Four Ways to Face Life

When spiritually confused, there are four ways to face it:
1. Flee it
2. Fight it
3. Forget it
4. Face it

Fleeing and forgetting reek of escapism, basically running away and ignoring what God has put in our heart to resolve. Fighting it means we're fighting what God is trying to teach us.

What God wants us to do is to face it, bravely and with His guidance and wisdom. He is our Deliverer. FEDEX = Facing Every Day Enjoying Christ

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
Joshua 1:9

"The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation.
He is my stronghold, my refuge and my saviour -
from violent men you save me.
I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
and I am saved from my enemies."
2 Samuel 22:2-4

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways.
As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways."
Isaiah 55:8,9



"Those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint."
Isaiah 40:31

"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me."
2 Corinthians 12:9

When we face spiritual uncertainty and confusion, all God needs us to do is to acknowledge our shortcoming and depend on Him and draw on His strength to bring us through, rather than fabricate some grandiose explanation of His workings. We just don't know enough.

But that's not all.

After confronting the dilemma, we must then acknowledge the reality. Our confusion is not for the sake of exposing the fallibility and ineptitude of human comprehension. While our inadequacy might be a convenient excuse, we have to seek God for an answer.

Which brings me to the third point: We have to feel the pain. While not necessarily as obvious as the physical trauma the self-flagellation practised by some Filipino Catholics practise during Good Friday, learning a lesson hurts sometimes.

Learning requires us to deal with the emotion, rather than swallowing it. Inevitably, confrontation does tax our spirit, for we are emotional beings too.

But put it this way: It's like phlegm. (!!!)

Keep swallowing and it builds up, causing germs to build up. (erm correct not, missy?) While getting rid of it is often unpleasant, it has to be done to allow the throat to clear. Then we can move on.

I'd bring up the mucus example, but then we'd probably all fast dinner too. Get it? Bring up mucus?

Ahem. If we don't address the issue, God will have to bring it to our attention again.

Apologies for the visual analogy. Rather unbecoming of one so phlegmatic.

"Unacknowledged emotions stay within us to cause trouble, acknowledged emotions do not."
Selwyn Hughes, whose points I've paraphrased here.

Acknowledge issues both internally within your spirit being, and externally in your human relationships. Do it in God's strength, and he will strengthen you to deal with bigger issues. Otherwise you just can't move on.

Two of my regular female readers, am I hitting something home? Hope you get it.

But don't do a Judas on me and ask, "Is it I?" Do I look like someone about to gice bread to you? =]

Let God deal with your issues.



"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift."
Matthew 5:23,24

Trust - Not Always Easy

One of the greatest spiritual qualities we can possess is the ability to sit back in times of confusion and admit that though we haven't the foggiest what God is doing we trust Him nonetheless.

"You desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place."
Psalm 51:6


Create in me a clean heart, O God
And renew a right spirit within me
Cast me not away from Thy presence, O God
And take not Thy Holy Spirit from me
Restore onto me the joy of Thy salvation
And renew a right spirit within me


Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And lean not to thy own understanding
In all your ways acknowledge Him
And He will direct thy path
Trust, therefore, in the Lord

The First Step

"Why do you make me look at injustice?
Why do you tolerate wrong?"
Habakkuk 1:3

Even though I do not understand how and why things happen I will trust in Your way, because I know You're in complete control and have a reason for everything that happens. You have my absolute trust. Help me to confront my confusion and debase my doubts.

Let me speak truth, and I will glorify you with my speech. Does saltwater come froma freshwater spring? So it is: Since I praise You with my mouth, let everything else that comes from my mouth also give glory to You.

The Silences of God

"O LORD , do not rebuke me in your anger
or discipline me in your wrath.
Be merciful to me, LORD , for I am faint;
O LORD , heal me, for my bones are in agony.
My soul is in anguish.
How long, O LORD , how long?
Turn, O LORD , and deliver me;
save me because of your unfailing love."
Psalm 6:1-4

They that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength
They will mount up on wings like eagles
They shall walk and not be weary
They shall walk and not faint
Teach me Lord, teach me Lord, to wait

Just too recap what I learnt on 17 June 2004:
God has THREE answers to your petition:-
1. No, it's not good for you.
2. Later, at a more appropriate time.
3. I'll give you something even better.
Or He could just build your suspense.

If you think that because we are followers of God He will never allow us to be confused, then we are in for a surprise.

'No-nonsense bluntness'

"How long, O LORD , must I call for help,
but you do not listen?"
Habakkuk 1:2

Lord I am desperate for Your fulfilling presence, but help me to be patient to wait on you. I know You aren't far, so teach me to ... wait. But please don't be too long? =]

"In you, O LORD , I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
Rescue me and deliver me in your righteousness;
turn your ear to me and save me.
Be my rock of refuge,
to which I can always go;
give the command to save me,
for you are my rock and my fortress....
I will always have hope;
I will praise you more and more.
My mouth will tell of your righteousness,
of your salvation all day long,
though I know not its measure."
Psalm 71:1-3, 14-15

My hope is always in You, and in that i rest assured. Help me deal with disappointments that I may be hence refined.

Lord I thirst for You, I long to be in Your pressence
My soul will wait for You
Father draw me nearer to the beauty of Your holiness
I will wait for You, I will worship You, Almighty God
In the beauty of Your holiness

Legacy of Faithfulness

" 'God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.' Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you."
James 4:6-8

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O God"

As heads of the household, may fathers depend on Your strength and wisdom to guide, guard and govern their homes. Let them cast their burdens on You, that You might give them rest. Let them be godly examples for others to follow, that they will leave an indelible legacy of faithfulness.

As heads of the church, protect pastors from Satan's determined attention to undermine their lives. Give them Your anointing to lead Your people. Make them alert to the enemy.

As heads of state, give our political leaders wisdom to influence people with Your gospel. Let them be wise and godly purveyors of Your truth. Keep them humble, that they can be used mightily by You.

From Confusion to Confidence

"The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to go on the heights."
Habakkuk 3:19

Lord let me focus on You; things become mucyh simpler after that. Let me put my strength in You; things become much easier. Carry me high above my detractors that I my glorify Your name.

"He set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand."
Psalm 40:2b

Your love has lifted me up again, now I'm free to live
There's no higher love than I could find, and for this joy I will thank You


"How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of those who bring good news."
Isaiah 52:7

I want to be a vessel of Your gospel to my friends. But help me be a living testimony and a positive influence on people.

When I look into Your holiness, when I gaze into Your loveliness
When all things that surround me become shadows in the light of You
When I've found the joy of reaching Your heart
When my will becomes enclosed in Your love
I worship You, the reason I live is to worship You

Practice makes perfect

"Keep me safe, O God,
for in you I take refuge.
You are my Lord;
apart from you I have no good thing.
I have set the LORD always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure.
You have made known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence."
Psalm 16:1-2, 8-9, 11

Lord as I seek to increase Your presence and influence in my life help me grow stronger in faith, hope and love.

As I realise You're always beside me, build my faith as " I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13)

Build my hope; because my hope is You, nothing can faze me, for You are my anchor.

Build my love for You, as You have loved me. I desire Your presence, make me yearn for You every day.

Lord make me a man after Your own heart.


"I call on you, O God, for you will answer me;
give ear to me and hear my prayer.
Show the wonder of your great love,
you who save ... those who take refuge in you.
Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings.
And I - in righteousness I will see your face;
when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness."
Psalm 17:6-8, 15

"That I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple."
Psalm 27:4

Lord I desire to seek You,
That You may strengthen me
In faith, hope and love
I want to be a man after
Your own heart
That I may dwell
In the house of the Lord
All the days of my life


Building my faith in Him
Building my faith in Jesus Christ
We have every victory in this life
Victory has been won
We were bought by faith in God's son

The Still Small Voice

And the word of the LORD came to him: "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too."
The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD , for the LORD is about to pass by."
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD , but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" "
1 Kings 19:9-13


There is nothing more wonderful in all the world than not only feeling His presence but hearing His voice in your soul also.

The Lord is not always in the wind, earthquale or fire. he is often the still, small voice. As Christians we have to train ourselves to be receptive to that voice. Many times we crowd God out with our reasoning, and cannot hear His promptings. Perhaps God is just about to reveal His word to us, when we hastily end our prayer. Don't let Matthew 26:40 haunt you - "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?"


"Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." "
Isaiah 30:21

I pray for discernment in knowing what is from You, and what isn't. Help me hear Your voice loud and clear amidst the daily clutter. May You be my rod and staff, and the guiding light onto my path.


"This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."
Matthew 3:17

Lord may I follow You and hear Your voice, as a son would heed his father's words.


"I love You Lord, and I lift my voice to worship You
O my soul rejoice!
Take joy, my King, in what You hear
Let it be a sweet, sweet sound in Your ear"

A Perfect End to a Day

"I call with all my heart; answer me, O Lord ,
and I will obey your decrees.
I call out to you; save me
and I will keep your statutes.
I rise before dawn and cry for help;
I have put my hope in your word.
My eyes stay open through the watches of the night,
that I may meditate on your promises.
Hear my voice in accordance with your love;
preserve my life, O Lord, according to your laws.
Those who devise wicked schemes are near,
but they are far from your law.
Yet you are near, O Lord,
and all your commands are true.
Long ago I learned from your statutes
that you established them to last forever."
Psalm 119:145-152

Lord as I call out to you, answer me.
I put my hope in Your word.
Let my eyes remain open at all times.
May I meditate on Your promises.
Hear my voice and preserve my life.
All Your commands are true, and last forever.


"I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds."
Psalm 77:12

I will never forget the prayers You answered, the miracles Your did, the times You saved me.


