Beijing has come a long way since I first visited it in 2002. There are nicer cars and buildings. More people speak English and more websites are permitted to open on Internet. It doesn’t mean you can order something off them, but they do open.

The tournament in Beijing has changed it’s location too. It now has two huge stadiums, where VIP guests seat in comfortable leather seats. Huge locker rooms for players and more prize money. I guess tennis in China is much more popular than it used to be!

Whenever I am in Beijing, I always go to the silk market. It offers everything from underwear to bed sheets. And if you like bargaining, I recommend to go there in a bad mood. Like this you have a better possibility to bargain the lowest price. And if you are in a great mood and excited about shopping, don’t ever show it to the sales people there. Don’t react to their:”You are killing me” or “I don’t make money” Act like you don’t care, start walking away if you feel like the bargaining is not going well. I guarantee, they will run after you. And when that happens, you know you will get the price you want. And one more thing. NEVER pay before you see the product. If you paid and you don’t like what you bought, you will never get your money back! So first, choose what you want,then bargain and pay.

Another interesting thing we’ve discovered on this trip was “Pizza Hut” Chinese style. It’s a sit down restaurant with a full menu. Which includes steak, chicken, different styles of pasta, soups and salads. And of course long list of deserts. I can’t say the service is fast. And if your dish is not what you wanted, good luck explaining it to the waiter. One time I asked for a cup of water, adding a “I am thirsty” sign. Curling my fingers in a circle, like a cup. And drinking out of it. The waiter stood there for a while. Than brought me a bowl of boiling water.

On a second attempt, I pointed at the baby bottle on the table next to us. “Bottle of water please” The waiter brought me a cup of milk. Yes, it wasn’t the best way to ask for a bottle of water pointing at baby formula. But there were no other bottles around. So from now on I bring my own bottle of water.

At the end of every trip to China I have a bag full of junk. Because some things are so much cheaper then in US, I buy and buy. And every time I promise to myself not to buy any more junk, my bag always bursts at the seams.

On this trip, while looking through the jewelry section. I’ve met a very nice sales woman. In fact, she was so nice, that I almost wished she wasn’t. So I could bargain with her more. In two short days, she’s made me 19 necklaces and 16 bracelets. An when I forgot one jewelry set in her store. She wrote me an email, saying that my jewelry was safe. And I could pick it up some other day.

Every trip I take, brings a new discovery or a surprise. Finding an honest person, in the middle of a huge, crowded market was one of them. She could’ve easily sold my necklace to somebody else, without telling me. Or wait until I’ve noticed myself. But instead, she chose the honest way. And because honesty is one of the qualities I love and respect in people. This woman will always remain on my mind. For doing such a simple thing as writing me an email.

When we got to our hotel, it was a bit early to check in. But we begged the receptionist to give us a room. Which she did. And when we made it upstairs, comfy beds where waiting for us to take a long nap.

The “Lotte” hotel we stayed at, is one of the world’s leading hotels. It has a mall and an amusement park. Through a glass window in the lobby, you can see a show at the park almost every night. That reminds me of the shows in Disneyland.

I’ve never been to Seoul before. But I’ve always heard good things about this tournament. The years I’ve played, I chose to go to Guangzhou, China instead. But now seeing this tournament I regret I haven’t played it.

The tournament was held at the Olympic stadium. While driving to it, you could see how proud Korea is for being one of the countries that hosted Olympics in 1988. There are bronze, metal and wood statues of different sports on the streets. The stadium still has Olympic rings at the entrance. The Olympic dorms became someones homes by now. But they are still numbered like in the time when they served as an Olympic village. I loved the atmosphere of the tournament and people who organized it!

Galina also liked Seoul. It reflected on her results. She got to the finals of both, singles and doubles. And even though, she lost both in tight sets. She still took home two beautiful trophies!

On our last day, before heading to Beijing. I decided to go shopping. I really needed warm clothing. With big expectations, I entered the hotel’s mall.

