Quick hits

(Because I don't want to flood my followers' timelines on Twitter.)

*Just finished reading Tea Obreht's The Tiger's Wife and it's probably one of the best novels that I've read in a while. The story deals with themes such as war, death, family, myth, storytelling, superstitions, among others. I think the subplot that resonated the most with me was that of Luka's, the wife beater. While many of the characters in the novel deals with the death of a person, Luka had to deal with the death of his dream of becoming a famous musician. Here was a guy who knew from the very beginning what he wanted and suffered at the hands of his father because of it, only to return to their backward village later on as a failure and be consumed and ruined by his utter disappointment and heartbreak. This is a must read for those who are interested in Balkan history (and maybe even those who like Serbian tennis players ... sorry, the big tennis fan in me had to put that one out there). I also recommend it as well to fans of the magical realism genre.

*U.S. Anti-Doping CEO Travis Tygart, who is widely regarded as a hero for having tirelessly pursued Lance Armstrong and exposing him as a fraud, also came out with an interview on 60 Minutes to once again denounce Armstrong's lies during his confession to Oprah. Tsk, tsk. Some people just never change, do they?

*Also watched Gangster Squad. Ryan Gosling, Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Nick Nolte and Emma Stone. Seriously, how can you go wrong with this cast? I wasn't really happy with it, though. The movie had a lot of potential, really, and could have been like Argo if the producers asked Ben Afflect to direct it and write the screenplay. Anyway, I would still recommend this movie to fellow Ryan Gosling lovers.

*Must watch Youtube videos: A Pep Talk from Kid President to You and Disney's Paperman.

Have a great week ahead, guys.

Quotes: Oh, the what-could-have-beens...

When you witness a silky-smooth game like that from Ivanovic, you can only wonder what might have been.
— Ed McGrogan (@EdMcGrogan) January 20, 2013

Uhm, like, 5 Grand Slam titles lost? (This is my blog so I have the right to be delusional.) So Ana just lost to Agnieszka Radwanska in the 4th round of the Australian Open, 2-6 4-6. Radwanska was just serving like a GOAT (fantastic placing) and was not giving away a lot of errors. Ana, despite having a lot of chances, just couldn't serve well and hit winners consistently. Sigh. Call me (maybe) crazy but I really do believe that Ana Ivanovic is still capable of winning Grand Slams (yes, with an "s"). I don't know when but there's reason to hope after seeing her play this past couple of weeks. (For a short history of how really, really good she was and her struggles from 2008 onwards, click here.)

The "Must" List: Baby Bump Gap

Forehand Policy's usual round-up of a few must read/see/view things that you guys (as in the five people who read my blog) might find interesting.

*Giggling Ryan Gosling = Official Mascot of my blog site.

*So what does make the US a world superpower? Definitely not it's military power or its economic might (duh!) but the likes of People, Us Weekly, Star Magazine, Perez Hilton and the National Enquirer. Take that, North Korea.

*I really pride myself for my choice of absolute tennis faves (even if they don't win a lot). I love you, Andy Murray.

*Looks like everyone's excited for the Australian Open.

*Dear China: please please please be nice to us Filipinos. Want to know why? Because it pays to be nice in international politics, according to Steve Walt.

*Seriously, Ryan Lochte. Can't you just be on The Bachelor or Dancing with the Stars?

That's so last year.

I already wanted to forget about Gangnam Style but then this happened:

Ugh. Why are you guys so cute? 

P. S.
For more Ana - Novak Hopman Cup goodness, click here and here. (Warning: Cuteness overload.)

Quotes: Hello there, 2013.

From zenmind-nomind:

Happy New Year: 2013

May you be at peace.
May your heart remain open.
May you realize the beauty of your own true nature.
May you be healed.
May you be a source of healing for this world.

MFEO

from @hopmancup

From The Australian:

THEIR athleticism aside, travellers who caught a glimpse of two Europeans travelling on a flight from Perth to Melbourne in early 2011 might have assumed they were fun-loving backpackers. 
 
Separated by two rows in economy class, the brunette waited until her friend had fallen asleep before sneaking up to him and clapping loudly. Hysterics followed at the statuesque Serb's over-the-top reaction.

Later, the young woman snoozed for a while using her friend's shoulder as a support. It was an intimacy of close friends rather than that of a couple.

With passengers on the packed plane seemingly oblivious to their identities, the pair were left to themselves. A year later and it almost certainly would have been different.

Just three weeks after that trip, the young man -- Novak Djokovic -- claimed the first of three grand slams for the year in establishing himself as the dominant tennis player in the world. Ana Ivanovic, his mate, arguably was even more famous at the time.

...

