Normal service resumes in F1 as defending world champ/ jim's nephew Sir Arif Fiqri stormed to a convincing victory without much of a fuss. The young Bolehlander started from pole, had an untroubled fight to flag victory, and bagged the race’s fastest lap with 1:41.852. Sebastian Vettel, who had no answer to the pace of the sambal-belacan powered engine in front of him, was a distant second for Red Bull Racing, 24.20 seconds behind. Scuderia Ferrari's Fernando Alonso completed the podium.
btw, did u guys watch the incident-packed Monaco GP later that nite? damn...as far as i could remember, that was the most thrilling F1 race on the streets/waterfront of Monte Carlo in years, with more overtaking than anyone had dared before due to the constraint of tight walls and corners
Alexandre Pato's double and Antonio Cassano penalty saw Milan beat Inter... gained a significant advantage in the title race with 7 games remaining.It was an eventful match with passionate tifosis, end to end action and 2 red cards!
the infamous 2003 UEFA Champions League Semifinal derby
it doesn't get any better than this: the top of the table clash between eternal derby nemesis Milan and Inter
the Rossoneri are in pole position in Serie A with 62 points from 30 matches, two points clear of second-placed Nerazzurri. With only 7 games remaining, the showdown would certainly tip the balance of the Scudetto, not to mention the ultimate bossing bragging right in the province of Lombardy
talking about the derby (often dubbed as 'Derby Della Madonnina') i would like to revisit a classic encounter back in season 2004 when Inter was leading Milan 2-0 (goals by Stankovic and Zanetti), only for the latter to score 3 times and won the game! (Tomasson, Kaka, Seedorf). Checkout hilight below, especially the long range missile strikes by Kaka & Seedorf. Epic stuff!
Eau Rouge@Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium- arguably the most famous corner in F1
new season of F1 finally kick-off in Melbourne, Australia today after a 2 week delay (the scheduled first race in Bahrain was cancelled due to the nation's political turmoil).
hangin out with McLaren Mercedes crew, the first F1 Sepang in 1999
With new teams, new line-up & new regulations,who really knows what is going to happen from week to week, let alone an entire season. Here's hoping this year's championship would be more exciting than last season's absorbing contest
who would have taught that after the 1-5 humiliation by the Indonesians in the opening game of the AFF Suzuki Cup, the Malaysian youngsters fondly known as 'Harimau Malaya' would go all the way to clinch the title...beating the same opponent 4-2 on aggregate in a two-legged finals
it was an xtraterrestrial achievement that is simply breathtaking considering [1]the inexperience of the players..the entire backline is between 19-23 [2]the absence of 10 regular players due to variety of injuries...the untouchable rita rudaini/ayu raudhah brothers included [3]getting the better of regional favourites Thailand and Vietnam on the road to the finals was no easy feat...so a huge kudos to FAM for finding the right winning formula
[pic credit: armayaphotography]
the euphoria on the Malaysian Football Team is at an all time high, bringing back the glory years of 70-80s golden era when we were among the powerhouse of Asia... so its no surprise that the Contingency Planning & Management of MANGGA and URTV are currently contemplating the next action to manipulate this situation... be afraid, be VERY afraid :]
_____________________________________________________ final first leg, Malaysia 3-0 Indonesia (26/12, Bukit Jalil Stadium)
Barcelona (4-3-3): Victor Valdes- Dani Alves, Gerard Pique, Carles Puyol, Maxwell- Sergio Busquets, Xavi, Andres Iniesta- Pedro Rodziguez, Lionel Messi, David Villa
Real Madrid (4-2-3-1): Iker Casillas- Sergio Ramos, Ricardo Carvalho, Pepe, Marcelo- Sami Khedira, Xabi Alonso- Mesut Ozil, Cristiano Ronaldo, Angel Di Maria- Gonzalo Higuain
former Real, Luis 'Judas' Figo, on his return to Camp Nou, El Clasico 2002
players to watch:
Lionel Messi (Barcelona, 13 goals in 10 games): Given his recent form is it right that he is considered to be one of the top two players in the world (alongside Cristiano Ronaldo). Was immense in the 8-0 destruction of Almeria last weekend, scoring three and laying on two, plus he also registered against Panathinaikos in midweek. Indeed, Messi has scored in his last nine matches for club and country.
Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid, 14 goals in 12 games): Just as Leo is Barcelona’s talisman, ‘CR7’ has been close to unstoppable for los Blancos this term and has matched his great rival goal for goal. Just as Messi scored a hat-trick last weekend, so did Ronaldo, who has been in wholly remarkable form since the beginning of October. The 25-year-old surely has a massive role to play in proceedings on Monday. Justifying his tag as the most expensive player in the history of football
Read xtensive coverage of the latest and greatest features, news and interviews ahead of the mammoth clash at Camp Nou here, courtesy of Goal.com
its the time of the year again: THE FEST...the annual punkrock festival and good times (though there are also a good number of indie rock, country, and metal acts) ...bands from all over the world converging for a few days of pure insanity all over the fine city of Gainesville, Florida.
2010 mark the 9th year of the event, and yours truly wishes he could jump in the moshpit one day, and hence the armpit of the world, to confirm the fear... and see what the fuss is all about
250+ bands! raging in all its glory, playing their hearts out to thousands die-harders who have traveled near and far to take part in the biggest punk event of the year including:
since i couldn't make it beyond my wildest dream, i would settle for a more familiar sofa in front of the idiot box come 2.40am on Channel 816 Astro tonite! Forza Milan!
