Germany enters Euro 2008 final

Despite having to prepare for my upcoming end of sem exam, the thought of viewing the Euro08 semifinal btw Germany vs Turkey with more than ten thousand ppl is enuf to make me shut my books close. Went to Stuttgart with my german housemate n my frens.


Superman!! haha! i wore a german flag! oops.. beta hope that no JPA officers will view my blog =)

Football is a big thing here in Germany. Fans, guys n gals alike, will do all sorts of stuffs to show their support to their respective teams. Many ppl wore flags, painted their faces, coloured their hairs in the team’s colour etc. While we were on our way to the public viewing centre, huge waves of people could be seen waving flags and singing their songs. The atmosphere is totally amazing. The way the germans support their national team is absolutely different with the Malaysian way. I hv heard from my senior that many germans broke down to tears when Germany lost to Italy in the semifinals during the last world cup. For us Malaysians: “ Malaysia kalah? Biasalah…”


Doggie oso loves football!


Even their statues support their national team as well...

Despite being in Stuttgart an hour b4 the start of the game, the place for public viewing was closed due to overwhelming crowd. We could only view the big screen from far.

Scenes b4 the kick-off:





There are many supporters from Turkey as well. Many Turks have immigrated to Germany after WW2. Analogy: Turks – German = Indonesians/Bangladeshi – Malaysians. (get it?) When the germans shout “ Deutschland! Deutschland!” the Turks will shout „ Turkiye! Turkiye!”

Guess wat we Malaysians shout? BOTH! When Turkey took the lead, groans could be heard everywhere. The Turks then celebrated as if they have won the match. “ Turkiye! Turkiye!” echoed throughout the whole place. Wat shud we do then? Shout along lo!

Shortly after Turkey has scored, Germany equalised. The crowd erupted! Wat we Malaysians do then? “Deutschland! Deutschland!” of cos…



The most amazing part has to be the last few minutes of the match. The score was still tied at 2-2 when Philip Lahm scored in the last minute to hand Germany the ticket to the final. The scene when Germany scored was totally unforgettable. Everyone cheered at the top of their lungs. Couples hugged each other. Ppl of diff nationalities (me included) jumped and cheered “ Finale! Oooo! Finale! Oooo!”



The video is a live scene after Germany have scored the 3rd goal. At 2:00 is the time when the referee blow the final whistle.

Despite the fact that the next day is a normal working day, many germans could not be bothered about it and celebrated their team’s victory till late at night. They dance and drink and drink and drink…




Germans mah... they wont be called germans if they don't drink. =)

My very very limited german...

Went to a bookshop to buy bullets for my stapler. I have got no idea wat that thing is called in german.

(translated from german to english)

Seller : Good morning, wat can i do 4 u?
Me : erm... i would like to buy something, but i dunno how to translate it
into german. erm.. that item enables me to join papers together.
Seller : U mean paper holder ?(pointing one to me)
Me : No... erm... hw to say... it's small
Seller : hmm... do u mean this? (holding some funny looking clips)
Me : No... it's small n made of metal.
Seller : (Discussing with another seller over what that thing of mine might be) Maybe
this? (Took a whole box of paper clips)
Me : ( Cham la... how to explain le??) no la..

Finally, i cannot tahan anymore. Have to do it: ACT IT OUT.

Me : ( embarrassingly ) erm, that thing which produces the sound " Chik Kak!"
when being pressed together. (Like a clown, i imitate the motion of one
stapling papers. ) Chik Kak! Chik Kak! Get it?
Seller : (everyone in unison) I see!!! u mean Heftklammer (stapler) ?
Me : (phew... finally..) ya... but i need the bullet 4 it.


Sigh... i dun even know wat is stapler n bullets in german... worst of all, i will be using this broken german of mine to sit 4 my end of sem exam next week. Wat can i say? cham lo..............

Goodnite, my precious~

闭上你的眼 我在你身边
晚安 我的宝贝
微微的呼吸 轻抚你的脸
此刻 幸福 洋溢我们的世界
在这现实的生活 有太多的丑陋
感谢主让我遇见漂亮的你
我爱你 小宝贝 你是我的天使
看你的眼 看到了 我们所有回忆
没有疑问 就是你 让我实现梦想
只因为你 让我明白快乐的定义
希望我们一直就这样在一起
什么也不能将我们俩再分开
直到 永远
每天早上一醒来 就看到你的脸
让我们 一辈子 来庆祝
我们拥有彼此

whoa... so so nice and 幸福!

