Snooker Mini-tournament

Not really telling the truth here. Rather, it was a match between Roger and I, but for four and a half hours. I brought water, crisps and biscuits to while the time, but we only ended up with less than 6 frames played. Still doesn't beat the time I played with Andy, and lost (I think) 9-10. Then again, that was american pool.

So the stage was set for yet another showdown. Roger stormed into the lead with a 42-22 victory (yes we suck so we don't score like 80 or even 50 sometimes, and our longest sequence is like less than 20 points), and then in the next frame I took him to the last ball, but alas, he edged it in first and won on the final black. Then the third frame didn't go so well either, and I was 0-3 down.... However, the fightback started from the next frame, when I started quite well and closed well, holding him off for 3-1, before clinching the following one on the pink (I should have won earlier, but needlessly mishit and gave him 5 points). Due to a lack of time, we could only play fifteen minutes of the sixth set, and he was leading 11-6 when we had to leave (because we bought the "unlimited" snooker slot, which lasted till 7pm only). Therefore, final score, 2-3 (2-4 if you count whoever was leading in the last frame).

We adjourned to his new place for some table soccer (I won both harhar) and then with Joe for some Winning Eleven, a game which I haven't played in ages, not that I play a lot of computer games anyway. So I had a torrid time with that, but did score once when controlling Adriano in our 3-man tag-team victory over the computer playing the most difficult level. 3-2 vs England. We even had Cafu sent off for two yellow cards. Then we took South Korea and lost to Portugal, before playing against Inter Milan thrice with different teams but still lost, and Roger chalked up both th emost number of goals as well as the most number of send-offs. We were down to 8 men playing with Arsenal I think, and 10 for Barcelona....

Another day has passed, and the end of August is looming. I still have loads to get in order. Hopefully I can begin properly by starting to get up earlier, have my breakfast, and start my day well. That way I won't lose so much time to sleep. Lazy ass......

Life's 10 Simplest Pleasures

Got tagged by Ken Rhee a while back, but forgot to write this in....

Let's see...

but what may be simple to one may in fact be almost unsurmountable to someone else... ok i shall cut the crap. But in no order of preference, okay??

1. Chatting with QY, Hui2, blurqueen, khai, WTH.... (etc)

2. Days hanging out with "the gang": Deng Hui, Ho Fung, Roger, Geraldine...

3. Playing badminton every week, and hopefully winning more than losing. We can't have too much fun when losing, can we?

4. Playing snooker, but this is much harder to play....

5. Going somewhere natural and wander, like catch fish in a rural river, or rock-climb in a nature park (yes I did that, without a harness.....)

6. Having some good quality wantan noodles. And I mean good quality (aka hawker food)

7. Having free time to myself to spend... doing anything I want to for the moment, which could be looking through some old stuff, reading, drawing, writing poems.....

8. Playing floorball, something I have not done for a loooooong time. And something I may well never do in future. But I do remember scoring every day I play! Even during the Inter-Student Council Games in JC... our only goal, and Kevin Khaw did a fantastic job in goal... I remember his pants even ripped at the knees!! 100% effort!

9. Winning. (hehe) And helping others.

10. Hearing from some long-lost friends.

the Letter Wars, episode one

In a recent dispute with my landlady regarding the full return of our deposits, I am glad to say that she has realised she has got absolutely no case at all and will be refunding us the money... If she had been as clear-headed from the start she would not have run into this. But then again, given that she is smart, she was trying her luck to see if she could bully us.. Unfortunaltely for her, she chose the wron people...

In another twist of the letter wars, Deng Hui had some problems with her phone cashback as well as Powergen, and these battles will have to continue. However I found out very recently that Powergen had had major problems with complaints last year and even made it onto major news. This gives me renewed energy in the fight!

Otherwise it's on to Trading Standards and Energywatch. Wait and see...

England 4-0 Greece

So, we got 4 goals scored at our end (East Stand) at Old Trafford on Wednesday, Terry, Lampard (both lucky), Crouch two. The last goal was the nicest. After the changeover, Greece played much better and had a few chances that Chris Kirkland did well to save, notably a hard left-footed shot swung at him and another swerving strike. I think Ashley Cole cleared on the line as well and England got off to a splendid start under Steve McClaren's reign. So we had the best of the action near us. Roger's car had a problem so we ended up taking a coach (the last one) back to Leicester, but during our change at Milton Keynes we actually managed to catch the earlier connection which had been late arriving. Next we had to rent a car to drive up to Manchester for the match. The same day I touched durians for the first time in a year, but ended up not buying any cos each durian cost at least a hefty 14 quid! And we don't even know if the insides have survived the journey intact! But it sure was nice to feel the thorns (though it didn't have much smell, and shaking it I did not feel much).

