Professionalism

In the name of Allah the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Assalamu'alaikum, everybody!!

I find these 2 pictures so true..........

I have a problem with the place that I THOUGHT I'd be working in during my 2-month break.  Instead it was just a bust.  So I might just be sitting in the house. Yay....

-____-"

See you guys on the flip side!!

P.S: Going to UTM Skudai for the 2nd camp of tennis selections next weekend.

A Lot To Be Happy About Indeed

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Assalamu'alaikum, y'all!!

Well, this Sunday (today), I have a lot to be happy about (and maybe some sad stuff too).

Today is what most of the whole world know as "Mother's Day".  Had a good breakfast at the UiTM cafe at Section 7 this morning.  Breakfast buffet, baby!  Haha!!  I didn't take any pictures of the food though.  I rarely do that.  And now that I read somewhere that people who post pictures of food too much can be psychologically ill, I definitely won't that anymore.

I love my mom, people.  Without her, I won't be half the person I am today.  I won't say "Happy Mother's Day" as I see it as a religious issue.  That and the fact that you should celebrate and treat your mothers in a special and big way regardless of what day it is.  That said.........

My brother, Ibu and I

Here's to you, Ibu.  I love you with all my heart and with God's Willing will always be right here for you.  May Allah bless you always, IBU!!

:'-)

*Wipes my eyes with lots of tissue*

Sorry about that.

Moving on now, as some of you might know, I'm a huge Manchester United fan and in the words of comedian Russell Howard, "I'm dead serious about football".  I've been a strong supporter of United for 15 years (and counting) now.  Don't believe me?  Here's proof..................

Angah bought me this.  It's not even in Malaysia yet!

Today will be Sir Alex Ferguson's 1,499th match in charge of Man United.  Since United won the BPL already, the trophy presentation will be done at the last home game which is tonight against Swansea.  It'll be a really emotional time and I won't be embarrassed to cry (Haha!!).  You might support another team and hate Man United, but you can't hate Sir Alex Ferguson.

I even made this.  Well edited is more like actually.

Another thing to be celebrated is Manchester city LOSING the FA Cup final to Wigan Athletic last night.  A last-minute header from a corner by Ben Watson, who missed most of the season due to a broken leg, sealed the victory.  Now there's proof that you can't win by just having money.

Let's see.  Man city....Lost the BPL...They sucked badly in the Champions League with NOT even one win in it.  And they lost the FA Cup.  Wigan Athletic's starting-eleven was valued at 11 point-something million pounds while Manchester city was 180 point-something million.  So there you go.  To all you fans of Manchester city, you can buy players.  But you can never be able to buy class.

Well, for tonight's last home game of the season against Swansea City, I will be live-tweeting that game and possibly the trophy presentation too.  In Sya-Allah I'll be live-tweeting the line-ups and all that.  The match will start at 11 p.m (Malaysian time).  You can watch it at Astro Supersport channel 810 or 831 for HD.

To follow my live tweets follow me, Syauqi Kusyairi or.......

syauqistump1810

See you guys on the flip side!!

P.S: My brother will be in his convocation tomorrow at UiTM XD

Thank You, Sir Alex

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Assalamu'alaikum, everyone!!

The world of football...Or sports for that matter is shaken by the fact that Sir Alexander "Alex" Chapman Ferguson or Sir Alex Ferguson a.k.a Fergie, (not to be confused with Fergie from Black Eyed Peas) will retire as the manager of Manchester United at the end of this season..........

Fergie (left) being appointed as manager.  The picture's in black and white.  That's how long it is.

Sir Alex, who will be undergoing hip surgery soon, took over from his predecessor, Ron Atkinson, on 6th November 1986 and made his first signing with Liam O'Brien (or Viv Anderson.  So it's either or).  His last signing was Wilfried Zaha, wonder kid from Crystal Palace that will be unveiled in a United shirt next season.

Dare I say that Sir Alex is the most successful manager in football with 13 Premiere League titles, 5 FA Cups, 2 UEFA Champions League titles and FIFA Club World Cup where Man United is the only English club to win it.  And those are just the major competitions.  He's made a lot of things possible for the club.  You may be a fan of other football clubs, but you can't deny the fact that this man is a legendary figure of the sport...

Sir Alex (far left) during the unveiling of his statue at Old Trafford

They named a stand after him.  That just shows it innit?

