Northeastern Graduation

With Alex graduating from Northeastern University with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, we made plans to attend the two graduation ceremonies: 

• Khoury College of Computing Ceremony at Matthew's Arena, May 2, 14:00 EST
• Fenway Park, May 5, 16:00 EST

 Wednesday, May 1, 2024

After waking up, dressing, and packing, we ordered UberX to San Francisco Airport. There was heavy morning traffic, and we arrived around 9:40 p.m.

Since I already had TSA Pre-check on my tickets, we quickly walked through security and stopped by for breakfast at a Coffee Shop. We ordered the following:

• Boris: Plain Croissant, Mocha
• Inna: Ham & Cheese Croissant, Latte
  
• Lunch Take Away, Sandwiches for the flight

Our JetBlue flight #334 from San Francisco (SFO) to Boston's Logan Airport (BOS) was initially delayed but resumed normal departure at 11:26. We departed slightly delayed at 11:48 but landed in Boston ahead of schedule at 19:50 EST.

The flight was smooth, though Inna and I had a cold. Inna watched some movies, ie. Erin Brockovich, while I listened to two books:

• Amor Towles: Table for Two
• Alexander McCall Smith: The Good Husband of Zebra Drive

I finished listening to Amor Towles' Table for Two. It was a collection of marvelous short stories.

After landing at Boston's Logan Airport, we finally found our way to the UberX pick-up in the parking garage and ordered Lyft. However, our Lyft driver would be too long a wait, so we canceled and re-ordered UberX.

We checked into our Hyatt Regency Cambridge Hotel, room #1429. After quickly unpacking our suitcases, we decided to head for dinner before everything closed.

We decided to visit Little Donkey on 505 Massachusetts Ave for dinner and ordered UberX to take us there (it was late, and we were unsure about directions). The restaurant no longer served dinner (only drinks) when we arrived, so we proceeded to Si Cara Pizzeria nearby.

At Si Cara Pizzeria, we ordered the following:

• Appetizer: Fried Bussel Sprouts, Mixed Greens Salad
• Pizza: Calabrian Chicken

The Mixed Greens Salad was excellent, and the Calabrian Chicken Pizza was delicious. The pizza dough was thicker than Neopolitan, but it was still tasty.

 Thursday, May 2, 2024

I was hoping to wake up early at 06:30 and go for a morning walk along Charles River. However, when I woke at 06:30, I was still too tired and jet-lagged. I slept until 07:00 and then showered, shaved, and dressed.

I worked for a few hours until Inna woke, and we decided to visit the nearby Flour Bakery for our morning breakfast. After a 20-minute walk, we entered Flour Bakery (packed with M.I.T. students) and ordered the following items:

• Boris: Avocado Toast with Salmon, Mocha
• Inna: Avocado Toast with Salmon, Latte
• Desert: Pain Au Raisin

The Avocado Toast with Salmon was excellent, and my mocha was delicious. The pain au raisin was not bad.

After breakfast, we returned to our Hyatt Regency Cambridge Hotel. While I worked downstairs, Inna had her make-up done to prepare for the graduation ceremony later in the day.

When Inna was ready, she messaged me, and I returned to room #1429 to get dressed for the graduation. I put on my newly purchased Ted Baker suit, and we ordered UberX to take us to Matthews Arena for Alex's Graduation.

Unfortunately, both Lyft and UberX had very long arrival times, so we decided to use the taxi that was already waiting at the hotel. The taxi took us to Matthew's Arena in 15 minutes, and we arrived just as the arena opened. We found some nearby seats in section 10, row F.

Alex's friend, Iggy, also joined us a few minutes later, and we sat down, waiting for the procession to start.

The 600+ Khoury College of Computing students walked in two separate lines and sat in front of the large stage. Elizabeth Mynatt, the Dean and Faculty of the College of Computer Science, walked in next and started the proceedings.

Elizabeth Mynatt gave the first talk, outlining her vision of computing for the benefit of mankind.

She congratulated the class on going forward through a tough time of COVID-19 and overcoming unexpected challenges.

Sara Takhim, a 2024 senior graduating with a BS in Computer Science, gave the next talk.

After many speeches, the degree-granting ceremony started. After about an hour of waiting, I saw Alex's name flash on the screen and took photos of him shaking the Dean's hand. It was an exciting moment for Inna and me!

After the ceremony, we met Alex on the steps of the New England Conservatory and walked to 354 Huntington Ave to meet Jeannie Paradiso (our photographer for the event). Once I found her, she took photos of Alex and us at various locations. She had scouted the campus before and had some exciting locations in mind for more interesting images.

Luckily, the weather stayed clear and did not rain until 17:30, so we could finish all the photography. I am looking forward to seeing her edited photos.

Inna and I returned to our Hyatt Regency Cambridge Hotel with UberX while Alex and Iggy hung out alone.

I made reservations at Bar Vlaha for dinner at 19:15, and we ordered UberX to take us there. There was unexpected traffic, and we arrived later than expected, at about 19:30.

Alex and Iggy were already at our table, and we joined them. After looking at the complex menu, we ordered the following items:

• Drinks: House White wine (greek), Champagne
• Appetizers: Horiotiko Psomi (Bread) x 2, Spreads, Alevropita Pie (half), Manitaria, Vatrahos
• Salad: Horitatiki (Greek Salad)
• Boris & Inna: Arin Stin Souvla (lamb)
• Alex: Agriogourouno (boar)
• Iggy: Psita Lahanika (vegetables)

We liked the breads, appetizers, and all of our entrees. The food was excellent, and the service was fast and efficient.

After dinner, we returned to our hotel.

Friday, May 3, 2024

I hoped to wake up early at 07:00, but when I woke at 06:30, I was still too tired and jet-lagged. I slept until 08:30 and then showered, shaved, and dressed.

We decided to visit the nearby Flour Bakery + Cafe for breakfast. After a 20-minute walk, we entered Flour Bakery (packed with M.I.T. students) and ordered the following items:

• Boris: Avocado Toast with Salmon, Mocha
• Inna: Avocado Toast with Salmon, latte
• Desert: Pain Au Raisin

The Avocado Toast with Salmon was excellent, and my mocha was delicious. The pain au raisin was not bad.

After breakfast, we returned to our Hyatt Regency Cambridge Hotel to work the rest of the day.

Both Inna and I were very busy with work and did not stop until 19:20, when we needed to dress and catch UberX to our dinner at Ostra downtown.

