Second chance, don't blew it...

If I was given a moment to think of things that I have done; be it right or wrong, good or bad; and at the same time lucky enough to be given a chance to request for one last wish before I die; what would my last wish be? Or rather, ideally, what kind of thing that I should request for.

If I am poor my whole life, I would probably asked for being richer. If I were stupid my whole life, I would probably asked for being wiser. If I were sick my whole life, I would definitely asked for being healthier. Needless to say, the ifs are endless..

But there is one particular thing that I have been longing all my life, I have been longing for a second chance. In fact I craved for a second chance. Now that I've got it, I'll make sure I will not blew it, because hardly one's fate is so fortunate to be given a second chance on a second chance....

Weight Issue...

Salam..

This will be the first entry I made since nearly about 2 months ago. Lots of things happened the last month or so, so many things to write but so little time writing it. In the end, that so many things become so little remembered hence so quiet.

So, the obvious question, what am I suppose to write to begin with to make up for the long absent.. I was told by my sisters to cut down on football and golf. That's very sad because those two are the best things I know off and the closest to my heart. Yes I can write long articles about other things but I'll write longer about football and golf. But for the purpose of this article, I will abide to my sisters' request, no football and golf or anything associated with a contest using any form of sphere looking objects, be it big or small, because for the very first time, I will talk about health, my own health..

To begin with, let me just admit that I am fat, and I am feeling fatter now that my wife had started referring my weight as 'tonne' rather than 'kg'.. and as we speak, I weigh 0.095 tonne (for those who are not so good in metric conversions, 0.095 tonne is equivalent to 95 kg.... get it??!) before today's lunch, and I'm giving it a leeway increment of about half a kg after I finish my plate of chicken rice for lunch and nasi berlauk for dinner..

So what does that kind of weight means? It surely means a lot to me. For a start, I can't climb 5 stairs up without having to stop to catch my breath (5 stairs up is equivalent to about 50 equal inclining steps..), my jog has become a walk and when I play futsal (I played just about 2-3 times a year, that's right, not a month, a year, but I'll still factored that in just to get a statistic..), I will be a centre fwd for 3 minutes and a goalkeeper for the next 57 minutes... If that doesn't sounds terrible enough, each time when I look into a mirror, I see a fat guy standing in front of me, it was so bad of a sight that I opposed to my wife's request to put up a mirror in our bathroom, instead I bought her a small mirror which just fits in to see my face, so I don't have to endure the nightmarish side viewing other parts of my flesh.. And further, all my body-hugging tees had been pecked further down in my wardrobe, and with that without me knowing it, the Madam feels like she had all the wisdom to give it away, simply because she also can't endure the sight of those tees being put on on me... (You know, back then in late 90's when I was still single, when I still have six packs carved on my tummy, I used to wear those tees where me and my buddies call it 'Westlife shirts'. Put it on, with a pair of jeans and a loafers, tuck in 10 bucks imitation Ray Ban sunglass on the head just above the forehead and there it went I was suddenly a hunk.... but now, I would not dare as I will most likely look like a hulk, no more hunk... hahahahaha)... In addition to that, my agility has slowly diminish, my movement has become slower, much slower now to get this butt up from the bed every morning and I don't dare myself moving too fast as each time I tried to make rapid turn, I feel like I'm going tweak some bones in my leg, poor knee.. Wow... that's how serious my weight issue is... and it took me 10 years to realize about it and further 15 years for me to realize to do something about it.. Not that I never tried to reduce the fats off before, couple of years back I tried cut down on rice, it worked for about 2 weeks when one day the makcik who I used to buy nasi lemak berlauk from came into my dream and haunt me for not buying hers again (at least that was what I told my wife...).. I tried to try working out in the gym, and for that reason I bought my place now (it's actually reason No.189, not the ultimate..) but unfortunately I've only been to the gym... ermm.. let me count.. never.. Yes.. never.. why? because the gym was so close to my house and when it's so close to my house, the thrill of going to it and working out is gone.. (at least that was what I told my wife..)..

But surely I will continue to try to put my weights down, at least to the level ideal to my frame and to my BMI.. But overall, although I may lost some quality in life because of my current weight, life is not so bad afterall. I don't feel being overweight reduces my self-confidence (if I'm still a bachelor I would like to think that it will), but with the life I am living right now, it just fits well, at least the biggest complain will be from the Madam, but when I tell her that people will appreciate the way you manage your spouse by looking at your husband's tummy, she kind of put the issue to the back of her mind, and as for me, I don't even mind....

The Man lost it this time.. but it won't be long before he strikes back

The Man lost it this time..

That's right, the Man, being so invincible all this while when he was holding a lead going Sunday, faltered this time around. A figure so intimidating off the tee Sunday, especially when he teed off in the final group, especially when he was holding an outright lead, or at least a share of the lead, but last Sunday, the script was completely twisted and overturned by a native South Korean ranked 110th in the world, a player who took up the game only at the age of 19 and best part was, the latter was forced to take up the game after he figured out that golf was the only sport which he reckon can be performed without further aggravating his leg injury where he torn a muscle while trying to become a body-builder 18-20 years ago.

