Sun-shine Aquatics

Fun night with delicious food and great games...

2011-06-12T03:44:00.001-10:00

As of now, everyone has eaten the kangaroo meat. Yes, we all did! Didn't tell the kids at all and just BBQed it with the regular steak and sausage, served it with chicken wings and salad. I worried a bit earlier this week that Michaela wouldn't eat it because of the large size of the regular piece, so Chris purposely cut it into small pieces. Without doubt, Michaela went straight for the small ones and ate it with her salad. Albert had it so quickly and Zack was not any slower. I took pictures of them eating the meat but they weren't "smart" enough to figure out why. Once they pretty much all had it, then we adults who knew the fact told them, and the kids really got confused with which type they had on their plates was the kangaroo meat. But we have to say that it is very tasty and tender, and didn't feel any difference than any other meat if we weren't told the truth anyway.

After dinner, we all gathered together for a game called "Dirty Minds" --- each item we had to guess has three hints that are pretty "dirty", but the solution is very simple and not easy to think. If you win, you can pick a card with a letter on it, and whoever gets the whole spelling cards of "Dirty" wins the game. We sat outside the house in the backyard with the gas lamp on to get some warmth, everyone was so happy and relaxed and had a great time together.

Now the house is quiet again and we are ready to hit the bed. Tomorrow morning we will probably head down to the beach for one more surf (if the wave is good and the weather is warm enough) and then we will head to Brisbane to catch up our flight. Finally it is time to say goodbye to Australia, but one day we will come back, for sure. Thanks guys and see ya all back home very soon.

They surely had no clue

Michaela eating her
kangaroo meat

Zack: Dude, you are eating
the kangaroo... Albert: So?
I am hungry!

Smell first, then eat

It took Jarrell 19 mins and
a cup of water to swallow

We couldn't really figure out what
happened to Kenji after the Roo

Game time

hanging out with Hudson

Perfect day to wrap up our perfect trip!

2011-06-11T22:29:00.001-10:00

First of all, a quick update of what the kids did yesterday with their families --- Albert had a great time in Dream World and real enjoyed some crazy rides; Michaela went to the Movie World (kind the equivalency of the Universal Studios) and she definitely wants to come back to Australia; Kenji took a nap and chased down a kangaroo in the backyard and figured out that he couldn't beat the Roo in running; and Zack and Jarrell played with kangaroos a little in their backyard and then went shopping.

We all had a bit hard time saying goodbye to all the host families. Told by our kids, some of the family members cried last night; some younger ones in the families wouldn't let our kids go out of the door this morning; and our kids for sure didn't want to leave at all. Too bad that we can't stay any longer (blame the summer school then).

Wow, what a wonderful and memorable day we spent at the Australia Zoo! It was supposed to rain today but somehow the sun was out the entire time... We spent almost 6 hours at the zoo walking around, taking tons of pictures, and having fun. We finally made it, everything we had waited for --- watch the famous Croc show (Steve Erwin used to be on site whenever he was not on tour filming); feeding and taking pictures with the kangaroos; petting and holding koala bears (the one we took photos with is "April" and she is only 18 months); having the python with the boys; and picking up many souvenirs for families and friends. Well, I have to mention that everyone "drained" their wallets and nothing is left in any of them. I guess it is time for us to go home then... When we got off the shuttle in the zoo for the food court, Steve Erwin's son Robert ran pass us. We didn't see his wife Terry and his daughter Bindi, but it was great to see his son (remember the little baby Steve Erwin held in front of the big croc years ago?). Everyone working at the zoo seems to share very much Steve Erwin's passion and love for animals, and we could definitely sense his presence around us.

A little funny story here again... we were walking into the kangaroo field to feed them, and Albert said "I kind want to feed a crocodile"... Then Zack said "then you will be going to the Paralympics". Classic!

The python snake was scary (well, at least to Michaela and I) but it was cool to see the boys holding it. Indeed, they worked so hard the entire week before they could get their dream come true, right? But the highlight has to be koala bear April, even though it costs us $20 each for a photo shoot (the money goes to the Steve Erwin Zoo Foundation to keep it open anyway, so it made us feel good)... Originally just me in line doing the photo shoot, then Michaela came along for it (well, Gail... I told her that you won't be having a problem with her paying $20 for this once-in-a-lifetime photo); then each of the boys came after because they just couldn't pass this opportunity and they all wanted to cuddle the koala bear. We were the loud tourists at the place counting the money in our wallets to make sure we still had enough for this. Hahaha... They allowed us to use our own cameras after their shot, so I (who is a great photographer) took the greatest photos for each one. I nearly took over the lady photographer on site. Heehee... So make sure you check your swimmers' camera (except Zack because he didn't even bring a camera) for the photos I took for them. I took so many pictures with my camera and my battery died at the end just as we walked out of the zoo. Perfect timing though...

Per the boys' request, we had to stop by McDonalds one more time for the 50-cent ice cream cones. In reality, this is the only item they could still afford with their money in the wallet. Now we are back in Chris' house and waiting for the big BBQ (kangaroo meat comes in soon, but feel bad now after feeding these adorable animals). We will party at the house tonight and be ready for our trip home tomorrow. I don't know if I will have enough time to write another one tomorrow morning, so just in case I don't, thanks very much for sharing our trip every day and we are excited to return to the island. We miss you a lot, and we can't wait to share more stories as soon as we are back. From me personally, I want to thank all the Moms and Dads who supported these kids to get on this trip. I know we made your $$$ worth it and experience memorable. I know these kids appreciate very very very much, as they spent lots of time in the gift shop today finding good gifts for their families. As we say one more time here... G'Day and G'Night...

Farewell at the pool

Steve Erwin used to do this show

A nice group pic with his car

We fed so much food to these ROOS

Enjoying a mother with a baby
in the pouch

He wouldn't let the boys go

The koala bear next to us
at the Food Court

Agro is the largest croc the zoo has

Where is Kenji?

The boys' dream picture

Well, how high can you go?

Crikey!

Glad we experienced and
shared Steve Erwin's passion

More McDonalds' ice cream

His name is Charlie and
he is in action

Where is Albert, the Croc?

Final Day in Caloundra...

