Two Issues..

A 4 set win for Rog and he's through to the 2nd week of the Championships. Things are not shaping as nicely as expected, but then again, a smooth sailing passage is not the best preparation. Some sort of struggle would be good for him, especially the mental aspect of his game. 2 double faults in a game to hand the break to the opponent is a real gift, which I hope would not be repeated in the next few rounds.

2 issues which I had been discussing with my friends over the past few weeks have sprouted over the newspapers yesterday and today. The first was regarding matchmaking agencies. Having graduated from NUS, I would automatically become a member of SDU, which stands for Social Development Union, or rather, Singles Desperate Union. A close friend of mine who had graduated last year is vehemently against joining their activities. I was even admonished by her to speak softer in this rather quiet eating place when I mentioned the 3 dreaded alphabets. In her perception, and probably the vast majority, people who take part in the activities organized by SDU are average or even ugly looking, uncool, nerdy, desperate, unwanted and socially inept. If not, why would they need to seek help in finding a life partner?

In a way to counter this, many hip and trendy matchmaking agencies have sprung out. For an annual fee one forks out, one gets a certain number of dates a year. Members are mostly young professionals ranging from lawyers, doctors and bankers. So does it mean to say you pay for what you get? If I'm not wrong, membership for SDU is free for the 1st year only. Subsequently you have to pay some amount, which I suspect will still be less than matchmaking agencies like Lunch Actually and Two To Tango. "You pay peanuts, you get monkeys" and "she3 me4 qian3, she3 me4 huo4"". I wonder if these 2 sayings really apply to matchmaking agencies as well. But fairly speaking, at least SDU has been making efforts to revamp its image. Activities such as karaoke, mahjong and even tennis sessions are included now. Sounds pretty enticing to me.

The 2nd issue is that of guys holding their gfs'/wife's handbag. I'm totally aghast by that. In fact, I find it an amusing sight. It just shows that the guy has no backbone. It doesn't matter if the handbag is flowery, pinkish or whatever pattern. How heavy can a handbag be? Please girls, don't act like a damn spoilt brat. Holding a hundred grams of weight for a few hours is not such a demanding chore. And guys, you holding your beloved's bag is not a sign of your gentlemanly and caring behaviour. It just shows what a weakling and hen-pecked person you are. There are many other ways to display your love for your beloved. Being caring would be letting your partner rest when he/she is sick and not demanding that the poor sick fellow goes window-shopping/dining out everyday with you. Being loving would be not making unreasonable demands and not being bossy. Being considerate and attentive would mean not letting your poor partner hold on to the phone while you start gossiping on the other line or watch tv for more than 5 minutes. It's the little things like these that really matter. Holding a ladies bag is just a showy way of portraying being caring.

Sania Mirza..

After watching the repeat telecast of last night's match between Sania Mirza and US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, I realise I have nothing against the rising Indian star. She's a talent to watch out for. But I'm totally annoyed with the Indian commentator Vijay Arbitraj (not even sure if it's the correct spelling, I don't give a damn). I can understand he's extremely excited about the prospect of his fellow Indian tennis player beating the Russian. However he seems to forget he is paid to be a COMMENTATOR, and not some crazy fan like me, who can curse and scream at the opponent whenever I wish. Here are some examples of why he irritates me.

1. When Kuznetsova hits a ball into the net, Vijay goes, "Yes!!!!"
2. When Kuznetsova overhits the ball, Vijay goes, "It's long!!!"
3. When Kuznetsova produces a good serve and Mirza mis-times the ball, Vijay goes, "That's what nerves can do to you." Hello, it was a superb serve. Mirza just couldn't get her body out of the way in time. What has it got to do with nerves?
4. When Mirza hits a cross-court forehand winner, Vijay exclaims, "What a glorious winner!" Yawn... If you've been watching tennis long enough, you see those kind of shots being hit 1 out of 10 times. What's the big deal?
5. During the 2nd set tie-break, Vijay keeps cheering for his woman, "Come on, Mirza, you've got to push it to the 3rd set." And when Mirza finally won the 2nd set, Vijay screamed as if Mirza had won The Championship.

