Chelsea vs Man. Utd

It's the big one today - table-topping Chelsea versus 3-time champions Man. Utd. Chelsea are in mean form at home whilst the Red Devils have lost twice on their travels and are not at their best.

I worry for ManU in this one simply because of late they haven't performed well against the other members of the top four. However, against Chelsea they have done alright, beating them 3-0 at Old Trafford last season and getting a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge.

I don't think it's because of the loss of Ronaldo that ManU seem a little laboured at the moment. They're just having a slow start and can only get better as they click into gear. They will miss the calming presence of Rio Ferdinand at the back, but Jonny Evans has proved to be a more than suitable replacement. With Rooney and Berbatov restored to the starting line-up, they will give Chelsea a tough test.

Darren Fletcher will be a vital figure in midfield for Alex Ferguson's men. He will look to nullify the threat of Lampard and Ballack, thereby cutting off the supply to Drogba and Anelka. Likewise Ballack and Lampard will look to take advantage of a shaky midfield the same way Liverpool did a fortnight ago. The midfield battle will be the key area.

Dare I predict a result against Man. Utd? I'm afraid so. I don't want to be over-confident on this one, but if this fixture was a few months later I would go for a ManU win or at least a draw. However, it is more likely that Chelsea will take this match 2-1, but for once in my life I would love to be wrong!

Whatever happens tonight, it should be a fierce fight between England's best two teams. And the old dog Fergie may just have a trick or two up his sleeve for this one.

Dengue Fever

Yesterday a couple of health officials dropped by to check for any standing water in the house as a result of somebody close by contracting Dengue Fever. Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water, making Dengue a serious threat.


In the evening, a bunch of men came by and spent around half an hour 'fogging' the entire apartment block and surrounding houses. They blasted repellent in all of the drains, sent plumes of it up stairwells, and flooded houses, gardens and the entire street with these smelly clouds of smoke. They certainly know how to attract an audience!


Wafts of smoke even filtered through the outline of our firmly bolted front door. They wore full face masks and used huge machine guns to take care of their business - a sight we would never behold in England!

"The Mosquito Exterminator"

Kuantan Sights 2

Enjoy these images taken around Bukit Sekilau, a quiet little village near the Kuantan town centre. I love discovering tiny flowers and plants that would otherwise go unnoticed, and give them a little advertisement!

I couldn't quite believe it when this beautifully crafted butterfly perched on our window for a while to allow me the pleasure of photographing him.

Optical Illusions

Strain your eyes for a little while and try to figure out these weird tricks!

All of the horizontal lines are dead straight...

And this is the beast of all illusions...

Believe it or not, square 'a' and square 'b' are exactly the same shade of grey!!!

The Angelic Moon

Last night was Halloween and as I gazed up to the skies I wondered what sort of 'trick' was being played before me. Then I wondered what had crashed into the moon, causing a huge impact explosion. Perhaps it was the end of the world, and the sign of the coming of the Son of Man? There were many sore and aching necks around Kuantan last night as everyone marvelled at the rare scene before our eyes...

What we were witnessing, infact, was an optical phenomenon called a 22 degree halo. These halos appear when the sky is covered with thin cirrus clouds containing ice crystals. It forms when sunlight is refracted in hexagonal ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere. The ice crystals act as prisms and the light passes through them, dissecting into colours. {Click on the pictures for a clearer view}