When the Cheshire emerges...

Like 2.3 million other Australians plus a lot more people worldwide, I watched last night's Australian Open mens final.  My lowdown concerns a number of factors encompassing the game, players and personal experience.

1. The hype

The Australian Open seriously delivered in 2012. Sam Stosur failed to live up to expectation as a top 10 player, but Bernard Tomic and Lleyton Hewitt tried their absolute hardest for the Aussies. And our number one seed in the boys juniors took out the title which is promising.

Hewitt's set off Djokovic had Australia on the edge of their seats. I've never really been a Hewitt hater, so I was happy to see him do so well before ultimately bowing out. I really felt for him on seeing the emotion on his face. And then since, I really enjoyed his commentary, he speaks well.

2. The WAGs

See my previous blog on the WAGs of the Australian Open. 'Nuff said.

3. The grunting

I managed to watch the womens final after my mind had decided that the tennis balls sound like that on impact. More opinion on that here. But in the mens final(s) I noticed that they are just as bad but on a lower octave (if that's the correct term).

4. The finals

The top four men made the semi's. That's something to say for the strength of The Untouchables isn't it? The skill shown by all four was incredible... the Sydney Morning Herald was succinct in saying Roger Federer can't get up to Novak Djokovic or Rafael Nadal, while Andy Murray can't get there yet - but Federer's still got the brilliance. And this is from someone who has never really gone out of their way to watch him play.

5. Changing tastes

And here's where my personal view comes into it. I went into this Open obviously hoping the Aussies would do well, and looked forward to seeing the Roddicks and Baghdatis's of the circuit. The exciting personalities. But both of those exited early, and then after my WAG discovery, the last remaining Djoker started to get on my nerves a bit. I found myself going for Murray in the semi, while also going for Federer against Nadal.

And then in the final I found myself going for Nadal. Which has never happened before.

And so to...

6. THE FINAL.

I'll try and be brief. As we all know, it was AMAZING. The tennis was incredible from the outset, and some of the rallies five-and-a-half hours in were just miraculous. Being about 1am I was starting to doze off before they came back with those to blow me away and wanting more when Djokovic finally dropped to the ground victorious.

But there WERE things that irritated me. I've turned a bit on Djokovic yes, and last night didn't help his case. Now, I'm Orthodox too and respect the whole religion thing, but bringing the prayers onto the court is so unnecessary.

Then there was the Hulk moment. Sure, I get it. But really, it was like watching the cringy moment in Star Wars Episode III when Hayden Christensen's Darth Vader cries 'nooooooo' at finding out Luke's his son. Painful to watch.

To be fair, he IS the world's best. Either would have been worthy winners. But I was cheering for Nadal, and really sad at seeing his disappointment. Like, really sad. Looking forward to jumping on his bandwagon in 2012 to see if he can crack Djokovic. It was a game for the ages, fitting for the 100th anniversary of the mens final. So fitting.

7. Twitter

My viewing was accompanied by fierce Tweeting throughout, and managing to be mentioned by @AustralianOpen twice as well as making a solid Twitter BFF from Portland, Oregon, USA, it was a definite highlight alongside the wonderful play unfolding. Twitter on events like this is amazing. My new motto is #sleepisfortheweak, I am inspired by the people of the world.

8. Over for another year

Came home tonight to see TBA on the TV guide... how depressing. Over for another year already. This year has told me more than ever that I need to go, so I WILL be at Melbourne Park in 2013.

After joining as a university student and being lucky enough to represent them for part of Festival de Cannes 2011, my time as a senior contributor for Cut Print Review has come to an end after three years.

A large part of that comes down to my move and a new role that emerged as part of it.

The opportunity that came up some seven or so weeks ago to be the Daily Liberal's film reviewer, and since I've returned to a favourable routine of a film a week.

I've decided to let everyone in on my reviews as they're published in print so you can expect my new release look-in every Saturday, just in time for any pending decision on a weekend movie.

Read on, and please feel free to return the favour with your opinion!

*As published in the Daily Liberal (Dubbo), Western Advocate (Bathurst), Parkes Champion Post and Midstate Observer (Orange) from Saturday 28/1/2012

These shoes are Rafael Nadal's fare from the 2010 French Open. For this year's Australian Open his name is on the tongue of the shoe.

