Open Water

Sydney-Fifteen thousand three hundred and three kilometres from home and over 12,000 to where I'm headed found me in Port Douglas, Queensland this weekend with my brother and his girlfriend along with turtles, sharks, stingrays, fish (lots and lots of fish), whales, and green ants. Our trip to Port Douglas included day trips in the Daintree Rainforest and to the Great Barrier Reef.

Sadly, I wasn't able to scuba dive on the Reef because we had to fly out the same day, however my snorkel skills, honed during my freshman summer at Florida where I took an 'A' in skin-diving, came in handy. Visiting the Reef was amazing, you don't snorkel over the reef, just beside it. The colours were vibrant once you dove down a few metres and the fish! I have never seen so many different species. I was also one of the lucky few who saw a small (it was really small I promise) reef shark, as well as a stingray and a hawk's-bill turtle. I bought an underwater camera…hopefully I will have proof of what I speak. There was a lot of concern onboard about keeping count of all of us. While I have not seen the movie Open Water, I get the idea. Plus last month on a different section of the Reef, another couple was left behind. They survived the night, but I really think I've spent enough time in the water in pain, I don't need to be picked up by search and rescue.

Poseidon Cruises took us to the Outer Edge for 3 stops on the Agincourt Ribbon Reefs (Anybody and Turtle Bay), and the guides were fun and educated about the sea life and how to protect the coral. On the way back to shore we saw 2 pods of humpback whales off in the distance. I saw tail! I still have never been able to swim with wild dolphins, but at the rate my adventures are going, I'm not too worried.

Note to self: Please try not to travel to romantic destinations solo or with a couple anymore. Before the Athens Olympics I spent 5 days on the breathtaking Greek island of Santorini by myself. I stayed in this cute bed and breakfast on the beach. The owner was sweet, he talked to me at breakfast and fed me fresh figs and homemade honey. At lunch I dined on Greek salad while couple after couple gazed into each other's eyes at surrounding tables. But it was my only option…I was already missing a week of law school to be at the Games, my only choice was to go it alone. This time, it was me, my brother and his girlfriend spending the weekend in Northern Queensland. The place we stayed, aptly named Pool, was romantic (sans the children screaming in said pool), but the rest of the trip was very active so I didn't feel too much like a third wheel. Plus Lee and Kate rock. But seriously, how hard is it to find a suitable romantic travel partner to join me on my swim adventures? Men over 6'2" please Facebook me if interested…I'm currently looking for an African Safari partner.

In the Daintree Rainforest, the oldest forest in the world, we went sailing 22 metres in the air through the jungle canopy on ziplines, with the lovely men of Jungle Surfing: Jay, Tristan, and Ian. My brother said I was flirting with them, but really what else was I supposed to do? We headed from Port (as the locals call it) into the Rainforest, where only solar power and generators are used. The Daintree is over 135 million years old and where it meets the coast and the Great Barrier Reef, it is the only place in the world where 2 World Heritage sites sit side by side. Everywhere we saw these ants with big bulbous behinds that are green in colour. Supposedly if you eat that bulbous behind it tastes like lime. Lee and Kate have both done it, before they even met one another. I decided to take a rain-check on this unique experience.

The best part of the day (sorry Jungle boys) was the burgers we had at this roadside take-away called Mason's. Located in the Daintree, Lee and Kate had meat burgers with the works and I had the veggie burger. I put Lee's pineapple on mine and it was the best burger I have ever eaten. The sesame seed bun was covered in dill-mayonnaise. There were carrots, tomatoes, lettuce and cheese to go with the pineapple and it was delicious! Lee and Kate agreed. We also stopped for dessert at the Daintree Ice Cream Company, flavoured by rainforest fruits: apricot, coconut, wattleseed (tasted like coffee), and black sapote (chocolate pudding fruit). I am no foodie, that title goes to the wonderful Mona of Mona's Apple, but I do now what I like and Mason knows how to cook up a burger. You can read Mona's blog about our Valentines' Day dinner at an Aussie restaurant in NYC, where the burgers were also pretty yummy.

Swimming Really Is Popular Down Here

Sydney-I arrived safely into Sydney after another 12 hour flight. I really thought that Australia was close to China, but somehow the distance was the same as NYC to Beijing. Being half-Aussie (or maybe it's full Aussie since both my parents are from here) I had an idea of the popularity of swimming and swimmers here in Australia. Just how popular wasn't apparent until a classroom full of 7 year olds really did seem pleased to meet a Canadian Olympic swimmer, and I was able to have my own longcourse lane for 45 minutes of swimming in the heart of Sydney.

