Playing Punter: The Result Show

After the first night's matches, I was 3 for 4. Not a bad outcome at all. The only match I called wrongly was the Bayern Munich vs Arsenal one.

After the second night, I was 3 of 8. A truly pathetic strike rate of 0 for 4 on that second set of matches. Truth be told, I did say the Barca-Chelsea match could end in a Barca victory, so I should claim half a point for that.

So, in total, 3.5 correct out of 8. That's not too shabby for a beginner at this club level punting. It's at least slightly better than pure blind statistical chance!

The Result Roll:

Bayern Munich vs Arsenal
Predicted result: Draw / Actual Result: 3-1 / Punter's score: 0

Liverpool vs Bayer Leverkusen
Predicted result: Liverpool victory / Actual Result: 3-1 / Punter's score: 1

PSV Eindhoven vs Monaco
Predicted result: PSV victory / Actual Result: 1-0 / Punter's score: 1

Real Madrid vs Juventus
Predicted result: Real Madrid victory / Actual Result: 1-0 / Punter's score: 1

Barcelona vs Chelsea
Predicted result: Draw (or Barca victory, depending on the injury list at Chelsea) / Actual result: 2-1 / Punter's score: 0.5

FC Porto vs Inter Milan
Predicted result: Inter victory / Actual result: 1-1 / Punter's score: 0

Man Utd vs AC Milan
Predicted result: Man Utd victory / Actual result: 0-1 / Punter's score: 0

Weder Bremen vs Lyon
Predicted result: Draw / Actual result: 0-3 / Punter's score: 0

Final Punter's Score: 3.5

Looking back and forward:

Through some miracle, my bold prediction of a Liverpool victory actually came to bear. Colour me surprised, if pleased. My favourite sight during that match was Stephen Gerrard standing up and clapping in the stands after Hamann got the third goal.

I dare not yet dream of a place in the quarterfinals for Liverpool. I think all these results, excepting the Bremen-Lyon one, can be reversed in the return leg. All the four English teams have equal reason to hope and to fear what may happen during the 2nd leg matches. Liverpool leads, but have conceded an away goal. Arsenal and Chelsea both trail but have scored an away goal each. Man Utd lost at home, but it is only a one goal deficit. It is still all too play for come March 8th and 9th.

If anything, I hate to say it, but I think Chelsea has the best chance of the four. They play at home, and need to score only once and shut-out Barca thereafter. Their defence has been rock solid at home all season, so they can pull this off, as long as they manage to score. Man Utd only trails by one goal, although it is an away one. I can easily see this being reversed in Milan, or at least having the tie stretched to extra time, or (please not!) even penalties. Arsenal probably has the worst odds, as their defence is nowhere as realiable as Chelsea and they have a 2 goal deficit to overcome. They also just managed to drop points against yet another a team in the lower half of the League, playing to a 1-1 draw with Southampton. Morale cannot be good at Highbury.

As for Liverpool, they are the only English team taking a goal advantage into the 2nd leg. Theoretically it's doable. But to concede that injury time goal was such a dampener on an otherwise sterling night. I also worry about tomorrow's Carling Cup final against Chelsea. Whatever the result, I hope Liverpool has a good match and acquit themselves well enough to go to Germany with some measure of confidence.

Playing Punter

I typically am not very good at making predictions of soccer results. Many of the teams I backed in the last World Cup and Euro competitions did not go further than the first round. That said, matches involving national teams are usually more unpredictable due to myriad factors: players who don't play together all the time, locker room politics, controversial team picks, national pride.

I reckon I may have better results predicting outcomes in club football, something I haven't tried before. As there is a first time for everything, I may as well start with the cream of European club football, the Champion's League 1st leg matches tonight and tomorrow. My target is to get at least 3 of the 8 predictions correct (predicted scores not counting), at least bettering pure statistical odds.

Bayern Munich vs Arsenal
Predicted result: Draw
Predicted score: 1 - 1
Comments: One way to be objective about these predictions is to look at League positions. I almost tipped a Bayern victory as they are Bundesliga leaders while Arsenal has slipped down to 3rd in the Premiership. But I think Arsenal may be determined to prove something after recent results and some of the nonsense in the media (Cole, Reyes, the "no English player" controversy) and could pull off a fighting draw.

Liverpool vs Bayer Leverkusen
Predicted result: Liverpool victory
Predicted score: A 1-goal margin to Liverpool, Leverkusen might sneak an away goal.
Comments: I will admit this is a prediction more in hope than anything else. Liverpool has had some time to rest, having gotten themselves knocked out of the FA Cup early, so they should at least be fresh. No Gerrard is a big worry, but he did sound quite an inspiring war cry, so here's hoping the troops heard him.

PSV Eindhoven vs Monaco
Predicted result: PSV victory
Predicted score: 3-2
Comments: This is based largely on the fact that PSV leads the Dutch League while Monaco's title bid seems to be fading. I think this will be high-scoring and probably a more open and attractive encounter than some of the bigger-name match-ups.

