up the reds!

There goes the FA Cup down the drain...lol T.T  we lose 1-2 against Brighton earlier this morning. As a fan I don't even know if this club can be saved :( but I am going to remain hopeful regardless!!!! 

That being said, let's continue our grateful series number two :)

Let's start with how I eventually become a fan of Manchester United. Growing up, I have always looked up to my Abah (al-Fatihah) so much. We were best friends. He's the best Abah ever, like he's so cool, so kind & so everything. He's the perfect father figure for me. My Abah was a Man United and football fan for the longest time. So he subscribed for a full sports packaged ever since idk the earliest Astro era? back when we could play penguin games on Astro, back when Astro ceria was at channel 24. I prolly was seven or eight at that time. (I still continue this subscription till this day because then where else could I watch those unlimited sports channel righttt. couldn't live without badminton, f1, football, hockey, sepak takraw and all those world cup, the commonwealth games etc etc) (I hate Astro though so pricey)

Aight let's get back to the point. So every game night, my Abah would let us siblings know that for example "at 10 pm Abah wants to watch united vs qpr" so on so forth. And then us sibling would stop watching cartoons and watched the game together when it hits 10 pm. That's how I got accustomed to watching football hahaha. After all those years of course I would be a fan, how could I not, right? I also have three younger brothers that my Abah bought a set of jersey each for them. Still remember the name at the back of the jerseys, Rooney, Berbatov and Owen. Good old squad. Actually I could relate to those old squad rather than these days. When I was eleven to thirteen that's when I really really try to understand the game, watching and asking my Abah why is it like that and why is it like so. Thankfully he was patient enough to answer all of my questions hahaha

Those simple moments will be forever etched in my memories, especially after the passing of Abah. Hence why those old squad feels closer to me, because that was the squad I shared my memories with Abah. When Cristiano Ronaldo was back at Old Trafford in 2021, I probably shed a lil weeee bit of tears watching that game. I imagined his reaction watching that return, but it was just me all alone. You see, me and this club, it wasn't casual lol. It's nostalgia and I'm the victim of nostalgia which leads to this pic below;

dream came true moment!! May 2025.

I have always dreamt of watching football games at the stadium. Guess what, the first one was a friendly game between Manchester United vs ASEAN All Stars. I know it wasn't even the prem or some important match but like I said, I am the victim of nostalgia and so there I was ;) To top it off, united lost that game HAHAHA full experience of being a fan of united frrrrr. anyways....that's that. Maybe my next stadium experience will be at Old Trafford who knows (please sponsor me jaebal juseyo anyone).

p/s: let me quote this song from Taylor bcs it always reminds me of myself when I'm missing my dad.

Losing him was blue, like I'd never known

Missing him was dark gray, all alone
Forgetting him was like trying to know
Somebody you never met
But loving him was red
Loving him was red

A year of gratefulness and mindfulness.

It's the year 2026. Sounds so...serious.

Have I been the same through all these years? Physically, maybe. Not mentally, no. 

Mentally I'm different now. I feel the difference especially the way I perceive things and carry myself. Thanks to the experience living six hours, hundred of kilometers away from home, I'm not afraid to accept things that comes my way. Sometimes, it is what it is even though you have to wipe your own tears while doing so. It's just a part of being strong, or so I would call, a part of being grateful.

So here I am this year, to count my blessings of the previous years to reflect the goodness behind every chapters I have gone through. One by one, I'll let myself revisits those memories be it happy or sad. To remind myself (or even all of you who are reading this) that life is not that serious, take it easy because at the end of the day I will manage. You will manage, too. Eventually. So allow yourself to weep, be happy, confused or even mad, just don't let it consume your thought and be mindful with what you are doing. Always.

I graduated in October 2024 and got my first job in July 2025. 9 months. So long, I know. I have gone through countless realization since. So, so, so many what if's during that time. 

here's 24 y/o me not knowing what life will unfold hahaha

Anyways, during that time I will go to my grandma's house during the day until my aunt's back from her workplace at around eight at night. Countless of job hunting, sometimes I attend free online courses from the government. Countless of going back and forth to KL too to attend interviews. Behind my resilience, there's my whole family's supporting without pressuring me, which I am ever so grateful. It's not always rainbows of course. At one point I lose hope too, I was tired and started to question my self worth. But that's when I started to learn how to better connect with my (our) Creator. Slowly I began to accept the 'He is the best planner' more than just a phrase. And because of that, I could never resent this phase of my life because it has surely shaped me to be a better individual today.

p/s: there's always things to be grateful of. Even in the simplest moments. :) 

thomas and his friends (adult's version)

Every 31st December each year starting in 2021, I dedicated this day to write the recap of the year in words. I realized I have been living life on fast mode so perhaps with this little initiative I am able to pause and ponder on what I have achieved so far and how far life has shaped me as a person. From 2021 until 2024, I wrote in my little journal. But this year I want to give this honour to my blog. Because blogging have been a part of me since 2013, but I guess life took me a different turn for a while but I'm back.

Mid year through 2025, I had the opportunity to start my first ever adult job as a Junior Editor. I have longed for that position for a while now, and I enjoyed every bits of the experience be it good or bad. However, even I couldn't predict that December 2nd the same year was my last day. It was not an easy decision for me, but I didn't decide it alone. Safe to say, I'm not afraid of the decision or even regretted it.

So what's the correlation with the integrated transit map? I worked in Klang Valley, so every weekend if I could, I prefer the train, and lucky enough the house I rented was just 5 minutes away from an MRT station. Hence I got the opportunity to fully utilize it to explore the city center. 

Let's get to the point though...It's approaching midnight hahaha

You know, the transit map is so integrated right, connecting different mode of transportations. For example, if I'm taking the Green line, I can exchange it at a specific station and hop on the Yellow line next. Before I knew it I can also hop on to the Orange. And wherever you go in that map, you can always find a way back again, somehow, some way.

While you're riding the train, you're also obviously not alone. There's gonna be others around you, but do you have to hop off at the same station as them? No. You have your own destination so why would you? Right...to each their own.

Sometimes the train's not even on time and need to be rescheduled. Sometimes the approaching train is not the correct coach for you to get in. Sometimes the train needs to be sent back to the depot. But above all that, the trains keep on running even there are hiccups, carrying souls that yearns for something only they know. 

More importantly, not all the stations are meant for you to go at the first place.

This is not about trains.

p/s: hey rapidkl tiktok, do you want to collab... lol