Seasons

The earth awakens - a splendour of rain

Laughing over a flowering plain,

Birds and bees cha-cha with flair,

As sweet perfumes waft the air,

Endless skies, azure and sublime,

Ephemeral nights and glittering stars,

Sun and moon habanera to rhyme

Of vibrant poetry in summer time

Hues of red, orange, and gold,

Carpet the earth in a mellow song,

Winds and leaf waltz along,

Content with memories new and old

Earth is draped in a blanket of white

The rivers and lakes a silver ice,

As winds of snow pirouette in delight,

A handsome quiet fills the night

On its path the cycle will roll,

Seasons come and seasons go

Some are dark and full of woe,

Some are happy and fill your soul

Be it bubbly spring or sprightly summer,

Autumn colour or winter wonder

Let the seasons warm your heart,

And paint your life - a magical art.

Pip and the Fern Festival - Part 1

Pip was bobbing up and down. He had waited for this day since the moment he had learnt to count till ten. And here it was - his big day. He was being allowed to join the others as they journeyed to the Fern Festival. Pip had dreamt of this day for so long he could hardly believe that he was not dreaming right now. 

"Pip! Pip! hurry up! or we'll miss the fireworks!" Pip snapped out of his thoughts, skipping after his best friend into the depths of the forest. Firework nights were extra special before the Fern Festival. It was most likely because the Ferntress was involved in making them. The lights were better, brighter, more real and more magical than the common place fireworks of other nights. As they approached the Fountain tree, more fairies joined them bubbling with excitement and speculating endlessly on the possibilities of what the festival would bring.

"Pip! Hurry up or well miss getting a good view," Pip had to hurry, taking off after Bennie and creating a hullabaloo as he bumped into the crowds, apologising quietly when he remembered to. Pip came to a majestic stop where a huge sand dune strategically sprouted providing a fantastic view of the Fountain Tree.

What a gorgeous tree it was. It was Ferntress's Castle too. The tree trunk was so wide that it took over 100 fairies to encircle it, and it was said that the roots went underground for miles and miles. There was even the story of naughty Silas who decided to dig into the ground and follow a root and never made his way back. The bark was brown - as brown as mud that has been soaked in fresh rain - and along its height were beautiful paintings of fairies, wands, birds, animals, and all things natural. Each painting was etched out in silver, gold and bronze. If you didn't pay close attention you could miss out on them as the lines glimmered in and out of the trunk as if they were alive, weaving in and around the bark telling a tale. Sometimes it would take days and days to see all the paintings and the younger ones had to wait till they could fly high before they could reach the top parts of the trunk.

The Fountain tree was said to be taller than Fensha the king of giants. But Pip and Bennie could now see its tip if they flew up into the sky. The most beautiful thing about the Fountain tree was its branches. Bunched in hundreds they formed a dense centre and flew out in magnificent angles, curves, and spheres. And then they dropped down like glistening rain, stopping in mid air with leaves that glimmered like emeralds but looked soft and light. Each branch had twigs of silver or bronze. Flowers big and small graced the branches - some white as the shining star, others yellow like the sun , and some pink like the Ferntress's cheeks. Pip thought red flowers were the prettiest. They were the ones hardest to reach. They were roses only more rose like than any other rose Pip had ever seen.

Bennie was more interested in the fruits. All the fruits on the fountain tree were golden. All golden and in any shape size and taste you wanted. You only had to say the name of the fruit you wanted and ask the tree for it. The fruit would gently fly into your hand and drop the most delicious fruit in your palms. Bennie had many a time asked the Ferntress how the tree never ran out of fruits, but Ferntress had merely smiled at him.

The first star had appeared in the darkening sky and the crowd hushed as they saw a little fairy dressed in a glimmering green gown, surrounded by splendour even grander than the tree, emerge from the trunk above the highest branch of the fountain tree. Ferntress seemed larger than the tree and yet how tiny she was! 

"Arise dear nymphs, your fairy brethren call to you. Dance the dance of ferns. that they may awaken and be filled with our magic. " Her lilting voice sounded into the night enthralling people far, far away with the call of the night. And all the fairy kindred took up the melody and sang the chorus like they did every year.

"The love of fairies, the love of nymphs

to bring ferns alive: Ferns awake, ferns protect"

And as they sung, the firework displays started. Pip and Bennie pointed in delight as a train of firefly designed lights enveloped the fountain tree in myriad of colours and spiralled into the night sky before reaching a crescendo and bursting down into the crowd as coloured candy for everyone. Then, there was the carriage firework that looked like a King's carriage, round and round it went and burst into a flames shaped as the Princess Riana with her Faithful Prince Saul next to her. The crowd cheered as they were entertained by more lights.

Pip and Bennie glided to the base of the fountain tree where a number of young fairy- gentlemen had gathered. Old man Brown was at the centre of the crowd dishing out instructions in his low quiet voice. "On the journey we expect complete obedience, no showing off with fancy tricks and no mischief." He looked pointedly at Bennie and said " No running off to steal fruits from orchards". He continued, "you will all listen to me and obey my instructions. Now go off and say your goodbyes. We will meet here in one hours time." 

Old man Brown frowned as he turned to Ferntress. This journey would be unlike any other he had been to. Old man Brown had been on so many journeys he couldn't remember the count. This was the first time the wind smelled dangerous though, and Old man Brown had considered cancelling the journey. He had consulted Ferntress over the possibility, and they had pondered over the matter for days before deciding that the journey must be made. Old man Brown sighed, he had hoped that he had fought his last battle but if what Ferntress said was true there was more work to be done.

A recap, Or redress of the US open

One of my few (and far between) regular readers reckoned my post on the finals of the US open finals was a bit boring. I spent about 10 seconds being offended before I realised it was true. 

The reasons for this boring post were many: The matches were a bit one sided and boring, the post was delayed and I had lost a lot of the zeal for writing about it already, and let's face it, since I couldn't catch all the action there wasn't as much I could say about the matches. 

Well, those are my lame excuses. But rare reader and I had a brief discussion on Nadal's clothing choice for the US open. Avid (Hopefully) reader's opinion: too pink, too girlie. Mine: totally Nadal and awesome! So, I decided to take his advice and write about it, and entertain at least two or three readers.

Speaking of clothing choices for the US open, I found many of the outfits prettttty drab. In fact, I doubt that even Chrissy could have come up with something about the grandness of choice here. 

I suspect that the fact that Stan wasn't around with his tasteless outfits decided it for the designers - they would accept the challenge on Stan the man's behalf.  😏😏😏

Here is the one design/colour I didn't like at all:

But there were some decent ones: Venus's outfit, Sharapova's outfit, Karolina Pliskova's (doesn't she look great in anything?), Wozniakis (very little seen outfit - could that be because she had an early exit?) and yes, Nadal's PINK one! 

I hope that the brands come up with something more stylish for the Australian open, don't you? 

US Open Champions

Okay, so I am a little late with this write up (like super late)... but such is life!

Now who didn't think Nadal would be the champion after watching his match on Friday? After loosing that first set, Rafa upped it a few (read many) notches and was almost unplayable. I don't think Kevin Anderson had a chance (Sorry Anderson fans). 

And his straight set, straight-froward victory on Sunday was a reflection of just how strong his game is this year - an appearance at 3 Grand slam finals, and winning two of them. Nadal has been on top form, and it really has been fantastic to watch. 

