Highlights to help explain why I love football (soccer)

Edit: Amazingly, I have come across an even better highlights video for this match...check it out by clicking here

Last Sunday, I sat down to watch what turned out to be the most exciting football match I have ever seen - and I wasn't even at the match, so that should tell you something. The West Ham v Tottenham Hotspurs game was a harrowing 90-minute emotional rollercoaster ride. Both teams needed to win to achieve critical Club goals: West Ham faces relegation to a lower league based on poor performance, and Spurs need almost every possible point from the rest of this season in order to grab a top 4 place in the Premier League, which would see them finally qualifying next year to play in the european Champions League. For those who did not understand a word of what I just wrote, believe me, both situations are very very big deals to not only the club and players, but the fans as well.

This match encompassed all of the reasons why I love football...the sport is simply overflowing with skill, heart, class, and a whole lot of drama... to see highlights of how the match was so intense for both sides, and nothing short of miraculous for Spurs, please click here

PS - to help a bit, West Ham are in "claret and blue" (aka burgundy and blue) shirts and Spurs are in their "Lillywhite" (aka white) shirts.

It's been awhile...

since I posted about the complexities of my little life. This term has often been difficult and I've been combating this by focusing on and relating mainly the positive things as they have come. That really does no good for anyone as it misrepresents my experience over here. Anyway, here are some of the more difficult things that I've been dealing with:

1) This term I was really ill for a few weeks. Before anyone worries, I am much much better now. The stupid thing is my becoming so ill was all my own fault. I have a fairly common disease called Polycystic ovarian syndrome and my symptoms are for the most part fairly superficial. Because I've had it for so long (since puberty basically) and have grown accustomed to the general inconveniences and occasionally more serious problems it can cause, I became overly complacent with going to the doctor and keeping on top of what was happening. That was simply obstinate stupidity because while most of my symptoms are "superficial" others are distinctly not superficial and if left unchecked can lead to the situation I was in earlier this term. I should have known better as there were clear signs that my symptoms were worsening, but hindsight is always 20/20. Anyway, the good news is that I've gone to the doctor and am getting things back on track. Unfortunately though, my being ill cut massively into my research this term, so I am quite behind where I had hoped to be.

2) My college has placed me on a "waiting list" for college accommodation next year, which is both freaking me out and pissing me off. While College holds a "ballot" for graduate rooms every year (people almost never have the same room they had the prior year), for the past several years everyone who wanted a room was guaranteed one. This year for some "unknown" reason there are not enough rooms for the interested grad students, so about 20 of us (including myself) are on the non-guaranteed wait-list. Great. Stay tuned, I may be having to live in a different College next year (even though I'll still be a "member" of this College). I swear, I'm so tired of some of the crap my College pulls.

Right, so now in positive news, I found out last night that my mother is organising a children's soccer camp this summer! Of course, this means my baby sister will definitely be learning how to play the beautiful game. Wonderful! :o)

Marvelous Magical March

With my February blues solidly banished, I have marvelous magical March news to report:

First, research is going extremely well and I am confident that I will meet the deadline to have my revised chapter to my supervisor by the end of this weekend! Yippee!

Second, I just found out that Buffy the Vampire Slayer, one of my favourite TV shows no longer on the air, will be having an additional season - not on TV - in a comic book! Dark Horse comics (headquartered in Portland) will be publishing this "8th season" of Buffy and it will be penned by Joss Whedon himself! Awesome news! I can't wait to read it. More importantly, I can't wait to see if Buffy decides she's no longer "cookie dough" and has become "cookies" thereby allowing her and Angel to finally get back together...yeah, yeah, I know, I'm such a girly-girl (but really, they neeeed to be together...Katiebug, I know you're a Buffy and Spike fan...don't go getting "creative" with your editorial role at DH comics, ya hear. ;-) )