The girls had their first game today. It was a close tough one against China but they fought their way through it. Amber made a great shot in 6 to get 4 but we had a scare in 7 and almost gave 3 back. We held on though and it was a great first win.
After the game we checked out the "Social Lounge". Jolene is not kidding; our entourage pretty much fills it. It is about the size of a normal Timmy's. It is pretty sad but considering our team has the most fans and we will drink the most, I guess it fits us.
After the lounge the Schneider's and us went on a little tour. We visited the Commonwealth War Cemetery, the local fishing museum and aquarium and the famous local statues on the beach. Along the way we stopped at the memorial dedicated to all the fisherman who had lost their lives at see. The names dated back to 1901 and went to 1992. It was pretty touching. After the memorial we went to the war cemetery. Besides the curling this is what I was most looking forward to. It was a sobering experience to see all of the graves of the men who had given their lives for our freedom. I know that sounds cliche but it's true. It was an overwhelming experience for me to see all of those graves, especially the unknown graves. The inscription "Known Unto God" was enough to bring a tear to my eye. We owe them so much. It was also nice to see that the German soldiers were also honoured, even though they were the aggressors in the war. Even though they died fighting for an evil regime, they still sacrificed their lives so that others may live.
The aquarium and fishing museum brought a more lighthearted mood back to the afternoon, especially the seals. It was almost like watching puppies they way they played and acted for their food. It was also cool because the museum housed a WWII bunker. It was hard to get away from the war today.
Once we finished lunch we headed across the road from the aquarium to the Four Men at the Sea statues. It is four white concrete guys staring out into the sea. I believe its supposed to represent the fishermen of some such but it is mostly just a photo op location. It is where Jared and I decided to unfurl the Rider Pilsner flag and represent our Rider Pride. You can't go anywhere without it. We also saw some more German bunkers and fortifications that made up the Atlantic Wall. They dot the West Danish coast because they were too expensive to move. The ones we saw were just barely sticking out of the dunes and had long ago been filled in with dirt. They were nothing more than relics of a troubled past but were interesting nonetheless.
We also stuck our feet in the water at the Four Men and fuck was it cold. After about 5 seconds you couldn't feel your feet anymore, but it was nice to say we did it. [
The opening banquet was tonight and wow was that disappointing. Compared to the Scotties last year in the Soo it was brutal. First of all there was no real structure and it was if the other team did not take it seriously. Our girls were dressed to the nines was what we expected of the others but only the Americans and the Germans attempted to dress up. The others all wore trainers with wind pants or jeans. It was embarrassing. We said if a the teams tried that in Canada we would be fined. The supper was also disappointing as it consisted of appetizers that was it. There was no main course. The food was decent but we expected more. The only highlight was the open bar.
The disappointment of the banquet was soon rectified by the events back at the hotel. Ken and Perry (Amber's brother-in-law) provided the entertainment for the majority of the night. After that they gave way to Perry and Kent, Jolene and Amber's dads, respectively.
Overall it was a good day, but tomorrow is when the game really starts. We won't have much time to do much more touristy stuff, it will mainly be curling from here on out. Although there is talk of getting mohawks and dyeing them red. Only time will tell if we go through with it. We got Russia and Denmark tomorrow. Shouldn't be the toughest day but you never know.
Sorry about the long post but there was alot going on today. And if there are spelling or grammar errors I apologize it is really late and I am pretty drunk so whatever. Sue me. Tomorrow should be good. Long day of drinking ahead.
Future Marc out.
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