Amsterdam

How time flies. Can't believe it's already been a week since I went to Amsterdam. This time last week I was stuffing myself silly with Indonesian food. Now I am eating cheapo noodles. What a contrast.

But yeah anyway I went to Amsterdam from Saturday to Monday (no I didn't skip school, I have no lessons on Mondays). A bit short on sightseeing, but overall it was an enjoyable trip. Think this time it is easier to divide the trip into things that we did or saw.

So when 6 guys go travelling, what is the main objective (besides looking for chio bus lah...)? To watch football lor, what else? We went to watch Ajax Amsterdam vs FC Twente and signed up for a match day tour package too.


Crest of Ajax. For those of you who don't follow football, Ajax is the biggest club in Holland, the originator (I think, or at least they made it famous) of the 4-3-3 formation and the total football style. Over the years they had produced truck loads of footballers for the Dutch national team from the likes of Johann Cruyff to Dennis Bergkamp, Clarence Seedorf to present day gems like Rafael Van Der Vaart and Johnny Heitinga. I remember there was one season in the mid 90s when they went a whole league season unbeaten and also beat Real Madrid 2-0 in the Champions League and had a lot of goals disallowed, that's how dominant they were.


Yeah, that's the name of the tour. It wasn't very comprehensive, lacking the usual tour of the changing rooms etc which was understandable as it was a match day.


But still we got a chance to see the players' tunnel and go to the pitch side where the Ajax people took a photo of 6 of us but I can't scan it onto my computer.


Pitch side. Don't ask me what the figure head represents because I don't know. But it does look quite nice actually.


The pitch and the big screen


Some of the honours won by Ajax.


The away fans' stand is right in the middle. They have walls around that section and it is also covered by netting to prevent things from being thrown into the away stand. Quite scary to think that it is actually necessary, for I have never seen anything like that before.


The away stand, should be able to see the netting and the walls around it more clearly now.


So it was off to the museum next. This is confirmation of Ajax being one of the top clubs in Europe, having won 4 European Cups.....


as well as numerous Dutch league titles. The two shields in the lower row are for the Dutch league.


The "megastore"


Then it was off to De Toekomst, which I think is the youth academy of Ajax. We had our lunch there and saw a lot of young Ajax trainees there too. I think they just finished a match and was having their lunch as well. Maybe some of them will make it big....?




The Amsterdam ArenA. Quite impressed with the stadium itself actually, looks rather nice, like a spaceship. I think I have a fetish for stadiums.


Irving, Derrick and me. Scarves were given as part of the tour. But I got a lousy design...damn...


Players warming up before the match.


Where the so called "F-side" is seated, something like the Stretford End of Old Trafford. When the ArenA opened sometime in the late 90s, the F side were located in various parts of the stadium and according to the tour guide, they "missed" each other and thus now they are seated together. I think they are quite violent fans :P Anyway if you look closely you can see the Star of David (I think that's what it's called, anybody knows for sure?) of the Jews hanging in the middle. According to Li Yeng who went to Amsterdam last year, the Ajax fans are hated by everyone (like the Jews, not very politically correct to say that but that is what she was told if I don't remember wrongly) and thus have the nickname "Jews". But the Ajax fans don't give two hoots about it and actually adopted it. Thus sometimes you can see the Israel flag flying sometimes when Ajax fans celebrate their league titles.



The other end of the pitch where the 'ultras' are seated (at the flag on the left side). Just before kickoff they have a song which was played over the PA system (like You'll Never Walk Alone at Anfield) and everyone sang and the 2 flags rose from the bottom and were passed all the way up. I must say I am quite impressed with the effect. By the way I think the 'ultras' are another group of qutie hardcore fans because most of the singing originated from that side of the crowd.


The 100+ or so FC Twente fans having a good time in the cage. The guy in the bottom right hand corner wearing white is one cool dude. He wore sunglasses to watch the match and smoked a joint (I think its cannabis, a recreational drug, more about that later...) which was as big as a cigar!! WTF....


The players coming out


The players shaking hands


The ultras setting off flares. Again first time I see such things for they are banned in UK I think. Quite interesting but the smoke obscures the view which is quite shitty. And the smell is quite strong too. We could smell it even when we were seated on the other side of the pitch.


The band conductor. The quality of football on offer was rather poor. Ajax started off well and took the lead but damn fucked themselves by allowing Twente back into the game despite having Rozales the right winger and Heitinga playing really well. I was rather impressed with Heitinga. Not sure if its because the Dutch league is poor but he seemed to be able to play the Roy Keane role really well. The central defender with number 3 for Twente also caught our eyes. He played like Jaap Stam.

So with the poor match on offer on the pitch, my attention was continually distracted by this band conductor. First time I have seen a proper band allowed inside the stadium. Every once in a while this conductor would stand up and wave his hands and ask the band to play some music to liven up the atmosphere as well as encourage the rest of the spectators to sing along. He looked really passionate but I couldnt tell whether he had passion for music or for Ajax. But he really amused me nevertheless.

The next major thing we did in Amsterdam was to eat. Just to give you all a shock. The accommodation and match package was already fully paid for before we left and I brought along 120 Euros for the 3 days for food and other expenses. And it WASN'T enough. In fact almost all of us didn't have enough and had to use our cards at least once. I still owe my friend 20 Euros and had 20 pounds charged to my card. So you can just imagine how much we spent on food.


Dutch pancakes, which we had for breakfast/lunch on the first day. Cost: 8 Euros.

Ok ok I know it looks like an omlette but let me reassure you that its not. Dutch pancakes is just about the only unique Dutch dish I know and I really like it a lot. I am not usually a person who likes such 'pastry' stuff but I still like Dutch pancakes. You all must try if you all have a chance!!


Rijsttafel, or Indonesian rice table, which we had for dinner on the first night. Cost: 19 Euros per person.

According to Irving, its because Indonesia was once a Dutch colony and so that's why you can find brilliant Indonesian food in Holland. Rijsttafel is a set meal with a lot of dishes eaten with rice. For our set, we had curry chicken, soy sauce pork, satay, vegetables etc etc. I can't remember all the dishes but most were very very nice to eat. It helped that all of us were hungry also. One word of caution though, the rice is most probably not free flow. We ended up having to pay 3 or 4 Euros extra per person coz we ordered a lot of extra bowls of rice. Don't be smart aleck and say that we should have asked because we did ask but the waitress English CMI and misunderstood our question of whether the rice was free or not. She thought we just wanted more rice and just brought it to us with us assuming its free. So if in doubt, don't order.


Portuguese tapas buffet, which we had for dinner on second day. Cost: 22 Euros per person.

Not sure if I had mentioned tapas in my email about Spain last time. Just in case I didn't, tapas is a term for small Spanish dishes. Usually they eat it for lunch. And so it was quite a surprise that this Portuguese restaurant offered tapas 'buffet' for dinner also. At first we thought it was a real buffet as in all the dishes were free flow but apparently its not. I think buffet in the ang moh context is a set meal with a lot of dishes but not refillable. So beware! Anyway as it is we didnt need a refill at all coz there was so much food that we nearly couldnt finish. And the food was as usual superb. I once again have to reiterate that Spanish and Italian food are damn nice. Think I should go learn how to cook then can use to xian girls. hahahahaha.


Apple tart from Apple Winkel near Noodermarkt. Cost: 2-3 Euros per slice (not sure)

The Apple Winkel shop is renowned for having the best apple tart in Amsterdam as claimed by the locals. It was told to Li Yeng and also to us by the person at our hostel. And it really is quite nice (that's a lot coming from me who doesn't like pastry stuff...). But then it also helps that the shop has...


Yes a chio waitress :P

Some usual sightseeing photos...:



Koninklijk Palace


Raadhuisstraat. I think this street is epecially nice. All of the houses here have balconies. In fact I think a lot of streets in Amsterdam can be attractions in themselves.


Dam Square with the National Monument, fondly known as Big Dick....hahahaha


Nieuwe Markt


Anne Frank Huis (House)


Derrick and me with statue of Anne Frank.

Anne Frank is this famous little Jewish girl who wrote a diary while she was hiding in an attic to escape from German soldiers. Not really sure about the exact story. But the attic she hid in and the original diary is displayed in this house. Unfortunately we didn't have enough time to go in.

Some pictures of canals in Amsterdam. Amsterdam has a lot of canals (remember your secondary school geography classes about land reclamation in the Netherlands? haha) and some of them are really scenic. Some photos of canals:








The photo above shows something like a boat house. There are lots of thems in various canals but I am not too sure whether people actually live in them or are they shops or what.


Ice skating rink outside Rijksmuseum.


Me in front of the ice skating rink. Please ignore idiot on the left.

Another thing that Holland is famous for is tulips. The Chinese name for tulips is yu jing xiang (blogger doesn't display chinese characters properly :( ) Anyway I am quite impressed with my mum coz she told me the yu jing xiang term before I left for Amsterdam. Even my mum knows what Holland is famous for. Damn I must buck up!!


