CHINA CHINA CHINA

Its two years to go until Beijing Olympics and ironically we are in China right now preparing for a competition that starts tomorrow. It’s the China international open and around 20 countries are here to compete. I have no idea who I am fighting but should find out fairly soon. Kristy, Dounia, Ryan, Saf and I are all competing first. We have not seen a lot of the country so I’m not sure I can give an accurate interpretation of it, but at this stage I’m not very fond of it. No one speaks English, we have been caught in the rain on numerous occasions despite the 35 degree whether and we are in the middle of no where. On the plus though, food is extremely cheap. For lunch I had a massive beef dish with rice plus soup and a large diet coke for $2 dollars! …Gatorade 600ml cost 50 cents…..and bananas…..OH BANANAS MY FAVOURITE FRUIT is only 90 cents per kilo! It sure beats the $12 Aussie back home! Also the hotel we are at has everything, swimming pool, sauna, squash court, yoga, bowling alley, store, Korean restaurant, Chinese restaurant, buffet, need I say more!

The English: Chinese people speak

1) Your killing me, are you crazy! Too low! (this is in regards to how much we ask for when shopping) What ever the price is just divide it by 10. I walked into one store wanting to buy this skirt and she asked 880Y for it which is about $170 Aussie dollars….surprisingly I only paid 80Y ::: A$17!! I think they think tourists are stupid!
2) Okay Okay…come back lady. Special Price

Things to note:

I never thought anyone liked white skin. The girls wont stop trying to touch my skin or comment on how white and wonder I look….I’m not complaining because in Australia everyone always laughs how ghostly white I am. Sooooooo I fed my ego and bought whitening cream. Hehehehe

These are the only two words I know in Chinese and its so frustrating not being able to ask anything! 1: Che-Che = Thankyou + 2:Niha = hello

Oh and don’t try on jeans if you don’t intend on buying them. I have seen so many people get abused for not wanting to buy it after discovering it didn’t fit. They think you wasted their time.

Check out the boys and their new bodies. hmm glad I dont diet!

OH IT’S MY BIRTHDAY! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME 24 TODAY

Little Lachie!

Congrats to Tash and Max, my best friends from way back, who have just had a baby boy called Lachlan Rees Cobb. He looks like such a little angel and I can't wait to meet him! Born 6th July 2006 in Perth.

CHINA -KOREA -THAILAND

WEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL! Still training training training! We've been back at training the last few weeks working hard on the track and in then ring. I start yoga classes tomorrow .....I dont know why I want to put myself through the pain of holding strange poses but I think it will be heaps of fun and I'm sure it will make my bendy legs more "bendable".

I haven't had to catch the tram/tram the last week because I finally got a car to drive around in (after 10 months of slow slow slow travel!) My car's soooooooo cute and zippy I LOVE IT! It's my blue toyota echo baby and although I haven't got photos to post yet, be sure to see them soon:)....FREEEEEDOM!!!!!!!!!

The other day I officially found out I'm off to the China, Korea and then straight to the World Cup in Thailand. 7 weeks away is going to be a test in itself but hopefully good performances will make the trip all the more enjoyable.

The current plan is shown below:

CHINA OPEN
Where: Beijing
When: 11-14th August (I compete the first day)
Olympic Divisions: 57-67kgs

KOREA TRAINING CAMP
Where: Seoul
When: 15th August -3rd September

KOREAN OPEN
Where: Seoul
When: 4th - 9th September (I compete second/third day)
Olympic Division: 57-67kgs
WTF Divison: 63-67kgs
http://www.koreaopentkd.com

WORLD CUP -TEAM
Where: Thailand - Bangkok
When: 14th -17th September
Division: 61-68kgs
http://www.tkd-worldcup2006.com

Perth in June

I went back to Perth for a week after the competition to see my family and visit friends. It was so relaxing to be in their company and I very much enjoyed the warm weather!

