Similar to what I did in 2007, I'm running a poll where you decide where I will be heading for a vacation. I've already booked Korea this year, plus pending trips to Indonesia, India, and wherever our team meeting will be in Europe. I'm no longer counting Singapore, Malaysia since I never do anything there anyway.
So. The last poll ended with Brisbane winning over Hobart (Queensland vs Tasmania). This time, the poll is China vs Japan. My friend's miles are expiring, and I'd like to use it. I've been to both, spending almost a month in each in total.
Option 1: Japan in January 2012.
The thing with Japan, is I spent almost a month there during Hanami and generally did the major highlights. However, since it's my favourite country to visit, why not do it all over again. The planned itinerary is:
Kyoto for 2 days (no shortage of temples to visit there), skiing, and a visit to Ghibli Museum (missed it the last time). Sapporo up north or Hiroshima down south is an excursion option.
Option2: China sometime in 2011.
Xian has always been on my list, pity that I didn't have the time during my last visit. So, time to work on that. Though the terracotta army is not really on my list of things to see, I might as well.
My itinerary will be a short Beijing-Xian-Chengde.
So, what will it be? Vote away at the top left of this blog - I need to decide by 20th March as the miles are expiring!
Well looky here, a little chance to blog on how awesome the first Grand Slam of the year is. I can't believe that it's been 3 years already since I got to wander around Melbourne Park, and the landscape (of players) has changed immensely.
Just in case you haven't noticed. The ladies have been stealing the show all week in Melbourne: From Caroline's interview candor, Fran & Svetlana's epic match, Kim's dominance, and even Andrea's little jig. What Serena, you weren't there? I think we already forgot.
Men's QF Nadal vs Ferrer Dolgopolov vs Murray Berdych vs Djokovic Wawrinka vs Federer
Really nothing to worry for Nadal's SF spot, until he runs into Murray. That should be an interesting Friday match, too bad I'll miss it! Murray is in fine form, with no troubles winning a set, and so has been Nadal. We'll see how that goes.
I'll also miss out on the Federer-Djokovic showdown (no thank you night classes!). Hope Federer wins, but rooting for Djokovic. I want a new winner to Aussie Open 2011, but wins by the top 3 players are also welcome.
Women's QF Caroline vs Francesca Na vs Andrea Agnieszka vs Kim Petra vs Vera
At least by this time, we already know that a new Queen in Melbourne will be crowned Saturday. It would be a vindicating one for Caroline, a long-overdue one for Kim, a geographically-appropriate (and political statement) one for Na, and a surprise for the rest. My guess is a Na-Kim for the most Korean-sounding final in Melbourne.
Yeah, well so I haven't been blogging; but I'm not letting such a tradition be broken. Here's a rundown of the most played songs on my player for 2010, and the rest will be tweeted starting tomorrow. Hope your music list was as awesome as the year that has gone by.
21 Stornoway - Zorbing 22 Kesha featuring 3OH!3 - Blah Blah Blah 23 Justin Bieber and Sean Kingston - Eenie Meenie 24 The Drums - Let's Go Surfing 25 The Script - For The First Time 26 Kesha - Your Love Is My Drug 27 Neon Trees - Animal 29 Mike Posner - Cooler Than Me 30 Flo Rida and David Guetta - Club Can't Handle Me 31 Matisyahu - One Day 32 Alpha Rev - New Morning 33 Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dogg - California Gurls 34 Owl City - Vanilla Twilight 35 30 Seconds to Mars - Closer to the Edge 36 Toni Braxton featuring Sean Paul - Looking At Me 37 OneRepublic - Marching On 38 The Hoosiers - Choices 39 Timbaland featuring Katy Perry - If We Ever Meet Again 40 Forever The Sickest Kids - What Do You Want From Me 41 The Radio Dept - Heaven's On Fire 42 Taio Cruz featuring Ludacris - Break Your Heart 43 Ellie Goulding - Under the Sheets 44 The Avett Brothers - Kick Drum Heart 45 Kesha - Tik Tok 46 Daft Punk - Derezzed 47 John Legend featuring The Roots - Wake Up 48 Jay Sean featuring Sean Paul - Do You Remember 49 Shout Out Louds - Fall Hard 50 Delphic - Doubt 51 Disco Biscuits - On Time 52 Professor Green - Need You Tonight 53 The Futureheads - Heartbeat Song 54 Minus The Bear - Summer Angel 55 The Courteeners - Take Over The World 56 LCD Soundsystem - Can Change/Home 57 Stars - Fixed/Dead Hearts 58 Cee Lo Green - Forget (F^##) You 59 Minus The Bear - My Time 60 John Mayer - Heartbreak Warfare
...as my favorite director. Wait - let me just clear the cobwebs from this blog. There.
