Smiles and Tongues

My nephew and me, smiling for the camera.

My nephew and me, sticking our tongues at each other.

The Parcel

It was fitting that the parcel came just before I left for the airport.

I had about an hour before the cab came, so I opened the parcel and went through its contents. There was a novel and a photo of a couple smiling contentedly. What I was more interested in was the letter.

"Dear Taku,

I heard from Sosuke that you are leaving. I don't think that I can be there at the airport to send you off. I am sorry that I took so long to reply you and return you your stuff. I have been running away from reality since that day we broke up.

I do appreciate your emails, your letters, and your parcels. They really helped to cheer me up when I was struggling to adapt to life in a foreign country. However, I was not strong enough to return your love. I was too young then to understand the reason you initiated our breakup. Now I understand, but it is too late, isn't it? You wanted the best for me, you wanted me to go overseas without having any emotional baggage; that is why you broke up with me. I should have realized that you did it because you loved me, but I just succumbed to loneliness, and I sought solace in Sosuke, who is now my husband. I know it must have been hard on you, because you lost not only your girlfriend but also your best friend.

Once again, I am sorry. Here is your novel and the photo that we took on my birthday, my most memorable birthday. I will never forgot the times we shared, because you were the one who taught me how to love.

Goodbye, and all the best for your new life over there.

Akari"

I reread the letter before folding it and inserting it into a glass bottle. As for the photo, I kept it sandwiched between the pages of the novel, "Of Love and other demons".

~~~
@My apartment

My mobile phone rang. I answered the call. The taxi had arrived. After taking a final look at the place I had called home for the past few years, I locked the door of my apartment and went down to where the cab was waiting. Before boarding the taxi, I placed the novel in the mailbox.

"To the airport, sir?"

"Yes, but before that, there is a place I want to go."

~~~
@Narita Airport

At the airport, I had checked in my luggage and was going through the customs check area.

"Sir, you can put on your shoes now."

I shook off the sand from my shoes before wearing them again.

~~~
@The beach in Enoshima

A little girl running barefoot on the sandy beach saw something sparkle near the sandcastle which she had built with the assistance of her mother. The rising tide had eroded away the seaward side of the sandcastle, but it was still standing tall, for now at least.

"Mummy, look at what I found!" her excited exclamation awokened her mother, who got up from her deck chair and strolled languidly towards her precious daughter.

"Mika, that is only a glass bottle."

"But there is something inside. I think it is a treasure map!" Mika was quite a tomboy who like things that boys her age fancied.

Her mother unstoppered the bottle and extracted the 'treasure map'. As she unfolded it, her eyes brimmed with tears.

"Mummy, did sand get into your eyes? I'll blow away the sand for you." Mika said it in a matter-of-fact tone that only kids could.

"It's ok, Mummy's fine. " Her mother was looking intently at the piece of paper taken out from the bottle.

"Dear Akari,

You don't have to say sorry, because I was the one who chose to love you. I have no regrets. The only regret is that I cannot see our daughter, but I am sure Sosuke will be a good father to her.

Goodbye.

PS: This is the second and last time that I am sending you a message via bottle. Hope it will not take too long to reach you.

Taku"

~~~

Time will pass, but some things never change. True love for example.

Keep it simple

Too bad we are human, otherwise things would be much simpler. We have to contend with not only the head but also the heart; we think with our heads and feel with our hearts.

Things are not in black and white. If you loved her, why did you let her go? If you know he is the guy of your dreams, then why are you here with me?

You know what you want; it is a matter of how to get it, if you ever decide to overcome the inertia and take action.

The best team won

Too bad it was not us. Where did our hunger go? Where did our desire go? We started the match brightly, but after Vidic allowed Eto to get the better of him, we were a goal down, and it seemed that we were shellshocked, so much so that we forgot that we still had 80minutes to play.

I always felt that this would be the best year to win the Champions League, because van der Sar, Giggs, Scholes are not young anymore, while Tevez and Ronaldo might not be here next season. If we had won this year, we would have made history as the first team to successfully defend the Champions League, and we would have maintained our perfect record of winning every Champions League final we reached. Alas, we deserved to lose, because we did not do our best. Did we even try? Letting in goals is one thing; not being able to score against a makeshift Barca defence is another. Indeed, we can even consider it a sin. In the second half, we even had all our Fab Four on the pitch, but still we were unable to breach the Barca defence.

The final scoreline was Man U 0, Barca 2. The 0 signifies the crux of our problems - an inability to score, especially against top-calibre opponents. How can you not score when you are playing 4-2-4, and expect to win? At least Sir Alex Ferguson had the decency to admit the superiority of Barca, but I wonder whether he could have done better. Because our game plan did work, albeit only for the first 10 minutes.

In the end, we lost to a superior foe, who deserved to be champions, simply because they showed us how champions played. They showed the pedigree of champions, with the hunger, the desire, the ability, and the flair.

Staying up to watch this game was worth it, because I got to see the brilliance of Barca. On the other hand, staying up to watch Man U self-destruct with poor defending, misplaced passes and inept finishing was very painful and disappointing.

In the end, everyone got what they deserved. Barca got their unprecedented Treble, Man U got their wake-up call.

Respect the Rank (and File)

Some things about respect that I feel like sharing.

Respect the rank, but more importantly, respect the person.
If the person is your boss, show him or her the respect that should be accorded, even if you do not agree with some of his or her views. More than the rank, respect the fact that each person is entitled to his or her opinions.

Respect the rank and file.
Even if you are a superior, you must be able to look at things from your subordinate's perspective. That is how you win respect. If you only give orders from a top-down perspective without considering things from a bottom-up one, then you are probably living in an ivory tower. The men under you will follow you to the depths of Hell if you show them the proper respect.

Respect is earned, not given.
While we should accord people the respect their rank deserves, it would be hard for us to respect them wholeheartedly if they behave in a way that demeans their rank. Imagine your superior being caught cheating. Would you still be able to respect him as before?

Fight

Fight.
Fight for her, that little angel whose wings are broken.
Fight for them, the homeless orphans who do not know where they belong.
Fight for me, your eternal supporter who will always be by your side.
Fight for us, and our yet-to-be-born future.
Fight for yourself, you who are the shining beacon of hope in this dark, dark world of despair.

As my grandfather finished reading this message written by my grandmother, he told me with watery eyes, "Gin, you must remember that there will always be hope, even if the sky is so overcast that there seems to be no silver lining in sight. Therefore, you must never give up, and fight for what you want. Fight for what you want, because no one else will fight for you. "

My parents would have wanted a more conventional name like Taku or Ichiro for their only son, but my beloved grandfather insisted that I should be called Gin, which meant silver in Japanese.

Perhaps he wanted me to be like that silver lining.

OFFStyle, ONStyle, WINDStyle

In most fashion magazines, especially those catering to Japanese men who are endeavoring to be trendsetters, there will be a section on hairstyles for men, and every hairstyle has a "off" look and an "on" look. Basically, the former is for casual occasions and can be achieved with minimal effort while the latter is for more formal occasions, i.e. work and requires some time and hard work, usually with hard wax or hair spray.

If I had to choose between these two, I would prefer "off" to "on", because I don't believe in putting too much effort into styling one's hair. This does not mean that I am an unkempt person who does not bother about my appearance. On the contrary, I feel that one should be confident enough to appear before others in one's "off" look, in other words, OFFStyle.

Of course, all of us could do with a little help, and this is where WINDStyle comes in. In terms of hair, WINDStyle refers to the aid of the wind in obtaining the desired hairstyle naturally. There is a term Kamikaze in Japanese, and this translates to the Wind of the God(s) literally. To me, the wind is like an embodiment of a Higher Power, and therefore, my ideal style would be WINDStyle, which is achieved with divine assistance.

WINDStyle can be applied not only to hairstyles, it can also be extended and expanded for use in other aspects of life. That I leave to the creativity of my dear readers.

