Jul 29, 2010
How To Save A Life
Step one you say we need to talk
He walks you say sit down it's just a talk
He smiles politely back at you
You stare politely right on through
Some sort of window to your right
As he goes left and you stay right
Between the lines of fear and blame
You begin to wonder why you came
CHORUS:
Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
Let him know that you know best
Cause after all you do know best
Try to slip past his defense
Without granting innocence
Lay down a list of what is wrong
The things you've told him all along
And pray to God he hears you
And pray to God he hears you
CHORUS:
Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
As he begins to raise his voice
You lower yours and grant him one last choice
Drive until you lose the road
Or break with the ones you've followed
He will do one of two things
He will admit to everything
Or he'll say he's just not the same
And you'll begin to wonder why you came
CHORUS:
Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
Jul 28, 2010
Inception
What is wrong with Inception? I’ve been thinking about this immediately after the movie ended and I'm still not sure. Something is lacking. It’s not a bad movie, in fact I think it’s good. But something or the lack of something about the movie is bugging me. Walking out from the cinema I wasn’t fully satisfied when I really should be, because the movie was good, the acting was good, the story was good…still I wasn’t satisfied. There is SOMETHING missing..
I first saw the Inception trailer on Star Online and immediately I wanted to watch it because it is similar to ‘Dark City’, a movie I really like (I watched Dark City way back when I was studying in Arau). Then I found out Inception is Christopher Nolan’s and I was completely sold. He is my favorite director, and The Prestige and of course the Dark Knight are my favorite movies of his.
Another reason I really wanted to watch this movie was because of Leonardo DiCaprio. For me he is a brilliant actor and very underrated as well. I’m a fan of his since ‘The Beach’ and I cannot understand how some people still cannot see the brilliant actor that he is. Criminally underrated.
Inception is like the Italian Job or Ocean’s Eleven (or twelfth/thirteen/thousand), the difference is the gang of inception do their ‘conning’ through dreams. Interesting idea, though not the ‘original idea’ some of the critics would like you to believe. Matrix used the idea before and I’m sure there are a few other movies that have used the idea as well. Basically the movie is about messing with people’s minds to get to your goal.
My eyes were glued to the screen for the entire duration of the movie. It was just so absorbing, so intense. It was intelligent and the details Christ Nolan put into the movie was amazing.
I’m not going to say much more about it because the less you know the better. I was just too excited and read quite a few reviews and that turned out to be a mistake.I went into the cinema with a really high expectation; in the end Inception fell a bit short and I can’t help but feeling disappointed. A pity really, I should be happy with the quality of the movie.
Like I said earlier I can’t quite put my finger on exactly what is wrong but it probably the combination of a few things. One certain factor is the sucky seat I had in the cinema. I got the couple seat and I was really looking forward to cuddling with my gf while enjoying the movie but all I got in the end was a serious back pain. Calling the seat a ‘couple seat’ has got to be a cruel joke because we had to stay as far apart as possible just to be comfortable. Seating on it for almost 3 hours was no laughing matter. Such a pain!
The high expectation I had of course didn’t help. Reading the reviews, the words used to describe Inception were over the top. ‘Insanely intelligent, ‘mind boggling concept’, and the most ridiculous ‘the best movie ever’ were some of the descriptions used. To me, the movie is intelligent but saying it's insanely intelligent and calling Christ Nolan a genius because of it do not seem right. He's a genius alright, but not because of Inception. Mind boggling concept? Like I said lots have used the idea before, Christ Nolan merely put his own spin on it. Best movie ever? Sigh, it is not even the best Christ Nolan movie. Definitely not as good as The Prestige and Dark Knight.
The problem is though, most of the reviews I read were from a forum I really trusted and often agrees with when it comes to movies. I’m still scratching my head on this, how can I see Inception very differently from them? Did I miss anything from the movie? Do I not understand it? Am I not intelligent enough to understand it?
Or maybe, since this is a Christ Nolan movie, everybody wants this movie to be so good they failed to see it as it is...
The more I think about it the more I feel the problem with Inception is the storytelling. Apart from the intensity, it fails to connect with me through its characters (except for Dom Cobb). It also fails to go deeper on the conflicts and the problems as it is so fast paced (but at the same time the fast pace carries the intensity very well). Basically the movie focuses too much on Dom Cobb and neglects the rest. It could have gone deeper into the relationship between Fischer Jr and his dad, but it doesn’t. And for Ariadne, hmm, she is so underused to me (again, not going into details here, I don’t want this review to be a spoiler).
So after all my comments, how can I still say it’s a good movie? Well that’s because I keep thinking about it until now, and that’s the mark of a good movie. The intensity stays with you long after you left the cinema. It will keep occupying your mind even after you sleep on it. Inception does all that to me. And the reason I keep thinking about it is the ending. For me, they did the ending perfectly. It’s not just one of those endings where they leave the possibility of a sequel wide open, Inception ending actually dictates the whole story. How you see certain characters and happenings in the movie depends on how you interpret the ending.
By and large Inception is a good movie, one of the best I've seen this year actually. It's just the over the top reviews almost ruined it for me. Although it is not quite the instant classic some made it out to be, I am probably going to give it another watch. I'm definitely recommending this movie to everyone. Go watch it.
I first saw the Inception trailer on Star Online and immediately I wanted to watch it because it is similar to ‘Dark City’, a movie I really like (I watched Dark City way back when I was studying in Arau). Then I found out Inception is Christopher Nolan’s and I was completely sold. He is my favorite director, and The Prestige and of course the Dark Knight are my favorite movies of his.
Another reason I really wanted to watch this movie was because of Leonardo DiCaprio. For me he is a brilliant actor and very underrated as well. I’m a fan of his since ‘The Beach’ and I cannot understand how some people still cannot see the brilliant actor that he is. Criminally underrated.
Inception is like the Italian Job or Ocean’s Eleven (or twelfth/thirteen/thousand), the difference is the gang of inception do their ‘conning’ through dreams. Interesting idea, though not the ‘original idea’ some of the critics would like you to believe. Matrix used the idea before and I’m sure there are a few other movies that have used the idea as well. Basically the movie is about messing with people’s minds to get to your goal.
My eyes were glued to the screen for the entire duration of the movie. It was just so absorbing, so intense. It was intelligent and the details Christ Nolan put into the movie was amazing.
I’m not going to say much more about it because the less you know the better. I was just too excited and read quite a few reviews and that turned out to be a mistake.I went into the cinema with a really high expectation; in the end Inception fell a bit short and I can’t help but feeling disappointed. A pity really, I should be happy with the quality of the movie.
