Deja Vu

A new semester, but, in a sense, more or less like the one before. The more astute of you will pick up on the delay between the start of semester and this post, but in case you haven't, there it is: this post is late. Again. Which fits in nicely with this repetition theme I have going on here. Repetition theme.

Anyway, about Batman first. So yeah. I saw Batman with the Victor on...some Friday, can't remember which. I was really hyped up for it, because other people were. So anyway, we went in and came back out. To be honest, it didn't really live up to my (ridiculously high) expectations. I really expected to be fully blown out of the water. But I guess the premise already determined that Batman couldn't be better than The Godfather. It's a sequel for one. And it's constrained by the fact that it has to be about this guy, with certain characteristics and features. And then there's the fact that it's based on a comic book. Don't get me wrong, though. It was a great movie. Just not the best of all time, in my opinion. Hell, stuff the my opinion. Everything here is my opinion. Obviously not yours. Anyway, Heath Ledger was awesome, because I surmise that he's already half-gone by that stage in his life. Worth going to.

Then there was this business of the Olympic Games. I watched the Opening Ceremony at 8:08pm, on the 08/08/2008. It was amazing. The Australian team uniform was a huge letdown. Huge. So ugly. Like some cheap tracksuit 10 years out of style. And even they don't have pants that are the same colour as the jacket. Even amongst all the fanfare and hoo-hah, you can't help but wonder what all that money could've done for education and the medical system. Such is the conundrum of China.

Some highlights (or otherwise) so far:
- Phelps winning his eighth. However, I still believe that that does not make him the greatest Olympian of all time, due to the comparative ease with which multiple medals can be obtained in swimming. In swimming, if you can last the distance, all you basically have to do is change your stroke for different events. However, in something like 100 metre sprint, you can't also go for the 1500m as well. It doesn't work like that. An even more extreme example is sports like football or basketball, where there is only the possibility of getting one per Olympics. So no, he's not the greatest. It's just that other athletes are limited by practical complications.
- Usain Bolt winning 100m sprint. Even though I didn't watch it, I heard all about it and the exquisite ease with which he won gold.
- Nadal. Pure perfection and power. Awesome display in destroying Gonza. He's improved out of sight since the Australian Open.
- Lowlight was Grant Hackett. I watched the live as well.
- On the subject of lowlights, Olyroos. Enough said.
- Phelps and his iPod was another lowlight.
- Lowlight no. 4: Asafa who?

At this very moment, I'm watching Argentina vs Brazil. They have Messi. Game over. Unless Brazil put Pato on.

I love the smell of the new football season. New players, new teams, new spirit. And Arsenal have three points from their first game, with Nasri scoring the first goal of the season on four minutes. Good team, that Arsenal.

So back to this semester of uni. I thank the friends that still remain by my side, because a lot have not. You know who you are. I can't really blame them. I mean, it's me. I think it's something inherently "me" that turns people off me. I just get these looks from certain camps, and friends are hard to make. People just aren't interested in talking to me. Maybe I should improve me as a person. Or get plastic surgery. Or something of the sort. Whatever. At least I've met a few new people, who still do not seem interested in sustaining a conversation with me, bar a couple. Maybe my humour's to dry. That could be it. Maybe I should smile to take the bite off my humour. Maybe I should stop speculating about what's wrong with me, because I'll probably never find out.

Assignments coming on thick and fast now, mid-sem test soon, stressed-out people. Deja Vu. Again.

Euro 08 Final

And the winner is Spain!

Not that it was entirely unexpected. It leaves me with a disappointed feeling that if I had bet on Spain, I would've won money. But I also know that if I had actually bet on them, they would've lost, so it's all the same in the end.

Enough about my luck (or lack thereof). On about the final.

It was a good final, but I was expecting a scoreline in the vicinity of 3-2 in Spain's favour. Turns out the Germans struggle to get a flowing attacking move together at all, and a moment of pace and brilliance from Torres (the boy has exquisite touch) was enough to separate the two teams with a 1-0 scoreline. Here's the goal:



I was pretty happy about Fabregas getting a run, but not happy about him getting subbed off on 60 minutes. But coaches make strange decisions that us mere mortals cannot comprehend.

Word of the day: Spain

Post-exams...again

It's a sobering thought, but this "post-exam period" will be the first of many. In many ways, these exams actually matter more than the one's during high school, save the VCE ones.

I could leave it at that, and say that I've updated due to popular demand, but I'm a nice guy, so I'll write some more.

During this after-exam period, I have been gravitating between sitting around at home playing brainless games (The Sims Unleashed, hell yeah) and going out and spending too much money.

