Friday 31st August 2018....🎾🎾🎾🎾🎾🎾🎾🎾🎾🎾🎾

Rabbits, Rabbits, Rabbits!!!! As it is now after midnight...

Well it seems finally a break in the weather a bit overcast this morning...I just relaxed over breakfast did some planning for next week and read...

Around 10 am I decided to walk and check out the neighbourhood this is a quiet area of Jamaica with such a huge ethnic mix.

Passed here...

Came back home for noon to watch afternoon tennis it is cool watching live knowing I shall be in that stadium in a few hours.

Yesterday at the supermarket I bought a Metro card for 32 dollars the card is good for unlimited journeys on both bus and train for a period of seven days and the card does not commence until you first use it..so I am good till next Friday and then I will just pay as I go.

My ticket tonight does not allow me into the stadium till 6 pm so I left the apartment at 5 pm walked the couple of minutes to outside the supermarket where I caught a local bus that took me to the train station..there I got on the F train which stops right at the stadium....for my first time using the system it was pretty easy ride!

The crowds were huge ...

but everyone seems friendly and the attendants and all the workers seem to have smiles on their faces in what must be at times a frustrating job....they are very clear on what can be brought into the stadium tonight not an issue for me but for the next three days I am here from noon till maybe midnight no backpacks are allowed but I do have a folding cooler bag that fits the dimensions and I can load up with food so I took that with me tonight and was able to take it in.

Arthur Ashe the famous African American superstar has the stadium named after him and I have a reserved seat the same seat for the whole time I am there...obviously it is quite high but it is behind the server which is the only way to see the games and l like the location.

The tickets I have also give me access to any other stadium in the general admission seating so I can watch other games close up should be fun during the long weekend.

The match was scheduled to start at 7 pm but the match from the day time session was still being played so like thousands of others I sat on a bench and watched the big screen and saw Nadal fight off a scare to advance to the next round!!!

No the problem was you have 15000 people leaving the stadium and the same waiting to get in......there was a wait of about 45 minutes and the Williams match did not start till after 8pm...

The first game pitted the William sisters against each other..the crowd was electric and it was a fascinating game and it must be so hard to play against a sibling at such a high level and import tournament and who do the Parents cheer for????

Venus the older sister joked that the last time they played against each other it was not fair it was two against one....meaning that Serena was pregnant!!

Well the game really did not live up to the hype it was very one sided and Serena came away with an easy victory!!!

The next game featured one of my favourite players De Potro from Argentina and Ferdasco from Spain....

Another great game.....

It was two sets in favour of Del Potro and it was also midnight and I was not totally sure about the bus times so I decided to leave.....getting home was just as easy as getting to the stadium except I had to wait about thirty minutes for the bus.....it was not scary at all and a I got back to the apartment at 1.30am!!

So another bucket list item checked off!!!!

Better get to sleep as I am back tomorrow to watch these players...anybody know them?????

Yashi Kochi!!

Thursday 30 th August 2018...you may as well get used to the word 🎾 TENNIS'!!!!

Before I get into my do I would like you all to read this....

Steve Jobs' last words........

He died a billionaire at 56 y.o. of Pancreatic Cancer and here are his last words on the sick bed:

"I reached the pinnacle of success in the business world. In others’ eyes my life is an epitome of success.

However, aside from work, I have little joy. In the end, wealth is only a fact of life that I am accustomed to.

At this moment, lying on the sick bed and recalling my whole life, I realize that all the recognition and wealth that I took so much pride in, have paled and become meaningless in the face of impending death.

You can employ someone to drive the car for you, make money for you but you cannot have someone to bear the sickness for you.

Material things lost can be found. But there is one thing that can never be found when it is lost – "Life".

When a person goes into the operating room, he will realize that there is one book that he has yet to finish reading – "Book of Healthy Life". Whichever stage in life we are at right now, with time, we will face the day when the curtain comes down.

Treasure love for your family, love for your spouse, love for your friends...

Treat yourself well. Cherish others.

As we grow older, and hence wiser, we slowly realize that wearing a $300 or $30 watch - they both tell the same time...

Whether we carry a $300 or $30 wallet/handbag - the amount of money inside is the same;

Whether we drive a $150,000 car or a $30,000 car, the road and distance is the same, and we get to the same destination.

