Temple of the King by Rainbow

One day in the year of the fox
Came a time remembered well
When the strong young man of the rising sun
Heard the tolling of the great black bell
One day in the year of the fox
When the bell began to ring
Meant the time had come
For one to goTo the temple of the king
There in the middle of the circle he stands
Searching, seeking
With just one touch of his trembling hand
The answer will be found
Daylight waits while the old man sings
Heaven help me
And then like the rush of the thousand wings
It shines upon the one
And the day had just begun
One day in the year of the fox
Came a time remembered well
When the strong young man of the rising sun
Heard the tolling of the great black bell
One day in the year of the fox
When the bell began to sing
Meant the time had come
For one to go
To the temple of the king
There in the middle of the people he stands
Seeing, feeling
With just a wave of a strong right hand
He's gone to the temple of the king
Far from the circle at the edge of the world
He's hoping, wondering
Thinking back on the stories he's heard
Of what he's going to see
There in the middle of the circle it lies
Heaven help me
Then all could see by the shine in his eyes
The answer had been found
Back with the people in the circle he stands
Giving, feeling
With just one touch of a strong right hand
They know of the temple and the king

Syd Barrett 1946-2006

You were caught on the crossfire
Of childhood and stardom,
Blown on the steel breeze.
Come on you target for faraway laughter,
Come on you stranger, you legend, you martyr, and shine!

Shine on You Crazy Diamond by Pink Floyd.

When I first joined the Floydian club, I had never heard of Syd Barrett. My uncle got me hooked on Pink Floyd, mainly through Another Brick in the Wall pt 2. Then I bought their other album Wish You Were, which just blew me away, cos tt song Shine on You Crazy Diamond definitely has the best build up to a song and David Gilmour's guitar on that is just incendiary . The words also kinda appealed to me and it always got me wondering who Roger Waters was talking about. Some reading up led to me learning about Syd Barrett, the man who started Pink Floyd, David Gilmour's predecessor.

In a nutshell, Roger Keith Barrett was born in Cambridge in January 1946. His father was a pathologist who passionately dabbled in botany and painting. He picked up the guitar at 11. He also took after his father artwise, which led a to scholarship to Cambridge Art College. Some of his artworks can be seen in some Floyd albums (See Emily Play). It was at Cambridge that he met his other Floyd future band mates, Roger Waters, Nick Mason, Richard Wright and the man that would replace him as Pink Floyd leadman, his good friend, David Gilmour.
Their first album together, Piper at The Gates of Dawn was pretty mind blowing. Btw the title for that album came from a chapter of Syd's favourite book, Wind in the Willows. It was an interesting play on kindergarden songs with eccentric twists. It was mainly the way he wove the words magically with typical English finesse. He was also one of the few British artists to sing with an unaltered British accent. If you listen to any of his songs, you knew right away Syd was an Englishman.
The band came together in 1966, but it was all short lived, as Syd was a complicated man. Some thought he was a schizo. There were times when during perfomances he would just black out standing there not uttering a word in front of his audiences as the rest of the band tried to cover up this mishap by playing as hard as they could, or he would just alter the lyrics and tune without first telling the band. He would also be absent for recording sessions and would play mind games with his band mates. LSD played a major part in this psychosis and pressure of the band's success with Piper was taking it's toll on Syd.
Syd's departure from Floyd came in 1968, announced by Roger Waters who also mentioned that Syd's good pal, David Gilmour would be replacing him. Syd quietly left and went on to record 2 solo albums, The Madcap Laughs and Barrett. These 2 albums just projected the inner turmoil within the man. At last he put down his guitar, and lived out his life as a painter in his mother's house in Cambridge till the day he died. Though he may have died this year, July 7th (complications from diabetes), he was pretty much dead to the rest of the world since 71. However his influence on pyschedelic rock was enormous with people like Micheal Stipe (REM), Beck, Elton John, John Frusciante (Red Hot Chilli Peppers) citing Syd as a major influence. We cannot forget his influence on post-Syd Pink Floyd songs as well, the main ones being Shine on, Comfortbaly Numb, Hey You, and Time.
All in all, Syd was a genius, a tortured one, but still a genius who created psychedelic music. His influences can be seen everywhere and anyone who has ever listened to him just get more and more curious as to what made the man tick. His music is a goldmine and such talent is sadly extinct in this day and age.
Wherever you are Syd, rest in peace and Shine on You Crazy Diamond

Margaret River

Left Wed morn, got back Fri evening. A short, simple trip full of mirth, crap talking, beautiful scenery, sexual innuendos, booze (well on my part at least) and the appreciation of good friends. I ll let the pics do the talking.

