1984 - BBC Made for TV Movie

        I watched the movie 1984 last night ; Created based on the novel by George Orwell, it was torturous to watch, not least with the constant booming noises from the Oval watch screen and the continuous references to "Thought Police" and control of every facet of human life.

        There were some people who framed Singapore as being a version of "1984" ; honestly they can't be further from the truth. There is variety of thought here, you can protest and state your contrarian views without fear of being followed or investigated. Every body has access to a free and a fair trial if he has committed a crime.  People are generally happy,practically everyone save for a few poor souls can live in their own purchased Government flats or rent one. We have a lot of economical food at very decent prices at the hawker centres for about US$ 3 per meal, let alone the the mid range to fine dining restaurants. Transport is seamless and quite inexpensive, with the MRT (OK its got its share of problems of late), bus and LRT providing access to all housing estates.

       There are covered walkways in the newer housing estates from the bus stop to the point block in the Housing Development Board estate where I frequent. Another 50 m away is the food centre selling all kinds or food catering to most ethnicities for no more than US$ 4 per plate of food. Most times it is US$ 3.00 maximum with a kopi or tea for US$ 0.70.No way you can buy a nutritious meal of 1 meat, 1 veg and 1 tofu in US, Western Europe or Australia for less than US$ 4.00 ! 

     This is coming from a country which has NO natural resources or hinterland except for some egg and chicken farms. No staples like rice paddies, sugar cane, wheat, oil or natural gas.  A highly improbable success story of a country.  

       A haircut at the local barber down the block costs no more than US$ 5. A visit to the local polyclinic (though you may need to wait at least 2 - 3 hours) will set you back maybe US$ 10- 15 for medicines for cough / cold. In addition, there are alot of traditional Chinese medicines shops who will sell you their tried and tested medicines for heatiness, insomnia, piles, herpes, incontinence, diahrrea and constipation for at most US$ 20.     

       Medicines are subsidised for the old, medical and hospital care is excellent and there are heart defribrillators in every community centre ,Government and MRT stations.  

       Crime is very low, so is the drugs scene, thanks to a very harsh and firm no drugs stance. Our roads are 'A' class compared to many in the West, and our corporate and personal income taxes are amongst the lowest in the world. People have freedom to discuss issues freely, write things like blogs and VLOGs provided they abstain from religious and racial themes.  There is no one, or Big Brother watching your every move and making life stifling. True, there are surveillence cameras in common areas, and along the roads, but so many cities in Europe and US have had far more and much earlier that its not any issue or warrants any surprise from anybody. We do live in post 9 -11 times, if anyone who has been living in Mars all this time.  

         Weather is constantly "summer' all year round, with the only exception around the end of the year, when the rainy season starts. That can be a drag, but it is nothing like the dreary weather of many Northern European countries or even Canada. it is true that we had the tumultous years from the 50s to the mid 80s, where our founding fathers fought against the Communists in society some 50 to 60 odd years ago, however, many countries in the past had or have far worse persecutions, detentions or wars for their 'greater good ' of society.

       The so - called human rights movement in the West was founded on the backs of many who were murdered or killed due to the colour of their skin or the values of the party they supported in the past. The Slave trade from Africa to North and South America, the racial segregation and apartheid were done from the Western powers now upholding the very 'human rights' around the world.   

       It is easy to make fun of Singapore but no country is perfect, let alone the once former great powers now floundering with massive iniquity and festering problems of racial intolerance. There are many who will be willing to trade in their citizenships from Western and Eastern parts of the world to live here.

      Singaporeans may be a complaining bunch, but deep down, we are proud of our Little Red Dot. 

      We should be mature enough to give as well as take criticism if we are to be truly one fine example of a First World country. 

