Cotton Tunics and One Pair of Socks

After over 24 hours of traveling, we finally arrived at the hotel at 2 am on July 25. Our first flight to Brussels was about 6 and half hours and the plane was packed. We all enjoyed the wide range of in-flight movies which included He’s Just Not That Into You and I Love You, Man.
We arrived in Brussels around 9:30 local time and had about an hour layover. Flying over Belgium was beautiful. The landscape was so picturesque with the greenery and quaint villages – quite a contrast to the hubbub of Chennai. The flight to Chennai lasted approximately 10 hours. We landed at around 12 am. Not only did we have to go through usual immigration but we had a medical examination where they took our temperature etc. to check for Swine Flu. Three vans sent by the Marriot transported us from the airport to the hotel. First of all, nothing can describe the heat wave that we faced when we exited the airport. They say India is hot, but nothing could have prepared us for the heavy, thick air that we faced last night - and that was at 1:00 in the morning when the temperature is lowest!!
After a 30 minute drive through the city, we arrived at the hotel after numerous security checks and an x-ray machine. Lexi and Olivia somehow managed to score free WiFi while the rest of us are paying an exorbitant amount. Haley and Amanda were separated from the team – exiled to the 4th floor and Julie and Natasha have assembled a small food pantry that is fueling the team. Unfortunately, Yarden left one suitcase at home so that she only has one pair of socks, one pair of shorts, and one t-shirt but the team is ready to donate clothes to her cause.
Tired from traveling we all settled into our rooms, excited to enjoy our first day in India!
We met this morning for breakfast at 9:00. A buffet breakfast which includes both traditional Indian dishes and more Western foods is included for all tournament players. After breakfast we drove to the squash facility, stopping at a grocery store to buy water on the way. We definitely got a better view of the city. Everything is unbelievably crowded and the roads are absolute chaos between the number of cars, mopeds, and pedestrians.
We stopped at the grocery store, cleaned out their water supply, and headed to the squash venue. The courts are located in two adjacent buildings. We played on the newer courts with vivid colors of bright blue and green. Most of us had never played in such sweltering heat. We drilled and played games for a little over an hour and then headed back to the hotel to shower. We saw Dipika (#1 seed) drilling on the glass court which is located in a stadium-like arena with seating on all sides - like Tournament of Champions. Ironically on our way to the squash venue we had seen her picture on a billboard advertising a hair product.
We ate lunch in the hotel and then a personal shopper accompanied us to find an outfit we can all wear for the Opening Ceremony. Before we going to the shopping center we drove around Chennai’s city center and down to the beach which is the second longest beach in the world. After an unsuccessful trip to a local mall, we ended up going to a fabric store where we bought short cotton tunics.
When we got back to the hotel we gathered in our room to relax and decorate t-shirts and water bottles. We finished our long day with dinner in the hotel’s Italian restaurant. Our first day in India was incredibly exciting and we all can’t wait for tomorrow! Until then, goodnight from Chennai!

Julie & Natasha