Arsenal and Friends

My Arsenal Team of 2009/2010 season

2009-06-18T14:53:00.000+08:00

The promise of the 2008/2009 season came and passed. With so much promise in the young team, the addition of a certain Samir Nasri made us believe that we had what it took to win a trophy since 2005.

What we never counted on was the lost of players to our very thin squad. Coupled with an amazing outburst by former captain Gallas and a long term injury to new captain Fabregas, the young squad was not able to overcome the instability and lost its way early in the season. It took 4 months or so to stabilize the ship and we went on an effective unbeaten streak but did not have enough experience or form to bring back the trophies.

So what do I think we need for the new season? A new coach? No way, Wenger is the man. A new stadium? Well, the Emirates does seemed unlucky for us but its not going to happen so lets forget about it. New players? Yes, we need and we need 2 in my opinion without considering any sale of player.

First up is the big hole in our central defence. There is no Adams or Keown or Bould to scream, shout or cajole the young ones to watch their men during corners. There is no Patrick Vieira or Edu or Parlour to cover for the defence when counter-attacked. We need a big strong guy and Haageland fits the bill. The Norway captain is 6 foot 5, imposing and has leadership quality. He is experienced in the Barclay’s Premier League and certainly fits the shape of a center back; not unlike Adams.

The next position is the defensive midfielder position. A couple of names come to mind such as Esteban Cambiasso, Sulley Muntari and Miguel Veloso. A lot of people may be shocked by my choices but realistically, Arsenal does not have the financial power to fight off other rich clubs if we went for the other names such as Alonso, Sneijder or Mascherano. Between the mentioned 3 choices, Veloso would be a great choice to add to the team if he could get used to living in London. The problem with trying to get Cambiasso is the same issue of acclimatizing while at the same time, Inter might not be willing to sell their defensive midfielders. In an ideal world, with the combination of luck and fortune, I would be able to get Muntari and he would sit right in front of the defense like a wall and give support to our playmaker, Fabregas. In addition, I believe Song will learn a thing or two off the beast.

With the purchase of these 2 key players, I certainly hope for good fortune in the injury front. Nobody would have known what the outcome of our title run is if Rosicky, Eduardo, Fabregas, Gallas and Adebayor were not out for such a long time. In fact, Rosicky was out for the whole of last season and still listed as doubtful for the start of next season.

All said, my first team for the 2009/10 will be (starting from goalkeeper and right to left): Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Haageland, Clichy, Walcott, Fabregas, Muntari, Nasri, Adebayor and Arshavin. On the bench, we will have RVP, Song, Vela, Gallas, Bendtner and Mannone.

With this team, I believe we can win the title and possibly one of the cups as the hunger is there. Mixed with a bit of skill and experience, we can bring back the glorious years.
Go Arsenal!!!

The Ronaldo issue.

2009-06-13T10:24:00.000+08:00

Ronaldo is set for Real in an amazing £80 mil deal. The contract details are so stunning that it seems he will get half a million every week by playing soccer or even NOT playing...

I mean the prick is skillful and good etc.. but surely, one man cannot make a team. if you top up the £80 mil to £100 mil, you can actually get a whole club. i.e Newcastle United.

This deal raised many questions in the soccer world. Is a player really worth so much? Can or should a player earn so much? Should there be a transfer limit and salary cap set? Where in the world does one club get so much money? What is the impact of such a STAR player on a team? The list goes on and on....

As much as I hate Ronaldo, what if some desperate club decide to send a destroyer on Ronaldo? A player who is worth £50,000 and is very envious of Ronaldo's fortune. His only job is to chop Ronaldo into pieces. I think this will happen either sooner or later...

The soccer world is going crazy and Platini is screaming for rules. And this time... I truly support him.

The legacy of Rickmobile....

2009-06-10T21:27:00.002+08:00

after selling my rickmobile, we were given a nasty surprise tonight when we received the notification of a summon.

AGAIN, it was for infringing into a bus lane on the 21st of May....

well... last present from my car.. Ex-car.....

