tennis, life and a few things in between

 his Shipyard courts

Pumpkin’s mini session with Walker Sahag and Andy Sklarin at the VDM was pretty good, claiming that they got her serve on track.  Ok cool. The intensity is pretty heavy, Walker with a weathered face yelled loud and clear at the beginning and at the end.  Pumpkin grouped with a little girl, they both worked with the young female coach most of the time while other bigger muscles were divided into two groups with Walker and Andy.  I played the round robin at the Shipyard: five matches, I lost four!  Couples of opponents suggested that I should check out the USTA league.

Went to shopping on Tue at the mall, it’s like a zoo, mother/daughter teams were abundant.  I even ran into a neighbor there with her daughter, Pumpkin’s good friend.  Did Abercrombie & Fitch make the headline due to their racy ad couple of years ago?  She went there because her little groupies all went there.  The line to the cashier was huge.  Naturally, I waited on line while she and her cronies shopped.  That’s what mothers for.  When I saw the little pink bag in her pile, I wondered what did she buy at Victoria’s Secret.  Not at La Perla? Oh, I like their lotion, she replied.   … …. My thighs (especially the left one) hurt so much from the hiking on Sunday that I was basically limping around in the mall.  Wondering why no one offered me a wheel chair.  But managed to play badminton that night, Fan’s last day, had to go.  He’s leaving on Thur .. getting married .. be back after Chinese New Year – Feb 2008 .. pls bring back a pretty and badmintonable bride!  Simon is baaaaack.  He and I lost to Fan and Michael.

Another cluster of courts in better shape but no nets;  Sharon in action

Pumpkin won her doubles 6:2 on home turf, against the other middle school in town.  They won over all decisively.  Her partner played very well too, impressed me a lot.  Many shots I thought she couldn’t have gotten it.  The short girl on the opposing team constantly making bad line calls.  It’s hard to tell she wanted to cheat or was just too nervous; a good experience for all the girls.  Toward the end, short girl’s partner told her ‘don’t ask me’, :).

Sharon lost her singles 7:5 in tie break, (one of the two matches they lost) wasn’t happy about it: she plays her opponent all the time and was never able to beat her.  I told her the story about Michael Chang and Pete that during their junior years, Sampras was Chang’s victim and finally got over it on the center court here (US Open), went on to win that year’s championship.  After that match, Sampras sat in his chair with a huge sly grin.  Bud Collins interviewed him, asking why did it take so long to win and how did he finally manage to win.  Talent doesn’t come over night.  Sampras, with his usual subtle manner, said very little other than joked that he now is taller.  I reckon that all is in your mind.  Well, it’s easy to say than done.

        The home opener was a shutout event.  Pumpkin won her doubles 6:2, the happy duo walked off giggling.  They both played sharp and hard.  They giggled at start, either their way to deal with nervousness or just doubles has more fun – your partner carries half the pressure.

One parent suggested that we need to do a fund raising for new courts.  Gosh, you have to see to believe it: the courts look like 3rd world!  Few years ago I took them to visit my middle/high school in Beijing, they were impressed, ‘wow, mom, this is  your school?’  The rose-tinted track and field, tranquil blueish 50 meter indoor pool .. .. were really world class.  Superficial?  What’s going on inside the classrooms are not easy to measure..  China will beat us back to the moon, said NASA Administrator Michael Griffin two weeks ago.

Ran into few mothers, some I played with long time ago, some I knew but haven’t seen for few years.  One Korean mom chatted me up – rather one sided – telling me her 12th grade son is doing very well, busy, participate in chamber music – playing violin, golf and something else; kept on saying that he has to do very well academically .. he wants to go to Brown pre med .. There wasn’t a room for my participation, :).  Is Brown offering 6-year BS/MD program?  She looked at me blankly.  Oh well.  Maybe the ivy leagues have more than enough applicants, they don’t have to come up with new gimmick to compete for the brightest.  Considering the long internship many fields required, the 6-year combo is a good way to start.

Pumpkin played her first doubles match against another school, lost 6:4.  Very close, it could have gone either way.  Tough love.  She just got home, a long day, almost 12 hours.

The trophies at the rink ..

Weekly skating has just resumed.  The group is getting larger than the last season.  I’m happy: she’s doing something other than lingering at the Malls or on the street.  She loves to skate when she hardly knew how to walk.  The very first time I took them to ice skate, as soon as I laced her up, she got on her feet and ran toward the ring while King was whining hurt.  It’s a nerve rocking moment, two toddlers on hand, being a lousy skater myself, with one gone who had never skated before and one hemming and hawing his heels, I was lost. .. Now all she needed is a ride there.  Soon enough that either King will drive her there or she drives herself there, or elsewhere. 

When I went to pick her up, she split from her group.  Handed me a bottle of drink in dark color, went to change.  I don’t drink soda and have never bought a bottle of soda.  They were only offered water, juice and milk since they were born.  During birthday parties, they were kind of odd balls who asked for water when coke or pepsi were available.  I don’t understand, why would parents allow their young kid drinking such thing!  If all parents stick together, the birthday party places would not dare to offer sodas, correct?  Of course I also understand one day they will drink it, if they so desire.  But so far they haven’t.  The first time they had the taste of the soda, they claimed, “yuke, it’s spicy!”  Without looking close at the label, I said ‘now your diet include soda.’  She looked at me with a smile, ‘no, I don’t drink soda,” then looked at the bottle, ‘oh, Mom, it’s ice tea!’  Whatever, they all looked alike, suspiciously dark, 🙂 – how about soy sauce???  She hugged me, ‘mom, you’re so obliviou to the world!’

Pumpkin was watching men’s semi when I got home, homework spread out in front of her.  Wow.  “I like this player” she pointed to Djokovic.  He’s cute, witty, has a pair really good looking eyes, and 地包天too, lol.  Whatever the reason, I’m just glad she’s watching.  “Would you like to watch with me?”  Nay, I’m fine here.  So we watched separately.

She tried out for the tennis team yesterday.  Won both matches.  35 mean gurls/ popular gurls/normal girls jockey for the 18 slots.  Unfortunately the swimming and tennis are still jamed at the same time.  She’ll have to make a decision soon.  Good luck baby!