The 2005 list

Here's a list of stuff that caught my fancy for 2005:

Bangkok and Ayutthaya - Thailand is gorgeous!
The Streets - Mike Skinner is the man, bringing a fresh spin with his spoken word/rap album.
Venus vs Lindsay in Wimbledon - Definitely the tennis match of the year.
Shanghai - East meets West, powdered with the mystic past, and an enviable future.
Scrubs - Laughter is the best medicine. Plus, the soundtrack was a great buy.
The OC - Yes, teen dramedy, but with a kick-butt soundtrack that features the up and coming indie and alt-pop artists, it single-handedly rejuvenated my CD collection.
Garden State - When you take out the Spider-man out of Peter Parker, this is kind of the result. Somewhat.
The Emancipation of Mimi - I must admit, it is an outstanding album.
The Coversproject.com Website - Who did who, musically of course.
The Amazing Race Fantasy Game, volume 2 - My first time to host. And it was a blast.
www.thestone.com - Learn a lot from the website by playign a game.
The Killers - Hot Fuss ushered in mod-rock. Suddenly, we're back to the 80s.
Sky High - Candy-pop fun laced with 80s music. Nostalgia without being sappy.

That is an incomplete list, some I forgot, and some I'm keeping to myself. Haha.

Disc Jockey for A Day - No, Not Really

You see, I've always wanted to be a DJ. Not a radio announcer, but one that shares his music. I think that music, like food and really good stories, should be shared, Like a friend of mine once said, I'm one of those people that relate music with memories with emotions. Besides, I'm paying good money to buy CDs, why not let professional songer-songwriters do all the hard work.

Today's playlist:

No Doubling Back by Jason Mraz
Falling In Love by Lisa Loeb
Run by Snow Patrol
Hold On Hope by Guided By Voices

Cheers and Merry Christmas everyone!

Scrubbing for Scrubs

Time for that annual physical exam - it better be now, before I stuff myself silly with Christmas goodies high on fat, salt, sugar, and cholesterol. While last year's ordeal found me inhaling ammonia after passing out (long story, but I am man enough to admit that I did faint after blood extraction), this time, I was more keen on staying awake, un-bored, and patient (bad pun!) while going through the whole process.



After finishing the first season of Scrubs, being locked in a medical facility full of people wearing scrubs does get you a bit paranoid. As a summary, watch Scrubs, it's funny, and like they say, laughter is the best medicine.


ps. It's on my Amazon wishlist *wink wink*

more winking going on....

Mon sac!

Someone stole my bag today. I don't remember the last time I had something stolen from me, as opposed to something I misplaced and ultimately couldn't find. So I lost my bag before going to the airport. Crap.

To make light of an unfortunate situation, I console myself with the following thoughts:

1. True to TAR form, I was wearing overlapping clothes while holding a plastic bag containing what was left of my belongings. Nanakawan na nga ako, TAR pa rin ang nasa isip ko....

2. Good thing I didn't pack, and I had all my important things in my pocket.

3. Time to get new clothes anyway.

Travel: Stalker at the Hilton

To make the most out of meeting top-ranked tennis players in Shanghai, we decided to have a more personal experience with these tennis stars. Rather than cheer for them on court, or stalk outside the stadium's VIP entrance, it would be a bit fancier if we had lunch with them. Not exactly dine with them at their table, but have lunch with them in the same place.

So, lunch at the Hilton brought me closer to Team Federer, minus Roger himself. There was Mirka and Tony Roche (who by the way has one of the easiest jobs on planet Earth), Ivan Ljubicic, Fernando Gonzalez, a bevy of doubles players, and the whole Argentinian entourage. Nalbandian, Gaudio, Puerta and Coria (who had the most lovely wife). So, I was star-struck admittedly. Had this been the WTA Championships, I would've been wiping the drool off the side of my lips.

Here's a picture of me, luckily I wasn't caught by security.

Travel: The Shanghai Pitstop

No, you scratch your brow and say, "Not another Shanghai article..."

But, this will be the last one of them I promise. And this will be short.

-----------------

Forget Phil, all I needed was that pretty Shanghainese lady greeting us at the Pitstop!

Travel: The Tennis Part of the Trip

Lest we forget, we went to Shanghai not just to see the sights, but primarily to watch the year-end tournament of the ATP. While not getting our money's worth to see all the big-name stars, the beauty of the location made up for it.

Tennis!

Travel: Pudong (Shanghai Day Four)

Rather than bore you with a long narrative of Pudong, the newly developed portion of Shanghai, I'd rather share with you some pictures.

