Barclays Premier League - Arsenal Versus Stoke City

This match ended 3-1 in favour of Arsenal. However, this last-gasped win by Arsenal, which brought them within 3 points of league leaders Chelsea, was marred by the injury of one of their young players, Aaron Ramsey. Aaron Ramsey fell down in agony following a tackle by a defender of Stoke, Ryan Shawcross. His right appeared to be broken and his foot was pointing down at an awkward position.

There are 4 goals in this game, 2 in each half.

In the 9th minute, Stoke took the lead with a header from Danny Pugh. Rory Delap, known for his fatal throw-ins, once again helped Stoke take the lead against Arsenal, having done just that in the previous 2 meetings. Alex Song of Arsenal managed to keep the ball out for a corner but conceded a throw in instead and against Stoke, conceding either throw ins or corners are both dangerous. After throwing the ball into the 6-yard box, Danny Pugh headed the ball into the net, making it one nil in favour of Stoke City.

It took Arsenal 25 minutes to muster a effort on goal. This allowed Arsenal to regain confidence in themselves and in the 32nd minute, Arsenal equalised through Nicklas Bendtnar. Following a clever throw-in by Bacary Sagna, Fabregas whipped an inch-perfect cross into the box, meeting the head of Nicklas Bendtnar who headed the ball into the net to make it one all.

In the 66th minute, Arsenal suffered a massive blow. Aaron Ramsey fell down in agony following a tackle by a defender of Stoke, Ryan Shawcross. His right appeared to be broken and his foot was pointing down at an awkward position. Even before being sent off for the tackle, Ryan Shawcross, including most of the Arsenal and Stoke players, were all shocked by the injury. This tackle left Ryan Shawcross in tears. and it was a massive blow for Arsenal, who were still level with Stoke.

In injury time, Arsenal won the game with two goals from Cesc Fabregas and Thomas Vermaelen, after showing much fighting spirit following the tackle. Nicklas Bendtnar attempted to feed the ball to Alex Song, who was sprinting into the box. However, the ball when straight to Danny Pugh, hitting his hand. The referee pointed to the spot immediately and Fabregas slotted the ball into the bottom corner of the goal and he dedicated it to Aaron Ramsey by hitting his leg with his hand. Shortly after the goal, Tomas Rosicky struck a decent shot from long range and Sorenson saved the shot, only to put it into the path of Fabregas, who squared it to Thomas Vermaelen to slot it into the net, making it 3-1 in favour of Arsenal.

Barclays Premier League- Chelsea Versus Manchester City

Chelsea loss 4-2 to Manchester City at Stamford Bridge, their home ground. Manchester City got the better of Chelsea, who were hoping not to drop points as Manchester United were drawing closer to them. Poor goalkeeping by stand-in goalkeeper Henrique Hilario caused Chelsea the game. Chelsea were embarrassed even further when Wayne Bridge, the ex-boyfriend of the woman whom John Terry allegedly had an affair with, refused to shake the hands of Terry.

The match exploded into life in the 40th minute when Frank Lampard put Chelsea in front. A brilliant through pass by Joe Cole released Lampard, who timed his run perfectly and slotted it pass the onrushing Shay Given. One nil in favour of Chelsea.

Five minutes later, Carlos Tevez equalised for Manchester City. After a mistake by Mikel, Tevez went pass Terry and managed to poke a shot pass Hilario, who was suppose to have saved the shot. Chelsea conceded a soft goal and the score was one all.

Six minutes after the break, City stroke again. Craig Bellamy breaks from the half-way line and with only Mikel in front of him, he breaks into the area and takes his shot. Once again, Hilario was poorly positioned and another soft goal was conceded. 2-1 in favour of Manchester City.

In the 76th minute, City was given a penalty. Barry was about to take his shot when Belletti brought him down. The referee sent him off and pointed to the spot and having Hilario clueless on which way to go, Carlos Tevez slotted it home, opening up the lead. 3-1 in favour of Manchester City.

Another red card for Chelsea killed all hopes of them getting away with even a point. Ballack lunged from behind to bring down Tevez and it was a terrible tackle. The referee had no hesitation and sent him off with a second yellow card.

In the 87th minute, Manchester City made it worst by scoring a fourth. City broke the defence and having four man clear in attack, Shaun Wright-Phillips whipped the ball across the face of goal and Craig Bellamy was left with the simple task of tapping it into the net. 4-1 in favour of Manchester City.

Then, in the 90th minute, Chelsea were awarded a penalty. Barry tripped Anelka in the box and Lampard sends Given the wrong way, finding the bottom corner. This goal was merely a consolation for Chelsea as they suffered a humiliating defeat.

Barclays Premier League - Wolverhampton Versus Chelsea

A double from Chelsea's Didier Drogba sealed the victory for Chelsea, opening up the gap between Manchester United to 4 points. Drogba made sure that Chelsea capitalized on Manchester United's 3-1 defeat to Everton, scoring two goals, one in each half. Petr Cech was the busier of the two keepers. Even though Wolverhampton had their chances, it was Chelsea who emerged as the winner, having dominated the game in possession.

