Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Drogba: Champs League final appearance overdue
Two-goal hero Didier Drogba was ecstatic after firing Chelsea to the Champions League final with a 3-2 victory over Liverpool.
GettyImages
Didier Drogba celebrates at the final whistle as Chelsea head to Russia.
The Ivory Coast striker scored the first and third goals as the Blues sealed a showdown with Manchester United in Moscow in extra-time.
Fernando Torres and Ryan Babel netted for the Reds but it was Chelsea's night.
Drogba told Sky Sports 2: 'It is something amazing. Today we did very well. I am really pleased for the club because we've been looking for this final for too long.'
The former Marseille forward was accused before the game of diving by Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez and Drogba admitted he was 'disappointed' by the Spaniard's comments.
'It's difficult as I said,' Drogba added. 'Benitez is a fantastic coach and I was a bit disappointed but I think he felt his team was not strong enough and Chelsea were going to beat them. I am just happy for my team and I don't want to think about others.
'It's not good for my image. I'm giving my best to put my team at the top and I think it's not fair but it's finished.'
Blues captain John Terry admitted he had not fully absorbed the scale of his team's achievement.
'It's fantastic, I think we've fully deserved it over the years, we've had our chance but I thought we made it hard for ourselves at the end.
'It has not sunk in properly. We'll enjoy tonight but it will take 24 hours to sink in.'
Frank Lampard scored a penalty and Terry paid tribute to the England midfielder whose mother died last week.
'What a character Lamps is.
'It has been a terrible week for him. I'm sure Frank will dedicate that goal to his mum.
GettyImages
Didier Drogba celebrates at the final whistle as Chelsea head to Russia.
The Ivory Coast striker scored the first and third goals as the Blues sealed a showdown with Manchester United in Moscow in extra-time.
Fernando Torres and Ryan Babel netted for the Reds but it was Chelsea's night.
Drogba told Sky Sports 2: 'It is something amazing. Today we did very well. I am really pleased for the club because we've been looking for this final for too long.'
The former Marseille forward was accused before the game of diving by Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez and Drogba admitted he was 'disappointed' by the Spaniard's comments.
'It's difficult as I said,' Drogba added. 'Benitez is a fantastic coach and I was a bit disappointed but I think he felt his team was not strong enough and Chelsea were going to beat them. I am just happy for my team and I don't want to think about others.
'It's not good for my image. I'm giving my best to put my team at the top and I think it's not fair but it's finished.'
Blues captain John Terry admitted he had not fully absorbed the scale of his team's achievement.
'It's fantastic, I think we've fully deserved it over the years, we've had our chance but I thought we made it hard for ourselves at the end.
'It has not sunk in properly. We'll enjoy tonight but it will take 24 hours to sink in.'
Frank Lampard scored a penalty and Terry paid tribute to the England midfielder whose mother died last week.
'What a character Lamps is.
'It has been a terrible week for him. I'm sure Frank will dedicate that goal to his mum.
Drogba fires Blues to final
Chelsea will face Manchester United on 21st May
Chelsea will face Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League final after a 3-2 extra-time victory over Liverpool in a thriller at Stamford Bridge.
A brace from Didier Drogba and a penalty from Frank Lamprad ensured that strikes from Fernando Torres and Ryan Babel proved to be nothing but consolations for the Reds.
Chelsea looked bright from the off and tested Pepe Reina with long-range efforts throughout the first-half.
Liverpool on the other hand appeared to lack ideas and found it difficult to bring talismanic front man Torres into the game.
The hosts looked the most likely to find a breakthrough, and duly obliged on 33 minutes when Drogba rifled home.
Salomon Kalou broke clear on the right, although he appeared to be offside, and when his curling effort could only be parried by Reina, Drogba was on hand to rifle home the rebound from a tight angle.
After dominating large periods of the first-half, Chelsea allowed Liverpool back into the game during the second period and were made to pay when Fernando Torres levelled things up on 69 minutes.
Yossi Benayoun was able to break through a couple of challenges as he snaked in field and laid a perfectly weighted ball into the path of the Spanish striker to stroke calmly into the corner.
Neither side could produce a second during normal time, despite numerous opportunities at both ends.
It took just five minutes of extra-time for the game to spring back to life.
Michael Essien thought he had restored Chelsea's lead after taking advantage of some shaky Liverpool defending to blast home. However, he was denied by a linesman's flag.
Four minutes later though the Blues had the lead when Lampard coolly dispatched a penalty after Michael Ballack had been felled by Sami Hyypia.
After appearing to be sailing safely into the final, they were made to sweat when Babel rocketed a 30-yard effort past Cech, but Avram Grant's men eventually managed to hang on.
Chelsea will face Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League final after a 3-2 extra-time victory over Liverpool in a thriller at Stamford Bridge.
A brace from Didier Drogba and a penalty from Frank Lamprad ensured that strikes from Fernando Torres and Ryan Babel proved to be nothing but consolations for the Reds.
Chelsea looked bright from the off and tested Pepe Reina with long-range efforts throughout the first-half.
Liverpool on the other hand appeared to lack ideas and found it difficult to bring talismanic front man Torres into the game.
The hosts looked the most likely to find a breakthrough, and duly obliged on 33 minutes when Drogba rifled home.
Salomon Kalou broke clear on the right, although he appeared to be offside, and when his curling effort could only be parried by Reina, Drogba was on hand to rifle home the rebound from a tight angle.
After dominating large periods of the first-half, Chelsea allowed Liverpool back into the game during the second period and were made to pay when Fernando Torres levelled things up on 69 minutes.
Yossi Benayoun was able to break through a couple of challenges as he snaked in field and laid a perfectly weighted ball into the path of the Spanish striker to stroke calmly into the corner.
Neither side could produce a second during normal time, despite numerous opportunities at both ends.
It took just five minutes of extra-time for the game to spring back to life.
Michael Essien thought he had restored Chelsea's lead after taking advantage of some shaky Liverpool defending to blast home. However, he was denied by a linesman's flag.
Four minutes later though the Blues had the lead when Lampard coolly dispatched a penalty after Michael Ballack had been felled by Sami Hyypia.
After appearing to be sailing safely into the final, they were made to sweat when Babel rocketed a 30-yard effort past Cech, but Avram Grant's men eventually managed to hang on.
Terry's final delight
Chelsea captain John Terry was delighted to have guided the club into their first ever UEFA Champions League final.
Terry was part of the Chelsea side which has previously lost three semi-finals - but they made no mistake on Wednesday evening with a 3-2 win over Liverpool on the night which gave them a 4-3 aggregate success.
The game had gone to extra-time after Fernando Torres had levelled Didier Drogba's opener.
In added time Chelsea took control with Frank Lamprad slotting home a penalty and Drogba firing home before Ryan Babel's late strike gave Liverpool some hope - but it was too little, too late for Rafa Benitez's men.
Delight
Terry was ecstatic to make the final - which takes place in Moscow in three weeks time.
"Fantastic, I think fully deserved over the years," Terry told Sky Sports.
"We made things very difficult for ourselves, last night was tight this one also, these games are always tight.
"I am delighted for myself, the club, the fans and the players."
Terry found time to hail team-mate Frank Lampard who returned to the side despite the recent death of his mother.
"What a character Lamps is," he beamed.
"To come in on Sunday and train, and try and block out what has been a terrible week for Frank and everyone close to him. I think he will dedicate that goal to his mum."
United clash
The Chelsea skipper is also looking forward to facing Manchester United - who they are still battling the Premier League title with - in Russia.
"It has not sunk in properly yet, we will enjoy tonight but perhaps it will take 24 hours but an all English final I think we will look forward to it," he said.
"They have been very good in the league, but we matched them here the other week and managed to beat them. I think all in all they are playing well but we are at the top of our game and in three weeks time it is going to be a very tough game."
Terry was part of the Chelsea side which has previously lost three semi-finals - but they made no mistake on Wednesday evening with a 3-2 win over Liverpool on the night which gave them a 4-3 aggregate success.
The game had gone to extra-time after Fernando Torres had levelled Didier Drogba's opener.
In added time Chelsea took control with Frank Lamprad slotting home a penalty and Drogba firing home before Ryan Babel's late strike gave Liverpool some hope - but it was too little, too late for Rafa Benitez's men.