The zhao1 pai2 says it all...Tulips from Amsterdam in Bloemen Markt (a flower market)


Tulips of various colours! Very very nice. Unfortunately the picture is blur. Shitty photo taking skills.


A clearer but not so good photo. The tulips are rather cheap too. You can get 50 stalks of tulips for 7.50 Euros. In UK it costs like 4 or 5 pounds for a miserable bunch.


School bus outside Van Gogh museum. Yes we act arty farty and went inside but ok lah, saw the famous sunflowers painting. Apparently he painted quite a few sunflower paintings...hmm... Anyway doesn't this look the the magic school bus from the cartoon? hahaha, wonder if it can fly....

Ok I guess most of you all must be bored by now...that is if you had read until this point! Anyway Amsterdam is not called vice city for nothing.... I really like the following photo:


Not that I think being gay or lesbian is a vice but this is the most suitable section to put it in.


See the word in the top right of the door? Yes you never read wrongly... DA MA. Recreational drugs are totally legal in Holland and walking along the streets of Amsterdam, the smell of pot is unmistakable. It is the only place in the world where you can smoke pot beside a policeman without the policeman batting an eyelid. In Amsterdam, there are a lot of shops which are called 'coffee shops'. But they are not the Singapore kopi tiams. They are a term for shops selling drugs etc. They are dimly lit bars with tables and couches. Candles are available on the tables for people to light up and the smell of weed fills the air totally. It somehow feels decadent to be inside but at the same time it feels really relaxing, like what is the big deal.... but I didn't smoke lah. Shihua is still a good boy. Or should I say humji boy. Coz need to go back NS mah.... oh yeah you can buy seeds to grow from just about anywhere too...even at the flower market! WTF...

Next vice: Sex...




Amsterdam is also famous for its red light district....so how can the 6 of us miss out on it leh? hahahaa. Yeah anyway there red light district is spread over an area with numerous alleys and side streets. The unmistakable red neon lights hang over each window-like door and in it, the prostitutes strut their stuff in their underwear which looks like they are fluorescent because of the neon lights. It really is an eye opener for me because I had walked about in Geylang before. Anyway my photos aren't very clear because we aren't allowed to take photos. Heard horror stories about bouncers bashing up camera-taking tourists but didn't actually see any bouncers. Wonder who protects these prostitutes actually. Quite pity them actually....what if they meet some psycho killer?? Hai... anyway the small lighted spots in the photos are the underwear...

AND NO I DIDN'T DO IT!! haha

Anyway yeah I guess this is the end. Amsterdam is quite a nice place. Should go if have a chance!

Straits Times articles galore again

Ok blog spurt....because I am going to Amsterdam for 3 days and to prevent my legion of readers from suffering from TosH deficiency syndrome, I have decided to be kind to blog exactly 3 entries today :D So read slowly ok? I won't be responsible for any indigestion if you behave like a greedy kid and read all at once hor!

Instead of reading up on my Industrial assignment for which I am so screwed (in short, I am leaving for Amsterdam tonight, coming back on Monday night, and my assignment which is damn fucking long is due on Wednesday), I surfed around Straits Times and found the following articles:

Written by Janice Wong :P

Jan 31, 2005

When Mr Right comes at the wrong time

Timing is everything, even in love. And when you are not ready to commit, you could end up regretting it

By Janice Wong

SOMETIMES, timing rather than love decides who we end up being with - or without.

Only some lucky people marry the loves of their lives. The rest marry the most suitable person who comes along when they are ready to settle down.

A friend in his 20s came to this conclusion after confiding in me that he had recently met a woman who is more attractive than his wife, and so occupies his thoughts more often than his wife does.

'If only I had met her before I got married,' he said wistfully.

But I think even if the love of one's life appears when one is single, one may not be in the right frame of mind to recognise him or her as such.

And then love passes by.

Life is littered with near misses and lost opportunities.

I attended my ex-boyfriend's wedding last month, which triggered many memories.

We met five years ago when I was 23 and he 31. It was love at first sight.

He had an established career, was down-to-earth and steadfastly religious.

I was then working as an air stewardess and my head was - literally and metaphorically - in the clouds.

I was also - well, let's put it this way - not religious.

Despite our differences, we were soulmates. We had the same quirky sense of humour and shared long, intense overnight conversations.

But human nature is perverse. When someone is excessively nice to us, we start taking things for granted, instead of appreciating them even more.

My ex sent me to the airport, fixed my PC, reminded me to take health supplements - and go to church.

He had everything I could want in a husband - except that I was not looking for one. A boyfriend was all I could cope with then.

I loved fast cars, danced wildly at Zouk and took off on shopping holidays at a whim. My life revolved around I, me and myself.

In the six months that we were together, he popped the question several times and talked ad nauseam about having children. He wanted us to enrol for a Christian marriage preparation course.

Yes, I did often fantasise about a Vera Wang wedding gown, but I was at that stage of my life when I was more interested in Guess than Baby Guess.

And where - dare I admit it? - I still wanted to meet other men.

So I was a 23-year-old with the emotional maturity of a 13-year-old. Responsibility? Wasn't that for adults?

In short, I met Mr Right at the wrong time.

The more he talked about marriage and religion, the more I felt pressured and the more pressured I felt, the more irritable I became.

I was too impatient to compromise. Every trivial matter blew up as a big deal. My mood obliterated the good in our relationship and reached a point where I just wanted out.

He was heartbroken; I was sad but relieved. He still called me regularly, beseeching me to change my mind.

The calls stopped finally after a year. Now and then, we say 'Hi' via e-mail.

I had a few painful relationships after that. Served me right, as those rude wake-up calls were necessary for me to realise the meaninglessness of my hedonistic high life.

I missed the tenderness of my ex and began having second thoughts.

Perhaps I also felt more urgency to find someone marriageable before my biological clock reached zero hour. It dawned on me that I am not a pixie like Peter Pan who can flit around forever. One day, I'd wake up sick and alone when my fair weather friends flit away.

But I was too proud and too unsure of my ex's reaction to call him until last year.

The first thing he told me excitedly was that he had found The One. My heart tumbled to my feet. So, that's Fate.

If only I could turn back time. If only I had met him later. If only... what feeble words.

These days, I am more circumspect. I have come to terms with my loss. There is nothing I can do about timing, but I can do everything about my choices.

Sometimes, when the nights get lonely, I toy with the idea of marrying a platonic friend of mine, who often assures me earnestly that, if the worst comes to the worst, he'd be willing to marry me.

But I always dismiss that. I have already made one mistake. I should not make another by settling for second best merely for the sake of getting hitched - only to regret it soon after, as the guy who confided in me did.

Hopefully, the best is not over but yet to be.

Well, I think most of you have heard me talk about timing before. About how as you grow older, if you are still unattached, you more likely to adopt the saying "bo heur, hei ma ho" (no fish, shrimp also can), and settle down with the best available person there is around you. So I guess there is no need for me to add anything else. However, what is perhaps slightly disturbing is that Janice Wong is not too bad looking herself *gulp* If she has noticed this situation and is sort of in it herself...then what hope do the rest of us ordinary/ugly looking folk have?

Which brings me to the next article...

From The Straits Times:

Jan 17, 2005

The good, the bad and the ugly

Sure, they're nice to look at. But do good-looking people necessarily make good partners?

Teo Pau Lin

THERE are two things that average-looking people like to say about good-looking people.

First, they're probably dumb.

It's pure injustice that they got more attention from parents and teachers when they were kids, and grew up to have more friends, landed better jobs, got promoted faster and married other good-looking people.

So we average-lookers like to spite them by hitting where it hurts. We say they're stupid. We give them names like bimbo, air-head or muscle-brain.

After all, anyone so well-endowed in one department must be deficient in another. It's Nature's way of balancing things out.

Deep inside though, we know not all beautiful people are dumb. As hard as it is to stomach, some people do sickeningly possess both brawn and brain.

But it's okay.

We average-lookers have one other grenade to lob against good-lookers, which brings me to point No. 2.

They make lousy partners.

I first heard it when my Mum warned me many years ago to stay away from good-looking boys.

They're trouble.

Last week, her sentiment was echoed in a friend's mother, who also cautioned him against dating pretty girls. They're trouble.

Mothers know things. They've been around longer than we have, so there must be some hard-earned truths behind their caution.

It makes sense too. Good-looking people will always attract attention from the opposite sex, even right up to a ripe old age.

When relationships grow stale or hit a bump, as they always do, they are likely to bail, given the tempting spread of hassle-free options outside.

Good-looking people are also likely to have had many prior relationships than average lookers.

Chances are, you'd have to grapple with the ghosts of their many ex's past, possible entanglements with unresolved break-ups, even blows to your self-esteem when comparisons are made.

