Of course Arnie’s playing golf

Click on the pictures for larger versions.
It was a very short night last evening (must keep your priorities straight). Lance and I had a 9:30 a.m. tee time and the course was an hour and one half drive by taxi (more on that later).  We returned from the match with Serbia (a big win 3-2) after a short celebration at the gym with fans and Lloy and had a Big Mac (They stay open 24 hours).  The match was exciting and we are all thankful for the win and a chance to play in the medal round beginning tomorrow at 12:30 our time.  Lloy is doing as well as can be expected for a 36 year old.  His calf is doing fine, but he did turn an ankle a little in the last set so he is nursing it today.  We do not see him as he stays at the village to prepare with practice and video and therapy.  It rained here most of the day, but did not keep Lance and I from playing (18 holes with two rain delays) at the Golf Course of Beining.  It is a beautiful course with many trees.  Hopefully the pictures that are attached you can recieive to appreciate the beauty.  We rented clubs, shoes, balls (had to buy) and a Chinese caddy (young lady).  She was great and helped us mud through the rain.

The sauna room and shower after felt great and allowed me to take a nap (deserved) as I did not get to sleep  last night till 5:30am.  Couldn’t sleep after doing my blog, just too keyed up.  Tonight we went to the Mexican Wave resturant with Mexican food cooked by Chinese cooks.  Went to Dairy Queen (Yes, Lee there is Dairy Queen here) for ice cream.  Came home did this blog played some cards with Dyer and going to bed.  BIG day tomorrow.

I and our family have heard from so many of you and we appreciate ALL your support.  We can hear you cheering half way around the world for Lloy and the U.S. team.   KEEP IT UP.

God Bless

Arnie

They don’t serve this in Fort Wayne

Started the day off slowly by getting up and going to the Capitol gym (where we play) and selling some match tickets for the other quarterfinals.  We had to buy tickets for all the matches not knowing what sessions we would play and then hope that you can sell the ones you don’t need.  (Not a problem here).  Then I agreed to do a dumb thing, go back to the super store with Sandy and Lance.  Wow, these two can shop.  It was a good trip as they got what they wanted and I go to see the Bird’s nest up close as well as the cube.  The Olympic Green is a huge place and very well done with beautiful flowers and fountains.

Then home for a nap to get ready for the big night.  You thought I was talking about the match but not so fast.  First, we stopped at the Night market (looks like junk food alley at the Three Rivers Festival) except there are no elephant ears, just fish eyes, fish heads, chicken (what else?), dumplings, scorpians and any other kind of organ from an animal (including dog) that you would ever want.  The picture that I sent will show that the scoripian is not so bad (much better than it looks).  This was all finished off with strawberries on a stick with some kind of sweet icing (man where they good). Click on the picture for a larger version.

  Now on the the good stuff.  WE WON 3-2 of Serbia in a very exciting and close match.  The fun began when the Serbian fans decided to sit in front of us and stand up and in the aisles so we couldn’t see.  It got a little contested and the security folks got involved.  Didn’t get a lot better so a couple of college students from China (studying in the States) took charge and got us seats in the first row on the court.
Take that you Serbians. 

The match went back and forth, they won #1, we won @2, they won #3 and we won #4 and then came #5.  We fell behind 7-4 came storming back and took a 13-10 lead on a great block by Clay Stanley, and great dig by Lloy and a stupendous spike by Read Priddy.  All of us (Americans) lost our  voices and screamed to the top our lungs during the 5th and after the match.  (Take that you Serbians.) They were very nice after the match.  

We play Russia next on Friayday at noon, midnight Thursday  for you all.God Bless from Beijing

Arnie

 

USA vs. Serbia results

For his second Olympics in a row, at the very least Lloy Ball will get to play for a medal.

The Woodburn native and former IPFW all-American won a personal duel with Serbian setter Nikola Grbic in a match-up of four-time Olympians as the U.S. won 20-25, 25-23, 21-25, 25-18, 15-12 in the quartrerfinals this morning. The U.S. trailed throughout the match and fell behind 7-4 in the fifth game before rallying.

The U.S. will play Russia in the semifinals Friday at 12:30 a.m., Fort Wayne time. The Russians beat Bulgaria 3-1. The other semifinal matches Italy against Brazil after the Italians upset Poland 3-1 and Brazil crushed the host Chinese 3-0. The bronze and gold medal matches will be played late Saturday night.

The Americans struggled to pass serve throughout the match and contain Serbia’s Ivan Miljkovich, the world’s best hitter. Miljkovic finished with 23 kills, but the U.S. block figured him out in the fifth game, limiting him to one kill. The U.S. trailed 7-4 after a missed touch call against them, but Ball continually mixed up his choices to keep the Serbian defense guessing.

The teams had met twice last month at the World League finals in Brazil with the Serbians taking the preliminary match 3-0 and the Americans winning the championship match 3-1.