Last Day of My Opel Combo Van (The Rickmobile)

2009-06-07T23:06:00.005+08:00

Tomorrow, I will be handing over my little silver Opel Combo.... After 5 1/2 years, the little beauty has fulfilled its job scope and done its best for the Chong family.....

Its has been great fun and lots of memories to bring along from the Rickmobile.... I guess many of my friends and colleagues that has enjoyed riding in it can also vouch for them. Well, there will always be time for the union to end.......

The Mrs and I said goodbye to rickmobile for the last time and cleared all our stuff for it for one last time and off the engine...

Good job, mate and I will remember you fondly.....

My Australia Trip..... Fun Fun Fun!!! Day 11

2009-06-02T23:01:00.001+08:00

One more day?!?

no lah... just a wake up call at 5 am and a ride to the airport at 545 am to catch out 8 am flight back to home sweet home......

My Australia Trip..... Fun Fun Fun!!! Day 10

2009-06-02T22:09:00.017+08:00

Oh No! its the last day.... 10th of may....

For the last day we took a day trip so as to be more relaxed.... The bus picked us up from the hotel and our first stop was at Featherdale Wildlife Park. Its really cool as we were up close and touched Koala bears and Kangeroos for the first time... Feeding the kangaroos were also quite fun as they whack the ice cream cones with very sharp teeth!

My personnal favourite was the Wombat. But i was not able to touch it as they were apparently dangerous..... Look so cute.. but well, better listen to the experts......

After the pleasant time in the wildlife reserves, we proceed on to the 3 sisters at the Famous Blue Mountain. In the cold air up in the mountains, one ponders about life and the mysteries it brings....

We were brought to the Scenic World around the Blue Mountain region and had our first buffet lunch in Australia. The spread was reasonable although not fantastic, we also had our first taste of kangaroo meat. Quite similar to chicken, i must say.....

The scenic World is a really nice Rainforest area and we had a cable car ride, tram ride and skyway to enjoy. All scenario stuff to enjoy and a slow walk in the rain forest (on elevated planks) was quite nice...

The tour bus brought us to the river where we board the RiverCat on our way back to Sydney Harbour Bay........... A short bus ride brought us to our dinner place and we reach out hotel after dinner tired and totally happy to have concluded a memorable trip to Australia......

Good bye, Mate!

My Australia Trip..... Fun Fun Fun!!! Day 9

2009-05-28T21:32:00.015+08:00

We woke up to a bright and sunny day. Once dressed, we made our way to our first stop, The Rocks. It is located in the Sydney Harbour Bay area. As it is a weekend, the weekend market was on and we went around with great interest to look at the ang moh "pasar malam".

At the sydney harbour bay, of course, you can see the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the famous Sydney Opera House. And Of course, we were busy snapping away (in the hot sun) happily like happy tourists. hahahaa....

After a few 'thousand' photos, we went in search of a branch of Pancakes on the Rocks (pardon the pun). Highly recommended by our friend for its delicious pancakes, we were not disappointed. The pancakes are well done with lots of tension and 'passion' thrown into the mixture. It was a delicious branch encounter.... if i dare say it, the best we had in Australia so far... After branch, we board the ferry towards Manly. Its a nice beach tpwn that is not too far away and we enjoyed a nice walk around, eating ice cream, watching the surfing, feeling the damn cold sea and generally relaxing and forgetting all the problems in the world.

We went home tired but very happy that day.....

My Australia Trip..... Fun Fun Fun!!! Day 8

2009-05-26T21:30:00.018+08:00

Our First Day in Sydney! As we wake up to our Krusty Kream Donut breakfast, I was looking forward to a fun filled day ahead.

The first stop was at the Sydney Fish Market. We took the Light rail who had a stop there. Boy oh Boy oh Boy!!! Seafood Galore!! After stooping around for a while, we started the feast with some cooked fresh prawns.

Fresh is the word! And all around the market, there were tons of fresh seafood. There are many people rushing around to buy the delicious stuff to satisfy their tastebuds.

Check out the oyster bars!! Cool like dont know what as the staff pop open the oysters with experienced flicks of their knife.

There are also live crabs and live lobsters for you to purchase and buy. We really saw a few lobsters that are BIGGER than little girls. OR in chinese, " Long Xia Da Guo Xiao Nu Hai!!!"