PS: The photo above shows me and my hairstylist in Tokyo. b(^-^)d

A sliver of silver

Just some food for thought here.

What does black have that silver tends to lack? Impurity of spirit, I suppose.

Is that why silver turns black when it tarnishes? Does the change in color reflect the degradation of the spirit?

ほな、さいなら

さよならが苦手なほうなので、『ほな、さいなら』よりは『ほな、またな』。

では、皆様お元気で。

最後に、DewのThank Youという曲の歌詞が気に入ったので、ここで載せとく。

You'll be in my heart
No matter how far you are
今君に贈りたい

振り返れば夢のように消えてしまうから
いつもと変わらない話をしていよう
そんな風に君が笑えば
同じ明日がまた待ってる気がして
少しほっとするんだ

枝の先で目覚めを待つ桜の蕾の下
旅立つその前に言っておきたいことがある
ありったけのありがとう　今君に贈りたい
春の風よ　届けて欲しい
さよならでは君に手を振れないから

君と見た夢の数は数え切れないよ
今解き放とう　遠い遠い明日へ
くじけそうになるとしても　ひとりじゃない気がする
信じてゆけばいい　その言葉を忘れない

ありったけのありがとう　今君に贈りたい
胸をはって今なら言える
君と会えて良かったと　心から

ずっと覚えているよ　このときめき
翼(はね)を広げ飛び立つ時　ずっと待っていたんだ

ありったけのありがとう　今君に贈りたい
春の風よ　届けて欲しい
さよならじゃ手を振れない

You'll be in my heart
No matter how far you are
いつまでも忘れないよ
胸をはって今なら言える
君と会えて良かったと　心から
心から

Mind Games

I woke up early to watch Man U play Inter in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final. It was an even match, although I feel that we deserved to win as we had the better chances. Still, it was good that we managed not to concede despite our make-shift defence that was missing Vidic and Neville/Rafael. Once again, van der Sar did a great job. I think van der Sar only needs to play when Vidic is not around. lol

Well the defence and goalkeeping was good in general, the same cannot be said for the players at the other end. You can applaud van der Sar's counterpart, Julio Cesar, for his brilliance in keeping a clean sheet, but this stalemate can be attributed to a lack of desire and a lack of fire on our side. Park Ji Sung was full of running but was always an inch too short or a second too late. Ronaldo is still not back to his phenomenal form of last season, while Berbatov was a little too languid. He was caught offside more than once. Giggs had a decent game, but his shot was saved and his corners were not as dangerous as they usually are. Perhaps if Vidic was around, then things might have been different?

One thing I was not happy about was the substitution of Park for Rooney. Why did Sir Alex not bring on Rooney earlier? He scored in his previous two games, and he showed again how much influence he has on our game despite only having about ten minutes of gametime. Bringing him on maybe around the hour mark would have been better, as it would give him time to settle and also add pace and invention to our attack without diminishing the running back to tackle and defend that was a characteristic of Park.

In the end, it was a case of too little, too late as Inter held on for a precious clean sheet and we did not leave with the priceless away goal that we coveted. Sir Alex said that he was okay with the result, but was he really okay, or was it another of his mind games? In contrast, Mourinho said that a draw was a good result and it was 50-50 now for both Inter and Man U. Again, another mind game by the Special One?

Mind games are part and parcel of football; if you are not strong enough to withstand them, then you do not deserve to be on the Champions League stage. While the final verdict is still undecided, I believe that we have a great chance of progressing since we play in a fortnight at the fortress that is Old Trafford. Hopefully, Rafael and Neville will be back, and hopefully, Vidic will score with a header. We have so many other potential scorers that I don't think it matters who scores the winner for us. Personally though, I would root for Giggs, although Rooney, Berbatov, Ronaldo, Carrick, Scholes, Tevez(if he starts), are all good bets too.

As for the other three games, Arsenal have the advantage over Roma after winning 1-0 at home, Barcelona have one foot in the doorway to the next stage after coming back from a goal down away at Lyon, and Porto scored two precious away goals that will make them undoubtedly leave Atletico fans in a rage at their team's inability to defend a lead twice.

Still, I believe in the resilience of English and Spanish teams and so I pick the 4 teams to go through as follows:
Man U, Arsenal, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid.

As for tomorrow, I pick Real Madrid(home), Juventus(away), Villareal(home) and Bayern Munich(away) to win the first leg. The reasons are simple : Gerrard is not fully fit, Chelsea play better away, Villareal are regaining their form after a horrific slump, and Bayern Munich are stronger in Europe than they are in the Bundesliga.

Dead to the world

Writer's block, or just plain laziness to conjure up enough effort to put my thoughts into words?

I leave that to the reader's discretion. In any case, yours truly was dead to the world for a few hours today. A case of much needed rest, I suppose. You would have thought that I would have been free after the rigors of the thesis and thesis defense not so long ago, but no, I still had to do this and that, and I found myself apparently busier after submitting my thesis, because of various administrative and routine tasks. It did not help that I have travel arrangements to make, not only for my upcoming Europe trip, but also for my conference trip after I come back from Europe, and the various travels with my family who will be coming to attend my graduation ceremony on 23rd March. Then I also have to prepare to return home in April.

So in a way, this few hours during which yours truly was dead to the world was a boon.

But it is time to wake up, because there are still many things waiting for me.

Good things are worth waiting for.

D-Day and V-Day Part I

D-Day : Friday the 13th

D is for Defense, and D-Day marked the end of my official research life as a Master student, as I finished my Master Thesis Defense on that day. (However, for some reason, I have been asked to submit a paper for JLT, which is apparently very difficult, and I also have to present at a local conference in Ehime in March) In a way, it proceeded the way I thought it would be, but the Q & A session did not go according to plan.

Superstitious people can blame it on the date being an unlucky one; I will just admit that I did not prepare adequately. Some of the questions were quite tricky, but they were not unanswerable. I knew the answers were in the papers that I had read before, but I could not recall them that day.

As for the part about guidelines and approaches, I guess it is a matter of perspectives. In the end, I passed, and I was filled with mixed emotions when my professor told me the words that should have been music to my ears - "You passed". Relief that I had made it, and disappointment that I did not do better during the Q & A.

At that moment, I truly realized what the phrase "a hollow victory" meant.

PS: Still, a win is worth 3 points, and at this point in time, that is all that matters.

Yes we can!!!

やりたいこと
やれること
やらなきゃいけないこと

基本的にこの三つのことを毎日繰り返している。三つとも一致している時、幸せ限りだ。

だが、人生はそんなに甘くない。実験結果とシミュレーションがうまく一致しないように、以上の見三つのこともなかなか一致しない。苦笑

やりたいことをやれない
やらなきゃいけないことをやりたくない
やれることをやりたくない

それでも私たちは頑張り続けている。それなりに、自分なりに。

今週で修論を出した。来週の審査を通れば、無事卒業できるはず。
『あともう少しで自由だ』と思いきや、JLTというものがいきなり

稲妻のように
雪花から作られた
七色の輝きを潜める
闇雲を容易く貫いて、
俺の前にやってきた。

しかもJLTはむずいらしい。 (>_<)
えっ？！俺？！まじで？！冗談でしょ？！みたいな。でも本気らしい。

最後だからええやないか。思わずプロポズ大作戦の台詞を思い出す。ダメモトって台詞ね。

『失敗しても当たり前、成功したら男前』　あれはカッコええかも。

たとえ最後は駄目だとしても、やれることをやって、やらなきゃいけないことをやって、そして何よりもやりたいことをやって。

やるよ、マイウェイでやらせてもらうよ。

PS:その前に、審査の準備をせんとアカン。

!Animo! !Porque yo puedo! Quizas?! !Claro!

Top

Yes, for the first time this season, we are top of the table, with a game in hand over most of our major rivals. Unexpected? Not really. To tell the truth, I thought it was only a matter of time. However, the way in which we claimed pole position has been a little astounding. 10 consecutive clean sheets despite missing Rio Ferdinand, Patrice Evra, and Wes Brown, winning half of the games 1-0, beating Chelsea 3-0 (albeit at Old Trafford), and achieving all these in spite of the fact that we have not really hit full stride yet, yes this has been a surprise indeed.