Whether we drink a bottle of $300 or $10 wine - the hangover is the same;

Whether the house we live in is 300 or 3000 sq ft - loneliness is the same.

You will realize, your true inner happiness does not come from the material things of this world.

Whether you fly first or economy class, if the plane goes down - you go down with it...

Therefore.. I hope you realize, when you have mates, buddies and old friends, brothers and sisters, who you chat with, laugh with, talk with, have sing songs with, talk about north-south-east-west or heaven and earth, .... That is true happiness!!

Five Undeniable Facts of Life :

1. Don't educate your children to be rich. Educate them to be Happy. So when they grow up they will know the value of things not the price.

2. Best awarded words in London ... "Eat your food as your medicines. Otherwise you have to eat medicines as your food."

3. The One who loves you will never leave you for another because even if there are 100 reasons to give up he or she will find one reason to hold on.

4. There is a big difference between a human being and being human. Only FEW really understand it.

5. You are loved when you are born. You will be loved when you die. In between, you have to manage!

NOTE: If you just want to Walk Fast, Walk Alone! But if you want to Walk Far, Walk Together!

Six Best Doctors in the World

1. Sunlight

2. Rest

3. Exercise

4. Diet

5. Self Confidence and

6. Friends

Maintain them in all stages of Life and enjoy a healthy life.”

Wonderful mission statement for life.

A couple of days ago Gracie told me she had sent me a message on Face Book...I have had a FB for years do not really remember how or why but I never use it but I do go on and look once in a while and see all the posts from my friends....never really saw the messenger icon...anyway I clicked on it and saw the message from Gracie but there were also two other messages there from two years ago!!

One was from Mia she was the youngest daughter of my ex wife, Mia and I were close for a while but then lost touch, anyway she was asking after me and said she thought of me often and to send her a message.....I thought about this for a while my marriage was a disaster but I did enjoy Mia and her sister Michelle but they both had some issues and when I moved to Vancouver Island we lost touch....I did send her a short message but I have not heard back from her....

The other message was from one of my old Bermuda buddies...Alan and I met in 1970 at London airport where we both were recruited and off to start a new adventure in The Bermuda Police Force..we became good friends and for a while rented a house together..when I left Bermuda in 1980 we lost touch..anyway I saw his message and wrote back and we had exchanged e mails today with some photos of the good old times...

In this one guess where I am??

Little clue on the top row left..

Alan is also on the top row right in the middle with the shades and moustache!!

The soccer tour to Florida

Can you spot me??

And another view..

OK today....easy nice morning relaxed a little and then I decided to walk to the tennis stadium it is about a four mile walk one way.....I have been trying to call the box office and all I get is a recording and I did not have my tickets or really know much about them...so I walked..did I mention it was very hot!!!

Took a few wrong turns but eventually finished up by this nice lake with the stadium in the background...

The approach to the complex is beautiful!!

I watched the people going in the have very strict rules about you can and cannot bring in and I know what I have to do..one thing I do not understand is why you cannot bring back packs in but you can bring in bags that slide over your head and chest!!

Went to the box office got this really nice lady who helped a lot got my tickets and told me I was lucky they are good tickets and I should see some great games.......

Well what do you think this is my first match tomorrow night..

It could well be the last time the sisters play each other in a major tournament!!

The rest of my tickets!!!

So what it means is that I go tomorrow evening and then Saturday and Sunday and Monday I have tickets for both day and night sessions which means I get in the grounds just before noon and could if the games extend still be there at midnight!!!

This has been a bucket list item for me for years so I am going to get my monies worth!!

Yashi Kochi!!

Wednesday 29th August 2018.... finally in the big 🍎!!!!!

Took my time this morning packing up and getting ready to leave for the three hour plus drive to NYC

For this I did some route planning but mainly relied on my trusty GPS..

Soon I saw my first NYC sign and it was a bit of a shock to me that in two hours of driving it cost me 35 dollars in tolls!!!

What I have never seen before and liked was that on this highway trucks had separate lanes from the cars!!

I arrived at my Airbnb apartment at just around 3pm and my hosts were waiting for me..there is free street parking outside their home and I have my own keyless entry and basement apartment....it is small but very lovely and has everything I need, nice bedroom, lounge with large screen TV, washer and dryer good internet  not really a kitchen but I do have a microwave, toaster and kettle so can make do with breakfast of cereal and fruit and yogurt and can bring a home cooked meal home to re heat and considering after tomorrow I am out for the next four nights.....I booked this place a year ago and glad to be here!!