Real Madrid vs Juventus
Predicted result: Real Madrid victory
Predicted score: 2-1 or 3-1; I like Juve's chances of getting at least one away goal.
Comments: I think Real Madrid's home ground advantage would count enough to get them a victory, but I expect defensive indiscipline, leading to a goal (or more) for Juve. And when they move to Turin for the 2nd leg, Juve might pull off the aggregate win.

Barcelona vs Chelsea
Predicted result: Draw (or Barca victory, depending on the injury list at Chelsea)
Predicted score: 1-1 (or 2-1)
Comments: The battle of the League leaders. Chelsea is pretty hard hit with injuries, but assuming key players are declared fit, I think their defensive strength could see them grinding out a draw. I am hoping to see Barca in full attacking mode, but perhaps a more circumspect approach is warranted for a match like this.

FC Porto vs Inter Milan
Predicted result: Inter victory
Predicted score: 0-2
Comments: I haven't really been following Porto's progress, so this is purely based on instinct. I could be looking pretty ridiculous in two days' time if Porto goes on a defending champion's rampage and maul Inter.

Man Utd vs AC Milan
Predicted result: Man Utd victory
Predicted score: 2-1
Comments: Man Utd is going all guns-ablaze and Milan is without Shevchenko. Not a hard one to call for Man Utd. However, I think AC Milan may be able to sneak an early goal in before the match has really settled, although Man Utd will quickly stamp out the lead.

Weder Bremen vs Lyon
Predicted result: Draw
Predicted score: 2-2
Comments: Lyon will likely win the French League and Bremen is doing well enough to lie 3rd in Bundesliga. Since I do rate the German league as stronger than the French, a draw seems to be a fair enough outcome. I think this will be one of the more entertaining matches in this round of the Champs League, although the match-up is certainly amongst the least glamourous.

Quad No More

Newcastle 1 - Chelsea 0



I switched on the TV shortly after midnight, pressed 23 to turn the channel to ESPN and saw that they were showing another match (probably Tottenham vs Forest). Instant panic attack; had I seen the time wrongly? Was the match supposed to have aired at 10 pm instead of midnight?

"Hey, how come they are not showing the Newcastle-Chelsea match?"

My brother walked out of the bathroom, brushing his teeth.

"I thought they played earlier today," he said through a mouthful of toothpaste foam.

"WHAT???? Cannot be!"

"Well, that's what I thought. Could be wrong." He went back into the bathroom.

This conversation took all of 20 to 30 seconds. I then pressed Prog Up, to change the channel to Star Sports. First thing I saw were the words Newcastle, Chelsea and Live. Still reeling from relief, I started paying attention to the details. The camera was focused on the braided head of Patrick Kluivert. The time was 04:33. The score - Good Heavens!!! - was Newcastle 1 - Chelsea 0. The commentars sounded excited. The score flashed again at the bottom of the screen. Next to Newcastle's score, they informed us about the goal - Kluivert 4'.

So I probably missed the goal by about 30 seconds. Why did I not switch to Star Sports earlier? It's normally an automatic thing to switch between these two channels, yet it was the one thing that did not occur to me last night. If I had not dragged my brother into my panic attack, I may have at least caught the tail end of the celebrations and the slow-motion replay.

But I took what I could get. As realisation dawned that Newcastle had actually taken the lead and penetrated Chelsea's seemingly unbreakable defence, I did the Leyton Hewitt fist-pump and exclaimed "Yes!!!" I settled down to watch the rest of the match and a few minutes later, they rewarded us with a quick replay of the goal.

In the end, the score remained that way. Chelsea was not helped by an unusual set of circumstances, with Mourinho pulling a triple substitution at half time and after losing Wayne Bridge through injury, having to play with 10 men for most of the 2nd half. Chelsea did play better towards the end of the first half and in the 2nd half, despite being one man down. However Newcastle was admirably solid and Chelsea did not really create that many clear-cut chances that they could count themselves robbed or unlucky. I think Newcastle deserved to win this tie, even if I can't say that Chelsea deserved to lose, exactly. I am pleased as punch for Newcastle, who may yet salvage something to remember this season.

Strangely, I think that last night was the most I have ever liked Mourinho. He actually went over to shake Graeme Souness's hand even before the final whistle went. Of course, that does not at all negate the arrogance and smugness that has been the norm since even before he arrived in England. Some people say that it's easy to be gracious in victory because you have the prize and it costs nothing to be nice. The more difficult thing is to be gracious in defeat, when the natural reaction may be bitterness and jealousy. I see it somewhat differently; it's certainly admirable to be gracious in defeat , but the true test of graciousness is in victory when it would be understandable to want to gloat or crow in triumph. After all, if Envy is a deadly sin, so is Pride.