Roger Federer has his own logo embroidered on the outside of his shoes, while Petra Kvitova sports her first name on the heel.

My question is: do their shoes get mixed up in the locker rooms or something?

I'm just curious as to what's behind the tennis trend to name their shoes. Especially after themselves. I mean, if you're going to name your shoes, put another meaningful (or random) name to keep them guessing. Have some fun with it.

***

Thought I'd note that observation tonight being Friday, where I've promised to nominate my shoe of the week from my fridge calendar. I missed last week so not off to the greatest start but there's another 11 months so you'll see plenty. And so for the reveal...



Gold Digger.

I think this is fairly self-explanatory, although I must say I had to give a few other consideration. The name can influence my decision as much as the shoe itself, and this just said it all. Snakeskin that would look best on cowboy boots, perfect for the "gold digger" in all of us. Maybe if we were in Las Vegas back in the 80s...

Watching the Australian Open each year has become more and more of a challenge as I've found myself working heavier in retail, and then now becoming accustomed to full-time routine work in my professional field. However, I'm a girl and very much appreciate seeing some particular men going at it on the court so am still watching when I can. A recent preference is some of the Serbian kind, not least because of the Orthodox link (hello convenience).
Yes that sounds stupid (I'm not overly religious for one thing), but thinking about it, if I had the chance I've always been more interested in meeting a tennis man than someone from any other sport. I mean, AFL players are just bloody stupid. That aside, I was shocked to meet Jelena at the first viewing of Novak Djokovic for this year.

Jelena Ristic is apparently the long-term girlfriend of Djokovic (since 2005). I swear I've never seen her in his box at the Open before, and truly feel I have clearly missed this the whole time. I always thought he was a free-wheelin' kinda guy (as a match to his personality), and now I discover he's been in a relationship the whole time. You think you know a guy... a tad devastated, I have really lost a little bit of the love. They're cute, but that's so boring. Just marry her already. Next.

The next two I don't think were at this year's tournament although I could be wrong. My other total surprise came from Biljana Tipsarevic. Since Janko's rise into the top 10 I've seen a bit more of him and become intrigued. Then I find out he's married to a (former?) TV presenter. Of course he is.

HOW DID I MISS THIS??
Le sigh.

I can't be angry, these girls are gorgeous and close to home for the boys. Buuuuut not as impressed by this one.
Brooklyn Decker, aka Mrs Roddick. Now, I DID know about her. And she just comes across as a bit more... meh. Like she knows she's awesome because she looks hot in a bikini and gets paid for it. And that she pipped Mandy Moore at the post. Although a friend put it well when she said it's okay they're married when Andy has his new mohawk as he does. WTF IS that by the way?

To the Australians... Bec Hewitt gets a mention as a yummy mummy because she's looking pretty good these days, but Bernard Tomic's other half is adorable.

Donay Meijer, like all the other, presents well in the box. But she seems casual and unassuming (not that I can really say the others aren't) and I LOVE that she's focused on her studies (and her man) when she could be modelling. Refreshing.

I want to say from the top that I'm all for girl power. In the tennis world there are more and more extremely strong women who are totally bringing it, and it's great to see. But the grunting is really really getting too much.

Right now I'm watching Sharapova vs Lisicki in the Australian Open, the former the first woman I really noticed to bring the noise to the professional stage. Lisicki is quiet and goes about her points well. I respect that. And while I really do respect Sharapova's game too I'm just totally turned off. On a separate note, she's probably the prettiest of the 'lanky tall blonde' clan (think Hantuchova, Azarenka et al) but it doesn't do her any favours.

Seven have introduced the shriek meter which has recorded her shrieks at 95.6dB. That's frickin' loud.

When did this become such an annoying problem?

Tweets throughout the last week have labelled Azarenka's grunt as "soothing" (men...), while one asked tonight if Sharapova has a grunt trainer.

Commentary raised an interesting point. Azarenka's received a lot of grief but Sharapova is louder and doesn't have that experience. So what does that mean, because she started it she can get away with it? That doesn't cut it with me, sorry.