Took pics with the Jin Mao Tower on the background, and an aerial view of the Huangpu River.

Had a great time with the Aquarium, and touched a shark in the process. I don't know how to explain this, but all I can remember is Don't Panic by Coldplay playing in the background (see the Shanghai Soundtrack article below).

Lunch was at the Oriental Pearl TV Tower revolving restaurant, but I will reserve that for another article.

Here's the link to my photo album, comments are welcome ;)

pictures!

Travel: The Wrath of Hunan (aka Shanghai Day Three)

Like I mentioned earlier, the weather in Shanghai was cold. THe funny thing is, I felt confident with a black knit long-sleeved turtleneck. Boy, was I wrong. This one I did not realise unti after lunch. Of course, lunch is after breakfast, so breakfast first.

Breakfast was of the famed Shanghainese delicacy xiao long pao, a dumpling with a good amount of broth inside, to be dipped in balsamic vinegar. My only gripe, why is there not enough soup in the dumpling??? Grr.

Beside this eatery is the famed Yuyuan Gardens, a traditional looking chinese villa that once housed the emperor and his many concubines. There is nothing more perverse than having a labyrinthine house with hidden passages and dark alleys, and your concubines scattered around for you to find. Other than admiring the wonderful architecture of the estate (and having wild concubine fantasies), I searched where TAR6 placed the clue for their Shanghai leg. And thus creating a theme for my subsequent trips - but more on that in another entry. I found it in the corner of the Gardens, and took a picture for posterity.



Right outside the Yuyuan Garden is a zigzag bridge over a lake - and right across, a Starbucks shop! Presumptuous rather than convenient, I am totally against having Starbucks in touristy spots that exude a certain ambience (similar to my discovery of a Starbucks branch right smack along the walls of Intramuros). Grr.

More walking for the day brought us to the French Concession famished and thirsty, thus ushering us to lunch. It was a Hunanese restaurant and their specialty was hotpot. Look at the photo below - this dish had chorizos, pork chunks and tripe. Yummy. What I did not notice was the sauce - which was made from, no not tomato sauce, but from crushed peppers. If that was not enough, there were four kinds of pepper in the dish, none of them being the sissy bell pepper variety. For the record, this is the spiciest dish I have ever tried, beating the Bangkok Tom Yang Goong, and the wasabi burger in the process.



Feeling the full wrath of Hunan, I flailed my arms at the waitress and shouted at her 'Coke', which I could barely mumble because at this point, my tongue and lips were absolutely numb. Even my water did not taste like water because I think I just killed half my taste buds with one bite. It was at this point that I realised that actions spea louder than words as the waitress brought me a moist towelette to help ease my extreme discomfort.

I was burping the spiciness until the evening at QiZhong. It was at that point the stadium crowd was informed the Rafael Nadal had withdrawn from the tournament due to a foot injury. Foot injury my foot! He can still walk. Grr. I hope the tennis gods bequeath him with the Wrath of Hunan as punishment.

Travel: A Thousand and One Nights and I End Up Here (aka Shanghai Night Two)

After a thrilling day at the tennis tournament, it was time for dinner. After that recent debacle with the over-ordering, we now know better. Point at the picture, and use the fingers to indicate the quantity.

*points at hummus* One!
*points at kebab* One!
*points at drink* One!

Wasn't that easy?

My first taste of authentic Middle Eastern food, and it was great. Loved the hummus.

*points at stage*

Travel: Say "chee-jong", Spell QiZhong (aka Shanghai Day Two)

The day has come, it is Tennis Master's Cup 2005, where the top 8 players of the world converge for the culminating event of the ATP tour. It doesn't help that Hewitt, Safin and Roddick have pulled out even if the event hasn't started, but I'm already here.

The stadium is simply magnificent, glass walls all around, a fantastic view of the court, and that spankin' brand new scent. Yeah baby!



Got to see the master Federer take on Nalbandian, Ljubicic against Coria, and the Bryan Brothers against Wayne/Arthurs. First ever tournament attended, first tennis match - had to be a Federer.

Travel: Tsk! and TMSK! (aka Shanghai Night One)

My "Welcome to Shanghai" dinner was a feast - 10 dishes at least, and we were only 3 people. It wasn't planned though. You see, English is not really widely spoken in Shanghai - hold that, English is not spoken by the Chinese in Shanghai. So when my friend pointed and inquired about several dishes, they assumed that we were already ordering them! Tsk!