Today was eventful, I went and spoke to my cousin's grade 2 class at Narraweena Public School. They had been studying the Olympic Games and Beijing for sometime, and they were a very inquisitive bunch. I have spoken to kids all over the world, and never have I had a class ask so many questions. From "what is your favourite fruit ?" (dragonfruit) to "did you win a medal?" (asked by 4 different kids, all with the same answer, "no, I got 6th"), their questions were very colourful. When I spoke about making friends from all over the world because of swimming, they proceeded to tell me where they were from: New Zealand, Italy, Spain, Greece, Malaysia, England, and China. The Chinese boy kept speaking to me in Chinese. It was like I was back in Beijing.

Then Lee and I met up with an old swimmer friend, Chloe F. who has just had a baby boy. Chloe swam for Australia, but we really only became friends when she moved to NYC. Prior to that we met on a pooldeck in Vancouver…turns out that she lived on the same street in Sydney as my mum's best friend from primary school.

Next up was a visit to the aquarium with Lee and Clare. It is the best aquarium in the world, with a massive shark tank filled with sharks and stingrays bigger than an area rug from Ikea. They swim overhead as you walk through an underwater tunnel. I also saw seahorses, which are my favourites. I thought they were magical creatures like unicorns until I saw them at the Sydney Aquarium 4 years ago.

Lee lives in Rushcutter's Bay, but we have gotten out, doing (half of) the coastal walk yesterday from Bondi to Bronte Beach. My mum grew up in Bondi, so we posed for pictures by the Bondi Baths where my mum learned to swim. Sea water fills the pool, and yesterday there were only a few brave souls in wetsuits trying to swim laps as huge waves broke over the side of the pool.

The first day I was here, Lee, his girlfriend Kate and I went to see my cousins for a BBQ. They are loads of fun. Sally B. is actually my second cousin and her 3 kids are my second cousins once removed. The next night Lee and Kate had a BBQ at their flat on the rooftop overlooking the bay. Yes, 2 BBQs in 2 days; that is Australia for you. Remember, it is winter, so it gets pretty cold out of the sun, but this does not seem to phase the Aussie BBQers.

I went swimming at the Cook and Phillip pool as well. I just showed up and paid $6.20 for a swim. There is no need to call ahead and find out when adult lap swimming is because there is always lap swimming in Australian pools. It was a 50 metre pool, which was tough after having been out of the water for 4 weeks, but I felt I had to do at least 2KM to get my $6.20 worth.

Having arrived before the Aussie Swim Team returned from Beijing, I have been glued to the TV to watch their homecoming. You wouldn't believe the reception. The airport was packed for their arrival. First out, Stephanie Rice, who is the darling of Australia after winning 3 golds in Beijing and carrying the flag for Australia at closing ceremonies. The first person to greet her was Aussie PM Kevin Rudd (a.k.a. K-Rudd). While I knew swimmers were big-time down under, I really didn't understand their celebrity until I went out for coffee with Ian T. yesterday. We had to sit at the back of a local coffee shop so as not to attract attention. I really had no idea how different their lives are here in Oz.

Tomorrow I head up to Port Douglas on the Great Barrier Reef for 3 days of R&R. I can't wait to scuba at the reef; it is a livelong dream and certainly something that no swimmer should miss.

Dance, Dance, Revolution

August 21, 2008

Dance, Dance, Revolution

Beijing-My last night here in Beijing and I hit up GT Bananas with the Canadians and my temporary roomie Christine M. It was bananas! Not quite as good as the banana split I had earlier in the week when I went out with the Brazilians, but still fun. The dance-floor was like a trampoline, there were bubbles, and when I used my credit card to pay for a round, I had to follow the waiter all the way to the kitchen where a woman was sitting to process my payment: 9 beers for $30. I only asked for 6, but they kept giving us extras. We also weren't allowed to take our purses in, but after "speaking to the manager" (the only way to get anyone to break the rules for you), they let us in after a $5 cover.

It is supposed to be the hottest club in Beijing and it was certainly going off last night. In between dances with locals who performed perfect video game dance moves, here we were, a group of 10 giant awkward swimmers crowding the bouncy dance-floor. Our night was filled with fun and humour.

