Routine Day

Today was full-on routine day. I had to do one on six with uniforms in front of our Men's Senior National Team Coordinator. He wanted to see where I was in case I need to step in for someone. I wasn't feeling that great this morning. My stomach hurt, I felt tired and weak, but I knew it didn't matter. I had to get my stuff done no matter what. I was able to suck it up and I actually ended up doing pretty well. I started on rings, and I did a good strength sequence, but I put my hands down on the dismount. It definitely took me a while to get things going at 10:00am, but I ended up hitting everything else. I was pretty relieved with my day, my coach way happy, and most importantly, my Senior Team coordinator was impressed with my day. After practice I had to go back to the silk market because I had to get re-fit for a suit I had made. If you've never been to Beijing, the silk market is a huge store of mostly knock-off stuff. You haggle for a cheap price with these ladies who are sometimes a little overly aggressive. One lady punched me in the arm, because she thought the price I offered for something was too low! It was pretty interesting. I think the best part of the market are the custom made suits and shirts. When I came out in December I had a suit made, and I had another one done by the same guy. Being a gymnast, it's not the easiest thing in the world to find a suit that fits off the rack. I paid $100, for a custom made suit. The fabric is great and I picked out the exact style and color I wanted...It's awesome! I also played some Rock Band with some fencers, boxers, and volleyball players today. It's a lot of fun meeting athletes for different sports and this place really gives us a chance to get to know each other. Some reporters from the New York Times watched us play and ended up taking pictures and interviewing us about it. Today was the first day that was hazy out. The weekend was beautiful...really hot!!, but beautiful.
Other notes about China:
1)I am really surprised I haven't seen more car accidents. They are crazy drivers and the pedestrians don't seem to even care if a car is coming when they cross.
2)There is security everywhere. There are guys on just about every corner making sure things stay safe.
3)Cool buildings. I'm sure most of you have seen some of the interesting new venues like the "Bird's Nest," but there are so many new buildings around here that is really remarkable. I had dinner last night across the street from the new CCTV Tower and that building is one the the most innovative architectural structures I have ever seen. Look it up online if you get a chance. It really is amazing. I'll try and put some pics of it on this blog.