We ate till we almost burst with seafood. hahahaa.......

Next up is shopping!!! lots of shopping as we arrive at Paddy's Haymarket (near China town). We bought a lot of souvenirs and stuff. It was a pretty big place and lots of different types of stuff to buy. In the end, we carried bags of T-shirts, magnets, shot glasses, key chains etc etc......back into our hotels before we can come out again. Lucky we forecast this and bought an unlimited train ride ticket for the day.

After a short rest, we were back up on our feet and on our way to Darling Harbour. Darling Harbour is a nice shopping place beside the sea with lots of attractions. I only had eyes for one as the Mrs dutifully accompanied me into the Sydney Aquarium!

Once inside the aquarium, i was lost in my favourite world. Nothing distracts me more than fishes. We spend almost 3 hours inside as the beautiful world of the underworld whirls around us with Dugongs, Sharks, Sea Turtles, Lobsters, Crabs, Penguins and tons and tons of fish...... No need to write more... Check out the photos.....

After the aquarium tour, we walked around Darling Harbour and had our dinner at this little japanese place. Not too fantastic though.. so i cant remember the name of the restaurant. hahahaa...

As it was Darling harbour's 21st Anniversary, there is a fireworks display scheduled that evening. A bit of an extravagant display, but hey! What's not to be done to lift the gloomy recession mood..... Very very nice though and truly enjoyable.... and a great way to round off the day.... (albeit we did one short stop for some food at Chinatown... was really tempted by the tou hwa that night... hahahaaahaha....)

Attitude Problem of some hawker!

2009-05-24T18:55:00.003+08:00

Just came back from my fav blk 85 market (bedok North) ..... the experience is horrible this time.

I just tabao from this duo stall that sell fried kway tway, fried carrot cake, fried oyster, omelette and stuff.. you get what i mean. its the one with 01-4? and 01-5? as they own 2 stalls.

I starting eating at their stall when it was just one stall. Supported them for many many many years and also introduced my friends to buy the fried stuff there..... After today, NO MORE.

I order a pack of $2 fried carrot cake to bring home. They immediately collect the money from me. After waiting for a good 7 mins or so and seeing some of the aunties who order later than me getting their order. I ask the lady where is my order, she dont even look at me and just mumbled something very faintly like 'ordered liao'. i.e the order has been to her chef.

After a few more mins, i asked her again where is my order. She say coming coming with a VERY VERY irritated look.

after another few mins, i gave up. I said i want my money back and I dont want the food. Guess what is her reply? "Cooking liao". well, all this is ok... then this irritating B*tC& said, "$2 thing say so many times. $2 only. why like so angry."

WELL, EXCUSE ME!!! my $2 supported your stall for years! my $2 or $5 or $10 has contributed to the success and growth of your business. It sure feels sickening to pay money and be insulted. Money really can get into the heads of idiots..

U know what? I am going to let all my friends and relatives to know that our $2 is not good enough for your stall.

so whoever is reading this, DONT order from the two joining stall (behind the famous bak cho mee row, beside the wet market and has a Toilet sign in front of their stall. #01-4? and #01/5?) that sells fried oyster, fried carrot cake etcc..... your $2 is not good enough for them!!!.... Please spread this along if you can.

Arsenal vs Stoke City

2009-05-23T08:34:00.000+08:00

Last game of the messed up season of 2008/09.

As there is no pressure, expect our flowing game to be at full force.

5-0 to the Arsenal!!!

My Australia trip.....Fun Fun Fun!!! Day 7

2009-05-23T08:17:00.005+08:00

Day 7 was more of a travelling day as we made our way from Melbourne to Sydney....

We had Maggie Mee for Breakfast! A very nice change from the usual bread stuff after 7 days in Australia. Mind you, maggie mee is damn expensive is Australia as I got them from Coles. I guess you could get them cheaper at some Asian supermarkets but we did not have a chance to explore such details on Philip island.

Anyway, the AUS$1 (normally 30 cents at most in Singapore) went in and out of the cooking pot and we were enjoying the taste of home soon...