He signed many players that became legendary in the club and shaped some that if it weren't for him, we might not even heard of them............

Fergie signed Eric Cantona from Leeds United in November 1992 at 1.2 million pounds

Better known as "King Eric" among the fans, Eric Cantona was voted the greatest ever Manchester United player in Inside United magazine.  Known for his insane goal scoring abilities, he's also known for his kung fu kick on a supporter (Google it).  That doesn't shadow the fact that Eric is still "king".

Gary Pallister....Bought from Middlesbrough with a 2.3 million pound fee, he and Steve Bruce made the defense of the club impenetrable back in the day.  It's the equivalent of Rio's and Vida's partnership but even more awesome.

Peter Schmeichel....8 years of honours he had at Old Trafford and about 16 goalkeepers came to United after his departure.  With a treble (winning the Premiere League,FA Cup and Champions League in a season) in his grasp from the '98/'99 season, the only goalkeeper that came close to his accomplishments was Edwin van der Sar, who now is retired.

What a save!

Me with what I a wax figure of Schmeichel at Old Trafford last year.

Next up, Keano!!

Sir Alex signed Roy Keane from Nottingham Forest with a 3.75 million pound price tag.  I'm not sure about this but I think he's one of the players at Manchester United that got the most red cards.  Like I said, not sure.  His mouth outlasted his legs and he hastily retired in 2005.  Some harsh words were thrown during an MUTV interview.  Keano won 12 major titles - 9 as captain.

And who could ever forget David Beckham?  David Robert Joseph Beckham took over Cantona's no. 7 shirt and became an icon of the club.  Best known for his speciality in free kicks, scoring countless of them even until now.  Notably his free kick against Greece as an England player (when he was still a United player).  That free kick during the World Cup 2002 qualifier made England qualified for the World Cup.  He bends the ball like no other.  Despite moving to Real Madrid, he's still loved by United fans.

Ole (left) with Fergie

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer....This baby-face Norwegian can be said as Man United's super sub scoring 29 of his 126 goals from coming off the bench.  One of his notable goals is the winning goal against Bayern Munich in the '99 Champions League final at the Nou Camp.  That year is one of the greatest years to be a Manchester United fan.

Sir Alex unveiling Ruud van Nistelrooy

Fergie bought Ruud from PSV with 19 million pounds and this man made quite a name for himself.  Being one of the players who scored more than 25 goals in his debut season (along with Cristiano Ronaldo and Robin van Persie) and winning PFA Player of the Year.

Here's a familiar name.  He might come back too after moving from Old Trafford the Bernabeu.....

Portuguese whiz kid (back then), Cristiano Ronaldo

Signed from Sporting Lisbon with 12.24 million pounds, he was given the no. 7 shirt.  117 goals wearing United colours and then he went to Real Madrid for 80 million pounds.  He went in good terms.  Although, there are speculations that he's "prepared" for a move back to Old Trafford.

Ronaldo hugging Fergie during the 1st leg of United's Champions League match against Real Madrid

Fergie signed Wayne Rooney

Wayne Rooney a.k.a wazza, bought from Everton, made his name known in English football with his Everton  goal against Arsenal that won that match with a 2-1 scoreline.  In his debut match as a Man United player however, he scored a hat-trick against Turkish side Fenerbahce in the Champions League.  It has "dream debut" written all over it innit?

Wazza has the no. 10 shirt now as you can see.

Nemanja Vidic (Vida) with his Player of the Month award with Fergie and his Manager of the Month award.

Bought from Spartak Moscow, he and Rio can be quite a wall of a defense.  Next to Steve Bruce and Gary Pallister's partnership.  This United no. 15 made and has been making many stops and blocks to shut out the shots on Man United's goal.

I'm sure there are several other purchases of Sir Alex that made an impact but enough on that.

Here are quotes from some people of the football world...............

Gary Neville - "Greatest manager of all time"

Laurent Blanc - "He had great players in front of him but he also saw them as his sons."

David Beckham - "he was also a father figure to me" and "Thank you boss and enjoy the rest!"

Dwight Yorke - "It's not going to be right without Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United"

Cristiano Ronaldo - "Thanks for everything boss"

Here are some quotes that are not from Manchester United players (former or current).............