Like I said earlier I can’t quite put my finger on exactly what is wrong but it probably the combination of a few things. One certain factor is the sucky seat I had in the cinema. I got the couple seat and I was really looking forward to cuddling with my gf while enjoying the movie but all I got in the end was a serious back pain. Calling the seat a ‘couple seat’ has got to be a cruel joke because we had to stay as far apart as possible just to be comfortable. Seating on it for almost 3 hours was no laughing matter. Such a pain!
The high expectation I had of course didn’t help. Reading the reviews, the words used to describe Inception were over the top. ‘Insanely intelligent, ‘mind boggling concept’, and the most ridiculous ‘the best movie ever’ were some of the descriptions used. To me, the movie is intelligent but saying it's insanely intelligent and calling Christ Nolan a genius because of it do not seem right. He's a genius alright, but not because of Inception. Mind boggling concept? Like I said lots have used the idea before, Christ Nolan merely put his own spin on it. Best movie ever? Sigh, it is not even the best Christ Nolan movie. Definitely not as good as The Prestige and Dark Knight.
The problem is though, most of the reviews I read were from a forum I really trusted and often agrees with when it comes to movies. I’m still scratching my head on this, how can I see Inception very differently from them? Did I miss anything from the movie? Do I not understand it? Am I not intelligent enough to understand it?
Or maybe, since this is a Christ Nolan movie, everybody wants this movie to be so good they failed to see it as it is...
The more I think about it the more I feel the problem with Inception is the storytelling. Apart from the intensity, it fails to connect with me through its characters (except for Dom Cobb). It also fails to go deeper on the conflicts and the problems as it is so fast paced (but at the same time the fast pace carries the intensity very well). Basically the movie focuses too much on Dom Cobb and neglects the rest. It could have gone deeper into the relationship between Fischer Jr and his dad, but it doesn’t. And for Ariadne, hmm, she is so underused to me (again, not going into details here, I don’t want this review to be a spoiler).
So after all my comments, how can I still say it’s a good movie? Well that’s because I keep thinking about it until now, and that’s the mark of a good movie. The intensity stays with you long after you left the cinema. It will keep occupying your mind even after you sleep on it. Inception does all that to me. And the reason I keep thinking about it is the ending. For me, they did the ending perfectly. It’s not just one of those endings where they leave the possibility of a sequel wide open, Inception ending actually dictates the whole story. How you see certain characters and happenings in the movie depends on how you interpret the ending.
By and large Inception is a good movie, one of the best I've seen this year actually. It's just the over the top reviews almost ruined it for me. Although it is not quite the instant classic some made it out to be, I am probably going to give it another watch. I'm definitely recommending this movie to everyone. Go watch it.
Jul 22, 2010
Roses Oh Roses
Roses oh roses why are you so senseless
Isn’t it enough to be what you already are
Why do you need to shove yourself to everyone’s noses
Why do you demand to be adored by everyone near and far
Roses oh roses why are you so annoying
You’re already red, pink, white and yellow
Now you want to be blue and black and I bet you’re wishing
To have rainbow coloured leaves that can also glow
Roses oh roses enough is enough
It’s ok to be proud of yourself but don’t be a snob
You better stop it now before I turn rough
Burn all of your petals and hand you over to the angry mob
Isn’t it enough to be what you already are
Why do you need to shove yourself to everyone’s noses
Why do you demand to be adored by everyone near and far
Roses oh roses why are you so annoying
You’re already red, pink, white and yellow
Now you want to be blue and black and I bet you’re wishing
To have rainbow coloured leaves that can also glow
Roses oh roses enough is enough
It’s ok to be proud of yourself but don’t be a snob
You better stop it now before I turn rough
Burn all of your petals and hand you over to the angry mob
Inside A Mug
Pick me up with your spoon because right now I feel so small
With all the riches in my life at the moment everything still seem so tall
Burning in the boiling water I keep telling myself to grow some balls
But I keep on running into dead ends and bumping into porcelain wall
Yeah yeah I know you have grown tired listening to all this
You would rather hear me say ‘it’s rosy let’s have some more of that kiss’
But I can’t help it if my life feels like a death sentence from the beast
At times the pain is so real it doesn't matter how hard I hold my fist
I’m at the point where I no longer bother to ask why
It’s easier to fake ignorance than to break fingers digging up the root and cry
Because as soon as the tears stop flowing and I wipe my eyes dry
I’ll be back laughing with my forsaken soul on the same pathetic high
31 years and still all I can see is only the light at the end of the tunnel
Like a never ending journey through a never ending murky canal
Don’t you dare telling me to get some perspective from the stories of them all
No chicken soup nonsense can ease the bulging ache inside from all the wobbles
Now I do understand I always come out looking like a whiny princess
A weak brat who cries like a sissy when things don’t fall into their places
But I know what I’m doing and trust me I’m not being an ungrateful jackass
This is just to let it all out so I can release all the bottled restlessness
So get lost and save your lecture because I know my life sucks
I’ve been lucky all my life and now it looks like I’m running out of luck
Looking to the past present and future I feel like a tiny hopeless little bug
Just waiting for the time, drowning and dying inside a mug
I have got to stop listening to Eminem!
With all the riches in my life at the moment everything still seem so tall
Burning in the boiling water I keep telling myself to grow some balls
But I keep on running into dead ends and bumping into porcelain wall
Yeah yeah I know you have grown tired listening to all this
You would rather hear me say ‘it’s rosy let’s have some more of that kiss’
But I can’t help it if my life feels like a death sentence from the beast
At times the pain is so real it doesn't matter how hard I hold my fist
I’m at the point where I no longer bother to ask why
It’s easier to fake ignorance than to break fingers digging up the root and cry
Because as soon as the tears stop flowing and I wipe my eyes dry
I’ll be back laughing with my forsaken soul on the same pathetic high
31 years and still all I can see is only the light at the end of the tunnel
Like a never ending journey through a never ending murky canal
Don’t you dare telling me to get some perspective from the stories of them all
No chicken soup nonsense can ease the bulging ache inside from all the wobbles
Now I do understand I always come out looking like a whiny princess
A weak brat who cries like a sissy when things don’t fall into their places
But I know what I’m doing and trust me I’m not being an ungrateful jackass
This is just to let it all out so I can release all the bottled restlessness
So get lost and save your lecture because I know my life sucks
I’ve been lucky all my life and now it looks like I’m running out of luck
Looking to the past present and future I feel like a tiny hopeless little bug
Just waiting for the time, drowning and dying inside a mug
I have got to stop listening to Eminem!
