbled enough to be taught and corrected.
There should be less of ourselves and more of God.
May He help JTan to develop a humble and teachable heart, ever ready to admit his mistakes and be corrected.

Anyway, God is good.
We reached there in time, the rain stopped, we were all able to run, and 3 guys from our group won a medal each.
Hope everyone had fun :)


*edited*


A friend commented that there's another lesson that JTan can learn from this - should have listened to women's direction advise. I think JTan would hate to admit it, but the 2 ladies who were in his car ystday had better signs of direction than him.
*tries to hide face once again*
Aside from YM's earlier advise, JN was practically leading JTan through KL - and should I add that she's not from KL?

Epic fail.

JTan said that he would like to apologise to all guys if he has let you down.

2010

An end to a chapter leads to a beginning of a new chapter.
Likewise, the end of a year brings forth a new beginning of a new year.

So what is there in 2010 to look forward to?

New challenges and experiences? Most definitely.. can't run away from those every new year.

New hope? Yupz.. hope so.

New datelines? MORE datelines (or deadlines) sounds more like it.. *pengsan*

New holiday trips? Of course! lol..





More friends getting married? Probably not as much as this year, given that most of my friends are Chinese who have superstitious fears about getting married in the year of the Tiger.. Jason and Ruth are an exception.. :)

More importantly, 2010 promises us that the same God that has brought us through the thick and thin of 2009 will once again bring us through 2010..
Things may not be smooth sailing, but He has promise to walk by our side and be our strength and refuge at all times, be it good or bad.



But before we get to all those things to look forward for in 2010, it'll be good to look back at 2009 and see what are the things we can thank God for..


Among the many things I can thank God for..



UK-Greece trip





























































Apofasi (College CG Camp)
























New 2nd-Hand Ferrari














Random outings / reunions / birthdays / trips








































































































































(The above pics belong to various people)




Christmas!
























(Christmas pics belong to Sue Ann and Tabby)




And on a totally random note, the year apparently ended in a "Blue Moon"



Anyway...

May you have a good new year ahead

HAPPY 2010!

Firsts

Tomorrow will probably be a day of many firsts.. :)

Random

Hhmm... this looks like a very normal pic.. nothing special, right?
Well well... what d'ya know.. this photo was selected for inclusion in the newly released 9th edition of the Schmap Manchester Guide!

If you do nt have a single clue what is that, neither did I before I got an email indication that this picture has been selected to be part of the guide.. LOL

The site can be found below though if you're interested to go have a look...


Old Trafford and Salford
http://www.schmap.com/manchester/introduction_neighborhoods/p=1010D08/i=1010D08_77.jpg


It's nothing big.. but since this is the first ever time any of my pictures got selected for anything at all, thought I'd jst blog about it... :P



Anyway on a totally irrelevant note, there's such a thing called "playing Settlers too much within a week"... enough of Settlers... seriously, enough...
*yeah rite.. lol!*

The Tale of 4 Stadiums (and an unrelated Platform)

Once upon a time, there lived 4 stadiums.. namely Old Trafford, Emirates, Stamford Bridge and Anfield.

Old Trafford lived in Manchester.
Both Emirates and Stamford Bridge were from London, while Anfield came from Liverpool.

Over time, they became among the most well known stadiums not only in England, but in Europe as well.

A traveller once asked them, "Which of you is the best?"



















Old Trafford, with full confidence, claimed to be the best among the 4.

Indeed, it was very impressive and fully deserved to be called the best!



Emirates roared in disagreement, claiming to be on par, if not better.

Well, it is after all the most modern stadium among the 4.. but whether it was the best of not remains debatable.



Stamford Bridge was not in a very confident mood, knowing that its facilities and size could not match that of Old Trafford and Emirates.

Nevertheless, it was quietly confident that it was not the worst.. lol...



And finally, the *clears throat* worst of them all - the title was always gonna go to Anfield..