Delight
Terry was ecstatic to make the final - which takes place in Moscow in three weeks time.
"Fantastic, I think fully deserved over the years," Terry told Sky Sports.
"We made things very difficult for ourselves, last night was tight this one also, these games are always tight.
"I am delighted for myself, the club, the fans and the players."
Terry found time to hail team-mate Frank Lampard who returned to the side despite the recent death of his mother.
"What a character Lamps is," he beamed.
"To come in on Sunday and train, and try and block out what has been a terrible week for Frank and everyone close to him. I think he will dedicate that goal to his mum."
United clash
The Chelsea skipper is also looking forward to facing Manchester United - who they are still battling the Premier League title with - in Russia.
"It has not sunk in properly yet, we will enjoy tonight but perhaps it will take 24 hours but an all English final I think we will look forward to it," he said.
"They have been very good in the league, but we matched them here the other week and managed to beat them. I think all in all they are playing well but we are at the top of our game and in three weeks time it is going to be a very tough game."
Drogba wins battle of the heavyweights
Chelsea 3-2 Liverpool (4-3 on aggregate)
Like two boxers who had slugged themselves into the ground, Rafa Benitez and Didier Drogba must have been hurting after this battering.
GettyImages
Didier Drogba celebrates a knock-out win in his battle with Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez.After a pre-match square-up fit for a weigh-in the day before a heavyweight title fight in Las Vegas, the Liverpool manager and Chelsea striker were always likely to be centre stage as these two familiar Champions League title challengers entered the third of their epic battles in the battle to land Europe's ultimate prize - so it proved.
Benitez's pre-match jibes about Drogba's diving antics grabbed plenty of headlines, yet while the man at the eye of the storm created by the Spanish coach could not deliver the ultimate blow to a coach whose tactical mastery simply cannot fail in this competition.
The Liverpool manager may have been using a tactic well worn by old foe Jose Mourinho with his outspoken attacks on Drogba and even if his chief aim was to alert the match officials to the balance issues that have long afflicted the Ivory Coast hit-man, he merely served to inspire him into his finest performance of the season in the lashing West London rain.
Drogba can be a tower of strength in a one-on-one with the most powerful of centre-backs, yet his tendency to arch the back and produce a theatrical dive is a habit he seems incapable of kicking. Benitez may have been altering Italian referee Roberto Rossi to the 'cheating' that may have been on the agenda, but his comments ended up having a hugely detrimental affect on his side's Champions League dream.
Since stating his determination to walk away from Chelsea at the end of this season, Drogba has been little more than a support act as the likes of Michael Ballack, Joe Cole and Frank Lampard have stolen the stage he once owned. Like Thierry Henry in his final year at Arsenal, it's tough to be at your very best when your ambition in a job is fading.
Drogba's season of indifference had featured just eight Premier League goals and four more in this competition, but with his chest puffed out and his pride rattled to the point of distraction, Chelsea's leading striker again looked like the man who terrorised defences throughout 2006 and 2007.
An early 'dive' brought cries of derision from the Liverpool supporters packing the corner to the left of the press box and dug-outs, but it soon became clear that Jamie Carragher and Martin Skrtel were in for an evening that would not forget in a hurry. Sami Hyypia could not have been relishing the task when he was thrown on to replace the injured Skrtel early on. The fairy who walked on an Anfield tightrope last week had turned into a bulldog and after 32 minutes, Drogba made the most dramatic of impacts.
Salomon Kalou did the groundwork by bursting clear of the Liverpool defence and after Reina could only parry his shot, Drogba blasted home the follow-up with relish. His celebrations included a mock dive into the corner and then a slide in front of accuser Benitez. His point had been made.
Even if the first few rounds had been won by Drogba, Benitez has the ability to sit back and soak up the punishment before hitting back and that is exactly what he did in the second half.
Avram Grant's half-time team talk predictably seemed to lull his side into a slumber, yet the Liverpool boss had a mesmeric effect on the men charged with delivering the punches to get him back in the fight and their jabs flowed early in the second period before they found a punch to floor Chelsea.
Benitez had just switched Yossi Benayoun from the left to right flank moment before the little Israeli embarked on a run that would bring Liverpool back into the tie. Fernando Torres' finish from his delicate through ball was immaculate and with that, Liverpool seemed to move into prime position to seal a trip to yet another European Cup Final.
Half-chances flowed until these two prize fighters settled in for an extra few rounds at the end of 90 minutes and it was not until extra-time that the man who started the night with the biggest point to prove struck again.
In a thrillingly exciting opening period of overtime, Chelsea got their second wind. First Michael Essien had a goal disallowed for a controversial offside, before Sami Hyypia gave away the penalty that an emotion-fuelled Frank Lampard converted with ease. Days after the death of his mother, the tears were flowing as he saluted the heavens in tribute.
When Drogba fired in Chelsea's third seconds before the end of the first period of extra-time, a beaten Liverpool and Benitez were given the dreaded ten-count. Not even a late flailing blow from Ryan Babel could change the course of history in their favour, but their immense disappointment should be mixed with pride after a spirited display at a venue they have rarely excelled at.
'I don't think Drogba was any more fired up than he would have been because of my comment,' said Benitez. 'He was playing for a Final and didn't need any more motivation. I have no regrets about what I said before the match. He is a quality striker and I always said this.
'When we scored the goal, I was really positive and I'm really proud of my team even after a defeat. We deserved more over the two games and proved in extra-time that we were strong enough mentally and physically to win this game. I have no complaints. Chelsea are a strong team and they got the breaks they needed.'
“ I understand why Chelsea lost to them three times in the semi-finals in the past. To win against them is very special. ”
— Avram Grant on Liverpool
The ever glum Grant again did his best to look disappointed after what was an historic victory for his side and you still wonder whether he is achieving this success thanks purely to the team he has been presented with his Russian Tsar, Roman Abramovich.
'This is the Holocaust Day in my country, so this was a tough day for my team to play, but you have to get through,' he said. 'To create history in my first year at this club means so much to me. We have overcome so many problems and this is a time to say well done to everyone at the club. I'm proud of my players and hopefully I get less criticism personally now. I needed to prove more than another manager that I can handle this and I've created history.
'Rafa Benitez is a great manager. He has great tactics and made it very difficult to play against him because you have to think all the time. I understand why Chelsea lost to them three times in the semi-finals in the past. To win against them is very special.'
So Drogba won a split decision over Benitez in the end, but not before a titanic struggle that will live long in the memory.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MAN OF THE MATCH: Javier Mascherano
The Argentine battler did not deserve to finish this game as a loser after an all-action display from start to finish. He must now be the world's premier defensive midfielder.
ANFIELD AFFECTION: Liverpool officials didn't allow the magnitude of this game to blur their attention to detail and the basket of flowers handed to a grieving Frank Lampard prior to kick-off was a nice touch.
PENALTY DRAMA: Sami Hyypia seemed to have been fouled in the box at the start of the second period of extra time. Had the decision gone in Liverpool's favour, this tie could have turned. Arsenal fans will not have any sympathy after their spot-kick misery in the quarter-finals.
OWNER SYMPATHY: Benitez revealed Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks visited his dressing room after the game to compliment the team on their effort.
DROGBA HITS BACK: 'What Benitez said about me was very personal and I didn't like it. I'm doing my best to promote English football and maybe he didn't like the idea of Liverpool losing. This is finished now. We are in the Final.'
GRANT IS DOWN: You had to laugh as Steven Gerrard inadvertently barged over Avram Grant as he retrieved the ball moments before the half-time break. The poor old Israeli coach just couldn't help but look like a fool even on the greatest night of his career.
VERDICT: After the gloom and tedium of the two previous ties between these two giants, we had a battle fit for a Champions League semi-final. This epic brawl could have gone either way, but Chelsea were left to celebrate the narrowest of victories.
Like two boxers who had slugged themselves into the ground, Rafa Benitez and Didier Drogba must have been hurting after this battering.
GettyImages
Didier Drogba celebrates a knock-out win in his battle with Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez.After a pre-match square-up fit for a weigh-in the day before a heavyweight title fight in Las Vegas, the Liverpool manager and Chelsea striker were always likely to be centre stage as these two familiar Champions League title challengers entered the third of their epic battles in the battle to land Europe's ultimate prize - so it proved.
