Archive for November, 2008

The match .. King Michael

Tonight’s 60 Minutes has a feel good interview: Anderson Cooper on Michael Phelps. They had a race in the pool: Cooper did free style while Phelps did dolphin kicks in one breathe. I don’t think any one would have a doubt as who won that race. Any way, I found Cooper to be pretty cool and now he’s super cool .. .. for his ability to swim free style in style. Does Phelps remind you of Eli Manning? Michael’s Mom works as a school principal who got emotional when Cooper told her that her son thinks the world of her. And the kid who trained every day for years that included his birthdays and Christmas to reach that 8 Golds in Beijing. Not to mention the 6 Golds he amassed in Athens in 2004.

Sosososo not fair .. Tooo tooo tooo bad that New York lost out to London for 2012’s. Did Bush cost New York its chance? The isle of Manhattan would have rocked for Michael!! !! Well, he’ll be the king of England no matter what.

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A troubled childhood?

Giants routed the Redskins 23:7.  The little Giants is 11:1 of the season with four more games to go before the playoff.  They played a very clean and crispy game without Plaxico Burress who shot himself in the leg.  I think he aimed at his foot but was too drunk and shot the leg; or better yet trying to stuff his foot into his mouth.. .. .. Self destructing. 

The NFL players more or less have some sort of criminal elements to them.  It’s a violent game and takes certain kind of human to play it.  On the edge would be one.  Like crazy wouldn’t be too far.  They all have tattoos on their chiseled arms .. Burress himself admits that he is his biggest enemy. I thought about Mets old timers Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden. Remembered vividly at one game, when Strawberry stepped onto the plate, a father tuck at his young son.
“Look, Strawberry!”
Baseball is a long, slow boring game (sorry – it’s my opinion) and I often lost interest while watching. So I rarely watched. But when Strawberry came out, everyone perked up, including me. Who could afford not to watch this striking young gun at bat? He’s gracious, powerful and explosive. He’s face of the game (figuratively speaking .. poster on bus stops ..) and face to change the game. But .. .. in the end, he proved to be his own enemy. Burress is very striking too. Gifted to be so good at the game.

Do they have troubled upbringings?

Frank Cashen (?) the GM of Mets at time took a lot beating from the press/media when he refused to give Strawberry José Canseco type of contract.
“He has yet to fulfill his potential.” He insisted.
Strawberry rolled his eyes upon hearing it. But .. in reality, he didn’t do much after left Mets.
Burress failed to show up at the victory perade early this year. So did Gooden at 1986. What were they thinking?

I heard that most NFL players carry guns. Thought only former Lehman Brothers CEO Richard Fuld needs to.

Anyone saw Tiki Barber interviewing Eli Manning, the QB he trashed?

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Woman skills

It’s a Friday night and I need excitement .. sooo .. I took this quiz: Average woman on dating. I only got 8 right out of 15. Not bad. But the site told me that my “Average Woman skills are just average. The good news is you’re normal – when it comes to reading the female brain. But you’ve still got work to do.”Shhhheeeessshi, okkkkkay. I hope I’ll do better next time, Sista, sisters .. :).

I need to do better on court too: I lost 4 sets in four tries yesterday, 招架不住 被打得 落花流水 like fallen flowers carried away by the flowing water; utterly routed .. .. I was thrilled 🙁 ..

Let me see: first first set I played with Kai – playing with Kai !! – against Sunny and Ricky. 2nd set Ricky and I against Irene and Sunny. 3rd set same as 2nd? 4th set Kai and I against Irene and Wah zai. I was indeed the big turkey on the Thanksgiving day.

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Da color of da skin


Born 1/11/1984 in Corvallis, Oregon, 6’6″ (1.98m) and 265 lb (120 kg) .. an American football tight end

Boss just scored a TD .. ok, for you intellectuals and aristocrats, it’s touch down = home run in baseball .. did I spell it right? After two glasses of Aussie Shiraz, you got the picture.
When I first saw Kevin Boss and realized that he is a white guy, built like a tank, I was bit taken a back. He’s pretty good looking too. .. Does that constitute me as racist? Or stereotype people? .. I think if anyone thinks the color of skin doesn’t matter, he’s a good liar.
But to what extend it matters, it’s an entirely different story.
Visually it matters very much, and should stop there.
..
But in the USA, they made believe that the visual isn’t exit. And in reality, they fear it very much. Like in work place. Golfer’s bank is laying off people in doves. Steve is a white guy, very able but with a blunt attitude. So he got laid off. On his floor of more than 100 employees, there are three black women. One deserves to be there. One could not pass series 7 which is very much needed to be there, and one is a kind of, well, bimbo. Everyone was amused to see the pair stayed. Please don’t insult my little intelligence by saying that the color of skin matters not and that USA is colorblind nation.