Bud House parties take place every other evening, which is why we were going bananas last night. The Speedo party was hot, and Oakley threw a fun one on the roof of a bar, complete with sand and beach umbrellas…I forgot for a moment I was in Beijing. I've been eating dinners at London House, a beautiful venue that welcomed me many nights. Canada House on the other hand is very strict; despite being a two-time Canadian Olympian, I could only get a day pass to visit my friend, swimmer Adam S. The Olympian Reunion Center was in the palace of the grandson of an emperor. It was a breathtaking location, and lovely respite.

Of course, getting to your destination is another story.

The subways here are clean and timely, but there is absolutely no chivalry going on. Men dive-bomb for open seats knocking old ladies out of the way. When Elliot M. tried to give his seat to an elderly woman she blushed and waved her hand no. When I told my taxi driver one day, "Wou ai nee" he too blushed, and put his palm against his cheek giggling with embarrassment. I mean, I really did love him. He actually got me to the place I wanted to go. This is a huge feat in a place where the drivers need the location spelled out in Chinese script and even then they don't know where they are going. While taxis were cheap, I longed for the educated New York cabbie. After handing my hotel's business card with directions in Chinese to each taxi driver, every single one of them proceeded to talk to himself for 5 minutes out loud, then back to me in Chinese, as if I had better instructions for him than the card.

I can't believe it's been 4 days since MP won 8, and the swimming has come to an end. It flew by, especially with the daze that surrounded me for the first half of the meet. I've been to see waterpolo, Dream Team basketball, and Usain Bolt at track to fill the void, but nothing compares to swimming.

I went to the Great Wall with Adam S. and his family. We took a gondola ride up and then a toboggan ride down; it was very fun. I have been to Beijing before, way back in 1993 for World Cup. I also went to Shanghai, and I couldn't tell you if either city has changed. I do remember the Great Wall and the Forbidden City, but I did not go to Tiananmen Square as I did yesterday. I stood there surrounded by Chinese people happily snapping photos in front of Olympic inspired shrubbery and signs. I felt sick and left.

The 2008 Olympic Games were amazing, but I will not miss China. I do not speak Mandarin, and no one speaks English. It takes 10 people to make a decision and at least 20 minutes to discuss it as a collective. If I had had to fill out another form in triplicate just to buy a phone card, I think I would have lost it completely. Everyone was very friendly and I cannot fault the Chinese people for the system thrust upon them, but Communism sucks. The inefficiency is mind-boggling. I have a lot more views on this issue. I blogged for Team Darfur if you are interested: http://www.teamdarfur.org/node/596

Most people shopped until they dropped, buying fake Tumi suitcases to store all their new wares. I didn’t buy anything because I'm not down with counterfeit thievery. But I do have some wonderful memories and stories to tell. The new friends I made and the old friends I got to hang with have made this an amazing 4th Olympic Games. I can't decide if it's the best; it is impossible to measure fun, friendship and swimming adventures. But it certainly was full of great times.

Glamour continued...

Beijing-Life is tough for us small media outlets. As a contributing writer for SwimNews magazine (circulation 4000) I don't have a lot of pull. We have a website, which I think is read by a few dozen die-hard swim fans, but I was told that websites don't count when it comes to who gets priority here at the Water Cube. Although I have accreditation that gets me into the pool, every single swim accredited journo also needs a ticket for finals. I arrived too late to sign up for the first day and was almost out of luck. Canada only got 13 tickets from the IOC for 140 journos. After pleading my case, an extra ticket was found for me. Phew, crisis averted. Since then it's been no problem, which is good, otherwise I would have come all the way to Beijing to watch the swimming on TV in my hotel room.

There is also no free internet access anywhere. You'd think at the Olympic Games there would be, but no, it costs $500. I cannot function without internet access, nor can I do my job. How is one supposed to file her stories on the internet without access to said internet? So I took myself to the Rate Card Help Desk to fill out the required paperwork (in triplicate), then walked to the other end of the MPC to the Bank of China, pulled out my VISA, which is the only card accepted at the Olympic Games, paid a week's salary to the IOC, then marched back to the Rate Card Help Desk to pick up my internet code. I hope that the IOC members enjoy that steak dinner tonight with my hard earned money.

There are a lot of rules here. No hot drinks in the Press Tribunes, no food either. No entry from that entrance and no exit from this one. They do give us free coffee, which is nice and moon cakes, which taste a lot different than they smell. This is definitely a good thing because they smell disgusting. (Why I still tried it, shows the level of my hunger had surpassed rational thought.)

