Little Bit Of Everything

Yes, I know I have been remiss in updating this blog. I’ve been a little pre-occupied with something, let’s call it my travel research. Heh. I haven’t been travelling at all this month ;’( I forgot to share the goalie loan deal before. KeithTheGooner had actually leaked it out earlier (pun intended). I’m sure some of you may have seen it before:

Photo source here

Though, from what I read, Mad Jens wasn’t doing all that great in the Reserves match last night. He was rusty and made some errors. Well, what do you expect from a 41-year old man who hasn’t played for months anyway. Well, I guess we can have this cutie pie understudying Szczesny...

Speaking of another cutie pie, RIP Knut ;’( - yes, this entry has a little bit of anything and everything but it’s mainly nothing, just the random thoughts of a confused girl. By the way, we all know that Ramsey has been made captain of Wales (eh, whatever happened to the world’s greatest footballer, Mr. Bale?) and he joined Arshavin, Chamakh, Rosický and TV5 who are also captains of their national side. Nasri was captain in the match against Luxembourg on Friday. So with Cesc, we have many captains in Arsenal – and yet people say we have no leaders. Hmmm... I’d better stop here and bid you adieu with Titi’s Sky Sports interview (part I, II, III, IV). Oh and this superbly brilliant video from Red Action (voice over by Al Pacino from the movie Any Given Sunday).

I Say A Little Prayer

My heart and prayers go out to all the brave and resilient Japanese with all that have befallen Japan. There are many on-going relief activities that we can make contribution to (including this), to help alleviate their suffering.

I was incensed, shocked and not at all amused to find these comments from white trash people. What the hell? Look, we were invaded by the Japanese too during WW II but that was a long time ago. I know a few countries that begrudge (still) Japan for WW II (China and Korea to name just two) but come on. It reminds me of the 2002 European floods which among others affected Germany – well, some white trash people also commented that Germany deserved it for what the Germans did during WW II. So was it OK to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki? Was it OK to invade Iraq? Is it OK to continue to have presence in Afghanistan?




When Mummy left, I thought my world had ended or close to it. But the Japanese, they lost their families, homes, possessions all in the blink of an eye. How do people stay strong in such trying circumstances? To lose so much in such a short time... I can’t even begin to imagine how/if I can cope. The whole thing has been humbling and sobering. Be strong my Nihonjin tomodachi.

Arsenal’s new Japanese signing Ryo Miyaichi sending a message to Japan after last Sunday’s Feyenoord match against NAC Breda. Go here for his video message

‘Ganbare Nihon, Ganbare Tohoku’ meaning ‘Don’t give up, Japan, don’t give up North East region.’

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In trying times as this, it’s hard to give anything else much focus. In fact, almost everything else pales in comparison. I just have one thing to say: Welcome back, Brother Leman aka Mad Jens! Heh.

Let’s smile for the camera and pretend we’re friends. Do it or I’ll piss on you!

And I don’t think it’s too late to wish my Irish friends Happy St Patrick’s Day (yes, I know it was yesterday). Éirinn go Brách!

Seeing Red

Well, that was ‘fun’ wasn’t it. Actually, no, I didn’t find Barcelona all that entertaining or brilliant to watch. That is to say I don’t find any team whose football ideology is about completely denying the other team a say in the match at all entertaining. So when they win, it’s just expected. Sure it takes incredible skill but entertaining? Not to me. We managed to (somehow) contain them for the first 45 minutes (until Messi scored). They only had advantage of extra man after RvP left. Oh and help fr blinking referee of course. RvP should have contained his temper and avoided the first yellow but to be given the second was scandalously harsh. RvP: ‘In my opinion the ref killed the game. The sending off had a big influence. It was a total joke. How can I hear the whistle with 90,000 people jumping up? How to God can I hear? The referee has been a joke all evening.’