Anderson also made history. First grand slam semi final and one of the only handful of South African tennis players to make such an appearance (pre open era included). So, Kudos to him and congratulations. 

As predicted the women's game went Sloane Stephens way. But the match was, also as predicted, a bit of a let down, and rather one-sided. Nonetheless, we have one more player to make the ranks of potential grand slam winners - congratulations Sloane Stephens. What a mixed year it has been for women's champions: Serena, Ostapenko, Muguruza, and Stephens. And believe it or not Venus has been the runner up at 2 of these. I can't imagine how exciting 2018 will be!

Looking forward to Djo's return, and so much more... 

A new women's US Open Champ

Sloane Stephens beat Venus Williams 6-1, 0-6, 7-5 to make her debut at a grand slam final. She will be joined by Madison Keys who convincingly beat Coco Vandeweghe 6-1, 6-2. 

We are guaranteed, then, of a new women's US Open champion. This is a bit exciting, but could also mean that the final's will be a dull game filled with nerves. I will wait and watch. 

This morning, at 3:30 am I found myself wide awake. It was far too cold, but thanks to the commentary from the Guardian I was able to follow the entire game. I find that the guardian has some of the best blog coverage for live tennis action. I discovered them only a few years back and have never looked back. Moving onto the match. How topsy turvy were those two first sets? It really makes you wonder if it was nerves, or if the ladies were just sleepy! But the final set was fantastic. One twitter message said that this was Sloane's biggest win. I would agree - considering that she won to make it to a final, but I cannot forget the match she played against Serena where she won - I think any win over Serena can be considered the biggest win of a tennis career 😉

And then there was Coco Vandeweghe vs Madison Keys. I prefer calling it the Madison Keys vs Lady who didn't show up match. Madison was on top of this one from start to finish - as you can read from here. The match was surprisingly one sided, with Coco really struggling to do well with her service games. Is it just me, or do others also feel frustrated when a player beats the big names and then just fizzle out in the next game?

In other news, I am happy to find that there was a few other people who agreed with me that the commentating for the women's games has been a bit too biased, and frankly tedious.. for the games I watched, I tended to turn down the volume especially when they went on and an and on and on and on and on about the new American guard. Teehee.. I think we get it, the ladies are playing great....

That aside, can't wait for the men's semi finals!

All set for the semis

It is here - that long awaited/dreaded all American women's semis. It was an easy victory for both Keys and Coco. Damn it, Pliskova, I really wanted you to win! But moving on, so much has happened in such few hours: Pliskova has lost her no.1 ranking. Muguruza is now world no.1 for a second run. History is repeating itself, 15 years later, with the all-American semi finals.

Nadal was ruthless in his dismissal of Rublev. It was actually painful to see, and I hope Rublev finds motivation rather than despair as a consequence of the thrashing. There is no taking away the fact that the young Russian has great potential, though. There is, however, plenty of room for improvement - isn't there always?

And then we come to the Fed vs Del Potro game. Boy is the latter on fire. His win opens up a plethora of questions and possibilities on where the men's draw is heading. As it stands now there will be one player who will be a debutante finalist at a grand slam.

It will be interesting if Nadal and Venus win the open - two veterans back at their best!

Sadly, the timings of these matches means I might not catch a lot of the live action..

I still can't wait for all the matches.

4 down, 4 more to go

We could be looking at an all American Final in the women's half of the US Open. In fact the only person who can stop that from happening is the current world no.1. Will she manage to deal with the pressures? I certainly hope so, simply because I love the simple style and depth with which she plays. 

The Sloanes vs Sevastova match started off incredibly dull, but slowly picked up once the latter got some medical attention. Sloanes is becoming the formidable player she was before her foot injury, and I believe she has a real chance at making it to the final and even winning it. Her quickness on court is stunning to watch.

And what a match  Kvitova and V Williams played. I read a few headlines this morning that stated: "Kvitova outplayed by Venus", "Venus too strong for Kvitova," and I must say that the highlights and the scoreline do not reflect those statements. This was a tough, close match. A more fitting way to describe it would be Venus comes out top in a deciding tie break. Kudos to both players though - Venus is having an amazing year, and Kvitova is coming back from her wrist injury like a star!

The first men's quarter final was a rather dull game. It was a straight forward victory for Carenno Busta. Schwartzman was just not connecting his shots and had too many unforced errors to make it a competitive encounter. 

I woke up to see that Anderson and Querrey were still going strong. The first two sets were predictably even with Querrey needing 8 match points to seal off the second and push the game to 4/5 sets. Once he was broken in the third, it was pretty much guaranteed that he would have to win the next two sets, if he wanted a chance at the semi final. But Anderson was steady and maintained an incredibly high level in his service games and sealed off the win in the 4th set tie-break... 

What that means is that in complete contrast to the women's game we have no Americans still playing in the men's draw... 

Let the rest of the games begin...

The stage is set for the Quarter Finals

Nadal vs Rublev: The young Russian has been riding on a high wave this entire tournament and had a relatively easy Round of 16 match vs Goffin. Nadal, of course, has bludgeoned his way through his opponents with only a few worrisome moments.

Head 2 Head: This will be their first meeting. Check out some interesting stats here Nadal Vs Rublev

Federer vs Del Potro: What a cracker this is going to be. Both have had 5 set battles, both have come back displaying a class of tennis that at times is mind boggling. On paper, this is Federer's match. The last time Del Potro beat Federer was in 2013...

Head 2 Head: This will the the 22nd time the two will meet, with Fed winning 16 of those encounters. More stats here

Querrey vs Anderson:This is going to be a close match. Both players have some of the best serves in the game. Both players have been consistent this year and have made it to the latter stages of many tournaments.

Head 2 Head: They have met 14 times, with Querrey having the slight edge with 8 wins to Anderson's 6. This one could go either way as the stats clearly show

Carenno Busta vs Schwartzman: Another first meeting. This is probably the unexpected match. The novelty of the match in itself is intriguing. I cannot make a call on this one. I haven't watched either one play often enough.

Head 2 Head: First meeting.. for some stats on their careers, take a look here

Ka Pliskova vs Wandeweghe: I think the names here say a lot. I personally love Pliskova's style, and I am hoping she gets through this match. But, Wandeweghe is reaching her potential and is improving steadily. She is playing more aggressively and has the drive to win every match she plays. I want Pliskova to win this one, but I believe it will be a tough game

Head 2 Head: This will be their 5th meeting. Each winning two of their previous encounters. The key to the matches so far has been the first set. This one is even-stevens

Keys vs Kanepi: Another American in the quarters this year. The US is finally getting in more players making it to the latter stages of tournaments, and climbing the ranks (after a rather long hiatus). The last, and only time the two played Kanepi came out the winner. But two years down the line, Madison Keys is a relatively different player with a lot more to offer in terms of her game.

Head to Head: This will be their second encounter, and the first on a hard court. Some more info

V Williams vs Kvitova: Whoa! This has got to be the quarter final to watch. Just reading those names makes it exciting. If you watched Kvitova's last game, it sounds even more engrossing. I can't wait for this one.

Head 2 Head: Kvitova has won 4 of the 5 matches the two have played. The last time they met was in 2014 and it is telling that most of their matches have been 3 setters. This is going to be a battle, like their previous encounters

Stephens vs Sevastova: One of the first matches of Stephens that I watched was the 2013 Australian open when she won. There was something about how she played that match that suggested she could go places. Currently, it is good to see her regain some of the zest and energy. Sevastova's soft hands and skillful mix up of shots is going to be the key to the match - how well will Stephens read her opponents game, and will she have the correct responses?

