As one starts its first new day today, the other one is plunged into its darkest period yet.
It’s hard not to entertain those thoughts, as they are floating back and forth across the mind. It’s everywhere I go, and it’s painful.
Here’s wishing you a happy & long-lasting one, buddy.
Initially I cursed the beings that chose not to select United’s game against Coventry on TV. I did the wrong thing obviously. Those supreme beings knew what they were doing. Why should we show rubbish on TV?
I was always under the impression that our kids are the stars of the future. The ones to take up the baton from the Class of 92 and bring the Theatre of Dreams to their feet. But, last night’s game really gave us a reality check. Something’s not right with the kids.
The Boss mentioned about them having to grab the opportunity given with two hands. Well, the opportunity just left Old Trafford, and they were doomed to languish forever in the all-important loans or Reserve matches. They were supposed to at least put up a decent fight, but from the 40 minutes or so that I watched all I could remember was how Pique tried to chase the player to pull his shirt. And he even had to do it twice! That’s how bad it went.
To prove the grass is greener on the other side, Wenger’s kids beat a quite full strength Newcastle United. They’d proved last year that they had all the right ingredients to rub it up with the big boys (I actually grit my teeth while writing this), while we couldn’t even get past Southend.
It’s now interesting to see what the Boss will decide for those youngsters. He could "hairdryerize" the hell out of them so they won’t be rubbish the next time some of them are called out into action, or he could make them kiss their red jerseys goodbye.
What’s in it for me? I’d still be rubbing my hands with glee, anytime the kids are on TV; my brain has been washed Red, it seems. But for now, let’s just agree with this: "34 million pounds. You’re having a laugh!"
I don’t know why that for this current trip I kinda feel anxious about it. But it went well so far. The flight was very smooth, the food was okay, and I even managed to catch Silver Surfer for the second time.
While we closed on landing in the airport, I was impressed by those gazillion of city lights viewed from above. It was like a city of fireflies! The airport itself was a massive structure with a futuristic slash industrial look about it. The baggage and immigration also went along seamlessly. However, the biggest surprise of the night was when our driver showed up in his ride. Man, I gotta sit in front!
It was during the ride to the hotel that I was reminded time & time again of home. How can I not think about it if there were long stretches of highways everywhere?
The hotel surprisingly didn’t look like the picture in their website. Maybe because it’s already night time. I know that this hotel has lots of park or garden, that might explain the pitch black view welcoming me when I opened the curtains. My only complain was that I might share this room with the mosquitoes too.
I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed that tomorrow will also be at least as smooth as today. But there’s a small matter of Ronaldo & Nani’s homecoming party to watch before turning in to the night.
The wife finally succumbed to my incessant nagging to go to Lucky Plaza to try Indo Bistro. I’ve read the reviews here, and I think it’s just another typical Indonesian restaurant. But the word "nasi uduk" splattered around that review made my stomach raging. Die die must try!
So we went there last Friday, a bit early for dinner time as no one was eating there and all the bosses (if you can call them that) were chit-chatting. A bit glance at the menu, and I didn’t need to scroll down any further. I was there for the nasi uduk, and that’s the only thing that I wanted to eat.
The wife who was initially a bit reluctant, succumbed further to the temptation once she spotted "Soto Mie Jakarta" in the menu. She ordered Ketoprak as well, and two glasses of Soda Gembira for us.
Soto Mie came first, and it looked quite similar with the normal type found in Jakarta. But the gravy here was more yellowish like soto. It was a bit bland while I first tasted it, but it became much better once my wife had added a bit of its chili there. I managed to wolf down one piece of risoles before she could complain. Not bad 
Then, my nasi uduk duly arrived. They put the rice, chicken, beancurd, chili, and tempe on the banana leaf to separate it directly from the bamboo/rattan "plate" (a smaller version of "tampah" gitu loh). What I liked about it was that my breast meat was already deboned, and it looked scrumptious. A bottle of Kecap Bango was also put on the table, and if it didn’t feel like home, I didn’t know what it was.
Instead of tasting the rice first, I went for the chili. Not much, just a bit more than the tip of my spoon, but by God, what a wrong move it was. I spent the next 20 minutes or so perspiring, hot, and with parts of my lips numb. The chili was that HOT! I didn’t know if it was only my low tolerance on chili, because the wife wasn’t unmoved by the chili. "It was regular chili, leh!" Tell it to my numb lips, Honey!
The chili definitely ruined my happy outing there, but we came out with our tummies full. So considerably ok, lah.
The nasi uduk was certainly a winner, at least in this country, and worth another trip back there again, and again. The wife said that the Soto Mie was alright even though more spices put there would make it more yummy. The Ketoprak’s peanut sauce was a bit sweet to my liking, but what I really liked about the dish was that colourful kerupuk, I’d ask for extra kerupuk next time.
All of that fun only cost me less than 20 bucks, and one of the bosses gave me a 10% discount card while saying, "Ini kartu diskon cuman dikasih ke yang makannya bersih loh hihihi."
Ok deh, Bos…We’ll be back surely.
Two United old boys hogged the headline last week more than the team itself for two completely different reasons. Keano for his first visit to Old Trafford as the opposition team’s manager, and Ole for his perhaps (un)timely retirement.
It was a good thing that Football Channel managed to show the whole pre-game which included Keano’s appearance from the tunnel to the hair-raising salute of "Keano" from the whole stadium, and the poignant guard of honour for Ole from both teams. It wasn’t a good sight to see Keano & Ole in "civilian" outfit, and not in the red & white of United. If both of them plus Dwight Yorke was pictured together, it would be the one to savour.
Keano seemed to be assembling his old contacts in Sunderland, just look at the list of United’s former players in his book now. Yorke, Richardson, Liam Miller, Danny Higginbotham, Paul McShane, and even Raimond van der Gouw!
He obviously knew that Fergie wouldn’t be sentimental and hand him the 3 points in the silver platter, as Saha popped out and exactly snatched the 3 points away. United’s performance apart, that day would well be mentioned by United’s faithful for many years to come.
Another page closed for a magnificent team.