It is that friendship that Ivanovic touched on yesterday when the pair joined forces for Serbia's opening Hopman Cup victory over Italy in Perth.

As toddlers, the pair threw sand in each others' faces. Later they swatted backhands. Before play yesterday, they embraced on the outdoor practice court before going about their business in impressive fashion.

"We met each other when we were four years old. We didn't even play tennis at the time," Ivanovic said.

"My father and his uncle knew each other from school days, so we were playing in the sand and it is just really, really funny to see him do so well now. It is really nice to catch up and obviously he is my favourite doubles partner.

"(He was) always funny, always making jokes. You know boys. He was always running around the whole time.

"Then we played some tournaments, some under-10s, under-12s back in Serbia, then we were travelling together, so it is nice to catch up and we also have some real memories."

Djokovic, who only arrived in Perth late on Sunday night after adding to his riches with a victory in an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi, certainly clowned around during a dead mixed doubles against Andreas Seppi and Francesca Schiavone.

...

While it carries less prestige than the Davis or Fed cups, this pair is desperate to claim the title for Serbia given their friendship and seemed certain to do so two years ago until Ivanovic was forced to withdraw from the final -- the day before they shared the flight to Melbourne -- with a stomach injury.

"It is a big goal for me and Novak as well. We have come close a few times and the last time here it was very, very disappointing for me," she said. "I really hope I can play better this year and help Novak and hopefully together we can get the trophy."

Yeah, right. Friends... I do love watching the two of them play together. It's the main reason why I woke up really early today to catch their Hopman Cup tie against Italy. (I'm on my holiday break so 10 AM is quite early for me.) Ana blitzed Francesca Schiavone during their singles match, 6-0 6-4, while Novak had to fight off jet lag (he only arrived in Australia less than 24 hours ago from Abu Dhabi) to beat Andreas Seppi, 6-3 6-4.  Team Serbia a.k.a. Team Barbie and Ken lost to the Italians in the mixed dubs, 6-7 4-6. Despite the loss, Ana and Novak were, as always, fun to watch together. Ana always seems so relaxed and smiley around him while Novak does his best to always make her laugh and feel comfortable. Sigh.

Quotes: Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.

Got this from a friend's post on Facebook. Worth sharing.

Christmas gift suggestions
To your enemy, forgiveness.
To an opponent, tolerance.
To a friend, your heart.
To a customer, service.
To all, charity.
To every child, a good example.
To yourself, respect.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Barbie and Ken

Can't wait to see these two at the Hopman Cup again.

 

I wonder if they were this age when they started playing Barbie and Ken together.

 

North Pole. South Pole.

I think the following tweets show what humans are capable of during a tragedy.

This is a letter that one of the kids wrote during lock down. "I'm sorry for not being a good son." Heartbreaking. twitter.com/AbbasMoosvi/st…
— Abbas (@AbbasMoosvi) December 14, 2012

"I love you in heaven." Really heartbreaking. Children should not be put in a situation where they are forced to write these types of goodbye letters. But still, all credit to the kid who managed to be very sweet and thoughtful in a highly stressful situation.

And then we have this:

Maybe the Mayans were onto something after all. I pray for humanity. bit.ly/QZ6GfB
— unseeded & looming (@unseededlooming) December 15, 2012

 Click on the link and you'll find these tweets:

 

It's unfortunate how insensitive people can be. You begin to ask yourself what kind of a world are we living in when kids below 10 years old show more maturity and thoughtfulness than people that are older than they are. Clearly, some people need to get a life in order for them to value it more.

Quotes: Words of wisdom

Revenge? Nah, I'm too lazy. I'm just going to sit here and let karma mess you up.
— TED (@Laughbook) December 15, 2012

*BOOM* *mic drop*

Quotes: Note to self

LOVE your enemy but never forget: he is not your friend
— Paulo Coelho (@paulocoelho) December 8, 2012

Thank you, Mr. Coelho.

When did they become friends?

Up to this day, I'm still waiting for this rivalry to actually materialize on a consistent basis on the tennis court. I really had high hopes after they faced each other in the finals of the Australian Open last 2008. Blonde vs. Brunette. Nike vs. adidas. Diva vs. Ms. Nice. Shriek vs. Squeak. Too bad the tennis gods had other plans. Ana went on to have a spectacular slump (good thing she seems to be getting out of it now) while Pova had a shoulder injury that almost ended her career. Pova is already back where she belongs (still in the top 3, Grand Slam champion) while Ana is still finding her way back to queendom. Hopefully 2013 will be a good year for these two.

Anyway, the video is still a fun interview featuring the ultimate glamour girls of tennis. Ana is way funnier than people give her credit for while Pova is not always a mean bitch like many portray her to be. It really warms my heart to see these two poking fun at each other.