The flying dutchman and the sumo block

This year's champions league semi finals proved to be tactical and both the first legs showed different types of football to the core.

Bayern took on Mourinho's Real at home and gave a master class on how the game should be played with two out and out wingers. Wingers - I do mean natural wingers and not converted midfielders - are become a rare breed and Bayern boast having two of the best in the world. Robben and Ribery! As someone put it , together they cause a 'Roblem' for the opposing teams. To showcase their mettle against a team like Real needs perfection and they did their part. Mourinho, the tactician, had made plans to double team both of them but yet, were not able to rob or even control them to rare crosses. Bayern take a deserved 2-1 lead - after Gomez took one of the many chances he had - to the Bernabeu but much will be expected from the R-men if the harbour any dreams of returning to the Allianz for the final.

If the first Semi-final was a winger act, the second was a totally different affair. Chelsea took on the mighty Barcelona at the bridge with the hope of taking a lead to Spain and without conceding. To prevent Messi and co from scoring takes more than parking the bus in front of the goal, as he is sure to score through the windows ;) , so the blues took a leaf out of the Italians and defended from the word go! And they did it well as the scoreline suggests. This was a game of defend and take your chances. All they had was one shot on target and that was enough for the 'strong'(let's not even talk about the constant on your backside for a change) Drogba to give them a slender 1-0 first leg lead. Cech and the last line in front of him had a lot - and I mean a LOT - of defending to do, but they managed it and are in a decent position for the second leg. This statistic alone sums up the game Chelsea passes: 128; Xavi passes: 127 :)

"India anger at Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan Detention."

This was a news article on the BBC! I understand that he was stopped/detained/frisked/checked/whatever by security at White plains, but for God sakes, he is JUST another person. He does not have political immunity. Period. Protocol exempts only former presidents and other dignitaries. He maybe a star in India, but that does not mean everybody should jump up and down claiming this is uncalled for and the like.

Don't get me wrong, I do empathize for the way he gets detained, and in no way do I agree or disagree to what the airport security claim as 'terrorist' or threat to a nation. Just because someone has a certain name does not mean he is going to do something different than what the remaining passengers do! But all this hue and cry over 'Bollywood star stopped', 'Kahn Detained' is way too much.

We live in a world where status, appearance and stardom matter more than virtue, love and kindness. Well...I am not a saint, but if all of us come down to earth at least once in a while, and put ourselves in the other person's shoe - for just a minute, then the world will certainly be a better place to live.

The voice of an Angel

There was a time when Charlotte Church was 'The voice of an Angel', and she was really good at it. Turn the clock really fast to the 21st Century and all sorts of 'Talent' shows have sprung up all over the place - with Britain's Got Talent leading the way (I think!)

In every show, concert, or game there is a moment, that defining moment, which brings goosebumps to every person in there and takes one to a totally different plane, where time stops and everything in this world feels so bloody good.

Here are the defining 'goosebumps people' award:
- Janet Devlin singing 'Can't help falling in love with you'
- Kevin Skinner's 'If tomorrow never comes'
- Susan Boyle's rendition of 'I dreamed a dream'
and last but not least,
- The 12 year old Jackie Evancho singing 'The Lord's prayer' - what a voice!

Here comes 2012...

...and here is my current list of movies to watch...

The Dark Knight rises
The Avengers
The Hobbit
Prometheus
The Amazing Spider-man
Django unchained
Total Recall
G.I.Joe: Retaliation
Resident Evil: Retribution
Ice Age : Continental Drift