Rituals of a Professional Athlete

Being an athlete, I've learned that all athletes have a ritual they would normally follow. We run around, we stretch, we plug in our earphones for music, and etc. Some may not be very obvious, others however, are just asking to be made fun of. On the other hand, athletes achieve something from this. They become more focused and prepared--mentally and physically, which helps them to win their games.

A good example of an athlete's ritual can be reflected by Rafael Nadal, former world number 1 tennis player(currently 3rd in the world who's working his way back up to the top again). His pre-game ritual begins long before he walks onto the tennis court. Forty-five minutes before his Wimbledon Open finals against Roger Federer, he stepped into an ice-cold shower. He does this before EVERY match. "It's the point before the point of no return. Under the cold shower I enter a new space in which I feel my power and resilience grow." 

Next, he puts on his earphones and listens to music to sharpen that sense of flow, and according to him, remove him from his surroundings. His physical therapist would then bandage his ankles, knees and wrists. After that, he would wrap grips on all 6 of his rackets and they have to come with black pre-grips and white over-grips. He then moves on to get dress, goes to a basin to run water through his hair, then ties on his bandanna. 

After that, his personal physical therapist would bandage his fingers on his left (playing) hand, very mechanical and precise. There's nothing cosmetic about this ritual. Without bandages, the skin would stretch and easily tear. He then starts warming up, stretches, do short sprints in that little cramped locker room. His blasting music always plugged in into his ears to pump himself up. Can you imagine? All these are BEFORE he gets on the court! Moments before getting onto his court, he checks all his rackets again, pulls up his socks, and making sure that both are the same height on his calves. 

Once on court, he takes of his tracksuit, take a sip from his first water bottle, then another sip from a second bottle and he repeats this sequence every match before, in between breaks and after. The bottles are placed precisely behind one another and in front of him on his left side. "This are not superstitions", he said. If they were, why would he repeat the same ritual every match whether he wins or loses? 

The last part of his ritual, he looks up to scan the perimeter of the stadium and "locks in" the coordinates of where his family members are sitting in his head. He never allows himself to smile during a match, but knowing that his family members are there for him gives him the peace of mind as a professional tennis player. 

A true role model and inspiration for all, not just athletes.

"I build a wall around myself when I play, but my family is the cement that holds the wall together" 

-Rafael Nadal-

P.S. He defeated Roger Federer  6–4, 6–4, 6–7(5–7), 6–7(8–10), 9–7 finals of Wimbledon 2011

Rituals of Chinese New Year

Year of the Rabbit 2011!

Chinese New Year is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. In China, it also known at Spring festival which represents the end of the winter season. The origin of Chinese New Year is itself centuries old and gains significance because of several myths and traditions. It is an all East and South-East Asia celebration which begins first day of the month in the traditional Chinese calendar and ends with Lantern Festival on the 15th day.

The Chinese New Year has its own symbolisms, traditions, rituals and superstitions as with other holidays like the Calendar New Year, Valentine's Day, Easter or Christmas. There is symbolism for ushering out the old and bringing in the new. Some of these symbolisms may be done from cultural aspect, for Feng Shui reasons, or just to represent change.

Many Chinese have become modernized and may not believe in all the do's and don'ts, however many of these traditions and customs are still performed out of respect to the elders and also provide continuity with the past.

There are numerous rituals before and during the Eve of Chinese New Year. First, is the house cleaning. The sweeping of grounds begin 10 days before the new year day and everyone corner of one's home must be swept and cleaned in preparation for the new year. Doors and window panes usually receive a fresh coat of red paint or decorated during this time. The entire house must be cleaned and cleaning equipment must be put away no later than New Year's Eve. Cleans sheets or preferably new sheets should be on beds, clean towels in bathrooms and kitchen. A big taboo or creating bad Feng Shui  would be to sweep or dust on New Year's day because this would symbolize that you are sweeping away the good fortune of the entire household. On the eve of new year, family members and relatives gather round at the house of the elders to have the annual family reunion. Families end the night with fireworks at midnight.

On the first morning of New Year, children will greet their parents a healthy and happy new year and receive money in red paper envelopes. Fire crackers are ignited to let out deafening explosions and to welcome the deities of heavens and earth. It also believed to scare away evil spirits. Washing one's hair on the first day of New Year is also believed to wash away good luck of new year. Besides that, one should also not wear black or white clothing because they are traditionally colors for mourning. This should be a day to wear the color red to add an extra boost of energy. Wearing new clothes represents the newness that you want to bring into your life. Also, it is also considered unlucky to greet anyone in their bedroom. Even the sick get dressed and sit in the living room.

The person you meet and the first words heard are significantly important as to what the fortune will be for the entire year. Participants in these New Year rituals believe that everyone should refrain from using foul language, bad or unlucky words and also no quarreling during this time period. Death and ghosts stories are a big taboo as well.

There are plenty of rituals, taboos and traditions that are performed over the next 14 days of this celebration. I grew up living and learning the importance of Chinese New Year and I am definitely proud to always have this family background.

New Year's Eve in Hong Kong

Caesars Palace

When the women's tennis team and I arrived in Las Vegas last week, the first that came to mind was my Mythology class. The slogan, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas", has found its way into pop culture, everyday speech, almost every TV show about Vegas, not to mention many ads for strip clubs. This may be short but extremely effective and is becoming a bit of a myth itself. Here's the reality, not everything that happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas...  That doesn't necessarily mean that things will come back to haunt you, but it does mean that if you get married here, it is a legal marriage everywhere in the world (some paperwork required for abroad), and not just in Vegas. If you get a DUI in Vegas, that record will not stay in Vegas, either, even if you would like it to. And if you are a celebrity, you can pretty much guarantee that any crazy antics you pull while here will definitely be reported outside Vegas. 

We took a walk down the Strip of Vegas one night after dinner. Vegas is also known for their luxurious hotels and casinos, so we had to check at least a couple of them out. New York-New York, Luxor, Bellagio, MGM, Monte Carlo, Caesars Palace! The name Caesars Palace came to be as the owner thought it would evoke thoughts of royalty because of the Roman general Julius Caesar. Guests of this hotel should feel as if they are in a King's home. Note that it is called Caesars not Caesar's because every guest of this hotel is a Caesar.