Head 2 Head: The two have not met previously. Some interesting comparisons here

Talk about an open, open

Whoa! I finally got to watch a few matches to completion, and I can tell you, I picked the right ones to watch.

Yesterday's game between Shapovalov and Carenno Busta was thrilling. Each set had a scoreline that vacillated in favour of one, and then the other player. Each set was decided in a tie break. On one end, Busta was steady and played his shots out with external calm. On the other side, Shapovalov had some stunning winners, but I think the number of unforced errors from his side combined with his inability at the time to convert opportunities led to his loss. If the youngster continues to stay in form, and works on converting chances, he is going to be a force to reckon with.

Following them on court was Sharapova vs Sevastova. What a first set they played - and perhaps that set the precedence for the final scoreline. It really was good to see Sharapova play - I do believe there are areas of her game that have improved tremendously. But Sevastova made the most of a suffering Sharapova serve in the second set and after the first break she sealed it off by consolidating her service games. It was a deserved win for the Latvian, and a decent show for Sugarpova's first comeback grand slam - tennis is always more exciting with her around.

The quarter final matches are already looking interesting. After his incredible Wimbledon performance, Querrey saw off the younger Zverev brother to set up an encounter with Anderson who has made his way without fuss into the round of 16. Both players have fantastic serves and this should be a good game to watch. Carreno Busta vs Schwartzman is the other decided game. I haven't watched the latter play in a long time, but he can be a tricky customer. And the round of 16 games that will determine who joins the quarter finals will play out today - I'm calling it for Federer in 3 sets against Kohlschriber. The other three matches could go either way, and I expect 4 and/or 5 setters - let's wait and watch. This US open has pulled out far too many strange results!

If you thought the draw on the men's side was exciting wait for the women's draw: Kvitova has come out all guns blazing. What a win for her again Muguruza, to set up a quarter final against the mighty Venus. Stephens takes on Sevastova in the other decided quarter final who have never played a competitive match against one other. Madison Keys. And look at what there is on the cards for the remaining round of 16 games: Keys vs Svitolina - both are playing great tennis at Flushing Meadows, Safarova vs Vandeweghe. The other two games: Pliskova takes on another American Brady who is playing her maiden US open. On paper the number one seed should get through this safely, but if last week has anything to do with it, anything is possible. Finally we have the surprise match - Kasatkina Vs Kanepi. The former has not passed the 3rd round at any grand slam. Kanepi is ranked 513 in the world but has previously been to the quarterfinals at a grand slam.

I can't wait to watch some of this action...

Roger's had another long battle

Good morning!

There you have it - Looks like the Monfils vs Young match was entertaining as hell and a see-saw affair that took 5 sets to decide on a winner. And what is it with 5 setters, anyway? Look at Fed's second long match? 3 hours and 8 minutes is what it took for Fed to get through to the next round. Leading 6-1 in the first set, you would think that the match would have been straight forward. But the next two sets (scores considered) were interesting...interesting enough to have Federer clinch the 4th & 5th in his usual style; makes me wonder what goes on with the opponent at such times - it's an interesting debate that one.

So, Berdych is out - I was afraid he might quietly sneak into a semi final. I am kind of relieved that didn't happen because I just don't find him very exciting to watch. A little ooompfh is really a good thing. I'm super excited to see Thiem, Dogopolov, and Edmunds through. Oh, and yes, M. Zverev is holding on....

Speaking of oooompfh - you know while many of the women had straightforward victories, the manner in which most of them are playing is simply oooomphatic! Svitolina, Ostapenko, Kvitova, Muguruza - gosh, the list is endless, but boy is it exciting!

And the number of matches filled with possibilities is also increasing - look at these potentially tight matches to look forward to this evening (or morning depending on where you are): M Zverev vs John Isner, Rybarikova vs Muguruza, Makarova vs Navarro, Shapovalov Vs Edmunds.

Let the tennis madness strike...

Brother Trouble, Sister names, and other things

The Zverev brothers obviously had a tough one yesterday. A 5-setter and a loss. I personally think it was quite unfortunate that Alexander lost. But it sounds like it was a tough game and Coric managed to make the most of tie breaks.

Also, does anyone else get completely stunned every time they see K. Plíšková has lost, only to realise a few blinks later that it is the other sister, not Karolina, who has lost? Not that I want the twin to loose, but seriously it kind of gets traumatising...

And how dull was the Bouchard game? I don't know whether I should be annoyed with the Canadian or just overly sympathetic. There are days when she just doesn't show up - perhaps a withered out ghost takes her place?

Tsonga also seems to have left the US open in a hurry...

Moving away from the loses, there were a number of easy peasy wins - Muguruza, Sharapova, Del potro, Thiem... to mention a few

To be honest, I cant wait now for the second week - and hope I can get a glimpse of the 5-setters etc!

My match of the day (If they both show up): Donald Young vs Gael Monfils. I think this could be full of frills...

Osaka's win, and trying to catch up

Well then, Osaka vs Kerber; What a match! And what a contradictory scoreline. This match played out only half as I imagined it. I expected it to be a cracker if Osaka showed up all guns blazing. Boy, did she do that. I think she will make it far in the future of tennis. Her winners made you grin ear to ear. The bit that didn't happen as I had expected was Angelique Kerber playing a non attacking, defence only game. While it is true that she plays a great defensive game, she can make some amazing shots - very few of which showed up on court yesterday. So, once again - the women's game gets more and more open, competitive and intense - the world number one and two are out of contention, with that the defending champion is out as well. What more drama will be served up? I suppose like the rest of the world, I must wait and watch.

As I write this, I am busy trying to catch up on the other scores & results. As hoped for Ostapenko got through to the second round in her usual topsy-turvy way. Nadal pulled off a rapid 2nd and 3rd set to see of his opponent with style. Whoa, wait a second - a 5 setter first round for Fed? I cant believe sleep deprived me of watching that match. It looks like it was fun, fun fun! At the end though - Fed is through, and the excitement levels are obviously getting higher.

Thinking about it - seems to me that in the men's draw the top 10 seeds make everything more exciting - I mean the fact that Djo, Murray, Wawrinka are out does dull things a bit - if Nadal or Fed were to lose in the early stages, something would be off. In the women's game, as the high seeds fall everything seems to get more exciting...

On that note, cant wait for some of the games today: Babos vs Sharapova, Wozniaki vs Makarova, Millman vs Kyrgios, Baroni vs Navarro, Verdasco vs Pospisil are just a few of the interesting match ups....

Happy tennis day, y'all

Sugar or honey, honey...

Sugar it is! Sugarpova had an incredible return to competitive tennis, and grand slam tennis with her US open first round game. The win came against the backdrop of controversies (including Sharapova's wild card entry and her regular long bathroom break before the third set), nonetheless it was a stunner of a game. Halep's elusive grand slam search continues, and it does feel that luck isn't on her side.

Most of the other games played out as expected with a few surprises - Sock is out of contention losing in 5 sets in a topsy turvy encounter. Johanna Konta bowed out in the first round after her magical Wimbledon run. In the opposite side of the spectrum, Muller kept up his incredible form and beat Tomic in 4 sets. Mischa Zverev had a tough encounter to make it through in 5 sets and Venus too had a battle on her hands before safely going through to the second round.