A pleasant tree-lined walk (and at the same time give our stomachs ample time to digest all the food) to the city's new drinking joint Xintiandi featured bars, pubs and restaurants tailored into newly constructed (but with old architecture) French villas. One even boasted of a great Filipino band. Never mind that, we went to TMSK, whose glass counter is always good enough as conversation piece.



Then there was Luna and and a red-haired Deborah Harry. Funny, we were shouting Blondie. Anyway, I was only mildly buzzed but tipsy enough to have a direct ticket to lala-land when we arrived at the hotel.

Travel: The Bling of Nanjing (aka Shanghai Day One)

It was my second trip out of the country, and this time, I'm travelling alone to meet a friend at our final destination. Just as a background, I've been planning this trip since May - saving up money, miles and courage to do a trip alone. So, 6 months later, twenty thousand miles poorer, but 2 guide books smarter, I find myself taking of my belt at the counter of the Centennial Airport. (No dirty thoughts please, just standard security procedure).

While waiting for the MLA-PVG (Love 'em airport codes), I met two ladies who screamed at a footage from the WTA Championships, featuring a news bit about Lindsay Davenport taking home the year-end Numero Uno for the fourth time. AHA! Tennis fans off to watch the men's version of that in *gasp* Shanghai. Then I learned that there was a Manila delegation, of about 40 people. At least our country is represented in the audience.

A thousand miles later up north, I find myself walking at the tarmac of Pudong International Airport. First time in China, and a first time winter for me. Before my illusions of snow and skates realised, I already knew that it didn't snow in Shanghai. Nevertheless, I never stopped muttering to myself, "This weather is just gorgeous". Crisp, cold, wintery, minus the slush.

Airport to hotel was a breeze. Okay, I stood in a very long line at Immigration, and given that the airport had all 26 counters open, you can just tell that Shanghai was a very touristy place. Hey, Tennis Masters Cup really drew in the crowd, at least. Again, airport to hotel, after immigration was a breeze. Gate, escalator, maglev ticket counter, maglev gate, I plopped myself to a seat on the only magnetic levitation train in the world. City center was a good hour away from the airport, and with the train, it took me 8 minutes. 430 kph baaaaby. Here's a pic to prove it.



Maglev to subway was very easy, then next thing I knew, I was right smack in the middle of one of the most famous shopping districts this side of the world. Nanjing Road felt like Times Square, not that I've been there, but the blazing neon lights, people hustling left and right, and all the wares you can think of. Throw in a couple of 1920 architecture buildings, and a hotel with a giant thermometer proclaiming 17 degrees Celsius... *BAM* I knew that this trip was going to rock.

Music: The Shanghai Soundtrack

Before I give the blow-by-blow of my Shanghai sojourn, I'll share what was playing on my phone during those times. Same with my Bangkok trip, this vacation's music was appropriately provided by my handy W800i.

Music to listen to when ...

- riding the MagLev: Don't Let Go by LMC vs The New Radicals
- weaving through the crowd: Move This Mountain by Sophie Ellis Bextor
- holding your jacket in a 10 degrees weather as you board the plane: Clarity by John Mayer
- watching planes take off and land at the airport tarmac: Desperately Wanting by Better Than Ezra
- riding the subway: Professional Widow by Tori Amos
- singing out at the top of your lungs along the Bund since no one knows you anyway: I Don't Wanna Be by Gavin de Graw
- (and my favorite) being on a moving walkway underneath an aquarium filled with sharks: Don't Panic by Coldplay

Must find a new one for this segment of my vacation....

Bones, sinking like stones,
All that we fought for,
Homes, places we've grown,
All of us are done for.

Ni Hao!

Too busy running around Shanghai, and translating to actually write an entry, but watch out when I come back from a long vacation. See ya!

Not so smart

Sabi ko na nga ba e. Hindi ako SMART.

After having getting my phone line disconnected, I immediately went to the nearest SMART wireless center to pay my dues and shove at SMART's ass that I can pay them my overdue amount of 500 big ones.

I didn't have my account number with me, nor did I have my billing statement (hence not knowing that I was already overdue) - so I just gave them my phone number. Apparently, the phone number I knew was not mine. I have been giving out the wrong number to people in my email correspondences, and perhaps egroups. Yaiks!

So to all, my apologies for giving out the wrong number. And much more so to the owner of the number I have been giving. I'm sure those pesky foreigner suppliers of ours must have had a field day looking for me.

My Kind of Funny

I may not have time to write an article, but I did have enough time to cut-and-paste an online quiz. Hahaha.

