vegas 2009

He was rather short and looked quite modest. I didnt know how he looked like. M told me it was him when I returned from the bathroom, which has a most funky chandelier. We were having A's 21st bathday dinner at the Daniel Boulud French Brasserie at Wynn when the owner himself walked in to dine with his family. A rather young looking blonde attired in white, went around the double table and greeted everyone. The girlfriend who caused his divorce? Quite lucky to be there to see S. Wynn himself in Vegas dining in his restaurant in his signature casino resort. Then the show started with different color lighting on the waterfall and this huge frog jumped up behind it, and started singing. Cute!

We had wanted to stay at either the Wynn or the Encore but the rooms were too pricey. By accident I stumbled on Trump and found their rooms were quite affordable. So we booked there, not on the strip but just across from Wynn and across the street from Nordstrom, from the Fashion Show mall. The Trump hotel is gorgeous! The studio room we stayed on the 49th floor, although not facing the strip, we could catch the view of the Stratosphere, Circus Circus, M's timeshare, and distant mountains. The studio is big, with double closets, lots of drawers and storage, and a fully stocked kitchenette (mini-fridge, microwave, toaster, small electric stovetop, coffeemaker, a small sink, utensils, mugs and plates), 42" flat screen TV, a bed to die for and a huge bathroom complete with a huge jacuzzi tub, flat screen TV right on the mirror, separate shower and private toilet with a glass door. We loved that bathroom. We loved our room. Except the train tracks were right below us and the 1:30AM never failed to wake me up just when I fell asleep. The pool is good size and the so is the gym. In the souvenir shop, Adrienne found the east coast Birch Beer and it had become our drink of the trip. The Trump hotel was excellent. Only thing is, we had to walk to the strip and there's really no sidewalk. And next to the Trump, there's the empty lot, and it's dark at night. Having a car would solve this problem, but we flew in this time.

After A's sumptuous dinner, we saw the show Le Rêve and I was totally blown away. First I puked because I was so drunk before the show, then got splashed by the Le Rêve. It was an amazing show! The entire stage was a pool and all the choreography was done to showcase the water. All dances, aerial and aquatic acrobatics took full advantage of the water. I've never seen anything so beautifully choreographed. We got the cheapy $99 tickets which was for the first 2 rows but A and A got the most expensive and sat on the very back, equipped with a monitor that showed the back stage and chocolate covered strawberries and a bottle of champagne. The pool was round and so was the theater, so there was no bad seat. The props were very original and unique. The round stage came up from under the water, then water would pour from the ceiling like a gigantic waterfall. Dancers popped in and out of the water, from the sides, from the ceiling. At the end of the show, huge flowers popped down from the ceiling and opened up revealing marvelous colors and designs. I loved this show and dont mind seeing it again.

In the afternoon, I bought A his first legal drink at Mon Ami Gabi. He chose a concoction of amaretto, pineapple and i dont know what else but it sure beat my watered down frangria.

This time we've discovered the Fashion Show mall. It used to be very shabby and now we know it's huuuuuuuuuge with lots and lots of shops. Three Starbucks where we got our morning drinks and scones. And even an ABC store where we got our cheap water, macademia nuts and snacks (love ABC stores!). We walked to the Hilton and rode the monorail to MGM. I had wanted to do it for as long as the rail was built.

They're building a massive complex of condos, pools and parks right on the strip. Every time we come to Vegas, there's something new. I remember the days when only cheesy casinos existed and only Caesers Palace had the forum shops, and Circus Circus the circus show with the arcade. Then came the Mirage with the erupting volcano, and Treasure Island with the pirate show. Then came Luxor, the huge pyramid with the laser on top, and Excalibur that looked like a medieval castle, and the 1500-room MGM. Then the Bellagio for 1 billion dollars and a watershow that is still popular today, and the Venetian for 2 billion, complete with gondola rides, and Paris Paris with the Eiffel tower, and New York New York with the statue of liberty and rollercoaster. Finally the Wynn, and if it wasnt enough, do it again with the Encore. I still think the Wynn and Encore have the most elegant design. I'm never tired of looking at these 2 structures, with opposite designs, reflecting each other's images. When you walking on the strip going north, both building edges appear sharply in your view. Marnell Corrao did a great job with this design. Gosh, i love this hotel! And i love Vegas!

they must have done something right

The Hippo felt really bad for Safina. I understand her frustration at herself because I'm like her. I put up too many barriers for myself and the more I want something, the more I cant get it. She really deserves the French Open title, but like me, she still has a long hard up road to go. First she needs to believe in herself.

The Hippo was in tears when Roger won. I dont know if I was happier to see him win or to see Solderling lose. You know, Roger is really the best tennis player. Not only is he a fantastic player with super physical skills and strong mental toughness, he is the most modest athlete I know. So many others, though good players, are so darn arrogant like Hingis, the William sisters, Lendal, etc, they just dont deserve to be good. But Roger is not only graceful in court, but totally and throughly a good person. During an interview with John McEnroe, he said "no, I dont wish for anyone to lose, because I think it's mean.", "you know, no one wins all 4 majors". Well, he, among the very few, did. Although he's not my favorite, he's a very nice person. Someone so skillful but modest, his parents must have done a good job raising him. And the commentators said his family was very graceful and respectful to Nadal's family when Nadal won Wimbledon last year. Now that's something. It's almost as good as when Nadal, after receiving Wimbledon's trophy, allowed Roger to speak first. This is what every athlete should be. Not like that Serina, who every time she lost, said "she didnt beat me, I beat myself" or "do you want to go to the semis coz I dont". Why cant you just admit you got beaten fair and square? What do you got to hide? Poor athlete.