Benitez's pre-match jibes about Drogba's diving antics grabbed plenty of headlines, yet while the man at the eye of the storm created by the Spanish coach could not deliver the ultimate blow to a coach whose tactical mastery simply cannot fail in this competition.
The Liverpool manager may have been using a tactic well worn by old foe Jose Mourinho with his outspoken attacks on Drogba and even if his chief aim was to alert the match officials to the balance issues that have long afflicted the Ivory Coast hit-man, he merely served to inspire him into his finest performance of the season in the lashing West London rain.
Drogba can be a tower of strength in a one-on-one with the most powerful of centre-backs, yet his tendency to arch the back and produce a theatrical dive is a habit he seems incapable of kicking. Benitez may have been altering Italian referee Roberto Rossi to the 'cheating' that may have been on the agenda, but his comments ended up having a hugely detrimental affect on his side's Champions League dream.
Since stating his determination to walk away from Chelsea at the end of this season, Drogba has been little more than a support act as the likes of Michael Ballack, Joe Cole and Frank Lampard have stolen the stage he once owned. Like Thierry Henry in his final year at Arsenal, it's tough to be at your very best when your ambition in a job is fading.
Drogba's season of indifference had featured just eight Premier League goals and four more in this competition, but with his chest puffed out and his pride rattled to the point of distraction, Chelsea's leading striker again looked like the man who terrorised defences throughout 2006 and 2007.
An early 'dive' brought cries of derision from the Liverpool supporters packing the corner to the left of the press box and dug-outs, but it soon became clear that Jamie Carragher and Martin Skrtel were in for an evening that would not forget in a hurry. Sami Hyypia could not have been relishing the task when he was thrown on to replace the injured Skrtel early on. The fairy who walked on an Anfield tightrope last week had turned into a bulldog and after 32 minutes, Drogba made the most dramatic of impacts.
Salomon Kalou did the groundwork by bursting clear of the Liverpool defence and after Reina could only parry his shot, Drogba blasted home the follow-up with relish. His celebrations included a mock dive into the corner and then a slide in front of accuser Benitez. His point had been made.
Even if the first few rounds had been won by Drogba, Benitez has the ability to sit back and soak up the punishment before hitting back and that is exactly what he did in the second half.
Avram Grant's half-time team talk predictably seemed to lull his side into a slumber, yet the Liverpool boss had a mesmeric effect on the men charged with delivering the punches to get him back in the fight and their jabs flowed early in the second period before they found a punch to floor Chelsea.
Benitez had just switched Yossi Benayoun from the left to right flank moment before the little Israeli embarked on a run that would bring Liverpool back into the tie. Fernando Torres' finish from his delicate through ball was immaculate and with that, Liverpool seemed to move into prime position to seal a trip to yet another European Cup Final.
Half-chances flowed until these two prize fighters settled in for an extra few rounds at the end of 90 minutes and it was not until extra-time that the man who started the night with the biggest point to prove struck again.
In a thrillingly exciting opening period of overtime, Chelsea got their second wind. First Michael Essien had a goal disallowed for a controversial offside, before Sami Hyypia gave away the penalty that an emotion-fuelled Frank Lampard converted with ease. Days after the death of his mother, the tears were flowing as he saluted the heavens in tribute.
When Drogba fired in Chelsea's third seconds before the end of the first period of extra-time, a beaten Liverpool and Benitez were given the dreaded ten-count. Not even a late flailing blow from Ryan Babel could change the course of history in their favour, but their immense disappointment should be mixed with pride after a spirited display at a venue they have rarely excelled at.
'I don't think Drogba was any more fired up than he would have been because of my comment,' said Benitez. 'He was playing for a Final and didn't need any more motivation. I have no regrets about what I said before the match. He is a quality striker and I always said this.
'When we scored the goal, I was really positive and I'm really proud of my team even after a defeat. We deserved more over the two games and proved in extra-time that we were strong enough mentally and physically to win this game. I have no complaints. Chelsea are a strong team and they got the breaks they needed.'
“ I understand why Chelsea lost to them three times in the semi-finals in the past. To win against them is very special. ”
— Avram Grant on Liverpool
The ever glum Grant again did his best to look disappointed after what was an historic victory for his side and you still wonder whether he is achieving this success thanks purely to the team he has been presented with his Russian Tsar, Roman Abramovich.
'This is the Holocaust Day in my country, so this was a tough day for my team to play, but you have to get through,' he said. 'To create history in my first year at this club means so much to me. We have overcome so many problems and this is a time to say well done to everyone at the club. I'm proud of my players and hopefully I get less criticism personally now. I needed to prove more than another manager that I can handle this and I've created history.
'Rafa Benitez is a great manager. He has great tactics and made it very difficult to play against him because you have to think all the time. I understand why Chelsea lost to them three times in the semi-finals in the past. To win against them is very special.'
So Drogba won a split decision over Benitez in the end, but not before a titanic struggle that will live long in the memory.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MAN OF THE MATCH: Javier Mascherano
The Argentine battler did not deserve to finish this game as a loser after an all-action display from start to finish. He must now be the world's premier defensive midfielder.
ANFIELD AFFECTION: Liverpool officials didn't allow the magnitude of this game to blur their attention to detail and the basket of flowers handed to a grieving Frank Lampard prior to kick-off was a nice touch.
PENALTY DRAMA: Sami Hyypia seemed to have been fouled in the box at the start of the second period of extra time. Had the decision gone in Liverpool's favour, this tie could have turned. Arsenal fans will not have any sympathy after their spot-kick misery in the quarter-finals.
OWNER SYMPATHY: Benitez revealed Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks visited his dressing room after the game to compliment the team on their effort.
DROGBA HITS BACK: 'What Benitez said about me was very personal and I didn't like it. I'm doing my best to promote English football and maybe he didn't like the idea of Liverpool losing. This is finished now. We are in the Final.'
GRANT IS DOWN: You had to laugh as Steven Gerrard inadvertently barged over Avram Grant as he retrieved the ball moments before the half-time break. The poor old Israeli coach just couldn't help but look like a fool even on the greatest night of his career.
VERDICT: After the gloom and tedium of the two previous ties between these two giants, we had a battle fit for a Champions League semi-final. This epic brawl could have gone either way, but Chelsea were left to celebrate the narrowest of victories.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
Where are my pictures?
This is the first time I am using Microsoft words to blog. Just this morning, it occurred to me maybe I can just write my blog using paint or photoshop before posting them as pictures or something like that. So here I have Words which will allow me to type and insert pictures at the same time. I just wonder how the formatting would turn out to be like.
The picture I choose came from one of those sample pictures found in windows. A well taken track in the middle of a forest. Does it signify the beginning of a journey into the unknown or does it mean the end of uncertainty as you leave the forest? I shall not get too philosophical as I am sleepy now. Maybe I should be thinking if where I in this part of the journey am. I think I have been lost for too long. I am lacking the direction required to take a meaningful step forward.
Yesterday I took out the game that I have been playing since my army days. I have managed to complete a whole session unbeaten. That is about 42 games of not having lost. Of course I promptly lost at home the next session after 15 games or so. With the things I have to do now, I would never have the time to go through the game with all my concentration and attention. I would love to savour every bit of the game, complete every challenge and unlock every item. But I just do not have the time to do so. So I took the game out and handed it to my mum for safe keeping. Till the day when I may have enough time to relish every nook and cranny of the game. Maybe it might be fifa40 by then.
I am sitting in cafe Galilee typing this blog. I am supposed to be studying but almost everything is more enjoyable than studying. I slept early last night, half way through the Portsmouth and Blackburn match I felt like sleeping. But I woke at an ungodly hour just in time to watch Real Madrid beat Athletic Bilbao 3 nil. I have a few second teams; of course my favourite and revered team is and will always be Chelsea. My second teams are Sevilla, Real Madrid and Arsenal. I guess that is because they are fierce competitors of Barcelona and Man U. Both of whom compete directly with Chelsea over the past few seasons and has been triumphant on a few occasions. Anyway it was just really late or early depending on how you would see it. Which going by my sleep cycle is fitting. This is a night owl. A true blue night owl.
