Written on 10/29/2004 04:33:00 am by sikapitan
Who's freaking bored? Something to ponder.
Is that him over there?
Saying hello to you
Does anyone care?
I’m a part of you too
Or is he the one
Who brings you milk every day?
He’s pretty attractive
I always thought he was gay
Every smile and nod
Shake of hands and little pats
Bring me hateful thoughts
That there’s more in all that
I’m paranoid now you see
Losing you to somebody
It could be anybody
And that drives me crazy
All these insecurities
Are eating up on me
It’s a wicked world you see
Where people just take what they need
It’s better not to care
Better not be worried
Better not to stare
Better not to love
It means nothing.It holds nothing.It's rhymes. Cheerios:)
Written on 10/27/2004 01:56:00 am by sikapitan
I don’t want to talk about something that has been commented upon in great detail in my previous entry, but the recent comments and turmoil surrounding ANOTHER “Battle at Old Trafford” deserves at least a mention in this undeniably biased blog. To recap the events AFTER the game :
Arsenal players surround the referee. Sol Campbell refused to shake hands with Rooney. Henry in his usual dramatic Gallic style tries to make a point to Rio and Carroll.It has emerged through the grapevine that there’s one or two incidents in the tunnel, including Sir Alex being thrown a SOUP!
Arsene Whiner and PaTRICK Vieira both implied that the referee has acted unjustly during the post-match interview beamed live all over the world. Fergie can’t look any happier!
The papers are filled with editorials on how United cheated or Arsenal’s a bad loser. Even my MOM has entered into the fray by simply saying “Manchester tipu.”. If she wasn’t my mom…..
Ruud Econovan was charged by the FA for the tackle on Ashley Simpson..oh sorry, Cole. He claimed it was innocent. At the same time, Wenger has to appear to explain his comments.
Ruud subsequently accepted the charges without demanding a hearing and is now set for a three-match ban.
Let’s talk about the “incidents” in the match. Rio’s incident when he bumped Freddie looked very suspicious at first but upon seeing the replays over and over again I cannot say that the ref made a mistake. Freddie pushed the ball too far wide, and to the right side, but his body leaned across towards the left. I’m thinking, as a footballer, that he was trying to muscle his way with Rio and simply lost. 50-50, it’s a man’s game.
Now, the NEW brunt of Arsenal’s anger – Ruud’s tackle on Ashley. When it first played out, I thought nothing of it. But again from the wonders of modern technology, we can see the replay from almost every angle possible and at any range we wish to- from them looking like ants, to the beads of their sweat. We all know that Ruud is one annoying bastard, and when he tackles it looks like Arnold Susahnakeja trying to do a ballet. It just looks ugly. But in that game, we can clearly see him looking up and giving that gay-gangster-looking dude a right old jolly kick in the knee. I hate to see it, frankly, because now all attention has shifted from how United managed to keep Henry & Co at bay and also because it’s way over the top. Ashley, I hate to admit this, is a fine left-back and I secretly wish he is one of ours.
But I also have to admit that he’s a real wanker. He fights almost every decision against him. EVERY decision. It seems like he has no sense of right and wrong. He's the kind of player every other players and fans love to hate. A bit like Robbie Savage, though with less silly haircut. He cannot play the angel now and say that he hasn’t done what Van had done to him. This is football, and having played the game, I do understand that sometimes we carry grudges on to the pitch. I’ve elbowed one or two people I find really annoying, or jumped in with both feet. We are all humans and humans are generally retributive in character, no?
And what about Rooney’s penalty? Is it any worse than what Toure tried to do at the end of the game? There was minimal contact, and for a big lad Rooney fell down way too easily. In other words, he was looking for it. But so is every other player in the world. When a defender sticks out a leg like that, it’ll surely be too much to ask the ref to see everything in detail. I admit, it shouldn’t have been a penalty and I do regret that we’ve to resort to such tactics. But I remembered Robert Pires tripping WITHOUT any contact at all during last season. Seriously, if it wasn’t for the fact that it’s Arsenal I would have laughed at the whole stupidity of it all. I apologize for the dive, but you make your own luck on the pitch yea?
