Some Tips for College/University First-Year Students

It’s almost that time again. People are enjoying the last of summer and are getting ready to go back to school. For upcoming first-year college and university students, this is a major step up from what they were used to in high school, and the change may be overwhelming for some. I am going to offer my wisdom by listing some tips and advice for upcoming college and university students on their first year of their studies. I strongly insist that you all take this advice and apply it.

One of the most important things you should ever do when in college or university is to attend all your classes. I have a couple of idiotic friends who rarely go to class, and they have mostly failed their courses, which mean that they have to retake them, thus costing more money for them in tuition. Skipping class isn’t cool, and you only screw yourself. Also, don’t make excuses for not going to class, such as your schedule or the weather. Go to class.

Merely showing up in class isn’t enough; you have to listen in class. I don’t advise taking notes with your computer, because more often than not, people get distracted on their laptop or tablet by going on Facebook, Twitter, or some other website. I suggest taking your notes with the classic pen and a notebook.

If you start having trouble with one of your courses, go find help. Professors always have office hours, so it doesn’t hurt to go see the professor for guidance. They also have e-mail addresses, as well as other ways to contact them, so don’t hesitate to do so. There are other places to seek help, such as tutors and academic advisors. If you need it, seek help sooner rather than later.

With all this stuff about the “studying” part of school, I’m not saying that shouldn’t go out and have fun. In your first couple weeks of college and university, make as many new friends as possible, and have some fun. But don’t lose sight of what you actually came to college or university for, and that is a degree. Moderation is the key, between studying for your courses, and going out with friends.

Some other minor thoughts:

- For many people, this will be the first time that they will be living by themselves. Learn to clean up after yourself and take care of your body.

- Join some clubs in and around the college or university. It is a great way to make some new friends and explore your interests.

- Try to participate in some campus events. Once again, great way to meet new people.

- If you need to sell textbooks, try to sell them to fellow students instead of the campus store. You may get more money that way, and it also saves the other person some money by buying it directly from you instead of buying the textbook from the campus store.

- Don’t procrastinate! Do your readings! And do your work!

- Nobody cares about what you did in high school or your high school achievements. Use your time in college or university to change yourself for the better. I thought of my first year of university as a fresh start at life, and that has certainly helped me.

And there you have it. That is all I can think of when it comes to going to college and university for the first time. For all the upcoming first-year students going to college or university, I’ll say this. Good luck in your studies, and don’t do anything stupid, such as miss class, or impregnate a girl (use protection!). But most importantly, have fun. College and university is a learning experience about who you truly are.

The Current State of Toronto FC: My Thoughts - Part 2

With all the issues in Part 1 (and more) surrounding the team, many TFC supporters feel hopeless that anything is going to change for the better. Other TFC supporters have taken the “hope and pray” approach and are eager that the team will get some positive results. But there are some TFC supporters, including myself, who are pressing for drastic change at the club. I may not agree with some TFC supporters’ way of supporting the team, but you have every right to support the club whichever way you see fit.

I don’t like how some TFC supporters are constantly blindly positive about the team and follow the team around like a bunch of sheep. But if that is the way you want to support your team, then so be it. I also don’t like how some TFC supporters think that this team will never succeed and are always pessimistic about them. I admit that I still think this way at times, but if you want to think this way about the team, then go ahead. I prefer to be realistic about this team.

I have seen Toronto FC go through some half-assed changes over the 6 years of their existence. Year after year, coaching change after coaching change. When coaches weren’t the target, general managers were, as was the case of Mo Johnston in 2010, and the team still performed poorly. Now there are TFC supporters (including myself) who want the Toronto FC front office fired and held accountable for Toronto FC’s failures. Tom Anselmi, Earl Cochrane, and others in the front office have been the only people who have been a part of Toronto FC since the beginning.

It’s time for a change at the top. Kill the virus at the source, I say. There needs to be a new, proper long-term vision and strategy at the club. Tom Anselmi had 6 years to fulfill his vision for the club, and he has failed at it. Letting Jurgen Klinsmann do the work for you was just weak.

Now don’t let people tell you that you are hopeless in trying to make a difference in this team, because you certainly can. I wish there can be more active dissent towards the Toronto FC front office from the Toronto FC supporters. The banners at BMO Field are a good start, but I wish there is a way to make Tom Anselmi really feel what we are really going through. He mentions that he is “fully aware” of the frustrations of the supporters, but I don’t think he has any idea what we are really going through. There are other ways of expressing dissent to the Toronto FC front office, such as boycotting games and protests (these are merely suggestions). My main problem with active dissent is that I don’t think that enough Toronto FC supporters will be up for it, because I have heard many varying opinions on the current state of Toronto FC. They can think whatever they want to think.