I still have a keen interest in watches. There was a national library souvenir watch on display at the entrance and it caught my eye. Watches usually catch my eyes. I am pondering over a move for it. It is around $16 over the internet. Nlb.gov.sg. Just go to the shop section and check out the accessories available. A very ordinary watch and of no particular importance or significance. Who ever cares about where the old national library used to be? But it just got me interested.
I will be having sushi with Chinsiang this evening. We actually agreed on the sushi half a year ago when we were still doing our fam med posting. I am not particularly keen for sushi but not adverse to it either. I just had a good Ichiban sushi lunch yesterday. Well, it is a buffet so I guess we will just stay there and mug for a few hours while filling our stomach with the sushi. Too bad sashimi is not on the menu but it would be easy to gather a plate of sashimi by removing the meat from the sushi. But where would I hide the rice? Now this is a great advertisement for the Disney blockbuster. Just don’t blame me if it never make it to the big screen, and ends up in my big intestine.
Will this plate of sushi put you off?
This mouse is having a Japanese cuisine.
A new restaurant opening in West Hollywood features Nyotaimori, associated in legend with Japanese organize crime, the term translating as "female body arrangement" (and - this being gay West Hollywood - prospective customers have also made inquiries about a male model being used instead of a woman). Rachael, the model:
was a human sushi platter for the evening, the centerpiece of an opening party last month for Hadaka Sushi on the Sunset Strip. Taking gentle breaths, she kept as still as possible so as not to disturb the clusters of oil-infused sushi rolls, sashimi and other pieces of raw fish artfully arranged on the banana leaves in a style known as nyotaimori.... [she]..seemed to enjoy the evening as much as anyone could while lying supine and being poked by chopsticks. To an onlooker, the most disturbing aspect of her job might be Hadaka’s rule that forbids a model to eat the sushi that rests inches away from her mouth.
I wonder if the male diners have had their fill?
Blog ended 5.58pm
The picture I choose came from one of those sample pictures found in windows. A well taken track in the middle of a forest. Does it signify the beginning of a journey into the unknown or does it mean the end of uncertainty as you leave the forest? I shall not get too philosophical as I am sleepy now. Maybe I should be thinking if where I in this part of the journey am. I think I have been lost for too long. I am lacking the direction required to take a meaningful step forward.
Yesterday I took out the game that I have been playing since my army days. I have managed to complete a whole session unbeaten. That is about 42 games of not having lost. Of course I promptly lost at home the next session after 15 games or so. With the things I have to do now, I would never have the time to go through the game with all my concentration and attention. I would love to savour every bit of the game, complete every challenge and unlock every item. But I just do not have the time to do so. So I took the game out and handed it to my mum for safe keeping. Till the day when I may have enough time to relish every nook and cranny of the game. Maybe it might be fifa40 by then.
I am sitting in cafe Galilee typing this blog. I am supposed to be studying but almost everything is more enjoyable than studying. I slept early last night, half way through the Portsmouth and Blackburn match I felt like sleeping. But I woke at an ungodly hour just in time to watch Real Madrid beat Athletic Bilbao 3 nil. I have a few second teams; of course my favourite and revered team is and will always be Chelsea. My second teams are Sevilla, Real Madrid and Arsenal. I guess that is because they are fierce competitors of Barcelona and Man U. Both of whom compete directly with Chelsea over the past few seasons and has been triumphant on a few occasions. Anyway it was just really late or early depending on how you would see it. Which going by my sleep cycle is fitting. This is a night owl. A true blue night owl.
I still have a keen interest in watches. There was a national library souvenir watch on display at the entrance and it caught my eye. Watches usually catch my eyes. I am pondering over a move for it. It is around $16 over the internet. Nlb.gov.sg. Just go to the shop section and check out the accessories available. A very ordinary watch and of no particular importance or significance. Who ever cares about where the old national library used to be? But it just got me interested.
I will be having sushi with Chinsiang this evening. We actually agreed on the sushi half a year ago when we were still doing our fam med posting. I am not particularly keen for sushi but not adverse to it either. I just had a good Ichiban sushi lunch yesterday. Well, it is a buffet so I guess we will just stay there and mug for a few hours while filling our stomach with the sushi. Too bad sashimi is not on the menu but it would be easy to gather a plate of sashimi by removing the meat from the sushi. But where would I hide the rice? Now this is a great advertisement for the Disney blockbuster. Just don’t blame me if it never make it to the big screen, and ends up in my big intestine.
Will this plate of sushi put you off?
This mouse is having a Japanese cuisine.
A new restaurant opening in West Hollywood features Nyotaimori, associated in legend with Japanese organize crime, the term translating as "female body arrangement" (and - this being gay West Hollywood - prospective customers have also made inquiries about a male model being used instead of a woman). Rachael, the model:
was a human sushi platter for the evening, the centerpiece of an opening party last month for Hadaka Sushi on the Sunset Strip. Taking gentle breaths, she kept as still as possible so as not to disturb the clusters of oil-infused sushi rolls, sashimi and other pieces of raw fish artfully arranged on the banana leaves in a style known as nyotaimori.... [she]..seemed to enjoy the evening as much as anyone could while lying supine and being poked by chopsticks. To an onlooker, the most disturbing aspect of her job might be Hadaka’s rule that forbids a model to eat the sushi that rests inches away from her mouth.
I wonder if the male diners have had their fill?
Blog ended 5.58pm
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Chelsea 2-1 Man Utd
| Match Stats | ||
| Chelsea | Man Utd | |
| Shots (on Goal) | 13(8) | 7(6) |
| Fouls | 14 | 16 |
| Corner Kicks | 8 | 3 |
| Offsides | 0 | 6 |
| Time of Possession | 53% | 47% |
| Yellow Cards | 3 | 4 |
| Red Cards | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 7 | 7 |
| Match Information |
| Stadium: Stamford Bridge, England Attendance: 41,828 Match Time: 12:45 UK Referee(s): A Wiley (Referee) |
| Teams | |
| Chelsea | Man Utd |
| 1 Petr Cech | 1 Edwin Van der Sar |
| 3 Ashley Cole | 5 Rio Ferdinand |
| 26 John Terry | 6 Wes Brown |
| 6 Ricardo Carvalho | 27 Mikael Silvestre |
| 20 Paulo Ferreira | 15 Nemanja Vidic |
| 10 Joe Cole | 16 Michael Carrick |
| 5 Michael Essien | 11 Ryan Giggs |
| 13 Michael Ballack | 24 Darren Fletcher |
| 12 John Mikel Obi | 17 Luis Nani |
| 11 Didier Drogba | 8 Anderson |
| 21 Salomon Kalou | 10 Wayne Rooney |
| Substitutes | |
| 23 Carlo Cudicini | Tomasz Kuszczak 29 |
| 35 Juliano Belletti | John O'Shea 22 |
| 4 Claude Makelele | Owen Hargreaves 4 |
| 39 Nicolas Anelka | Cristiano Ronaldo 7 |
| 7 Andriy Shevchenko | Carlos Tevez 32 |
| Substitutions | |
| Nicolas Anelka for Paulo Ferreira (66) | Owen Hargreaves for Nemanja Vidic (14) |
| Andriy Shevchenko for Salomon Kalou (81) | Cristiano Ronaldo for Wayne Rooney (63) |
| Claude Makelele for Joe Cole (87) | John O'Shea for Anderson (65) |
| Yellow Cards | |
| Michael Ballack (45) | Wes Brown (52) |
| John Mikel Obi (77) | Edwin Van der Sar (86) |
| Didier Drogba (88) | Rio Ferdinand (90) |
| Owen Hargreaves (90) | |
| · Club Squads: Chelsea | Man Utd | |
Updated: April 26, 2008, 10:21 AM ET
Two goals from Michael Ballack kept alive Chelsea's title hopes as they overcame Manchester United 2-1 in a pulsating clash at Stamford Bridge.Chelsea's dreams appeared over after a monumental blunder by Ricardo Carvalho gifted United a 55th minute equaliser to Wayne Rooney.
Ballack had given Chelsea a 45th minute lead and he sealed a vital win in controversial circumstances by slotting home a penalty five minutes from time.
Referee Alan Wiley awarded the spot-kick after Michael Carrick handled a cross from Michael Essien.
It was a sensational climax to an afternoon of high drama in west London and the win puts Chelsea level on points with United at the top of the Barclays Premier League.
