Getting closer to "La Decima"...

...but, will it happen?
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by Philipina A. Marcelo


After that goal by Cristiano Ronaldo... uhm, more correctly, after that mistake by Heurelho Gomes - the embattled goal keeper of Tottenham Hotspur FC - any hope for Tottenham to make good of the "nothing is impossible" remark by their coach, Harry Redknapp, alluding to their hope for a 2nd leg quarter-final come back from their 4-0 first leg murder by Real Madrid CF in Santiago Bernabéu, had become nothing but impossible! Football fans in White Hart Lane tried - very hard - to launch a great wave of cheers that the Hotspur could ride to erase their four-goal deficit against the Meringues... to no avail! José Mourinho's men went for the kill in London!

***
The Road to 'La Decima'...

If the Hotspur's spirited first-half attempts at the goal in White Hart Lane made the Merengues gasped a little, Iker Casillas stayed focused about not conceding a goal - and he succeeded, too. Just an illustration of why he is the best goalkeeper in the world! But what really foiled Redknapp and his charge's hopes was a CR7 kick that sent the ball straight into Gomes's arms, and Gomes fumbling awkwardly, sending the ball to his own goal! It was truly unforgettable - all for its sheer absurdity... and, yeah, bad luck, too.

To me, however, Gomes's fumble was not the main Tottenham blooper in their Champions League quarter-final run. It was the idiotic action of their striker, Peter Crouch in the first leg encounter with the Merengues - and only 15 minutes from the first-half whistle blow as well. With a heroic Emmanuel Adebayor goal for the Merengues on the 4th minute of the opening half, Tottenham was on the run for an equalizer. Possessed by some gods of stupidity, Crouch tackled Marcelo needlessly after previously bringing down Sergio Ramos on the 11th minute (but, yeah, thanks for that one, lad)that booked him on the second leg of the quarter-final. The Marcelo tackle sent Crouch out with a red card! That left his side limping all throughout the match, and sending their chances to advance to the semi-finals spiraling downward into the drain. What was he thinking? While Real Madrid is no FC Barcelona, no side could win a match against the Mourinho-managed side with only 10 men... and in a most important quarter-final stage of the UEFA Champions League, too... and at Estadio Santiago Bernabéu even! Aaargh, Peter Crouch, shame on you!

While Real Madrid could not take advantage of the limping Tottenham squad in the first-half of the first leg match, thanks to the spirited attempts of Gareth Bale, the second-half was a different story. The Merengues finally realized Peter Crouch's gift to them... and they took advantage with wild pace that the 10-man Tottenham cannot keep up to. Emmanuel Adebayor then headed the ball to the goal very nicely from a Marcelo corner - his second in the match - and Ángel Di Maria and Cristiano Ronaldo contributing a piece to complete nice playmaking from Xabi Alonso and Mesut Özil, and Kaka, respectively.

And so, the Merengues headed for the second leg of their quarter-final match with Tottenham in London with some swagger to their walk - and quite reasonably, too. But I have to say, they had a lot of help from Peter Crouch! The Tottenham striker helped the Merengues build a hill too steep to climb for his side in the second leg, while he probably watched the second leg of the QF from the comforts of his living room with his feet on a mantel. I wish I could say, "but that's football...," but that would sound too kind for Peter Crouch! And I choose not to be kind to him. So, yeah, shame on you, Peter Crouch!

In the end, not only did Tottenham's efforts looked pathetic (pardon me, Gareth Bale) in the second leg of their QF with Real Madrid, it was also quite painful for football fans to watch! Real Madrid wasn't even playing great... they were just being their usual selves - brilliant players (and coach?) whose talents just don't gel to make a brilliant team. I swear I tried to pay close attention, but the match was just too boring that it can't compete with my book on Albert Einstein! :) I have to confess though that everytime the White Hart Lane crowd does a chorus for a resounding "booooooo" and a mocking snicker, it made me look up... even when I already knew it was all for Cristiano Ronaldo! =) Why do I get the feeling that, at some point, football fans around the world would find it "fun" to do the same to "The Special One"? :) Hmmm... maybe he should make a bigger effort to hide his "special weapon", huh? Hey, Mou, don't tell me I didn't warn you, eh!! =)

***
Smelling like 'La Decima'?

Going to London for their away game with Tottenham on the 13th of April 2011, obviously, Real Madrid had only one thing in mind - the mouthwatering sweetness of "La Decima"! With nine UEFA Champions League title to their name, the last one won back in 2002 when CR7 was still wondering about his growing muscles, Mourinho and his men want a tenth! And if CR7's attempt to seal the deal in London was the lamest of all attempts, it was enough to have them thinking about going up against FC Barcelona for the UEFA Champions League semi-finals... in the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, of all places! With the amazing chain of "good luck" they've had on their way to the semi-finals, it makes me nervous to think about their chances against Barҫa. Oh, please, I don't want to imagine José Mourinho walking around with a voodoo doll, so, please don't make me! :) Dang, I can't shake it off my head now!

Whatever it was that brought them to where they are now, hopefully, it was brilliance... Real Madrid is through to the semi-finals! And closer to achieving La Decima at the UEFA Champions League, too. There is only one, uh, not so little problem along the remaining stretch of the road to La Decima: FC Barcelona! Or, should I say "Lionel Messi and FC Barcelona"? May Leo pardon me if that sounded like he's not a huge team player, because he is! And what did Sir Alex Ferguson of Machester United FC call him again? "Magician"? Sir Alex even admitted that watching FC Barcelona in action in the field is "a joy"! In that case, make that a GIANT problem, notwithstanding Messi's physical stature, of course! :) Therefore, the more interesting question is... "is the problem surmountable... at all"? I hope Mourinho wouldn't answer "nothing is impossible"! =)