I'm not saying the men are any better. Stanislas Wawrinka's extreme grunt is rather creepy. But I'm sure the grunt is wasting more energy for them than necessary and it's something that can be relatively controlled. At least to a proper grunt and not a shriek as Sharapova's is.

A lot were saying they mute the TV... why on Earth should we have to do that? Do they really want to be remembered for that, over their looks or much more importantly their game?

I'd rather hear talk about the dresses than discussion on grunts or the noise itself, as bad as that may sound even as a female. The WTA should be doing more to stamp it out, it's just as much a tactic now as well. Seriously, it's tennis' version of soccer's diving. Just sayin'.

Waiting for Hewitt v Djokovic with thinning patience...

Apparently Dubbo has a TARDIS. And it is awesome.

I can't say I'm a Doctor Who fan. I remember Kylie Minogue was on one of the Christmas episodes and know the names of the three that have helmed the new generation (I remain curious of the David Tennant era particularly).

I DO know Torchwood though, which from what I've seen I thoroughly enjoyed. So I understand people's appreciation for the Doctor. And I now also know of the admiration for the show and Matt Smith from the wonderful Steph of Mayhem and Miscellany.

During her visit to Dubbo for the weekend she saw the sights of the city and also a bit of Narromine (ooh aah Glenn McGrath), but neither of us were prepared for the mini golf course.

Astro mini golf at the Observatory was not something I'd thought about doing since the move. But at Steph's excitement I thought it was a great idea. As she put it, it's all about "embracing the daggy stuff". And what an unexpected surprise it was.

We went through the Space Race and Oort clouds, before entering the TARDIS and then finally getting sucked into the Black Hole. While Steph was disappointed it didn't expand to include the so called features (multiple swimming pools, helloooo?) it was still a privilege to get the ball in the hole located inside. I was impressed.

Other weekend highlights included a revisit to Andonbel Alpaca Farm and Coffee Shop, exhibition viewing and the opportunity to learn French off nationals. But they are stories for another time.

If you didn't know that about me, shame on you! Well, you do now.

So I love shoes. These I purchased in Europe over the course of my 15-week trip. I can't believe I never did a fashion wrap-up this time around... having said that, these were the more notable buys as opposed to 2010 when London vintage clothing reigned supreme.

Back row (from left): New Look khaki boots from the UK, 15 pounds. Platform wedges from Harrods London, 59 pounds. exe cork nautical wedges from Greece, 39.80 Euros.

Middle: Grey wintery heels from Singapore, 40SGD. Silver flats from Greece, 15 Euros.

Front: Platinum hand-beaded thongs from Greece, around 70 Euros. Fluoro jelly thongs from Greece, 13 Euros. exe dressy thongs from Greece, 29.80 Euros. Closed flats with beige bow from Spain, 5 Euros.

***

Mum realised I wasn't going to have a wall calendar like I had the past seven or eight years, so thoughtfully bought me a tear-off calendar for my fridge - of SHOES!

It started off well with a quote: "You should do shoes."




But since then it's gone kind of downhill. Here's a few examples that speak for themselves.



I've now decided to share with you my "favourite" shoe of the week every Friday as a result of my intrigue to see which tacky shoe will win my heart. Keep an eye out starting tomorrow!

Sorry if you get grossed out by anatomy close-up. But this is frickin' weird.


If you noticed past the somewhat feeble macro shot of my pinkie finger, there's a black dot. That black dot somehow began existence right in the middle of my nail and is something that is underneath. As if Laura Palmer's killer stuck it in there like he did the letters (please, if you have no idea what that means, do yourself a favour and rent Twin Peaks NOW).

When I discovered it, it was actually quite painful. Have no idea what it is or how it got there, and I swear that was at least three weeks ago.

Am I the only one to find weird oddities like this? Anyone want to back me up?

While watching sports replays aren't everyone's cup of tea, there are definitely advantages. Some general, and some specific to the given game.

Having followed the Tomic vs Verdasco Australian Open game online while at work (and now with Optus I can get it on the road for free, yew!), it was good to wind down with watching the last two sets.