2011-06-11T11:44:00.001-10:00

I don't know when I started to loose the ability to sleep in, but for sure know that I still want to be able to sleep in whenever I can. Set my alarm clock at 8 am for this mooring, then I woke up at 3:29 am for the first time and got up at 6 am. Oh well... at least it is quiet and I get to sit down and do work on my computer.

Chris and I will drive to the pool at 9 am to pick up the kids (and their luggages) and then we will head to the zoo. They will have to say goodbye to their host families today because we won't see them again tomorrow before our departure. Last Sunday when we arrived, I was so ready to give these kids away after three days in Sydney (hahaha) and I wonder now after the whole week hanging out with their host families, are them ready to return or still wish to spend more time? Too bad that we can't stay longer, but they are all friends on Facebook now, so they will be in touch with each other anyway. Some of the Aussie parents have been asking Chris about going to Hawaii next year to train with us, and I told the parents that when they visit us, we will host them just as they did to us.

I will try to take a group picture with everyone (swimmers, host parents... whoever will be at the pool for the final farewell) and a lot of pictures at the Zoo today for our next blog. Maybe the boys can re-do their dance video in front of the croc cage or while holding a koala bear or when the python snake is on their shoulders? I know it will be a fun day, and hope the weather holds up nicely because yesterday it was really cold.

Before I finish this blog, I want to send a big list of Aussie slangs. My Aussie buddies gave me a lot of help last night and I didn't know that there is even an iPhone App for the slangs. The list goes on and on, and I had to stop it at the end of one full page. I think you should study and test your swimmers when they return to see how many they have learned from their Aussie families ---

dunny (toilet)
suit (a bag of fruit)
a big plate of meat (big feet)
Shila (girl)
Old Codger (old guy)
Fair suck off the sav, mate (come on, give us a go)
spit the dummy (get upset)
frighten the bulldog out of a butcher shop (ugly)
aukle biter (small child)
arvo (afternoon)
bikkie (biscuit)
barbie (BBQ)
bloke (man)
bolledy beauty (fantastic)
bonzer (great)
ripper mate (awesome)
how they hanging (how are you)
Bob's your uncle (it's alright)
sticky beak (nosey person)
hasn't got a brass raze (he is poor)
cark it (to die)
bludger (lazy)
choke a sickie (take a sick day)
come a guster (mistake)
esky (cooler)
mad as a cut snake (angry)
exy (expensive)
ridgey didge (for real)
doozey (something unpleasant)
true blue (genuine)
give it a burl (have a go)
hooroo (goodbye)
mongrel (bad person)
off to the quack (to the doctor)
come the raw prawn (lie)
servo (petrol station --- not to mention that petrol is the same as gas, as we say)

Well, there are so many more and I guess we will save them for the future trips we might take. Don't know yet where we will be next summer, but we know we will be moving forward with what we learn along the way and the passion/motivation/dedication/determination we carry in ourselves. Go Sun-shine!

Pretty much finished all trainings here... now moving on to have some fun!

2011-06-10T19:09:00.001-10:00

Last workout was officially done as of this morning. It is a cold winter day, apparently the coldest for the last 45 years! It just started to rain a little now, but hope tomorrow it will be nice for our Zoo day. The kids are out with their host families and they are having a great time from my communication on text messaging with their hosting parents.

I, on the other hand, took a nice nap and now hanging out with Chris and his family, his parents and my former Aussie swimmers in the house. A cup of hot tea is making me happy...

I will give you more updated when I have the kids back tomorrow and will try to take a group picture of all of them with their families when picking them up at the pool tomorrow morning. Miss ya guys and chat later.

60 x 25 Fly... done!

2011-06-10T01:45:00.001-10:00

The moment everyone has been waiting to get over with --- 60 x 25 Fly, finally done! Chris and I modified the interval a little so that it didn't hit the kids too much, so 30 on 30" and 30 on 40", but no rest and 60 all the way through. First 30 was challenging because the body and mind were in process adapting the load, plus short rest in between each one. The second half was a bit better with more rest and the kids seemed to get on the autopilot pace. Albert said "it is actually not that hard, really" and Michaela's first words as soon as she finished were "Sunny, can we do this again at home?" How can I not admire and be proud of these wonderful kids? Zack led pretty much all the way through, specially the second half --- average 10 strokes per 25, between 14"5 to 15"1; last 4 x 25 averaged 11 strokes; last 25 14"2... Kenji had good stroke all the way through, Jarrell held it well without falling apart. Tomorrow morning is all about sprint, a 30-min non-stop relay mixed teams with the Aussie kids.

Swim resumes at 6 am tomorrow (so one extra hour of sleep for everyone) and then the kids are off to fun activities with their host families. I think most of them are going to this amusement park called Dreamworld and apparently it is a really fun place with lots of cool rides. Michaela has been waiting the entire week to go there. I will be off to Mooloolaba again for some relaxation and catching up with friends, and then return to the house in the afternoon because two of my former UH athletes are coming for a visit.

Even though we still have tomorrow to go, I have to say that mission well accomplished this trip and we will be ready to return with fresh mind, attitude, confidence and goals in our heads. We look forward to bring everything we learned from here back home to everyone and we hope they are ready to start challenging themselves a bit as well, just like we did here.

On a separate note, would you guys let me know who will be picking up who on Monday? I will call your cell phone when we land, and will stay at the curbside until everyone gets picked up. Hayato and Claire: may I have a ride please to home with you guys? Thanks very much and talk to you again tomorrow. Hope not raining tomorrow, really cross the fingers and pray... The kids really deserve a fun day, so please let them... Miss you all very much!

ready to set the pool
to 25-M

The Aussie girls just cannot walk
away from our boys

46th 25 Fly, Zack leading

Albert fell off the couch while
taking a nap today, but he didn't
even know. This is how tired they are.

The sun is finally out again...

2011-06-09T17:17:00.001-10:00

This morning the kids had a big session in the gym and a big set in the water. I could tell that physically this was it for everyone and the intensity couldn't go any further beyond what they have done. So one more challenge set of 60 x 25 Fly tonight and tomorrow morning we will go easier and just focus on the sprints. Timing wise, it is perfect because they pretty much have completed the entire week. Exciting thing is that the kids are actually pretty ready for the Fly set this afternoon, even though they know it will be painful. Michaela said she really wants to do this set and doesn't want to miss out and "guys, it is only 60 x 25 Fly, ok? It's not that bad. It will be on 30 sec interval so you will have 10 sec rest after each one".