After arriving at Ostra, we were seated at a lovely table for two and looked at the menu. After getting our drinks, we ordered the following items after consultation with our waitress:

• Drinks: Pellegrino, Island Smash
• Appetizer:  Sea Bass Tartare
• First Course: Gnocchetti, Octopus
• Entree: Monkfish
• Sides: Exotic Mushrooms
• Dessert: Chocolate Torte

The food and service were exceptional— at Michelin 1-star level. The Sea Bass Tartare was delicious, and the Octopus and Gnocchetti were expertly prepared. I am usually not fond of Octopus, but I enjoyed this preparation. The Monkish and exotic mushrooms were also delicious. For dessert, we enjoyed a scrumptious Chocolate Torte. Although expensive, we were pleased with our dinner.

Saturday, May 4, 2024

After waking up at 07:30, I showered, shaved, and dressed. While I did some work, Inna showered and dressed. We took an UberX to Tatte Bakery & Cafe on 80 Boylston St., where we met up with Alex.

We found a couple of tables downstairs and arranged them into one. Inna and Alex ordered the following items:

• Boris: Croissant Sandwich, Mocha
• Inna; Hole in One, Latte
• Alex: Salmon Sandwich, Latte
• Dessert: Pistachio Croissant

The croissant was excellent, and my mocha was delicious. However, I wish the Tatte staff had cleaned the tables better.

From here, we walked through Boston Common Park to the Charles River Esplanade. We enjoyed watching the small sailboats tacking on the Charles River. As our walk continued, we walked east towards the Longfellow Bridge and westward along the Charles River. We walked across Harvard Bridge to Newbury, where we reminisced about the coffee shops we had visited a few years ago (during the winter when Alex first started at Northeastern).

While on Newbury, we stopped by Central Perk Coffee - a favorite Friends' haunt (copied from New York City). We ordered 3 matcha lattes and sat on couches (like Friends' TV Show), discussing Alex's Northeastern days.

From there, we walked to the metro and rode the T to "Government Station," where we disembarked. We walked past the Bostons Seasons Beer Garden to Faneuil Hall, Quincy Market, and Market Street. We liked seeing all of the various sail and motorboats in the bay.

From there, we walked north along Commercial Street to the Bocce Ball courts, which were nearby. 

Having walked about 5 miles, Alex decided to do a few other things, and we split up. Inna and I ate lunch at Legal Sea Foods at Copley Place (80 Huntington Ave). We used Lyft.com to order a car, which arrived in 20 minutes.

Legal Sea Foods is located in a fancy Copley Place Mall, and we wandered around the mall until we found the restaurant on the third floor. After sitting down, we ordered the following items:

• Boris: Crab Roll & New England Clam Chowder, Cole Slaw, Fries
• Inna: Lobster Roll & New England Clam Chowder, Cole Slaw, Fries

The New England Clam Chowder and my crab roll were delicious. However, later, I developed some feelings of indigestion.

After eating lunch, we ordered UberX to take us to the Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum. However, when we walked into the entrance, we noticed a sign that it was closed for some special event.

Nevertheless, we decided to visit the nearby Museum of Fine Art. We stopped by the Japanese Garden and then walked to the main entrance. MOFA closed at 17:00 in less than one hour, and we decided not to pay the $27/person entrance fee. Since it re-opens on Sunday at 10:00, we decided to visit it the next day.

Instead, we returned to Northeastern and took photos around Khoury Computer Science buildings. We strolled around the campus for half an hour and then returned to the Fenway Garden Society Park. We did not realize that many small plots assigned to various Bostonian families (since WW2) were used to grow vegetables and flowers.

After walking around the gardens, we returned to our hotel for rest and relaxation. We ordered a ride using Lyft, but it was slow to arrive, and Inna's iPhone was on the verge of running out of battery power.

While in our hotel room, Inna took a short nap while I checked work email.

I made reservations at Buttermilk & Bourbon (in Newbury) on 160 Commonwealth Ave for dinner. After arriving there, using UberX, and waiting 10 minutes for our table, we were seated in a corner of the restaurant. Alex was running late but arrived in time. After looking at the Southern delicacies, we ordered the following items:

• Drinks: Strawberry Julep (did not like, returned), Moon Flower, 2 x Heat Wave
• Appetizer: Biscuits, Baked Brie with Bread, Watermelon Salad
• Entrees: Fried Chicken Thighs, Ahi Tuna

Although the service was slow, and the Strawberry Julep tasted like medicine, we loved all the other drinks and dishes. The Heat Wave Margarita was excellent. The fried chicken thighs and the Ahi Tuna were exceptional. The watermelon salad was delicious, too. I did not like the Baked Brie as much as Inna (and could have skipped it).

After dinner, Alex headed to meet with Iggy while we walked (about 40 minutes) to our Hyatt Regency Cambridge Hotel.

Sunday, May 5, 2024

I woke early, at 07:00, showered, and dressed. Inna dressed quickly, and we walked to the Tatte Bakery on Harvard Square. When we stayed in Boston a few years ago, we used to eat breakfast and lunch at Tatte Bakery almost every day, and we missed the delicious breakfast sandwiches and pastries.

Our Hyatt Regency Cambridge hotel was about 40 minutes away (by foot) from Havard Square, and we started our morning walk. It was cloudy and somewhat chilly outside, and I had to wear my hoodie most of the way there. We saw many runners on the trail and rowers on the Charles River.

On entering Tatte, we were surprised it wasn't crazy busy (as we recall it always was). We may have been too early on a Sunday. Upon looking at the menu (unchanged from a few years ago and with prices also unchanged), we ordered the following breakfast items:

• Boris: Breakfast croissant, small mocha
• Inna: Sandwich, small latte
• Dessert: Cookie

The breakfast sandwich and mocha were prepared more quickly than I recall. We found a lovely table upstairs where we used to hang out and sat down, enjoying the view of Harvard's buildings outside. Unlike last time, there were guards at all of the Harvard Entrances (probably protecting Harvard from undesirable protesters).

Once we finished our delicious breakfast, we ordered UberX to Boston's Museum of Fine Arts. In about 15 minutes, we arrived there (before the official 10:00 opening) and queued up in line for museum tickets.

The museum turned out to be quite large, and we began our tour with a visit to the second floor, where we explored Dutch (Netherlands & Belgium) paintings, followed by English, Venetian, and French painters. There was a fine collection of Monets and a few Renoirs.

