Diary Entry 4th July 2008
(36 days until Opening Ceremony)

PART ONE: HONG KONG SHOP 'TIL YOU DROP

Gosh the conditioning sessions have been hard in Hong Kong - 6-HOUR SHOPPING TRIPS, with some of the most fabulous names around - Gucci, Miu Miu, and D&G...the list continues. We were staying on Nathan Road, known as the "Golden Mile" - quite ironic really, as the shopping experience on Nathan Road isn't so golden - it's all about passing over money for one model and receiving another. One tip - never take your eye of the prize!

There is no denying that Hong Kong shopping is an experience, and an experience I completely enjoyed. I was however controlled and kind to my budget, so it was a win/win stop over for me in Hong Kong. To be completely honest, our conditioning sessions weren't all about shopping. Hong Kong provided the group with a platform similar to 'Beijing' like conditions. The humidity reached on most days anywhere from 80 - 90%; imagine walking around all day in a sauna - nauseous to say the least. The conditions tested the best of us; visiting Hong Kong has been timely. It has been over 100 days since we've been in Beijing.

PART TWO: FAREWELL TO YOUR COMFORT ZONE

We arrived in Osaka, Japan and boarded the bus for Tenri. Tenri University is famous for its cultural heritage and the university itself is surrounded by the most beautiful landscapes. It truly is breathtaking. Aside from the prettiness of Japan, culturally is has been a total shock. Don't get me wrong, I was aware there would be a lot of significant cultural differences but no amount of lonely planet reading could prepare me for this.

SQUAT TOILETS eeeiiiiiwwwwww! COMMUNAL SHOWERS we're modest girls, so we've all been showering in bathers - it's a like a scene out of Big Brother. These two experiences haven't been so welcomed, however many more are pleasant and I've enjoyed learning more about them. Sleeping on thin mattresses on the ground, rice pillows, no shoes on inside are just to name a few. I do need to make a quick mention about SUSHI; it has been a mouth-watering treat to experiment with Japan's sushi. Sashimi YUM, I can't believe raw fish can be such a delicious delicacy. When I've fished with Dad and caught fish off the beach, there is no way I would even consider having a bite of fresh fish. Culture aside, we're here for one thing - Olympic preparation.

We had our first match v Japan last night, and we went down 4-2. Needless to say I was disappointed, as was the team. I think there are concerns with our fitness and our hardness at the ball - two big areas of our game. Your presence on the ball is what can win you the 50/50 ball - we need to tighten up on this. Our fitness doesn't affect the entire group, but it ultimately does - we all need to be on a level playing field - this can be the difference to running out the last 5 minutes of the match and scoring to win the match. We all understand the immediacy of having to get these things right - so it's easy to understand that the group are under a lot of pressure.

Each day in Japan presents with a new theme and a busy schedule. Take today for example - we have training in the morning, followed by a gym session and two video sessions (with both of them running anywhere from 2-3 hours). This morning we got exactly what we came to Japan for – hot and humid training conditions. It really was a tough session and we were tested- physically and mentally. However at the end of the day the conditions will be one of our greatest challenges come Beijing so it was the perfect stage to test the Olympic 16. It was quite funny after training, normally we all hate doing ice baths as a mode of recovery, however today it was a race to see who could get there first to cool off. I won!!!!!

It's a busy time and one of focus. It is my great hope that the Japan tour allows us the opportunity to iron out all the creases, strengthen our game both mentally and physically and really be ready to go come 08 / 08 / 2008.