Cream - Tales of Brave Ulysses

This just sends shivers up my spine. Bloody good one. What a combination of talent. Jack Bruce definitely has the best voice for a rock group, even better than Robert Plant or David Gilmour

Hmmm

Yea I ll have to agree with nicole, all this work makes me wanna blog more. Heck all this work makes me wanna do all but study. I ve got my physio appraisal due this fri and an immuno test on thurs. I wanna finish my damn appraisal tonight so I can concentrate on the test. Cos come Thurs I wanna let loose, but what i need is a live band more than alcohol, one that doesnt just play the same old pub anthems, ya know Bon Jovi, Guns n Roses, The Killers etc. Why cant a live band play Led Zepp or Pink Floyd or Rolling Stones or The Doors? Aih sadness.
I think my running season is out for the moment, well till I get back at least. I m not gonna be able to race in Malaysia till 2010 cos all the races are mainly from March to Sept, when I ll be in Aust, so I guess its aussie races all the way. But don't get me wrong, I love them. There is a better crowd here, and the climate is kind to you, there is also more support from the by standers. But yea there is something bout running back home. My second race (10k) in Ipoh was the most memorable apart from the recent 21 km. My family really showed support there esp me dad. I told him I ll go up myself and stay with a friend. But he insisted on coming along with mum n div. It was a good family vacation and of course to see your family at the finish line cheering you on is sublime. Good times. It was also then tt my sis played a prank on ppl at the hotel. She put heaps of powder on her face, let her long black hair down and dressed in a white robe and she just kept walking around our floor with her head slightly down. Holy crap, the amount of ppl she scared. She actually had some guys running. Tts my sis.
About 2 months more till I m overwhelmed with the humidity of home and I cant wait. Once again there is all these plans in my head, plus some of me frens here might b comin to visit so yea tt will be good and of course cant wait to see all me frens back home. Cant wait for all that Sun morn bak kut teh with the PA and the thani sessions of course. We really gotta go back to that toddy place man and heat more tom yam balls. But yea it ll be heaps different without CK there. Hmmmmm we shd prob do msn conference wit him at Williams (they got wireless wat!). See la. Watever it is, lets all go Langkawi and booze, everyone!!! The PA, tong, joel, wai shien, marilyn, yan liang, derek, boon, kah leong and everybody else la, God bless duty free.
Ah okok I gotta get back to finishing this appraisal, I m getting ahead of myself, must be late night delusions. Stupid Red Bull.
Rock on all!

'Relax, I need some infomation first,
Just some basic facts,
Can you show me where it hurts,
There is no pain you are receding
'A distant ship, smoke on the horizon.
You are only coming through in waves.
Your lips move but I can't hear what you're saying.
When I was a child I had a fever
My hands felt just like two balloons.
Now I've got that feeling once again
I can't explain you would not understand
This is not how I am.
I have become comfortably numb"
Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd

P.s speaking about Pink Floyd, I haven done my part as a fan to commemorate the passing of Syd Barrett, founder of Pink Floyd who died last June. I will do so in my next blog. Shine on you crazy diamond

Baby Blues

Wohooooooo, my cousin sister gave birth to her first child today at 12.36 pm. It was a boy. Just a month back ,my aunt gave birth to her 3rd son!! Holy crap I cant wait to go back and see these small farts. I am pretty much officially an uncle. I talked to my cousin today. The poor girl sounded so tired, but she was pretty ok, cos it was a caeserian. She said when the baby was coming out, he peed all over himself. hehehe, kind of a self blessing or either that scared of the outside world. Cant blame the little bugger. But yea it was nice to talk to all my family again, really made me wish I was there. My grandma is now a great grandmother and my aunt is a grand ma. Best part is both the new babies are uncle and nephew (I forgive you if you are pretty much lost rite now). The older baby's (the uncle) name is Rohan, damn nice name. My cousin hasnt decided on one for her son, but yea whats the hurry eh? Now I m even more impatient to go back and see my new cousin and nephew. What a bloody miracle. Promise to put pics up when I get them. Cheerio

21 km at 21 yrs, wohoo!!!!