We drove around Philip Island a bit but were unable to do much as most of the shops and attractions open around 11 am. This is a bit late as our flight departs at 2 plus from Melbourne domestic airport. Wanted to do some fishing in Australia and there was a few spots in Philip and along G.O Road to do so.. unfortunately, timing is a bit bad

We did manage to go to the Panny's Amazing World of Chocolate. It seem to kiddish and so, we did not go into it to see the amazing chocolate display. But we did get some free chocolate samples though. Quite delicious. :)

It was a mad rush to the airport then as we got delayed by all the small roads that Susan brought us through. Should have gone by the highway and ignored the STUpid GPS..... hahaha.... but we made it anyway... And had our virgin flight on Virgin Blue.....

We arrive at our Sydney airport within 2 hours ++ and took the train to the Sydney centre. Our beautiful Mercure Hotel is just beside the train station and we even have a small balcony to stand outside and look at the world.....

Nothing much happen that day as we were pretty tired. so it was just walking around the hotel (although Chinatown is always Happening...) One thing though, the Abalone are huge in Australia! Did not know the current pricing so we did not buy any of them. Worth a thought though if you are going to Sydney....

My Australia trip.....Fun Fun Fun!!! Day 6

2009-05-21T22:38:00.017+08:00

As we struggle through the wonderful breakfast at our B&B, I was already dreaming about the wines I am going to taste at the vineyards at the Mornington Peninsula. We thank John for the nice breakfast and wonderful stay and make our way up to Dromana to check out the big information center there.

We were wondering about the post cards on the colourful beach houses when we saw them on the beach!!! so sua ku.... Did not realise its an in-thing to paint all the storage houses along the beach in bright colours....

Check out the wine selection from the Mornington Peninsula!

After checking our directions and inputting the address into Susan (but she still got us lost as she had no updated map), we were on our way to the vineyard of T-Gallant and Montalto. We were the first customer at T-Gallant. I started on a few whites (pinot in particular) and progress to the red. However, as the guy who served me was not very inviting, I settled on a bottle of Moscato called Juliet. Its a bit on the sweet side which I prefer.

The experience at Montalto was much better as we were greeted by a joyful guy named Justin. He showed much enthusiasm while he brought me through many award winning wines by Montalto. I was rooting for a riesling but was soon convinced that the Chardonnay is the best tasting one. We spent a good 45 mins or so doing the wine tasting and chatting about life. Truly enjoyable and I wished I could have brought back another few bottles...... well, the good news is i can order online and they send the bottles over to Singapore! 3 cheers for that!!

I drove through the long highways after the wine tasting feeling like the road was so long... hahaha....... After quite a long time,with a short break of Kentucky lunch (which tasted almost the same as Singapore's version), we arrived at Philip Island, a.k.a Penguin Island!

For Philip Island, the official recommendation would be to do their 3 attractions of Churchill Island, Koala Conservation Centre and the Penguin Parade. Of course, there is also the Nobbles, where you could see thousands of seals.

We skipped the Churchill island as that is more for trekking stuff. The Koalas were cool although they are quite hard to spot and very far away bar a few. Koalas are really cute animals though..... We got a few photos of one super close to us. :)

We did a quite check in to our Apartments at Glen Isla and made our way to the Nobbles; hoping to catch a sight of the famous seals and the so called Blow hole. The seals were all lost at sea unfortunately while the hole is there though..... hahhaaa..... Nice views on the whole.....

After that, its the big highlight of the day as we proceed to the Penguin Parade! The penguins would come back as the last light goes out, after a hard day out at sea fishing. They are very cute when they reach the beach and try to gather enough courage to climb up the beach to their home. They will move forward and then rush back to the sea when in fear, until finally, they managed to go into the bushes. Then they will start crowing andd screaming for attention. Very very interesting!!!

After watching the penguins for a good hour or so, we went to had a Chinese Dinner as we somehow missed chinese food after 6 days. hahahaa.... Never happened before but maybe getting old liao.. .... And then we went back to the apartment feeling happy and contented for a wonderful day ending with the show of the amazing Fairy(Little) Penguins.... day after day they did this for hundreds of years....