Manchester city captain, Vincent Kompany - "Sir Alex, one of the best managers of all time.  After 26 years of success in the game, we all owe him a tribute."

British Prime Minister, David Cameron - "SAF's achievement at MUFC has been exceptional.  Hopefully his retirement will make life a little easier for my team AVFC" (Aston Villa).

Radamel Falcao, Atletico Madrid striker - "Stand up, put your hands together and give him a big round of applause!  Sir Alex is retiring.  Congrats on an amazing career"

Other sports figures paid their respects to Sir Alex too...........

Britain's no.1 tennis player, Andy Murray - "What a legend Sir Alex Ferguson!  Shame that he is retiring from management but what a career its been.. Who's next for United? #irreplaceable"

Tennis's "King of Clay", Rafael Nadal - "A great career fighting for the team! Admirable #SirFerguson.  Good luck in your new way."
Fastest man in the world, Usain Bolt - "A major iconic football figure." and "Always words of encouragement even though we were in different sport #Willbemissed."
Golf star and die-hard United fan, Rory McIlroy - "An end of an era today! Sir Alex Ferguson, the greatest of all time! United will have a tough time trying to replace him!"

Rumours are stirring about who his successor would be.  Everton manager, David Moyes, Real Madrid boss, Jose Mourinho or Jurgen Klopp from Borussia Dortmund.  As I'm writing this, it's said that David Moyes might be taking charge.  Not surprising actually as he has long been a favourite of Fergie to replace him.  However, I'm not so sure about it as he doesn't really have European football experience (in the Champions League) but we'll see who will get the hotseat as Manchester United's next manager.

Sir Alex Ferguson, ladies and gentleman.  27 years as Manchester United manager.  He has his ups and downs in the business but you can't hate him for being a passionate manager and iconic manager of this beautiful sport.  Despite his saying of being a director at club, fans all over the world including myself will definitely miss his gum-chewing, watch-watching, red-faced antics at the touchline.

So here's to you, Sir Alex.  The best and most successful manager in football.......

He made this and a lot more possible

See you guys on the flip side!!

P.S: This is arguably my longest blog post and what an honour it is to blog about Sir Alex Ferguson
:-)

Silver Lining

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Assalamu'alaikum, peeps!!

I've been seeing,hearing and reading a lot of stuff ever since the 2013 Malaysian General Election fever kicked in.  Some of the stories,theories and excuses are just too crazy.  Anywho, I got lots of pictures in my laptop that made me laugh and smile..........

8 years (and counting) of friendship with those 3.

Hahaha!!! Merci, my Madamoiselle for this XD

From the small reunion a few weeks ago.

Frontman, Alex Gaskarth from All Time Low (on their song "Therapy").  I find this so true.

This is how people are suppose to look at suicide.

These next few pictures are all about the amazing, insanely awesome, the one and only.....

LINDSEY STIRLING

That smile! ^.^

Lindsey in London during her Europe tour last year

Look at those eyes :-3

You can't say no to a smile like that ^___^

Lindsey... *Melts into the carpet*

The camera just loves her dunnit? :-D

Here's Lindsey's number 1 fan...PHELBA! :-D

Told you.  The camera just loves her :-)

In a nutshell......................

So yeah.  I guess that pretty much sums it up.  Haha!!  What's a Stirlingite? I think it's pretty obvious but you guys can Google it.

:-P

See you guys on the flip side!!

P.S: I might be going working again either this Wednesday or Thursday at Kenny Rogers Plaza Alam Sentral.  Swing by yeah?  ;-)

A Busy Week

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Assalamu'alaikum, y'all!!

As some of you might know, I had 10 days of stuff to do.  3 of those days were spent in MRSM KK.  You guys can check that out at the post before this one.  We had a number of students coming along.  Besides the tennis team, the futsal, softball teams and a volleyball player went along.  My training started on the 22nd of April to the 25th.  The selection for MASUM (Majlis Sukan Universiti Malaysia) was on the 27th and 28th.  On the 22nd Aji came to my house and brought me to the hostel and we all (the whole tennis team) met up.  After prayers, we had to go to that tennis store in Ampang Park to get some new gear.  And I did.  I LOVE THEM!!

It's got the same designs as the last but more colours.  Haha!!  It felt great using them when I played too.

Aji, UTM KL's tennis team manager, during our dinner the night we got to KSJ.