Athletic Environmental Chamber - QRA

Presenting the first Athletic Environmental Chamber 

Presenting the world's dedicated Athletic Environmental Chamber - QRA ; my company has been amongst the first in the world to offer this to clients. The specifications of this chamber are generally in the range below :

Temp : 0 to 50 C

rH      : 20 - 95% rH

Wind :  0 - 10 m /s

Hypoxic : sea level to 8000 m

CO2  control : yes

Solar spectrum : Yes

This chamber is versatile in the sense that it can condition practically any environment available on this earth ; of course there are harsher climates (say -40 C) but human beings or elite athletes in particular are never out in the harsh Artic or Antarctic temperatures doing 10000 m or marathons so there is not a need to simulate the extreme in temperatures.

There have been several customers who are first movers of this unique product worldwide, they are from the Sports, Medical and Defence Industry WORLDWIDE.  

Athletic chamber with rowing machines, cycle machines and wind simulators.

Test Conditions vary from place to place ; from the tropics which are hot and humid, to the temperate which is cold and dry, possibly hot and dry, to the desert which is extremely hot and dry the Athletic Chamber can simulate it all. 

If any of you out there has such a requirement, you can PM me at mark@qra.com.sg and

I would be most happy to accommodate your requests within several days.

Sat 28th April Run at ECP - reflections

Start Point at CarPark B1 at East Coast Park

10.20 am

Front 4 km 
(start at B1 Carpark and return to B1 Carpark)
Body pushed to the limit
Sun's incessant rays on my skin
White shades cover my eyes and brows
I start rather quickly knowing I have to finish early
Headwind pushing against my body
Press On ! I say to my 55 year old frame
On the return I will get tailwind 
Each km the pace is incessant; 
7 : 07 ; 6:54, 6:35 ; 6 :45 ; the numbers flow through ceaseless through my head
Average pace : 6 : 36 min / km, Fastest pace : 5 : 25 min / km 
HR goes up from 72 to 161 to 171 (or 102% of my maximum)
I feel I am 25 again and as I rush past the strollers, the casual runners, the prams, 
Kids in tricycles,elderly on a weekend jaunt, lovers out for a stroll
Time stands still... God has opened my third eye.
Everything is crystal clear, the day, the time, the air, the sounds of the birds, the trees rustling
I reach the 4 km mark. Pumped out of air from my lungs
I stop and gaze at the azure sea out in the distance. I never focus, it is too damn hot

Front 4 km 

I walk to the toilet for a pee break and see some guys milling around
They are from the Corrective Work Order team
The guys who have to do social service for littering. Hmm its still in force albeit with little fanfare
Donning balck polo shirts with silver aluminium logos, one guy gives me a wan smile
He doesn't want to be there but has to 
Social work order in sunny orderly Singapore

      Back 4 km data

Return 4 
I push again like there is no tomorrow (sad but true)
Again my heart is beating like crazy
Average HR 172 and maximum of 180 or 109% of my 180 maximu,
I am feeling superhuman !
Calories burnt 410 kcal.
I am running on literally empty
No breakfast just water and coffee for the morn
Average page 6 : 58 min /km 
I am tiring fast
Press On ! says my ever relentless mind
ECP is pretty flat but my hope of a tailwind as I turned on the back 4 evaporated
Arid air greets my nostrils 
I am now speeding from tree cover to tree cover and watching my pace - Garmin M430
To avoid the blistering heat I run ever faster, an oxymoron of an idea whose time had come
Soon the numbers were out there, 6 :57.8 and best time of 6 :41.8.
Flashing in front of me 
I take off my running vest and run half naked
Hookah hay ! I scream in my mind like Johnny West in Beano 
I go to overdrive
Every labored breath, every ache in my body,every bead of sweat
They send me one clear and present message 

"Today I am so alive !!!!" 

Each breath that I take will be a joy , every sip of water will be champagne ,each morsel of food will taste like manna or food from God !

This is the Runners High. 
When you are near death, you will experience it like never before

It is an out of this world experience !!! 

The Reward : Guilt Free Dining with Sauvignon Blanc (2) 

Thursday evening Run at ECP ; its all about Risk Management

               Yesterday's run at East Coast Park was another exhilirating run for me ; it was 8 km and I had an average heart rate of 162 which is 98% of my maximum allowable (very close to the limit of 180),  the amount of calories burned was 751 kcal and 7% of fat burned as percentage of calories.

