For a variety of reasons it has been ages since I last shared a sports opinion.  Last night I ventured into the outer regions of Scarborough to watch my brother's soccer team play.  Within the first 10 minutes it was apparent that my brothers team was outmatched.  His opponents clearly possesed better technique and tactics and a better understanding of the game.  The team my brother plays on is comprised of younger players (its a mens league) which accounts for them being physically overmatched but doesn't explain why their was such a large gap in skill. I immediately began to think of the Canadian men's team at the Under 20 World Cup and many simalarities could be found.  Firstly, there were very few players who had the ability to keep control of the ball.  This has been something i've noticed watching my brother play since he was 5. Often during pre-game warmups you will see the coaches practicing shooting, passing tactics but very rarely will you see a coach that emphasises controlling the ball (By this I mean being able to recieve the pass and keep the ball at your foot).   It's so frustrating watching player recieve the pass only to let the ball run away from them or watching players panic if the ball is not directly at their foot.  Coaches, please spend some time teaching players how to trap the ball and bring it to their feet.  What is also evident is that coaches emphasize tactics much more than creativity.  There are too few players who try to do any unique.   I'm completely in favour of having a strategy but the problem is that in too many games i've seen there is a lack of players who attempt to be creative.  I'm not talking about doing fancy tricks or trying to dribble past the entire team, but more about having players whom are not afraid to dribble past a defender in order to create opportunities. My brother thankfully has always bee a good team player always following the team system and never tried to play the role of hero. But  I'm always telling my brother that he has to use his skills a little more and be more creative.  But I think that all the coaching over the years has created some doubt in his mind.  Coaches when you have young players don't attempt to curtail their progress and creative development.  These are only some of the complaints i've had.  I think it is evident by the way Canada has played in this World Cup that there needs to be a change in the way coaches teach the game in this country. However on a positive note i'd like to to congratulate the National mens team on their great play in the Gold Cup.  I think that was the first time i had watched a Canadian team play with the ball, under control, making smart passes, I hope it's a sign of good things to come. Perhaps in the future watching a Canadian soccer team play will not be as frustrating as it it is now.

It has been over a month since I returned from my trip to Korea and therefore over a month that I have been staying by myself at home (Sarah stayed in Korea for an extra month and a half).  I have come to realize a couple of things from my month alone.  First, living alone is not so easy.  While being alone has provided some much needed solitary time (I know i'm anti-social), having to shop, do laundry, cook, cleaning and all the other aspects of single life I had not really previously experienced and I don't really find them enjoyable.  It's not that Sarah did all these things all the time but it's different when there is no one else to do some of these things and there is not the same sense of self-reliance.  My fridge is barron and i've noticed that i'm eating out more often. I realize that I have come to rely on Sarah for a lot, and not that i'm lost being alone but it is definietly different having to survive on your own, especially when you've been a 'couple' for so long.  This leads to my second point, i've realized that my closeness to Sarah has coincided with a distance with my friends.  Not that this has occurred intentionally but I definietly do not keep in touch with my friends in the same way I previously did.  I'm not sure if it's due to all us growing up and having our own new lives but a distance has been created. I'm not blaming anyone or complaining about this situation, i'm merely making an observation.  I have never been a person with a wide circle of friends (for evidence check my facebook!) but I have always valued those friends I do have. Most of the people I truly consider friends I have known for the majority of my life and so no matter How infrequently we meet I am confident they will continue to be close to me but now after so much time without communication and with the demands of daily life I'm unsure it is possible to resume a friendship as previously experienced. I've tried recently to make an effort to maintain communication and hopefully  things will change. 

It has been about three weeks since I returned from my trip to Korea.  I have to say it was one of the best experiences in my life. 

I'm not sure if it was that fact that Sarah was there or that I simply needed a break from the daily grind but the trip was so relaxing

and comforting. While only there two weeks I made some observations about Korea.  I don't anyone to think that the what i'm about to say is meant to be offensive its simply my observations (if i'm off base let me know in comments).

 

1.  Koreans have a strange fascination with English.  Parents push their kids to take English classes. Aparently english tests are required for certain jobs.  All of this is well and good except NOBODY uses english.  I'm not complaining i'm just wondering why there is such a desire to learn english in a country where nobody uses it.  Very strange to me.