The time difference between Nairobi and Flushing Meadows always makes it such a challenge to catch the action at the US open, and I am always playing catch up with all that is happening. However, there is still plenty of tennis that I do get to watch and guess who is on my what to watch list today? Yep, Ostapenko starts off her US open with a match on court 17. Nadal & Federer both have their first games today, but here is the potential cracker of a match: Naomi Osaka vs Angelique Kerber. There are a couple of interesting match ups today including the Belluci vs Brown game.

Well, then will play time get here already!

All eyes on Flushing Meadows

Gear up folks, its the last grand slam of the year and there is plenty to look forward to.

Without Djo and Murray, the men's game certainly has a lot of potential. Of course Fed and Rafa always remain favourites, but the absence of the two above sure gives a whole host of others a grand chance at a grand slam - the Zverev brothers, Cilic, Querrey, Muller, Del Potro & Thiem. To me these nine are going to be the most exciting players to watch: In action today - Cilic, A Zverev, Querrey & Muller.

The women's draw is equally (if not more) competitive. Sharapova makes her come back - can't wait to see how that goes, and then there are the rest of the challengers, all looking to capitalise on their recent form and capture a first, or second, or third grand slam. Will Muguruza maintain her from at Wimbledon, or crumble as she did at the French? How far will Konta go? All the top 15 seeds in the women's game could make it to the latter part of the tournament, and each game they play has the potential to be exciting especially because the players seeded 16 - 25 are pushing hard to get to the top slots. I am personally looking forward to following Ostapenko and hoping she maintains her style of attacking play. So many players and games to look forward to on this side of the draw. In action today: Mugurza, V Williams, Sharapova vs Halep (which is going to be interesting), Kvitova, Konta, Wozniaki, Cibulkova, Makarova amongst others...

Let the games begin!

Of Breads, Cakes, & Macarons - 2

Fun, Exhaustion, Tears, Sore disappointment, Determination, Persistence, Success - All from macarons!

Covent Garden, London, 2012

An excited, young (at the time) girl sat with friends outside a cute patisserie with a grand, reputable name: Ladurée. As we chatted away, our order arrived at the table. Some hot drinks, and a couple of brightly coloured macarons.

The macarons were beautiful to look at. Those days, the great macaron baking craze was still in inception, and I had only vaguely heard of them, and had never tasted them. Shalini had talked of them and described how yummy they were, but we hadn't had them in Nairobi - I don't think anyone baked them commercially at the time.

The macaron shells at Ladurée were bright and the various fillings looked smooth and shiny. The famous macaron feet (macaron taxanomy) were perfectly formed, and delightfully honey-combed. I picked one delicately and bit into it - Pistachio. The next one I bit into spoke of raspberry and lemon. And then there was chocolate. It was official, I was in love. Who wouldn't be?!

My House, Nairobi, the following years

My second taste of macarons came a while later when Shalini bought some from 

Pierre Hermé in Dubai. It was impossible after that to sit back and not try to make these. 

We decided to look up a few recipes... after reading a few deceptively simple ones, I decided it was time to forge ahead and work with those egg whites, and sugar. I watched a video on you tube and gathered up the ingredients - almond powder, and icing sugar, castor sugar, and egg white. I plunged on. What came out was a bloody disaster; I should say a icky, gooey mess. The next 100 or so trials also resulted in similar outcomes. 

But I refused to budge, we had macaron baking sessions in the house at least once a week. And then I landed on a recipe that was not only great, it was also very clear about the tricky nature of macaron baking. We finally had a passable batch of macarons. And then they got better, and better, and better, until finally I had a tray of macarons that looked like they should, and tasted as they should - good colour, nicely formed feet, soft and chewy when we bit into them. From here on, the possibilities were endless - colours, decorations, shapes, flavours - to date we continue to experiment with these, making one little bold step at every bake. 

But there is nothing as humbling as making macarons - I just never know when they might flop. One thing is for sure, I avoid making them when it is humid: The disappointment of a bad batch is heart wrenching, but the delight of a perfect set is satiating beyond compare....

Maybe macaron? (The early disasters)

Macaron V1: an improvement

The real macarons: colour, flavour, design

The next level: Themed macarons

Of Breads, Cakes, & Macarons - 1

My love for time in the kitchen almost seems, "like a case of predestination," as Anne would say. Amma was phenomenal with her culinary skills, and as a family, appa included, we spend many happy hours in the kitchen. 

Baking, of course, is distinctively enticing. I find it particularly alluring to accurately weigh out basic ingredients, and then mix them up using various techniques resulting in an aromatic and delicious end product: yum on the taste buds and yum for the mind. 

Growing up, Amma would learn and make the most amazing baked goodies for us: buns, pizza, amazing cakes, cookies, to name a few. Those years, access to ingredients was scarce, and instructional material was nowhere as simple to find as it is today. And yet, how divine everything tasted as it hit our tongues. Sometimes cheesy, sometimes chocolatey - how could I resist emulating Amma's magical cooking talent? I can't begin to describe the delights of learning the art of baking from her - beautiful memories!

As we were growing up, I used to watch Shalini cook - not glance, but watch and I would taste every dish from inception to finish - a spoon here, a sip there, savouring the transition of flavour, texture and colour. And to date, this scenario continues to play out in the kitchen;She'll cook, I'll taste, and then as with most other things, I will copy her. As we have grown up, an additional dynamic has surfaced - cooking together. We spend hours cooking a myriad of dishes together. Desserts, obviously, have a special artistic appeal where cakes take the cake!

One of the most interesting cakes we've made in the recent past is the Battenberg cake. A few years ago, we came across this cake with it's distinct checker-board look, and marzipan covering. While this wasn't our first meeting with a checker-board cake, working on it, and putting it all together was such fun, especially since the end result on our first attempt was impressive - taste, texture and visual appeal (If I may so so myself). 

Since then we have found ourselves baking for pleasure a variety of cakes - rum and brandy infused fruit cakes, a recent hit being am Anna Olsen inspired coffee cake - to be fair this was a bit of a trip back memory lane where I contributed more to tasting than baking. Last week we went back to the basics and churned up this divine chocolate cake that my inspirational sister decorated: simple but stunning

Moving away from cakes, my love affair with baking bread has returned with a bang. The last few weeks has seen me obsessed with bread making, and I blame these pictures of bread that he's baked that keep popping up on my Whatsapp conversation with Harish for this: 

So, Harish makes the most divine pizzas and I keep telling him that his pizza dough is phenomenal - it has that perfect rise, and texture.

Other breads obviously follow suit. Off and on, I have privately been envious over photos of his baguettes, but it is only recently that I have decided to pick his brains about bread recipes, and then try to replicate his bread making skills. I am currently working on the baguette, Milk & Honey bread loaves, and my addition to the list - A fennel & pecan bread. 

Essentially, I see a picture of a perfect loaf on my phone and I then spend the next few hours waiting to go home and try baking. I have spent more than a few hours, Whatsapp conversations and dialogues getting tips and tricks across continents in order to get these scrumptious, crispy crust, delectable soft-inside loaves. And how much fun has it been discussing bread with Harish: from planning, to kneading, to proofing, to shaping, to tasting, all the way to troubleshooting (Our current primary concern - analysing why my brown bread won't rise much?)

Sigh, I think it's time to try and perfect another loaf, and save my macaron stories for another day...