So, Mourinho is not getting a pass from me on the strength of one act of graciousness. I still fervently hope for Barca to pull of something against full-strength Chelsea in mid-week, if not a victory than at least a draw.

Gratuitous Ratings Grabbing

In case anyone thinks I only bitch about TV, I bitched at some length about the Matrix Trilogy over at An Unused Voice. I've decided to use that blog for recording my thoughts on movies as well as books. I get through movies much more quickly than books, so I can update more! I tend to watch movies more than once and having a record of my own "reviews" will be one way to track if my impressions change upon subsequent viewings.

Back to this present rant, which IS about reality TV. I watched American Idol 4 for the first time on Wednesday night and thought it was the single worse episode of any Idol series I had ever seen. Yes, even worse than the semi-finals in Season 3 with the brothers Roman and Jesus (remember how totally wretched the singing was that night?). What was strange was that the talent was quite good and the singing was a whole lot better than most of the finalists in AI 3. With the age limit raised to 28, there was also definitely a better mix of contestants, with some of the more mature people actually displaying interesting personalities (no offence to the kids last year, but could John Stevens, Jasmine Trias and Diana Degarmo have been any more boring?). But the episode itself really stank. They took one whole hour to let us know which 2 of the 4 rooms were "safe". In past seasons, these revelations were made at the end of the final Hollywood episode, taking up maybe 15 minutes at most. Now it stretched over the full hour, complete with back-stories, people crying and breaking down and "in-depth" interviews. In case anyone had forgotten, the producers really wanted to reinforce that AI is first and foremost Reality TV, and secondly a talent search.

So I thought Wednesday's episode was the worse ever. Well, that was until I saw Thursday's episode. This was the one where they would reveal which 24 were going on to the voting rounds. I actually rather looked forward to this, as this was supposed to mark, for me, the "true" start of the AI4 season when we finally get down to the talent that may have a chance at success. I was expecting that there may have been another round of auditions to narrow the 44 down to 24. What did we get instead? Absolutely no new singing at all! Lots of people walking down corridors and taking long rides in elevators. Lots of crying and stoic looks and squeals of triumph.

What was the point of the previous episode then? They could have dispensed with choosing the 2 "safe rooms" with 44 people and just gotten straight to picking the 24 moving on to the next round. After all, BOTH decisions were based on exactly the same sets of auditions. It's not like they made the 44 sing again. When the picked the 44, they had more or less made up their minds about the final 24. We could have been spared an entire unnecessary episode!

In a way, I admire the genious of the producers in squeezing every ounce they can out of this franchise. They know they have a ratings winner and can get Americans to watch anything leading to the annoucement of the final 24. So why not stretch it over 2 weeks intead of 1, and 4 episodes instead of 2? The editing and packaging of the episodes have been exemplary in the Reality TV scheme of things. Drama, tension, nerves, bratty behaviour, overwhelming joy; it's all been spliced together and voiced-over in just the right way to appeal to both the MTV crowd and viewers of The Bachelor (which are, unthinkably, legion). It's all very slick and entertaining, but so cynically calculated that I find it appalling.

Guardians of social values have always argued against gratuitous sex, nudity, violence and gore on TV. Isn't it about time someone stood up against gratuitous padding of epidoes and wasting of viewers' time?

That said, I am looking forward to seeing next week's 3 episodes of AI4. The fact the new format necessitates 3 episodes a week is a stroke of brilliance on the part of the producers. I do admire that. Unlike the last 2 episodes, this is actually not gratuitous padding; it's just the best way to get at the final 12 within the new structure of the competition. And the new stucture in itself does make a lot of sense and would ensure a more balanced group of finalists. Now, if they truly wanted to pad things out, they could have had the boys and the girls singing on alternating weeks, thereby having only 2 episodes a week, but having the entire semifinal process last 6 weeks instead of 3, a total of 12 episodes instead of 9.

Maybe, seeing what we have been spared, the last 2 episodes weren't so bad after all!

Blogging on Blehdom

Is reality TV (at least the American breed of it) running out of steam? Recently, we have seen:

a) Too many uninspiring finalists and not enough good singers on American Idol 3. Jasmine Trias making it to the final 3 should tell you something about the season. Or the fact that Jon Peter Lewis was the token male teen-heart-throb of the season. The final showdown was a whole lot of nothing, with Fantasia being crowned winner the day Latoya London got herself kicked off. Just insipid, on the whole.

As for the winner, I grant that Fantasia has musicality, style and stage presence, but boy, does her voice ever grate! I have heard her latest single (I don't care enough to find out the song's title, sorry) on radio, think it's a cool song but I cannot get past her voice. There is a quality to it that makes me reach for the tuning dial. I think this may be yet another instance of "visceral cringe". And Fantasia on the AI Christmas Special was a high-octane wailing banshee. It was positively painful to listen to her. I hear she's a bit of a critic's darling and I certainly don't wish her any ill, but I do. not. get. it. Bleh.


b) The most boring season ever of Survivor with the Vanuatu edition. This was even more boring than Survivor: Thailand, where Brian had the whole lot of them wrapped around his finger so early on, we could have skipped every episode from the "not-a-merge" onwards and just watched the reunion episode. At least Brian was somewhat interesting in his Machiavellian way. Chris from the Vanuatu season seems to aspire to be another Richard Hatch but just is not half as interesting. When he won, my reaction was more "Whatever" than "Wow!".