How long will we stay top? Maybe not for long, if Everton does not manage to defeat Liverpool on Monday. However, the important thing is not how long at the top we stay, but whether we are there at the end of the season in May. The pass can be beautiful, the cross can be brilliant, the throughball can be perfect, the one-two can be exquisite, but if the shot richochets off the post and is then cleared to safety by an opposing defender, then it is all for naught.

Reality is not so sweet; goals are what win games. The more goals the better, but sometimes one goal is enough. Winning 1-0 may not be pretty, but I have never heard someone praise a team for losing 3-4 beautifully. I believe that offense is the best form of defense, but scoring goals alone cannot secure victory if the backline is as though a leaking pail.

That pretty much sums up what I want to say here : it is not difficult to get a goal, but it can be difficult to win the game without keeping a clean sheet.

守りに入らなくて済むと良いけど、守りきれなきゃ勝利は無い。

Don't Worry, Be Happy

Don't ask me how long this will last, because I am not God. Somehow, I think even God doesn't know for sure. All I can say is that I will do my best to enjoy each moment of ephemeral eternity happily, because worrying about the unknown future will not solve anything.

As the ancients said, "When you reach the river, you will find a way across". Whether you cross by boat or by bridge, or in more dire circumstances by swimming over, there will be a way.

Therefore, don't worry, be happy.

The Last Day of 2008

I thought I would be able to write more tonight, and complete this blog entry just before the clock strikes midnight, but things do not always go to plan.

Therefore, I am writing a summarized version of my 2008 here. As usual, like the years before, this year has also been an unforgettable one. It will take an eternity to write down all the things that happened, and I will probably fall asleep before that, so if I had to summarize 2008 in one sentence, it would be "All's well that ends well".

Why? You might ask. Well, I guess you can say that things turned out well in the end, although this is not the end, but merely the beginning of a new era (hopefully).

Sometimes things happen when you least expect them to, and 2008 was a year when many things happened. In terms of travel, I went to Taiwan, Belgium and Thailand, and within Japan, I visited Chichibu, Hiroshima, Okayama, Kurashiki, Miyajima, Hakone, Mt. Fuji, Mt. Takao, Kobe, Yokohama, Hakodate, Otaru, Sapporo, Lake Toya, Aomori, Hirosaki, Shirakami Sanchi, Lake Towada, Mt. Takao, Chiba, Disneyland, Enoshima, Mother's Farm, and a few other places. In terms of meeting new people, I have had the pleasure of making many new friends, and I am happy to say that I am quite blessed to have found more than a few friends who I get along very well with.

Of course, there were some farewells too, but hellos and goodbyes are part and parcel of Life, and sometimes we have to learn to let go. Let go of the past, and move on, looking forward to the future, but always living in the present, because this moment in the here and now is a priceless instant of ephemeral eternity.

On the last day of 2008, I want to say that Winter has never been my favorite season, but somehow, winter this year does not seem so cold. Is it because I have amassed enough fats, or is it because I have entered hibernation mode? Actually, the answer is neither of the above. A more plausible explanation would be that finally, the Iceman is on Fire again.

One thing I realized at the end of 2008 is that you can run, but no matter how fast or how far you run, you can never run away from your destiny.

At the end of the day, you can only be what you were meant to be.

Iceman on Fire, that's yours truly.

Man U vs Gamba Osaka

Today, I went to watch a Toyota Cup match between Pachuca and Liga de Quito, and the South American champion won 2-0. Liga de Quito deserved to win, because they were quick to exploit gaps in the Pachuca defence, and defended sublimely. Within 25 minutes, they were 2-0 up. As expected, watching soccer live is totally different from viewing it on television. The second goal was very impressive, but the first goal was due more to luck than anything else.

Still, even though Liga de Quito were undoubtedly the better side in the first half, you could not help but feel that Pachuca deserved to score at least a goal. They kept pressing, but somehow could not find a way past the South Americans. The lack of goals in the second half was disappointing, and the incessant rain was a literal damper. But being able to watch football live at the stadium is a treat, and this is especially so when it is free (thanks to my lab senior).

After the match, I bought a Man U towel in preparation for tomorrow, for the match I have been waiting for : Toyota Cup Semi-final, Man U vs Gamba Osaka!



Some stats for Man U

The World Club Cup squad

1	Edwin VAN DER SAR
2	Gary NEVILLE
3	Patrice EVRA
5	Rio FERDINAND
7	CRISTIANO RONALDO
8	ANDERSON
9	Dimitar BERBATOV
10	Wayne ROONEY
11	Ryan GIGGS
13	PARK Ji Sung
15	Nemanja VIDIC
16	Michael CARRICK
17	NANI
18	Paul SCHOLES
19	Daniel WELBECK
21	RAFAEL
22	John O SHEA
23	Jonny EVANS
24	Darren FLETCHER
28	Darron GIBSON
29	Tomasz KUSZCZAK
32	Carlos TEVEZ
40	Ben AMOS

Prediction : Man U 3 Gamba 1
Man U Starting Line-up
GK:Edwin van der Sar
LB:Patrice Evra
CB:Rio Ferdinand
CB:Nemanja Vidic
RB:Gary Neville
LM:Ryan Giggs
CM:Paul Scholes
CM:Park Ji Sung
RM:Cristiano Ronaldo
CF:Wayne Rooney
CF:Carlos Tevez

Around 40...

Around 40 was one of the new phrases that gained widespread popularity following the release of a drama with a lady who is around 40 as the protagonist. While I am still in my 20s, a different kind of around 40 happened to me recently.

I went 40 hours without sleep. First, I went to my junior's photography exhibition and then visited my old dormitory in which my junior was now staying in. He baked cheesecake and cooked for me and a few others. Needless to say, it was fun, and we ended up chatting till 4 in the morning. As I had something on later in the day, I took my leave first. However, the first bus from the dormitory to the station only came around 6am, while the first train from the station departed around 4:40am. Therefore, I woke around 40 minutes to the station. Boarding the first train with time to spare, I reached home, showered, freshened up and left my place again, this time heading for Mt. Takao. I was going there to see the autumn leaves. As it was a fine day, many people probably had the same thoughts as me, and the train was unbelieveably crowded. It was such a fine day that I could see the snow-capped peak of Mt. Fuji from the train.


Upon reaching Mt. Takao, an awesome sight greeted me. It was so crowded that maybe the number of people outnumbered the number of red leaves. Still, the red leaves were very, very pretty. Here is a sample of how they looked.

This was my 4th time climbing Mt. Takao, and I realized that all 4 times, I visited in autumn.

Despite coming from a tropical country where it is almost always summer, my favorite season is autumn. lol

This is one of my favorite B'z songs. The title means "Someday, (let's meet) here again", and it started playing in my head when I reached the summit of Mt. Takao. Why? Maybe it means that I'll climb Mt. Takao again (in autumn?)

『いつかまたここで』

作詩：稲葉浩志 作曲：松本孝弘

知らず知らず　遠くまで
来てしまったよ　旅立った日から
めぐり逢えた　数知れぬ人々の顔
消えない景色

何ひとつ欠けても　駄目なんだよ

今きみと　ともにいる　この場所が好き
生きてれば　会えるだろう　いつかまたここで
いつかまたここで

今日一日を精いっぱい　やり遂げるなら
悔いはないだろう
今日の自分を　思い出す時
きれいな涙　流せるように

うまくいかなくても　やめない

今きみと　ともにいる　この場所が好き
思いきり　抱きあいたい　いつかまたここで

太陽の下でも　凍える雨でも　強くかたくなった絆
愛すべきは仲間　たとえ去っていっても(忘れない)

情熱を　なくさずに　歩き続けて
傷ついて　つかれ果て　愛を知らされて(たどり着いた)
今きみと　ともにいる　この場所が好き
生きてれば　会えるだろう　いつかまたここで
いつかまたここで

Potential | ポテンシャル

If you have the talent|ability|potential, but you do not make full use of what you have been blessed with, then it is a pity. Rather, it is a waste. A waste of resources which we can ill-afford.