Make no mistake though... Victor Valdes is no Heurelho Gomes - whether that's good or bad, only time will tell! And, definitely, none of the Catalan strikers is a Peter Crouch! Hmmm, oh, gosh, I really hope so! But Real Madrid has Mourinho, of course... but then, hasn't Mourinho's nine-year "zero home loss" streak recently ended when the Merengues lost to Sporting Gijon in La Liga at Bernabéu? Hmmm... the "Special One" (and "his voodoo doll"?) is not invincible afterall, huh? Of course, he could always reason that his injury-plagued side had Kaka, Marcelo, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo all missing in that match. Sure, but isn't a "healthy and competitive bench" also a part of Football Tactics 101? He should know... afterall, isn't he the famed "tactician" of two winning sides in the UEFA Champions League? In case he's in doubt, he could ask Pep Guardiola, too - he knows. :) And, yeah, I'm pretty sure Mirceu Lucesco can vouch for Guardiola's opinion, too! :)

No, I won't even start talking about the Azulgrana's Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, and the comebacking team captain, the injury-free-at-last Carles Puyol. Uhm, what do Real Madrid's fanatics call Xavi and Iniesta again, "midgets"? :) As for "the other midget", I don't think it would be kind to talk about the little man with giant talents, Leo Messi, either... especially, not when "Cristiano Ronaldo" is in the same sentence, nah-uh. And, hey, if the "Special One" himself refuses to talk about the impending El Clásico this weekend in Bernabéu, how could a lowly little amateur like me even make an attempt? So, let's just say, yes... Real Madrid could go on dreaming about La Decima, why not? But they should also keep in mind, and this isn't an amateurish comment this time either, that a strong sweet smell doesn't guarantee that the food is within reach! I'm a food scientist, I should know.... =)


***
Photo credits: All photos were grabbed from Zimbio - thanks!

All business...

...as usual!
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by Philipina A. Marcelo


And so the illustrious Kings of Donbass Arena fell in the hands of their hesitant conquerors from Catalonia in the second leg of their quarter-final UEFA Champions League tie. 1-0 in Donbass, 6-1 on aggregate... the Catalans did what no other European side have managed to do over the past couple of years now: beat Shakhtar Donetsk FC in Donbass Arena in a European competition... and in a fashion most awesome, worthy of mention in football records, too. The Catalans received nothing but respect and admiration from the Donbass miners led by their brilliant head coach, Mircea Lucesco. Even the Pitmen fanatics in Donbass were happy to see the best football player in the world today - Lionel Messi - re-write the football book of records in their very own oh, so daunting football field.

***
Serious business for the 'big boys'

No, Barҫa wasn't looking to bring the Pitmen on their knees. After that 5-1 first leg quarter-final win in Camp Nou six days earlier, they were simply "taking care of business" in Donbass. The business was to secure a slot in the "last four" of the UEFA Champions League, and to augment their confidence going into the Spanish La Liga's 'El Clásico' on the weekend at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. And so, the Catalans tried to dictate the pace of the game from the very start, and it was a blindingly fast-paced game, too! Josep Guardiola's and Lucesco's men took off - full throttle - as soon as the referee blew his whistle. They left no chance whatsoever for restroom breaks! The Pitmen obviously loved that pace, and they totally stepped on the gas - matching Barҫa every exciting step of the way, reiterating their ownership of Donbass. Soon, they appeared to be in the driver's seat. Their game plan was clear: get into the goalmaking business the soonest possible time, and try to force a miracle of making five goals in 90 minutes, with Barҫa remaining without a goal all night! They made it appear like it was doable by creating a dizzying slew of chances for themselves to score early on in the match! If the Catalan defenders appeared to have had a momentary dizzy spell care of Shakhtar's inspired aggression, Victor Valdes was not one to get dizzy though. Valdes protected the Barcelona goal with speed, agility and ferocity like he was the best goalie in the history of football, constantly forcing a frustrated shake-of-the-head from Lucesco! Valdes's beautiful but I'm-on-my-limit-here-guys-so-please-let's-get-our-defensive-act-together moves and Pep Guardiola's to-the-rescue instructions urgently yelled from the sidelines, sent a strong message to the rest of Azulgrana's first 11 to tighten the defensive wall. Quickly, Barҫa was on it, with Xavi Hernandez - the team captain - taking charge...a change in tactic: defend from the front.

As the early Shakhtar storm of goal attempts started to wear down, thanks to the very consistent Valdes and the go-ahead-try-us-it's-your-shin tough stance of the defence crew, which was reinforced by a menacing midfield, Catalonia's first 11 resumed business. They slowly rotated in front, converting defense-up-front to ferocious attacks. Soon the Catalans were firing at will! Lionel Messi was at the point of the spear, David Villa at his wing, and Ibrahim Affelay serving as "the other" surprising triggerman. Affelay, of course, was one of Pep Guardiola's yet-another-ace-up-my-sleeve-because-I-can-afford-it winks at the 'old wily cat' Lucesco. Sweet! And Lucesco probably thought Andres Iniesta's yellow card in the first leg would hurt the Catalans's chances in Donbass. Nope! Even without Iniesta, the Catalan attacks were solid and ferocious that Shakhtar was forced to slowly back off, feeling the heat. The pace went from blinding to are-you-guys-for-real blinding, and the excitement level went from whoa! to a killer, killer, killer pounds on the chest! At some point, even the referee who had all his instruments out to follow the incredibly fast-paced action took a tumble! The Donbass crowd, feeling the pressure on the Pitmen, also stepped up - cheering from the depth of their passion and lust for football! Shakhtar was willed by their fans to response to Barҫa's tough attacks, and they did so with raw adrenalin rush.