And all that harping on Twila's swearing on her son got really OLD really quickly. We went through this with Lil and her scout's uniform, and it wasn't even all that fascinating the first time. This season seemed to recycle old ideas from past seasons, but in a much more boring way. Single-sex tribe (much better handled in Amazon), swapping members (much better in all previous seasons), puzzle challenges (ditto), getting the "loved-ones" to participate in challenges (also ditto). And Chris was supposed to be the villain who lied to everyone (the biggest victim, of course being Jeff's darling Julie) but that was also done before by Johny Fairplay in the Pearl Island season. Now, I cannot stand Johny Fairplay AT ALL, but he was a much superior villain than Chris ever was.

The reunion show was also just the absolute pits; it was all about Jeff, his girlfriend Julie and her friends, Ami and Leeann. Chris was the winner and got barely one third the time lavished on this trio. I mean they finished 4th, 5th and 6th! And still they got more air time than the top 3 put together. I really liked it when Jeff hosted the reunion show for Suvivor Amazon, but this convinced me that maybe it's time for change. Bleh.


c) Freddy and Kendra winning the Amazing Race. Sigh; this was my all-time favourite reality TV series. Then they went and spoilt it all by casting all these unpleasant (Jonathan), melodramatic (Victoria), whiny (Hayden), elitist (Kendra), ugly Americans. The nice teams got eliminated early, leaving only Kris and Jon to carry the flag for the non-bickering folk of the world. I watched the finale with someone who was watching any episode of TAR for the first time ever. Halfway through, he observed that "These two (Kris and Jon) are certainly more amiable than the others." Which really did about sum it up.

Freddy and Kendra winning was all the more difficult to swallow because the 2nd place team were such nice people, while the winning team had ... well, Kendra. The one who said that the Senegalese just kept "breeding and breeding". And who said that Freddy was "worthy of having my children". I think this choice of words says something about the type of person she is. I know we are not supposed to extrapolate a person's entire character from edited representations on TV, but how else can one read a person who talks about others being "worthy" of doing something with her? It just smacks of ignorance, elitism and a highly refined sense of entitlement. I think, sometimes, one can tell a lot about a person from one turn of phrase. That one phrase can distill the core of your belief system.

Worst of all, in all the post-show interviews, Kendra has not once apologised for her "breeding" comment. She has chosen instead to say that the viewers cannot understand how difficult it was for her to see all that poverty. And of course, that the editors showed that statement out of context. Well, I am sorry, but she said something tasteless and we are the ones who have misunderstood her? Frankly, I don't care what she thinks about what we (the viewing public) think. The apology she owes is to the people in Senegal to whom she referred to as "breeders". I half suspect she doesn't think they are worth apologising to, or apologising over.

And for what is worth, Bolo (the male half of the wrestlers team) said that he would not "spit on Kendra if she's on fire". Gossip from the other contestants have also suggested that both Freddy and Kendra in real life are like what we saw on TV, snooty and think they are better than other people. Even Hayden and Aaron (who were in the "Model Alliance" with F&K) apparently were not very positive about them. I think it speaks volumes when fellow contestants are not bothering to be politically correct about you. Well, they have their million dollars, their model looks and each other. They can keep these for as long as they last (with plastic surgery, the model looks may just last the longest).

I only wish the season had a different winner, so that I could overlook much of its mediocrity and celebrate a likeable winner. This season went to great places (they went to Berlin! where I was just months ago) and the scenic shots were gorgeous as ever, but far too many forced bunchings rendered any lead completely meaningless. You start with a 3 hour lead, then hey presto! The next task is at a place that only opens in 7 hours' time, so everyone behind you catches up. I know this is part of TAR and has been since season one, but it was out of hand this season. Certain episodes had 2 or more bunching opportunities. That's either poor planning or trying to manufacture close finishes. What it did do was to ensure that teams could get by without being particularly good, as long as they had some luck. Adam and Rebecca was in the top 3, which ought to tell you something. I always maintain you can tell about the quality of a season by seeing who ends up in third place.