Not developing one's latent potential to the fullest is like a samurai fighting with a sheathed katana of the finest quality; is it a sign of pride|arrogance|confidence, or is it merely due to the fact that one is a little lazy, and believes that things will work themselves work because of one's talent?

Whichever the case, talent without effort can only take you so far. Ability has its limitations, which only effort can release.

If you do not use what you have been blessed with, it is likely that you will be able to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

潜在能力は発揮しなければ、抜刀せずに戦う侍の如き、ベストを尽くしていないんだ。自信過剰により全力で戦わなくても勝てると思ってるのか、怠け者で適当にやれば何とかなると思ってるのか、どちらにしても愚かなものだと思わないかい？なぜなら、努力なしではの才能には限界がある。その限界を解除するには力を入れなければならない。

『努力の天才』

Four | 四 | Cuatro

4 goals, all scored in the last 30 minutes, each scored by a different player, and it appears that our title campaign is back on track.

4th in the table, with a game in hand, and we showed our calibre on a night when all the Big 4 won. Chelsea 5-0, Arsenal 3-1, Liverpool 3-2, Man U 4-0.

4 consecutive clean sheets in our last 4 games. The statistics above show that we are headed in the right direction, but if you were to break down tonight's game, it would be a game of 2 halves. In the first half, we had possession but no conversion. The only time we "scored", the refereee penalized Rooney for a "foul". Despite our dominance, we had only a big fat zero to show. In the second half, we still labored to score the first goal, and it took 15 minutes before we managed to prise open the West Brom defence. Once that was accomplished, we soon managed to score a few more goals and ensure our victory.

I feel that the way we play is dangerous for ourselves because initially we seemed to be contented with that solitary goal and nearly allowed West Brom back into the game. Fortunately, Rooney combined effectively with Ronaldo to score the second goal, which gave us a cushion and forced West Brom into coming out from their defensive shell.

Then Berbatov made it look easy when he stabbed home from close range to make sure we led comfortably. However, there were a few times when it looked as though we would win 3-1 instead of 3-0, but fortunately, Nani made sure that we won convincingly with a 4-0 scoreline by scoring right at the end of the game.

4 is not my favorite number (I am talking about our table position, not the number of goals). At least we should go for number 3, if not number 1.

Beyond

These are some of my favorite Beyond songs. A simple truth is
that oldies are good no matter when or where you listen to them.
Time may pass, but true quality can stand the test of time.

你知道我的迷惘
词：劉卓輝
曲:黃家駒　

一個人在孤獨的時候　走到人群擁擠的街頭
是在抗議過份自由　還是荒謬的地球

一個人在創痛的時候　按著難以痊癒的傷口
究竟應該拼命奮鬥　還是默默的溜走

只有你會理解我的憂　讓我緊緊握住你的手
我們曾經一樣的流浪
一樣幻想美好時光　一樣的感到流水年長
我們雖不在同一個地方
沒有相同的主張　可是你知道我的迷惘

光辉岁月
词：黄家驹
曲：黄家驹

钟声响起归家的信号
在他生命里
彷彿带点唏嘘
黑色肌肤给他的意义
是一生奉献肤色斗争中
年月把拥有变做失去
疲倦的双眼带着期望
今天只有残留的躯壳
迎接光辉岁月
风雨中抱紧自由
一生经过傍徨的挣扎
自信可改变未来
问谁又能做到

可否不分肤色的界限
愿这土地里不分你我高低
缤纷色彩闪出的美丽
是因它没有分开每种色彩
年月把拥有变做失去
疲倦的双眼带着期望
今天只有残留的躯壳
迎接光辉岁月
风雨中抱紧自由
一生经过傍徨的挣扎
自信可改变未来
问谁又能做到

今天只有残留的躯壳
迎接光辉岁月
风雨中抱紧自由
一生经过傍徨的挣扎
自信可改变未来
问谁又能做到

海阔天空
词：黄家驹
曲：黄家驹

今天我寒夜里看雪飘过
怀著冷却了的心窝飘远方
风雨里追赶 雾里分不清影踪
天空海阔你与我 可会变(谁没在变)
多少次迎著冷眼与嘲笑
从没有放弃过心中的理想
一刹那恍惚 若有所失的感觉
不知不觉已变淡 心里爱(谁明白我)
原谅我这一生不羁放纵爱自由
也会怕有一天会跌倒
被弃了理想谁人都可以
那会怕有一天只你共我
今天我寒夜里看雪飘过
怀著冷却了的心窝飘远方
风雨里追赶 雾里分不清影踪
天空海阔你与我 可会变(谁没在变)
原谅我这一生不羁放纵爱自由
也会怕有一天会跌倒
被弃了理想谁人都可以
那会怕有一天只你共我 仍然自由自我
永远高唱我歌 走遍千里
原谅我这一生不羁放纵爱自由
也会怕有一天会跌倒
被弃了理想谁人都可以
那会怕有一天只你共我
被弃了理想谁人都可以
那会怕有一天只你共我
原谅我这一生不羁放纵爱自由
也会怕有一天会跌倒
被弃了理想谁人都可以
那会怕有一天只你共我

PS: I realized that there was a Cantonese version of 
你知道我的迷惘 and I think it is very nice too. The lyrics
are below. It is about the love of a son for his mum,
which I think is very touching.

真的爱你
词：黄家驹
曲：黄家驹

无法可修饰的一对手
带出温暖永远在背后
总是罗嗦始终关注
不懂珍惜太内疚
沉醉于音阶她不赞赏
母亲的爱却永未退让
决心冲开心中挣扎
亲恩终可报答
春风化雨暖透我的心
一生眷顾无言地送赠
是你多么温馨的目光
教我坚毅望着前路
叮嘱我跌倒不应放弃
没法解释怎可报尽亲恩
爱意宽大是无限
请准我说声真的爱你
仍记起温馨的一对手
始终给我照顾未变样
理想今天终于等到
分享光辉盼做到

I am ...

You are The Sun

Happiness, Content, Joy.

The meanings for the Sun are fairly simple and consistent.

Young, healthy, new, fresh. The brain is working, things that were muddled come clear, everything falls into place, and everything seems to go your way.

The Sun is ruled by the Sun, of course. This is the light that comes after the long dark night, Apollo to the Moon's Diana. A positive card, it promises you your day in the sun. Glory, gain, triumph, pleasure, truth, success. As the moon symbolized inspiration from the unconscious, from dreams, this card symbolizes discoveries made fully consciousness and wide awake. You have an understanding and enjoyment of science and math, beautifully constructed music, carefully reasoned philosophy. It is a card of intellect, clarity of mind, and feelings of youthful energy.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

As busy as a bee

I suppose that describes my life recently. But I feel that despite the tiring schedule at times, I am enjoying every moment, be it work or play. Speaking of work, I presented at my first conference as a Master student and my second conference overall (the first was in my undegraduate year) this week, and I realize that I have to drastically improve my presentation skills if I am to be able to convince people that my presentation is interesting and worth listening to.

This conference sobered me up, and revealed to me one of the areas for improvement. On a brighter note, I am looking forward to next week, although my preparations are not quite done yet. I will be heading to Belgium, the land of waffles, chocolate, and Tintin for my second conference as a Master student. My first international conference, so I am filled with a mixture of anticipation and nervousness. In any case, it will be good to visit Europe(again), even if I am not able to travel to Spain or Scandinavia this time.

Well Done!!!

What a great way to demonstrate our potential! The final score was 2-1, what I had more or less expected, since games between the Red Devils and the Reds tend to be close affairs. However, I had not counted on us being on the wrong side of the scoreline. Yes, finally we lost to Liverpool.

