- Joined
- Nov 22, 2010
Love the reference! I think the tides are a' turnin' and Mao is going to come out on top!
Predictions
- Thread starter aemeraldrainc
- Start date
Love the reference! I think the tides are a' turnin' and Mao is going to come out on top!
I've been looking forward to this event! Going to be a good one! Predictions? I prefer reading yours than making my own-- I always learn so much on this forum from those more skate-educated than me, but what the heck, here's what I'm thinking for what it's worth:
MEN: It pains me that Kozuka and Takahashi are going head-to-head when both have left Grand Prix points on the table and are uncharacteristically needing a win at this point. Someone better at the math send me some reassurance that they'll both magically make it to the GPF...
1. Kozuka. He can land those jumps, for heaven's sake. He'll do it here and it will let the elegance of his PCs shine. My version of bliss is Kozuka challenging Chan so they will both push each other further. (I'd say so on the Kozuka/Chan board, but that's a scary place...) So come on, Taka!... clean quads and exquisite presence... I've got faith- he's a star. (Or "rock star" as Kurt Browning would have him believe...)
2. Takahashi. Awesomeness, but I'm still thinking Kozuka will edge him. I feel like it's been forever since I've seen a clean program from Dai! But my goodness, he can just skate figure eights to "Happy Birthday" and I'd give him the silver. Those skating skills! That presence! LOL.
3. Verner. Works for me!
LADIES: It feels like a great unveiling, doesn't it? Drum roll for Mao!
1. Asada. Yep, I'll dream along with Japan here! I'm hoping we'll see a clean Lutz... those are the kinds of points she needs to make sure she's here at the top of the podium.
2. Suzuki. I love the way she is skating this year! (Man, I'm starting to look pretty Japanese here...)
3. I'll go with Wagner. Tough call though, tough call...
DANCE:
1. Weaver/Poje. Just flying the maple leaf here before Canada revokes my citizenship. But seriously, I adore these two and believe they have the material this year to challenge.
2. The Shibs.
3. I/K
PAIRS:
1. S/S. I'd almost go with K/S, but thinking of the back-to-back competitions solidified S/S for gold for me
2. K/S
3. D/C
Here's hoping for inspiring performances from all!
MEN: It pains me that Kozuka and Takahashi are going head-to-head when both have left Grand Prix points on the table and are uncharacteristically needing a win at this point. Someone better at the math send me some reassurance that they'll both magically make it to the GPF...
1. Kozuka. He can land those jumps, for heaven's sake. He'll do it here and it will let the elegance of his PCs shine. My version of bliss is Kozuka challenging Chan so they will both push each other further. (I'd say so on the Kozuka/Chan board, but that's a scary place...) So come on, Taka!... clean quads and exquisite presence... I've got faith- he's a star. (Or "rock star" as Kurt Browning would have him believe...)
2. Takahashi. Awesomeness, but I'm still thinking Kozuka will edge him. I feel like it's been forever since I've seen a clean program from Dai! But my goodness, he can just skate figure eights to "Happy Birthday" and I'd give him the silver. Those skating skills! That presence! LOL.
3. Verner. Works for me!
LADIES: It feels like a great unveiling, doesn't it? Drum roll for Mao!
1. Asada. Yep, I'll dream along with Japan here! I'm hoping we'll see a clean Lutz... those are the kinds of points she needs to make sure she's here at the top of the podium.
2. Suzuki. I love the way she is skating this year! (Man, I'm starting to look pretty Japanese here...)
3. I'll go with Wagner. Tough call though, tough call...
DANCE:
1. Weaver/Poje. Just flying the maple leaf here before Canada revokes my citizenship. But seriously, I adore these two and believe they have the material this year to challenge.
2. The Shibs.
3. I/K
PAIRS:
1. S/S. I'd almost go with K/S, but thinking of the back-to-back competitions solidified S/S for gold for me
2. K/S
3. D/C
Here's hoping for inspiring performances from all!
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
Here's the full song:
Oo Mao Mao, poppa oo-Mao Mao, poppa
oo Mao Mao, poppa oo-Mao Mao..
Second verse:
Yu Na Na, nanna Yu-Na Na, nanna
Yu Na Na, nanna Yu-na Na...
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2010
Hm, the underlying meaning of that ancient verse, a masterpiece in the primeval human history, can be deciphered only through a linguistic analysis:
"Mao" is the god of the moon in Persian mythology. "Nana" is the title for a queen in the language of Ghana. So the song actually says, in plain English:
O God of Moon, our grandsire Moon God, the all-mighty sire of sires
Yo Her Majesty, our granny the Queen, the all-graceful mother of the Earth.
