Start of a new beginnning

Hi all! It has been long time since I have last blogged, which is about 6 months ago. Since we are required to keep a blog this year too, I shall reactivate this blog and be more active in it. It would be similar to last year - besides school assignments, I shall post about myself and Liverpool too.

The holidays ended before we knew it, and soon it is the start of another academic year. It is a new year, new hopes, new plans, new initiatives, a whole new beginning.

Wish all of you the best of luck in the new year!

IT Home Learning Lesson 3

The Son is in Secondary School by Affran Sa’at

My badge has a Latin motto
Hope for the future
The future is hope
Or something

At times black crows try to interrupt
When we sing the National Anthem

It is difficult to maintain
The whiteness of my shoes
Especially on Wednesdays

I must admit there is something quite special
About the bare thighs of hardworking scouts

The Malay chauffeurs
Who wait for my schoolmates
Sit on the car park kerb
Telling jokes to one another

Seven to the power of five is unreasonable

On Chinese New Year
Mrs Lee dressed up
In a sarong kebaya
And sang Bengawan Solo

The capital of Singapore is Singapore

My best friend did a heroic thing once
Shaded all A’s
For his Chinese Language
Multiple-choice paper

In our annual yearbook
There is a photograph of me

Pushing a wheelchair and smiling
They caught me
At the exact moment

When my eyes were actually closed

***
Respond to the following threads.

Discussion threads:

1. What are the poet’s thoughts? What were his feelings as he think back on these ?
2. Think back on our days in Primary School. Do you share the same sentiments? What were your memories of those days? Write a poem of no less than 4 stanzas.

1. I think the poet is missing his old school life. He missed the lessons. This can be seen from "Seven to the power of five is unreasonable" and "The capital of Singapore is Singapore" which he learn from lessons. He also described his school life in a humorous way.

2.

Flashback starts,

As my mind travelled,

To my old primary school days.

Happiness, sorrow,

Surprise, anxiety,

Any emotions that can be named,

I went through in my primary days.

Homework, homework and more homework,

Exams were teachers’ favourite word.

Teachers’ word is law,

Whenever we disobey,

Or when results were bad,

Canes come raining down on our hands.

But looking back,

I found that I missed,

My old primary school days,

My old primary school friends,

The fun we have together.

My old primary school teachers,

Whose teachings could never be forgotten,

As they make me into what I am today.

Now,

I wished I had a time machine,

I wished I could turn back the time,

I will be more obedient to my teachers,

I will be better to my friends,

I will study harder for exams,

But it’s too late.

***

Please comment :)

IT Home Learning Lesson 2

Choose a poet by going online to a couple of the internet sites such as Poets.org ( Academy of American Poets website) or American Poetry Online. Blog on your favourite poet. Your entry should be approximately 400 words.

The most popular historical poet in 2008, James Mercer Langston Hughes was an American poet, novelist, dramatist, and even a short story writer. He was also a black, who were discriminated in his days.

It was his poems that intrigued me a lot; they are meaningful and left me deep in thought. For instance, the poem Life is Fine leads me to ponder that life is actually good if we think it the right way. I also like the way he stood out for his fellow black American through poem like I, Too, Sing America and Let America Be America Again. Some of his poem rhymes well, such as The Weary Blues.

Langston Hughes was born on 1 February 1902 in Joplin, Missouri to James Nathaniel Hughes and Carrie Mercer Langsten. (His name is a mix of his parents'!) Both parents were mixed race, as Langston Hughes was of African American, European American and Native American descent. Parents divorced, he was raised by his grandmother in Kansas, and moved to Lincoln, Illinois. He started writing poetry there. Following graduation, he spent a year in Mexico and another at Columbia University. All these years, he held odd jobs as an assistant cook, launderer, seaman, etc. and moved to Washington D.C. in 1924 Langston Hughes's first book of poetry, The Weary Blues, was published by Alfred A. Knopf in 1926. He finished his college education at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania three years later. In 1930 his first novel, Not Without Laughter, won the Harmon gold medal for literature.

22 May 1967 was the fateful day. Langston Hughes died at the age of 65, from complications after abdominal surgery, related to prostate cancer. His ashes are interred beneath a floor medallion in the middle of the foyer leading to the auditorium named for him within the Arthur Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem.