 

2.  I spent almost all my time in Seoul so my next point my be off base, but Koreans love fashion but this love of fashion is not limited to females.  You would not catch me in any of the shirts that they were selling in the mens stores. I'm all for style but I think the obsession with comercial brand names even surpasses North America.  Consumerism is almost a way of life for a lot of young people. While there are a lot of fakes there are also a lot of young people walking around with 1000s of dollars worth of clothing.  How they can afford it is beyond me and why they need it is even more difficult for me to understand. 

 

3.  North Americans are much larger in size compared to Koreans but man can Koreans eat!.  I have never felt so full in my life and oftenI was the first one to stop eating. Young, old, male or female it didn't matter they all out ate me.  It wasn't that I didn't like the food (i've been eating Korean food for 4 years now), I simply couldn't keep up. 

 

4.  I saw my share of non-Koreans while in Seoul.  I assumed that they probably were working as English teachers.  (Let me preface my next observation by saying I not trying to sound arrogant).  Many of these teachers appeared to be dating Koreans.  Now I understand that a person while working in Korea would meet/date a Korean.  But why did so many of the non-Koreans that I saw look so unattractive and a lot of them looked like they were small town country people.  But most curious of all was that they were going out with girls that were definitely 'out of their league'.  I just wondering if by simply being a foreigner they were more appealing to Koreans.   *I'm now wondering if people are saying the same about Sarah and I, is she out of my league?* 

 

5. Seoul is definately a congested city and it is inevitable that people are going to bump into each other.  Perhaps that is why nobody uses the terms please, excuse me, or sorry.  Now I know I am guilty of overusing all three of these terms on a daily basis but it was strange to go

through two weeks of people bumping, pushing and stepping into you and not hear it said once.  I understand that its not part of the society, but it still felt wierd

I have lived almost my entire life in the Toronto Area.  I'm not sure if it's due to luck or not but I have never really experienced blatant racism in the city.  This is not to say that I have never been in an uncomfortable situation (bad racial jokes) or received looks from employees when going shopping, but I think as a person of colour there are some things that come with the territory (like it or not).  I am not naive enough to think that Toronto is somehow different from other areas when it comes to intolerance but I always felt that people in the city kept their own stereotypes and beliefs to themselves or their friends.  In the past week there were two instances where I witnessed minorities involved in altercations with white men.  In both instances the comment 'if you don't like it then leave MY COUNTRY!’  Initially I laughed off these comments as being purely anger induced.  But after the second instance particularly I began to reflect on the comments and became increasingly upset. It made me realize that no matter how well-spoken I am and how much education I received or even the fact that I was born and raised in Canada; I will never be fully seen as a Canadian by some.  At first I was able to accept this reality, because I attributed these views to ignorance and felt that it couldn't possibly reflect the views of a larger segment of the population.  But why not? I will never know those who are of the opinion that this land belongs to 'them' and I should be somehow eternally indebted to the 'kindness' of those who 'allowed' my family to come to Canada (Ironically enough, both of my parents are from exploited former British colonies).  But what can I do? I know this view does exist but if you try to keep this in mind you will only respond by spewing the some hate-filled comments making you no better.  No solution here only more questions. 

 

As mentioned in a previous entry, I had heard good things about the korean social networking website (hey that s what Wikipedia calls it) Cyworld.  so when I found out an american/english version was announced I decided to give it a try.  Much like the other popular sites.   It offers blogging and the sharing of pictures/media.  The emphasis on creating a community is very evident.  Users are encouraged to decorate their site by creating rooms and characters.  When I ventured out into cyworld, the first thing I noticed was the lack of 'older' users (meaning those over age 19) As opposed to  the Korean version which has users spanning a wide rang of ages.  This didn't discourage me and I continued on using the site. Then something happened.......I recieved my first invite to become someones friend.  I don't know why but I actually felt happy that someone would deem my 'worthy' of adding me.   In the days that followed something strange began to happen.....I became consumed with the pursuit of attaining 'friends'. I would not consider myself a very socialble person, in fact i'm quite happy with a small circle of friends, but I found myself logging on constantly to see how many people visisted my site, what comments they left and if they added me to their friends list (only few actually did).  At some point, not sure exactly when, I realized that it was stupid and pointless to be be consumed with this quest to be 'popular'.  It was like some bad high school experience.  I still keep my account active but very rarely visit it, the site  does have many things going for such as its appealing look but until it increases its users it might eventually fade out (in the states that is).  Which made me wonder why a really hideous looking site like MySpace is still thriving and newer, better sties are struggling and I condluded that much like everything else in the market it is not always the best that succeeds but merely what has the biggest segment of the market.  MySpace was able to capture people for a variety of reasons and has been able to grow their brand making it more difficult for competitors to make significant progress.  It will be interesting to see if MySpace can continue to succeed as people become aware of alternatives.  As for Cywolrd would i reccommend it? I'm not sure but I think people should check it out