Used to being lavished with attention from previous partners, they could also be egotistical, high-maintenance and difficult to please. In other words, you're the slave to their king or queen.
Of course, such behaviour is not the sole domain of good-looking people. Plain-lookers can also be masters of cheating, lying and all manner of despicable behaviour.

But the thing is, good-lookers are more likely to be lousy partners because they have more of what it takes to become one.

Sure, they're great to look at and could make you the envy of your friends. But they're probably not long-term material.

Guys seem to find it harder to resist good looks than girls.

My friend with the anti-pretty-girl mother tells me that all guys, without exception, go for looks.

He says: 'We're made that way. A girl may have a good heart, but if she looks like a sack of potatoes, forget it.'

But we girls are different. Call it innate wisdom or just the biological need to propagate the species, we go for guys who can provide and will stick around. Looks aren't that big a deal.

I consoled him that, in Singapore at least, good-looking women far outnumber good-looking men. So there are many well-adjusted, level-headed women out there who offer both looks and quality.

Good-looking Singapore men? They're hard to come by. So by sheer rarity in species, they are most likely to prove all mothers right.

I posed the good-looks-equals-lousy-partner theory to another friend, who disagreed vehemently.

'Sometimes, ugly people are even more susceptible to straying because they're not used to getting attention. So every time they get it, their heads swell and they'll pursue it,' he says.
Interesting thought.

I guess good looks is no barometer on whether a person will make a good or bad partner.
The real barometer is character.

Traits like honesty, trustworthiness and loyalty will keep a good-looking person decent, and make an average-looking person attractive.

That, more than anything, is the safest bet.

Hmm, at the end of the day of course personal traits like honesty, kindness etc do matter the most. But there is perhaps a game theoretic structure to the process of attraction. To first be able to attract ANY person at all, being good looking is a massive advantage. After all its easier to imagine smooching Wong Li Lin than say Abigail right? Only then does personal characteristics come into the picture. If you do not have the looks, attracting the person requires that much more effort since you have to jump to the second stage directly. Just imagine having to run a marathon when you had barely run 10km before.

As Tong Leng and I concluded, at the end of the day its the whole package which matters, and BOTH physical attributes and personal traits play a role. Though I guess the weights differ from individual to individual. And I guess that's the crux of the problem: if you are not good looking, how do you present your desirable personal traits in such a way such that your overall package is desirable enough to succeed at the second stage? This is of course also dependent on the weights that the other person has. Will he/she die of shock to know that the not-good-looking-but-kind person actually likes himself/herself? It is all very easy being chummy with a kind hearted but not good looking person but to actually like the person back in a romantic kind of way?

And there is also the issue of "beauty is in the eyes of the beholder". The girls I have liked so far I believe are all good looking girls. However, it is a chicken and egg situation. Do I like them because they are pretty first? Or do I think they are pretty because I liked them? I believe for myself it is the first one lah (just read the title of my blog duh!) but what about the rest of you? How do you differentiate between liking a person because of the looks and thinking the person is good looking because you like them? Is that even important at all?

And finally the last article:

Jan 24, 2005

For better or worse

Should one attend an ex-girlfriend or ex-boy-friend's wedding? I couldn't, and now regret it

By Karl Ho

I'M NOT a huge fan of weddings.

At best, they give me hope that in a world of philanderers and rising divorce rates, two people can still live happily ever after.

Most of the time, however, weddings just remind me that I'm the last man standing among my peers.

So, to pass the time at these events, I tank up on the bubbly and marvel at how geeky the couple look in the slideshow.

In November last year, my ex-girlfriend invited me to her wedding to be held two days before Christmas.

My ex-girlfriend and I are colleagues. We ended a three-year relationship in early 2003, and while it was quite difficult to face each other initially, we soon learnt to be civil to each other.

We drifted apart after the break-up. But we spoke enough for me to know that she had found a new soulmate.

Still, my face went whiter than a bridal veil when she passed me an invitation card.

I know her invitation was a sincere gesture to a fellow colleague and friend, and so it was just proper that I showed up and gave her my blessings.

But isn't there a cardinal rule somewhere in the world of relationships that says it's a bad idea to go to your ex's wedding? Many of my friends seem to think so.

'What's the point? To be reminded of how you're on your own now whereas your ex has happily moved on?' asks a good guy pal.

'Go only when you've found a girlfriend, preferably better than your ex. Better yet, save your hong bao money and give your new girl a treat,' he adds.

Even one of my more enlightened friends, who encouraged me to go, told me to do so just to prove a point: 'If it were me, I'd go and show everybody there that the wedding doesn't bother me, and then run back to my friends later and bitch about it.'

Most of my colleagues attended my ex's wedding. I went to Hong Kong instead.

IT GOES without saying that unless you're still chummy with your ex, never include him/her in the matrimonial guest list.

What's the point? Are you trying to gloat to your yet-to-be-married ex that 'hey, I got to the finish line first?'

Or are you feeling guilty and want to make amends? Besides, how will you know that your ex won't go psycho on you and jump onto the stage all of a sudden to hold the 'yam seng' toast guy hostage with a dessert fork?

A colleague recounted how a friend had to station men outside her wedding banquet hall to ward off a psychotic ex.

'He wasn't invited. But when he found out, he stalked all the major hotels in the hope of confronting the bride,' he related.

An ex who feels that he/she should be the one walking down the aisle instead can be a dangerous animal.

That's why wedding planners tell couples that both parties must be agreeable - and mentally prepared - when either one wants to invite the ex.

Wedding planner Linna Tan tells me that your spouse's feelings must always be considered.
She says that ultimately, you invite your ex because 'he/she means something to you and you want him/her to celebrate this big day with you.'

So, should one attend an ex's wedding?

Ms Doreen Mok, owner of wedding consultancy The Third Party, says: 'Go when you're ready to give your blessings. But if you can't contain yourself at the wedding, then don't.'

DESPITE insinuations from my other colleagues, I wasn't running away to Hong Kong to avoid my ex's wedding.

I really did need a holiday and had arranged it before I got the invitation.

Still, I'm not sure if I would have really had the stomach to attend the event, even if my air tickets were refundable.

Yes, I've moved on since the break-up and am adjusting well to bachelorhood.

But I'm sure that, hard as I would try not to, my mind would wander from the wedding revelry to once again revisit the past, reminisce on what went right and lament on what went wrong.
Besides, how should I behave towards her parents and siblings, whom I've only seen during the happier days of our courtship?

And would my colleagues also mistake my drinking as that of someone drowning his sorrow? Worse, would I in fact wallow in my Merlot?

Luckily, the solution presented itself in the form of my impending holiday.

In as regrettable a tone as I could muster, I told her I couldn't make it to her big day. Then I bought her a wedding present from Hong Kong.

Seeing how beautiful she looks in the wedding photographs, however, made me feel sad that I didn't attend the event.

In fact, what is worse is how I had let my ungraciousness get in the way of wishing her happiness. Going to her wedding should've been a no-brainer, and I should've gone.

So, I made plans with my ex for coffee, for that long overdue catch-up session. While we're still friends, we've not been updating each other about what's going on in our lives.

And I'm making it a point to attend my ex-ex-girlfriend's wedding in June - if not to give her my blessings, then at least to see how funny she looks in the slideshow.

Hmm not much thoughts about this article, for obvious reasons, but I was intrigued by the slide show comment. I remember attending a wedding like perhaps 5 or 6 years ago at this posh hotel and the bride and groom had a slide show of their life together and that was the first time I had seen it and I was damn impressed. I swore to have one in my wedding. Has it become so common now? Xian... got to think of new ideas to convince someone to marry me. Anybody thinks a skit and song performed by the groom is a good idea? Or perhaps I should just give out model answers for TYS done by me :D

The Flowers of Manchester

From Soccernet:

United Munich tribute set for Saturday

Manchester United fans will pay their annual tribute to the victims of the Munich air disaster prior to tomorrow's Premiership encounter with Birmingham.

Supporters will gather for a short ceremony at 2pm underneath the Munich memorial outside Old Trafford to pay their respects to the victims of the tragedy and sing the `Flowers of Manchester' tribute.

Sunday marks the 47th anniversary of the crash, in which 21 people were killed, including seven United players, when a twin-engined Elizabethan airliner nosedived on take-off following a refuelling stop on its way back from Belgrade.

A lot of people seem to think that the popularity of Man United only started with the glory days of the 1990s. Strictly speaking it is true, but the first spurt of popularity (at least in the UK from what I gather..) could be traced back to this Munich air disaster. I don't really remember the details now. But Manchester United were the first team in Britain to compete in the European Cup. The Football Association were against it but Sir Matt Busby wanted to play in Europe to compete against the best that the Continent could offer to further English football. But unfortunately that belief led to the demise of a young and talent squad. Without them, and their firm commitment to Europe, United might not have witnessed so many glory nights in Europe. Quite simply, those young men (and women?) died while fulfilling our dreams. And from that day on, a lot of people adopted United as their second favourite team.