"This has been my practice: I obey Your precepts."
Psalm 119:56

Lord let it be natural for me to desire to obey and please You. Let it be my practice too.


"Thank You Jesus for Your love to me
Thank You Jesus for Your grace so free
I lift my voice to praise Your name
Praise You again and again
You are my everything
You are my Lord"

Centring prayer

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might."
Ecclesiastes 9:10

I want to do my best for God in every and any aspect of my life. Help me focus on you, that I may not waste my time on trivialities.


"Don't be afraid. Those who are with us are more thab those who are ith them. The Lord opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and vhariots of fire all aaround Elisha."
2 Kings 6:16-17

God is always there no matter how bleak things are. Look at things from God's perspective: Nothing is impossible for Him.

"We must see that whatever God allows is for a purpose and that He wants us to use it. Often we are cross when He doesn't deliver us from certain situations and feel He cannot have been there. We must learn that He allows things to happen because He sees a bigger plan which includes not just us but others as well."
Every Day with Jesus, 27 June 2004

"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
2 Corinthians 12:9-10

"When I look into Your holiness
When I gaze into Your loveliness
When all things that surround me become shadows in the light of You
When I've found the joy of reaching Your heart
When my soul becomes enclosed in Your love
When all things that surround me become shadows in the light of You

I worship You, I worship You
The reason I live, is to worship You"

Ending each day with God

"On my bed I remember you; I thinnk of you through the watches of the night."
Psalm 63:6

Lord let me faithfully commit each day and night onto you. Protect me each waking and resting hour, and let me spend my moments reflecting on you, and reflecting you. Help me honour You in everything.


"He went out to the field one evening to meditate."
Genesis 24:63

"Arise, cry out in the night, as the wathes of the night begin; pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord."
Lamentations 2:19

Thank the Lord before you sleep for all that He has done. Thank Him for His attention and involvement in your life.


"From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same
The Lord's name is to be praised"

Think about it

"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these."
Matthew 6:26, 28-29

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
Matthew 6:33-34

Lord I thank you for your attention and I want to reciprocate. Lord I realise nothing we do can earn your undeserved favour. It is by Your grace that my needs are provided for. Lord I thank You for paying attention to every detail of my life, that I may walk in Your truth.

I want to seek You, the Giver, first, because I acknowledge that You are paramount in my life. I claim that Your blessings will chase me as I seek Your will. I will place my future in Your hands, and I don't want to worry about where I stand and what to do. You have a far greater plan that I want to follow.


"Stop and consider God's wonders."
Job 37:14

"O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
above the heavens.

When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?
You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor."
Psalm 8:1, 3-5

"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"
Luke 12:25

"Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
Hebrews 12:1-2

"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."
Hebrews 12:11

Lord let me focus on Your wondrous works, least if all me. Thank you for crowning me with glory and honour. Let me not worry, but instead cast my burden and persevere in Your path. Let me not veer to the left or to the right; let me be disciplined, to produce "a harvest of righteousness and peace".


"O Lord our God, how excellent your Name is
How excellent your Name in all the earth
Your glory fills the heavens
Beyond the farthest star
How excellent your Name in all the earth

When I think about the heavens
The moon and all the stars
I wonder what You ever saw in me
But You took me and Your loved
And You've given me a crown
And now I praise your Name eternally"


"Think about His love, think about His goodness
Think about His grace, that brought us truth
For as high as the heavens above,
So great is the measure of my Father's love
Great is the measure of my Father's love

How can I forget His love?
How can I forget His mercy?
He satisfies, He satisfies
He satisfies my desire
Great is the measure of my Father's love"

Mission trip

Guys pray with me.

I wanna go to the mission trip to Thailand in September, but a few obstacles. Having taken a week off in June, remains to be seen if I can go for another week so soon. Please let there be enough money for the trip. And let my desire for this trip be even greater. =]

'All coheres in Him'

"That you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light."
Colossians 1:10-12

Lord let me live in the shadow of Your wings, and worthy and pleasing onto You.
I want to bear good fruit in work I do for You daily.
I want to grow in Your knowledge by meditating on Your word.
I want to be strengthened and blessed by Your power to live my life for You.
I want to have endurance and patience in doing what You have set out for me.
I want to appreciate You daily by giving thanks for everything.
When the time comes, I want to be worthy of my inheritance in Your Kingdom.


"He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."
Colossians 1:17

"Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made."
John 1:3

"In Him we live, and move, and have our being."
Acts 17:28

Thank you for making things work the way they do. For You are my Maker.

When do we pray?

Let us not wait till we are desperate before seeking God. God is not out 'Get Out of Jail' card. Seek Him daily in good times or bad, and see if He does not supply your every need.
Click picture to enlarge

The Divine Mind

"Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counsellor?"
Romans 11:34

"My word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."
Isaiah 55:11

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him."
1 Corinthians 2:9

Lord I acknowledge that Your ways and thoughts are higher than mine. Lord help me to accept this and allow me to follow Your will. I believe Your word is all-powerful and I claim upon Isaiah 55:11 in my life. Speak to me Lord, and let me achieve Your purpose and desire. I must realise that I cannot begin to fathom what You have prepared for me. I still have trepidatiion, but I pray I will follow-through. May I pay attention to Your attentiveness to me, that I may dwell in Your presence forever.


"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, the good that the Lord has prepared for those who wait on Him to hear His voice: 'I am the Potter and you are the clay.'

Jesus take me in Your hand and make me all that You want me to be.

Jesus help me understand my purpose and what You can do through me, fulfilling my destiny."

'You are always on my mind'

Great Elvis number, but more accurately, this is what God is saying to us, every moment of the day. We occupy His thoughts because we are the apple of His eye, and He is waiting for us to speak to Him. Just think: right now He's on standby just in case we need to speak to Him. We're that precious to Him.

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made."
Psalm 139:4a

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
Psalm 139:23-24

"I waited patiently for the Lord, he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet upon a rock and gave me a firm place to stand."
Psalm 40:1-2

"For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11

"In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will."
Ephesians 1:11

Lord I fervently appreciate that I am at the foremost of Your thoughts. I praise You and pray that You might cleanse me of iniquity and anxiety, and guide me on Your path.

I have lost count of the times You delivered me despite my unfaithfulness, and made me an example and beneficiary of Your divine grace and amazing love.

The past few days You have been speaking to me about a great plan for my life. Frankly, I can't wait to hear more.

Thank you for choosing me, and that I am "predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will".

Amen!


"Jesus, Lover of my soul
Jesus, I will never let you go
You've taken me from the miry clay
Set my feet upon the rock, and now I know

I love You, I need You
Though my world may fall I'll never let You go
My Saviour, my closest Friend
I will worship You until the very end"

Staying Alert

"Better to live on a corner of a roof than to share a house with a quarrelsome wife."
Proverbs 25:24

"Keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.... You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."
Matthew 24:42, 44

"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing but the body is weak."
Matthew 26:41

Lord I want to be receptive to your presence daily. I know You are with me, and I want to honour You with each decision I make daily. I need to depend on Your strength as I cannot achieve anything by myself.

Help to keep vigil so I may remain steadfast and not fall into temptation and go astray. Let me not be found away from Your presence.

Create in me a clean heart, O Lord. And renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from Thy presence, O Lord. And take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.

Restore onto me, the joy of my salvation. And renew a right spirit within me.

And help me find an unquarrelsome wife! Ha! =]

The Breath of God

"Why do you complain to him that he answers none of man's words? For God does speak - now one way, now another - though man may not perceive it."
Job 33:13-14

"It is the spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding."
Job 32:8

Lord I sincerely hunger for Your presence in my life, and pray that I can make a deeper impact for you. I know You will answer me. In whatever way, but make me perceptive and receptive to Your word. Help me be patient for Your answer, for You say good things come to those who wait.

Lord let Your breath touch me that I may understand Your good and perfect will.

Lord I seek Your answer, but yet am fearful of what the answer might be. Help me put myself wholly in Your hands.

Simply believe

"Where can I go to escape your spirit? Where can I flee to escape your presence?"
Psalm 139:7

"My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."
Exodus 33:14

"Don’t be afraid, for I will protect you. I call you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I am with you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned."
Isaiah 43:1-2

First, a very real and important truth. When you ask God for something, ie petition, God basically has three answers:
1. No, it's not good for you.
2. Later, at a more appropriate time.
3. I'll give you something better.
Learn to accept God's good and perfect will, even if it's not what you want.

OK now devotion proper. I will affirm God's presence in my life daily.

The psalmist David seems to realise how futile it is to flee from God.
It's futility is two-fold:
1. God is omni-present is He is always with you.
2. In the first place, why would we want to be away from him?

God has explicitly proclaimed that His presence will go with us, and He will give us rest. Hallelujah!

Secondly, to be away from God and His will is the WORST that could happen. It means you are not dissimilar to any non-believer, trying to do everything in your own strength.

"Fear not!", God says. He has redeemed, selected and called us individually, and we are His. Through toil and trouble, cauldron bubble, HE WILL BE THERE. All we have to do is turn to him in a Shakespearean soliloquy ie prayer.

That is God's promise and commitment. And He keeps His promises. =]

True believing

"The Lord says, 'Because he is devoted to me, I will deliver him; I will protect him because he is loyal to me. When he calls out to me, I will answer him. I will be with him when he is in trouble; I will rescue him and bring him honor. I will satisfy him with long life, and will let him see my salvation.'"
Psalm 91:14-16

"God is our secure shelter; he is truly our helper in times of trouble."
Psalm 46:1

"If anyone loves me, he will obey my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and take up residence with him."
John 14:23

How wonderful that God promises countless times that if we just call on His name, He will be our "ever-present help". He will answer our call, deliver and honour us, and give us salvation. He is our rescuer and protector, and we have no reason to fear adversity because He is on our side.