I couldn't bear to watch the 3rd set anymore even though I knew Mirza lost. Vijay doesn't give credit to Kuznetsova whenever she plays well. He goes on and on about how good Mirza is. I admit at times, her tennis is wonderful to watch. But it's a bit too much when he describes her as if she's the goddess of tennis. Come on, even Sharapova or Serena doesn't get such treatment from him. Moreover she's certainly not the female version of Rog. What irks me more is that the other commentator, Alan Wilkins, is being influenced by Vijay. Ok, to be fair, at least he cheers for Kuznetsova when she hits a winner. However, like Vijay, it's so obvious that he's supporting Mirza. They are flouting the so called rules of being a sports commentator. I understand that everyone has a favourite player. But can they at least minimize their bias during the match and stop giving a one sided view on what's happening during the match? If they can't contain their excitement or control their emotions, then jolly well do not commentate that match. Or is it because other commentators like John McEnroe and Boris Becker can't even be bothered to watch Mirza that they have to get Vijay to do the commentory? I wish that Vijay can just shut up at times. His evil and cynical laughter is giving me creeps.

I'm sorry that Mirza has to meet a seeded player so early during the tournament and bow out on the 3rd day of The Championships. But I'm just glad that Vijay can finally shut his big mouth about what a nice person and exciting player she is. I'm sick of her and he has to shoulder all the blame.

Asian Players..

ESPN StarSports' obsession with showing 'live' telecast of Asian players is driving me nuts. On Day 1 of Wimbledon, the first 2.5 hours was dedicated to a match between the hottest female Indian player, Mirza and a Japanese player named Asagoe. I wonder why they do not have the cow sense to switch telecast to the centre court or court 1 once play has started there. Yes, I know there are 1 billion Indians out there rooting for their country woman. But please spare a thought for other neutral tennis spectators/fans out there. I, for one, am certaintly not entertained by watching these 2 Asian players slog it out on court 17. I'm surprised they even have a camera there!And today, instead of showing the big match between Marat Safin and Mark Philippousis, what were they showing?? Lee XX versus Juan Carlos Ferrero and S Perry versus Tamarine Tanasugarn. They would show whichever match which contains an Asian in them. I'm not even asking them to telecast Rog's match even though he's playing now. At least exercise some common sense in deciding which match contains more excitement and is worth watching.

Recently met up with my cousin who has been studying abroad for the past 4 years. I must admit the overseas stint did him good. He carries himself much better now and has become more sociable, mature and humourous. I was highly amused by his comments on NTU guys, which I shan't mention here. Would probably be meeting him and his brother this weekend.

Also heard from a 7 year net-friend of mine through email. Chatted with him quite often through IRC during my JC days but subsequently lost touch with him when he served NS and went to London for his undergraduate studies, as he was hardly on MSN. Only received an occassional Merry Xmas sms/email from him when he came back to Spore. I've always admired him given his background and it sometimes make me terribly ashamed of myself as I'm much more fortunate than him. Whatever it is, I'm glad he's doing well and it was really nice to hear from him again.

Blogging Matters..

It seems pretty ironic. During the school semester, where I have tonnes of work to do and piles of readings to digest, I would somehow find lots of things to blog on. Be it Rog's ups and downs, my anger towards certain people, my driving experiences etc. Now that school has ended and I'm techinically speaking on vacation, with so much time to spare, I have nothing to contribute to my blog. I came up with numerous explanations for this weird syndrome.

Unlike some people who treat their blog as a diary which they record practically all their daily activities, I'm not one with such a habit. If I've to do so, I think my blog entries would be the same on alternate days due to my boring and routine lifestyle.

A second reason would be that I tend to write when I'm frustrated, angry and upset over some matters or someone (which I definitely would not mention the name in case that someone happens to stumble upon my blog or happen to be one of my friends). I've no intention of making enemies with anyone. Even if I'm really pissed with someone, I'll just give a vague description of what angers me and make sure I leave no clue on who the person is. So since I'm basically enjoying myself just before I start work, I've nothing to be upset about and hence, nothing to write in here.

Happy events are not included in my blog. The only joyful things that I record would be Rog winning tournaments. To me, happy, sweet and satisfying moments need not be recorded down. They would be forever registered in my memory. And seriously, when one is in high spirits, one need not tell the whole world about it. I treat my blog as an avenue for frustration, which explains my lack of entries in sharing wonderful moments that I had with anyone.

Personal thoughts and feelings are seldom penned here. That's the difference between a blog and a diary. A blog is one where everyone has access to whereas the old-fashion handwritten diary is for my own personal reference. I've no intention of letting anyone know who I'm really disappointed with and with regards to what matter, who I dislike or like and what I'm feeling at whichever moment of time. I've to admit I'm no saint. I do bitch about people at times but this is not the right place to do so. My best pals and my good old diary share the 'honour' of listening to my whinings and complaints.

