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Tuesday, October 7, 2008

HERE COMES RAFAEL NADAL - BEING CROWNED NUMBER ONE OCTOBER 12, 2008 in MADRID


COME AND SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR RAFA NADAL ON HIS BIG DAY
- The tennis player will receive the number one trophy in the Pista Central (central court) of the Mutua Madrileña Masters Madrid on Sunday 12th October, which will be broadcasted by TVE.
- The ceremony will be accompanied by the acrobatic show of "Dream Source: www.mutuamad-mastersmadrid.com news
I am hoping that this is streamed on ATP site that I purchased early this year. Also, check out www.justin.tv

Nadal will be crowned on the 12th of October






2008-10-11_IMG_2008-10-04_23:08:32_efe_080808_191726_1_52.jpg
Rafel Nadal, together with Rudy, in the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics
Foto: Efe



The Mallorquin will receive the trophy of the Number One of the World in the Madrid Masters

EFE. MADRID. Rafel Nadal will receive in Madrid the trophy that accredits him as No. 1 of the world on Sunday 12th October at 13:30 hrs from the hands of Etienne de Villiers, President of the Association of Tennis Professions (ATP), an event that will crown him as the third Spanish tennis player to head the ranking since it started in 1973.

The ATP elected the centre court of the Mutua Madrileña Masters of Madrid to present the trophy to the Mallorquin who reached first place of the ranking on the 18th August.

"Rafa's conquest of No. 1 in the ATP ranking is the recompense to a fantastic race in a difficult year. His run on clay where he came through unbeaten(*), and his good results on grass this year have ratified him as a great player on all surfaces" stated Ettiene de Villiers.
"It was some achievement ending Federer's reign, one of the best tennis players in history. But now the best player in the world and all tennis fans hope that both players continue with one of the strongest rivalries in the world of sport" commented Etienne de Villiers about what he hopes of the spectacular rivalry between the Mallorquin and the Swiss.

It will be televised

The Master Series of Madrid will be the first tournament of the circuit that Rafel Nadal will dispute as number one of the world(*) and coincides with the main tournament that is held in Spain. "We are delighted that the ATP has elected our court to hand over the trophy. Rafa is loved in every country, but here especially. The Madrid public has always supported him" says Manolo Santana, director of the Madrid tournament.

The presentation of the trophy will be seen along with an acrobatic show presented by the actors of "Dreams 2" and will be transmitted live by one of the two open television channels of Televisión Española (TVE), according to comments made by the organisation of the Madrid Masters yesterday. The 7th edition of the tournament takes place from 11th to 19th October on the courts of the Recinto de la Casa de Campo.

On Sunday 12th October the first matches of the Madrid draw will take place. According to the draw it is possible that the Mallorquin will play his first match in the singles draw on Tuesday 14th October at 20:00 hrs. In this event Nadal will also play in the doubles draw, forming a partnership with his friend and training companion Carlos Moyá.

Source: www.diariodemallorca.es

Next Saturday, October 11th, Mutua Madrileña Masters Madrid starts
Madrid, October 3rd, 2008. In little more than a week the best tennis players of the world begin to play on the tracks in the Mutua Madrileña Masters Madrid. Yes, in just seven days, pull out the best tennis tournament, which takes place today, in Spain. For the seventh consecutive year the tennis players will seek to deploy their best game, round after round, to get a place in the grand final. All of them would like to see their names appear in the on the list of winners of the tournament, but that challenge is not easy because none player has managed to repeat victory. Seven years, seven winners.

Last September 22nd was the real start. Hundreds of people and trucks have begun their work so that the October 11th at 12:00 noon everything is ready for the general public can enjoy the best tennis and the best atmosphere in Madrid during that week. The countdown has already begun, is moving so fast that their numbers are all zeros. The Recinto Ferial Casa de Campo decks with their best clothes to receive the best in the ATP circuit. This starts. Do not have true desire?

Mutuamad Masters Madrid



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Mana sings Bendita Tu Luz
Uploaded by
slimshady0123
Mana is one of Rafael Nadal's favorite bands

Link to the lyrics
On Beauty
by Kahlil Gibran

Where shall you seek beauty, and how shall you find her unless she herself be your way and your guide?
And how shall you speak of her except she be the weaver of your speech?

The aggrieved and the injured say, "Beauty is kind and gentle.
Like a young mother half-shy of her own glory she walks among us."
And the passionate say, "Nay, beauty is a thing of might and dread.
Like the tempest she shakes the earth beneath us and the sky above us."