My Australia trip.....Fun Fun Fun!!! Day 5

2009-05-20T16:29:00.014+08:00

The beautiful beaches of Apollo Bay does live up to its name. I rose early today to make breakfast (or breaky as they like to call it down under). After a sumptuous (overly fatty.. hahaha) meal of eggs, sausages and bread, we made our way to the roaring sea. The health freaks with their dogs have already beaten us to it and left tracks all over the beach for us to admire. The icy sea water on the other hand, is not too friendly to cold feet of ours.....

After a few rounds around the tiny town of Apollo Bay (which shows my interpretation of town is definitely different from the aussies), we made our way back to our villa and relunctantly say good bye. A nice place and we made a point to come back if and when we have the chance again...

Check out the Villa!

We decided to take an adventure trip to Marriner's Fall. After a scenic drive thru the rain forest, which included some very cramp driving when 2 cars meet in the small road, we arrived to see in dismay that it requires another hour to track the 3.4 km to the falls. As time is precious, we had to make a U-turn on this. maybe another day another trip i guess....

The next stretch of the Great Ocean Rd consists of falling cliffs and narrow stretch. I quite enjoy the sea by my side as i breeze thru the road ahead. Although we did get a few pesky hounders along the way, the drivers were generally nice and polite on the road.

There is a place along the G.O. Rd where everyone says we definitely have to take photo and this is the memorial arch. Its an arch to commeorate the efforts put in by the returning Australia soldiers from WWII who has contributed to the building of the G.O Rd. So, here is our lovely photo. :)

We reached Queenscliff in time for the 3pm ferry that will bring us to Sorrento. This is the end of the part with the Grean Ocean Road. Truly memorable and I will encourage anyone to give it a shot. I quite sure you will enjoy it too......

As we cross the lake and reached the sleepy town of Sorrento, everything seems to have close and as usual there would be nothing to do except for dinner and tv. As we window shop a bit around the 'town', we were surprised to see that the cinema is actually open! and they have late night shows.... However, the price is steep. about 14 Aussie dollars per person. As the shows were not really compelling, we left it behind us and went for unexpectably, the best restaurant dinner that we were going to have in Australia.

The place was called The Baths. It is recommended to us by our B&B (Dougal) owner. They have been around and they serve good seafood. I had a lovely special of Seared Tuna with Couscous while the mrs had a very nice seafood marinara pasta. A great way to round off the day with a cool relaxing riesling.....

My Australia trip.....Fun Fun Fun!!! Day 4

2009-05-19T22:26:00.021+08:00

There are a few scenic spots at Warrnambool. A nice beach where horses took bathes was our first stop. A scenic place off the tourist information center.

Next up was the Logan Beach, otherwise known as the Whale watching beach. Too bad the whales dont arrive till June. Nonetheless, the beach is quite an awesome sight and definitely worth the trip with or without the whales.

As we leave Warrnambool, it is with feelings of excitment as we finally embark on the Great Ocean Road. Within 30 mins or so, we arrive at our first place of interest of the Cheese World that of course sell CHEESE!!! There is also some free cheese tasting session. Unfortunately, we miss it by a few minutes!
Our first view of the sea was granted by the Bay of Island. Not sure if it is becuase it is the first site seeing stop or is it really really so beautiful that we felt it is much more beautiful than the 12 Apostles. The scenary was really breath taking and the Mrs and I took a great deal of time to admire the work of nature over here.....

There are many stops along the great ocean road and many are really under-rated and though not as famous as the 12 Apostles, I think they can rival the beauty of it. Check out some of the photos here (though i think we might have to invest in a better camera or a photo taking lesson!)

After being overwhelmed by the sights along the way, we reached the famed 12 Apostles. Filled with tourists, we wiggled our way to the front and took in the sights. Somehow or another, we still cannot count 12. seems like some have fallen until not countable anymore! hahaha.... some tour guides were spinning tales that there are hidden Apostles so that is why we would never be able to count to 12. That is a nice try, mate!

We were seriously distracted and lost track of time indeed. As we rushed through the road, we finally arrive on our wonderful lodging at 6 plus. The wonderful Rayville Boat house offers a nice mansion for us to stay with a fireplace, jacuzzi, balcony and double story comfort.

