www.Go To The Mountain - Musings of a Potential Guru

Do you remember that there were times you were watching some futuristic movies many years ago and they try to show you what the future will look like with computers, robots, etc. Then they flashed on the screen "...in the year 2013..."  Well, we have got past 2013 now and are right in the future in 2014! Out with the snake and welcome the galloping horse, a majestic animal indeed. Spring Cleaning? Spring cleaning anyone? Let me be frank, I no longer enjoy it.  Just clear some cobwebs and if someone visits and saw a spider, I will just tell them it is my pet spider and I will name it after the questioner. I do not have a domestic helper and need to get out of this cycle of poverty.  When I was a child, the weeks before CNY was filled with excitement and anticipation because grandma, mum and all the aunts would meet and come around to help prepare CNY cookies, etc. and it gave a festive spirit. Remember those Milo and Ovaltine tins and Jacob's crac...

MSL I watched Singapore played in the MSL. In the opening game, they seemed nervous. Pahang was overated and still we lost. Then at home to traditional powerhouse Selangor, I was surpised and impressed by their comeback win. Then even when high-spending Johor were leading us, we remained calm and came back from the dead to snatch a point at 2-2. What does it tell me? Allow me to share. Izwan  is a good goalie especially when launching an attack. Lee Bee Seng needs to work on his weaknesses in set pieces and conceding goals at the near post. The defence is generally okay. Afiq will grow into it. Our midfield is actually quite talented. Hafiz will eventually make a name for himself. Isa Halim is a tough fighter but I have to question if he should be made captain. It's about temperament. Gabriel Quak has shown deft touches at times but need to do it more frequently. Faris Ramli is exciting with his accelerating runs.  Khairul looked lazy or less fit but he's been gettin...

There is the FA Cup distraction this weekend so EPL games resume only on 28 and 29 January. Man Utd v Cardiff - When you hit a dry patch, you suffer a crisis of confidence. Man U went to Stamford Bridge and bravely attacked from the start and dominated somewhat and could have scored early on but Chelsea put on a masterful display. But you should worry when old man Etoo not just scored but scored a hattrick. Utd.'s last 5 matches read LLLWL. The only good thing this weekend is a reprieve as they host Cardiff. Cardiff actually scored twice against ruthless Man City and can create problem as Old Trafford no longer cause fear to visitors. It is a difficult place to win even for Manchester United. They are not that bad, just not as good. Technically they have beaten Sunderland 2-1 in the CCup having lost the earlier leg but knocked out on penalties and now hoping for Juan Mata from Chelsea to rescue their season. Cheer up David Moyes.  2-0 . Norwich v Newcastle ...

I have never been to City Square Mall but I knew the areas around there intimately. I was schooled nearby, played soccer at Farrer Park, eat around there, have relatives living nearby and friends around but when I drove over, the entire place has been transformed. Singapore is to me perpetually an enigma. Damned if you do and damned if you don't. The place was renewed and modern, you welcomed it but yet you missed the originality from where we grew up.  The pavement that we used to walk and run on, the old fences and railings. Sometimes, I asked myself - do we really need to keep changing and so rapidly? Oh? we have no choice, we are a small island with limited space, we have to reuse, renew, blah, blah, blah. Many of us were born there at the KK. So here we were at the most eco-friendly shopping mall. They used to say eating Japanese food is an acquired taste. It is true. You may not like it at first, acquired it and then you love it. It was so many ye...

At a gay wedding between two men, the priest was confused as how to pronounce them. Husband and wife? After a long silence, he said: "I now pronounced you as Man United." Welcome back to the exciting EPL. Watch the top goals of last week: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=658862370823024&set=vb.266828596693072&type=2&theater   (Top Goals) Sunderland v Southampton - The Blackcats are definitely on the mend under Gus Poyet having won 3 on the trot. They must have been good to beat Man Utd in the CCup and followed that up with an emphatic 4-1 away win over Fulham! The Saints too have returned to winning ways with their last two matches being wins. Between them, Southampton have never beaten Sunderland in their last 4 meetings. Sunderland's morale are boosted and could win again but this is a good Southampton side who could win too but being away, I say its a draw. 1-1 . Arsenal v Fulham - Arsenal have a very good chance to land the title this season....

Old Trafford has lost its aura of invincibility they once had just like Liverpool's "This Is Anfield" sign would have once sent shivers down their visitors' spines, even those visitng from other European countries. They already suffered enough losses and then going down 1-2 to at home to Tottenham who themselves haver been struggling started the rout. They followed that with another 1-2 home defeat in the FA Cup at he hands of Swansea whose struggles were worse than Spurs. They completed a hattrick of defeats when they went out of the Capital One Cup after being defeated by bottom club Sunderland. Everybody is blaming David Moyes but I won't. I saw a Man Utd in decline way back last season. They were also ageing and there were no major replacements signed. Maybe they wanted Moyes to sign his own players in due time. Maybe they wanted Mourinho. "Who do you want?" Sir Alex: "Mourinho". Mo...who? "Mourinho". Moxxxxxx? "Mo...Yes...

Singapore is truly a food haven. Just for local content alone, you get Chinese, Malay, Indian, Eurasian foods. And then you have different types of Malay, Indian and Chinese foods. Among the Chinese it is even more diverse - Cantonese, Teochew, Hokkien, Hakka, Heng Hwa and the list goes on. The Chinese can eat so many kinds of animals, different parts and they could do it in so many styles of fried, steamed, braised, preserved, in soup, sauteed, etc. No wonder the Chinese are animal lovers. Some of us could not survive for long in a Western country because they give you a chunk of meat to cut and munch all over and over again. Even the food in Chinese restaurants in Western countries taste different as they would have been catered to local taste.  Of course, each of the countries have some great food but you will agree that perhaps the French and the Italians are the best in the Western world.  No matter how much of a veteran we are or how versatile, we will tend to h...