What struck me was that we can glorify Him, because we love Him, just by obeying His teaching. And HE will come to US! What an honour!

This is sooooo badly what I want. Help me to believe wholeheartedly, and seek You the Giver, not just what You can give to me.

I've run alone too long; I want to run with you!

Very good news

Well for thos who haven't heard, NS liability for in-service personnel ie me, has been cut by two months. A pleasant surprise, but guess it hasn't hit home yet. Why do I suspect that somehow God has a plan for these two months for me? =]
New ORD: 9 Oct 2005!

Shameless flogging

Excuse me while I indulge in the above-mentioned.
I'm going for the Singtel SMS Shootout trials at 4pm Somerset tmr. Anyone wanna sign up? Other weekends are negotiable I'm sure.

Movement update

OK guysI'll make this quick. I've been posted to a top secret unit sent on an infiltration mission to Terengganu. There we will dispel Muslim hardliners' norms of fun, and basically enjoy ourselves. 7788 SAB (Singapore Active Bummers) is the unit's name, and we'll secretly play beach soccer, swim and snorkel, just to get the lay of the land. We're dealing with a highly repressive, patriarchal proletariat. We will prevail. Should i find the battlefield too fun and not return, remember me. However i expect to return on the 11th - eensy weensy thing called AWOL. Till then!

Church Camp

I'm really expecting a lot from this church camp, especially since i missed the last one. Pray that I can really receive God's touch.
"And in all that, we shall have fun." - 1 SIR creed

Ole!

Wow had a most fun day playing street soccer. Thanks jeremy and danny for joining us. Scored a hat-trick in a match, thanks to Duncan's (Zidane's) incisive vision. Then went for haircut at Lily's and walked from Far East to Dhoby Ghaut with kai. But dang, back to work today...

In other news, I joined the Singtel SMS Shootout for $5.25. Money goes to charity, so I don't mind. But perhaps I can win the fastest finger game? Got the whole of Church Camp to practise!

CORRECTION

It is not gone. Boil is still alive and well. Need to get it properly removed I guess. Still it hurts. Didn't stop me from playing soccer today though, played ok, and generally a hard-fought but fun match. Next stop: Vesak Day, for street soccer. Ole!

FUN FUN FUN!

Had SO much fun today at Agnes's birthday bash. 21 supposed to signal coming of age right? Wrong.
Six idiots jumping and tearing around Pasir Ris Park climbing ropes, hogging the flying fox, getting dizzy, and generally behaving like 5-year-olds. The accused: Me, 21; Agnes, (just) 21; Tina, Deepa, Alicia (all 21 i think), and Jude, twenty-freaking-five. i mean, like, jakun can? Alicia devised some weird obstacle course involing a lot of rope that we just got tangled in over and over again, and finally we scaled the summit of the spiderweb. Haven't let myself go like that since... celebrating 'O' levels finishing?

Now I feel like the playground equivalent of the Yamakasi. =]

A tushy issue

A tushy issue

Yes tushy, not touchy. Warning: May spoil dinner.

Ok let's get straight to the point: I have a boil.

Not exactly the plague that afflicted the Egyptians in Biblical times, but one's enough, if put in the right place. As it happens, this one's right on the BUTT. What a BUMMER.

OK let's describe it. If you like your chocolate, DON'T read on. Warning: Also a lot of puns.

It's recurrent as I had it like two months ago, and forced to retreat by antibiotics then, it came back with a vengeance, and err... kicked ASS.

The boil had the CHEEK to manifest itself right on my posterior, making it difficult to do everything that needs sitting, squatting, bending, stretching ie everything. Soon though, the pain proved too uncomfortable, so I went to see the MO. "Have a SEAT," he said. After telling my story, he said he'd try to remove it. Without anaesthetic. You know when you just don't have a good feeling about something? Like you don't have a good feeling about having the doctor squeezing pus outta your butt? That sorta feeling.

Ten minutes of extracting the lifeblood out of the impudent boil followed, with me alternating between gritting my teeth and biting my hand. No anaesthetic, just good ol' fashioned kneading, pushing, wrenching blah blah blah. But then it was over. And it HURT. But the Hershey's Kisses mutant was gone.

I couldn't walk straight after that, could only sit on my left buttock, and basically walked funny the whole day. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch.

Terrorists read here!

Terrorists read here!

I am shocked to learn that even in this time of heightened security and caution, such a blatant violation of the Official Secrets Act is so readily available, on Geocities no less! This makes a mockery of all security and anti-terrorism measures and counter-measures taken. On the website, you basically have the ENTIRE structure of the SAF, its weaponry, manpower, and even its wartime capabilities. But don't give it to the JI! They don't know yet! For Singaporeans only! Anyone keen to start a war can just log on, and he already knows what he's up against. Disgraceful. My sources tell me the powers that be have already gotten wind of this, and for quite a while, but there, the site still exists. And no one seems keen to just inform Yahoo! of the classified information online. Unless of course, it is somehow protected by the international right of free speech. Not exactly fair is it?

You can be privy to the defence of Singapore at http://www.geocities.com/mindef123/

most f*cked up day ever

This was officially the most f*cked up day ever.Close enough anyway. Let us document this for history's sake.

1. There was a run today, but decided not to, as I was having a very bad flu. Oh wait a minute, that's not number one then.

0. I woke up extremely tired, and my nose was running like a tap.

1. Ahem. So I decided to go early to office. As bad ideas go, this was bad. Caught the she-boss on a totally bad morning, and she immediately set about digging up everything I'd done wrong since January. OK I exaggerate. Just March. Then blamed me for not teaching the understudy to answer the phone properly, even though I did teach him, and he does answer the phone properly. Go figure.

2. Then harped on how I'm slacking off since Wimpo came. Has to happen right? 3 people = less work per person than 2 people?!?

3. Then harped on lack of pro-activeness. The sofas were SPOTLESS. But yet insisted we hadn't cleaned them for a long time. That's because they're clean!!! Take note, all this is before 930.

4. Reprieve at 9. Went for breakfast. Realised I'm left with $1.80 till Wednesday.

5. Came back from reprieve. 19 (!) information papers for a conference: What do they talk about?!? Spent whole afternoon receiving, opening, printing, collecting, stapling, punching, labelling, filing, checking. If mistake, repeat. 19 papers, about 5 documents each, equals 95 freaking times!!!

6. Bak kut teh for lunch. But they ran out of pork.

7. Mini-meeting in afternoon. Brought drinks to guests. Got scolded for giving without asking first. Got scolded for giving too many. Got scolded for replenishing with wrong canned drink. Stole a root beer to teach her a lesson.

8. She-boss leaves. Followed by fellow runners. Left me. Thought no need to stay, so planned to watch football match with friend who just returned from USA. SMSed Comd to ask if need to stay. No reply. Upperstudy booked out. Called understudy frantically. No reply. Still no reply from Comd. Had to cancel with prodigal friend. 5 min later, understudy calls. Arrange for him to stand in for me. Call prodigal friend. Is cooking with Mum, can't make it anymore.

9. Went down to get dinner, as didn't eat at 5 due to lousy dinner at cookhouse. Comd's SMS arrives just as I order: No need to stay. WTF?!? Bad timing can? Cancelled food order, hatched plan to hurry lock up and rush to match on cab.

10. 1910, 20min to kickoff, still in camp. Just finished washing teapot. Run up to change, changed, then realise no point. Attempts to drag someone along to watch fail.

11. While typing this, I realise I've missed the second straight episode of Daddy's Girls, starring the delectable Carrie Chong.

12. Bad day? You bet. Xian chi pua.

My brush with Chinese

My brush with Chinese

Played guitar in Mandarin service today. Not as bad as expected, though couldn't understand a word they were singing. Oh wait, I understood "Ah-men". Isn't that, like, Mandarin for amen? Cool.

On another note. Just got my Basic and Advanced Driving Theory booklets. Now to mug.

On yet another note, do "moo" ie comment on my posts, or "tag" on the tagboard. Alternatively, you can "message" ie pick up that handphone of yours and start dropping me an SMS. =] C'mon, free speech people!

On yet another note in this cacophonic post, I happen to be writing the scripts for this year's NDP 04. Just the scripts for one Mass Display item, and the Total Defence video. Normally I'd be happy. But my military apathy takes centrestage, and it just means more work. as they say, mai zo, mai zo; ai zo, zo sui sui. Erm, got that?

More stoopid security measures

More stoopid security measures

This happened in Taiwan I think. Some sorta rally, where there were schoolchildren.

Over-zealous nitwits refused to allow people to use brollies despite a heavy downpour, and asked schoolkids to open lunchboxes to prove they had no ordnance. Guess they had muifan in the rain then.

Stoopid. Maybe the Taiwanese shouldn't run their own country after all.

A Tryst

My bunkmate (let's call him Engkiat. No. Let's call him Kenneth Cheow. Nah let's call him CPL Anon) has a crush on Leong. Leong is the epitome of perfect mother-of-pearl whites, beautiful handwriting, and a bod to die for (if you happen to have his, you'd die too).

CPL Anon and I were taking the bus back to camp.
Anon: There're quite a few chio bus (visually appealing females) on the 927 today.
Me, after discreetly looking behind: Who're you lookng at. There's seriously none lor.
Anon: Huh? I was looking at Leong what.

Then again in the bunk. Anon was saying how he'd get Leong to stay in our bunk when he ORDs to erm, torture me, but he said it this way.
Anon: I can't wait to get Leong into my bed.
Oh dear.

Come to think of it, as we were walking up from guardhouse, Anon was panting quite a bit just thinking of Leong. Just like a b*tch in heat. Must be thinking of how he's gonna get some Leong's Loins.

Disgusting.

"Are you hungry?"