–Blake Sebring

Visiting the Great Wall

This particular day (Tuesday) deserves it’s own blog. Today we started out at 9 a.m. on a trip with “Sunflower” Lee (yes that is her name). She is a travel guide I met and she arranged a tour for 26 of us to the Great Wall today. A air-conditioned bus with a tour guide (doesn’t get any better than that).

We went to Mutianyu which is the least touristy of the three public places to visit the wall. After walking through a maze of shops selling everything (they are everywhere) we road gondola to the top of the wall. What a beautiful ride (straight up). Once to the top of the wall, the fun begins. It stretchs as far as you can see and you can see all of the mountain tops for miles upon miles. We began the walk which seemed not so far (what a mistake that was), stopping many times to catch our breath (the wall goes up/down/up/down and then up/down), and you are high in the mountains and the sun is very warm. You literally can stop every few steps and take a picture or pictures.

There is no way to imagine how this was built or how many people’s lives where given to build such a spectacle. After reaching our destination (have no idea how long), we rode (all of us) a toboggan down the mountain. Each one of us had our own sled (you can go very fast or slow — fast is a lot more fun). No seat belt, no helmet just GO !!! Then onto the bus to dinner (a full couse meal of rice, chiken, beef, green beans, dumplings and a very COLD BEER). Then back to Beijnig we went through the many corn fields, bean fields etc. Upon our arrival back ALL gave “Sunflower” an ovation for the great trip she provided.

I promised her that if friends from Fort Wayne came to visit I would recommend her, so let me know the next time you are traveling to Beijing.

We play Serbia tomorrow evening in the quarterfinals. They are a very good team and a must win for the USA.

God Bless and we hope you are all watching and cheering for USA.

Arnie

Arnie goes shopping — again!

NOW the real work begins. Pool play is over and we finished 5-0 (first place). Got to play Servia (2000 Gold medalists) on Wednesday evening at 10:00pm our time. Follows the China vs Brazil match (will be a full house once again and loud).

Had a slow day yesterday (if there is such a thing) and went to the Silk market. I reported that the Pearl Market and the Super Store were crazy (I lied). This place is nuts. They grab you, you get away, they grab you again and you get away and then you touch something and you would think you were honey the way they swarm. This market has it all (you name it and it is here). Sandy bought a couple of items, and it was fun to watch her bargain. She is getting better but the best way for us to bargin is with USA pins. You pull one out and the fun begins and prices get reduced significantly. It is so much fun!!!!!

Oh did I mention Lance Adams tried to buy out the market, the market won. After this crazy experience we met Rex and Lisa Ours (former player who lives in California) for dinner at the DaDong Roasted Duck. This is a very nice resturant, but not that I think Coach Johnson (Denny Johnson) would spend much time at. The food was certainly Chinese as we watched them carve the duck at the table. It was tasty and so far I am handling it ok.

We are headed to the Great Wall today and I will try and attach a couple of pictures from our trip. Last story for the day, (x-rated) we have witnessed young (small children) with slits in their shorts in the back, and moms and dads hang the child over the curb or where ever and let it go. No pampers, diapers etc. It is something you have to get used to. Sorry, told you it was x-rated. Final note: once again we had a very good weather day.

Take care and God Bless from Beijing.

Arnie

Lights out

Lights out, lights out. Sarah, Dyer aand Sandy came home two night ago and the power was off.  Seems they forget to tell us that you need a PRE-PAID electricty card to keep the lights on.  $1,000 RMB (Chinese currency is called Renminbi “people’s money,” often abbreviated as RMB) later and the neighbor boy crossing wires they had power once again.  Just another day in Beijing.

The weather has been very good and the sun is out today with little humidity.  They have stopped ALL construction work here for the duration of the games.  You travel all over the city and see high rise cranes doing nothing.

We visited the Summer Palace yesterday and took a paddle boat out onto a huge lake.  This is a place for the reigning dynasty to summer vacation.  Sandy and I found the super store yesterday (a large shopping store/Sandy was in heaven) full of Olympic apparrel.  It took us a taxi ride, a bus ride (not sure where we were going) and a long walk to get there.  Obviously  the Chinese economy is good and this place is a MAD house. However, we are done shopping (I think/you never know with Sandy).  A heck of a way to celebrate your 40th wedding annivesary. 

The store is in the Olympic park and the Bird’s nest and Bubble are incredible at night, TV does not do it justice.  We play Japan tonight at 10 p.m. and then on Wednesday Serbia at 10 a.m.  (editor’s note: The Japan match is at 10 a.m., Monday in Fort Wayne/Serbia is 10 p.m., Tuesday) The team is healthy and anxious to play again.

We are going to take a trip to the Wall tomorrow and will have a report after.

Hope all is well in the Fort.

