Covering Familiar Grounds

22nd June 2006, Thursday

It's quite unbelievable that I was able to be hustled up at 3 in the morning to catch Argentina vs Holland.
The Dutch held the Argentine to a goalless draw and it was a gritty performances and some 2nd-stringers such as De Cler, Kuyt and Boularhouz surely have a stake in the first eleven when the Dutch face the Portuguese in the 2nd round.
With the performance of an also 2nd-string Argentina, I can safely say they should had no problem seeing off Mexico in the knock-out phase.
Portugal beat Mexico despite having 5 regulars been rested to prevent a 2nd yellow card shown and gave Scolari the 10th consecutive wins in WC and I pray that Holland wouldn't be their next scalp
Angola failed to beat Iran as they were held 1:1 and thus cannot progress and Ivory Coast finally win despite been 2:0 down when they beat S&M 3:2

Here's tonight's final round games:

Czech Republic vs Italy (Group E)
Italy is not safe while the Czech need to win..they will rush Baros to solve their goalscoring problem...
But if Italy perform like they did against the U.S.A, the Czechs will have a chance...
Prediction: Czech Republic 2 : Italy 2 (It would be an ordeal task for the Czechs but I supposed they would make it)

U.S.A vs Ghana (Group E)
The Ghanians would be inspired to face the Americans who still in with a chance for 2nd round qualification
Prediction: U.S.A. 1 : Ghana 1 (It would be a case of so close yet so far for the Black Stars)

Japan vs Brazil (Group F)
Even with a lacklusture Brazil, Japan wouldn't really stand a chance with their weak offense and seriously Kawaguchi will be trying to hard to keep the Brazilian attack as bay and I wouldn't mind seeing the likes of Fred and Robinho for once in starting lineup
Prediction: Japan 0 : Brazil 2 (Japan doesn't deserve to make it to the 2nd round and most probably won't)

Croatia vs Australia (Group F)
The Aussies surely want to do well after the injustice against the Brazilian and it's quite clear that Croatia is on their warpath...
Prediction: Croatia 1 : Australia 2 (The Socceroos will unleash their attack on the haples Croatia or so I think)

Anyway it was great to wake up at 8 in the morning, though I am not sure I had adequate sleep time after my unearthly awakening a while back...
I was hoping to reach Yusof Ishak House in NUS before 10, complete in an hour's time and hopefully join BY for lunch at Holland V where I hope to grab a "thank you" card for my current supervisor...
I didn't forsee the matriculation process for the new school year has begun and the wellness center was congested with army of PRC students undergoing their medical checkup as well...
So my anticiopated smooth process had been hampered by a long waiting time from station to station...
The blood test was one of the last station before the doctor's consultation and I was waiting patiently for my turn when I overheard one of the PC students encouraging his comrades to position their health records so that the nurse will pick theirs first and I had been waiting in vain when I should be done by now..
So not saving any grace, I immediately told the nurse about it and she realized the loophole and said she would be more than happy to draw blood from me first as the students do deserve to wait for they have the entire free to wait...
After the doctor consultation and the X-Ray examination, my check up was completed and it was around half past eleven...
BY had went to Ghim Moh for lunch and told me she would pack lunch for me, so I had sometime to burn but still gotta get that thank you card...
Then recollecting my varsity years that my uni's coop bookstore do offer some cards and the nearest would be at the forum where the central library.. As I strolled up the walkway linking to forum, I had a strong wave of nostalgia overwhelming me as I reminiscenced those happy days when I would scamper around the campus from faculty to faculty for lessons, guitar classes, orientation games and even "Jam N Hop"...
NUS is after where I met the love of my life and gives me so much as well...

I got a card eventually (a cheaper one but at least the message inside is relevant; and I realized there hasn't been a large selection of "Thank You" card for your benefactors around)...
Then I board the direct Bus 95 from the Forum which was a updated service since I had left NUS back to Bouna Vista but I still got quite sometime when I got there before BY came back from lunch...
I had been reluctant to go back to my workplace with JxMMy expected to be around...but with time to kill, I did went back to check some e-mails while my wretched colleague was basking in some crappy dance music and immediately got a SMS from BY and I felt so exhilarated to waltz in and walt back out in mere seconds and not returning back here for the rest of the day...

My time in my new workplace is basically trying to assimilate into the whole working environment and mingle with my future colleagues rather than picking things up which is quite impossible without hands-on...
So far beside been chatting with BY whenever she is free, my other company would be that "Beauty" mentor whom seem to be living with high life with highlighted hair and tattoo on his hips...
There would be some other who would occasionally chat with me btu I felt I didn't step out too much to mingle with the rest...partially because they had been cooped up with work but majority would be not gracious enough to make an effort..afterall I am still an outsider at this juncture and I would be wearing that weird disposable blue lab coat which is way too "oustanding"...
Then the problem about this new workplace is that both the lab and the office would only be acessible with a staff card, so for someone like myself without even a temporary card, I am sort of disabled and required the presence of BY to open ways for me even when I want to hit the loo...
which was why when she was cooped up with work yesterday, I had that urge to answer the nature's call and predictably was locked out.. left with no where to go I had to go back to my workplace till BY was liberated from work to hand me back my bag which I brought over now so that we can secure from work together...

Nevertheless I hope the uneasiness with my new colleagues would be resolved soon enough and I could fully assimilate into the workplace with minimal obstacles...

Japanese word of the day: 親しい ~o-ya-shi-i~(Familiar) NUS would tear down and get rebulit but I am sure the yellow roofing which we used to guide our freshmen with will still be there...