We had good breakfast right across from Currimundi Lake Beach, bacon, sausage, egg, waffle, and milkshakes. I had never seen Michaela eating that much before --- a full serving of 3 eggs on toast, a milkshake and another salad plate. Gail: I told Michaela that it is not because she is picky on the kind of food items she likes, but rather the training is not hard enough to make her eat like a big girl. ^0^

After that, we took a scenery drive to the little towns of Mooloolaba and Maroochydore to see some beach parks and to take a walk at the big Sunshine Plaza Mall. Found a Starbucks on the way so everyone stopped by for a drink. I can't even describe how excited we all were when spotting the Starbucks green color and its sign.

The boys are semi-playing the video game now and soon will fall asleep (I bet) and Michaela has already fallen asleep half hour ago. We will go back this afternoon and they are ready to knock the last hard workout down. Tomorrow they will spend a day with their own host families and Sunday we will have the Zoo excursion. One of my former UH swimmers, Melanie Schlanger, will visit us as well this weekend from the Gold Coast and will meet the kids to tell her stories of becoming a World Champion in 2007 and Olympic Gold Medallist in 2008. She will show Albert the Olympic ring she has as a proud (and forever) Olympian because Albert wants to see it.

I am looking forward to support the swimmers this afternoon and then move on to a fun weekend. Will give you more update later tonight and have a good evening there. G'Day to all of you...

Robin, Jarrell finally learned
to manage himself

Zack showing his
other talents

Was in a music store with
the largest selection of
Uke in Sunshine Coast

Our name is everywhere

The town of Maroochydore

Too bad we can't take this home as
souvenir for you guys

Another one for you all

For our BBQ on Sunday,
but shhh, don't tell the kids
because we don't plan to

Thursday done and well-accomplished again!

2011-06-09T02:37:00.001-10:00

First of all, the weather is really getting cold here and it rained last night and tonight. Hope tomorrow will be a better day but the weather report doesn't seem to deliver the good news we want to hear. Where is the Sunshine? I had hoped the boys to show up at the pool this afternoon with their long pants on, but no, they didn't. So I had to tell them in person individually to clarify my expectation to see them wear long pants tomorrow.

Secondly, let me tell you how tired these kids are... 9 pm, I went on Facebook and no one was there. 9 pm!!! It probably never happened back home, and it was not like that earlier this week. Monday to Wednesday their afternoon nap was about 1 hour, today they took 3 hours! Anyway... training for today. Just when everyone had wished the intensity would go easier, today's workout overtook yesterday's and became the hardest so far. A main set of targeting heart rate with 24 x 100 FR (12 on 1:40 with heart rate 175/min; 8 on 1:50 with HR 185/min; and 4 @2' with HR 195/min, no break in between each set) really hit their bodies and mind hard. My observation was that almost everyone had a break-down moment somewhere within the set, but they were able to hold through with great results. No complain whatsoever and a smile at the end... I have to re-emphasize my point that I wish you could have been here to see each of them in every single practice because they are just amazing, and I bet you are as proud as I am, when reading this, of what they accomplish every day. After the practice, they could still chat with smiles, dance (tends to be never ending) and walk away with the readiness to come back tomorrow morning at 4:45 am. So I started to wonder where the limit is for these tough kids while knowing for sure that this trip has been hitting our purpose and it is absolutely raising their confidence. I am sure they will be so ready to go home next Monday.

Well, there are so many things to write about these fantastic kids and how much I have been enjoying this trip. Tomorrow morning we are back in the gym with a big session, and then two huge workouts in the pool. I didn't tell the kids the main sets for tomorrow morning and afternoon because I really wanted them to sleep well tonight. So shhh... what is told here stays here (I don't think any of the kids check it out anyway because to them FB is THE one). Tomorrow morning's main set is 400 IM + 2 x 200 NFR + 400 IM + 2 x 200 NFR + 400 IM + 2 x 200 NFR and tomorrow afternoon... you ready??? 60 x 25 Fly on 30 sec interval (tomorrow night we will swim 25-M short course because Swimming Queensland is hosting a SCM meet on this Sunday). Not to mention that this Fly set is only part of the main set for tomorrow night. I am very curious to see how these kids handle this set and I guess this might probably be their "highlight" of the week when they tell you all the stories they have about this trip.

We will take the kids out again tomorrow morning after practice for a hearty breakfast (always Sunny's treat to reward their great effort) and then we will plan the activity based on the weather. Might be surfing (can you believe that the boys still have energy to hit the waves?) or movie or whatever we can do. Then we will give them a big nap before the afternoon practice. Saturday is another morning practice and then each one of them is off to spend the day with their host families. Sunday morning, Chris and I will pick them up and they will all move into Chris' big house for the BBQ dinner (this is when the kangaroo meat comes in) and sleep over together. Sunday is also our play day at the Australia Zoo (where Steve Erwin used to work at). Everyone wants to take photos holding koala bears and the boys want a python on their neck (absolutely not for Michaela and myself). Apparently, the zoo also has crocodile wresting shows on Sundays (which they stopped for a while after Steve Erwin had died because it used to be his show), and I hope we have a chance to meet Steve Erwin's wife Terry and his kids (who often come to the zoo while they are not on filming tours). Monday if the sun is out again, we should be able to take the kids out to the beach one more time before we head to the airport.

Funny little story here... background is that Aussies are pretty "lazy" about names and likes to add "O" at the end of most men's names. So Chris "assigned" our kids Aussie names to make his life a lot easier when writing on the board --- Zack is "Zac" because one less letter is better, and he could be called "Zaco" as to the Aussie way; Michaela is Mick because her name is way too long and takes too much space on the board; Albert is AL and can be called Alberto; Kenji is Ken and we all vetoed the "Kenjio" thing; Jarrell became Tery because Chris kept forgetting the "J" up in the front. ^0^

I realized today that I haven't taken any picture of the facility surroundings, so here are few. A separate note that I spotted another snake earlier today on the road and a kangaroo jumped in front of our car tonight while we were driving out of the recreation center. Gee, why am I the only one to keep spotting snakes? They are no where near to be my favorite and I never plan to let them be. Anyway, I am sending greetings on behalf of all the kids (and myself for sure) because I know they miss their Moms, Dads, siblings, friends and teammates... Big hug and will continue our update tomorrow. Oh, only can think one Aussie word today---Motorway means highway. The kids had a good laugh yesterday on the word "thong" because it means slippers in Aussie English (but you know what it means in the US). Jarrell "luckily" had his slippers at the time so everyone giggled for a good joke. Signing off now and I am ready to get up in 5.5 hours. Bye ya all...