Yes, it has finally been done. After a good warm up last week with the 12km City to Surf, I set out to do my first half marathon yesterday. Got there early with Jon and his friend Cindy to register. Did a warm up run and streched. A crowd of about 500 people showed up. We started at 8 am. It was a real scenic run. We started at Burswood casino and ran along Swan River to the UWA boat house and turned around back to Burswood. It was all going well. In fact too well I think cause I really paced myself slowly for the first 10.5 km. Could ve increased the pace. Only after 10.5 did I push up a bit. Also pushed up the pace when I saw Jon on his way back to Burswood, as we crossed, we slapped hands and that really boosted me. The crowd was also damn supportive clapping and cheering us on. Some of my fellow runners also boosted me on, calling me on to keep it up.At 12 km, I was bloody hungry. I had to run pass this huge billboard of Kit Kat caramel with the bloody caramel oozing out of the damn wafers. Plus since it was father's day, lots of families were out having a BBQ and drinking and being merry. The smell of sausage sizzle never appealed more. It was around this point that me right ankle started acting up. My right ankle has always been weak since I was 15 after a hike gone wrong, but yea really pushed it this time. Stamina wise, I was ok, not out of breath, but man my legs were shaking when I crossed te finish line, it was more of a stumble across it. And the pain was something else but yeah gotta make me legs a bit stronger. But honestly, besides the pain, I was on a high, like I just had enough alcohol to give me that buzz, but this was so much more satisfactory. Felt invincible and top of the world. Came back and slept till 5. Legs still aching today, had to walk real slow to class and all, but who cares, what I acheived yesterday is worth all the pain in the world.
I don't know if my running season is out for the semester. There are a few 10k s comin up, but yea I ll see how it goes. I m just a happy man, and I think I am still on a high from yesterday. It still seems like a dream, a real good one. Well thats about it, now its back to burning that midnight oil and catching up with work after 1 hell of a week. Keep pushing guys and don't stop running. And thanks alot Jon, thanks for all the pushing and motivation.
Bring the pain and bring the glory.

T-15 hours to 21km

I am finally here. Wohooo, the anticipation is killing me. Cant bloody wait man. This is gonna be real interesting. hehehe. Till the next post. Wish me luck and pray for swift feet and strong lungs.

'Against the wind,
I ve been running against the wind'
Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band

Intermission

Yes, it has been some time, but it has been the longest week for me yet, but I am not done with the week yet cause I still have a major event this sunday which i ll elaborate on in the next post. For now, just wanna share this song with you guys. No matter how down or crappy i get, this song is always the bloody right cure. It's Lola by The Kinks. Just listen to it;

I met her in a club down in old Soho
Where you drink champagne and it tastes just like cherry-cola See-oh-el-aye cola
She walked up to me and she asked me to dance
I asked her her name and in a dark brown voice she said Lola El-oh-el-aye Lola la-la-la-la Lola Well I'm not the world's most physical guy
But when she squeezed me tight she nearly broke my spine
Oh my Lola la-la-la-la Lola
Well I'm not dumb but I can't understand
Why she walked like a woman and talked like a man
Oh my Lola la-la-la-la Lola la-la-la-la Lola
Well we drank champagne and danced all night
Under electric candlelight
She picked me up and sat me on her knee
And said dear boy won't you come home with me
Well I'm not the world's most passionate guy
But when I looked in her eyes well
I almost fell for my Lola La-la-la-la Lola la-la-la-la Lola Lola la-la-la-la Lola la-la-la-la Lola
I pushed her away I walked to the door I fell to the floor I got down on my knees
Then I looked at her and she at me
Well that's the way that I want it to stay
And I always want it to be that way for my Lola La-la-la-la Lola
Girls will be boys and boys will be girls
It's a mixed up muddled up shook up world except for Lola La-la-la-la Lola
Well I left home just a week before
And I'd never ever kissed a woman before
But Lola smiled and took me by the hand
And said dear boy I'm gonna make you a man
Well I'm not the world's most masculine man
But I know what I am and I'm glad I'm a man
And so is Lola La-la-la-la Lola la-la-la-la Lola Lola la-la-la-la Lola la-la-la-la Lola

12 k baby!!

Yes it was a good race, more enjoyable than the Asics Bridges. I woke up last night at 2.30 am, and didnt sleep all the way till the race. Just too pumped. It always happen. Got a ride with Felix together with Kim. Got there pretty early about 6.45 am. Met the other vets later, got my shirt and number. It was bloody freezing in the morning, pretty hesitant in stripping down to shorts and singlet. Was in category C. There were supposedly 35 k ppl at the race. Bloody cool. Took some time before we actually got to the starting line. But once we actually started running, it was off, felt so natural. But damn, when Jon said it was a hilly run, he wasnt joking man. Some of the hills were bloody steep. Worst thing was, after a night of constant fluid and electrolyte intake, before even the 2nd km, I had to pee and man was I searching for a toilet. Only found one at 4km. Lost bout 3-5 minutes there. But after the toilet break, I felt like a new man and doubled my pace to make up for lost time. It was a good scenic run through the suburbs and lots of parks. The best thing of any race is the ppl around, my fellow runners. Even though you dont know them, but you feel close to them, cos we suffer every hill together, we open our strides on every down hill together, we burn under the same sun together. It was silent comraderie. Really opened up on the last 2 kms. Only drank twice throughout the race, was just enough hydration wise. Made it in about 1 hour 15, know I could ve done better as usual, but yea better take it easy and injury free so I ll be ready for the killer next week. It's hard to explain my emotions in this race. Was very at peace and felt like I was invincible. A good start to the semester.
Now all that is left is the 21 km next sunday. Gonna be one hell of a mental race but its gonna b so worth it.

