The master of the hard court, Roger Federer was down two sets and looked like he was going to fail miserably in the third set when he was broken back by his opponent, 20th seed Gael Monfils of France. He was tested almost to the limit. I had but given up in the 4th set at match point for Monfils. But Roger Federer will not go down easily. Showing true grit, steel-strength will, and endurance, he bounced back to win the match in 3 straight sets. The 9th time he had to go through the same situation, 2 sets down.

2 sets down, the players on a break before the 3rd set

Wonder what he was thinking here. Probably how to get back into the game.

The crowd wait with baited breath at the Arthur Ashe Stadium

Double match point with Federer serving to stay in the match. Totally nerve wracking, heart-attack inducing.

Saved the 2 match points to even out the scores.

The variety of shots was amazing. Volleys, net plays, drop shots, cross courts, lobs, down the line...it was like the whole US Open played out in that little rectangle at the Arthur Ashe Stadium. Both players went after every shot and Gael even flew a few times! The big guy could sideline as a flying superhero. Really. And the power behind his every shot...I don't even know how he can sustain that. Add it to his antics on the court, even I'm exhausted. And I'm just watching him!

Federer, ever the elegant player, stayed cool. For most of the match, that is. He did dish out a few frustrated outbursts in the 3rd and 4th sets. At one point he even slammed his racket on the center of the net. Something he rarely does. It was the first time I've seen him lose his cool. As a fan--YES I AM A BIG FAN--I felt frustrated, too. I couldn't even follow the full match (I was at work, but I was keeping tabs via USOpen.org's slamtracker) because it was killing me! Federer was killing me. Aaaarrrrggghhh! At the 4th set, I had to leave the slamtracker watch.

I went back to the game when I saw that they had gone into a 5th set. Whew! The great Roger escaped losing by a hair! By a freakin' hair. And once he evened out the field, he took the driver's seat all the way to the finish line. It was absolutely amazing! Just one of the many reasons why I love this game.

On to the Semis for the Fed Express (Photo from USOpen.org)

I took this style quiz from Drop Dead Georgous Daily and my result is:

Ok, it's been a while since I've written anything. Lately, or just late last week, I've been fangirling on SHINee--a 5-man boyband from South Korea. I'm not new to K-pop, but I wasn't a fan either. I like J-pop more, which is probably because of the animes I watch. :D

I clearly remember the very first time I came across Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl. I was looking for alternatives after reading Harry Potter's 4th installment. I didn't want to be idle while waiting for book 5 to come out (which did take long, by the way), so I searched and searched for a good HP-like series and found Artemis Fowl.

Artemis Fowl the First Book

I was instantly hooked. It was like Harry Potter, but it really wasn't. Haha! First, Artemis wasn't a wizard with a magical wand or spell to zap away evil minions. No. All Artemis had was his remarkable brain (and his adorably gigantic but efficient bodyguard, Butler). He was a genius. And a criminal. A very rich, intelligent criminal. Who stumbled upon the world of the faeries, in particular, Holly Short.

I followed Artemis and his many adventures until the 7th book, Artemis Fowl The Atlantis Complex. Watched him grow into a teenage boy and change from a mastermind out to amass wealth and knowledge, to a savior of the world. I love the witty banter between the characters. I love the characters and the way they developed in each book. I even love Mulch Diggums, even though he seems like a stinky character, literally.

I love the series so much I even bought the 2 graphic novels of the first 2 books (wonder when the 3rd will come out)!

The First Book in Graphics

Now, the last book of the series has rolled off the press: Artemis Fowl The Last Guardian. And like the HP series, it's going to be hard to let go of  the characters you've come to love over the years. It's kind of sad. Like an ending of an era. Haha! Getting all sentimental, am I?

I have yet to buy the last book, as it's still in hardbound cover. But until then, I don't have to say goodbye to Artemis. No, not just yet.

I've always wanted a tree house. But here in the Philippines, it's not really a common thing to have, especially when you live in the city. The closest I've come to a tree house is in our province in Pangasinan. The old house of my uncle was a typical bahay kubo where the first floor was open space where you can keep your chickens and other stuff.