The Mrs managed to whip up a superb dinner from our quick purchase of groceries. Best meal i had in Australia!!! :)

My Australia trip.....Fun Fun Fun!!! Day 3

2009-05-18T22:59:00.005+08:00

We were too early on the Sunday morning as we made our way to the shopping streets of Richmond. So, we had to walk around and window shop for a while. Luckily, the shops started opening from 1030 onwards. The Mrs had a great time at Country Road though. Check out the shopping bags......

We had lunch at the nearby Degraves street before making our way to Hertz. Check out the huge bowl of soup they served!!!

A little surprise awaits me at HertZ as i was upgraded from a Camry to a Audrion. Never driven one of those baby so was looking forward to testing it along the Great Ocean Road. We got a GPS (her name is Susan! ) and was gamely assured that we will Never get Lost with it! hahahaha...

Anyway, armed with Susan and a very nice and stable car, we embarked on our road trip! First stop is to drive all the way to Warrnambool, 263 km away from Melbourne. Then, we will make our way back along the famous Great Ocean Road.

Nothing much happened along the way, just a smooth drive and constantly trying to keep myself from pressing too hard on the accelerator. Australia is famous for keeping a close lid on the speed demons. well, some things are better left unsaid..... At least i had my Red Rock Deli to keep the hunger away... ....

We reached Warrnambool at around 5 plus. It may seem early for some of you but with the Autumn weather upon us, we were fast losing light. Advised by our nice receptionist at the Comfort Inn, she told us we MUST see the laser light show of Shipwrecked at Flagstaffhill.

We hesitated at first as we thought she was trying to make some commission. Anyway, as there was nothing much to do after dark, we decided to give it a shot. Overall, its a lovely experience and we were glad we did it. Because the famous shipwrecked story is told and re-told along the Great Ocean Road... luckily, we watched it. Or else we wont know how the hero saves the damsel in distress on the dark and stormy night.... Well, as least it was worth the money. :)

My Australia trip.....Fun Fun Fun!!! Day 2

2009-05-16T19:37:00.009+08:00

We woke up early on Day 2 and bought a full day pass (tram, bus and train) in anticipation of our packed itinery.

As we walked through the grounds of RMIT, we reached our first point of interest: The OldMelbourne Gaol (voted best Heritage and Culture Tourism Attraction in Australia in 2008)

The gloomy jail and the story of Ned Kelly certainly was interesting but was hardly exciting to say and we thought it was a bit overrated. Then...... we went on their facinating holding area tour. The tour guide was a policewoman in uniform and she was a sure small loud woman that held our attention. We were 'treated' as would be prisoners and it was all quite real and fun play acting. We were told to 'toe' the line and be straight while she check us, especially under the tongue.

It was quite funny and fun and we were also 'locked up for one night" and the lights switched off with great effect. All in great fun and laughter......

After which, we went to the Italian street of Melbourne, Lygon Street where there are many italian restaurants and shops for us to check out. Of course, we cannot miss the MUST try IL Dolce Freddo for their ice-cream. HUGELY recommended by our friend, Baoling. It did not disappoint at all. GREAT GREAT taste... i can still imagine the taste in my mouth now!

After a hearty lunch, we made our way to St. Kilda beach. We made a short stop at the South Melbourne market to try the famous Dim Sim. At first, i thgt Dim sim is Dim Sum and the Ang mohs spelt it wrongly. Well, when i reach there, i saw the shop name is Dim Sim! hahhahaa...

They serve some meaty Dim Sim. More cater to the Ang moh taste anyway.. I will not say it is good or bad... just quite interesting...

St Kilda was nice.. There are many shops and drinking spots. In addition, there was also a wholesale Birkenstock shop there too. We spend a good 45 mins in there but were unable to get the smaller sizes as the Mrs feet are relatively small. But a good selection was indeed available.

The beach was nice but dont expect Langkawi or Tioman standard. Good place to sit down, unwind and have a beer and talk about life. Luna park to me is truly over-rated. Maybe its something to look forward for small town enjoyment but after Disneyland or even Genting's amusement park, its definitely a small molehill in comparison.