T-18 hours

Just 18 hours to City to Surf and I ve got a bad cough going on, but screw it, I am still gonna aim for a personal best. May our feet be swift, wind be light and the running explosive.

Run World Run.

The human race

I did the unimaginable on Friday. I usually do my runs near the university. There are 2 lovely lakes nearby with a good park around it. It usually takes me 52 mins to cover the whole thing and the distance is close to 10km. My best is 48 minutes about 3 months back just before the Asics Bridges run. But on fri, with the guidance and coaxing of John, I cut 45 minutes with a time of 44 something. Most of you must be wondering, so wat? You cut 3 minutes from you best time, so what, big deal! In the sport of long distance running, to cut down something like 3 minutes from your best time is totally bloody amazing, especially for an amateur like me. Best part was i knew I didnt hit the wall yet and that I could push a whole lot more, could ve been 42/41 or something. Cos all the while, I settled into my niche of 50 minutes average for this course, and try as I may, went through hell to bring it down but it didnt work. But last fri, after about 2 months of no consistent training, not to mention some weight gain, i flew baby, i flew and it felt so bloody good. The first 2o minutes as usual was ran with some agony and lethargy, but after that, i found my hidden gears and it almost seemed effortless. It was beautiful I tell ya. Thanks Jon. Jon kept giving me goals through out the run and pushing me on, motivating me every few minutes.
I will be doing the City to Surf run on the 27th of August with the vet school team. Jon has given me the goal of completing the 12km race under an hour. Quite a daunting task considering I clocked 54 minutes for the 10km Asics bridge run. Also to consider is that the course is bloody hilly, so its gonna be a full mental race.
I have also decided to do the Perth Half Marathon with Jon, JUST a week after the City to Surf. This will be my first 21 km run, so yeah pretty psyched and nervous about it. But yeah, not planning any goals, as long as i complete it running non stop, it should be all good i guess. Really looking forward to this. All this will lead to my triathlon dreams hopefully. Well its bloody late here. Take care folks and keep running.

Semester 2 Year 2

Well its here, semester 2. Felt like it took awhile to get here. Hopefully it will be a more relaxed semester, but yeah hard to say. At least one of the units this sem, Animals and Society seems pretty damn interesting. We get to learn breeds of dogs, cats, cattle, etc and how to handle them especially farm animals. So every Wed, we trot down to the farm and get some hands on experience.
Besides that I really wanna revive the Malaysian assoc, really abandoned it last sem and still feel bad about it. Next week is our General Meeting for the semester and we plan to do something for Merdeka as well Fingers cross this time.
And I am finally gonna apply for a job at the local convenience store. Figured i need the cash and its high time i get a job. What more this sem, its a 4 day week for me as i get fri off, so what the heck.
Going to see Jason Mraz this Fri with Min, Nicole and Kim, then its off to newport. Yeah ,we r pretty desperate for concerts here, so we just grabbed it. Jason Mraz songs are ok, not crazy bout them but they ll do. Just need a real good Rockin band to come here, like U2 or Rolling Stones. You dunno how much I d pay to see Mick Jagger and gang man. Times like this I wish I was born in the 70s, there were real concerts then, live shows that were a mix of awesome guitar solos, wild stage antics and of course a real crowd, where everyone was a brother or sister cause you were all united by this obsession for some silly piece of music, but you couldnt give a damn how silly it was. As long as it meant something to you and and it made you complete everytime you played that air guitar or sang along with that Golden Haired God on stage. Yea in that moment, it felt good to be alive. Aih sounds like i ve been smoking something.
But yeah, nothing like drowning yourself in your music, especially when its raining outside and its all dark in your room, with the glow of the monitor, and you have all these thoughts, depending what the song was about. Most of the time when I listen to stuff from Supertramp, Led Zeppelin, or anything from 80s, I think of my sis. Our music tastes are so alike. I used to remember driving her to school on my way to college at 7 in the morning. We'd be headbanging and screamin our lungs off to whatever cd tt was playing. I tell you man, who needs caffein in times like tt. Her friends use to wonder why her hair was all over the place when she got to class. She really reminds me of a hippie, so free spirited and stuborn as hell.
I remember introducing Led Zepp to the PA (the brotherhood lah), all CK wanted to hear was Kashmir and all Loi wanted was Stairway to Heaven. It was good stuff and good times eh guys? Of course with Jason, it was Bee Gees. I ll never forget him trying to do Barry Gibb's high pitched voice everytime Tragedy or Stayin Live came on. If you put that guy back in the age of Disco, I swear to you , he would be an icon man.
Ah okok, enough rambling. Back to farm report. Take care all and here's to your passion for music, no matter what kind, just live it and when you grow old, never forget the way it made you feel. In that way you ll never age, thats a Scout's Promise.

