International Fame
hello friend and relations,
Just wanted to let you know that you are less than 6 degrees separated from the newest in international celebrity.
I am once again newly famous in Shantou for swimming across the channel in the annual "International Shantou Swim Across the Channel". This took place the morning of the 25th before leaving 3 hours later for HK so as to not overstay my visa. The universe was telling me to make the swim. I had participated a couple of years ago and missed the event last year. I had turned down 3 offers from friends of mine, because I thought I was leaving that day in the morning, but then my ticket got changed to noon. Lam and I went swimming at Shantou university the evening before and I was 'HELLO!'d by this incredible cute old guy in the pool with an impressive paunch and wearing round bug-eye glasses and a neon yellow swim cap. He asked me if I wanted to participate the next day as well. Convinced that this was indeed a sign from somewhere (I'm thinking Shantou local place gods, rather than from 'above'), I acquiesced. There was a young man with him who kept swimming too close to me and I felt crowded so I lapped him to give myself room, only to discover afterwards that he was their best swimmer and the older guy had asked him to pace me during the event to make sure I would be safe. Oops! Luckily his ego didn't seem all that bruised. After finishing laps and heading out of the pool, I found out that, unlike before when I was one of the massive swimming hordes, this year I was to be swimming with the primary corporate sponsor of the event, Jingang Glass (a company that Lam's architecture firm had worked with to build a hot springs resort), with the very first group of people to hit the water.
As I was apparently the only thing/person that made the Shantou International Swim Across the Channel, 'international,' I was excellent advertising (guy in the neon cap was apparently no slouch in marketing) and was frequently pulled out of the crowd of sponsor group swimmers I was trying desperately to hide behind for photo ops before the event started. Once my presence was noticed by a sports bureau official, yet another swimmer (this time a young lady from the city swim team) was delegated to pace me as well. I don't think any other swimmer could have possibly been safer! While apparently an excellent marketing scoop, guess I was also perceived as a potential USA-China relations disaster should I have the temerity to cramp half way through. At least this second swimming companion looked like the channel barely counted as a warm up. If anything happened to our other companion, I'd have help rescuing him.
Well, at least as far as the three of us were concerned, nothing untoward occurred throughout the watery experience. I scraped my foot heading into the water, but barely noticed in the confusion. Luckily for me, Jingang Glass had rigged a floating sign that was towed across by six swimmers making it easy to follow the largely unmarked route (there were first aid ships, but weren't always visible in the waves). I was somewhat confused when a large ship (I believe navy?) swam right across the route in the middle, but other than that, it was just lots of dirty water, occasional bumps from other swimmers' feet and elbows, and constant checking to stay on route (due to current, one had to head directly across thus allowing the tide to sweep you diagonally to the end point). Not really remembering how long a swim it was I paced us really slowly and ended up on the other side about 35? 45? minutes later barely warmed-up enough to feel my muscles, to be pulled onto the red astroturf carpet placed over the dock and then greeted by an enterprising, if somewhat damp official in dress clothes for yet more photos. His companion, a young lady, smiled fetchingly for the cameras, shouted "congratulations' in English and then thrust a bunch of flowers into my arms where they could be refreshed by the polluted water that still clung to me. I was only then allowed to head up the rest of the ramp and to the side. Along the way someone else shoved Gatorade into one of my hands and someone else (never really saw who) threw a towel over my shoulders. It was while trying to juggle flowers and Gatorade that I finally saw Lam waiting, but was unable to do more than smile before being mugged by TV journalists. Lucky me!
Lam is now collecting newspapers with my gorgeous swimsuit/bathing cap/goggles photo plastered on them and according to friends and Lam's family, I was the focus of much of the Shantou TV news for a couple of days as well. Apparently the 70 year old man who made it across didn't get nearly the same amount of coverage. Round-eye trumps age in Chinese media. What is filial piety coming to? That's what comes of being friends with one of the primary sports journalists of Shantou (when surrounded by TV/radio journalists and no longer wanting to answer questions, I just pointed to her and told them that as a good friend of mine she had all the answers about me) and having the head of the Sports Bureau as one my informants. Just what I always wanted to be famous for, looking like an overly curvy drowned rat in a red bathing cap after swimming across a dirty channel very very slowly. Sigh.
International celebrity at last! Think it will help me get a job?