Just on that money business, I visited Crown Casino last Friday for a quick liaison with Lady Luck. This was my first time, as you can tell by my making it a blog post. As you (hopefully) know, Lady Luck is unbeatable at casinos, especially on pokies. I really didn't want to, but I blew a massive fifteen bucks on pokies. My original plan was to spend $50 in $10 increments on blackjack, but the lowest bid was 50. So I played pokies. Even though I knew I had no chance of winning. After blowing all of 15 bucks, the 15 dollar blackjack tables opened. I'm a dapper hand at blackjack, so I though I'd take the dealer on. I laid down 15 bucks. I think I got like a 17 or something. The dealer went bust. Then mum was like "Let's scram!" The dealer pretty much cracked up. I was gonna go another one, purely because luck was with me, but mum said just keep the luck and you'll be fine.

Euro 08. It's been pretty bad for my fantasy team so far. I doubt it'll get much better. Big names underperforming, idiot managers screwing around, and random teams winning. It hasn't been pretty. I'm supporting Spain, by the way, and have done for the whole tournament. In between raging about why the Spanish coach isn't playing Fabregas and wondering why on Earth Italy can't defend and why the hell Cronaldo and Torres don't score, I managed to watch one game. The Netherlands vs France. Although it wasn't really a game to remember (unlike Arsenal vs Liverpool, second leg of Champions League), I witnessed the perfection of Dutchness. They're a great team. It's a shame they got knocked out. I would have loved to watch Spain vs Holland for the finals.

In other football news, it turns out that the Arsenal jersey IS the one that it was rumoured to be. Now I'll have to get it. Stupid Nike. I figured out why they don't care about what they release. Because they know idiots like me will get it regardless.

I'm looking for a new job, by the way. This one's giving me the irrates. A lot of work for very little return. Give us a heads up if you've got anything to recommend. No-one seems to want to hire my services, and I understand that. It's me.

Word of the day: Hola

Champions League Final 2008

It was a dark and stormy night.

At least it was in Moscow, where the 2008 Champions League Final was to be played.

Well it wasn't that dark and stormy, but it did start raining in the middle of the match.

And what a match it was. The best player from each of the sides (Man Utd and Chelsea) scored to effectively cancel each other out. Header from Cronaldo, then a way-too-easy goal for Lampard.

In all fairness, Chelsea should have won it, even though I hate them. They were the better team. But football doesn't work that way. If you win, you win.

The reason I say Chelsea should have won was because, out of nowhere, Drogba pulls off a rocket from 20 metres out and hits the post. Then Lampard does pretty much the same thing in extra time.

Drogba got sent off for slapping Vidic. That was pretty anti-climatic. Then penalties.

There must be a better way to decide who wins a tied game. Surely. I can't think of a better way, but someone, somewhere in the world should be able to. Something that tests skill, teamwork, creativity, endurance and heart, rather than a spin of the wheel of luck.

What happened during the penalty shootout was both ironic and unfair. Cronaldo, 42 goals for the season, almost never misses a penalty, decides to unleash the tool within on the third Man Utd penalty. He tries to fake the keeper, who, after watching him jig around for about five minutes, knows he's going to go right, because he can't possibly hit it left. So he saves. And Cronaldo falls to the ground, crying. Then on the fifth Chelsea penalty, el Capitano dos Chelsea, John Terry, takes the penalty for the win. Except he slips. And the ball goes out off the right post. John Terry, who tries his heart out every game for Chelsea, misses the penalty that would have given Chelsea they're first ever Champions League trophy.


Sorry, this is a bit of a delayed post. I kind of forgot about it, then remembered about it today. I'm sure you've all been hanging out for it. Enjoy.

Stuff

Yeah, stuff happens at uni. Uni's like a catalyst for random happenings. Take, for instance, the following incident.

So me and Chen were on the bus, enjoying ourselves, having a good time. Or, a good a time as you can have taking a bus to uni. So yeah, we were happy. Or at least I was. Then we got to uni, and got off the bus. What happened next was weird. This then-unknown girl got off the bus as well and asked us for our numbers. Chen and I, being the obliging fellows that we are, said yes. Upon reflection, we're too nice to people. So after grabbing our numbers, she asks us for our names. Andrew x 2. That'd be alright. Except now that she's armed with our numbers, we get a call on our phones at about 11 the next week. So I ignored it (as you do). And all was well.

Then last week, somebody with the initials JC who does law-commerce and shall remain unnamed, stole my phone and messaged her. And now all hell will break loose because of that one message. Just because of that one message, I'm forever in fear of her (name's Jing, by the way) finding me. Sleepless nights from fear of my phone going off. I hope your conscience eats at you, JC.

In other news, I've supposedly seen the new Arsenal Jersey. It's supposed to look like this:


I don't like it. I like the old one more. I don't know who the hell designs these things or if they have a brain. I hope it's fake.

Pho-am

The title is not pho-am, contrary to what any sane person would think. As in, you'd think it was pronounced [fo - am]. But no. According to Nigel, Master of Unlame Jokes, it's pronounced FOAM. Like, I was made to think it was pho, with added amness. But apparently not.