I'm currently watching the last episode of this more than a decade old Hong Kong TVB drama classic. It brings back lots of nostalgic moments. The new offers excitement and refreshing moments. However, in my opinion, the new can never replace the old. I'm not only talking about tv dramas, but also blogging and most importantly, people.

Rog Truimphs..

Rog beat Safin in a warm-up tournament for Wimbledon to claim his third consecutive title in Halle, Germany. A hat-trick of Wimbledon truimphs for Rog would be good. A barren year of Grand Slams is hard to imagine.

Oh, and Roddick just won too. A fantastic weekend for Mrs Federer and Mrs Roddick :)

Thought Provoking..

Lessons in Living

Learn to laugh. A good laugh is better than medicine.

Learn to attend to your own business. Few men can handle their own well.

Learn to say kind things. Nobody ever resents them.

Learn to stop grumbling. If you can't see any good in the world, keep the bad to yourself.

Learn to hide aches with a smile. Nobody else is interested anyway.

Learn to keep troubles to yourself. Nobody wants to take them from you.

Source: Tecman

Facing Reality..

Since Rog's loss to Nadal at Roland Garros, I've refused to read any tennis websites. The loss is too bitter to swallow. Nadal isn't as good as most people make him out to be. How far can one go with a double-handed backhand? Nadal didn't beat Rog in that match. Rog simply succumb to pressure and failed to even put shots in during crucial moments. I hate players who are not aggressive, simply put, they only hit winners when they are forced to. If not, during normal rallies, they are just contended with placing the ball in at 3/4 court. They are the kind of players who make few unforced errors. They can just hit the ball all day without getting tired.

Furthermore how unlucky can Rog get? The semi-final loss to Safin at Australian Open was played on Safin's birthday. Again, the semi-final loss to Nadal at French Open was played on Nadal's birthday. Rog, I know you are nice but that doesn't mean you have to deliver such a huge birthday present to your opponent. Or do the gods simply favour birthday boys? I hope Rog's next semi-final opponent (hopefully if Rog gets there) doesn't fall on the opponent's birthday. Rog is probably suffering from some birthday curse.

Anyhow, I wish Nadal would join the growing list of active male players in being one slam wonders. Just to name a few, they are Michael Chang, Albert Costa, Carlos Moya and Juan Carlos Ferrero (don't think he has the potential to win anymore due to his multiple injuries). Notice the similarities? They are all French Open champions and with the exception of Michael Chang, they are of Spanish nationality. I won't congratulate Rafael Nadal of his truimph. Call me a sore loser but I feel Rog wasn't outplayed by Nadal, unlike the Australian Open match against Safin. With Wimbledon starting in less than a fortnight, let's see how Nadal would adjust to the grass surface. No more long rallies for him. Hope he gets bundled out early by those wildcard big servers. And I don't think he deserves to be sharing the top spot with Rog at the ATP champions race. After all, 4 of his tournamnent victories came on clay. Clay-court king would be more appropriate. Whatever it is, I hate Nadal.

Tough Call..

For the past fortnight, I received no phone calls from unfamiliar numbers. The call that I've been waiting for finally came today. Of all times, it had to come after I signed my job contract, went for the medical check-up and took a photo for some card. Sigh. Why didn't they call earlier? Anyway, I'm now consoling myself that I may not land the job even though I've been granted an audition/interview. And I suspect the pay is much lower than the one I'm offered. Furthermore, it would require irregular working hours. I'm a person who loves routine and can't sleep late. Whatever it is, I've only myself to blame for signing the contract so early. If only I wasn't so anxious to get things done so quickly.

It's hard to decide between one's interest and economic returns. I wonder why all the industries that I'm interested in working for all provide very low monetary returns and shitty working hours. I've always stressed that interest is important in a job. Otherwise, the job would turn up to be a chore and one would be dreading to go to work everyday. However, one has to be practical too. After all, I've studied close to 2 decades. It would not be justifiable to settle for a job which offers such meagre pay. Moreover, I don't think I'm the kind of person who can survive by living simply. This is not to say that I'm a spendthrift. However I do indulge in some form of exorbitant shopping spree when I need to. Looks like I've to forgo my interest for higher pay. I hope I made the right decision this time.

Bangalore Experience..

Upon touching down Bangalore, India, Dad and his colleague took a taxi to their hotel. Traffic was crawling. Drivers blaring horns at one another, drivers switching lanes at their own risks, drivers not following traffic rules (not sure if they were even of existence there). In short, the roads were chaotic.