Jul 17, 2010
The Night I Offended 'Fate'
How are you doing right now
Have you found someone new or are you still trying
Pity you can’t see the new me laughing out loud
After that lovely night I haven’t even stopped smiling
I actually saw you in my dream recently
You were walking alone aimlessly
Wet from the rain, angry for being lonely
And I just couldn’t help from smirking, forgive me
Still don’t feel too bad though
You made me believe for so long that I was doomed
Pat yourself in the back as you very well know
You did great in turning me into a gloomy loon
But that’s all in the past now isn’t it
That night I found the guts to give you the finger
Was the night my clouded self can finally see it
You were never mine, and you’re not going to be my future
You know the night I’m talking about right
Remember, I suddenly found the courage, out of the blue
Just to tell her I love her, just to tell her that I lied
And how I’ve been denying my true feelings because of you
Thought of life without her freed me from your squeeze
And now, not just I know that you’re not mine
I can even see you’re not what you want me to believe
You are not my life path, and you’re far from being divine
That night she rescued me from you
Was the night she knocked some sense in me too
So I could wave good bye, so I could risk offending you
And that night I offended you, was me taking a forward step or two
I am never going back to you
Because I refuse to believe my destiny is anything like you
I will forever remember that night I offended you
And how she gave me a reason to walk away from you.
Have you found someone new or are you still trying
Pity you can’t see the new me laughing out loud
After that lovely night I haven’t even stopped smiling
I actually saw you in my dream recently
You were walking alone aimlessly
Wet from the rain, angry for being lonely
And I just couldn’t help from smirking, forgive me
Still don’t feel too bad though
You made me believe for so long that I was doomed
Pat yourself in the back as you very well know
You did great in turning me into a gloomy loon
But that’s all in the past now isn’t it
That night I found the guts to give you the finger
Was the night my clouded self can finally see it
You were never mine, and you’re not going to be my future
You know the night I’m talking about right
Remember, I suddenly found the courage, out of the blue
Just to tell her I love her, just to tell her that I lied
And how I’ve been denying my true feelings because of you
Thought of life without her freed me from your squeeze
And now, not just I know that you’re not mine
I can even see you’re not what you want me to believe
You are not my life path, and you’re far from being divine
That night she rescued me from you
Was the night she knocked some sense in me too
So I could wave good bye, so I could risk offending you
And that night I offended you, was me taking a forward step or two
I am never going back to you
Because I refuse to believe my destiny is anything like you
I will forever remember that night I offended you
And how she gave me a reason to walk away from you.
Jul 14, 2010
7th In The 10th
So here I am seventh in the tenth
Unchanged even it’s the third and second
Self pity’s still without the end
Temper still lacking the medicine
What could it be that keep on pressing
The more I learn the more it’s confusing
Like my mind is inside a coffin
Dark, thick, rough and suffocating
Do I know why do I know how
No need to mull over no need to scout
'Cause I do know why and I do know how
Clear as crystal in my head so loud
To do and to be is all that’s left now
Screw everything, realize my unkept vows
Follow the straight line, no bend and foul
But I stay rooted still, like a silly cow
Perhaps I feel time is on my side
Enough is not enough still plenty to bite
Sun’s still shinning with no sign of the night
This is awful I know but I have tried
Despite strangely looking at myself in spite
I can feel superior, a feeling I try to hide
So what am I to do except keeping it tight
Pray for the light and keep up the fight
It should be easier now since I’ve found her
Still the fight will go on and I will try harder
The pain won’t matter, I’ll keep going forever
For as long as I have my love for her.
*I just want to rhyme, and this is inspired by the Marshall..
Unchanged even it’s the third and second
Self pity’s still without the end
Temper still lacking the medicine
What could it be that keep on pressing
The more I learn the more it’s confusing
Like my mind is inside a coffin
Dark, thick, rough and suffocating
Do I know why do I know how
No need to mull over no need to scout
'Cause I do know why and I do know how
Clear as crystal in my head so loud
To do and to be is all that’s left now
Screw everything, realize my unkept vows
Follow the straight line, no bend and foul
But I stay rooted still, like a silly cow
Perhaps I feel time is on my side
Enough is not enough still plenty to bite
Sun’s still shinning with no sign of the night
This is awful I know but I have tried
Despite strangely looking at myself in spite
I can feel superior, a feeling I try to hide
So what am I to do except keeping it tight
Pray for the light and keep up the fight
It should be easier now since I’ve found her
Still the fight will go on and I will try harder
The pain won’t matter, I’ll keep going forever
For as long as I have my love for her.
*I just want to rhyme, and this is inspired by the Marshall..
Jul 12, 2010
Uda & Dara The Musical 2010
I paid RM60 (RM63 if I count the tax) just to sit in an uncomfortable chair for 3 hours, watching a bunch of people screaming meaningless words, failing at their attempt to be poetic, singing terrible songs and dancing unrhythmically. Then, I get to see how in the old days Malay couple used to date in the woods and have sex there.
That’s what I can sum up about Uda & Dara The Musical 2010 (UDTM) I watched last night. That story was supposed to be a tragic tale of love and tragic conflict between the rich and the poor. Unfortunately I did not get any of those from the play. I didn’t see anything that showed how strong the love is between Uda and Dara. I did not see enough hatred and tension between the rich and poor. I just can’t feel it. All I saw were horny young couple getting it on in the woods and an angry young man starting a riot because he got turned down by his girlfriend’s parents. It was a poor interpretation of the Uda & Dara tale, and an even poorer presentation of the story.
Gadis Di Kuburan
Nisan condong tegak bertaburan
gadis menangis kehibaan
tidak ada padang perjuangan
pahlawan gugur bergelimpangan.
Lari gadis menyembah ke tanah
diiringi sedu menggoncang bahu
tenang pahlawan dipeluk bumi
senyum terakhir tenang tersembunyi.
Kenangan lama bermain di hati
pelukan dan kucupan kasih
tidak ada garisan sepi
kata dipadu, janji dikunci.
“Sungguhkah, dinda?” tanya pemuda.
“Benar kanda,” sahutnya manja.
Ke jinjang pelamin setahun lagi
hilir berbiduk ke laut hidup.
Datanglah lamaran ke ayah bonda
penuh khidmat berjunjung duli
tetapi pemuda emas sesaga
tertolaklah lamaran, terurailah janji.
Matahari bersembunyi di balik awan
pulanglah orang membawa usungan
air di kendi kekeringan
terkejut gadis dari menungan.