Bittersweet July

Farm practical was really good. Flew up to Port Hedland on 24th June. Was there for 2 weeks. There is no way I can squeeze in all that happened, but this is just the highlights.
Got knocked down by a young bull. Literally flew a few metres away man. Was trying to get the fella into another paddock, so slowly cornered him, but the bull was all anxious and agitated, cause we just dehorned it (Later, I counted my lucky stars it din have any horns man). Then it just turned n charged me. I was dumbfounded, just stood there staring at it. I still have the bruises on my thighs and stomach.
Flew a plane. When I was there, it was mustering season, where they draft all the cows on the land (bear in mind, its a million acre cattle station). So what we do is, we fly up in the plane with the farmer, spot the cattle, radio in to the 2 choppers that zero in on these guys and get them moving towards the mobile paddocks, then the dirtbikes takeover. It was beautifully done. Flying the Cessna craft was lovely, made some nice turns and all, plus it all look better from up there.
Dissected a kangaroo. The farm boys shot us a kangaroo to dissect. Those guys have a huge ass stomach man and a really thin diaphragm (muscle layer below the lungs to help with breathing). Apparently everytime it jumps, the huge stomach knocks into the diaphragm causing exhalation. The whole process of breathing during skipping requires no energy basically.
Did target practise with a Winchester 223. Real cool gun with minimum recoil. First time using a gun. Not too bad a shot I must say.
Got interviewed by the local radio station. When we were there, the Marble Bar Races were on. Bear in mind that our farm from 300km from town and the nearest populated place was Marble Bar, which is suppose to be the hottest town in Australia. Every year they have the Races which is suppose to be the social event of the north. So when they learnt there were 2 vet students up there doing farm pratical, they asked if they could interview us. Pretty cool, din think anyone would hear it, but some of my friends did.
Did mustering on a dirtbike. That was the ideal place to ride such a bike
Helped the mobile vet a Marble Bar. He had to spay a cat that was 4 weeks pregnant. He gave us the uterus which we dissected. There were 7 kittens in there. I wont go into details cause it will probably disgust most of you, but it was something else
It was one ofthe best experiences of my life for sure. Getting up every morning at 430 and when you begin to work, the sun comes up on the horizon. All around you is land as far as the eye can see. It was honestly like a dream. We worked till 5 in the evening, then gather near Frank's (the manager and a real cool guy) house and drink till dinner. We never went hungry. Even when were far from the homestead, we d get our meals delivered by chopper. All in tupperwares with our names on it. Lyle Mills was a darling (the farmer's wife) and really took good care of us. It is a good life, no pressure, no materialistic needs, just plain honest hard work with real satisfaction

It was good to see Su in Melbourne. Spent everyday in the hospital. It just felt so good being there with her and seeing that smile everyday was all I could ever ask for. She got discharged the day I flew back to Perth and as you can imagine I just didnt want to leave. So thankful she is much better and showing good progress with her recovery. I guess I ll just leave it at that. Like the title, July was mainly a bittersweet month, more sweet than bitter I guess, but I learned so much more about myself then, than I ever could. And its on to a new semester and 4 months before I see home again. Isnt it all just miraculous?

