Ode to My Grandfather

Ah Kong,
Long will I miss your voice calling me to breakfast,
The moments in your favourite pau shop will I always treasure,
Your hushed prayer before each reunion dinner,
Your pearls of wisdom to all who cared to lend an ear,
These I carry in my heart.
My eyes are heavy with sorrow,
Yet my soul rejoices, for today, you are in paradise.
Memories may fade, but your legacy remains.
You led a simple life, shorn of luxury.
Though the winds of strife, poverty, and hardship huffed and puffed on the door of your fortitude,
Your house never came down.
You weathered the storms of life's darkest days,
You negotiated the pitfalls and avoided temptation at a time when a lesser man would have fallen.
All this, you did, with masterful aplomb.
Your grit, perseverance and self sacrifice meant that you'd always bear the pain of a battered stomach.
But this suffering was your cross to carry, so that none of us would have to suffer the hunger that you felt for most days of your life.
Education was the bedrock on which your family was built.
A vision misplaced, ahead of its time.
Prudence and thrift were your life's pillars.
Never one to back down from life's tempest, you negotiated each swell with hard work and an iron will.
Although your mind gave way before your body,
Before your memories grew dim and the rug of life was pulled from beneath your feet,
Before the curtains were drawn for one final hurrah,
You prayed,..
"God, please take care of my family".

Written in loving memory of Lim Tang Too,my grandfather.
Born on April 9th 1921 and passed away on May 8th 2008

From Russia With Love

That, and the UEFA Champion's League trophy.

The picture sums it up. What it all boils down to, for the fans, the culmination of a year of many a sleepless night, palpitations, disappointments, hope and ultimately, victory. For the players, a piece of footballing history that will long live in the memory. United are worthy champions without question. Had it not been for the goalkeeping heroics of Peter Cech and the wasteful finish of Michael Carrick (not aided by opting to shoot to his left where an everpresent Cech and a Chelsea defender were daunting human barriers, when placing it into an empty right hand corner would have sufficed) , if Carlos Teves feet had made sweet contact with Wayne Rooney's perfectly weighted ball instead of brushing against it, the game would have been considerably different. 2-0 would have killed it off. How United would rue those misses.

Then came the Michael Essien drive which fortuitously deflected off Paul Scholes and bounced off Rio Ferdinand unto the grateful feet of Frank Lampard who finished smartly. That was to be Chelsea's first and only shot on target in the whole half. What an injustice! To top it off, Chelsea scored so close to half time and it proved to be a mortal blow to United's confidence.

United were not the same side in the second half, a shadow of their former selves. They were losing the physical battles and offered sporadic resistance without ever really threatening. Chelsea were on the ascension and dominated the midfield with Drogba hitting the outside of the upright, though in all honesty, it never looked like it was going in when he let fly from outside the box.

Lampard had Chelsea's best chance of the game when, a deft turn and shot cannoned off the crossbar. I guess that evened out the earlier fluke of a goal, well, almost. Not to be outdone, Giggs had a fine chance, but it required a right foot to bury it into the vacant left, and so his shot was headed away by a well placed John Terry.

Just when the game seemed destined to end uneventfully, the red mist descended. A scuffle in extra time broke out which resulted in yellow cards for Teves, Michael Ballack and a straight red for Didier Drogba. In the heat of the moment, the slightest tap on Nemanja Vidic's cheeks gave Lubos Michel no choice but to give Drogba his marching orders. The coup de grace to Chelsea's serial diver. The game then petered out and ended honours even.

The pulses were set racing again, tipping every watching soul into adrenaline overdrive.

Cue Tevez, a mazy run up and an ice cool finish. 1-0 to Man United.

Chelsea then matched United step for step until THAT third penalty. A nervy Cristiano Ronaldo stepped up gingerly, hesitating several times before being too close to the ball to put any real power or direction behind it. Cech, true to form, duly saves. The pendulum swung and quite a few heads dropped. Crestfallen, Ronaldo buries his face in his hands.

Chelsea could smell blood and when Ashley Cole's shot squirmed into the net after Edwin Van der Sar looked to have saved, a sense of inevitability dawned on Stamford Bridge while impending doom drew closer to the Old Trafford faithful.

At that moment, a visibly humbled and teary Ronaldo lay prostrate with hands clasped above his head in fervent prayer. The heavens opened up and the rain poured with renewed vigour. Michael Carrick's eyes closed as a confident John Terry strode with an air of confidence to the penalty spot. But just when Van der Sar seemed well and truly beaten, the slippery surface proved to be Terry's match as his standing foot gave way as he was striking the ball. The ball clipped the post and yes, there is a God in this world!

Normal service resumed as Anderson and Soloman Kalou both slotted comfortably to take it to penalty number 7. Manchester United's most loyal servant was next. Ryan Giggs, just as he did against Wigan, put the ball into the back of the net.

By now every man, woman and child was on the edge of their seat. Nicolas Anelka, with no hint of emotion or nerves on his face, makes a run up to the ball. He hits it to the left and its rising but its met by the palms of Van der Sar.

The Luzhniki Stadium erupts, MANCHESTER UNITED are the CHAMPIONS of EUROPE!

The Birth of A Blog

There is a spontaneous beginning and an imminent end to all things. This is true in life and in death. The same could be said of this blog. It was a moment of inspiration drawn from the inimitable proprietor of malaysia-finance and a certain cilipadidoctor that propelled the collective ideas into fruition. There were thoughts of sharing Manchester United's success and brooding when defeated with brothers of the same ilk. Even when the games run dry come May, there is always the speculation of wonderfully gifted, albeit not inexpensive, footballers crossing the continent to don the red of United or the unearthing of a hidden gem from the farthest reaches of the world's poorest nations. Such is the beautiful game.

One fine sweltering afternoon, after what must have been the most tantalising sensation my taste buds had ever perceived, I wondered if a durian could taste any better. That and if people would know of a small town in Penang called Balik Pulau. Then, the train of thought chugged along, the question begging, will anyone ever know of the fine char koay teow in Lorong Selamat, the dim sum in Taman Pekaka, or the watermelon juice which still sells for 1 ringgit in Tanjung Bungah? The seed was planted. Someone should blog it, I thought.

When I was considering a name for this blog, I was trying to find one which encapsulated my thoughts and ideas. Football and food are fine subjects, but I wanted more. Issues on the country, society or equities, thoughts on medical conditions and treatment, or simply, just to continue rambling, on the crest of a wave of emotions that coursed through my veins. Such spontaneous, impulsive, passionate, chaotic mix of things; its spirit captured by one word.

Musings.

The non de plume, or pseudonym would have to be personal and unique. Since my surname is Lim, I paused and pondered; if young is to youngster, then Lim is to Limster.

Hence, on May 20th 2008, "A Limster's Musings" was born.