Melangkah gadis menahan denyutan
pandangan terakhir terlempar ke nisan
setangkai kemboja gugur perlahan
merangkak senja menutup pandangan.
The poem above, Gadis Di Kuburan, was the ‘birth’ of this tale. Usman Awang published that poem in 1953, and in 1956 it was turned into a short story titled Uda & Dara. Since then, countless adaptations of this tale have been done into dramas, plays, etc.
Those earlier adaptations must have been really good for the story to stay famous and relevant till this day. I cannot say the same about this latest adaptation though.
The biggest pull for me to watch this play was Rahim Razali. He is the director, and this is not the first time he directs Uda & Dara. So what could go wrong, right? It’s Rahim Razali, a big name in local theater circuit, directing a play he directed before. Risk free.
Boy, how wrong was I!
I don’t know if there is anything worse than corny lines and corny scenes between two lovers. Basically that’s all the play was about, corny embarrassing scenes and lines. The opening scene that normally sets the tone of any play was bad, but because it’s Rahim Razali’s I quietly told myself to bare with it, it will get better as it go on. Turned out I was extremely deluded, and the only time I clapped during the play was at the end of the opening scene. After that my hands were too busy covering my face in embarrassment.
The romantic scenes made me cringe. The supposedly poetic lines and dialogues left me scratching my head. The action and movement of the actors were way over the top even for a theater, and often not in sync with the dialogues; random meaningless movements. The singing was below average (except for Misha Omar, as expected). The dance choreography was average at best and the dancers looked like they didn’t have enough practice.
The prop change between the scenes was a mess as well. I can’t pinpoint what was wrong with it exactly (I’m no expert of course), but I have never noticed the prop change in a play as much as I noticed it last night. They were slow and it was too obvious; it was painful waiting for them to be done with the prop change at the end of every scene. Unprofessional and disorganized if you like.
The glitch of the background during the opening scene of the show was unforgivable. Mistakes happen, that’s normal. However, the time they took to fix it was unacceptable. I actually felt like climbing up to the control panel (which was just behind me) to help them out with it, that’s how slow it was for them to react. Again, very unprofessional.
Now, the storyline. Like I said earlier, I don’t get it. I simply don’t.
Uda loves Dara, Dara loves Uda. Uda is a man’s man, Dara is the talk of the village. Uda is poor, Dara is spanking rich. So far so good, simple and straightforward.
Let’s continue.
Uda and Dara often date in the woods somewhere. Their date routine seemed to always be the same. Dara will be at the place first. Uda will always be late. Then Dara will get fed up having to wait for Uda everytime. Only then will Uda make his grand entrance. Hiding behind the trees, he will start singing. Dara will be surprised to hear Uda’s voice and starts looking frantically for Uda. She always fails. Uda then will show himself to Dara, emerging from behind the trees. Dara will smile and then they will hold hands.
Ok. Annoying, but ok nonetheless.
They talk about their love. “Abang sayang Dara.” “Dara sayang abang.” That kind of stuff. They talk about getting married. Their plans for the future. And that’s it. That’s all they have to show for their supposedly unbreakable love. No other problems or happenings to lead to the biggest obstacle of their love, the conflict between the rich and poor. It was just not enough to convince me of their love. Their love is the core of this tale, I think they should have put more emphasis on this.
On to the next big issue of the tale, rich vs poor. Nobles vs peasants.
They did try to show how arrogant and cruel the rich and the nobles can be, and just how humble and dignified the poor are. However, again, it was just not enough. Maybe it was the dialogue? The acting? The directing? All of that? I really don’t know. Whatever they were, in the end, Uda and his friends who were supposed to be the good guys came out looking like bitter thugs themselves. They didn’t get what they wanted so the only answer was to “PERANG!” Whyyyyy? Because Uda’s proposal was turned down by Dara’s mum? Way to go the good guys!
I don’t get it!
On to the sex scene. Yup you read that right, sex scene. Never in my wildest dream I would hope to see live sex scene in our country. Sigh.
Ok I’m being unfair there. That scene was supposed to be a beautiful symbolic show of true love between Uda & Dara. (I’m not going into right or wrong argument so save it). That scene was supposed to make you (girls) go “awww”. But like everything else in the play, it was very poorly executed. They had this group of dancers with ‘selendang’ dancing a ballet like dance, the lights were change to beautiful romantic mode, and the music was soft… Still, it went bad. The couple looked like a couple practicing Kamasutra moves. Embarrassing!
I could probably go on and on with this. I could probably think of another 100 reasons why I think the play was terrible. I’m not going to do that though. It’s enough to say that Uda & Dara The Musical 2010 (UDTM) is unfortunate enough to be THE ONLY bad play I have ever seen in my life. Admittedly, I don’t go to that many plays but amongst the plays I’ve seen is Impak Maksima, and I thought it was ok. This goes to show that I don’t have a high standard and I’m not hard to please at all, but still UDTM failed, big time.
I’m so disappointed with Rahim Razali and I hope he can bounce back from this.
Or maybe I’m just not cultured enough to appreciate UDTM. If that’s the case, I sincerely apologise.
That’s what I can sum up about Uda & Dara The Musical 2010 (UDTM) I watched last night. That story was supposed to be a tragic tale of love and tragic conflict between the rich and the poor. Unfortunately I did not get any of those from the play. I didn’t see anything that showed how strong the love is between Uda and Dara. I did not see enough hatred and tension between the rich and poor. I just can’t feel it. All I saw were horny young couple getting it on in the woods and an angry young man starting a riot because he got turned down by his girlfriend’s parents. It was a poor interpretation of the Uda & Dara tale, and an even poorer presentation of the story.
Gadis Di Kuburan
Nisan condong tegak bertaburan
gadis menangis kehibaan
tidak ada padang perjuangan
pahlawan gugur bergelimpangan.
Lari gadis menyembah ke tanah
diiringi sedu menggoncang bahu
tenang pahlawan dipeluk bumi
senyum terakhir tenang tersembunyi.
Kenangan lama bermain di hati
pelukan dan kucupan kasih
tidak ada garisan sepi
kata dipadu, janji dikunci.
“Sungguhkah, dinda?” tanya pemuda.
“Benar kanda,” sahutnya manja.
Ke jinjang pelamin setahun lagi
hilir berbiduk ke laut hidup.
Datanglah lamaran ke ayah bonda
penuh khidmat berjunjung duli
tetapi pemuda emas sesaga
tertolaklah lamaran, terurailah janji.