Yep, I'm alive. I've got several excuses (travel, work, no internet, zombie invasion, you know the drill), but none of it matters now. I've seen the deliriously good Inception by Christopher Nolan, and it is now confirmed: He is my favorite movie director.
As previously tweeted, Inception is the movie to see this summer: an arresting panorama of visuals, a sensational ensemble (always a gathering of acting heavyweights), but the core of it? A mind-blowing script. Franchise here, reboot there, a trilogy somewhere...it's about time someone came up with a devastatingly novel idea.
The idea of Inception is relatively complex, but you'd be surprised on how straightforward the stroytelling is. Then again, halfway through the movie, you realise that you're not there just to watch the film, you're there to admire it. It's like an elegantly dancing Rubik's cube or an infinitely changing Mandelbrot (forgive the nerd in me). However way you splice it, Inception is just intellectually gorgeous, in structure, in delivery, and in conception.
And if you look at Nolan's resume, his movies aren't too far off in formula: The reverse storyline coupled with short-term memory loss in Memento, one-upmanship and the (for lack of a better word) prestige in The Prestige, and the beautifully organised chaos in The Joker's mind in The Dark Knight. Where M Night has grabbed our attention in The Sixth Sense yet failed to deliver in consistency, Nolan has soared and kept on improving his craft.
Oh here's something not so original - remember that hotel fight scene with JGL? Though it's a definite shoo-in for MTV's Best Fight Award, I've seen it before. It's about time someone use this idea from 12 years ago!
Oooh, long time. I don't even remember doing this for the Australian Open. I didn't even have enough time to write about that Japan trip, back-to-back summer shenanigans, but tennis. Yes, you, you've been nice to me, so time to pay back.
Women's Quarterfinals
Serena vs Sam It's easy to go with Serena, here, but were talking clay. Apart from the fact that Slammin Sammy held her nerve to take out Henin in three sets. If this turns out to be a serving duel like what happened in Melbourne in January, this is a Serena show. I'm counting on the clay to boost Sam's chances, so I'll give it 3 sets, for an upset.
Yaroslava vs Jelena Roland Garros is usually a good platform for surprise quarterfinalists, but hopefully this only becomes as a springboard for Shvedova. It was a convincing with for Jankovic over Hantuchova, and I really hope she pulls herself together, because to be honest, she is a contender for this title, apart from the fact that this may be the surface where she has the best chance to do so. Straight sets for the Serbian golden retriever (I'm talking about her game).
Francesca vs Caroline While Caroline is a solid baseliner and can probably has more in the tank to propel herself to the semis, I'm a bit wary of the Italian veteran. She's got the skills, the guile, and the physique to see her through. 3 sets for Francesca?
Elena vs Nadia A battle of veterans, is most likely going to be a battle of headcases as well. Rooting for Nadia, she's been doing well at the slams, but she defeated Venus with much conviction at the previous round. Having said that, a SF for Elena (or a probable final) isn't as bad as well. I'll go straight sets for Petrova.
Semis and Final Long shot but hey, Jelena over Petrova in the final.
First things first, as usual, most trips have the sights, smells and feel; and it's always up to me to provide the sounds. This year's vacation is has been aurally brought to you by the BBC Sound of 2010 (see previous article below) plus some old goodies.
