Hyde park-a corner of free speech

When i was in London a while back, had the opportunity of "loitering" around the Hyde Park free speech corner on a Sunday.
As usual the banters i encountered were some amusing to the point of hilarity but some did have interesting serious debates and dialectal discussions.
30 years ago when as a young student the main theme of all the discussions had been capitalism against socialism/communism.
Now that particular argument has been to bed with the fall of the Berlin wall, the flavour theses days as i noticed that Sunday was on religions. I can see few Islamists debating with fervour against some mainly Christian activists....hmm how times have changed or is it a circle being witnessed again?
In all great respect i cant also help observing that the once much revered Hyde Park place of free speech has become just a playground for some "regulars" on a Sunday to poke fun at some of the speakers, a bit sad .
I remembered 30 years ago when i was at the Hyde Park and there was an interesting argument between a British speaker and some German tourists on who were more superior. In exasperation when the British speaker lost his plot ,he asked this group of German tourists what was the exchange rate of the Pound to the German Marks? "Four German marks to the Pound" was the reply and this witty Brit then pounced and sealed the whole debate," ha you see ,it takes 4 Germans to beat 1 Brit!!!"

Well, while all the debates and arguments i had observed on that Sunday a while back at Hyde Park had not increased my intellectual awareness dramatically , i can still admire the fact that people can still argue on all range of subjects without a recourse to violence and even killing each other. Ya Hyde Park is an institution renown throughout the world...

a great day at old trafford

Sunday 20.9 will remain forever etch in my memories, not because it was the first day of Raya but the day i had the opportunity to watch the football game at Old Trafford, Manchester. The game was a local derby that was much awaited by all Mancunians.

Manchester City is on the ascendancy ,bankrolled by an Arab Skeikh petro dollars while my beloved United has not spent big this season.

As myself and Diyana trudged along among the crowd wearing almost all in red colour shirts and jerseys, i can feel the excitement mounting.

Despite the 76,000 crowd, the whole process so well organised ,possibly a routine that has been perfected after many experiences of many such big matches.

The game itself was exhilarating, to see the red devils stars in flesh really gave Diyana's goose pimples , and the whole stadium erupted within 2 minutes when Rooney scored .

United's defence especially Ferdinand's display was not comforting and Foster seemed to recoil back to his less assuring self after such fine displays in his last 2 matches.

The Manchester city player that impressed me(has always been an admirer of his speedy game) was Craig Bellamy, he outpaced Ferdinand right in front of my eyes!

Well what can you say the delirium that we all experienced when Owen scored!! the irony was i bought an Owen jersey before the game over other star selections on offer(Berbatov, Rooney, Giggs..) maybe just for me to spite on my Liverpool supporter friends.

The whole stadium practically exploded, we were all jumping for joy in unison with other supporters.

All in all it was a great experience that i will savour for the rest of my life and as Fergie said< "sometimes you need to ignore and silence your noisy neighbours" and i claim to fame that i was there during best derby game ever played !!!!

Raya in Manchester

have not posted anything on the blog primarily have been away for almost 10 days away to Uk to send my daughter Diyana to further her studies at Manchester University.

First day of Raya was initially spent attending the prayers at a local mosque,quite an experience as you saw among you people of various creed and race all within the Muslim brotherhood of celebrating the Eid occasion as the Ramadan month ends.

Quite like the sermon given by the imam ,very much in a Manchester accent.

After the prayers with no where to go , stop by at a Costa cafe to have my croissant and a cup of coffee along with Diyana. In fact you don't feel much of missing anything because at least you have your daughter with you, a great reminder that in any occasions ,as long as member(s) of the family is around, you will never feel the pain of being away from home.

Initially i have trepidations of whether i did the right thing of being away during Raya but seeing and helping your daughter to settle down in a foreign land which she will call home for the next 3 years is worth that sacrifice.

To all Muslims i wish all a happy hari raya and maaf zahir dan batin.

44 days of "damn-united"

The other night had the pleasure of watching the movie "Damn-United", a story that centred on Brian Clough's ill fated short stint as a manager of Leeds United, 44 days on the job to be exact. It also "dramatize" his personal feud with Don Revie the Leeds legend.