Matahari bersembunyi di balik awan
pulanglah orang membawa usungan
air di kendi kekeringan
terkejut gadis dari menungan.
Melangkah gadis menahan denyutan
pandangan terakhir terlempar ke nisan
setangkai kemboja gugur perlahan
merangkak senja menutup pandangan.
The poem above, Gadis Di Kuburan, was the ‘birth’ of this tale. Usman Awang published that poem in 1953, and in 1956 it was turned into a short story titled Uda & Dara. Since then, countless adaptations of this tale have been done into dramas, plays, etc.
Those earlier adaptations must have been really good for the story to stay famous and relevant till this day. I cannot say the same about this latest adaptation though.
The biggest pull for me to watch this play was Rahim Razali. He is the director, and this is not the first time he directs Uda & Dara. So what could go wrong, right? It’s Rahim Razali, a big name in local theater circuit, directing a play he directed before. Risk free.
Boy, how wrong was I!
I don’t know if there is anything worse than corny lines and corny scenes between two lovers. Basically that’s all the play was about, corny embarrassing scenes and lines. The opening scene that normally sets the tone of any play was bad, but because it’s Rahim Razali’s I quietly told myself to bare with it, it will get better as it go on. Turned out I was extremely deluded, and the only time I clapped during the play was at the end of the opening scene. After that my hands were too busy covering my face in embarrassment.
The romantic scenes made me cringe. The supposedly poetic lines and dialogues left me scratching my head. The action and movement of the actors were way over the top even for a theater, and often not in sync with the dialogues; random meaningless movements. The singing was below average (except for Misha Omar, as expected). The dance choreography was average at best and the dancers looked like they didn’t have enough practice.
The prop change between the scenes was a mess as well. I can’t pinpoint what was wrong with it exactly (I’m no expert of course), but I have never noticed the prop change in a play as much as I noticed it last night. They were slow and it was too obvious; it was painful waiting for them to be done with the prop change at the end of every scene. Unprofessional and disorganized if you like.
The glitch of the background during the opening scene of the show was unforgivable. Mistakes happen, that’s normal. However, the time they took to fix it was unacceptable. I actually felt like climbing up to the control panel (which was just behind me) to help them out with it, that’s how slow it was for them to react. Again, very unprofessional.
Now, the storyline. Like I said earlier, I don’t get it. I simply don’t.
Uda loves Dara, Dara loves Uda. Uda is a man’s man, Dara is the talk of the village. Uda is poor, Dara is spanking rich. So far so good, simple and straightforward.
Let’s continue.
Uda and Dara often date in the woods somewhere. Their date routine seemed to always be the same. Dara will be at the place first. Uda will always be late. Then Dara will get fed up having to wait for Uda everytime. Only then will Uda make his grand entrance. Hiding behind the trees, he will start singing. Dara will be surprised to hear Uda’s voice and starts looking frantically for Uda. She always fails. Uda then will show himself to Dara, emerging from behind the trees. Dara will smile and then they will hold hands.
Ok. Annoying, but ok nonetheless.
They talk about their love. “Abang sayang Dara.” “Dara sayang abang.” That kind of stuff. They talk about getting married. Their plans for the future. And that’s it. That’s all they have to show for their supposedly unbreakable love. No other problems or happenings to lead to the biggest obstacle of their love, the conflict between the rich and poor. It was just not enough to convince me of their love. Their love is the core of this tale, I think they should have put more emphasis on this.
On to the next big issue of the tale, rich vs poor. Nobles vs peasants.
They did try to show how arrogant and cruel the rich and the nobles can be, and just how humble and dignified the poor are. However, again, it was just not enough. Maybe it was the dialogue? The acting? The directing? All of that? I really don’t know. Whatever they were, in the end, Uda and his friends who were supposed to be the good guys came out looking like bitter thugs themselves. They didn’t get what they wanted so the only answer was to “PERANG!” Whyyyyy? Because Uda’s proposal was turned down by Dara’s mum? Way to go the good guys!
I don’t get it!
On to the sex scene. Yup you read that right, sex scene. Never in my wildest dream I would hope to see live sex scene in our country. Sigh.
Ok I’m being unfair there. That scene was supposed to be a beautiful symbolic show of true love between Uda & Dara. (I’m not going into right or wrong argument so save it). That scene was supposed to make you (girls) go “awww”. But like everything else in the play, it was very poorly executed. They had this group of dancers with ‘selendang’ dancing a ballet like dance, the lights were change to beautiful romantic mode, and the music was soft… Still, it went bad. The couple looked like a couple practicing Kamasutra moves. Embarrassing!
I could probably go on and on with this. I could probably think of another 100 reasons why I think the play was terrible. I’m not going to do that though. It’s enough to say that Uda & Dara The Musical 2010 (UDTM) is unfortunate enough to be THE ONLY bad play I have ever seen in my life. Admittedly, I don’t go to that many plays but amongst the plays I’ve seen is Impak Maksima, and I thought it was ok. This goes to show that I don’t have a high standard and I’m not hard to please at all, but still UDTM failed, big time.
I’m so disappointed with Rahim Razali and I hope he can bounce back from this.
Or maybe I’m just not cultured enough to appreciate UDTM. If that’s the case, I sincerely apologise.
Jul 9, 2010
A Shankly Tale
This is a story of Liverpool's pyramid, Bill Shankly, from the heart-warming memory of George Scott who was in the Liverpool reserve team during the 60s.
In January 1960 at the age of 15 I travelled to Liverpool from Aberdeen to sign for Bill Shankly as one of his first young players.
I remember getting off of the train at Lime Street Station and being met by Joe Fagan who was then the youth team coach. We got in a taxi and drove up the famous Scotland Road where Joe told me there was a pub on every corner and not to visit any of them ever.
We soon arrived at 258 Anfield Road where I was to share lodgings with two other apprentices, Bobby Graham and Gordon Wallace, both of whom later went on to play in the first team.
My first wage as an apprentice professional was £7.50 per week of which I gave £3.50 to my landlady for my lodgings and sent £2.00 per week home to my Mum in an envelope to help the family out. I was left with £1.50 per week which was enough in those days for a young man to have a great time for a week in Liverpool, including being able to watch the Beatles start their career playing live in the Cavern in Mathew Street.
In May 1961 outside the secretary’s office I found a complete record of the week’s wages to be paid in to Barclays Bank in Walton Vale for every player and member of staff at Anfield. Unbelievably the total wage bill for every player and all of the coaching and managerial staff in the Liverpool Football Club was five hundred and thirteen pounds, thirteen shillings, and two pence old money.