Got settled in and had dinner a left over from last night, really good!!!

A shower and now watching live tennis which is so cool because I am about three miles away from the stadium!!!

Jeanette and Henry my hosts are very kind he has printed off Google maps for me to show I get from the apartment to the tennis stadium by foot, metro and driving. How nice of him...

I was in NYC about seven years ago when I was travelling in Ramona but then I left her outside the city and just used public transportation ....so I think Little Bluey is going to remain parked outside the house and I will use the bus and train...

This tells you happened yesterday...

Conditions at the US Open were described as "dangerous" as five men had to retire from their first-round matches on Tuesday because of heat-related issues.

Temperatures close to 38C (100F) in New York were made more stifling by humidity levels of over 50%.

French player Julien Benneteau, who won on day two, said matches in the middle of the day should not have been played.

"They were lucky they only had retirements," said the world number 60.

The conditions led to tournament organisers implementing an extreme heat policy in men's matches for the first time.

Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic, who said he "struggled" with the heat in his win over Marton Fucsovics, added that the physical issues affecting some players were "really sad to see".

Six players were forced to retire from matches on Tuesday, with the United States Tennis Association (USTA) saying five of the withdrawals - Italian qualifier Stefano Travaglia, Lithuanian Ricardas Berankis, Argentine Leonardo Mayer, Russia's Mikhail Youzhny and Serb Filip Krajinovic - were "heat-related".

For Youzhny it was a sad end to his final Grand Slam tournament, with the former world number eight set to retire from tennis next month at the age of 36.

 

The women's WTA has an extreme heat policy for its players, unlike the men's ATP, which has a discretionary rule.

USTA managing director Chris Widmaier said the decision to introduce it for the men was made after consulting its medical team.

The ruling offered a 10-minute break to both players after the third set and was taken if either or both wanted it.

The break took place in women's matches between the second and third sets.

Mikhail Youzhny retired from his final Grand Slam match against Marcos Baghdatis because of heat exhaustion when trailing two sets to one

'We were naked in ice baths'

Former world number one Djokovic and his Hungarian opponent Fucsovics were the first players to take a break after both suffered in the high temperatures.

The Serb revealed that they used the time to sit in cold baths together.

"Marton and I were in ice baths next to each other. We were naked in the ice baths and it was a quite wonderful feeling."

"It wasn't fun to play in the heat," said Fucsovics, who lost in four sets. "I was dying after each point. It was too hot for tennis. It's dangerous."

Djokovic, who asked for a sick bucket to be put next to his chair in the second set, added: "There's so much cramping going on. You don't want to see that.

"You have to be fit, of course. I agree with that. But there are some conditions that are so extreme that, as fit as you are, you can't just not feel it."

The USTA said it would make a decision on Wednesday, when conditions are forecast to be similar, whether to implement the heat rule for a second time.

"We will be doing this on a case-by-case basis," Widmaier added.

He said the show-court Arthur Ashe and Louis Armstrong Stadiums do not have air conditioning when the roofs are closed, although they may be shut overnight in an attempt to cool the courts!!

Yashi Kochi

Tuesday 28th August 2018...some fun!!!

This was a nice morning lovely weather had breakfast out by the pool and read for a while....

I had wanted to see a musical or a show whilst I was here and the only available one was this one

Being played here...

So I went this lunch time.....

A beautiful intimate theatre and there was a light lunch served before the play....all very nicely decorated with table clothes and the food was great...I shared a table with a nice couple from Florida!!

The play was funny and well acted and it turned out that the ushers and waiters that we had were also the actors!!!  A neat concept!!

I enjoyed the whole experience and well worth the 33 dollars!!!

After the show I drove about twenty five minutes to hike this trail..

It was not a difficult hike nice trail and a wonderful lookout!!

On the way home I stopped at a family run restaurant that my hosts recommended and brought two dinners home, a turkey dinner with all the trimmings and a country fried chicken.....

I had some for dinner after my swim and the rest of the food I put in containers and froze!!!

Watching live tennis from New York where I shall be TOMORROW!!!

Stay tuned!!!

Yashi Kochi!!!

Monday 27th August 2018...a day of learning!!!!

Today was amazing!!!

Before you read about my day..read this first it may help!!

Who are the Amish, and what are their beliefs?"