Now, how did we get into this dumb conversation about pho-am? Banh's pho party, of course. The 18th that never was. All very exciting stuff. Location: Banh's house. Time: 7 o' clock Friday. How to find it: invisible balloons tied outside the house. And car with headlights on.

So I got there, chilled with Jono and Tim(?) for a bit, watching 30 Rock. Then Nigelz rocked up in his scarf. After everyone got there (I can't be stuffed naming all of them), we rocked the party of pho. Yeah. We all got pho. Of the chicken variety. And ate. Then spring rolls. It was good. Thanks Banh's mum for the spring rolls.

Harry Potter was up next. It seems so much funnier when you have a bunch of sick-minded freaks in the same room watching it. A good laugh.

Before I knew it, Meng was calling me on Banh's phone. Dot dot dot, you might say. Well, I say that Banh's house has no reception, except on his phone. Anyway, Meng was calling me to tell me to call my mother because she was looking for me. What do you know? Anyway, it was time for me to go. So I said some tearful farewells, and promptly left the party. I was the first one out of there, but you know what they say. You should leave a party before you're the last one there. Or something like that. Thanks Banh.

In other news, nothing much else has happened. Upset a few people, futilely looked for a new pair of jeans, etc. I must work on my social life.

It's been a while

Hey friends. Long time no see. A lot has happened in the 3 months (I think) since I blogged. To put that in to perspective, that's a quarter of a year. It's a long time. Basically, this blog will just sum up all the stuff that's happened so that I can get on to some actual stuff of interest.

So after our interesting journey to Harbin, we came back to GZ. Then we took off to Macau. I'm not going to go in to much detail there, because it's Macau, and frankly, it wasn't that interesting. We went there for a day, we didn't gamble, we went to a swanky hotel, had Boost there (we met an Australian lady there) and ate some Fat Burgers. Later on, we went to a place were they sold pork burgers and were my dad claimed he and Michelle got food-poisoned. Photos will be up on my Flickr page.

So after coming back to GZ yet again, we left to return to Australia. There were many tearful farewells, due to the fact that Carmen, my cousin/aunty (caunty? ausin?) was coming with us to study in Oz. Pretty much everyone cried, due to various reasons. But, I'm a man, and everybody knows that men don't cry. They can't afford to.

So yeah, back in Australia, we realised how lucky we were to be living in somewhere clean, mostly thief-free and just generally nice.

So yeah, birthday party on the 1st of February, 2008. The big one-eight. Basically, not that much to say. Like, basically everybody who reads this blog attended, plus others who don't. Just some thank-yous to be expressed to the people who attended the small humble get-together and thank-you for the gifts. Sorry to those who couldn't come. I tried.

2nd of February was my real birthday. So me and my family, and family friend, went out to dinner. While there, who did I see but Mr. Stalker himself...I mean, Banh. Again. Twice in two days. It was good though. Actually seeing a friend on my birthday. Anyway, dinner was good, along with Banh wishing me happy birthday. An enjoyable day, all in all. Must visit the casino when I get the chance.

Then uni. I'm doing Arts/Commerce, by the way. At Monash, Clayton. Enrolment was terrible. Like, no friends, had to find my way around the freaking place, all that jazz. Orientation was pretty cool. Caught up with a lot of people that I hadn't seen in a while. Had to go in twice due to double degree.

Then it began. The first week was a bludge. all introductory stuff. I wonder why. People (namely Meng) were all pumped about first lecture, first tute, first lunch at uni, first instance of falling on the ground at uni, first visit to the toilet. I just couldn't understand that. I mean, it doesn't have the same zing as high school. Maybe because we've already been forced through that whole acclimatisation process twice now. But then again, so has Meng. So I still don't understand.

I dunno. The moment before the first lecture was exciting, because I got lost along with Stef, so I met my first friend at uni. Then the lecture was riveting. For about the first five seconds. Then I was like: "She keeps going on about coffee and chocolate." That was microeconomics. I'm doing Accounting, Micro, International Studies, and Linguistics. There's a clash between Linguistics and Accounting lecture, so I'm supposed to be in two places at once. I was going to be like "Stuff you, accounting," but the bogan of a lecturer doesn't record lectures. I don't understand that either. Like, he says it's to stop people wagging. Why does he care? I'm understanding less and less.

So yeah, met a few new people. Not that many though. Basically because everywhere I go, I meet comrades who have been through many a battle with me. Not that I go that many places. Law Library, ftw.

Easter break was dumb. Seriously, a week. I have Mondays and Fridays off anyway.

Work's ridiculous right now. That's why I'm blogging. Remember how I had that ridiculous habit, where the amount of blogging that I do has a direct positive correlation to the amount of work I have due. I'm starting to settle into uni life, and starting to feel comfortable with new friends. I'll start blogging regularly from now on. I promise.