As Apprentice professionals, after cleaning the first team’s boots, painting the stands and clearing the rubbish from the Kop we used to play 5-a-sides in the car park behind the main stand every Monday morning. The opposition in these games was usually Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan, Ronnie Moran and Reuben Bennett.* Our side was Bobby Graham, Gordon Wallace, Tommy Smith, Chris Lawler, and me. We never ever won those games because Shanks and company would have played until dark to make sure they got the result.
One of my first memories of Bill Shankly was in January 1960 when we were standing in the centre circle on the pitch while he was showing my father and me around a rather dilapidated Anfield.* Liverpool at the time was in the second division and he had just taken over as Manager. He said that I should look around and be grateful that I had signed for the club at this time because this place was going to become a “Bastion of Invincibility and the most famous football club in the world”
My father worked at the time as a gardener for the Aberdeen City Council and during the conversation Bill asked him the question “Who are you with Mr Scott”? My Dad replied “I work for the City Mr Shankly” whereupon Bill responded by saying in his best James Cagney voice “What league do they play in?
After a two year apprenticeship, I signed full time professional forms on my 17th birthday on October 25th 1961 and went on to make 138 appearances in the reserve team at Anfield scoring 34 goals.
Although I moved in to the first team squad, I never made my first team debut, as they only used 13 players in total that year, and the substitute rule only became effective in 1966, after I had left the club.
It was so different then from the Liverpool of the modern era. When reporters asked Bill Shankly what the team was, he used to reply “Same as last season”
During my time at Liverpool as a young player, I saw at first hand the fantastic charisma and motivational powers of Bill Shankly, and I was a witness to the authenticity of many of the stories of this amazing man that have found their way in to the folk lore of British football. I was there when he ordered the building of the famous shooting boards and sweat boxes at the Melwood training ground, where the* training and coaching methods instilled by Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley were ultimately copied all over the world.
In the 1964/65 season I ended the season at Liverpool as easily the leading goal scorer in the second team at Anfield, and the first team beat Leeds United to win the FA Cup at Wembley. This was the first time that Liverpool had ever won the Cup, and it was a fabulous occasion, and the greatest day in the clubs history at that time. I remember walking up the Wembley pitch with Bill Shankly Bob Paisley and Peter Thompson an hour and a half before the game. Bill looked at the masses of Liverpool fans behind the goal and said to Bob Paisley. “Bob we can’t lose for these fans, it is not an option” The hairs still stand up on the back of my neck today when I think about it.
I remember Ian St John’s great headed winning goal in extra time, and the winner’s reception at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London. On the train journey home we drank champagne from the FA Cup, and once we passed Crewe you could not see the buildings for flags and bunting. When we arrived at Lime Street station there must have been over 500,000 people in the streets as we made our way to the town hall for the official reception.
I stood behind Shankly on the town hall balcony as he made his speech to the thousands of supporters congested in to Water Street below, and it was absolutely electrifying. At the time I was in digs with the great Liverpool winger Peter Thompson and when we eventually got home to our digs that evening I found a letter from the club waiting for me from Mr Shankly. I opened it thinking that I had been permanently promoted to the first team squad and that 1966 would be my big breakthrough year. I was brought right back to reality when I saw that the letter stated that at a board meeting of the Directors of Liverpool FC it had been decided to place me on the transfer list.
On the Monday morning I went in to see the great man as I was very upset. He then proceeded to make the most wonderful sacking any manager has ever implemented.
He said to me “George son there are five good reasons why you should leave Anfield now.” I was puzzled and asked what they were. “Callaghan, Hunt, St John, Smith, and Thompson” he replied “The first team forward line, they are all internationals”.
I was in tears by now, and it was then that he showed his motivational powers, humanity and greatness when he said the words I will never forget. “George son always remember that at this moment in history you are the twelfth best player in the world” When I asked what he meant by this outrageous statement he replied “The first team here at Anfield son is the greatest team in the world and you are the leading goal scorer in the reserves. I have sold you to Aberdeen go back home and prove me right”
As I was leaving his office very upset, he made his final comment. ”Son remember this, you were one of the first players to come here and sign for me so I want you to think of yourself like the foundation stone of the Liverpool Cathedral.* “Nobody ever sees it but it has to be there otherwise the cathedral does not get built”
He also gave me a written reference that day which is still my proudest possession and which says the following.
"Dear People
George Scott played for my football club for five years from 1960 to 1965 and during that time he caused no trouble to anybody.
I would stake my life on his character.
*
Bill Shankly"
(Signed in red ink)
The old Olivetti typewriter he used to type the reference is still on display in the Liverpool FC museum today.
I had never earned more than £45.00 per week at Anfield despite having been on the verge of the first team but I received a signing on fee of £1,000 on returning to Aberdeen in 1965 at a time when a new Mini cost £534 (I know that because I bought one for cash and drove it out of the showroom).
Aberdeen were my home town club that I had supported since childhood, and I scored on my debut and got rave reviews when we beat Glasgow Rangers 2.0 in front of 28,000 fans. There were nine full Scottish internationals in the Rangers team that day including the Rangers and Scotland captain John Greig. I remember putting the ball through Greig’s legs and hearing his Glaswegian accent following me and requesting in very basic terms the name of the hospital I would prefer to wake up in if I ever did it again.
I thought I was really on the way to justifying Bill Shankly’s faith in my ability and at last making the breakthrough to the big time. Unfortunately the difference between success and failure in football can sometimes be wafer thin, and after just half a dozen games in the first team at Aberdeen I suffered a serious cruciate ligament injury and was released at the end of the season in May 1966. After starting the season with such high hopes I was out of work at the age of 21 having left school at fifteen years of age, with nothing to fall back on and having no qualifications other than football.
After being released by Aberdeen at the end of that 1965 season I returned to Liverpool to live with my girlfriend’s family and spent many weeks training on my own to regain my fitness. I got a job for a few months in Crawford’s, a biscuit factory, throwing ropes round pallets of biscuits and loading them on to wagons. The factory workers were brilliant, wanting to hear stories about the great Bill Shankly. Then in June 1966, I received a call from a representative of the South African Premier League club Port Elizabeth City FC, telling me I had been recommended to them by Bill Shankly.
Thanks again to the great man’s recommendation another £1,000 signing on fee came my way and my wife Carole and I got married on July 30th 1966 (the same day that England won the World Cup) and flew to South Africa on 8th August 1966 to join Port Elizabeth FC. When my wife and I arrived in Port Elizabeth just after England had won the 1966 World Cup, South Africa was in the grip of the Apartheid regime, and Nelson Mandela had just begun his “Long road to Freedom, by being incarcerated in Robben Island off the coast of Cape Town. Today Nelson Mandela has completed that long walk to freedom and South Africa has been transformed into the rainbow nation that will host the 2010 World Cup.
