Come One Come All
By Meg Kiihne
Week 2. Countdown has begun; At last Clear Skies; But this HEAT!
After a week of rain it is finally clear, sunny, and very hot. The beach is lined with rainbow colored parasols for as far as I can see. Along nearly 2 miles of beachfront, hundreds of tourists and Thai sun themselves, four pick-up soccer games are in progress, and dozens of honeymooners are paddling around in the calm surf. I've only been here 10 minutes and already I've heard French, Italian, Thai, German, and a couple of other languages I can't figure out? Thailand, as I've discovered over the past week, is a premiere vacation spot for Europeans. I guess it's like their version of our Caribbean vacation. (But I wish someone would tell some of these grandpas to save their Speedos for swim meets!) (Just wait until we're at the Latin American X Games Qualifier in Brazil! Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE wears itsy-bitsy suits there!) Guess everyone has a right to get a tan? I just hope they don't get on the tramp in the interactive village wearing those things.
The noise on-site is now constant; 6am 'til 11pm and longer! Over the past week I have watched as piles of boards became bleachers, as pieces of plywood turned into the giant square arch entrance. The signs are up and black netting covers the scaffolding. Last week there was concrete and steel, now, the crews are just finishing the paint. Even the X Games flags are waving at the top of the climbing walls, as climbing route setters dangle from their ropes. The stage? I don't know where that came from? I think they put it up at night. But it rules! Big colored lights, a blazing orange, red, and yellow background with a giant black "X" in the center. When you look at the stage you can see palm trees, surf, and the Andaman sea in the background. A couple of the US ramp builders are searching for skateboards to test out the park course. I guess the TV crews are coming in this week, soon cables, cameras, and wires will be everywhere! Even the "clue-less" fans that are at ALL the games have shown up! I overheard three Canadian teens asking the event crew if there was going to be snowboarding. These guys were shirtless, sweating like buckets, and barefoot? I nearly fell over laughing; it was about 95 degrees Fahrenheit at the time. Today it's hotter! No snow here, only tropical island paradise!
The sun is out, drills are working overtime, the beach is packed, and the countdown to the 2000 Asian X Games Qualifier presented by TOYOTA has begun!
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