I’m officially done with my first year. So, I should be a sophomore but technically, I’m a junior.

Currently, I’m working on a renewed code for The __earth Inc. and tentatively, the new code will be uploaded into Umich’s server before the fall term starts. No major renovation occurred but the source code will certainly become shorter than the current one. Plus, more java language added to it.

At this moment, I can’t think of anything to write. In fact, I am writing this entry just for the sake of writing it. Let me think.

Hmm…I’ll come back to this later. Wait, I know. Ajax.
Ajax is a mythical character based on Homer’s classic – the Trojan War, written in Iliad but the Ajax I just mentioned above is not about classical literature but rather, it is about AFC Ajax Amsterdam.

Ajax Amsterdam was established at the dusk of the 19th century and this year will be its 102nd year in the world of football. As the name suggests, it is a football club based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
The name Ajax Amsterdam usually reminds the world of Frank Rijkaard, Macro Van Basten, Ruud Gullit, the de Boer brothers and many others. The list would go on and on. Truly, Ajax is one of the best sides Holland has to offer the world.
I first fell in love for De Magish van de Meer approximately seven years ago, the year when Ajax Amsterdam saw off the Italian giant AC Milan in the European Cup Final 1 – 0. It was an emotional moment for the Dutch side during the night of their victory. It was on that day that I saw Edwin van der Sar, said to be the tallest goalkeeper at that time. Seeing him what made me think Ajax was impenetrable. Forgive me for admiring a goalie but I was nothing but a small boy seven years ago. Therefore, I saw van der Sar as a giant, the valiant knight with his shining sword ever ready in his hands. Nothing could pass a guard as mighty as Edwin van der Sar.
The next year, Ajax made it through to the European Cup Final again to the Amsterdamers’ delight. We were making headlines throughout the world after winning both the Super Cup and the European Cup last year. The year of 1996 however proved to be a start of a bad run.
First of all, Ajax could have won the Final but unfortunately, they lost to another Italian giant, the Old Lady Juventus after extra time option had been exhausted.
It all started during a night that needed to be remembered. It was May 22nd 1996 in Roma, Italy. The arena was loud with both Dutch and Italian cheers. I could imagine how the stadium looked like. One part of the stadium was colored with Red and White while the other part was tainted with Black and White. The noise was loud. The sight was simply magnificent. I wish that I was there. I wish I was in Roma during the night that made Ajax fell to the ground hard and never got up for a few painful years. I do remember that I cried that night alone in my room after seeing the game.
If you saw that match, both teams gave all that they had. Juventus took a lead in the 12th minute with Ravanelli’s goal. The Old Lady fans suddenly erupted – far more glorious than Pinatubo eruption. Ajax doubled their effort in the midst of Juventus’ celebration. About 20 minutes later, the Finnish terror squared off the score for Ajax. Jari Litmanen saved Ajax face in the end of a fantastic first half. The blood pressure was reduced during the half time but that bliss was only for a short time. The second half proved to be worse but it was scoreless nevertheless. Thus, that game of the year went towards extra time.
The night in Roma seemed to be longer that usual. Midnight looms but the champion of Europe had not been decided yet. With millions of hearts beating, still, the extra time proved to be pointless and tiring for the Dutch and the Italian. It was scoreless. Both van Gaal and Lippi knew that after this, only luck will do the working. It was time for the penalty shootout.
The teams gathered in the middle of the field, praying and comforting each other teammates. Then, the moment of truth came. Van der Sar stood in between the post with Ferrara just a few feet away, ready to kick the ball pass the keeper. The referee blew his whistle and later, the ball was inside the net. Van der Sar was down. A moment later, it was Ajax’s turn to torment Juventus yet it was Ajax's Davids whom was crushed. His shot was stopped; making the score stood one against nothing. He was motionless but the game was not done yet. The Italian took the ball again for the kill.
Pesotto stood bravely in front of the Dutch national keeper and scored. Litmanen didn’t repeat Davids’ mistake. 2 – 1.
Padovano yelled “GOAL!!!” So did Scholten. 3 – 2.
Jugovic’s turn and he scored. 4 – 2.
Then, it was Silooy’s kick. This is the one. If he misses, than Ajax won’t be able to earn it 5th European glory. He knew that. Sadly for the de Meer team, he shot and the ball was stopped dead by Peruzzi - stopped dead. Peruzzi quickly ran towards his team. Silooy stood hapless, staring at the ground and trying to hold back the tears. So did every other Amsterdamers throughout the world.
I was certain that the stadium was in a load mode but to me and to every other true Ajax supporters, it was a night of silence. We heard nothing. We were thinking of nothing. We were only trying to do what Silooy was trying; holding back our tears.
So ended Ajax's successful run in the European arena a while. The next few years saw Ajax's stars that rocked the world - Kluivert, Frank and Ronald de Boer, Davids, Overmars, Litmanen, Kanu, Seedorf, Bogarde and many others left Ajax to struggle in Holland. Even van Gaal left Ajax behind to fail needlessly in the KNVB.

