Two Premiership managers have been sacked without warning. Corporate bankruptcies in Japan reached 1,360 cases in January. The British pound hits 134 Japanese yen. We’ve been asked to come into the office an hour earlier from this week. Hopefully all of these are temporary and we will be able to overcome any other challenges that no doubt lay before us.

However, we must always remember that we can also look at everything, including the above in a different light. For the managers, the next step in their careers await, for the teams, hopefully a more successful series of results. Companies rise and fall, but good ideas will make it. From my point of view, a strong yen is awesome for travelling. The early office? I can’t actually think of a positive from that one!

Then again, if it is temporary, then I’m thankful that tomorrow is another one of those many Japanese national holidays!

Saturdays are one of those days that you look forward to but then as the week closes out sometimes it seems more and more like it won’t be that great, and the weekend will be over before you know it.

It’ll be a very different experience. Japan has two days dedicated to this strange global tradition. One for each side. An “ask” and “reply” sort of system. I’ve probably explained all this before… including the “obligatory” system for colleagues, etc.

It’s A Game

So, tonight I played in an 11-a-side match for the first time since I moved over here. It was a bit of a struggle for the first 30 minutes and I definitely was close to collapse by then, but I’m always amazed that after a decent warm up – usually the first half of the actual game – I’m in good shape to go. One problem is that my stamina and shape is not exactly amazing so I usually end up fading near the end with the fear of getting cramp making me walk more near the end. Anyway, today was good fun – despite a couple of strange decisions by the referee – including a bad tackle on me that ended up as a free kick for the opposition.

Tokyo is a strange city. It feels like there’s a plethora of sports facilities but it is near impossible to book any of them. The best chance is to apply for the lottery, which takes place months in advance. How strange!

Anyway, that is all for today

The Dutch demolition continues.

I have to say the match tonight against the French was by far the most exciting game I’ve seen so far this tournament. I won’t even bother to avoid all the clichés as it definitely end-to-end stuff and the beautiful game really was beautiful.

The French had their moments but the skill and movement of the Dutch split their defence time and time again. I’m no expert on analysing teams and commenting on results but I feel the French have too many experienced players that have “experienced” one tournament too many. The likes of Thuram, who in his day was one of the best defenders around seem too old to be running around on the international scene.

Also, I’ve never liked Gallas and his teary-eyed nature when things go wrong. Makalele was definitely teetering on the edge of being sent off with his numerous bad challenges and elbowing. Malouda just doesn’t seem that good.

On the other hand, the Netherlands have talent right across the team. I could mention all the vans and still not be anywhere near finished with my shear awe I’m feeling after those 90 minutes.

That game is what makes football and the Euros such great entertainment. The cutting through-balls, the well-timed tackles, the defensive blocks, slick passes and scintillating finishes… wow!

I can’t wait to see the final games of Group C! who will qualify?!

Jab

As many of you know I’m heading off to Peru for a couple of weeks in the summer. I’ve been delaying it for weeks but I finally booked an appointment with the nurse to get some vaccinations.

I was looking forward to being vaccinated against a wide range of scary diseases such as yellow fever and the nurse was slightly confused by my descriptions of where I was going. Anyway, once the confusion had cleared, we figured out that I was not going to the “extreme risk” regions of Jungle Peru and I was only given a single jab. The single jab, I believe, was for typhoid and hepA but having no written record of what my left arm is battling at the moment I can’t be 100% sure.

I’m not complaining that I’ve only one dead arm to deal with and nothing more serious, but having been told by the same nurse minutes earlier that it was recommended that I took a whole list of other vaccinations a single jab seemed somewhat an anti-climax! I believe the other vaccinations included rabies, tetanus, tb and diphtheria. Thinking about it now, I’ve probably had all those vaccinations before.

Anyway, you know how nurses and doctors always start up a conversation to try and distract you before injecting you with poison. I found today that it was more a case of the conversation drawing attention to the fact that I was going to have a needle stuck in me in a few minutes. I was perfectly calm and ready for the vaccination before the nurse started yapping about languages and culture! Also, do they really have to hold the needle upright and flick the needle right in front of your face!

Anyway, despite all it’s shortcomings, the NHS is awesome! I can get my drug fix on demand!