As for me, I am tired of seeing this team go through losing season after losing season. I am tired of Toronto FC being labeled as the embarrassment of Major League Soccer, and of North America for that matter. I am tired of the lack of accountability for Toronto FC’s failings in the front office, and of the lack of leadership. I dream of a time where BMO Field is once again filled to the rafters supporting the team they love. Seriously, it’s time for a change at the top.

I want to see this team succeed for once, and I will do what I can to make it happen. Don’t you?

The Current State of Toronto FC: My Thoughts - Part 1

Oh Toronto FC, you have existed in the MLS for almost 6 years now. You have had 7 different coaches during that time. None of them have taken this team to the MLS playoffs.

I know this is an often repeated fact, but it needs to be repeated some more. This fact needs to be repeated just so that people can understand the futility that has plagued this club for its entire existence. It seems that no matter who the coach is, or which players have been brought in to improve the team, this team has failed to be competitive in the MLS. There are many issues with this team, obviously.

With the players, it’s always constant issues with the defense, such as poor marking (especially in set pieces), failure to push high up the pitch to challenge the opposing team’s midfield, and generally running around like chickens with their heads cut off. TFC have signed Darren O’Dea to try to organize the defense, but it will take some time for the defense to be on the same page. The midfield fails to keep possession most of the time and spends that time chasing the ball. The forward situation is a bit unfortunate, with Koevermans’ injury keeping him out for the rest of the season.

The coach, Paul Mariner, also has some blame to share, such as making questionable substitutions when Toronto FC is leading which leads to TFC conceding late, and switching around the defense so that defenders would be playing out of their natural position. Mariner, like the coaches before him at Toronto FC, is at least trying to sort out the issues on the field, which I can’t fault him for. With the recent results for Toronto FC, some are asking for the firing of Mariner, but I think that is a mistake. At least give him a real chance to try to work things out with the team. Give him until the end of this season, and probably give him the off-season too.

I don’t think the players or the coach are the real reasons why this team has been tanking so much. I think the majority of the blame lies on the Toronto FC front office, MLSE, Tom Anselmi and company. There is no question that they have spent a lot of money in order to try to make this team competitive in the long run, such as the new training ground in Downsview. But more often, they have shown that they are truly incompetent in running a football team. One can look at the negotiations between them and players such as Dwayne De Rosario and Joao Plata as black marks in Toronto FC management. Did I also mention the constant rising of ticket prices at BMO Field since Year 1, while the team keeps getting worse? It has gotten so bad with the rise in ticket prices that buying season tickets in certain sections now is more than triple the cost than in Year 1.

Yes, MLSE has spent the money, but I’m not so sure if their hearts are actually vested in making this team a success, particularly Tom Anselmi. My evidence of this is the press conference where Paul Mariner was hired as Toronto FC’s new head coach after Aron Winter was fired. I constantly saw Anselmi sitting back in his chair, with a smug smile at times, almost like he didn’t really care about what is happening. I know this might not seem like much to some TFC supporters, but from a human resources perspective, I think it told a lot about how Anselmi views this team. I don’t think Toronto FC is an important priority for him, and if the person at the top shows a lack of interest, then it reflects poorly on the people working below you, which leads to lower morale and motivation. Factor in the constant losing, and you’ve hit rock bottom.

It can be argued that there is a serious lack of leadership in the front office of Toronto FC. Why is it that we have Tom Anselmi trying to pull the strings from the Toronto FC front office when he has absolutely no experience running a football team from a business perspective, other than watching a few games here and there? From the looks of it, Anselmi shouldn’t have been the COO of Toronto FC, because he simply wasn’t qualified, but I don’t think MLSE knew that at the time. No point dwelling on that though. It is what it is for now.

I wouldn’t be writing this article if Toronto FC was at some point during their existence winning games regularly, because it kept the actual team, and the front office politics separate. But with Toronto FC’s constant futility, and the mistakes made by Toronto FC front office, I’m afraid the actual team operations and the front office politics are inseparable, and I don’t think they can be separated again for a long time. You can’t have one without the other.

To be continued in Part 2

Everton vs. Man United: Post-Game Thoughts

I really didn't want to do this, but I must. Everton won the match 1-0. Here's my thoughts...

