RF winning his 5th ATP (Masters) World Tour Finals, at the expense of the World No. 1
Boy done good. He's back ... J'espere. Allez Roger!
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Allez Roger!
Looking ahead to Sunday's final, the 29-year-old Federer, who has not met Nadal since the final of the Madrid Masters in May, said: "I'm really enjoying myself and I hope I can produce something good tomorrow.
"Rafa showed today why he is the best player in the world at the moment and it should be a good match. We haven't played that much recently but I'm looking forward to playing him.
"Our styles match up well and he's always very respectful, which I appreciate. We've had some epics and some matches that didn't quite live up to expectations. Hopefully tomorrow will be a great match."
Looking ahead to Sunday's final, the 29-year-old Federer, who has not met Nadal since the final of the Madrid Masters in May, said: "I'm really enjoying myself and I hope I can produce something good tomorrow.
"Rafa showed today why he is the best player in the world at the moment and it should be a good match. We haven't played that much recently but I'm looking forward to playing him.
"Our styles match up well and he's always very respectful, which I appreciate. We've had some epics and some matches that didn't quite live up to expectations. Hopefully tomorrow will be a great match."
Experience ..
"It's what you get, when you didn't get what you wanted"
@ 11:20 mins/secs in this talk
"It's what you get, when you didn't get what you wanted"
@ 11:20 mins/secs in this talk
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
'If we took a holiday ... it would be, it would be so nice'
And it was! Pix from last year's overland journey to South of France (Languedoc-Roussillon)
postscript: the music now playing is some generic crap that WMG have allowed me to 'audio swap' in. Not my cup of tea, but sound makes the slides pass more quickly, n'est pas
Music: There was music by Al Stewart, but it's been blocked (even though I bought it). Shame on you, Warner Music Group. Let them know what you think of them here
And it was! Pix from last year's overland journey to South of France (Languedoc-Roussillon)
postscript: the music now playing is some generic crap that WMG have allowed me to 'audio swap' in. Not my cup of tea, but sound makes the slides pass more quickly, n'est pas
Sunday, November 21, 2010
More Snow Dog* ...
* I refer my friend to the right honourable post, dated June 3rd, 2008 (A.K.A. pix from Holiday in Norway, 2008)
Music: One Day Like This, Elbow
* I refer my friend to the right honourable post, dated June 3rd, 2008 (A.K.A. pix from Holiday in Norway, 2008)
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Forca!
Trying to move and present content from Flickr into more digestible format. These slideshows are created in iPhoto and exported to YouTube to allow me to add easily to this site. I really like ability to add tunes - a nice touch, but seems heavily policed at YouTube (some of my earlier vids have already had songs removed .. like I am going to profit in some way, or look like a commercial enterprise ... purrrr-lease) so not sure how long these slide shows will have a musical accompaniment.
So here's little brother Tom's and my World Cup Tour of Germany back in 2006. Apart from the great beer, scenery and football, it was a once-in-a-lifetime memory meeting up with Dad and Miles in Munich and kicking off 72hrs of partying by watching Australia v Brazil, along with the rest of the world, at a 'FanFest' in Munich's Olympic Park (scene of Jerry Goss' 1993 Wonder Strike in our victory against Bayern Munich .. still the only English team ever to have beaten them on home soil). Memories, memories, blissful memories!
Music: Forca, Nelly Furtado
Trying to move and present content from Flickr into more digestible format. These slideshows are created in iPhoto and exported to YouTube to allow me to add easily to this site. I really like ability to add tunes - a nice touch, but seems heavily policed at YouTube (some of my earlier vids have already had songs removed .. like I am going to profit in some way, or look like a commercial enterprise ... purrrr-lease) so not sure how long these slide shows will have a musical accompaniment.
So here's little brother Tom's and my World Cup Tour of Germany back in 2006. Apart from the great beer, scenery and football, it was a once-in-a-lifetime memory meeting up with Dad and Miles in Munich and kicking off 72hrs of partying by watching Australia v Brazil, along with the rest of the world, at a 'FanFest' in Munich's Olympic Park (scene of Jerry Goss' 1993 Wonder Strike in our victory against Bayern Munich .. still the only English team ever to have beaten them on home soil). Memories, memories, blissful memories!