Time for recovery

Over the last few weeks I haven't had the time to actually sit down and follow a complete match or tourney in any sporting event.

I did get a glimpse of the cricket world cup (Women's) and it looked like a good game, although India did let the match slip away from them. It was however a great cup and certainly had moments of excitement.

August has its share of sporting events to look forward to, the highlights for me are obvious - the IAAF World Championships and the start of the US open.

Speaking of the US open and the tennis world...Djo has ended his 2017 season. I am happy that he is going to work on his wrist injury and take the necessary precautions to rest and to heal. But, I am equally sad to not have the chance to see more of his game for the rest of the season. I must admit it has been a bit bleak watching him loose time and time again, but he still has a style on court that is special. Best of luck Djo and here is wishing you a great comeback - I can't wait to see you in action in 2018!

And as Djo puts in his time for r&r, I am planning to do the same and catch up on things not sports. So, come mid August I am all set for sport, sport, sport....

Bemusing, Bewildering, or Bloody Brainless?

1. An international airport that has passengers alight from cars and walk through a security check; This despite the fact that the car driver, and car have to drive through a scanner/check anyway.
2. Asking for visitors to write down their personal details, including a phone number, on publicly accessible security log books
3. Asking for visitors to leave behind their IDs at the security point at buildings and replacing the ID with a common visitor pass/tag
4. Stopping me outside a house gate and asking me a million questions as to the purpose of my visit, even though you have seen me drop off some friends almost weekly...
5. At a mall that is renovating it's parking areas, the pay points have been disabled. After a tedious and frustrating time finding parking, you still have to pay for the inconvenience manually at a help desk and collect a manual ticket that is then scrutinised when you exit the mall 
6. Going to a shop, buying items, and then having to get the security guys at the entrance verify your purchase against your receipts (To be noted, modern systems require that all items have to be scanned at the pay desks, or else an embarrassing alarm will start ringing as you exit the shop). In a completely logical and sensible manner these verified receipts are then punched or stapled to confirm that all is well...
7. Showing up out of the blue at the office and stating categorically that you want to meet me without a prior appointment or discussion.
8. Sending out official emails and addressing me as a he, and repeating the error even after I correct you....
9. Giving me directions for parking, when I don't need it, and then insisting that I drive within a cm of the wall - like really?

Ahhhh, the list can go on and on...

Trendy, Not Modern

Nairobi is not only expanding at an alarming rate, but is also gaining global popularity as the city to be in - despite many of the challenges its citizenry face.

Many of us seem to be wrapped in this bubble where we are singing a tune of how Nairobi is a modern city. We feature on posts here and there about top 10 this and top 10 that. I think it's time we snap out of the bubble. Don't get me wrong, I love where I live and wouldn't trade my life here for anywhere (barring Scandinavian countries and their immaculate lifestyle 😁)

But it is high time we understand that there is a distinct difference between a modern city and a trendy one. No doubt that we are trendy and attractive.. but are we really modern?

1. Modern cities have a green Mantra. Every big, modern city has trees and parks that occupy a large part of its environs. In Nairobi, go green, has about zero value at present, new buildings have no trees, old trees are cut off, every green area is under threat. What a pity

2. Modern cities have organised transport systems - by this I mean buses and trains that leave and arrive at a place on schedule. There is an inherent discipline within the transport sectors - bus stops are designated, and definitely not placed outside a person's residence where matatus have a picnic blocking off anything in their way. Actually, come to think of it people have the sense to walk a short distance to catch a bus, and don't stutter around any corner and stop a bus in the middle of a highway. Yep, we are definitely off the mark here.

3. Modern cities are well planned. Anyone who thinks Nairobi is well planned needs to stop taking themselves seriously and just have a good laugh. Urban planning in this beautiful city of ours is a disaster. We have commercial buildings in residential areas, sewage systems that are as ancient as the colonial times, and a rail route that is absolutely ill planned in terms of its route (Don't even get me started here and on our priorities as a Nation)

4. Speaking of modern cities.... lets look at the provision of amenities. I believe we have a severe water shortage? I think most Nairobi residents have a constant battle with our electricity suppliers? Oh wait, I don think we even have a waste disposal plan. And these are just the tip of the iceberg...

I've only mentioned a few things here, but I believe that in itself should suffice to tell us we need to refocus our attention to fundamentals and apply a neoteric, green way of thought if we need to actually be considered a modern city!

Imagination

I gawked at everyone in growing panic,

Could this have been a case of veiled magic?

I made a valiant effort to speak,

Masterfully fling a magical word or two from my brain,

The prospect of success blatantly bleak,

My mind and mouth dumb, held captive by an unseen metal chain. 

In sheer panic I ran,

Far away from the waiting crowd, I ran.

At last I was in my garden,

Distressed I fell to the ground,

There was no one here to see me, or offer a pardon

And my tears flowed incessantly, making no sound, 

Oh, what was I to do?

I knew I had to speak at the to-do!

That’s when I saw the glass jar, 

“Oh!” I exclaimed; my tears ceasing abruptly, 

I recognised the tiny person in it from afar, 

I crawled to her; she tapped the jar sharply. 

How could I be in there, 

And also out here?

I picked up the jar delicately, 

And I lifted my eyes to ponder, 

Almost hesitantly, 

She did the same - this mini me - what a wonder!

Without much thought, 

I unscrewed the top and held my breath taut.

“Do you know who I am?” she piqued

I simply blinked.

“You trapped me in here, you know!” 

I said to myself, “What a blow”

“Are... Are you me?”

“Well, yes and no…. Don’t you see?”

I must admit I was in the dark, 

Cross legged I sat and waited for her remark. 

Still inside her prison, 

She walked to and fro, muttering a dime a dozen.

“I am your imagination,” she declared at last.

I stared at her aghast...

“We had golden times together, you and I.

We frolicked in the winds of Heaven.

We sang with fairies in mountains high, 

We swam with dolphins: one,two, maybe seven”

I recalled those days of fun, 

When I had won a battle with no gun!

“Magical stories we weaved, 

Grand adventures we told

At times, people around us were peeved

Other times, they heard our tales of the ever bold”

I lifted her out of her prison and placed her on my shoulder, 

I remembered her fondly, my companion and mighty upholder.

“How did I lose you?” I asked

And how did I leave her trapped?

My problem was unmasked

No wonder brain and speech were grimly wrapped.

“One day you wrote a book; We had the best time drafting it out.

It was published. People loved it. There was an instant sell-out”

I smiled at the vivid memory, 

Place to place I had travelled, 

And all that followed was glory.

The joy of success unravelled

“Soon you forgot me,you were too busy for a flight of imagination.

Sad and weary of neglect, I sought out my own fairy nation”

A purple haired witch, full of promises, bright as a star,

Showed me a golden dream of us together again, 

She wooed me with words, and walked me into the jar: 

“Here you shall rest,” she declared, “until she meets you again!” 

“And so I waited, hours and days, thrilled with your every appearance.

Yet, you never stayed long, and I grew more despondent with every disappearance.”

How cruel I felt as I hugged my friend to my heart,

I vowed to never leave her alone and forsaken 

I saw her smile and meld into my heart,

I stood up bravely and felt my soul awaken

I was in front of them again, and I told my tale, 

Of losing my friend, imagination, in a fairy tale. 

They listened to my words, fully engrossed, 

My eyes shined with the joy of it all, 

And I could have sworn, when they rose to applaud, 

I saw a purple haired fairy fly anon

Congratulations!

