Your Opinion Does Not Matter
Aaah…the joy of seeing my only favourite team left, Germany, win the first quarter finals against Argentina. Germany is the only “strong” team that I support. The others were Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Switzerland and Iran. It makes up for not being able to go diving.
I just love supporting the underdogs. In politics, I am one. But I won the last contest despite not being in the list of “favourites.”
I know…I’m supposed to be studying for my Deco Procedures written test tomorrow. But I had to go watch Winnie The Pooh at the National Stadium just now. My little one, Noorunnisaa, enjoyed the show tremendously. Well, so did I.
I’ll just announce my thanks to someone who made it possible for my family and I to go watch that show.
I don’t like football…don’t like watching football.
That’s the general rule.
However, every four years, I ignore that rule to watch the best of the planet battle it out in the FIFA World Cup. Last night’s game between Ukraine and Switzerland was superb. They all played fairly (I cannot say the same about the Netherlands when they battled Cote d’Ivoire and Portugal). They drew 0-0 after 90 minutes, and neither side scored a goal after the 30-minute extra time. Ukraine however scored 3 goals in the penalty shootout while the Swiss scored none.
My first exposure to the World Cup was back in 1982 when Paolo Rossi, Littbarski, Maradona were all youngsters and were still playing. Me, and friends Hafiz Omar, Adlan Ali, Azlan Ramli (formerly of TM Net), and Nazli Awang Had (formerly of some unknown company), were swimmers, rather than footballers. We used (or abused) the nightly permit to watch football on television at the TAR Hall to go about doing what we liked doing best: mucking about. And 3 nights ago, hafiz and I met at the McDonald’s at Section 2 in Shah Alam to reminisce about those fun-filled days.
Kids…no real responsibilities.
When I feel down like this, they really should show a re-run of Padayappa. I especially like the song Kikku Eruthe.
Now, where’s that vodka lime….???
This was the view everyone in the group I was with saw, when we went to Koh Lipe during Chinese New Year 2006 holidays . It was a soothing sight after a 4-hour back-breaking boat journey from Pakbara…the result of arriving at Pakbara jetty 5-minutes too late. The 4-day stay at Lipe was truly heaven. Lipe encompasses what a diving/holiday heaven should be….unblemished by development, crystal clear waters, friendly people, cheap food and rooms…and everything still charged in Thai Baht.
But most of all, the company was good, the Black Moon Party was good, the bar-hops were good, the beach-side music was good…
Putradiver, Zarir, Kudinne, Narong, Shawn, Alia (change your name whenever you go to Thailand, please), Borhan, Ery, Zainal, Zainal’s wife…
Dang, I miss those good 4 days. 😦
That this would be the last time they would attend CommunicAsia together?
I saw this advertisement while on my way to Sukhumvit in Bangkok from the Don Muang International Airport, after a trip to Khon Kaen and Udon Thani in the northeast. For RM520,000.00 (Ringgit Five Hundred Twenty Thousand Only), you can own a two-storey bungalow at Soi Ramkhamhaeng 76 in Bangkok. The price includes, for free:
1) Wardrobes in three bedrooms,
2) Family furniture,
3) Food preparation counter, and,
4) Landscaping.
Time to move there…
Sekinchan 21st June 2006
And it’s so difficult to see one underwater. This one’s selling for RM14.00 per kilogram.
Sad. 😦
Pokok Berembang…in English is Crabapple Mangrove (Sonneratia caseolaris). A very important species of mangrove, and is a common habitat for fireflies.
It is also used as food. Leaves may be eaten raw or cooked. The ripe fruit are eaten by people from Africa to the Malays and Javanese, and are said to taste like cheese. In Eastern Africa the leaves are used a camel fodder.
Sonneratia caseolaris is used in poultices for cuts, bruises (Burma) and sprains and swellings. Ripe fruit are used to expel intestinal parasites (Malay) and half-ripe fruit for coughs.
Many mangrove creatures and plants depend on Sonneratia. They are the host trees of the fireflies (Pteroptyx tener) that perform spectacular synchronised flashing along the Selangor River in Malaysia. Sonneratia leaves make up the bulk of the food eaten by the fascinating Proboscis Monkey (Nasalis larvatus) of Borneo. Other insects and small creatures also feed on their leaves and other parts. Being among the first trees to grow low on the tidal mudflats, Sonneratia stabilise the riverbanks and coasts, providing more favourable ground for other types of trees and plants.
The fragrant, night-blooming Sonneratia flowers are pollinated mainly by the Dawn Bat (Eonycteris spelaea), the Common Long-tailed Bat (Macroglossus minimus), and the Lesser Short-nosed Fruit Bat (Cynopterus brachyotis). These bats feed on nectar and pollen of flowers and rely mainly on Sonneratia for sustenance. The Dawn Bat in particular, prefers Sonneratia. They are the same bats that pollinate commercially important crops such as durians, bananas and papayas. Thus, without the Sonneratia, there would be less of these favourite fruits!
So remember, save our mangroves. Pity our next generation.
SeaDemon Says 
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