To wit:
TAR 1: The Guidos. A great racing team, even if they were not particularly likeable while on the race.
TAR 2: Page and Blake, the brother and sister team. They were young, quick and resourceful. Blake was always up to some new "creative" way of getting things done, which was not always helpful, but was the sign of a good racer.
TAR 3: Ken and Gerard, the brothers with the sense of humour. Sigh, my favourites, who raced strongly from the start and could have won if they only hailed a taxi from the right place.
TAR 4: Jeff and David, the surfer dudes. They were pretty anonymous throughout the race, but they had strength and speed, even if they tended to get lost rather a lot. Still, not the worse team in TAR by a long shot.
TAR 5: Nicole and Brandon, the Christian models. The one time I had any problem with them was when they refused to shave their heads for the fast forward. Other than that, this was a competent team, and deserved their place in the top 3.
TAR 6: Adam and Rebecca. He was afraid of many, many things. She did not help much but nagging at him a lot. They got lost, bungled up some stuff, were saved by a non-elim, and ended up in the top 3.

Point made, I think, and case closed. Super bleh on season 6.


The 2nd season of The Apprentice in now airing, and I have missed all but Ep 1 due to various factors, amongst which being that it often clashes with the football. However, from what I saw in Ep 1, not one single candidate came anywhere near the calibre of Bill and Kwame, or even Amy and Troy, from season 1. We did get many photogenic and bitchy females, and a few gym-constructed square-jawed dullards. I suppose that ultimately, the blue-print for reality TV is The Bachelor.

I am not even watching American Idol 4, although I may start once they are down to the finalists. All the forced hilarity, histrionics and manufactured drama of the audition episodes are not as riveting as they used to be. Again, it's not like they were such great TV the first time around. AI has always been the most watchable when it's down to the semifinals and finals, when there is more singing and less "reality TV". Actually, I think it's disgraceful how little they actually sing on AI. During the theme nights, the kids get to sing less than 90 seconds of a song, while the judges and Ryan blather on about nothing very interesting. They managed to get in more singing in both Singapore Idol and Malaysian Idol (perhaps because our judges were less verbose) which is why I have found these local versions more enjoyable from a musical aspect, even if the contestants here did not hold 12 second notes or reach a sustained high C (or generally show-off the way the AI contestants do, because that is what passes as impressive in the context of AI).

Survivor Palau starts this week. This better be an improvement over All Stars and Vanuatu, or I am ready to give up on the Survivor franchise. TAR comes back in March, which is much too soon. It was just recently that I celebrated Chip and Kim winning Tar 5 and TAR 7 is about to begin. There can be too much of a good thing. Witness what happened to Who Wants to be a Millionaire? If they had not churned out season upon season back-to-back, the concept would not have lost its public appeal so quickly (and it didn't help to have Celebrity edition, Kids edition, JC edition, Family edition etc. Just overkill).

Do I have hope left for American reality TV? Check back in 13 weeks when Survivor Palau nears its conclusion.

Roosting Close to Home?

For those to whom the Chinese word for chicken means more than just poultry, this picture is rather humourously "symbolic".


Taken in Chinatown. This is the "entrance" to the Chinatown New Year light-up. The entire display is rather garish, too much red and gold and too little of anything else. And too many claw-like motifs. The overall effect is like watching tomato and orange juices mix in a glass, with an red bulb in the background.

All these roosters at the doorstep of Keong Saik Street! Of course, the "trade" is not what it used to be in that part of town anymore, but it's still good for a chuckle. Now, if these scenes were found in Geylang, I would just about die laughing.

Drama at the Death

Southampton 2 - Everton 2
Chelsea 0 - Manchester City 0

You know you are invested in a soccer match when you fall off your chair when the team you are rooting for misses a gilt-edged chance.

I tumbled from my sofa to the floor when Fowler's diving header went wide. And my heart nearly stopped when James (who I use to malign quite a bit in his Calamity James days at Liverpool) pulled off that miraculous save in injury time. What an exciting match; I really don't know how true supporters can bear the tension. I was siding with Man City only on the basis of my "Anyone But Chelsea" philosophy and I already found the dying minutes almost too much to bear.

And no matter what Mourinho says, two points dropped is more significant at this stage than the one point gained. I still think Chelsea will win the Premiership title, but perhaps it won't be all smooth sailing and managerial boasting rights may be a little more evenly distributed.

For the longest time during the Everton-Southampton match, I entertained the thought of Liverpool possibly having a sniff at that last Champions League spot. But all along, there was a sneaking suspicion that a one goal margin was not enough. And so it came to past. The Everton equaliser at the death was a shock in its suddeness, and yet partially expected. It was also a rather brilliant finish by Bent but Southampton did deserve to take all 3 points, so they will see that as 2 precious points dropped. Poor Harry Redknapp was so flabbergasted; I mean, the man has a hang-dog face even in the best of times and still managed to look even sadder last night (on a completely shallow and unrelated note, I often wonder how he produced such a good-looking son in Jamie Redknapp). It must be so frustrating to play well and not get the full points, especially when engaged in an almighty struggle for Premiership survival.

A good soccer night yesterday, entertaining matches and lots of last minute drama. A short break for international friendlies and the FA Cup, then it's on to the business end of the season. I am hanging on for the ride.

Another Night of Mixed Soccer Fortunes

Liverpool 3 - Fulham 1
Aston Villa 1 - Arsenal 3

You win some, you lose some. At least one of my teams won last night.