Those good old days...

Today's a friday. Yup, Friday.... One of my fav days bek in Msia. School ends earlier due to sembahyang time of the muslims. It also marks the start of a weekend 4 me. Just love it when the clock strikes 12pm on friday.

During sec school, fri noon means football time 4 me... Since there r tuition classes at 2.30pm n cant go bek home yet, most ppl will stay in school n play football, basketball, etc. The school becomes more active on fri noon. No teacher will come growling at us even if we play under the scorching sun. After football we can lepak around Plaza Pelangi searching 4 stg to eat. We always had the dilemma on wat to eat 4 lunch everytime. Best way to solve it? Each choose one food n then scissors, paper, stone la...

Then tuition starts. Tuitions during 2.30pm have a common sight. Yawn. How to study while having a full stomach? Blood flow to stomach = Brain no blood = sleep. To make ourselves awake, we always buy a special candy. A super sour candy to be precise. One of it is enuf to "electrocute" u until u r awake. Tuition classes were a torture 4 me sometimes. But frankly, i missed it now... where to get tuition classes after SPM?

After entering INTEC 4 my A-level German course, Friday remains my fav day as well. Lectures end at 12pm. Go bek hostel. 1st thing to do: On computer n play games! " Oi ppl from downstairs, faster connect ur LAN cable la!" " Create game ady onot?"... " Go CC lo..." " Dun KS la!!" etc were our usual conversations. We can play n play n play until nite arrives. We will know when to stop when we hear our stomachs rumbling. Just love those days when food is nearby. A 5min walk can bring one to a mamak stall. 10mins to MCD n KFC. Once dinner is settled, continue play!! sometimes at nite got football as well. We can play whole nite until the guard come n halau us. (bising la korang! orang nak tidur!.....(after a while) bang!! goal!!)

Now in Germany, Friday is still special cos it marks the start of my weekend. However, it's not the same anymore. No sembahyang here = no early dismiss. Study in Esslingen = no more Dota kaki. No football, no games, ntg to look 4ward to rily... the excitement of friday has lost its spark.

Haih... missed those good old days~ But, i do know that growing up process requires us to go thru this phase as well. From a boy to a man...

Anyway, exams r coming soon... Project n report deadlines r around the corner... Time to gambateh lo...

When boy meets girl

Love and relationship. A favourite topic among us young ppl. Youth is a time where we become suddenly interested in the opposite sex. Girls that u hate during ur primary school days suddenly become a subject of interest to us guys n vice versa. Almost everyone wants to fall in love and indulge themselves in romance. The 3 words “ I love you” has became a cliché for us. Babbling about it at every opportunity that we could find. The world is a paradise when we r in love. That sweet and wonderful feeling…

Or is it? Frankly, many relationships around me ended in a sour note. A relationship starts, grows, peaks, and then fall within a matter of months or even weeks, just like a Stress – Strain Diagram in solid materials.

This diagram is useful for engineers to determine the properties of a material such as rigidity and toughness. The material would be made into a form of a cylinder and being pulled by a machine with a constant force through a period of time. The diagram can then be obtained after the material becomes fractured at breaking point.

Many relationship around me, my previous one included, has roughly the form and shape of this graph. (My personal opinion la) All relationships start from zero but progress rapidly and constantly. We are excited about our new partner. We want to spend lots of time with that particular person and enjoy every moment being with him or her. The season of romance begins. This is the first area of the graph where the line has a positive gradient. It’s called the elasticity area of a material. If the material is pulled by a force in this region and the force is then removed, no permanent deformation can be found on the material. It behaves elastically. In a fresh relationship, when the 2 parties have yet to put in 2 much effort, the effect of breaking up is minimal. They can just be frens like b4 easily.

However, after this elasticity area comes the plastic area. This is where a permanent deformation can occur after the force has been removed. As time goes on, the 2 parties will get even more devoted to each other. They wont want to be separated. They dun wan to lose that superb feeling of having each other’s company. They have become dependant on the other party. Something to take note of is also the gradient of the graph now. It’s now lower compared to the gradient earlier. The couple has come to a point where they know a lot of things of their respective partners. We humans have a common characteristic. We cant have too much or too little of something. We might be impressed on how good-looking is our partner on the 1^st date. However, after seeing his/her face 4 a long time, we dun feel much of it anymore.

