Bus Surfing

Catching a few extra hours of sleep, we began our final day before our first matches. We caught sight of the boys’ team for the first time at breakfast this morning where you could definitely feel the competitive atmosphere. We pilled into two minivans en route to St. Thomas Cathedral. We encountered the strangest site of the trip amidst the midmorning rush of Indian traffic. On top of an overcrowded bus, half a dozen local teenage boys had climbed to the roof, where they stood waving their hands in the air. Luckily, our driver reacted to our shrieks of excitement and drove us closer to the bus. When they saw us, the boys waved and cheered, almost losing their balance when a low hanging branch caught them by surprise. We enjoyed the view of the city, then hurried back to the hotel for a hearty lunch of quesadillas, roast beef sandwiches, and Jack’s favorite Indian chicken curry burritos. After a final sharpening of our shots we dressed in our matching red and blue tunics and headed to the opening ceremony. We were met by the boys’ team dressed in their U.S. squash ensembles. 27 other countries, all dressed in their countries colors, assembled together for various speeches and introductions regarding the 2009 World Junior Squash Championships. Followed by a group dinner and mingling with the international players, we took our official U.S. team photo and headed back to the hotel. One final team meeting with our favorite coaches, Mama Mere and Joking Jack, we all went to room 533 to watch Lexi’s guilty pleasure...The Ellen Degeneres Show. Pumped for tomorrow, we hit our beds, ready to represent the United States and kick some international _ _ _. Lexi, Olivia, & Haley