Doldrums ...

At every championships there are a couple of days when you wonder what on earth you are thinking of, being here and not at home, and why on earth do you do it ! Well, that's where we are now - it will probably pick up in a day or two, as the general excitement builds up towards the end of the competition, but at the moment, to be honest, all I want to do is get on a plane and come home! Not helped by the fact that I have toothache - not drastic but enough to be a bit of a worry ! Everyone is starting to look decidedly jaded though ... it isn't just me. It is a long and hard schedule. Many of us start before 8 in the morning and work till 8 in the evening without any days off, and the playing schedule is also heavy. I am sure we will all perk up in a day or two, it is funny how this tends to happen at every tournament though.

Anyway, the transnational teams are coming to register and pay now, which is giving us plenty to keep us occupied. There are the various committee meetings being held ready to report back to the final Executive Meeting next Thursday, so Carol is busy with sets of minutes etc. 

Tonight I am going out as a member of the Press (well I write blogs !!) to the International Bridge Press Association dinner - it is their 50th Anniversary as well, and so it should be quite fun I think. Anyway it will make a nice change from eating in this hotel ... I am told we are going to a South American Restaurant which seems bizarre here in Beijing so it will be interesting to see what it is like!

For those of you waiting for Sim Pairs to be finalised, I can only apologise for the delay, but doing it from China isn't so easy ! I will do it all as soon as I can I promise. I think holding the Olympics here must have worn out their internet connections, because ours is decidedly slow :-))

Time to go and do a bit more work before heading off for the dinner ... more soon ...