Monday, November 15, 2010
'Go Nick .. it's your Birthday!'
click on image for front row seat, ya dig?!!
... if only.'F''s card did a great job making me feel young and hip again .. in spite of my 39 years! Thanks (not so) litttle man.
Had a great pre-B'day surprise weekend in London, expertly and clandestinely organised by M (Thanks darlin'!), which included - in no particular order:
- Bubbly on the 'Champagne Express' to London Victoria
- Steam, Sauna, Rooftop Dip and Bowling at private members club Shoreditch House
- An overnight stay at same, above said venue
- Much valued time spent with soon-to-be-departing-these shores-forever, Phil & Clancy.
- A fantastic meal and evening with Mum, Nina, Anna, Jake, Helen and P & C at SAF a vegan restaurant in Shoreditch, or in their words "Botanical fine-dining" ...
- a full body massage from Marcello from Rio
Thanks for the memories Everyone, and again to my beautiful wife for bankrupting herself to produce the gift that kept on giving (My equivalent to her in Feb must surely be season tickets for two at 'Carra Rud'!!). Only joking, rubber, you know it. Love you : - )
One step closer to 40. How Naughty.
Peace and Love x
Thursday, November 04, 2010
Heritage
Born England, 1971. To an English mother and a West-Indian father. That makes me "MIXED - White and Black Caribbean" on all those ethnicity forms we seem to be filling out these days, here in England. My parents met in the early 60s in East Anglia while both working as nurses in the RAF. Mum is a Norfolk lass while my Dad hails from Port-of-Spain, Trinidad & Tobago.
I am the 3rd of 5 siblings - Two brothers and two sisters, whose names I will be happy to add if and when they give me permission. Two of them work in universities, one for an NGO charity and the other is an actuary.
I was born in Wiltshire towards the south-western part of the UK, but was raised from an early age in North Norfolk. Because of my skin colour and mixed features people usually have absolutely no idea where I am from or what is my ethnicity. This is great for holidays, as I can go to virtually any part of the world and be taken for a local. It can be a little more perplexing, however, when fellow countrymen struggle to accept that I am 'one of them'. The over-riding reaction is usually one of mild disappointment when - despite my exotic looks and family name - I report that I am just a rural Norfolk 'bor'! (albeit one who really should be more informed about and in touch with the West Indian side of my heritage - sort it out father!).
The family name Seecharan is a pretty common Trinidadian surname, of Indian origin. Apparently Dad's paternal grandfather travelled to the West Indies circa mid-1850s as part of a group of indentured slaves travelling under the 'batch' name Seecharan. The exact origins of the Indian side of the family is subject to debate in the family, but currently thought to be Northern India. Dad's Mother had a french surname, DuPree, due to a Creole background. Little more is known of the West Indian family tree, not helped in part by the fact that the local office of birth and death records burned to the ground, so the story goes.
The need for a good education was a dominant theme during my child & teen years. I speak for myself here not my siblings, whose own individual childhood perspectives I cannot vouch for. Apart from wanting me to be the best that I can be, a solid education was seen as dependable antidote to the natural prejudices that might stand in the way of a mixed race Brit in a predominantly non-mixed world. This lesson (or possibly better phrased 'note of caution') must have had an impact as the family now hold 10 degrees and three professions between us. I benefitted enormously, in my view from being given a private education. It was clear as soon as I left school and entered the 'real' world what an incredible privilege and opportunity had been given to me. In a world where consumer materialism is often the benchmark against which our successes and failures are mapped, I believe nevertheless, that there can be no comparison with the value of having (and recognising the importance of) a good education. I firmly believe that the only thing stopping me from pursuing a career of any distinction is my desire to do so. In one generation, it is my view that my working class mother and immigrant father have created a legacy that will last generations: the intellectual freedom and belief that there is no ceiling. And this, in spite of the perceived disadvantage of my 'exotic' name and features. They are both retired now and one would hope they are able to enjoy it, while patting themselves on the back for a job well done.
