The 2007 Australia Open started this week. By the end of the first week, Li Na is the only Asian tennis player remaining; she made into the fourth round and will play Martina Hingis tommorow (Jan 21), grand-slam winner and the comeback success story last year.
Li Na is a good player trying to fight her way in the ranking. She ranks 16 now, her personal career best. With the performance in Australia Open, her ranking is going to improve further. Recently Li Na has been playing great tennis. Last week she came back from one set down to oust Dementieva, the Russian player ranking no.8. After that, she had a tight 3-set match against Kim Clijsters, the US-Open champion. Today she overwhelmed world n0-10 Safina, Marat Safin's kid sister in two easy sets. Since Li Na is not a top ten player yet, her matches in the Australia Open were not broadcast in U.S at all. So I am not really familiar with her game at all but I do follow tennis news and reports regularly (almost obsessively) and know that she has a strong forehand and move well. However, with the advance in Internet technology, I was able to watch the last few games between Li Na and Safina. It was almost hard to believe that Safina appeared to be the one scrambling to save the balls! I almost felt sad for her, as she could not keep up with the great-angle shots Li pulled off on her.
I believe one of the reasons that Li Na is playing so well has a lot to do with CTA's recent decision to have Li's husband Jiang Shan as her new coach. It was Jiang who persuaded Li to resume playing after Li Na abruptly retired from tennis a few years ago, following Li's dissatisfaction with CTA. Li said Jiang knew how to comfort her and she feels calm and can win games when he is present. This may sound exaggerated a little, but it does indicate Li counted on Jiang's presence a lot. So far this decision proved wise. Li Na has been very consistent in her game, which used to trouble her and ruin her chances to go further in a tournament.
Tomorrow she is going to play Hingis. She stands a good chance to blow past Hingis as her recent matches showed she overcame mental hurdles in tight matches and has started to believe in herself. In addition, Hingis is not good at handling power players like Li Na. But Hingis plays smart and her drop shots and sense of the game is superb. As long as Li Na plays her own game and keep her UEs down, the match is winnable. Maybe I will get to see her live on TV, as Hingis's matches are usually played on TV. Anyway, good luck, Li Na.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Friday, January 12, 2007
Office Birthday Party
We have an office tradition. Everybody's birthday will be celebrated, with the treat provided by a co-worker. Of course it is good etiqutte for the treat-maker to ask beforehand what the birthday boy/girl would like on the day of celebration.
Yesterday we actually had two birthday bashes, my boss' and another officemate. Not that the two birthdays fall on the same day; they are only close, so it makes sense to combine them and have double the fun.
My boss is a health devotee. She asked for carrots and dip. And she got that and more. Her treatmaker also brought broccoli, cauliflower, and celery, not to mention two dips. My officemate got canned strawberries and a fluffy kind of cake (actually taste good!). While enjoying the delicacies, one person asked my boss what she would be doing for her birthday. My boss matter-of-fact said she would be double up her workout that day. We were all shocked and amused at the same time; I then realized it was actually just my boss's style and it was none of our business to pass judgements on others' way of celebrating just because there is certain expectation on such ocassion.
Nobody said anything but smiling or guffawing until somebody blurted out "Are you really? Are you really going to do that?". My boss continued in her nonapologetic tone, 'I jogged in the morning and I am going to do bike exercises after work'. At this we all could not helping being amazed by the information.
When the turn came for the other birthday person to announce her birthday plans, she said, glancing my boss's way and almost in a defiant but nonthreatening tone, she would go to a bar, get a pizza, and drink a lot. The two plans juxtoposed together made such a contrast that we all had a healthy laugh out of it.
Yesterday we actually had two birthday bashes, my boss' and another officemate. Not that the two birthdays fall on the same day; they are only close, so it makes sense to combine them and have double the fun.
My boss is a health devotee. She asked for carrots and dip. And she got that and more. Her treatmaker also brought broccoli, cauliflower, and celery, not to mention two dips. My officemate got canned strawberries and a fluffy kind of cake (actually taste good!). While enjoying the delicacies, one person asked my boss what she would be doing for her birthday. My boss matter-of-fact said she would be double up her workout that day. We were all shocked and amused at the same time; I then realized it was actually just my boss's style and it was none of our business to pass judgements on others' way of celebrating just because there is certain expectation on such ocassion.
Nobody said anything but smiling or guffawing until somebody blurted out "Are you really? Are you really going to do that?". My boss continued in her nonapologetic tone, 'I jogged in the morning and I am going to do bike exercises after work'. At this we all could not helping being amazed by the information.