I have always had a passion for soccer.  Whether it be my playing soccer or watching it on Television the sport has appealeed to me.  I'm not one of the many Canadians who simply tune in for the World Cup (nothing against those who do).  Being in Canada my focus has primarily been on English domestic soccer and Italian league soccer (Thank god for TLN).  But now I have another league to focus my enthusiasim wiht the addition of a Toronto based team, Major League Soccer.  I have dismissed the MLS as a minor league trying to compete with the 'big boys' of Europe, but ever since the Toronto franchise has been announced my curiosity has grown.  I know little about the players and teams due to the lack of exposure the league has had on TV (I want ESPN in Canada!).  However now that I have a vested intrest in the league I am anxious to learn more.  With the announcement of David Beckham joining the league in the upcoming season I can't wait to watch MY Toronto FC this season.

 

Visit http://toronto.fc.mlsnet.com for more info

I'm not one for making New Year's Resolutions because like many the chances of me following through on these promises is virtually nil.  But as a new year begins I do have one resolution that I am determined to keep.  For a variety of reasons I have lost contact with my friends from school.  Whether the cause was work, my girlfriend or simply pure lazyness I have lost touch the people whom I had formed friendships some of which are go back 15 years.  Whenever we meet up it seems that the conversation picks up exactly where it left off and we promise to meet more often but it never happens.  But this year I want to make sure the same pattern isn't repeated.  So I will make 2007 the year where I plan to renew my old friendships. 

I haven't been able to watch as much TV as I'm use to recently, for a variety of reasons but I now have a new show that has moved into must watch territory. Heroes is the story of a group of individuals who for unknown reasons have begun to realize that they have extraordinary abilities, from controlling time, and visions of the future to  flying and power mimickry.  These individuals are supposed to come together to save the world from disaster.  The story is well written revealing little about each character every week and thus creating anticipation for the following week. The only problem is that if you miss a week you feel that you have missed a lot and it can be difficult to catch up but it also means that viewers will continue to tune in every week.  My favorite character thus far is Hiro, a Japanese salesman who appears to be a crucial figure in the plot.  In North America Heores is on Monday nights.

After observing the countless number of hours that some of Sarah's friends spend on the korean version of cyworld i had see what all the fuss was about.  I mean how much different can it really be?  So I ventured onto the American version of cyworld  http://us.cyworld.com/. To catch a peek and I have to admit it is very different!  The first thing you notice is the greater sense of community on the site.  The designers I think wanted to create a greater sense of community and I have to say that they were successful.  Each person is allowed to create a iconic representation of themselves and create a room which they are able to decorate (for a fee).  One would ask why would anyone want to pay money to do such a thing but after spending time on the site I felt the urge to do so myself.  And while the site does allow for a journal posting the focus appears to be on sharing and discussing the various pictures that are posted each user.  Another element that I found interesting is the use of socializing clubs that one can create and join.  There are a variety of categories and there is the potential to set up group meetings and organize events which I thought was useful.  The site in general does seem to be geared more to a younger age bracket but can still appeal to an older crowd.  As of now i will keep both accounts but I have to admit that cyworld does have the potential to be the next big thing.  I encourage people to check it out and see for themselves and maybe stop by to my site and say hello.

 

 

 

I would like to give a shout-out (Do people still give shout outs) to my little brother who is off Trent for his first year of University.  He is a member of the Mens Varsity Soccer team.   With a team filled with young players the team qualified for the playoffs and today were victorious over Laurentian by a score of 2-0.  While I was only able to see one game this year it was fairly entertaining.  I wish my brother good luck.  I also wish there was more coverage of University sports in Canada.  I know that University sports are not appealing to television stations because of the small numbers of viewers but I have to admit that I was pleasently surprised by the level of play.  I wish these players were given greater exposure because they obviously have some talent. Good luck the the Trent Men's and Women's soccer team, you've got one more fan in your corner. 