Mum has 6 siblings and Dad is one of 5 children. This means I have a massive 35 first cousins who, along with their children, number over 100! Now that would be one hell of a family business ...
I got married!! In February 2010. A fantastic day with some lovely positive feedback already from many friends and family. The professional pictures have been sifted through and organised and are now available at Chris Taylor's website (email me if you would like the password to the whole album, which is linked at the end of the pictures of our day shown on his blog). M & I currently live and are building a life together here in Brighton on the South Coast, within spitting distance of the sea, with M's son 'F' - the 8 year old household pocket rocket!
Born England, 1971. To an English mother and a West-Indian father. That makes me "MIXED - White and Black Caribbean" on all those ethnicity forms we seem to be filling out these days, here in England. My parents met in the early 60s in East Anglia while both working as nurses in the RAF. Mum is a Norfolk lass while my Dad hails from Port-of-Spain, Trinidad & Tobago.
I am the 3rd of 5 siblings - Two brothers and two sisters, whose names I will be happy to add if and when they give me permission. Two of them work in universities, one for an NGO charity and the other is an actuary.
I was born in Wiltshire towards the south-western part of the UK, but was raised from an early age in North Norfolk. Because of my skin colour and mixed features people usually have absolutely no idea where I am from or what is my ethnicity. This is great for holidays, as I can go to virtually any part of the world and be taken for a local. It can be a little more perplexing, however, when fellow countrymen struggle to accept that I am 'one of them'. The over-riding reaction is usually one of mild disappointment when - despite my exotic looks and family name - I report that I am just a rural Norfolk 'bor'! (albeit one who really should be more informed about and in touch with the West Indian side of my heritage - sort it out father!).
The family name Seecharan is a pretty common Trinidadian surname, of Indian origin. Apparently Dad's paternal grandfather travelled to the West Indies circa mid-1850s as part of a group of indentured slaves travelling under the 'batch' name Seecharan. The exact origins of the Indian side of the family is subject to debate in the family, but currently thought to be Northern India. Dad's Mother had a french surname, DuPree, due to a Creole background. Little more is known of the West Indian family tree, not helped in part by the fact that the local office of birth and death records burned to the ground, so the story goes.
The need for a good education was a dominant theme during my child & teen years. I speak for myself here not my siblings, whose own individual childhood perspectives I cannot vouch for. Apart from wanting me to be the best that I can be, a solid education was seen as dependable antidote to the natural prejudices that might stand in the way of a mixed race Brit in a predominantly non-mixed world. This lesson (or possibly better phrased 'note of caution') must have had an impact as the family now hold 10 degrees and three professions between us. I benefitted enormously, in my view from being given a private education. It was clear as soon as I left school and entered the 'real' world what an incredible privilege and opportunity had been given to me. In a world where consumer materialism is often the benchmark against which our successes and failures are mapped, I believe nevertheless, that there can be no comparison with the value of having (and recognising the importance of) a good education. I firmly believe that the only thing stopping me from pursuing a career of any distinction is my desire to do so. In one generation, it is my view that my working class mother and immigrant father have created a legacy that will last generations: the intellectual freedom and belief that there is no ceiling. And this, in spite of the perceived disadvantage of my 'exotic' name and features. They are both retired now and one would hope they are able to enjoy it, while patting themselves on the back for a job well done.
Mum has 6 siblings and Dad is one of 5 children. This means I have a massive 35 first cousins who, along with their children, number over 100! Now that would be one hell of a family business ...
I got married!! In February 2010. A fantastic day with some lovely positive feedback already from many friends and family. The professional pictures have been sifted through and organised and are now available at Chris Taylor's website (email me if you would like the password to the whole album, which is linked at the end of the pictures of our day shown on his blog). M & I currently live and are building a life together here in Brighton on the South Coast, within spitting distance of the sea, with M's son 'F' - the 8 year old household pocket rocket!
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