A typical Bahay Kubo in the Philippines

I loved that house. It was cool, airy, and it was shaded with trees. The floors were made of bamboo slats from which you can see the open first floor. I remember many days with my cousins when we used to scrounge for pukak (for the life of me, I don't know what this fruit seed really is called, I just know this is what we call it) seeds and my auntie would roast them while we wait on the dining table. Good times. Happy good times.

Anyway, going back to tree houses. This one I found on the Internet takes the cake. It's not just a tree house you play in with friends. It can totally be a real house - just up in the trees. It's really idyllic and I can see myself reading a gazillion books and writing novels and drinking coffee and doing crafts and baking...yeah, all those homey things I like to do but don't have the time for.

This makes me wish we had a big tree and space in our yard...

From Apartment Therapy

I was able to watch a movie again last Friday and was happy to have that mini-break I wanted. And I was glad to find out that both SM and Trinoma were still showing Underworld: Awakening, as that was really what I wanted to watch. I punched out of work as soon as I can so I can catch the 6:20 PM showing at SM. I thought I was going to miss the beginning, but luckily I got there just as the screen turned to the first shot. Whew, talk about cutting it close.

So, I sat there thinking of all the good stuff I've heard and read about the movie and at the back of my mind I was thinking that this couldn't be as good as the first one. Sequels most often pale in comparison to the original. But IMHO, the movie did remarkably well of continuing the story of Selene and put another spin on it. The action was great and didn't lack the usual gore and blood that all Underworld movies before it had. The fight scenes were well choreographed and Selene's walk-then-fly-off-walls maneuver was like an acrobatic ballet. I liked it. Selene kicked ass and she did it all while wearing her signature tight leather/ rubber outfit. I think even walking in it is a feat in itself.

Some of the things I didn't like about the movie though, were the fact that Michael was not played by Scott Speedman. Selene's make-up is ugh! Her lipstick was like a frosted pink color that none of the other vampires had. A simple nude or pale pink lipstick would've worked if the goal was to make her look pale. Also, I didn't like that Eve looked more like Sadako than a hybrid. It was weird. Whenever I see her I had to remind myself that I'm not watching a horror movie.

All in all, Underworld: Awakening was a very good movie and one that I will watch again and again on DVD. Good thing the ending hinted of a possible 5th installment of the Underworld series. And I will definitely not miss it. I just hope they get back Scott Speedman for that.

I accidentally came across the sister-duo Karmina when I watched a clip of Tony and Ziva on Youtube. The song used for the clip was Karmina's The Kiss, which I instantly loved. I, of course, searched for more of their songs and was very happy to discover their great music, which they're calling Sparkle Rock. I dunno what that is at the moment, but I like it.

They do remind me of Jennifer Paige (of the "Sober" and "Always You" fame), especially in the song Slow Down. Take a listen here.

But they also have great slow (and melancholy, IMHO) songs like Inside of You and Walk You Home.

Find out more about Karmina and their great music here:

I'm happy to say that I'm starting the year right by finishing another book from my list of To Read. Yesterday, I read the last pages of Heist Society by Ally Carter. It was light reading compared to the last 5 Matthew Reilly books I read the past month. And I think it was just the right genre (young adult) and right story (a little bit of suspense, funny, and romance) at the moment. For me, it was kind of like the teenage version of Sidney Sheldon's If Tomorrow Comes - without the prison story arc, of course. And I absolutely looooooooooove If Tomorrow Comes. It's one of my favorite books and my copy actually has brown pages already (sad).

I'm thinking if I'm going to read Uncommon Criminals, the sequel to Heist Society, or Brad Meltzer's Inner Circle next. Toss coin?

It's really not a surprise that the traveler in me is lusting over these brightly colored Moleskine luggage tags even if I know I won't be able to put them on any of my travel luggage (no way!). They're way too chic! Plus, they look like mini-notebooks that every time I see them I just want to write something.

I remember buying a tub of shortbread cookies dipped in milk chocolate at Costco whenever I visit my relatives in California. For a time, I was also able to purchase the same shortbread cookies at a local membership warehouse S&R here in the Philippines. Sadly, I can't find them here anymore. =(

However, there are a few other stores where I can get my chocolate shortbread cookie fix. But sometimes, I'd like to be able to try other variations of this delicate biscuit, like this Meyer Lemon Shortbread Cookie from Tiny Urban Kitchen.