The Flowers of Manchester

On one cold and bitter Thursday in Munich, Germany,
Eight great football stalwarts conceded victory,
Eight men who will never play again who met destruction there,
The flowers of British football, the flowers of Manchester

Matt Busby's boys were flying, returning from Belgrade,
This great United family, all masters of their trade,
The Pilot of the aircraft, the skipper Captain Thain,
Three times they tried to take off and twice returned back again.

The third time down the runaway disaster followed close,
There was a slush upon that runaway and the aircraft never rose,
It ploughed into the marshy ground, it broke, it overturned.
And eight of the team were killed when the blazing wreckage burned.

Roger Byrne and Tommy Taylor who were capped for England's side.
And Ireland's Billy Whelan and England's Geoff Bent died,
Mark Jones and Eddie colman, and David Pegg also,
they lost their lives as it ploughed on through the snow.

Big Duncan he went to, with an injury to his frame,
And Ireland's brave Jack Blanchflower will never play again,
The great Sir Matt Busby lay there, the father of his team
Three long months passed by before he walked again.

The trainer, coach and secretary, and a member of the crew,
Also eight sporting journalists who with United flew,
and one of them Big Swifty, who we'll ne'er forget,
the finest English 'keeper that ever graced the net.

Oh, England's finest football team its record truly great,
its proud successes mocked by a cruel turn of fate.
Eight men will never play again, who met destruction there,
the flowers of English football, the flowers of Manchester

Women...*sigh*

But don't we just love them? :P

Don't get too happy...

(Picture taken from Soccernet)

The last time I talked about a win over Arsenal, United promptly lost the next game to Portsmouth. So I guess I shall keep my mouth shut for now. But remember what I said about memorable games yesterday? This would certainly have been one if I had been at Highbury...

But somehow, I did feel a bit empty after the game. Perhaps it was a realisation that for all its worth, this only served to let United keep the gap. Chelsea are still going to win the league. As described in the match report on Soccernet, this was most likely just a silver medal playoff, which is really sad. There is still a lot of work to be done if United are going to come back next season. At the end of the day, this victory is high on emotions but low on actual meaning...

Side thought: Life never gives you everything you want at any point in time. When you get something you want, you can almost be certain that you will be denied something else...

The difference between 4.2 million pounds and 27 million pounds

The following picture is the cover of the Carling Cup semi final match programme. The game took place just last Wednesday 26th Jan 2005:



Yes it's my all time favourite player Eric Djemba Djemba (he's so good they named him twice!). They interviewed him and in the article he said the following:

"I think I have played in 16 matches so far this season in the Premiership, the Champions League, the Carling Cup and the FA Cup. If I can play 30 games by the end of the season I think that will be very good for me. I hope I can do that and look forward to playing whenever the gaffer picks me."

Fast forward to today, Monday 31st Jan 2005:

Taken from Manutd.com:

Djemba-Djemba Joins Aston Villa

Manchester United confirms the sale of Eric Djemba-Djemba to Aston Villa Football Club.

The initial consideration is £1.35 million (payable £0.9 million on completion and £0.45 million on 30 June 2005) with further payments of £0.25 million after the player has made 20 FAPL appearances and £0.25 million after the player has made 40 FAPL appearances.

This sale will result in an initial loss on disposal in the year to 31 July 2005 of £1.1 million, with conditional receipts based on the players appearances being recognised as profits when earned.Manchester United has paid no agents fees in this transaction.

Manchester United PLC

31 January, 2005

The United Review (name of the match programme) team at United must really have a good sense of timing, featuring Djemba Djemba almost right before he left Old Trafford. They even used pictures from the last game he played at Old Trafford (against Exeter in the FA Cup) for good measure.

Now I guess most of you might be guessing that I am celebrating at this piece of news. After all I had kbkb about him on numerous occasions and even proclaimed that I would write a cheque to whichever club who came and bought him from United. But seriously I am not. Perhaps it helps that he is a United fan and to have his dream snuffed out so early was a bit sad. His only crime is just being not good enough to be a United player. But even more important was the fact that his departure does leave United with one less player to go through the season. If there is an injury crisis, his body MIGHT (a very big might) come in useful. But then I read somewhere that if he had not gone, there was a DANGER that he might actually get onto the pitch and get some playing time. Now that gives me a shudder and I suppose selling him was the right option whenever I think of that.

At least he did seem to try his best whenever he played (though it wasn't good enough). So for that I wish him well in future for Villa. At least you had a chance to achieve what others like me only dream about. So au revoir Eric!

And now onto happier things:



Having gone for so many matches, the excitement of going to a match per se had already disappeared long ago. Its no longer a case of "I'm going to Old Trafford tomorrow, so exciting!" kind of thing, except for big matches of which there were precious little this season. Instead, what keeps me going is the hope of witnessing something special. A spectacular comeback, a hard fought victory, a last minute goal, a solo run goal ala Giggs in 99, or something like that. And thankfully on Saturday I did see not one but two really wonderful goals from Rooney. I missed his debut at Old Trafford, so I guess this is the next best thing.

I know a lot of people haven't been too impressed with Rooney, especially with his transfer fee. But I for one had been very happy whenever he's been playing except for the times he showed his petulance. I don't know what the rest of you think, but whenever he has played, he has been an outlet and an attacking threat for United. The best example I can think of was the game against Spurs which unfortunately I went to watch. The play was so one dimensional and United never really looked like breaking Spurs down. Fast forward to the Liverpool and Chelsea games a few weeks later and United looked so much more dangerous with Rooney playing. his direct running, pace and power and his shooting always meant that my hopes were raised whenever he has the ball.

And it all came together so perfectly on Saturday. I was sitting behind the United goal in the second half, and when Rooney first hit the chip, it looked to be going straight out that I was prepared to scold kan ni na be chao jibye when the ball suddenly had so much spin and dropped ust inside the post. Only when I saw the replay and the way he hit the ball that the spin looked really deliberate. If the first goal was sublime, the second goal was close to a classic. The first time volley was totally unexpected and was not lucky at all as he watched the ball all the way and connected with it properly. (And I got a knock on my head when the guy behind me celebrated....fucking jibye). You just have to admit that the boy is a genius. And worth every bit of the 27 million pounds. I don't know what the hell I am doing idolising a guy younger than me, but there you are, he is now officially my second favourite player at Old Trafford and will be in first place when Scholes retires.

Altogether now..."Rooney, Rooney..."

The game ended at 7 plus pm, and my coach was at 12am. So I had plenty of time and no prizes for guessing that I went to try and get autographs after the match. After orevious experiences, I knew that the spot right beside the stadium was the best and so I went to squeeze myself in with all the kids (damn paiseh :P) to try and get autographs. I thought I had a very good position, but was rewarded with only these:



Yeah I only got 2 signatures, super duper disappointed with my return since I believed I had chopped a good seat. The bottom one is Rio's signature, the top one is O'Shea's (yes again...actually quite impressed with him for signing everyone's for every game as far as I can tell..). I had really wanted Rooney's signature since he had scored 2 great goals in this game, and I thought he would as he walked straight towards my section. But then suddenly it was as if a CSM shouted "kekana pu sing" from nowhere and he veered to the right and signed there instead. I nearly wanted to grip the neck of the kid in front of me, fling him into the air and attract Rooney's attention. But of course I didn't. At least Rio can be considered a big one. I ought to be happy with that.

So all in all, it made for a good trip on Saturday (except for the trip back which was a total nightmare as the coach went to Wolverhampton, Birmingham, Milton Keynes, Luton before going back to London).

And so I certainly hope that my next game would be as good as this one:



Yupz yupz I have a ticket for the Milan game!!! Whee!!!!! My efforts in going for those lan jiao game does seem to have paid off =) If there is anything missing from my matches, its going for a game with a big European team. I booked a coach for 930am on that day which is supposed to reach at 2pm. So please all those reading this help me pray that I WILL NOT be late for the game or whatever. All prayers very much appreciated. (since it does seem to work...)

M1 and M6 are my best friends

I wish I could have written something after Wednesday. I wish I could be moaning about trying to find a Carling Cup final ticket against Liverpool. I wish I could be moaning about the Portsmouth game having to be postponed because of the Carling Cup final. But it wasn't to be. I had my voiced taken away from me by a Damien Duff free kick.

It was the return of the "point and look at each other" defending once again. *Sigh*

I really like Tim Howard. He really impressed me last season with his brilliant reflexes. Which makes his form all the more perplexing this season. Right from the off in the league against Chelsea, he had never really reached the heights of last season. Everytime he comes for the ball my heart would skip a beat. Perhaps my theory about the importance of getting off to a good start for a goalkeeper is true. But sad to say, I can't see there being too many chances for Tim Howard to reclaim the no. 1 jersey. I would be very surprised if a new goalkeeper isn't signed in the summer.