The following are some poems by Langston Hughes :

The Negro Speaks of Rivers (also Hughes's signature poem)

I've known rivers:

I've known rivers ancient as the world and older than the

flow of human blood in human veins.

My soul has grown deep like the rivers.

I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young.

I danced in the Nile when I was old

I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep.

I looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids above it.

I heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln

went down to New Orleans, and I've seen its muddy

bosom turn all golden in the sunset.

I've known rivers:

Ancient, dusky rivers.

My soul has grown deep like the rivers.

Life Is Fine (My favourite!)

I went down to the river,

I set down on the bank.

I tried to think but couldn't,

So I jumped in and sank.

I came up once and hollered!

I came up twice and cried!

If that water hadn't a-been so cold

I might've sunk and died.

But it was Cold in that water! It was cold!

I took the elevator

Sixteen floors above the ground.

I thought about my baby

And thought I would jump down.

I stood there and I hollered!

I stood there and I cried!

If it hadn't a-been so high

I might've jumped and died.

But it was High up there! It was high!

So since I'm still here livin',

I guess I will live on.

I could've died for love--

But for livin' I was born

Though you may hear me holler,

And you may see me cry--

I'll be dogged, sweet baby,

If you gonna see me die.

Life is fine! Fine as wine! Life is fine!

Dreams

Hold fast to dreams

For if dreams die

Life is a broken-winged bird

That cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreams

For when dreams go

Life is a barren field

Frozen with snow.

Outside sources : Wikipedia - Langston Hughes Poets.org - Langston Hughes

IT Home Learning Lesson 1

Life Is Fine by Langston Hughes

I went down to the river,
I set down on the bank.
I tried to think but couldn't,
So I jumped in and sank.

I came up once and hollered!
I came up twice and cried!
If that water hadn't a-been so cold
I might've sunk and died.

But it was Cold in that water! It was cold!

I took the elevator
Sixteen floors above the ground.
I thought about my baby
And thought I would jump down.

I stood there and I hollered!
I stood there and I cried!
If it hadn't a-been so high
I might've jumped and died.

But it was High up there! It was high!

So since I'm still here livin',
I guess I will live on.
I could've died for love--
But for livin' I was born

Though you may hear me holler,
And you may see me cry--
I'll be dogged, sweet baby,
If you gonna see me die.

Life is fine! Fine as wine! Life is fine!

1. How are the figurative language used in the poem? Give the specific word(s), explain what type of figurative language it is and why the poet chose to use this figurative language?

Hyperbole is used in the poem, as the word "die" stressed the author's distress and tired of living. He"hollered" and "cried" which indicates that the water is extremely cold and the building is supremely high in an exaggerated manner. The metaphor in the poem is "I stood there and I hollered! I stood there and I cried!". "Fine as wine" is the simile in the poem, while the symbolism is the river and the building.

2. Tell us why you like this poem in no less than 100 words.

I like Life Is Fine because it is meaningful. The author intends to commit suicide but in vain, but is it because of the coldness of the river and the height of the building? In my opinion, when someone wants to jump down, he or she would choose the highest building to do it, since the person has already decided to commit suicude, no matter what happened will change his decision. However, in this poem, the author is still aware of cold, and height which shows that there is a still a thirst for life in him. After that, he found out that life is fine. From this poem, I understand that we will encounter a lot of difficulties and setbacks in our life. We may feel distressed and give up and lost the will to live on, but it gives us power to stand up again. There has to be reason for everything that happens to us or in our life. Thus, we should think positively. As we live longer, we understand failure and success, life and death. We will found out that life is fine, sooner or later.

Blog Prompt 4 - My favourite part in Village by the Sea

My favourite part in the story would be the ending. Not surprisingly, this is again a happy ending, not unlike from most stories, if not all.

Firstly, it was Diwali and Hari had come back from Bombay. His mother and sisters missed him a lot, and were certainly glad to have him back. Hari had become more independent and grown-up, and went to Alibagh to fetch his mother, who had recovered from her illness, which brings me to my next point. The mother had suffered a bad case anemia and was extremely severe, but the de Silvas brought her to the hospital, and she was finally cured. She would be able to fulfill her role as a mother then.