The stores in that mall had no doors. They only had dividers between them and lots of clothing on the racks. It almost looked like a market. After 30 minutes, I finally found a nice store, where the prices look normal. I tried on a nice green sweater. Korean sales women in that store barely spoke English. They basically jumped around me while I was trying the sweater on, and smiled. When I said “I buy it” they looked kind of puzzled. I tried to speak a sign language. Taking the sweater and putting it in my bag and showing I want to go. I think they became even more puzzled. They froze in place with a serious look on their faces. Maybe they thought I wanted to steal the sweater?

My next step was to speak the international language of the credit card. When the last one appeared, the smiles on women’s faces came back. And they started to jump again. One of them took my card and left with it. Another one started packing my sweater in what looked like hundreds thin papers and a bag, sealed with a sticker. Then she put it in one more bag and sealed it with a ribbon.

While the other sales woman was absent with my card. The one who packed my soon to be sweater kept smiling at me. Until she understood that she could sell me something else. And the clothing started coming. I was offered everything in the store. From a fur coat to a t-shirt. I smiled and said “No, thank you” to everything that was brought to me.

Finally a woman with my credit card came back. She looked all red and her smile looked more like an apologetic grin. She stretched her arms and started shaking her head. “No, no” I couldn’t understand what she meant. She pointed at my credit card.”No, no…” she kept repeating helplessly. “It doesn’t work?”-I asked. She shook her head.

I think it was a funny site. I felt like in that movie “Lost in translation” By the third round of “No’s” people from other stores started to gather around us. One of them yelled something to the poor woman holding my credit card. I guess it was an advice what to do next. And I guess it was a good one, because she smiled happily and said “One moment” Then picked up a phone and dialed. After a very fast conversation with someone, she handed me a phone.

Finally I heard a familiar language. The person on the other end spoke perfect English. He explained to me that my card was declined. “How much is being put on it? The sweater costs $90″- I asked the man on the phone. “No ma’m, the sweater is $900″-he answered.

I was a shocked. And told him that I was not going to buy such an expensive sweater. He translated it in Korean. The poor sales women didn’t want to loose the sale. So negotiations took place. I think I got all kinds of discounts, even the Korean grandma discount. But it only lowered the price to $700.

It was definitely a “Lost in translation” moment. At least I felt so. I had to take my card and leave the store. On my way out, I took a look at the price of the t-shirt I was offered earlier. It was $175. “Cheap store”-I smiled to myself.

There was another “Lost in Translation” moment. When Galina and I walked into the airport terminal and didn’t find our flight on the schedule board. We understood that we were taken to the wrong airport.

The car that drove us, has already left. And when we called the tournament, everyone was already gone. There are two airports in Seoul, so if you are flying out of Seoul, check which airport you are leaving from. And if you are at the wrong one, there are two ways to get to the right one. Taxi or bus. The bus is cheaper but it takes longer and goes on a schedule. So if you are in a hurry, take a taxi.

When we got to the right airport, Galina and me were the only people carrying bouquets of flowers and two big wooden boxes. While going through security check, we were asked to open our trophy boxes and present a permission from a government. Apparently the vases Galina got for her finals, were a piece of art. And we needed a permission to take it out of Korea.

After a short pause, and lots of Korean conversation around us. We were given back the trophies. “OK”-one man told us, and pointed at the stamp on the box. I guess, it was the permission. So the trophies made it on the plane and we were on our way to Beijing.

Also, you have to know something. Good or bad experiences of a tennis player almost always depend on the results. Seldom, I talked to a player who said:” I played terrible, but I had fun here” Usually it is:” I lost, I am out of here.”

Eleven years later, I was hoping for a better experience in Tashkent. And everything was pointing to a better experience. Galina was in the main draw. We stayed at a better hotel in the center of Tashkent. Tennis club has improved since my last visit. But driving around Tashkent still felt like being in Soviet Union. Even the signs of stores like “Mango”, “Zara”  and “Armani” didn’t change that. I still felt like I was back in time. The other thing I will always remember, and that hasn’t changed. Is the amount of Uzbek money you get for exchanging $100. All the notes you get, don’t fit in the wallet. And it’s better to bring a purse if you are exchanging more then a $100.

Also, knowing where to go eat is a big plus. Especially when a “tennis queen” of Tashkent tells you where to go. And that “queen” is Iroda Tulyaganova. In the year 2000 she won her home tournament. Eventually her ranking went up to #16 in the world.