The rest of the first half of the match was a pull-push in the tie, with the young Shakhtar crew pushed to their limit and the Catalans having their hands full containing the fast-and-furious bullish Pitmen. Both Lucesco and Guardiola were on their feet - designing strategies on-the-spot to outdo the other side. And, so the two sides were engaged in "dynamic" strategy making, sending the players flying, and it was absolutely exciting! And then, in a moment of frenzied attack-defend, push-pull between the two sides, about two minutes before half-time, that "tricky" little genius from Argentina slipped through a trio of markers. While all was busy containing one another's marked men, Messi received a beautiful pass from a sprinting Dani Alves. He then went zigzagging around busy thoroughfare towards the Shakhtar goal. After breathtaking seconds of beautiful Messi moves, he slotted his 48th goal of the season against the dumbfounded Andriy Pyatov and a band of Shakhtar defender - to the dismay of the rest of the struggling Pitmen! While Shakhtar reeled from the sting of Messi's strike, knowing that their quest for a first UEFA Champions League title just slipped their precarious grasp for sure, the rest of the Catalan warriors knew they have moved to the semi-finals. The business deal sealed! And they celebrated like they have, indeed, moved to the semis! :)

The Catalan's first-half goal was extra-sweet in that Lionel Messi, who is this season's UEFA Champions League highest scorer so far with 9 goals, just surpassed a Club record for the most number of goals in one season. The Barcelona "talisman" has also equaled the global record for the most number of goals in one season. Even Pep Guardiola, aware of the significance of that goal, saluted Messi - pointing to him with a nod and a knowing smile. Even the Donbass crowd also showed appreciation, and understandably so! While Messi may have soured their team's Champions League aspirations, they were a part of football history unfolding right in their very own hallowed football ground. I was glad that from thousands of miles away, I was a part of it, too! :)

***
Little boys at play

When it was clear that all sorts of danger to unhinge the Barcelona hold on one of the four UEFA Champions League semi-final slots have been taken care of, Pep Guardiola started pulling out his first eleven from the Donbass field. Obviously, he was saving them for the big task come weekend in Santiago Bernabéu Stadium - the clash with Real Madrid CF in the first of four El Clásicos within three weeks. Shortly, with about 25 more minutes to play, the Barcelona side was dominated by substitutes. It was interesting though that Guardiola retained Dani Alves, Ibrahim Afellay and Lionel Messi in the field. Later, it became apparent to me what his intentions may have been. He was trying to help Lionel Messi thoroughly re-write history by surpassing even the global record of most goals in one season, and perhaps, reaching his half-century of goals in the season - all in the same match. And if Leo was to do that, Guardiola was wishing he'd do it in Donbass... not to spite the Pitmen, but to honor the hallowed grounds of Donbass - home of the next best squad in European football today, in my opinion - as a venue for such an awesome feat! But if he were to retain Messi in that dangerous field where Lucesco's men were still hotly gunning to, at least, retain their kingship in their home stadium notwithstanding the sweetness of a Messi record, Messi would need reliable wing men. Thus, Dani Alves and Ibrahim Afellay's extended stay in the field.

If Guardiola thought Lionel Messi had the smallest ounce of selfishness in his footballer's blood to use the energy and aggression of his peppered-with-substitute-and-therefore-have-nothing-to-lose side though, he was wrong! Lionel Messi, didn't own up to his stardom - once again. He chose to be a playmaker for Barcelona instead, stealing balls even from the fingertips of Pyatov and passing it to an open teammate for a goal. At one point, he went for an assist for Ibrahim Afellay in the latter's what could have been a moment of greatness. He stole the ball from a crowd of hungry boys and sped towards the goal, leaving a number of Pitmen struggling to catch up behind him to no avail. He aimed at Afellay, who matched his speed a few meters up front. As Adriy Pyatov went low to spring at Messi's strike, Messi passed the ball to Afellay who knew exactly what to do. Unfortunately, Pyatov have learned his lesson from Messi already and was quite ready for a shift to stop Afellay's assault. He stretched to prevent Guardiola's third trigger from causing a 2-0 Barcelona domination in Donbass, only to give Dani Alves a chance to kick the loose ball with brute force towards the goal from the midfield - he missed. It was a beautiful playmaking that even Pep Guardiola gave his men two thumbs up. While it didn't complete to a goal, the Catalans didn't even show disappoinment. They knew what business they came to accomplish, and they also knew that, at that point, the business deal was all wrapped up and in the bag... and they were ready to head back to Barcelona... and on to Bernabéu in the weekend with a 6-1 win on them against Ukraine's best! :) In the meantime, they were treating themselves to the sweetness of little boys' play - they deserved it, too! Even Pep Guardiola was indulging them. :)

***
Girls just wanna have fun

Oh, by the way, this may be unrelated, but I love the Catalans's away jersey! They look lovely in them, too - soft color over tough muscles! Aaaaw... :) Well, what can I say... hmmm, "while the boys took care of business, the girls were having fun"? :) That's just the way it goes, I think... and it feels just right as well! ;)

***
Photo credits: All photos were grabbed from Zimbio - thanks! :)

FOOTIE, FOOTIE...

...and more footie!
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by Philipina A. Marcelo


Yep, the world is round... indeed, it is! And it has stars all over it... that one kicked around by those oh, so lovely, lovely men as they ran and tried to outmaneuver one another in that most beautiful green field amidst the roar of the incredible crowd around the field in the most sensational fashion... and passion! Football! The world is a football... my world is round - and it's football! :)

Aaaah, I have been raring to write a sports blog for the LONGEST time now. I have so many materials about tennis and Roger Federer, and football and Lionel Messi, and FC Barcelona and Real Madrid CF... the list goes on and on - all in my head. Year after year, Grand Slam after Grand Slam, Season after Season in football leagues, my Facebook Wall is "littered" with so many tennis and football stuff... and how I wished I had the time to sit down and organize them on a blog. But the wish had never came to fruition... until now! I thought I was too passionate and "fanatic" to be writing objectively about tennis and football when Roger Federer, or Lionel Messi and FC Barcelona, or Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid CF for that matter, were involved. So, I've been letting my Facebook Wall as the venue for letting loose my passion for tennis and football, and write bits and pieces about them here. But that unbelievable UEFA Champions League quater-final first leg tie between FC Barcelona and Shakhtar Donetsk FC at the fabulous Camp Nou yesterday, April 6, 2011, did it for me... and here I am "sports blogging"! Well... sort of! :)