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- Joined
- Nov 19, 2010
And I thought it was a cat food jingle............
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
^ Oh, that's better!
Here is "Mao, Mao, Mao, Mao!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JuVHCJVYf4
And here is the original Oom Mao Mao.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQrQjNNZCAo
Here is "Mao, Mao, Mao, Mao!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JuVHCJVYf4
And here is the original Oom Mao Mao.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQrQjNNZCAo
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2010
Next time when I see Mao, I'll be thinking of turkey, salmon and chicken.
By the way, I love the name "Mao Asada" (浅田真央) "genuine heart (center) in a shallow world (field)", ingeniously blending the family name and given name together to have a cohesive, profound meaning.
By the way, I love the name "Mao Asada" (浅田真央) "genuine heart (center) in a shallow world (field)", ingeniously blending the family name and given name together to have a cohesive, profound meaning.
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- Joined
- Jun 3, 2009
Ummmm.... The best one of them can do is 24points (silver and bronze). On the one hand this has been a VERY unpredictable year: Fernandez, Song, Abbott and van der Perren attest to that. But TEB will be the deciding factor here. It's plausible, but not somethign to bet on.
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2006
Finally light dawns.
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
This describes her skating, too. Genuine heart in a shallow world.田 doesn't mean "world". It means paddy field or some field used for producing something (e.g. 塩(salt)田=salt pan ).
央 doesn't mean heart either. It just means center. I've never heard her explaining meaning of her name, so I don't know her parents intention was though.
All I know is her father named her after his favorite actress, Mao Daichi(大地). Her name means something like walking straight on the center of a road.
真っすぐ=stright
大地=the earth or firm ground
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2010
Indeed the literal meaning of her given name Mao まお (= Ma (ま or 真) + ō (おう or 央)) is "true center". What does "true center" mean? Well, it simply means something true, sincere, and real, and hence "genuine heart" in a figurative sense. Though the literal meaning of 浅田 (Asada or あさだ) is "shallow field", it can figuratively mean "shallow world" in the right context, just as 混水 "murky water" could mean "a corrupted or chaotic environment". Did you notice I wrote in my original post "genuine heart (center) in a shallow world (field)"? I used the parentheses to indicate the literal meanings of the words.
I know she was named after Mao Daichi (大地真央 or だいち まお) and, as you pointed out, "straight" and "center" are the meanings behind the name. But the term 真央 could have a different meaning in a different context. In Mao Asada's case, it is "sincere, true, genuine" rather than "straight, middle, center" that is being emphasized. Do you think her name means "walking straight on the center of a shallow paddy field"? Nay, it doesn't make too much sense, nor does it sound elegant.
Of course, I don't know her parents' intention, either. All I said is that I love her name because it figuratively means "genuine heart in a shallow world". Poetic, isn't it? It demonstrates syntactic parallelism: 浅 (Adjective) 田 (Noun) 真 (Adjective) 央 (Noun). It has semantic contrasts: 浅 "shallow, superficial" vs. 真 "true, real, genuine"; 田 "field" (general) vs. 央 "center" (specific). Anyway, I love her name.
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- Joined
- Nov 19, 2010
So anybody going to analyse Tall Bridge?
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- Joined
- Aug 26, 2010
I love Daisuke Takahashi’s skating, but his name does not impress me too much. It literally means “tall bridge, big help” (髙橋大輔). Well, not very profound in my opinion. Cute though. What bugs me a little is that his given name Daisuke is a mixture of both Sino-Tibetan and Altaic origins (Chinese Dai “big” + Japanese Suke “help”). I would rather have Taifu (大輔, from Middle Chinese dầj bǘ) or Ōsuke (from Old Japanese Opo tasuka) instead, both having the same meaning as Daisuke.
His family name Takahashi is Altaic in origin, containing two words: Taka "tall" (Proto-Japanese *tàkà, Proto-Turkic *dāg, Proto-Altaic *tēga "high, mountain") and Hashi "bridge" (Proto-Japanese *pasi "bridge, ladder" < Proto-Altaic *pi̯ósò "stairway, step of stairs")
I like Mao’s name better. It’s just my personal preference.
His family name Takahashi is Altaic in origin, containing two words: Taka "tall" (Proto-Japanese *tàkà, Proto-Turkic *dāg, Proto-Altaic *tēga "high, mountain") and Hashi "bridge" (Proto-Japanese *pasi "bridge, ladder" < Proto-Altaic *pi̯ósò "stairway, step of stairs")
I like Mao’s name better. It’s just my personal preference.