Thierry Henry’s simply frustrated at his lack of chances throughout the match so he’s irrelevant for our discussion. What I like to emphasis for Man United fan is to view things objectively. We rode our luck and we made it through. We won not through skill but pure determination. How we view things can be summed up by this peculiar scenario – when asked, Ferguson said he didn’t see the penalty incident but thought it should be given anyway while Arsene claimed he didn’t see the fracas inside the tunnel at the end of the game or his own players’ actions on the pitch, namely Vieira sticking his nose into everything. It just goes to show that what we see, and what we want to see, are two completely different things. Let bygones be bygones.
Written on 10/25/2004 02:37:00 am by sikapitan
Do men cry? Definitely.
Why do they cry? Now, that’s a difficult question to answer really because unlike the female species we men generally do not cry when a cat dies or when the new Guess top got burned by the iron. Even the death of a relative does not exactly lead men, or rather me in particular, to “dry my eyes”. We do cry when we discover our beloved car has been spoiled by unwanted “hands”, or when a football hits us straight in the nuts but we usually reserve our tears for things that REALLY matters to us. And these include our beloved sporting affiliation. For me, it has always been Manchester United ever since they lost the F.A Cup Final against Everton in 1995. And admittedly I’ve shed on too many tears over my beloved Red Devils. Whether it’s tears of joy when they clinched the Treble or if it’s tears of sorrow when Cantona called it quits, being a Manchester United fan has been a roller-coaster emotional ride for myself, especially in the past couple of seasons when that thug-team known as ARSEnal began dominating the game, and doing it beautifully too. They have gone on a brilliant 49 game without losing and doing it stylishly too. That’s like having sex with 49 different girls and hearing no complaints. But tonight, this special special night, it has stopped. Suddenly one girl said, “Damn, you’re pretty ugly.” And that special bitch is my beloved Man United.
I’m still drying my tears of joy. I can’t believe it. When the line-up showed the absence of Captain Miracle, Roy Keane, I was pessimistic that we could get away with a draw, let alone a win. But lo and behold, when the going gets tough, the tough gets going. If you remember my previous article on Man United (why should you?), you would recall me wondering why Phil Neville hasn’t played a significant part this season. And that question remains on the table, especially after his magnificent all-action display in the centre of the park. He was tenacious, sometimes bordering on over-the-top, but that’s just what the doctor ordered. I do admit though that Man United practically bullied their way in the first half. They had chances, but it was as clear-cut as one might be led to believe. I still find their approach of pumping the ball forward to the wings where one striker HOPEFULLY would hold it up extremely wasteful of possession. There was seldom any play generated from the centre of the park.
Comparatively, Arsenal played the smoother football, as anyone would expect. Their brilliant one-touch, run into space, lateral triangle tactics is extremely effective and beautiful to watch. But like I said, United bullied them in the first half. Most teams try to do the same, but really haven’t got the players to execute it. It is of no coincidence that the highlight of the first half was Rio Ferdinand bumping Ljungberg of his run when he’s through on goal. It is the epitome of United’s tactics that night. Hustle them off the park, bruise them up a bit, leave a trailing leg to catch theirs, winding them up with little pats- the little things which are too frivolous separately to constitute an offence but collectively managed to stifle Arsenal’s creative flow. I might have preferred the old United gung-ho attacking style, but we’ve got to admit that we’ll get slaughtered if we try to take Arsenal to the cleaners. It’s like, “I don’t look like Brad Pitt, but I’ve got a 7 inch dick”. It ain’t pretty, but it’ll definitely be performing.
