Photography

I’ve always believed that life is short.  There are moments in life in which we wish that time would just freeze.  We want to live in these special moments forever.  Then it struck me.  We don’t necessary have to ‘live’ in these moments.  We just have to experience these moments, and let it stay in our memories – as sweet memories.

That is why pictures and photographs are important.  We need to capture, or freeze, these moments in life.  I’m sure all of us have looked through photographs and without noticing it, smiled or laughed, reminiscing about those moments.  This is the thing that I find captivating.  Being able to look back at these photographs, smiled or laughed, and say, I’m glad I’ve lived through it, and I have this piece of memory well-kept here.

And that’s why I’ve got my new camera, Nikon D5000.

Getting a camera is one thing.  But learning how to use it is another.  DSLRs are cool and can be user-friendly.  However, it certainly takes time to learn the functions and experience to take beautiful photographs.  Aperture, shuttle-speed, exposure, contrast, brightness, flash, etc. are examples.  These settings/parameters affect the photographs taken, and the optimization of these parameters to suit certain situation is not an easy task.

Well, I’ve got the camera now, and the learning starts.  Hopefully I will get better.  If anybody has any tips/hints to share, please do! Now, I’m looking forward for a trip to take beautiful photographs. XD

Hopefully this fire will keep burning =P

First Monday

This is the first Monday and first working day since you left.  I miss you badly.  I used to call you in the morning to get rid of the weekday blues.  You made me feel better all the time.  Just listening to your voice made the world perfect for me.  I do not feel really happy in the office today.  Partly because I felt I was a bit left out.  My colleagues were betting for the World Cup and had pizza for lunch, which I was not a part of.  So, I skipped lunch.  Anyway, I did not feel hungry at all.  I miss you.  I really miss you.  Coming back from home, I’m glad I’m able to call you and talked to you for a while.  Even though it lasted for only a few minutes, I feel really happy.

Just came back from mamak with friends.  These guys are true friends.  Just sitting there with them, talking, made me feel so much better.  Sometimes these are the small little things that made our friendship so strong.  These are the people I love, and I will love always.  You guys mean the world to me.  Seriously.

Time to sleep now.. Not so worth it to watch the Final last night ==

I miss You

It’s barely 1 day.  And I started missing you already.  I really miss you, so so much.

I’m too used to being with you.  We’re like always sticking together, everywhere we go.  I never thought I would miss you so badly.  I did not know that I am so attached to you.  I am counting the days until you’re back.  And like you imagined, I will give you a BIG warm hug!

Enjoy yourself sweetheart.  Take good care of yourself.  I miss you. I love you.

Poll #1

Every day, I never fail

Online-ing and Facebook-ing
Who doesn’t? I can’t imagine a day without the internet, IF I am at home, and I am bored. Since I-don’t-know-when, all of us have been so dependent on the internet. See a word that you don’t know – Google it. What time is it in the UK – Google la.. What time is tonight’s football match? – Google lo..

YES, admit it. We need the Internet! If not, I would feel disconnected to civilization, totally!

And facebook? Its like routine. Everytime I open up my Google Chrome, I would automatically type in “fa” and the first page that appears = Facebook. Besides using it to keep myself ‘up-to-date’ with everybody’s status, I also need to switch on the games I’ve been hooked up to lately – Hotel City and My Empire.

Urghh.. I can’t Facebook in my office!

Eat, eat and eat
Eating. This is my favourite thing to do besides sleeping. It is essential and important, mentally and physically. I love food. I would feel totally down if I did not have a good lunch/dinner. Who wouldn’t?

Come to think about it.. What should I have for dinner tonight? XD

Flip to the last page of the newspaper
Yes. You got it right. Sports news. I don’t know why, but it just happens automatically everytime I touch the newspaper. Maybe because Malaysian newspapers features more on CRAP news such as political issues and empty promises by ministers etc. Every once a while, some idi*t comes out and say something racist. So, as time passes by, my interests to local news faded away.