After that awesome World Cup Season last year, which had me staggering from lack of sleep to work for a couple of months, my addiction to football reached the critical level that, uh... well, I've been talking to Lionel Messi and Xavi Hernandez in my sleep! Dang! Xavi's voice is so sexy... in my sleep, that is. And Messi's is heartwarming as a lovable child's - yes, in my sleep, too! I know, this is quite alarming in its weirdness! :) It has gone so bad, that lately, I've been exchanging cusses with Daniel Alves (in a funny way) - yes, in my sleep, too! =) If anything, sleep has never been this exciting for me lately. So, nah, I'm not complaining. In fact, I'm kinda waiting for David Villa to grace my dreams with his presence as well! ;) When he does, I hope he'd bring Sergio Ramos with him so I could slap him for hurting Leo Messi in their El Clásico clash in November last year... or, Mesut Özil so I could try convincing him that he's better suited for Barcelona. But, hmmm... I wonder, would they need permission from José Mourinho and Pep Guardiola if they were to come together? Aaargh... even logistics in my dreams have become so complicated! :|

***
UEFA Champions League is champion!

Honor Roll: The two Spanish La Liga giants, three-time winners FC Barcelona with Josep Guardiola at the helm, and nine-time winners Real Madrid CF with their master tactician, José Mourinho, who had guided Real to book a slot in the last 8 to revive their quest for the Champions League title for the first time since 2002; English Premier League's brightest superstars, led by the three-time winners Manchester United FC, and the hungry-for-the-title, Chelsea FC and the Tottenham Hotspur FC; FC Schalke of the going-strong German Bundesliga; the current Cup Holders, led to victory in the previous term by Mourinho himself, FC Internazionale Milano of the Italian Serie A; and first-time quarter-finalist FC Shakhtar Donetsk - the best of the Ukrainian Premier League.

With the biggest and the best sides in the European football all gaining a place in the last eight slots, the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal is exactly what it should be - the "Clash of the European Champions"!! And it's hot, hot, hot!!

***
The side where my 'round heart' belongs

I have been following the UEFA Champions League this season, and I have been rooting for FC Barcelona, of course... part of it is because of the 23 yr-old Lionel Messi - the best football player in the world today. I just love him! Leo's brand of football is beautiful as it is skillful - genius. It is defined by speed, agility and a sharp sense for the goal. Sometimes, he seems like a computer-guided rocket when he approaches the goal... once set on target and locked, all there is left to do is to kiss the target goodbye! However, unlike Cristiano Ronaldo, or "CR7" - Real Madrid's famed "complete player" because of his heavy artillery of talents as a footballer - Messi ties himself to his team as "just another finger" in that big hand that crawled the football field. When he is not striking to complete a beautifully orchestrated play, set up by either the suave Xavi Hernandez, the brilliant Andres Iniesta, or the fearless Dani Alves, Leo himself is dribbling ably and sharply passing the ball to the open teammate, as dictated by the playmaker. Therefore, he is always an integral part of every single goal in Barҫa's score card. As Pep Guardiola himself said, "he can win us games in many varied ways." On the other hand, CR7 is widely criticized for "playing for himself", just because his tremendous speed, strength, and incredible dribbling and striking talents allow him to be a one-man demolition crew... that is, if his side is faced with a decidedly weaker side! He rarely passes the ball... when he does, it's only to direct a teammate to set up a goal for himself, or to get out of trouble! Therefore, if he makes a goal, it's his victory... if he doesn't, it's because his teammate didn't deliver! And since football is really a team sport - it is played and watched not because of one player but because of the whole team, in my book, Leo's great ability to gel his talents with those of his teammates for a truly engaging play makes him by far the better player between the two... and that makes FC Barcelona a more exciting side to watch in the field, too!

Having said that, while I admire Leo, the bigger reason why I'm rooting for Barҫa is their hunt-in-a-pack style of play that I so love - awesome teamwork all the time! It's like, once they set foot on the field, their minds were connected via that crest on their chest, and that they could hear Pep Guardiola in their head as he guided them with his sharp mind and authoritative voice. It's incredible how each one of them seems to have an extra-sensory feel for the ball... and for each other. Moving like fingers in the same hand as they ease the ball towards the goal, slipping through narrow cracks in the other side's wall of defense via their signature tiki-taka method of passing. They are very much "in the same wavelength" that pack-style communication seems so clear. It's mesmerizing how they pass the ball with just the right touch and speed, at exactly the right time, and to the right person, that they rarely lose the ball and that a play almost always ends up with an awesome goal. It's just beautiful to watch - absolutely addictive! :) This is the superb brand of football that they played against Shakhtar Donetsk yesterday, which they won, 5-1.

***
A quarterfinal sweetness at Camp Nou

The first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie between FC Barcelona and Shakhtar Donetsk FC at Camp Nou opened with Lionel Messi setting the pace of the match, and Shakhtar showing they've got what it took to keep up! The goalmaking started early with the brilliant Andres Iniesta banging the ball, World Cup style, into Shakhtar's goal within the first two minutes of the match, stunning Andriy Pyatov - Shakhtar's goalie. The goal-in-a-hurry sent an electric shock to Mircea Lucescu's men! The message was clear: if the Pitmen were still getting into the rhythm, they'd better do it quick because Barҫa was on an attack and that they have no intention of conceding Camp Nou to the visitors.

Accepting the challenge, the Pitmen regrouped quickly and tightened their defense right away... I have to say, they were a very good defensive team, too - if I understood anything about defense at all! And then, the Pitmen went for a counterattack aggressively, even showing willingness to pick up yellow cards if that's what it took to throw Barҫa's game to a disarray. But the Catalans weren't about to be derailed. If Dani Alves's obvious agression everytime the ball was in his posession didn't show that, I guess Xavi's silent menacing focus - all shown in his dark eyes and firmly pressed lips, Iniesta's fakes with quick back passes and steals that must've been really frustrating for the other side, and David Villa's greased, slippery moves as he forced himself through narrow cracks on the Pitmen's defense should've done the job. No, we are not even talking about Messi yet, who, sensing his teammates heightened intention to dominate the tie and the Pitmen's watchful eyes on him, changed gear from striker to playmaker. Obviously, the Pitmen didn't expect that, so that when Iniesta made a long pass, everybody, including the goalie, was looking to bar the speeding Messi, and the marked #2 finisher - David Villa - from getting near the ball... and the path went wide open for the unmarked Dani Alves on the opposite wing. Iniesta, Messi and Villa seemed to understand one another, and Dani Alves seemed to pick up his teammates intentions from across the field, and went sprinting unchallenged through a path that intersected Iniesta's long pass. Andriy Pyatov saw Alves just in time and rushed towards the ball for a save, but Dani Alves, without any hesitation to rise to the occasion, broke the ball's flight and changed its course tangent to Pyatov's approach. He then followed it past Pyatov and pushed the ball to the net with a clinically clean, simple-as-ABC kick! 2-0! Sweet! :) Camp Nou errupted as they celebrated the simplest yet the awesomest of goals with Dani Alves! Another electric shock for the Pitmen.