The media areas are divided up into several parts: the Press Tribunes where the press journos sit and the TV and radio people do their thing, the press conference room, the mixed zone and 2 work rooms. The mixed zone is the pit of the pool, where swimmers must walk a mile long gauntlet, often dodging questions being hurled at them by the info starved media. Swimmers must talk to the Broadcast rights holders first (those TV stations that paid the big bucks), then they hit the wire guys and flash quote people, before getting to the print media. By then they are tired, irritated, and usually need to go to warm down or pee in a cup. As a swimmer I understand their pain and personally I hate going down there. It's sad, but most of the newspaper articles you read are written by poor writers stuck in the mixed zone all day, never watching a single race live.

The 2 works zones have naturally divided themselves into areas for real journalists and the area for ex-swimmers who come together once every 4 years to report on swimming. I am of the later even though I do this more often than every 4 years. Upstairs, we prepare for the session, sharing tidbits on athletes and for some, placing bets. There are 4 guys, past Olympic greats from Brazil, Israel, Mexico, and Belgium who have been betting on races. One is up $80. The rest of us, from Britain, Australia, Italy and Canada are happy to talk the talk without walking the walk.

Okay, so you are starting to see that through my complaining, I'm having a blast. I get to hang out with a bunch of swimmers and talk swimming all day. On top of it, I get to watch the greatest breakthroughs our sport has ever seen and then write about it for swim junkies like myself.

I'm not going to lie, the nights are also pretty darn fun. Sleep deprivation is occurring, but it's worth it. Everything is a destination here: the first night it was the Budweiser House with free Bud (and fortunately Coronas), then there are the national houses; tonight I am hitting up Canada House, and of course the corporate sponsor parties. Last night Jenny T., Sean J., and I went from Oakley to Nike meeting up with all sorts of old friends. Elliot M., and Sean R., are having a blast so all is well at Hotel Dryden. The only sad thing is that this year there are no Sports Illustrated parties. Trust me, the one I went to in Athens was the best party of my life. I have a feeling the 'Bud House' will not quite reach that level.

So maybe I'm wrong, maybe my life is pretty glamorous. Sometimes it feels like that, sometimes, it doesn't, but in the end it's all part of the ride.

A Day in the Life-Glamorous You Say?

Beijing-It is raining today, which is already not very glamorous, but it is time to put to rest those rumours of my charmed life. Yes, I have posed in Glamour magazine wearing a "tent" dress and yes I am here at the Water Cube watching history unfold, however this post will be about the not-so-glam side of being a press accredited member of the Olympic Games.

My hotel is great this year, which is a far cry from the brothel I stayed at in Athens. It really was a brothel that had been "renovated" for the Games. The first night Duncan W., swimmer friend from Brown was going to be crashing on my floor for a few hours before he caught a boat to the islands. He called from the airport to say he had landed and I said, "Okay, call from the lobby when you get here and I will come down and get you." At about 3am the door to my hotel room opened (there was no way to lock it from the inside) and the front desk guy was letting my friend into my room. Sweet.

So, my hotel here is great and breakfast is included, but we pre-clear security at the hotel before boarding the bus to the Olympic Green. I beep every time and I don't think the woman who "wands" me realizes that the wand is used to detect metal, not as a pat down technique. Nevertheless, it is fast and easy, just like the woman makes me feel.

Did I mention that there are no less than 12 people who facilitate the process of me going through pre-security clearance and getting on my bus? I am usually the one of about 3 people being serviced. The nice thing about the bus is we get to drive in the "Olympic Lane" which means no traffic.

We are dropped off at the Main Press Center or MPC as it is known. Then we must walk a mile to get to the pool. Every 10th time I make this walk a golf cart drives by and I hitch a ride, but it is getting to be a really long walk when I don't. NBC has their own fleet of carts, some with TODAY show on the side. Despite seeing my forlorn face standing in the rain, the yahoos driving whiz by with empty seats ignoring my pleas to stop. My first job in NYC was at NBC news. I think I will start watching Good Morning America.

To be continued…

Lost in Translation

Beijing, the Water Cube-It has been a whirlwind since I arrived in Beijing almost 4 days ago. I wasn't sure if I was suffering jetlag or it was just the smog, but I've been lightheaded the whole time. It could also be the ridiculous swimming I'm privileged to watch here each day at the Water Cube, which sends goose-bumps up my whole body. In my 18 years of competitive swimming, I have never seen a race like the men's 4x100 free this morning. Jason L. shot himself to god-like status with that effort. I was shaking with such excitement; I could barely type for the next hour. Unlike many of the other journos here in the press tribunes, I am unabashedly biased and will let my emotions go when I see something like that. It was awesome.