Recommended tracks for your summer listening pleasure: 1. Let's Go Surfing, Saddest Summer, and I Felt Stupid by The Drums. 2. I'll Hold My Breath, Under The Sheets, and Your Biggest Mistake by Ellie Goulding 3. Fireflies, Hot Air Balloon, and Vanilla Twilight by Owl City (just saw the concert before I left - an excellent way to spend a warm summer evening) 4. Giving Up The Gun, Run, Cousins by Vampire Weekend 5. Mountains, Bubbles and Many of Horror by Biffy Clyro 6. Remain, Doubt and Red Lights by Delphic 7. And I played pop hits from Jay-Z/ Alicia Keys, 5ive, Lady Gaga (featuring Marilyn Manson! Who knew that a collaboration might actually exist!), and Dominos by The Big Pink.
So that completes my summer soundtrack for 2010. As a parting shot, here's the happiest tune of them all for this year. To the basement people, so many surprises await you!
Crap - I may be travelling a bit too much for my own good. I ended with Paris, and forgot about the rest. Anyway, I'll just put it down as a summary: Belgium was nice, quick and lovely, but I still don't know what's the deal with the Manneken Pis. Though I miss those waffles though.
Then I went to the Netherlands. Delft is a great city! And Amsterdam had the prettiest girls in all of Europe - and that's not even counting the ones by the windows. Suffice to say, my most enjoyed moment was Amsterdam, and couldn't wipe that smile off my face for two straight days. Good thing I don't have to blog about it, it may not be print worthy, wink wink.
So...why have things been quiet the past month? Japan, baby! On the next update though.
Yes, Paris aka the City of Lights, but more popularly known as the City of Love is over rated. When you're there, it's feels "just all right", but perhaps it's me expecting to be overwhelmed by grandeur and culture.
Maybe I guess I was spoiled being incognito in Asia, deadpanned in London, but I was harrased the moment I got out of Gare du Nord. I was still adjusting my bearings when someonone tried to sell me Metro tickets, even if I insisted on getting them from the booth. Moreover, I got caught between the Metro gates (totally my fault). Good thing my friend Marc lived near a Metro station, I didn't have to walk too much with my luggage. Running across St. Pancras and back with 40kg of luggage is not to be repeated again.
But having said that, it cannot be denied that Paris is gorgeous. Eiffel Tower is inspiring, both up close and at a distance, the subways are filled with performers and streets are littered with art. The photos are amazing, if I do say so myself, and it's definitely an experience to spend a week in Paris. So scratch that first paragraph I wrote.
So, where was I? Before getting interrupted by Aussie Open and holiday season, I was talking about how awesome London was. On top of the freebie museums, I happened to be there on Halloween, where people took it seriously. Plenty of Joker (Heath Ledger version 2008) and zombie wannabes, so I joined in the fun with some fake blood.
On top of celebrating Halloween, we did it Pub Crawl Style! No better way to enjoy 31 Oct than this; wait, we were the 2nd most fun activity that night in all of London, next to Halloween Costume Pub Crawl in Roller Blades, which I saw on the way to the pub.
So, nothing wrong with runner-up, but before I sound like one of those paid up PR schmaltz on the newspapers, I'll just post some photos instead.
Deric! Too bad the photos died on your camera, mine sucks!
She asked me what I thought her costume was. I said Liza Minelli. Look at my photo above, that's not fake blood; her costume was supposed to be a barfly.
There's the leader of the band all dressed up in his monkey costume, right beside Mr. Vorhees.
I remember a ritual involving writing predictions for every tennis Grand Slam. But my, 2010 is shaping to be quite a busy year, and we're just in the first 20 days of it. Missed out on the prediction from the get go, but here's what I got right: breakthroughs for Vika, Marin and Jie; and what I did not get right: Kim's demolition, and Sharapova's flameout. Plus, Dementieva's spirited loss against Henin. It's shaping to be an excellent tourney yet again in Australia, so let's get the predictions on.
Federer vs Davydenko I've never rooted for Davydenko, and I would've cheered for him (tout him as a favorite, even). Tough part of the draw as he meets Federer as early as the QF; this could've been a final, IMO.