And so, the first half of the match saw Ukraine's best down by two goals.

Obviously pepped up by Lucescu during half-time, the Pitmen came back with a stronger resolve to narrow their goal deficit. The fast-paced game continued, with the electrified but undeterred Pitmen matching the Catalans - speed por blistering speed, kick por ferocious kick. Messi still sensing that the Pitmen marked him as the triggerman, used that to Barҫa's advantage by pulling the Shakhtar's defenders toward himself, cracking up the Shakhtar defense. In one of those many brilliant moments, he forced a breach on the Shakhtar defense by magneting the Pitmen defenders towards himself and David Villa, who seemed to understand Messi's intentions. That left the masterful Xavi Hernandez, backed by Andres Iniesta, to have an open field to set up a game for the unmarked Gerard Piqué, who guilely approahed and guided the ball to the goal with not as much as a thud! 3-0! Sweeter than sweet! :) Camp Nou joined Piqué and Xavi in their goal celebration - too beautiful!

A few minutes after Piqué's goal, Iniesta was booked for the second leg of the tie with a yellow card. That shook Barҫa and the Camp Nou crowd momentarily, allowing a persistent Rakitskiy of the Ukraine side to slip the ball through the distracted Victor Valdes and into the goal, following a free kick. That narrowed the hosts's lead to just two goals! 3-1! There was hush, hush in Camp Nou....

Unperturbed, Lionel Messi went back to business quickly, resuming the upbeat tempo. Eyeing Seydou Keita who was positioning himself on the left wing for a possible assist, Messi picked up the ball while Camp Nou was still in a daze and sprinted away in a blinding speed towards the center of the Shakhtar goal. The Pitmen, keen on protecting their newly found capacity to get closer to Barҫa's goal haul, snapped out of the dizzying rate at which things were unfolding and all sped to hunt Messi. And just before three Pitmen could catch him, he suavely directed the ball to the expecting Seydou Keita, a good eight to ten meters ahead and closer to the goal at the left wing. Keita took Messi's cue and brought the ball home from the left wing without a challenge because the Shakhtar goalie and the other defenders were poised to stop Messi from the center of the goal! 4-1! And so, they went back to their comfortable three-goal advantage in a snap - taking the momentum back from Shakhtar! Sweet, sweet, sweet! And the Camp Nou crowd's energy was renewed, the stadium shook in the Catalan fans' frenzied excitement.

The next minutes were speed match between the two sides, each side testing the other's ability to keep up and to keep ball possession. Knowing that they had the speed and the feel for the goal that matched the Catalans', the Pitmen pushed harder! They knew that all they had to do was to make another goal, or to prevent Barҫa from making another one. With only a three-goal deficit, they knew it might not be impossible to turn that around to their favor in the second leg of the tie when they host Barҫa in the Donbass Arena, where they remain undefeated. All the reasons to hope fell to the Camp Nou ground, however, when Dani Alves, with his usual menacing agression, slipped the ball through a two-man challenge and passed it with his eyes to Lionel Messi, who had Xavi Hernandez a few feet in front of him. The sharp Pitmen defenders anticipated the move, and so, they turned towards Messi behind them who rushed and looked like he was going to intercept the ball and make the shot. Alves, for all the ferocity in his bullish charge, cunningly controlled his pass that the ball slowed as it approached Messi, bringing it at a point close enough for Xavi to reach out, who was momentarily unmarked. Xavi wasted no time. As the Pitmen aimed at Messi, Xavi quickly but very smoothly reached for the ball and touched it gently towards the goal, with the goalie still waiting for the strike from Messi!! 5-1! Aaaaaah, sweet, sweet, so sweet!!! Of course, Pep Guardiola almost did a sommersault if he didn't have a bad back, and the Camp Nou crowd went on a mighty roar - and that's just about right! Woohoo!!

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'El Clásico' in the offing?

Everyone, myself included, is of course wishing for an El Clásico at the UEFA Champions League. With the Catalans and the Meringues both in the QF, and on colllision path, too, that wish is likely to come true. The day before the Barҫa-Shakhtar match, Real Madrid CF won the first leg of their own QF tie with Tottenham Hotspur at Estadio Santiago Bernabéu. The Merengues hammered the "limping" visitors, hauling 4 goals to nil, after striker Peter Crouch was booked early in the match with a red card. And so, with their 5-1 win over Ukraine's best, pundits say that Barҫa is sending a message to Real Madrid: "anything you can do, we can do better." Whether that is true or not, I'm not sure. But I know that Barҫa is playing absolutely hot football, they even made me write this entry in my blog - my first full-length entry on football. No other football club made me do this notwithstanding my passion for football! Woot-woot!


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Photo credit: All photos were grabbed from the UEFA website, Zimbio and the FC Barcelona website - thanks.

Aargh, leave me alone...

...please!!
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by Philipina A. Marcelo


Yes, I should actually be somewhere else doing something fatally boring rather than writing this entry in my blog. And what else could be more "fatally boring" than work - an imposed work, that is!

No, I'm not against work. In fact, I work very hard and I try to inspire others to work as hard. In fact, I am just a few shoves away from being a slave driver - close to being a workmaniac! I just despise being told what to do - how I should do my work to fit some egomaniac's taste! Or, worse, being told what to do by someone who has no clue, as in no comprehension at all, of the complexities and the rigorous nature of my work and my passion for what I do. I have no patience for this kind of people whose minds are of one-size-fits-all design.