In the 40th minute, Chelsea took the lead. Didier Drogba struck a right footed shot from close range to the bottom right corner. He was assisted by Yuri Zhirkov. Zhirkov played a neat one-two with Michael Ballack before squaring it back for Didier Drogba to score his 24th goal of the season in all competitions. 1-0 Chelsea.

In the 67th minute, Chelsea wrapped up the game. Petr Cech pumped the ball to Didier Drogba, who chested it down and his left footed shot managed to find its way into the bottom left corner of the goal.

Chelsea win 2-0.

Carling Cup Final - Manchester United 2-1 Aston Villa

What a Final? It was full of action and it really kept me at the edge of my seat. However, Manchester United won, to my disappointment. I really thought that Aston Villa could have won it. I was so relieved when the referee gave a penalty to Aston Villa and Ashley Young slotted the ball into the goal beautifully, giving Aston Villa a 1-0 lead. Although Aston Villa had the lead, I still thought that Vidic could have gotten a card for tugging at the shirt of Agbonlahor.

However, in the 12th minute, Manchester United finally equalized. Berbatov stole the ball from Richard Dunne and actually sprinted into the box. After a terrific challenge from Dunne, the ball when to Owen, who struck the ball into the bottom left corner.

Then, in the 41th minute, Owen was replaced by Rooney. Then, in the 70th minute, Rooney scored the goal which won the game. Berbatov played a nice one-two with Valencia, who struck a fabulous cross to Rooney who rose the highest to head in the match winning goal.

The final-whistle was blown and Manchester United won the Carling Cup for two successive years.

A New Year, New postings

This is the first post for the year 2010.
As this is a new year, I will be posting new things. I will be posting about soccer and also some current affairs. I would be updating the blog on soccer results, transfers and also posting about the performance of teams, especially Chelsea!

Poets - Langston Hughes

Langston Hughes was born on February 1, 1902 and passed away on May 22, 1967. He was a prolific writer. Hughes, like many black writers and artists of his time, was drawn to the promise of Communism as an alternative to a segregated America.

Although he was hated by many whites, he continued with his poems trying to make rights for the black. This shows how determined he is to change the social status of blacks.

Many of his lesser-known political writings have been collected in two volumes published by the University of Missouri Press and reflect his attraction to Communism. An example is the poem "A New Song": In the forty-odd years between his first book in 1926 and his death in 1967, he devoted his life to writing and lecturing. He wrote sixteen books of poems, two novels, three collections of short stories, four volumes of "editorial" and "documentary" fiction, twenty plays, children's poetry, musicals and operas, three autobiographies, a dozen radio and television scripts and dozens of magazine articles. In addition, he edited seven anthologies. The long and distinguished list of Hughes' works includes: Not Without Laughter (1930); The Big Sea (1940); I Wonder As I Wander" (1956).

Poems that he wrote:

1) I, Too, Sing America
I, too, sing America.

I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong.

Tomorrow,
I'll be at the table
When company comes.
Nobody'll dare
Say to me,
"Eat in the kitchen,"
Then.

Besides,
They'll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed--

I, too, am America.

2)A New Song

I speak in the name of the black millions

Awakening to action.

Let all others keep silent a moment

I have this word to bring,

This thing to say,

This song to sing:

Bitter was the day

When I bowed my back

Beneath the slaver's whip.

That day is past.

Bitter was the day

When I saw my children unschooled,

My young men without a voice in the world,

My women taken as the body-toys

Of a thieving people.

That day is past.

Bitter was the day, I say,

When the lyncher's rope

Hung about my neck,

And the fire scorched my feet,

And the oppressors had no pity,

And only in the sorrow songs

Relief was found.

That day is past.

I know full well now

Only my own hands,

Dark as the earth,

Can make my earth-dark body free.

O thieves, exploiters, killers,

No longer shall you say

With arrogant eyes and scornful lips:

"You are my servant,

Black man-

I, the free!"

That day is past-

For now,

In many mouths-

Dark mouths where red tongues burn

And white teeth gleam-

New words are formed,

Bitter

With the past

But sweet

With the dream.

Tense,

Unyielding,

Strong and sure,

They sweep the earth-

Revolt! Arise!

The Black

And White World

Shall be one!

The Worker's World!

The past is done!

A new dream flames

Against the

Sun!

3)Let America be America Again

Let America be America again.
Let it be the dream it used to be.
Let it be the pioneer on the plain
Seeking a home where he himself is free.

(America never was America to me.)

Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed--
Let it be that great strong land of love
Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme
That any man be crushed by one above.

(It never was America to me.)

O, let my land be a land where Liberty
Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath,
But opportunity is real, and life is free,
Equality is in the air we breathe.

(There's never been equality for me,
Nor freedom in this "homeland of the free.")

