红酒·绿茶 / Red Wine & Green Tea / Vin Rouge et Thé Vert

Roger Federer Originally uploaded by nuance1979 . The USTA National Tennis Center was like a shopping mall with many promotional booths and shops selling tennis gear or US Open souvenirs. I was so impressed by Federer that I even bought a blue Nike headband. Louis Armstrong Stadium Originally uploaded by nuance1979 . When the night fell, our US Open trip was about to end. Sadly I missed Maria Sharapova, whose game with Tatiana Golovin was scheduled in the night session and looked like a fashion show, and Andy Roddick, too. But we did enjoy being so close to those top players and watching the games in a sunny Wednesday afternoon.

Rafael Nadal Originally uploaded by nuance1979 . We then went to the Louis Armstrong Stadium, a cozier place to watch two of my favorite players: the passionate, vigorous Rafael Nadal and the masterful, unbelievable Roger Federer . Federer Serving Originally uploaded by nuance1979 . While Nadal surprisingly lost to the underdog Mikhail Youzhny, Federer bearly broke a sweat in winning his opponent Marc Gicquel. You could feel (and hear) Nadal was fighting on the court but Federer, he looked almost bored: Winning was such a chore. I had no doubt he would win this US Open.

Marat Safin Originally uploaded by nuance1979 . I learned to play tennis in college but struggled to improve beyond the beginner level. It wasn't easy to keep playing because the courts were scarce and expensive and good racquets were expensive, too. And most importantly, I didn't try hard enough. Coming to the United States, I suddenly found myself surrounded by free courts and decent racquets with cheap prices. So I was happy to pick it up again. With a stronger body I had built with regular exercises, I enjoyed this game much more. So when I found a coupon for buying a US Open 2006 game ticket for bloody $10, I bought it in no time. A month later I was sitting in the Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, NY, watching Marat Safin battling his way. It was a very close game but he eventually lost to Tommy Haas in the fifth set tiebreak. Dominika Cibulkova in Jr. Girls' Singles Originally uploaded by nuance1979 . Taking a break, we walked to the ground courts

Venetian Painting Exhibition Poster Originally uploaded by nuance1979 . My final destination and the real goal of this trip was the Venetian Painting Exhibition in the National Gallery of Art . I had always amazed by how the Venetian painters were able to capture the sensuality of a female body and presented in a provocative way. Bellini started it with the "Lady with a Mirror", 1515, which was featured in the poster for this exhibition, and Titian finally exceeded his old master with "Flora", 1520, "Pastroral Concert", 1510, among others. The most interesting showdown of this master-and-pupil "duel" was Bellini and Titian's "Feast of the Gods", 1514 and 1529 vs. Titian's "Bacchanal of the Andrians", 1522-1524, with the latter being an apparent rework of the same motif. It was this exhibition that reunited these two great paintings and placed them side by side as they were placed in an original exhibition arr

Inside National Air and Space Museum Originally uploaded by nuance1979 . I went to the National Air and Space Museum for food: I didn't plan to visit it today because it was packed with screaming kids as always. After having my Big Mac, I impulsively decided to take a look and, to my surprise, I was lovin' it. Project Apollo Originally uploaded by nuance1979 .

The Grand Canyon Ceiling Originally uploaded by nuance1979 . My first stop today was the National Geographic Museum in National Geographic Society's headquarter, a place of worship for a photographer/photojournalist wannabe like me. The museum wasn't big, but the photos were amazing as always. And this ceiling of the Grand Canyon was just a decoration for the corridor of elevators. Outside National Geographic Society Originally uploaded by nuance1979 . This portrait of a girl, who was selling her toys on the street of Sarajevo, was interestingly placed in a corner, making the street in the picture interact with the street of the real life. Brilliant idea, beautifully done.