Thursday 30th November: Day31

What a tough week.No, not the volatile equity markets, I mean the on-court battles with Mrs F . 7-5 to me last Saturday , 7-6(1) to her last night . How can someone half my weight put me under so much pressure? The whole thing is inexplicable to me.

Has nobody considered that Litvinenko might have just eaten some bad sushi? As the song goes, Itsu mystery ; and tonight we discover that Yegor Gaidar has been poisoned.
It's hell being Russian, I tell you . I might have to employ a taster .


Whilst on a Slav theme , the Davis Cup Final starts tomorrow in Moscow . Good luck to the Ruskies. If they're in the mood they will win.

Farewell, Tovarischi!

Thursday 16th November : Day 30

Ni Ha!

Greetings from the crazy traffic capital of the world. Every car journey is an exciting rollercoaster ride into the unknown , where red is green , amber is green and the green is greener , particularly if you make it to the other side .

We are having a great time and the tennis is some of the best stuff we've ever seen . The stadium is fantastic , so although are seats are quite high up the view is fantastic.

We have to thank Miles Maclagan, who kindly organised a couple of passes for us .We can make use of the tournament car service, without which the 45 minute journey from city to stadium would be a huge hassle .His team of Kevin Ulyett and Paul Hanley are in the semis.

It rained today,but on the whole its been crisp and clear . The town is full of up-market shops....Shanghai is no place for bargain-hunters. It's obvious that a lot of wealth has been generated here and the brands cost more than at home. There is even a Ferrari/Maserati dealership .

The growth is continuing apace.......we can see four skyscrapers being built within 1/2 a mile of the hotel, and they work 7 days a week .

See ya soon!