Answer: The Amish are a group of people who follow the teachings of Jacob Ammann, a 17th-century citizen of Switzerland. It is a Protestant denomination, closely related to the Mennonites. The Amish, most of whom live in the United States, follow simple customs and refuse to take oaths, vote, or perform military service. They shun modern technology and conveniences. Transportation for the Amish is by horse and buggy. They do not have electricity or telephones in their homes. The men usually wear beards and pants with buttons instead of zippers. The women wear white head coverings and plain dresses, usually without buttons—they use straight pins to fasten the clothing.

The Amish believe that James 1:27 "...and to keep oneself unspotted from the world" means to stay away from things the "world" does—like driving autos, having a TV, going to movies, wearing make-up, and the enjoying the conveniences of electricity and phones. They often use generators to create power to run their equipment and use horses, instead of tractors, to do farm work. The bishop (leader) of an Amish community (district) sets up the rules of conduct allowed for his district. Some bishops are more lenient than others. The Amish have church services in their own homes, taking turns hosting on Sundays, and do not have church buildings. They usually only go to a formal school until age 15.

The Amish groups have problems, just like anyone else. Most of these church groups try to keep their problems concealed from the outside world. The youth are given the opportunity to taste of “the world” in their late teens to determine if they want to join the church. Many young Amish people get involved in drugs, alcohol, sex, and other vices during this time period while they are allowed to own a motor vehicle, but a large number then do give up the vehicle and join the church. Others determine they will not join the church and attempt to fit into the secular world.

Spiritually speaking, the Amish are very similar to the traditional Jews that keep the Old Testament Law. They have a long list of do's and don'ts. If they fail to keep the list, they are in trouble with the church and are in danger of being shunned. Shunning is a form of excommunication. If they partake of the "worldly" things, they are shunned by the church people.

The Amish believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, that He died for their sins, and that He is the way to salvation. However, many Amish also practice a works-based relationship with God. They view their good works as earning favor with God. If their good works outweigh the bad works, they feel God will allow them into heaven. The Amish are basically good, hard-working people, who have to make sure they stay on the right path, so they get final rewards in heaven when life is over. They say "Amish is a lifestyle,” not a religion. They choose to keep the simple life so they can focus more time on family and home, rather than the things that require advanced modern technology.

As a group, the Amish do not believe in the security of salvation. They believe a person can lose his/her salvation if he/she strays from the path, or falls from grace. They do not believe in infant baptism, but do "sprinkle" for adult baptism, rather than immerse in water.

Thankfully, some (or many) members of the Amish church do believe that Jesus paid the full price for their sins, and have truly received the grace so freely given by God. Sadly, others cling to the “works-based” philosophy, believing their salvation is based on their “right” actions. The Amish set a powerful example by literally trying to "keep themselves unspotted from the world" (James 1:27). At the same time, the Bible does not call us to completely separate ourselves from the world. We are called to go into all the world and preach the gospel (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8). We are not to withdraw and separate ourselves from those who most need to hear the gospel message.

There is much for which the Amish are to be commended. The powerful example of unconditional forgiveness the Amish showed after the 2006 Amish school shooting was a demonstration of the love and grace of God. The Amish are kind, respectful, hard-working, and God-loving people. At the same time, the legalism and works-based faith that is evident in some Amish communities is not to be followed.

You know your day is going to be good when eagled eyed me spotted this in the forest about 100 yards from my apartment..

I had booked a package tour I knew it would be run by non Amish folks and be a tad touristy and it was but it was well worth the 30 dollars and I learned so much about their culture, lifestyle and laws.....

12 of us boarded a small bus and did a 90 minute tour..the driver was full of great knowledge and I did get some good photos the best I think was this one taken through the window as we were driving..the driver could not stop because he had vehicles behind him!!!!

They are not allowed to drive cars or ride bicycles so the kids ride these scooters..

All the headstones are the same dimensions for equality..

Tobacco....

After the tour we came back and I started another guided tour through what was once a traditional Amish home....really interesting!!!

Finally there was a small farm that you could walk around....

Just a fabulous time!!

On the way home I stopped at a couple of old covered bridges...

And I was home by 6 pm and jumped straight into here!!

Tonight after my shower and dinner going to sit down and watch live US Open tennis from NYC knowing I shall be there in person on Friday !!!

Yashi Kochi!!