Just because every one of us is on a push doesn't necessarily mean that we all walk with our arms outstreched in front of us bearing most of our body's power and walk in a straight line... because some might be pushing a light wheeled cart on a smooth surface while others are pushing decades old rusty truck with flat tires - uphill! And still, some maybe maneouvering the stupidest donkey on the face of the earth! Why others should be pushing a stupid donkey like that, while sad and incomprehensible, is sometimes necessary. Therefore, I refuse to speak with people who talk as if they understand a stupid donkey's mind when all they've ever pushed all their boring lives is a light wheeled cart!!

Call me smug, go ahead... I'm not about to deny it! I'd rather be called smug than be an audience to egomaniacs - that's for sure! My own ego is big enough to be a considerable burden! Ugh! And yet, this is the sad part about working in this part of the world... superiors expect you to conform - to the sick images of you in their unimaginative minds! And they cloak those sick images in their heads as you adopting to, in their sick words, "the realities of a Third World" - realities defined by submission to defeat, mediocrity and suffering! Imagine? If people "in the Third World" conform to those images and live those realities as if they were the only realities, then how... how do we progress?????? How do we move forward? How do we get ourselves out of this dinky ditch? If they've learned to embrace life in this ditch, then, I'm sorry, I refuse to close my eyes to this ugliness! I want to stare it down cold until it shivers to its knees... and be out of its grip! Because it's possible, because it is DOABLE!

What I don't get is why... why do superiors hold us back? What are they afraid of? Just because they were not able to make things work does not necessarily mean that things will never ever work! And even if it's hard to make things work, wouldn't it be worth it to, at least, TRY??? Therefore, there is no way - and, I mean, NO WAY - that I'd ever work with short-sighted, insecure people like them! I'd rather work with a stupid donkey if that was all the choice I had!

Uhmm-hmmm... I see you nodding your head... or, are you shaking your head? Are you shivering... with fright? Gotcha!! Late April fools!! Aah-hahaha... all is well! :)

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Photo credit: The comic strip was grabbed from phdcomics.com - thanks.

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Super Sunday

...and I'm not just talking about the English Premier League!
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by Philipina A. Marcelo


No surprise

I did shout and "woot-woot" the whole time as I watched Chelsea battled Manchester City at Stamford Bridge on an English Premier League Super Sunday! The match was a "must-win" for both Clubs, as they tried to go up the League Championship Table - closer to the leaders, Manchester United (#1) and Arsenal (#2). Therefore, both sides started with their best men, with Chelsea opening with their epically expensive Spanish acquisition from Liverpool, the gorgeous Fernando "El Niño" Torres. The Blues had home advantage... and the Stamford Bridge fans didn't disappoint - not a surprise, of course! While the Citizens put up a tough contest, mostly preventing El Niño from scoring, the Blues trashed them via a 2-0 victory in an action-packed match. Of course, El Niño is yet to make his first goal for the Blues. The Stamford Bridge action was followed by another tight match between Sunderland and El Niño's former Club, Liverpool, which the latter won, 2-0, out of sheer pride - again, no surprise.

While there wasn't much surpise in the outcome of the matches, it was a satisfying afternoon of fantastic football!

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A 3D surprise

As my throat was parched from all the "whoa-ing" and "aaw-ing", two of my sisters and I refreshed with some shopping at the biggest Mall in the Philippines, SM City-North EDSA, which is about five minutes away from our place - without the Parking wait, that is. :) While SM City has always been jampacked on weekends, there was an unusually big crowd at "The Block" - one of the newest additions to "The City". We went to check it out... and were pleasantly surprised to see that the United States Embassy's Roadshow, "America in 3D: Diplomacy, Development and Defense", stopped by and stationed for three days at "The Block". We were lucky to catch it on its third day. So, we made the most of it! :)

We went around to check out the Show and Exhibits. My sisters and I found a mutual High School friend who worked for the US Embassy's Commercial Services Section manning one of the exhibits. It was a fun mini reunion... and then I was grabbed on the shoulders by someone. I turned to see who it was and I was thrilled to find my friends at the Philippine-American Educational Foundation (PAEF)/Fulbright Commission of the Philippines! They invited me and my sisters inside the PAEF Booth with a "we have a surprise for you" teaser, and what I found sent me reeling in excitement! It was a "Wall" of Fulbright Alumni Testimonials... and my own "testimonial" was part of it. Beside my testimonial - a sentence from my post-Programme report, to be accurate - was a photo of mine from ten years ago... from my Fulbright application packet in 2001! It made me feel kind of nostalgic and felt a pang of longing for those exciting Fulbright/Cornell University days. Aaah, those were truly incredible days... exploring what one of the best Universities in the world had to offer under the auspices of the "Mother of all Scholarships" - absolutely surreal! Until now, I am still figuring out whatever good thing I've done to deserve such an incredible experience - I am so undeserving. Nevertheless, my sisters and I were so delighted to re-live those days through the "Wall"! We posed for a few souvenir shots beside my testimonial panel, chatted with my PAEF/Fulbright friends for a few more minutes... and then continued shopping. :)

Hmmm... talk about Super Sunday!

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A cool surprise

As always, bonding time with my sisters culminated to a foodtrip. Our Sunday escapade was no exception. We voted unanimously for a "to-die-for" dessert... and ice cream got our triple nods. We escaped the heavily commercialized stores in the Mall though and went serching for a "unique" ice cream concoction... and we were happy to find a little ice cream parlor close to where we live. It was simply called "Ice Cream Store" - a small, two-car parking, four-table store, with no airconditioning. They weren't just serving ice cream concoctions with a surprisingly wide range of choices, but they were also selling packed ice cream in an impressive variety of flavors and formulations that were absolutely unexpected given the store's size. The Food Scientist in me was very impressed to see their coconut milk and virgin coconut oil (VCO)-based formulations. I myself am working on stuff like this in my research work, and I understand the challenges in formulation, processing and overall quality... thus the fascination.

My sisters and I ordered different Sundae concoctions, which were all reasonably priced and very satisfying in terms of taste and fun eating - truly to-die-for! And then, we brought home several of the varieties they were selling - in pints and cups - and continued eating at home without feeling "robbed" since all products were reasonably priced! :) The coconut milk varieties were very good - light and tasty, with decent texture. But what was best about them was that there weren't lactose intolerance-induced stomach upsets after enjoying them, and that added to the sweetness of sisters bonding. :) Naturally, we vowed to return to the Ice Cream Store soon... and to spread the word about the store's existence.