The pharmacist at Boots however is another matter. I needed to buy anti-malarial tablets for my trip and requested a couple of different types. The pharmacist decided that because they appeared to have only the one on the shelf, that that would be enough and persuaded me that it was one of those “combination” things. A second opinion at Superdrug proved her wrong…. meaning I need to find a pharmacy where they stock the other malarial tablets I need. Grr…

Today is the start of Euro 2008, one of the biggest sporting events in the world and especially Europe. It may also be the last time that I get to watch the championships too – not just because of the linked article, but because I’m heading off to the other side of the world shortly.

A few things are coming up in the next few weeks. There’s my premature leaving do next Saturday (that I hope all of you will come to) and the Summer Ball the following Saturday. In between all the partying I have to wrap up my final year project report, give a presentation and hopefully, fingers crossed, get my code to do what I want it to do!

I don’t know if it’s a side effect of hayfever but I’ve had a sore throat for the last few days. My attempts to fight it off with isojin and lemsip but seem to wake up worse off as each day passes! It sort of reminded me that I have to make a trip to the GP to sort out my hayfever prescriptions and also any vaccinations for the trip to Peru.

I seem to be just blabbering on about a plethora of topics today. I suppose it reflects my current state of mind.

I’m not entirely sure how I’m going to balance the football watching with the project work but I have half an hour to put in some solid coding before the opening match starts! None of the home nations are participating this tournament, which I guess cuts out all the disappointments but does cause a bit of a dilemma in deciding who to support.

Tonight, Manchester United were crowned Champions of Europe. Along with winning the English Premier League 10 days ago, that makes them double winners. The match tonight started off as a classic encounter between two heavy weights of the English league with an enthralling first half of end to end football. The Reds dominated possession and the ball for large parts of the first half but a lapse in concentration and some unfortunate deflections left the score drawn at half time. The second half was all Blue and my heart stopped with every wave of attack by Chelsea. It didn’t look like Man U were likely to score, but thankfully, I also believed that with each clearance of another Chelsea attack, neither were the Blues.

So, the match went into extra time with some weary legs out there, and clutching my red squishy cushiony thing (I don’t know the technical term for the squishy cushiony thing I have) I watched extra time. Things were turning ugly with fouls, tempers flaring and a lack of beautiful football. An altercation between some of the players ended up with a number of players yellow carded and Drogba sent off. Penalties was imminent.

Anyway, as most of you will no doubt have read the reports or watched the game live, I will stop with this commentary. Suffice to say, I had a feeling Ronaldo may miss but I have never thought of Terry as a penalty taker and so it proved. Along with the fantastic save by the great Dutchman (not quite a Great Dane), the trophy was ours! Woooo~~

Barraged with a lottery of text messages from various parties, some celebratory and others slightly hostile, I sit here in the afterglow of another entertaining night of football. I can’t wait until the Euros!

1999 was a special year. A treble winning season and those two spectacular late goals, is a feeling unmatched. I have to mention the legend that is Ryan Giggs. He didn’t play a massive part in tonight’s game but he is one of a kind. It’s a shame he’s Welsh but along with Paul Scholes, they are truly Manchester United. Many great players have pulled on the red shirt over the years, Cantona, Solskjaer, Schmeichel… the list goes on and all were great players of the past decade but no one can say that Giggs has not played his part in shaping the history at the great club. ….woooo football is awesome!!!

I know it’s still a bit too early to start considering these things… and there’s definitely a few things I should get out the way before the time comes, but as the days tick by I draw ever close to the end of an era – the end of my time in full time education.

I have a soft spot for being overly dramatic with things…. I suppose this post sums it up really!

Today was my last football match for the Japanese Society. It also looks like it may have been my last game as with a proper 11-a-side team, on a grass, and all that jazz. It’s depressing to think about it but there really does not seem to be that much opportunity in the future to play a proper football game. With me leaving full-time education, and also in a way my youth behind, it’ll no doubt become increasingly difficult to play the beautiful game.

I do however want to continue playing in one way or another and I hope that I’ll be able to do so when I ship over to Japan. Also, I’ll definitely appreciate those rare guest appearances I may be able to make…. who knows!

Happy retirement? No way, not yet!