Sacrosanct

I was playing 'Taboo' with my parents and relatives yesterday and i realised that the game can tell a lot of things about people. I guess the revelations of it you can figure out yourself once you have played the game a couple of times. Just be a little more perceptive. Anyways, just to illustrate my point; my mum was giving clues on "something small, usually a pest" -- and i blurted out "Badger! Armadillo!". Afterwards, i analysed this to mean that i was incredibly weird. The answer was 'rat' by the way.
I wonder if its got anything to do with my name. Many people spelled my name as 'Able' while i was growing up. Maybe because they thought my name was written that way they treated me in a manner that influenced my maturity process. Then again, i have people spelling 'Louise' as 'Lousie' which is kind of the opposite of 'Able'. This could be why we are a couple. HAHAHA.
However, it is most likely that this post is mainly non-sensical and that none of the above results from any logic. I smell a rat in the reasoning somewhere. But in all honesty, it could be a badger or an armadillo.

Commentary on following piece

The following project is a long overdue one given to me by Louise. I was supposed to write a story on 'writing a story about an apple". I didnt really fulfil the writing part but i hope there is some remnants of the meta fiction idea that was originally proposed. As usual, i sincerely welcome some comments on my writing. I think it would be better if i extended it a bit. But ppl then shld read it on paper and not on a blog with strange page sizes. HAHA.
I included a verse at the end of the entry. This is my personal conviction that more people shld try to get people's interest in Christianity circularly first. This doesnt mean serious compromising. Instead, i think the problem with most Christian sources now is that once people know its a allusion to Biblical things, they are turned off by it immediately. Of course i do understand that sometimes the message is watered down this way.
I would love to see a film that has hints of Christian themes but is so exciting and up to par with what a common (I want to see Hollywood stunts and action) movie goer would watch. This is indeed a fine line to draw and may meet with certain objections. But having said that, everything Christians try to do differently is met with objections so i still stand by my suggestion.
If anyone knows any good books or films related to wat i have just mentioned feel free to comment here as well. I do know that Narnia and Matrix and Harry Potter and even Simpsons have undergone Christian scrunity and guide books have been published about them, but i guess i am looking for a inspired spark of genius. A Christian touch of inspiration. In God's time.
Thus, on this note, i can only leave you with my humble try at something to this effect.

Mandarin Oranges Cannot be Cut

Martin stared lovingly at his recently acquired apple. He read the words on top of it aloud to himself, " Ceci n'est pas une pomme". " This is not an apple", he repeated deliberately and carefully as if savouring a bite of the fruit's sweetness.
He had worked hard to achieve the purchase of this masterpiece. If you wanted to call it that. Basically, the whole painting was just an apple with some simple French words hanging menacingly above it. But it was precious, probably as valuable as finding the poisoned apple of Snow White. Maybe even the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden of Eden. Something that could bring a person's life to an abrupt halt; only to release its curse at the touch of gentle lips.
"Ceci n'est pas une pomme", Martin relished the sound of those words. He found them enlightening. The painting was not merely an apple, but a sacred symbol of style and intellect.
" Its a painting of an apple, not exactly a real apple, what a genius you are Mr. Magritte". Martin paced up and down his room in a drunken stupour of glee and self-admiration. Decrepit and spartan though his place was, with Martin's newly bought art piece hanging from the south wall, it appeared stunning. The rounded surfaces of the juicy fruit were shining bright green from the reflections of the setting sun. It matched the turquoise curtains perfectly.
Martin adored his new abode's spendour. "All from just one thing being added," he proudly imagined. There it stood, the life-sized 20-inch poster of an apple taped to his wall, $9.95 from Ikea.

'The woman was convinced. The fruit looked so fresh and delicious, and it would make her so wise! So she ate some of the fruit. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her. Then he ate it, too.' Genesis 3 : 6

Courtesy of : http://www.abcgallery.com/M/magritte/magritte26.html 

White to play and win

Schwartz - KieseritzkyParis, 1842
1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e4 f5 4.e5 Be6 5.Nc3 c6 6.Qf3 g6 7.Nh3 Bd5 8.Nxd5 cxd5 9.Nf4 Qa5+ 10.Bd2 Qb6 11.Qxd5 Qxb2 Diagram

Mysterious Fireworks

To celebrate the new look of our blog- much like a stubble on a young chin or a swanky new restaurant on a new york street, here's a poem for you guys.

Mysterious Fireworks

The flowery display of sparks shout
Your name before falling
into the eventual envelope of darkness.
Yet the 'boom' 'boom' 'boom' can’t
challenge the silence to follow-
“pardon me” I question your short existence,
that leaves me pining a new adjustment.