So, yeah, I had a Super Sundae, er, Sunday... uhm, both, actually!! :)

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Photo credits: (1) Fernando Torres during Chelsea's March 20, 2011 match against Manchester City in Stamford Bridge - Getty's Image, grabbed from the Zimbio website.

I own all other photos.

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132nd birthday

Albert Einstein... his memory lives on.
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by Philipina A. Marcelo


I am currently engrossed in that bestselling classic, "Einstein, Life and Times" by Ronald W. Clark.

Inspired by Albert Einstein's approaching 132nd birthday and to celebrate a small success in a big stint with students, I went to hunt for an Einstein-related reading at the bookstore three weeks ago or so. By habit, and absent-mindedness (uh, ahem, don't know where I got that! Hehe...) my feet brought me to the food-related books section! :) Three-expensive-books-in-my arms later, I realized those were not what I came for to buy. So, I forced myself towards the Science Section, allowing a short stopover at Bestsellers Section, when all of a sudden a misplaced paperback caught my attention. Why? Because it was a book on Einstein! I looked at it, and I gasped... it was one of those books I wanted to buy back in my penniless College student days, which I cannot afford, of course! And I promised myself then to buy it the minute I started earning money. Of course, it took more than twenty years and a few stints at different universities before I could fulfill such promise! :)

So, after more than 20 years, a fateful circumstance reunited me with my "dream paperback"... and I hurriedly turned to "that page" that made me decide a long time ago that, perhaps, Ronald W. Clark should be trusted to write about Albert Einstein's Life and Times... yes, even if he was not a Physicist! :)

"The page" was page 37... and here's what Ronald W. Clark related that played in my head over and over again and kept me enthralled for the past 20 years or so:

"...Einstein decided on the work to which he would be willing to devote everything and sacrifice anything with steely determination which separated him from other men. On two occasions, he put down in simple words what the work was. The first came during an hour's meeting - apparently about 1911 - with the Jewish philosopher Martin Buber, who pressed him hard 'with a concealed question about his faith.' Finally, in Buber's words, Einstein 'burst forth,' revealingly, "What we (and by 'we' he meant we physicists) strive for," he cried, "is just to draw His lines after Him." To draw after - as one retraces a geometrical figure.' And a decade later, walking with a young woman physicist to his Berlin University office, Einstein spelled out the same task in more detail. He had no interest in learning a new language, nor in food nor in clothes. 'I'm not much with people,' he continued, 'and I'm not a family man. I want my peace. I want to know how God created this world. I am not interested in this or that phenomenon, in the spectrum of this or that element. I want to know His thoughts, the rest are details.'"

Aaah... sweet!! :)

More than two decades after College, and now completely immersed in the exciting waters of the science and technology world... considering it was written more than a decade already when I first discovered it in College, how Einstein's passionate words still leave me in complete fascination - the way it did back in the days when I had no clue what his "Special Theory of Relativity" actually meant, and how much it encompassed most physical laws known then and now - is completely amazing!

That moment, I was ready to spend a fortune to own a copy of that book... as it turned out, a snack at that overrated coffee shop (if you could even call it that) called Starbucks - the hangout place for so many College students these days - is so much more expensive! Wow, my generation has degenerated so much! :( We have too many of those Wall Street, (even worse) Wall street-ish, and (worst) Wall Street big shot wannabe people these days, that's why! Perhaps, we need an Einstein to get us back on track? Hmmm... hey, a girl can dream! :)

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Photo credits: (1) My photo, (2) grabbed from http://www.mbbnet.umn.edu/doric/einstein.html - thanks.

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Celebration... to go!

...a birthday celebration - midlife style.
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by Philipina A. Marcelo


The past how many years, my siblings and I normally celebrate birthdays and other special occasions with some preparations. By "preparation", I mean we cook... or, if we're not able to cook, we reserve a place in a fave restaurant and we eat together. With my five siblings (three of them are married), and a very close cousin (almost a sister who is also married), an uncle who is very close to us, nine nieces, two nephews and three grandkids (via nieces), our family is big enough to have a huge party... so, we normally do not invite friends anymore. We hold a separate celebration with our friends. Occasionally, we invite my siblings' in-laws... when there's enough time for cooking, or preparing the menu for pre-ordered food, that is.

My older sister's 44th birthday on March 12th was a different story. We were all very busy with work... she just texted us - siblings, telling us that she was dropping by our house with take-out food 'cause her husband was working late and won't be home until about midnight - they've already "celebrated" in the morning. One sister and I decided to go pick up food via drive-thru, while my other sister and her fiancé ordered food for delivery! And so, we got together at our house with our "food to go"... the funniest part was, we forgot to invite our Dad who lived in the same house! =) He was fast asleep when we all reached home, late in the evening... and so, we celebrated - party of five... with take out food! But we had so much fun... our Dad was awoken by the noise, and he got up to greet my sister, and eat - our left-overs! =)

Uh-hmmm... just when we had money to celebrate properly... what we didn't have was time! :(

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Aussie Open 2011

Drama after drama = fun memories for a tennis fan
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by Philipina A. Marcelo


And so the first Grand Slam of the season kicks off, and it's here in the Asia-Pacific, too! Aussie Open... oy, oy, oy! Life makes sense again!

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It's a man's world... and I don't mind!

So, who will prevail? Would Roger Federer be able to defend his crown and go "17"? Would Rafael Nadal - the current Number One in the World - snatch it from him? Would the perennial World #3, Novak Djokovic, who bested Roger Federer in an epic five-setter semi-final in Flushing Meadows before bowing to Rafa Nadal in the final, take his second Aussie Open crown? Would Andy Murray step up to the plate and finally prove himself as a worthy Grand Slam winner? Would Robin Soderling steal everyone's thunder and run away with the crown this time? Would David Ferrer or Fernando Verdasco step out of Nadal's shadow and be the next Spaniard winner of the Aussie Open? Or, would Thomas Berdych, be up for a season opener upset? Would Melbourne be the venue of another epic Federer-Nadal Grand Slam Face-off? Hmmm... too many questions. Would the answers shock us, or would it subdue us? Would we rather be shocked or subdued?