              My average pace was 6 : 52 min / km and maximum pace of a staggering 5 : 25  min / km.I was in the "Good" category running index with an average cadence of 83 (I guess this is the steps per minute) with a best time of 6 : 37 minutes per km. 

               I started at 7.00 pm and covered 8.02 km in total over 55 mins.

             What about Risk Management ? Well yesterday evening it was looking to rain heavily, so rather than sit at home and mope (I had reached home quite early), I calculated the risk, the opportunity cost was for me to stay at home and chill which was not much of an option, so I decided, "Oh Hell, just drive to ECP B1 and sit out the rain if and when it comes".

            So at 6 : 10 I left the house and drove to ECP, along the way at Rochor, the rain came down in sheets, so I knew I had either to a) sit out the rain and run after the downpour, b) run during the downpour and possibly catch a cold or c) make a U turn and go home.

            I decided totally against option (c), so it was either (a) or (b) ; By the time I reached B1 carpark 6.35 pm, it was well and truly coming down 'cats and dogs'. So I decided to read about how better to use my car by studying the User Manual. Call me strange but at this stage in life, the User Manual of my (relatively) new car is something I do look forward to as and when I have the time to look into it to enhance my driving experience.

          At 6.55 pm, the rain more or less cleared 90% (just a drizzle) so I ventured into the nearest hut beside the run track . There I was with the other runners who had yet to start their runs or those whose runs were interrupted.  

         At 7.00 pm I took off in full flight in a light drizzle and the rest is as recorded above by my trusty Polar M430 ; the entire data of the run is recorded and uploaded for posterity and I am greatly encouraged that my fxx ass is off the sofa and onto the running track once again.

         So I took the Risk of venturing out (unlike 95% of the general population) and was rewarded (after sitting it out in the carpark for 20 minutes) with a memorable run and recorded for posterity in this blog.





    

Sun 22 Apr 2018 Run 7 km at ECP

This is another attempt by me, no not to fish for compliments, but a way of keeping a record of my slow progress to fitness. A 7 km run at ECP with an average time of 6 : 54 per km. I aim to run 60 km per week by June and lower my weight to a much more manageable weight of 72 kg. 

For the sake of my health, I will dilligently record each and every run for posterity. The Blog is the perfect way to see the progress or degress,

Rich Poor Inequality in Singapore ; Mind the Gap !

This issue has taken front page in Singapore. The issue was always and will always be a hot-button one. After the second world war, Singapore emerged from the ruins of Japanese occupation a backwater. Gone was the image (only) of the British Pearl of the Orient. 

The British was so pathetic in defending Singapore that many locals had lost their faith in the Western Powers and the ferment of self governance was taking place. When the first Chief Minister David Marshall, then followed by PM Lim Yew Hock, change was underway for the British to move out their defence forces and their influence waned.

Singapore is now 53 years, since the ruling PAP has come in, Singapore has developed and progressed tremendously, however at some costs. The modern Singapore offers a quality of life on par, if not better, with the best cities in the world. 

The 2nd and even 3rd generations of Singaporeans are facing a life where things are so smooth and well taken care of. The HDB public housing where 80% of the population now lives is in many respects equivalent to condominiums in  many other countries in Asia.

Personal Safety is the envy of the Western world. Many Western expats love to come to Singapore for its moderate climate, wide variety of excellent foods and - safety. We have none (thank God for that) of the nonsense and chaos which fills the screens every week in many cities across the US and even Western Europe.

Our schools are amongst the best in the world (the NUS is ranked the top Asian University), our dual language system is also admired and copied all over the world. Racial and religious harmony is also excellent, thanks to the wisdom and foresight of the founding fathers of Singapore, so that the sight of multi- cultural dating or marriages hardly makes news anymore.

