Blackpool Sands

Had a lovely day out at Blackpool on our seventh day of arrival. 'Twas supposed to be less populous in December, and I am grateful for the extra space to maneuver around…large crowds kind of turn me off.

Left to wander on our own, we formed a party of five---Xinwei, Zhenwei, Shen Lin, Jiehao and I---with the primary mission of finding a loo for poor Shen Lin. No success, so he had to urinate on a sandy beach. I was standing on the main road pavement above the beach, and had an excellent view of the comical fracas about to follow. The strong gale picked up Shen Lin's unsavory discharge and carried it miles down the coast, forcing our disgruntled friends to scramble for cover.

After that hilarious reprieve, we went into the sheltered comfort of the shopping mall. Lost my patience dallying in all that concrete, so decided to leave them at their shopping while I went off to scout for attractions with Jiehao. So off we ventured, struggling against the forceful wind, with sand blowing into our faces. The sight of all that dancing sand whipped about by the wind was a sight to behold, not something you get to see back home. Of course, the odd arcade or two along the way was a welcome reprieve from the weather, though 'twas probably unwise to consume hotdogs in the open…

Discovered Madam Tussaud's, a famous wax museum, along the way. (Actually we were lost in an obscure corner in town then…) Think I asked Jiehao to take one photograph too many though…heh.

Retreated back to the shopping mall for lunch. Jiehao bought some rock candy bars and a Newcastle United jigsaw, and I pulled him along into a few bookstores. There was a lady in the shopping mall podium playing some enchanting organ melodies, giving the place a Christmasly feel.

Feeling dead-beat now, but somehow I felt that we'd missed something, so on my insistence we went back to the Tower. Asked the lady at the ticket counter if we qualified for children concessions, and she gave me the kind of disdainful look usually reserved for tramps asking for a bottle of XO. Somehow she mustered a reply, "No, I'm afraid it's only for U-14s." to which I hastily shot back, "Two ADULTS, please." before hurrying up the majestically carpeted stairs up into the Tower.

The Blackpool Tower was celebrating her century anniversary and it was a real treat inside, with attractions galore. Bought a miniature Blackpool Tower. The cashier was of a much more pleasant disposition than Ms Grumps downstairs. Initially daydreaming as I stood at the empty checkout counter, she suddenly noticed my presence and giggled her apologies, "Oh, sorry sir, I didn't know you were……" "No, no, it's quite alright."

When we assembled at night in our mini-vans, we discovered Xinwei missing. He had lost contact with Shen Lin when the latter left him alone at an auction. Together with the guilt-stricken man, we went back to look for Xinwei. Thankfully, he had bumped into Zhenwei on his way back, so all was well eventually.

a brief interlude

Woke up early one particular morning and went downstairs to the breakfast table. Mr Barker was already there at the fireplace, having a leisurely conversation with some other guys on the lounge. As I walked in, he told us to keep "absolutely quiet" (now that's not too difficult…) in order to listen to the silence. It was…so pure, so beautiful in its own way. Mr Barker elaborated that one of the points of coming over here was to learn to appreciate the silence. Back home, even in the wee hours, you still hear crickets chirping or motorbikes blaring their way down the deserted roads. The stillness in that room was divine.

Football manna

For me, the highlight of the whole tour was always going to be the football. Other delightful activities were just bonuses; this was the essential bread and butter that I'd come for. The English Premiership was in her third season (1994/95) then. Attended three games in all: BLACKBURN ROVERS vs SOUTHAMPTON, EVERTON vs TOTTENHAM HOTSPURS, and ENGLAND 'B' vs REPUBLIC OF IRELAND 'B'. Of the club teams I watched, both home clubs won a trophy that season---Blackburn the league title and Everton the FA Cup. Both clubs beat a certain Manchester United---who had refused to grant us a single match ticket--- to the domestic honors. See, we're all potent good luck charms, you know.