Phil Neville pushed the boundary on the gamesmanship. I can see him tugging at Bergkamp’s shirt when the Dutchman was trying to run into space, or going across a running midfielder. Not the fairest of plays, but if that’s needed to stop this rampaging Arsenal side then who the bloody hell cares? Ronaldo wasn’t as effective as he usually is, but Giggsy was even more isolated. He was doing a lot more defending, and frankly speaking, the time has come for a suitable replacement to take over his illustrious mantle. Special mention must go to United’s defence, which but for one clear-cut chance, held their own against Arsenal’s famed strike-force. Arsenal’s style of play is based on movement and excellent technique, but when they are forced to move wide they have to resort to crosses, which in my humble opinion they are not really good at. United packed the middle so that the ball gets played to the wide areas. Usually when this happens, Thierry Henry would just glide his way past the defender, but surprisingly he was effectively shackled tonight. I cannot say that Gary Neville had a brilliant game, but does that mean that it’s actually Henry who was having an off-day? But when the crosses do come in, Rio Ferdinand was standing firm, clearing every danger and making at least 3 crucial tackles to save our neck.
United’s own strike-force leaves much to be desired frankly. Rooney, like Alan Smith, is a time bomb waiting to explode. He’s constantly getting involved in unnecessary fracas, even starting one or two melee on his own. He’s a young lad, and hopefully he’ll grow up soon. He might lack discipline, but what he doesn’t lack is quality. And the funny thing about having “quality” is how it sometimes doesn’t show itself throughout an entire game then suddenly it’ll magically appear when you least expect it too. Rooney was having a frustating night, but in one brilliant play he managed to get a penalty. Controlling it on the chest and holding it up before having a one-two with Giggs, he then pushed the ball beyond Soulman Campbell, who sticks out a trailing leg and made minimal contact with our prodigal son who, of course, tumbled. Penalty. Up steps Ruud Econovan Nistelrooy. Now this guy is the perfect example of a “moments” player. He’ll have an absolutely atrocious game, but then he’ll score a simple tap-in. He has “moments” and I wouldn’t mind him sitting on his ass the entire game if he managed to pop up with a goal or two. He was having one of those nights, where the only sniff he got of goal was when his head made contact with the grass.
Considering that last season he bottled it when faced with Jens Lehmann, who coincidentally he has never beaten from the spot, I was dreading the worse. But penalties show you character, and Ruud, petulant and annoying he may be, has character. Or at least ice-cool nerves because he made a fool of Lehmann by coolly placing the ball into the net. You can see the relief on his face. United were then forced back, but as mentioned earlier, Arsenal didn’t manage to create any real danger. Roy Carrol wasn’t forced into a single save the entire second half. Arsenal appeared desperate, and they resorted to crosses, especially from the right wing. When Roy Carroll didn’t capture it out of the air, Ferdinand and co. was there to clear things up. But being United, I was really expecting Arsenal to score. The momentum was clearly on their side. The arrival of Alan Smith shored things up on the right-hand side, and his tackle on Henry showed who wanted it more. It’s not surprising then, on the counter-attack, he managed to find Rooney who slotted in from 6 yards.
It’s the end, and my eyes are welling up. United have looked tight defensively, and tonight their two main strikers managed to find the back of the net, so the prognosis must be positive. I suspect Arsenal will quickly bounce back by trashing sorry Southampton next week while Man United, as always, faced the tricky task of overcoming a much improved Portsmouth team. But who know? This might just be a turning point. It’s lock, stock and loaded. Let the tears flow.
Written on 10/23/2004 01:27:00 pm by sikapitan
It’s not often where I’m left with nothing much to say, but this is perhaps one of those rare occasions where I find it hard to criticize anything. Well, I could start with the weather, which has been wrecking havoc on my plans for some night-time football. It’s been raining incessantly these past few days, especially during the evening. If it’s during the day at least I can go to sleep peacefully.
But who cares about the weather right? It’s a wonder how columnists managed to fill up a whole page every week. I guess it’s true what they say, “Nothing in life is ever easy”. They must have gone through a lot of research etc2 to come up with 2 cents worth of opinion which will later undoubtedly be used to wrap “ikan bakar” or “otak-otak”.