Entrance of the recreation center

Outside the indoor pool

Its little water park and tennis/beach
volleyball field in the far back.
I was told that those fields are
where usually people see
the big and scary spiders

Kenji is checking his HR

Half-way through and the kids are still up for the challenges...

2011-06-08T11:34:00.001-10:00

Wednesday afternoon was the hardest ever so far in this week's training with 6,200 meters focusing on short rest/sprint. Part of the warm-up set is 18 x 100 FR @ 1:30 (Zack had 3 on 1:30, 3 on 1:25 and 3 @ 1:20), non-stop short rest pace. Michaela averaged 1:20, Albert 1:19, Kenji 1:20 and Jarrell 1:21. Last 100, Michaela went 1:19, Albert 1:17, Kenji 1:17, and Jarrell 1:18. Zack made all 18 within his interval, even though some times he only had 2-sec rest. All of their times pretty much beat their paces in the 1,500 they did at the last UH distance meet. What an accomplishment for these kids! and it was just a warm up set. Then they had a big main set of 4 x 50 25 FAST with Dive/25 EZ @ 1:30 + 100 EZ @ 3 + 8 x 50 200 pace @ 1' + 200 EZ @ 5' + 4 x 50 25 FAST with Dive/25 EZ @ 1:30. x twice through.

So at mid-week point, they have already done 2 weight training sessions and swum approximately 26,000-meters in water. This morning they got to sleep in and then return to workout in the afternoon. Tomorrow is triple again with weight room/dryalnd, morning and afternoon. Saturday is morning, Sunday off and Monday probably another morning before we depart. So far the kids are hanging on very well in every workout and never back their effort to swim fast, swim hard (even though their bodies are hurting with the constant fatigue and large amount of lactic acid). When they go home, I think they will "love" me more because my workouts are easier. Hahaha...

A little story here... Zack and Albert witnessed Chris "loosing" temper to one of his top swimmers Taylor (Michaela's host, currently on Team Australia and is preparing the World Jr. Champs in August) because she was not willing to do the hard work during the morning practice in the set of 6 x 400 (2 BR and 1 FR). He told her to get rid of the Age Group mind and start to grow if she wants to be a big player, and he is sick of her laziness. Hahaha, Chris "scared" them a little. Albert said he tried not to look Chris straight just in case, and Zack was "hiding" himself a little from Chris' eye sight. But Taylor turned around finished the set very well in the afternoon, even though she cried through the second half of the set because it was very tired (and her back hurt). Not saying that they have to cry, but the boys really had a good lesson learning what it takes to walk the talk and stick with the plan. Then they told the story to Jarrell and Kenji.

So... The kids are doing very well and I hope they bring such effort and mentality back home to the rest of the gang. Chris and I work very close every day and we constantly discuss the volume, intensity, focus and things to improve for each workout. This has been a great trip and we enjoy it every single day. Even though the kids are tired after each workout, they are still up (physically, mentally and emotionally) for the challenges and still somehow have energy left for video games, trampoline, surfing, Facebooking, and dancing (or to them, shuffling?). Well, maybe indeed the workouts are not that hard. Hahaha... Anyway, I will give you another update later on this afternoon, and hope now I can fall back to sleep for another 30 mins or so. It is supposed to be my sleep-in day, isn't it? Talk later.

Day 3 of training and the vegemite experience

2011-06-07T18:21:00.003-10:00

The only thing I like about getting up early is that it is so quiet everywhere... another morning of 4 am wake-up and a long drive to the pool for practice. The kids had a good gym session with some weights targeting leg strength and abs for core work. Swimming part was a distance set of 6 x 400 (Zack and Albert did 4 BR + 2 FR; Kenji, Jarrell and Michaela did 2 BK, 2 IM, and 2 FR/Fly) and the total was only 4,100 meters. This afternoon will be a hard short-rest set, and I hope the kids are not too sore from the gym session.

After the morning practice, we took a drive to the Glass House Mountains. The kids really liked the Aussie candies and the popular Burger Ring (a type of chip-alike snack tastes like burger). Then one of the boys farted (either Zack, Kenji or Albert from the back row) and it was really BAD! I guess they had too much fun with the snacks. On the way to the GHM lookout point, we drove pass the Australia Zoo (where we will visit on this Sunday) and spotted a baby Kangaroo at roadside. The Mountain range is very pretty and by reading the intro, it apparently is very spiritual to Australia's aboriginal people. The reason why it was called "Glass House Mountains" was that Lieutenant James Cook thought the peaks resembled the glass furnace in his hometown. Surely it was beautiful. Then we had some tasty breakfast at a little family-owned cafe across from a beach (didn't see the name of the beach though). The boys checked out the waves a bit and decided not to get in today because the water is too cold due to the cold weather started last night. Came back to Chris' house and fed the kids with chicken sandwiches, then they went for the video games and the FB. Oh well, the only things they need for life...

As of now, everyone has tried vegemite. Michaela decided early on that she doesn't like it at all; Kenji said it was not bad but was not good either; Albert couldn't finish so he had to give it to the dog; Zack took few bites but had to spit everything out into the toilet because he couldn't handle the taste; and Jarrell definitely doesn't want to have it ever agin. Hahaha... mission accomplished and one thing off from their to-do list.

A little break for all of us now and will return to the pool in about 45 mins. Aussie lesson of the day... Tick means "to check"; Bugger means "guy" and the most common expression is "oh, the poor bugger" when something bad happens to a person. Ok, time to have a little rest for me before heading back to the pool, so I will send another one later tonight. We are having fun and I will make sure the kids dress themselves warm (even though most of them don't like to listen to me about dressing warm). ^0^

the pool we train at

The kids are enjoying a ride with
Aussie Lollie and Burger Ring

Glass House Mountains

A quick stop for pictures at GHM

For me

Wow, they know we are here?

leisure activity in between practice break

Zack and his
vegemite sandwich

Can you tell if Jarrell enjoys
or hates vegemite?