After a few hours, we grew tired and decided to eat lunch at the museum's cafe downstairs. We were seated at a lovely table and ordered the following from the menu:

• Appetizer:Lioni's Burrata
• Boris: Salmon Entree, Hot Tea, Cappuccino
• Inna: Scallops, Hot Tea, Capuccino

The Burrata was excellent but small. The Salmon was not bad, and Inna liked her scallops. 

After lunch, we continued exploring American Art, which included many paintings of Paul Revere, Samuel Adams, and George Washington.

Inna also wanted to see the small fashion collection with famous dress designers. She enjoyed it more than me.

At around 14:15, we decided to head to Fenway Park to see Alex's Northeastern Graduation. We followed a long line of parents and graduates and queued up in a very long security line. After getting through security and showing our tickets, we walked inside the stadium, looking for the best seats.

The band was already playing and graduates were walking into the stadium to take their seats. This procession continued for about an hour.

We found seats in Section 111, row CC, outdoors but with an excellent view of the graduates and the stage. Iggy and Sahith joined us a few minutes later.

We noticed Northeastern graduates coming in, and it took a long time for all 4,000 graduates to sit down. During the ceremony, it started to drizzle, and most graduates put on ponchos.

After the ceremony, we caught up with Alex under the flagpole, near the stadium. After a short conversation and a few photos with his friends, we left him to enjoy his special day, while we returned to our hotel.

For dinner, I made reservations at the Banks Fish House at 19:30. We ordered an UberX and were taken there promptly. After checking in, we were taken to our table upstairs. We waited for a few minutes for Alex, Iggy, and Sahith to join us.

We looked at the menu and ordered the following items:

• Drinks: Saratoga Sparkling water
• Wine: 3070 St. Chirstopher Riesling, Mosel, Germany
• Appetizer: Ceviche, Tuna Tartare, Arcadian Greens
• Soup: Clam Chowder (Alex)
• Bread: Rolls, Cornbread
• Alex: Lobster Roll Hot
• Inna: Lobster Roll Host
• Boris: Jumbo Scallops
• Iggy: King Salmon
• Sahith: Bolognese
• Sides: Truffle Fries
• Dessert: NY Cheesecake

We had a wonderful dinner and enjoyed our conversation with Alex, Iggy, and Sahith. The Ceviche and Tuna Tartare were amazing. My Jumbo Scallops were delicious.

After dinner, Alex returned to his dorm to pack, while we ordered Lyft to our hotel (as it was still raining).

Monday, May 6, 2024

After waking up at 07:00, I showered, shaved, and dressed. I had a few more minor items to pack before we headed out to Boston's Logan Airport for our return flight to San Francisco.

Northeastern Graduation Trip

Highlights

• Alex's graduation from Northeastern's Khoury College of Computer Sciences
• Dining at the following restaurants:
• Ostra Seafood Restaurant
• Bar Vlaha Greek Restaurant
• Buttermilk & Bourbon
• The Banks Fish House
• Flour Bakey + Cafe
• Tatte Bakery

Lowlights

• Rain during Sunday's Graduation Ceremony at Fenway
• Very busy at work (especially on Friday), with little time to visit Tatte during breakfast or lunch
• Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum was closed on Saturday.

 

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Review: Tiger Style

Before stopping to see Tiger Style in Mountain View, Inna decided to stop by for an early dinner at Doppio Zero pizzeria nearby.

Inna made dinner reservation at 17:45 and I drove directly there, meeting up with Inna on the way to the pizzeria. After being seated outdoors, we looked at the online menu and ordered the following:

• Appetizer: Pera Salad, 2 Mushroom Soups, Hot Tea
  
• Entree: DoppioZero Pizza
• Dessert: Panna Cotta 

We enjoyed the mushroom soup and the pear salad. The DoppioZero pizza was excellent (though not at level of Naples, Italy). Panna Cotta was delicious too, especially the berries.

At 19:50, we walked toward TheatreWorks Mountain View to watch  "Tiger Style", an amusing comedy about Asians.

 Here is what TheatreWorks writes about Tiger Style:

By MIKE LEW

Directed by JEFFREY LO

Ivy-League graduates and squabbling siblings Albert and Jennifer Chen spent their whole childhoods totally crushing it. But adulthood? Epic fail. After he’s passed over for a promotion and her loser boyfriend ghosts her, they do what any self-respecting thirtysomethings would do: Blame their parents and run away to China. Problem solved…right? (Spoiler alert: Wrong. So, so wrong.) From SoCal to Shenzhen, Mike Lew’s hilarious new satire is a claws-out look at the triumphs and traumas of tiger parenting and what it takes to make it out the other side alive.

 

Los Altos Online wrote the following review:

TheatreWorks Silicon Valley’s production of “Tiger Style!” is set to open Saturday and run through April 28 at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts.

Written by Mike Lew in 2016, the comedic satire focuses on tiger parenting, the strict form of parenting typical in some East Asian societies. The play centers around Albert and Jennifer Chen, two American-Chinese siblings who’ve hit ceilings in their young adult lives despite “acing” childhood. The pair blame their predicament on the way they were raised, leading them to run away from their problems by traveling to China, but that doesn’t solve anything

“‘Tiger Style!’ is a really hilarious and wacky play that’s rooted in some really real circumstances and emotions within the Asian American community,” director Jeffrey Lo said. “The play’s a complex look at how everyone’s trying their best and how everyone’s identity and everyone’s success is actually not solely found within one place or person, it’s found within themselves.”

Lead actor Will Dao, who portrays Albert, relates to the subject matter.

“The script just speaks so much to me and I can bring a lot of my own experiences as a Chinese American,” Dao said. “There were times when I’m like, ‘Hey, why haven’t I gotten further in life?’ And you know, questioned how much my upbringing played into that?”

Lo also feels a strong connection to the play and its characters.

“Albert and Jennifer feel like people that I’ve known my entire life,” Lo said. “They feel like family members of mine, they feel like friends I grew up with. They feel like myself in some ways. That’s just really fun to be able to have that on stage.”

While “Tiger Style!” has heavier themes, Lo is proud of how he brings out the comedic aspects in the play.

“There are parts where I think my brand of humor sort of comes through and is really in line with the dialogue of our playwright Mike Lew,” Lo said.

Dao appreciates Lew’s dialogue as well.

“It’s just a lot of fun to play him,” Dao said. “Lew’s writing is just so smart, funny and snappy. The play just pulls you in with its language. It’s a comedy based on very real, very raw emotions.”

With opening night just around the corner, the cast and crew seem excited to put on their show after weeks of rehearsals.

