There have been a lot of criticisms, suspicions and rumours surrounding the incident. I only hope a thorough investigation will be carried out and give the victims and their families the truth (and justice) they deserve. May the victims rest in peace.

I will hopefully resume blogging next week. For now, I shall try to avoid reading more about it and make myself feel better.

What I want to share with you today is an “office time table” I noticed on the door of a professor’s room:

9:00 starting time
9:30 arriving work
9:45 coffee break
11:00 check email
11:15 prepare for lunch
12:00 lunch
2:45 browse the internet
3:00 tea break
4:00 prepare to go home
5:00 go home
5:30 finishing time

If you throw in some toilet breaks, you’ve got yourself a work time table without work. Now, is the professor just being funny? Is he following it for real? Or is it an ironic remark to his subordinates? I cannot find out, nor will I ever ask.

Doesn’t it sound pretty sweet? I usually prefer having to do actual work, but I certainly wouldn’t mind lazy days like this once in a while!

City folk walking on country roads, within lethal distance from bulls. Luckily for us, they were too busy eating and chilling.

This year, I’m going to have to worry about aging. I’m going to glare at young teenagers. I’m going to remove my birth year from Facebook. I’m going to feel too embarrassed to jump in the air. I’m going to gasp when I remember how long I have known some friends. I’m going to (painfully) part with backpacks so that I look my age. Or not.

All worries aside, I am grateful. There are still a lot of things I am not content with, but such is life. Life is exciting when you have places you desire to go. Nobody knows what the future will bring, but right now I have my hopes.

Happy birthday to me.

Last weekend, I went “camping”¹ with a group of friends from university. We had such a blast hanging out near the beach, walking around in the countryside (sort of), having a barbecue and staying up for Pictionary. There are more pictures, of course. I will post a couple as “Through the Lens” entries. There will be… bulls.

Mid-summer is meant to be the hottest, but I feel like it is also the brightest and liveliest.

1. In Hong Kong, campnig doesn’t necessarily means living in a tent. It can also mean just going somewhere remote and stay in simple apartments which we have rented for the day.

Most disappointing performances: France, Italy
France was just… argh. I really liked Italy back in 2006 and was glad they won, but this year they just started out so sloppy. Perhaps it would have been better if Buffon had played, but one man doesn’t make a team.

Most pleasantly surprising performance: New Zealand
New Zealand didn’t lose in any of their matches, and it was a great achievement for a national team which consists of non-professional players. NZ showed that even a supposedly “weak” team can get out of the tournament looking pretty and dignified if they prepare well and treat the game seriously.

Best goal: Diego Forlan (Uruguay) in the Third Place match against Germany

Worst Disallowed Goal: Frank Lampard (England) in the game against Germany
To be honest, I really don’t like England as a football team. They did not perform well (as usual) in this World Cup, and nothing could have saved them from being crushed by Germany. However, Lampard’s goal was a proper one and the ball was way over the line.

Best Player: Diego Forlan (Uruguay)
Confession: I missed most of Uruguay’s matches (Damn you, work!) but I ended up regretting it every time after watching the highlights. While I think Spain was overall the strongest team and that all the players did great, none of them stood out as much as Mr. Forlan here.

Worst Tackle: Nigel de Jong’s (Netherlands) Karate Kick

I don’t want to name a worst player since most bad ones were kicked out early in the tournament. While this one was also nowhere as bad as Zidane’s offensive headbutt in 2006, I did find it extremely painful to watch. I am sure de Jong didn’t do it intentionally, but it was still rather unnecessary to have your leg up so high. I’m glad Xabi Alonso turned out to be okay, I don’t think I’d have survived a big man’s kick in the chest myself!

The real winner: Paul the (Psychic) Octopus

Tentacles creep me out, but I need to overcome my fear for the biggest celebrity to come out of this World Cup – Paul. This German oracle here predicted 8 matches correctly and held an amazing 100% accurate record. The world loved (and some hate) him so much that we watched him make his predictions (ie. eating) live. He is now retired but I hear an apprentice is being trained at the moment. Is this real life?