Furthermore, the father had given up drinking and turned over a new leaf, when he found out that the mother was in the hospital. He realized his mistake, and the impact of it on his family. I believed he was truly sorry for what he had done. Therefore, he would start performing his duty as a father of four children.

Besides that, the future of the family is bright. Hari’ watch mending skill would bring a steady income for the family, when lots of townspeople came to Thul to work in the factories. Meantime, they could set up a poultry farm, which would be the first and successful too. Hari’s father could also find himself a job. In a nutshell, they did not have to worry about financial difficulties.

Well, the ending is close to perfect, thus it is my favourite part in Village by the Sea. What about you?

Blog Prompt 3 - My favourite character in Village by the Sea

I believe everyone has his or her own favourite character in any book. In Village by the Sea, I encountered difficulties in choosing my most favourite character. In other words, I had no definite favourites in the book. I pondered over this for quite a while, and came up with Mr Panwallah.

Most of the time, the favourite character will be the protagonist, which in this case, is Hari. Nevertheless, I admired Mr Panwallah for many reasons. He is Hari's most significant benefactor. Besides teaching him how to mend watches, he also looked upon him as a close friend. He was the one who suggested Hari to sleep in the park, which made his life a lot easier. His generosity could not be denied. He taught Hari watch mending skills without charging him a cent. When Hari started mending watches, he made customers pay Hari, though the money should be rightfully his. He also bring Hari out on Coconut Day, and buy him things.

Most importantly, it was Mr Panwallah who changed Hari's mindset. "The wheel turns and turns and turns, it never stops and stands still." This made a great impact on Hari. Mr Panwallah told him that change is inevitable, and we should embrace it, instead of evading it. He also suggested to Hari of opening a poultry farm back in Thul, thus making him more confident and assured of his future.

Furthermore, Mr Panwallah had garnered much respect and made a good impression on everyone, particularly his neighbours. This can be seen when he was sick. Everyone was concerned and took turn to care for him.

In conclusion, Mr Panwallah is my favourite character in Village by the Sea. Frankly, he simply had no faults at all, thus could be described as perfect, and I had learned a lot from him. Therefore, he is worthy of the place of my favourite character.

Blog Prompt 2 - I rather be the city rat than the country rat

Being a city rat has its advantages and disadvantages, so does a country rat. Thus, I decided to compare the pros and cons of living in the city and the country.

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City Rat

Firstly, the technology is more progressive. The standard of living is definitely higher compared to the countryside. This is partly because the city is close to all amenities, hence life is more convenient. A city rat has the advantage of having better access to shops, food, internet, etc. Besides that, getting from one place from another is easier, since there are more means of transport. The city rat will have better accommodation too. A city rat will also receive better education, as the level of education is significantly higher, and people will consistently improve because of the competitive community. There are also more jobs opportunities in the city too.

However, pollution is severe in the city. Air pollution, water pollution, sound pollution and land pollution caused by irresponsible acts deteriorate our health. In addition, crimes occurred frequently. People lived in a constant fear of being robbed, kidnapped, etc. Most importantly, city rats lead fast-paced and stressful lives, resulting in many affected by mental illness.

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Country Rat

In contrast, pollution and crimes rarely occurred in the city. People lead a peaceful, relaxed and healthier life. Furthermore, relationships between people are much better. For instance, country rats recognise almost everyone in the village, unlike city rats who are too occupied with their respective responsibilities.

The technology in the country is not so advanced. Life is not so convenient compared to country rats as they have limited access to shops, hospitals, etc. They also face the problem of lack of resources. The education received in the country is not as good as the city. There are also limited jobs available.

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In conclusion, I prefer to be a city rat as being one is more beneficial as compared to a country rat. What about you? Please comment.

Blog Prompt 1 - The book that impacted on my father the most

Recently, I interviewed my father about the book that made an impact on his life the most. According to him, the family condition during his childhood days were bad, thus he could hardly afford any books. However, there was one book which intrigued and affected him a lot -- Rich Dad Poor Dad, by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Letcher.

Below is a picture of the book :

In the book, there were two dads. One dad was highly educated and intelligent; he had completed four years of undergraduate work in less than two years. He then went to universities to do his advanced studies on full financial scholarships. Meanwhile, 'my' other dad never finished his eighth grade. Both were successful in their careers, working hard and diligently, and earned substantial incomes.