And so I came back from Manchester on Thursday morning a heart broken boy. Don't listen to anyone who says this is a worthless Cup. It isn't. Fergie lost his proud semi final unbeaten record. Both teams played full strength teams. Fantastic atmosphere in the ground. You could have been forgiven for thinking it was the Champions League semi final. Defeat definitely hurts. And mind you I thought United played really well. But I had images in me of an aging world boxing champion throwing punches at his young rival upstart. Though the old man huffed and puffed, he just couldn't deliver a knockout blow to his young, nimble and confident opponent. And when the old man showed signs of fatigue, the young upstart delivered a crunching blow. The old man tried to recover, but couldn't make it....

I hate to think that this is the end of an era. But it is hard to be optimistic when you see blue shirts celebrating in front of their fans on OUR pitch. There is no doubt there is still plenty of strengthening to do in the summer. In my opinion, a quality goalkeeper, a world class defensive midfielder and a new left winger is needed. But it is more important to sign players who really want to play for United. To see what I mean, read the article below about Liverpool:

The ball was methodically played forward, it was the first 30 seconds of the game, the ball breaks from one legend to another and with a sweet strike, that many fans had become accustomed to, the ball swerved from left to right into the corner of the net. Not even a minute gone and Dalglish had put Liverpool one-nil up against nearest rivals Everton.

The players all came together, screaming in celebration. It meant as much to them as it did to us, they knew they were privileged to play professional football, and to do it at a club like Liverpool FC where there was so much passion, pride and unity made it all the more sweeter.

If you were ever lucky enough to meet any of these great players, they would smile and look you in the eye. Most happy to sign what ever you put in front of them, happy to know that 2 seconds of their time would last a lifetime for the fan on the receiving end. Knowing that the fella who's eyes were lit up to see his kid get a pat on the head from a player at the club where they spent their hard earned wage just to see them each week, was worth more than any money he could earn or want.

This is the start of my era of football, and so I naturally begin here. Obviously my dad and people older than me have similar memories and feelings for the players in their day. It was something that seemed to just happen naturally through the ages. After all, "they are just people like you and me just with a God given gift. Nothing else".

In those early years of my football education, I made it my duty to learn as much about the players as I did about the club. The players made the club, but they all knew that none of them was bigger than the people who 'employed' them. Wooltonian graphically demonstrated this in a previous article on RAWK about his experiences of a brief meeting with Phil Neal that he cherishes forever:

http://www.redandwhitekop.com/forum/index.php/topic,5624.0.html

I rattled on about all the games I'd watched, all the countries I'd travelled to, what I thought about the team, where we would be celebrating the obvious TITLE that would be coming our way in May. By this time we had come out of the toilet and were walking through the airport, and I was still blabbering on about all sorts, when Ronnie Moran came over and said something to Phil, and then it happened .....

"Hang on Ron, I'm just talking to a fan"

"HANG ON RON, I'M JUST TALKING TO A FAN"

That's what it meant to the players. They were proud to play for the club, and understood how much it meant to fans.

I appreciate that things move on in life, and although certain areas of the game have improved for the fans benefit – I think the majority of things haven't.

We now have great pitches [usually] to enable the players to perform to their best, and produce wonderful football. They are trained so thoroughly that tiredness seems to no longer be an issue in the game, and diet and sports science has helped benefit the fans with a full 90 minutes of "all out" football.

But then we have the problems of money and over exposure. These have bred players who want to be front page stars rather than back page heroes. They want to reach the millions around the globe rather than the people closer to home in their city. This has bred arrogance.

Money is the root to many modern day problems, of which I don't need to bore you with repetitive reminders. The control has shifted from manager and club, to player and agent. The fans in the ground matter less than the fans watching on the TV [or so it seems], and those who dedicate time, effort and money week in week out, matter less than those who come less frequently and spend big bucks in the stores that are rigged out from top to bottom with mostly useless merchandise that clutters your house and makes you look like some sort of American "sports nut" who shouts "Go team Go".

Now days, I don't support the players, I support the team. The players on the pitch mean nothing to me personally. I have no connection with them whatsoever. The only players who have come close in the last decade are Fowler, Gerrard [pre the **** last summer] and Carragher.

I am sick of feeling empty and annoyed when they run off the pitch after a defeat to get into their Porsche and get home to the blond darlin' and a slap up meal with 'friends' in some s****y bistro, and then onto a contemporary club to sip Don Perignon '63. They can't even be bothered to face the fans who have spent a vast majority of their weekly wage to see them play in that Red shirt.

I am fed up with the players not being proud to be 'one of us', and look the fans in the eye and give honest answers without the need to consult Ted McMoney the newest agent in town who can get yer an extra £10k a week "if you just say this and do that".

I want my players to feel like we do. I wanna hear just one person say "I,d ****in' die to win the league here" or "Money? Why should I be arsed. I love this club and I'm on £60k a week anyway, when most people would 'ave to work 4 or 5 years to earn that". I wanna see them almost in tears when they are celebrating a goal that means so much to the club and its fans [a la Aldridge and McMahon in the derby years ago going mad almost punching each other with pride and delight] I wanna see players just touch the "This is Anfield" sign, even if they are told by powers above that they 'have to', but better still if they choose to, and know why they do it.

I want to feel like the players deserve that shirt and the history and heritage that pulling on that jersey means. I want players to know why we have the Shankly Gates, the Hillsborough Memorial and the Liverbird. All the things that players in times gone by would have taken as 'part of your job to know and do'.

If some of the things that have happened in our past – both good and bad – have happened these days I doubt very much the link and bonding between fans and players would have be created now, that was formed back then.

The gap between "us and them" is bigger now than it's ever been. You'd think I was talking about Man United or Arsenal saying that previously....but I'm talking about us and the players we pay so much to watch.

I'm disillusioned with it all. It's got **** all to do with the last weeks events – I'm used to this sort of **** now as a Red. I can take defeat on the chin. It's the build up over the last few years of feeling like I'm putting all the effort in, and getting nothing back. I may spend 20-30 hours making a flag for a player; only to take it to the game, shout their name to show them how much it means to us and see them look at the flag directly and look away. No wave, no smile, no nod, no shout, no thanks. Nothing. Why ****in' bother?

I may spend hours searching for transport and hotels on the net, spend vast amounts of money to get there. Take time of work to do it. Spend money while I'm away – whilst loosing money whilst being just being there – and then view 11 players who don't care about the people on the terraces, and most that don't care about the club. For those days, it becomes my life, and yet the players are just picking up another £60k, going through the motions and running off the pitch back to the luxury lifestyles and sheltered lives. Why bother?

The bull **** story on the back of the Mirror today about Bellamy brought all these feelings back to mind. Like I say, it's not just a recent thing. I've felt this way for a while, but seeing us linked with that horrible **** who epitomises everything that is wrong, and bad about modern day football, just made me feel sick to the pit of my stomach. I know it's probably all bull****, but it still made me think.

I really don't know how much more I can justify. I love the game, I love my club, I love the pride of being a Red....but match days are slowly becoming more about the pre and post match bevvy than the game itself.

And that's not right is it?

Why should we sit quietly and accept it?

A disgruntled ....© Roper 2005

I think this article perfectly sums up what I really fear. All it takes is a couple more of low quality/half hearted players to sign and it would spark a downhill slide. I had been too pampered with supporting a trophy laden team. I believe I could handle trophyless seasons. But perhaps what I won't be able to handle is to see the team filled with spirit-less mercenaries. I hope one day I do not have to find myself asking the question:

Why fucking bother?

In the meantime, please wish me luck for the game tomorrow (yes its up to Manchester again :S). The last three games I watched were 0-0, 0-0 and 1-2. I am starting to think I am a jinx.

World Cup fever?

A lesson for the Premier League to learn from Serie A:

Digitale Italia

As of now, the Premier League is slowly approaching a water shed. Attendances are starting to fall and more and more matches are televised. Any future TV deals should be carefully analysed to make sure that the league doesn't become another Serie A.

Finally found 2 reasons to apply for Masters:

World Cup tickets

Well yeah what else could it be? Euro 2004 has left me thirsting for more of such tournaments, but the uncertainty of whether I will get Masters or not is not very conducive for planning :S

As for the second reason, it will remain a secret.

Corporate Governance

Did my reading on this topic back in the holidays, so not sure if the stuff that I am typing below is 100% correct. So don't blame me if you decide to act smart and repeat to others and they correct you :P

But yeah corporate governance is about the "government" of companies, be they big or small. A major problem occurs when the owners of a firm are different from those who actually manage the firm, which typically is the situation in the vast majority of companies nowadays. The CEO who is the overall in charge of the running of the company typically does not own the company, at least not the whole of it. This means that the objectives of the manager might be in conflict with the objectives of the shareholders. Shareholders typically want the company to maximise its profits. However, managers' objectives might not be to maximise profits per se. Of course if the company is doing well, they might get some enjoyment from it too. But they may pursue other activities which do not maximise profits for the company. For example, they may want a big and posh office with plasma TVs, expensive art paintings, a big company car or even just pursuing an expansion strategy which is not profit maximising so that they can be the manager of a big business empire. This problem is known as the principal-agent problem. The shareholders are the principal and the managers are the agents.