If this is any precursor of the type of humour I will be subject to with my understudy, then God help me.
Kangrong (upperstudy) and I were going for dinner, and the following exchange transpired between understudy (let's call him Wimpo) and me.
Me: We're going for dinner. Are you hungry?
Smurfy (deadpan): No, I'm Wimpo.
Me: ... (speechless at his amazing wit and candour)

How to have a healthy diet by CPT (Dr.) Wah Chin Pui

How to have a healthy diet by CPT (Dr.) Wah Chin Pui

With so much concern about BMI (Body Mass Index) and healthy living lately, I've compiled a list of Q&As to help you to understand the truth about healthy living!

Q: I've heard cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Is this true?
A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it. Don't waste exercise, ehich makes your heart beat faster. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer - that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take more naps.

Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more vegetables?
A: You have to grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay. And what is this? A vegetable. So a steak is nothing more than nature's efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Beef is a good source of green leafy vegetables (grass), and a really big pork chop can gove you 100% of your vegetable requirement.

Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: Well, if you have a body, and you have body fat, the ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, the ratio is two to one, etc.

Q: What are the advantages of participating in a regular exercise programme?
A: Can't think of one, sorry. My philosophy is: No pain ... good.

Q: Are fried foods bad for you?
A: You're not listening, Foods are fried with vegetable oil these days. They're permeated with it! How can getting more vegetables be bad for you?

Q: Will sit-ups help me lose weight round the middle?
A: Definitely not! Whaen you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. Sit-ups give you a bigger belly.

Q: Is chocolate bad for me?
A: Helloooo. Cocoa beans = another vegetable! So go binge! Especially on fruit and nut!

Q: Is getting in shape important for my lifestyle?
A: Round is a shape.

I hope I've answered some of your misconceptions. Contact me at quack@malpractice.com

IPPT passed!

Woohoo! Cleared 1st year IPPT. Could've pushed for silver, but stopped at 6 chinups. Everything else was silver standard though. Should I try again? Moo now. =]

just watched van helsing, and the animation and fx is top class. very enjoyable, but nothing we have't seen before. some LotR-like scenery shots, and nicely animated creatures though. hugh jackman seems to be stuck as wolverine, and kate beckinsale in underworld (with an atrocious Eastern bloc accent). So how come frankenstein looked like Lurch from Addams family? and Drcula's helpers like carnivorous Ewoks? and Dracula's offspring like gremlins? this movie borrowed everything from everywhere. only thing original is the brides of dracula. dripping with evil man. and didn't the funeral pyre remind you of the one where faramir (i think) was almost burnt to death? and isn't carl : van helsing = Q : James Bond? I'd give 3 stars, but bump that up to 3 and a half, just for the fx.

man oh man. it just gets funnier at my unit.
my S3 (let's call him flintstone) asked the ops clerk to check something on the intranet. for his privacy, let's call the clerk WtF, or WF for short. WF thinking the msg was from his fren of the same name, smsed: "not free lah. what time oredi?"
whereupon he realised the gravity of his error, and quickly tried to remove his battery to prevent the msg from being sent.
too late.
a look of abject terror was on his face as he jumped around the office shouting: how? how? how?
S3 came back later, and WF went to apologise. S3's response? "wah your ba**s getting bigger ah, WF?"
we intend to give WF a medal of courage.

i just came across the ultimate in por-ing yesterday. the PA was interviewing 3 prospective runners to replace my upperstudy.

so she asked: "if you do anything wrong, then i will scold you a lot. can you handle that."

pretty desperate prospective runner, who doesn't know what he's getting himself into (poor sad soul): "it would be a privilege." deadpan. stoic even.

me and my upperstudy were jsut rolling on the floor laughing for a good 5 minutes. i realised it wouldn't be so funny if i were to spend the next year and a half with this guy. eek.

Here's something i submitted for a competition to win Radiohead's Hail to the Thief.

Hail to the Thief

She creeps stealthily, a cat with sheathed claws. She flits from host to host, lighting up the place with her Cheshire smile. Her intentions are pure - yet impure - because she knows perfectly well what she wants: she has spotted the big catch. The big, fat cat if you will. There it is, that smile again. Already she fills my thoughts. Alas! she is gone as quickly as she had come; she is nowhere to be seen. Gone. Hail to the thief, for she has stolen my heart.
Along with that gentleman’s wallet.

Translated here.

The Free and the Captured

‘Twas a beautiful garden, with a beautiful house
A house in which a little boy passed his days inside
Sometimes, stealthily, silently, softly as a mouse
The little boy in the little house would choose to sneak outside

It was a beautiful garden, as anyone could see,
The very type of garden that would drive away your gloom
Every morn the air would stir, butterflies and bees
For everywhere the sun did touch the flowers would just bloom!

Yellow, red and baby blue
It really was quite a sight!
But I believe you really should
See the fireflies at night!

One fine day the boy came out
To bask in the bright yellow sun
Of one little fact he had no doubt
Today he would have fun!

‘Twas only the night before
As he was lying down in bed
That he liked this idea even more
Till the thought stuck in his head!

“I will catch for myself with a net
A big blue butterfly
And love it as dearly as a pet!”
He jubilantly cried

Of all the lot
He caught for fun
He counted the spots
One by one

In due course, the sun did set
The end of time allotted
But the little boy had a brand new pet
In a brand new sealed-up bottle

The little pair proved in separable
Together day and night
And like all good pals compatible
They seldom did have fights

Alas! one was happy; the other wasn’t
The feeling was not mutual
The little winged one felt so boxed in
It felt so ineffectual!

The little boy sensed its distress
As inside he was peering
He saw the spots, once mostest
Were slowly disappearing!

As the boy contemplated the plight of the creature
A strong gust came and blew
The jar down to the ground into a million slivers . . .
And away the butterfly flew

Running to the window
Glass beneath his soles
The butterfly’s flight reached a crescendo
As the boy pondered the switch of roles

Love is meant to be free; why let it hold you captive?

Here's a poem I wrote in French class (with help from Systranbox.com) =]

Le Libre et Capturés

C'était un beau jardin, avec une belle maison
Une maison dans laquelle un petit garçon a passé ses jours à l'intérieur
Parfois, furtivement, silencieusement, doucement comme souris
Le petit garçon dans la petite maison choisirait de partir furtivement dehors

C'était un beau jardin, car n'importe qui pourrait voir
Le type même de jardin qui conduirait loin votre tristesse
Chaque matin l'air remuerait, des papillons et des abeilles
Pour le soleil avez touché partout les fleurs fleurirait juste!

Jaune, rouge et bleu de bébé
C'était vraiment tout à fait une vue!
Mais je crois que vous devriez vraiment
Voyez les lucioles la nuit!

Un jour beau le garçon a sorti
Pour se dorer dans le soleil jaune lumineux
D'un peu de fait il n'a eu aucun doute
Aujourd'hui il aurait l'amusement!

C'était seulement la nuit avant
Comme il se situait vers le bas dans le lit
Qu'il a aimé cette idée encore plus
Jusqu'à ce que la pensée ait collé dans sa tête!

"J'attraperai pour me avec un filet
Un grand papillon bleu
Et aimez l’aussi chèrement comme animal de compagnie!"
Il a radieusement pleuré.

De tout le sort
Il a attrapé pour l'amusement
Il a compté les taches
Un par un

En temps opportun, le soleil a placé
La fin du temps répartie
Mais le petit garçon a eu un animal de compagnie nouvel
Dans une bouteille scellée vers le haut nouvelle

La petite paire prouvée dans séparable
Ensemble jour et nuit
Et comme tous les bons Kumpel compatibles
Ils rarement ont eu des combats

Hélas! on était heureux; l'autre n'était pas
Le sentiment n'était pas mutuel
Le peu s'est envolé un senti ainsi enfermé dans une boîte dedans
Il s'est senti si inefficace!

Le petit garçon a senti sa détresse
En tant qu'intérieur il dévisageait
Il a vu les taches, une fois que les la plupart
Disparaissaient lentement!

Comme le garçon a contemplé la situation difficile de la créature
Une rafale forte est venue et a soufflé
La fiole vers le bas à la terre dans mille rubans
Et loin le papillon a volé

Courir à la fenêtre
Verre sous ses semelles
Le vol du papillon a atteint un crescendo
Comme le garçon a considéré le commutateur des rôles

L'amour est censé pour être libre; pourquoi laissez-le vous juger captif?

Just watched Kill Bill Vol. 2 last night. Good news is that you don't really need to watch the first one to appreciate Vol. 2. Tarantino's loving lens casts his muse, Uma Thurman, in such a loving light that the Bride's quest for revenge becomes our own. As Bud (Michael Madsen) put it, "she deserves her revenge, and we deserve to die." Such inevitability has you waiting to see how the Bride emerges from the direst circumstances, including one where she was bound and buried alive. The film is not without its humourous moments, despite its foreboding trepidation. It was almost poetic the way Elle (Daryl Hannah) dies. With the Bride's shi fu Pai Mei having already relieved Elle of one eye, the Bride then takes the other one out with the Tiger Crane, leaving Elle to grope around Bud's trailer, seeking redemption in the swift justice of the black mamba. And so the video game progressed, with the Bride moving irresistably on to meet Bill (David Carradine of Kung-Fu fame). Won't spoil the plot for you, but what happens is not your usual last-man-standing slugfest. It sure seemed that way as Uma strode into the hotel with a Hattori Hanzu sword (that's "sord", not "sWod") strapped to her back. What happens next is a time of unexpected closure, and an eventually bloodless conclusion.

