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Sports

[579] Of it’s great, to be, a Michigan Wolverine, 2005

Ah, I can already smell the artificial tuft of the Big House. I can feel excitement in the air. I can hear roars from everywhere and see hot chicks with no bras. I crave for blood, especially Buckeyes’.

If you haven’t gotten a clue yet, it will be the football season all over again baby! Just two more weeks! Another season to abuse one’s voice box.

(Greatest apology to soccer. I love soccer but after four years at Michigan, I fell for this no good American game. So, if you have to wives, you’ll need to differentiate it. So, soccer is soccer and football is football, unless it’s football)

First on Michigan’s list is Northern Illinois on September 3. This one should be easy, especially when it’s at home. Michigan should be able to apply excessive firepower against a minor team. A walk in the park.

Then, it’s the Fighting Irish, Notre Dame. Notre Dame has always been a pain in the ass for Michigan. You’ll never know what they are up to. However, this time around Notre Dame will be fighting in Ann Arbor. It’s time for revenge and Notre Dame, and any other teams including Michigan for that matter, seems to have trouble playing away game. So, I bet Michigan will win this one. A bit of struggle but a win nonetheless.

Third game, Eastern Michigan. A big win. ‘Nuff said.

After an easy match, the next game will be Michigan’s first away game and it’s against the Badgers. Last year, Wisconsin was a really scary shit. This rodent kicked what was then a steamrolling Purdue and was up there trying to wrestle the Big Ten championship all by itself. Hell, this team raped Ohio State! They were a real contender, until they met Michigan State and Iowa. However, report has it that Wisconsin is a demoralized team. However, knowing how bad Michigan could be in an away game, this might get ugly. In any way however, I think Michigan will be alright, though not unscathed.

Having a week to recuperate, then, it’s Minnesota. I don’t know about you but after two years in a row of excessively sweeter than sweet about-to-lose-but-somehow-we-made-it-in-the-fourth-quarter’s, I’m looking at another about-to-lose-but-somehow-we-made-it-in-the-fourth-quarter game. If not, the golden gophers will be ravaged mercilessly.

After Minnesota, it will be the Nittany Lion. It’s terrible to see Paterno in a really bad shape. But seeing Paterno in a really bad shape is what will keep Michigan rolling on with much effort. I know, a person like Paterno deserves more respect than I’m apparently showing here but c’mon. Give it a break. No. In fact, take a hike. Please.

Two whipping boys are fun to play with. But happy time is over because Iowa is anything but easy. Iowa shared the Big Ten throne last year with Michigan and this time, they will definitely want to take the crown as their own. There is no reason to think that Iowa will not be able to go for the kill. Even more when this battle will be fought in the Hawkeyes’ nest. Verdict? Our first loss.

But worry not. Northwestern – the only school in the Big Ten that can say “N U” after being given an “F U” with an innocent face (really. I was there when it happened last year. It was hilarious) – should give the Wolverines something to forget Iowa. Definitely another win for Michigan.

With Northwestern done, it will be Indiana. By this time, it should be 9 – 1. This Indiana game should be a booster before the mother of all games.

At the end, it will be the biggest rivalry in college football. It’s Ohio State versus Michigan. It’s the mother of all games year after year after year. After year. I don’t know what will happen here and I don’t dare predict the score. Regardless, Michigan will be playing in Ann Arbor instead at some smelly place. Nevertheless, I dare say one thing – there will be a riot in Columbus.

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Activism ASEAN Environment Photography Sports

[568] Of in support of Haze Haters in KL

Since my teddy bear is still in Michigan, somewhere, I think, he can’t be my spokesperson anymore like he used too during the US 2004 presidential election. I terribly miss him but great news folks! My cat has agreed to be my new spokesperson!

Here is what she has to say about the :

That is dedicated to all Indonesians. I know that most of you don’t have the internet but hell, I know you President does. For Haze Haters in KL (via).And that was a piece of envelope sent by Azwan. So, an unsincere heartfelt thank to Azwan for sponsoring the paper and hence, allowing me to recycle. =p

So people, apart from carpool, telling your reps about ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution and whining while cursing Indonesia, send pictures to Haze Haters in KL at laychkoh[at]gmail[dot]com or barrieo[at]gmail[dot]com right now. Pronto.

p/s – Brøndby managed to tie Ajax down. The result for the Champions League qualification is 2 – 2. Ajax should have won if it wasn’t for Escude own goal in the 90th minute. And Babel’s goal was crazy, superb and lucky all at the same time. Watch all goals at www.ajaxfan.de.

Next meeting will be in Amsterdam on August 24.

pp/s – protest in front of the Indonesian embassy in Kuala Lumpur on Friday at 1100 local time (via). Anybody going? A good chance to shoot some photos (and probably get arrested). I’ve never got arrested by Malaysian police but was once arrested for a short while by Ann Arbor police for dissent (snowballing the police). If somehow I get arrested, then I would be able to compare which is better – getting arrested by Malaysian or Ann Arbor’s. =p

Categories
Society Sports

[563] Of Anglicization of Malay language

A couple of days ago, I read a blog entry with huge bolded letters slapped on top of it. The entry talked about the current Anglicization process of the Malay language. Like the person that blogged about it first, I despise this trend.