Chelsea set about United in the opening minutes and Michael Essien brought a diving save from Edwin Van der Sar.
United, who left Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez on the substitutes' bench, were rocked in the ninth minute when Nemanja Vidic was carried off on a stretcher with a facial injury.
The United defender was caught by Didier Drogba's knee as he stooped to head the ball clear and he was subsequently replaced by Owen Hargreaves.
The tempo, as expected, was fast and furious, but goalscoring opportunities were at a premium.
Chelsea should have taken the lead in the 20th minute when Joe Cole got clear of the United defence, but after initially losing the ball, he lashed the ball against the crossbar from just inside the penalty area.
Chelsea were leaving plenty of gaps in defence, but United, with Wayne Rooney operating as a lone striker, were unable to exploit them.
In the 23rd minute a neat combination between Drogba and Essien ended with the Ghanaian's cross eluding everyone in the six-yard box.
Rooney's lone role in attack was clearly not working as Ryan Giggs and Nani were often slow in supporting the England international.
Chelsea continued to press for an opening goal and were unlucky when Joe Cole dribbled his way into the penalty area, only for Van der Sar to grab the ball at his feet. The United keeper required treatment for a minor knock as a result of the collision.
On the half-hour Joe Cole shot just wide from the angle of the six-yard box when fed the ball by Essien.
A free-kick from Ashley Cole caused minor panic in the United defence when the giant frame of John Terry rose to meet it, but the Chelsea captain could not direct his effort anywhere near the target.
The home side were well on top and thought they should have been awarded a spot-kick in the 34th minute when Drogba appeared to go down under a robust challenge from Mikael Silvestre.
But the referee emphatically waved away Chelsea's appeals while United's bench accused the Ivorian of taking a dive.
However, Chelsea took the lead in the 45th minute when Drogba's cross was headed home at the far post by the unmarked Ballack.
The goal sparked emotional scenes as all the Chelsea players held up Frank Lampard's number eight shirt with the message 'Pat Lampard - R.I.P'. Ballack who had taken his shirt off, was then booked by Wiley.
It was a tribute to Lampard's mother, who passed away from pneumonia on Thursday.
Ballack's timely opening goal was just the boost Grant's side had been hoping for.
The Blues, needing to win to move level on points with United at the top of the table, were far the better side in the opening 45 minutes.
If there had been any doubts about the spirit within the dressing room at Stamford Bridge, then they had been dispelled emphatically by the emotional celebrations that followed Ballack's goal.
United were still struggling to create anything despite a better share of possession at the start of the second half.
United's Brown found himself booked for a foul on Essien in the 52nd minute as, rather ominously for Chelsea, 38-goal Cristiano Ronaldo warmed up on the touchline.
But United got themselves back into the game thanks to a mistake by Chelsea defender Carvalho.
The Portuguese defender passed the ball straight to Rooney, who accepted the gift by firing beyond Cech into the net, although he appeared to injure himself in the process.
Carvalho's error could have already gifted United the title, but Sir Alex Ferguson, sensing perhaps that his side could finish the job, replaced a struggling Rooney with Ronaldo.
Seconds later Anderson was substituted for John O'Shea and Chelsea, knowing they had to get themselves back in front, added Nicolas Anelka into the mix in place of Paulo Ferreira.
The game continued to enthral, with Ashley Cole getting an ear bashing from Wiley after he had been harshly adjudged to have fouled Ronaldo.
But it erupted into controversy in the 84th minute when Wiley awarded a penalty for handball against Carrick.
The United midfielder got his arm in the way of Essien's cross and Ballack kept his cool to score from the spot and keep the title race on the boil.
In the dying minutes United were twice thwarted by goalline clearances - Ronaldo's left-foot drive being hacked away by Ashley Cole, before substitute Andriy Shevchenko nodded clear Darren Fletcher's diving header following a goalmouth scramble.
Grant declared: 'I am optimistic but we need to win our last two games and hope Manchester lose one point. If you come to this stage and you are not optimistic you should not be in sport.
'My players were very competitive. They wanted to win. When you concede a goal like we did it is a little bit disappointing but we were full of energy.
'They wanted to win the game and football is a game of emotion. We competed against Arsenal and against United. The game we lost at Arsenal was from a mistake and I don't want to take you back to the game at Old Trafford when the referee (Mike Dean) won the game not Man Utd (Chelsea had Mikel John Obi sent off). I hope for him it is not the result that will affect the title.'
Reflecting on today's vital clash, Grant added: 'We did what we had to do. We deserved to win and more than 2-1.
'I am happy with the result and the way we did it. I enjoy winning games and I enjoyed the spirit and courage of the players today.'
Ballack's first goal was followed by emotional celebrations as the Chelsea players held-up a shirt in honour of Frank Lampard's mother Pat.
She had died on Thursday from pneumonia and Lampard was missing from the line-up against United as a result.
Grant does not know whether the influential midfielder will return for the return leg of their semi-final against Liverpool on Wednesday.
'The players have a lot of sympathy for Frank, you saw that after the first goal,' said Grant. 'We are a big, big family, the staff and the players and what has happened to Frank makes all of us very sad.
'From me I send my sympathy to the family from everyone here. We will leave the decision about Wednesday to him. I will respect any decision he makes.
'Football is exciting but there are things that are more important. I say to the players that on the way to excellency you need to be human, so I think we need to respect what has happened to him.
'Frank wants to play all the time. When I put him on the bench after many years of playing he didn't feel good with it. He wants to play but we need to respect his situation.'
Friday, April 25, 2008
Hansel and Gretel
A reckless youngster Eun-soo drives to his mother's, and has a car accident. When Eun-soo wakes up, he meets a mysterious girl and is led to her fairytale-like house in the middle of the forest. There, Eun-soo is trapped with the girl and her siblings who never age. Soon he learns all the adults who visited or stayed in the house have met mysterious yet terrible ends. More shockingly, their cruel deaths are drawn in details and made into a fairytale book by the children. Scared Eun-soo tries to find the way out, but the house is secluded in the forest with no way out. Thereafter, Eun-soo discovers a book which tells a brutal end of none other than himself!
Hansel and Gretel
Near BY a great forest dwelt a poor wood-cutter with his wife and his two children. The boy was called Hansel and the girl Gretel. He had little to bite and to break, and once when great dearth fell on the land, he could no longer procure even daily bread. Now when he thought over this by night in his bed, and tossed about in his anxiety, he groaned and said to his wife: "What is to become of us? How are we to feed our poor children, when we no longer have anything even for ourselves?" "I'11 tell you what, husband," answered the woman, "early to-morrow morning we will take the children out into the forest to where it is the thickest; there we will light a fire for them, and give each of them one more piece of bread, and then we will go to our work and leave them alone. They will not find the way home again, and we shall be rid of them." "No, wife," said the man, "I will not do that; how can I bear to leave my children alone in the forest--the wild animals would soon come and tear them to pieces." "0, you fool!" said she, "then we must all four die of hunger, you may as well plane the planks for our coffins," and she left him no peace until he consented. "But I feel very sorry for the poor children, all the same," said the man.
The two children had also not been able to sleep for hunger, and had heard what their step-mother had said to their father. Gretel wept bitter tears, and said to Hansel: "Now all is over with us." "Be quiet, Gretel," said Hansel, "do not distress yourself, I will soon find a way to help us." And when the old folks had fallen asleep, he got up, put on his little coat, opened the door below, and crept outside. The moon shone brightly, and the white pebbles which lay in front of the house glittered like real silver pennies. Hansel stooped and stuffed the little pocket of his coat with as many as he could get in. Then he went back and said to Gretel: "Be comforted, dear little sister, and sleep in peace, God will not forsake us," and he lay down again in his bed. When day dawned, but before the sun had risen, the woman came and awoke the two children, saying: "Get up, you sluggards! We are going into the forest to fetch wood." She gave each a little piece of bread, and said: "There is something for your dinner, but do not eat it up before then, for you will get nothing else." Gretel took the bread under her apron, as Hansel had the pebbles in his pocket. Then they all set out together on the way to the forest. When they had walked a short time, Hansel stood still and peeped back at the house, and did so again and again. His father said: "Hansel, what are you looking at there and staying behind for? Pay attention, and do not forget how to use your legs." "Ah, father," said Hansel, "I am looking at my little white cat, which is sitting up on the roof, and wants to say good-bye to me." The wife said: "Fool, that is not your little cat, that is the morning sun which is shining on the chimneys." Hansel, however, had not been looking back at the cat, but had been constantly throwing one of the white pebble-stones out of his pocket on the road.
