The ball is round...

the ball is round. one of the stupidest (and i mean stupidest) phrases ever to be heard in football. but it underlines a very important meaning which the stupid phrase doesn't quite explain - that anything (and i mean anything) can happen in a game of football. most people can pretty much guess what i'll talk about next - the topic on blogs, forums and any form of media anywhere - Champions League 2005 Final. *cue groans*

right. so i waited for a week at least in the hope that this whole load of post match analysis and 'expert' opinions on what went on and the parallels to life (and previous finals) that can be drawn from it before saying my piece. but apparently, epics such as this one aren't quite so easily forgotten.

but anyway. back to the phrase - the ball is round. pretty much explains the whole match outcome doesn't it? that anything goes in a final? that (sometimes) the formbook goes out the window? or does it?

nothing is certain. milan's "6 minutes of madness" is a testament to that. to lose from a 3-0 at halftime lead? it can only happen because the ball is round. and uncertaintity is what dreams (and underdogs) are made of. because they're not expected to be where they are. like Lyon's charge into the later stages of the tournament. hardly anyone (apart from maybe the french) expected some lesser-known FRENCH club to reach the quarters. or in the case of the Dutch, for PSV to nearly snatch an upset (over 2 legs no less) over finalists AC Milan. conventional wisdom dictates that the final 8 would include (perhaps) the English, the Italians and the Spaniards, maybe even the Germans, with one or 2 'lesser' teams as the make-weights. and who would've though that relegation strugglers Everton would make it into the Champion's League qualifying phases for next season by getting 4th in the EPL? doesn't conventional wisdom dictate that they should be fighting off going into the Championship instead of the Champions League?

so this season's champions league has been pretty interesting. kind of like the last one (where Jose Mourinho's Porto beat Monaco in the final). common perception and expectation dubbed that to be more of a UEFA cup final. because who expects the portugese to play the french in Europe's biggest club tournament final?

when you look at all this... liverpool's "back from the dead" win. the run into the knock-out phases by lesser clubs. the unpredictability (and hence excitement) of a top footballing competition, where the tables don't match the conventional wisdom. everyone looks for their own reasons and justifications. some people say it's luck. some say it's 'kelong' (read: rigged). some just say the ball is round. what do you say?

Chris' Art of Supermarket Shopping

right. so some of you might know all this already (good for you then). since this hols i have (perhaps unwittingly) volunteered myself as free labour for my mum and grandparents, i am now my mum's consistent supermarket companion, among the resident house clerk (type letters, fax stuff, photocopy stuff etc). in the words of D, "a slave for 3 months"). i don't really mind. cos it's my mum and all. just that the bit about supermarketing...

the skills listed below unfortunately are not totally guaranteed (also because i haven't quite mastered them yet). i know it may sound ridiculous to some, but the things you do when choosing fresh fruit and vegetables can be rather weird...

1. tap apples. those that are of higher pitch often are better (more ripe perhaps?). of course other things like colour and size come into play.

2. hit watermelons. higher pitch often better. apparently cos there's more 'water' in them.

3. smell honeydews (they actually give off scent). the ones that smell good (i can't explain, smell 'em yourself) are the good ones.

4. pomelos should be weighed (by hand no less) for water content. heavier = more content

that's all i can remember (till i go to the supermarket again anyway. which should be some time this week). i'll update it as i go along. i hope i haven't unleashed some craze about vandalising supermarket produce.

but get this. i HATE going to the supermarket. cos doing all that stuff makes you look like a total nut (especially if you're caught on tape). why does everyone say going to supermarket is fun? ok, interesting? maybe. embarrassing? perhaps. fun? *gives questioning look*

i do it because my mum expects me to. and even if i didn't want to i'd be dragged anyway. sure, like F said, i'm just being a good son. but all it does is cement my mama's boy rep (not that it's a totally bad thing).

but just get this. to me supermarketing is something i'm ok with (doesn't mean i like it). i do it because i have to (just like other things in life). and fun is not a word i associate with it.

Mother's Day thoughts by a Mama's boy...

haha. thanks to the good ms tan, i have been reminded that i have been neglecting this blog *bows in apology to faithful readers (if you exist in the first place)*.

righto. so it's mother's day. here're some constructive steps i took to give a super anti-climax to it.

1. wake up in the morning and DON'T wish her, and if she reminds you, just say you forgot.

2. don't answer when she asks if you got her anything (when you actually did).

3. proceed to get scolded for *apparently* not getting anything for her.

4. when you get the chance, sneak into her room and put the gift on her bed

5. under NO circumstances admit that it was you who got it (though she probably would have figured out)

guess that gives you a rough idea of how my mum's mother's day went. thanks to JF and JK for helping me pick out the flowers.

such is a day in... the diary of chris