Can’t really remember what day I am up to as they have kind
of all melted into one.
Monday night and we have a round table Chinese banquet dinner meeting of the WBF Youth Committee. The major item is to discuss the venue for next year’s World Youth Pairs with Orlando being the front runner. The issue here is that costs are much higher and there can be visa issues for Muslim Countries wishing to attend. Other options are Italy, Croatia and Poland but with a desire to geographically diversify and the last congress being in Opatija in Croatia I am guessing Orlando will win. Its almost certain that I will get an invitation to attend and “work” there so late August is a block on my calendar.
Monday night and we have a round table Chinese banquet dinner meeting of the WBF Youth Committee. The major item is to discuss the venue for next year’s World Youth Pairs with Orlando being the front runner. The issue here is that costs are much higher and there can be visa issues for Muslim Countries wishing to attend. Other options are Italy, Croatia and Poland but with a desire to geographically diversify and the last congress being in Opatija in Croatia I am guessing Orlando will win. Its almost certain that I will get an invitation to attend and “work” there so late August is a block on my calendar.
Tuesday morning and they take a great photo of all the attendees. With Chris Compton arriving to join his wife who is captaining one of the USA teams and whose daughter is playing in the Girls series we manage to co-opt him to commentate and get a much needed session off. I get back to the hotel at 17:00 and flop on the bed managing to wake up just ten minutes before the continuation of last night's meeting over drinks in the bar while eating some excellent Sashimi and Udon from the hotel's Japanese restaurant.
I break from my routine and actually send my laundry to the hotel but with a shirt, trousers and underwear costing $A10 in total I feel I can treat myself.
The Australian U26 and U20 teams have done very well finishing 3rd and 6th respectively and making the 56 board quarter final and both playing reasonable USA teams but with carry forwards in favour of Australia.
I am not in the photo as I am racing inside to get my own camera and of course they used the photo they took before I got back - oh well.
The event has been going very smoothly with the only real complaint being the lack of western toilets. My view is that if this is the only complaint then you are running a great event. The other complaint of same KFC lunches every day has been solved with adding KFC Asian food which has been well received.
Taicang has a lot of the old world new world charm of Shanghai but perhaps without the old world physical aspects of Shanghai. Baby shoes $A2 a pair anybody.....
I should talk a little about traffic in China. Cars drive on the wrong side of the road, drive through red lights, have no respect for pedestrian crossings or traffic lights, honk their horns when nobody is in sight, drive at night without lights, share the road with bikes and motorcycles but it just simply works. The cars often come within millimetres of each other but there is no animosity or aggression simply a strong desire to get to their destination.
I must say I am really enjoying myself - it is relaxing (albeit tiring) and being surrounded by a lot of good bridge friends is a nice combination. If I have a complaint it is that it is very tiring commentating for 48 boards or 7 hours a day - I know I like talking but.....
Australia U20 fall over in the Quarter Finals while the U26 team advances to the Semis only to lose by a large margin to the Netherlands who combined good bridge with good luck to make the margin look larger than it should perhaps have seemed.
Friday afternoon and I am struck by a bad cold and sore throat - no unexpected going into and out of the air-conditioning. I go to the doctor on site who offers me two antibiotic tablets and says come back tomorrow. A phone call to Judy Snow confirms that antibiotics for a week so I photocopy the box he offered me the two tablets from and manage to secure a course of 16 at the nearby pharmacy. I have an Udon soup in the room and amazingly they come to collect the tray within 10 minutes yes 10 minutes to collect the tray - even I don't eat THAT quickly.
Next morning - my last day in China and I am glad that I haven't started the antibiotics as, even though the cold is in full swing, my throat and chest aren't too bad. I finish packing as there is limited time in the afternoon and head back to the venue for the last 32 of 80 boards of the finals in the three divisions.
While Poland win the U20 and Girls by large margins the U26 is amazingly tight with the lead changing hands many many times. In the end the Netherlands beat Israel 180-179.3 and on the very last hand.