And in sports news, there are many interesting stuffs to read about: World Cup fever, hot Latino fans pictures, transfer rumours in the EPL, Tiger Woods having another affair and bang another tree/lamp post, Ashley Cole broke his di*k for cheating on Cheryl Cole, etc. Aren’t these stuff more interesting? Dang!

FIFA World Cup 2010 Part 3

That’s why we love football.  Unexpected results, crazy moments and the aftermath.  FIFA World Cup 2010 started slowly in the group stages, in which teams played with slow tempo and were cautious with their tactics.  The fun starts in the quarter-finals.  The games were: Brazil vs Netherlands, Uruguay vs Ghana, Germany vs Argentina and Spain vs Paraguay.

Brazil vs Netherlands

When i start watching the match, the score was already 1-0 in favour of Brazil.  I was thinking that there is no more hope for the Oranje.  But they came out strong after half time with two goals from Wesley Sneijder.  The great comeback started with a judgement mistake by Julio Cesar and a great ball into the box by Sneijder.  The goal turned the game around.  As the Dutch were growing in confidence, the second came from a set-piece and was headed in by Sneijder’s ‘bald’ head.  Then, Brazilian Felipe Melo trampled on Arjen Robben which earned him a red card.. and ultimately Brazil’s exit from the World Cup.

Uruguay vs Ghana

This tie may not seem to be the most interesting, but in fact, it is more dramatic than the other matches.  The score was level at 1-1 in extra time and the tie looked to be heading for penalty shoot-out.  Ghana, cheered by the whole Africa continent and perhaps most parts of the world, made a final push and almost scored a goal, but for goal line clearance and a hand ball by Suarez.  He got a red card and Ghana got a penalty, in which they missed.  The psychological advantage was on Uruguay’s side and they made full use of it in the penalty shoot-out.  Should the referee give a goal instead of a penalty and red card? I don’t think so, because the ball did not cross the line.  But it was ‘sporting injustice’ and it is a sad sad thing to see, such a hardworking team crashing out in this manner.  Suarez then claimed that this is the NEW ‘Hand of God’.

Germany vs Argentina

Do you know the definition of trashing? This match will give you a good lesson on what trashing is.  4-0.  Who would have thought that? With Lionel Messi, Carlos Tevez and Gonzalo Higuain in the team, how did Germany kept the clean sheet? Oh wait, I only mentioned strikers? How about the Argentinian defenders? ‘Missing’ is the word.  And it is Argentina team’s weak point.  Germany did very well to neutralize Messi (and therefore the Argentinian attacks) and counter attack to make Argentinian defenders looked like school boys.  In fact, the score would’ve been more than 4-0, but for misses by Germany.  The young blood from the German side really made an impact in this World Cup.  They are now strong contenders to win the ultimate prize.  Spain must be sweating on their foot and palms now.

Spain vs Paraguay

Who can deny that Spain plays the most beautiful football in this WC? Their passings and movements are just mesmerizing at times.  But just like Arsenal in the EPL, they find it hard to score goals.  Torres is not performing.  But who cares? Spain has a saviour a.k.a. David Villa.  Paraguay did not play badly in this game.  In fact, they actually scored a goal by Valdez, which was disallowed due to offside.  But the video replay showed that he was, in fact, onside.  Anyway, Spain got lucky this time.  But could their run of luck continue into the game against Germany? This is certainly going to be a cracker!

Semi finals and Finale of the WC will be at 2.30am here.  Should I watch, or not? I have work the next morning..But this is a 4-year-once thing.. I’m in dilemma…

Time for football to opt for technology?

This topic has been debated for years now.  Should the goal-line technology or video replays be implemented to assist referees in making their decisions? We have seen time and time again, that referees and linesmen made unbelievable mistakes.  And in this World Cup, it happened again – during the England vs Germany match.

The ball is a good 2-metres over the line.  The whole world saw it, but the linesman did not.  And that, I believe, changed the game.  You may argue that even if the goal was given, the scoreline would’ve been 4-2 to Germany.  But if the goal was given, it may have been a turning point for England in the match.  They would’ve been more confident and spirited and take less risks defensively, which caused them to concede 2 goals in the second-half.  So, Yes, I do believe that the disallowed goal made a difference in the outcome of the match, and perhaps Fabio Capello’s future.

