Australia play Brazil tonight in their 2nd group match. It is a futile attempt to support Australia to even beat Brazil but they’ve managed to get this far, anything is possible. Heh, I might be a little disappointed later, but that’s what sports fans do. They pick a team and they support it to the very last bit, even if they are underdogs and may not have a chance. Being able to play Brazil, I’m sure the Australian team will give it their all to see themselves through.

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Went jogging yesterday, and the only detrimental effect I’m having now is a slight sniff in my nose. Maybe it’s the lack of sleep as I stayed up to watch Holland oust Ivory Coast out of the World Cup on Friday night. Or could just be the cold weather not being very good for me after sweating it out during the jog. Heh, proud of myself for once, as I managed to complete ONE round around Carlton park. I have never been able to complete one round, and it’s a measly round (still want to conquer Prince’s Park nearby, but that is for another day), but yesterday I had a little more motivation than normal.

You’ve probably heard about how to get a mule to move it’s ass. Dangle a carrot on a stick in front of it and the hungry, greedy mule will take two steps forward, hoping to get closer to the carrot and eat it. Well, since it’s hanging from a stick, the carrot goes along with the mule and is perpetually ahead of the mule. Heh, one way to motivate someone to move.

My motivation for yesterday’s jog came from one of the most unlikely sources. My mind was preoccupied with Nikon’s 70-200mm VR lens. You might think it is a joke, but my mind was deadly serious contemplating of acquiring this lens. Sure it carries a hefty RM6,000 price tag, but it’s a good lens, quick focus and the ability to shoot in low light due to the VR (vibration reduction for sharp images) and the large f-stop of 2.8. You might ask if it’s worth spending that kind of money on a piece of glass? Well, parents would plonk down RM7,000 for a laptop for their kid if it would help them in their studies. It’s all about what value it is worth to you.

You might think it is excessive to spend that kind of money on a lens, but lenses last longer than laptops. Talk to any photographer who has been shooting pics for the last 20 years. They still hang on to their manual focus lenses and camera bodies they bought so long ago. A good piece of glass is built to be durable, and the sharp optics command the hefty price tag. If you are into taking pictures and would really like that extra sharpness, you will appreciate every cent spent on that lens.

Heh, thinking about the lens lasted me about two thirds of my run and I forgot about my fatigue. Having run so far, I just pushed myself to go the last few hundred metres, and my legs felt like jelly after that. Athletism has never been my thing, but I envy people who are agile physically (maybe it’s the effect of soccer being on now). It’s quite silly to motivate myself with something as lofty as wanting a good lens. Heh, but results do count and I’ve seem to have found my carrot on a stick to move towards.