Sounds good so far? Well some giggly girls sure spoiled the show, laughing at the most inappropriate moments (read: every scene). I mean, for goodness sake. If you can't appreciate QT at face value then go watch Starsky and Hutch to fill your cerebral vacuum or something . Sheesh. Tarantino's ode to the kungfu movies of the time of Gordon Liu, with unapologetically abrupt zoom-ins, turned out to be inexplicably ticklish to said giggly girls. QT would squirm if he knew his precious toil was being thrown like pearls to swine.

WORDS FOR THINGS THAT SHOULD HAVE WORDS BUT DON’T

Accordionated
adj. Being able to drive and refold a road map at the same time.

Aqualibrium
n. The point where the stream of water cooler water is at its perfect height, thus relieving the drinker from having to suck the nozzle, or squirting himself in the face.

Carperpetuation
n. The act, when vacuuming, of running over a piece of lint or string at least a dozen times, reaching down and picking it up, examining it, then putting it down again to give the vacuum one more chance.

Disconfect
v. To sterilise a piece of candy dropped on the floor by blowing on it, somehow assuming this will remove all the germs.

Ecnalubma
n. A rescue vehicle that can only be seen in the rear-view mirror.

Eleceleration
n. The mistaken notion that the more you press an elevator button, the faster it will arrive.

Frust
n. The small line of debris that refuses to be swept onto the dustpan and keeps backing a person across a room, until he decides to give up and sweep it under the rug.

Neonphancy
n. A fluorescent light bulb struggling to come to life.

Phonesia
n. The affliction of dialling a phone number and forgetting whom yoy wre calling just as they answer.

Telecrastination
n. The act of letting the phone ring at least twice before picking it up, even though you’re right next to it.

POLAR BEAR

There was once a polar bear cub that was being taken out to hunt for food by his father. They spent all day searching for food. The father bear eventually caught a seal that they shared. After a long trek home, the baby bear asked his father, “Daddy, am I a polar bear?” Father bear replied: “Of course you are, son. I’m a polar bear, your mother’s a polar bear, and you’re a polar bear.” No more was said that night.

The next day the baby bear was taken out hunting again. This time father bear caught a huge fish. Again after a long trek home, the baby bear asked his father, “Daddy, am I a polar bear?” Father bear replied: “Of course you are, son. My parents were polar bears, I’m a polar bear, your mother’s a polar bear, of course you’re a polar bear.” No more was said that night.

The next day they went hunting again. This time father bear caught a huge penguin. Again after a long trek home, the baby bear asked his father, “Daddy, am I a polar bear?” Father bear replied: “Look son, what’s all this nonsense? I’ve explained all this, why on earth do you think you may not be a polar bear?”

The baby bear replied, “Because I’m bloody freezing!”

Sign outside a fictional handphone repair shop:

3 Simple Options!!!

You want it cheap and good, it won't be fast.

You want it cheap and fast, it won't be good.

You want it fast and good, it won't be cheap.

I'm earning $370 now, but that'll be bumped up to $390 come 10 Jun. Then hopefully I'll be promoted to Corporal soon?

I've got risk, Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, Bomberman, Super Mario, among other games on my office PC, perfect for saturdays! =]

Reality according to Hollywood:

A baseball player on the plate can look up into a crowd of thousands, and immediately spot their loved one. The pitcher will politely wait for him to wave, and flash him a look of determination, before he throws the pitch.

A detective can only solve a case when he has been suspended from duty.

All grocery bags contain at least one baguette.

Breakups can be resolved by chasing the other person down the street, embarrassing them at work, or turning up at the airport just before they board their flight. Awwwwww.

As you know, this week just elapsed was Secretaries' Week. And wasn't it sweet when a CO so sweetly commented to my Comd's PA: "Without you I can't play golf." Sure makes life worth living.

And Bill Watterson demonstrated his knack for understanding NSFs by saying through Calvin, his 6-year-old alter-ego: "A day can really slip by when you're deliberately avoiding what you're supposed to do."

Here's more food for thought, especially for war-mongers. Interestingly, the word "monger" comes from the French word mongue, or "to eat". Do we really live on conflict made so palatable?
"War doesn't determine who's right - it determines who's left."

OK good news!
For the NDP Pre-Parade Show this year, the narrative for the mass display item by boon lay sec will be written by yours truly! small part, yes, but contributing to NDP 04 nonetheless!

Oh i remember the third thing liao!

Just wanted to say my previous skepticism over the Passion of the Christ, while not entirely wrong, requires considerable revision. While the film personally touched me, to the point of unembarrassed bawling, this one's not really for non-Christians. I believe after questions have been raised and curiosities piqued, it's our job as Christians to do our part and help them understand why Christ did everything he did for us. After all that He did, it's the least we can do. =]

OK since i can only remember two things then i guess i'll address two things then.

I'm really super duper chuffed that i can attend church camp this year, esp since i missed last year's cos of BMT. We're going to the Islamic stronghold of Terengganu, so i guess we have to dress more modestly. could be tricky. Can't wait for the South China sea breeze to blow in my face, watch the sun rise over the water, but knowing all this, i'll probably be allocated a mountain view of the golf course. Hope the committee will accede to a joint request for me and Theo to bunk together. Dunno what citeria they use, but I guess it amkes sense if two people agree to bunk together, then they'd be happiest there. Who doesn't like happy campers? whereas if you're bunked with someone new for the purpose of mentoring, then perhaps that should be left for a time when you're not relaxing and having fun? looking forward to playing beach soccer, goalposts included, and it'll be a perfectly utilised 5.5 days leave. also looking forward to playing giant checkers, where you make up the pieces. can imagine the immobility of the king! aside from all this, also looking forward to some funny skits put up on the last day (if there is), or some Agape pageantry. All in all I'm already looking forward to it, drooling about it.

On another note, my commander has spoken to me regarding my posting. turns out that when he interviewed me in january when i first came in, i mentioned i'd love the opportunity to write. God bless him! he remembered! But i found myself so settled in here at 2 SIB, that i didn't really want to move. so they were planning to move me over to do some writing for NDP and the 6 Div newsletter, but i didn't really want to. realise this is really my home for the next 2 years. so i told comd that I probably have no urge to write during my national service, unless it's for Pioneer mag (that $0.40 mag you throw away each month, NSFs). I mean what for I write, when i won't learn anything from what i write? I wanna actually learn from my writing! Hence he said he'd retain me since i wished to. ain't that nice? Thank God for planning this out, and giving me such a nice boss. but let's not talk about the female boss. I've been going for medical appointments both at the medical centre and the national skin centre cos the skin got worse, got a skin infection, plus trying to get further downgraded all at the same time, so feel a bit paiseh abt taking so many hours off. but just a bit lah. once everything clears up, i'll settle down to work properly.

All around me, I see God's blessings in my life. Perhaps it's time for me to spread some of it around, by being an encourager. Also I wanna witness to somebody this year. OK gotta go. time to watch EPL highlights in bunk, bathe, then play Winning Eleven 7 on PS2!!! =]

Three things I want to address here: Church Camp, my posting, and erm.... dang what's the last thing? oh no i can't remember! this post is embargoed till when i CAN remember! =[

just for the record, SMRT taking away dustbins on the guise of preventing terrorists putting in dustbins is just dumb. i spent my journey home clutching a chocolate wrapper, just because stoopid SMRT bigwigs don't realise terrorists can also stuff bombs elsewhere, like in cutesy-looking teddy bears. suddenly Kalm's are abettors to the Jemaah Islamiyah huh?

Can just imagine the exchange:

CEO: OK next item on the agenda. The gahmen asking us what we're doing about the terrorist threat.
Board member: What terrorist threat? we got cameras what. no need to record some more, our staff have been voted most alert by our in-house mag. (pauses for a moment to let implausibility sink in)
CEO: But LTA still wants more measures. nowadays boms can be hidden ANYWHERE.
Board member: yah lor. Dustbin also can (pauses again for implausibility)
CEO: OMG. a terrorist threat has been staring us in the face all the while!
Board member: (feigns shock and conceals surprise at acceptance of off-the-cuff remark) we must remove them immediately!
CEO: Great idea!
LOgical board member: but where will people throw rubbish? our stations must remain clean.
BOard member (who wants to "score points"): Hai yah! what's more important? safety or cleanliness? Some more i just read our youth are getting more concerned over public issues. surely they'll sacrifice holding on to their litter for the knowledge that they're helping to prevent a terrorist attack!
CEO: yahh my son is like that. true true. Let's do it. SAve money on dustbins too. then we can justify another price hike citing security measures.
BOard member (who wants to "angkat bola"): you're brilliant.
CEO beams beatifically.

Hence the disappearance of our dustbins. what next? EZ link cards can be flung by terrorists and might injure passengers. How? How? Wait for next board meeting lor, with illustrated scenario by powerpoint by siao on board member.

Bad decision guys.

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Presenting, after 6 months and 21 days as a chao Private, chao Lance-Corporal Aaron Wong!
For his valiant efforts, he has been given a mammoth pay raise of... $20. Hooray.
I think I spent more buying and sewing the epaulettes.

Meanwhile there remains some uncertainty over whether I'm staying as Comd runner, or going over to 6 Div to be a PA. I'd really like to stay, my friends all being here, so we'll see. Must try to make it pretty obvious I want to stay. =]

Everyone almost got conned into moving there under the impression I'd be writing for 6 Div newsletter and NDP, but spoiled their evil plan to steal me! haha! ahem nvm...
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Arsenal vs. Manchester United, 3 Apr 2004, Villa Park, FA Cup Semi-final

SAVED OUR SEASON! by Aaron Wong

Manchester United finally gave their suffering fans something to celebrate when they edged bitter rivals Arsenal 1-0 with an opportunistic strike from Paul Scholes. The England midfielder's 32nd minute howitzer means only First Division Millwall stands between United and their first FA Cup victory at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

Sir Alex Ferguson's amazing recod in domestic cup semi-finals continued with his tenth consecutive triumph, as United ground out a narrow win despite the absence of arguably their top two strikers and best defender. If not the best then certainly the most expensive - ₤62.8m of talent was conspicuously absent fromt the United team-sheet.

