Spirituality on a string

The one time we wanted Utd to win they turn out a pants performance like that. Reports that at kick off toussly haired Puyol said to geriatric Giggs 'We've bought our ball, where's yours?' have some poetic licence. How Fergie played Anderson and Park ahead of Tevez and Dimi is unfathomable. Is Anderson Brazilian? He doesn't play like one; now i sound like Fabregas with Sparky Hughes. Park's inclusion must to be appease my Far East friends. Carrick is workmanlike; no spark there. Vidic and O' Shea were tosh. And now the Spanish and Italian press are laughing their heads off. The footy forums here were full of invective; someone calling for Fergie's head..ain't gonna happen mate, Fergie is considered God in Britain..largely by himself. How we'd love to see Iniesta and Messi here. And Bayern's Ribery.

I bought a ticket for the Shanti Jatra festival..in Nepal :) Now i just have to figure out how to get there :) Trying to round up like minded adventurers to cross over to Tibet; we'll try and defy altitude sickness. Hopefully i won't be flat broke by the end of the year; start from scratch..will see what happens. Meditative chillout; take me there, to the endless spaces, nourishing the mind.

Champions League

Pep Guardiola sat on Fergie's lap last night and was told 'son when you're as old as me maybe you'll win 30 trophies' Of course it should've been Chelsea in the final but Barca were aided and abetted by a jealous desire to prevent an all English final.
There's no beer in Rome tonight but plenty in Tooting :) The booze ban shows you don't need beer as a motivation when you have Ultra hatred coarsing in your veins as Stab City lived up to its reputation. Who's bright idea was it to have the match there? Italian clubs are a spent force in the Champions League so the credentials are lessened.

the pride of Singapore

Thanks to Alf Inge Haaland for this description of Man U..Anyhauser Royal Brunei Air couldn't be sorry enough; we waited for the flight to Singapore in Brunei Airport's Business Class lounge; lavish setting and food. The inflight dance beats had kept me awake for most of Sat morning to Sun night; gets into your blood.

Hadn't been to Changi Airport before, and it's striking. We were taken to the Grand Mercure Roxy which was top notch; was a tremendous buzz to be in Singapore.

We were watching Man U v Everton F.A Cup Semi-Final which wasn't up to much. My East Timor co-traveller went to bed; the hotel staff said Orchard St was open till 3am and Juju in Jakarta texted; said go to Orchard Towers and have a libation in each, so took a cab at 1am before extra time and penalties had finished. Here for one night only. Went to 3 Monkeys; picture the scene..some trashed Irish guys were karaoking, others were playing cards. I did Backstreet Boys' 'As Long As You Love Me';a creditable version. Across the road Moonshine was rather less sedate with pumping dance music. This was the famous Four Floors; it had been a long trip and when i said 'do you want a drink?' a bar girl bought a $50 tray of tequilas for herself, that's £23 to us! Later went back across the road to meet up with someone who looked like Nicole from the Pussycat Dolls 'Jai Ho!' I sang Abba's 'Dancing Queen'. Malaysian Murthy was an able masseur, especially round the bollocks region- i'm joking. Malays say 'la' at the end of sentences.

Slept on the hotel bed 5.30am; places closing at 5am Sunday night not bad at all. Was a kicking atmosphere outside. My aim was to get an hour's sleep followed by a swim in the lovely pool and an early breakfast. But got up 9.30 and it was raining. Both brek and lunch was the most beautiful Thai, Malay, Japanese food..laksa soup.
Singaporeans are Oriental, Indian; cool, smiley.
So in a way the flight delays were a blessing in disguise; good to be in Sin.

Toxic avenger

Re the last Shameless; Mickey why did you press the bell? Mandy was a moment away from being saved. Maybe the prog's trying to say that a life built on drug earnings can lead to great personal cost. Terrific end fight; everyone involved.. the solidarity and the last sequence with Paddy mid-air going for 'Gallagher!'(Frank).

Recent toxic highlights; out last Wed 11.30pm to midday, symbiotic bad influences. Before that an underground party at a skaters' warehouse where the mens urinal was a bathtub.. 'no early bath'. Cabbies weren't taking people there as it's a supposed muggers' alley. I'd landed from Jakarta that Sunday morning, and stayed at the rave, where a dj mate Conrad played, till daylight.

It was all sensible till Thurs Apr 16th, was staying..in, watching a guy cutting off his own tongue on Oldboy, before going supernova. Not quite ankle-breaking mosh pit(sorry Howie) but still front row Prodigy. Wembley stewards said they hadn't known a night like it for years; the place was rocking. Went to the local Crock of Gold boozer afterwards, then me and Helen up till past 6am.

Wanted to rest the night before the Sat morning flight but BT had no other forthcoming gig and i'd waited 14 years to see him so went to Ministry. There was an appreciative hardcore of us unwavering fans. I left at 3.30am and at 6.30am was in Heathrow portside O'Neills ahead of the dry run, well some miniatures. No discernible difference between night and day vibe. Was going to cab it for £36 to H'row but went to another local office after getting off the N bus and when he said £28 i almost bit his arm off so i said 'see you in an hour'and walked back 4.15am. Since i got back i find out that BT is playing at SouthWest Four!

We were meant to leave at 8.40am..but a catering truck (they must've known a tv extra was on board) crashed into the plane and caused a hole in the fuselage. Other passengers depending on their final destinations went on alternate flights. I had a feeling that we'd have to wait till our plane was fixed and over 7 hours later we finally went. Had a window seat this time :)In the interim there were copius soft drinks and a £7 food voucher; i had a pie, and tuna baguette from Eat.

We had a technical stop in Dubai or Dubayy as locals call it. The upshot of the delay was that we missed the connecting flight from Brunei to Jakarta; the next flight was the following day..arriving 28 hours later than it should have. Does this still happen? Thought it went out with Aeroflot back in the 70's.

But the flight was from Singapore which sounded good. Only three of us were going to obscure Jakarta. One was East Timorese; Ross Kemp's Gangs had gone there so i said i'd like to visit. The chap, wary of tourists getting an axe in their head, 'said give it five years'.