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Ladies a-gaga

Hmmm... I can't say I'm excited to see what happens at the women's side, especially that Caroline Wozniacki is seeded #1 again. *sigh* I know, I know... it's not her fault, and yet, I think tennis fans deserve something better than peeping backside and cleavage in colorful outfit and nails mechanically running around the court without an emotional connection with the audience. OK, so Serena Williams will not be participating... one less "legitimate" contender for the crown there. Venus William is participating though... oh, no, not again! Not another two weeks of skin-toned shorts all over the place! *gag* Safina won't be there... great! One less potentially catastrophic mental breakdown on court! Maria Sharapova is back... and in her competitive form, too. Oh, boy, here we go... time to get new earplugs! Kim Clijsters and Sam Stosurs are in the draw! Awesome! Now, it's a real competition! Huh... they're in the same half of the draw though... uh-oh! :( Francesca Schiavone is in the draw. OK, nice... a guaranteed drama - in a good way.

So, yeah, drama is guaranteed at the women's side... not sure about the competitive quality of the matches though. Who would win? Seriously, apart from Kim Clijsters, are there any other women in the draw whose competitive edge had been consistent enough to put our money on? Sadly, no. So, let's just get on with it... and enjoy their outfits - if that is even possible at all! :)

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3 Birthdays = Fun family day

We found another reason to spend a weekend with one another!
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by Philipina A. Marcelo


We started the year with a big and fun celebration! Two of my nieces and a grandniece celebrated their birthdays in January and we grabbed the
We found another excuse for a get-together!chance to gather and do what we do best - eat together! Yaaay! :)

There was a fun coincidence. All born in the first month of the year, the three birthday girls happened to be the eldest in their respective broods, too! :) So, all of them are called "Ate" (Filipino word referring to an older female sibling). They have another thing in common - they all love chocolates... and we love all three of them! :)

I wish our three Ate's wonderful things and many, many more years of love, joy and laughter - hopefully, with all of us in the family! :)

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My new manicure and pedicure...

...and why they make me say "aaaah..."!
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by Philipina A. Marcelo


So, I finally made it to the hair and nails salon! And since this is my first visit in 2011, it's kind of 'special'. :)

Old folks say that whatever state the New Year finds you in, that would be your situation all year round. Since I started the year with a chipped nail and one-month old pedicure, I cringed at the thought of this being my "nail situation" all throughout 2011. And so, I pushed aside laziness and proved superstition wrong!

I was motivated by a guaranteed reading time, a possibility of finally updating myself on the latest trend in the most delicious world of food via my Food Technology magazines, which were still in their unopened plastic packages. I hauled myself out of the comforts of my room to follow the path to personal care salvation! And, it wasn't without substantial effort. I knew I can withstand the confines of the salon for an hour or so as some 'magician' tried to revive my nails to life, however, I was not emotionally prepared to spend a couple more hours for a hair repair, too. So, I avoided all sorts of eye contact with my hair cutter/stylist and contented myself in getting my nails worked on - for now. It wasn't very difficult to do that either as I was absolutely engrossed in my book, and the people in the salon knew enough of this side of me by now. They knew that once I opened a book, I get lost in another world. I would've preferred to be more social... if TV sets in these "beauty" salons were tuned in to sports channel - but they never were! And it makes me wonder why... oh, well.

While my feet were soaked in warm soapy water - aaah, that felt good, my kind manicurist was coaxing my fingernails out of beauty coma. Luckily, my fingernails never play hard-to-get when coaxed like that. :) And so, they 'giggled' with excitement of being groomed to clean state with every stroke of the nail filer and with every twist of the clipper and the tweezers. As dust of sawed nails and dead skin piled on the floor, my nicely shaped nails were revived to life! Soon, I was holding my book carefully with eggplant-colored nails... and it felt very nice! And then, it was time to dig my toenails from the abyss of extreme unkempt state. I had to set aside my book for a while to pay attention - the process of reviving my toenails as they are hauled out of the painful trap of thorny ingrown is always an experience worth savoring for me. Aaargh, those punishing ingrown - they make every moment in pumps or stilettos seem a forever of torture! Flashbacks of having to inwardly groan as I endured the thorny pain from inside my work pumps, standing in front of my students as I gave lectures or pretending to walk gracefully as I walked with well-dressed colleagues and superiors, I winced in pain.

The coaxing started... my stubborn toenails resisted - painfully. More coaxing, my toenails started to soften their resistance in a flood of cuticle remover... I held my breath, held on to my seat. And then the punishing thorns were slowly pulled out... one-by-one - relief each time! It's like being slowly lifted from a bed of nails and transferred to a bed of roses. And then the biggest of them thorns was finally pulled out... a BIG sigh of relief from me and from the manicurist/pedicurist! Aaaah... on the bed of roses at last!! And then the manicurist/pedicurist started to hum... I knew then that the worst is over... and I went back to my book.

In the end, while I loved what she did with my nails, I was kind of "disappointed" with the efficiency of my manicurist/pedicurist... it made me a-wanting for more from my book! But I was just glad to have a few more minutes exploring the furniture and electronics stores nearby. I ended up buying a new stand for the TV set in my bedroom - on sale... 50% off the original price - and making a vow to myself to think about the economics of getting myself the new state-of-the-art Samsung surround-sound entertainment package... the kind that makes watching tennis and football (soccer) more interactive! :)

Contented with my conquest of the day, I "retreated" to my bedroom... and into the sweet coziness of my walk-in closet for some peace and quiet as I browsed the internet for a few things I am passionate about, outside teaching, that is - tennis and Roger Federer, football (soccer) and food, of course! :) And it was extra special to be "turning the pages" of the world wide web with clean eggplant-colored fingertips, and with legs outstretched where the pain-free eggplant-colored toe nails point up nicely into the ceiling in a "thumbs up"! :) My walk-in closet has never been that cozy, I tell ya!

Aaaah... what a day - life is beautiful!

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Photos: I own all photos.


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