And so The Championships 2017 has come to an end and what a tournament it has been.

First off, congratulations to Roger Federer (I feel like I ought to be saying Sir Roger Federer) on a historic win. 8 Wimbledon trophies is phenomenal and at this moment in time looks like a record that will never be matched. It's an incredible achievement! Wow! Talk about providing inspiration for anyone. Here's to you, Federer!

While Fed's achievement was the most (read only) exciting thing about Sunday's game, Saturdays women's final was spectacular. What a first set we had - both Muguruza, the eventual champion, and Venus came out, guns blazing - powerful shot followed powerful shot. Both struggled at some point with their forehand shots, before Muguruza gained ground and powered her way to a 6-0 second set win. Williams struggled with her serve, and pretty much everything, in the second set but was as usual gracious in defeat. I don't know about you all but the women's game has such grit and fighting spirit at its heart, I can't wait to see more...

Happy celebrating, champions, and see you at the US open!

Almost there

I was travelling early Friday morning and didn't get the chance to watch the women's or men's semis. I did keep abreast with the scores even in the bundus and in the midst of fatigue.

First off, congratulations to Venus and Federer. It is amazing what these athletes have accomplished - their style, will to win, experience and skill is as exciting as it ever was. I am tempted to make all sorts of predictions on the "oldies" Championships. But jokes about oldies aside, what an incredible feat!

And then there are two novices (in comparison of course) who face the might of legends. Muguruza and Cilic have both come through to the finals convincingly beating their opponents. They have had a few tough encounters, but in general they've showed some outstanding skill. But will it be enough to stand the test of the almighty champions that await them?

I can't wait to watch...perhaps the excitement that ran out for me with Djo' exit will return after the finals....

All in the game

Heart broken. Distraught. Sad. This pretty much sums up my take on Djo's exit from the Wimbledon. I am almost ready to stop watching. I was driving home (in the rain, and fighting the stupidity of bus and matatu drivers) when Djo started playing. I have watched Djo play Berdych a zillion times, and often at 4-4 I see  Djo break away regardless of the level Berdych plays at. So, when I peeked at my browser and saw 5-5, and then 6-6 I knew something was wrong. I was angry and frustrated at first and then when I saw that he retired, i was just fed up. Minutes later at his press briefing, I could have broken down and wept. Sigh, the traumatising life of a fan. But then I thought, imagine how much worse it must be for him - he was just beginning to play decently and then this. My heart goes out to him and I hope and pray that he recovers well - this fan is waiting eagerly!

Andy also struggling with injury lost to Sam - another gruelling match for the latter. The Cilic Vs Muller game was my pick of the day... Cilic is in serious form at the moment. And then we come to Fed - magic Fed. It seems that no one can give him any competition. I believe tennis fans out there are going to give me hell for this, but I find that the two/three players that could take a match to Fed have been completely out of form this year, so while it has been spectacular to see Fed playing the way he is, I haven't seen anyone really give him something very hard to fight for. He is definitely the favourite for the Championship... but we must wait and see...anything can happen in the world of tennis...

In the meantime, I want to stay excited about the tournament and will do that by focusing on the women's game. Let the semi's begin!

A special shout out, and speedy recovery to Andy, and my favouritest ever, Djo!!!

Larger Than Life

There it was - my camera. Taller than I was, bigger than I was. I approached it dragging along the bulky twig ladder I had just made.

Last night, and the night before - why many nights now - had been filled with strange noises. Sleep had eluded me as strange, high pitched dialogues, originating from my garden, jolted me into wakefulness. I couldn’t make much sense of what was being said, but now a week since they had started, I was determined to investigate. 

I woke up this morning determined to discover mysteries of my garden. I was slightly concerned that there was something sinister taking place in my backyard. Armed with a vague plan and an indifferent mien I walked into my backyard, my cereal and toast, a notebook, pencil, some string for measurements, and a camera in tow. I simply looked like I was going about my routine - taking photos and documenting them. I was hoping my real purpose would be well masked. 

I sat down on the bench, set down my camera, and rummaged through my book as I ate. Something bit my leg. Instinct told me to wait before moving into action. A voice quipped up, “Well, talk about a bad bite.” A shrill bout of giggling followed. I moved my foot a little, slightly perturbed that something that was speaking had taken a bite at my leg. I heard some bickering, a rustle. I stealthily moved my hand towards my leg, and just as it was about to take another bad bite, I nabbed it. 

“You leave me alone, you ol’ goon!” Nip. Nip. 

I thought to myself, I should have brought gloves. 

“What do you mean by capturing me, you ol’ ninny. Just you let me go” Nip. Nip. 

Annoyed at being bitten and equally peeved at being called an old ninny, I held onto the little fellow around his rotund waist. Slightly shaken, I set him down on the tabletop, next to my camera, still gripping him around his waist. A delightful, whimsical figure gazed up at me with big, round, hazel eyes. His pointed ears had flattened out on either side of his heart shaped face pointing to the East and West. His nose resembled a swollen toothpick protruding in between chubby, rosy brown cheeks. His tiny, berry stained mouth was turned up at one end as he smirked at me. It was startling to see such a small being, and I was rather flummoxed. 

After a few moments of silence, I decided to take the initiative and tentatively spoke to the little creature, “Hello… erm Mr?”

“Pixie. The name’s Pixie. And that’s no way to greet a fellow - nabbing him like that unawares!” 

No nip. I thought that was a good sign. 

“I’m sorry ...erm Mr Pixie, but I wasn’t sure what was biting me. And you said I didn’t taste good.”

Giggles, followed by more giggles, and a lifted eyebrow accompanied his response, “Well, a fellow likes a little mud with his foot, you know? All that clean skin does no ‘ne any good. Now, let me go!”

“Erm.. Mr. Pixie. Who are you? Why are you in my backyard, and why are you so noisy?” I suppose in hindsight I could have been less direct with my questions. 

“You let me go, I tell you.” A frustrated struggle between my hands ensued as I firmed my grip around him, hoping that my fingers would be spared deeper bites. A minute later he seized his wriggling and was answering me in an offended voice, “That there fellow, Ragtag, came in here and won’t leave. I got to have my space you see? I’ve been telling him to go find some other garden, you see...but he won’t listen, he won’t!” 

“Is Mr. Ragtag a pixie too?” I was beginning to wonder if I had drugged myself, or was in the midst of a strange dream. Was I really holding a pixie in my hand and speaking to him about garden invasions? 

“A pixie like me?! Nooo sirrreeee, I would ne’er have invaded another’s garden.” Surely, so much offense could hardly be communicated in so few words? I wondered if I should remind the little guy that he had in fact invaded my garden. I decided to keep mum. This little fellow was full of drama. His voice changed again,polite and quizzical, “Why, Oh why, Mr, ol’ ninny, will you help me get rid of Mr. Ragtag?” 

I had eased my hold on the little creature by now, and as I relaxed further, he promptly sat down, cross-legged, on my open palm as I pondered his strange request. Before a minute had passed he burst into tears - it was like watching a sprinkler come to life accompanied by a cacophonous group of violinists. 

“Okay, Okay, Mr. Pixie, stop bawling. How can I help?” I spoke in a loud whisper 

The silence and consequent smile was so immediate, I was quietly inclined to believe the whole crying show was exaggerated. But I couldn’t help liking the fellow as he impulsively gave my little finger a tight hug. 

