Day 1: Meetings, Etc.

Since the entire tournament is being held in and around Taichung, getting around is a lot easier than last time I was here. Any time there were meetings, parties, ceremonies, etc., we had to get on the bus and come a couple of hours each way. Our umpire meeting this morning was at the hotel where all the administrative people are staying. It's only a few blocks away from our hotel. The guys who have not recently received equipment got theirs, we had the meeting, and then were free until the evening.

Jim Jackson and I had lunch with Dana Bieszczynski, who is from Austria. I intended on getting a nice long nap upon my return to my room after lunch, but ended up working on the blog instead.

We were invited to an introductory party with all the technical advisors, scorers and city officials at the other hotel. The food was very good, and a band performed for us both during and after dinner. Someone forgot to tell me that when you are eating unpeeled shrimp, it is a good idea to put the sauce on AFTER you've managed to peel them. One piece was particularly hard to peel, and I ended up with red sauce all over my green shirt. As Bruce Keeling and anyone else from the greater North Adams area will tell you, we didn't get out much growing up. Our idea of fine dining was a trip to Hillsdale to the Big Boy. Bruce, we will talk when I return and I'll give you a few tips on the finer points of socializing with others.

After dinner, the singer got interactive with the crowd, and before you knew it, Dick Runchey, our umpire supervisor, ended up in the conga line. Runch was all decked out in a coat and tie, and I don't even think the tie was a clip-on! We called it a night fairly early, as tomorrow the tournament begins. I've got the plate for the Chinese Taipei vs Spain game, which is in the evening. We're going to go over mechanics in the morning at 8:30 AM, though, so I'm going to try and catch up on my sleep.