why so black and lonely?

Chinese New Year has come and is still packing his bags now before returning again next year. I’ll remember this year’s CNY as the one where I eat, eat, and eat. I can’t help that if my Mom came armed with lots of delicious meals, including one particular childhood snack that I haven’t eaten since about fifteen years ago. I can’t stand it, the flesh is weak.

Another highlight of the holiday  was Jet Li’s Fearless which would be his last martial arts movie, and then the Wolves Massacre at Molineux where Kieran scored two, and Vidic hasn’t been able to get a vote of confidence from me. He often caught up whether to attack the ball or let the striker came up to him, resulting in Rio/Brown to scramble for cover. I think he’ll be fine after a couple of games, and I really hope Saha will start in two days partnering Rooney upfront.

Well, anyway Gong Xi Fat Chai for those who’re celebrating, and Superman Returns trailer deserves shedding a tear or two.

Even before the game started, I already visualized a draw between these two Reds would take place. So, you could forgive me for treating my bed as a trampoline seconds after Rio firmly put that bullet header into Reina’s net! Oh, it felt so GOOD!

Here are my picks for starters during the upcoming NBA All Star 2006 in Houston.

Western Conference

Forwards: Kevin Garnett (Timberwolves), Dirk Nowitzki (Mavericks)

Guards: Steve Nash (Suns), Kobe Bryant (Lakers)

Center: Yao Ming (Rockets)

Eastern Conference

Forwards: LeBron James (Cavaliers), Paul Pierce (Celtics)

Guards: Jason Kidd (Nets), Vince Carter (Nets)

Center: Shaquille O’Neal (Heat)

Goals galore is finally back at Old Trafford, even though at the expense of minnows Burton Albion. Who gives a damn about it as long as the lads keep ripping the net and winning! Woohoo!

The brightest star on the pitch yesterday was our young Rossi by scoring 2 and assisting in Richardson’s & Giggsy’s goals. He was magnificent throughout the game, and linked up well with Saha upfront. Saha, on the other hand, seemed to underestimate Burton’s defense by missing a couple of must-score chances. I imagined Fergie would rip him in the dressing room afterward. Another good performance was from Ole who was very close to his usual self. It was too bad that he couldn’t score even though you could tell that the whole stadium was craving for him to hit the back of the net.

One of the guys in the office, whose wife works at a Starbucks outlet, comes with two bottles of Starbucks cappuccino this morning and deservedly attacked by lustful co-workers who just can’t stand the temptation of freebies. The guy puts the cappuccino in two syrup bottles. Man, he really is prepared to do that!

I just find out that Stephen King will have his latest novel "Cell" published next Tuesday. Reading the summary, I think this is not a King novel but something that will result as the collaboration of Michael Crichton & Stephen King. Crichton will provide the tech part, while King will supply the horror.

Oh well, time to use my mind for something useful now.

There’ll always be a day like yesterday. A day when you have to take a quite distant trip during heavy rains while your car air-conditioner is not working. And because you have to keep the windows shut, so the inside of the car is warmer than the outside resulting in mist covering every single glass in your car which makes visibility turns to hell. Not to mention parts of the road that turn into an impromptu swimming pool which forces you to wait in the nearest gas station just to make sure that your car can safely pass through the water.

Even when you finally pass the water, you keep making wrong turns that lead you to terribly jammed roads. Then finally, when you’re free from the congestion and already queuing up to pay for the toll, the radio just told you that there’s an accident on the highway that you’re about to enter which of course will put the highway to a complete stop.

There’s too many adventures in one driving session to handle, but there’ll always be a day like this in the future. Without a doubt.

There’s one word to perfectly describe United’s season so far, and it’s "Ronaldo". Mesmerizing at times, but highly frustrating & disappointing at the most. He’s the poster boy for what went wrong for us this season. No, I’m not blaming everything on him. I just want to personify our performance so far, and his performance definitely fits the bill.

Losing the Manchester derby would only worsen a terrible season, and I say all players, management, & staffs thoroughly deserve a collective, hard kick on their asses! I was way beyond angry last Saturday, and probably Evra would be better to start against the likes of Burton or such. To say he had a baptism of fire was an understatement. And I didn’t wanna discuss about Silvestre either, he’d saved us many, many times but he’s been suicidal lately and I sadly admit that he’d be probably better off somewhere.

Who will we have next week? Ah easy…just that lowly team from Anfield.

This morning I was all packed and ready to go at 6 AM. It was the result of watching United game at dawn, with just 1 hour to go before 6 AM, it’s better for me to bathe and get prepared earlier than sleeping. It was nice to feel that you have an extra 15-20 minutes to do something else which was a luxury for me lately.

In my previous workplace, on a day like today I would stop by on my way to the office for a bowl of chicken porridge or chicken noodle from the road side seller. Most of the times, mine is the first bowl that he served that day. I don’t know why but I always felt good when it happened. But now, it’s a rarity as my route to the office don’t have any place where I could stop for breakfast. The only place for breakfast were only from a bakery next door, or this guy selling kue basah or a packetful of fried rice, fried noodle, fried bee hoon, nasi kuning, or nasi uduk. The kue basah was cheap actually, I could buy the lempers or the arem-arems altogether at once, but after a few weeks I tend to get bored.

Sometimes I also found myself wandering into the bakery for a kroket or risoles, or both. Eventhough, they are yummy, but the price is quite expensive. I can’t afford to have them for breakfast most of the time. So basically, nowadays I live my mornings with empty stomach or two or three glasses of water. It’d last me till lunchtime.

But then again, occasionally around 11 AM, I can’t help but thinking of that warm chicken porridge in Cideng. The only road-side porridge that served chicken breastmeat, with extra sweet soya sauce by request, and that crunchy peanuts that would wake you up.

Gotta find a way to get back there in the future.

Here we are 40 hours or so into 2006. Another year has passed and what a strange year it was. A year of learning, disappointment, confusion, and new friends & networks. I will always remember last year for the year when finally Keano left us.

On a personal note, each passing year only makes the burden even heavier with the end is nowhere in sight. It’s always hard to get motivated to start anew, and don’t tell me bullshit about New Year’s Resolution and such. I’m way past such things. Right now, I’m just living for the weekends, and holidays. My mind & body are still left behind in 2005. Lifeless? Being restless and lethargic is more likely.

Here is my 10 most enjoyable movies in 2005 (not in particular order):

1. Batman Begins

2. Hitch

3. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

4. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

5. War of the Worlds

6. King Kong

7. Zathura

8. Fantastic Four

9. Constantine

10. Kungfu Hustle

I also intended to make similar list for books, but strangely I didn’t read quite a lot last year. But the standout books for me are Giggsy’s autobiography & Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I want to include Kostova’s The Historian but I’m still 100 pages away from the end! Unbelievable! Probably I’ll post another entry especially for The Historian coz I think it deserves it.

But for the time being, let’s just welcome 2006 and may it be a good & fruitful year for us all.