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Visiting Oahu

Saturday, April 13, 2024

We woke around 07:00, and I took a quick shower to prepare for our flight to Hawaii. After quickly getting dressed, we ordered UberX and were dropped off at San Jose Airport's Terminal A. Our Hawaiian Airlines HA43 flight boarded on time (despite the light rain), and I had already checked in the day before. I had boarding passes in the Apple Wallet with TSA Precheck but without seat assignments.

At 09:00, we boarded the Airbus A321 jet. Inna purchased tickets to New Zealand (but we could not travel there, so we decided to re-purpose the tickets for a trip to Oahu, Hawaii).

Our flight was mostly uneventful, with a little bit of turbulence. On the flight, we were offered a small sandwich, a rum punch, and a cookie. (I enjoyed the rum punch!) We landed at Honolulu International Airport ahead of time at 11:45 HST, but a Japan Airlines flight occupied our gate. About 20 minutes later, we taxied to our gate and disembarked from the plane.

We proceeded to baggage claim, where we found our travel agents. They helped us board the shuttle to our Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel in Waikiki (though we had to wait about 20 minutes for all the passengers to board the small shuttle bus)

When we arrived, we checked into Ali'i Tower. Since Inna would work the whole week, we upgraded our room from a partial oceanfront to a full oceanfront view for $120/night extra. Our new room, A701, had an excellent, unobstructed view of the Pacific Ocean and Waikiki Beach.

Since our room was ready, we checked in and unpacked our suitcases. We then decided to stop by for lunch at the nearby Blue Water Shrimp & Seafood. We ordered the following items:

• Inna: Ahi Poke (delicious), Coconut Water
• Boris: Garlic Shrimp, Lemonade

The Garlic Shrimp and the Ahi Poke were excellent, but the aggressive "angry" birds made the lunch unpleasant. We had to scare the birds away to protect our lunch.

After lunch, we walked to Quality Surfboards to look at the available Standup Paddle Board rental options. A few boards were available for $45/day or $225 / week, but I decided to hold off and check out other options on Waikiki Beach.

We also stopped by a nearby grocery store to pick up a few snacks for evening tea. The prices were relatively high, and Inna wanted to purchase some plain (sugar-free) organic yogurt for breakfast. However, none were available!

 

We returned to the pool, got our towels, and enjoyed resting by the pool. Inna went for a swim, and then we went for a stroll along the beach. I stopped by a few rental shops to find out about SUP rentals. I found some shops renting SUPs for $45/hr or $99/day (Crazy expensive!)

For dinner, Inna made reservations at the highly-rated Merriman's Restaurant. We boarded a short UberX ride there and were quickly seated outdoors. After looking at the menu, we ordered the following items:

• Appetizer: Bag of Buttermilk Biscuits, Organic Taro Hummus
• Salad: Mediterranean Salad
• Boris: Rooftop Pale Ale, Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi
  
• Inna: Monchhof Riesling, Makai Special (3 Scallops), 

I enjoyed the freshly baked Buttermilk Biscuits and the Taro Hummus. The Mahi-Mahi was excellent, too, and Inna's enjoyed her scallops. Our water was terrific, quick, and efficient. We enjoyed our time at Merriman's!

 

Sunday, April 14, 2024

We woke up at 7:30 a.m. I took a shower and shaved. I had a headache and did not sleep well. According to my weather app, this would be a rainy day, so we planned to visit some local museums.

 

Inna read about the highly rated Kona Coffee/ B. Patisserie nearby and boarded an UberX to the International Market Place. The UberX was a short 7-minute ride, but the long line at Kona Coffee was unexpected.

 We waited and ordered the following items:

• Inna: Latte
• Boris: Mocha (+$1 for Kona Beans)
• Pastries: Kouign Amman, Croissant

The Latte and the Mocha were excellent, and the pastries were exceptional. We wish the line were shorter.

 

 

After lunch, we strolled through the shops at International Market Place. We stopped by Tesla, shoe stores, and Odyssey VR Hawaii. I wanted to try Virtual Reality games/experiences (the shop offered 15 minutes for $30), but my headache still bothered me.

 

I was hungry and stopped by a nearby place for a Greek Wrap. While eating my wrap, Inna visited Kona Coffee/ B. Patisserie and noticed a short line. She decided to try a light sandwich and some coffee.

We enjoyed our lunch but noticed that the rain continued to increase. We visited the Honolulu Museum of Art and ordered an UberX. It was the right decision, as the light rain turned into a torrential downpour!

 

The Honolulu Museum of Art had many exciting exhibitions, with many paintings and sculptures from around the world. We especially enjoyed the guided museum tour at 14:00, when our guide taught us some curious facts:

• Egyptian reliefs showed people with incorrect proportions and strange, unnatural poses. This was not because Egyptian artists did not know how to draw humans correctly. It was done to emphasize the divinity of kings.

We stayed in the museum until closing time (17:00). Due to the heavy rain, we ordered UberX to return to our Hilton Hawaiian Village. We had to run to the car to avoid getting soaked!

 

 

We decided to try sushi at Wasabi Bistro, nearby in Waikiki, for dinner. As the heavy rain stopped, we decided to walk there (and avoid the $30 UberX charge) and get our fitness steps in, too!

 

When we arrived, we noticed that this area of Honolulu had lots of Japanese shops. We sat down at the table and looked at the menu. After talking to the waiter, we ordered the following items:

• Appetizer: Edamame (Spicy), Carpaccio
• Soup: Miso Soup
• Softshell Crab
• California Roll
• Baked Scallop Special
• Green Tea

The Softshell Crab and the Scallop Special were incredibly delicious. After dinner, we returned home and decided to sleep early (at 21:00), as Inna had a very early start the next day.

Monday, April 15, 2024

In the morning, Inna woke early, at 05:00, to attend her company meeting. I woke at around 07:00, showered, and made coffee using the Coffee machine in our hotel room.

 

 

The early morning looked beautiful (though a bit windy), so I walked to Quality Surfboards to rent a standup paddleboard. Initially, I rented a Tropical Blends 123-liter, 9'3" paddleboard and returned to Waikiki Beach. Once in the water, I noticed how unstable it floated. There was no way I could use this board for surfing. In addition, the paddle would not lock properly, so I needed to return it.

I returned the 123-liter paddle board to the shop and rented a 10'2" NSP Elements Cruise single-fin model. It was heavy, unresponsive, and not meant for surfing.