When they had reached the middle of the forest, the father said: "Now, children, pile up some wood, and I will light a fire that you may not be cold." Hansel and Gretel gathered brushwood together, as high as a little hill. The brushwood was lighted, and when the flames were burning very high, the woman said: "Now, children, lay yourselves down by the fire and rest, we will go into the forest and cut some wood. When we have done, we will come back and fetch you away."
Hansel and Gretel sat by the fire, and when noon came, each ate a little piece of bread, and as they heard the strokes of the wood-axe they believed that their father was near. It was not the axe, however, but a branch which he had fastened to a withered tree which the wind was blowing backwards and forwards. And as they had been sitting such a long time, their eyes closed with fatigue, and they fell fast asleep. When at last they awoke, it was already dark night. Gretel began to cry and said: "How are we to get out of the forest now?" But Hansel comforted her and said: "Just wait a little, until the moon has risen, and then we will soon find the way." And when the full moon had risen, Hansel took his little sister by the hand, and followed the pebbles which shone like newly-coined silver pieces, and showed them the way.
They walked the whole night long, and by break of day came once more to their father's house. They knocked at the door, and when the woman opened it and saw that it was Hansel and Gretel, she said: "You naughty children, why have you slept so long in the forest--we thought you were never coming back at all!" The father, however, rejoiced, for it had cut him to the heart to leave them behind alone.
ot long afterwards, there was once more great dearth throughout the land, and the children heard their mother saying at night to their father: "Everything is eaten again, we have one half loaf left, and that is the end. The children must go, we will take them farther into the wood, so that they will not find their way out again; there is no other means of saving ourselves!" The man's heart was heavy, and he thought: "It would be better for you to share the last mouthful with your children." The woman, however, would listen to nothing that he had to say, but scolded and reproached him. He who says A must say B, likewise, and as he had yielded the first time, he had to do so a second time also.
The children, however, were still awake and had heard the conversation. When the old folks were asleep, Hansel again got up, and wanted to go out and pick up pebbles as he had done before, but the woman had locked the door, and Hansel could not get out. Nevertheless he comforted his little sister, and said: "Do not cry, Gretel, go to sleep quietly, the good God will help us."
Early in the morning came the woman, and took the children out of their beds. Their piece of bread was given to them, but it was still smaller than the time before. On the way into the forest Hansel crumbled his in his pocket, and often stood still and threw a morsel on the ground. "Hansel, why do you stop and look round " said the father, "go on." "I am looking back at my little pigeon which is sitting on the roof, and wants to say good-bye to me," answered Hansel. "Fool!" said the woman, "that is not Your little pigeon, that is the morning sun that is shining on the chimney." Hansel, however, little by little, threw all the crumbs on the path.
The woman led the children still deeper into the forest, where they had never in their lives been before. Then a great fire was again made, and the mother said: "Just sit there, you children, and when you are tired you may sleep a little; we are going into the forest to cut wood, and in the evening when we are done, we will come and fetch you away." When it was noon, Gretel shared her piece of bread with Hansel, who had scattered his by the way. Then they fell asleep and evening passed, but no one came to the poor children. They did not awake until it was dark night, and Hansel comforted his little sister and said: "Just wait, Gretel, until the moon rises, and then we shall see the crumbs of bread which I have strewn about, they will show us our way home again." When the moon came they set out, but they found no crumbs, for the many thousands of birds which fly about in the woods and fields had picked them all up.
Hansel said to Gretel: "We shall soon find the way," but they did not find it. They walked the whole night and all the next day too from morning till evening, but they did not get out of the forest, and were very hungry, for they had nothing to eat but two or three berries, which grew on the ground. And as they were so weary that their legs would carry them no longer, they lay down beneath a tree and fell asleep.
t was now three mornings since they had left their father's house. They began to walk again, but they always came deeper into the forest, and if help did not come soon, they must die of hunger and weariness. When it was mid-day, they saw a beautiful snow-white bird sitting on a bough, which sang so delightfully that they stood still and listened to it. And when its song was over, it spread its wings and flew away before them, and they followed it until they reached a little house, on the roof of which it alighted; and when they approached the little house they saw that it was built of bread and covered with cakes, but that the windows were of clear sugar. "We will set to work on that," said Hansel, "and have a good meal. I will eat a bit of the roof, and you Gretel, can eat some of the window, it will taste sweet." Hansel reached up above, and broke off a little of the roof to try how it tasted, and Gretel leant against the window and nibbled at the panes. Then a soft voice cried from the parlor:
"Nibble, nibble, gnaw,Who is nibbling at my little house?"
The children answered:
"The wind, the wind,The heaven-born wind,"
and went on eating without disturbing themselves. Hansel, who liked the taste of the roof, tore down a great piece of it, and Gretel pushed out the whole of one round window-pane, sat down, and enjoyed herself with it. Suddenly the door opened, and a woman as old as the hills, who supported herself on crutches, came creeping out. Hansel and Gretel were so terribly frightened that they let fall what they had in their hands. The old woman, however, nodded her head, and said: "Oh, you dear children, who has brought you here Do come in, and stay with me. No harm shall happen to you." She took them both by the hand, and led them into her little house. Then good food was set before them, milk and pancakes, with sugar, apples, and nuts. Afterwards two pretty little beds were covered with clean white linen, and Hansel and Gretel lay down in them, and thought they were in heaven.
The old woman had only pretended to be so kind; she was in reality a wicked witch, who lay in wait for children, and had only built the little house of bread in order to entice them there. When a child fell into her power, she killed it, cooked and ate it, and that was a feast day with her. Witches have red eyes, and cannot see far, but they have a keen scent like the beasts, and are aware when human beings draw near. When Hansel and Gretel came into her neighborhood, she laughed with malice, and said mockingly: "I have them, they shall not escape me again!" Early in the morning before the children were awake, she was already up, and when she saw both of them sleeping and looking so pretty, with their plump and rosy cheeks, she muttered to herself: "That will be a dainty mouthfull" Then she seized Hansel with her shriveled hand, carried him into a little stable, and locked him in behind a grated door. Scream as he might, it would not help him. Then she went to Gretel, shook her till she awoke, and cried: "Get up, lazy thing, fetch some water, and cook something good for your brother, he is in the stable outside, and is to be made fat. When he is fat, I will eat him." Gretel began to weep bitterly, but it was all in vain, for she was forced to do what the wicked witch commanded.
And now the best food was cooked for poor Hansel, but Gretel got nothing but crab-shells. Every morning the woman crept to the little stable, and cried: "Hansel, stretch out your finger that I may feel if you will soon be fat." Hansel, however, stretched out a little bone to her, and the old woman, who had dim eyes, could not see it, and thought it was Hansel's finger, and was astonished that there was no way of fattening him. When four weeks had gone by, and Hansel still remained thin, she was seized with impatience and would not wait any longer. "Now, then, Gretel," she cried to the girl, "stir yourself, and bring some water. Let Hansel be fat or lean, to-morrow I will kill him, and cook him." Ah, how the poor little sister did lament when she had to fetch the water, and how her tears did flow down her cheeks! "Dear God, do help us," she cried. "If the wild beasts in the forest had but devoured us, we should at any rate have died together." "Just keep your noise to yourself," said the old woman, "it won't help you at all."
arly in the morning, Gretel had to go out and hang up the cauldron with the water, and light the fire. "We will bake first," said the old woman, "I have already heated the oven, and kneaded the dough." She pushed poor Gretel out to the oven, from which flames of fire were already darting. "Creep in," said the witch, "and see if it is properly heated, so that we can put the bread in." And once Gretel was inside, she intended to shut the oven and let her bake in it, and then she would eat her, too. But Gretel saw what she had in mind, and said: "I do not know how I am to do it; how do I get in?" "Silly goose," said the old woman. "The door is big enough; just look, I can get in myself!" and she crept up and thrust her head into the oven. Then Gretel gave her a push that drove her far into it, and shut the iron door, and fastened the bolt. Oh then she began to howl quite horribly, but Gretel ran away, and the godless witch was miserably burnt to death.