God Bless

Arnie

Grandson takes after Grandpa

Another beautiful day here in Beijing.  The USA team defeated China 3-0 and Lloy did not play.  We play Japan tomrrow (Monday) for the final match of pool play and then it appears we will play Serbia on Wednesday at 10 a.m. our time (10 p.m., Tuesday, your time).  Coach Hugh came back to the team yesterday and it was good to see him. 

Dyer is still the pin trading king and is all over ANY one who will trade (especially picks on younger women. He must take after his grandfather, according to grandma).  Once again the weather was great today for siteseeing (so we did).  After the match we went to Tian’anmen Square (what a huge place). They have it blocked off but you can look and take pictures.  Across the street is the Forbidden city (Sandy, Lance and I) went and had lunch there before we toured.  (Lunch was different — Chinese in a place that was not so clean, but we where hungry so we gave it our best shot/not sick yet)  Then on to the tour (took us about 2 hours of looking and taking pictures of palaces, palaces, palaces and more palaces.

Then off to meet Lloy at family and friends (he is doing good, and his leg seems to be healing).  Says he will play some against Japan to prepare for the quaterfinals on Wednesday.  Had a mother of one of the players on the team get caught in a stall in the bathroom (not willing to identify person) but did need to take the door of the stall to get her out. Fun for all the rest of us. 

Finally, found Hooters for supper and a couple of cold ones.  Our server was imported from Hong Kong for the games.  Rex and Lisa Ours (Rex played for me in the early 80’s) arrived today and we look forward to spending some time with them.  Least I forget (how small this world is) the other day I reported we met some folks from Valpo in the pearl store. Today at the match we met some folks from Woodburn, IN. (The Johnson’s, theirparents live on RT 101.

Hope all is well.   God bless.

Arnie

Taking a day off in China

Today was an off day fof the team as they prepare for China at 10 a.m. this moring (Saturday). So we didn’t sit around and do nothing, we headed off to the Beijing zoo. I have never seen so many panda bears (actually I had seen one panda bear till today). We had a great time as the zoo is very well done and full of young people trying to escape their parents (just like home). The day was the best so far (blue skies, lower humidity and a slight breeze). We got spoiled today and hope to have many more (at least 10 more) just like it until we leave.

The games seem to be going well as ALL we come in contact with are still very excited about the games being here and the team from China doing well. Tonight we ate at Grandma’s kitchen (yes it had American food/served and prepared by Chinese employees). The service was good and the food very tasty.
Spent the remaider of the day at the family and friends hosted by the Bank of America (doing just that — visiting with family and friends). Time for bed must get up early to cheer for USA volleyball.

Meeting some friends

It is 2 a.m. on Friday morning here, and I am just returning along with the family from a VERY long day.  But a VERY good day.  WE WON 3-1 vs Bulgaria and now are 3-0 in the pool play.  We play China at 10:00a.m. here on Saturday in a match that will be very wild and crazy.  They (China) defeated Japan tonight 3-2 in front of 18,000 plus.

I witnessed an experience tonight that is what the OLYMPICS are all about.  Dyer (my grandson/Lloy’s son) met a young man named Gus tonight at the match. Gus lives here and cheered for the USA all night.  He spoke very good English and he and Dyer exchanged pins and stories and became good friends in just a very few short minutes. Now that is what this is all about.

It rained a LOT here today and seemed to cool things down a little.  Spent most of today site-seeing. We went to see the Prayer Temple. It was beatutiful and built in the 1500’s.  Then on to the world famous Pearl Market (not good on my pocketbook).  WOW, if you are into shopping and bartering this is the place. Five floors of whatever you want and two floors of pearls, pearls, and more pearls.  This is how it works, you go to the market and go immediately to the top floor (after stopping on the first floor looking for bargains (Sandy, Sarah, Dyer and Lance Adams (a friend of ours and the most craziest of the bunch) before prceeding to the top. 

You walk into the first pearl shop you come to with your IPFW men’s volleyball t-shirt on  and a guy says, “Don’t I know you?”  I didn’t think so, but he knew of IPFW men’s volleyball as he and his wife were from Valpariso (you got to kidding/no I am not).  Here is the best part: their very best friend (who  is along) has been living in Beijing for the past few years and knows the owner of the pearl shop and says it is the best place to shop with the best  bargains.  So we stayed, and stayed and stayed (after all it is Sandy and I’s 40th wedding anniversary in two days (August 17).  I believe she did quite well, along with some others that SHE shopped for.

Then on to lunch and this time we went for the real stuff. We had a great luch at Chinese resturant (fried beef, green beens, noddles, egg rolls, fried apples and TWO large bottles of very cold Chinese beer.  I could have some more, but we needed to get bact to go to the game.

WOW what a day.  Who knows what tomorrow will bring, but it will be good.

God bless you ALL.

U.S.-Bulgaria results

If you’d like to know what happened this morning, check out the comments or you can skip it if you’d prefer to wait and watch the match tonight on NBC.