What is it with Malaysians and their fascination with Australia? What I mean is how come our youths, especially KLites, are so eager to study in Australia? Melbourne might as well be re-named Melbourne Jaya, because apparently you can spit in the middle of the street and it’ll land on top of some Malaysian’s head. It’s brimming with Malaysians pursuing what would ideally be a better education opportunity. But is that really the case? I can understand the United Kingdom and their professional courses like Law and Medicine or Japan with their Engineering courses. What I don’t get is people taking a 3 year business studies course in Australia when it’s quite clear that our local unis and colleges are offering the same course with the same syllabus. Or even IT for that matter. Programming is a universal language which is standardized throughout the whole world. Yes, the universities there are better managed than ours, definitely, and perhaps you’ll learn something more there because the lecturers have more initiative. MAYBE.
But more likely than not, whatever advantage you gain from studying in OZ would not commensurate with the money you spent. Imagine paying RM30 k per semester (ballpark, average figure) to study Javascript or whatever programming thing while for that amount of money you can get through the entire course in MMU. 30k per semester with two semesters per year times 3 years equals RM180 000. With that amount of cash you could start your own enterprise. See, that’s the problem with some people. They lack proper guidance. They don’t differentiate between professional courses and non-professional courses. It’s a cut-throat world out there, and whatever advantage you can get financially would help you stay ahead. All they can see is that they’ll be going to Oz without looking through other alternatives. Is it any coincidence that our Government’s JPA scholarship program does not rank Aussie as a top education destination?
It isn’t my intention to disrespect anyone, but I see this lack of prudence by my fellow future leaders of Malaysia disheartening. They’re eager to leave, I understand. And our government must be made partially responsible for such predicament. Our universities are way way behind when it comes to technical courses. Failed machineries and tools, lack of proper working environment, general lack of motivation by lecturers are some of the qualms heard from fellow students. Furthermore the government doesn’t seem interested in promoting OUR universities. Perhaps the places are limited. Then they should have thought about it thoroughly and expand or build new ones. It’s just sad that Malaysian money is being channeled to a foreign country whose excellence in education is not as internationally recognized as one might have thought. Their government and private marketing arms are certainly very persuasive in showcasing their supposed education prowess. But how good could their universities be when they can take someone who barely scraped through SPM? Is that any better than UiTM? Money is the key word here ladies and gentleman.
All apologies for any broken hearts or rising blood pressure. Any long-winded critique of this piece may be directed to the comments box above this article, and I’ll not cut anything off, unless of course some of you go overboard.
The big game’s this weekend. I’m a nervous wreck frankly. Glory glory Man United, insyaallah.
Written on 10/20/2004 09:30:00 pm by sikapitan
I never imagined it would set in this quickly. You know; the dreaded “cuti-sangap-puasa-syndrome”. My mind’s set on hibernation. I’ve been filling spare time with Friends, the venerable “future Happy Days” sitcom. I’m hoping to catch all the previous episodes up till the latest 10th season on a month long holiday DVD-marathon. Ah..the wonders of piracy.
Vote for Nader
The United States election is starting in certain areas which allow early voting. Amazingly, Florida (we all remember the debacle of the 2000 election) allows people to vote earlier without giving any specific reason. Actually, that’s not really amazing. What’s even more amazing is the fact that George Wanker Bush is still leading in surveys and polls. Does that show the Americans are a fool-hardy bunch or simply John Kerry doesn’t inspire as he should? No other American president has gone into election on a deficit economy and unemployment; yet, Bush has maintained his lead. John Kerry had failed to seize the moment. Perhaps Hillary Clinton in 2008?