It appeared that Liverpool dominated the match and deserved to win, which is a great relief after recent performances (struggling in the Carling Cup semis, despite eventually winning, was not good for morale). Morientes' headed goal was really great stuff; this is a truly class player, whom I suspect may be slightly "wasted" in English soccer. If Everton stumbles tonight, things may be looking up for Liverpool to get that final Champs League spot. It has to be said that they probably have left it too late; they will need Everton to go through a mini-collapse in the next 13/14 games and that is not likely.

As for Aston Villa, they lost fair and square to a team that entirely outclassed them in the first half. I can have no complaints as the gulf in quality in that first 45 minutes was rather embarassing. Some of those defensive lapses were abysmal, although I cut them some slack because of their recent run of injuries to first team players. You could tell that half the team yesterday were not prepared for first eleven soccer against a team like Arsenal. In the second half, they did redeem themselves somewhat, which is entirely to the players' and O-Leary's credit. After the match, the ESPN studio gang talked about how Villa is a big club which is demanding better results. As I have said before, this is a big club with a small club's budget. I think O'Leary needs to pick up the PR pace and send the message out there that ambitions may need to be adjusted while the finances are being sorted out.

Manchester City vs Chelsea tonight. Top of the table (who have already been crowned champs elect by Mourinho) vs the only team to have beaten them this season. Can Man City pull of the double? I think Chelsea's defence may be too strong for City to break down. Chelsea is without Robben, which may make a difference in their cutting edge up front. This will be an interesting match.

So many books, so little time

I have been reading since I can remember, and I have the myopia (literal, not figurative) to show for it! My shoe-buying habits are nothing compared to the way I buy, collect and borrow books, magazines and even e-books. I have started a new blog (An Unused Voice) devoted to my passion for reading. First up is my project to record my thoughts on the Booker Prize winning books that I have read. I will keep this blog relatively free of book-related ramblings as I like to get analytical about books and this is not the place for that.

I would, however, like to reflect on the prophesied "decline in reading", from my personal perspective. It's been said so often that it most likely has become an accepted belief that "people don't read as much as they used to". Many reasons are cited; television and computer games being the main culprit for young people reading less, long work hours and "information overload" being the whipping boys for adults. And yet, the publishing industry is thriving (and it cannot just be the Harry Potter books alone that is doing it). My theory is that people are buying as many books as before, but are actually reading less. That would explain my experience, at any rate.

I usually have 5 books on the go, with most of my reading done in the toilet or on the train. I used to read in bed, but my laptop and Internet access has put paid to that. That, and the fact that the lighting in my room is not conducive for reading in bed (and I have been told enough times about the dangers of reading while lying down to finally take it somewhat seriously).

It's getting harder to finish a book within any reasonable period of time. I have been reading Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell off and on for close to 2 months and have not gotten through even a third of it. That is no criticism of the book itself; it's certainly interesting, inventive and attention-holding. It is, unfortunately, also the type of book best read when you are on vacation with all the time in the world to do nothing but read for hours on end. It is not a book designed for reading in bursts when one finds snatches of time for it.

When you juggle 5 books at one time, as I do, it's easy to lose track of what you have been reading in the different books. Especially if you don't have time to get through more than 50 pages a day. Sometimes, I find myself returning to a book after not having read it for a week, and have to backtrack practically to the start to pick up the plot again. Before work became so hectic, and before the distractions of the Internet and cable TV, I used to read a lot more, getting through 200 pages or more a day and finishing 3 books a week. It was easier to juggle multiple books then.

I suppose one solution is to cut down on the number of books being read at any one time. It just isn't possible. Unless I am on vacation, recreational reading is something I do for short periods each day. As work requires a fair bit of reading of rather dry materials, reading on my own time is preferably non-taxing, non-obligatory and something from which pleasure can be derived. What I read needs to suit the mood I am in. That's why I usually balance a serious novel with something lighter and humourous, together with something non-fictional or autobiographical and a dose of the classics every now and then.

Intervention Needed !!!

Aaargh!!! There is no cure for this sickness. I have managed to buy YET ANOTHER PAIR OF SHOES.

Well, in my defence, there were selling at less than half the normal price. And just look at them - they look GOOD!! (Whew, thankfully, my toenail polish is still intact for this picture).



And when you really think about it, sequins, beads and embroidery are all very nice and well, but hardly the sort of thing you can wear everyday. Not very practical, especially if it rains or for long sessions of shopping. But a pair of black strapped heels, you can use them everyday and on all occasions! So, the way I look at it, this was actually a practical purchase, and not really an extension of the shoe-whoredom at all.

*cough *cough ... I think I have managed to convince myself that this is under control. Intervention not needed anymore. Let's see how I manage to survive walking through the malls of Orchard Road over the weekend. The sales are still on. I must be strong, I must be strong, I must be strong ...

