A New Year Begins

Alas, one of my new year’s resolutions is to keep my blog updated. After the dearth of postings in the last year, I have decided to try a new method: the short, more frequent bits and bobs. We shall see how it goes. Since it is only January 3, there is clearly not much to say, if I am only to report on 2009 thus far. I have spent much of my time at the tennis arena in Abu Dhabi over the last few days, volunteering my services at the Capitala Tennis tournament, featuring, as I noted in my December post, Nadal, Murray, Davydenko, Federer, Roddick and Blake. It has been fantastic to see them play from such a close distance. My head is exhausted from so much swiveling! This afternoon I head back for the third and final time to see how Murray fares against Nadal, the young 22 year-old stud. His game is truly astounding! Even Sam was able to sit for five hours and watch two matches yesterday, a tribute to the high entertainment factor of these tennis stars.

New Year’s Eve was somewhat subdued here in the UAE. Due to the distressing events in the Gaza strip, all live music events were cancelled in Dubai, leaving the Abu Dhabi Shakira concert the only live event worth attending in the whole country. We Rodgers were struggling to overcome jet lag, having just returned from the U.S., so we had a low-key evening with old friends visiting from our Manila days.

 

Shakira must have recuperated from her big night, as she was seated in the royal family box at the tennis tourney yesterday. The fans were heard alternating cat calls from “Rafa!” to “Shakira, I love you!”, to “Go Niki!” during the Nadal vs. Davydenko match.

On our way home from the match yesterday, both of our two decent radio stations were playing classical music, a sign that someone important in the UAE had passed away. It turned out one of the sheiks from a tiny Emirate met his maker over in London, thus beginning a period of mourning throughout the country, replete with 24-hour dirge –like music and three days of closed government offices.

It is to this dirge-like theme that I will drag my holiday-laden buttocks off to school TOMORROW. In sh’allah, I will be able to find the time to keep you posted on the comings and goings of the Rodgers clan in the coming year!