However, one dad struggled financially all his life and the other dad would become one of the richest men in Hawaii. One died leaving tens of millions of dollars to his family, charities, etc. On the other hand, the other left a legacy of unpaid bills. Both men were strong, charismatic, and influential. Both offered 'me' advice, but they were very different. Both had extremely different perspective on the subject of money. For instance, one would say, "The love of money is the root of all evil," while the other, "The lack of money is the root of all evil."

The book touches on/state that :

• the value of financial intelligence
• corporations spend first before paying taxes, while individuals must pay taxes first
• that corporations are artificial entities that everyone is able to use, but most of the time the poor don't know how

"The poor and middle class work hard for their money. The Rich have their money work hard for them." This is one of my father's favourite quote in the book. Through this book, he realises the importance of money and how to "make money work" for him. Therefore, the book Rich Dad Poor Dad made a great impact in my father's live.

Below are some links which I find relevant to Rich Dad Poor Dad :

• Rich Dad Poor Dad - Wikipedia
• Quotations in Rich Dad Poor Dad - Wikipedia
• Google Search - Rich Dad Poor Dad
• Sharon Lechter - Wikipedia
• Robert Kiyosaki - Wikipedia
• Rich Dad website
• Download Rich Dad Poor Dad!

Term 2 Week 9

Sorry for not blogging for a long time, say about 2 weeks? This is mainly because of the term 2 class tests we were having for the past few weeks. On 14^th May, the nightmare has finally ended, with Maths test 4 as the last one. However, I am still quite occupied since the Mathematics Olympiad and Raffles Cup Chinese Chess Competition is just around the corner, and I have to be well-prepared.

This post shall be mainly about the happenings on term 2 week 9 (17^th ~ 23^th May), which is also the second last week for term 2, after which are the anticipated June holidays! Hooray!

This week is when we received most of our test results. Frankly, I am quite pleased with mine, of which most have exceeded expectations. I am almost ecstatic. However, some deteriorate too, and were considerably lower than last term's. I decided to put in more effort in those subjects.

On Thursday, I went for health check, which all Malaysian scholars are required to go since we have not been fully immunised; the locals having done it last year. It was actually scheduled to be on the 6th of June, but this would mean that I had to return home few days later. Thus, it was rescheduled to be on that day, and I had to go alone. Since I do not know the way there, I boarded a taxi, alone. This was my first, and it went out quite well, unless you counted waiting for a not-hired taxi for nearly half and hour. The journey took approximately 20 minutes; I reached my destination at 4, just in time for my appointment.

There, my height and weight was measured (I was pronounced normal O.O). After that, I undergo eye-check (for colourblind and short-sightedness) hearing check and the dreaded injections. I received a 3- in-1 for each arm. Ouch. For the left arm, I only experienced a slight pain, but after the immunisation it was terrible. It was exactly opposite for my right arm. After the immunisations, I went back to the boarding school (by taxi too), left arm screaming in pain along the way and after that. The next morning was even worse. I was unable to hold anything properly, needless to say my arm being clutched or grabbed or even touched by some unknowing people. It got better as the day progresses, and the pain subsided to almost none after CCA. By Saturday, I could feel no pain at all. Yay!

There was another important event on Thursday too. The boarding school chose to hold the annual investiture dinner on that day I had the health check, in the dining hall. I was a little late, thus receiving a small reprimanding. The dress code is formal, like most dinners, but we were allowed to wear collared T-shirts and pants in the end, since many doesn't have formal attire. This dinner signified the "passing of the baton from the 8^th boarders' council to the 9^th", or something like that. Mr Tan Pheng Tiong, also the deputy principal of the high school, was the guest of honour, and all "VIPs" of the boarding schools were present too.

We listened to speeches from the presidents of the former boarders' council and the current one. All councillors were introduced, and they also performed a dance. Tokens of gratitude in the form of a certificate and money (I think) were given to our former councillors, whose contributions could not be denied. We also counted ourselves fortunate to be able to listen to vocal performances (singing) by Yan Ming, first runner-up for this year's inter boarding school singing competition - Hall of Fame, and Felisa Titirwinata, the champion of Hall of Fame 2008. The food was especially good, though I decided not to eat the fried but delicious-looking food, since i just had immunisations. Ice-creams were also served towards the end of the event. In a nutshell, I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and I believed most did too.

