Malaysia vs Singapore

A visit to Shah Alam Stadium for a crunch semi-final 1st leg match of the Asean Football Federation Championship between Malaysia and the defending champions Singapore, brought back lots of yesteryear’s memories when we used to watch and support Melaka at the Kubu Stadium. I must admit, being a Chinese and still in my office attire, I was obviously the odd one out at the stadium last night. Anyway I enjoyed the great spirit shown by the Malaysian fans throughout the whole match.

It was a promising match between 2 football rivals in SEA, in an explosive atmosphere local football enthusiasts wouldn’t want to miss. I decided to head to the Shah Alam Stadium right after my office hour. The stadium was still very much empty by the time I reached at about 6pm. Got myself a Ramlee burger and a bottle of mineral water. Walked around the stadium and paid for a RM10 ticket. Found a nice place to sit and started eating my dinner. By 7pm, stadium was still very much empty. Local fans only started to fill the stadium when the match almost started at 8pm! Guess it was the massive jam outside the stadium. It was reported that 50000 fans were there in the stadium last night!

Anyway, the Selangor Fan Club brought with them 2 big drums and kompang. And you could have guessed they made most of the noises. Shortly before the match started, the whole stadium stood up and sang Negaraku. Gosh, I grew goose bumps all over and damn, I almost forgot the lyrics. Haven’t been singing it since F6. Anyway it was followed by the drums and kompang, and then the fans sang the song Perajurit Tanahair or more recognized by Inilah Barisan Kita. Goodness me, by this time I felt a shiver right up my spine, and I almost shed a tear! I felt so proud to be a Malaysian right at that moment. The atmosphere was ecstatic.

The match ended 0-0 after the first half. The fans continued with their drums and songs throughout the whole match even when Singapore was attacking. Malaysia took the lead shortly after the second half began. What a beauty it was. Didn’t have the chance to look at the replay though. Wished I was back at home watching from the TV. Anyway, the match ended in a 1-1 scoreline.

I went back feeling tired from the singing, shouting, traffic jam and everything. It was a great experience though. I was still singing that song in my car, on my way back. LOL

Inilah barisan kita,
Yang ikhlas berjuang.
Siap sedia berkorban,
Untuk ibu pertiwi!
Sebelum kita berjaya,
Jangan harap kami pulang!
Inilah sumpah pendekar kita,
Menuju medan bakti!
Andai kata kami gugur semua,
Taburlah bunga di atas pusara.
Kami mohon doa,
Malaysia berjaya!
Semboyan telah berbunyi,
Menuju medan bakti!

"Lap Cheong Chao Fan"

Eating outside everyday can prove to be quite boring at times. Well, guess what, I tried cooking myself for the last 2 days. Cooking the same menu, 'lap cheong chao fan' (chinese sausage fried rice). LOL. Of course the first day, it didn't taste good. My poor 'lap cheong' got over cooked a little. But my second attempt today was alright. Ahem...anyway, my gf will try my cooking tonite and lets see what's her comment.

Well it was quite fun, really. Preparation was exciting. And when you finally put everything together in the wok and it smells good, it's just pure satisfaction. Although fried rice can be the simplest form of cooking, but for a change, I was actually eating my own fried rice instead of those outside. And I actually feel good about it. LOL

My hands still smell of garlic, the same smell from my mother's hands I used to smell when I was young. Cooking can be easy once you're used to it. And I believe with with a little more effort and definitely more practises, I will come good in cooking. LOL.

The Devil In Me

Was going through my wardrobe and guess what, found out that I actually have a healthy collection of Man Utd jerseys. Yeah and mind you they are all originals. Decided to take a pic and blog it.

From Sharp to Vodafone, from Umbro to Nike. I've got it all. And of course this season, they've just signed a new sponsorship deal with AIG. Still missing in my collection though.

The very first jersey I bought is the one in the middle of the top row, back in year 1994/95. The middle one at the bottom row was the jersey they wore during their treble season which saw Man Utd grabbed all the headlines that year, taking the FA Cup, Premier League and the Champions' League. The grey jersey was the goalkeeper's jersey, which Fabian Barthez used to be wearing it week in week out. The one on the top right and top left was for the year 2001/02 and 2003/04 respectively. The most recent one, on the bottom left was for the year 2005/06.

This year, Man Utd came up with the retro jersey and I did not get it, simply because it doesn't look nice and the fact that it will be worn for a single season only, I guess. Anyway, my gf got me the retro cap instead.

Once a red devil, always a red devil. Cheers.