While they were travelling, a motorcyclist in front of their taxi suddenly braked. The taxi driver managed to stop in time to avoiding hitting the motorcyclist but another motorcyclist behind the taxi was a fraction too late. To avoid confusion, the motorcyclist in front of the taxi shall be called MF and the motorcyclist behind would be named MB. MF rode off while the taxi driver came down to check the extent of the damage to his vehicle and to confront MB. After a couple of minutes of heated discussion between the pair of Indian men, the taxi driver got back onto the car and drove off. Dad and his colleague thought that the matter had been resolved. But Dad's colleague realised that the taxi driver was heading onto the wrong road. So he informed the driver. The taxi driver told both of them to sit tight as he was trying to chase after MF! Apparently, during the discussion with MB, both of them came to the conclusion that the fault lies with MF, not MB. Both the taxi driver and MB were trying to hunt down MF.

After a kilometre or so, they managed to track down MF and cornered him to prevent him from escaping. Apparently, he tried dodging away from them once. The taxi driver, MF and MB confronted one another and started arguing. Obviously Dad and his colleague didn't understand Tamil and didn't know what was happening. Soon, a crowd appeared on the roadside. A few even joined in the discussion to decide who was at fault! A while later, the taxi driver took out his handphone to make a call while the argument continued between MB, MF and the people on the streets. After making the call, the taxi driver politely apologised to my Dad and his colleague about the delay and let them know that another taxi would be on his way to pick them up and fetch them to their destination. Dad told him that they weren't in a hurry. The taxi driver replied, "Sir, I think it would take a few hours to settle this matter." I couldn't stop laughing when I heard that. I thought this kind of thing only happens in Tamil movies or drama serials. To think that Dad was actually caught in the midst of a real drama. Anyway, a few minutes later, another cab came and drove them away while the saga continued.

The above is just one of the numerous stories that Dad narrated to me from his overseas trip. I love it when Dad comes back from his business trips. I derive lots of entertainment from his countless and interesting encounters with the locals which I certainly would not experience even when I went on my packaged tour holidays. And he never fails to get me a T-shirt from each city he visits if I've never been to that country. But this time, for some reason which I shan't mention, he didn't do so. Instead, he brought back a whole box of my favourite fruit: mango :) However, I'm not sure if a certain Mr Lim has the courage to consume them, due to his rather weak tummy.

Familiar Route..

It just occured to me that my days in NUS are finally over. While driving to somewhere near NUS today, I realised it would be the last time that I would be travelling on this 25 minute drive familiar route. I'll miss cruising down the ECP, decelerating near the speed camera, road-racing with strangers, performing dangerous overtaking manoeuvres, speeding, crawling during peak hours, forcing my way in changing lanes, flashing headlights at road hoggers, overshooting my expressway exit and many others. I'll also miss rushing from one place to another within the Arts faculty, but I certainly won't miss shuttling from one faculty to another. After all, most of the cross-faculty modules hurt me badly and the worst part was taking them as graded. Anyway, I hate squeezing the damn shuttle bus.

It seems not long ago that I just started my undergraduate studies. 4 years zoomed by so quickly. The first 3 years were rather uneventful. Due to my rather mediocre grades, I was unsure whether to continue pursuing my honours degree or just graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree. In the end, I chose the former. I still wanted to study and enjoy life rather than slog it out in the working world. Anyway, I wasn't prepared to enter the workforce as yet. But the real juvenile reason why I didn't want to graduate back then was because I wanted to graduate together with my brother and my 3 other cousins. I'm glad I made that choice. The 4th year has been very rewarding, not only academically. Due to Wanpei's wide social network, I made many new friends from the econs honours class, some of whom I've not even seen in my past 3 years in NUS. They consist of jokers, extremely helpful study companions, 'kiasu' people, promising singers, Murtabak companion, fellow Rog and soccer fans, tennis buddies, mahjong kahkis etc. Not surprisingly, due to my rather anti-social nature, the number of friends I made last year is more than the number of friends I made in my previous 21 years of existence.

While disposing all my econs notes, a tinge of sadness hit me. No more stuggling with tutorial assignments, no more tests and exams, and most importantly, no more studying and trying to attain high grades. Truthfully, I think I'll miss the familiarity and routine of being an undergraduate rather than the actual studying itself. Whatever it is, I'll be joining the labour force in slightly less than 2 months time. At the meantime, I'll just enjoy as much as I can. The first 2 things I would have to do is to clear up my room and do up my Finland photos. I can hear Barbara nagging at me from a distance already. Sigh.