On Friday, we had our cluster activity. Mr Tan Chee Wee, our cluster mentor, had kindly brought us to a hawker centre along Adams Road to have supper. We ate mutton soup (extremely spicy) with bread, roti prata ( a popular Indian dish), fish ball soup and other local delicacies. The food was delicious, and I decided to visit the hawker centre again when I had time.

My Saturday morning was quite meaningful. Classes 2O2, 1A2 and 1A3 had jointly organized an activity to Marina Barrage, where we took care of some elderly besides exploring. Besides gaining knowledge and promoting closer friendship among the 3 classes with Malaysian scholars, we could also care for the elderly and and gained CIP hours. Each groups of 2 was assigned to 1 elderly, Soo Han and I looked after an old lady who was in her sixties. She was quite a cheerful person and we chatted quite animatedly. Fortunately, she was able to speak in Chinese, which enabled us to communicate with her well, since both of us do not master any dialects. The climax is the exhibition, where we learnt a lot about Singapore water conserve and why and how and whatsoever, especially about Marina Barrage and its uses. We explained patiently to the elderly whenever they do not comprehend something. After that, we took a group photo and went home, or rather boarding school respectively. It was a meaningful and enjoyable day for us .

Besides, Liverpool had finally announced that they had lost the title chase. Despite a 2-0 win over West Bromwich Abber, and Man Utd draw 0-0 against Arsenal, Man Utd led the table with 6 points and 2 games remaining, signifying the end of the title challenge. I am extremely disappointed, but Liverpool had done their best. They were just 4 points behind their rivals and triumphed in goal differences by 6. This was the best results Liverpool had in recent years, and their closest to clinching the title. Just think of the outcome if Torres was not injured during the start of the season, or Liverpool were just luckier in some matches were heaps of scoring opportunities were wasted. I felt that it would be a different result altogether. Nevertheless, I am still proud of them and hoped that they will obtain better results in the next season. All the best of luck, Liverpool!

Happy Mother's Day!

Sorry for not blogging for a long time. Since today is Mothers' Day, I decided to take this opportunity to wish everyone, especially mothers, a "Happy Mother's Day"!

Below are some songs which I'd liked to share with you, and also dedicated to all mothers in the world. Hope you'll enjoy!

All songs, The Mom Song, You Raise Me Up and Ting Ma Ma De Hua are included in the English and Chines playlist respectively too!

Links :

More information about Mother's Day - Wikipedia

Mother's Day Fun Facts

What's New! - Playlists & Class Blog List

Playlist

I have always been wondering what my blog is missing, and I finally got the answer...MUSIC! I listen to both English and Chinese songs, so I decided to put two playlist, one of English and the other for Chinese. All songs are my favourite. The following is the list of songs in the playlist (in order) :

English songs :

1. You Raise Me Up (Westlife)
   
2. If I Let You Go (Westlife)
   
3. Bye Bye (Mariah Carey)
   
4. Right Here Waiting For You (Richard Marx)
   
5. The Call (Regina Spektor)
   
6. Start Of Something New (HSM)
   
7. Everyday (HSM)
   
8. Breaking Free (HSM)
   
9. Fabulous (HSM)
10. What I've Been Looking For (HSM)
    
11. We're All In This Together (HSM)
    
12. This Is Me (Camp Rock)
13. Mom Song *
14. Teardrops On My Guitar (Taylor Swift)

Chinese Songs :

1. Dao Xiang/Fragrant Rice 稻香 (Jay Chou)
   
2. Shuo Hao De Xing Fu Ne 说好的幸福呢 (Jay Chou)
   
3. Pu Gong Ying De Yue Ding 蒲公英的约定 (Jay Chou)
4. Ting Ma Ma De Hua 听妈妈的话 (Jay Chou)
   
5. Fa Ru Xue 发如雪 (Jay Chou)
   
6. Qian Li Zhi Wai 千里之外 (Jay Chou)
   
7. Qian Wo Shi Kuai 欠我十块 **
   
8. Ju Hua Tai 菊花台 (Jay Chou)
   
9. Qian Shan Wan Shui 千山万水 (Jay Chou)
   
10. Di Yi Tian/First Day 第一天 (孙燕姿)
    
11. Zhong Guo Hua 中国话 (S.H.E.)
    

Note : The artist of each songs are in the brackets.

