Of course I was the first guest to arrive at Graha…
Of course I was the first guest to arrive at Graham’s World Cup Party at the 70’s Airport Love Palace. I bought some ice and drinks, we fired up the grill and cooked hamburgers, corn, and chicken as we watched the match between Ireland and Germany. It was quite pleasant, although the more-or-less constant roar of helicopters landing and then taking off from the airport was as annoying as the stupid commercials TVBS kept inserting over the play, commercials that tried and failed utterly to make one’s choice of chewing gum seem like a deep philosophical issue. I do find soccer much easier to follow than American-style football, and therefore more entertaining. Also it’s easier to see the players’ irked expressions after being shunted into the turf without those bulky helmets and padding.
Speaking of irked expressions, the Lewis-Tyson fight is scheduled for this Saturday, in Memphis, of all places. I’m looking forward to seeing it, even though I’m not entirely sure where and how I can watch the fight. Tyson seems a bit worried about it, which is strange, if anything can be deemed strange about a man who eats other people’s ears.
Again, speaking of irked expressions, namely mine, I got this message from the bastitches at Hotmail today:
Dear MSN® Hotmail® Sucker:
We are sorry to inform you that as of July 16, 2002, we will no longer be able to offer POP Mail Retrieval to Hotmail users in your area. This means that you will not be able to aggregate e-mail from various accounts into a single Hotmail account. Bwahahahahaha.
We regret the inconvenience that this change may cause (not), and hope that you will find an alternative POP e-mail solution that best suits your needs. Good luck, asshole.
Fuck you very much,
MSN Hotmail Sucker Services
This, of course, the the last remaining reason why I would bother with Hotmail. I still can’t believe that MSN paid $300 million for it, and then proceeded to make it something people would actually pay to get rid of. Next they’ll start charging to use MSN messenger, I guarantee it.
I decided to not go to Bali this time around. I might go somewhere else, however. I think the only possible option is the trip to Ko Samui Island in Thailand, but I’m still waiting for an answer on that. Otherwise, I might just go someplace at my own expense, or just go down south for a few days. I do really need a vacation, though.
Tomorrow is the last day of Computex. Berta and I went over to take a look at the zoo-like atmosphere after lunch at United Mix today with Vanessa and Maoman, who is in the process of creating a website of his own. We sat out on the porch and chatted about a new Tae Kwon Do class that is starting up soon.
I never officially studied Tae Kwon Do. One of the most embarrassing memories I have is of the time I did a great deal of research on nearby martial arts schools when I was in junior high or high school. Every time we drove past such a school, be it in a strip mall or a building until itself, I couldn’t help but stare at it in facination, especially at night when I could see the people training inside. I wanted to study it so badly, I would open the phone book up to the “M” page and agonize over the choices in the greater Orlando area. I couldn’t drive at that point, however, so although I would have loved to study Crane-style Kung-fu at the temple downtown, there was no way I could get down there on my own. Eventually I decided on a Tae Kwon Do school nearby, asked my parents, paid the money, and prepared to begin studying with an almost tangible glee.
My parents then changed their mind, drove me down to the school, and made me demand my money back from the teacher in front of everyone there. It was quite humiliating, and I’m pretty sure my parents don’t even remember it. I’m just as sure they don’t remember the time I won a medal at a Karate competition (I did eventually find a Shotokan Dojo near my school, for cheap) they didn’t even bother attending, and when I came back, my dad told me the medal wasn’t even worth the entrance fee. It was third place or something, and all I got in response was “What, were there only three people competing?” You should have seen their reaction when I tested up two belts at one test. I would have liked to see one, anyway.
I could go on with such recollections, but it wouldn’t do anyone much good. When I bring it up with them today, it’s as if it never happened; how could I think they would do such a thing? The result is, of course, distance, not just physical distance but emotional distance as well. Denial ain’t just a river…it’s the only way to fly.
But back to the martial arts and the present. I’ve got Tui-shou practice tonight, and tomorrow night Seamus is going to teach Dean and I about some animal styles as well as channeling energy. Now I’ve just got to get my hands on some energy to channel…where’s Dunkin’ Donuts when you need ’em?