A die-hard Man Utd fan would not have believed that we could be defeated, even away at Anfield, but if you saw how we played, I assure you, you would have agreed with the commentator that Liverpool deserved to win, or rather, Man Utd deserved to lose.

We started off brightly, with a goal by Tevez in the 3rd or 4th minute, but the own goal by Wes Brown or should I say Van der Sar reignited Liverpool's hopes. How can you come out and try to palm the ball away?! Still, that was not the main reason behind our downfall. We lost to a better team, because we didn't really play. You could see it in the way we passed, the way we gave away space, the way we gave away the ball, the way we gave away the game and the 3 points.

A few questions that came to mind after watching us make a fool of ourselves.
1)Are we missing Ronaldo?
2)What is Rooney doing?
3)Are we still thinking about the Double that we won last season?
4)Are we so full of arrogance that we think we are invincible?
5)Where are our supersubs?
6)Are we really hungry for another Double or even Triple?

The answers according to yours truly are as follows:
1)Much as I hate to admit it, I think there is a void without Ronaldo. His assists, his dribbles, and of course his goals, all of these we miss.
Come back soon, Mr WonderWhiz.
2)You can argue that a good striker does not only score goals, and I concur that Rooney has run his socks off and done a lot of off-the-ball running, tackling, etc, but when we lack an edge, when we need some incisive penetration, why can't Rooney provide us with it? Obviously he has the ability, and instead of doing that, he is dropping back to defend, something which the defenders or other midfielders can do.
We need to be aware of our priorities, Mr Child Prodigy.
3)Yes, the Double is our pride and our inspiration, but shouldn't we put the beautiful memories together with the trophy in the display cabinet and focus on this season?
Let's go one better this time, and get the Treble, guys.
4)The cliche goes, "Pride goes before a fall", and the way we played tonight revealed the extent of our arrogance. Maybe not all of us were guilty, but at the very least some of us were. Thinking that all we had to do was show up and the points would be in the bag. Even Giggs was guilty when he kept the ball in play instead of playing it out for a corner, and his actions led to the winning goal by Babel.
We are only human, but I expected more from my idol.
5)The answer is, we have none. Unlike the good old days of 1999, where we had the SAS (Solsjkaer and Sheringham), these days we have no one on the bench to change and win the game for us. Look at Liverpool, and you can see that they have Babel, and for a limited period of time, Torres and Gerrard. Who do we have? Giggs, Hargreaves, and Nani came on, but I didn't feel that they were a threat to Liverpool, and I believe the Reds supporters felt the same way.
Where is Cantona when you need him?
6)Maybe we are still digesting the fact that we won the Double not too long ago, but what I feel is this: If you lack the hunger, if you do not desire it enough, that you won't get it, no matter how good your credentials are.

B'z Glory Days

They have been playing since 1988, and this year marks their 20th anniversary. They are my favorite band, B'z. I thought the ACTION concert in Yokohama in June was my last B'z concert for this year, and maybe for a while, but thanks to some kind-hearted B'z brothers/sisters, I managed to get tickets for the Glory Days tour, and though I thought I was crazy when I got tickets for all 3 venues, I guess it is ok to be crazy once in a while. After all, we only live once, and the 20th anniversary of B'z comes only once.

I went for the B'z concert on the 6th, in Kobe, and it was a glorious day/night to remember. Here are some photos. I loved all the songs they sang, and I stood from start to end. That was how SHIOK it was!!! I am looking forward to Toyota and Nissan too!!!


With my BROTHERHOOD T-Shirt

Posing with the Poster

B'z Glory Days

Full House Stadium

Life is good

I guess waking up at 7am is a good habit that I should cultivate. Today, I woke up before 7am without setting my alarm, and it felt good to be up early, despite my sleepiness.

If I am to do that, I will have to stop staying up till the wee hours of the morning. Perhaps the time difference of 2 hours made a difference. After all, having just come back from Bangkok only a few days ago, where bedtime for me was around 4am Japan time, I found myself awake till 2,3am when I returned to Tokyo.

Achieving a balance between sleeping too little and sleeping too much is not that difficult me; it is only a matter of how much you want it. Life is good, and at this moment, what I want is what I have got, mas o menos, so I am happy. The only thing I wish I had more of, other than money, is time. Of course, that is what all of us desire.

Life is good, because I am here, and I am happy to be here. In the now, in the present.

The trip to Bangkok was a fitting finale to the culmination of the various phases of that journey that I had been on since... say last autumn? Quizas...

I love to travel, and although that accident during the futsal competition last June put my plans on hold for a while, in the end I managed to visit Karuizawa, followed by the Kansai region (Himeji, Kobe, Osaka, Kyoto), Yamanashi, Kyoto & Nara, Niigata, Taiwan, Hiroshima, Miyajima, Okayama & Kurashiki, followed by the Hokkaido trio of Sapporo, Hakodate & Otaru, and then Yamagata, Mt Fuji, Aomori & Hakodate, and most recently, Bangkok, Thailand.

Karuizawa was the beginning of the end for a phase of my life, even though I didn't realize it at that time. I will not say that I will always remember, but I know that I will never forget that trip, because it was a special trip. Nothing out of the ordinary, yet extraordinary in its own way.

The Kansai region was a Brotherhood trip, with my brother, and it made me realize that blood is really thicker than water, if you know what I mean.

Yamanashi was a BSUR trip, and I was touched that after so many years, the old (and core) members still care enough to meet up.

I visited Kyoto & Nara in autumn for the first time, and it was memorable, although I should have seen that life is not a drama like PRIDE.

Niigata was a trip to visit my host family and at the same time a pilgrimage to exorcise the ghosts of that freak night in winter so many years ago. There were quite a few changes - one of the Huskies had passed away, for example. On the other hand, some things never change, as exemplified by the kindness and warmth demonstrated by my host family. They made the wintry cold vanish, and warmed that crimson chamber.

Taiwan was a trip to celebrate the reunion with my godsisters, and also to celebrate one of my godsisters' wedding. At the same time, it was a trip for me to remember and pay my respects to the dead.

Hiroshima, Miyajima, Okayama and Kurashiki was a pleasure trip, although my foolish antics on Miyajima induced much pain. >_<>

Yet, barely a few months later, I found myself doing jump shots in Hokkaido, albeit with more caution. My second visit to Hakodate seemed colder than the first, although it was no less beautiful. Otaru was pretty too, and my musical box is one of the best presents that I have given myself.

Yamagata was a M2 trip, and despite the 4/5 attendance, we had a great time. Despite my aloofness and nonchalance at times, my M2 comrades accept me for who I am, and I feel very blessed indeed.

Mt Fuji was a strange trip because it turned out to be better than expected although I was a little disappointed that we were unable to climb a little higher.

Aomori & Hakodate was a long, tiring trip, and I wished the weather could have been better at times, i.e. the sky a deeper shade of blue, the temperature a little lower, etc. Other than that, it was a good recharger, and we managed to get in touch with Mother Nature and witness her in her stunning splendor. The fireworks seen from Mt. Hakodate were a surprise bonus.

Bangkok was hot in every sense of the word, and I liked what I saw. My favorite was the Floating Market and the Chatuchak Market. It was good to have Thai friends who showed us around. Meeting up with Pam after so long also invoked much nostalgia. I think it is quite cool that you can be friends with an ex-lover; of course, not everyone can do that, because some people are not strong enough, some are still immature while others are simply unable to forgive. There is also the "I haved moved on, so I cannot meet my ex anymore." case, which sounds contradictory, because if one has moved on already, then meeting one's ex should not pose any problems, right? In any case, I don't really have time to talk about ex-lovers, because I am here to experience and enjoy life.

Life is good, simply because it is.
I am happy, happy to be here, simply because I am.

『The grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.』
~Allan K. Chalmers

我就是这样

I like this song the first time I heard it. The rhythm is catchy, and the lyrics, although simple, are quite meaningful. It has been some time since I listened to newer Chinese songs, but this is definitely one of my current faves.