Yes i remembered that era...an era of Leeds and Liverpool's dominance in English football.Leeds indeed has a notorious reputation of playing "hard" and physical football.

Back to Brian Clough, what a man and egoistic to boot but one cant fault his honesty and frankness in dealing with his players and peers, and of course his quotes..

If God had wanted us to play football in the clouds, he'd have put grass up there." On the importance of passing to feet.

"I wouldn't say I was the best manager in the business. But I was in the top one." Looking back at his success.

"Manchester United in Brazil? I hope they all get bloody diarrhea." On Man Utd opting-out of the FA Cup to play in the World Club Championship.

"I can't even spell spaghetti never mind talk Italian. How could I tell an Italian to get the ball - he might grab mine." On the influx of foreign players.

"I bet their dressing room will smell of garlic rather than liniment over the next few months." On the number of French players at Arsenal.

"Who the hell wants fourteen pairs of shoes when you go on holiday? I haven't had fourteen pairs in my life." On the contents of Posh Spice's missing luggage.

"Rome wasn't built in a day. But I wasn't on that particular job." On getting things done.

"On occasions I have been big headed. I think most people are when they get in the limelight. I call myself Big Head just to remind myself not to be." Old Big 'Ead explains his nickname.

"At last England have appointed a manager who speaks English better than the players." On the appointment of Sven Goran Eriksson as England manager.

"If he'd been English or Swedish, he'd have walked the England job." On Martin O'Neill.

"Anybody who can do anything in Leicester but make a jumper has got to be a genius." A tribute to Martin O'Neill.

"The ugliest player I ever signed was Kenny Burns." A Clough complement for a talented player.

"Stand up straight" get your shoulders back and get your hair cut." Advice for John McGovern at Hartlepool.

Clough ironically started his managerial career at Hartlepool, the club incidentally that i still keep contact with!!!Ya the club that was in the "twinning" programme with Sarawak football team during the times when i was in charge of Sarawak football,,,Russ Green the Hartlepool CEO and myself had some great ideas together how to revolutionise Sarawak football .Wonder how Clough would have reacted seeing the manner we run our football , but then that man is unique and he's been called "big head"for nothing!

Yes Brian Clough the greatest football manager that never manage the England Team!!!

Fasting month, and a "tapai" to savour

Fasting month for us Muslims evoke a sense of a timely reminder of need to experience sacrifices and self discipline. From an early age we are taught on the various religious rituals that one must endure during the Ramadhan month.

When it comes to food to break fast, restraints somehow has gone amissing . Somehow without fail every fasting month my daily starter is always a tapai (fermented rice..) .I just cant explain this peculiar obsession of mine with the tapai because other days i did not touch a bit of the tapai.

The tapai is prepared by mixing rice with some form of yeast,i remembered my late grandmother when she declared that she was to prepare and make the tapai it always brought unbridled excitement to us all.

While she prepared this dish , nobody was allowed to chatter for fear that the tapai will turn into a sour taste rather than the much desired sweetened taste. My only explanation now is that to avoid the saliva from spoiling the fermentation process!!!

My confession as well now that i am not always keen to have my breaking of fast at some of these posh hotels that charged you a fortune purely because they do not serve my "compulsory" starter dish, the TAPAI!!!

So without fail everyday back from work ,a consistent chore will be to drop by at the Ramadan bazaar near my house and buy nasi ayam for Faizul, Mee jawa for Sabrina and without fail a ringgit's worth of tapai!!!

A greatr Merdeka day

On 31.8 morning i dragged myself out of a deep slumber to attend the Merdeka celebration event at the indoor stadium.

While the event is celebrated in a low key manner i felt it was one of the best for the key message on the meaning of Merdeka was well portrayed during the event.

There was the usual guard of honour, the raising of the flag, the pledge and a showcase of our multitude of cultures and notwithstanding a visionary speech by our Chief Minister.

The theme of the celebration was also precise and to me relevant..People first, performance now

Happy Merdeka day again to all Malaysians