So with a little guidance from Iroda, we visited great restaurants! Tried many different Uzbek dishes. Like “plov”, “khonem“ and of course lots of different salads. I loved every dish of Uzbek food! 

While our food experience was going great. On court results were not so great. Galina just missed to be seeded and drew Ksenia Pervak in the first round. Pervak was seeded first. Although, the seed number doesn’t matter for Galina. Still, Ksenia and Galina always had long, hard matches. 

On the day of the match, Galina didn’t feel good. Her stomach hurt, and she was dizzy. I knew it was not going to be easy. But Galina gave her best. She lost in tight two sets. But she fought till the end.

That same evening we packed our almost unpacked bags, and were on our way to the airport. Seoul was our next stop.

And like eleven years ago,my visit to Tashkent was cut short. But this time around it was a much better experience. Maybe if we stayed longer I would’ve even had time to go explore Tashkent. Well, maybe next time! This time I won’t make a promise to myself to never come back again. And maybe next time I will also have time to visit a grave of my great-grandfather on my mothers side. My mother told me he was buried in Tashkent. It’s interesting, how you find out things about your family while traveling all over the world. I wonder if we have any extended family in Korea. Probably not! )))

p.s. photo above: $100 in Uzbek sum.

But we didn’t get upset about the result in Cincinatti. Instead we focused on what laid ahead-US Open. Of course we took a few days off. What did we do? Absolutely nothing! Just ate, swam and watched TV.

All the years I’ve played at the US Open, I always stayed in Manhattan. Being from a big city myself, I love the energy of New York! I love that you can walk everywhere. Lots of cool places to see and eat at. I always have fun in the Big Apple.

This year was different. We decided to stay with Galina’s friend in Long Island. It was my first time in Long Island. It’s about 20min from NYC, but it’s so different. Small, quiet and green. And its also closer to the tennis site, than Manhattan.

Galina started the tournament from qualifying. Even though her ranking after Toronto went up to #89 in the world. She still had to play qualifying. By WTA rules, when the tournament deadline has past, the entry list is frozen. And is only updated when the draw is made.  Then, your seeding will be determined based on the previous week’s ranking.

During the first qualifying match, we had an earthquake. Actually, Washington D.C. had an earthquake. Ours were just aftershocks.

Still, I thought I was dizzy at first. I reached for my bottle of water, thinking “You should drink more water. You are probably dehydrated” Then I looked at a woman sitting next to me. And she said to me: “Earthquake” At that moment I felt the cement bleachers move underneath me. Left and right, left and right. The feeling was, like being on the boat.

I looked at Galina, who was struggling to win a point. She was upset at herself. Later, when I asked her if she felt anything. She looked puzzled, and answered:”That’s why I couldn’t win a point and felt like the ball was flying in the wrong direction”

The last time I was in the earthquake was 2005, Tokyo, Japan. It was 4.8. It happened at 12am and my then boyfriend and me just turned off the lights in a room. At first, I thought it was my boyfriend who was playing a joke on me by jumping on bed. When I reached for the light, that I could barely find on my night stand.  I saw walls folding in on us. Left, right… It was scary.

I dont remember how I got out of the room. And what I wore. All I remember , that on my way down the stairs from 17th floor, I flew by Johansson and his coach. And in a matter of seconds I was in the lobby. My boyfriend followed me.

Lobby was full of people. Mostly tennis players and foreigners. Hotel stuff was quietly laughing at us. TV’s were on, showing the earthquake. I guess for Japanese people earthquake is a normal thing. Later, someone explained to me. That our hotel was built on special cushions, that prevents it from earthquake damage.

But earthquake in NYC was not the only nature disaster that week. Now we were watching hurricane Irene. TV was predicting almost destruction of NYC. There was mandatory evacuation for Long Island. Galina’s last qualifying match was on Friday. I told her to focus on it, while I was trying to figure out what to do next.

After few attempts to reserve a hotel in “low flood zone”We finally managed to get Hilton  at $360 per night. They told us we got the last rooms. New York was going crazy! On Saturday morning the streets of Manhattan were empty. No cars, no people. Everyone inside, waiting for Irene to hit.

