Day 13: day 2 of WG flying disc

i think i've got all my pics updated, w/ the exception of some videos that I wasn't patient enough to wait for the uploads...
today's: http://picasaweb.google.com/angela71/Day13WGFdD2?feat=directlink

So today, the USA team basically dominated w/ no troubles. Taipei in the am. I was expecting a larger crowd, but Rella reminded us that it’s Monday so people were prob at work. We kept up all our cheers, even though the game was not close at all. Also, Matt Tsang is around. I didn’t see him until after the morning USA game (we walked upstairs to take a look at the view from there, watched japan v Canada in the last morning round – good game that japan won by a couple).

For lunch we walked through the central park area (park itself was ok – cool subway stop) looking for a restaurant (Lai Lai Seafood bbq) that ended up being closed – maybe they just do dinner. Went to another restaurant down the street that had a table full of seamen in it, smoking and drinking. Johnny Wang, and his friend Mason who thinks Hualien is fucking paradise… they were the only ones who could speak English I think. They gave us their bottle of Taiwan Beer (the last one in the house, though the restaurant went to get more). Talked to us a bit. Later, as they were leaving, and after he said that I should just speak English b/c my Chinese wasn’t so good (about explaining how I knew the sandos and what I did for work… those are kinda complex topics really), I told them that the sandos had moved to Taiwan and they’d be here for like a year. He asked for a pen and paper, and wrote down his name and number, and told Jason that if he wanted to go to some “dance clubs” and experience “night life” he should call him… “if you know what I mean.” Yeah, check, I think we all knew what he meant.
We headed back to the stadium kind of early, got a couple Heinekens for 50NT each. We sat in front of the stadium next to the fountains and had the first, then brought the second in for the game. More people on our side now b/c of shade, and the crowd got larger as the game went on b/c the next game would be TPE vs CAN.

matty sat w/ us for the first half and initiated good Bart and Beau cheers (who’s your favorite simpson? What’s beef in Vietnamese? Matty was doing the call, we were doing the response, though he did forget sando’s What do you need to shoot an arrow? And instead used What does B.O. smell? Hmm…). Good participation in our standard Goooooo U S A pull cheer and U-S-AAAAAA scoring cheer. The team agrees that we are super loud. Deb said she felt better today. Katie Forth played really well though in the afternoon game. I had seen her watching the japan Canada game w/ her team up in the top section earlier, and she told me she’d injured herself the day before in the morning - high ankle sprain. Seemed to be moving around ok in this game though. Haven’t seen seanymac yet, but he’s around. I can’t remember the final, but something like 13-9? They seem to be finding space easily, getting good open deep cuts, oh and Dylan was really fired up it seemed b/c earlier in the game he missed a D that he maybe should’ve gotten.

After the USA game, we stuck around a bit for the beginning of the TPE v CAN game. The crowd had increased in magnitude. Lots of Zhong Hua (clapping) Tai Bei (clapping) cheers around the stands. We started a pull cheer – Jiiiiaaaaa… Yiu Taipei, and it caught on. I cheered for VY and alex too, but I don’t really know any of the other Canadians.
The Sandos and I had a good tiring day of cheering. It’s hard work but we’re getting it done. The family group wanted us to come up and join them, but we liked our spot down below. Good and close and easy to hear us. Even if it is sort of harder to see things develop on the field.

I headed back to the hotel for some rest. And to avoid getting lost, I made sure to note that the Hotel Queen is on Da Gong Lu, the subway O2 stop is on Dayong, and I need to go out of exit 3 towards the McDs, left at our 7-eleven.
It was like 7ish when I got there. Soon after, Beau in a towel knocked and said Tank what are you wearing? He meant that they were all getting dressed up to go to dinner and were supposed to be going “to the prom” … I came out and said hey, talked to some of the other peeps a bit b/c they were all getting ready. I went downstairs a bit later and they were all congregated in the lobby – some dressed up, for example Chelsea was wearing a skirt and makeup. And I confessed that I was tired from a long day of cheering my face off as they departed for Outback and I headed to 7-eleven to pick up some cold noodles and eggs to eat as I rested up for the night’s trip to the ye4 shi4.

As I was getting ready to take off, there was a knock on the door, and I was like perfect – tank’s back and maybe he’ll want to come to the night market too. He was psyched to be back after a very full day of working (he and Amanda both had the 8am game as well as the late game so now it was 9p and they got up at 7a). The Australia v Japan game they just worked went to double game point, w/ Australia coming out on top. Which makes things a little more complex but much more exciting b/c that means if Australia wins v Canada tomorrow morning, and the US beats Japan, it’s Australia v USA in the finals plus it won’t just be like doubleheaders all day tomorrow.

Tank and Amanda both came to the night market w/ me and the sandos (we met up w/ them at the O5/R10 stop. We went to the Nan2 Hua2 tourist night market first and quickly found that there was more stuff here than food, so walked over to the Liu4 He2 ye4 shi4, grabbing a tallboy at the 7-eleven first. Our first course was … octopus on a stick, chicken hearts, fried creamed corn, tofu, mushrooms, and octopus balls. Then we also sat at a table in the middle of the walkway and had some freshly made dumplings (I made a video of the process, but haven’t uploaded it yet to picasa b/c it’s too long – also one of the octopus ball making process). Fun times – I’m glad Tank and Amanda got to come experience it after their long day. The sandos watched some kids playing this game on the subway earlier, and Rella figured out how it goes. You shoot numbers w/ one hand at a fast-ish cadence, and whenever it’s the same number, you have to touch your nose then put your finger in the air and say “fong!” They weren’t sure about the word, but they think sounded like that (I’m taking it to mean the word for air). So we of course played it. Jason and Tank had an epic battle 2 out of 3 for who got the last dumpling.

After we got back and I rushed to the downstairs bathroom to pee, Tank and I also played the game in the elevator for first shower, and I won woohoo!