And apparently Wenger had spoken about the referee to the folks at UEFA who were equally shocked ‘as it killed a promising, fantastic match. Frankly it’s embarrassing for the game.’ Well, hardly shocking seeing Busacca is not universally accepted in his own country as SwissRamble shared. He was suspended a couple of years ago for giving the crowd the finger.

Downright professional, aren’t you? Can we show you our fingers too?

And boy, were we choked. And cor blimey, no red cards given for these! Not a card either to Alves for scissor-tackling Nasri. But a card was given to RvP for kicking the ball one bloody second after he was adjudged offside.

Nasri strangled. Photo thanks to Cristina
RvP strangled, from here

Reactions from Cesc taking blame for first goal, Jack (1) and (2), Nasri (1) and (2) and RvP about the dismissal.

Well, we win as a team and lose as a team (and got knocked out of Europe by an effing shitty referee as a team).

What Lies Beneath

I was about to sit down for breakfast last Wednesday when I felt a pain on my navel like a bite. It was painful that I bent over and cried out, Ouch!! I didn’t think more of it since - until Thursday afternoon when I felt a sudden intense pain around my belly button area (yes, of all places).

When I got home, I was surprised and alarmed to see a ‘growth’ in my navel which I’d never seen before (I don’t think I neglected care or disregarded hygiene in that area, I mean, sure I don’t normally pay much attention to that area but still it doesn’t explain the sudden metamorphosis of, say, a previously unnoticed scab or accumulated dead skin cells into a disgustingly-and-alarmingly-mole-sized thing. I tried to poke it out with a cotton bud and quickly determined that it was indeed the source of the pain.

On Friday, I summoned up my courage to visit the doctor (did I ever mention I’m a coward? That I have a very low pain tolerance level?). She looked at it and gave me some anti-biotics and piles to reduce any swelling. That evening, when I checked, the alien thing had gone. Dropped off somehow somewhere sometime.

If I thought that was the end of the problem and pain, boy, was I wrong. I was still hurting on Saturday and it didn’t help that I watched Black Swan and 127 Hours that day. When Nina developed those feathers, I couldn’t help thinking something developing in me, namely in my navel. I had by then suspected that something had invaded me, perhaps those leeches I picked up last weekend at the waterfall. And when I watched 127 Hours - I mean, when I didn't have my eyes covered - and saw the struggles of Aron when he was trapped and his pain, well, I could so feel his pain because I was in pain. So much pain that I had to walk at an odd angle.

Audrey suggested taking some pain-killers and while normally I don't like to take anything orally, the pain was such that I’d try anything. I woke up on Sunday still feeling the pain (which Arsenal’s draw after the high five performance in mid-week didn’t help alleviate of course) and finally I couldn’t stand it anymore and asked Abah to come pick me up and send me to the hospital.

The doctor couldn’t at first determine what was wrong either. The pain was such that I could no longer tell whether it was external or internal but she patiently probed my tummy. And while earlier it did seem that the pain had spread, her probes helped to establish that the source of the pain was the navel. The area of pain was around the navel, not around it. She told me she’d give me some pills to ease the pain but I asked for some cream instead. I was waiting to be dispensed with my medicine when I was called back in. Puzzled, I went in only when the matron came out and called my name. The doctor said she just remembered that it could be a bug/flea that entered my body via navel. What? Bug? A bug could cause that much PAIN and grief?? She also suggested I try ‘flushing’ or drawing out the bug with some oil, olive oil or cooking oil would do. God only knows where that bug came from and how it found me. I just pray it would be out of my body pronto. Hello, I’m not your host. I’ve been your reluctant host for the past few days and you gave me so much pain. But all the same, I’m relieved it’s not a more serious health issue like gastritis, appendix, the dreaded c-word, tummy ulcer or whatever.

So ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, be careful of what lies beneath and what lurks beneath. Your body could be host to some alien, just as mine is.

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The other flying Dutchman scored a hat trick against ManUre and van de Sasar last night. Hahaha! So now ManUre have conceded MORE goals than Arsenal. And I thought people keep saying we have keeper issues. As for ManUre, Invincibles my foot, no, my belly button.