But I like this whole debate idea. Managed to catch snippets of it on TV, and it’s an interesting proposition. That’s matured democracy at its very best. Understandably, we are not ready for it despite the rallying calls by our opposition parties and NGO. I am for it, but not just yet. Political, social and economical divide still exist. Even worse is the almost unstoppable deepening racial division in our society. Malays are sticking to Malays etc2. The only people I see really mixing it up are racially ambiguous in the sense that they’re Malay, but they don’t act like Malays (drinking, dressing etc2). Can’t we just fit in without losing our identity? Can I not hang out with my Indian buddy on a weekend without me spoiling his plans to go have a pint of Guiness? It’s all too sensitive to talk about yea?
Just like Islam Hadhari. Apparently someone posted a comment on a blog, just like you guys, criticizing Islam Hadhari. I haven’t read the comment yet, and anyway it has been removed. But it has caused quite a ruckus, with people criticizing Internet in general, know-it-all bloggers in particular. I have to say that we as users of the internet must be responsible enough to be aware of the various socio-political elements prevalent in our “masyarakat majmuk”. That’s the problem with absolute freedom, currently afforded by our beloved Internet. It gives fools with emotional instability an avenue to spit out hatred. Rational thinking is as foreign to them as Durian is to MakSalleh. Like in Spider-Man; “With great power, comes great responsibility.” Who said you can’t learn anything from comics?
Please let me manage them...
Crazy-assed Man United is driving me crazy with their below-par performances. I’m used to take a lot of shit back in high school for being a hardcore red devil, but I never take it to heart because at the end of the season, Fergie’s men would be lifting at least one trophy. Now, everything’s uncertain. I can’t even say for sure who’s going to play in the next game. The main culprit this season is lack of consistency, perpetuated by the haphazard way the Gaffer has been shuffling his pack. Compared with Arsenal, “pound-for-pound” we are equal, if not better, but collectively we might as well be named Norwich. There’s no fluidity. Everything’s predictable. I can’t imagine myself saying this but my team has become boring. That’s like saying Georgie Bushie has become clever, or Proton can make cars without something breaking. It’s unheard of, and yet it’s happening. Maybe this month’s not the right month for Man United aka Red Devil. You know what they say about “setan kena ikat” during this fasting month? Go figure.
Written on 10/17/2004 05:29:00 pm by sikapitan
I’ve always wondered why we are seldom as happy as we thought we would be when we get something we want. You see, I haven’t done anything much but complain about studying for the finals and going to classes. Yesterday, I finished my final paper, and I was set for a month-long break. Yet, here I am thinking that perhaps going to class isn’t so bad after all, as compared to doing nothing, staring at the ceiling, on a Wednesday afternoon. At least I’ve got my mates, my friends. But it wasn’t too long ago I was dying to get out of UiTM. Now I can’t wait for the new semester to start. Ironic isn’t it?
Another ironic thing is driving all the way from Shah Alam to Hartamas just to drink Milo Ais when you complain that the mosque is too far for terawih. But let’s not kid ourselves shall we? It’s not the Milo Ais that matters in such places. It always amazes me when I meet old and new friends in Hartamas or Bangsar or Bangalore or wherever the happening place may be.
“Jauh datang”
“Ko pun sama”
Yeap. All the way from Subang, Shah Alam, Gombak, Ampang, Gampang, Tempang and every other “ceruk” you can think of. You’ll find that on a weekend night, any one of the fine establishments in these awfully hip places will be packed with representatives from every household area from every district in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur “dan kawasan-kawasan sewaktu dengannya”. Why? It’s certainly not because of the food, though Spicy’s Nasi Lemak Ayam remains a favorite. It’s certainly not because of convenience either. I can’t remember when’s the last time I managed to find a nice parking spot near wherever I want to eat. So it must be the crowd then? Aren’t we all just victims of societal pressure? It’s way cooler to eat at Uncle Don than Pakcik Ali though the food in the latter is much better.