With the prospects of a new car non-existant and a desire to re-connect with my previous passion for listening to music, I decided to buy an mp3 plyaer.  I knew I wanted something that had some capacity (I like my music but 30gigs is ridiculous for me) but wasn't going ot cost me an arm and a leg.  Obviously I began with the Ipod, I always liked the way they looked but just like my personality I wanted to be a little different, a little outside of the box.  During my search I discovered the SanDisk e250.  It had everything that I was looking for and I decided to buy it.  I was a little apprehensive at first but having used it for a couple of weeks I have to say that I am fairly impressed with it.  It has a FM radio which might not sound like a big deal, but it can be useful.  I also like the screen and the size of the player itself.  I always found the Ipod a little too delicate looking for my liking by the e250 has enough size that you don't think that it will break everytime you touch it.  On the negative the device uses a thumbwheel simalar to the Ipod but the difference is that the wheel is mechanical and at times it feels that the wheel will wear out.  All in all I have to admit i'm happy with the Sandisk e250.  It cost a fraction of the Ipod and has worked very well for me.  

A little while earlier I wrote about the Korean website cyworld and how sarah and others suggested it was the greatest thing ever.  While killing some free time I came across an article about cyworld releasing an english version of their poplular website.  I didecided to check it out so I could judge the site myself.   So I went to http://us.cyworld.com and looked around briefly.  I think the main difference is a focus on creating a cyworld community.  The use of characters is creative  however it will be interesting to see if Americans will find some the cyworld options a little childish or too cute.  I think concept of having featured members who are looking to be seen by more people is smart and the use of clubs is brilliant however it will be interesting to see if the same problems myspace is facing with minors  will affect cyworld.  I think the site will appeal to all ages and I encourage people to have a look.  As of now the majority of members appear to have some previous knowledge about cyworld through its other sites so i'm sure they can answer any questions you have.  The one drawback is that users of the US version cannot communicate with users in other countries.  Hopefully they can fix this so that Cyworld can truly become a global community.

 

Visit

Living in North America , I like many others have a tendency to become consumed by the seemingly trivial struggles of life.  On the rare occasions that I listen, read or watch the various north American news media I get the feeling that the focus is on North America, Europe and recently the middle east.  For this reason I occasionly will watch BBC news to gain information from a different more global perspective.  Watching the news today I was captivated by a short segment about the Democratic Republic of congo.  I have only limited knowledge of this region of the globe but I think I have a better understanding the average North American (which Is close to nil).  I copied the article from the bbc website because I am not sure how long it stays on the website, please give it a read.  For more inf visit the bbc website http://news.bbc.co.uk.     By Karen Allen BBC News, Masisi, Democratic Republic of Congo

Innocent was abducted when he was 10 years old

He looks not much older than 10.

But the boy in the baggy green uniform, eyeing us up suspiciously as we move through the village, represents one of the Democratic Republic of Congo's ugliest of legacies - the use of child soldiers.

Estimates put the number at 30,000.

Easy to train and even easier to hide, these children are too young to vote but old enough to carry a gun.

With historic elections just around the corner, these boys and girls - a third of those recruited are young girls - represent the enormous challenge that lies ahead, to stabilise a region that's long been rebel territory.

Soldiers' wives

Many militia groups have nothing to gain from these elections and uncertainty about the future is making it harder to persuade them to surrender the young back to the community.

Only last month a minibus was ambushed as it tried to take demobilised youngsters home; some of the victims of that incident are now in hiding.

They asked me if I was ready to sign, so what could I do - I didn't want to die. Ndungutsa, former child soldier

In Masisi, in eastern DR Congo's north Kivu region, a range of militia, including remnants of Rwanda's Hutu patrol the hills around here and despite the presence of UN peacekeepers, the recruitment of children into armed groups continues with impunity.

Most of the children who have swollen the ranks of the militia and the fragmented Congolese army have been abducted from their villages.

Ndungutsa was taken when he was just 13 years old, forced to make a choice between the militia or death.

"When they came to my village, they asked my older brother whether he was ready to join the militia.

"He was just 17 and he said no; they shot him in the head.

"Then they asked me if I was ready to sign, so what could I do - I didn't want to die".

The youngsters are either taken on as fighters, porters or guards.

Many children in DR Congo remain at risk of abduction

For the girls, many end up as "soldiers' wives" or sex slaves, some as young as 10.

Try to speak to them and they respond in monosyllabic hushed tones.

These are youngsters who had their childhood innocence knocked out of them.

Quite literally.

A third of DR Congo's child soldiers will never be reintegrated back into their communities.

In some cases because of the shame, others simply because their families can't afford to take them on, but there are also the ever-present threats and intimidation.

Fresh hope

I accompanied 12 year-old Innocent as he made his way back home.

He was a fighter battling against the Mai Mai militia.

In his village, his mother and siblings embrace him but on the fringes of the celebrations the same militia that abducted him are looking on.