One way to solve this problem is to offer an incentivised contract to the managers of the firm. This means that the renumeration of the managers can be set up in such a way so as to align it with the objectives of the shareholders. Thus, for example, a contract could be set up such that the more profits a company earns, the more the managers earn. Or the higher the share price of the company, the more the managers earn. The managers can also be offered shares in the company such that he owns part of it and thus benefits directly if the company is doing well. These measures would help (though not totally) to make the managers channel more effort into realising the objectives of the shareholders.

However, one problem is that the managers do not get all the benefits. For example, assume the managers only own 1% of the shares. If they channel their efforts into maximising value for shareholders, in the end they only get 1% of the benefits while the rest of the shareholders get the rest of the benefits. The managers might thus decide it is not worth their while to channel ALL their effort into running the business. They would put in suboptimal amounts of effort.

The second equally important problem (which is the main topic of my post) is that effort is not observed. The profits or share price is not 100% under the control of the managers, outside exogenous factors also matter in determining whether the company is doing well or not. For example, if the stock market is not doing well in general, the managers might already be doing very well in keeping the stock price unchanged. However, shareholders might only look at the constant share price and decide that the managers are not doing well and thus the pay they get might not be high enough to reflect the efforts they had put in.

The fact that effort is not observed is pervasive in every area of life. And sometimes it is absolutely heart breaking. For example, lecturers do not observe how hard you have studied for an exam. You might have worked on the subject for 2 weeks, but if you suffer a burn out and flop the paper, you get marks that showed you flopped, and not reflecting the amount of work you had put in. You might be very fat at 200kg but decided to exercise to reduce your weight. You might be able to reduce your weight by half to 100kg but others will still look at your 100kg and think you are a fat and lazy cunt. The problem is they do not see the amount of sweat that you had put in the gym. When you are baking a cake and had spent 2 days trying to figure it out, buy the ingredients, trialing a few times, if the final product that you have is burnt, the person who is eating the cake will still have a negative impression. They will look at the burnt cake and not the amount of effort put in. At least their impression of the effort you have put in is just a fraction of what you had actually put in because your end product is a flop.

In Singapore, this situation is perhaps especially jia lat because of our education system, though there had been efforts to start changing it. People only see the results and conclude you had not studied; nobody actually really rewards the losers who had also worked hard. In a way, this cannot be blamed, because effort is such an intangible thing. The most objective assesssment of all is the result slip. But it still doesn't change the fact that it feels sucky when your efforts do not translate into tangible results and thus others do not know about it. And you fail to get the reward you deserve.

So perhaps whatever you do, don't be scared to be thick skinned, trumpet what you are doing and make god damn sure even if it flops, you package it such that it passes off as the best that it can be.

As Tong Leng so aptly put it (or close enough..), there is no consolation prize in life.

Quote of the Day

I must be mad, still being awake at this time. My biological clock is utterly screwed after the holidays. It's gonna be one hell of a battle to turn it back.

Anyway was flipping through my Economic Growth textbook when I came across the following quote:

All theory depends on assumptions which are not quite true. That is what makes it theory. The art of successful theorizing is to make the inevitable simplifying assumptions in such a way that the final results are not very sensitive. (Robert Solow 1956, p. 65)

At first glance, it seems like a rather pathetic way to justify the existence of economic theories. A lot of major economic theories were only formulated after major events and when they fail, new theories spring up and manage to explain until yet another strange phenomena spring up. But when you think more deeply, there really is nothing more that theory can do except for what Solow had said. In the real world, there are too many variables. We will never get down to analysing or learning anything if we get lost in the sea of details and fail to get the big picture. Theory makes simplifying assumptions and help us to predict and look at the big picture. It is not always foolproof but at least it is better than grappling in the dark or lamenting the LPPL situations. I really do like the subject of economic growth, hopefully it can restore my confidence in the subject of economics.

Then I went shopping for birthday cards with a few people when I came across the following quote on one of the cards:

Love at first sight is understandable; it is only when 2 people are looking at each other their whole lives that it becomes a miracle.

So simple, but yet so thought provoking. Love at first sight is indeed very easy to happen. Perhaps not love, but just a liking. As long as the other person is quite all right looking, it is possible. But what is the probability of finding someone whom you can talk to for your whole life without feeling bored? And then what is the probability of finding someone who can also talk to you for your whole life without feeling bored? I don't know, seems very low to me. So to find one is indeed a miracle which is much more wonderful than "love at first sight".

Anyway I got deducted 28.84 pounds and 25.75 pounds by Man United in the past week for tickets. I have 3 applications in currently, for Milan, Portsmouth, Middlesbrough. Can all those reading these please help me pray that I get the Milan ticket? Prayers very much appreciated.

Final thought:
Have you ever had a situation when you finally have something which you had very much wanted previously and then thought that actually that is not what you had really wanted after all? Is it that priorities and wishes change? Or is it a case of limitless desires?

Utility

Just what is money to me? Why does money sometimes seem to be so important to me yet at other times I can just spend it like nobody's business? Why can I spend 100 pounds on clothes, 50 pounds on a stupid Carling Cup ticket but yet refuse to spend 70p on a bus ride, preferring to cycle instead? Are my priorities wrong? Will I be a pauper in future and regret my spendthrift ways in London for the past 3 years? Will the memories of numerous matches and trips to Europe stay with me or will I succumb to the horror of having no money to pay off the ever increasing number of bills?

Have I really aged that quickly to have to worry about all these already?

Straits Times articles galore

Series of interesting articles...

From The Straits Times:

Jan 16, 2005

The problem with charity

To give is divine but what if the intention behind the giving is less than charitable?

Sumiko Tan

I'VE always been wary of the word 'charity'.

For one, I pray I never have to be in a position where I have to beg for anyone's charity.

This, I suppose, is a result of growing up in a society that eschews handouts and emphasises self-made success.

Another reason is that the word 'charity' smacks of condescension - to me, at least.

It conjures up the image of a rich personage standing in his gilded balcony bestowing his largesse on a quivering, grateful mass of the unwashed below.

I am, of course, being uncharitable (and dramatic), putting it like this.

Don't get me wrong. I've no doubt that the milk of human kindness runs deep in the human species, and it is what has nourished us and kept us going as a race.

What I mean is that the word 'charity', for all its noble origins and intentions, has taken on a I'm-better-than-thou association.

Words like 'compassion', 'mercy' and 'kindness' depict better the values that 'charity' stands for.
But I'm quibbling over semantics.

This column is about how recent events have proven that the world is not short on charity/compassion/mercy/kindness, call it what you will.

Witness the outpouring of help, both monetary and in kind, for victims of the tsunami.
Still, I wonder, what is charity, really?

To give is, of course, divine. But what if the intention behind the giving is a bit more fuzzy? Does the act of charity still stand up to scrutiny, then?

For example, a person who goes out of his way to help a stranger is undoubtedly charitable and should be praised.

But what if this same person turns a blind eye to the needs of his immediate family and neighbours? (And I do know people like that.) Would he still be considered charitable?

If you are willing to take a week's leave from work to fly off to Banda Aceh to help the victims of the tsunami, that is truly laudable and I applaud you.

But how many would take leave to offer their services to, say, the Ren Ci Hospital in Jalan Tan Tock Seng? Or the leprosy home in Lorong Buangkok? Or is that sort of altruistic work less rewarding?

I don't mean to question or devalue the goodness of well-intentioned volunteers. I'm sure the majority offered their services with a pure and compassionate heart. And charity is charity, whether you do it at home or in Trincomalee.

Besides, I who have been sitting on my butt these few weeks and who have done nothing significant to help, should be the last person to criticise anyone.

But the cynic in me does wonder: Could there be slivers of selfishness buried in this great outpouring of help?

How much of it has to do with the 'glamour' of the tsunami tragedy and wanting to be in the thick of 'action'? With wanting to acquire the bragging rights and war wounds of having been involved in modern history's worst natural disaster?

Some of you would tell me to get real: Nobody's perfect. What's wrong with little specks of personal selfishness if actions result in overall good, if help is indeed rendered and lives improved?

I don't know.

Then there is the question of quantifying charity.

Is a person who donates $50 less charitable than one who gives $500? Or should one's charity quotient be pegged to a percentage of his income?

Is Bill Gates, who donated US$3 million to tsunami relief, less charitable than Michael Schumacher, who gave US$10 million? Correspondingly, is Schumacher a 'better' person? And Gates more 'stingy'? Then again, if you announce your charitable deed - presumably to show how generous you are - is that embracing the true spirit of altruism?

If you donate clothes and shoes you no longer have use for, is that charity? Or is the true test giving away something you treasure?

Then there is 'conditional' charity.