The Man was human after all. On a breezy Minneapolis day, the Tiger mystique was shattered. But that was not the point that we should have discussed, I mean, losing and winning is part and parcel of the game, any game for that matter, lose a game doesn't make you a choker same as winning a tournament doesn't make you a legend. It all came down to your own perception and assessment, how fast can you sink the frustration of being the 2nd best when the whole world expect you to hold the Wanamaker for the 5th time and how fast can you stabilize yourself and being competitive again for the next challenge. That for me, is worth talking than talking about how the Man lost it Sunday rather than the South Korean winning it Sunday.

The Man will bounce, no doubt about that, one can only be fooled if one thought that the Man has lost the edge, the mojo of intimidation, an aura of invincibility (hey, the Man is human after all, not a bloody angel), we don't have to go far back than 4 weeks ago, when the Man missed the cut at the Major (Turnberry anyone?) for just the 2nd time of his illustrious career, he came back and made a statement, a rather strong statement in deed. Back to back tour victories in Michigan (Buick) and Ohio (WGC-Bridgestone) just completely shut the hell out of the critics, and why don't we go far back as in 2007, a missed cut in Winged Foot, followed by a 2nd place at the Western Open, then you go figure, 7 straight victories which include a PGA Championship at Southern Hills.

The point that I was trying to make is, don't shut the Man of his ambitious pursuit of equalling and beating the Bear's record of 18 grand slams, even the most vicious Tiger critics acknowledged that given time, the Man will surely strikes back, and this time, he'll come back with a vengeance.

See you in Shanghai from 5th to 8th November for the WGC-HSBC Championship, and watch out for the Man..

Harun Pokya Dan Putera Separa Darah

Well well well...you must wondering what the heck the title is all about..

Well for those yet to figure, it actually was a Malay translation of a film which happened to be the one that i watched yesterday (i still can't believe that i forked out 24 bucks for that, 12 bucks a piece? Damn i should have just waited for it to be shown on 411 or 412 or 413 in 2-3 years time man...)

For those who are yet to watch it, don't fret, because it is hereby my pleasure to present you a synopsis, so that you guys would be able to expect what should be expected from it, the film i mean, and so as to ensure that there is no deviation of originality of any forms, i would describe my version of synopsis in one plain sentence but with lots of commas, as follow :

Encik Harun is a dukun (for the purpose of uniformity of this synopsis, let's just described him as wizard shall we?), previously he had fought and prevailed against one particular bad guy, the one they said the name that shall not be mentioned, the one and only Datuk Volderaman, but this time around, the former didn't feature (although he did make some cameo apprearances) as his evil causes were taken care of by several other bad guys, which include Encik Harun's school mate from his Dukun's alumni, the one named Encik Daud Malampoyang, and Encik Harun's friends from the previous features, they were in it too, the one Encik Rashid Witherspoon and Cik Habsah Grego (she's hot by the way, super hot, she's just plain hot), and Encik Harun's headmaster from the Dukun's alumni, the one Cikgu Besar Dollah Dorey, helped Encik Harun fulfilled whatever that needs to be fulfilled in the plots, but sadly Cikgu Besar Dollah Dorey died in the end, he was killed by his former colleague Cikgu Disiplin Said Senape (Senape as in Sena'pay' that is), and... it ended. That's right, it ended. That's about it, the film i mean, it ended just like that.

So for you guys who is hoping of watching splendid CGI tricks which are so synonymous with previous Harun Pokya's franchise, i reckon that you'll be in for a surprise, a wayward surprise which you'll get to feel frustrated instead of excited, because in my own opinion and inexpert assessment (i'm not a certified critics for heaven sake!), this film is merely a plot for the film maker to plot a next plot for the sequel.

So, for those who haven't watched it, go watch it, so that you will enjoy watching the sequel later.... (or else just wait for 2-3 years, it will surely make it appearance in our living room, exactly like what i'll do when the sequel reach our shores..)

Bye now.

MAS vs MAN UTD

Ok... where do we start from here, or how do we start from here rather.. When we talk about the above subject, which apparently was a football's friendly match played by one of the biggest name in world football (if not 'the' greatest name in world football) against one of the minnows of world football (we certainly not 'the' minnow of world football, we still have nations like Afghanistan, Djibouti and Cook Islands playing catch ups, the only difference is they don't have a 100,000-seater stadiums while we have 2, so do you get it??!!..), so the obvious question will be, who got to benefit it more from the other?