To be able to see the footballers in flesh and blood (maybe not the latter) was sublime. They seemed so huge and strong, quite different from what is perceived from television. Although I detest Blackburn, I'd never forget that particular game at Ewood Park.

After having to put up with a stupid kid's rendition of "There's only one ALAN SHEARER!" over the public address system (for what seemed like eons), the players finally trooped out of the tunnel to hysteria. "Look! There's Le Tissier!" "My, doesn't he look umm…well-endowed at the rear…" Thought Dave Beasant looked imposing as well.

The pace of the game was frantic, with every move executed on fast forward. Midway through the game, my idol MATTHEW LE TISSIER picked up the ball just inside his own half and dribbled past three Blackburn players before firing an audacious long-ranged lob over Tim Flowers for that season's official goal of the season. The moment he struck the ball, I gasped "wah lau!" to Shen Lin, who "wah lau"ed back after it had sunk in that 'twas a goal. Although we only had one goal at our end (Shearer's spontaneous half volley), Mr Barker claimed that it was the goal of the game. Thought that statement to be rubbish. For me, that sublime Le Tissier goal would always remain etched in memory. Thoroughly enjoyed a thrilling match, 3-2 in favor of the hosts.

Thought the Southampton fans, seated in the stand behind the goalposts to our right, were brilliant. Their songs and chants were humorous and classics. Laughed when they sang "You're not singing 'cos you're shit!" to us Blackburn "fans" in the main stand. Then there's the timeless "Le Tiss! Le Tiss! Le TISSIEEEEEER!" and bowing (as a mock display of reverence) whenever he went up to take a corner. Errant players were not spared though. When a S'oton man opted to shoot rather than pass to a better placed teammate, a chorus of "SO SELFISH! He's so SELFISH……." rang out from the disgruntled crowd.

The game truly left its mark on Shen Lin. Back on the van, he sang "When the Saints come marching in" while the rest of us were tuning in to live updated scores from across the country on the radio. See why he gets teamed up on so often?

The 'B' international at ANFIELD was a different experience. We were sat too far back in the grandstand to really get a good close up, and the Irish fans were really rowdy as well. The shop assistant was rude too. Still, I can say that I watched Andy Cole and Robbie Fowler score their first England 'B' goals (2-0). Also noticed for the first time that Andy Cole is absolute rubbish at heading.

The third game at GOODISON PARK ended in a dour goal-less stalemate. Several star players such as JURGEN KLINSMANN, ILIE DUMITRESCU, GEORGHE POPESCU and…er…Daniel Amokachi? were away on international duty, so we got to marvel at the skills of Anders Limpar instead. And Ronny Rosenthal.

Football coverage in the tabloids (The Sun seemed to be a popular read) was extensive in Britain, from match previews and reports to George Graham's "bung" accusations to the Manchester United vs Galatassaray champions league preview. Mr Barker tried to get us tickets for that European game, but to no avail. ("Your allocated tickets for home fans are all sold out? Oh, did I mention that we are all Turkish fans?) So we had to improvise and catch the live telecast on television by the cozy fireplace. Quite a memorable game. With the restriction on foreign players still not lifted back then, United played several unknown youngsters in their team---GARY NEVILLE, NICKY BUTT, SIMON DAVIES and KEITH GILLESPIE---and ran out 4-0 victors, though unfavorable results elsewhere meant that they were still eliminated from the competition.

Paid a visit to OLD TRAFFORD as well. Suddenly lost my prudent nature and snapped up official United merchandise in the Megastore and Superstore---outdated and discounted jerseys, books, video tapes and souvenirs. Took a club tour, getting a behind-the-scenes look at the stadium, such as the dressing room, managers' dug-out, players' lounge, press conference room and control room. Stepped onto the hallowed pitch as well, as do the players on match days. Interestingly, the pitch is actually not flat as it seems, but instead slopes down from a mould in the center circle. Of course someone just couldn't resist the temptation and dug out a handful of turf as a keepsake. Er…excuse me, but isn't that horse manure that you're actually holding?