While Davydenko showed chinks in his armor, Federer upped his game against Hewitt. Sure does pay to know each other's game very well. Same fate lies for Davydenko, but expect a fight. Four sets for Federer.
Djokovic vs Tsonga Has anyone noticed that no one has noticed Djokovic? He's one of 3 ex-champs here in Melbourne, but all eyes have been on the comeback ladies and the question marks on Nadal (fitness) and Murray (when is that slam coming?). Nole takes on a rematch of his 2008 win against Tsonga, who looked demoralised fending off streaky Almagro in the previous round. A tired Tsonga will bounce his way out of the tournament thanks to a fine straight set win from Djokovic.
Roddick vs Cilic If I'm going to call an upset, this would be it. While the tall lanky Croat stringed a mature win over US Open champ JMDP, Marin's method was still shaky and unconvincing at some points. Roddick's style has gone from one-sided to consistently explosive, and using maturity now as an added weapon.
Both players won their warmup tourneys in Brissy and Chennai, and someone will end his streak here. I call Marin to step up tp the plate, and defeat Roddick by out-acing and out-pacing him. Roddick, now faster than ever will catch up with some of them, but expect those backhand returns to be dealt with pain. Another 5 setter in the works.
Murray vs Nadal
This round's marquee match. A blazing Nadal will square off a bulked-up (yet again) Murray. Will Murray choke (Hopman Cup anyone), or have a repeat of his run to the final? Speed-wise, it's a pretty even match, but for power, the advantage belongs to the Spaniard. I would like to vote Nadal here in 4, but why do I get this sinking feeling that this'll end in straight sets for Andy?
Semis and Final Federer. Djokovic. Grand Slam semifinal. Didn't we see this before? Yawn. Murray-Cilic? Well that's new. And so is this: Novak will make the finals, and so will Murray. Only because I've been waiting for this matchup for quite a while now. Maiden slam for Murray? Nah, Australia's not really his strongest suit.
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Serena vs Vika This should be an explosive match. Serena is playing untouchable tennis, serving impeccably and demolishingly precise. Vika is a true firecracker, clawing her way out of a big hole to make it to the quarters.
We'll see a lot of rallies here, and a side to side wiping of both players. If Azarenka can manage to get past the Serena serve, she'll have a chance (like she did last year, before retiring due to food poisoning). However, from Serena form of late, everyone is just scrambling for that runner-up plate. I say straight sets. If Vika gets past Serena, then it's Azarenka FTW.
Na vs Venus Venus could've tumbled earlier, but she didn't. Must be the wisdom of maturity that's anchoring her fantastic run in Oz. She never tends to do well here, but I'll give her a shot at the all-Williams clash by getting past China's Na in 3 tight sets.
Justine vs Nadia With so many people to choose from this quarter, did we really end up with this match up? Drat, should've put my money on Justine instead of Elena for my FL picks. I'd love to see Nadia breakthrough here. Anyone who humiliates the the last GS winner by surrendering only 1 game, deserves some praise. Nadia also took our reigning RG winner Sveta in the previous round. I want to see how that hot streak fares against this Grand Slam episode's comeback queen Justine. I'll vote on the Nadia train for 2 sets; if goes to a third expect Henin to squeak out of that.
Jie vs Maria Wow, who would've thought it. China represent! No ide where this one will go, but I'm hoping that Jie makes a second SF appearance in a Grandslam. Besides, it's the slam of the Asia-Pacific; nice to see two Chinese players out there.
Semis and Final Serena. There's no denying that she's head and shoulders above the pile, and enjoying it. And oh, welcome back Justine. I smell a rivalry revived.
Now that the rundown of 2009 is over, it's time to look ahead of what we should be looking forward to in 2010, music-wise. I'm a big fan of BBC's Sound Of... series, and judging from last year's list, it's quite obvious.
While the Sound of 2010 has stepped away from last year's electro-frenzy (Little Boots, Lady Gaga, Frankmusik), this year's mix is a bit more varied, though still with a bias for synth. You've heard about Two Door Cinema Club, and everyone has been rapt with Owl City, so let's proceed with artists that not a lot of people have heard of yet. From the long list of 15, here are my favorites.