There is a very nice presentation ceremony at the venue followed by a closing dinner at my hotel which I have to leave at 20:30 (started at 19:30) to head for the airport. On my bus is the president of the WBF and I find out that next year's youth is in Atlanta to which I am likely to get an invite even though there is no VuGraph and the following year, a repeat of this event, could be in Ismir Turkey, Luca in Tuscany or Posnan Poland - guess which one I do not want to go to.
Also the 2014 World Championships for which I will be invited will be in my beloved Istanbul - all sounds good for future events and places where I may be invited to work.
I really enjoy China and while I am "over" big Asian cities I truly love Shanghai and have enjoyed the Bridge Tournament, the work and the people. That said France has a lot of appeal right now: there I am much more comfortable with the language, cuisine and surrounds.
Arrive at the airport for the flight from hell. An old Airbus A340 with the seat in front of me only 25cm from my nose and super narrow seats which were so uncomfortable that I had to take two anti inflammatory tabs for my back. The meals were inedible - even after 11 days for KFC lunch I would have preferred KFC to what they dished up.
We arrive at Paris and of course.....steps and bus and in usual French arrogance you have to walk up stairs where the bus drops you. The Immigration officer I say hello and have a nice day and he just scowls at me. Collect my luggage and walk inter-terminal shuttle train to catch the the RER fast train to Paris. I buy the ticket having to use my credit card because the machine only takes 1 Euro coins for a 9.75 Euro fare - welcome to France. After 30 minutes they say there is a delay and will be another 43 minutes. I schlep my luggage up the stairs because there is only a down escalator.
I demand and yes demand it was a refund on my ticket to be told "pas possible" after some more demanding a refund was now "oui possible". I negotiate a 45 Euro taxi to take me to my hotel and have a lovely conversation with the Haitian driver who is shocked when I work out that he works for 4 Euros an hour 77 hours a week. He has an accounting qualification but likes the freedom that driving a taxi gives him - sounds like slavery to me. I felt sorry for him and give him a 5 Euro tip.
I am all ready for the hotel to say "sorry sir it is only 09:00 and check in time is 15:00" but no a room is ready and I check in have a bath (yes a bath) and go for a walk.
I know the area very well having stayed at the same hotel (Mercure Cusset Opera) for a week a few years ago. I head straight for the Seggafreddo coffee shop for a great Latte and have a sporadic lunch of Prawn Salad, Apple Compote and a third of a Nutella and Banana Crepe - oh and a few mini macaroons - amazed how cheap things are here - Latte $A3.50, Prawn Salad $A7.00 and Crepe (huge) $A4.70.
People don't believe me when I tell them how cheap Europe has become - Oh and the hotel $A120.
I walk for around 5kms which is much needed as with the heat and humidity I hardly did any walking in Taicang. I came across an area new to me Montchgueil - a blocked off street with lots of bistros, coffee shops, fish shops, fruit shops etc - quaint and nice to walk along.
Now things are strange when I look into the shop window selling prams but here you go. Recaro are the makers of the world's most coveted car seats including racing car seats so I have decided that my grandchildren deserve nothing less than a Recaro pram....
Bought some breakfast.....
And had to take a pic of my son-in-law's favourites....
I have four full days in Paris which will be nice and friends of mine, the Krochmaliks are staying in the same hotel during that time. I have booked one of my favourite restaurants in Paris, Petite Pontoise (recommended by the Cornells) but unfortunately the other one I wanted to go to La Souffle (all courses Souffles) is closed for Summer holidays. I'm sure we'll find something good anyway.
So enough for now
Best to all
XD
The event has been going very smoothly with the only real complaint being the lack of western toilets. My view is that if this is the only complaint then you are running a great event. The other complaint of same KFC lunches every day has been solved with adding KFC Asian food which has been well received.
Taicang has a lot of the old world new world charm of Shanghai but perhaps without the old world physical aspects of Shanghai. Baby shoes $A2 a pair anybody.....
I must say I am really enjoying myself - it is relaxing (albeit tiring) and being surrounded by a lot of good bridge friends is a nice combination. If I have a complaint it is that it is very tiring commentating for 48 boards or 7 hours a day - I know I like talking but.....