Being one of the oldest may not do it much good after all... but who knows, they might be undergoing some kinda restructuring soon enough if some rich Russian or Arabian buys over Liverpool FC.



_________________________



This is totally unrelated to the above..

Anyway, I finally got to see the Platform 9¾ in real life! LOL!

This is just a replica lah.. haha.. but it's still something...

Fly

I'm gonna

Letter to Bank Manager

This is an actual letter written to bank manager by an old lady who got her check bounced by the bank due to lack of funds. it was first published in the New York Times in 2006.

Dear Sir,

I am writing to thank you for bouncing my check with which I endeavored to pay my plumber last month.

By my calculations, three nanoseconds must have elapsed between his presenting the check and the arrival in my account of the funds needed to honor it.

I refer, of course, to the automatic monthly deposit of my entire pension, an arrangement which, I admit, has been in place for only eight years. You are to be commended for seizing that brief window of opportunity, and also for debiting my account $30 by way of penalty for the inconvenience caused to your bank. My thankfulness springs from the manner in which this incident has caused me to rethink my errant financial ways.

I noticed that whereas I personally answer your telephone calls and letters, — when I try to contact you, I am confronted by the impersonal, overcharging, pre-recorded, faceless entity which your bank has become.

From now on, I, like you, choose only to deal with a flesh-and-blood person. My mortgage and loan repayments will therefore and hereafter no longer be automatic, but will arrive at your bank, by check, addressed personally and confidentially to an employee at your bank whom you must nominate.

Be aware that it is an offense under the Postal Act for any other person to open such an envelope. Please find attached an Application Contact which I require your chosen employee to complete. I am sorry it runs to eight pages, but in order that I know as much about him or her as your bank knows about me, there is no alternative. Please note that all copies of his or her medical history must be countersigned by a Notary Public, and the mandatory details of his/her financial situation (income, debts, assets and liabilities) must be accompanied by documented proof. In due course, at MY convenience, I will issue your employee with a PIN number which he/she must quote in dealings with me.

I regret that it cannot be shorter than 28 digits but, again, I have modeled it on the number of button presses required of me to access my account balance on your phone bank service. As they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Let me level the playing field even further.

When you call me, press buttons as follows:

IMMEDIATELY AFTER DIALING, PRESS THE STAR (*) BUTTON FOR ENGLISH

#1. To make an appointment to see me.

#2. To query a missing payment.

#3. To transfer the call to my living room in case I am there.

#4. To transfer the call to my bedroom in case I am sleeping.

#5. To transfer the call to my toilet in case I am attending to nature.

#6. To transfer the call to my mobile phone if I am not at home.

#7. To leave a message on my computer, a password to access my computer is required. Password will be communicated to you at a later date to that Authorized Contact mentioned earlier.

#8. To return to the main menu and to listen to options 1 through 7.

#9. To make a general complaint or inquiry. The contact will then be put on hold, pending the attention of my automated answering service.

#10. This is a second reminder to press* for English. While this may, on occasion, involve a lengthy wait, uplifting music will play for the duration of the call.

Regrettably, but again following your example, I must also levy an establishment fee to cover the setting up of this new arrangement. May I wish you a happy, if ever so slightly less prosperous New Year?

Your Humble Client

*this was taken from http://www.fairloanrate.com/2009/02/08/best-letter-ever-written-to-a-bank-manager/

Kings of Europe

After all the drama






















After all the controversial refereeing

Take note.. this was the Norwegian ref who single-handedly helped send Barca to the final







After all the heart-breaking moments






















The 'Dream Team' finally emerge victorious at the expense of Man Utd

*sobs*

























FC Barcelona of Spain are the newly crowned Champions of the UEFA Champions' League

Well, based on last night's performance, they fully deserved it... but do remember that if it was not for a certain Norwegian referee (in their previous match), they won't even be in the Final

Nevertheless, as Ferguson has admitted, the better team won

Love Story meets Viva La Vida

Perak is still in limbo, as its internal political war is still far from over..