我就是这样 天马行空的磁场
或许你还不习惯 我在等你变成拍档
我就是这样 注定和你不一样
谢谢你欣不欣赏 我的风格是限量
摊开的手掌 柔软又刚强
（十指纤长 指尖藏着一股力量）
安静的目光 温柔却也狂放
（眼神明亮 有好多话想对你讲）
我独特的模样 是全新的信仰
我就是这样 天马行空的磁场
或许你还不习惯 我在等你变成拍档
我就是这样 注定和你不一样
谢谢你欣不欣赏 我的风格是限量
RAP(tank):
你不会躲在 不长不短的裙摆
耍无赖太依赖 都不符合你的心态
乖乖早过了时代 怪怪才有人青睐
不需要表态 让大家慢慢猜
既古代又现代 爱HIP HOP也爱李白
是女孩像男孩 这次出场注定精彩
我嗅到英雄神采 我瞄到美人姿态
多变的节拍 接下来该是你拽
诗人的滥觞 刻板的印象
（没有文字 足以介绍你的出场）
你爱晒太阳 我赏我的月亮
(井水河水 各自徜徉各的海洋 )
想发出一道光 让世间不平凡
我就是这样 天马行空的磁场
或许你还不习惯 我在等你变成拍档
我就是这样 注定和你不一样
谢谢你欣不欣赏 我的风格是限量
温柔 倔强 勇敢 都是我
我拥有太多 不同基因
安静 吵闹 沉默 都是我
分钟 不同的颜色

Putting pen to paper...

I am doing the 21st century version anyway. lol

Putting fingers to keyboard,

My hands start to dance,

To the rhythm of the tunes

Flowing in that half-asleep brain of mine

Once I start I cannot stop,

Like a sleepwalker in a trance,

Reminds me of the sand dunes,

Incessantly changing with time

He thought he could write

For ever and ever

All the way till Eternity

Yet for quite a while

The ink did run dry

The poet did ran out

Into the pouring rain

While waiting for the train

He heard a shout

"Why? Tell me why!"

That voice made him smile

A voice reminding him of Destiny

"I will never forget you. Never!"

Her words on that winter night

And now a miracle appears
They finally meet again

In the most unlikely of places,

that city by the sea

"Do you remember"

The refrain came unbidden

He knew the lyrics by heart

For sometime they were kept apart

Contact was forbidden

From December till November

Till the war ceased to be

That insane battle between races

That brought nothing but pain
And fragments of fickle fear

"It's been a while
since I saw your smile"

His tender words enveloped her
In his arms she felt safe
On her cheeks there was a glitter
A teardrop of requited faith

"It's been a while
since I saw your smile"

The Clock that lost track of Time...

A few days ago, I was watching a Chinese music channel on TV, and they played an oldie, 『忘了时间的钟』 by Leo Ku, whose songs I liked a lot when I was in JC. I have lost track of the Chinese pop music scene ever since I came to Japan, but the old songs that I used to listen to when I was back home still manage to resonate within me even now, and I found myself humming the melody over and over again when I was at the airport, waiting for my flight back to Tokyo.

『忘了时间的钟』

还有没有如果 还有没有结果 你不要再害我
还有什麽没说 还有什麽没做 脑袋一片空
我的潇洒告诉我 Hey man! Let her go
我的心却 哦~~~
你曾经多爱我 你还记得否
为什麽同一张口 才说爱我 又说要离开我

我像忘了时间的钟 一分一秒的过
却不知到越走错越多
忘了时间的钟 每个人都在笑我
忘了时间的钟 滴滴答答不休 转啊转啊转啊 别管我
忘了时间的钟 好难过 呜
爱到最後 剩什麽 谁告诉我

走的太快 你说 不关心你感受
走的太慢 你又说 赶不上潮流

你曾经多爱我 你还记得否
为什麽同一张口 才说爱我 又说要离开我
我像忘了时间的钟 一分一秒的过
却不知到越走错越多
忘了时间的钟 每个人都在笑我 哎呀呀呀
忘了时间的钟 滴滴答答不休 转啊转啊转啊 别管我
忘了时间的钟 好难过 呜
爱到最後 剩什麽 你说!

Happy in Hakodate

This is a long overdue entry, but I guess I was rather busy with stuff as usual. The first day or rather, the first night of our All The Way North SK-II trip, we went up to Mt. Hakodate for a glimpse of the million-dollar nightscape, as seen below. It was great, but what made it even better was the bonus fireworks that lit up the night sky that night. Yes, I got to see fireworks from a top-down perspective.

It was quite cool looking down at the fireworks from the top of the mountain.

You know it's true

When you start off in Tokyo, anywhere you go to afterwards will seem to pale in comparison. Maybe not at first, but if you decide to stay in any place for a relatively long period of time, say 1year and above, you will find yourself missing Tokyo and what she has to offer - the convenience, the many attractions, even the noisy crowds.

That was how I felt when I visited Hakodate not too long ago. This was my 3rd visit, and I was quite familiar with the place. My Korean friend and I were talking about whether he would prefer to stay in Hakodate or Tokyo, and he agreed with me that if he were to stay for a long time, he would probably choose Tokyo over Hakodate.

For me, I guess if I were to stay in Japan, my answer would be the same. I would choose Tokyo over Hakodate, over Kyoto, over any other place in Japan even, simply because Tokyo is Tokyo. Maybe I am biased since Tokyo was the first place I visited, and I have been here for over 6 years. On the other hand, my Japanese friend who hails from Kagoshima also said that if he had to choose, he would remain in Tokyo after graduation instead of returning to his native prefecture. Our reasons might be different, but the appeal of Tokyo is undeniable.

~If Tokyo were a girl, I would propose to her immediately.~

CHanCe?CHanGe?

Does it matter whether it is the former or the latter? As long as you believe, the possibility is always there.

『Our only security is our ability to change.』
~John Lilly

Summer = Hanabi !!!

Maybe it's because this is my last summer as a student here in Japan, maybe because I am trying to experience as many hanabis as possible, or maybe it is because I am just crazy, but this year, I have been going to as many hanabis as I can. Too many photos and videos to upload, so here is a video clip that can be considered a favorite of mine.

Enjoy!!! (^-^)

『We do not remember days; we remember moments.』

~Cesare Pavese

30 B'z songs

１.BAD COMMUNICATION 恋に悩んだら
２.BE THERE 孤独な気持ちになったら
３.Easy Come, Easy Go! くじけそうになったら
４.LADY NAVIGATION 自信を持ちたいときに
５.ALONE 思い出に浸りたいときに
６.ZERO 気を楽にしたいときに
７.いつかのﾒﾘｰｸﾘｽﾏｽ 人恋しくなったら
８.愛のままにわがままに 僕は君だけを傷つけない つらいときに
９.裸足の女神 涙で徹夜明けの朝に
10.ねがい 強い心を持ちたいときに
11.love me,I love you ｽｯｷﾘしたいときに
12.LOVE PHANTOM 落ち込んだときに
13.ﾐｴﾅｲﾁｶﾗ～INVISIBLE ONE～ 悩んだら
14.Calling 寂しくなったら
15.さまよえる蒼い弾丸 勇気が欲しいときに
16. HOME じれったいときに
17.ギリギリchop 心がピンチのときに
18.今夜月の見える丘に やさしくなりたいときに
19.juice とことんまで頑張りたいときに
20.ultra soul パワーが欲しいときに
21.熱き鼓動の果て 頑張りたいときに
22.IT'S SHOWTIME!! 負けられないときに
23.BANZAI 乾杯したいときに
24.愛のバクダン 愛されたいときに
25.OCEAN 心を決めたときに
26.衝動 チャンスが欲しいときに
27.SPLASH! 嫉妬にくるったら
28.永遠の翼 人の幸せを願いたいときに
29.SUPER LOVE SONG もうひとふんばりしたいときに
30.Pleasure 2008～人生の快楽～ 元気になりたいときに

『If a composer could say what he had to say in words he would not bother trying to say it in music.』
~Gustav Mahler

銀

Silver is what you get when you mix black and white, and add a touch of glitter.