Another day of great training...

2011-06-07T01:21:00.004-10:00

Everyone had an easy morning sleep-in and most of the kids just stayed in the house before going in to the afternoon practice. Michaela relaxed and had a good rest; Zack and Jarrell "locked" themselves in the same room pretty much the whole day playing games; Albert and Kenji stayed in the same house, went on the trampoline, played video games, cards, and ripsticks. I took a scenery drive to various beaches and to downtown Caloundra.

Another great workout with 5,600 meters. Main set was 10 x (50 All Out Max Sprint w/dive + 150 Recovery). The kids thought it was an easy set because "it was only 10 x 50 fast and you got a whole 150 EZ after each", but they didn't really realize that it was not pace build up nor long distance pace. It was ALL OUT every single time when they were on the block. Everyone looked super good in the first one; by the 4th one they started to feel the pain; by the 6th one I could tell that their bodies were "dying"; by the 8th one they lost their kicks; and the last two they just struggled to get through; after the whole set, their arms felt like "jelly bean". But each one of them did a super job finishing every single one at their best. Michaela's fly averaged 33"; Kenji did IMO and was consistent all the way through (even thought he is a bit sick), 31" for FR, 40" for BR, 34" for Fly and 34"-mid for BK; Zack averaged 34"-high in BR, 29"for FR and 29"-mid for Fly; Albert averaged 36" for BR and 30" for FR; and Jarrell averaged 30" in FR and 36" for BK.

Tomorrow morning we are back in the gym again at 5 am for weights (on legs) and abs. Then an aerobic-focused workout after and a short-rest set in the afternoon. After the morning swim, Chris and I will take the kids out to see the famous Glass House Mountains and eat a nice breakfast on the beach. Then they might dive in the ocean again if the wave is good enough.

BTW... Daily lesson of Aussie words--- Hot chip is French fries; Torch is flash light; Dooner is blanket; Rubber is eraser; and Rubbish is trash. Not to mention that Aussies call it a mobile phone rather than a cell phone. I think you guys should start learning these words so you can understand what your kids want when they return home. Hahaha...

Anyway, time to sign off and have a great good day there when you wake up. Weather is supposed to be a bit colder starting tomorrow, and rain is coming on this weekend. Will see if we can keep the sunshine here. Miss everyone back home a lot and we are sending our biggest hugs...

the town of Caloundra

a computer and video games
are all they need for life

This is not from a postcard

First day of practices well accomplished!

2011-06-06T01:27:00.001-10:00

Hey, guys... just a quick update here of the first day of practice in Caloundra. First time ever in their life to swim 10,200 meters with two workouts (equal to 11,154.86 yards) + weight room in the morning!!! Everyone was pushing themselves out of their comfort zone and giving their best. Standing on deck and looking at them, I just felt so proud of each one of them. Way to go, Sun-shine! Tomorrow they get to sleep in and return to the pool for the afternoon practice/dryland.

Well, I am the first one to see snake and kangaroos today. When we were driving on the highway heading back to the pool, I saw one snake (colorful pattern on the skin) laying on the road side. Scary and lucky I was in a moving car!!! Then I spotted whole bunch of kangaroos on an open field near the highway.

I forgot to mention earlier that the kids have been learning some Aussie English here and there. Singlet means tank top; Mate surely means friend/buddy/dude/etc; Tilie? means TV; Boot means the trunk of a car; and Bubler means drinking fountain. Lots more to learn along the way...

Enough for now and I have no picture updates. Should have some tomorrow. If you can, please also check the kids' FB updates because they are constantly on it every day to update with pictures from their cameras. So far we are having a great time, even though the first day of training really hit them hard. Tomorrow morning the kids will hang out with their host families and afternoon is a hard race-pace session (shhh, don't tell them yet). I think they will all sleep well tonight and I bet none of them will wake up before 9 am tomorrow morning. Sending our greetings to all of you, and talk to you later.

Morning practice, surfing, and more practice...

2011-06-05T16:36:00.006-10:00

Continuing update from last night... everyone had a good first evening with their host families. Michaela really likes her house, especially the river behind the backyard, and is a bit "afraid" to get lost because the house is really big. Albert blended in very well with his host family and Taylor's little sister was all over him. He has a heating blanket in his bed that made him so warm/comfy at first but eventually he felt like he was on a grill (guess he turned the temperature a little too warm). Zack and Jarrell has a huge house and they played a lot of games last night with their host family. They also saw a koala bear on a tree in their backyard (everyone was so jealous when Zack told us). Kenji's family really enjoys having him around. He and Ben haven't got a chance yet to play guitar together but hopefully will later this week.

First morning seemed to be accomplished quite well. Everyone got up between 4 and 4:30 am, when the sky was completely dark and the stars were still out in the sky. Surely the host family members had to wake up every single kid (Sunny got up on her own with no problem). When the kids walked into the gym, most of their eyes were still half-closed. Kenji even forgot to wear his jacket because he was literally still sleeping while walking to the car. However, the kids did a good 30-min session in the weight room and then moved to the swim pool for their 4,800 meter morning swim. Feedback for the first morning practice --- Zack: "pretty good (but in a very slow and quiet tune)"; Michaela: "I don't think I can walk"; Albert: "Feel like I am gonna throw up"; Kenji: "tired"; Jarrell: "hurt". Hahaha, didn't they realize that it was just the first practice and it was only a morning one?

After the practice, everyone came back to Chris' house. Took a short break, then we went out to get some breakfast and surely the boys got more McDonalds' 50-cent ice cream cones. Then we headed off to Currimundi Beach, boys went in the water to ride some waves while the girls sat inside a beach-side cafe for some downtime (no-boy-around quiet time) and tasty milkshake. The boys enjoyed very much out in the ocean this morning with Chris and his buddy John, even though the water was cold. Now we are back in the house and the kids are all in the room playing Halo.

Well, I will stop here for now and more to come later. We will be going back to the pool at 4 pm for their afternoon swim (this time, 2.5 hours) and will see how they feel after. Enjoy your Sunday back home and we will talk to you guys later. Still miss you guys every day while we are having a blast here...

