Poetic justice there for Henry over Aragones?

Couldn't agree more with "benchwarmer", who refers to the fact that Spanish coach, Luis Aragones, remains unrepentant to this day, for being caught on camera calling France & Arsenal's Thierry Henry "a black shit".

Another way of enjoying France's victory over Spain last night? Football 3 - Racism 1

Au Revoir, and safe journey back to mediocrity Luis .. you f*****g monkey!

Allez Les Bleues!

Tick tock, tick tock, Tick tock, tick tock (Gwen Stefani)

20 days since my last post. 9 of those spent at the World Cup in Germany (hooray - details to follow); 3 of those spent fretting over the fact that I may have missed a final degree grade of a 1st (for my overseas friends, that means the top achieveable grade) by an astonishing, mind-numbing 0.2%!! It's been quite an insane couple of weeks, for sure.

Since I have been drunk most of these past 3 weeks (in a good way) and relishing the World Cup experience, I am actually looking forward to when it's all over so I can focus on getting healthy .. or for that matter just looking forward to being able to focus at all!

My mind is definitely slipping but as yet, no regrets - which is prescisely why I am writing a quick post now - 3hrs and 13 minutes before England meet Ecuador in the knockout stage of the World Cup. It's all or nothing - and with no perceivable optimism anywhere among my fellow fans or the media here in England about our performances to date or chances of progressing much further - I am going to enjoy the next few hours believing that football's coming home, England are finally going to get it right and send out a message to the remaining Quarter-Finalists! BELIEVE!

Come on ENGLAND!

ps: I've uploaded some pics of the "Seecharan Lads Germany World Cup tour" at my Flickr site. Enjoy!

Bowing out in style?!

Becky, Me, Elaine and Ciara
Originally uploaded by Nick Seecharan.

Still alive .. just! Took this mobile phone pic last friday of our dissertation group (Becky, Me, Elaine and Ciara) celebrating our grade - a 1st (70%) - for our poster presentation. The poster exam was an oral exam where we 'defend' questions about our group dissertation project. That's our poster in the background. We were all very pleasantly surprised to get a top grade and only two groups out of 25 got higher - a very pleasant feeling. If the actual dissertation does as well, we'll definitely be cracking out the bubbly, since it is worth 56% of the module, compared to the poster which is just 14%. Still, nice to bow out in style on the final day at uni as third years, non? ('in style' in every sense - you digging those suits?! Been a while since I needed to wear one of those!). Well done Ladies xx

ps -- didn't make it to the penthouse after all (see previous post). The afternoon ended up being far more down to earth. Started in Wetherspoons, then off to Il Bordello, a fabulous italian restaurant in Wapping (where coincidentally we paid exactly the average meal price suggested in the above review link!); then to Jon's bar for a few cheap ones, then off to Onandon club, just off Piccadilly Circus, then night bus home (how classy, after the sophistication and promise of luxury at the Penthouse!). Great meal and evening; much more civilised than I had expected too - thankfully. Pix at the Flickr site, if you're interested (under mobile phone pix).

Pinch Punch

first day of the month. And quite a month it promises to be:

starting with a likely bender after finishing the degree tomorrow (well the part of the degree that will make up my final degree result anyway). As we're in suits for the final presentation, the plan after is to "go up west" as they might say in EastEnders - meal in the swanky-wannabe St Catherine's Docks, then onto the penthouse:

"The 8th floor at The Penthouse Club is arguably the most decadent members bar in London. Overtly over the top, the 8th floor is a cosy and exquisite hideaway with magnificent views across London. The furnishings are an eclectic mix of rococo design, 60s inspiration and sophisticated minimalism."

Hmmm - so what the f**k are we doing there?? - oh well you only live once .. actually that's not strictly true as I went there about 18 months ago, as a friend of Jo's sister was managing the place, briefly, on his rise up the greasy pole. Exquisite cocktails at 9 pounds (even the teetotal ones I was drinking at the time of my 4th record breaking period of abstinence (from alcohol, that is - how i long for those days ..). will be a different experience this time, having to pay and not being ushered in past the queue, and drinking alcohol. Should however mean I am not as embarrased dancing on the 6th floor with the 17yr old glitterati kids of greek shipping magnates. Should be a throwback to Wham fashions all over again - but hey, I am not judgemental! OK, I am - just feeling particularly negative after a shit day.

Followed by Epsom races with Nina, Tom and Jon Saturday (yay!) and a 5-a-side footie tourno in the yellow and green on Sunday with Tom, the lads and old school friend Matt Sullivan (more beer). If I am still alive come Monday, I have our World Cup trip to Germany, followed by our degree results in the last week of June and probably by then -- hitting my 1500 pound overdraft limit and having to find paid work (horror of horrors ...) .. but that's ok, coz I'll have the World Cup final stages to keep me going.

So if there is another post after this one -- it means my Liver and Kidneys are more robust than I thought ... Good Night and Good Luck! (7.9/10 on the internet movie database - that's not bad!)