Australia U20 fall over in the Quarter Finals while the U26 team advances to the Semis only to lose by a large margin to the Netherlands who combined good bridge with good luck to make the margin look larger than it should perhaps have seemed.
Friday afternoon and I am struck by a bad cold and sore throat - no unexpected going into and out of the air-conditioning. I go to the doctor on site who offers me two antibiotic tablets and says come back tomorrow. A phone call to Judy Snow confirms that antibiotics for a week so I photocopy the box he offered me the two tablets from and manage to secure a course of 16 at the nearby pharmacy. I have an Udon soup in the room and amazingly they come to collect the tray within 10 minutes yes 10 minutes to collect the tray - even I don't eat THAT quickly.
Next morning - my last day in China and I am glad that I haven't started the antibiotics as, even though the cold is in full swing, my throat and chest aren't too bad. I finish packing as there is limited time in the afternoon and head back to the venue for the last 32 of 80 boards of the finals in the three divisions.
While Poland win the U20 and Girls by large margins the U26 is amazingly tight with the lead changing hands many many times. In the end the Netherlands beat Israel 180-179.3 and on the very last hand.
There is a very nice presentation ceremony at the venue followed by a closing dinner at my hotel which I have to leave at 20:30 (started at 19:30) to head for the airport. On my bus is the president of the WBF and I find out that next year's youth is in Atlanta to which I am likely to get an invite even though there is no VuGraph and the following year, a repeat of this event, could be in Ismir Turkey, Luca in Tuscany or Posnan Poland - guess which one I do not want to go to.
Also the 2014 World Championships for which I will be invited will be in my beloved Istanbul - all sounds good for future events and places where I may be invited to work.
I really enjoy China and while I am "over" big Asian cities I truly love Shanghai and have enjoyed the Bridge Tournament, the work and the people. That said France has a lot of appeal right now: there I am much more comfortable with the language, cuisine and surrounds.
Arrive at the airport for the flight from hell. An old Airbus A340 with the seat in front of me only 25cm from my nose and super narrow seats which were so uncomfortable that I had to take two anti inflammatory tabs for my back. The meals were inedible - even after 11 days for KFC lunch I would have preferred KFC to what they dished up.
We arrive at Paris and of course.....steps and bus and in usual French arrogance you have to walk up stairs where the bus drops you. The Immigration officer I say hello and have a nice day and he just scowls at me. Collect my luggage and walk inter-terminal shuttle train to catch the the RER fast train to Paris. I buy the ticket having to use my credit card because the machine only takes 1 Euro coins for a 9.75 Euro fare - welcome to France. After 30 minutes they say there is a delay and will be another 43 minutes. I schlep my luggage up the stairs because there is only a down escalator.
I demand and yes demand it was a refund on my ticket to be told "pas possible" after some more demanding a refund was now "oui possible". I negotiate a 45 Euro taxi to take me to my hotel and have a lovely conversation with the Haitian driver who is shocked when I work out that he works for 4 Euros an hour 77 hours a week. He has an accounting qualification but likes the freedom that driving a taxi gives him - sounds like slavery to me. I felt sorry for him and give him a 5 Euro tip.
I am all ready for the hotel to say "sorry sir it is only 09:00 and check in time is 15:00" but no a room is ready and I check in have a bath (yes a bath) and go for a walk.
I know the area very well having stayed at the same hotel (Mercure Cusset Opera) for a week a few years ago. I head straight for the Seggafreddo coffee shop for a great Latte and have a sporadic lunch of Prawn Salad, Apple Compote and a third of a Nutella and Banana Crepe - oh and a few mini macaroons - amazed how cheap things are here - Latte $A3.50, Prawn Salad $A7.00 and Crepe (huge) $A4.70.
I walk for around 5kms which is much needed as with the heat and humidity I hardly did any walking in Taicang. I came across an area new to me Montchgueil - a blocked off street with lots of bistros, coffee shops, fish shops, fruit shops etc - quaint and nice to walk along.
Now things are strange when I look into the shop window selling prams but here you go. Recaro are the makers of the world's most coveted car seats including racing car seats so I have decided that my grandchildren deserve nothing less than a Recaro pram....
Bought some breakfast.....
So enough for now
Best to all
XD
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