                                                                  Barcelona

One major problem (amongst many others) emerging is the gap between the rich and poor has never been so apparent. Children and grandchildren of fabulously wealthy and moderately wealthy parents have never had to slog a day in their lives.

The sense of entitlement and the gap between the haves and the have nots is ever increasing. There have never been more rich and entitled children and the gap is every widening. 

The difference between the incomes earned by the rich and poor nowadays is estimated to be in the 000s ; say a super wealthy real estate developer or lawyer easily earns in excess of $5 million. Compared with the bottom 10% whose earning is say $24,000 that represents over 200 x. I am not even comparing the newly rich (nouveau riche) who migrate here with their billions and live in Sentosa. 

                                                         Vermouth and Tapas 

In the 60s and 70s, the top earner (say school principal or top lawyer) would earn about $36,000 per annum. The lowest wage earner earned about S$ 1500 (S$125 per month). So the quantum is in the tens (in this case 24 x).

My point ? Social problems and class envy will arise. Last time in the 60s and 70s, we were all more or less equally poor. Hardly anybody travlled out of Singapore let alone on business class to Europe or Iceland (as an example). Nowadays, there are alot more people (visible thanks to Facebook) who travel to all the far flung corners of the world and a lot more who have no money to afford 3 meals a day. It is indeed a very wide gap.

How the effects will be manifested will be displayed in the news. How the government is going to tackle that is also another cause for concern. 



       

The perils of massive fame, money and adulation at a young age. RIP Aviici aka Tim Bergling

I heard the shocking news that the DJ Tim Bergling, better known by his stage name of  Avicii, passed away yesterday at the age of 28 in Oman. He had battled pancreatitis and other drink related illnesses before his passing.

So tragic that a young and talented  individual had passed on so early on his life. The song by Mike Posner (I took a pill in Ibiza) which was dedicated to Aviici in the lyrics "I took a pill in Ibiza, to show Avicii I was cool..." 

well Mr. Cool just became immortalized in the annals of the Great DJs at the tender age of 28 ; he joins the plethora of very young talents who died way too young. 

Among them are James Dean, Steve McQueen,Aliya, Prince,Michael Jackson,Patrick Swayzee,Christina Perri, Duncan Edwards (Man U footballer) and the whole host of rock stars who messed up their lives in the 60s and 70s such as Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, the Doors lead singer Jim Morrisey, and Bob Marley (cancer). Latter day music heroes who died young are Nirvana's Kurt Cobain (drug overdose) and the Script's lead singer.  

   

Championship Champs 21 April 2018 - Wolves ;

            

                            A trophy's still a trophy 

With Wolves comfortably leading Botton 2 - 0 at half-time, I can say that after today's match Wolves are the Championship Champions ; and after 6 long years in the 2nd tier and almost in my lifetime of poor performances, I am delighted to finally support a 'major' team.

True, they have only 2 league cups success,one in 1974 and 1980. This time round, they have a team of true talent and top class coach in Nuno Esperito Santos. In Reuben Neves, they have a world class midfielder.

My predictions for Wolves (though it is immaterial now just more for the dreamers) is that after today's match, they would have 98 points with 2 more games to go and I believe they should win both matches - and possibly tryout some reserves - and end up in triple figures.

Will they get 104 points ? Its purely speculation, but again 2 teams who are 5th from bottom and bottom respectively they should get at least 4 points if not 6. My mind says 6, so they should end the season with 104 points ;

Congratulations to the Championship Champions from a happy fan 4000 + km  away !     

We need a new direction

        The story of Singapore's success the last 50 odd years is undoubted. From a Third World small port to (once) the world's busiet port, now we have the best airport in the world, 2 integrated resorts hosting world class casinos and per capita GDP of US$ 75,000 within the top 10 worldwide. Not bad at all for a country with no natural resources led only by an exceptional leader for 30 odd years and with one party rule, the PAP with token opposition.  