Everton were far and away the better team, especially in the midfield where Neville, Gibson, and Fellaini ran rampant on Man United's midfield and defense. Everton also made David De Gea work, peppering him with shots and free-kicks. Everton definitely exposed United's defensive midfield problems, and there was no question that they deserved to win this match.

Now on to United, and I'll start with the positives. Kagawa looked really good out there with his vision and his passing. I am really excited to see what he can really do in the following games. David De Gea was also very good as well, making some brilliant saves.

Now the negatives, United had a lot of possession but they didn't really do anything with it. It looked like watching Arsenal out there, with trying to walk the ball into the net and stuff. They didn't really test Tim Howard with shots, they just seemed content with knocking the ball around the outside of Everton's 18-yard box with no real tenacity.

Wayne Rooney had a terrible display today, though you can argue that he wasn't very match fit. I think that is a bit of an excuse. I'm sure Rooney will improve as the games happen. He can't be this bad for longer, can't he? Nani was also very poor, with his low point being his crossing, which was abysmal.

Man United's defense was also a bit shaky, but you would have to expect that if you only have two regular defenders starting in the match (Vidic and Evra). It doesn't help that Evans, Ferdinand, Jones and Smalling are all out injured, which left the defense a bit short. That meant that Carrick had to come in as cover as a center-back. He was sorely missed at the midfield. Valencia also had to go at RB as well, and he did an okay job.

I always thought that if United stayed relatively healthy, then they would be winning the league for sure. But with these injuries, especially in the back, I'm not so sure. This is not doom and gloom, but the performance from United today was a bit worrying. This is only the first game of the season though, and the performances will be better. Everton away is always a tough place to go and get points. 37 games left, let's go.

Random Thoughts 9: Cuba Stories, and Other Stuff

It has been a while since I actually did a “Random Thoughts” post. If you’re not familiar with how this works, it is basically thoughts I have that are too long to be tweeted on Twitter, and too short to be actually made into a proper blog post. So I collect them into one single blog post. The “Random Thoughts” blogs tend to be a lot more fun for me to write and tend to be on the lighter side of things (though there are some occasional serious thoughts as well).

Well, let’s get into it, and I will start with the Cuba vacation I had not too long ago. I already talked about the hotel we stayed at, but now I’ll talk about some of the experiences I had.

The very first time we went to the disco to drink and party, we met some very interesting people there, including some Brits, and Cuban locals. But the people who made the biggest impression on me that night were a lesbian couple who were vigorously making out all over the dance floor. Security tried to get these two girls to stop, but they kept going at it. One of the girls wanted to make out with my cousin, but she flatly refused. The final act the lesbian couple did that managed to get the disco shut down was when they laid down on the bench and started having sex, right there, in the view of everyone in the disco. Security came in and kicked out everyone, while the drunken lesbian couple was arguing with security. Shit was going to go down, so we left.

There was another time we had at the disco. We were chilling, drinking and on the dance floor when this random girl took my drink and started drinking it. Well, she was pretty hot, so we began to chat, while she kept stealing my drink (drinks were free, by the way). Then when I asked her for a dance, she blew me off! What a bitch! She has the audacity to steal two of my drink, but she wouldn’t give me a wine? That’s straight disrespect.

I don’t think I have ever seen an actual ugly girl in Cuba. All the local young girls (18-30) were amazingly fit, and very sexy. Would love to take one home, but I don’t think the Cuban government would permit that. Also, there are a lot of nice classic cars in Cuba as well.

At the resort, there would always be a small dog wandering around. I resisted every part of my body to want to see how far I could kick that dog.

Olympic Closing Ceremony Thoughts: I watched Austin Powers instead. I have no regrets.

Last thought: I come from a family who loves to put pepper sauce on everything. Not just on the food that would regularly need it, but on regular food that people would never think of putting pepper sauce on, such as pasta, and various breakfast items. Now, if you are someone who likes to put pepper sauce on every food imaginable, then do you really know what good food is? If you are cooking food, and you have to put loads of pepper sauce on your already cooked food, then you are simply not a good cook. You can’t appreciate the food for what it really is.

That’s all for this edition, the next one should be coming soon. Peace.