At Port Elizabeth we won the 1967 South African Premier League title, and Bill wrote to me in South Africa a number of times. One of his letters that I still have today, sent me the best wishes of everyone at Anfield and ended with the words “By the way we are still winning the five a side games in the car park, how could we lose with five referees in our team”
In 1968 I received a visit in Port Elizabeth from the then Chairman of Liverpool FC Mr Sydney Reakes who conveyed the best wishes of Bill Shankly and all of the staff at Liverpool FC to me and he told me that if I returned to the UK he was confident that Bill would fix me up with a club in England. Remembering the words of Mr Reakes that Bill would help me on my return I nervously went to Anfield in October 1968 to try to see him.
I saw Roger Hunt in the car park as I approached the player’s entrance and Roger said Bill was in his office and would be delighted to see me. You just couldn’t do this today.
When I entered the Anfield Stadium and made my way down to Bill’s office I heard his unmistakable Jimmy Cagney staccato voice chatting to a reporter but as soon as Bill saw me the reporter was immediately dismissed and Bill invited me in to his office. The conversation went like this. “Mr Reakes tells me your team have won the championship and you have set South Africa alight scoring goals for fun, so what are your plans George?” I said that I was married and that I had a young son who was barely four months old and I wanted to return to play in the UK.
“Where do you want to play son”? Said Bill. I replied “How about Arsenal boss” Bill replied “I tell you what son, how about Tranmere Rovers” He then picked up the phone and phoned David Russell who was then the manager of Tranmere Rovers and he said in his inimitable Shankly way.
*“I have a boy here just come back from South Africa where he was the leading scorer in their Premier League and he was the best player ever to play for my reserve team”
Within five minutes, and on Shankly’s word the Tranmere Rovers Manager at the time David Russell, had committed himself to giving me a month’s trial at Tranmere Rovers on 1st team wages. When I went over that afternoon to Prenton Park Mr Russell said to me “I hope you can play son.” Without having seen me play and purely on Shankly’s word he put me in the first team in Alan King’s testimonial game at Prenton Park against Derby County who were the English League Champions of the day managed by Brian Clough and containing names like Archie Gemmell, Peter Shilton, Kevin Hector, Alan Hinton, Alan Durban John O’Hare and Dave Mackay. I played regularly in the Tranmere Rovers first team over the next two seasons but more importantly I was able to settle back into the UK with my wife and begin to build a future successful family and business life back on Merseyside.
In January 1960 at the age of 15 I travelled to Liverpool from Aberdeen to sign for Bill Shankly as one of his first young players.
I remember getting off of the train at Lime Street Station and being met by Joe Fagan who was then the youth team coach. We got in a taxi and drove up the famous Scotland Road where Joe told me there was a pub on every corner and not to visit any of them ever.
We soon arrived at 258 Anfield Road where I was to share lodgings with two other apprentices, Bobby Graham and Gordon Wallace, both of whom later went on to play in the first team.
My first wage as an apprentice professional was £7.50 per week of which I gave £3.50 to my landlady for my lodgings and sent £2.00 per week home to my Mum in an envelope to help the family out. I was left with £1.50 per week which was enough in those days for a young man to have a great time for a week in Liverpool, including being able to watch the Beatles start their career playing live in the Cavern in Mathew Street.
In May 1961 outside the secretary’s office I found a complete record of the week’s wages to be paid in to Barclays Bank in Walton Vale for every player and member of staff at Anfield. Unbelievably the total wage bill for every player and all of the coaching and managerial staff in the Liverpool Football Club was five hundred and thirteen pounds, thirteen shillings, and two pence old money.
As Apprentice professionals, after cleaning the first team’s boots, painting the stands and clearing the rubbish from the Kop we used to play 5-a-sides in the car park behind the main stand every Monday morning. The opposition in these games was usually Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan, Ronnie Moran and Reuben Bennett.* Our side was Bobby Graham, Gordon Wallace, Tommy Smith, Chris Lawler, and me. We never ever won those games because Shanks and company would have played until dark to make sure they got the result.
One of my first memories of Bill Shankly was in January 1960 when we were standing in the centre circle on the pitch while he was showing my father and me around a rather dilapidated Anfield.* Liverpool at the time was in the second division and he had just taken over as Manager. He said that I should look around and be grateful that I had signed for the club at this time because this place was going to become a “Bastion of Invincibility and the most famous football club in the world”
My father worked at the time as a gardener for the Aberdeen City Council and during the conversation Bill asked him the question “Who are you with Mr Scott”? My Dad replied “I work for the City Mr Shankly” whereupon Bill responded by saying in his best James Cagney voice “What league do they play in?
After a two year apprenticeship, I signed full time professional forms on my 17th birthday on October 25th 1961 and went on to make 138 appearances in the reserve team at Anfield scoring 34 goals.
Although I moved in to the first team squad, I never made my first team debut, as they only used 13 players in total that year, and the substitute rule only became effective in 1966, after I had left the club.
It was so different then from the Liverpool of the modern era. When reporters asked Bill Shankly what the team was, he used to reply “Same as last season”
During my time at Liverpool as a young player, I saw at first hand the fantastic charisma and motivational powers of Bill Shankly, and I was a witness to the authenticity of many of the stories of this amazing man that have found their way in to the folk lore of British football. I was there when he ordered the building of the famous shooting boards and sweat boxes at the Melwood training ground, where the* training and coaching methods instilled by Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley were ultimately copied all over the world.
In the 1964/65 season I ended the season at Liverpool as easily the leading goal scorer in the second team at Anfield, and the first team beat Leeds United to win the FA Cup at Wembley. This was the first time that Liverpool had ever won the Cup, and it was a fabulous occasion, and the greatest day in the clubs history at that time. I remember walking up the Wembley pitch with Bill Shankly Bob Paisley and Peter Thompson an hour and a half before the game. Bill looked at the masses of Liverpool fans behind the goal and said to Bob Paisley. “Bob we can’t lose for these fans, it is not an option” The hairs still stand up on the back of my neck today when I think about it.
I remember Ian St John’s great headed winning goal in extra time, and the winner’s reception at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London. On the train journey home we drank champagne from the FA Cup, and once we passed Crewe you could not see the buildings for flags and bunting. When we arrived at Lime Street station there must have been over 500,000 people in the streets as we made our way to the town hall for the official reception.