I tried surfing for about 90 minutes. The waves were poorly defined and coming from random directions. I could surf a bit, but it was hard to get this paddle board moving (as it was so heavy and unresponsive). I also noticed my board leash was on its last legs, so I returned to the shop to exchange it. However, paddling on the ocean got me moving and getting used to the board.

Next time, I should bring my 9'3" Fanatic Allwave Paddleboard (the rentals are expensive and low-quality).

 

 

For lunch, we decided to stop by Monkeypod Kitchen, and I made lunch reservations for 14:00. After a short walk there (along the Fort DeRussy Boardwalk), we reached Monkeypod and checked in.

 

After being seated, we looked at the menu and ordered the following items for lunch:

• Drinks: Paradise Killa Dragon (red cider)
• Appetizer: Waipoli Farms Mixed Greens
• Boris: Lamb Pizza
• Inna: Pete's Fish & Chips
• Dessert: Banana Cream Pie

We liked the Paradise Killa Dragon Red Cider and the Lamb Pizza. The Banana Cream Pie was fantastic!

 

 

We strolled around the beach for lunch and discovered an elegant Halekulani Hotel, where Inna wanted to stop by to make dinner reservations at the famous House Without a Key Restaurant. 

 

 

Since we heard about the lovely Hula Dancer swaying to Hawaiian music, we decided to order drinks and enjoy the show while eating dinner elsewhere. We returned to the restaurant at 17:00 to get the best seats, with the show starting at 18:00. We were seated at one of the best tables.

The Hawaiian band played many mellow tunes, and Miss Hawaii swayed gracefully to Hawaiian music. We enjoyed the free show. The drinks were expensive and not too bad. 

• Boris: Mai Tai, Hot Tea
• Inna: Virgin Mojito, Hot Tea

Since dinner was costly, I made dinner reservations at the well-rated Tommy Bahama at 20:00. Since it was nearby, we arrived on time and were seated on the roof/patio. We ordered the following items from the menu:

• Appetizer: Bungalow Salad
• Boris: Wagyu Burger
• Inna:  Ahi Salad

I liked the fresh bread rolls with butter that were quickly brought in. They were so delicious! 

 

 

 

Inna's Ahi Salad and my Wagyu Burger were delicious, too.

 

 

Tuesday, April 16, 2024

I woke at 07:30, showered, and dressed for SUP surfing. Inna helped me to take the long 10' NSP SUP through the service elevator outside the Hilton Ali'i tower.

 

I had an excellent SUP surfing session, catching around six waves despite using the heavy 10'2" NSP board. I surfed mainly in the "Fourth" area, less crowded, although the waves were infrequent. The "Kaisers" area was overflowing with shortboarders.

Inna made reservations for a sunset cruise, and we walked to the Outrigger Hotel, where we checked into our short 90-minute sunset cruise.

 

We boarded the large catamaran around 17:30 and enjoyed motor-sailing around Diamond Head. We had free drinks on board, and I wanted some rum punch. The sunset was beautiful, and the music put everyone in a relaxed mood.

 

 

For dinner, I booked Kani Ka Pila Grille at the Outrigger Hotel. From the reviews, I read that this restaurant was known for Live Hawaiian Music. On Tuesday, the Kala'e Camarillo duo was scheduled to play from 18:00 to 21:00.

 

 

The live Hawaiian music of Kala'e Camarillo was excellent, but the Grilles's entrees were decidedly average. 

 

 

We ordered the following items from the menu:

• Inna: Lave Flow, Maui Onion Soup, Tacos with Chips
• Boris: Iced Tea, Garden Salad, Makana Bowl (Poke)

The Makana Bowl Poke was not bad, but the Garden Salad was tasteless, and the Maui Onion Soup was not up to par.

 

 

The highlight of the evening was the rendition of the IZ (Israel Kamakawiwoʻole) medley of Country Roads/What a Wonderful World.

Wednesday, April 17, 2024

I woke at 07:00, showered, and dressed for SUP surfing. Inna helped me to take the long 10' NSP SUP through the service elevator outside the Hilton Ali'i tower.

I watched a few SUP surfing videos (on SUPBoarder Magazine) and hoped to improve my surfing skills. I decided to shorten my paddle so that I would naturally bend my knees and try the surf stance when getting on the wave. Both of these tips helped.

At around 08:00, I paddled out to the left of the ship channel markers in Grays Channel and headed for "Turtle Canyon," where many boats congregated for snorkeling. This was an excellent spot for catching waves and was usually uncrowded.

Today's waves started much more significant than Tuesday's (3-5 ft), and I initially had difficulty catching them. However, after a few attempts, I started to get the hang of catching and riding them.

Despite my heavy NSP 10'2" standup paddle board, I could catch and ride the waves until they curled. I had a fantastic time and caught 10+ waves. After 3.5 hours, I grew tired and returned to the beach.

I dropped off the NSP SUP board in our A701 room, showered, and made coffee.

 

 

 

For lunch, we decided to visit the Goofy Cafe. After a short we ordered the following items:

• Boris: Loco Moco, Pina Colada Smoothie
  
• Inna: Benedict Kalua Pork, Papaya Smoothie
  

We had a fantastic lunch at Goofy Cafe. It turned into our favorite lunch haunt.

I spent the rest of the afternoon by the pool, reading Pete Sampras' A Champions Mind: Lessons from a Life in Tennis.

 

 

We decided to dine at Hau Tree & Sunset Provisions Restaurant in Diamond Head at the Kaimana Beach Hotel. Inna made dinner reservations at 19:00, and we ordered UberX at around 18:40. On the way to Diamond Head, our UberX driver (may have) run over a small dog. However, we did not see any damage to the car.

After sitting under a Hau Tree, we looked at the menu and marveled at the scenery. It was sunset, and many surfers and other beachgoers left the beach. We ordered the following items:

• Drinks: Real del Valle Blanco Margarita, Beachside Paloma
• Appetizer: Focaccia, Miso Caesar Salad
• Boris: Crab Tagliatelle
• Inna: Seared Fish
• Dessert: Citrously Nuts About You

The Focaccia bread was excellent, and we liked the Seared Fish and the Crab Tagliatelle pasta (though we had to wait a long time for them). The unique "Citrously Nuts About You" desert was unusual.

 

After dinner, we decided to walk back to our hotel. Although it took 45 minutes, we enjoyed strolling through the well-lit streets of Honolulu, looking at all the cafes with live music blaring. Honolulu seemed like a fun city. We also saw some excellent tennis courts. I could play tennis here!

