Watched Sports Lately?

I'm not much of a sportsperson. Almost all my sporting activities ended at the end of my school days. When I was in school, I took part in sports every year, basically in athletics, though I never excelled. At uni I took up orienteering, which I still continued after I started working. While working I also got involved in hiking and much later, I took up the delightful tai chi.

Nowadays I would watch sports programmes on tv. I'd watch the Olympic Games, favouring gymnastics, synchronised swimming, martial arts, wrestling and possibly athletics.

I don't have a favourite football team nor a footballer, but I try to learn a few fotballers' names in case I have to discuss football with others. I prefer rugby -- its very interesting: fast and full of drama. But don't ask me why they scrum or stand in line. I used to watch the All Blacks up to their Haka performance. I'm glad they lost to France recently to give a little bit of 'colour' to the championship. I watched a little of the game, just to accompany AHS. (AHS used to play when he was a student.) Many in our family cheered when the Springboks won the World Cup.

Lately, I've started to watch F1 races on tv since AHS is such a fan. So now I watch the burst tyres, the crashes, the fastest lap and I know what the safety car is about. I didn't use to understand why anyone would be glued to the tv for a couple of hours watching loud cars go round and round the track. At least now it's no longer Schumacher, Schumacher all the time winning the race. I', also glad Raikkonen was champion last weekend. I'd hate Hamilton if he had won. I'm watching Kubica because he has such a unique name. AHS had wanted to go to Sepang to watch F1 sometime back, but I guess my brother said something quite sensible: that you'd be watching cars whizzing past you every few seconds. And what with the noise. So now AHS has stopped talking about going.

We have started watching Bernama news at 7.30 p.m. The newscasters should not speak so fast. However, it is the only Channel I know that features the Speedway Motor Races. Kudos to them. It is a funny way of riding a motorbike, I'd say. I reckon it is frustrating to newcomers, since the tracks are difficult to manoeuvre. Speedway's got a lot of followers, mind you.

I wish Malaysia would organize (and show on tv) such fun races like the lawn mower race in UK or quirky races like the 'flying machine' races in US. That would spark the inventor in the people.

My 2 sen...

Trials and Tribulations

I feel that I've been drained of a lot of energy the whole of last week. There is just so much to do before we break for Eid-- at home and at work. AHS also decided to invite guests over for iftar but both of us prefer to break fast at home -- we feel more relaxed and can take our time for prayer and all. I also wanted to do extra in the spiritual department, since its coming towards the end of Ramadhan. When I stopped to ponder the hadith that says something like: 'if you only knew the benefits of Ramadhan, you would want the whole year to be Ramadhan', I shudder to think how little I have done. What I've done in Ramadhan doesn't in the least bit reflect the greatness of this month as mentioned in the hadith.

On to a different tangent, finding out about D's husband was a shock. I pray Mr. D gets better. Lately, so many people that I know are having cancer. A colleague had her breast out recently and now undergoing chemo. It is taxing on the person. Azean Irdawaty, a friend's sister, has been very brave. The wife of our contractor is in hospital for treatment. He still whistles while laying the wooden flooring. A friend's daughter has been fighting cancer and spreading awareness among the younger generation about the illness.

All of these people are very brave. It's their dugaan from the Almighty. I don't know how I'd be able to handle the situation if it was me facing the problem; be it as the patient or the patient's relative.

To them, my respect and best wishes.