That same Saturday morning, Galina’s entourage (that would be her grandparents and me) Took our bags and left for Manhattan. It was 9.30am. We were trying to make 12pm deadline for bridges into Manhattan to close.

Every hotel we drove by, looked like it was being invaded. People with bags, food, water bottles. Serious faces everywhere. I felt like the war was coming and we were on the lock down in the center of New York.

Our hotel was no different. The people were pouring in. I’ve never seen such long lines at the reception. The lobby was not enough for all the people. And everyone had the same question to the receptionists:”Will your hotel withstand the winds?”

MSNBC interviewed us after we checked in. A cameraman followed Galina and me to our room. We, carrying all the dry food and 24 bottles of water. Worrying if we were going to survive. I have been through hurricanes before. But everytime the new one is coming, you never know what to expect. Especially when you watch TV. And there are mandatory evacuations.

The tennis center was closed for the weekend. No practice, no transportation. Some players even drove up to 5hrs away. Thank God Galina past the qualifying, so we didn’t have to worry about an unfinished match. But there was a worry if the tournament was going to continue. Because with all the media predicting “bad and dangerous hurricane” I was worried abou the state of the stadium after the storm.

But the morning hurricane Irene was suppose to show her mean face. With strong winds and flooding. I carefully looked outside the window, seeing only rain. I turned on TV. It was hitting us. But where are the strong winds? Where is all the damage promised? It’s not like I looked forward to see damaged New York. But from everything we’ve heard on TV felt like this is it! I guess Irene lost it’s force on it’s way to NYC.  And all we got was rain.

We were happy about that. That meant the tournament was going to continue on time. Of course there was a big bill for two days stay. But better safe than sorry! Right?

On monday, our US Open routine went back to normal. Practice has resumed and Galina was scheduled to play her first round match agianst Schiavone on Tuesday. We returned to our Long Island housing. Where only a couple of trees lost their branches.

On Tuesday morning Galina took court against Schiavone. Francesca is a difficult player with lots of different shots in her arsenal. So it took Galina a while to get used to her game. Galina lost the first set, but came back strong in the second. Third set was intense. The points were long. Galina fought till the end, but lost 6-4 in the third set. It was a good match, that showed Galina’s pottential yet again.

But US Open was not over for us. Galina and her partner Sue Wei Hseih showed great form in doubles. They got to the 4th round loosing to Peschke-Srebotnik.

This year, New York had a couple of surprises for us. An earthquake and a hurricane.  Though opponents on court. And thats why we love New York. It’s never boring! See you next year Big Apple! Let’s see what you’ll surprise us with in 2012!

We arrived in Astana early morning with an over night flight through Moscow. The stop in Moscow was only for two hours. But I had enough of the culture shock in such a short time. People were stressed and rude. Sometimes I feel like a foreigner there. And I feel like I have to be mean to people, so I dont’ get abused by them. And being mean is a difficult task for me.

Astana is a new, modern city. It was founded in 1998. Till then it was known as Akmola. And it is a capital of Kazakhstan. Even though it is the 2nd largest city after Almaty.

All the buildings in Astana are new. Our hotel was one of the modern buildings with views of the city. A view of a big Kazakh flag flying in the wind displayed from our window. You know how French people say, you can see the Eiffel Tower from all over Paris? Well, I feel like you can see this flag from anywhere in Astana.

As we decide to lay down and take a nap, we get a call from Kazakh Federation. They want Galina for press conference. And it’s in an hour. There is no way of saying “NO”, so we rush to get ready and run to the courts.

During the press conference funny questions were asked. Like, “How many medals do you expect your players to win at this tournament?” or “Can you please repeat the answers in Kazakh?” I look at the long table with men’s and woman’s tennis teams. There is only one player who is from Kazakhstan and even she doesn’t speak Kazakh. The rest of the team are Russians and one Bulgarian, who can only understand half of the question asked. Don’t get me wrong, these are all good players. And they now have an opportunity to play Fed Cup, Davis Cup and Olympics for Kazakhstan. Which was almost impossible to do while playing for Russia, because of the stiff competition. But I still think the reporters should research about the people they are about to interview. And business these people are in.