Cool Water

I followed my sister and family to visit my niece at her boarding school in Lenggong last weekend (she enrolled the day after they came back from Melbourne). It was a 3.5-hour trip and initially I was pissed at being made to wait for over an hour but my mood improved gradually. Good thing I brought my novel along.

We pulled up at her school just after 2 pm and I went up to her room. I wasn’t too impressed with the building block, the room, the condition of the room (with graffiti on some parts of the wall) and quite a few other things but I guess I should not compare my boarding school to hers. It’s bound to be different so what was I expecting anyway? On the plus side, she seemed to have adjusted to her boarding school life (she was crying for days when she first arrived) and the room has a fan. We never had a fan back at college (however did we survive?). It was a hot, hot, hot cross bun day despite the surrounding hills.

We had lunch together at the dining hall then left her to rest (she needed prior approval before spending the night away). We then headed to Resort Tasik Raban run by the Lenggong District Council. Akak had earlier called to book a two-bedroom chalet (it comes with a living room). It was alright and would have been better without the carpet (some previous inconsiderate thoughtless tenant left an iron on for there were marks on the carpet) and the smell in the bathroom (manhole problem, I think). Well, for RM170 for two rooms, I don’t think you can complain much. There is a playground with some good equipment for play and exercise and of course, there’s the lovely lake. It was still too hot to venture out so I stayed until 6 before heading out. Even at 6, the sun was bright, hot and intense. My nephew and brother-in-law were trying their luck at fishing but the lake water was a bit rough and not conducive for fishing.

We had dinner at a stall across the lake (you’ll need to drive out, I’m afraid) before retiring for the day. No Astro and no broadband either so it was a slooowww painful process trying to access the Internet.

Now you may have heard of the Perak Man. Well, it is in Lenggong where his prehistoric skeletal remains were discovered. Lenggong also has an archaeological museum (entrance is free!); we didn’t visit it on this trip but not to worry, there’ll be many trips to Lenggong in the near future, insyaAllah.

The next day, Akak went to fetch la niña and brought her back to the resort. We requested a late check-out from the resort manager who agreed and drove to Lenggong town. It’s a small quaint sleepy town. I wanted to find some durians but the local Sunday market didn’t have any.

After breakfast, we drove to Hutan Lipur Lata Kekabu. Kekabu waterfall is also listed here. My nephew and younger niece followed me to find the waterfall so up we went along the trail. Not to worry, there’s a nice trail that you can follow and the trek is hardly strenuous. Along the way, we passed the river, a bridge and a suspension bridge. We also picked up some leeches along the way (you blood-sucking parasites!).

Akak returned to the resort to get towels and change of clothes while the three of us ventured on. I love the waterfall and the trek was definitely worth it. And there wasn’t anyone else around! We had the whole place all to ourselves. We sat down at a barrier (built such that the water from the waterfall collects into a pool before plunging further down into the river) feeling the morning sun and water spray on our faces. It was bliss except for the two monkeys with me, heh. After some time, we returned back to the first bridge and went down to the boulders and river below. The water was ccccold! I only packed enough clothes for the trip and not for a river trip so didn’t bathe. Never mind, I was happy and content enough to sit on a boulder, soak my feet in the cool water and read. Now that’s really cool water, Davidoff!

We left after 1 pm and went back to the resort to check out. Lunch was had at the same area we had dinner the night before. We sent la niña back to the hostel, bade her farewell and drove back to KL, stopping en route at a R&R area where we finally caught sight of durians. I bought two durians and we devoured them all. I caught the train back home at Sri Petaling station and was home at 7.40 pm.

Unfortunately, I left my camera back in KL and hence am not able to share any pictures with you but trust me, Lenggong is worth a visit. Maybe my next trip will be June onwards – I am reluctant to miss my football and there’s no mamak stall or coffee-shop where I could hang around to watch footie.