My Thoughts on the Canada-USA Match and Post-Game Reaction

If you all didn’t know by now, the United States pulled out a 4-3 win in extra time in the semi-final of the Women’s soccer Olympic Tournament from an Alex Morgan header in the last minute. I’ll spare you a full tactical analysis because I personally find it boring and you can get that from many media personalities and analysts. I’ll say this; Canada showed an astounding amount of heart in that match and Christine Sinclair put in one of the most memorable performances in recent memory in the women’s game. But all too often, Canada easily gave away possession to the USA, and didn’t mark very well, which showed in the USA’s 1^st and 4^th goals. I would call the match pretty even between the USA and Canada.

Now on to the controversy, when the match was 3-2 for Canada, the Canadian goalkeeper got called for the 6-second rule, and the USA got a free-kick inside the 18-yard box. When that free-kick was taken, the ball struck a Canadian player in the arm and a penalty was called, which Abby Wambach scored to tie the game up. A lot of Canadian supporters were incensed at those calls, as well as at other decisions the ref has made. Also, a lot of Canadian supporters (and even some players) thought that there was “a fix” for the Americans to win the match, because of the perceived bad decisions that the referee has made.

Okay, my thoughts on the post-game reaction…

There was no “fix” in this match. I think that was nothing more than emotion coming from the angry Canadian supporters. Don’t get me wrong, the Canadian supporters have every right to feel angry from this match, but to say that there was a “fix” for the USA to win is a bit rubbish. What exactly will FIFA profit from this if there was actually a “fix”? TV Ratings? Money? I really don’t know. To those Canadian supporters who continue to believe there was a “fix,” I want to see some hard evidence of this. When I actually see it, I’ll believe it, but until then, this match wasn’t actually a “fix”.

A lot of Canadian supporters are understandably upset at some of the refereeing decisions made in this match, but it wasn’t like Canada didn’t get away with tackles that the referee didn’t call, because they certainly did. It seems like almost every single match, Canadian supporters (and other fans of clubs and countries) are upset with the referee about something. The referee isn’t likely to call a perfect match between two teams, so then why do we demand perfection from the referees? Maybe it is because in this time we live in, we get more and more access from soccer matches, such as camera angles, crowd reactions, and interviews. Did the referee in that Canada-USA match ref a bad game? That is debatable, but it seems like every time a match is played, supporters get upset over something the ref calls or hasn’t called.

For the 6-second rule that was called on the Canadian goalkeeper, I have never seen that rule implemented in a match in all my years of watching soccer, but no matter how obscure the rule is, it is still a rule of the game that has to be observed. But there were also instances where the USA goalkeeper Hope Solo held the ball for more than 6 seconds, but that is the failure of the referee to spot, not because of some “fix”. As for the handball call, the Canadian player clearly blocked the ball with her arm. That’s a penalty, no debate. There are some people who attribute inexperience as to why the referee made those calls, but there has to be a time where a referee makes that step to reffing an important match such as this one, and for that Norwegian referee, that time was this match.

I even saw some tweets from actual Canadian players saying basically that it “was already decided that the USA was going to win this game” and that “FIFA should look over this match”. I thought those comments were a bit classless and rather emotional, but once again; the players have every right to feel angry about the outcome of the match. Some of the American players, coaching staff, and supporters weren’t exactly graceful in victory, but I think that pales in comparison to Canada’s “outrage”. This is merely a minor gripe.

Well, there is no use crying over spilt milk right? We can talk about a “fix,” or bad refereeing decisions, but the only thing I will remember from this match is that the Canadian Women’s Team played their hearts out and gave their absolute everything. That is what I am proud of. Next is the bronze medal match against France, and we need to give the ladies all our support and will them on to a medal.

As for the events that happened against the USA, let’s put all of this behind us, shall we?

Cuba - Special Shout-Outs

I want to use this blog post to send out a few shout-outs to those who have made my vacation in Cuba an enjoyable one. First, I would like to thank the resort staff of the RIU Varadero for making our stay at the resort as comfortable as possible. You men and women are a special bunch. Now onto my particular shout-outs...

Special thanks to our maid that cleaned our hotel room and bathroom every day. There are not too many people in this world who can do the job that you did. I hope you enjoy the hat we gave you, as well as all the other stuff too.

Special thanks to our Havana tour guide, who was very knowledgeable about Cuba and the City of Havana. I learned a lot from you about daily life in Cuba and the Cuban government. Also, the places you took us in Havana were really cool. For a history buff like me, being in Havana was an unforgettable experience.

Special thanks to our Varadero cab drivers who showed us around the town of Varadero and took us to the various shops in the town. I hope the lunch you had with us at the restaurant was good for you as it was for me.