Why we call Obama black when he’s half white? Can the guilt finally go away now that we send a half slave in the White House?

Anyway, Giants is leading 31:19 .. cheers .. everything is rosy .. shall we see Giants vs Jets or Manning vs Manning for Superbowl at Tampa .. 2/1/09?

Economy? Stupid, what economy?

Man, I can’t stop wondering when we Asian women will enjoy the affirmative action, or any kind of action?

 

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The good US of A

 

Xiaoping came back from Shanghai this past summer and told me,
“New York food is inedible.”
Shanghai is that good?
She smiled and said .. yes.
My last visit to Shanghai was 1985 and stayed at Jinjiang Fandian 锦江饭店 Hotel which was the place in town.
Last Monday Mark bought a pair of 15 years old twins to the game. They just arrived in New York on 9/13/2008 from Shanghai. They have been playing tennis for the past eight years. And they’re good at it. So during a water break, I had little conversation with one of them.
“How come you end up in New York?”
“We immigrated here.”
“Why?” Thinking the food is just so so here, and the economy .. and ..
“We all want to come.” She looked surprised.
“How long did it take you for getting a immigration visa?”
“We applied in 1996.”
“This year and this time, people still want to come to US?”
“Of course.” She must be think what a moron she’s talking to.
“What’s so good about US?”
“Air .. food .. affordability ..” Ok, air is a give. But food?
“Food is good here?” I was surprised.
“Of course, the foods are just taste better here ..” Sure not the McDonald’s?
She continued, “it’s cheap here. cheaper to rent (she used term 借房子) and to buy. We’re paying $1,500 for two bedroom in Flushing. If it were in Shanghai, it would be $2,500 ..”
Their parents are here with them. Dad hasn’t found a job and Mom works as nanny in NJ.
“My Dad was a project manager in Shanghai and Mom has not worked in years.” I would think that unlike my generation or their parents, the youngsters growing up in new China would have second thoughts for coming to the USA.
Amused and glad to read Christopher Hill* still considers US a power house. On advising how to dish advice, he said .. that

For many people in the world, they look at America, and they see an enormous country with an extraordinary amount of power. Pure power. And so they feel that asymmetry immediately as soon as they meet us. So we have to understand how people look at us sometimes. So advice coming from a country with enormous power can be taken wrongly.

Ok, hopefully I did not take his sentence out of context. Giants is leading Arizona 24:12 … Go my little Giants … Great to know that the country I chose to call home still welds power, pure power. It’s just pretty sexy.

Anyway, I asked another transplant Shanghainess for conformation. He said, (as well as Yishi) .. that food is much better in Shanghai – duh – .. but people in Shanghai are very 崇洋媚外 (fawn on or toady to foreign powers).. there isn’t a moral story or punchline, but you just have to love Beijingers better 🙂 .. there is a long rivalry between these two cities.
The twins are poised and polite, attending Cardozo High in Bayside. Miss Blue said that they are struggling with English but math, .. math is a joke. ——–

*Christopher Hill is the assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs. Since February 2005, he has been lead negotiator on talks with North Korea aimed at ending its nuclear program.

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Hamilton Makes Formula One History

Wow .. Lewis Hamilton of McLaren became Formula One’s youngest champion on Sunday. It didn’t mention his race. A black man just won the F-1, and US might get it first black president tomorrow. Did anyone get this Political Call fm (202) 495-7107?

* * *

Giants wiped out the Cowboys yesterday – five TDs.  Ding and I had rather even match with Irene and Wah zai and nearly stole a set from them: we had the set point at 5:4 and 40:15. I missed an easy put away at the net – I took my eyes off the ball, ended up lost the set at 7:5. We were losing 4:0 in the first set and fought back hard, forcing a tie break but lost it at 7:4.

I don’t want to diminish or insult anyone’s effort/talent/drive, but Wah zai doesn’t play 100% when he dumbs down with me or us because he tries to make the game. He and Irene teases each other a lot and from time to time as if they’re playing in their own zone which is pretty cute and cozy. But they’re nice about it and don’t make others feeling extra or left out, which is great. It reminded me of an incident on a train in Hong Kong, two young lovers were making out and tipped over a cup of tea that spilled on my jeans. An older stranger sat next to me told them to stop and apologize.
“Your hot tea bunred this miss.”
The young couple did not flinch. .. .. I could not picture myself being with anyone who’s so inconsiderate and well, rude.

Btw, Irene laughed and accused me of 拍马屁 kissing up to Wah zai when she heard the 100% theory. Licking someone’s boots .. hmmmm .. Am I so talented and capable of kissing up?? Hey, I’ll take this as a compliment, :).

All have a great week!

 

 

 

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