       Where once our Singapore efficiency and meritocracy, clean environment, rule of law and emphasis on productivity has been touted as a model for many emerging new countries, we have somewhat lost that massive lead in terms of the above to the neighbouring countries and China has not only followed the Singapore style of management, but built up its own core competencies with much more financial backing and adaptation that China is now leading the way in helping many other countries develop their cities, ports, airports and train systems.

      Singapore on the other hand has been slowly losing its competitive advantages and now we are really in need of finding new ways to make us relevant. In these disruptive times, being orderly, or having a nice airport, Sentosa island, Night Safari or lovely zoo just doesn't make our country an attractive place to visit (perhaps just once). There are far more (and cheaper) exotic places with much more beautiful beaches, resorts, varied zoos, beautiful scenery, many new foods to try etc.

     When we once were a shopping paradise, Singapore has been overtaken by many bigger shopping metropolises in the region, from Shanghai, Bangkok, Shenzhen and Hong Kong to name but a few. Our service standards are pretty poor by comparison to many Western First World countries while prices of our goods from branded names are practically the same - with the exception of Hong Kong which does not have GST compared to our 7%.

    So we are no longer a shopper's paradise.

    Tourism - well you visit once, and thats about it. Spend 4 days here, visit Sentosa, Zoo, Night Safari, Bird Park, Singapore River and take a dip (yes its that small) on the 57th floor of the Marina Bay Resorts and you can say you have done it all in Singapore. 

    Compare us to Thailand, visit Bangkok for 1 week, see the temples, Victory Monument, the floating market, the snake show, the Chatuchak market, Ma Bun Krung cheap fake market, Chinatown, the Patpong red light area, the tons of nighspots and cheap and good thai massages etc and that is ONLY Bangkok.

     You need another week in Pattaya, possibly 4 days in Phuket, and 1 week in Chiangmai and 1 week in Hua HIn. You get my point that any visitor will come several times to fully visit all of the country.

    Clean and Green City - yes, we have this distinction and still are the best in the region. 

   Airport : Changi International has consistently won the title "World's Best Airport" from Skytrax for 6 consecutive years ; with Terminal 4 winning my vote for being super efficient, fast and futuristic (lots of computer games, on line boarding pass, immigration), it wins my vote HANDS DOWN ; but its only a gateway into / away from our country.

    Singapore Airlines : Another 1st in the world ; no small feat for a small country but we are world's best.   

    Integrated Resorts - Well, unless you like to gamble, there are 2 but Macau is the leader by far in this field, and now many others have followed suit, Jeju island and numerous small ones along the border between Thailand and Vietnam. So Genting up north, to Star Casino in Perth and Crown Casino is Melbourne, the gambler is spoilt for choice.

   Banking Industry - Yes, we are still up and coming in the wake of Brexit but, its not been the same for banks since the last Financial Crisis, meaning there is alot more uncertainty in the world with rising debt levels and massive untamed debt in US, Japan , UK and possibly China causing the rise of alternative forms of currency such as cryptocurrency and blockchains but that requires far less infrastructure such as banks and all the supporting services.

  Manufacturing - this is almost gone. We have a miniscule amount of manufacturing in Singapore with only token semiconductor companies and several biomedical and pharmaceutical companies and that is about it. 30 years ago we had disk drive industry employing possibly 200,000 people or more (supporting industry), that industry is gone with the wind and so have the jobs. Many other lower end manufacturing have all gone away and / or  died. 

     

Moving upscale has been very very tough and there are only small R and D operations employing perhaps a few hundred staff  at best.

     Oil and Gas - another dead in the water industry. Look at the price of oil per barrel nowadays, probably 30% of its top price. So, the industry looks to be in sunset mode.

     Port - well there is the One Belt and Road from China, which effectively will mean that there is an overland route from the Factory of the World to the West. No need to come via sea and Singapore.

     So where does the future leave for us ??  We as a country and especially our leaders, need a new, clear direction to move forward. 