Shout-out to the pianist at the piano bar, who played a song I requested, and it was beautiful. That song was "Hello" by Lionel Ritchie.

Shout-out to Waldo, the bartender at the lobby bar. Fun guy to be around, that's for sure.

Shout-out to Adrian, the bartender at the disco, who I'm convinced the only reason why this guy is around is to get me drunk. Haha, I'm kidding. You were top-notch. You also got some nice bartending skills.

Shout-out to the Welsh boys and the sexy British girls we hung out with at the disco, you guys were awesome.

Shout-out to the people we met from Brampton, y'all were fun to hang out with as well, and one of you guys is a Customs officer, who we ran into in Customs while coming back to Canada!

And finally, big shout-out to the people we met from Markham. We all gotta hang out again, that's for sure. Good times at the disco.

That's all I can remember...

Hotel RIU Varadero Review - Part 2

Beach

I was pleasantly surprised at how clean the beach was. There are enough beach chairs and huts for everyone, and the water was a healthy bluish color. There was also a bar nearby do you can do some drinking right by the ocean. The beach was a little bit narrow from the ocean to the bushes, but that is a minor gripe. The beach was very nice.

Rating 7/10

Pools

There’s the main pool, which is the busier of the pools. There are always different shows going on and live music will play at the pool sometimes. There is also a swim-up bar to get your drinks. It can get really busy at the main pool and the swim-up bar sometimes, and if it gets to be a bit too much for you, you can go to the relaxation pool. Always less people than the main pool and offers a very tranquil atmosphere. It also has a swim-up bar and a waterfall. I spent most of my time in the relaxation pool. It is one of my favorite spots of the entire resort. There was also the Royal Section pool, but we didn’t go to that. Overall, the pools were pretty good.

Rating: 7.5/10

Theater Shows

I went to see most of the theater shows while at the resort, and I found myself bored at the majority of the shows. There were a couple shows where I walked out before the show had even finished. Seriously, the only show that was any good was the Michael Jackson show, so if there is only one show you should go see in the theater, make it that one. As for the other shows, they can be a bit better, and less boring.

Rating: 4.5/10

Disco

After the show ended, the disco would open for dancing. The place itself is pretty okay, maybe a little bit small, but still okay. There were some nights where a lot of people were at the disco, and other nights where there wasn’t as many people. The absolute worst thing about the disco was the DJ. The DJ played mostly latin music, mixed in with today’s popular club jams, which was fine. But the music he played couldn’t get people on the dance floor at all. Thankfully, the DJ was open to requests, so I requested some real dancing music, and all was good. Oh, and did I mention he played the exact same song twice, one before the other? Yeah, pretty crazy.

Rating: 5/10

Internet

You can purchase internet cards, 5 pesos for ½ hour, 10 pesos for 1 hour. The internet isn’t fast at all, but it wasn’t terribly slow either. Also, one of the PCs wasn’t working, which left only two working PCs. If you’re not stingy about hi-speed internet, then the internet in the resort shouldn’t give you much trouble.

Rating: 5/10

Games Room

The games room offers billiards, ping pong, and various board games. The ping pong paddles were half broken and the pool table only had one cue stick, which was cracked at the tip. The games room is pretty garbage, but at least it is something.

Rating: 3/10

Lobby Bar/Piano Bar

The lobby bar is the main bar in the resort, where people can come relax and have a drink. The lobby bar can get really busy at times, especially in the evening. The chairs to sit in were pretty uncomfortable, as well. The piano bar always had someone playing in the evening time, but the pianist always plays the same 2-3 songs. The most common song on the piano is “Someone Like You” by Adele. I must have heard that song at least 15 times during my stay. Overall, the lobby bar is a decent spot to chill at.

Rating: 5.5/10

Final Verdict

The newly-opened RIU Varadero has some nice pools, a relaxing beach, and decent rooms, but the terrible food was the deal-breaker. I would not come back to this hotel, and if I were to come back to Cuba, I would look elsewhere. If you have a strong stomach and food is not an issue for you, then take a chance on this resort. But for everyone else, see if you can find something better. I also add that this all-inclusive resort was a bit on the cheap side, and the saying of “you get what you pay for” rings true here. If you can spend more money on a better all-inclusive resort, then don’t hesitate to do it. RIU claims that this hotel is a Cuban 5-star resort. I disagree; this was probably 3 and ½ stars, maybe 4 stars at best.

Final Rating: 5.5/10