Dance video (Zack & Albert): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XXN6XicKic

Waiting to board our
flight to Brisbane

Self-introduction before getting in
(5:30 am)

The boys love Chris' dog Hudson

The very first Jr. Warrior squad
(can you recognize Zack?)

Checking out the wave before going

They are almost ready

Walking towards the water
(my favorite shot)

Getting ready to hit the wave

Michaela and I enjoyed tasty milkshake
at a beach-side cafe
while the boys were out

Sun-shine swimmers in Sunshine Coast...

2011-06-05T01:32:00.004-10:00

I thought to just drop a quick note before we wrap up the day. The flight to Brisbane was very short and sweet and they offered fresh apple on the airplane for snacks, which I thought was pretty cool and very healthy. All of us arrived safely and met Chris (and Albert's host family) at the Brisbane airport, and the first question the kids asked Chris was "is tomorrow's workout hard?". Hum... I hope they are ready. The city looks very different from Sydney and seems to have more forests in its suburb areas. The weather, again, was exceptionally warm. Chris said that it was supposed to rain in the afternoon, but I guess we brought the sunshine with us one more time to Brisbane.

On the way to the Aquatic Center, Chris reminded everyone about the snakes, spiders, and kangaroos. He said that the big black spider is ok, but the small one with red stripe on its back is very dangerous. And I think he said that if we see a brown snake, we need to run the opposite direction as fast as we can. Oh boy, I hope I don't see any this, but I did spot a "snake hunter" guy going through the bushes on the side of the road. Kangaroos should be around the roads as well and we just need to pay attention to spot them. He also said that the house Zack and Jarrell stay in often have kangaroos visiting the backyard. How fun!

The drive from the airport to the Aquatic Center was not long at all. The facility is beautiful with an indoor training facility (one 50-m pool and one 25-m pool), a mini water park, few tennis courses, a beach volleyball field, a very big gym and other amenities. Truly wish that we could have a facility like that back home on the island. The kids then met their host families and got "adopted" at the pool. I met each one of them, swimmers and their parents, and they are all lovely people. I could also tell that they are just as excited as we are. Our Sun-shine kids were a bit shy to start but by dinner time they seemed to be doing just fine (based on their FB updates/communication). Michaela already tried and decided she doesn't like vegemite, and her host family had ice cream after dinner. Albert had a good dinner as well with ice cream as dessert. Oh well, perfect much for these two. Zack and Jarrell were already on Xbox Live by the time I was ready for my dinner, and Kenji was on FB chat with Albert.

A short funny story of how we still in process of adjusting the differences. Albert and I both made mistakes today (I did at the airport and he did at the pool while being picked up) that we went to the wrong side of the car without realizing the wheel is on the other side of what we have back home. I was waiting outside the door ready to jump into the car, and Albert just started to climb in until his hosting Dad asked if he would like to drive. We had a little laugh of ourselves and then took off for our hosting houses.

No picture at this time because we were too busy meeting everyone. Tomorrow morning is our first morning workout and I will take a picture of the kids' faces at 4:45 am. I have to get up at 4 am the latest because I live the farthest with a 30-min drive to the pool. Weight room first at 5 am and then swim to 7 am. Then Chris and I plan to bring the kids back to his house and might go on an excursion or do something together. I found a picture at Chris' house the very first members of then-called Jr. Warriors Swim Team (later became Sun-shine Aquatics in 2006 when I took over from Chris) and it just brought all the good memories (Tammy and Chris, remember your little Zack back in those days?). For those of you who don't know yet, Chris was the person who started the Jr. Warrior while we coached at UH and then after he returned to Australia, I took over and registered it officially as Sun-shine Aquatics. His wife Erin was the original fish-food lady in charge of all the snacks at every workout.

Anyway, everyone is already in bed as of 9:20 pm. Sweet dream to all of us and we will be ready for the early wake-up call. I will take pictures of our training sessions and post later during the day. Our greetings to all of you and good night.

Bondi excursion...

2011-06-04T16:39:00.001-10:00

Everyone got up early this morning for the excursion to explore the famous Bondi Beach. Took the train at Central Station and then a bus to the beautiful beach. The view from the top of the Notts Ave. took all of our breath away (even the boys!). We walked down to check out the Bondi Icebergs Swim Club and its saltwater pools. Water temperature was actually quite nice, and the views from the pool deck made everyone speechless. As far as I can remember, this is the first place out of all the places we have visited so far in Sydney where the boys actually didn't want to leave (but I wonder if it was because of the beautiful views or because of the good-looking biniki-wearing Aussie girls there). Heehee... We took many pictures and the kids really enjoyed looking at the waves.

We made it back to the hotel right on time for check-out, and was able to get a minivan this time for the airport ride. The one we took at arrival few days ago was so small that we literally had to pile all luggages onto Albert (who thought he could get the whole row of seat but ended up with luggages over him). Checked in half hour ago at the airport and now we are just waiting to go through the security check point for our flights. Zack will be on a different flight from the rest of us but we both take off and land pretty much at the same time. Got some free wifi at the airport so everyone is on either computer or iPod Touch or whatever we have. The boys are editing their dancing video taken this morning and I will be able to load it up for you guys later as soon as they finish and upload to my computer. They are very good but man, these crazy boys, they just won't stop dancing for one second.

Well, have to stop here and more to come later after we land in Brisbane. The kids will meet their host families today and then start their Aussie home experience, and I am truly truly truly ready to give them away. My vacation will start as of tonight. Yeah!!! Tomorrow morning is our first morning practice and I can't wait to see everyone's faces at 4:45 am... Have a great day and chat to you all later.

early morning dance by Zack
and Albert at the bus station

the filming crew for the dance

The famous club and its pools

Finally the boys didn't want to
rush out of a place

Michaela said she definitely doesn't
want to swim 200 Fly in that lane

huge wave hitting the swimming pool

It is absolutely beautiful

The boys didn't want to get on the beach
because they don't want to
be seen as tourists. Dah...

views of the pools from the top

Another fun, memorable but tired day...

2011-06-04T02:18:00.035-10:00

Finally I am allowed to use my computer for necessary work and today's blog update. The boys have been on Youtube watching various video clips that somehow made them laugh hard. Ever since Zack arrived last night, the boys have been so hooked to each other and somehow the two girls are "no longer" in their circle. Oh well, Michaela and I are having a great time and we can manage ourselves well without the boys. Hahaha...