When the turn came for the other birthday person to announce her birthday plans, she said, glancing my boss's way and almost in a defiant but nonthreatening tone, she would go to a bar, get a pizza, and drink a lot. The two plans juxtoposed together made such a contrast that we all had a healthy laugh out of it.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Job Stress
My boss forwarded an email which said the numbers from one data source I was responsible looked fishy. I became a little nervous after reading it, secretly hoping it was not fault. I checked the raw data and the numbers did look weird. I then searched for some background information on other institutions that collected the same kind of data but nothing was available. In the end I emailed the survey administrtor who sent us the raw data for help. He explained that he did the recoding (so an 1 would actually be a 36) but this recoding was not there in the codebook! No wonder the data did not sound right. I was happy it was not my fault.
I deal with numbers and present data with policy implications. For example I did a comparison of faculty salary at the university I work for and other institutions. Averages and medians in salaries from other universities were presented to give a sense of what's on the market from competitors. The project was finished already but I have a linger concern that I hope I gave the correct numbers or it is a huge mistake.
It is things like this that affects me without my even noticing it. The pressure to be correct all the time creeps on me. I go to the gym and sweat off , but it is not enough, seemingly. I look relaxed when I go home but I am jumpy at times at work. I also cannot get too much sleep at night. The alarm would go off in the morning and I would slam it down and try sleeping 10 more minutes. Sleeping early the previous night would not help, either. I am blaming my job for this. It is not like I don't like my job. I would hate being a faculty member even more. but not having to get up at 7:30 am sounds a goal.
Have to go. Boss and another co-workers' birtheday bash. Not my favorite ocassion (not knowing what to write on the B-cards and not being able to cut in when office conversation monopolizers take the floor) but I know I'll have some dessert at least. Don't know what it will be.
I deal with numbers and present data with policy implications. For example I did a comparison of faculty salary at the university I work for and other institutions. Averages and medians in salaries from other universities were presented to give a sense of what's on the market from competitors. The project was finished already but I have a linger concern that I hope I gave the correct numbers or it is a huge mistake.
It is things like this that affects me without my even noticing it. The pressure to be correct all the time creeps on me. I go to the gym and sweat off , but it is not enough, seemingly. I look relaxed when I go home but I am jumpy at times at work. I also cannot get too much sleep at night. The alarm would go off in the morning and I would slam it down and try sleeping 10 more minutes. Sleeping early the previous night would not help, either. I am blaming my job for this. It is not like I don't like my job. I would hate being a faculty member even more. but not having to get up at 7:30 am sounds a goal.
Have to go. Boss and another co-workers' birtheday bash. Not my favorite ocassion (not knowing what to write on the B-cards and not being able to cut in when office conversation monopolizers take the floor) but I know I'll have some dessert at least. Don't know what it will be.
Opener
Welcome to my blog.
Have seen other people's blogs. Some were great and fun to read. Why not having one of my own? It will be a memory of a sort, as I already feel I am starting to forget things and names of places, people and books are starting to be on the tip of my tongue but taking too long to come out.
Another reason to start this blog is intellectual. Clarity of thought requires practice. Although I finished dissertation about a year ago, the painfulness of the process and ill at ease at finding the right structure and diction still torture me. Throw in the aging thing and the forgetfulness, I am a case of Alzheimer's. lol. I just hope when I am old I am not senile.
I also hope this would be a great opportunity for my friends to know about what I am doing or even for me to know who I am. Funny to be thinking about who I am at this age, isn't it! That is how I feel sometimes. What kind of person do I want to be? What do I want in life? Am I there yet? I don't have answers just yet, but I am trying.
Have seen other people's blogs. Some were great and fun to read. Why not having one of my own? It will be a memory of a sort, as I already feel I am starting to forget things and names of places, people and books are starting to be on the tip of my tongue but taking too long to come out.
Another reason to start this blog is intellectual. Clarity of thought requires practice. Although I finished dissertation about a year ago, the painfulness of the process and ill at ease at finding the right structure and diction still torture me. Throw in the aging thing and the forgetfulness, I am a case of Alzheimer's. lol. I just hope when I am old I am not senile.
I also hope this would be a great opportunity for my friends to know about what I am doing or even for me to know who I am. Funny to be thinking about who I am at this age, isn't it! That is how I feel sometimes. What kind of person do I want to be? What do I want in life? Am I there yet? I don't have answers just yet, but I am trying.
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