Someone once said that if Life was a question, then there would be a countless number of answers. That is undoubtedly so, because everyone has his or her own question and the corresponding answer. For me, if Life was a question, and that question was what color is Life, then my answer would be Silver. Silver, because Life can never be totally black or totally white.

あなたなら、どういう質問をしますか？
What would your question be?

『It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question. 』
~Eugene Ionesco

Memories of the Midnight Sun

Have you ever seen

The Sun st midnight

When the stars are dancing

and the moon is dreaming

Have you ever been

To the land of twilight

Where there are no shadows

To conceal the subtle sorrows

Hidden in the memories

A flash of nostalgia flickers

The way an eagle soars

Swift yet unforgettable

Burning are the memories

Shining upon silvery wings of shadowy gold

CHANGE

Spent quite some time revamping this blog, but finally I have achieved the desired effect. Added songs, changed the background, and added a video of Utada.

Her voice is unique, and it entrances you whether she is singing a sad ballad or an upbeat number. After so many years, my favorite Utada song is still Wait and See, hence the video.

I realized it is nearly August. 7/12 of the year nearly gone, but it is ok, because I have been enjoying myself everyday, both the good days and the not so good ones.

This will be a new start for this blog, both the revamped layout and the direction of this blog, which might take some time to manifest itself.

Good things are worth waiting for, don't you think so?

『Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions.』
~Rainer Maria Rilke

Poetry ・ Destiny ・ Mystery

Poetry : I have not been writing poems recently - no inspiration, or simply no interest? No clear-cut answers. On a slightly different note, I am still trying to recall the contents/exact wording of my first poem, "Caged Bird". Maybe I can find my Sec 1 journal when I go back home. Somehow I feel that despite it being written over 10 years ago, this poem of mine is still relevant today.

Destiny : A friend asked me if I believe in Fate, which is another word for Destiny. We had an interesting conversation regarding this topic, although there was again no definite conclusion. An intriguing question was that if everything is fated, then do our decisions matter?

Mystery : The meaning of a name can be quite a mystery. If someone told you her name was Reina, you would probably nod and acknowledge it without a second thought, especially if you were Japanese. However, Reina in Spanish means Queen, so a Spanish would probably comment on that fact.

This time, I have found a quote for each of the themes in the title. Maybe what my namesake said is right; words can be insufficient at times.

『Poetry is an orphan of silence. The words never quite equal the experience behind them.』
~Charles Simic~

『Actions are the seed of fate; deeds grow into destiny.』
~Harry S Truman~

『The final mystery is oneself.』
~Oscar Wilde~

Iceman on Fire

He pushed her away. Not physically of course; he prided himself on being a gentleman. He pushed her away with subtle words, making her decide to leave him before he started to thaw, before he started to melt, the victim of his own success. Like the other girls, she was burnt by his flaming passion, and maybe she was hurt more than the rest, because she was special. After all, she had made him feel on fire. Something that had never happened before.

Nobody knew this, but he was an Iceman. Looks can be deceiving, of course. His exterior was nondescript, a lean but muscular young man with a boyish countenance. Nothing about him looked extraordinary, except that if you looked closely, if you dared to, that is, to look into his dark hazel penetrating eyes, you could see the slightest hint of an icy glint.

He was not very popular at school, because he seemed aloof. However, the few friends he had loved him because he was their friend, and they were his. To friends, he showed his interesting side, his gentle side, even his silly side, but never his vulnerable side. They all thought he was like a fortress, with no weak points. In a sense, he was a fortress, albeit a frozen one.

But his coolness was an advantage when it came to dating. Rarely did a girl he ask out turn him down. Of course, he would never ask the same girl out more than 3 times.
Date 1 : "Nice to meet you"
Date 2 : "I had a great time"
Date 3 : "See you again sometime"
He was becoming an expert at this; after all, he had been doing this all the time.
As they say, practice makes perfect.

J asked him one day, "W is getting married soon, A has gotten married, and I intend to in one or two years' time. How about you? "

He replied nonchalantly, "I am still single."

"But not available, are you?" J said perceptively.

"Who says I am not available? I go out on dates, don't I?" he retorted.

"Sure you do, but they all fizzle out, don't they? Come to think of it, you have not gone out with the same girl more than 3times" J pointed out.

"I guess they call it 3rd time (un)lucky. hahaha" he laughed.

"I'll ask S to talk sense into you when he's back." J said in a half-exasperated, half-joking manner.

S will understand how I feel, he thought to himself.

How I feel about her. Even now, she still appeared in his dreams sometimes. She was the first, and maybe the last who managed to enter that crimson chamber of his. Even he himself was amazed at the speed with which she broke through all his defences. His masks were ripped apart one by one, his walls torn down faster than you could say L-O-V-E.

He found himself falling in love, and that fortress of ice thawed at an alarming rate. He lost himself for a while, in the flames of passion. When he rediscovered himself again, he found that she was gone, leaving only a letter behind.

"I am sorry that I had to leave. The days we spent together were the happiest days of my life, but your fiery love was too much for me. I am just a young lady who is still unsure of what I really want, and I am not ready to reciprocate your affection the way you want me to. Maybe if I were more mature, or if you were more ... Never mind, I just want to say, thank you for the memories. You will always be someone special, someone who made me happy during that melancholy season called Autumn. Goodbye"

He reread the letter and folded it again, keeping it in his notebook that he carried with him all the time. Next to the letter was the photo of the two of them, in happier times. Since then, he had been to many places, done many things, met many people. However, whenever the leaves turned crimson, and the autumn wind started playing its melancholic melodies, he would feel something in that frozen crimson chamber, as though there was a fire inside.

But it would last for only an ephemeral eternity, because an Iceman can never be on fire, can he?

Style won...

The best team won, and it would be hard to refute that, since the German team could not cope with the speed, skill and style of the Spanish. It has been a while since attractive, attacking football garnered the prize it deserves, and you can say that it was worth the wait. The Spanish team that came to this Euro2008 proved their credentials over and over again. They won all their matches, and improved as the tournament progressed. In the group stages, they let in one goal per match, but they managed to plug the holes in the defence and kept 3 consecutive clean sheets in the quarter-final, semi-final and final, against Italy, Russia and Germany respectively.

The entire team played well, and it is hard to single out a single player as the Man of the tournament, although Casillas, Torres, Senna, Villa, Fabregas, Xavi, Xavi Alonso, and Iniesta all come close. For me, I think the real Man of the Tournament is Aragones. His tactics and ability to make the players gel was the key for this victory. Being able to substitute Torres and keep Fabregas on the bench, being able to bring a previously uncapped player (Cazorla), and being able to take off both Fabregas and Torres in the final, all of these showed his belief in his team, and his faith in the might of the Spanish Armada. Of course, it helped that the players themselves were all winners at youth level, and perhaps what they said was true : they had that winning mentality that all champions have.

This team is still young, so hopefully we can see them adding the World Cup to this trophy. Till 2010, adios!

『The first and most important step toward success is the feeling that we can succeed.』
~Nelson Boswell

Winning Eleven & Super Seven

Here is UEFA's squad of the tournament:
Goalkeepers: Buffon (Italy), Casillas (Spain), van der Sar (Holland).
Defenders: Bosingwa (Portugal), Lahm (Germany), Marchena (Spain), Pepe (Portugal), Puyol (Spain), Zhirkov (Russia).
Midfielders: Hamit Altintop (Turkey), Modric (Croatia), Senna (Spain), Xavi (Spain), Zyryanov (Russia), Ballack (Germany), Fabregas (Spain), Iniesta (Spain), Podolski (Germany), Sneijder (Holland).
Striker: Arshavin (Russia), Pavlyuchenko (Russia), Torres (Spain), Villa (Spain).

