Xiao's Blog

Hi guys and girls,I have now officially moved to my new blog page at http://www.blog.xiao-zhai.net Kindly update your links.Sorry for all the inconvenience. Thank you and have a nice day.

Beta testing www.blog.xiao-zhai.net

I am considering moving this blog to my own domain over the next few weeks.Yes,I have my own domain for more than a year now.I am thinking to power it by Wordpress.Would have more control over the categorising and archiving the comments made.I am not too sure on how to transfer the previous comments on haloscan to the wordpress.Probably might need to input manually.Worst comes to worst,might just have to leave them.Not really used to wordpress template codes just yet.Thinking of redesigning the template,so it might take some time.Probably will get it done within the next few months. Till then,this blog would probably not be updated as frequent. Adios

.....so is the local indoor soccer championship here in the small town and I was IN it!!! Here is the story of how I "joined." After dinner,I was doing the dishes in the kitchen,one friendly bloke dropped by to recruit some players for a game,which I presume to be a friendly with all the other guys I am not familiar with.I thought,well,I just had my fill so better not run around so I said no. Moments later,after doing the dishes,my friend and groupmates,A.H. came to knock on my door. A.H:"You in for a soccer game?" XZ :"Well,I just had my dinner.I don't think I would run around.Anyway,where you guys would be playing?(I was under the impression they playing full field soccer under floodlights,that would be so cool)" A.H:"Some indoor place." XZ:"Oh,I see,you guys playing indoor soccer." A.H:"Yeah,come on,just a game,I will wait for you at the common room." XZ:"Ah well,why not?I think I would need to do some exericise anyway." And so,I got changed and went down to the indoor place.It has been nearing 3 years since I last kicked a ball in an indoor game.Used to play it leisurely back in college,but the standard in university got higher and thus I chose to focus on my first love,basketball. When I first reached,everyone introduce ourselves.Well,that usually happened when you try to get some kakis to play the game.Everyone seems to be a stranger,but as the game goes on,you will know them.Something I like about all these sports,you can just walk up to almost anyone and join a game,like in a pickup basketball. But I found a few things a bit strange.

1. The other team was in a uniform colour.
2. We got a referee(wah...I thought so high standard 1 here,friendly also need referee)
3. Got an electronic scoreboard.
4. Got a time limit.
5. The other team looked very unclely
6. They got a 2 metre guy in the other team.

And so the game begins,as five of us in the team barely know each other much less the position we played in,we concede an early goal 1 minute into the game. 3 minutes into the game,our "Henry" (almost every team has its own Henry nowadays) dribbled past 2 defenders and send in a venomous shot that the keeper punched poorly,and the surging relatively unknown XZ broke clear of his marker and caught the ball in mid-air cleanly with his weaker left foot and send the ball back into the top corner.Score 1-1.The crowd all stood up and applaud the majestic goal.Ok,I was just joking bout the crowd but seriously I thought that was my best shot at a goal.That was as clean as a volley can get.Hmm...probably I still have some nice touches left in me after so many years off the game. Then reality hit.That goal must be hell of a jackpot of the jackpot.Something like a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mice.I realised that I couldn't control the ball at all when the ball landed at my feet.Darn.... As the game wore on, I seemed not able to get enough air into my lung.It's been too long since I last did any strenous exercise.At one point,I thought of substituting myself with the guys in the other team.I still thought it was a friendly.But what to do,want to make my money worth,I stubbornly stayed on the field. First half ended with the score 7-5 to us. We had quite a good game. One of the guys in my team mentioned that they lost to them last season.Huh?Last season?Oh,probably they meant autumn.That explains why those uncles were pretty good(ok,by my standard,not comparable to the university standard at all) themselves. Second half,I was huffing and puffing around the field.Too tired.Feet won't move.Sad to say we conceded 3 goals,all were my fault one way or the other.We lost 8-7.Great game,I'd say.It's been a while since I last played anyway,and to get a goal was a plus. It was then the guys in our team started talking about losing to them last season and all.Shaked hands and all and then prepare to go back.I was pretty surprised.What?!Just one game,and we go?Kinda not worth it to do my laundry after spending so little time sweating.Normally back in Malaysia,we booked the court for like what?2 hours probably?What to do,they were driving,not me.I just have to follow them. It was at the counter; Lady : "Guys,please write down your names here." XZ :"Huh?(Why so mah fan 1?Need to write name and phone number somemore of everyone) Henry: "Oh,it was the team sheet,you guys were late just now,so I guess now it would be a good time to fill all in." XZ:"Huh?(Then it suddenly dawned on me)Wait a minute,you mean the game just now was not a friendly? Henry:"That was a competition just now,the game you guys just played." XZ:"(WTH!!??)Does that mean I just played in a competition?" Henry:"Yeah,you would need to work on your stamina if you wanna stay on the field,today is the first game,so kinda hard to gather the team together." A.H:"Cut this bloke some slack,man.He got like what,5 minutes to get ready?" XZ:".........(speechless)" And so there is the story of how I score my first competitive goal in an indoor soccer.My legs are still feeling sore at the moment.Should I play again next week?Hmm....... And EPL,should be quite a good season.Chelsea doesn't seem to be as strong or cohesive as last season.What to do,internal family conflicts.Gotta see how Man United cope with just 3 proven strikers.Liverpool looked rather strong.I expect Tottenham to improve a lot this season to challenge the traditional frontrunners.Arsenal,Wenger should be able to buy some players with the opening of Emirates Stadium.Would be nice to see Tomas Rosicky scoring goals for contenders for goals of the season.Newcastle hopefully won't underperform this time round. Adios,till next update.