One night in Bangkok....

Hello swimfans!
Welcome to my adventures with Team Canada at the 2007 Universiade in Bangkok, Thailand. I've been off to a slow blogging start as there was a lack of internet at our staging camp in Singapore and I can't exactly read Thai yet, so it's taken awhile for me to figure out how to change the language on this computer. So I'll recap quickly here.

Just spent a week at the Singapore Sports School getting ready for the meet. The facilities were amazing - two outdoor 10-lane 50m pools - and the food was awesome. There was a little issue with the pillows. Some found them to be rather large and hard as a rock (I brought my own so I didn't care). Lots went out and bought their own. Callum Ng bought three and then left them in the trunk of the taxi. Oops. Luckily enough he went back to the mall to get more and what do you know, the taxi was there too! But we'll keep making fun of him for it, 'cause it's still funny.

Now we're finally in Bangkok and it's quite the culture shock. It's also ridiculously hot. And the humidity. Not fun. It's at times like these that I'm glad I'm a swimmer and not an outdoor sport. The Athlete's Village is pretty nice and the rooms are alright. I'm rooming with Pan Am Games star Annamay Pierse (who taught me how to find the English on this website - that's what roomies are for!). There are bikes everywhere and it's a free-for-all system. Most are missing peddles and handle bars, and brakes are definitely a luxary. But they're fun. I've already got one cut from the peddles so we'll see what my legs look like in a week.

And in good news... BRIAN JOHNS IS NAMED CANADA'S FLAGBEARER! We're all very excited for him, even though I'm not sure if I'll go to the opening ceremonies. It's gonna be an 8-hour sweatfest event, so I'm still thinking about it (I'm having flashbacks to Korea 2003 and being soaked for hours). I gave him some tips this morning (don't: fall, walk too fast, walk too slow, cry or drop the flag) since I carried it in 2003. I'm sure he'll enjoy it.

Anyways that's all for today. I'll try to keep you updated on all the action and gossip as it unfolds.