Episode 3: The Return to Roland Garros... and other things

Quick update! Why? Because I have two humongous final projects looming ahead. Okay, I promised myself not to called them humongous... so they won't seem... humongous!

Anyway, Ee Poh Margaret came to visit me in Paris!! And to take my 23.4 kg bag back with her! Gosh, I really don't know how I manage to accumulate so much stuff. And I have more stuff to take with me. Better find out how much MAS allows for international flights... ANYWAY. Getting side tracked here. She came to visit, and we did the ultimate in sight-seeing things in Paris: the Bateaux Mouches!!

This is where Pam and I sometimes go with our Greek sandwiches. Down by the Seine. And I usually wave to the people on the bateaux mouches. Except this time I AM the people on the bateaux mouches.

We had a nice dinner. Walked about. Never realized how pretty the Musee Orsay looks!

Episode 3: the return to Roland Garros

Yes, I am guilty of tennis fanaticism. I went back to Roland Garros! But only for the afternoon... just a couple of hours. Ok 3. No, 4 hours. hhahaa. This is Patty Schnyder! OH OH OH... and my final project? I spoke to my prof today, and it's going to be something to do with ROLAND GARROS! Mua ha ha haaa... I'm going to examine sports and identity!

Another great server... frenchwoman Emile Loit

And another great server. Joshua Yeoh, Malaysia! Haha. Amy and I tried the clock-your-serve thing. It was for a good cause. Don't ask how fast I served! All the pressure... let's just say, contrary to popular belief, I don't serve as fast as Roddick. ha ha ha.

Ball in ball ( ha ha ), I think three days at Roland Garros is one day too many. Especially with annex court tickets. It's more convenient to watch it on TV. Haha. So that concludes my Roland Garros experience. Next time I come back will be to play! haha... Next stop: WIMBLEDON!

From stadium to stadium

Next stadium after Roland Garros was Stade de France for a one night only extravaganza: Puccini's opera, Turandot! It was a MEGA production... featuring Zhang Yimou's immense stage set! Look at that! The opera was beautiful! However, I might as well have been watching ants! Haha.. yeah we got the nosebleed seats.

Food, food and more food

To finish this update in true Josh style, we move to... FOOD. Had lunch with Ee Poh before sending her off at the airport. She hadn't tried escargot before, so....

And yesterday, I cooked dinner for my host family!!! It was a challenge considering they didn't have the necessary ingredients, but in the end they liked it! Yay. Char pui and stuffed cabbage rolls! :)

First you chop the carrots, then... hehe. Yup. Oh and today, I was going to go to Hillsong Paris's lifegroup... but that didn't turn out. LOOOONG STORY. Will update on that when the end arrives! :) But till then... 11 days to Erica!!! 28 more days to home!!! Wheeeeee 

Of cooking and being cooked

Of cooking

Tuesday night. Priyanka, Vandana her sister, and I went to Rosabelle's house for our very first French cooking lesson!! It was an amazing culinary treat. Our menu was souffl� au fromage, trois poissons aux papillots and cr�me brul�e comme dessert. Yup, yours truly is not a veritable French chef! Here I am... SEPARATING the yolk from the white! Yes, that's what I said... SEPARATING them! Who knew? I even beat the egg whites into fluff!!

Here we are enjoying sangria and corn chips as we cook under Rosabelle's supervision.

And voila! The souffle au fromage!

And this is the hallowed dining room. Where we sampled our culinary creations. Or where we chowed down.

The fish. One of three ways we employed to cook it.

And here I am BRANDING my creme brulee. Hehe... thank God parisian apartments don't have smoke detectors.

Of being cooked. Roland Garros: revisited

Ok. So I couldn't stay away. But it really was an unexpected blessing. Art History class got canceled... and all the people said AMEN! And because that was my only class for wednesday, John, Amy and I decided to head for the red dirt at Porte D'Auteuil! We spent the whole day from 10:30 till 8:30. Well I did anyway. The other two left a bit early. Here we have Karolina Sprem. She beat Venus in Wimbledon last year.

But got beaten by a Japanese who has a double handed forehand AND backhand. Go Asian power!

Caught a bit of men's doubles action... Rainer Schuttler and Nicolai Davydenko versus a guy... and another guy. I know his name. I am just blanking out.

And in the meantime, behind me... less than 20 feet away, Xavier Malisse was warming up for his big match against Rafael Nadal. I'll say it again with emphasis: XAVIER MALISSE was WARMING UP behind me!!!

And the World Number One womens doubles partnership... Paola Suarez and Virginia Ruano Pascual! I love watching them. They're always smiling!

Hello Mr French TV cameraman

Watched a match between Felix Mantilla and Jiri Novak. Mantilla is returning a drop shot here. Great stuff! Five setter with a tie break! Great crowd too... except it was children's day at Roland Garros. So lots of kiddies.