The tired and the weary say, "Beauty is of soft whisperings. She speaks in our spirit.
Her voice yields to our silences like a faint light that quivers in fear of the shadow."
But the restless say, "We have heard her shouting among the mountains,
And with her cries came the sound of hoofs, and the beating of wings and the roaring of lions."

At night the watchmen of the city say, "Beauty shall rise with the dawn from the east."
And at noontide the toilers and the wayfarers say,
"We have seen her leaning over the earth from the windows of the sunset."

In winter say the snow-bound, "She shall come with the spring leaping upon the hills."
And in the summer heat the reapers say,
"We have seen her dancing with the autumn leaves,
and we saw a drift of snow in her hair."
All these things have you said of beauty,
Yet in truth you spoke not of her but of needs unsatisfied,
And beauty is not a need but an ecstasy.
It is not a mouth thirsting nor an empty hand stretched forth,
But rather a heart enflamed and a soul enchanted.

It is not the image you would see nor the song you would hear,
But rather an image you see though you close your eyes and a song you hear though you shut your ears.
It is not the sap within the furrowed bark, nor a wing attached to a claw,
But rather a garden for ever in bloom and a flock of angels for ever in flight.

People of Orphalese, beauty is life when life unveils her holy face.
But you are life and you are the veil.
Beauty is eternity gazing at itself in a mirror.
But you are eternity and you are the mirror.

Source: On Beauty

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Tuesday, December 11, 2007

MOMENTS THAT DEFINE YOUR LIFE

Manet and his Daughter

When I listen to music, there is always a favorite place in the music that I love. Take Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, I especially like the 3rd movement, Adagio molto e cantabile and the 4th movements "other worldly" climax where the chorus comes in with the Ode to Joy. On any CD I have one or two favorite songs, that I play so many times that I think I'll ruin that part of the CD. I love certain scenes in movies or plays that only last a minute or two. And I am willing to sit through it all, if I need to just to get to those parts that I so adore and connect with. Or I buy the DVD and go right to that part.

And certain times and experiences in my life have the same loving hold on me. And my time in Avignon, France many years ago is such a stand-out in my life ~ that it will forever hold a special place in my heart and will share in the short list of the top best experiences of my life.

By chance or kismet, I got off the train in Avignon, France one day in the summer of 1974. And there I was in the middle of the Festival D'Avignon. And that night a stranger walked by me and asked me if I wanted to see something fantastic and I followed him inside to an outside performance of the Cuban National Ballet Company jazz dancing. It was a night that transcended limits of joy and gratitude to be a member of the human race. And that is special.

And this would never have happened if I lived my life safely and inside the "box" that I was raised to live inside. This happened to me the very first trip to Europe that I took because I was encouraged by a stranger I met on a train on Long Island who said he was a butterfly catcher. When in fact, he was a medical student at the time at Brown University. For six weeks, there I was on the best trip of my lifetime ~ by myself. When I got off the plane in Luxembourg, Luxembourg, I didn't even know where I was going next. Soon, I figured I wanted to go to Switzerland. Then every few days I decided what direction to take the train in next. In the end, I included Italy, Greece and Spain, back to Italy then headed back to the airport in Luxembourg, Luxembourg. I loved that fantastic 6 weeks of my life. The best experience! So grateful I followed Peter's advice.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ik_75C1P_Ik
The Festival of Avignon, France 2007

I love my life.
Rodin


Michelangelo's David I saw in Florence or Firenze

Danaid I saw in Paris

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Friday, October 12, 2007

HUMANS WHO MAKE ME PROUD TO BE HUMAN

Oh, my goodness!! Another place to get videos other than the world of youtube. Thanks Red7Eric. I wish I knew how Eric does his links just by one word and not the whole address. Anyway, this is great audio and visual quality:
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http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2psw1_luciano-pavarotti-nessun-dorma_events

I remember how it felt when I was in Europe my first time - all on the encouragement of Peter. I went alone for 6 weeks and no plans really - just a Eurailpass. The train stopped at Avignon, France at the end of the day and I got off. Boys and girls, was I surprised to find myself in the middle of their glorious festival. I felt then - "I love being a part of this human race!" Some stranger walked by me one dark night in the plaza and said "Do you want to see something magnificent?" I followed him inside an outside performance area and sat in the aisle floor - and there I was lifted up to this wonderful place of pure delight and joy - the National Cuban Ballet Company was performing jazz dancing. I will never forget that moment, that night and the feeling. Thanks to someone I never saw again who let me in for nothing. Nothing but my gratitude that he never heard.

Anyway, I thought of that when I saw this video of Luciano Pavarotti conducted by Zubin Mehta. I hope you have a moment in your life like mine sometime. Those are the moments that life becomes LIFE!

http://red7eric.blogspot.com/

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