The results are pretty much accurate - for my case, at least.



the Wit
(52% dark, 34% spontaneous, 36% vulgar)


your humor style:
CLEAN | COMPLEX | DARK




You like things edgy, subtle, and smart. I guess that means you're probably an intellectual, but don't take that to mean pretentious. You realize 'dumb' can be witty--after all isn't that the Simpsons' philosophy?--but rudeness for its own sake, 'gross-out' humor and most other things found in a fraternity leave you totally flat.

I guess you just have a more cerebral approach than most. You have the perfect mindset for a joke writer or staff writer.

Your sense of humor takes the most thought to appreciate, but it's also the best, in my opinion.

You probably loved the Office.

PEOPLE LIKE YOU: Jon Stewart - Woody Allen - Ricky Gervais

Music: Beautiful in Bloom

This is Bloom, the latest remixed album of Sarah Mclachlan. It contains 10 tracks, mostly lifted from her latest studio release, Afterglow. Remixing Mclachlan seems to be a more ethereal musical journey, as compared to listening to her studio songs. It's Enya, minus the New Age, and it's post-Missing EBTG sans the house.

The album opens with a chilled-down remix from Junkie XL, whose previous works include Elvis Presley's A Little Less Conversation (football, anyone?) - tempering World On Fire to an ambient trance mix. It closes with the Juniors Boys Mix of an older song, Fumbling Towards Ecstasy.

The album offers a limited spectrum of electronic music though, in a good way, since too much bass-pumping and beat-thumping is something I reserve for other artists. Great tracks include the haunting Dirty Little Secret, an opera-meets-dancehall Vox (reminiscent of the alien performance from The Fifth Element), together with Stupid and Train Wreck.

It's actually nice to note that McLachlan is open to musicians wanting to alter her masterpieces - here's to hoping that other artists with the same soothing voice quality do the same. Dido (who worked with Faithless on just one track), John Mayer, but probably not Norah Jones.

I've shared some of the songs from Bloom below. Enjoy. And yes, not to sound preachy here, but if you do like them, pick up the original ;)


Stupid

World On Fire

A rework of two episodes past

Just to repeat a couple of words from previous entries, I'm feeling that buzz again. In a different sense. Woohooo!

The tickets are here!

One word: WOOOOOHOOOO!!

Music: The Eighties are back!

I must admit, I hate the eighties. If there is anything that will remind me of the 80s, it would be big hair, and shoulder pads. Music-wise, they meant lots of synthesizers, dirty guitar rifts and more shoulder pads. Listen to all the volumes of Chorus Girl, and you'd get what I mean - one volume in and you'd surely feel yourself grow a mullet.

The good news? They're all back, and fortunately, in a more polished way. I sure hope I'm not confusing this with emo, but emo probably would consistent of clean-cut kids trying to scream their way out of puberty. Back on topic, I've been listening to The Myriad, Hard-Fi, The Bravery, and more notably The Killers. They have that distinct 80s feel - complete with bored vocals. It's called neo-rock, a fusion of new rave and rock, and perhaps The Matrix. Major plug: The Killers' Hot Fuss is a great buy, no ballads here, just pure rhythmic pleasure and catchy anti-pop melodies.

If you're looking for a more popular repertoire, there is the soundtrack to Sky High. Led by Bowling for Soup's version of I Melt With You (Jason Mraz did a reggae version of this for 50 First Dates, which didn't do anything good for the song). Or how about a revival of Everybody Wants To Rule The World? It's a jumble of 80s pop revisited for the post Y2K crowd. Major Plug again: Nice movie, watch it with you high school/college friends, and end up talking about the freaks from your batch. Hehehe.

There is one downside - someone did a remake of Spandau Ballet's True. Ooh, big mistake. True is the consummate Eighties song, everytime someone asks me my favorite song from the 80s, this is always the immediate answer. (The consummate 90s song would probably be Wonderwall by Oasis). Anyway, not that the remake was bad, but the original was simply a classic.

Comparing revivals with the originals where they were originally released is not a good sign, but not as bad as wearing shoulder pads, I guess.

Feeling that buzz

After years (count 'em - 8, I think) of practice, I finally got drunk. Not the I'm-actually-more-sleepy-but-not-really-drunk kind of drunk, nor the my-head-aches-terribly-therefore-I'm-drunk, and most definitely not the I've-had-so-much-to-eat-I'm-not-getting-enough-oxygen-to-my-head-therefore-I'm-drunk, but the I-can't-feel-my-limbs-but-I-can-drink-some-more type of drunk.