A fun filled day and we were totally exhausted when we return from the beach.....
Somehow or another, we found the strength to go to our pre-booked appointment with the Sharkfin House in China town. Famed for their dim sum and also sharkfin, we did not have a chance to taste the dim sum as they are not served during dinner. Nonetheless, dinner was sumptuous to say at least with a bowl of nice shark fin, Mei cai kou rou and nice big prawns! The only pity was as we are only 2, we could not order more dishes to eat. After dinner, we like gained 3 kg over the day! hahahaa.....

My Australia trip.....Fun Fun Fun!!! Day 1

2009-05-16T18:16:00.009+08:00

The Mrs and I went on a delightful 11 day trip to Australia from 30th April to 11th May, covering Melbourne and Sydney in particular. The trip was fun and easy and the drive along the Great Ocean Road has been memorable to say at least.

We landed in Melbourne via an SQ flight admist all the nonsense\scare of the Swine Flu. Timing could not have been better as the alert was on Orange when we embark on our adventure. Well, hack care lah! just go..... :)

Check out our first meal (breakfast as we flew overnight from singapore) and my sleepy face! Bread (We did not know that MORE and MORE bread is to come... hahaha)

As we walk around the vicinity of our citigate hotel, we inevidently stroll onto Federation Square. Very Unique designs, i must say.....

Well. the weather was cooling. Like an aircon on full blast (a welcome change for me although a tat cold for the Mrs.) After a short, refreshing nap in the hotel room (yes, we were that stone after the flight), we set up for the famous Victoria Market. Food food and more FOOD!! Glorious food, especially SEAFOOD!! yummy yummmy!!!

Oysters Galore!!

joy of Seafood!

After we burst our stomach with the seafood, we went for some shopping around and some free tram ride (great idea to induce tourism) around the beautiful city of Melbourne.

Soon, it was dinner time, and we made our way to the famous casino of Crown Casino. Blood suckers as they are, I still managed a respectable AUS30 win on the rolette table. Many thanks to our lucky number 14 and 17. hahahaa...

A great start to our trip.....

What happened?

2009-05-12T23:43:00.002+08:00

Well, i was away for 2 weeks for a nice long-awaited holiday.....

What a shocker i was in for when i return to see our season disintegrated.... What can i say? Another empty season. Another disappointing performance....

Too tired with catching up with life to comment further.. let me catch my breath before more comments...

Disappointing result....

2009-04-30T11:04:00.001+08:00

i think we are all disappointed at what happened in the game against manure last night.... In the 2nd half, we seemed to be happy trying the odd ball upfront to Adebayor. The team seems more pre-occupied in preventing another manure goal. at the end, we seemed to be really happy just dragging out to a 1-0 loss... really no passion shown at all...

Walcott needs more of the ball. The CM have to get the ball to him. Playing Nasri in the center of the park is not smart to me. He could have cause more problem on the left flank against O'Shea.
Its a shame that we conceded the goal as the players were just not paying attention to mark the opposition.
Only 2 players that did well last night were Almunia and Gibbs. In fact, i think either one of them should have been Man of the Match.

For now, we can only wait for a HUGE response in the 2nd leg. Hopefully, the Emirates crowd can be our 12th man....

Good news off the personal front as I go for my 11 days holiday in Australia!!!
:)

Quote of the week

2009-04-27T10:38:00.002+08:00

Those who enter the gate of heaven are not beings who have no passions, or who have curbed the passions, but those who have cultivated an understanding of them.
~William Blake

Dedicated to a few of my troubled friends.... Think about it... If there are no problems in life, then there is no meaning to life. Learn to understand and move on with life....

Review of Liverpool vs Arsenal game...

2009-04-22T10:34:00.002+08:00

If you had a nickel and threw it on a 4-4 score, I guess you would have been 80 times richer. No matter how crazy you are, I do not think anyone would have swung a wager on such an outcome. Liverpool, with only 8 goals conceded in their last 16 home league matches, versus an Arsenal team, rocked by a 1-2 loss in the FA cup to Chelsea a few days ago. It would take a genius or an idiot to guess such a score.