But last season, the season of 2001/2002 gave us hope that Ajax is returning to the European screen once again. Recently, Ajax beat Celtic, Manchester United and Barcelona with the score lines of 3 – 1, 2 – 1 and 4 - 3 respectively. Even better, Ajax had just beaten PSV in a comfortable 3 – 1 victory. And with player the likes of Rafael van der Vaart, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Mido, Andy van de Meyde and Christian Chivu, we are set for the 2002/2003 European Champions’ League domination. We shall rule the world once again. Mark my word.


Rafael van der Vaart during Ajax 3 - 1 win against PSV Eindhoven.

It has been a while since I last wrote anything in my diary or in this page.

The week had been somewhat a depressing gaming week. First of all, I accidentally deleted my favorite game of all time – Civilization 3. The next worse thing that could happen happened. Here is the story.

I was playing Alpha Centauri as a Gaian. Of all the factions, the Green is my favorite because I myself am a moderate supporter of green movement. I was on an island alone with a fanatic Fundamentalist who wishes to spread the idea that the Church must rule the Planet. Hah, I should use wished instead of wishes. My ideology was the environmentally-concerned democratically society who thinks power is the only way to save the Planet from further environmental disasters from happening. Through that, I made a lot of enemies and little friends.

In the first few decades, I expanded at a fast rate until I met up with the fundamentalist lunatics. My first impression of them was fairly good but their bases location made my expansion policy ran disarray. So, deep in my heart, I want to get rid of these maniacs. That hope seems to be vanquished but later after a few years, the unexpected happened.
The Fundamentalists leader threatened me. They were mad because I was the ally of the United Nations movement and I was upholding democracy against God’s will. I was certainly delighted to hear those threats for at the same time, I was searching for a reason to start a quarrel with them. Snatching the chance, I simply pushed their demands aside and thus, the expulsion of the Fundamentalist immediately began. I was more than ready to overrun them.
My rovers were all set for war mode. They invaded the Church faction lands and quickly overcame their pathetic defense. Consequently, I gained half of their land-based bases before they managed to say “Oh my God!!!” (Janice’s style). By the time it was their turn to move, I expected them to liberate a few key cities but my expectation was wrong. Instead, they made a cease fire offer of which I refused. They were infuriated by my decision and said something like “We’ll destroy you while you are prancing nakedly among the trees”
Later, it turned out that they were merely bragging as I conquered all of their land based cities without even sweating but that was not the end. The Academicians were worried of my expansionist ideology and told me to stop expanding eastward. I complied with their request seeing that I need to rebuild my military after such a huge expansion in such a short time frame.
All the same, it was not long until the Academicians started to become an annoyance. Like flies, they built their water cities and stole my precious resources in the east. Eager to reclaim those minerals that were rightfully mine, I sent an expedition against the Church so the that possibility of the Church launching a surprise attack while we reclaim our resourses from the University will be eliminated. A few beating later, the Church surrendered and agreed to be my servant. Before accepting their surrender, I persuaded them to make those unbelieving Academicians reach hell first. Desperate for a peace treaty, they mindlessly declared a holy war against the Academicians. Back in Gaia’s Landing, the Greens government seat, I was laughing evilly, like Satan after a successful “persuasion”.
The University was more resilient than the Church. Instead of seeing the Academicians’ influence diminished, the Church was reduced to a mere whipping dog. Pushed against the walls, the Church sent a representative to me asking for help. They were angry seeing me dancing nakedly among the green trees while they were fighting for their lives. After much urging from them, I said to myself it is time to reclaim those natural resources and use it for sustainable growth, not for excessive modernization that could repeat the mistake that the Human did back on planet Earth.
The first phase was initiated by the bombing of the Academicians’ water cities. They were caught by surprise and unready because their forces were concentrating on their northern enemy and never had they considered a western threat. The Green Air Force swept through the University sphere of influence and took all the University’s water cities near to our eastern shore. Victory was achieved but the Academicians were not the as weak as the Fundamentalists. They technological advanced society is liken to of a bee hive and one should never disturb a bee hive if one doesn’t want to be stung. Our victory was achieved due to the University’s water cities distance from their western shore and the fact that their forces were looming over the northern front against the Church but with the Church weakened, I realized my time of defeat will come if I keep on pressing eastward. Furthermore, a new threat from the south had emerged. The United Nations had just declared war against the industrious Hive society. Fighting at two fronts was not included in my plan of expansion. Therefore, I made a decent proposal of peace to the University. The University, realizing that the militarist Spartan was intensifying their expansionist policy in the south keenly accepted my offer and thus peace was restored in the northern region for decades to come.
But unfortunately, that peace was giving way to the wind of war that was blowing as powerful as a typhoon from the south.

[To be continued...]