March 26th…….and so we hit the ice!!

Well we all survived the first practice!!  This is a very good thing LOL……….

Lets back track to this morning, say around 755am the alarm went off! Let me tell you, the blackberry antelope alarm is really rather annoying but when one of the 5 girls in your hostel room is sleeping the night before, trying to select a less annoying sound is kind of pointless as I didn’t want to wake her up quite yet LOL!!!  So anyways we got up  but then also had 20 people knocking on the door yelling HELLO……..WAKE UP……….someone clearly forgot to tell them I am no longer a spring chicken and don’t go from laying down in my bed to jumping up to open the door to let you in, especially when we just slept on jail quality mattresses!!  haha……..

After this we met up with teammates outside our dorm rooms and we had our lovely morning stretch……..for those of us on the slightly higher age spectrum I highly suggest this as it really gets the blood flowing and between Kieran and Simone leading us we were under capable hands  (pictures of the stretching to follow, when the internet connection I’m playing for actually allows me to connect and work on the internet!)  After about 30 minutes of this we went downstairs to look at breakfast options and then I went back upstairs to get my stuff packed so I could go on the FREE wifi access downstairs!!

It is truly an act of some sort of divine force that creates the pictures of the hostel room before, see below:

To make it look like this in less than 12 hours:

We were told to be downstairs by 10am, well that came and went and we were waiting with the Koreans.  They’re not really very outgoing and friendly as the New Zealanders and Icelanders are,  but a lot of that has to do with their culture and that’s cool!!  At least 2 of them said hi to me I’ll settle for that!!  Kind of a cool that we are in lobby with a team from clear across the world!
Then the bus arrived at 11am and we went to the hotel room to check in there.  I got room 673……..Dalene and I did.  Well we got all unpacked and settled only to be told before going to lunch that we must repack our bags, well rooms from ours 673 and higher as we must move into the rooms the New Zealand players were in so our team would all be in one location on the floor and not spread out………….then we headed out on the bus to practice.  I was very happily able to track down the really, really pale Iceland man who had my sticks……..ahhhh we were reunited and once again it was love and first site!!

After we went got to the rink we got into our locker room, I nicely asked/demanded that I wanted a corner of the room, anyone who’s been on my team knows I change in the corner!  So I got my corner and I am quite a fan of it! Hahaha

Opened up my hockey bag, which was new, I had all sorts of new things………track suit, shirts, golf shirt, jerseys, socks,  etc………..like a kid on Christmas morning I was I tell ya!!
Oh yeah, I got my back pack yesterday too, that is pretty amazing too!! Totally love it!!!!!!!!

Then we did warm ups and went to get dressed to get on the ice, what an AWESOME feeling………teammates, excitement, nerves, the SA flag against the wall………all of it – the team environment etc……..LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!

We got out on the ice and Korea and New Zealand were both in the stands keeping an eye on us LOL……….well the nerves surely kicked in and the first few minutes of ice time was a little shiite looking but it was just the first few minutes, that doesn’t explain our skills/potential etc and we started linking up passes etc and playing systems pretty well after that!!  I was pleasantly surprised with the players I hadn’t seen skate before as well as the development of those who I have see.   A really great surprise….I’m proud of our team we are pretty kick ass!!

Off the ice we showered, in the borehole/volcanic lava smelly water LOL………but it did get me clean and that is what mattered, I even used soap! Then back to the cafeteria, about a two block walk to eat dinner.   Dinner was fish and rice (kinda like sticky rice) and sausages….not sure on this combination, but it worked and was pretty tasty!!!!  I don’t know if I put this earlier but lunch was Lasagne it was nummy!! !   No real complaints on food yet, we’ll see how the breakfast works tomorrow morning!!!!!!

After this all we had to stop at the chemist/drug store on the way home for some medication……..well let me tell you, buying certain medication is harder then you’d think when all the boxes are in Icelandic……LOL Doctor Carla was going to be a trooper  though and ask, along with a very humorous graphic depiction, of what was needed.  Well lucky for us we found it all on our own after numerous outbursts of laughter mainly from me!

Then we headed home, I stopped in at the store across the street for yoghurt and some water to drink.  And came upstairs and repacked our rooms and got on the internet……….i had to sit in the hall way to get access which is frustrating but at least I can get it………..would be nice for the $20 I paid for it to be in my room, but alas I could get online and talk to Jeanna and Momma!!!

This blog has lacked any humor and I am sorry for that……….I will work harder to get more entertaining!! Little tired tonight!

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