There's certainly no love between the PR and BN... not surprising isn't it?


Anyway, let's take a little sidetrack away from the never-ending political issues of Boleh-land.. check this video out.. pretty cool..

:)

:)

Such joy in their faces... :)

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as there."

Hon Chien's Blog Is Born!

This is literally (apparently Brits use this term a lot - so says Lydia) random..

Let's us all now welcome a new member to the blogging world - all the way in the UK, Mr. Wong Hon Chien!
WELCOME!
And CONGRATS for finally having a blog of your own.. we're all very proud of you.. hehe..
If you start having a chatterbox, then maybe you'll be getting lotsa spams soon.. lol!

Anyway, looking forward to you telling us more about your UK life

Take care!

GSC - Support Earth Hour

Click on picture to enlarge

Those thinking of watching movie(s) in any GSC cinemas during the Earth Hour, beware.. who knows the cinema you're in may be deemed not essential... LOL!

Goodbye

Goodbye..
If only it was as sweet as an apple pie..
There would then be no need to ever cry..
And thus less trees will have to die..


While it's just another goodbye, it's still a goodbye nonetheless.

And today is that day.

The day I bid farewell... after 1.5 years... I will not forget you.. I will miss you..

Tears tried to fall.. but no matter how hard it tried, it didn't.

Goodbye, 12G09..

















And after this goodbye, it will be..
HELLO 15F21!!

Bride Wars

Never thought I could win anything online..

Thanks to Sue Ann and Cinema Online, that has been made possible...
LOL!
























noteverythingonlineisascamafterall.. LOL!

Eagles Wings

Here I am waiting
Abide in me I pray
Here I am longing for You
Hide me in Your love
Bring me to my knees
May I know Jesus more and more

Come live in me
All my life take over
Come breathe in me
And I will rise
On eagles wings

A New Day

The end of a day..
brings hope to a brand new tomorrow

Haha..

-.-


Teacher : History is a very interesting subject. It tells you about what had happened in the past.
Student : Please teacher, I don't think I want to study history.
Teacher : Why?
Student : There is no future in it.

.............................

Teacher : Ted, if your father has $10 and you ask him for $6, how much would your father still have?
Ted : $10.
Teacher : You don't know maths.
Ted : You don't know my father!

.............................

Mother : David, come here.
David : Yes, mum?
Mother : You really disappoint me. Your results are getting worse.
David : But I will only get my report book tomorrow.
Mother : I know that. But I am going to Hong Kong tomorrow, so I am scolding you now.

.............................

Father : Why did you fail your mathematics test?
Son : On Monday, teacher said 3+5=8
Father : So?
Son : On Tuesday, she said 4+4=8 And on Wednesday, she said 6+2=8. If she can't make up her mind, how do I know the right answer?

.............................

A mother and son were doing dishes while the father and daughter were watching TV in the living room. Suddenly, there was a loud crash of
breaking plates, then complete silence. The daughter turned to look at her father.

Daughter : It's mummy!
Father : How do you know?
Daughter : She didn't say anything.

.............................

Girl: Do you love me?
Boy: Yes Dear
Girl: Would you die for me?
Boy: No, mine is undying love

.............................

Man: How old is your father?
Boy: As old as me
Man: How can that be?
Boy: He became a father only when I was born

.............................

Waiter: I've stewed liver, boiled tongue and frog's leg.
Customer: Don't tell me your problems. Give me the menu card.

.............................

Teacher : Simon, your composition on "My Dog" is exactly the same as your brother's. Did u copy his?
Simon : No, teacher, it's the same dog!

.............................

Random

Just some random thoughts flying in the air above my head right now..


- What was I thinking? - well, no regrets anyway...

- Will you call yourself a 'slave' when you're earning £120,000 a week?? - beats me.. that's like more than what I'll earn in 4 years with my current salary!!

- Massive jam because of 'public safety' - what a joke

- "The roadblocks proved to be “successful” although it caused inconvenience to many people" - bigger joke


...