I've always thought I'd be the quiet type, but I've been watching a lot of The OC, so I'm more attuned to mindless babbling laced with sarcasm. Like my sister said while opening our front door, how stealth.

So, congratulations to me. And good luck with that hangover.

Newer Radicals

My discovery of the week (yeah, sorry if it's rather delayed) goes to LMC vs New Radicals. You Get What You Give has got to be one of my favorite songs of all time, and I think LMC gave it a good revamp (the songs is already 7 years old, and my, time does fly by so fast).

The single is called Don't Let Go, which samples the New Radicals original. I'm hoping to put in a sample somewhere here.

It's a refreshing break from the weepy stuff I've been listening to recently (Hello Damien Rice and Jeff Buckley). Also, see entry below.

Edited to add a copy of the song. Just click here.

Weekend

Picked up the Coldplay double - Parachutes and A Rush Of Blood To The Head, and all I can say is 'How appropriate'. No, I'm not in any mood to slit my wrists, but I would like to feel a little sappy and weepy without feeling sissy about it. Give me a week to wallow here. Then I'll get the new album


Just a reminder for me: Ganun pala iyon. Just like Nemo.

Filler

I'm supposed to churn out a new episode on my blog, with recent music finds, tv finds, and others, but I have no time. No time at all. Perhaps later.

Picked up The OC Region 1 DVDs (both seasons), Ministry of Sound's Dance Nation, plus the Best of U2 (1990-2000) and the OST to Sky High... I'd better come up with an entry soon.

Music: Orange County Style

However I may sound like a fan boy of the series, I am even happier that the series has a wonderful soundtrack. It takes a brilliant Oasis cover to pique my interest, and a cartload of college bands to sustain it. I cannot seem to remember any other TV show that has a great selection of unknowns and not-so-knowns in the soundtrack selection that this musical-horizon-expansion thing is simply overwhelming me.

Did I mention I just got myself a Sony Ericsson W800i? Recently being sold on the benefits of having an iPod Mini, this phone came just in time. It now houses my recently downloaded songs, recently bought albums, among others. Check out their official music guide for a detailed listing of all music used in the show, and do check out the four volumes of the TV show soundtrack – although the Chrismukkah volume might not seem to be my cup of tea. Or latke for that matter.

In conjunction with the topic at hand, the music of the OC is simply great. Mix One is not in the household right now, but Mix Two landed two weeks ago. There’s simply something for everybody. Feeling you want to rock out, jumpstart your morning? Try listening to The Eels with Saturday Morning. Pensive? There’s The Perishers with Trouble Sleeping, or Eastern Glow from Album Leaf. Sad, rainy day? Try listening to You Got Me All Wrong from dios malos or the remake of OMD’s If You Leave from Nada Surf (The 80s will be discussed in a separate article, I’m just waiting for my copy of the soundtrack to Sky High). More Oasis covers? Try out Ryan Adam’s version of Wonderwall (not as good as the original 90’s alternative scene anthem, but there’s a big bias from where that’s coming from). Snarky may not even be a word yet, but it’s a great description for The Dandy Warhols’ We Used To Be Friends.


My personal pick is by Halloween Alaska, called All The Arms Around You Now. It’s got that muted sound, plus the funky drumbeat, , and was used wonderfully at the premiere of the second season. Here is the song in full, since the song does not appear on any of the mixes of the OST yet.

Too many songs, too many bands, so little time? Sounds like it. Enjoy!

Welcome to The OC

This is not a thank-you speech, but I’m feeling rather grateful right now. I would like to thank my sister for introducing me to the OC. One mild morning, in the wake of the end of the US Open (by now, you could’ve figured that I am a major addict), she decided to show me an episode of The OC. My guy friends have been ranting about it, and I wasn’t rushing to work anyway, so I gave it the shot.

The episode?



This one. I have both movie versions on Region I, so the reference couldn’t be less than perfect. The music? This guy singing Champagne Supernova. Damn. Talk about setting the mood. Where is What’s The Story, Morning Glory when you need it?(Mental note to self: must get one. Now.) Instantly hooked, I went on a treasure hunt for Season One. The whole thing took three days, a couple of nasty DVD dealers, and well, a couple of hundred bucks. Well worth it, but probably not worth your time if I just babble about it here. Buy the DVDs instead and see it for yourself! J

Just a rundown of my favorite characters in the series:

Ryan – Do you honestly think you can get away with just one look all through out the season?
Seth – You’re funny. You remind me of me, in a less autistic way. Or maybe not.
Summer – Not my favorite character, but she sure looks good with Seth. Better yet, in a bikini.
Marissa – You are a drunk skanky who doesn’t know where to position herself in life. What the hell is wrong with you, girl?
Sandy and Kirsten – Can anyone request for a better set of parents? Open-minded, forgiving, idealistic, good sense of humor, and did I say rich?
Anna – Love the goofy pixie thing. Where can I find someone like you?
Hailey and Alex – Must stop drooling right now…

I heard that Season Three just started. As of press time, I’ve got ten more episodes of Season Two lined up. Let’s see how that goes.