In a part of DR Congo where virtually all Innocent's fellow children are severely malnourished and in tattered clothing, a life with the rebels offers food, power and some status.

A sad reality is that all too often children like Innocent return.

Boys are seen as potential soldiers

So do elections bring fresh hope?

"Not at all" says Simon Muchanga from a Catholic mission in Masisi which seeks to rehabilitate child soldiers.

"The rebel groups are unlikely to alter their position because of the election.

"Maybe if a real, responsible government is elected with the capacity to bring about change and improve the prospects of these people, maybe then we can see some real progress".

It's an issue that has been largely ignored - recruiting juveniles is a breach of international law.

The world's biggest peacekeeping force has made some inroads into trying to disarm the rebels.

The vast scale of the country and years of insecurity makes it a painfully slow task.

With elections just days away, there is little incentive for the militia to hand over their children, not least because most armed groups will see their power eroded.

A relationship of any kind iis hard work because it is almost impossible to find someone that is 100% compatible with you.  Whether it be a friendship or something more the ability for accept each othe's irks, differences are essential to maintaining a positive and healthy bond (oh my god i'm sounding like some Dr. Phil reject).  The moment these differences become too much to bare the relationship is in trouble.  But what should be done when one individual starts to feel(whethere rational or not) that they are the ones who are making all the sacrifices and accepting of the other person to the point where you feel that you are losing a part of yourself.  How do you resolve this conflict? Do you confront the other person who may not even realize that they are making you feel this way do you simply continue to co-exist as you already are? ........

I know I shouldn't use this space to talk about other bloging/ photo sites but I need to vent.  I was checking out MySpace today just to see if I would be interested in setting up an account there.  There are some things that make them appealing such as the ability to rank users and some of there features attempt to create a sense of community.  The BIG drawback is the layout, my god! i looks horrible, and for that reason alone I cannot switch over.  MSN Spaces is by no means perfect but unless someone can suggest another locale I will remain here  I wish I could understand/ Write Korean because they have a site that delivers a kick to the jewls of any thing that is availible here.  If you have a korean friend ask them about cyworld.com and you will get all the details. I hope they bring it over here cuz as usual North America is lagging far behind Asia when it comes to creating inovative usses for the net and technology. 

Due to a crappy broken computer and not a lot of free time I have been unable to add anything to my space.  This lack of internet access drove me crazy.  I hated not being able to log into my e-mail and checking my favorite sites.  But I'm back thanks to a free computer (slow as hell) but better than nothing. As for the world of Sports the biggest and greatest sporting event is less than a month away; The World Cup. Look for more info in the near future.   God I miss the net!!!!

It is always a crappy feeling when you feel like you've missed out on something.  I consider myself pretty up to date with the web in general but I have to admit that when i posted my previous entry about that videoblogs site I had no idea about http://youtube.com/. It has an extensive selection of videos to watch and it gives you the ability to upload your own and keep track of you favorites.  I haven't uploaded anything yet but I do have a favorites section (of course my member name is oreogeek).  But check it out. 

 

And if anyone knows how to use spaces powertoy with youtube let me know!

I have to admit that i've become a fan of the WBC.  I, like many was skeptical when the tournament began but as it has progressed so has my interest.  This tournament serves as a good example of the power of Nationalism and how when it is used in a positive way can really create a high level of excitement.  I consider myself to be proudly Canadian but i'm not one of those people who waves the flag and feels the need to be 'blindly' patriotic, I consider myself more of a realist.  For example any realistic person can realize that Canada is no longer the only hockey power internationally (personally I like watching the Russians play.......don't call me a traitor!)........Anyways there I was watching Canada vs. U.S.A in the first round of the Baseball Classic, cheering for Adam Sterm and Stubby Clapp, two players that may never make an impact in MLB, but for one game represented the country of my birth.   That feeling of pride in one's homeland is universal and thus tournaments such as the WBC have an oppurtunity to thrive.   Many are upset with the limitations in place especially in regards to the number of pitches, but in my opinion this can be used as a selling point for the tournament.  Because it means that only the best collection of players will have the ability to contend and thus only a true TEAM can win.  Teamwork and Nationalism what better sales pitch can you have.

Was bored and decided to surd the net for some mindless entertainment I came across the site http://video.freevideoblog.com . It's basically a collection of peoples home videos and various funny clips from TV.  I was hooked just what I was looking for.  People dancing and singing in their unique(ie bad) way to music, other peoople just making an ass of themselves for the sake of my entertainment.  Mission accomplished for the day!