DAY TWO: MEETING THE TEAM
May 4, 2006

 I arrived at the Hotel and got settled in.  The Assistant coach of the Qatar National Team came and picked me up to get something to eat.  His accent sounded very familiar on the phone when he called, and, as it turned out, he is originally from New Orleans and played college basketball in the states. 

I was not quite sure what to expect in the way of food, but I didn’t need to worry as he took me to Chili’s, so it felt like I had never left the states. In actual fact there are many American food chains here in Qatar. Starbucks, Burger King, Dairy Queen, and Applebee’s just to name a few.

After a good night’s sleep, I woke and had a wonderful buffet breakfast. Mid-morning I received a phone call from my Mum and Dad just before I went downstairs to meet the team and coaching staff for the first time. They are all really nice guys, and I felt very comfortable in my new basketball environment. Most of them were very tired after their long flight from Australia but there was no time to rest as we had practice at 3pm.

We had a great lunch before we gathered our gear together and headed off to practice. It was a little tough to start off with due to a little jet lag, but as we got into it things got easier. I played mostly point guard, which I think will suite me as everyone seems to be much bigger and stronger.

At the completion of our two-hour session we headed back to the Hotel for a shower and dinner. The meals have been quite good, especially the dessert bar!

After dinner we decided to head to the local mall for a shopping extravaganza. As you could imagine there was no Gap, American Eagle, or Express, just a bunch a clothing stores of brands that we had never heard of.  It was just good to see how another part of the world spends their leisure time.

We returned to the Hotel via a cab, which was an interesting experience, especially when the driver cannot speak English, or Australian. We eventually got back safe and sound and are ready for a good night’s rest before the first game tomorrow night.