Spend $10 and $1 will go to charity, say some shops. Charity? Or cashing in on the situation?
THE problem with charity is fatigue.

As the German playwright Bertolt Brecht once wrote: 'A man who sees another man on the street corner with only a stump for an arm will be so shocked the first time, he'll give him sixpence.

'But the second time it'll only be a threepenny bit. And if he sees him a third time, he'll cold-bloodedly have him handed over to the police.'

The demands of charity today are non-stop and overwhelming.

You get pleas in the mail. Letters are addressed personally to you in pretty cursive font, imploring you to write a cheque to improve the life of a disfigured child whose story is related in the most heart-rending way possible.

You get appeals in the newspaper asking you to sponsor the meals of disadvantaged students.
You get donation tins thrust in your face as you walk down Orchard Road. You get people asking you to buy tissue paper. You get fund-raising shows on TV urging you to phone in a donation.
To be a 'successful' charity today, it's all about branding and marketing.

It's all about creating a three-hour show or a three-page pamphlet cleverly packaged to tug, not only at the heartstrings, but also purse strings.

Society is becoming so desensitised to suffering that charities have to trot out more and more dramatic images of suffering - real and manufactured.

TV charity shows are an example, juxtaposing sad images of sick people with beautiful actresses sweating with fear as they attempt dangerous stunts.

It also explains why the tsunami got such an overwhelming response. The images of extreme suffering, packaged and shown non-stop on global TV, moved people to action.

The true test of how compassionate one really is will be six months down the road, when Banda Aceh no longer merits a headline.

Will there still be hundreds of volunteers queueing up to help rebuild the lives there?

Call me cynical, but I fear not.

And that, I think, will be another tragedy.

The paragraphs in bold really caught my eye. I do know of someone like that. Exactly the same thing. He acted as though he wanted to go, but he always screws his friends. I will never respect this kind of people. Even if I may seem like a scrooge, but for me, I would rather treat my families and friends well first before I do it for other people. After all, my family and friends are the ones who are important to me.


From The Straits Times :

Jan 15, 2005

FOREIGN MATTERS

Who is deadlier: Man or Mother Nature?

Janadas Devan

MANY articles have appeared, both in these pages and elsewhere, suggesting that the Indian Ocean tsunamis show that terrorism, compared to the devastation nature can inflict, is an exaggerated threat.

The suggestion is misleading.

Natural disasters can indeed be horrendous, but most of them are one-off events and their effects can be contained, although with considerable difficulty.

Social, economic and political upheavals, on the other hand, are often impossible to contain, and their ramifications can last decades, if not centuries. Thus the former Chinese premier Zhou Enlai's famous reply when he was asked about the effects of the 1789 French Revolution. 'Too early to tell,' he said.

Also, it is nonsensical to compare the number of people who have died at the hands of terrorists in recent years to the number who died in the Indian Ocean tsunamis. September 11 took the lives of far fewer people than the tsunamis, certainly, but that is no reason why one should take the threat posed by terrorists less seriously.

If terrorist organisations get hold of a nuclear bomb or some other weapon of mass destruction, they can kill millions. It is not only the harm that we know organisations like Al-Qaeda are capable of inflicting, and have, that should concern us, but the far greater harm that they can potentially inflict.

Finally, the suggestion that non-security-related or natural disasters are more destructive than security-related or man-made disasters is not borne out by the numbers.

The religious wars in 17th century Europe were extraordinarily savage. In 1618, for instance, at the beginning of the Thirty Years' War, Germans numbered about 22 million. Thirty years later, they numbered only 12 million.

The Taiping Rebellion in mid-19th century China was similarly bloody. Led by one Hung Xiu-quan, a variety of Christian with startling notions of establishing a kingdom of God on earth, the rebellion caused the deaths of about 20 million people.

The political wars of the 20th century were as savage as the religious wars of the previous centuries. The civil war following the Russian Revolution of 1917 killed about 15 million. Josef Stalin's purges, labour concentration camps and forced farm collectivisations added another 20 to 40 million to Russia's killing fields.

World War II resulted in 55 million military and civilian casualties, almost half of them in the former Soviet Union, which lost 27 million. These figures do not include the 15 to 21 million who expired in Adolf Hitler's genocidal schemes, including the six million Jews he exterminated.

Mao Zedong snuffed out the lives of between 20 and 60 million people in the course of his many grandiose campaigns to remake China - from the Hundred Flowers' Bloom and the Great Leap Forward of the 1950s, to the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s. Western experts tend to cite the higher figure, while Chinese authorities cite the lower. But even the lower figure is nothing to sneeze at. It is five times Singapore's current population.

Barring a meteorite smashing into Earth, Man's capacity for destruction certainly seems greater than almost anything nature can inflict. The 1876-79 famines in Asia and South America, resulting from droughts caused by El Nino, are about the only natural disasters in recent history that came close to inflicting as many deaths as man did in the 20th century. Those famines killed an estimated 50 million.

We would have to go back further in history, to the 'Black Death' plagues of the 14th century in Europe and China, to glimpse more horrifying 'natural' possibilities. The plague eliminated a third of Europe's population between 1347 and 1351, and between half and two-thirds of China's in 1353. Some scholars trace China's decline as a great power from this point.

Even today, diseases of all kinds - from the preventable and curable, like malaria, to the preventable but incurable, like HIV/Aids - kill many more people than do either wars or earthquakes. Insofar as bugs and viruses are 'natural', pandemics may be considered 'natural disasters', but humanity is no longer as helpless before them as it was in the 14th century. The vast majority of the deaths from infectious diseases in the developing world today are wholly preventable.

The same, of course, cannot be said of the deaths due to calamities like the Indian Ocean tsunamis. Still, within a year from now, life would probably have acquired some semblance of near-normalcy in Aceh and Sri Lanka; and within five years, reconstruction would be more or less complete in the devastated areas. And if it isn't, it would not be because of nature, but because of long-standing man-made conflicts in these areas interfering with the reconstruction.

Is it possible to predict a similar end to the threat posed by terrorism in the foreseeable future? In all likelihood, the world will continue to wrestle with Islamic extremism for another generation at least, perhaps longer. It is a phenomenon which has its roots, according to some historians, in the collapse of the Ottoman empire in 1918, four generations ago, and in the view of others, perhaps earlier still, in Western expansionism going back all the way to the Crusades, 700 to 1,000 years ago. That's how long the rippling effects of human upheavals can last.

The suddenness of the tsunamis, the devastation they caused, reminded humanity of its helplessness before nature. In the wake of that reminder, it was possible to feel man-made disasters paled by comparison with natural ones. Theoretically at least, they can be averted, so why should one think of them as overwhelming?

But that is a deceptive sense born of a sudden shock. Nature, despite the harm it can cause, is capable of a blessed amnesia. Earthquakes and tsunamis are not daily occurrences. History, on the other hand, never sleeps. Its waking nightmares, consequently, can lay waste to life for far longer periods.

I think what this writer said is very true. Though the probability of dying from terrorist activities is very low, much lower than say dying from heart disease etc, it doesn't mean we can afford to ignore it altogether. The loss of lives from such activities is entirely preventable and if the ideological battle is not won, might just end in WW3. Scary...

From The Straits Times:

Jan 16, 2005

Cheers to old school ties

By Catherine Lim Suat Hong

FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES

IN TWO back-to-back evenings in the first week of 2005, I attended, by default, class reunions of almost all my alma maters.

The first was an invitation to a panel discussion on international affairs which I realised upon my attendance was part of an Internet-driven programme for mid-career students. For the group of 38 students spanning the globe from Kenya to Russia, the one-year course included a few weeks of residency at the graduate school in the United States and a study trip to Europe and Asia. Singapore was the venue of the Asia trip.

The first familiar face I encountered was my professor who, despite the fact that the last time we met was something like a decade ago, had no problems recalling who I was. We exchanged warm greetings. The course I took under him was conducted as a seminar where interaction was close-knit. It is in the nature of this man who describes himself as a 'humanist'.

He is in his 70s now. Five years ago, he embarked on teaching a totally new field of study: the oceans and their influences on the movement of peoples and cultures. He has moved from his country home where as students we had been on the receiving end of log fire hospitality, to a new home by the sea so that he could, in his own words, be totally 'immersed in this new course of study'. He remarked it was an exciting new venture to undertake at his age.

I reintroduced myself to another professor whose lectures on war I battled blistering winter winds once a week at 8am to attend. It covered the definitive wars of the modern century, from the civil war of America to the Vietnam war and the two world wars. I was introduced to the major 'war strategists' from Sun Zi to Clausewitz, grappled with the concept of St Augustine's 'just war' on one end and on the other, Machiavelli's total decimation in the pursuit of victory.

This war course has since morphed into 'The Role Of Force'. I gently suggested that there should also be a course on 'The Role Of Peace'. I suspect I too may be a humanist, closeted.

