July 8, 2024 at 4:42 pm
· Filed under Swim, Tennis
Shannon Lam from US, lost to Mia Pohankova of Slovakia (2008-). Lam earned $1,122 prize money … Mia ranks 956 in singles and 1028 in doubles.
Zhang Shuai lost her mixed doubles match today, with Marcelo Arevalo, 6-2, 4-6, 10-12 to two Americans, Rajeev Ram and Katie Volynets.
Jelena Ostapenko (1997-; 2012; $15m) played so well, like in the French Open final in 2017: all angles, daring and went for broke. The score told the story: 6-1, 6-3 v Yulia Putintseva, the Russian born Kazakhstani player (1995-; 2009; $7m). Elena Rybakina is also born in Russia and plays for Kazakhstan, also won her quarters match today. Ostapenko’s hair is remarkable neat.
Elina Svitolina def Wang Xinyu, 6-2, 6-1.
Swimming: 1,160 yards in 24 minutes in free (37’35” per mile), half with flip but all with soft push off. The 500 yards was in breaststrokes, 14 minutes, which is 49’34” per mile. After the update of my iPhone, the time per 100 yards changed to per mile, and I don’t know how to change it back…
Today is the first time listening to Mozart’s piano concerto #27, by Menahem Pressler, Paavo Järvi & the Orchestre de Paris. It’s on DW Classical Music. This one has 1,038,889 views since May 18, 2023. One thing this piece differs from all others, is the LONG commercials, into minutes. I got out of the pool twice to stop it. This is really disgusting. Definitely did not enjoy it – not sure it’s the doing of Youtube or the owner/poster of this performance.
By doing this, I also learnt that the Versa’s pause/resume doesn’t really work well: both times, it stopped. I’ve to start anew. Swam 1,240 in 30 minutes.
Music was his elixir of life: On October 17, 2012, just before his 90th birthday, pianist Menahem Pressler gave a concert in Paris’ Salle Pleyel. With the Orchestre de Paris conducted by Paavo Järvi, Pressler played Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 27 in B-flat major, K. 595. Nimble fingers even at grand old age – Menahem Pressler is proof that it’s possible. The star pianist was able to look back over a 50-year career. Between 1955 and 2008 he was performing some 100 concerts each year with the Beaux Arts Trio alone. Menahem Pressler passed away on May 6, 2023, aged 99.
July 5, 2024 at 6:35 pm
· Filed under Swim, Tennis
Wimbledon 2024, 3rd round, Gauff 6-6, 6-0.
Sonay Kartal (2001-; 2019) fm London; dad was from Turkey. $271,233 with 7 ITF singles titles. She lost to Gauff in the 3rd round, her best showing. In comparison, Gauff who just won their match, (2004-; 2018) has prize winning of $14m.
This is one of my two faves fm China, and a good companion in the pool. Unfortunately, the good recording / live performance is poor – wrong notes are prevalent (which is ok in the water…). The concerto is about 20-24 minutes, so after two, I’m pretty much done my swim: I’ve no problem to listen to it back to back – I’m a bore.
I’m always moved at the end, when East is Red comes on. Looking back at the childhood melody, the feeling is mixed. Out of blue, I googled it today, 黄河钢琴协奏曲 东方红, saw a few posts asking if it ruined the concerto by adding the East is Red.
某李小龙纪录片中，一个来自白人女演员的著名评价是，李小龙让中国男人有了种（he put balls on Chinese men）。当然，这里指的是在西方的荧幕上。李小龙之前，好莱坞荧幕上的华人男性除了傅满洲那种神秘邪恶的大反派，基本上就是贼眉鼠眼、男人的各种能力都不行的怂蛋。李小龙在他短暂的生命中直接完成大逆转。他让功夫片成为热门，他自己成为荧幕上最能打的人，让白人花钱买票看他揍白人，还为之叫好。这甚至影响出一波黑人崇拜李小龙的风潮，视李小龙为精神导师，拍摄黑人功夫电影（这曾是一个重要的电影类型）。
I saw Yin Chengzhong twice in New York. Once at an up state church in 1987, and then Tully Hall (the smaller one auditorium at Lincoln Center; he was hired by a travel agency) in 2015.
The bulk 2,200 yd is done in 51 minutes (total 2,620 in an hour). The water temp is 82° (better than 85 or 86 … lol).
I swam daily since June 1, (except 6.16) 27,020 yards / 15.35 miles / 24,707 meters.
Music is Hilary Hahn‘s Tschaikowsky violin concerto.
… so the Paris Olympic (Fri, Jul 26 to Sun, Aug 11, 2024) is upon us. One sweet story: Erin Gemmell (2004-), the 19 years old just made the 200m free at the US swimming trail:
Claire Weinstein (Las Vegas, Nev./Sandpipers of Nevada), 1:56.18
Paige Madden (Mobile, Ala./New York Athletic Club) 1:56.35
Erin Gemmell (Potomac, Md./NCAP), 1:56.75
Her dad Bruce Gemmell was once, a coach of Katie Ledecky (1997-) and young Erin had been inspired by Ledecky so much, she turned out to be an Olympian herself. With Phoebe Bacon (2002-), the three are all from the same Stone Ridge school.
We’ve been struggling with the tennis court line sweepers ever since. Thanks lord we’ve a new one now that looks fancy or so Disney, and it works.