Of course our first practice was like sleepwalking in the night. Except it was day and I couldn’t even pick up balls. They just kept falling out of my hands. That’s how tired I was. And I am not even talking about Galina. Actually she played very well considering a sleepless night and eight match marathon tournament in Baku. Where she got to the semis of singles and finals of doubles. Overcoming tremendous heat and tough opponents.

No wonder Galina was dead tired when she got to her second round match in Astana. Her energy level was so low, that I was considering to pull her out of the tournament. Because it was getting almost dangerous for her to play so tired. But like all the Russians, she has a big heart and plays all or nothing. Somehow she found enough energy to win the tournament in doubles.

There was a “fun day” in our visit in Astana. Players party! Most tournaments organize parties for players with food and drinks. Some have an entertainment program. Astana party had an entertainment that involved participation of players. Some even won money prizes like $700 for first place and $350 for second.

Vice president of Kzakh Federation wanted Galina to participate too. So when the announcer called out to players, Galina stood up. I didn’t quite understand where she was going, so I told her I am coming with her. Later, when I found out what we were going to do it was already too late to back out.

The announcer told us that we are being visited by a female group called “Viagra” and a male pop singer Meladze. Of course, since I don’t live in Russia anymore I don’t know who these people are. So I turned around to see if they are coming to sing for us. Just to find out, that it  was us who were suppose to portray them. The three girls, Galina, me and Ekaterina Bychkova. Meladze’s part was played by a Kazakh player Golubev.

After a couple of practice moves we get to do the whole dance. Too bad, there was no reward for best dancing. Because we would’ve won it! As different as the four of us were, somehow we all understood each other and what we had to do. I guess a pro tennis player will always understand her/his comrade! )))

It all started when Galina wore her favorite “Ellesse” dress. Russian people were as rude as calling it “spaghetti on a string” Canadian and American people loved it. But let’s start the story in the correct order….

Toronto is a great city. Being born in Moscow and living there for 18 years of my life. I love the energy and movement of a big city! Toronto is one of them.

When we were not at the courts we would go out to many different restaurants Toronto has to offer. I especially love Korean Grill House on Yonge St. You can cook the food, that is brought to the table yourself. And for those who love their “Starbucks” coffee in the morning. Don’t you worry, there are plenty of “Starbucks” on every corner.

We arrived in Toronto way before the qualifying start. Not even knowing if Galina was going to get in or not. But it was faith that orchestrated the whole week for us. First, Galina was the last one to get in the qualifying draw. Than she passed the qualifying, beating two tough opponents. When the main draw came out, Galina had the toughest draw there was. First Bartoli, than Penetta, Sharapova, Azarenka and if she would’ve won that, Serena Williams was waiting in the next round.

Every time Galina went on court to play that days opponent, I thought to myself:”Tough match. Hope she can do it” But my mental preparation with her was “Play to win!” There was never a time when I told her she couldn’t beat top players on the other side. And every time she went on court she was as tough as nails!

Even though Galina made noise with her on court wins against Bartoli, Penetta and Sharapova. It was her dress that was making a name on its own. People around the world started “like”, “don’t like” poll. Russian people has gotten meaner since the first comment. Saying that Galina made the dress herself  before the match. Or “Ellesse” found another victim….The truth was. It was given to her by Nadia Petrova and was altered to fit Galina. This was the only dress Galina had with her for her singles matches. Every day after the match, she washed it by hands and let it dry on the door. Until the next day. When it was back on stadium court, making people talk about it!

At first we were a bit upset by all the mean comments. But than it became like a daily haunt, to find a new comment and laugh at it. Actually it gave Galina motivation to win. Don’t know why, but it did! So thank you everyone, who participated in the “dress” conversation, for your motivational comments!

After two weeks, our time in Toronto came to an end. It was a great city and we had great results at the tournament. Galina moved 48 spot up in rankings and became the second fastest mover after Serena Williams. Almost every day we were the first and last at the courts. There were many great interviews and lots of great food. See you in two years, Toronto! Next year Montreal is waiting for us!

photo: courtesy of Galina Voskoboeva

The day after we came back home from Honduras, I was on the plane again. This time my destination was Baku, Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan is the largest country in Caucasus region of Eurasia. And it used to be a part of Soviet Union. Baku is the capital of Azerbaijan. It’s a nice city with lots of history. Located on Caspian sea. Baku is a muslim country  with democratic views and its own language. Lots of people still speak Russian there. So communicating was not a problem for me.

