Honking

I think alot of Singaporeans underappreciate our own driving patience.

Sure we have the occasional road-rage incidences, but did you know that we have the quietest roads in South East Asia?

People here just don't honk their horns unless someone abruptly cuts into their lane or someone in front is driving too slow.

Elsewhere in the region, if you don't honk your horn you don't move at all man!

I was in Jakarta the other day and the exit out of the hotel was right onto the Jalan Tamrin roundabout. Basically after honking and inching for 10mins, our taxi only managed to turn OUT of the hotel!

If your horn is broken you ain't gonna move, simple as that. Same in Bangkok and Manila. Plus over there you honk not just to warn the cars around you but also telling the street hawkers knocking on your car windows to FO!

Singaporeans just don't know how lucky a bunch we are sometimes.

Too Many Cars

Even with COE soaring to record prices this year, people with rising incomes are still feeding the demand for new cars.

It's simply amazing the number of cars on our roads today.

This is one problem that I think even the gahmen cannot solve.

Long term, I think building a better, more efficient and affordable transportation system could help.

Else go big on promoting bicycles with exclusive lanes et al like in Scandinavia.

Freckles

Found some freckles on my shoulders.

Maybe the sun last few months been very hot?

Maybe I should wear sleeves and not play football topless?

Maybe I look cuter with shoulder freckles?

Sigh.

Manchester United 1 Newcastle 1

I'm thankful to have Mio TV at home and can catch every match. Last night's game felt terrible. Definitely 2 points lost there.

1. Admittedly we were rather lucky with Chicharito's goal, but since we were dominating proceedings, it looked like a matter of time something went in.
2. Tim Krul was possessed. He had a heroic showing as keeper.
3. The penalty was absolute BS. Referee had already blown for a corner but after consultation with the linesman, gave the penalty instead. Replays showed that Rio's tackle was clean.
4. With 20 minutes to go, and Newcastle defending for their lives, they really rode their luck with Danny Simpson clearing off the line, Ashley Young hitting the post, Chicharito's effort ruled offside and most importantly Tim Krul saving everything we threw at him. And even when he didn't try, he was still in the way of one Vidic power header that seemed a certain goal.
5. Chicharito's offside goal should have stood. It was a borderline decision.
6. Hoping Man City loses to Liverpool tonight at Anfield,
7. We got more points this season than at the same point last season.
8. It's not all doom and gloom. Our attacking verve seems to have returned especially our passing in the opponent's half. If we keep playing like this we'll have little to worry about.
9. Am surprised Berbatov wasn't on the bench.
10. MOTM for me was Giggs and Carrick. Good midfield play, now we need some consistency.
11. De Gea made some good saves himself.
12. Rio and Vidic are looking evergreen. Hope the partnership can last.
13. Fabio was playing too recklessly, yet there was a spritely adventure about him that helped make things happen while the old birds seemed more conservative.
14. Evra wasn't at his marauding best.
15. Nani and Young were unusually subdued by their standards.
16. Rooney should stick to what he does best. Attacking and scoring, not trying to spray Hollywood long balls.
17. Can't fault Chicharito for not trying, the guy gets into really good positions all the time. Just unlucky not to have tapped in a few more balls.
18. Park should have been playing this game instead of Nani.
19. Ando out until Feb means we really should buy a midfielder in Jan.
20. Only Smalling's and Rafael's return left to look forward to, and the first team should be more stabilized.

Almost Missed Flight

This is the closest yet to ever missing a flight home.

Traffic was killer on a Saturday afternoon and we reached the departure hall a half hour before our flight time.

How much closer could we have played it?

Still had to check in, while the ground staff radioed that there were luggages still on the way.

Followed by immigration, and the Foreigner queues were so damn long.

In the end, I heaved a huge sigh of relief when I finally buckled myself up on the plane.

Close call.

Swansea 0 Manchester United 1

I actually got up at 1.45am to catch this match.

While it wasn't exactly boring, it definitely wasn't vintage United. Maybe because we were playing away, maybe it was the international break, maybe it was another new CM pairing of Giggs and Carrick.

