Well here's the 2nd installment. I can't make this long as we have to arise early (well 5am sounds early to me!) for the 2m competiton tommorow.

Only Bryan actaully starts anywhere near the first groups. He is in group 6. I am in group 26 (so that's 26 * 5 minutes wait for me) and Adam starts last in 43.

Well this morning was a relaxed start.The other two were able to do a decent amount of 2m and 80m practice. I was held up in the team leaders meeting (only some of the team leaders actually compete as well) with interminable questions which did seem to go on for hours. I was able to establish that the distances between transmitters will be adhered to in this comp. 750m from the start minimum, and 400m between minimum. What seems a long time limit of 130 minutes has been set. Might be a long course !

Now I did promise pictures. Well I do have them all ready to upload, but for some reason I seem to be having ftp difficulties. So not tonight.

This afternoon I had a chance to at least test my equipment worked on two tranmitters just outside the hotel. After that it was all into a huge queue of buses (22 buses at least) to get to the Opening Ceremony which was on the island in the middle of the lake outside the hotel.

There are over 350 competitors at the world championships from 26 countries, plus team leaders, trainers, referees and organisers. This is a BIG event to stage. I have some good photos of the amazing dancers and acrobats. Some so young (almost pre-school) it seems hard to imagine it is possible. You will just have to wait for the pictures I'm afraid. (If I can't get ftp to work, I might look for a kind volunteer to put them up for me somewhere, tell me where, and I'll send them by email.....anyone ?). As far as I know the link from here is fast. The team leaders were presented with floral arrangements and the whole thing was like a mini-olympic opening ceremony (complete with marching band).

This evening after some preparation for the event tommorow, I had to go to the team leaders banquet (the others had a normal plebebian banquet -:) Actually the hotel food is very good.) Team Leaders banquet was a lavish affair with that evil rice wine, bottomless drinks and a seemingly endless processions of delicacies. Very nice indeed. I have got to know Maurice, the Belgium team leader quite well (you see, Belgium is next from Australia in the alphabet !) since we end up sitting next to each other. Also a university student sat at our table to help translate. She is studying languages, in particular English, so with so many different English accents it would be a good test of her new abilities.

Anyway, I must go to bed. Don't want to disturb Kurt too much -:)

Cheers, Bruce, VK3TJN ----------------------------------------------------------------- --------

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