From left: Nabil, Aji, Salihin and yours truly, Syauqi.  ;-)

And so the next day, we started it all.  Tuesday to Thursday from 7.30 a.m to 7 p.m, we all dropped our blood sweat and tears in our training.....

Aji.  *Sighs* He has his moments -___-"

He's too wiped out.  But the training that day just started T____T"

2nd day, ranking day.  We fought against each other to see who was on top.

I'm small.  I know.  So don't rub it in :-P

I lost to Aji 4-3 but I was optimistic

It was "first to reach four games".  I lost 4-3 in the first match against Aji but I won the next 4.  Aziz (Ajis) wasn't with us cos he was busy.  He's the guy that we had to beat but hey, I was on top that day and it felt pretty damn good.

The next day we just did training drills....

Cans for the balls as targets

Throughout our training we didn't get to train much from 5 to 7 p.m cos of rain.  At least we got some things from our sessions.

Friday was the day for us.  Off to UTM Skudai after the Friday Prayers.  We went off at 4.30 p.m and we had a flat going into the P.D-Seremban intersection on the highway at 6.30.  To say that it was a small flat tire was clearly an understatement................

None of us had any idea what the bus went over.

When we've waited for about 20 minutes, we all just started cam-whoring...........

2 of the bus's drivers and Syafiq, our tennis player working on the bus.

I have another year to ride with this bus

Syahida [(Syida) red scarf] and Nabil

There's Ajis in white.  At the back there are the guys' futsal team

As some of you might see, these pictures are taken at night.  We were stranded at the side of the highway, waiting for a spare tire (we only had the jack) for over 5 hours.  We headed to Seremban at 11.45 p.m to get a late dinner.  Just so you know, we arrived in Seremban at 12.10 a.m the next day.  We arrived in UTM Skudai at 5.15 a.m, Saturday.  What should've been a 5-hour bus ride turned to an over 12-hour bus ride.

T___T"

So basically we didn't get any sleep cos we had to ride the bus to go the University's stadium at 6.30 a.m.  And the fitness test was at 9 right after an aerobic session at 7.30.  It was bloody tiring.  For the first day we had to do a bleep test where you have to run 20 meters from one marker to another in between "bleeps".  There are levels and as you increase in levels, the time between bleeps are shortened.  Some just did till level 5 or 6.  The highest I heard was 11.  I got 10.  So not too shabby eh?  Haha!!

After that we started the tennis sessions.  I didn't take any pictures cos I was trying to focus on my gameplay.  It was my first time playing with the Skudai players so I just wanted to make a good 1st impression on the first day.....

Asyraf (guy in the orange tracks) was a former student in UTM KL.

So is Daus on the left there.

The first day was ok.  I won 2 of the 2 matches I played.  Did some forehand winners.  Also did a successful drop shot.  I guess I could say I made a good first impression eh?

2nd day..........

Us after the 3 km run-fitness test.  I did it in 16 minutes and 14 seconds.  Not bad right?

Shazrin (Rin) and Haziqah (Iqa).  Our 2 players that are doing their degree in UTM KL.

From left: Syafiq (I think), Awi, Aizat, Syafiq, Salihin and Aji.

Shoes play a key role in your game too I think

We all had to wait at the stadium cos it was raining.  It rained till the afternoon in fact

"Always make a total effort even when the odds are against you."  So true.

On the last day, it kept raining from 8 a.m till afternoon so we didn't play any tennis.  And there will be a 2nd selections on the 24th-26th of June.  Our players are suppose to be filtered cos now us guys have 20 players.  For MASUM, we only need 10.  Since we only played 2 matches, all 20 of us will be going back again for the 2nd selections.  The girls all have a place since there's only a few of them.

We made a few stops here and there on he way back to KL and Alhamdulillah we arrived safely.

Well, I think I bored you guys enough.  On another note I might be working at my old place again next week.  Making drinks and all that.  Can't wait.

By the way, In Sya-Allah I'll be live tweeting Manchester United's home game against Chelsea tomorrow (Sunday) at 10 p.m (Malaysian time) live at Old Trafford (from my home).  To any of you who wants to see the tweets can follow me on Twitter by finding my name, Syauqi Kusyairi or.........

@syauqistump1810

See you guys on the flip side!!

P.S:  Tomorrow is Election Day.  Happy voting to those eligible.  Choose wisely ;-)