SUNDAY, 6/14/15
We burrowed in on the work today. There are lots of details to double-check and the serious job of what is shipped and what will fly with us around the world has to start in earnest today. We also have food items I’m trying to make sure we use, so I’m planning how many meals we’ll be eating out and how many we’ll be eating in the apartment. I don’t want to waste food if I can help it. We also are reviewing our list of “must try again” food spots. There are a few we want to hit one last time!
MONDAY, 6/15/15
We both leave the apartment around 9:00 am, headed to our first appointments. Judy is joining Alexis for a final round of “knock-offs” shopping at the Pearl Market. Alexis had some special shops scoped out. They eventually were escorted from the main area to the “secret” basement area for all the “special” items. Judy ended up with several really nice Mulberry purses. She also found some cute bracelet items, and some electronic gadgets just for fun.
I met Mark Saunders, a BISS faculty member for a round of golf at the Chaoyang Golf Club. I hit some balls to warm-up and he joined me a little later. It’s a nine-hole course, and it’s short. We only needed a driver on three of the holes. The rest of the holes are par-3’s. I played pretty well, considering I can’t remember when I last played. It could have been as far back as October or November.
Back at the apartment later, Judy arrived, and we taxied over to Ditan Park for my last table tennis lesson. She took some video of the lessons so I would have some memory of what to work on later. I posted a few short clips illustrating how the lessons were approached.
Table Tennis video clip: Forehand – every lesson started with forehands. We would hit through a full basket of balls. It took 15 minutes or so with the coach adjusting how I hit the ball.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/go0oo06xa5njb1z/15.6.15.Forehand1.m4v?dl=0
Table Tennis video clip: Backhand – after we picked up all the balls from the forehand segment, we would drill through a basket of backhands.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/uvsxpaboh261w6h/15.6.15.Backhand1.m4v?dl=0
Table Tennis video clip: Alternating shots, clip #1 – after picking up balls from the backhand drills, he would hit balls – alternating between backhand and forehand. It was harder than I thought it would be when we first started.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/32kzg76706w94ap/15.6.15.Alternate1.m4v?dl=0
Alternating shots, clip #2
https://www.dropbox.com/s/dfugsdj9t4fefcv/15.6.15.Alternate2.m4v?dl=0
I wish I had found this location and teacher much earlier in our stay in Beijing. I think I’ve only whetted my appetite, and playing in the US won’t be nearly as convenient (or cheap).