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わたしわ　もどりたいです

My futsal past...

When a former colleague of mine asked me about futsal today, he really caught me off guard. He thought I was still working at my former company and by default, still the futsal organiser. I told him I was no longer working there but would ask those who were still there about the current futsal arrangements.

As I talked to another former colleague who was still working there, I couldn’t help recall the time I used to organise weekly futsal. It all began when a colleague who was is an avid football fan suggested we play futsal during the excitement of the 2006 World Cup. The timing was pure genius. The turnout wouldn’t have been so great had it been any other time. The rest is history. He routinely got people to play futsal week after week. When he left the company a few months later, I took over the organising duties. After a while, it wasn’t easy getting enough headcount each week. I remember having to come up with catchy emails and doing cubicle rounds to get people to come.

In the beginning, we played at Section 13 on Sunday afternoons but as the headcount became less and less, we decided to play on Monday night instead. A lot of people couldn’t make it because Sunday was spent with family. Monday night wasn’t easy for me at first; I didn’t like playing at night especially after a tiring day at work but I got used to it. We played at a futsal centre in Puchong because at the time, there was no futsal court in Cyberjaya. It may seem like madness playing futsal from 8pm to 10pm on Monday nights, but it did somehow get rid of Monday blues :P

Then, as if our prayers were answered, a futsal court opened at a sports centre in Cyberjaya. What a relief, not having to drive so far (well, relatively far) at night just to play futsal! Actually, there were two futsal courts in Cyberjaya then; one was indoor and the other outdoor. I preferred the outdoor court as the floor was more bouncy but because it wasn’t grass, unlike the indoor court, players were more susceptible to injury. And what a long list of injuries we would get after each game. The girls tended to be more aggressive because the knew the guys held back :P Next morning, we would complain about our injuries and body aches. I usually had toe injuries due to the double combination of not wearing proper futsal shoes and not kicking the ball the proper way.

Sigh, I miss those days…

Up, up and away!

I finally watched Pixar’s “Up” today. Everyone was right, it was a brilliant movie. Watching balloon salesman Carl and Ellie build their simple lives together, I guess I understood what my friend said. Money isn’t everything, no matter how much, or how little you have, you’ll make it through life as long as you have true love. Sure, they had to put aside their dream of travelling the “lost world” in South America due to unexpected expenditures (which is pretty much inevitable), but they led a fulfilling life. Love itself is simple and unconditional. It’s just that, sometimes, we tend to overcomplicate matters.

The film wasn’t just about enduring love; it was also about exploration and adventure. Carl was finally able to fulfil Ellie’s dream of travelling to Paradise Falls in South America, albeit with the unexpected companionship of an irrepressible 8-year-old wilderness explorer named Russell. I’m sure the thought of exploring an unknown land resonated with many who feel somewhat deprived in a world untouched by man. Sure, the next frontier in exploration is space, but how many of us can actually jump on a spaceship to travel throughout the universe?

Sometimes the reality of life, anchors your dream to the ground with the opportunity appearing much later in life. But once it does come, it would be a sin to not do anything about it. It may not necessarily involve tying a bunch of helium-filled balloons to levitate your house but you get the idea. It’s never too late!

Masquerade

It seems to go on and on and on...

New home for my blog

It had to be done since Yahoo decided to close Geocities.
I have to write more though. I must admit that since early this year, my blogging frequency has gone down. Sometimes I do have thoughts or ideas that cross my mind but by the time I'm actually in front of my PC, the thoughts or ideas seem to flutter away. Being a writer doesn't make it easier to blog either. It's as if you've poured out so many words for work during the day that you have none left for when you access your blog at night.