Even if I knew how it ended.

Because you find out things. You're not watching for the score as much as the other elements. Tennis is a particularly interesting example.

People still call tweets twitters.
   Jim Courier trying to correct Bruce McAvaney was hilarious while still very subtle. People today were tweeting from set three that Tomic could come back...

The tweeters are always right.
  They weren't wrong were they? I particularly liked one tweet (sorry for the lack of source) that wrote they were loving the tequila sunrise outfits of Verdasco and his Spanish ensemble. Great comment. Power to the tweeter.

Things about the players' outfits become more noticeable.
  While I saw the outfit first as a Spanish summer as opposed to the drink (bright with their flag colours), Verdasco's wearing a hat now. Whether he did before I cannot recall, I was always too busy appreciating his face. Which is harder when a cap attempts to cover it.

You appreciate faces in the crowd.
  Many a time there's someone famous in the crowd, or a mysterious partner/friend/relative in a player's box that isn't revealed as a significant person for much longer than you would like. Or just general people in the crowd like in this game, where who I think was an extremely good looking guy was sitting behind Pascal Maria. On a side note, that's a name I appreciate. The coolest name for an umpire ever.

Realising the ad quality has seriously declined = dampener.
  While the Australian Open is back (which is awesome and something I ALWAYS hang out for), I miss the awesome American Express ads with Andy Roddick in his heyday. Nothing could ever top those for this tournament I don't think, too good. We lost out when Amex pulled their major sponsorship.

Jim Courier would have to have the best US accent ever.
I've been on the Courier bandwagon for some time now with some help from my besties, but listening to his voice without having to reeeeally pay attention to the commentary is very manageable. It's not nasal, doesn't have a twang, and he doesn't stutter. Plus he's totally charming so that always works in someone's favour.

I never took advantage when it was closest.
I lived in Adelaide. It can cost you $49 one-way to Melbourne with hand luggage. WHY I never organised to take the time off I don't know. And then when I looked at ticket prices for 2012 (thinking of finally getting there) I moved halfway across the country.

But regardless, I will be going in 2013. I've waited far too long and next year it will be well deserved.

FLASHBACK: this is the last tennis action I saw live (besides the mens Wimbledon final last year, but that was on a screen so technically doesn't count), the inaugural World Tennis Challenge in Adelaide in 2009. We saw Jim Courier in the flesh and watching the oldies play was a lot of fun.

Djokovic with his trophy just by the door there...

The New Zealand debate is over. I have decided. I can only justify staying in Christchurch for a day at the most, to see some stuff and pass through to the other part of the South Island (I really do plan to make it down there, just undecided on exactly where at this point).

They had ANOTHER ONE. I was worried here and then again soon after. But this one in the 'burbs is strike three. I can't bring myself to bypass it completely, but one day should be enough at this point in time.

Only five weeks to go! Excitement! I need to buy travel insurance...

With my recent explorations past Dubbo, I have something to show for it other than photos. Last night I cracked open some dessert wine and cheese from Mudgee, because I could.

Semillion from Lowe's estate and near-blue cheese called Mudgee Rouge from High Valley (I think). So excellent that it helped me crash out on the couch until 2:43am this morning.


And then there are the comforts of home that I hold onto because they can last me a bit longer. Anyone from South Australia will recognise these.



Haigh's Chocolates - the best in Australia. Don't know if I can say the world, I tried that argument against two Swiss guys and their Lindt once and didn't do so well. But my argument was that I'd actually tried both!


And then there's Fruchocs. God these things are good. Fellow ANZACs on my Turkey tour were pleasantly surprised when they enjoyed these as we camped at Gallipoli. Good times.

I have three posts waiting to go. But I refuse to reveal them to you without photos and there's currently a glitch in the Blogger system, so I frustratingly have this post sans visuals as my only vice.

However, I'm watching the tennis and STOKED it's finally Australian Open time next week. Only this time watching the day sessions will never be possible because of work, which is a total shame. I miss the summers where I would veg out every day I could. It's becoming less and less of a reality.

That's why I'm taking time off for the 2013 event.