That’s all for 2010. Thank you for following this World Cup with me, everyone. See you in Brazil 2014!¹

1. Or Poland+Ukraine’s Euro 2012 if you follow that, too

My favourite national team jersey: Japan 1998

I actually couldn’t find a decent photo for this, so this one will have to do. I loved the addition of flames on the otherwise pretty standard design. In a way, fire could represent the team’s passion and dedication to the games. Check out the goalkeeper, Kawaguchi – His shirt was the best because of the great contrast of colours.

Best World Cup song: The Cup of Life (?)

I am torn between “lol this is so cheesy” and “it’s such a classic World Cup song”. This is mildly embarrassing. While I don’t really like the song, it’s the first song (and sometimes the only song) I can think of when we’re talking about the World Cup. It certainly looks like I am not alone because a lot of TV channels are still playing it this year. It’s just got the cheesiness, silliness¹ and the festive, party vibe. Honestly, none of the songs in 2002, 2006 or 2010 seem to be able to match up to this one. And whatever you say about Ricky Martin, he is good-looking! Bless his soul.

I will write a round-up post for this World Cup after the final. At this point, I have no idea who will win. I love the idea that either way, we’ll have a new champion. It’s not exactly serious business, but it’s definitely exciting business. May the best team win!

1. There is a Spanish version, maybe the lyrics would be a bit cleverer.

My First World Cup Match: USA 1994 Final
Brazil 0:0 Italy (3:2 on penalties)

My 8-year-old self was waken up in early morning by my parents, to catch “the world’s biggest match”. I had no idea what was going on, no recollection of how it got to that point. However, after about 10 minutes, I got hooked. The game drawn me in. Brazil was an entertaining team to watch. Italy had Roberto Baggio, who is arguably the biggest, most memorable football star for people in my generation. He had skills, charisma and a dramatic fate that revealed itself in this very match – When his country put all hopes on him turning the game around, his shot flew high over the net. Brazil won the cup immediately after. My Dad calls this his most unforgettable World Cup moments, and I can agree.

My First Tournament: France 1998
Champion: France, Runner-up: Brazil
Who I rooted for: Germany, Denmark

Naturally, I was extremely excited for France 98 after the 94′ final. I did everything a crazy teenager does when she is obsessed with something: reading about all teams in great detail, buying the official CD (piloted by Ricky Martin’s “The Cup of Life”, which is still being played this year!), writing notes on individual players, searching for cards and posters, debating with fellow football lovers. It amazes me how much effort I put in. Because of all that, I enjoyed a month of excitement, disappointment and coffee overdose (time difference, and school the next morning). I began rooting for Germany, but Denmark won me over with their spirit and vitality. I liked how the Laudrup brothers and Peter Schmeichel led the team. It’s not important! But I had a crush on Martin Jørgensen, who scored a goal in their match against Brazil.

My Favourite World Cup Moments: Brilliant Saves
Notably Germany’s Oliver Kahn (Japan/Korea 2002), Italy’s Gianluigi Buffon (Germany 2006)

To many people, a good match means a lot of goals. I don’t think it’s necessarily true. Goalkeepers fascinate me. If you think about it, a goalie can be the last person who can save a team. You either become a hero or end up being just the final obstacle to someone else’s success. For me, Kahn and Buffon became heroes. Kahn pretty much single-handedly brought Germany to the 2002 final. The ball seemed to follow him, until he hurt his hand during the final. Buffon pulled off several magnificent penalty saves in 2006, aiding Italy’s eventual win. For me, I love nothing more than seeing goalkeepers at top of their game, showcasing their insane reflexes.

That’s all for today. I will share more of my WC musings next time, and hopefully write about the South Africa WC going on at this very minute!

My excuses:
a. Frustration at work
b. Letting (a) be my sole focus
c. Problems in the family
d. The World Cup (a happy distraction)

There were times I was simply too depressed for words. At this point, there is yet to be a perfect solution to everything. However, I have finally caught a break, and gather the motivation to go on and be myself again. I define myself by writing, and that’s what I am going to do.

In short, I am back and will be posting frequently again. And I don’t promise myself lightly.

We’re now on the first day of the second half of the year. To quote a dear friend, second half has just kicked off. Will I finally score a precious goal? I hope so. I’m not giving up yet.

This corner of the internet seems a bit quiet at the moment. I have been feeling rather uninspired as well. There are a few things I want to write about, but they deserve more attention than I can give right now.

I am going to take it easy, relax a little and try to post weekly.