No such lights which bring spectrums of colours.
Only the other sun-catcher but it hangs too still;
Too still and on a string it swings and cannot let go
And yet it’s there unlike
The mysterious fireworks.

Finally I try to find you fireworks.
But you work on wonder, wish and wholeness.
Your mystery returns to the chest until
a new year comes around,
Before you spray your splendor again anew.
But grant you this I say, I might
Not forget the memory of the past bold sight.

Louise Tay

Black and White -- both cant win

Just trying.

Man Utd 1-0 Liverpool

I do seldom post about soccer although i like it so much. But i really needed to talk about last night's match because i have been taunted by Man Utd fans while growing up. HAHA.
Dont worry, i am not such a hard up person, but if you look at Cisse's terrible miss last night you might have laughed at why he was still slowly (incredibly) picking himself up when the rebound came to him. Of course you never know if that would have won the game for Liverpool but you must really question his awareness and committment to graft for the team.
I must say that i know quite a number of Liverpool fans that do not like Cisse very much -- leaving his looks and strange hairdos out of the equation. I was thinking Milan Baros is actually a similar player and should have been the one kept in the Liverpool squad instead of Cisse.
Albiet knowing that goal scoring is not everything that is useful in modern soccer striker lets look at their records. For one thing, i really think Baros works harder and is not so prone to trying strange methods of heading the ball.
Djibril Cisse of Liverpool -- this season in premiership 11 games 4 goals.
Milan Baros of (now) Aston Villa -- 1 game for 'pool and 15 games for villa with 5 goals. Their goal scoring ratio is thus both equally bad. But Skysports Opta Rating gives Baros an average of 6.8 and Cisse 6.1.
Opta stats gives Baros a 48% shot on target ratio with 31 shots. Highest in the Villa team. Also a 54% dribble completion rate at 136 tries (2nd in Villa). Cisse has 35 shots with 34% on target (4th in Liverpool) and 54 crosses at 23% successful (3rd in the team). Baros also boasts highest number of fouls won for Villa at 33, but has 5 yellow cards himself. Opta stats from sky sports only include up to 5th highest player and includes other things like passing, tackling and fouls lost.
I admit there are many confounding factors like style of play and teams played against but i cant help feeling sorry for Liverpool fans -- if only Cisse had stopped lying on the ground for so long.

Do i look like Morozevich?  

Without the specs / chess strength, there is always the nose, eyebrows and face shape?! 

Just a bit !?! 

The texture of a real Monet painting is truly amazing!  

Joy (of having time) to read Novels

This is from Bill Bryson's "Neither Here Nor There: Travels in Europe". It's not part of his travelogue per say but he quoted this from Bertrand Russell in the opening page.
"William James describes a man who got the experience from laughing-gas; whenever he was under its influence, he knew the secret of the universe, but when he came to, he had forgotten it. At last, with immense effort, he wrote down the secret before the vision had faded. When completely recovered, he rushed to see what he had written. It was "A smell of petroleum prevails throughout."
By the way, Bryson's book on travelling through Europe is really good too. Crazily funny and witty with sprinklings of what another countries percularities are. I have decided to migrate to Liechtenstein because of it. And i deliberated on whether that is the correct spelling.

Canadian Animals eating Canadian Chocolate. 

Please watch your step. 

Fair and Well, Canada

The times of certain posts as shown at the bottom of blog entries were mostly confusing when i was in Canada. This was due to the fact that i was at first 12 hours ahead and then 13 hours, after daylight savings in winter. However, you will notice that my 530am post here is because of jet lag - sleeping too early.
Anyway, just to close the chapter on Canada, i have posted a photo taken in Toronto of the city and a monument at the side. The sign at the front reads 'Please mind your step' with accompanying French. Kind of a nice reminder to people leaving the place; as well as those still treading in it.
On another note, Louise bought me Lynn Truss' book 'Eats shoots and leaves' and i found it highly interesting. Thus i have vowed to use more dashes and semicolons in my writing because the comma is overworked. I realised though, that although i do not put apostrophes in the wrong places most times (her example being 'book's'); i am not entirely clear if i use my commas correctly either. But i have made my new year resolution to try. Although i have this irksome feeling that [Truss'] should instead be [Truss's]. I shall go back to the book to refer. Have a good year everyone.
P.s. my handphone number is the same one. If you have discarded it or changed your phone without writing my contact down somewhere, shame on you. Also, drop me an email or msn and i will give it to you -- after subjecting you to a variety of insults.