 

 

Thursday, April 18, 2024

I woke at 07:30, showered, and shaved. The Surfline forecast for Waikiki was favorable, with promises of 4-5 foot waves. I was eager to get my paddle board on the water.

After paddling out, I noticed the waves were much smaller than the previous day (Wednesday). I could still catch a few long rides during the morning, though I had to wait a lot. I felt better in my SUP surfing, as I fell rarely and almost finished my surf rides, still standing upright. I rode about 6-7 waves before I grew bored of waiting and paddled back to shore at around 10:45.

On the way up to my room, I ran into Inna, and we decided to meet for coffee or lunch.

We first stopped by Chee Coffee for lunch, where I ordered a mocha and chocolate chip cookie. Once I met up with Inna, we decided to try Goofy Cafe. However, when we arrived, we noticed a very loud construction crew outside, and the cafe seemed to no longer accept new customers.

We decided to try eating lunch at Hatsuhana. After sitting down, we ordered the following items:

• Boris: Curry Katsu (Japanese Fried Chicken)
• Inna: Poke Don (Spicy Poke)

My Fried Chicken took a while and was mediocre. It didn't impress me too much. Inna liked her poke bowl.

After lunch, I rested in our room and walked downstairs to the main Hilton pool. I continued reading and finished Pete Sampras' Autobiography, A Champion's Mind: Lessons from a Life in Tennis.

When Inna returned from work, we walked to the beach for a short swim in the ocean. I returned to the pool to continue reading Marcel Proust's famous novel, In Search of Lost Time.

It started raining around 18:00, and I returned to our hotel room to shower and rest.

For dinner, we decided to stop by Kani Ka Pila Grille (at the Outrigger Hotel) to listen to live music and then proceed to the Monkeypod for dinner (reservations at 20:15). When we arrived at Kani Ka Pila, there was no music playing, so we sat down and waited for the musicians to return from their break.

At around 19:45, Kawika Kahiapo started playing his famous songs. I immediately liked his voice and playing, but there were no unoccupied tables. We listened to Kawika for 15 minutes and then walked to Monkeypod restaurant to check in with the hostess. We were handed a pager to wait our turn.

After activating our page, we returned to the hostess, who showed us our table near the beach. I was immediately shocked by the noise level. Between music and loud conversations, it was deafening. Having seen the menu before, we quickly looked it over and ordered the following items:

• Drinks: Virgin, Strawberry Smoothie
• Boris: Fish & Chips
• Inna: Waipoli Farms Mixed Greens, Macadamia Crusted Mahi-Mahi
• Dessert: Strawberry Pie

While the Fish & Chips were good, the Strawberry Pie was outstanding! We enjoyed our food (despite the noise level). After we finished, we returned to our Ali'i Hilton Hotel room in a drizzle.

Friday, April 19, 2024

I woke very early, at 06:30, and dressed for SUP surfing on Waikiki. The Surfline forecast was promising strong wind, and I wanted a last chance to surf before the strong 15 knot+ wind picked up.

I rode one decent wave in the "Popular" surf spot during the first hour of surfing, but the wind picked up, making the ocean quite bumpy. I decided to swap out the large 10'2" NSP Paddleboard for a smaller version. I returned it to the Quality Surfboards shop. The manager at the store offered me a Tropical Blends 9'3" 123-liter board (and a new paddle), which I picked up.

I decided to practice paddling in the small, sheltered area in front of the Hilton hotel before venturing into the waves. It was quite a challenge to balance on such a small board, and I had to bend my knees and paddle to keep the board moving (and more stable).

I practiced switching to/from surf stance and fell a few times. Balancing on this board was much more challenging (compared to the 10'2" NSP).

After practicing for about an hour, I entered the waves to see if I could handle the board. The wind made the ocean choppy, and balancing the board was hard. I could not catch anything, as I need more balance practice.

I returned to the sheltered cove and practiced some more. I encountered Inna going for a swim and eventually returned to our hotel room.

I felt healthy then, but later, I developed nasal congestion and tingling in my throat—a sure sign of an oncoming cold.

For lunch, we stopped by our favorite Goofy Cafe. We waited for about 15 minutes before being seated and ordered the following items:

• Drinks: Pina Colada Smoothies
• Boris: Hawaiian Goofy Omelette with Taro Muffin
• Inna: Kalua Pork Benedict

As usual, the omelet and the benedict were outstanding!

During the rest of the day (while Inna continued to work), I read Carol Delaney's Columbus and the Quest for Jerusalem. It was quite an exciting read.

In the evening, Inna went for a short swim while I continued to relax. She took lots of sunset photos! We returned to our room to prepare for dinner and the upcoming fireworks.

We watched the fireworks from our 7th-floor balcony room at 19:45. They were impressive but short (5 minutes)!

For dinner, I made reservations at Tommy Bahama, and we rushed there after the fireworks finished; we were running a bit late due to all the people on the beach.

At Tommy Bahama, we were seated upstairs on the patio and ordered the following items.

• Drinks: Blue My Mind Virgin Cocktail, Hot Green Tea
• Appetizer: Guacamole & Salsa
• Boris: Chicken Tortilla Soup, Char-Grilled Filet Mignon Salad
• Inna: Creole Shrimp and Crab Pasta

We enjoyed our dinner, as all the items were expertly prepared. I especially liked the Filet Mignon Salad and Guacamole. Inna's Creole Shrimp and Crab Pasta were also excellent.

Saturday, April 20, 2024

I didn't sleep well due to the congestion and throat irritation. We woke relatively late, around 08:30. I am sure that Inna was tired from a long workweek.

After waking up, Inna decided to go for a short swim while I practiced paddling the Tropical Blends 123-liter 9'3" SUP. The ocean was beautiful, but there were intermittent strong gusts of wind. I practiced paddling and switching to a surf stance. It was still quite challenging to stay upright.

Inna swam a few laps on the beach and joined me in our hotel room. We decided to eat lunch at our favorite Goofy Cafe. After we walked there, we had to wait about 20 minutes before being seated. I did not feel well due to my nose irritation.

We ordered the following items at the Goofy Cafe:

• Boris: Coffee, Goofy Hawaiian Omelet
• Inna: Coffe, Goofy Hawaiian Omelet

The freshly brewed coffee was delicious, and the Hawaiian Omelet was outstanding!

After lunch, I returned to our hotel room to rest and relax while Inna decided to visit the beautiful Foster Botanical Gardens nearby.

