Getting there ... (but where is there ?!)

Last Executive Meeting this morning, the Committees all sorted out and their minutes ratified, and all the "paperwork" being put onto memory sticks to make it easy to take home.

We are still not sure about how the medal ceremonies will be organised tomorrow but the Chinese assure us they have it in hand, and they are dealing with the Closing Ceremony tickets etc which is wonderful as that is usually a MAJOR job that Carol, Christine and I get landed with and we HATE it !! So we are really feeling quite relaxed - I would be a bit more relaxed if my poor little legs weren't quite so stiff after the steps at the Great Wall yesterday!

But I will certainly be getting to the medal ceremony because our English Open & Women's teams will be "featuring" with at least a silver medal in each event !! Wonderful ....

We are suffering a bit today to say the least - the air conditioning (which was asthmatic at best) had to be switched off completely this morning because it was so noisy in the meeting room that  no one could hear themselves think ... and we daren't ask them to switch it back on as there is another meeting tomorrow and as it took them 4 hours to turn it off today (and "the boss" was nearly going mad!) we have decided to leave it off until after the meeting and suffer! 

We are all a bit jaded, but everyone is looking forward to getting home I think, and being able to relax ... there is a lot of frantic last minute present buying, and I confess that I have finally got around to writing four postcards to my "nearest and dearest" which will doubtless get home long after I do but - hey, there you go ! Shopping has been the last thing on my mind, so my case will sadly be devoid of prezzies! Several people have managed to nip out and get tailor made shirts and suits for incredible prices ... and I am told the silk market is just lovely (well, you would expect that of course). I am not bemoaning my lot on this front though - shopping is not in my top 10 favourite pastimes I am afraid ! 

Right - time to go and do a bit of work before heading back to the hotel - going out with a great friend tonight, Ron Tacchi, whose sister lives here ... I am told we are going to a restaurant where the food is great but the surroundings are a bit unsalubrious so I think I am looking forward to it ... tell you tomorrow !!