So, back to the question, should technology be used to assist referees? I believe many would say a firm YES.

But I say NO.  Why? Simply because, we love football as it is.  Technology would help in reducing or perhaps eliminating mistakes done by referees.  But that would take the excitement out of the game.  We love talking and debating about all these, as football fans.  Newspapers, magazines, facebook/twitter posts and even writing this post on the blog wouldn’t have happened if technology comes into football.  The “hand of god” by Maradona wouldn’t have counted and would be forgotten if goal-line technology was implemented.  These events, or should I say “mistakes” committed brings a certain level of excitement and mystery element to football.  And so, we can still use the term – “the ball is round”.  Why making the “ball” “square”?

Please comment and tell me what you think!

FIFA World Cup 2010 Part 2

Disappointment. All the teams that I support are out of the competition. England played really badly against Germany and suffered a BIG BIG loss. South Korea did not really performed as well. Japan fought well and could’ve won, but the ball is round. Either side could’ve won that match.

Now, I am going to support the Netherlands. And they’re going to go against Brazil in the quarter-finals. I believe they can beat Brazil. But it’ll be a mountain to climb.
So, who is going to be in the Final? I have a strong feeling that Argentina and Brazil will be strong contenders. Many predicts that Argentina may win this World Cup, but I doubt it. And I hope not. Argentina has a lot of arrogance in the team – starting from the manager, Diego Maradona, to the players, ie. Carlos Tevez. I hope they’ll get a good trashing from Germany.

Football takes a break until 2 July. Time to get enough rest and gear up for the quarter finals!

FIFA World CUP 2010 Part 1

So,  1 week has passed since the first match World Cup match was played, for the first time on African soil.  Credit to the Africans and FIFA, there was no complaints about the stadiums and the pitch.  However, there are a few things which are quite disappointing.  First, is the attendance of spectators in matches, especially those matches between lower profile teams.  Second is the Adidas Jabulani balls.  Until now, I haven’t seen really great goal-keeping, thanks to the movements of this ball.  It is quite crazy, as keepers, such as Robert Green, who has been quite consistent, struggled to get hold of the ball – which caused England a draw.  Frankly speaking, I do not think it was his fault, unlike the media which blasted him for this ‘mistake’.  There was also complaints against the Vuvuzelas, those African trumpets.  Players like Christiano Ronaldo complaint that they are too noisy causing players and coaches unable to concentrate during matches.  I am totally ‘for’ Vuvuzelas.  After all, it brings African feel to the World Cup matches.  You know what should be banned in football? I think those firecrackers in Italy, balloons (practically anywhere) and beachballs (at Anfield – Liverpool) =P.

We’ve so far watched all the teams played in World Cup.  And the most convincing team now is, unexpectedly, Germany and Argentina.  The two best teams that I voted for to go to the final was Brazil and Spain – disappointingly, both played pretty badly.  Brazil narrowly won against North Korea and Spain amazingly lost to Switzerland.  England, as expected, never did well.

Asian teams did very very well.  South Korea won against Greece, Japan won Cameroon and North Korea kept up with Brazil, although they lost in the end.  Forget about Australia.  South Korea did well against Argentina, but Messi and co. were too strong for them.  But they’re still favourites to advance, and I expect them to win against Nigeria.

I was quite puzzled last night, after the South Korea match against Argentina.  Most people watching at McD were supporting Argentina, rather than South Korea.  I was wondering why.  Shouldn’t  we, Asians, support our Asian teams? After all, Asian teams are always the underdogs, but often out-performed teams from other continents.  I believe South Korea has a very good chance to reach the Semi Finals again this time, and I certainly will cheer for them.

Hard to admit, but I still hope England do well… Let’s see how they perform tonight.  I would expect them to trash Algeria and put a foot into the quarter finals.

For now, I’m just waiting for my FIFA World Cup game and DS3 controller to come from UK… XD

Signing off now…. *beep*

Poll

I have just created a new poll.  But I do not know how to publish it to my blog page.

You can go to vote by going to my dashboard and click on “Polls”.

Yiippiee!