Some people say its our team, the Young Tigers so they called it, because we ought to gain experience playing against a top quality football team from Europe, who happened to be a back to back Champions League finalist and who also happened to triump in one of those 2 finals (I hope you guys don't mind me describing 'that team' the way i did, i just couldn't sink it deep enough to ignore that i am one their big fan....). But did the Young Tigers really got to learn anything playing in that match? It could be a yes and a no.. A yes for a start because i think they played really well, notwithstanding the fact that the visiting team was not playing their normal, highly charged, high tempo game (there you go again..) they normally associated with. Also notwithstanding the fact that the visiting team was playing a 'safe' game whereby they wouldn't lunged on 50-50 balls or made any tackles so as to protect, not the team they played against but to protect themselves, because no point of getting your i-got-paid-120,000 pounds-a-week self injured in a rather meaningless friendly match and miss the whole of the upcoming season (i wouldn't complain if it were me, not at all..) The Tigers passed the ball well, they ran the ball well, they defended well, they tracked their markers well, and well they even scored 2 goals (that rarely happen when they are playing against a European or South American teams, remember Brazil 2002?) So to put it into footballing perspective, these guys (the Tigers that is) can play football. You can argue about the size, yes no doubt the Europeans are bigger that us, but those are minor issues that, given time and dedicated programs, can be dealt with. Ronaldo arrived at Old Trafford in 2003 from S Lisbon and did you guys noticed how small of a figure he was back then? But through a very good diet programs, he became as athletic as you could ever imagine for somebody who plays football, and through it come speed, stamina and so on and so forth.

It will also be a 'no' because after what they had performed in the last two games, if they fail to produce that same energy and mind sets on their next game against whoever it is, i bet you they'll get screwed from their bottom up to their head, oh for sure it will happen, just like what happened in the past, because the mentality will never be changed, not just of the players and football associations alike, also the mentality of the people of this lovely nation. We're hoping for a change and hope is what we'll get, because we will forever ponder whether and when the hope will be turned into reality, and for sure it's not gonna happen overnight...

I love football so much and i dream of watching my own national team staying consistantly competitive year in year out, don't mind the world cups, even a great footballing nation like England couldn't guarantee their participations in every WC editions. But so long as no drastic actions are taken to try to improve our own footballing standards, like i mentioned above, hope is only what i'll get..

Important events unfolded last weekend

Well there were few events happening recently which i intend to explore.. First of course the final day of The Open Championship (final day Friday that was, not final day Sunday, for simple reason The Man missed the cut...) and also a football match which was played over the weekend, the MU vs Msia that was.. (obviously i was divided in terms of supports, but pls don't question my allegiance, cause i've already pledged mine with the Jalur Gemilang..) But to tell you guys the truth, i was clapping when Rooney scored (i was there in the stadium, stadium ASTRO that was.. hahahaha) and i was jumping when Amri scored, 2 times to be exact (that goes to show what a proud Malaysian this bugger is..)

I will elaborate more on my thoughts on these 2 events on my next postings.. as of now, gotta go..

Turnberry - Day 1

Any of you guys wayched Day 1 of the Open? One particular thing i like most about the Open Championship is, they tees off very early in the morning which means we over here got to enjoy watching it at our prime time... Not like those US PGA tourneys where you really have to make an utmost effort try to wake your lazy a** 3-4 am in the morning, only to see some unknowns like Ricky Barnes (remember Bethpage Black?) or Mathew Goggins (he's Aussie by the way) leading a pack which consist of TW (to be honest, TW is the only reason i watch golf in the morning...)

So back to Turnberry, I was at home rather early yesterday, cause Mrs Don wanted to pick some stuffs up before we fetched Don Jrs home. I turned on the TV and there it goes, TW on the 8th tee (i turned out fetching the Jrs at night.. sorry kids, don't tell me cause papa know deep down inside you guys still love me very much, even though it obviously didn't translate thru the face you were making Naufal...)

On a rather calm day (you can just imagine what the condition gonna be like if the Scotland wind makes it appearance.. its a gust!..) I could only expect TW to shoot a red number, something maybe like 66-67, but apparently it didn't happen.. For the record, the man shot 71, he got well beaten up in that round by his playing partners L Westwood and surprise surprise, the 17 year old Japanese sensation Ryo Ishikawa, the one they called the 'Bashful Prince' back in Japan (you can easily distinguished Japanese players from the others; even from the Koreans or the Chinese; as they will always have that TOYOTA badge sewn onto their cap, well most of them at least...) But boy that boy can play! Seriously, he was hitting it straight with precisions like a seasoned pro! I was so impressed, I mean come on, this is a bloody Major, and you're playing with arguably the greatest hit-that-small-ball-with-a-stick player in the whole world, the one & only TW, and you didn't have butterflies flying all over your stomach?? Because you are only 17 by obvious measurement??? If only I were to take up this game much earlier.... sigh...

But then, that is why tour golfs are played in 4 rounds, that the guys will have to navigate the same course 4 times over 4 days, with daily changes of pin placements set-up and the weather factors, only those with strong mental capabilities will prevail (with a little bit of luck along the way..) And that is also why I will never write TW off, cause we know when he's hitting enough fairways, he gonna get a high percentage of GIR, and on his days, you know how brutal he can be with his clutch putting... especially here in links golf where the the greens are firmer and slower...

So, go Tiger.. put on your best show cause today i'll be home early again to yell "Get in the hole!!!' for your every shots..

And kids, papa know you guys love me.. right??? Still?? Naufal??...