Find Wally! Who can spot John and Amy?

And meanwhile... why are all the cameramen pointing their cameras here?

Answer: Daniela Hantuchova!

Other tennis belles... Tatiana Golovin, who garnered rousing support from the French crowd, and Anastasia Myskina, a shadow of her former self. Out in the first round for both singles AND doubles! Poor girl.

Here they are in action

And the best part? A God who REALLY knows how to bless. I had wanted to get into the principal courts, with little success. But at the end of the doubles match, there was announcement telling us that the next match had been moved to Philippe Chartrier and we could go there to watch it. FOR FREE! This is the view lining up to go in.. of Court 1

Initially, we were put up on top. But some people asked and they okay-ed us to go downstairs... so i got to sit... HERE

TOO beautiful a day in fact. Because of the beautiful day, I am now... COOKED! Well that is it for now. Ee Poh Margaret is coming tomorrow... will go to the airport to meet her. And OH OH... there is a HILLSONG PARIS!!! I might be going this Sunday!! And OH OHHH... it is currently hotter in paris than it is in Penang! Sigh... Good night all!  

Roland Garros: Day One

I still can't believe I was at the French Open! O dreams do come true!! :) I got up at 9-ish today. Ah.. the luxury of being about 10 minutes away from Roland Garros. And for the first time, Metro Line 10 was jam packed with people headed for the clay courts of the Stadium at Porte d'Auteuil.

The atmosphere was vibrant. Exciting. Festive even. It was the first day of Roland Garros 2005, and all the stars were there. Tennis stars that is. So I joined the already long queue (but I walked really fast... Parisian style... to the stadium so I didn't have to line up as long as the tourists. You can tell by the way they amble leisurely.) And after security, very minimal... went in. Splurged on the day's programme... splurge as in 4 euro. Which is maybe about 6 USD. Which is maybe 24 ringgit? See, that's splurging! Hehe. Wait till you hear about the food... but anyway...

First stop: Court 6. Paradorn Srichaphan of Thailand versus R. Stepanek of the Czech Republic.

And the wonderful people who make the game work: the linesmen. No bad calls today.

Caught a bit of the Daniela Hantuchova versus little sister of Krajicek's match.

Hantuchova packing up. She won 6-3, 6-3 I think.

Then went to Court 2 to watch an all-Spanish affair between Carlos Moya and A.Martin.

See? No hard feelings. Moya won. It was a great match. Showcase of power!!

Then came Elena Dementieva versus this girl from the Czech Republic: Strycova. At match point, Strycova tried to stall by putting on a band aid and complaining that it wouldn't stick. Sheesh. But it was funny though; she kept falling! Dementieva, in spite of her 8 double faults, is AMAZING at the baseline! Her timing is superb!

Then I had to line up for a loooong time to get into court 7 to watch Mr Henman whip some Argentinian behind. He played very well! I never realized how effective his serve is. Then again, it should be... seeing as he is a SERVE and volley player! Ha.

And the chip and charge...

Ever the gentleman... "twas a pleasure, my good man... bite my dust!"

It was an amazing day. Weather was almost perfect... except for a short sprinkle spell. And the atmosphere was just amazing! Going back on Saturday. And hopefully will try to get tickets to Suzanne Lenglen next Monday! But until then... new balls please! 

Whuttaday

It's been an emotional day. What with church splits (not in Penang; in Paris... long story), Japanese food and concerts. Here we go...
Led worship today at church, thank you for praying to those who did! God was glorified and it was a great time in His presence. Later though, I learnt that Pastor Michael will not be pastoring CBF anymore.. because the 'mother' church or whatchamacallit in Nigeria said so. It broke my heart to see the circumstances leading up to that... and it angered me too to see the division that would undoubtedly happen as a result of that. So... yeah, pray for Michael and Christelle his wife. They are aweeesome people of God!!! I led worship with Christelle today.

So happier things. Went back to my new favorite Japanese food restaurant with Pam. Man the food is gooooood. Not quite Penang good. But good nonetheless! Looks quite authentic too huh?

My food

And in the evening I went to Sainte Chapelle for a concert. Man it was MAGNIFIQUE! Not only was it in the chapel that is the cream of French high gothic style... BEAUTIFUL acoustics... but as an encore they played one of my favorite pieces... a Nocturne by... Borodin! WOOOO.

This is me. Happy. Got there early. And was the FIRST PERSON TO ENTER THE HALL!!! Sat in the front row. Naturally. Met a couple from Houston Texas who are... psychotherapists!!

The solistes francais quartet... yum

And the Seine near St Michel! Beautiful. OK... got to go to bed soon. Why? Got to get up early for... ROLAND GARROS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *screams*