So what defines cool? The answer: Other people’s perception. It’s a vicious never-ending cycle. Uncle Don used to be a nice eatery where families living near the area can enjoy some good dishes that provide a sanctuary from the generic mamak stalls. Then, some of the children of these families hang-out there, and invited their friends. Word spreads around that the place is filled with chicks so the guys flocked there, naturally. The girls then finds out that the guys are hanging out there so they started going there as well. Thus, their perception is actually re-affirmed by their own actions. They think that the place is cool, and when they go there, they themselves act cool, starting another cycle for another different group. After a while it’s engraved in the minds of everyone that THAT place is cool.
That’s just a theory anyway so don’t feel offended if you really believe you’re going there for the food. But if that theory is true, then perhaps we can make a place become cool? I doubt it because we are not cool enough in the first place yea? Not you la Bojed (yo yo jer).
I find it all lacking soul. I don’t know. I can’t connect with that place. I prefer my good old Hit Gossip. Yes, there might not be any girls hanging out there in spag-straps and what-nots, but at least I can get a decent glass of teh tarik without shouting above loud music.
Okay guys and gals, the holidays are here. This means that I’ll be updating the site quite frequently, insyaallah. So if you’re ready to deal with shit, then come visit the hole.
Written on 10/07/2004 10:30:00 pm by sikapitan
I’m in the middle of my final exams, and frankly speaking, this is my most un-motivated semester ever. I just lost interest. Why can’t I do something interesting like race car driving, a best-selling author, an ad campaign manager, a rock star or even interior designer? Well, simply because:
(1) I can’t drive fast without losing my balls
(2) I can’t write a single paragraph without going off the plotline
(3) I can’t wear tight t-shirts and look like Simon Cowell
(4) I can’t wear tight leather pants like Amy Search
(5) I can’t draw if my gf’s mother’s grandpa’s life depends on it.
So here I am stuck doing the very rigid study known to many as Law, but to me as Crap. Sure sure, this might just be the frustrated dude who-can’t-answer-his-paper-this-evening talking, but it has made me think whether I’ve chosen the right path. Have I discovered myself too late (shit, don’t you start thinking that I’m talking about “going out of the closet” ok?)?
But anyway, today’s gripe concerns that all too familiar “Ello? David? David?” wrong number phenomena. I’ve been getting one too many this past few weeks, and while the calls are not that annoying (everyone makes mistake), it’s the reaction from the person on the other line that pisses me off. Have we no decency to at least say “sorry”? Does our credit means so much more than our values? Or have our values change so much that politeness is as foreign to us as intelligence is to George Bush?
I’ve made wrong phone calls before, but I’ve never blamed the guy on the other line for MY mistake. It’s weird how THEY seem pissed at us while they’re the one who made the mistake. Is it my fault that Maxis has blessed me with this number while your friend is stuck with another? Do they expect this person would suddenly appear on the other line if they huff-and-puffed? Top five typical responses:
5. “Betul ar ini bukan David?”
4. “Tapi dia kasi ini nombor.” (so?)
3. “ArrghhhhhHHHHhhhhh” (dude, chill with that Hulk impression will ya?)
2. “Ah, okay…kawan/mak/adik David ada?” (I’ve made it damn clear David doesn’t
exist, but heck they insist so I’ll say: “ Ada..tunggu kejap yer…” and let the phone
run its own course)
1. Click. Just like that, they’ll put down the phone.
And then they’ll call again just to be sure that this David isn’t pulling a fast one. Hey, I’m not saying everyone’s like that. Some are pretty pleasant, while others can be too friendly. But what’s wrong in saying, “Sorry yea?” or even “Oh okay”. So much for our Malaysian hospitality.
I recommend...
Guys, check out the movie The Girl Next Door. Well, it won't be shown on our screen anytime soon so go get the DvD or VcD okay? (The operative word here is "guys". Some ladies find it funny while some said it sucks. But all guys seemed to like Elisha Cuthbert. Good enough reason for me).
Download this : This Year's Love - David Gray
Hey, holidays are coming soon. Unfortunately (can I say this?), it corresponds with the arrival of Ramadhan. So I'll be at home most of the time. Filling you guys with crap that I myself find too much to handle. Thank you.
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