     


    



       

Polar Video of my 5km Run on 14 April 2018

I am all fired up to get back into shape for this year. The year my boyhood team Wolves made it to the Premier league with the best assembled team for at least 40 years. So the success factors which the team coach, Nuno Esperito Santos has been spouting all along and I will follow religiously are :

a) Self Discipline
b) Focus
c) Character - based on strong values and determination
d) Teamwork
e) Luck
f) Get out while the going is still good.  (I made that up but I think it is so relevant) 

All these are the critical success which I will take on for the rest of my life. It is crystal clear what is expected.

Carpe Diem 

My Return to Running after a 3 week layoff due to injury

A hard earned time of 35 minutes 42 secs for a 5 km in the searingly humid late morning

I do not wish to fish for compliments, I do not wish for accolades. Some 3 weeks ago, I hurt my anterior crucia ligament or ACL during a routine karate training. It felt like I had the tendon ripped out of me. We had the exercise to train flexibility and the trainees were made to lie on the floor, prone with our front facing the ceiling. Our sensei or instructor then asked us to stand up as fast as possible from the prone position but without using our hands, hence the use of stomach and oblique muscle groups etc.

After about 4 or 5 of these scramble to get up, I felt a sharp pain on my left knee. Damn ! It was stiff and so painful to even bend the knee, such was the pain. I immediately stopped and decided to sit out the rest of the training.

The last 3 weeks have been just taking it easy, and totally not running. To me, as I have mentioned countless times, for me to run is as natural as breathing. If I can't run, a major part of my physiology is taken away. An expression of myself.  

I decided to apply the RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation) technique which I had used successfully years ago. Rest the leg, turn and not apply pressure on the affected joint. 

After several days, I was able to sit normally with minimal pain. I took the Glucosamine, Chondroitin, MSM Sulphate tablets with renewed enthusiasm.

After about 1 week of complete rest (I was frustrated but what can I do ?), I was able to do some light exercises such as karate stretching and some tentative katas. Katas are 'form' exercises which practitioners embark to show they have the technique of stances, kicking, blocking and punching properly. It was an uphill struggle but I was determined to improve.

And slowly but surely I did improve.

So yesterday morning, 14 April 2018. I felt strong and flexible enough to try a 5 km run. I started out at the Robertson Quay side area and ran all the way to the Marina Bay Sands Helix bridge. I had intended to run 6 km at least, but the heat got to me. It was 10.20 am when I started and I wanted to show to myself that I was getting 'back into the groove'.

I ran the way from Robertson Quay, Clarke Quay and past the Asian Civilisations Museum opposite the Boat Quay and towards the MBS. At the Helix bridge 3 km mark, I turned around. It was hot but my leg showed no sign of ache - which was indeed something to celebrate about.

Running back to my start point, I playfully photobombed Chinese tourists taking selfies along the waterfront and lifted my legs high up into the air like a frenzied teenager. It was great !!!! 

So, back to the start point, I stopped and recorded the time for posterity. I am so glad and humbled that I can run again.

I plan to do another 10 marathons before father time tells me to stop 

Carpe Diem !   

  

Bistecca Tuscan Steakhouse Singapore 13 April 2014

           To celebrate my wife's birthday, I booked the incomparable Bistecca restaurant located at 26 Mohammed Sultan Road. Situated in a shophouse along the main road, the restaurant boasts a dining of 60 people, approximately 40 seated inside the long and narrow shophouse and about 20 outside.

          Rated by many to have the best Florentine style roast beef in this part of the world, it is clearly head and shoulders above many top steak restaurants in Singapore, at least. In 2nd and third place (for me anyway) would be Wolfgang's (at Intercontinental Hotel at Robertson Quay) and Wooloomooloo in Raffles City level 3.

Mouth watering scallops with enoki mushrooms and mustard

Octopus with spicy sauce - fantastic 

For starters, the 4 of us adults (I have 2 adult sons, aged 24 and 21 respectively) had the following and I give the rating (upon 5) for each of them :

a) Ciabatta bread with goose liver pate   4 / 5

b) Ceasar Salad   4 / 5

c) Spicy Octopus  5 / 5   - Ooh La La good !

d) Scallops with enoki mushrooms and mustard  4.8 / 5  - almost perfection

e) Spaghetti saefood 5 / 5  -  Too little but really so tasty and spice level is just right.