For me, my winning formation is the 4-1-3-2, with the starting eleven and seven super subs as follows:
Goalkeeper:Iker Casillas (GK)Spain
Defender :Yuri Zhirkov (LB)Russia
Defender :Carlos Marchena (CB)Spain
Defender :Hamit Altintop (CB)Turkey
Defender :Sergio Ramos (RB)Spain
Midfielder :Marcos Senna (DM)Spain
Midfielder :Andres Iniesta (W/CM)Spain
Midfielder :Xavi Hernandez (CM)Spain
Midfielder :Wesley Sneijder (AM/W/PM)Holland
Forward :David Villa (S)Spain
Forward :Fernando Torres (S) Spain
Super Substitute:Andrei Arshavin (AM/PM)Russia
Super Substitute:Cesc Fabregas(AM/CM/PM)Spain
Super Substitute:Robin van Persie (W/S)Holland
Super Substitute:Xavi Alonso (DM/CM)Spain
Super Substitute:Semih Senturk (S)Turkey
Super Substitute:Arjen Robben (W)Holland
Super Substitute:Luka Modric (CM/PM)Croatia

Of course, the formation can easily be changed to 4-2-3-1 or 4-1-3-1-1, or even 4-1-4-1, depending on the players used. The abbreviations are as follows:
GK:GoalKeeper
LB:Left Back
CB:Centre Back
RB:Right Back
DM:Defensive Midfielder
CM:Central Midfielder
PM:PlayMaker
AM:Attacking Midfielder
W:Winger
S:Striker

Gol!Gol!Gol! and the Spanish Armada...

The Spanish Armada finally has the harbor in its sight. Maybe there was always some doubt, maybe there were more sceptics than believers, but last night was a night that the descendants of Don Quixote and Gaudi will never forget. The Spanish finally turned on the style, and the Russians were the poor victims. You had to admit that there seemed to be some form of poetic justice, since the Russians, who had totally outclassed the Oranje and shattered my wish for a "Dream Final" between the Spanish and the Dutch, were outclassed themselves by a Spanish side that was a delight to watch.

They finally showed that they are a force to be reckoned with, as they proved that the first victory (4-1 scoreline) over Russia was no fluke, and that they are as versatile as they are stylish. Their first-choice strikeforce of Torres and Villa were unable to score last night, but the unsung trio of Guizas, Xavi and Silva proved that they can finish too. And though he is an Arsenal player, I can help but admire the incisiveness of Fabregas. Not only him, but also Iniesta, Xavi and Silva. Spain has always been blessed with an abundance of talent in midfield, but as the saying goes, "Too many cooks spoil the broth", and you have to admit that Aragones has managed to outclass Hiddink and mold his midfield maestros into a formidable fighting force.

Of course, scoring goals is important, but we must not forget the saves of Casillas and the players who formed his defensive screen. The Spanish defence has been labeled the chink in the Spanish armor, but last night they managed yet another clean sheet, after their first clean sheet against the Italians. Can they give a repeat performance against the Germans, who have shown their potential to be champions by winning despite playing like losers against Turkey.

The ball is round, as the cliche goes, so the final will be a dream final for purists. Spanish style against German grit. I choose style, of course.

Animo! Espana, una vez mas!

『To succeed, we must first believe that we can.』
~Michael Korda~

A case of 3 down, 1 to go? ... >_<

I hate to be proven right sometimes, but the Oranje proved me right. They joined Portugal and Croatia as the 3rd group leader to exit the tournament. Perhaps it was because of their 3rd game, where they rested 9 first team players. Perhaps it was because there is a jinx. Whichever the case, or perhaps it was merely coincidence, Russia deserved to go through. They played with more motivation, more energy, and demonstrated a greater hunger. To win. It was that simple.

Unlike the Dutch, who seemed unsure of their game plan in the first half, if there was one. If you do not capitalize on your strength, then it is the same as showing off your weakness. Face it, the Oranje are masters of offence, not defence. They are good at defending AFTER they obtain a lead, not before. In other words, they need to SCORE first before they can defend. Which they did in their previous 3 games, against Italy, France, and Romania. For the record, they won 3-0, 4-1, and 2-0 respectively.

Against Russia, however, they conceded a goal first, and they never looked comfortable after that. Even before the Russian goal, they looked out of sorts, as though they were afraid to pass the ball the Oranje way. Thanks to van Nistelrooy's equalizer, they managed to prolong the game, and the match entered extra-time. Which only protracted the agony of the Dutch. They were a spent force even during the first half of extra-time, mustering a paltry resistance against the relentless Russians, ably led by Arshavin, who produced yet another Man of the Match performance after his inspirational display against Sweden in the final group game.

In the end, the Oranje flattered to deceive, yet again. Marco van Basten lost to Guus Hiddink in the tactical battle, and Sneijder lost to Arshavin in the battle of the number 10s. The Dutch lost not only to the Russians, who were their betters for most of this match; they also lost to themselves, because they could not fulfill their promise.

I am a little disappointed, but I am not surprised, because the Dutch are neither Germany nor Italy. Nor Turkey, for that matter, as far as this tournament is concerned.

There are some questions that need to be answered though. Why didn't the Oranje attack with their passing game from the start? Why was Robben not introduced? Why were the flanks not exploited?

『You've got to learn to survive a defeat. That's when you develop character.』
~Richard M. Nixon~

Euro 2008...

Why am I not surprised? Germany won, 3-2 at the expense of a Portugal side that forgot to bring their footballing flair to the game, while Turkey won on penalties against a Croatia side which could not convert the chances that they created. And so, 2 of the group leaders have been eliminated. A case of 2 down, 2 to go?! I hope not, and probably the purists and neutrals are on my side too. After all, it would not be interesting if Holland and Spain, two of the most entertaining sides in the tournament so far, crash out together. As I write, the Oranje are probably warming up for their game against the Russians. Let us pray that they will not disappoint us, and themselves, and their coach for that matter.

As for Espana, I guess it is time to write a new page in their history, even if the game against Italy is on the 22nd of June. I could write some more, but I will keep it short - I want to see Holland versus Spain, so win against Italy. Por favor.

A Live to Die For - B'z ACTION LIVEGYM @ Yokohama Arena

Date : Friday the 13th
Place : Yokohama
Event : ACTION

The much-anticipated LIVEGYM of my favorite band, B'z. was held on a highly auspicious day, yes, Friday the 13th. It was great, and the songs sang on that day were all classics.

Here is the list in the order that they were sung.

純情! Action

黒い青春

パーフェクトライフ

One On One

一心不乱

Oh! Girl!

New Message

Easy Come! Easy Go!

夢見丘

満月よ照らせ

永遠の翼

Hometown March

愛のままにわがままに、僕は君だけを傷つけない

Gimme Your Love

Liar! Liar!

彷徨える青い弾丸

Friction

Super Love Song

光芒

Burn~不滅のフェース~

ミエナイチカラ~INVISIBLE ONE~

I liked all the songs, but the song that especially appealed to me was the first song, 純情! Action, which conveyed the message that in order for any changes to occur, we must be the first to act - in other words, we must create the momentum and overcome our inertia, whether that inertia is due to laziness, disillusionment, or fear.

Also, I like the selection of oldies, from Oh! Girl! to 夢見丘. The lyrics and the melody were fantastic, and everyone in the audience was singing and clapping along. The energy in the arena was explosive, and every song was greeted with rapturous cheering by us fans.

Words fail me, because mere words cannot describe the atmosphere of that night, and everything was great! The voice of Inaba-san, the guitar of Matsumoto-san, the support of the fans, the lighting, the sound system, the band, everything was awesome! We could not take photos during the concert itself, so here are some of the shots that I managed to take, before and after the concert.

As you can see from the first two photos, it was a full house at Yokohama Arena. My friend and I managed to take photos with the advertising boards of B'z. lol







『Every action of our lives touches on some chord that will vibrate in eternity.』
~Edwin Hubbel Chapin~