Reformed or Re-formed?

I am supposed to be a reformed shoe-whore. Sigh ... so much for that. Less than 24 hours after arriving in Saigon, I was marching out of a shoe shop, 3 pairs of shoes richer. I think it was not so much a case of reformation as temporary remission from my shoe-whoredom. The remission quickly became a thing of the past in the low-labour-cost environs of Vietnam. The habit is well and truly re-formed.

I rather shame-facedly confess: My name is gentleice and I am a re-formed shoe-whore. I was "on the wagon" for all of 12 months before falling prey again to the temptation of multiple-shoes-buying.

Another rather embarassing confession: My total haul from Vietnam was 8 pairs!!

Here they are, in their sequined, beaded, embroidered and lacquered glory. You have to admit, I have impeccable taste!



I am particularly fond of the lacquered pine clogs (2nd from left, top row) and the gold beaded pumps (3rd from left, top row). The three silk embroidered pairs (black, green and purple) are also really beautifully done, with very fine needlework.

Total cost for all 8 pairs of shoes - under S$70.00 !! In Singapore, I could hardly get 2 and a half pairs with that amount. I consider this a significant mitigating factor for my spectacularly extreme puchasing behaviour.

Errmmmm .... now, can I use the same reason to explain all the new clothes I bought in Saigon? All 11 items??

Mentally Maiming Mourinho's Mug

Blackburn 0 - Chelsea 1

I think this just about does it. I am now completely resigned to the fact that Chelsea is going to run away with this season's Premiership title. Aaargh - why does their manager have to be that smug, cocky SOB? I see his face on TV and I feel an urge to hurl something at it just to wipe off that trademark smirk.

My only hope lies now with Liverpool, Newcastle and Barcelona, who will face Chelsea in the Cup competitions. As long as Chelsea remains in the running for that unprecendented quadruple, Mourinho's snide over-confidence could really go into serious overdrive.

I don't have much hope of Liverpool pulling off a victory, so I think at very least, Chelsea will win the Carling Cup and be Double Champions (although it's a Double of less prestige than the League-FA Cup one).

Newcastle could pull off a surprise, although I think the odds still favour Chelsea on this one. Of course, it is the FA Cup, which is the competition for shocks and upsets, so there could be hope yet. I hope Shearer has a good run these next couple of weeks before the FA Cup tie on Feb 20th. The mess over Craig Bellamy looks to be resolved for now, although Souness did have some rather unkind parting words about Bellamy's strike record. I often wonder, though, whether all these dramatic events are the product of the media's hype and whether any of it is as distracting to the club, as it appears to be from the public's perspective. In any case, if Newcastle cannot pull off the upset, it's still only the 5th round, and there are other teams in the way of the domestic Triple.

The Barcelona vs Chelsea match-up in the Champs League is intriguing. I am not calling it for Barca yet, despite their stellar form in La Liga. Much as I dislike Mourinho, his team has been playing the way championship teams usually play; with flashes of irresistable brilliance, and when required, with grit and uncompromising resolve to pull off hard-fought victories. These are 2 teams that know how to win, so it could be close. Of course, in footballing terms, I hope it is the uninhibited Barca that turns up and plays their throw-caution-to-the-wind all-out-attacking game. Chelsea's Petr Cech has just set a record for hours without conceding a goal (beating Schmeichel's old mark), so I wonder how Barca would fare against this defence.

Chaos, Culture and Communism

I am back from a visit to Saigon, Vietnam. It's now known as Ho Chi Minh City (and his likeness is everywhere, whether in the form of painting, photographs or sculpture, so you can hardly miss him) but Saigon is so much more evocative. Before leaving, I had visions of Miss Saigon, the musical, in my mind - vibrant colours, smoky cramped spaces, exotic looking women. Turns out I was right, sort of.

I kept a detailed journal of my first 2 days there, before nightly exhaustion took over, and took copious mental notes of the other days. I plan to post a full account when time permits. For now, this post will deal with some quick impressions I had of Saigon.

Chaos


Taken from the backseat of a car while going down Le Van Sy St. I can't imagine being in the driver's seat! This was pretty much how the streets are like the entire time.

The first night in Saigon was just a ruthless and relentless assault on the senses. The motorcyles were rather overwhelming just in terms of sheer volume. Sitting in the cab, I was first struck by how many there were and then, rather awed by the way they had no regard for traffic rules. But that multiplied a million times when I took to the streets and was confronted with having to cross the roads with motorcycles and cars barrelling towards me from all directions. The sounds of horns blaring was a constant and after a while, one learnt to shut it out. But on that first night, it was unnerving to hear the cacophony of honking and tooting. There was no respite from it and the heart was constantly jumping at the sound.

The pavements of Le Van Sy Street were narrow, crowded and so badly paved, they should be called something else. In many spots, parked motorcyles and street peddlers took up the whole five-foot-way, so pedestrians had to walk on the actual road, and come literally within centimetres of the throngs of motorcycles.