Of Thin Lizzy, Bowie, and all else rock...Oh ya some exam blues too

Thin Lizzy. First time I heard them was back in primary school with their anthem , The Boys are Back in Town. Next time I heard them was in the Kiss movie, Detroit Rock City, with the song Jailbreak. Then this year I was getting restless and needed more classic rock stuff, so I just randomly downloaded Whiskey in the Jar, which pretty much blew my mind away and showed me the true potential of Phil Lynott's band. Simply magical the sound of the guitar on tt track. It showcases Lynott's rough vocals with the hint of an irish accent (his mum was half irish). I could listen to tt song everyday and it never fails to get me going. Naturally I got other tracks from the band. Dancing in the Moonlight is not really much of a rock song but a lovely medly of blues and jazz, a fun song put simply.
Then arrived Bowie. David Bowie has always struck me as the perfect english rock star. He is a gentleman in and out but man does he know how to perform. I downloaded some songs from the Ziggy Stardust album (which was made in 5 days, and is one of the top albums of the last millenium). Bowie came up with the concept of Ziggy, who is an alien who falls to Earth 5 yrs before the end of the world. He becomes a superstar by dint of the truth of his music and world demands more of him. Ziggy then disintegrates under the pressure of expectancy. As bizzare as it may sound, i think there is alot tt we mere mortals can relate to that. Space oddity and Starman are superb songs, tt really take you to another world. Cool stuff.
Bought this classic rock magazine recently. It came with a dvd that showcased how some of the greatest british rock songs were made. Included were Smoke on the Water, Money and my favourite, Baba O'Reily by the Who (which is the theme song of CSI:NY). They took the song apart and brought in each instrument one by one. The best part was the guitar, played by Mr Townshend. Roger Daltrey's vocals were unbelievable, its like he really made you believe in Teenage Wasteland, and Keith Moon's thundering drums really set it off. The best part about the magazine was the countdown on the top British Rock Albums and could you guess who was standing proudly at No 1? None other than Led Zeppelin IV with Robert Plant pouting his lips on the page and Jimmy Page next to him in a world of his own with his guitar. Simply brilliant and well deserving, without a doubt.
Its freaking ironic, how when exams start to creep up, I tend to focus on everything else but the exams (like rock). But yea I m getting tt focus back now. Tomorrow is my physio presentation. last assignment of the semester. This is the last week of uni, next week is study break, then exams, then farm pracs, then Melbourne. Cant bloody wait, but I gotta pull through this 3 weeks first. Not goin Triple Crown on fri, cant afford a hangover before exams (lesson learnt well), instead goin to watch a local band, Something for Kate this sat wit aaron and nicole. My last major leisure activity before exams. Well all is good I suppose, just gotta presevere onwards. It really is cold now, the mornings are horrible as all you wanna do is sleep soundly but I drag my sorry ass to class. Hmmm as Calvin's dad would put it, It builds character. Well thats bout it then, back to more cramming. To all those on breaks, enjoy it you lucky bastards, and all those on exams, I feel your pain too. Keep dreaming (and rocking)

Waves of Red

Well what can I say? It happened and something in me always knew it would. Yes folks, Liverpool have won the FA cup after a most memorable match against West Ham in the Millenium Stadium, Wales. I just cant put it into words, just all numb after the sudden burst of emotion and all the jumping around and fist waving. What more with my dad and friends back home smsing me as we watched the game, though separated by distance, we were together as we cheered the Reds.
First 30 minutes, saw us 2 down, it wouldnt have been so bad for the fact that 1 of those goals was an own goal by Carragher, a Liverpool local. But Cisse got us one and it was 2-1 to West Ham as we entered half time. My dad msg me telling me it was a dissapointing 1st half but hoped to see the tide turn. I reassured him that Gerrard will get it back.
And indeed he did get it back, but it was shortlived as Konchesky brought West Ham to a 3-2 scoreline with a superb cross at a perfect angle, and for 15minutes plus it was tt way. Just as we approached the 90th minute, as the announcer said there was to be 4 minutes added time to the full 90, Gerrard sent in, what could only be described as a bullet from far out into the goal. It was just meant to be.
The extra time was wrought with fatigue and injuries and it was evident that we were entering a penalty shoot out .
Jose Reina who didnt really show his true self during the 120 minutes but shone during the penalties as he blocked 3 goals with Liverpool scoring 3 penalties. So a 3-1 penalty scoreline. It was Istanbul all over again ,where they won the Champions League.
I haven seen a soccer game since I got back here in Perth and to watch this as my first one in Perth this year really is something else. I just cant sleep now. Which is just as well as I need to study for the 2 exams this coming week. What a night! Hats off to Stevie G and Co for a job most excellently done. So much for feelin restless, hehehe. Keep dreaming guys.

Restless........

Yes it's that time of they year again, though its happening alot sooner this year. I m all restless and cranky. Ya ok the flu is gone, getting on with my work fine, but then i go feel agitated and that puts me off alot of things. Even when I study, my mind wanders off so easily and it always wanders off to the future, not the the distant one but the near one. I guess you could easily say that events about to happen in this 'near' future are ones that are really, really gonna impact my life and will dictate it's course. I always believe in carpe diem but ever so often I get trapped in the evils of planning or at least imagining my future and that always throws me off course my current state in life. I really should just go with the flow and not question everything around with me but as usual that is easier said than done. It's just all this uncertainty that comes with growing up, the uncertainty that will definitely stay with you for the rest of your life. Heck my idea of heaven is one without uncertainty.
But yeah gotta get back on track, 2 exams next week and then its the big finals which are like a month away. Then we ll see how this uncertainty holds up in my life. Hopefully things will seems clearer then. Dont worry I m not on crack. Hope you guys all doin good. Take it easy.

