DISAPPOINTMENT

What a bad day today! Now I feel extremely disappointed since Korea Republic was defeated 0 - 2 by Switzerland early this morning. Finally, my favorite team can not repeat the miraculous achievements as they did 4 years ago, when the world cup was held in their home. Even, this become more regrettful for Korea Republic because they have gained 4 points after one win over Togo and one draw against France in the two previous matches.

In the first match with Togo they didn't play as well as they could though the match ended in a win for them but later in the second one they seemed to start returning to themselves, a Korean team, who always plays with a highly courageous and not-afraid-of-injury spirit. As a result, they managed to hold France, the champion of the World Cup 1998, to a draw after a lot of great effort to even the score in the late minutes of the second half. After these two matches my hope towards one more win or at least a draw with Switzerland for Korea was actually raised up to a high peak but everything didn't go as expected.

In my opinion, Switzerland is entirely deserved for a win over Korea because they played so well throughout the game and especially they played successfully on both attack and defence. As for Korea, they lost this game partly because their playing tactict was rather simple and; more exactly to say, it seemed to be slightly inflexible and partly because they might not be well-prepared for this match. That is the reason why they have to say goodbye to World cup 2006 early.

However, I always love Korea anyway because they are the only Asian football team that has made a deep impression on me for many world cups. Hoping that one day Korea will be alble to play football as equally as others in Europe.

The World Cup has come

An unforgettable moment in the world cup time.

At last, The World Cup 2006 has already come after four years of expectation. And now I can eat, sleep and live together with World Cup for over a month. My favorite soccer team is South Korea. In the previous World Cups I always accompanied with the South Korean team in every match they played regardless of whether it occurred in the day time or late night and shared happiness and sadness with them as well. In the World Cup 2002, which was first organized in Asia in both Japan and Korea, the Korean team played so well that they managed to advance to the semi-final only to lose 2-3 against Turkey in the match for the bronze medal. It was the time that I enjoyed the greatest moments of victory along with them. What a moment I could hardly forget!

In this World Cup 2006 in Germany, South Korea falls into the Group G with another three teams: France, Switzerland and Togo; this is not an easy group for Korea to continue to advance to the 1/16 round match at all since there are two European football powers in the group. So to be able to reach farther, Korea must beat Togo, the team considered the weakest one by specialists. Finally, they managed to beat Togo 2-1 in the opening match, which causes me to believe that the door for them to advance farther has really opened wider; especially after the draw match 0-0 between France and Switzerland. I hope that Korea will be able to play a wonderful match with France in the next one; at least they will be able to hold France to a draw. And in the coming match I expect the player, Lee Chun Soo, will keep on scoring goals as he did in the opener.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

A new year is coming very and very near. Today it is December 31st, 2005 and it is nearly 8 p.m now and we will say good bye to the old year and step into the new year, 2006 in less than 5 hours. Despite knowing the next new year will come as it does every year, I still have a feeling that something extremely hard to describe stays around and around inside me. Probably I will have a sleepless night outside together with friends to welcome the new year as I often do every year.

What about you? Do you share the same feelings with me? If yes, please express yours and on the occasion of the new year 2006, I wish all good things will come to everybody. Okay, I have to stop here because some of my friends are urging me to our meeting point to be ready to welcome the new year.

Christmas is coming nearer and nearer

Christmas will soon be coming round again. The weather is getting colder and colder. Along the streets, in late afternoons, especially on Saturdays and Sundays you can see sweaters coming in various colors and sizes be displayed on sidewalks for sale. Many motorcyclists on way home from work spare a little time to stop by the street and pick out some sweaters suiting them in both prices and fashion styles. The noisy sights of buying and selling get Saigonese people 's life near Christmas to be busier and more interesting.

At night, make a tour around Saigon downtown and you will find the city seems to be brighter and more colorful than normal days with the appearance of hundred thousands of Christmas electric lights scattered everywhere. On passing by large hotels, luxury restaurants or shopping malls, slow down and you may see big Christmas trees decorated with a lot of electric lights and ornaments together with a lovely snow man and well-prepared presents of every color and size around. This will be a good place for families with children or young couples to take photos as a memory.

THE SKY OF GREEN BIRDS
(QING NIAO DE TIAN KONG)
(continued)

After the suspect in the case of Zi Hue 's husband is arrested, she is not in danger any longer. Wei Wu keeps on getting to and out of Zi Hue 's house as frequently as he did when he was still her bodyguard.