The relationship will then come to a peak. After that comes the fall and then the end of it – break up, or fracture in the material. A fractured material is feared most by engineers. It means the failure of a construction, a threat to safety and of cos, the lost of money. In a relationship it means hurt, scars and tears. No one intends to break up when they want to start a relationship, but y does so many relationships ended in such a way? Isn’t it sad just to see 2 ppl who r so madly in love with each other a few months ago but now never speak to each other since break up? Isn’t it sad to see 2 ppl who wanted to see each other so much even after a 5 minute separation during their courtship season but now feels disgusted by the same face even they have not seen each other for 5 years?

What defines a strong and stable relationship? What aspects do we consider before starting a relationship? Im not sure if ppl do think about such questions. Many thrilled at the opportunity to get themselves involve in a relationship. Many have such a thought: If I miss this chance, I might not have one again in future. This leads us to one word: Impatience.

Patience is important not only in waiting for a right time to start a relationship, but also in allowing it to unfold at a healthy pace. Impatience rushes everything. It urges us to skip the time and attention a healthy friendship requires and to jump right into emotional intimacy. “Love at first sight” makes ppl tend to skip the most imp part—friendship. Being friends is the best way to get to know a person more. By doing so enables us to decide for ourselves better whether this person is my Mr or Mrs Right or not.

The problems we see in relationships today – the impatience, the lack of purpose, and the misguided emotions are all expressions of foolishness. We need wisdom. Wisdom complements romance. Like the string attached to a kite, wisdom enables romance to really soar. It anchors it, disciplines it and brings it to its highest potential. When the emotional wind gets dangerously strong, wisdom pulls the kite down so that it won’t be destroyed.

Basically, there r 3 points that we shud take note of b4 deciding that we r ready 4 love.

1. Are you able to be patient?
2. Can you set a clear course for the relationship?
3. Are your emotions based on reality?

4 me, I guess it’s still 2 early. Still dun tink that im capable enuf to attract any gals oso… haha… I will be waiting patiently 4 my future “ Mrs Right”. In the mean time, I promise that I will try my very best to improve myself as a person for God and for her. Hope she will wait patiently 4 me as well… bcos I wan my graph to look like this:

Love is beautiful~

Growing up – a painful process

Sorry to all readers that I have not update my blog since the Paris post. I did not have any internet connection 4 the past few days as my housemates have decided to stop the old internet service with an internet company which costs more then the current one. The old service has been stopped but the new modem has not arrived. I was “deprived” of my “basic needs” during these few days.

Through this experience I have realized that I have been addicted to internet, despite refusing to accept this fact earlier on. Internet has been playing a huge role in my life after arriving in Germany. Reading of Emails, chatting thru MSN, blogging, finding out the latest football result and rumors, etc. I’m always online, unless I’m on holiday w/out my laptop. Slowly but surely, my dependence on the internet has grown. It’s now like electricity n water to me. W/out them, life would be miserable. When I was told that there would be no internet service 4 weeks, my heart sank. I did not know what shud I do. During these days I felt something missing in my life. I can’t chat with frens anymore. I can’t read about any football news ( I dint’t even know that Avram Grant, the Chelsea manager was sacked). My life was turned upside down.

My addiction to the internet brings me to the point that I would like to share to everyone today. Growing up. Since young, we have been dreaming of growing up. As a young child, I always thought of things that I can do when I become older. I always had the thought that being older means gaining more respect from others. Being older allows me to do things that I always wanted to do. Being older means having more freedom. Yes, those were the thoughts when we were a kid. But when we really did grew older, reality strikes.

I have read about a joke that says when we were 7 years old, we hoped that we can be 13, where we can be in a secondary school. When we were 13, we hoped that we can be 18, where we can get married legally. When we were 18, we hoped that we can be 21, where we r adults then by law n have the right to vote. When we were 21, we hoped that we can be 30, where we have a stable income n a happy family. When we were 30, we hoped that we r 60, where we can retire from our job. But when we r 60, we hope that we could be a child again. How ironic is that?

Days w/out internet has taught me something. It seems that God is telling me: Daniel, it’s time to grow up. Have u ever seen ur mom or dad struggling when the internet is down? Have u seen ur dad playing computer games all day long n being very depressed because he has just lost in a Dota game? No, I suppose. They have grown up. Grown from a boy or a girl to a man or a woman. Everyone gets older, but not everyone becomes a grown up. From the fact that I was clueless on what shud I do after knowing the fact that I cant use the internet 4 quite some time proves that I have not really grown up n became mature enough 4 me to call myself a man.