Just wanted to let you know that you are less than 6 degrees separated from the newest in international celebrity.
I am once again newly famous in Shantou for swimming across the channel in the annual "International Shantou Swim Across the Channel". This took place the morning of the 25th before leaving 3 hours later for HK so as to not overstay my visa. The universe was telling me to make the swim. I had participated a couple of years ago and missed the event last year. I had turned down 3 offers from friends of mine, because I thought I was leaving that day in the morning, but then my ticket got changed to noon. Lam and I went swimming at Shantou university the evening before and I was 'HELLO!'d by this incredible cute old guy in the pool with an impressive paunch and wearing round bug-eye glasses and a neon yellow swim cap. He asked me if I wanted to participate the next day as well. Convinced that this was indeed a sign from somewhere (I'm thinking Shantou local place gods, rather than from 'above'), I acquiesced. There was a young man with him who kept swimming too close to me and I felt crowded so I lapped him to give myself room, only to discover afterwards that he was their best swimmer and the older guy had asked him to pace me during the event to make sure I would be safe. Oops! Luckily his ego didn't seem all that bruised. After finishing laps and heading out of the pool, I found out that, unlike before when I was one of the massive swimming hordes, this year I was to be swimming with the primary corporate sponsor of the event, Jingang Glass (a company that Lam's architecture firm had worked with to build a hot springs resort), with the very first group of people to hit the water.
As I was apparently the only thing/person that made the Shantou International Swim Across the Channel, 'international,' I was excellent advertising (guy in the neon cap was apparently no slouch in marketing) and was frequently pulled out of the crowd of sponsor group swimmers I was trying desperately to hide behind for photo ops before the event started. Once my presence was noticed by a sports bureau official, yet another swimmer (this time a young lady from the city swim team) was delegated to pace me as well. I don't think any other swimmer could have possibly been safer! While apparently an excellent marketing scoop, guess I was also perceived as a potential USA-China relations disaster should I have the temerity to cramp half way through. At least this second swimming companion looked like the channel barely counted as a warm up. If anything happened to our other companion, I'd have help rescuing him.
Well, at least as far as the three of us were concerned, nothing untoward occurred throughout the watery experience. I scraped my foot heading into the water, but barely noticed in the confusion. Luckily for me, Jingang Glass had rigged a floating sign that was towed across by six swimmers making it easy to follow the largely unmarked route (there were first aid ships, but weren't always visible in the waves). I was somewhat confused when a large ship (I believe navy?) swam right across the route in the middle, but other than that, it was just lots of dirty water, occasional bumps from other swimmers' feet and elbows, and constant checking to stay on route (due to current, one had to head directly across thus allowing the tide to sweep you diagonally to the end point). Not really remembering how long a swim it was I paced us really slowly and ended up on the other side about 35? 45? minutes later barely warmed-up enough to feel my muscles, to be pulled onto the red astroturf carpet placed over the dock and then greeted by an enterprising, if somewhat damp official in dress clothes for yet more photos. His companion, a young lady, smiled fetchingly for the cameras, shouted "congratulations' in English and then thrust a bunch of flowers into my arms where they could be refreshed by the polluted water that still clung to me. I was only then allowed to head up the rest of the ramp and to the side. Along the way someone else shoved Gatorade into one of my hands and someone else (never really saw who) threw a towel over my shoulders. It was while trying to juggle flowers and Gatorade that I finally saw Lam waiting, but was unable to do more than smile before being mugged by TV journalists. Lucky me!
Lam is now collecting newspapers with my gorgeous swimsuit/bathing cap/goggles photo plastered on them and according to friends and Lam's family, I was the focus of much of the Shantou TV news for a couple of days as well. Apparently the 70 year old man who made it across didn't get nearly the same amount of coverage. Round-eye trumps age in Chinese media. What is filial piety coming to? That's what comes of being friends with one of the primary sports journalists of Shantou (when surrounded by TV/radio journalists and no longer wanting to answer questions, I just pointed to her and told them that as a good friend of mine she had all the answers about me) and having the head of the Sports Bureau as one my informants. Just what I always wanted to be famous for, looking like an overly curvy drowned rat in a red bathing cap after swimming across a dirty channel very very slowly. Sigh.
International celebrity at last! Think it will help me get a job?