'That's me in the corner, that's me in the spotlight, losing my religion'
REM

The curse of autumn

Aih, just as I was feeling on top of the world, enjoying myself and finally on top of my work ( I think), then I go and get sick. Missed 1st 2 lect today morn, but had to drag myself out of bed for biochem lab. Started with a sore throat and now its a full blown flu, bloody hell, hope it ll be gone by wed.
The weekend was crazy. Went out fri nite wit esther, ryan, emily n hanna to newport to see good ol felix and this time it was even more enjoyable. I really got into the music this time. They played some new numbers like Rage Against the Machine's Killing in the Name Of, which they delivered bloody well, esp the last part of the song, hehehehe. Then went to The Clink, this underground club, pretty good mix of music, tts where i drank my troubles away, just kept goin while the rest danced. Felt like crap the next morn.
The next night, was the Autumn Blitz at Metro's organised by Indian Cultural Society. Went with Nellie, Esmee and Lindy. Pretty good deal, 4 bucks on all drinks till midnight, so had shot after shot. Met lots of old friends there which was good. Whatever happened after the drinks will stay at the club, hehehehe, just leave it at that.
Last night had a steamboat at aaron and nick's place with the other vet students. Was really good and a nice way to start the week.
Su is getting better, still feeling crappy i guess, but yeah things are looking better and I just cant bloody wait to get there. Its 6 pm and its pitch black, damn winter, gonna tuck in early if i want any damn chance of curing this bitch of a cold. I might be movin out next sem cos there is a chance that I wont get my extension. Found 2 places damn near uni, but hopefully I dont have to move out yet, cos I dun think I ll have time to do so with the exams and the farm practicals. See how it goes, will know by this weekend.
Well yeah thats about all, take care of your health, tis the season to be sniffly. Cheerio

' This is the house that Jack built you all, remember this house'
Aretha Franklin

Hmmm.....half way

Hmmm yes its halfway through the semester. Sometimes it feels like it took forever to get here n sometimes too fast. In the middle of 1 week hols now, but ir doesnt feel like that, cos most of the time I gotta drag my sorry ass to uni for a dissection project, if not that then, its studying for the upcomin physio quiz, bio chem mid sem or preparing for Problem Based Learnin stuff. But not all is lost among this never ending schedule of work. Had a nice bbq at abu's place last sun, unfortunately the bbq din work, so had to cook the stuff in his kitchen, but it was all good. Twas a good meal in the end.
Then last week went with Nicole, Nellie and Min to Mustang Bar to see this live band, Circus. Pretty damn good man, prob even better than Felix. But yeah went wild as usual and so did the girls, despite Min nodding off ,hehehe. Fortunately the night did not end there, we reached student village at 130 am, but did not get out of nicole's car till 330. We just kept listening to song after song having our own mobile karaoke. It was really something else. i guess we all needed it after how busy we ve been. Thanks girls.
Booked my ticket to melbourne. Wohooo. I really cant wait. Its just so hard when you feel helpless and the fact that I cant do much for her being here, aih. Soon soon. She really keeps me going.
Well thats about it folks, more work to be done, well i guess its better to be busy than being idle, but hmmm this is kinda pushing it too far. Take care everyone and dont stop dreaming eh?

P.s. Bon Jovi's Jane Don't You Take your love to town is a damn good song, just rediscovered it few weeks back after so long man and I really hope you guys have listened to Rusted Root

Take the long way home

Hmmm, din do too well in the race, clocked 55minutes and 37 seconds, which is a minute slower than my personal best. The race was bittersweet, bitter cos of my time, but sweet because i enjoyed it thoroughly and I guess thats what matters the most. My dad called yesterday, and I told him i was dissapointed with my time when compared to my last race (Ipoh Road runners 10k,2004), and he just put it in simple perspective for me, I just didnt train hard enough as compared to the last race . Hmm who would ve thought it was that simple? So its back to the drawing board and to increase my training, next race is in August, the city to surf 12k and then in sept, the half marathon(21k), yes I m gonna train for the half. I ve been running for a long time, but I dont have anything to show for it, so gotta intensify my effort.
Swamped with studies, mid sems piling on me along with assignments. Cant wait for holidays, arghhhh, most importantly cant wait for end of sem to go work on my farm and of course to head to melbourne, wohooo!!!!! Anyway Su just finished a dose of chemo and radiotherapy, and will begin infusing the donor cells soon. Gotta keep praying.
Oh yes forgot to mention, I shaved my head bout 3 weeks back, well not entirely bald, but the shortest ever in my life. Most ppl say it looks better, but I miss tt weight on my head, and the fact tt i cant headbang when i go see live bands, sucks. Anyway here's to it growing back to its rocking length.
Oklah rambled on enough, gonna nap for short while and its back to cramming for tomorrow's mid sem anatomy. Take it easy

T minus 15 hours

This is race is for you su. If i had your strength, I would win this race so easily.

