It's been so long, but it feels like the day before yesterday...

It's coming up on 2 years since I left Adelaide, and yet, going through friendster and seeing the pictures of my friends there, I still have a keen sense of what it was like to be there. A few minutes ago, I could have sworn I had an out-of-body experience.

I'm walking in Eddie and Chua's apartment, it was slightly cold, not the bitter cold of the outdoors in winter, more like the cold of the indoors, wearing my blue Nike sports jacket. GAME STARTED WOI!! Eddie shouts from his room. I walk from the TV room towards Chua's bedroom. I pass the dining table on my right. I look at the reflection of my black socks in the full length mirror leaned against that wall there. *Poof*

I'm back in my world now. Ben's MSN conversation window is flashing, he's not scoring much in futsal, he says. Futsal. Indoor football.

I'm pacing the netting on the left of court Adelaide. Ben's holding the ball up for far to long. MAN ON! I shout at him. The one in blue with the goatee has incredible entry speed approaching Ben from behind. Slight contact with the ball, much more contact with Ben's heel. Ben falls. Play on says the ref. FUCKING REF!! ARE YOU FUCKING BLIND?!? I shout. The ref gives me a look, the game continues. Ben grimaces and curses the ref under his breath. I see the words forming in his head, I read those words on his lips. He supports himself on one knee and gets up from the floor. Birgit gives me a knowing look and tries to calm me down. I take a swig of Powerade and continue my pacing. Later on, after the game, Ben throws his clothes on hurriedly and storms off to his car. I look at the guys, Ken and Weidong, and the rest of them he's left behind, they're all gesturing me to follow Ben. I follow Ben. Ben and I get into his car, just him and me. He's steaming mad. It's as angry as I've every seen him. He feels he has been let down by his teammates and the biased, "racist" ref. I try to figure out what to say to him, finally decide to show empathy. I see the anger gradually dissipate as he tells me what exactly in the game was making him angry. We reach the corner of Pulteney and North Terrace. He parks just 'round the corner, on Pulteney, directly downstairs from Bradford College. *Poof*

It's back to reality again. No flashing MSN message from Ben. Not yet. Bradford College. I remember the first day I went in, I had made so many resolutions. The resolution to not be so contained anymore. The resolution to do well, to change for the better. The resolution to quit dota. Boy, have I let myself down. Till this day, only the first of those resolutions can be considered complete. If not for my being so foolhardy and weak-willed, I would still be in Adelaide today. I'd be there, playing futsal with Ben and the rest of the gang from Bradford College. I'd still be able to visit Eddie and Chua at their place. I'd still take in the midnight live telecast of the Premier League at the Railway Station/Casino with the boys. I remember the good times the locals had given to me too. I never really thanked them properly for their kindness.

P.S. I've just sent Birgit Cramer a long long email about how things are in Penang, and thanking her for my good times in Adelaide.