*update*1st Sept: Milan signed Robinho Extra stokage! The assault on Scudetto and Champions League is on! [ ideal first XI: Abbiati- Zambrotta,Thiago Silva,Nesta,Antonini- Seedorf,Pirlo,Robinho- Ronaldinho,Zlatan,Pato ]
as a Rossoneri supporter, i would like to congratulate city cousins Inter Milan for winning the 2009/2010 Champions League. Beating Bayern Munich 2-0 last nite, it was Inter's first European triumph since 1965 watch game hilight here
Why? Asian Cup Qualifier Where? Al-Shahab Stadium, Dub** What? Illegal immigrants cheering on their old-country when pitted against their adopted land
Verdict: Adopted land won despite steel resistance from the visitors. As usual the referee was the easy meat. The atmosphere was disturbed by chants such as "referee bodo","referee kayu","referee makan babi" etc. It was a fun nite indeed!
parental advisory: this blog entry will irritate you, reading it while listening to '2009' by The Swellers might certainly help! (click play on the clip above)
so I'd like to raise a glass to 2009, which all in all has been a phenomenal year. A lame recap of whats gone through my last 365 1/4 days or so: CAREER suicide
a vital cog that consumed most of my 24 hours. For the 20th consequtive month, i'm currently based in dubai.
since last january i have been kick-out from the comfy of office spaceship into the hazardous environment of construction site battlefield.
working long hours, 6-days a week, and currently 7-days a week the toughest year yet, profession-wise
(the above might be an attempt to explain why this blog, which i started in 2007, is less frequently updated now...haha) interest: MOVIE - top 3 of 2009
plot:Iraq. Forced to play a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse in the chaos of war, an elite Army bomb squad unit must come together in a city where everyone is a potential enemy and every object could be a deadly bomb
an edge of the seat stuff from the word go. Gut-wrenching, pulse-pounding, tension, just mere understatement description of the movie. All aspects of film-making are top-notch, from the brilliantly subversive screenplay through vivid cinematography, masterful directing and perfectly paced editing, even the famed film critic Mr Roger Ebert listing it as #2 in his top 10 movie of the decade. go watch it
i just wonder weather there would be '500 days of Autumn' after Tom bumped into Minka Kelly (the hottie from Friday Nite Lights) in the end
btw this film talk about architecture and The Smitsa lot...thats quality! checkout, first the 'Ikea' scene, and then the bank dance(!). Definitely indie flick of the year
everybody is looking for Quentin Tarantino or Brad Pitt goods, but in the end Christoph Waltz aka Colonel Hans 'Jew Hunter' Landa came out with guns blazing. I wrote about this flick here so i will rest my case An epic masterpiece, a head above the rest of 2009 release
interest: SPORTS like most hot blooded male on the universe i am into soccer, F1, NBA etc, and yes...i read from the back pages to front everytime i grab a newspaper.
and last january was a particular highlight for me since a team from the Italian Lombardy province, a team that i supported since hi-skool, the only team that i am willing to die for, came down to Sheikh-land for their winter training and a friendly match. Oh, btw the team name is AC Milan.
star-strucked? i got to rub shoulders with my idol, the italian living legend Il Capitano Paolo Maldini along with fellow Rossoneris Kaka, Ronaldinho, Pato, Shevchenko, Pirlo, Beckham etc (blog entry here)
season 08/09 ended with Milan winning nothing (3rd in Serie A). Paolo retires after 20 years serving the club. Kaka became the second most expansive player in history when he was sold to Real Madrid. Allanatore Carlo Ancellotti has moved on to EPL, currently Chelsea boss.
On another front Jenson Button won the F1 title (i barely follow last season championship, the GP coverage here is almost non-existant), Tiger's Wood ran amok(!), Italy easily qualified for World Cup, and after 20 years Bolehland won the SEA games football, thanx to Rita Rudaini!
For 2010, i'm so pumped up for the World Cup in South Africa... and the comeback of the great Michael Schumacher after 3-year absence to F1 fold is a mouthwatering prospect for 2010 season.. he is now driving for Malaysian-backed Mercedes GP Petronas. I foresee a 4-horse race between him, Fernando Alonso (Ferrari), Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) and Jenson Button (McLaren)...Kimi has now moved on to WRC
interest: MUSIC- lets talk about love I f*cking love music. I love it in the form of punkrock & hardcore music. I listened to a lot
of older favorites this year. I listened to a lot of new stuff. I used to spent a fortune on imported CDs, but like any joe on the planet downloading now is like brushin your teeth.
I hope everyone out there loves music too. Loves it so much it transcends petty bickering and posturing. Loves it in a way that makes you want to make the world look like all your favorite songs make it look. And I hope that everyone loves it so much that you don't take yourselves too seriously.
and this shitty blog talks lotsa crappy music that makes u wanna throw up n wonder whether this guy got any other subject to write about rite? haha so head here for the best music of 2009, where i am concerned
my mixtape for year 2009
For Collards- SHOOK ONES Dear Coach’s Corner- PROPAGANDHI X- DEAD TO ME Light of Local Eyes- POLAR BEAR CLUB Fatso Goes Nutzoid- TEENAGE BOTTLEROCKET Skid Rock- A WILHELM SCREAM One Million Coasters- NOFX Sacred- PAINT IT BLACK I’m Your Opposite Number- STRIKE ANYWHERE Sodom, Gomorrah, Washington D.C- ANTI-FLAG The Slowest Drink at the Saddest Bar on the Snowiest Day In the Greatest City – THE LAWRENCE ARMS 2009- THE SWELLERS
Personal: lets talk about feeling this reads like a cheap promotion: i am still straight, single and unfortunately available. So girls...you got the clue...and you've been warned...on the downside i will hit 60 soon..hehe errr...btw did i tell u earlier that this post would irritate you???
pix snapped in between 2009-2010 intersection at barasti, dub** marina