What defines a man? By law, being 21 years old makes one qualified enough to be called a man. Jia Jin, my senior, taught me stg important. From a book he read, a man shud be defined as a king, a warrior, a mentor and a friend. Take note, it’s AND, not OR. To be a successful man, one has to try to fulfill these 4 criteria.


A king. Our body belongs to us. We r the king of our bodies. A king shud be someone who provides 4 his people or subordinates. As the king of our own bodies, r we capable of providing good and useful elements to it? Or are we abusing it? The definition of King can be expanded when we r married. Are we capable of providing the needs of our spouses and children?

A warrior. Are we strong enough to protect ourselves from evil and temptations? Are we fit enough to protect our spouses and children from harm and danger? Are we capable enough to fight the evil and protect the good?

A mentor. Are we wise enough to teach? Are we equipped enough to pass on our knowledge to others? Are we capable to know what is right and what is wrong?

A friend. Are we good enough to be a pillar of support to others around us? Are we caring enough to attend to the needs of our friends around us?

Growing up is really a tough and painful process. Old and bad habits which do not benefit us have to be left behind. Immature actions and behaviours have to be eliminated. One has to be brave and decisive enough to make decisions by his or her own. One has to be totally responsible 4 his or her own actions. No more dependence on our parents anymore. One must be ready to take responsibilities.

But, God will always be with us in each and every growing up process. I’m very thankful to God that He has provided me with many wonderful examples that I can follow. My seniors: Jia Jin, Yong and Jia Uei are living examples that have grown up not only physically but also spiritually. The way God works in their lives is a living testimony. They are not only successful students but successful God’s children as well. The way they balance their studies and God is stg that I need to learn.

I want to grow up, do you?

Paris - the dirty city of love~

Without you, Eiffel tower is only of Mechanics, Forces and strength of materials to me...

Many people thinks that Paris is a wonderful city to live in. The so called "city of love" where couples meet and indulge themselves in the ambience of love. Walking hand in hand n kissing beside the river Seine under the sunset. A romantic scene to behold! I was one of them. That's the beautiful part of Paris, no doubt about that. However, if one thinks that Paris is perfect, be prepared to get shot by a dose of reality. Paris stinks!!

One shud be careful when taking a walk on the streets of Paris. Something unpleasant might greet u. The 3 P's : Pooh, pee n puke. Imagine trying to kiss ur galfren or boyfren n suddenly an unknown "aroma" passes by. Atmosphere GONE. The air in Paris smells bad as well from all sorts of pollutions. But luckily the situation is not dat bad near tourist attractions.

Those things apart, i do feel that Paris is still worth a visit, esp when u have a loved-one with u. Lying down on the grass together with ur sweetheart n gaze at the Eiffel tower together is an unforgettable experience. Trust me, u wont wan to get up n hope that the time comes to a stand-still. The atmosphere is awesome. Sadly 4 me, i was NOT with my sweetheart there but with Pau n Qi Hao. Arghhh....

Tourist attractions:


Paris will not be Paris without it - The Eiffel Tower. This pic was taken during sunset. People of various nationalities can be seen admiring this amazing structure, snapping pictures all the time. When there's tourists, there's souvenir shops n sellers. Black people walking around with Eiffel tower key chains approaching ppl around is a common sight here. Can bargain with them summore. So if u got a key chain from ur fren as souvenir, dun be too excited abt it n think dat it's expensive. One can get 6 key chains for 1 euro (RM5) easily. Soon Lee gave me one b4. such a cheap souvenir!!

Place De La Concorde. Nice fountain. It's located next to the obelisk.

The obelisk which had egyptian carvings on it. One of the sites mentioned in the Da Vinci Code i think.

Le Musee Du Louvre. One of the most famous museums in the world. The famous painting of Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci is here in this museum. Thousand of paintings n sculptures can be found here as well. The Da Vinci Code is also another reason why this place is packed of ppl.

Les Champs Elysees. We climbed up this famous building n got a great bird eye's view of Paris. This is the point where the main roads in Paris come together.


La Basilique Du Sacre-Ceur. The Sacred Heart. Be alert while visiting this place. There will be a group of black people waiting near the entrance. One will approach u n try to tie a string on ur wrist. If u let them do so, say bye bye to 10 Euros. They will charge u 10 Euros 4 that string n u wont dare to say no cos there will be black people around that place who looks like gangster. It's either pay or die.