Ok... my feet are sore. We had a full day of fun and walked A LOT. Our day started at the Starbucks with the boys taking their traditional picture of sharing the Strawberry & Creme drink. The price was quite expensive but the boys managed well to share the cost. Then we hopped on the free shuttle from George St. to the Circular Quay Wharf. The walk to the Opera House was fantastic, with the Harbour Bridge on our left side across the wharf. We took a tour inside the Opera House and all facts about how it became reality are just amazing. When I stood in front of this magnificent structure, all memories of my last visit 19 years ago came to my mind. Our tour guide's name is Liane and she did a great job showing us a lot of behind-the-stage places.

After the Opera House, we walked along the water to the Rocks. On our way, we watched a young man doing some crazy tricks with a very unusually tall uni-cycle and listened to some aboriginal musicians performing on the street. Picked our delicious lunch from the street booths at the weekend market and then we walked on top of the Harbour Bridge. It felt like walking on top of the Golden Gate Bridge with the difference of having the Opera House and the Sydney city skyline in our sights.

We then took the ferry ride from Circular Quay to Darling Harbour. The ride was very smooth and it stopped at few places before we arrived at our destination. One of the stops, surely, was the famous Luna Park. The Aquarium was very nice and we got to see the Dugongs and many sharks, and the Great Barrier Reef is very colorful. While Michaela and I were looking at the Dugongs, we ran into one of the former Sun-shine swimmers Hannah (was in Shrimp/Fish group) and her family. How small is the world? After the Aquarium, we sat down and watched a very interesting street soccer game while we were on the way to the Harbourside Mall (the game was played on a floating platform). At the end of the trip to the area, we took the monorail back home.

Since Albert discovered the 50-cent ice cream cone at the McDonald's, the boys have been eating it as their snacks every few hours, and the pizza place right next to our hotel became their favorite. The kids swam in the hotel pool, which is half indoor and half outdoor, after their dinner.

From the kids: Michaela has nothing to say and she is just reading her books at the moment. Gail, I have to tell you that she ate the same noodle bowl tonight for dinner and finished it again! Albert said that he enjoys Sydney so far but wouldn't want to live in Australia because the food is too expensive. Zack said it was G (whatever that means but he said it means good). Kenji and Jarrell have nothing to say because they are too busy watching TV.

We are going to bed a bit early today because we have an early morning excursion tomorrow to Bondi Beach and the famous Bondi Icebergs Swim Club. The club is the only licensed winter swim club in the world and the two saltwater pools are right on the beach with freezing cold temperature during winter months (currently at around 18C). Then we will come back and get ready for our flight from Sydney to Brisbane in early afternoon. Well, I have to stop right here because Jarrell is waiting for his turn to get on the computer, so talk to you tomorrow after we arrive at our destination Caloundra. Miss you guys and have a great weekend. G'Day to you all in Honolulu and G'Night to us in Sydney...

Facebook/Youtube are all they care (8 am)

3 boys slept in this bed last night

The boys finally got the SB drink

Look at their big smiles

Yes, we made it

The SOH in the background

The boys have to have their mermaid

The magnificent shells

Street soccer game on
a floating platform

A gorgeous and sunny day in Sydney...

2011-06-03T02:47:00.009-10:00

I guess we really brought sunshine from home to Sydney because weather today is exceptionally warm at approximately 70F! Last night it was raining and quite cold, but today is completely different. Zack arrived safe and sound tonight, and now the circle is completed. The boys requested to go to Starbucks already for the traditional picture, but I told them tomorrow. They specifically emphasized that "girls" are not allowed to be in their picture. Oh well...

Anyway, let's start from our morning. We walked to the Central Station, which is about 5 mins from our apartment, and took the train to the Olympic Park. We got great discounted fare because apparently it dropped 50% after 9 am (which starts the non-peak hours), and the kids got another 50% off the discounted rate for only $2.70 for a RT ride. What a steal! Another reason to remind you that being young is good. The train was pretty much empty and there were probably 7 people on it. The ride to the park was quiet but interesting, and the suburb areas reminded me China somehow because it looked no difference at all along the train rails. Jarrell spent $5 on a small bottle of Powerade and we laughed at him "being ripped off". Albert was too excited on the train and he decided to put his goggle on while we were still on the train (still don't know where he got the idea). We had a good laugh all the way until we arrived at the Olympic Park.

After 20 mins of keeping going to the wrong directions, we finally made to the front door of the Aquatic Center. Man... it is pretty and can't believe the 2000 Olympic Games was 11 years ago already! I remembered seeing my teammates getting medals on the podium that year (too bad I wasn't here), and this morning we finally made to the natatorium. The front-desk ladies were so nice and they gave us a discounted family rate of only $4/each person (rather than the $7), and we learned that the Australian SCM National Champs is going on tonight. We were planning to go back and watch it, but too bad the session time was in conflict of Zack's arrival time, so we decided to pass.

We had fun swimming in the pool and I hope the kids still felt the vibe from 11 years ago. We were swimming in the designated "Fast Lane". Other people came and left, as our speed was too intimidating to them. They thought they were fast, but today was just their unlucky day. We were amazed by how popular swimming is in Australia and why the sport itself is the national icon sport. During our training session of 1.5 hours, there were at least 15 groups of young children (most of them, surprisingly, seem to be muslim ethnicity) coming in for swim lessons, as well as many other people using the facility as members. There are pools for lap swims, swim school lessons, leisure swim, spa, sauna, a gym, an outdoor terrace, and a food court and a water park inside the facility. The boys spent quite a bit time playing at the water park and they almost forgot that we needed to return to the city.

We walked through the Central Business District in the afternoon and went onto the observation deck atop the famous Sydney Tower. The view is 360 degree and the sunset is very much different from that at home on the beach. The only thing that we didn't get to experience was the OzTrek ride to go through Australia's history, geographical significance and modern charm because it has been closed down for necessary renovation since May.

The boys ate at a delicious pizza place and the girls ate at a Malaysian/Chinese restaurant for dinner. The food was very tasty and the prices were actually reasonable. Since it is a weekend, there are so many more people on the street and many more cars on the road.