US Open 2005 Quarterfinals - Men's Draw

Federer vs Nalbandian - The biggest news I've heard all week about the game's top dog is about losing a set (much credit to Nicolas Kiefer. Again.) No problem for him dispatching Nalbandian. Straight sets.

Hewitt vs Niemenen - I lost a pick because Safin withdrew. Drat. Hewitt has been hush-hush all tournament, and no one is complaining. Much less paying attention. He'll put out passing shot after passing shot in his match with Niemenen, the Finn will strike back with his beautiful one handed backhand. Nevertheless, I see a straight set finish.

Coria vs Ginepri - With Andy Roddick losing his mojo on the first day, Ginepri is more than willing to take the challenge. He outlasted Gasquet in 4R, and with the crowd helping him out, take out Coria in 4.

Blake vs Agassi - More reasons for US cheer. Rewarded by a wonderful summer season, Blake is expecting a trip to the semis, but not before taking out Agassi here. Having played a tough 5-setter with Malisse in the previous round, Andre just might be running low on reserves. If the match lasts beyond 4 sets, expect a Blake win. Then again, I'm predicting a 4-set crowd pleaser here.

Semifinals
Federer vs Hewitt - Poor Hewitt. Straight sets again.
Ginepri vs Agassi - See same comments as with previous round.

Final
Federer vs Agassi - Sure, they've reserved the best for last. But then again, there is no stopping Federer. It is a final, and he has no plans of ruining his very long streak.
So, the set he lost today, was going to be the last one.

US Open 2005 Quarterfinals - Women's Draw

Isn't that a beefy? One of my best pickings so far! Seven out of the chosen eight made it to the final 8. I shouldn't have chosen Svetlana. Tsk.

Maria vs Nadia - Top seed has never looked any better. Her 'home' Grand Slam may be on grass, but hard courts are the next best thing. Maria in straight sets.

Kim vs Venus - The match of the round. Kim is playing the season of her career, with only one loss on US soil all year. Venus on the other hand, is enjoying a revival of her own - she puts a stamp on Serena that she was top dog in the family. However, based on the Williams match on Arthur Ashe the other day, Venus still needs some shaping up to do to counter Kim's red-hot streak on the courts. The Belgian in two hard-fought sets.

Mary vs Amelie - So Mary got her revenge for a rather humiliating French Open final. Next up is fellow countrywoman Amelie in the QF. Much has been said that Amelie is a choker when it comes to tight matches, but the same can be said for Pierce. I have yet to see Pierce take a break point (or a set point, or a match point) at the first occassion. I'm sure she has, but they're not that much compared to "Break Point Number X" where X is greater than one. Let's see... If Mary wins the first set, she can pull through in 3; if Amelie does take it, she will win in two. I'm going for a 3-setter here for a Pierce victory.

Elena vs Lindsay - Lindsay has the easiest draw. We all know that. Straight sets again.


Semifinals
Maria vs Kim - Hmm. Kim will win, over a determined Maria in a 3-set classic.
Mary vs Lindsay - Mary won the battle of the veterans in her Roland Garros semis, but not here. Lindsay is too powerful for her. Straight sets.

Final
Kim vs Lindsay - A dream final. I really wouldn't mind who will win this one: a cagey veteran on her quest for the icing on her cake, or a perennial bridesmaid to the Grand Slam weddings. I would want a Lindsay victory, but my gut says no. She got 2 out of 3 runner-up trophies from this year's Grand Slams, why break the trend? Kim to win her first Grand Slam in 3 wonderful sets. Oh, and did I say that her first GS win has a 2.2 million dollar price tag?

I got arrested today

Yup I did. One-way traffic violation. I must admit that bribery is bad, but the guy asked for it. I asked for a reprieve, a quick sorry, but he insisted. I rally don't mind, since 100 is far from 2 grand and a lot of hassle.

My bad for not knowing the city streets. Then again, it's my first day here. And my promdi accent just works wonders.