Culture


Taken in the room holding the musical instruments collection of the Reunification Palace. The lady is playing a one stringed instrument, reportedly one of the oldest musical instruments in the world. She was amazing; a multi-talented artist who demonstrated several of the instuments in the room. I took her name card, but left it in my pants pockets and it came apart in the washing machine!

Compared to many parts of Asia, Saigon appeared relatively untouched by influences of the outside world. Most people were dressed in "western" style clothes, but many ladies still wore the traditional costumes, even in going about their daily activities.

Their food was also largely local and the fast food invasion has not taken place. In fact, the Vietnamese diet is antithetical to Western fast food, with its abundance of vegetables and minimal use of oil. In the 6 days I spent there, I was hard-pressed to find more than 15 Vietnamese women who could be considered as being even slightly overweight. They were uniformly slender, due no doubt to their homogenously indigenous diet. Which is not to say that Vietnamese cuisine is without variety - I learnt that the food differed substantially from province to province in a very large country. However, the ingredients are always heavily weighted towards vegetable and light on oil and fats.

I think the society is still offensively patriarchal. Women, young and old, were everywhere, working. While I also saw many men hard at work, there were also far too many instances where I noted people indulging in the "loitering" culture (what in Malaysia we call the "lepak" culture) of hanging around doing nothing much, and it was only men who were doing this. Later, I had some personal contact with Vietnamese people, and while I would not call them overtly patriarchal in their attitudes, their words and actions served to solidify my initial impression.

Communism


Yet another of my shots from inside a car. This is one from a street that was lined with such flags on both sides. Note the high walls and gates in the backgound. Behind these are huge colonial type mansions. I am told that these were seized by the Communists when they took over in 1975 and now house either government officials (or their family and friends) or are rented out at exhorbitant rates to companies to be used as commercial space - no prizes for guessing who the rent-collectors are!

I am not sure what I expected, but I was somehow not quite prepared for the green-uniformed military personnel who manned the airport immigration and customs counters. The get-up, with the red stripes and stars on shoulders, was just so stereotypically Communist.

Vietnamese free-to-air TV was mainly Communist propoganda. Even without understanding a word of Vietnamese, it was so obvious from the images that the broadcasters were proclaiming the glory of the Party and what it has done for the People. One of the sights that may have scarred me for life was a baritone in a petrol blue suit and really outdated hair, singing a nationalistic song in an operatically trained voice, while standing on a stage with a red and white flag of the sickle forming the main backdrop. I didn't know what he was singing, but the tune alone was enough to let anyone know that it was a Patriotic Song. It had all the right spirited oom-pah and nominally soaring chorus. It was an amplified version of every bad memory I had of old Malaysian variety shows during National Day month.

There was one part of the city where the street was lined on both sides by flags bearing the sickle. There were also huge red banners with words and images in white relief. These looked very much like the banners proclaiming Chairman Mao that I had seen in China and in history books. It's strange how the colours red and white, when presented in a certain way, just scream "Communist" even when one doesn't understand the words that are written.

I am told that the Communist party controls everything that is disseminated in the local media. TV, radio and the press are heavily controlled and censored. But how will they keep out the Internet? Returning overseas Vietnamese will also bring with them tales of different systems abroad. I understand that most people in Saigon are closet capitalists who are sanguine about Communism; they live with it because they must. The propoganda doesn't really take. In fact, one cab driver (who miraculously could speak Cantonese, after a string of 13 cab-drivers with whom we could not communicate at all) informed us that most people in Saigon had at one stage or other tried to leave Vietnam to escape the Communists. I wonder what it's like in Hanoi, the seat of power for the Communist party and the centre of the former North Vietnam. Do the ideals of Communism beat more strongly in the hearts of Hanoi residents?

Final thoughts for the night
I enjoyed visiting Saigon; it is so different from Singapore and Malaysia. In many ways, it was like a throwback to my earlier years in the East Coast of Malaysia, with many things still done in an old-fashioned way.

Communication was a problem, with most people not speaking English and most signs monolingually in Vietnamese. Outside of Chinatown (where some spoke Cantonese) and the City Centre's tourist belt (where some knew enough English to transact), shopping was a problem and so was ordering food. It was truly a relief to see an English language newspaper when we were getting on the plane to come back. I had not attacked The New Straits Times (I was on MAS) with such enthusiasm in a long time, perhaps ever.

Ultimately, I think visiting a place like Vietnam reminds me of how lucky I am to live where I do and to have been born where I was. Sadly, I could see that there is a lot of poverty in Saigon and the level of hygiene in some parts is catastrophic. My hotel had occasional power stoppages which are apparently commonplace throughout certain parts of the city. The traffic problems are a daily reminder of a corrupt government that has failed to take a problem in hand, and has now lost control of it. Whatever else we may complain about here, at least the streets are clean and we can cross the roads without having our hearts stopping.