“Oh, thank you, Mr ol’ ninny. I really do love my garden, you see...and Ragtag has no business being here. You need to meet him and tell him so, you see? He can’t go against your wishes, you see?” 

I didn’t see of course, and said so. I was also a bit offended at being called an ol’ ninny. Actually, I was starting to get curious about Ragtag and why Mr. Pixie was disinclined to share his space with him - I had a fairly large garden. It also occurred to me that it was certainly rare, even a bit exciting, to have two seemingly real pixies living in my garden. Maybe I had to go get my head checked, but for now, I was sure the little fellow in my hand was real. 

“Erm.. Mr. Pixie, my name is…”

“Awww, come on sirrreeee we must be quicks about getting Ragtag away. How wills you find him?” 

“Don’t you know where he is?” I asked tauntingly.

“'Course not, Mr Ol’ ninny. I don’t know where he is now. If I’d have known, I would’ve fought him out already, innit?” 

“I think you need to call me by my name, if you want my help.” I made to leave. After all some ground rules were necessary, and everyone knows pixies would wiggle their way out of anything. I felt that I must stamp my authority. 

“Awww now, don’t you go away Mr. Ol’... okay, okay, What is your name Mr. Ol’ Nin..”

“Matt. My name is Matt,” I was beginning to enjoy our dialogue. “Now, tell me, how do we find Ragtag?” 

“Why?! Don’ts you knows? We walk through the grass blades, of course! Come on Mr Ol… Mr. Matt” He zealously jumped onto my lap, and then paused, made his way back to my palm, and navigated my hand to my ear and in a shrill whisper, “We’ve got to shrink you, you knows!” 

I blinked. 

“We gots to Mr. Matt, otherwise you’ll not be able to runs through the grass.” He must have seen my dumbstruck look

“Shrink me?” I wasn’t having any of that, “Oh no we aren’t Mr. Pixie. I can wait here. Once you find Ragtag, I will find a way to meet him.” 

“Now, look yous here, Mr. Matt. By 3 O’clock, my pixie magic will reverse itself and you will be all big again. No needs to be scared.” A snicker that he tried to unsuccessfully cover up accompanied this statement.

Scared? Was I scared? What if this was all a trick? Yet, wouldn’t it be fun to have a bit of an adventure - almost exciting? “I still don’t know if it’s a good idea...but tell me, Mr Pixie, do you not like Ragtag?” I decided then and there that I should know more about the person I was going to confront

“Likes him? Oooh, I liked him well enough, I did. Ragtag’s my best friend. How we trampled the grass on Ol’ Mr Cranky’s garden. Ah” Giggles. “Then, when I said it was time to move - seeing that Mr. Cranky heard us, and had began to cut his grass too short, Ragtag said he likes to do what he wants and didn’t want to come here. You see’s Mr Ol’... Mr. Matt, I saw your garden, and knews you was a nice man who wouldn’t cut his grass. But Ragtag was a *&^%& pixie and told me he wasn’t moving, no sirreee! And I begs him, I does.” 

I ignored the expletives as I listened to his tale. A sudden burst of waterworks ensued. I patted him in empathy as gently as I could and waited for the abrupt silence. It took longer than expected.

“Then, I left without Ragtag and moved in here.” Sniffles as he continued, “I’ve been on my own 14 days, and I don’t need Ragtag with me. He came here last week, he did, and he says no sorrys to me, he doesn’t. He came and wanted to carry on as if he never left. Well, Mr. Ol’ ...Mr. Matt. No sirrrreeee. This is my garden and I’m not sharing with him” 

Another sprinkler attack was forming a pool in my hand. I was sure of one thing - this little pixie wanted his best friend with him, but was hurt and angry. I decided to help. Carefully, I placed him on the table top and sat next to him. 

He looked up at me, hope replacing the tears in his spherical eyes, “Will yous help, me?” 

A sudden desire awakened in me - it was time for an adventure. I smiled at Mr. Pixie and struck a deal, not entirely convinced I would shrink. 

“1.2.3”

With no warning, and no hint of any pixie dust, I had shrunk and found myself dangling off the table. I nervously swung myself and latched onto the camera belt.Trying to quickly adjust to my new circumstances, I hauled myself up onto the bench and took in the view. Mechanically, I picked a few twigs that had fallen on the table top, tucked them masterfully with some of the string I had left near my notebook and constructed a little ladder. I wanted to have a look through my lens: I climbed the ladder precariously and took a peek. The world looked big and full of colour. The grass had never looked this green or inviting. I wondered if I could click a photo. That’s when I caught sight of him - a little creature that looked like Mr. Pixie - darker and taller, but with the same rosy cheeks and round eyes.

“Mr. Matt… Mr. Matt, We gots to go.. There’s no time…” Mr Pixie was pulling on my trousers which I was grateful to note had also shrunk with me. 

I turned around and gestured to the little fellow, wending my way towards Ragtag. I was sure that I would soon have two pixie friends living in my backyard. Let the adventures begin.

A game changing game

Another morning, another day at Wimbledon, and some spectacular match ups to look forward to in the men's quarter finals.

And the women's semis have been decided. One thing was for sure - the round of 16 games were more mouth-watering (My favourite critic has said I use too much mouth-watering in my Wimbledon posts...so, I am staying a bad habit) impressive than the quarters.

The first week and then the round of sixteen made me expect sizzling, fight for every point games. The Vandeweghe Vs Rybarikova (Whoop, I have learnt to spell and say her name) was depressingly one-sided. The Williams Vs Ostapenko game was more competitive and while I am a bit sad to see the latter lose, I am still eager to see her in future tournaments. She has this fire when she is playing that is arresting. And then there was the Muguruza Vs Kuznetsova clash which was more competitive on paper...

The match of the day of course was the Konta Vs Halep match. Now that was a match worthy of a quarter final. I sympathise with Halep and her elusive grand slam...but I am going to take away the focus from winners and loosers and just say what a match! The power, the pace, the will to win! Fantastic - kudos ladies!

I can't wait to see how the semi finals will end...

Nerves of Steel

Manic Monday at Wimbledon was as insane as I expected it to be: 3-set battles in the women's draw and 5-set epic clashes in the men's half of the tournament. And in the midst there were those games that were singularly one sided.

So Ostapenko stormed into the quarters in her usually fighting style and has set up a mouth watering encounter with Venus: Muguruza and Konta both battled it out to make it in 3 sets. Vicka crashed out as expected. I mean, even if I don't mention what is at stake for a lot of these players, the quarters look like a tennis fans dream: let the fireworks begin. Anyone else wonder if Halep will finally be a grand slam winner. Her potential number 1 ranking should also motivate her, or so I hope?

Over to the men's...Fed bulldozed Dimitrov, and Cilic had an easy time versus Agut. These matches were so one-sided and dull I couldn't watch especially considering the drama unfolding on many of the other courts - Zverev's loss to Raonic in, Anderson's few faults allowing Querrey to inch him out of the tournament, Thiem's sad fall to Berdych. Sigh.. the evening couldn't get more competitive...

I lie. Of course it could get more intense: Rafa was on court, and he was two sets down. What a match up that was Muller with his deceptive and staggering serve vs Rafa's never ending battling spirit. Every game had something exciting - From Nadal's stunning shots and reactions to every point won, to Muller's ever calm mien and his blistering service games. The 5th setter was  out standing, questions were thrown and answers came back in the shape of aces, volleys, and winners. At 10-10 these two contestants were displaying nerves of steel, and it was simply traumatising knowing that someone was going to have to loose....Kudos to Muller for a game well played.

