May 16, 2007
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam -
Hey everyone!
We just got back to the hotel after having a big dinner at the
Caravelle Hotel with some of the St. John’s faculty and students
that arrived yesterday. The dinner was wonderful and we all enjoyed
the food. There were a lot of different kinds of seafood, sushi,
steak and dessert. Everything you would want, you could find at
that restaurant.
At many of the meals, my teammates ask me about the food we’re
eating because they have never had it in America. At dinner, there
were whole crabs and unshelled shrimps. Alanna [Rutan] and Valeria
[Kovaleva] were trying to figure out how to eat the unfamiliar
mussels, shrimps and crabs. So I opened the shells for them and
showed them the easiest ways to eat them. They are so brave to try
new things.
Earlier this afternoon, we had a match against Thailand and we
beat them, 3-0. This match was vital for us to win because if we
lost, we would not have been able to advance to the semifinals. In
the first game, we were trailing by six points most of the time but
we did not give up. It just made the match more competitive.
It has been a really nice experience for us to meet the
different teams and play at a level that is different from the
United States. I’m sure that we have improved our volleyball skills
and will be ready for our season in September.
Tomorrow is our only day off from the tournament. Most of the
team is going to relax by the pool at the other hotel, while others
and I are going shopping. In the afternoon we have an exhibition
match with Hong Bang University and then, at night, we’re going out
to dinner on a boat that will cruise the Saigon River and maybe Dr.
Le will take us for massages again.
Well, it is getting late and I’d better go to bed now. Mom and
Dad, I hope you have a chance to visit RedStormSports.com and see
our pictures.
Love you!
Hui Ping Huang #8