patrickanderson.ca

Well, I’ve been in China less that a week, and I’ve already upset someone or something. I can’t access my blog, which means I have to rely on Jody at the CWBA office to post for me (thanks Jody). But it’s frustrating to say the least. I’ve contacted wordpress.com seeking advice or at least commisserations, but I haven’t heard from them. Oh well. The cost of doing Olympic business in China I guess.

We left Vancouver last Saturday around noon. Bear and I used upgrade certificates to secure business class pods with seats that recline into beds, which means that my expectations for overseas air travel have skyrocketed and I will never be happy in economy class again.

After a blissful trip, our plane landed in the early afternoon, just before halftime of the Olympic basketball final between the USA and Spain. A good omen perhaps. Or a bad one, considering we weren’t able to watch the second half, despite the half dozen giant TV screens in the terminal all showing the game, because our bus was waiting. I guess someone forgot to inform our hosts that I’d been getting up at 5am in Vancouver to watch those games live, and was heavily invested in seeing how the thing turned out. So I threw a minor hissy fit, before being shamed into the bus by my teammates, craning my neck the whole way to catch one last glimpse.

The short drive to our training location was unimpeded by traffic thanks to the designated Paralympic lane on the highway, and by the time we got there, I had cooled off…a little. The smiles and courtesy that greeted us (again, as they had at the airport) combined with a good bit of venting dissipated the last of my foul mood. The precise organization and many hands on deck had us relaxing in our rooms within minutes. Joey was already there, having flown in from Germany, and he filled us in on the outcome of the basketball game.

From there, we settled into the usual training camp routine. Two on court sessions a day, with a video session in the evening. A few poker games flared up here and there. We burned through DVD’s like nobody’s business. In Joey’s and my room, it was The Office – the BBC version. I made it through the first disc, before Joey scooped me by waking up at two in the morning and watching the entire first season.

Jet lag, he claims. By the time I woke up the next morning, he was on to the second disc and I was on the waiting list. Luckily, I came more than prepared. I had Band of Brothers to tie me over, not to mention more than a few books, and a guitar. I really don’t know how much time I’ll have for basketball while I’m here. I have a lot to get through.

The time we did spend playing basketball seemed to yield increasingly better results. Without giving any trade secrets away, we’ve made some adjustments just in the nick of time, and we’re hitting our stride. Our focus and execution is improving. Our hustle is there, but I wouldn’t say it’s as exceptional as it’s been in the past. I suppose we should lament this development, but maybe it’s part of

being a veteran team. Even though many of the faces are familiar, we

can’t recreate who we were in 2000 or 2004. This team is different, though hopefully its result won’t be.

I’ve been asked many times over the past few weeks whether I’m excited. My answer has been “I will be”, which must be a decent response, cause I heard Jaimie using it a few days ago. He’s always stealing my lines. I steal his too though, come to think of it.

Anyway, the point is, this team will have a shorter peak than past teams. In 2000, I remember riding a wave of excitement and anticipation all summer long. It was my first time, and I think it’s fair to say that it was Canada’s first time as a favorite to win. In 2004, there was an fierce intensity about our purpose, which was not simply to win, but to win big. This time around, there’s a certainly vulnerability to our team. I think it’s perceived from within and without. Do we still have it? Physically, emotionally, psychologically…is it still there? The body’s warm, but is the heart beating?

Ok, that was slightly ridiculous. Is that supposed to mean that our team might be a corpse? If it is, then I’m off my rocker. We’re not dead, we just look a little weary at times. But getting back to the excitement and short peak idea, the test for us will be digging deep and raising our game at the right time. Whether this is the ideal way to approach our task, I won’t say. It is what it is. Wish us luck.

Here are a few photos from our day off. We spent last Thursday visiting the Summer Palace and the Silk Market. I’d been to the Summer Palace before, but not with rock star status and a battalion of soldiers as escorts. I wonder if they know that we were just the tip of the iceberg. That place is going to be crawling with wheelchairs.

The silk market was every barterer’s dream, and every sensory overload sufferer’s worst nightmare, which is why I sunk into a comfortable chair at the cafe next door and read a book.