While United weer without Rio Ferdinand, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Louis Saha because they were suspended, injured and sup-tied respectively, Arsene Wenger's omission of Jose Antonio Reyes and Thierry Henry was borne of impudence, not incapacity.

As it happened, it seemed Wenger's gamble had paid off, as Arsenal exploded off the blocks, and could have gone 3-0 up within the first five minutes. Dennis Bergkamp, Edu and Kolo Toure were the villains, and United goalkeeper Roy Carroll the hero, as three gilt-edged chances were spurned by the usually clinical Gunners. Perhaps the difference was that Premiership top scorer Henry was not on hand to punish United.

As early as the third minute, Arsenal were presented with a chane by United's helter-skelter defensive positioning. Bergkamp was put through on the left, but by the time he had engineered a left foot snapshot, Carroll was already there to save with his feet. Perhaps Henry or Reyes's superior pace might have resulted in a more comfortable finishing position.

As the Dutchman collected the loose ball, Carroll was stranded, and torn between going for Bergkamp or scurrying back to cover the open goal. He did neither, and Bergkamp was able to curl a low shot towards goal on his natural right foot. but in the time that the United custodian had forced Bergkamp to take the extra touch to steady himself, Wes Brown had fallen back to clear with a diving header.

Almost immediately though, Arsenal worked the ball to Edu on the edge of the area. The Brazilian, in the form of his life this season, gracefully lifted the ball with his left foot and snt it arcing over the still shaken Carroll. Die-hard United fans may argue that despite the distinctly uncomfortable nature of the shot, the Northern Irishman had the lob covered. But anyway the shot hit the crossbar and went straight up in the air.

With the United defence still ball watching it seemed inevitable Toure would put the Gunners deservedly ahead, with Carroll still sprawled on the ground from the earlier attempt. The Ivory Coast international placed his header to the keeper's left. Being in the six-yard box with the keeper taken out of the equation, who could blame him? The shout was already in every Gooner's throat, but they dod not take into account Roy Carroll rising from the turf in the manner that he did. Flying through the air and seemingly defying gravity, he clawed the ball away from under the bar.

At that point it was hard to tell who drew the greater confidence from that amazing two-minute sequence, but suffice to say, the Red Devils were awoken from their stupor.

Soon after that, United had a chance of their own as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was released down the left, exploiting lauren's over-exuberant attacking commitment. But the Norwegian failed to stretch Jens Lehmann.

Ferguson's decision to unleash what must be seen as two of the Premiership's most feared wide men in Ryan Giggs and Cristiano Ronaldo stretched the Arsenal defence to breaking point. Teenage left back Gael Clichy in particular was being given a torrid examination by United's Portuguese wunderkind, and was booked for bringing another slalom surge to a clumsy conclusion.

Despite Ronaldo's lack of experience, being only 18 and having arrived only this season from the supposedly weaker Portuguese league (how Porto would scoff at this inference), Ronaldo's impact has been nothing short of spectacular. And on this display, he isn't shy to do it in the big games too.

While United had at least restored parity, Arsenal were still imperious whenever they had the ball, Fredrik Ljungberg should have done better in the 15th minute when he scuffed his shot.

United were hungrier and more desperate to win, the FA Cup being their last realistic hope for silverware this season. It appeared they had had remedial training at Carrington as well, as Giggs and Scholes executed a well-rehearsed free-kick routine. Both ran toward the ball simultaneously, turned away at the last instant in mock embarrassment, before Scholes suddenly turned and delivered a stinging ball in to the box that Arsenal just managed to clear. It was clear United were getting more confident.

In their last meeting, United harried and hassled Arsenal to a 1-1 draw, despite being outplayed for long periods. United stuck to the same game plan, this time with greater effect, as United's physical approach put Arsenal's aristocrats out of their stride.

Tackles were flying in from all over the place, and ironically it was Ronaldo who was on the receiving end of a bad tackle. He had to limp off to receive treatment, to the trepidation of the United bench. Though he was back on in minutes, he seemed to be gingerly trynig his leg out, and the worry was that the Red Devils' most potent weapon would have to be taken off.

That proved to be the least of United's worries, as what should have been a straightforward clearance by Mickael Silvestre went horribly wrong as the ball accidentally brushed his hand. 'Handball!' screamed the Arsenal fans, players and infamously myopic manager in unison, but the referee waved play on. Another fortunate incident, and perhaps it could turn out to be United's day, even more so as Pires ballooned a free header in the six-yard box.

And so it proved in the 32nd minute, as the ball was worked to a roving Ryan Giggs, this time on the right wing. Having got in behind the United rearguard, the opportunity was there for Giggs to shoot on his favourite left foot, but instead he looked for the opening.

Playing the ball a stride behind the desperately retreating Arsenal defence, the Welshman picked out Scholes, who made no mistake from 15 yards. With no player closing Scholes down, Lehmann was left stranded as the ball exploded off Scholes's right foot and billowed the German's net.

Having done so well initially, this sucker punch was a low blow to Arsenal, and they trooped dejectedly upfield as their opponents congregated in delirium. Eventually someone reminded them they still had 58 minutes to go, and now they faced ARsenal with renewed confidence.

it is said a team is most vulnerable immediately after they've scored, and it almost proved the case again. The largely anonymous Jeremie Aliadiere played a first-time ball into Ljungberg's path barely two minutes later, and if not for Silvestre's timely intervention, the Swede would have been through.

Arsenal were finishing the half strongly, but their weakness in the air was exposed as no one converted a flurry of corners and crosses. So on United's throw of the dice, Darren Fletcher took charge.

It seems every young British Manchester United midfielder with a right foot is being compared to a young David Beckham, but you can't go too wrong with young Scottish tyke Fletcher. Certianly on the lightweight side, and heavily dependent on his right foot as the England captain was, Fletcher's passing range belies one so young.

With five minutes to go to a well-earned half-time break, the United youth academy graduate lofted an exquisite through ball to release Ronaldo behind Clichy again. Although Ronaldo's low cross was cleared, Arsenal could scarcely allow United such expediency on the ball.

United survived a last-minute scare, just to jog their manager's pacemaker, as Roy Keane, under pressure from fellow skipper Patrick Vieira, headed against the foot of the post with Carroll stranded. United were riding their luck, but at least they had ridden it to the halfway mark.

United stuck with the system that served them well in the second half, with Solskjaer as the lone striker, but his rustiness showed as his first touch failed him on several occasions.

Five minutes into the half, and the match had its forst real moment of controversy. As Bergkamp burst into the box, he went down under presure with red shirts all around him, and he appealed for a penalty. John O'Shea berated Bergkamp for diving, and rightly so, as the replays proved.

Somwhow Wenger must have caught on that the Bergkamp-Aliadiere partnership wasn not working, and so on 58 minutes, he threw on his not-so-secret weapons, Henry and Reyes.

Other teams may have capitulated at the sight of those two coming fresh off the bench, but then United are hardly just another team. United stuck to their guns and continued to apply stifling presure on the outnumbered Arsenal midfield at every opportunity.

It seemed to work as Arsnal became increasingly desperate, the likes of Edu and Henry resorting to pot shots from 30 yards out. Perhaps henry's superlative strike the last time these two met was still fresh in his mind? This time though, Carroll remained untroubled.

The match threatened to boil over as goalscorer Scholes was about two weeks late with a knee-high studs-first challenge on Reyes. Arsenal soon forgot about that though, as two minutes later, Silvestre continued his passable impression of Liverpool defender Stephane Henchoz as the ball struck his hand in full view of the referee, but again the man in black shook his head.

United's resolute defending continued to frustrate the rudderless Gunners, and Lauren got himself into the referee's book with 10 minutes to go. Ronaldo concluded a good day at the office, coming off for David Bellions to give United a more balanced 4-4-2 formation.

Though it was slightly nervy at the end, the disconsolate Gunners lacked the ammunition, even with four strikers with Nwankwo Kanu's introduction.

A hearty handshake between both managers, not dissimilar to their animated gesticulations at flash points of the match, seemed a fitting way to end an engaging battle between England's finest.

It also ended Arsenal's dream of emulating United's 1999 Treble, but there was no denying the hungrier side had won. manchester United will be going to Cardiff, favourites to lift the FA Cup. Their season is saved.

Hey I'm gonna be posted to G1 Branch at 6 Division to be the G1 PA. One guy just commented "What a job..." when I told him. Oh dear. What is in store for the intrepid PTE Aaron, soon to be Lance-Corporal wef Friday 16 Apr? We'll see. Alright, you can call me la* jia* peng now. =]

Arsenal vs. Manchester United, 28 Mar 2004, Highbury, English Premier League

CRAFT VS. GRAFT by Aaron Wong

Arsenal is now officially on the longest ever unbeaten start to a season, never mind that the season is already 30 games old and winding to a close, with little doubt where the Barclaycard English Premiership trophy is going to spend its summer. Arsenal again underlined what a potent attacking threat they are, even without the guile of Dennis Bergkamp, as they probably broke the speed limit with speed demons Thierry Henry and Jose Antonio Reyes up front. Sir Alex Ferguson also had a few tricks up his sleeve, as Louis Saha started on the bench, with Cristiano Ronaldo nowhere to be seen. These two players were the ones expected to give the Gunners their biggest test, but United lined up with young Darren Fletcher and Eric Djemba-Djemba instead.

This game was a showcase of everything English about the game, featuring the two most dominant sides in recent years, an electric pace, full-blooded tackles, as well as the odd disputed penalty or so.