The movie really turns to another milestone when Zi Hue discovers that her husband has an illegitimate son named Le Le with his ex-lover. For the time being, Le Le is living together with his grand father or Zi Hue 's father - in - law while his mother is working away from him as far as America. As not being able to take care of her son, Le Le 's mother must ask Zi Hue 's father - in - law to replace her to look after him. Zi Hue doesn't know what her father - in - law has tried to conceal until he becomes very ill, failing to care for Le Le and finally coming to her for assistance. Once again, the bitter truth inflicts more pain and suffering on Zi Hue but she agrees to help her father - in - law to take care of Le Le while he is being treated in hospital. And from the day Le Le gets to live with her onwards, Zi Hue 's life has gradually changed for the better. It is because she now has someone to look after, to care for, to cook for and more important, to educate. Her life is not so bad as it was during the time she lived in daily great torments of losing husband. However, Zi Hue has also a lot of difficulties teaching and treating Le Le as he just misses his mother at all times and is indifferent to her. But Zi Hue is eventually successful in getting on well with Le Le. And it is Wei Wu that contributes to her success by staying around to motivate and help her through all the hardships in both physical and mental life. Not soon later, Zi Hue 's home opens to welcome a new member, Dou Dou, who comes to live, study and play with Le Le as a friend. At this time, Zi Hue is playing the role of a teacher and mother when having to look after the two children. Days pass by; the greater affection Zi Hue feels for Le Le and Dou Dou, the deeper her love towards Wei Wu seems to grow. And Wei Wu also recognizes this special sort of love in Zi Hue but he always tries to pretend not to know about it at all whenever Zi Hue mentions the relationship between them. Despite Wei Wu 's avoidance, she keeps on waiting until he is courageous enough to naturally express his true feelings. Up to now, it is obvious that we have known Zi Hue and Wei Wu are a couple in this movie.

Next, the movie concentrates on another couple, Zi Qiang and La Man. While Zi Hue is trying to overcome her loss of husband, Zi Qiang gets into troubles. Particularly, his computer network company goes bankrupt and even worse than that, he later knows he is suffering a severe brain tumour. He is told that he just has three months left to survive unless being operated immediately and even in the case he agrees to have an operation; the possibility of success accounts for 50% only. At first depressed by his business failure and later by the serious disease, Zi Qiang feels lost and hopeless. That is why he gives no thought to continuing to exist in this world rather than ,which he thinks as a release for himself and his sister as well. At these hot moments of the movie, the other half of him, La Man appears and comes around his bed through days and nights with no complaints. And it is La Man that seems to be a wonderful source of consolation and comfort or something like a log of wood in the vast deserted and icy ocean for him to grasp to go on living and combat his disease. La Man 's noble love is more clearly shown in her being willing to marry Zi Qiang before he is taken to the operating theatre. At the beginning, Zi Qiang assertively says no to La Man 's suggestion but at the end he changes his mind due to her holly love. As a result, his operation goes more perfectly than expected and their love comes to a happy close later. In contrast, the relationship between Zi Hue and Wei Wu breaks up as he frankly suggests seperating from Zi Hue in order to get married to another lady. This event occurs so quickly that Zi Hue hasn't really known what is happening. This time Zi Hue 's heart is almost broken as she always considers herself as a person that can understand Wei Wu most. After all, it turns out that he is not a true man which is supposed only to be able to find after being selected from thousands of men as she thinks. Following the movie up to here, I think TV viewers probably get totally disappointed about the character, Wei Wu; but the truth is not the same as what we see by apperance. In fact, Wei Wu just makes believe to marry a woman that needs a husband to be eligible to inherit her father 's fortune on the condition that he will get a large sum of money to settle all the costs of Zi Qiang 's operation in return. Wei Wu acts this way because he can't stand seeing Zi Hue cry on her own due to not being able to prepare enough money for the operation after running everywhere to ask for financial help. Nevertheless, he finally fails to win himself. He actually realizes how much he loves Zi Hue when he enters the marriage register office with an entirely unfamiliar woman but not his true lady. So right after that he is determined to delay the date of marriage registry until the eleventh hour, just one day ahead of Zi Qiang 's operation. Fortunately, La Man 's father pays for Zi Qiang 's operation before Wei Wu has to make his final decision. After Zi Qiang 's operation, Wei Wu dare not tell Zi Hue the reason why he acted like that for fear that he might hurt her one more time. However, thanks to his true love for Zi Hue, the woman that he ,first intended to get married to but later did not, is so much impressed that she automatically gets to see Zi Hue and tells her about all things. Knowing this Zi Hue is extremely happy because what she imagines about Wei Wu is completely correct. After that, in order to express all his love, Wei Wu hands Zi Hue his diary, which contains all his confidences and secrets.

Near the end of the movie, Dou Dou leaves Zi Hue for the reunion with his father just released from the prison. Some days later, Le Le 's mother gets back from America and takes Le Le with her, too. Zi Hue has to see her two children off in tears. From this time forward, Zi Hue 's home is absent from children 's laughters and voices but it will not be so cold as it used to because she already has Wei Wu to talk to and to share all happiness and sadness as well with.

Finally, the movie closes with the scene of Zi Hue and Wei Wu 's happy life in their cozy little home.