Le Moulin Rouge. Rmb the movie "Moulin Rouge"? Many ppl can be seen lining up to enter it. duno y.. This place is situated in the famous red-light district of Paris.


La Madeleine. Frankly, i duno wat's the significance of it.. :b



Notre-Dame De Paris. The huge church of Notre-Dame.

River Seine. The lover's river which flows thru the heart of Paris. Along the banks of it or the bridges over it were places where kisses took place. Muaks~

Food:

Good french delicacies cost a bomb in Paris. Most restaurants in Paris r nicely-decorated to create a romantic atmosphere to attract customers. The cost of such deco is then added to the price of food indirectly. But eating kebap or hotdog or McD in Paris would be a waste rite? haha.. so we tried as many french food as we could despite the fact dat we have to eat only water n bread after the trip. :b

The most expensive dessert i have ever eaten in my whole life. Mango Eclair. 9 Euros.

Foie Grae. Goose Liver in english. 22 Euros

Escagnot. French snails. Usually served as starters 4 a set meal. Taste quite nice oh~

Flowers:

Strange 4 me:

Bata is a brand which we normally associated with lousy shoes. We prefer shoe brands other than Bata. However, i have found a Bata shoe store in Paris, where brands like Gucci and Chanel can be found. Hmmm.... it seems dat Bata is BRANDED as well...

SSS ( super shiok sendiri ):

The other "me"...

Flying over Eiffel tower...

Flying over the obelisk...

Jumping over the Louvre ( my expression looks weird....)

Paris, i will be bek again... but that time, it will be with the one i love...

Cologne - My fav city so far

If u ask me wat's my fav city in Germany so far, then Koeln (Cologne) has to be my answer. The 3 of us: me, Qi Hao n Jia Jin our senior rented a car n drove all the way up to Koeln to spend our 4 days holiday. Koeln was our 1st destination. The car we rented is not any ordinary car but a BMW 3 series with a start-stop engine. Super fast n steady on the roads. Our average speed on the highway was like 160 km/h. Top speed 200 km/h. 4 ur info, highways in Germany doesn't have speed limit.

Koeln is huge n full of people. It has the highest density of population in Germany. The busiest street in Koeln - Hohe Strasse.

Walking on this street is like walking in a huge pasar malam in Msia- very crowded!! Many branded shops can be found here. Many foreigners as well.. n at least the people here doesnt speak dialect like people here in Stuttgart do.

The must-go-tourist attraction in Koeln- Dom. One of the tallest n largest church in Germany. Im rily amazed by how people could build such a church in the past where technology is not yet advance. We climbed up to the top of the building. 509 Steps w/out lift. Sort of like a workout session 4 me... Batu caves is ntg compared to this.

Interestingly, many people uses the Dom to earn money. Since it's a popular destination among tourists, creative people do many different things to attract the attention of the tourists n make extra money thru dat. They paint themselves to look like a statue n stand the whole day long motionless. When passer-bys throw a coin into their tin nearby, they will bow or make a certain motion to express their gratitude n then return to their "solid" form again.

Despite being a modern city, Koeln does not lack the touch of nature. Flowing thru this city is the famous Rhein. The longest river in Germany. Parks along the river bank r common gathering sites 4 people who wants to enjoy the cool breeze n fresh air.

We managed to visit the Chocolate Museum in Koeln as well. We were informed on how chocolates were made n their origins.

Looks irresistable huh? there r free chocolate samples 4 visitors as well... the chocolates there r so so nice.... eat until can make me 4got about my lab report n other stuff which r yet to be done..

When there's a museum, there's a souvenir shop. This time in a chocolate museum, the "souvenir" has to be chocolates la! ppl who adores chocolate shud be prohibited from going to such a place. U will get broke!! There r so many types of chocolates here dat i duno which to buy. The packaging n chocolates r made so nice n cute dat im sure no one would bear to eat them. By the way, i bought some chocolates here... who wan? must register 1st oh~ 1st come 1st serve basis. Stocks r limited =)

The best part of Koeln 4 me is the botanic garden. Duno hw to express in words the beauty of it. Pics below say it all:

If there's a chance, i rily would like to take my wedding-photos here... haha... the view here is breathless.. Flowers with diff colours n shapes eager to compete with each other to see who's the most beautiful..

Even the bird cant help it but to stop by to admire the beauty of it...