From Hell and Back

To those who watched Liverpool's most magnificient Champion's League win yesterday, you'd understand. Trailing 3 nil at halftime, thoughts were ringing in my head. "You shouldn't have jinxed them!" "You should have gone to sleep and wake up to glory". Think about it really. It was an unsurmountable task of herculean proportions. Even the most adventurest Hollywood script writers would not have scripted Liverpool's come back from despair in a more dramtic fashion.

What can I write that hasn't already been said?

Let's just pray UEFA does the right thing and let us defend the cup next year. Liverpool FC has already done its part!

Redang 2005

I recently went to Redang for the first time. Two firsts on this trip. As already stated, this was the first time I have ever been the Redang, having somehow missed numerous trips there because of one reason or the other. I must go on the record to say that Redang is almost everything they say it to be. Beautiful white sandy beaches and clear azure waters perfect for idling the day away. (Well.. almost perfect. You need to minus out the many local ah beng's and ah lians from the mental picture)

Anyways.. I went there for the diving, and that certainly did not disapoint. Redang boasts of some absolutely gorgeous coral formations, incredibly picturest and is definately a wide-angle photographers dream. Which leads me to my second first. This is the first time I got to use a 'housed' digital SLR to take pictures with. The only minor problem was that it ws set up for macro. Which restricted me to shooting anemone and their resident clown and anemone fish, darting blennies and the very occasional nudibranch. NK shot some stunning wide angles, which to me is really the next level for underwater photographers. Shooting on macro is simple enough I guess.. maybe I am used to it. Shooting with an SLR is a totally different experience from using my tiny housed IXUS. For starters, you need to use the tiny view finder. Easy enough on land, but its a totally different scenario underwater with a dive mask on, peering through a tiny opening in the housing. Tiring to say the least. However, what you get is much improved focussing speeds and much sharper pictures, and not to mention the better compositions. Now, all I need is to save up loads and loads of moolah to get myself rigged.

Anyways.. go check out my pictures at: http://homepage.mac.com/dyap38

KOP out

I did not watch Liverpool play last night against Chelsea in what was perhaps Liverpool's second most important match of their dismal season. The most important match will be the Champion's League finals against either PSV or AC Milan in a few weeks. They need to win it to even get a chance to get into the Champion's league next season. They certainly do not look like they will do it on their own in the EPL.

I just could not bare to watch them play fearing another loss for my beloved team agaisnt the much improved (albeit with great amounts of money by their rich sugar daddy) Chelsea. I theorised that when I do not watch a match, they won. So I guess I just had to follow my hunch (no matter how conceited it sounds) and sleep through the night not knowing the outcome until morning came. Actually, all that really did happen was me tossing and turning all night dreaming of glory! They won! 1-0. A thrilling match by all accounts. Did I miss a great match? Yes.. but was it more important not to jinx the team. ABSOLUTELY!

So.. the biggest question is if I will watch the finals. Sigh...