Thinking about how Roger's family can produce such a son, I look at other parents and my own, and I wonder how some parents can bring forth a human being without teaching them how a human being should be. Is it genes or simply education?

acappella

Suddenly everyone went quiet. Then the lights were offf. I turned to Tomasso and said 'what are they doing? I'm afraid of the dark'. Then the low singing started from the back of the Basilica. 'Veni veni Emmanuel', my favoritte song. The glow of the candles started to appear from the procession, and the singing grew a bit louder as it passed by my pew. 'Captivum solve Israel'. Another procession of 4 started from the side door of the altar. Almost simultaneously, a third procession began from the side door of the nave. 'Gaude! Gaude! Emmanuel', then the 3 single file with each person carrying a single candle, met at the altar, and slowly turned to face the audience. 'Nascetur pro te, Israel!'. A most memorable way to open the concert. What followed was heavenly. The singing went higher and higher in perfect harmony, exploding skywards as if reaching the heavens. And God and the angels above us, smiled. Now I finally understood why music could reach the skies and so powerfully transform human souls.

I never knew I would like singing a cappella. After failing for 2 years to get tickets for Chanticleer, we finally got our chance to experience singing without instrumental accompaniment. Somehow the 3 sopranos, 3 altos, 3 baritones and 3 bass male singers could produce a single voice that went beyond the necessity of a piano organ. They never faltered. Their voices complimented, accompanied, provided background and led each other. I looked at the different statues of the saints in the church, and expected them to smile at any minute. I looked at the altar to find if the face of Jesus on the cross would look more alleviated. At times I closed my eyes to enhance my auditory senses and to imagine nirvana The ambience in the small Carmel Mission Basilica provided an intimacy that reminded me of the midnight masses I've attended as a kid. It brought back nostalgic childhood memories, and almost tears to my eyes.

When it was over, I wanted more, and I dont think I would ever be satified.

Merely peeping toms

It never seizes to amaze me that in the early morning I was in foggy Tirana (we had to depart the hotel at 3AM to catch the plane at 6), then in the late morning I was in Munich and hours later in the afternoon in sunny London. The phone rang and rang and then the sound of someone dropping the luggage down the stairs. It was 1:30AM and it woke me up. I had gone to bed around 10:30 and had a 2:30 wake up call. By 3 we were all waiting for the ride to Nene Teresa airport which I've never seen in daylight. The aerial view of London was sunny and now I regret I didnt take any pictures. When I landed in SFO, it was 27C. My luggage never showed up. Welcome home Hippo! Gosh, I love these trips.

I didnt care much for Bulgaria but Albania stole my heart. What I saw was beyond the litter on the streets and the broken roads. What I saw was the smile and honesty of its people, their tolerance, the deep history and the struggle to catch up to a modern civilized and free 21st century. But a mere few days was not enough to really understand the country. It takes more than a lifetime to understand people and culture. Like Kathleen said we shouldnt boast of knowing the country just because we've been here; we were only Peeping Toms.

 See Albania photos

Garbage

And like all things good and bad, it comes to an end. The months planning and waiting for the big trip. Oh so soon ...

On our way to Kruja, we passed through the town that George W Bush visited. The cafe where he had coffee and talked to the locals had a sign with his name on it. Here his watch was stolen. It is now called Bush city. The US had pumped in a lot of money to this country, started with Woodrow Wilson who at the end of WWI went against European powers to help gain independence for Albania. Albania loves Americans special W Bush.

The morning was spent in Kruja, the ethnographic museum, another old house and the modern Scanderbeg museum, designed by Hoxha's daughter. An old bazaar full of souvenirs. We lunched at a restaurant overlooking the fortress. Here is Scanderbeg everything.

Back to Tirana in the afternoon barely enough time to visit the museum then hopped over to see the Ethem Bey Mosque with beautiful decorations. Women had to cover their heads. In defiance, I didnt wrap the scarf around my neck. Kathleen didnt even wear hers. I had wanted to explore Tirana more but there was no time. I really didnt get to see much of the capital. Sigh.

The Theranda hotel owner and Gert's boss showed up at our dinner. I was surprised he was a young man, with fluent English. Obviously educated and from a wealthy family. He told us Albanians understood their problem with the garbage. They had no dump sites or refuse/recycle centers. He used the analogy of a dog locked up for years and finally let loose. He said Albania was dirty was not because of its people but because of its system or better, for lack of a system. They're still learning. Like the dog that went wild not because he's a bad dog, but because the dog was locked up for so long. In communist time they didnt have plastic bottles and bags. I'd like to return in 5-10 years and see Albania again. Just to see if they've improved. Give them some more time to catch up. 16 years of freedom and independence was just not long enough.

 See Kruja photos