The game produced was a beauty for all neutral football fans, but it was definitely heart attack inducing for gunners and pool fans. It is a tribute to attacking football and both attacks should take credit for it although the defence probably got an earful from their managers. In addition to the great game, many amazing statistics were also created. Think about this. What was the last time one player scored 4 goals against Liverpool at Anfield? The answer is a distant 1946 by Dennis Westcott for Wolves! Most of us are not even born then. One can argue though that Julio Baptista did score 4 in 2007 at Anfield, albeit the fact that it was in the mickey mouse cup. How about another trivial? When was the last time an Arsenal player scored 4 goals in a league game? This is one that a google search did not produce any useful result.

Back to the game, pool started brightly and was raining shots all over the place in the hope that the crashed confidence of young Fabianski was again in question. Like many young players, the unpredictable keeper chose to present himself as an impressive keeper this time round instead of giving presents all around like in the Chelsea game. Indeed, one wonders if the same player was on the pitch as per 4 days ago. It is suffice to say he contributed a lot to keeping the clean sheet for Arsenal at half time.

On the other end, our talented Russian torpedo was ready to roar after being kept on the leash by Wenger on Saturday. After 35 minutes of feeling around, he exploded with a shot that ricochet off the crossbar and into goal. This after good work down the flank from Fabregas and Nasri. At the end of the half, the score was 1-0 to Arsenal. A normal, ordinary scoreline.

An amazing 7 goal thriller exploded in the 2nd half that nobody would have expected. Liverpool hit back with 2 goals from Torres and Benayoun before the Arshavin Show went on display. It was a great team effort on both sides and Arshavin and Torres were the crucial finishers so lacking in the early part of the season for both team respectively. When Arshavin score in the final minute, I though we have secured an amazing victory with an exceptional player grabbing 4 goals in a game. Hence, it was like 2 points dropped when our shaky defence decided to fumble a clearance for Benayoun to score his second for the night. Well, I guess you could have expected that the match is not going to end without the last minute dramas.

All said, I guess it’s a fair result that both teams do not want. The biggest winner from this game? Manchester united and the odds makers……..

Quote of the Week

2009-04-21T17:43:00.002+08:00

If you do not believe you can do it, then you have no chance at all.

~ Arsene Wenger

Well, I hope the boys all have this attitude in mind when we go about our matches.
GO GUNNERS!!!

Still confused so far....

2009-04-21T17:39:00.000+08:00

I am still confused over why Nasri, AA and Song were left on the bench for the FA cup semi final against Chelski....

Hopefully, we do better tonight against loserfool in the league..

Come on Gunners!! you can do this!!!
GO Gunners!!!

Arsenal vs Villareal

2009-04-15T15:56:00.001+08:00

As we prepare for our next big step into the semi finals of the CL, I strongly urge the team to thread with care. With Gallas, Clichy and Almunia out, our finally stable defence would entertain a shakeup of personal that is not welcomed at all.

As Porto shown in the first leg against Manure, less favored team would also have the tenacity to score if there are enough committed players. We shall do well to guard against complacency.

Who will replace the injured tonight? My guess for the starting line up is Fabianski, Sagna, Toure, Silvestre, Gibbs, Walcott, Fabregas, Song, Nasri, RVP and Adebayor. One very old defender plus one very young defender does not the age average out, but in them, we have a worthy second liner that could still prove capable of conceding nothing.

With Senna rumored out of the game, the rudderless Villarreal may look to Pires for some insight and also possibly the insightful task when the former musketeer returns to his former hunting ground. With Llorente and Rossi hunting upfront for them, our newly assembled defence will still have a difficult task ahead to contain them.

On the other end, Adebayor returns to scoring as Fabregas returns to his best passing physique. If Fabregas can start feeding RVP the same balls, we will have one of the deadliest couple of strikers ever formed in the BPL. It is such a pity that they never had time to gel together this season. However, as Wenger rightly pointed out, Arsenal is coming into form at the right time. With the players getting match fit, the Champion League title is within grasp.

Go Gunners!!!

Quote of the week

2009-04-15T09:12:00.000+08:00

The most precious sound to a person is the sound of his/her heartbeat.....

:)