-- Whilst I am training in Victoria I am very much a WA athlete and apart of WAIS's sporting family! During the week I went into WAIS and saw a number of people there including Helen Baron Hey (Taekwondo Program Coordinator), Steve Lawrence (Executive Director), Liz Booth (Previous TKD Coord) and believe it or not I caught up with Even Stewart (former WAIS psychologist) who had been overseas working for Malaysia the last 2 years. WAIS has supported me in TKD since 1999 and seeing everyone there always reminds me of how good WA sport is and how lucky I am to be apart of it.--

I also spent some quality time with my Dad at the football! We saw the Eagles go down against the Western Bulldogs by 9 points! It wasnt the score line I predicted but I had heaps of fun watching the game in one of the eagles boxes.

There was sooooooo much I did in a short period of time and needless to say I cant wait to go back again! I miss my mum already!

FIRE TO GOLD! World Cup Selections Comp

• GOLD: Tina Morgan
• SILVER: Steph NG
• BRONZE: Laura Bartels
• BRONZE: Eve Embers

Ronnie Branca (Massuer) and I after my fights. Morning Training Squad - 6/10 GOLD

The event all started at weigh in when I decided to weigh in with my jeans, jacket and shoes. 66.60kg was the reading. At first I thought nothing of it, after all its just another number on the scales that says I'm under the stipulated division and free to participate. But after a few conscious thoughts I went back to the Weigh In Director to ask for a re-weigh. Why you may ask? Well 666 is not known to be such a lucky number! Anyway --- his fits of laughter at my idea was enough of a "no" response to send me home to prepare for my devilish day of competition.

Due to the restricted number of athletes in my division I was put straight into the round robin. Here the top four fighters compete against each other once and the person who wins the most matches is chosen for the World Cup Team.

Shown below are my fight results for the day: (Welter: 61-68kgs)

1 = Steph Ng: Victoria
Score: Tina 8 – Steph 1

2 = Eve Embers: Victoria
Score: Tina 7– Eve 0

3 = Laura Bartels: Western Australia
Score: Tina 11 – Laura 4

Each fight I won with the new 7 point rule. This rule states that if the score difference becomes 7 points the match is finished regardless of which round you are in. Whilst I got head kicks in other matches, my 3rd match against fellow West Aussie, Laura, was the most exciting for me because I can still see the instant replay in my mind of my foot connecting with her head guard producing a knockdown (3 point score as she hit the floor).

666 might be associated with the devil and regarded as an unlucky number but in this instance it was probably more of an "omen"/ statement to others to watch out for me...hehehe.. Its a reminder to everyone, listen to your mum when she says "Don't play with fire"...because you always know your going to get burnt.....

Speaking of mums, the page I read from my mum's little book on success she gave me for comp said: "Become the kind of person who brightens a room just by entering it." I didn't know how to interpret this at first, honestly I initially thought it meant to be the happiness of the room, but now I see I could have infact brightend the room with my raging fire that ooooozzzzzed from within:) hahaha.....I can be so evil:)

Anyways, enough of my rationalizing:) ....To finish up, I practiced a few things I have been working on in training but focused on achieving the end result and that was making the World Cup Team. Having successfully achieved that goal I can now prepare for other events such as the China Open in August. Our female team will be competing in the World Cup at Thailand this September.

Athletes who made the team:

Male

• Fin: Terrence Jennings (NSW)
• Bantam: Safwan Kahlil (NSW)
• Light: Burak Hasan (VIC)
• Welter: Mahir Unalan (VIC)
• Heavy: Jake Ryan (VIC)

Female

• Fin: Lisa Carneli (VIC)
• Bantam: Caroline Marton (VIC)
• Light: Kristy Sparre (VIC)
• Welter: Tina Morgan (WA)
• Heavy: Katrina Iacobucci (VIC)

Ruby Slippers Needed

I have so many shoes but I don't own a pair of these

If only seeing your family was as easy as clicking your heels together three times!

Different Sports - Different Dreams - One Attitude

Dream Believe Achieve......

Training was quite good the last week. Morning sessions with Tony Hewitt are killing us but improving our mental strength! I am not much of a runner.....but being made to run ...and run...and sprint run is helping me alot. I can already feel my legs toning for the upcoming comp.

Three weeks to go now and counting down!