Beforehand, I must say I am no purist. Despite my tongue is stamped with the word Malay all over it, my grasp of my mother tongue is almost pathetic. My Malay vocabulary is kind of limited and I’m more comfortable writing in English to Malay though I frequently confuse my tense forms. Given my situation, I do understand why when certain people speak in Malay, they tend to talk in both Malay and English at the same time.

However, this should not be used by the press as an excuse.

I cringe whenever I see any word that sounds English but is written instead in Malay in form that adheres to English pronunciation, particularly whenever mainstream Malay media uses it. Like previu or bajet for instance. The Malay word for preview beats me but bajet, can’t the media just use the good old peruntukan or belanjawan? And just yesterday in Utusan Malaysia, an article talked about polygamy and guess which word the author of the article chose? Polemik.

And then there are akauntabiliti, integriti, transparensi, profil, kontroversi, emosi, posisi. Whatever happened to the words ketanggungjawaban, kebolehpercayaan, ketelusan, rumusan (help me on this), kegamatan (whoa, I totally need a Malay dictionary), perasaan, kedudukan?

Adding more to the list: cif (cheif), propisi (proportion), kondisi (condition), ambisi (ambition).

And yeah, one more word, OMFG – infotainment. WTF?

I haven’t been using Malay extensively for the past five or six years and I might be off the road whenever Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka added more words to Malay vocabulary but if this is the trend, let’s all just use English instead. Save the entire effort of translating – transposing is more like it – and let’s all write in English instead. There is no need to spend resources on Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka anymore.

In France I heard, they have language vigilantes to protect the French language. They arm themselves with everything they’ve got in a crusade against English encroachment on French. Dewan Bahasa should emulate the French vigilantes, not the French gut. (Thousand apologies to all Frenchies and any Francophile. I can’t help it)

I’m telling Dewan Bahasa to be a purist. They should be a purist. It is their job to defend the Malay language. Who else should defend the Malay language if not Dewan Bahasa? Samy Vellu?

Dewan Bahasa is slacking so bad that a person that brought this up in that blog that I mentioned earlier is a Malaysian Chinese, not a Malaysian Malay. How sad is that?

p/s – did I mention that Ajax won against PSV?

Categories
Sports

[562] Of Ajax vs Brøndby

It’s official. Ajax will meet Brøndby in the third preliminary round of the Champions League. Both teams will meet in Copenhagen on August 10 and later in Amsterdam on August 24. Brøndby secures a meeting with Ajax after drilling Dynamo Tbilisi 5 – 1 on aggregate.

I’m not sure whether it will be a breeze for Ajax or not. Frankly, I haven’t been following Ajax’s transfer activities during the summer and I’ve only started to revisit Ajax USA cum ajaxtalk forum in the last few weeks. I do know however, there is no big signing for Ajax while van der Vaart is gone to Germany.

God. I’ve forgotten how much fun it is to visit a soccer forum. In Ajax forum, at least in the last few years of my carrier as a forum participant, there is a repeating theme – the love for Italian players. But I’m digressing.

Anyway, in the recent Amsterdam Tournament, Ajax finished last; Ajax lost 1 – 0 to Arsenal and later, to Boca Juniors by the same score line. I’m not sure whether that is encouraging or not but according to reports, Ajax played quite well and was simply unlucky. On the side note, Ajax has got to stop playing Arsenal. OMG, every year, it’s all about Arsenal, Arsenal and Arsenal. If Ajax is going to meet Arsenal again this season in the Champions League group stage (of which thank goodness, that prospect is too minute for me too worry on), I’m going to be an ardent supporter of the Red Devils. With van der Sar on that cursed team, I think I could live with that, temporarily.

But all this talk about Champions League should be shoven aside at the moment because tomorrow, Ajax will be up against the evil farmers from the light bulb city of Eindhoven. Yes, it is the evil P$V, Chelsea’s satellite club, or so it seems. The stake?

The Johan Cruijff Shield. The shield itself is nothing but winning against PSV is something.

With that, let us welcome back the Eredivisie.

Hup Ajax hup!

Categories
Sports

[516] Of FFTW!

In the 48th minute, Feyenoord 1 – 0 Ajax.

57th minute, Feyenoord 1 – 1 Ajax.

80th minute, Feyenoord 2 – 1 Ajax.

86th minute, Feyenoord 2 – 2 Ajax.

90th minute, Feyenoord 2 – 3 Ajax.

Full time, w00000000000000000000000000000000t! And the win is even sweeter given the fact that Ajax supporters were barred from entering de Kuip Stadion by the Rotterdam mayor.

With the win, Ajax is now second behind PSV. If AZ loses their next match, Ajax is up and running for the 2005/06 Champions’ League season. The first place is possible, however unlikely – but let’s celebrate first and worry later!

p/s – damn the hooligans. Here’s an explanation of what happened in Rotterdam:

Here goes!

The Ajax supporters (1,600) were divided over two trains from the ArenA to De Kuip. 800 on each train. I was on train #1. Just before arrival, less than one mile before De Kuip, some nutters managed to pull the emergency brake, in spite of riot police presence on board. The train was suddenly standing still, furniture was thrown out of the windows and approximately 30 hooligans managed to open the doors and get off the train. There weren’t many Feyenoord supporters there. Riot police were on the spot in no-time and secured the area.

More here.