Tomorrow we have another day of fun ahead of us. We will tour the Opera House, walk on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, stop by the weekend market at the Rocks for local souvenirs (not to mention that the boys started shopping gifts for their sisters already), take a ferry ride and finally visit the Sydney Aquarium, where we can see the largest collection of Sharks and the Great Barrier Reef habitats. They also have two of the only six Dugongs on display in the world!

I am asking the kids just now if they have anything to say about their trip so far, but they all decided to hang out together instead and don't even care if I make up funny things about them. I have to say that seeing them really bonding and building up friendship outside the pool has already made my trip worth it, and hanging out with these fun kids really is a plus. We miss all of you and will share more tomorrow. Hi from all of us...

We needed to wait 6 more mins
in order to
get the discounted fare rate

Australian version of Burger King

The kids were happy to find this

At Platform 13 waiting for the
train to the Olympic Park

The train has two levels

Jarrell and his $5/bottle drink

Albert couldn't wait to swim at the Olympic
Aquatic Center so he put his goggle
on while still on the train

We made it

Can you find Albert?

We found it after 20 mins
of walking around

Our future Olympians

THE place where the actions
happened 11 years ago

Yes, we are FAST

ANZ Stadium, where the
Sydney Opening/Closing
Ceremonies were held

After a fun day, Michaela finished
the entire
bowl of Laska noodle

Kenji said it is the best pizza
he's ever had in his life

Albert's dress made
of hotel blanket
and he is trying to be elegant

Kenji's dress made
of bed spread

G'Day, Australia!

2011-06-02T09:13:00.004-10:00

After 10 hours and 6 mins in the air, we finally landed in Sydney safe and sound. The kids overall behaved themselves ok and seemed like we were a loud but very excited group most of the way through. The kids were very "high" to start with and they lasted about 5 hours. At 6 hours 43 mins, Kenji passed out for a while. At 7.5 hours-ish, Albert finally fell asleep (so he finally wasn't walking up and down the aisle asking for food). Then all of them became super excited again about 2 hours prior to landing. They were counting down numbers while the aircraft was approaching the runway, and the entire cabin could hear them (not joking). We sat within the "Aussie zone" with a bunch of Australians, and we met one of my former masters' swimmers Betty Ann Salle (who is a HA flight attendant) in-flight and had a good chat.

The weather is actually nice and it was raining a little when we landed. Didn't know that all aircrafts from international destinations are supposed to be sprayed for quarantine purpose before everyone can be off the plane. So we waited about 10 mins while the flight attendants were actually spraying inside the cabin (so we were sitting in the spray fog for a while). Very interesting though and I thought it made our arrival a bit more dramatic. Hahaha...

First impression of Sydney from the kids --- Kenji: dirty; Jarrell: lots of alcohol (because we saw an Aussie guy drunk and was sleeping on the street); Albert: the Aussie accent (he was called MATE by the immigration officer and he couldn't understand it); and Michaela: big...We had a quite nice (but expensive) taxi ride from the airport to the apartment in Central Business District (CBD) and the kids were counting how fast the fare meter was running (averagely every two seconds, I think).

We all went to bed at mid-night after settling in the apartment. Went to McDonald's for a quick bite and then did grocery shopping right across street from our apartment. While the girls (Michaela and Sunny) were more logical, the boys were picking up Easy Mac and potato chips. Yes, that is right, chips! We unpacked after shopping, if you count dumping all the stuff out of the suitcases as "unpacking" for the boys. Again, girls were much better in organizing themselves for life.

A day full of activities coming up and I am excited to start the day. Woke up at 3:39 am and figured to take some time to get my work done while the kids were still sleeping. They will get up at 7:30 am and our day will start with breakfast in our two little nice kitchens. Will see how the boys "cook" for themselves though. We will swim at the Olympic Aquatic Center, hang out at the Olympic Park for a little while and then visit the Sydney Tower later this afternoon. I will pick up Zack at the airport tonight and the kids can't wait to see him... They wouldn't take pictures together yesterday because "the gang" is not completed without Zack. Oh, these kids... aren't they cute? We found a Starbucks right around the corner and will take the "traditional" (as Zack calls it) Sun-shine picture there with everyone. Zack said we have to because it is a Sun-shine thing. Oh well, my camera is ready for it... Talking about that, I am attaching few pictures here for your leisure... More to come and have a great day there.

Just boarded and everyone was happy

4 hours in the air and their heads were still going

Well, Kenji is out somewhere

Gee, finally he is quiet

our first Aussie McDonalds' family meal

Please vote for Sun-shine!

2011-05-18T15:12:00.001-10:00

Recently, Sun-shine Aquatics has entered the USA-Swimming's National Contest of "America's Swim Team" and our video submission has been selected as one of the top 3 finalists. This week, it is up on the USAS' website for voting and the final number of votes will determine the grand prize winner. What does the winner get? A surprise visit by a current USA National Team swimmer and the team video will be played at this year's National Championships in August. How cool is that?

All of us at Sun-shine ask your generous support to vote for us. Our video represents the best the meaning/concept of being an "America's Swim Team", and we are determined to WIN! Voting is open until the end of this coming Sunday, and you can vote as many times as you want. So please, join us and let's be the champion! Mahalo and we greatly appreciate it...

http://www.usaswimming.org/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabId=2077&Alias=Rainbow&Lang=en

Aloha!

2011-05-13T11:58:00.000-10:00

Sun-shine Aquatics is a USA Swimming and Hawaiian Swimming registered club in the State of Hawaii. Started in 2003 (previously called Jr. Warriors), our program has been the unique place where young children learn the correct swimming technique while enjoying the sport itself. One significant difference to distinguish our program from the others is the fact that we do not pursue the concept of competitiveness as a necessity, but rather the overall enjoyment of participation. As a community-based recreational program, we strive to nurture a thorough knowledge of the sport itself, to encourage peer and family participation, and to build and maintain a superior swimming program that emphasizes individual growth.

We are highly committed to provide opportunities for young children to participate in a whole-some, lifesaving, and recreational activity, to learn the correct strokes and technique, to develop good patterns of physical fitness and healthy habits, and to engage in social, emotional, and educational development.

With rich background, knowledge and experience, our coaches emphasize on proper forms and technique, and are dedicated to develop among young children the character and self-discipline necessary to succeed not only in swimming but also in other aspects of their lives. In addition, we are determined to promote to all of our participants and member families the value of confidence, excellence at all levels and leadership in future career.