I made dinner reservations at the nearby Bali Oceanfront Restaurant for 20:00. I was not feeling well, so we decided to have a light dinner there. Innad had photos of us eating in Bali many years ago. 

After sitting down, we ordered the following items:

• Drinks: Island Cosmo, Hot Tea
• Appetizer: Big Eye Ahi Poke, Local Heirloom Tomato Salad, Bread
• Entree: Creamy Lobster Ravioli
• Dessert: Creme Brulee

The Ahi Poke and the Salad were excellent, and the Lobster Ravioli had generous portions of lobster. Though very expensive, Bali does provide decent portions.

I returned to the hotel room while Inna went to the ABC Store to purchase some decongestants for me.

Sunday, April 21, 2024

We had a scheduled Hawaiian Airlines HA34 flight to San Jose (SJC) at 13:30 HST, so we would have a few hours in the morning to relax on the beach.

I didn't sleep well and had heavy nasal congestion. When I woke at around 07:00, I took a shower and dressed. Inna and I decided to eat breakfast at the Goofy Cafe while I dropped off the Tropical Blends SUP at Quality Surfboards (I had to pay $225 for the 7-day SUP rental).

After I dropped off my SUP, I started walking to the Goofy Cafe, but Inna was already returning, as there was a very long line. We decided to eat breakfast from one of the nearby food trucks.

We walked a couple of blocks to where the Food Trucks congregate and ordered from the Waikiki B.E.A.S.T. We ordered the following items:

• Boris: Hot Coffee, Lilikoi Pancakes
• Inna: Hot Coffee Burrito

My pancakes were average, but Inna liked her burrito.

 

We returned to our room. Since I was feeling unwell due to nose congestion and a slight headache, I decided to rest while Inna went for the last swim in Waikiki.

 

When she returned at 10:00, she showered and packed. We checked out at 10:30 and ordered an UberX to Honolulu Airport. We already had boarding passes on Hawaiian Airlines HA44. Inna purchased some fried chicken for lunch while we waited for our flight.

 

Our flight was scheduled to depart at 13:25 but was delayed due to a tire change request. The delay, originally 90 minutes, was shortened to 30 minutes. We departed at around 14:00, landing in San Jose at 22:00. 

Oahu Trip Report

Highlights

• SUP Surfing at Waikiki's many surfing spots
• Listening to live Hawaiian music:
• Kawika Kahiapo (incredible bass voice)
• Kala'e Camarillo
• House without a Key (Miss Hawaii's dancing)
• Dining at the following fine restaurants:
• Merriman's
• Hau Tree (fantastic view of Diamond Head)
• Tommy Bahama
• Goofy Cafe (fabulous lunch)
• Monkeypod Kitchen
• Eating Pastries and drinking delicious coffee at Kona Coffee/ B. Patisserie
• Swimming at Fort de Russy Beach
• Visiting the Honolulu Museum of Art
• The free 14:00 museum guided tour was excellent
• Watching the spectacular Friday night fireworks from our balcony

Lowlights

• Inability to find a decent Surf SUP to rent
• Catching a cold on Friday
• Getting yelled at for surfing at "Populars"

Equipment

• Tropical Blends 9'3" 123-liter Standup Paddleboard
• NSP Elements Cruise 10'2"x 32" 205-liter Standup Paddleboard (very heavy)

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Review: Master & Margarita

Today, we saw a small production of Master & Margarita in Palo Alto. On the way there, we stopped by for dinner at Ettan (a very fancy, and hard to get into Indian Restaurant).

Master & Margarita is a one my wife's favorite novels and she enjoyed seeing on stage.

According to Wikipedia:

The story concerns a visit by the devil and his entourage to the officially atheistic Soviet Union. The devil, manifested as one Professor Woland, challenges the Soviet citizens' beliefs towards religion and condemns their behavior throughout the book. The Master and Margarita combines supernatural elements with satirical dark comedy and Christian philosophy, defying categorization within a single genre.

We enjoyed the performance and especially the characters of Begemot (Behemoth), Woland, Korovyev, Master, and Margarita.

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Dinner at Chez TJ

For Inna's birthday, I made reservations at the famous Michelin 1-star Chez TJ restaurant in Mountain View for Friday, February 23, at 19:30.

We were provided multiple wine menus after arriving and sitting at our table. After some discussions with the waiter, we select a half bottle of Vouvray. We had always loved Vouvray after spending some time in the Loire region of France.

Chez TJ is a contemporary French cuisine restaurant in one of Mountain View, CA's most historic Victorian homes. Originally built circa 1894, the structure was home to Julius and Fanny Weilheimer. Julius was a Vice President of the Mountain View Farmers and Merchant’s Bank as well as a member of the town Council. In the early 1980s, George Aviet and Thomas J. McCombie acquired the property and served their first dinner on November 26, 1982.

Our Chef's Tasting Menu consisted of the following items:

• Silver Sky Ranch Sweetbread, Burtn Onion Consomme
• Royal Osetra Caviar, Avocado, Barley
• Star Route Farm Red Beet, Hokkaido Scallop, Citrus Lace
• White Asparagus, Razo Clam, Favas from the Garden, Monterey Bay Seaweeds
• Black Bread
• Sacramento Sturgeon, Kalugo Caviar, Hearts of Plam, Oroblanco
• Alphonso, Mango Sorber, Millet Crumble,
• Golden Beet Ravioli, Winter Black Truffle, Marin Roots Chickwood
• Broken Arrow Ranch Quail, Salsify, Morels, Rhubarb
• Poppy Sunflower Seed Pain Levain, Cara Cara Ricotta
• It's Always Sunny: Vanilla, Yuzu, Kalamansi
• Burnt Honey Sesame Ice Cream, Honey Comb
• Nectarine & Cherry Pate De Fruit
• Coffee Caramel
• Cranberry Walnut Mendiant

Executive Chef: Stan Michalski

Executive Pastry Chef: Christine Johanson

We had a wonderful 2.5-hour dinner, enjoying very unique dishes. Our favorites included Sacramento Sturgeon with Caviar and It's Always Sunny dessert/.

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Review: Andrey Makarevich

Last year, Inna purchased two tickets to see Andrey Makarevich for Saturday, February 17th 19:00 concert at Fort Mason, San Francisco.

 

We left early to eat dinner in San Francisco before the concert. After parking in Fort Mason, we learned that our favorite local German eatery, Radhaus San Francisco, was packed. After paying $16 for all-day parking, we decided to grab an UberX and drive to our favorite Napizza Restaurant. We had limited time, and it was raining, so getting an early dinner made a lot of sense.