I stood behind Shankly on the town hall balcony as he made his speech to the thousands of supporters congested in to Water Street below, and it was absolutely electrifying. At the time I was in digs with the great Liverpool winger Peter Thompson and when we eventually got home to our digs that evening I found a letter from the club waiting for me from Mr Shankly. I opened it thinking that I had been permanently promoted to the first team squad and that 1966 would be my big breakthrough year. I was brought right back to reality when I saw that the letter stated that at a board meeting of the Directors of Liverpool FC it had been decided to place me on the transfer list.
On the Monday morning I went in to see the great man as I was very upset. He then proceeded to make the most wonderful sacking any manager has ever implemented.
He said to me “George son there are five good reasons why you should leave Anfield now.” I was puzzled and asked what they were. “Callaghan, Hunt, St John, Smith, and Thompson” he replied “The first team forward line, they are all internationals”.
I was in tears by now, and it was then that he showed his motivational powers, humanity and greatness when he said the words I will never forget. “George son always remember that at this moment in history you are the twelfth best player in the world” When I asked what he meant by this outrageous statement he replied “The first team here at Anfield son is the greatest team in the world and you are the leading goal scorer in the reserves. I have sold you to Aberdeen go back home and prove me right”
As I was leaving his office very upset, he made his final comment. ”Son remember this, you were one of the first players to come here and sign for me so I want you to think of yourself like the foundation stone of the Liverpool Cathedral.* “Nobody ever sees it but it has to be there otherwise the cathedral does not get built”
He also gave me a written reference that day which is still my proudest possession and which says the following.
"Dear People
George Scott played for my football club for five years from 1960 to 1965 and during that time he caused no trouble to anybody.
I would stake my life on his character.
*
Bill Shankly"
(Signed in red ink)
The old Olivetti typewriter he used to type the reference is still on display in the Liverpool FC museum today.
I had never earned more than £45.00 per week at Anfield despite having been on the verge of the first team but I received a signing on fee of £1,000 on returning to Aberdeen in 1965 at a time when a new Mini cost £534 (I know that because I bought one for cash and drove it out of the showroom).
Aberdeen were my home town club that I had supported since childhood, and I scored on my debut and got rave reviews when we beat Glasgow Rangers 2.0 in front of 28,000 fans. There were nine full Scottish internationals in the Rangers team that day including the Rangers and Scotland captain John Greig. I remember putting the ball through Greig’s legs and hearing his Glaswegian accent following me and requesting in very basic terms the name of the hospital I would prefer to wake up in if I ever did it again.
I thought I was really on the way to justifying Bill Shankly’s faith in my ability and at last making the breakthrough to the big time. Unfortunately the difference between success and failure in football can sometimes be wafer thin, and after just half a dozen games in the first team at Aberdeen I suffered a serious cruciate ligament injury and was released at the end of the season in May 1966. After starting the season with such high hopes I was out of work at the age of 21 having left school at fifteen years of age, with nothing to fall back on and having no qualifications other than football.
After being released by Aberdeen at the end of that 1965 season I returned to Liverpool to live with my girlfriend’s family and spent many weeks training on my own to regain my fitness. I got a job for a few months in Crawford’s, a biscuit factory, throwing ropes round pallets of biscuits and loading them on to wagons. The factory workers were brilliant, wanting to hear stories about the great Bill Shankly. Then in June 1966, I received a call from a representative of the South African Premier League club Port Elizabeth City FC, telling me I had been recommended to them by Bill Shankly.
Thanks again to the great man’s recommendation another £1,000 signing on fee came my way and my wife Carole and I got married on July 30th 1966 (the same day that England won the World Cup) and flew to South Africa on 8th August 1966 to join Port Elizabeth FC. When my wife and I arrived in Port Elizabeth just after England had won the 1966 World Cup, South Africa was in the grip of the Apartheid regime, and Nelson Mandela had just begun his “Long road to Freedom, by being incarcerated in Robben Island off the coast of Cape Town. Today Nelson Mandela has completed that long walk to freedom and South Africa has been transformed into the rainbow nation that will host the 2010 World Cup.
At Port Elizabeth we won the 1967 South African Premier League title, and Bill wrote to me in South Africa a number of times. One of his letters that I still have today, sent me the best wishes of everyone at Anfield and ended with the words “By the way we are still winning the five a side games in the car park, how could we lose with five referees in our team”
In 1968 I received a visit in Port Elizabeth from the then Chairman of Liverpool FC Mr Sydney Reakes who conveyed the best wishes of Bill Shankly and all of the staff at Liverpool FC to me and he told me that if I returned to the UK he was confident that Bill would fix me up with a club in England. Remembering the words of Mr Reakes that Bill would help me on my return I nervously went to Anfield in October 1968 to try to see him.
I saw Roger Hunt in the car park as I approached the player’s entrance and Roger said Bill was in his office and would be delighted to see me. You just couldn’t do this today.
When I entered the Anfield Stadium and made my way down to Bill’s office I heard his unmistakable Jimmy Cagney staccato voice chatting to a reporter but as soon as Bill saw me the reporter was immediately dismissed and Bill invited me in to his office. The conversation went like this. “Mr Reakes tells me your team have won the championship and you have set South Africa alight scoring goals for fun, so what are your plans George?” I said that I was married and that I had a young son who was barely four months old and I wanted to return to play in the UK.
“Where do you want to play son”? Said Bill. I replied “How about Arsenal boss” Bill replied “I tell you what son, how about Tranmere Rovers” He then picked up the phone and phoned David Russell who was then the manager of Tranmere Rovers and he said in his inimitable Shankly way.
*“I have a boy here just come back from South Africa where he was the leading scorer in their Premier League and he was the best player ever to play for my reserve team”
Within five minutes, and on Shankly’s word the Tranmere Rovers Manager at the time David Russell, had committed himself to giving me a month’s trial at Tranmere Rovers on 1st team wages. When I went over that afternoon to Prenton Park Mr Russell said to me “I hope you can play son.” Without having seen me play and purely on Shankly’s word he put me in the first team in Alan King’s testimonial game at Prenton Park against Derby County who were the English League Champions of the day managed by Brian Clough and containing names like Archie Gemmell, Peter Shilton, Kevin Hector, Alan Hinton, Alan Durban John O’Hare and Dave Mackay. I played regularly in the Tranmere Rovers first team over the next two seasons but more importantly I was able to settle back into the UK with my wife and begin to build a future successful family and business life back on Merseyside.