Galina got in the main draw, so we had a couple of days to practice. Hot and humid weather didn’t let players “enjoy” their matches or practice. Even for me, coming from Florida it was hot. From noon to about five it felt like sauna outside. At some point, Galina’s energy drink melted. The small plastic bottle became a letter “C” after laying in the shade on Galina’s chair. So everyone was trying to practice early, go back to the hotel and wait the heat out. But for those who had to play a match in a heat? Prepare to suffer.

Hotel and club were nice. People were friendly and the food was great. We only had two incidents that occurred during our stay. One of them was with transportation drivers. Every day they complained about amount of people on the bus. Too many, too little. They never left on time and one day Galina and me were blamed for relationship between Russians and Azerbaijanians. The guy basically told us that we were racists and treat them like second class citizens. And all we did was sit on his bus going to the courts!

We were really upset by these comments. We’ve traveled all over the world and have respect for all the nations. Especially when we have nothing to do with politics between nations. Than someone told us not pay attention to this driver. He was just mad that female tennis players and female director were bossing him around. And as a muslim man with firm beliefs, he didn’t like that.

There was another time, when I encountered a man like that. I was sitting on the bleachers watching a match. My feet were slightly on the top of the chair in front of me. A young security guard came up to me and told me to sit straight. Put my legs down and cross them. I was surprised by his comment. Last time somebody told me how to sit, I was seven years old. And it was in communist school. But I listened and took my feet of the chair in front.

Than I stretched my legs down the stairs next to me. Because the space between the rows was small even for me. The guard came again and started threatening me. That he will kick me out and all that crap. I smiled and told him to mind his own business. I am a free woman and I sit as I please! It’s not like I am naked or trying to be! I guess in some muslim countries, women don’t have many rights. I am lucky to be free and do what I want. Go where I want, dress the way I want. Unfortunately some women can’t.

Galina did really well in Baku. She got to the semis in singles and finals in doubles. Scoring one of the best wins of her career against Pavluchenkova. For every match she played, I was equipped with a microphone, and all of her matches were shown on TV in other countries. Russia was one of them. Unfortunately some of the commentators didn’t recognize me. Even though they commentated my matches when I played. Hopefully they will do their job and research who Galina’s coach is.

Because of a very busy schedule and intense heat during the day, we never got to see anything in Baku. Even though it has an ancient history and a sea. Maybe next time I will have more time to visit a monument or ruins. The only fun thing we did, was the player party. It was organized on the last floor of the hotel. With a large terrace overlooking the city. Food was never ending and it reminded me of Russia. Every time I come back to Russia, my mother organizes the same table. The food is never ending and the selection is incredible. If you want to get to know Russians, eat with them. We have large stomachs and when we eat we show our large souls.

I will start my new blog with my beautiful Caribbean vacation.

As a pro-tennis player, you don’t get to have too many vacations. Tennis season is long. You could basically play a tournament every week if you wanted to. Of course, not every tournament will be a WTA event. But there are lots of ITF level tournaments scheduled every week in a different country. (ITF circuit is a lower level tournaments, starting from $10.000 events up to $100.000)

For me, going somewhere without my tennis bag is still a novelty. I constantly think that something is missing. Even though it’s not. My last vacation without racquets, or should I say my first in 17 years, was in Cancun, Mexico. My than boyfriend invited me to join him for 5 days.  I gladly accepted, but had trouble packing for that trip. The tennis player in me wanted to bring sports clothing. And the other half didn’t know how many dresses and pairs of high heels shoes I should bring. At the end, I took some sports clothing and running shoes as well. It made me feel comfortable. I just couldn’t part with my tennis.

This time around I was more comfortable packing for Roatan. Taking all of my favorite dresses. But some sports clothing still sneaked in my bag. What to do! At heart I am still and always be an athlete!

Welcome to my new blog! I hope you will enjoy my travel stories from around the world. 

Live every day with joy, 

Alina Jidkova

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