Had very lousy wantan noodles in Manchester... the noodles sucked terribly. Gonna go back to my favourite Malaysian restaurant in Birmingham tmr and get some proper 'wat tan hor' (hor fun)...

Signing off for now~

that's what i call weekly planning - - -

Once again, it is time for me to write something having neglected my page for a while. In fact, the one thing I have been doing too much these days is sleeping, and I am getting tired of it (literal meaning not intended). It also didn't help that I was not feeling too well when I went out for some pub food with Ben that day, and ended up with a slight fever. Now I have a bit of cough, and my mouth is giving me some effects of heatiness.

It didn't help either when blurqueen suggested that I should write more. Maybe I should, but there's a time for everything. Now the time is for me to start concluding my tour of duty in Leicester properly, and this means getting up earlier, lazing around less, and making things happen. I started arranging my driving licence stuff today, and realised that realistically I cannot get the licence for another 8 weeks, which is a little too long. But I did notice that Aberystwth (or was it Abergavenny?) had a waiting time of only 2 weeks for a driving practical test rather than the 7 or 8 demanded by most centres (and certainly that of the 2 nearest to me).

So what shall I write? Perhaps I can begin by saying something about my future plans. Something a lot of people might be interested in. Firstly, I am going to play badminton tomorrow after a lapse of two weeks. Then I am gonna work at a chinese takeaway for a short duration, and part-time, at the counter. Only Fridays and Saturdays, maximum. Looking forward to the job cos I haven't done anything like that, and the people there are very nice. Food too. Then I will go off with Deng Hui to London and have lunch at my favourite chinese restaurant in Chinatown: New Laughing Buddha (NLB). I must stress that they didn't pay me any fees (I would like to, though) but for the sake of friends' wallets I shall make a mention. It is much better than Wong Kei (WK), the previous budget-leader. It also had free tea, but comes in a nicer pot than WK's clear plastic cups, and with free soup. Also, each dish is a set price (lunch only) and comes with an egg, sunny-side-up, and well done. So they don't even stinge on the gas required to fully cook the egg! Choose from a large selection of meals (I must say some may not be nice), but it is a good selection, and only costs £3.50 each. All the freebies included (the tea might be chargeable, but I was there in a group of 4 so they might have waived it??). It is located on Macclesfield Road, near the main chinatown road (which is Gerrard Street) and in sight of the theatre at which Les Miserables is running (I think it's the Queen's Theatre). WK also gave free soup once, but that was because there were 4 of us. Not always their policy. Service at NLB was also better, by far. But then again, most restaurants have service better than WK's. I intend to try the roast pork n duck rice next time I am at NLB....

Then, off we go to Oxford for some sightseeing and havocking in Roger's place. I just booked the tickets. Fast forward to Tuesday, and we tumpang his car on the way back to Leicester, thereafter maybe squeezing in a game of badminton. Wednesday morning we drive up to Manchester, do some looking around town, then proceed to the large shopping mall, Trafford Centre, where I took more than 30 minutes to clear less than one mile on the motorway leading to it the last time, which was a saturday. Although I must say I found a parking lot very quickly. And then, the highlight of the day/week/month: ENGLAND V GREECE First match of Steve McLaren's reign, 1st match with John Terry as England's new captain, and (hopefully) first match where Beckham doesn't start... but anyway it's at the Theatre of Dreams, and I had longed to go there, although it'd be better if Man Utd was playing. But to be part of this new history is great as well, and what more England was to be playing the reigning European champions. And then we head back to Leicester in the wee hours, with me already pencilling in a Roadchef stop along the way (maybe near Sheffield) so that Roger can recharge his batteries and have a cuppa before resuming the driving.

Thursday, maybe tennis. Or I have other things to sort out as well. Night, snooker at Riley's. Friday, maybe work at the takeaway, maybe play badminton.

All in a week's plans.

tie a yellow ribbon ...

...around the ole oak tree?

Hardly. There are too many things that need tying up over here! Letters to landlords, utility companies, rejection of jobs, banks, notice of change of addresses, driving licence....

I guess it is time to make a decision, and this will mean that I am moving out of England. Into Welsh territory, that is. A good welcome.

More details soon? Or you might do better finding me online.

=)