pearl TOP 500

Zyta: Ivan was born and grew up in Italy. His parents are russian but he's italian ;) His girlfriend was also born in Italy, her mother is irish and her father is italian. But, yes, they're a "couple" :) i can send you pics of them if you want :D

@Zakonka: dear, the only music i listen to goes from hard rock to thrash metal :) trust me, whatever your taste is, nothing can surprise or impress me at all :D

@champion: i've found another thing we have in common... "I am not creating freaks, only making friends"...yeah, definetely same blood type ;) @Zakonka: tell me your musical taste and I'll tell you who you are :D

LOL champion i can't believe she really does think that Europe is a country :o I hope they did it on purpose...you know...just for the show.

Kjeld are you going to watch tomorrow's matches? i mean both of them...orare you going to watch only trento's one?

Hey Proud, here it goes a video of Pearl speaking English. Notice she’s making a huge effort to avoid those famous Italian hand gestures – it’s tough for her. :-p
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miSYq4aj7ik&feature=related She’s so cute. Nobody can resist.

Bloody hell!!! Where did you find it?? I was sure i had delated it!! Dammit, now everybody knows my face here besides Berny!!!

Zaytsev's english is actually pretty good as for Italian or Russian [what so ever]

Evidently his girlfriend (who is half Italian and half Irish) gave him extra lessons ? But last time i heard him speaking English in an interview....well, he was...let's say funny ?

@Zakonka: I don't like this kind of music either! As a dear Bulgarian friend of mine told me ;) i imagine "we are from the same blood type" :) @champion: you see what you've done??!! You created a new freak!! :D I'm keeping quoting this expression again and again and again..I just can't help it!!! LOL

Did you solve your problems with pc Kjeld?? ;D

No dear, Italians pronounce the word the same way as English speakers do ?

and a bit of Spanish too i think ;) Anyway i haven't said that his English is bad...i said that i love the way he pronounces the word "character" :D

'Cause you have never heard Lasko or Zaytsev "trying" to speak English!!! :D BTW I simply adore the way Matey says "character" at 0:37 :)

Zakonka please trust what Overlook says!! She's a techno expert :D

Do you think Costagrande is your main weapon for the Games? Time has come for Lo Bianco to shine at the Olympics?

Carolina is our best scorer with Serena Ortolani. IMHO Serena should play as opposite and Carolina as spiker...but i think Barbo doesn't agree with me since Costagrande has been our first-string opposite in Granx Prix, EC and WC!! As regards Lo Bianco, you know she's one of my fav players...she's definetely the best setter we've ever had after Manu Benelli (but Leo is superior) and i hope she will be able to "shine" (as you wrote) at OG, 'cause she deserves that: for her fantastic career but also for what she had to face in her life away from the playground. I'm one of those here in italy who firmly believe that she should be our standard-bearer at the opening ceremony in London!!

HCLT: the fact that "they don't care about women's valleyball here" doesn't mean that I can't talk about it ?

About USA: you're right BUT at the OG everything can happen! What you wrote about Athens (actually they ended at 4th place...not so bad after all) Atlanta and Sidney is true...but i also remember that in Barcelona 1992 (i'm not starting crying i swear) they won the bronze medal and it was totally unexpected (or at least it was unexpected for me)!! In addition to that, i read somewhere that they're thinking about the possibility of calling Lloyd Ball once more!! And in such a case with Ball, Stanley and Priddy you must admit that things are a little different.

Zyta: that's the reason why i edited my comment and wrote Serbia instead of Poland ?

Well i think it's my turn now ? This is what I think: I hope Italy will get the gold medal with Women NT ('cause they deserve more than men do) although US team is stunning and Brazil is...Brazil.

About men- My favourite for gold medal is Russia but i'm not going to understimate US team 'cause, as i have already written many times here, the American guys snub other tournaments but get excited at the OG; so i won't be surprised at all if they play a nasty trick on someone in London. Next, i would pay attention to Cuba: if they find balance and continuity they're an opponent to be feared.

One more thing: i've read some of you saying that England can win a medal!! LOL...guys, please...as my friend HCLT said, they not even have a real NT!! They have the same chances of getting an Olympic medal in volleyball as Serbia has to win the 6-Nations tournament in rugby!!

This year Treviso is not competing at all, since the team has moved to Belluno!!

Bello, Bravo, Bis :D

OMG...sweet, sweet memories of my childhood!! 0:14 Bernardi and Cantagalli; 0:15 Anastasi; 0:17 Lollo again; 0:18 Gardini; 0:19 Cantagalli again; 0:20 Lucchetta; and you can also see n.4 Blue (Modena) Franco Bertoli!!! Thanks Kjeldhor for posting that...i hadn't seen it yet :)