1. Stornoway - This probably fits my kind of alternative. Clever lyrics, hints of folk, and a good ambient sound done live. They should - this ensemble features an ecologist, Russian lit specialist, and trumpets! Looking forward to see more of them this year.
2. Elie Goulding - Winner of the critics' list, radio-friendly and a continuation of the 2009 electro-princess trend. 3. The Drums - Summer soundtrack, get ready, it's the Beach Boys for Gen Z. 4. Delphic - This year's version of Temper Trap, or an updated New Order. Less cheery, and darker undertones, but definitely interesting still.
Look who's back, they're the follow up albums we might see this year: 1. LCD Soundsystem - A raving masterpiece that Sound of Silver was. The anthemic All My Friends needs an encore, so welcome back James Murphy.
http://lcdsoundsystem.com/main/
2. Vampire Weekend - Contra has already been released, and their Africa-tinged melodies are filling the airwaves once more.
3. Justin Timberlake - You got to admit, that FutureSex/Lovesounds album was groundbreaking, and established that JT has talent. Let's see what other tricks he's got on his sleeve. 4. Gorillaz - It's been quite a while Damon Albarn. Blur reunion take up mnost of your time?
This is Sports Illustrated's best matches of the past decade. I have been fortunate enough to see 8 of them, and I do agree that they were truly the crowning glory of the sport. A bit of American bias though, Ivanisevic's championship win over Rafter at Wimbledon 2001 should've been here.
1. 2008 Wimbledon men's final Rafael Nadal def. Roger Federer, 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-7(8), 9-7
Saw this in HK. There was strawberries and cream (thanks Mida!) for the duration of the whole match including rain delays. Phenomenal stuff, saw the crack of dawn to cap off the best match of all time. I probably won't be hearing a lot of disagreements with this one.
2. 2001 U.S. Open men's quarterfinals Pete Sampras def. Andre Agassi, 6-7(7), 7-6(2), 7-6(2), 7-6(5)
Four tiebreaks, and two legends battling it out. A carryover of the 90's, this was to usher in the new age of tennis.
3. 2005 Australian Open men's semifinals Marat Safin def. Roger Federer, 5-7, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6(6), 9-7
I remember being in a party in BKK, and skipping out to watch this. Further proof that Safin is next to Federer as best natural ball striker out there. During Federer's prime, where no one could come close to his dominance, only one man stood out to steal a hardcourt major from him, the mercurial Marat Safin.
4. 2005 Wimbledon women's final Venus Williams def. Lindsay Davenport, 4-6, 7-6(4), 9-7
Most heartbreaking match on the list. A spectacular 25-shot rally drained the life out of Lindsay costing her the match.
5. 2009 Wimbledon men's final Roger Federer def. Andy Roddick, 5-7, 7-6(6), 7-6(5), 3-6, 16-14
Almost, almost. By 12-all in the fifth, I was saying 'ridiculous, shades of Aussie 03 again, Andy?". Wimbledon, though not as fan-friendly, never fails to disappoint turning out with the best matches.
6. 2002 Australian Open women's final Jennifer Capriati def. Martina Hingis, 4-6, 7-6(7), 6-2
The match that transformed me from casual viewer to all-out addict. This will be the last time Hingis will contest a Grand Slam championship. I miss you Martina!
7. 2004 French Open men's first round Fabrice Santoro def. Arnaud Clement, 6-4, 6-3, 6-7 (7-5), 3-6, 16-14
No, I didn't see this, though I probably did see clips of it, since it went on for more than 6 hours and over 2 days.
8. 2006 Rome Masters men's final Rafael Nadal def. Roger Federer, 6-7(0), 7-6(5), 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(5)
No, I don't remember this, but I know I saw it. I wonder why.
9. 2003 U.S. Open women's semifinals Justine Henin-Hardenne def. Jennifer Capriati, 4-6, 7-5, 7-6(4)
The match the gave Hawkeye the critical mass to be implemented. JHH was gone by the end of the match, but still able to recompose herself and win the whole thing.