Gretel, however, ran like lightning to Hansel, opened his little stable, and cried: "Hansel, we are saved! The old witch is dead!" Then Hansel sprang like a bird from its cage when the door is opened. How they did rejoice and embrace each other, and dance about and kiss each other! And as they had no longer any need to fear her, they went into the witch's house, and in every corner there stood chests full of pearls and jewels. "These are far better than pebbles!" said Hansel, and thrust into his pockets whatever could be got in, and Gretel said: "I, too, will take something home with me," and filled her pinafore full. "But now we must be off," said Hansel, "that we may get out of the witch's forest."
When they had walked for two hours, they came to a great stretch of water. "We cannot cross," said Hansel, "I see no foot-plank, and no bridge." "And there is also no ferry," answered Gretel, "but a white duck is swimming there; if I ask her, she will help us over." Then she cried:
"Little duck, little duck, dost thou see,Hansel and Gretel are waiting for thee?There's never a plank, or bridge in sight,Take us across on thy back so white.
The duck came to them, and Hansel seated himself on its back, and told his sister to sit by him. "No," replied Gretel, "that will be too heavy for the little duck; she shall take us across, one after the other." The good little duck did so, and when they were once safely across and had walked for a short time, the forest seemed to be more and more familiar to them, and at length they saw from afar their father's house. Then they began to run, rushed into the parlor, and threw themselves round their father's neck. The man had not known one happy hour since he had left the children in the forest; the woman, however, was dead. Gretel emptied her pinafore until pearls and precious stones ran about the room, and Hansel threw one handful after another out of his pocket to add to them. Then all anxiety was at an end, and they lived together in perfect happiness.
The two children had also not been able to sleep for hunger, and had heard what their step-mother had said to their father. Gretel wept bitter tears, and said to Hansel: "Now all is over with us." "Be quiet, Gretel," said Hansel, "do not distress yourself, I will soon find a way to help us." And when the old folks had fallen asleep, he got up, put on his little coat, opened the door below, and crept outside. The moon shone brightly, and the white pebbles which lay in front of the house glittered like real silver pennies. Hansel stooped and stuffed the little pocket of his coat with as many as he could get in. Then he went back and said to Gretel: "Be comforted, dear little sister, and sleep in peace, God will not forsake us," and he lay down again in his bed. When day dawned, but before the sun had risen, the woman came and awoke the two children, saying: "Get up, you sluggards! We are going into the forest to fetch wood." She gave each a little piece of bread, and said: "There is something for your dinner, but do not eat it up before then, for you will get nothing else." Gretel took the bread under her apron, as Hansel had the pebbles in his pocket. Then they all set out together on the way to the forest. When they had walked a short time, Hansel stood still and peeped back at the house, and did so again and again. His father said: "Hansel, what are you looking at there and staying behind for? Pay attention, and do not forget how to use your legs." "Ah, father," said Hansel, "I am looking at my little white cat, which is sitting up on the roof, and wants to say good-bye to me." The wife said: "Fool, that is not your little cat, that is the morning sun which is shining on the chimneys." Hansel, however, had not been looking back at the cat, but had been constantly throwing one of the white pebble-stones out of his pocket on the road.
When they had reached the middle of the forest, the father said: "Now, children, pile up some wood, and I will light a fire that you may not be cold." Hansel and Gretel gathered brushwood together, as high as a little hill. The brushwood was lighted, and when the flames were burning very high, the woman said: "Now, children, lay yourselves down by the fire and rest, we will go into the forest and cut some wood. When we have done, we will come back and fetch you away."
Hansel and Gretel sat by the fire, and when noon came, each ate a little piece of bread, and as they heard the strokes of the wood-axe they believed that their father was near. It was not the axe, however, but a branch which he had fastened to a withered tree which the wind was blowing backwards and forwards. And as they had been sitting such a long time, their eyes closed with fatigue, and they fell fast asleep. When at last they awoke, it was already dark night. Gretel began to cry and said: "How are we to get out of the forest now?" But Hansel comforted her and said: "Just wait a little, until the moon has risen, and then we will soon find the way." And when the full moon had risen, Hansel took his little sister by the hand, and followed the pebbles which shone like newly-coined silver pieces, and showed them the way.
They walked the whole night long, and by break of day came once more to their father's house. They knocked at the door, and when the woman opened it and saw that it was Hansel and Gretel, she said: "You naughty children, why have you slept so long in the forest--we thought you were never coming back at all!" The father, however, rejoiced, for it had cut him to the heart to leave them behind alone.
ot long afterwards, there was once more great dearth throughout the land, and the children heard their mother saying at night to their father: "Everything is eaten again, we have one half loaf left, and that is the end. The children must go, we will take them farther into the wood, so that they will not find their way out again; there is no other means of saving ourselves!" The man's heart was heavy, and he thought: "It would be better for you to share the last mouthful with your children." The woman, however, would listen to nothing that he had to say, but scolded and reproached him. He who says A must say B, likewise, and as he had yielded the first time, he had to do so a second time also.
The children, however, were still awake and had heard the conversation. When the old folks were asleep, Hansel again got up, and wanted to go out and pick up pebbles as he had done before, but the woman had locked the door, and Hansel could not get out. Nevertheless he comforted his little sister, and said: "Do not cry, Gretel, go to sleep quietly, the good God will help us."
Early in the morning came the woman, and took the children out of their beds. Their piece of bread was given to them, but it was still smaller than the time before. On the way into the forest Hansel crumbled his in his pocket, and often stood still and threw a morsel on the ground. "Hansel, why do you stop and look round " said the father, "go on." "I am looking back at my little pigeon which is sitting on the roof, and wants to say good-bye to me," answered Hansel. "Fool!" said the woman, "that is not Your little pigeon, that is the morning sun that is shining on the chimney." Hansel, however, little by little, threw all the crumbs on the path.
The woman led the children still deeper into the forest, where they had never in their lives been before. Then a great fire was again made, and the mother said: "Just sit there, you children, and when you are tired you may sleep a little; we are going into the forest to cut wood, and in the evening when we are done, we will come and fetch you away." When it was noon, Gretel shared her piece of bread with Hansel, who had scattered his by the way. Then they fell asleep and evening passed, but no one came to the poor children. They did not awake until it was dark night, and Hansel comforted his little sister and said: "Just wait, Gretel, until the moon rises, and then we shall see the crumbs of bread which I have strewn about, they will show us our way home again." When the moon came they set out, but they found no crumbs, for the many thousands of birds which fly about in the woods and fields had picked them all up.
Hansel said to Gretel: "We shall soon find the way," but they did not find it. They walked the whole night and all the next day too from morning till evening, but they did not get out of the forest, and were very hungry, for they had nothing to eat but two or three berries, which grew on the ground. And as they were so weary that their legs would carry them no longer, they lay down beneath a tree and fell asleep.
t was now three mornings since they had left their father's house. They began to walk again, but they always came deeper into the forest, and if help did not come soon, they must die of hunger and weariness. When it was mid-day, they saw a beautiful snow-white bird sitting on a bough, which sang so delightfully that they stood still and listened to it. And when its song was over, it spread its wings and flew away before them, and they followed it until they reached a little house, on the roof of which it alighted; and when they approached the little house they saw that it was built of bread and covered with cakes, but that the windows were of clear sugar. "We will set to work on that," said Hansel, "and have a good meal. I will eat a bit of the roof, and you Gretel, can eat some of the window, it will taste sweet." Hansel reached up above, and broke off a little of the roof to try how it tasted, and Gretel leant against the window and nibbled at the panes. Then a soft voice cried from the parlor:
"Nibble, nibble, gnaw,Who is nibbling at my little house?"
The children answered:
"The wind, the wind,The heaven-born wind,"
and went on eating without disturbing themselves. Hansel, who liked the taste of the roof, tore down a great piece of it, and Gretel pushed out the whole of one round window-pane, sat down, and enjoyed herself with it. Suddenly the door opened, and a woman as old as the hills, who supported herself on crutches, came creeping out. Hansel and Gretel were so terribly frightened that they let fall what they had in their hands. The old woman, however, nodded her head, and said: "Oh, you dear children, who has brought you here Do come in, and stay with me. No harm shall happen to you." She took them both by the hand, and led them into her little house. Then good food was set before them, milk and pancakes, with sugar, apples, and nuts. Afterwards two pretty little beds were covered with clean white linen, and Hansel and Gretel lay down in them, and thought they were in heaven.
