Random Ramblings of a Reconditioned Reporter

A Long Overdue Tribute

Here's to the group who made the month of our basic reporting course my most enjoyable period since I started work...

posted by Al @ 10:22 pm |

Money money money

courtesy of my bro KC

posted by Al @ 8:19 pm |

Overseas assignments

Been there done that...

Nov 04 - Manila: AND1 Streetball
Dec 04 - Doha: Asian Games Mascot Launch
Jan 05 - Jakarta: Tiger Cup football final
April 05 - Phuket: Tiger Skins golf
June 05 - Manila: Philippines Open bowling

Now for the next challenge...

Nov 05 - Shanghai: HSBC Champions golf with Tiger Woods
Nov/Dec 05 - Manila: South-east Asia Games

Then it's off to Aussieland for my first best man stint...

Dec 05: Perth: Josh's wedding

posted by Al @ 12:38 am |

Self-quarantine

Eat, watch DVD, sleep, watch EPL.
Sleep, eat, watch DVD, watch EPL.

That has been my exciting routine for the last 2 days, as I try to shake off a nasty bout of flu and prevent the bug from spreading.

Had to miss the bbq and the birthday party on Sat, plus church, a football game, and dinner with LSE friends on Sun.

Tragic.

And it got worst on Sat night when this blogger's beloved Liverpool FC crashed 0-2 to Fulham at Craven Cottage. Yes, it's the Harrods-backed team playing Tesco value-style football (sorry couldn't resist the supermarket analogy).

Double whammy.

If watching your team lose live on tv is bad, watching your team lose via a delayed telecast is a total waste of time.

Liverpool were rubbish last night, with their usual Premiership impotence in front of goal and an error-filled defensive performance.

And it didn't help that the linesman couldn't get his eyes to coordinate with his hands for the 2 Fulham goals. Unlike the Liverpool defenders, who defended with their eyes and hands trying to get offsides, instead of with their legs.

Crap.

At least the DVD-watching was brighter in comparison.
Caught Monster-in-Law, Black Hawk Down, Spanglish.
Trying to squeeze in A Very Long Engagement before EPL's Super Sunday, along with dinner...

Here's to a better week.

posted by Al @ 6:19 pm |

Sick

The worst way to prepare for your day off is to fall ill.

It's worse when you have three photo shoots to attend to, one lunch appointment to go to, and one cell group meeting to lead on that day of rest.

There's also a farewell bbq and a friend's bday party the next day. *sigh*

At least the last two days at the office have been good. Not as productive as I would have liked, but alright.

Have been assigned two tricky features, and I think I managed to deliver on 1 of them.
Watch out for it on Sunday...

Have been sitting on the other one though. Need more urgency with that.

Enough. Time to sleep off the flu.
*chides self for staying up late to watch Champs League football*

posted by Al @ 12:20 am |

Why help never arrived...

It's almost 11pm, and I'm stuck in the office, dying to go home.

But this brought a wide smile to my face... and I hope it does to yours too...

posted by Al @ 10:29 pm |

Go see Goal!

It's the sort of film that makes you go home, dust off the cobwebs from your football boots, then call some kakis out for a kickabout.

Goal! the movie scores with its simple yet intricate and intriguing Disney formula - Mexican boy who grows up in the LA ghettoes overcoming the odds to realise his dream of playing professional football in England.

As one colleague said "it made me cry, feel angry, feel happy and laugh.''

Thank God I had the chance to catch it free at a special ESPN screening on Wednesday, but this is one movie I'll gladly pay $9.50 to watch again.

For the movie captures rather accurately the essence as well as intimate details of a professional Premiership player's life - from the temptations of wine, women and song, to the pressures of impressing the manager, and dealing with agents and the media.

And with many quote-worthy gems like "We footballers are just a tackle away from flipping burgers" in its smart though predictable script, Goal! also paints the stark reality and brevity that soccer stars face in their career quite accurately.

The only part I 'hated' was the ending, in which Newcastle beat my beloved Liverpool at St James' Park.

Blasphemy.
That result will only happen at the movies (sorry I could not resist the cheap shot...).

This glitch aside, I thoroughly enjoyed the film - from the Toon accent which could drive us Singaporeans looney trying to figure out what shite they are actually saying, to the beautiful cinematography.

For those who have not yet discovered the wonder of the beautiful game, there's still plenty of entertainment, from the pulsating soundtrack to the smart way director Danny Cannon (Bruce Almighty, CSI) portrays the matches.

There's also plenty of cameos by several stars which would make football-savvy members of the audience go 'ooo... and ahhh....'

Indeed, Goal! hints at this message - it's about time you got educated on this drug called the Premiership!

But soccer fan or not, Goal! is still able to hit a hat-trick both ways...

posted by Al @ 11:42 pm |

Quotable quote

Hilarious stuff... courtesy of my bro KC

"It's God's responsibility to forgive the terrorist organizations such as Jaish, Lashkar etc.

"It's our responsibility to arrange the meeting between them and God."
- Indian Armed Forces

posted by Al @ 1:35 am |

Finished

It's the end of my course today... *sob*

posted by Al @ 1:15 am |

What's the Big Deal?

There's no one more irritating than a ignorant, insensitive, i-think-i'm-a-EPL-expert who tries to remind you that Liverpool were 'thrashed' 1-4 by Chelsea at Anfield on Sunday.

It gets worse when they make those comments and tell you they
1. Didn't watch the game
2. Made that on the basis of a couple of newspaper headlines.

Sure, the scoreline suggests that, and nothing I say can alter the facts.
Outplayed, outclassed, outmanoeuvred, beaten - those terms I can accept.

But save the doomsday prognostics and the 'thrash-ish' adjectives for the dustbin - that's where they belong.

Firstly - the context.
In case you haven't realised, the match was one of 38 league games in a season, not a major Cup final or semi-final or the title decider.
It's more than 2 months to Christmas, the fat lady hasn't finished her song and the football hasn't turned square.

Secondly - the manner.
Save for the second Chelsea goal, the others were the result of Liverpool defensive errors (esp the penalty) and the Reds chasing the game when 1-2 down, and not Chelsea's class.
Gerrard's goal was class, as was the build-up to Duff's effort.
Chelsea didn't brush the Reds aside or crush them. They just won. Fullstop.

Thirdly - Wednesday.
Liverpool outfought and dominated their Champions League home tie against the Blues last week. Should have beaten them 1-0 or 2-0 if not for bad refereeing.

Lastly - the fans.
That was one department in which the Reds won on Sunday.
My personal highlight of the game was hearing the Liverpool supporters singing the club anthem You'll Never Walk Alone in the 88th min with the scoreboard reading 1-4.
These are the people I want to be cheering alongside, not the fairweather, Glenn Ong-ish kind of fans who switch teams as often as they change their underwear.

Someone please tell me who's the team with 18 English League titles and 5 European Cups? Who's the most successful English club of all-time?

And who's the team that has spent over 200 million quid on players in 2 years?

Nuff said.

posted by Al @ 12:25 am |

Soccer Sonnet

I take thee English Premiership
To be my lawfully wedded game
To love and to cherish
For the rest of my life.

posted by Al @ 9:00 pm |