10. 2005 Tennis Masters Cup final David Nalbandian def. Roger Federer, 6-7(4), 6-7(11), 6-2, 6-1, 7-6(3)
Ha, I was at this event! Yey. Though I did not see the final itself as I was in transit, at least I was able to attend most of the tennis.
As previously mentioned, it's an almost all-British affair for the top 10, save for a new act from Melbourne. This list is updated once per day until 2010 comes in.
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10. Athlete - Superhuman Touch Athlete leaves behind its melancholy wares and trades it in for a little playful synthesizer. Their 4th studio album, Black Swan Song, interestingly improves on their already rich discography.
9. Snow Patrol - Set Down Your Glass
and I'm shaken, and I'm still when your eyes meet mine, I lose simple skills
Not an official single per se, but there is something calming, yet disarming about this song. I hope nobody steals this song for his/her wedding, I'm saving this one for mine.
8. Stars - 14 Forever
10000 drunken kids on field can't be wrong the song must've been beautiful or they wouldn't sing along
This one played to my nostalgia of youth and one thing I missed out on: music festivals. Take me to Coachella, Glastonbury, Burning Man! Wish I had done that when I was young though, and as the song says, this song is indeed beautiful.
7. Coldplay - Lovers In Japan This year's most spirited song; totally soaring Coldplay and salvaging an otherwise forgettable album. Brilliant seen live, with paper butterflies.
6. Temper Trap - Sweet Disposition To be honest, the placement of the song in the movie didn't help, but they were fantastic taken independently. Best soundtrack of the year, and this is it's crown offering.
5. Frankmusik - Better Off As 2 This year's most deserving new artist, and one of the most played in my walkman. This song tells all the electro-pop ladies that men can sing-dance-remix this genre too.
4. Frankmusik - 3 Little Words A little Tom Hanks tribute in the video, a little ode to A-Ha in the music, and whole lot of 80s lighted the major music trend of 2009. Check out the debut album - it comes in 3 flavors: orginal, remix and acoustic.
3. Johnny Foreigner - Salt, Peppa and Spinderella Rockout/headbang song of the year. Starts quiet, finishes with a bang. Remember being all heady for a night out in town? This is the anthem to start your night right.
This year has been one of the strongest years in music by a considerable margin. 2009's crop was definitely littered with powerful performances with the following highlights: strong 80s revival, neon techno, and a lot of emphasis on indie and well crafted lyrics.
Something in it for everyone, whether it's reliable Athlete or Jack's Mannequin, or emo favorites Dashboard Confessional, pop favorites Katy Perry (heck there's even Lady Gaga on this list!), I'm sure you're going to love this rundown.
Top ten recap to be released tomorrow, and let it be known, that no US artist made it to elite status.
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11 Asher Roth - I Love College 12 Cobra Starship featuring Leighton Meester - Good Girls Go Bad 13 Black Eyed Peas - I Got A Feeling 14 Owl City - The Saltwater Room 15 Florence And The Machine - Dog Days Are Over 16 Kids In Glass Houses - Easy Tiger 17 Alphabeat - Fascination 18 Passion Pit - Little Secrets 19 Red Light Company - Arts And Crafts 20 Calvin Harris - I'm Not Alone 21 The Limousines - Very Busy People 22 Anberlin - Retrace 23 Jack's Mannequin - The Resolution 24 Hockey - Song Away 25 Pez - The Festival Song 26 Dashboard Confessional - Belle Of The Boulevard 27 Empire Of The Sun - Walking On A Dream 28 Phoenix - 1901 29 Just Jack - The Day I Died 30 Ladyhawke - Back Of The Van 31 La Roux - Bulletproof 32 Matt Nathanson - Come On Get Higher 33 Kids In Glass Houses - Give Me What I Want 34 Jack's Mannequin - Spinning 35 Passion Pit - Sleepyhead 36 FM Static - Take Me As I Am 37 Katy Perry - Waking Up In Vegas 38 Sam Sparro - 21st Century Life 39 Phoenix - Lisztomania 40 James Morrison - Please Don't Stop The Rain 41 The Raveonettes - Last Dance 42 All American Rejects - I Wanna 43 Little Boots - Remedy 44 Army Navy - Silvery Sleds 45 Paramore - I Caught Myself 46 The Fray - Never Say Never 47 We Are Scientists - After Hours 48 Athlete - Rubik's Cube 49 Train - Hey Soul Sister 50 Friendly Fires - Relationships 51 Lady Gaga - Just Dance 52 Shakira - She Wolf 53 Empire Of The Sun - Half Mast 54 The Virgins - Rich Girls/Teen Lovers 55 Imogen Heap - First Train Home 56 Howie Day - Be There 57 Arctic Monkeys - Crying Lightning 58 Jesse McCartney featuring Ludacris - How Do You Sleep 59 Yeah Yeah Yeah - Zero 60 Two Door Cinema Club - Something Good Can Work
Yup, after a long rainy day, frustrating train rides (the London undergound has routine maintenance service on the weekends, upgrading their facilities in time for 2012 - the Olympics, not the end of the world), I made it to SW19. In more simple terms, I finally got my arse over to Wimbledon.