I've said I would go for years but I think I have to really get my act together and do it. First week action would be the name of my game, although a final would be nice too...

I have photos from my venture to Wimbledon for the mens' final in 2011, where I sat in Court 2(?) and watched it eating strawberries and cream under a strong English sun. But I can't show you those either, CAN I? How stupid.

Has anyone seen this shitty excuse for a travel article? First the Sydney Morning Herald were reporting on the outrage from New Zealanders... continuing on from the previous entry on my uncertainty of visiting Christchurch, I can kind of see their point.

Then it got ridiculous.

Perth and the western coast were a possible no-go. Because of shark attacks apparently. NEWSFLASH: THEY'RE EVERYWHERE. Especially if you don't swim between the flags like you're told. What a joke.

Then (of course, of course) there was Greece. Yes, they've had riots. Yes they're financially unstable. But why fuel the theory that Greece is only ever good for the islands??? Ok so there's a tiiiny bit of bias being of Greek heritage - BUT - this is something I have never really understood since first visiting.

The islands are pretty amazing. I've been to six. And will go back for more. But the mainland is different entirely and is interesting for it. Athens is a MUST for the Acropolis and surrounds, yet people don't give it the time of day or go there expecting a Paris and then become sorely disappointed. The history is what makes the country, and if you can ever get further north than Athens, or Patra on the Pelopponnese, the never-ending mountains as well as artefacts will entrance and surprise you. Plus Thessaloniki has a similar vibe to Melbourne in its chilled nightlife, a very cool place.

My point: she said to tread lightly in Athens and only go to the islands right? She's obviously never been there. If there's more taxi strikes or what not (which I don't see happening now their summer's over) where's the first place they hit? The ports. That's where you DON'T want to be. I went through it and considered myself lucky to have hit the mainland by then, except when it affected us in Corfu (Kerkyra). I'll post a video from that someday.

In short, the article is utter rubbish.

PS: SMH has pushed me towards Christchurch being on the itinerary through this story. And THIS photo...

That's a shopping mall. From shipping containers. That's just a bit cool. It looks like Lego that I want to play with.

Totally jinxed myself last night. Had told Mum I was yet to see a cockroach and could handle the few crickets I've had (including yesterday morning at 3:20am, I took that thing DOWN half asleep), and not before I hung up, while speaking to Dad, did I see a disgustingly huge brown one. I really let out a yelp, it freaked me out. And the fucker took an age and a white coating of Pea Beu to die. Watching it in slight fear it would just start walking off again was horrible. I just couldn’t bring myself to grab it for ages.

Sorry for the delay everyone, my parents' visit meant I had to take a holiday break from my entries. Seeing as I worked for most of the period I had to take a break from something. But I'm back and re-energized for 2012!

My next overseas adventure is shortly directing me towards The Land of the Long White Cloud, and I've finally started researching. I'm becoming more and more excited as I try to decide what to cover over the fortnight I'm in New Zealand, and glad I'm spending four days in the Bay of Islands - it's going to be STUNNING! Plus I'll be with my tour buddies for that so it'll be even better - places like this look like they're best enjoyed with great company.

But as we all know New Zealand has some current rebuilding issues, physically and emotionally. This is thankfully only limited to one city, but Christchurch is a pretty unfortunate example. The news that they've had more aftershocks today is so sad to hear when they're trying so hard to rebuild from TWO earthquakes in a year. How does that happen? Why?

It leaves me with a tough choice to make as an outsider going in. I hate to be voicing this thought, but it came to me after reading today's news. Do I skip Christchurch? If I make this sound pretty heavy and you don't think that's justified, think about it. The city is rebuilding. AGAIN. If today hadn't happened maybe I'd think differently. But the fact that it has probably means it's better if I don't put myself at risk and miss it completely.

I really don't want to do that, but I have to put my safety first. Yes, anywhere else could also have natural disasters, but it's got me worried. And it would no doubt have the parents worried also. I hate to do that to the city and its people because it seems I'm forgetting they exist and they need the support. I'm in two minds.

Question time: Should I go? Give me a reason NOT to skip it and you might be the reason I do. But if you think I should give it a miss, tell me why and you could be just as influential. Seriously.