Taking Rafa's lead - including dodgy photographs - last week, a few of us Rafateers had a day out in Manchester to celebrate ourselves, Christmas and to toast lovely Rafa with Cava to thank him for the wonderful year he gave us. After we'd stuffed our faces with Tapas first, of course. And been to the wonderful Christmas markets, drinking mulled wine, alcoholic coffees and salivating at the wonderful food on show.
Topped off by seeing Shakougar in concert ...
Who'd have thought at the height of Shakougargate last February that I'd deign to go and see her perform ... but what a laugh to end a fabulous Rafa year with.
Once Rafan had got over the shock of seeing the small, Northern venue that is the M.E.N. arena that holds 15,000 peopleand the abject disappointment that there was no curtain across the stage (no ... I don't get that one either ;-) ) enter stage right Shakira, bedecked in a bright pink cloaked outfit, to then reveal a skimpy gold top and tight black trousers that would have made even Olivia Newton John . Cue mass hysteria ... Rafan, not us
Have to say though, the IROTY (International Rafateer of the Year) award has to go to our Colombian miss. That lady took her one and possibly only chance with Rafa to have the kind of experience that only Rafan dreams of this year, and for that ... we have to saluteher.
For my own part, after seeing more midriff than I ever have done in my life before and being totally mesmerised by shapes, angles, shimmies, hip jerks, where tassles were doing unimaginable things ... I fail to see how any 24-year-old who was given his own private performance in a video could failed to be moved.It was a great show, no gimmicks, no dancers, just her, doing her stuff and it was brilliant.
At one point in the show, she handed out yellow roses to some of the audience and a funny old thing happened whilst we were in the station waiting for the train home. Rafan spotted this young man walking by and he was holding ... a yellow rose."Have you just been to see Shakira?" Rafan squeeked. And the guy had ... he was thrilled to be handed his rose by the lady herself and he told us that he had come all the way from Greece just to see that show. How we ROFLed ... just as we travel to go and see our hero Rafa, turns out the Shakirteers have their own merry band and do exactly the same.
But back to Rafa. Its been brilliant seeing how his year turned in April and we have been thrilled and delighted by the victories we witnessed and the way this fine young man is making his own tennis history, and his own tennis records, different and not comparable with anyone else's.
And thanks to all Rafateers for being a great bunch to share it with, from the people that pop by on the thread to those that I'm lucky to meet in the real world when the opportunities arise. Its all brilliant, and I'm looking forward to next year to doing it all again ...
Topped off by seeing Shakougar in concert ...
Who'd have thought at the height of Shakougargate last February that I'd deign to go and see her perform ... but what a laugh to end a fabulous Rafa year with.
Once Rafan had got over the shock of seeing the small, Northern venue that is the M.E.N. arena that holds 15,000 people
Have to say though, the IROTY (International Rafateer of the Year) award has to go to our Colombian miss. That lady took her one and possibly only chance with Rafa to have the kind of experience that only Rafan dreams of this year, and for that ... we have to salute
For my own part, after seeing more midriff than I ever have done in my life before and being totally mesmerised by shapes, angles, shimmies, hip jerks, where tassles were doing unimaginable things ... I fail to see how any 24-year-old who was given his own private performance in a video could failed to be moved.
At one point in the show, she handed out yellow roses to some of the audience and a funny old thing happened whilst we were in the station waiting for the train home. Rafan spotted this young man walking by and he was holding ... a yellow rose.
But back to Rafa. Its been brilliant seeing how his year turned in April and we have been thrilled and delighted by the victories we witnessed and the way this fine young man is making his own tennis history, and his own tennis records, different and not comparable with anyone else's.
And thanks to all Rafateers for being a great bunch to share it with, from the people that pop by on the thread to those that I'm lucky to meet in the real world when the opportunities arise. Its all brilliant, and I'm looking forward to next year to doing it all again ...
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