After arriving on Chestnut Street, we were greeted with the friendly "Buona Sera" as we sat inside Napizza. After looking at the menu, we decided to be adventurous and order different items (we usually order Pizza Mortazza)

• Appetizer: Polpette al Tartufo (Meatballs)
• Entree: Pizza Capricciosa
• Drinks: Hot Green Tea
  

Our waiter quickly brought out the Polpette al Tartufo  (3 meatballs in a delicious sauce), which we devoured as we waited for our entree. A few minutes later, the freshly baked Pizza Capricciosa arrived. I loved the dough and the fresh toppings.

We liked the atmosphere and the loud Italian Pop music blaring on the sound system. It was almost like being back in Italy. We didn't have time for dessert, though Inna had her eye on an Affogato (or Tiramisu).

She ordered an UberX to take us back to the concert. After waiting for 7 minutes in heavy rain, the UberX driver canceled the ride, but Inna managed to secure another ride.

We returned to Fort Mason with 10 minutes to spare, though slightly wet from the unusually heavy rain. We met up with our friends and sat down in our designated seats.

Andrey Makarevich came out on stage. It was just him and his new Yamaha acoustic guitar. He played many songs and frequently read poetry. It was a somber occasion, with the recent murder of Alexei Navalny by Putin's thugs.

Spotify Tracks:

• Я расскажу вам про страну

Я расскажу вам про стран

The concert lasted about 2 hours (without any breaks). After the concert, we returned home, as we were pretty tired.

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Zoom Serve Lesson with Ryan Reidy

In today's Zoom Serve Lesson with Reidy Reidy, I learned some tips for improving my serve and other strokes.

Serve Tips

• Pick a target
  
• Decide between kick-serve, flat, or slice serve
  
• Use Continental Grip
• Do not use the racket to bounce the ball (it forces you to change your serve grip)
  
• Toss the ball higher.
  
• Hold the racket loosely, with a few fingers off (to make it loose), and get more leverage.
• The lasso effect (racket 360-degree rotation) is more critical than the racket drop.
• Legs should explode as the racket reaches the head
• On a pinpoint stance, twist the front foot clockwise on its toe to get more of a corkscrew loading effect
• Keep your head looking at the ball through the whole serve
• Try to start slow and accelerate through the serve
• After hitting the ball, use the left arm to stop shoulder rotation (for even more power)

Forehand Tips 

• For right-eye dominant players, use an open stance or half-open stance (not a closed stance) 
• Get to the best position before the ball bounces (move as fast as possible, even on slow balls)
• Prepare early (rotate the shoulders)
  
• When the ball bounces, separate the left and right arms to initiate the stroke.
• The kinetic chain starts from top to bottom (hand, shoulder, hips, legs)
  
• Throw the right arm to initiate the stroke, accelerating gradually upwards
• On the rise-balls can be hit more flat (as they already have an upward ball trajectory)
  
• Hitting on the rise creates a rebound effect and provides more power (counter-punch)
  
• Shorten the backswing and hit further in front
• Observe the ball without moving your head, and look through the racket's sweet spot.
  
• In Open Stance, the left foot should be slightly above ground before contact.
  
• In Closed Stance, move your right foot forward after contact (hips should have rotated 180 degrees), and pivot around your left foot.
  
• On stroke completion
  
• The right shoulder should be ahead of the left shoulder
• The right arm should be straight
• Catch the racket over your head (on a topspin forehand)

Two-Handed Backhand Tips

• Get to the best position before the ball bounces (move as fast as possible, even on slow balls)
• Prepare early (rotate the shoulders)
  
• When the ball bounces, initiate the stroke by moving the racket down with your right arm.
  
• The kinetic chain starts from top to bottom (hand, shoulder, hips, legs)
• The left arm should straighten out during the stroke
  
•  Hitting on the rise creates a rebound effect and provides more power (counter-punch)
•  Observe the ball and look through the racket's sweet spot without moving your head. 
• You should pivot on the toes of your front foot
  

Footwork Tips

• Get to the ball before it bounces!
• Move forward to backward to attack the ball, and take it on the rise if possible.
  
• Use rhythm steps for (1-2) to move and adjust position near the ball
• Use cross-over steps for more considerable distances

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Lesson 06: Tennis with Gary Jordao - Early Prep

During today's lesson with Gary Jordao, I focused on improving my forehand and backhand spacing. 

I have developed a bad habit of getting too close to the ball. I need more space between me and the incoming tennis ball to execute a full forehand or backhand stroke.

After a 30-minute class, we played a singles match. I was still slow to prepare, and my split step was often missing. My forehand still has too much backswing, and I don't often bend my knees enough.

Additional Tennis Clinics

• Saddlebrook Resort (5 hours/day, near Tampa, FL)
  
• 
  

Forehand

1. Split step when the opponent hits the ball
   
2. Prepare early (twist the shoulder)
   
3. Work on staying further away.
4. Keep feet further apart (wide stance)
   
5. Bend the knees
6. On low balls, bend the knees even further!
   
7. Breathe out during the stroke

 Backhand 

1. Split step when the opponent hits the ball 
   
2. Prepare early (twist the shoulder)
   
3. During the backhand stroke, avoid turning the wrist
   
4. Work staying further away
5. Keep feet further apart (wide stance)
   
6. Bend the knees
7. Make sure to continue the stroke low to high without stopping

Helpful Video - Tennis IQ

 

Video Recordings 

 

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Clinic 02: AVAC 3.5+ Adult Tennis Clinic

In today's Adult 3.5+ Tennis Clinic at AVAC, Josh Martin, our tennis pro, had us focus on the following items

•  Forehand Technique

• Early preparation (prepare before the ball bounces)
  
• Hit the ball in front of you (most everyone is always late) 
• Hit upwards (even on returns)
  
• Accelerate through the shot
  
• Use timing of contact to control the direction of the shot (do not turn your body). This simplifies the shot as only timing changes.
  
• Hit earlier for cross-court shots.
• Hit normal for down-the-line shots
• Hit late: bad (jammed) 
• Swing 
• Shorten the swing (a long swing will not work for fastballs)

• Serve Technique
  
• After the service, get ready immediately. 
• Practice going back to "ready" position after each serve
• Toss the ball higher
• Better racket drop
• To disguise the serve
  

• Return of Serve Technique
  
• Split step
• Turn
• Hit (power comes from forward momentum - not the swing)
  
• Step forward
  

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