As expected, both sides exploded from the blocks, looking to go straight for the jugular and stun their opponents with an early goal. There was always the realisation that United are out of their depth this season, and would need to take their chances clinically if they were to glean anything from this match. United started brightly enough, and as early as the third minute, a hopeful ball from Gary Neville gave Scholes a half-chance as Kolo Toure misread the pass. Scholes had to hit a snap-shot on the turn with his left foot before the ball squirmed away, while running at full tilt. It was as difficult as it sounded, and the shot failed to trouble Jens Lehmann.

From then on, it was no exaggeration to say it was one-way traffic, as Arsenal simply chased everything that moved. Quite simply, United panicked.

Fredrik Ljungberg was put through in the eighth and seemed certain to score on his favoured right foot, before Wes Brown impudently stepped in to make a goal-saving tackle. This was but the first of numerous situations where the much-maligned England international was authoritative in snuffing out the Gunners’ cannon.

But the gaps still prevalent in the United rearguard yawned open again as Ljungberg was left free on the right side of the penalty area, as Mikael Silvestre got conned into anticipating a cross from the Swede, and only a smart save by Roy Carroll at his near post saved Silvestre from further embarrassment.

United were by now in sixes and sevens, as they couldn’t even string simple passes together. Reyes was again put through, and Carroll rushed out and smothered at the Spaniard’s feet, justifying Ferguson’s faith in him. The Red Devils have always possessed a scorpion’s sting in their tail though, and on one rare foray into the Arsenal box, they won a corner from Ryan Giggs’s perseverance. Where once was Señor Beckham raking a pinpoint pass for Scholes to volley, this time Fletcher found Djemba-Djemba. He looked to have lost control of the ball, but as Vieira advanced to close him down, he coolly flicked it over the Frenchman with his right foot, and struck a venomous shot with his left. A moment of skill to light up the match, certainly, but for Arsenal to go a goal behind would’ve been a heresy. Lehmann saved comfortably to his right, and now Arsenal could resume their dominance.

Henry continued to be United’s tormentor-in-chief, and Arsenal’s fluency was clearly beginning to unsettle the United midfield, clearly not used to being out-passed, outwitted and outplayed. Scholes got himself needlessly booked as he unceremoniously shoved Ljungberg in the back, with the Swede barely out of his own penalty area.

There was palpable fear among the visiting support as the Premiership’s leading scorer stepped up to take a 25-yarder after Neville’s mistimed tackle on Reyes. Where once United held the trump card in these situations in David Beckham, now Henry has opposing defensive walls on tenterhooks. Henry’s shot lacked pace though, and Carroll was able to gather comfortably.

Ryan Giggs was the only real threat as far as Arsenal were concerned, and in the 35th minute, the Welshman popped up on the right flank, skinned Gael Clichy for pace, and rolled a pass on a plate for Scholes to finish. The ginger-haired one, so often clinical for United and England in the penalty box, completely miscued the shot. It just wasn’t happening for the Red Devils. Barely five minutes later, a lightning Henry raid left the United defence flat-footed as he came one-on-one with Carroll. With the home crowd ready to celebrate, Henry chose to go for the Hollywood finish, pushing the ball past Carroll, then needlessly throwing himself to the ground theatrically. King Henry had granted United clemency, as the teams went into half-time with the stalemate unbroken.

Only a combination of wayward Arsenal finishing and a charmed United defence only just hanging on contrived to keep Arsenal’s predators at bay. Arsene Wenger had every right to look smug at half-time, his gamble on Reyes’s pace looked to pay off sooner rather than later. And we were wondering why Ferguson kept the lightweight and inexperienced Fletcher on the pitch instead of seasoned campaigner Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. We could only wonder at half-time.

But Henry denied us even the comfort of wondering. Five minutes after the restart, he reminded us why he’s a shoo-in for Player of the Year, with a flash of Gallic brilliance. A neat interchange between him and Reyes left Henry with space to take aim 25-yards from goal. No backlift, no fuss, and an absolute thunderbolt flew past Carroll.

Memories came flooding back of Batistuta against Bosnich for Fiorentina just a few years back. United were stunned. After all the hard work to get to half-time goalless, this. United began to throw their men forward in search for goals.

In the 53rd minute came the game’s talking point. A cross-field pass from Silvestre found Giggs in glorious isolation on the right against Sol Campbell. As Giggs blazed past the leaden-footed England man, Campbell lost his balance, and tapped Giggs’s ankle while falling down. Giggs went down in the penalty area, and the crowd was wondering free-kick or penalty. Referee Graham Poll had other ideas though, and gave a goal-kick. Cue livid United remonstrations.

This seemed to galvanise United, and it became a furious exchange of thrust and counter-thrust as United pressed forward, with Arsenal’s searing pace now something they’d worry about later. United’s burdensome movement was becoming more evident as a collective failure than just a few out-of-form players, and their despondence was only unpunished by Arsenal’s amazing reluctance to kill off the game.

United’s doggedness, for so long their hallmark, was again rewarded late on, as Arsenal were duly punished for trying to defend their slender lead.

Solskjaer’s blitz down the right led to a tantalising pass across the six-yard box. An out-of-sorts van Nistelrooy missed the ball completely, but at least he took Toure along for the ride, and Saha was at the far post to tuck home his fourth goal since his move from Fulham.

But it would’ve been an anti-climax for the match to end so relatively straightforwardly. Stung into action. Arsenal poured forward against a distracted United defence. Henry created a shot out of nothing three minutes from time to test Carroll, but it was just to warm him up for what was to come in the 91st.

Gilberto shot when Henry was better placed, but Carroll parried the shot. As the ball bounced free, Henry pounced. Fortunately for United, it was with his head, and the ball whizzed past the post. United escaped, but it would’ve been an injustice for the way they came back.

The highly entertaining encounter pitted Arsenal’s craft against United’s graft, and it ended honours even at 1-1. But it seems United can no longer compete on an even keel.

How fitting that as Arsenal broke the record for the longest unbeaten start to a season, United are but a side note to their achievement, for they were powerless to prevent Arsenal from reaching that milestone.

Arsenal vs United.
Last chance saloon man.
All hands to the pump!
Save our Season!
!!!

(the first 4 letters already spell "alas!")

Manchester United vs. Tottenham Hotspur, 20 May 2004, Old Trafford, English Premiership

FORTUNE FAVOURS THE BRAVE by Aaron Wong

A professional performance by a Manchester United side still hurting from Porto’s exposé of their European inadequacies was sufficient to see off a Tottenham side that lacked the cutting edge when it mattered. Granted, by no means did the performance hearken to the free-flowing 2003 vintage, but it lifted the gloom off an Old Trafford crowd that must have thought their team had forgotten how to win.

A sublime 24th minute improvisation from the much-maligned Ryan Giggs made sure Spurs were always chasing the match, before two late goals from substitutes Cristiano Ronaldo and David Bellion added a flattering touch to the eventual score.

Again, United comfortably dominated their favourite opponents, who served as cannon fodder for United’s renaissance, but the impudent swagger was sorely missing. 3-0 was both a fair and unfair reflection of the match, as it illustrated the one-sided affair, but failed to show the chinks that still exist in the Red Devils’ armour.

Fortune was with the home side, though it stopped short of an overdose of luck that would have left sympathisers with a bitter taste in their mouth. United had sympathisers for their European exit, as their Old Trafford performance merited a better result; this time United got just their fair share of luck, but not really needing it against David Pleat’s side.

Let me explain.

On another day, Giggs’s side-heel in the six-yard might not have sneaked in. But it did.

On another day, Ronaldo’s screamer might have been touched wide by a more alert Kasey Keller, or flown just wide. Nope, off the post and in.

On another day of unsympathetic refereeing, Wes Brown’s accidental handball might have been penalised, with the score at 1-0. The referee gave the benefit of the doubt.

Lucky United? I don’t think so. United created enough chances to win comfortably, and in the end they did.

However, the emphatic victory failed to paper over the cracks that are painfully evident in every United match. Ruud van Nistelrooy, for so long United’s epitome of consistency, once again failed to deliver the goods. He seems to have lost the knack of finishing the half-chances, something he always did. It was painful to watch the Dutchman repeatedly try to do a Henry with jinking runs a-la-mode, but always giving the ball away. The ball always seemed to get stuck under his Nike-shod feet in the penalty area, and the frustration is starting to show.

His ineptitude was in contrast to the electrifying introduction of Ronaldo in the 75th minute. Suddenly, United’s laboured performance had an impetus about it, and fast breaks were fed down the right flank to the ravenous Portuguese wonder-kid. His reward came eventually in the last minute of normal time, as the Spurs defence again gave him too much space as he cut into the middle, and allowed him to pick his spot with an absolute belter.

His Welsh partner-in-crime on the left flank was truly in his element against a lightweight Spurs defence that failed to make its presence known, scoring with his supposedly weaker foot, and picking out Bellion for United’s third with a laser-guided through ball.

At the back, it was a heartening display from a United defence, but this was against an uni-directional Spurs offence, best characterised by the over-indulgent wing-play of Inter Milan reject Stephane Dalmat. Not quite up to the standard of his former Inter team-mate and countryman, Mickael Silvestre, who kept Jermain Defoe in his pocket all afternoon. Stronger opposition though, with a double header coming up with champions-elect Arsenal, would see the new look defence-sans-Ferdinand put through a much stronger litmus test of their chemistry. The return of old (though not necessarily wise) head Gary Neville might ease the growing pains though.

This match saw the return of the old guard, with none of Sir Alex Ferguson’s summer recruits making his starting line-up. It was a sweet déjà vu as the likes of Scholes, Giggs and Solskjaer hunted like a pack of wolves, and added graft to their craft to get the ball back when they lost it. Ferguson was trying to get back to basics by falling back on a team that had only last season been crowned champions. But they aren’t getting any younger. Also, some of the members have been left too far behind, and look like Bata shoes in a Nike showroom.