Ah Wimbledon, how mundane life will be after the championships are over...

The Wimbledon Monday

After a break day the action at Wimbledon today is simply stunning. Matches that are mouth watering have already started playing out.

Ostapenko is already through to the quarters beating Svitolina in straight sets. The other women's games at the moment are looking highly competitive: Kerber vs Muguruza in particular has been engrossing - even if I am simply looking at the scores (And would you believe it, Muguruza has won! Whoa!). Konta vs Garcia is also playing out nicely - and is currently at the first set tie-break. I am waiting to see how the Wozniaki vs Vandeweghe match will end...And then there is Vicka vs Halep: I suspect the latter will win even though my heart wants Vicka to take it.

And in more captivating tennis look at these games that will play out today:

1. Sam Querrey Vs Anderson
2. Cilic Vs Agut
3. Murray Vs Paire (This could be completely one-sided, or a cracker of a game. I suspect the former)
4. Nadal Vs Muller (Will this be another case of Rafa wiping away the opponent?)
5. Federer Vs Dimitrov (Interesting.... again it could be completely one-sided with Federer brilliance taking over)
6. Djo vs Mannarino (goodness knows which way this will go - I suppose it depends on Djo's mood)

Can I get to a TV already?

It's a take over

Wimbledon has taken over my life at the moment. I have to admit that I am hardly paying attention to any of the other sporting events going on. I am not even sure I will pay attention to the IAAF which will be held right here in Nairobi!

So the last few days have been good fun at the games.  Some matches have been exactly the way they were meant to be - others, not quite the way they should've panned out.

But I am vindicated by how Ostapenko is playing. Every game she plays is exciting to watch. True she can be topsy turvy and has a huge number of faults. Ah, but her winners and her unrelenting energy to keep getting the next point. The match versus the Canadian Francois Abanda was mouth watering. Both girls were stunning, and full of energy. That was a gripping watch, I tell ya.

Vicka is playing her 3rd round match this afternoon and I am looking for ways to watch it - not follow it on a real time blog, or catch up with the scores online with the slam tracker - but watch the action point by point. If Vicka brings her A game on, Heather Watson should expect fireworks with or without crowd support.

Honestly, the women's games are so exciting, I am skipping many of the men's games... However, I am still reeling from the Del Potro game. Sure he hasn't been as great the last few tournaments, but I don't think anyone was expecting him to loose in the 2nd round.

Thus far my favourites are hanging in there... I hope to see them hanging onto the cup soon...

Until next time, cheers to more Wimbledon....

Just an excited post...

Vicka won! Vicka won! Whoop! What an exciting start to the games. Turns out that day 1 had some delightful treats.

I'm going to start of with the Azarenka vs Bellis game simply because, you know, Vicka is back. The first set saw Bellis play some amazing shots, and Azarenka was struggling with her serves and her precision - 18 unforced errors in a set that ended 3-6 in favour of Bellis. And then, the fascinating Vicka come back surfaced: the first serves were in more often, shots were fired with a little more precision, Bellis's game was read a little better. Vicka was back in it with a 6 - 2 win in the second set. All credit to Bellis, she played remarkably, though, I feel that the momentum change did make her question her shots and she started to miss her mark more often than not. The final set was very much in Vicka's control and then she had done it - she was through to the second round at Wimbledon. I cant wait to watch more of her and see her improving with each game.

And Stan the man's poor luck on grass continued in another cracker of a match. Medvedev seemed to be playing with a casual determination that definitely got the better of Wawrinka. Talk of an upset. The question now is, how far will Medvedev go? As is often the case after a big win, the next game sees players wilt away into nothingness ....

In more scintillating tennis, Anderson came out victorious and knocked out Verdasco in a 4 setter game (I find Anderson's game style laid back, so this was surprising). Navarro won the topsy turvy game against Bouchard - 1-6, 6-1, 6-1, and Ostapenko came through fighting, beating her opponent in 3 sets.

And day 2 is here. I cant wait to see Djo win (cross my fingers and hope to die!) a tricky match. Here's a list of other games in the men's draw that I think will be stealing the spotlight today: Dolgopolov Vs Federer, Gasquet Vs Ferrer, M Zverev vs Tomic. In the women's draw - Timea Vs Wozniaki is the highlight (surely the draws are insane this year, already I see players pitted against people they could have played the quarters against!)

Can the play start already?

Grass, Strawberries & Cream!

First things first, congratulations team Germany on your Confederations Cup victory over Chile last night. I hope that the curse of a win here doesn't blot your chances at being the runner up in Russia 2018 (For those of you who know me, you know exactly what is hidden between those lines). Speaking of this win - I picked up a copy of the Daily Nation this morning in the hopes of seeing an article about Germany's win, and was sadly disappointed to see them still speaking about the third place game - surely, daily nation, you can do better than this? It isn't as if the match ended early this morning?...

Speaking of sporting action not to be missed... tantalising, classy, alluring Wimbledon is here! Whoa! I can't wait, and I hope that my favourites favour my disposition to watch this tournament all the way to the finals with a smile on my face. The draws have been decided, and day one has some promising games: Wawrinka vs D Medvedev could be an interesting one to look out for. The Kohlschreiber vs Cilic match also seems to be one of the matches that could turn out to be a cracker. In the women's draw most matches look to be straightforward (Watch out for the Navarro vs Bouchard game). I am eager to see how Ostapenko will fair. Lisicki on grass is of course a delight to watch - it will be good to see if she is in good form. And best of all, Azarenka aka Vicky is back on court. Let the games begin!

Off the court, a good friend of mine announced categorically that, "Messi got messed up." I read that statement in some trepidation, quietly running through football fixtures in my head wondering if he had injured himself. Turns out that he was referring to Messi's nuptials, and Messi is still well and quite capable of working some magic on the football pitch. Phew! On that happy note, I bid you all farewell for the week.

Happy Sporting!

The other things

The Confederations Cup semi final berths have been decided. Tonight Portugal face Chile, and Germany take on a gritty Mexico. I don't think the line-up has any surprises - was anyone expecting them? 

I have a confession - I have barely watched the matches. Apart from the rather poor commentating, I just haven't felt the oooompfh (Does the Confederations Cup ever have ooompfh?) But this live video refereeing nonsense has certainly piqued my interest! Do I like it? I honestly have to answer a veritable, no.  It will probably take some time to get used to it, but the worst thing about it is that it takes away the flow of the game. And football is gorgeous because of the flow. I hope that in the world cup we don't have massive interruptions because of this new method. Sigh!

In other sporting news, Wimbledon is less than a week away and I begin to dream of being there to watch it live! Ah, the magic of Wimbledon.... can you just see the green surroundings, and the promising taste of strawberries and cream? I am going to wait for a few matches before I dive into supporting my favourites.... oooh, I so hope that it is a good tournament for them! And I can't wait to see how the women's draw plays out... 

Speaking of the women's draw reminds me that the women's cricket world cup is on going and I believe it is exciting - possibly more exciting than the just ended Champions trophy. Thus far: India, SA, England, Australia and NZ have all won games. I am likely to keep my eyes open on this one - I believe it is going to get more intense out there. But here is a comic moment for you - anyone notice the tautology?