Then came the Magnus Opus ; or their signature ; the bone in Ribeye steak of 1.2 kg in total. The meat though marbled with fat was so tender it practically melted in my mouth. The meat was cooked medium and while there was some blood, it was not oozing like the rareness most often found in Florentine steakhouses.

So the main course (below) came with a side serving of grilled broccoli which was crunchy and tasty. I had no complaints whatsoever. 

   

Rated the best steakhouse in Singapore, I have to agree 

The taste for the first 3 cuts of steak is so flavourful I did not need any sauce to go along with it. This is the true test of an excellent cut of beef. Hence the reason for me giving this the top billing - I had eaten their steak about 3 years ago and their standards are still top class.

Steak Rating :  5 / 5  - shiok   (taste explosion) to the max !!! 

Service, was a little mediocre by my book, the serving staff, a young man was quite preoccupied and always needed my prompting to take the order, as well as serve extra bread and sides. 

They made it up by not charging for the ciabatta bread, as well as the iced water, which I thought was a nice touch. To round off the meal, we ordered the following 2 desserts which was shared by the 4 of us,  To not criticise, we had eaten far better desserts in Italy in 2017.

a) Tiramisu   -  4 / 5 

b) Strawberry sorbet on a bed of biscuit crumbs  - 4 / 5 

So, take note of this post, if you want to spend approx. $100 per person for the BEST steak in Singapore, do visit 

Bistecca Tuscan Steakhouse

26 Mohammed Sultan Road

Singapore 238 970 

Tel : 67356739 

Carpe Diem      

Dining by the Rocks May 2017

I am posting this almost 1 year after the actual event, in part, I felt no need to advertise the fact that I am well travelled and also my disdain for self compliments. The time last year was pretty special and my friend and I enjoyed the brilliant autumn sunshine and weather. There is an airport express train and as I was staying the night in Sydney, I thought I had better show my friend who was there for the first time, the sights around Sydney Harbor Bridge.

The train stop is called Circular Quays and it gets pretty crowded in summer and autumn and this visit was no different. The only difference between this visit and the last one in 2002 - has it been that long ? was that there are lot more shops an restaurants catering to Chinese visitors such as this restaurant, given the fact that in the last 5 years Chinese tourists numbers have probably jumped 10 times !  

I look like a sight assisted person don't I ? 

I have made a pledge that i will run 2 marathons this year (overseas) and I am banking on the Sydney Marathon as one of them. I sincerely hope this will not be a pipe dream for me. 

So I am really in running mode and disciplining myself from eating too oily and / or fatty foods. 

Sydney Opera House May 2017

5 more Cup Finals to Go

I thought the game against Middlesbrough was the penultimate game, full of lovely goals, drama and 2 red cards.

I was wrong

This game at Cardiff has got fans from all over the world in a tizzy ; a world class goal from a world class player Reuben Neves, and a lot of fine quality saves from both keepers, John Ruddy and the Cardiff keeper.

In the final minutes, 2 penalties were awarded to Cardiff and one produced a stunning save by the best keeper in the Championsip (as per fans votes), John Ruddy and the second, a cracker which hit the crossbar and rebounded into the pitch like a pinball.

My man of the Match ; John Ruddy (Goalkeeper) ; Superb. Not a foot or hand wrong the whole evening.  

Football, the wonderful game, it brings out these range of emotions from everyone watching it, let me count them :

a) Anger
b) Despair
c) Excitement
d) Joy 
e) Sorrow
f) Frustration
g) Fury (sometimes)
h) Happiness
i) Satisfactiion 
j) Anticipation

It surely has earned the tile " the Beautiful  Game " from none other than Pele, and millions of men around the world share the vicarious experiences - even like me an armchair (OK plastic chair) pundit.