July 4, 2014

We watch our children train. Shameka went out to Starbucks and received a double boon on the coffee she ordered due to a slight misunderstanding. Somehow, 'java chip' got into the barrista's mind when it should have been three 'mocha chip.' No problem. He gifted the errors and re-made the chocolate delights; Spreading the mocha and java chip joy!

More training today. Ui-Seng's dancer training has yielded result.

 

The last member of the team arrives! The joy is palpable; Treated like a rock star being followed by the paparazzi.

 

I went in search of internet and sunshine at this point and found myself sitting at an outdoor spot on a piazza with a service called Wickedlyfast Wifi, apparently a free service for the San Jose downtown vicinity, when Sean rolled up on me throwing his backpack over the ledge where I sat updating my itinerary for the trip.

"I'll be around in a minute." And that was our introduction: Like a conversation being continued from time immemorial; Like he had just left a minute ago and was coming back from some small errand.

Around he came, and so began my San Jose connect. In another time, things could have gone in another direction, but in my recent maturity, it was just a beautiful confluence of like-spirited souls. So I was able to experience this Iranian-American, adorable, born-and-raised-in-San-Jose boy. His perspective, revealing the underside of the shiny shell of the tourist's view of his city; all the underworkings to keep the city looking and running the way we see kind of like in H.G. Well's Time Machine.

When I returned from my foray into my soul-connect and mind break, sufficiently fed and sated, I found the team and parents @the swimming pool. They had finished a training session in the pool were just about to roll out to get ready for dinner...

 

...healthy and happy children!!...

...and on the way to dinner, I passed these mushroom trees:

We went up the street of downtown San Jose to an open air food court called San Pedros something or other.

July 3, 2014. Thursday,

Our first day in San Jose! About three quarters of the team was here. We all ate the breakfast provided by the hotel - which was much better than anticipated. We ate a beautiful breakfast every morning we were at tournament together, as a team. The team took it upon themselves to spend time in the hotel fitness facility to build conditioning. That's what I'm talking about. All youth should be as such.

 

The weather in San Jose seemed to be permanently dialed to 'perfect' as illustrated as the backdrop of the bird sculpture set in front of the San Jose Convention Center. Without urgency, we understood we would be getting our bearings and spending time together as a team, warming to the rhythm of the tournament, and getting a bit of training in. As we had the presence of only a partial team, the mood was relaxed and easy for today, but with slowly mounting excitement. Osezwa's ripstick made a fleeting cameo appearance before it was confiscated by Master Frantz. Seriously? You're going to break your bones on a ripstick BEFORE you compete?

July 2, 2014. Wednesday.

We awoke very early and loaded the van Tim rented the day before. The entire cousin entourage arose at 5am to send us off! Coming off their own days long flight from halfway around the globe, their time was still waking.

With great excitement to begin our trip, we did not think much of breakfast, but grabbed whatever was left sitting in the refrigerator. Here is mine....

 Hours upon hours of cabin pressure. Boredom sets in...

 Son selfie.

Teen selfies.

 

We arrive at San Jose Airport! I was bumping to Tupac's "California" on the earbuds.

Yeah, mommy does not call a cab; not when there's $2 metro lite rail! It's opportunity and principle. Traveling on public transportation is not only cheaper, it invites an interaction with the city that is not to be had cocooned and isolated in your own cab. Anyway, so what about carrying our 40# bags. Aren't we supposed to be training??

When we arrived we had to stash our bags temporarily with Shameka and Rim since Frantz would not check in to the room until 8pm. I have a hard time with air travel. I'm convinced that I leave my soul behind when I travel against time and it takes a few hours or days before my spirit and my body reunite. I was barely conscious, so they took me out to Starbucks for a caffeine injection. Rim wanted food, so we sat at Johnny Rockets. Welcome to downtown San Jose!