So it begins

Yes it has begun, the actual routine of uni life, juggling uni work and what is left of my social life. Had a good break last week, and the next study break is slightly more than 2 weeks away. But before that its just midsemester exams, preparing for group presentations and of course my first race in australia.
Yup my first race is this sun, the Asics Bridge run. Its a 10 k run and I am hoping to cut my time to below 50 minutes, fingers crossed, if that happens then i will begin training for 21 k. My speed is increasing but all this running is also cutting my body weight down, so by winter, i ll be back to my skinny self, which is okla i guess. Jon has been a great source of inspiration and motivation. One hell of a training partner man. Thanks bro. Running has once again become an important part of my life again and I am thankful for that. It keeps me going and distracts my mind (Dunno if that is good or not).
Keep waiting to go to melbourne to visit su in july.
Allocated a sheep/cattle farm for my farm experience this june/july. 2 weeks staying there. Cant wait. Planning to do another week in Taiping zoo end of the year (it is def the best zoo apart from melaka in malaysia, zoo negara is pretty much a shit hole sadly). Life is ok at the moment I guess, at least i m busy and my mind not idle. Just somethings missing I guess and yes that stupid restless feeling is crawling back in, and it isnt even cold yet, though it should be autumn now. Anyway tts bout it. Take care n keep running.
P.s. Listen to this band Rusted Root, bloody good stuff. makes my day la.

A long time ago.....

Walau, it has been too long and I do apologize, too caught up with things. Well exams went well last sem, hols were a blast, it has been said before and I will say it again, THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME. Had a blast with my family and friends. Went camping again at pangkor, pretty syiok, attended my cousin's wedding, she looked so elegant and the groom was this cool composed fella, who kept insisting i get damn lot of shots of him ( she is pregnant now, which means when I get back, I ll be an uncle, wohoooo!!!), turned 21 and had one heck of a bday party, with both friends and family. The family one was kinda cool, cos I got to see my uncle boogie. My house was like transported back to the 70s, all the adults (yeah i dun think of myself as an adult) were just grooving to KC and the Sunshine Band, Bee Gees, Abba, Elvis, Bob Marley, even my dad and mum, damn cool.
The one with my friends was pretty crazy, Bryan Chua passed out naturally, Jason held his alcohol very well for the 1st time, and we almost diminished my dad's liquor cabinet. When he came back, all he did was smile and tell us, 'Aiyoh smells like a pub in here'. I also drove up to Penang for my cousin's bday, damn fun, I always like small towns like Penang, Ipoh, melaka, kuala selangor, damn quaint and no hustle and bustle. Plus everything is bloody cheap, hehehe. Made a pit stop in Ipoh for dinner, then drove on to Butterworth. My uncle and aunt live in this new housing estate, just next to a palm oil estate, damn nice place. Had a bbq for him. I really had a bloody good time, just cant put it in words.
Camping was a blast wit Marilyn, Krystle and Yan Liang. Really went crazy during the trip, got Krystle's finger bitten by a fish, ehehehe, burnt my skin like hell, went kayaking, finally got a decent fire started and had some warm food, played cards like mad and of course with marilyn there, we just started gossiping away n reminiscing bout school and how fun it was , aih.....
Also found out tt CK will be goin to japan to study medicine for 7 yrs under scholarship, congrats bro, so the PA brotherhood will be down by one when I go back. I m telling u CK, the 3 of us isnt gonna be enough man. Hope time flies eh?
I also had a very meaningful valentine's day with su. Spent lots of time with her during the hols. Didnt manage to do all things on our long travel list, but just being with her was good enough for me, hopefully end of this year. It was just lovely, aih......will be visiting her in melbourne soon.
So begins the 2nd yr and a new phase as I enter the 21st year of my life on earth. Kinda makes me feel all fuzzy inside thinking bout how far I ve come with my friends who are the craziest bunch of friends i could ask for and all the things we ve done together. Also to think where each of us are headed from this point on. Aih after all that has happened, I m glad it happened with you folks.
This is year is gonna be dedicated (apart from studies) to my running and hopefully more .I ve got a race on April 2nd, and it will be my first race in Aust. I m doin a 10k with Jonathan, my sifu in running, thanks alot of bro for all the motivation. So hope that goes well. Well it has just begun and rest assure I ll let you guys know how things are going from time to time. Take care folks, and no matter how tired you are, just keep running.