My Professor of War, I suspect, has also become more human. His voice swelled with pride when he told me of his nine-year-old son who has accompanied his parents to more countries than his age. I wanted to tell him something a mother of three sons told me: that children take you to places you never expected to go and force you to become the person you want to be.

The next evening, I attended a wedding of two former classmates from the two schools where I scraped through my O and A levels. The schools are what we called brother and sister schools - a misnomer if ever there was one as some relationships then and now might be viewed as incestuous.

The couple came together after more than 20 years with virtually no contact in between. The catalyst was so horrifying that it makes their love story all the more poignant. She was a survivor of the Marriott Hotel bomb blast in Jakarta in August 2002. I was not in contact with her for many years. But we met on the eve of the anniversary of the blast last year. She is today still undergoing therapy for the burns she sustained.

Before the incident, she was reputed to be a workaholic, difficult to work with but diligent. I listened in horror when told she held handover meetings in her hospital bed. With the support of her family and friends, she has pulled through a very difficult time and emerged a changed person. It is as if the skin grafts she received healed her inside out.

It was from reading news of the bomb blast in the papers that led the classmate, who is now her husband, to contact her. He was not successful in his initial attempts to reach her. She was not ready and protective friends shielded her. Then came the day when he lost a parent. The rest as they say is history. Of her I know she's had her share of serious relationships; of him, I don't know. But I can only conclude he has always held a torch for this classmate of ours.

At the 50th anniversary of his uniformed group last year, he had put together a montage of photographs from his school days. One photo was of him with six girls. The girl on his left is now his wife and she was the only girl in the photo with him in the montage. The rest of us had been unceremoniously and conveniently cropped out.

At the wedding dinner he jested that he had remained a bachelor for as long as he could until she came into his life again. It spoke volumes when the wedding couple chose to sup at their buffet-style dinner with the one couple who were at a table all on their own. I know the bride and her groom would like it to be known that they live in the grace of God and are guided by him.

There were familiar and not so familiar faces at this wedding, where two of my alma maters came together. Some names were instant recall and some a bit more challenging.

At the beginning of a new year, as a whole new cohort of Primary One students embark on their first steps on a long and seemingly endless journey, these are the first steps to lessons in life outside the family, where friendships are forged, mentors found, and where you could very well discover the love of your life. And even if you do not, you will find, as I have, a support group who is there to nurture and nourish you should you need it.

Wonder if I will attend any weddings between my ex-classmates and schoolmates. That would be rather sweet eh?

From The Straits Times:

Jan 16, 2005

S'pore wins Tiger Cup, beats Indonesia 2-1

SINGAPORE -- The Lions beat the Indonesian team 2-1 at the Tiger Cup final at a sold-out NationalStadium on Sunday, making this victory Singapore's first major international title won on home soil.

Indra Sahdan Daud and Agu Casmir both scored on Sunday to give Singapore victory over Indonesia and the Tiger Cup championship.

Playing before 55,000 fans at a sold-out National Stadium, Singapore goton the board earlyand never looked back.

Singapore had defeated Indonesia 3-1 in the first leg of the final on Jan 8 in Jakarta, giving the team a two-goal lead going into Sunday'smatch.

The victory marks the second time Singapore has won the tournament, grouping ten teamsfrom the member states of the Asean.

Indra put Singapore ahead in the sixth minute, collecting a long ball from goalkeeper Lionel Lewis and striking a blazing low drive from 20 metres past Indonesian goalkeeper Hendro Kartiko.

Nigerian-born Casmir doubled Singapore's lead by converting a penalty in the 41st minute after Indonesian defender Aris Indarto brought down Indra inside the area.

Indonesia came out strongly after the break, but were clearly hampered by the absence of star midfielder Boas Salossa, a major force in the tournament's earliermatches who sprained his ankle in the first leg of the final.

Eli Aiboy saved pride for Indonesia with a goal in the 79th minute, setting off brief celebrations among the tiny crowd of Indonesia supporters surrounded by a sea of Singaporefans dressed in their team's trademark red.

Singapore captain Aide Iskandar was sent off in the 88th minute for a second yellow card, but by then the win was sealed.

The loss leaves Indonesia runner up for the third straight time in the biennial tournament.
In Saturday's third place playoff, Malaysia edged Myanmar 2-1. -- AP

Well what else can I say? Well done. By the way have you all heard of 2 damn funny rumours? One was that Indonesia lost because Singapore threaten to withdraw the tsunami relief aid. The second one is Indonesia deliberately lost to express their gratitude. I find it damn funny but I don't believe it. But it shows the deeper scourge of kelong in football in SEA. No matter what competition, there's always the nagging feeling that bookies had arranged the results. Even if Singapore makes it to the World Cup, tongues will still wag. This is bad. I really hope one day we will be able to see a 5-0 scoreline and accept the team who won were better, not because of the dark invisible hand.

My 5 seconds of fame...

See the guy in a white jacket beside the steward in the bright yellow fluorescent jacket? Yup that's me all right...

Ok cheap thrill I know...but still :)

Shocked

Yet another photo based entry...


Yupz I went to Stamford Bridge on Wednesday for the Carling Cup semi first leg. No I didnt have psychic powers before hand to know that it would be a good match or Mourinho would play practically his first team. I guess its just my reward. It was just like a normal league match, very worth it.

Some other photos:

The infamous Chelsea Village, a Ken Bates legacy








Me on enemy territory


The Chelsea megastore, complete with idiot security guard inside who told me I can't take photo of a Zola cutboard figure. WTF?


Me getting closer to enemy soil. My spiked hair looks like cock head instead. KNN.






Carlo Cudicini in warm up

Petr Cech in warm up


Before kickoff


The boy wonder cum (pun intended) prostitute visitor taking a corner


Daft Duff taking a corner. He would really so much better in the red of Man United

Yeah anyway as you can see my seat was quite near the corner, behind the goal in the first row. I was at the end where United were attacking in the first half. Wonder if anybody saw me during the match on TV? I was right behind Quinton Fortune when he got rammed by the ball in the head and banged into the advertising boards. Did anybody see me?????? I guess that's about as close to being on TV as I can.

And yeah the Saha penalty incident was right in front of me, it was very clear cut. It was a penalty as neither Chelsea players got anywhere near the ball. Mourinho is an idiot.

Quality cheers during the game:

1. You sold your hearts to a Russian, sold your hearts to a Russian, sold your hearts to a Ruuuuuuussian.
2. You are not Chelsea anymore, you are not Chelsea, you are not Chelsea, you're not Chelsea anymore!
3. Peter Kenyon, you're a wanker

But the main topic of my post isn't the match itself, it was what happened after the match. For a brief idea of what happened, click on the following 2 links:
What happened after the game
Discussion on hooliganism

Ok I know most of you can't be bothered to click on them so I will briefly summarise. After the game, there was fighting between United and Chelsea fans outside the ground. And apparently it was very serious. I didn't see it myself because I left pretty soon after the final whistle. But if I had left later I could have been affected. I was still joining in the singing of United songs outside the stadium :S. Anyway there were hooligans on both sides looking for trouble but the Chelsea fans apparently targetted anyone who was wearing a red and white scarf (lucky I kept mine at home too...) regardless of whether the opposite side was looking for trouble. On one of the trains back up north some Chelsea hooligans (whoever said all fans of other clubs lived within 5 miles of the club?!) apparently started messing around with a woman on a wheelchair. WTF?!?! How low a lifeform can you get?

Then the second link goes on to discuss the existence of hooliganism in English football. And this really got me shocked. It was a serious problem back in the 80s but I am still surprised to read that some people actually do not think that fighting etc is wrong! Apparently each team still had perhaps groups of 15-30 people in the away support who go round to pubs and dark alleys before games looking for people to fight. I guess I had been very naive about my views about the state of hooliganism in UK previously, but surely it is senseless and wrong to fight for the sake of fighting? I am a very violent person myself but I don't see the point of gang fights. If you want to fight so much, join the army! You can even kill with machine guns! Isn't that more cool? I don't know, perhaps it can never go away, but I just hate the idea of my favourite sport being tainted with such an image. My ideal world consist of banter on the pitch during the games, and plenty of goodwill off it after the game. Very very disturbing, I better watch my arse in future when I go for matches...

And finally, I also must add...

GO LIONS!!!!!

Song song!!!

Haha got this extremely hilarious song from Irving. Listen to the lyrics, it is extremely true!! For those of you in Singapore, the underground = MRT in London. It is extremely dirty, smelly and inefficient. AND most importantly they are perpetually on/threatening to go on strike. Makes you kind of appreciate LKY's insistence on outlawing strikes. In fact he got the idea to make it illegal after experiencing strikes in his undergrad days in UK too! Go read his memoirs!!

Anyway for those of you who find this song annoying, scroll to the bottom of the column on the left hand side and you can find the media player and press stop.

I am a nerd and a loser, but...

results show otherwise! (taken from Irving's blog)