Warning - Wimbledon is some 30+ minutes southwest of central London, and do not get off the Wimbledon stations. You hop off Southfields, and take a long-ish walk to The All England Lawn Tennis Club. It's a bit of a walk, and you can only imagine how massive the queues here during competition week.
The visit was a short one, as I spent the morning coasting around rainy London, and daylight was definitely fading. AELTC upped their tennis museum, showing the winners' trophies and the apparel worn during the tournaments. There's not a lot on offer with the museum, but there's a 200-degree theatre showcasing the science of tennis (Sharapova is athlete specimen), a 3d rendition of McEnroe, and video highlights from the singles finals from the last 30 years or so, with matching Rolex-style display boards.
To cap that little trip, here's a not so awesome view of Centre Court, with the roof.
My first reaction upon entering the British Museum was: Aha, Norman Foster! In reference to the brocaded circular roof radiating from the center court of the museum.
The second? "Ah, no wonder Egypt and Greece are so mad at the British Museum" The exhibits on displays were massive - as big as houses, and makes me wonder on how the transported and installed them. Starting off from walls and walls of Assyrian statues (got to love the beard), the gigantic bust of Ramesses, the Parthenon marbles, and ruins from the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus.
This is my favorite museum so far - whilst antiquities and ancient civilisations are definitely not my strongest suit, this vast array on display is meant to wow any regular museum goer. Did I mention that this museum is free?
Everybody says it, London is expensive. However, people fail to highlight that most of London's museums are free. Bundle that with the abundance of parks (London is the greenest city on the planet - more space dedicated to parks and trees than anywhere else), you can fill in itinerary for three full days on the cheap.
Since my days were limited, I had to play my cards right and skip the Science Museum, the Natural History Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum as they were on the other side of town. Same fate went to Tate Gallery , as most of the sights I focused on were on the eastern bit.
A slapdash tour of The National Gallery on my last night in London was greeted by street performers, and the gallery I first entered hit the spot: Impressionism. At least half a day is needed to appreciate the masterpieces of Degas, Renoir, and Monet. There's a whole section for Titian, Italian Renaissance paintings, and other vast artworks in the massive building located on Trafalgar Square.
I also managed to go into the Tate Modern, which houses the best collection of modern art I've seen so far. Beating out GOMA in Brisbane, Powerhouse in Sydney and Centre Pompidou in Paris (MOMA NYC, your fate will have to wait). Picasso, Lichtenstein, Mondrian are some of the work you'll find inside.
Last for this entry is the Westminster Abbey, which isn't technically a museum (duh, it's an abbey), but it's actually closer to a crypt. It's not free, but for 15 GBP, you get the tombs of English royalty while being assisted by Sir Jeremy Irons on the audio guide. Tombs of Elizabeth I sit side by side with her sister Mary I, and right across is her main rival, Mary Queen of Scots, her cousin. Also of note is the Poet's Corner, where tombs of Charles Dickens, Geofrrey Chaucer, Robert Browning, among others lay.