The old woman had only pretended to be so kind; she was in reality a wicked witch, who lay in wait for children, and had only built the little house of bread in order to entice them there. When a child fell into her power, she killed it, cooked and ate it, and that was a feast day with her. Witches have red eyes, and cannot see far, but they have a keen scent like the beasts, and are aware when human beings draw near. When Hansel and Gretel came into her neighborhood, she laughed with malice, and said mockingly: "I have them, they shall not escape me again!" Early in the morning before the children were awake, she was already up, and when she saw both of them sleeping and looking so pretty, with their plump and rosy cheeks, she muttered to herself: "That will be a dainty mouthfull" Then she seized Hansel with her shriveled hand, carried him into a little stable, and locked him in behind a grated door. Scream as he might, it would not help him. Then she went to Gretel, shook her till she awoke, and cried: "Get up, lazy thing, fetch some water, and cook something good for your brother, he is in the stable outside, and is to be made fat. When he is fat, I will eat him." Gretel began to weep bitterly, but it was all in vain, for she was forced to do what the wicked witch commanded.
And now the best food was cooked for poor Hansel, but Gretel got nothing but crab-shells. Every morning the woman crept to the little stable, and cried: "Hansel, stretch out your finger that I may feel if you will soon be fat." Hansel, however, stretched out a little bone to her, and the old woman, who had dim eyes, could not see it, and thought it was Hansel's finger, and was astonished that there was no way of fattening him. When four weeks had gone by, and Hansel still remained thin, she was seized with impatience and would not wait any longer. "Now, then, Gretel," she cried to the girl, "stir yourself, and bring some water. Let Hansel be fat or lean, to-morrow I will kill him, and cook him." Ah, how the poor little sister did lament when she had to fetch the water, and how her tears did flow down her cheeks! "Dear God, do help us," she cried. "If the wild beasts in the forest had but devoured us, we should at any rate have died together." "Just keep your noise to yourself," said the old woman, "it won't help you at all."
arly in the morning, Gretel had to go out and hang up the cauldron with the water, and light the fire. "We will bake first," said the old woman, "I have already heated the oven, and kneaded the dough." She pushed poor Gretel out to the oven, from which flames of fire were already darting. "Creep in," said the witch, "and see if it is properly heated, so that we can put the bread in." And once Gretel was inside, she intended to shut the oven and let her bake in it, and then she would eat her, too. But Gretel saw what she had in mind, and said: "I do not know how I am to do it; how do I get in?" "Silly goose," said the old woman. "The door is big enough; just look, I can get in myself!" and she crept up and thrust her head into the oven. Then Gretel gave her a push that drove her far into it, and shut the iron door, and fastened the bolt. Oh then she began to howl quite horribly, but Gretel ran away, and the godless witch was miserably burnt to death.
Gretel, however, ran like lightning to Hansel, opened his little stable, and cried: "Hansel, we are saved! The old witch is dead!" Then Hansel sprang like a bird from its cage when the door is opened. How they did rejoice and embrace each other, and dance about and kiss each other! And as they had no longer any need to fear her, they went into the witch's house, and in every corner there stood chests full of pearls and jewels. "These are far better than pebbles!" said Hansel, and thrust into his pockets whatever could be got in, and Gretel said: "I, too, will take something home with me," and filled her pinafore full. "But now we must be off," said Hansel, "that we may get out of the witch's forest."
When they had walked for two hours, they came to a great stretch of water. "We cannot cross," said Hansel, "I see no foot-plank, and no bridge." "And there is also no ferry," answered Gretel, "but a white duck is swimming there; if I ask her, she will help us over." Then she cried:
"Little duck, little duck, dost thou see,Hansel and Gretel are waiting for thee?There's never a plank, or bridge in sight,Take us across on thy back so white.
The duck came to them, and Hansel seated himself on its back, and told his sister to sit by him. "No," replied Gretel, "that will be too heavy for the little duck; she shall take us across, one after the other." The good little duck did so, and when they were once safely across and had walked for a short time, the forest seemed to be more and more familiar to them, and at length they saw from afar their father's house. Then they began to run, rushed into the parlor, and threw themselves round their father's neck. The man had not known one happy hour since he had left the children in the forest; the woman, however, was dead. Gretel emptied her pinafore until pearls and precious stones ran about the room, and Hansel threw one handful after another out of his pocket to add to them. Then all anxiety was at an end, and they lived together in perfect happiness.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Anticipation
Chelsea gave a commendable performance at Anfield last night. Despite Liverpool playing extremely well, I saw enough from the Blues to know that Man U will be in for a hard time on Saturday. Ballack was amazing as he created chances for Joe Cole, took the ball away from several Reds tacklers and generally passed well and did not lose the ball. Lampard is still short of match fitness as he has been at the bedside of his sick but hopefully recovering mum, however maybe with a day's training he would be good enough for ManU on saturday. Michael Essien should start in place of Makelele and Mikel is also available. With Malouda also getting valuable match time, I can see an improvement in his performance again on saturday. Kalou has generally been important for us and he has taken over the role of running at defenders and between them since Arjen Robben departed. Ashley cole needs to wake up his idea though and focus on defending the backline properly. With the most crucial two games of our season at Stamford bridge, I can really smell the consecutive victories.
Go all the way ! My Blues!
The answer to the question by TNP postman
The PFA player of the year award will most definitely go to Christiano Ronaldo. While it will be a close call between the same player and Torres for the Young player award, the fact that Torres is in his first year with a new team in the world's most competitive league will edge it for him.
You just need to look at previous years where players with tangible success in either domestic or european competitions won the award to know who the award will end up with. Henry(twice) and Terry won it after leading Arsenal and Chelsea respectively to the EPL title, Gerrard in 06 for his heroics in Istanbul and FA cup final the following year and of course Ronaldo last year for his major part in wrestling the title away from Chelsea. The fact that these players achieved major honours with their club is testament to their abilities and form. There can be no question about both regarding Ronaldo these 2 years. The way Ronaldo runs at defenders, create chances for his team,scores so many goals and even track back to defend put him way out of the league of the other players bar Gerrard. The fact that Man U totallyy dominates Liverpool means Ronaldo will add to his cabinet the same award he won last year.
Torres in his debut season has proved to be a fantastic player by scoring loads of goal and help Liverpool maintain her target of achieving either 4th or 3rd every season. He has scored against great teams like Arsenal, Chelsea and Inter-Milan, all in a season where people were expecting him to be adjusting to a totally foreign team and league. His team may just end up being empty handed for the 2nd season straight but we cannot help but admire his passion and commitment in a red shirt. It will be tight between him and Ronaldo but I guess most people find it dull after seeing Ronaldo the recepient at so many award ceremony that they find Torres to be a good alternative.
You just need to look at previous years where players with tangible success in either domestic or european competitions won the award to know who the award will end up with. Henry(twice) and Terry won it after leading Arsenal and Chelsea respectively to the EPL title, Gerrard in 06 for his heroics in Istanbul and FA cup final the following year and of course Ronaldo last year for his major part in wrestling the title away from Chelsea. The fact that these players achieved major honours with their club is testament to their abilities and form. There can be no question about both regarding Ronaldo these 2 years. The way Ronaldo runs at defenders, create chances for his team,scores so many goals and even track back to defend put him way out of the league of the other players bar Gerrard. The fact that Man U totallyy dominates Liverpool means Ronaldo will add to his cabinet the same award he won last year.
Torres in his debut season has proved to be a fantastic player by scoring loads of goal and help Liverpool maintain her target of achieving either 4th or 3rd every season. He has scored against great teams like Arsenal, Chelsea and Inter-Milan, all in a season where people were expecting him to be adjusting to a totally foreign team and league. His team may just end up being empty handed for the 2nd season straight but we cannot help but admire his passion and commitment in a red shirt. It will be tight between him and Ronaldo but I guess most people find it dull after seeing Ronaldo the recepient at so many award ceremony that they find Torres to be a good alternative.
Monday, April 21, 2008
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