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Look @ what's inside skatinginbc's parenthesis. Just what you described. And "真" alone in Japanese is "makoto". The literal meaning is true, real or without lies and has the connotation of being genuine. Chinese characters have different connotations depending on the language. I'm fluent in both Japanese and Korean, but the same characters can evoke different meanings that's why a lot of characters in names can have a totally different nuance depending on the language.
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I'm always optimistic in my predictions - i.e. what I think will happen if the skaters do well.
So.
Ladies.
1. Mao. None of these ladies are her equal when she's on.
2. Suzuki. But she has to be great and not give too many points away.
3. Agnes. I think if Agnes goes clean she is easily on the podium. I wouldn't be shocked if she won or snagged silver. The girl can score high on TES.
4. Ashley. Ashley has tough competition at this one but she is certainly a medal contender if she's clean and others stumble.
Kiira and Cynthia could have one of their rare moments but it's so hard to know what they will do. If either is clean I'd maybe put then ahead of Wagner...I hope to see them do well. They are both very enjoyable.
I hope Takahashi or Kozuka wins and that Verner is on the podium. I hope Miner does well, regardless of placement.
So.
Ladies.
1. Mao. None of these ladies are her equal when she's on.
2. Suzuki. But she has to be great and not give too many points away.
3. Agnes. I think if Agnes goes clean she is easily on the podium. I wouldn't be shocked if she won or snagged silver. The girl can score high on TES.
4. Ashley. Ashley has tough competition at this one but she is certainly a medal contender if she's clean and others stumble.
Kiira and Cynthia could have one of their rare moments but it's so hard to know what they will do. If either is clean I'd maybe put then ahead of Wagner...I hope to see them do well. They are both very enjoyable.
I hope Takahashi or Kozuka wins and that Verner is on the podium. I hope Miner does well, regardless of placement.
- Joined
- Nov 19, 2010
I wonder which young Man is gonna step up this time. So far we had Brezina at SA, Fernandez at SC, and Song at COC.
I think Kozuka is attempting Chan's strategy of aiming at Worlds and using early season GP events to practise a very difficult program even if it would be imperfect or even ugly. Unfortunately, with Brezina and spoiler KVDP stepping up to take advantage of his falters, he ended up in 3rd place, putting his GPF spot in jeopardy, needing gold at the next competition (NHK) to secure the entry. Daisuke too had Fernandez snatching his probable Silver at SC and will have to wrestle Kozuka for the needed gold, without which GPF participation is in peril.
I fancy a young one landing on the podium. Who would it be?
I think Kozuka is attempting Chan's strategy of aiming at Worlds and using early season GP events to practise a very difficult program even if it would be imperfect or even ugly. Unfortunately, with Brezina and spoiler KVDP stepping up to take advantage of his falters, he ended up in 3rd place, putting his GPF spot in jeopardy, needing gold at the next competition (NHK) to secure the entry. Daisuke too had Fernandez snatching his probable Silver at SC and will have to wrestle Kozuka for the needed gold, without which GPF participation is in peril.
I fancy a young one landing on the podium. Who would it be?
- Joined
- Aug 18, 2010
Will Verner still be using his no-quad strategy? I think it's going to be a dog fight between Takahashi and Kozuka for the gold. It's so hard to say who is better at this point. Kozuka is better technically but Takahashi is going to grab the PCS gold for sure.
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- Joined
- Oct 19, 2009
Ladies: 1. Suzuki 2. Asada 3. Zawadski
Men: 1. Kozuka 2. Takahashi 3. Verner
Pairs: 1. S/S 2. K/S 3. D/C
is how I think it will be.
I think Akiko has good momentum and confidence going into the NHK and while normally Mao is a more formidable competitor, she's usually not too strong early in the season. Plus her technique may still be her priority. I expect Daisuke to have a great SP just like at SC but he really struggled in his LP, where I believe Kozuka will pass him. Verner's a bit of a wild card as usual.
Men: 1. Kozuka 2. Takahashi 3. Verner
Pairs: 1. S/S 2. K/S 3. D/C
is how I think it will be.
I think Akiko has good momentum and confidence going into the NHK and while normally Mao is a more formidable competitor, she's usually not too strong early in the season. Plus her technique may still be her priority. I expect Daisuke to have a great SP just like at SC but he really struggled in his LP, where I believe Kozuka will pass him. Verner's a bit of a wild card as usual.
- Joined
- Nov 19, 2010
Generally, Kozuka's TES advantage is greater than Takahashi's PCS advantage. Also, the trend is that Kozuka's PCS has been rising whereas Takahashi's TES has been declining. They both have underperformed badly this season so it's hard to tell who will have overcome their problems more than the other. The ice is slippery indeed.
Vener doesn't have a top winner's mindset and is inconsistent. To win any major event, he needs to be gifted by the front runner(s) making major errors.