*   - No artisit

** - Edited version of Qian Li Zhi Wai

Any comments regarding the playlists? Which songs do you think I should add in my playlist? Please response in the comment box.

Hope you'll enjoy! :-)

Class Blog List

I have almost finish the class blog list, which contains all 1A2 blogs, except one (1A232) which I was unable to find his blog. Anyone who know it, please tell me. As you can see, I quote all of them using their register number in class. I have also included some blogs from 1A3 as I know quite a few people there, and also some of my former classmates' for easy access. You can suggest blogs of people whom I know for me to link them. Thank you very much!

Update (7^th May) : I have found the url of the blog of 1A232 already. Therefore, the list of 1A2 blog is completed!

Recent happenings

Last Friday, I completed my online portfolio which we were required to finish as a term project for Infocomm Studies. The project was crucial as it constitutes 33.33% of the overall 50% for Type 3 Assessment for Infocomm Studies; therefore, I put my best effort in it. You can click on the link above to view it and please comment so that I can improve it. Thanks a lot!

On the 23^rd of April (Thursday), 9 Sec 1 classes , including mine, went to give our support to our track and field team in the Inter-School Track and Field Competition. In this round, our school did not perform well and only managed to bag 5 silver medals and a bronze, despite our cheering. Most of us shout until our voice grew hoarse, especially the councillors. However, HCI still clinch the overall champions for B and C division boys and A division girls and boys were the 2^nd and 3^rd runner-ups respectively, as they were brilliant in previous rounds. We continue to dominate the B and C division boys with 19 and 9 consecutive champions respectively. The track and field team has done us proud.

As a result, Dr Hon announce that school will end early on Friday!

Three cheers for track and field!

Three cheers for Dr Hon!

It was tiring, but nonetheless a fruitful day.

As for football news, I am sorry to say that Liverpool draw 4-4 against Arsenal, and with Man Utd's victory, the chance of regaining the long-lost title seemed slim. Last night, Hull City saw off with a 1-3 loss, due to goals by Alonso and Kuyt (2), and also an overwhelming 73.5% of possesion. However, Man Utd won 5-2 over Tottenham in a late match and dampen their hopes. Liverpool are currently trailing their rivals by 3 points and are at a disadvantage of one more match played.

Links :

My Online Portfolio

Matchcast : Liverpool vs Hull City

Matchcast :Man Utd vs Tottenham

Premier League table

Feast your eyes!

Basically, post mostly compromise of videos which I like to share with you. It is also the 50th post for this blog. So much for an achievement! Now, let's kick back and enjoy!

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As you can guess, I am a huge and die-hard fan of Steven Gerrard, the captain of Liverpool FC. Below is a video of his top 10 goals. As you can see in this video, most of his shots came from outside the penalty box and they were long, curved, magnificent, superb, fascinating, marvellous and unstoppable, leaving the keepers no chance. The video is uploaded on April 2006, and Gerrard was wearing the no.17 jersey at that time, except for the last and best strike against Olympiakos, which saw Liverpool advanced into the knockout stages and finally to the legendary comeback at Istanbul, where they proudly lifted the Champions League trophy in triumph. I am really proud of him.

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This video, however, is about Xabi Alonso, another of my favourite player, scoring a goal from 70 yard. It was unbelievable - the goalkeeper was actually at the another half of the pitch! What do you think of that?

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Flashback : The miracle of Istanbul
This is final of 04/05 Champions League which I mentioned just now. Liverpool overturned a 3 goals deficit and claimed the title on penalties. It is a memorable match for Liverpool. This match also serves as a warning to all of us: do not celebrate even though when you are 3 goals up, especially when you are facing Liverpool, as they are best at comeback victories!

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Some skills demonstrated by Liverpool! Enjoy!

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Special thanks to : YouTube

Recent and important news!

Liverpool draw Chelsea 4-4 in the second leg of the quarter-finals, thus was unable to advance into the semi-finals. Sad. T.T

Chelsea and Everton ended the day with victories over Arsenal and Man Utd respectively, and will meet in the finals of the FA cup.