Carrick and Park were immense, as was our stingy defence. Too bad I can't say the same for Rooney and Nani who were definitely short of ideas up front.

Nonetheless it's 3 points in the bag in a tough away encounter.

Hopefully we'll build on this. Big ups to Vidic, our clean sheets since that City game have been almost all because of him. Can't imagine Evans putting up a performance of such consistency.

Sucks that Shitty are still winning.

Hoping for a draw between Chelski and Liverpool tonight.

In Awe Of Fu Mingtian

Fu Mingtian, cousin of Chinese national diver Fu Mingxia, made Singapore history yesterday at the SEA Games.

She became the first Singaporean to not only reach the women's badminton singles finals, she also won it with a thrilling come-from-behind victory over Firdasari of Indonesia, who obviously had home court advantage.

Yet it wasn't the simple story of winning gold that captured alot of Singaporean hearts.

It was the grueling match itself where she stretched herself to the limit, and refusal to succumb to defeat that made this historic moment so sweet. Even against the vociferous and hostile crowd in the stadium and some impressive play by her opponent, she still held her own.

The final game was the most nail-biting. Both sides exchanged point for point from 12-12 all the way to 19-19. And then Firdasari won the next point making it 20-19 match point in her favour. I thought it was over, but Fu Mingtian refused to give in and took the next 3 points to win instead.

A very sweet victory indeed.

And even though she obviously cannot sing our national anthem (yet), I felt very proud of her having helped Singapore earn another gold medal in this fashion. In fact while Majulah Singapura was playing amidst the ugly booing from the hostile Indonesian crowd, she was seen moved to tears too.

I am in awe.

Many PRC FTs that we love to convert under our national sports program often have this nonchalant, it's-purely-business air about them where they took up citizenship purely for the material aspect of improving their lives through the sports they play.

Yet there are some who treasure the opportunity and embrace our country as their new home and identity. And from their efforts representing our nation, they endear themselves into Singaporean hearts.

I would put Fu Mingtian up there among them.

Punggol Promenade Futsal

I need to document all my exercise now just to motivate myself. How sad is that?

Played a decent two hour session of futsal in the new futsal facility in Punggol.

Nice to still be able to cut it on the pitch after such a long hiatus.

No broken ankle, torn knee ligaments, sore back is gonna stop me. I can't kick as hard as I used to but I think I still do pretty well as a holding or defensive midfielder. As they always say, as you grow older, soccer is more about vision and movement rather than speed and strength.

Keeps you alive on the pitch for a longer period.

The facility is run by Sports Planet, the same guys who run the East Coast futsal courts.

Hopefully we can get something regularly organized.

It's nice to have such a nice facility just a 3min drive away and so many friends living nearby coming together again. What better way to catchup?

Heck, maybe next time I'll jog to the futsal courts instead. That's what some of the others are actually doing! Either cycling or jogging just to 'warm down'.

Wah.

Constructicons

Collecting the full Duplo Lego set!

Think I'm more excited collecting the set than my boy.

Haha.

True Fitness

This year it is unprecedented.

Since signing my new gym package in June, I've only been to the gym two times. Yes, twice only and one of those times I went there just to take a bath!

Considering that I'm only paying about $450 for a yearly membership, that works out to an exorbitant $225 per visit. That's one expensive bath right there.

I will have to go more often to average down my membership cost.

Now if only I can find the time to do that...

Lunchtime workouts anyone?

I also have to pass my IPPT this work year.

Haiz.

Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah

One of those songs that make me feel sad and comfortable at the same time.

The memories...

Sigh.

11th November 2011

This is indeed a rare occurrence.

Once in a hundred years, you get to write 111111 for dates.

Cool.

Cherish the moment.

Next and final one is next year when you can write 121212.

Oh did I mention that our Singtel wifi and Mio connections are finally up?! After almost two months?!

Great to be connected once again though.

Blast From The Past

Came across this blog that had one of the most comprehensive lists of things we remember from the 80s and 90s.

Simply nostalgic.

I even kept my old IC!