Diego Forlan spent the afternoon with a forlorn expression permanently on his face as chance after chance went a-begging. The Uruguayan is obviously out of his depth at this level, and the sooner he is offloaded to a short-sighted admirer the better. This was especially evident when a searing Giggs run ended in a cross that, although was too high for a near-post van Nistelrooy, landed perfectly at the far post for Forlan’s to either control and place it, or crack a volley in. He did neither. His expression was one of bemusement as the ball bounced off his thigh to safety. It might just be that little bit funny if you’re 3-0 up and cruising, but that was at 0-0. Surely our patience can’t tolerate such incompetence much longer. Louis Saha was a necessary and urgent acquisition, but surely Ferguson must invest in a world-class target man during the summer.

Roy Carroll may have kept a clean sheet, but for a keeper whose face emanates the confidence last reserved for Fabien Barthez, God help us if we are to rely on a Northern Irish journeyman who has not tasted international victory since the Middle Ages.

The two players just aren’t United material, and they’ve been around long enough for us to confirm that. To compound the malady, United are investing in the future with purchases like Celtic’s Liam Miller and China’s Dong Fangzhuo, when the need to catch up is now, before Arsenal get too far away. Fergie’s Fledglings aren’t getting any younger, and Roy Keane is no longer the imposing juggernaut he once was. So often the driving force behind United’s stirring comebacks, Keane himself has said he will retire if he can no longer contribute at his highest level. You don’t say these things if there’s nothing wrong. The decline has already begun.

The marauding runs that tore through opposition midfields are replaced by tentative square passes and late, apologetic tackles. The expression he gives referees say, “Cut an old man some slack, the legs aren’t working as they used to.” Vieira vs. Keane used to be blockbuster match-ups. Now it’s just the heavyweight champion against the veteran has-been. More worryingly though, United are far from replacing the Irish firebrand.

I could only admire as I switched over to the Arsenal-Bolton match that started 15 minutes late. Patrick Vieira was dominant with the easy languidness of a true thoroughbred, and there wasn’t much to suggest United can get a look in, but there remains hope. Like United, Arsenal had their share of fortune. Stelios I-can’t-pronounce-his-poulos hit the woodwork, and Bolton gave Arsenal their fair share of heart-in-mouth experiences, as Arsenal struggled to bury Sam Allardyce’s side. Ivan Campo even came close to a second goal with a last-minute volley. But then again, the hard work had been done in the first half. Arsenal is beatable, but then no side has combined class with chance to that effect.

If United do beat Arsenal twice, then it isn’t really that bad a season after all, is it? Second place, four points off the Gunners, Champions’ League next year, FA Cup champions, and a season under the belts of the new recruits. Liverpool would kill Houllier for that. Things could be worse.

The ball was shifting like a beach ball amid unnaturally high winds at Old Trafford. Litter strewn on the pitch was caught up in little maelstroms. Quite a sight, and the litter even looked a little bit like confetti. The season can end in the debris of a spectacular United fallout, or with muted celebration of some redemption.

The winds of change have arrived, and if United don’t set out sail, they’ll be left behind in Arsenal’s wake. What choice do we have? Bring on Arsenal.

Had a TERRIBLE soccer game on sunday. Edgar scored a hat-trick within, what, 5 minutes?
SO thanks to myself, for my particularly inept play, and chao bin. =p LOTSA injuries guys, cos Matt "Bonecruncher" Chua was there. =]

Manchester United vs. FC Porto, 9 May 2004, Old Trafford, UEFA Champions League

PLAIN BAD LUCK by Aaron Wong
So United lose 3-2 on aggregate. Did they deserve to, on basis of the Old Trafford display? I think not.

What I saw on Wednesday morning (Singapore time) was a refreshing display unseen since Ferdinand's untimely incapacitation. Every time a Porto player got the ball, a red shirt was there to close him down. Deco, so important a player for the Portuguese champions, was rendered impotent by the tigerish United midfield of Djemba-Djemba, Giggs, Fletcher, Scholes and Butt.

With the tie hanging by a thread, United set out their stall to get that early goal, and their endeavour was duly rewarded, when a pin-point O'Shea cross was headed home emphatically by the ginger-haired one. 1-0 up on the night, and if things remained that way, United would go through on away goals.

Seemingly in cruise control, the Red Devils now had the impetus, as the onus was now on Porto to get their goal. United were dominant in the air, compared to their inept display in Oporto two weeks ago, Brown standing out with countless clearing headers. Porto held the upper hand on possession without creating anything useful, and were limited to long-range potshots, courtesy of the opposition's willingness to close them down. Save for a Carlos Alberto effort which Howard did well to save with his feet, Porto were haunted by Jose Mourinho's pre-match boast that they couldn't be hurt if United didn't have the ball. As it happened, Porto were the ones who needed the ball, had most of it, 57% at one point, and couldn't do much with it.

Dmitri Alenitchev, constantly probing the right wing, saw plenty of the ball, but always had O'Shea and Giggs to contend with, while Deco and Pedro Costinha were reduced to possession hoggers.

The young Brazilian, Carlos Alberto, had a match to forget as he twisted this way and that, but always found a red wall. A ridiculous three-foul streak, all on the left wing, left the home side livid at his antics. But the perceived protection he got from the Russian referee was thrown in his face when he went down theatrically in the area under pressure from the imperious Brown, and looked up to see Mr Ivanov waving play on. What was more mysterious was the absence of a booking for simulation. He was eventually substituted in the second half.

In hindsight, the turning point arrived just before half-time, when United were looking the more dangerous side when they had the ball. After a bit of pinball in the Porto penalty area, Giggs managed to send a scuffed shot towards goal. Vitor Baia anticipated it, and got down to it. Only the ball wasn't there. Scholes got a foot to it, trapped it and in one swift execution, toe-poked it past the despairing keeper. Ironic how the Portuguese keeper had the no. 99 jersey then. 99 times out of a hundred a goal would've been given, but Old Trafford groaned collectively when the linesman's flag was raised. TV replays vindicated the protesting Scholes, as he was clearly a yard onside when Giggs played the ball in.

Ah well, we thought. Poetic justice will be done in the end.

It was perplexing to see the second half begin with Louis Saha, carrying a slight Achilles heel problem, in place of Djemba-Djemba, who did a great job of getting stuck in and unsettling the Portuguese ballet troupe. But when United's own Portuguese darling came on for the more defensively-sound Darren Fletcher, it was obvious what the all-Scottish bench wanted. The game was to be killed off on the counter-attack. The FA Cup match against Fulham had proved how lethal the Ronaldo-Saha combination could be on the fast break, and with Porto committing men forward, two goals would have been enough to bury them.

Less then ten minutes after Ronaldo's introduction though, the Porto support hypocritically derided the flamboyant winger for taking a dive when he went down after pushing the ball past Nuno Valente. The referee thought so too, but apparently there was more than an Oscar lost when Ronaldo was stretchered off, bringing back memories of his jersey predecessor's metatarsal episode, against another blue-and-white-striped team, Deportivo.

The dream of poetic justice still lingered in the minds of the United faithful, as the tension proved unbearable. They needed a second goal before they could relax.

Unfortunately the goal came from Porto.

United, for so long the purveyor of late, late goals, got a taste of their own medicine, as Porto won a contentious free-kick within Beckham range. His shadow hung over the stadium as Benni McCarthy, hero of the first leg, placed the shot towards Howard's top-left corner. I say "towards", but the truth was it arrowed like a guided missile. T-Ho got a hand to it, but failed to direct it to safety. Francisco Costinha, just back from suspension, was on hand to slam it home, his third goal in seven games. As Porto celebrated, United were in disbelief. Not because their defeat was of their doing, but because they knew they did all they could. A late flurry of red waves crashed safely of the Porto moorings, and in the end, their first leg performance proved costly.

United can hold their heads high despite the result, and it was more due to bad luck more than anything, a recurrent theme this season. First, Ferdinand, then Magnier, then Keane's ill-advised retaliation at being outclassed in Portugal, then Scholes's perfectly legitimate goal which would've killed them off, then Ronaldo's premature end. Porto's free-kick might even have been waved on by another referee.

A bustling performance from the Reds, but the cutting edge was just out of reach in this nonetheless inspired display. Truth be told, United's best chance of silverware now lies in the FA Cup, the one they disowned in 2000. If United maintain this standard, then they might just halt the Arsenal juggernaut.

It is not always the case that a good performance merits a good result, but more often than not it does. As Yao Ming put it aptly the other day, 'Resolve means victory'. Right on.

Had a GREAT soccer game on sunday. Scored a hat-trick within, what, 5 minutes?
SO thanks to my teammates, many of them, since we kept switching teams: Clarence (Seedorf), Theo (Zagorakis), (Johnnie) Jackson, Eddy (Newton). NO injuries guys, cos Matt (Elliott) not there. =]

argh i've got full pack inspection, haven't packed a single thing AND i have technical mobilisation on saturday! BURNT!
*pats self on back for not using any army-related acronyms*

Here's to Germaine, Shermaine, Sue-Ann, Amanda, Deborah, who're studying on that continental isle of Oz. Don't miss home or your loved ones too much, and focus on your studies yah? Miss you...

I'm slated for three COS duties a month, so no guard duty for me. Thank God!

And presenting, after an abject waste of a working day, PTE Aaron Wong - (un)qualified Administrative Support Assistant!
Apparently, I can now answer phone calls politely, while covering my own arse with relevant documentation.

i'm going to khatib camp tmr, and undergo the Admin Support Asst course. SOOOOOO fun. it's almost dripping with pure unadulterated fun.