Sadly, I'm not kidding about the smog…it is actually in the pool too. Yesterday it rained so today you could actually see about 200 metres in front of you and the haze inside the Water Cube had lifted, but the first 2 days was pretty depressing. I have yet to wear the mask I bought at Duane Reade (that is made in China), but if things don't clear up my lungs might force my hand.

The pool is right in the heart of the Olympic Green, and the stadium, a.k.a. the Bird's Nest, is as breathtaking as the Water Cube is unique. The only problem with the pool is that once inside you can't really see the bubbles unless you are in the pool. It is a special treat just for backstrokers.

There are way too many volunteers and workers here. I can't walk 5 metres without someone saying "Ni Hao" and jumping on me to examine my accreditation. It is very easy for me (while suffering from sleep deprivation) to get highly irritated by this and it's taking everything I have to try to be nice. I mean they are only doing their jobs, but it is already my most unfavourite visible effect of the Communist system. Too many workers, too few things to do.

And that's just the volunteers. There are at least 6 different types of security personnel here. The army guys in full camo, even have camouflage high top sneakers. Mona, I will try to trade a pair and bring them back for you. Other guards wear little white gloves when they search through my bag and make me drink the water in my bottle.

Of course, everyone is extremely lovely here. And if they can, they are ready and willing to help. The only problem is that I don't speak Chinese and they don't speak English. Sign language is my new form of "communication," a term I use very lightly. Picture me miming "where is the toilet?" and you will start to get an idea of my life here.

I must go watch swimming now, but I will end with my favourite Chinese-ism that comes from my hotel bathroom shower door: "Pays attention to the stair, before the use, invites the shop well turban, thanks." Ten points for anyone who can decipher that one.

Wherever I go, I will always have swimming

Somewhere over the North Pole-In case you didn't get it from the title, I'm a swimmer and I have adventures. Most of the time my adventures are because of swimming. Today is the beginning of a new set of just these adventures.

I'm on the plane on my way to Beijing for my 4th Olympic Games. It's my second as an observer after two as a participant. As I took my seat for my 13 hour flight, my college swim coach Matt K. appears and sits down beside me. I am absolutely giddy.

But this is par for the course with my swimming adventures. Our world is small and interconnected. Before I start on the present, I will tell you my favourite story from the past.

In 2005, after the bar exam, I was in the midst of planning a trip to Pakistan. I was going to visit Right To Play programs and I had promised the head coach of the Pakistan Women's National Team I would come visit her and her swimmers. I had met Veena M. back in 2002 at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, which was the first time Pakistani women were able to compete in mixed (i.e. men and women) competition. The reason? The new Speedo bodysuits covered their bodies sufficiently to conform to Islamic Code, allowing them to swim in front of men.

Since I was going to Pakistan, I thought, I would also visit a friend who was living in Sri Lanka (another swimmer who I met in Athens). Since I was now doing a South Asia tour, I figured I had to hit up India as well, however I was lamenting to my parents on the phone that while I had swim connections in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, I didn’t know anyone in India. My Dad, who lives in western Canada with my Mum, said that his old high school coach in Australia had spent some time in India and maybe he knew someone. My Dad then called up his coach Eric A. in Australia who said, why yes, he did know someone, a famous Indian swimmer named Khajan S. Unfortunately they had lost touch and he didn't know how to find him.

My Dad called me back in New York with this information and I set about Googling Khajan S. All I could find was the email address of the Youth Minister for Sport in India and emailed them asking for Mr. Khajan S.'s phone number. Within a day they had emailed me back with 3 numbers. I forwarded them on to my Dad, who took it upon himself to cold call New Delhi. When he got on the phone with Mr. Khajan S, and introduced himself as the swimmer of Eric A. from Australia and the father of an Olympic swimmer, Khajan S. didn't lose a beat. He welcomed me into his home and asked for my flight arrival details. He was there to pick me up and I stayed with him and his family for one incredible week. Everywhere I went, I was introduced as the daughter of a man who also swam for the great Australian coach, Eric A.

Now you can see why I named my blog with the longest and most ridiculous title in the world. It is the only one that fits.