The last day of the year

It's that day again, the last day of the year.

It happens every year. The same old routine. People wishing others happy new year, people making new resolutions, people driving around in their cars honking everyone else, and people partying like it's the end of the world. It never changes.

I guess some things will never change.

Unless of course, if you win the lottery, or the Power Root instant millionaire contest, and be so rich beyond your wildest dream. Then things will change. For you at least. You won't be worrying about ushering the new year, or even having to work ever again. Why should you? You're rich, and you have money to burn. Let your money work for you.

Oh yes, things will definitely change.

But for the rest of us, it will be the same old routine. The same old job with a 2% pay increase for the new year. That is if you're still have a job. There will be some of us who's unlucky enough to be retrenched. Yes, the economy is not good. Companies are cutting cost everywhere. And that means cutting jobs.

Not a very good year ahead, you might think. And you may be right. But that doesn't mean the world has to stop revolving. Somehow, life will always find a way to be right again. It's the wheel of life, you'll be down sometimes, but most of the times, if you're lucky enough, and determined, you'll be on top. And you'll look down upon the world and thank the blessings that you have received, the roof on top of your head, and the food that you eat everyday. And most importantly, the people that makes your life bearable. Your family and friends. The stranger who said thank you for helping him out while he was in trouble.

So thank you 2008. Thank you for being kind to me. Thank you for blessing me with happiness and a perfect life. Well, it might not be perfect, but to me, it is one. Thank you for completing me, and thank you for making the world a better place. Well, it might not be the best, but it could have been worse.

Let's hope for better times, and better things to come in 2009.

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition

Let the music be my mood for tonight.

It's funny how you can never fall asleep when you know that you really have to get some sleep. Like the night before an important exam, or the night before your wedding, or even the night before your big trip that you have been planning for months. Of course, it's understandable if you do not get any sleep at all on your wedding night, as couples always do. Your wedding night is supposed to be magical, with plenty of exploring to do, plenty of whispers to share. But then again, you might just be too tired for anything, and sleep like you never slept before. Not that it's a disaster or anything, afterall, you have an eternity of nights to explore and whisper to each other.

It's weird how some people can be really outspoken in writing but act the opposite in the real world. It's like they have split personality, behaving in a certain manner at a certain time. Like a vampire ravaging the night for fresh blood but lies asleep and weak during daylight.

It's mind boggling the way the world works. You always see bad people live happily ever after, be very rich and prosperous, while good people get all the dirt and live miserably for the rest of their lives. It's like karma is working in an amusing way, making sure that bad things always happen to good folks, while good things keep on happening to bad folks.

It's like we're living in a twisted world.

Have you even wonder if there is a parallel universe? Where there is the same world, the same people, the same buildings, but with a different story. A totally completely different story? It's like an alternate timeline, another possibility for the road that was not taken, for the choices that weren't made. Like the movie Sliding Doors, where two possibilities existed when Gwyneth Paltrow missed the train. Both have different consequences, with different story. However, the two universe converge into one reality in the end, with different results.

Just like what the Monty Python boys always say.

Last 16 draw

These are the draws for the last 16 of the Champions League:

Real Madrid vs Liverpool
Chelsea vs Juventus
Arsenal vs AS Roma
Inter Milan vs Manchester United
Lyon vs Barcelona
Atletico Madrid vs FC Porto
Sporting Lisbon vs Bayern Munich
Villareal vs Panathinaikos

It would be interesting to see Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho matching up again. Mourinho is still in his first season with Inter Milan, and would love to have a go at Ferguson again. Inter Milan is sitting comfortably on top of Serie A at the moment.

Liverpool's reward of finishing top of the group in the qualifying round is a date with Real Madrid. Real might be struggling in the Spanish League, but that doesn't mean it's going to be an easy task for Liverpool. But nothing that Gerrard and co can't handle.

Both Arsenal and Roma are struggling in their local league, and it would be interesting to see who would win this clash. While Chelsea will be reunited with Claudio Ranieri in the form of Juventus when the two teams battle it out for a chance to play in the quarterfinals.

The ties take place on February 24/25 and March 10/11 with the final on May 27 in Rome.

When fine is not good enough

So everything is not fine?

Things are not going the way you wanted them to be. Your life seems like a big hole, there's nothing concrete, there is no substance, there is no meaning at all. You grasp for something tangible, something real, but all you get is a shadow of your great self. Just a wisp of something you imagine you would be, and that's all you have.

Nothing more, nothing less.

So you seek deeper, you seek for your inner self. You seek for the meaning of life. You demand some answers, you demand justice.

But you don't even know the questions.

All you know, the answer might be 42. That's what the book says. The question is not important. You can travel the whole galaxy looking for the answer, but in the end, it will always be 42.

But that is besides the point.

Do you notice how people always ended up saying that they are fine when asked about their well-being? You ask them "how are you?", and most of the time, the immediate answer is "I'm fine, thanks". That's the simplest way to answer it anyway. No more explanation is needed, and you're not even sure if they were sincere when asking you in the first place.

The truth is, you're not fine. You are never fine. Things might be fine for a while, but in the long run, you always get back to where you started, which is nowhere. So how the hell do you get away from nowhere? You seem to be moving in circles, you can go a thousand miles away, yet you always return to the exact spot where you began. You seek for that place, for that piece of puzzle to complete your life, to complete yourself, and most importantly, you seek for something that means everything to you.

So in the end, what do you seek?

Extraordinary, and not just fine. But where do you find it?

Now that, is the question to the answer.