Say, who are you that mumbles in the dark?
And who are you that draws your veil across the stars?

I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart,
I am the Negro bearing slavery's scars.
I am the red man driven from the land,
I am the immigrant clutching the hope I seek--
And finding only the same old stupid plan
Of dog eat dog, of mighty crush the weak.

I am the young man, full of strength and hope,
Tangled in that ancient endless chain
Of profit, power, gain, of grab the land!
Of grab the gold! Of grab the ways of satisfying need!
Of work the men! Of take the pay!
Of owning everything for one's own greed!

I am the farmer, bondsman to the soil.
I am the worker sold to the machine.
I am the Negro, servant to you all.
I am the people, humble, hungry, mean--
Hungry yet today despite the dream.
Beaten yet today--O, Pioneers!
I am the man who never got ahead,
The poorest worker bartered through the years.

Yet I'm the one who dreamt our basic dream
In the Old World while still a serf of kings,
Who dreamt a dream so strong, so brave, so true,
That even yet its mighty daring sings
In every brick and stone, in every furrow turned
That's made America the land it has become.
O, I'm the man who sailed those early seas
In search of what I meant to be my home--
For I'm the one who left dark Ireland's shore,
And Poland's plain, and England's grassy lea,
And torn from Black Africa's strand I came
To build a "homeland of the free."

The free?

Who said the free? Not me?
Surely not me? The millions on relief today?
The millions shot down when we strike?
The millions who have nothing for our pay?
For all the dreams we've dreamed
And all the songs we've sung
And all the hopes we've held
And all the flags we've hung,
The millions who have nothing for our pay--
Except the dream that's almost dead today.

O, let America be America again--
The land that never has been yet--
And yet must be--the land where every man is free.
The land that's mine--the poor man's, Indian's, Negro's, ME--
Who made America,
Whose sweat and blood, whose faith and pain,
Whose hand at the foundry, whose plow in the rain,
Must bring back our mighty dream again.

Sure, call me any ugly name you choose--
The steel of freedom does not stain.
From those who live like leeches on the people's lives,
We must take back our land again,
America!

O, yes,
I say it plain,
America never was America to me,
And yet I swear this oath--
America will be!

Out of the rack and ruin of our gangster death,
The rape and rot of graft, and stealth, and lies,
We, the people, must redeem
The land, the mines, the plants, the rivers.
The mountains and the endless plain--
All, all the stretch of these great green states--
And make America again!

Sources: http://www.poemhunter.com/, en.wikipedia.org

Poem - A girl

How are the figurative language used in the poem?

This poem uses personification, metaphor, simile and symbolism.

1)Personification-
The tree has entered my hands,
The sap has ascended my arms,
The tree has grown in my breast-
Downwards,

2)Simile-
The branches grow out of me, like arms.

3)Metaphor-
Trees you are,
Moss you are,
You are the wind above them.

4)Symbolism-
The tree and the sap uses symbolism.

Tell us why you like this poem in less than 100 words.

This poem uses lots of figurative language and uses it in almost every sentence. This allows the reader to have the feeling what the author wants to put across to the readers. It talks about the person has not grown up yet and the author has put the message across quite well. I also like this poem as it compares between a person and a tree.

Poem - A Girl

The tree has entered my hands,
The sap has ascended my arms,
The tree has grown my breast-
Downwards,
The branches grow out of me, like arms.

Trees you are,
Moss you are,
You are violets with wind above them.
A child - so high - you are,
And all this is folly to the world.

Is progress necessarily beneficial for society?

No, I do not think that progress is necessarily beneficial for society.
Let me state why.

1)Having progress means higher standards of living. There will be better quality food and higher income and people will enjoy the luxury they have. As the society becomes more competitive, people would not be able to cope with the hardship and thus, they will not be able to keep up with the high tempo of living. With the higher tempo of living, there will be a lack of human relationship. Thus, people will become more self-centered and boastful.
2)Progress also means more factories. This would harm the environment and also the society. This would also lead to global warming.
3)In the novel Village by the Sea, building factories is a benefit for the government in Bombay. However, the villagers in Thul disagree. They are afraid that they would lose their job such as fishing and even finding a job in the factories would be difficult. Thus, they would need to move to other places as the rich move in.

Who is your favourite/least favourite character in Village by the Sea?

My favourite character would be Hari. Let me state my reasons.

Hari
1)He is the protagonist of this novel and I find him very hardworking. He is able to cope with the stress and burden being put on him as he has to take up the role of the 'father' after his father became a drunkard.
2)Having to take up the role as the 'father', he dropped out of school. He tries to make ends meet and perseveres. He even leaves his home and village just to find a job in Bombay. He always tries his best to relieve the financial crisis his family and I admire his perseverance.
3)He juggles between two jobs. One as a helper at a restaurant and one as a helper at a watch mending shop. At the watch mending shop, the owner teaches him how the mend a watch and he is willing to learn. This shows that Hari is keen to learn something and help relieve the financial crisis his family is facing.