Diane Pascua

Beach Volleyball

2009-04-12T20:32:00.000-07:00

Good evening. So Life has been pretty much beach volleyball. Not a bad thing. Sun, sand, exercise. I love it. I have now played in 3 US tourneys since I have been back in the US. Wow, a different game than FIVB. The players are young and new, but big and physical. Today I was in Long Beach for the Young Guns tourney. Tough one, again. It has been quite a trek playing with different players just to earn points. Although I am feeling great about my game, I have not been successful in winning the tough matches. Experience means a LOT. I am having fun and am ready to qualify in Riverside this week!

Been a While

2009-03-31T17:52:00.000-07:00

For anyone that still follows this, I apologize for the delay. I am now keeping up 3 blogs and once I finishe one, i feel like copying and pasting. But, not everyone cares about all the things i blab about. I am going to copy and paste this one from the team blog....I am writing this from Ft. Lauderdale! What an interesting 2 weeks its been. I have been staying with a good friend Brandon in Ft. Lauderdale. I have explored a bit of Miami, Tampa, and Panama City. In addition to rain storms, thunder storms, and near hurricane weather. I will do my best to keep this as updated as my brain can do......here is the copy and paste:
Although there is no place I'd rather be than California, Florida is not so bad. I have traveled through the entire state by car...unplanned. It all started Thursday, March 19 when I arrived in Ft. Lauderdale with Kim. We were playing the Young Guns tourney...took a 13th place...ugh! Played in rain and wind! Kim left Saturday to return to Cali...I stayed. I have some friends down here that I set up training with for Tuesday and Wednesday! But, here's the crazy part....Wednesday before we practiced one of the girls training had an open casting call for a Neutrogena commercial. She brought three of us with her to try out. I got a call back Wednesday night to be at the Plantation Park by noon Thursday. I did have a a 9am flight out Thursday, but this was an opportunity not to be missed! So, I rearranged my flight, flew to Tampa at 2:30pm after the call back. Rented a car, drove to Panama City (5 1/2 hours)...during the drive I received 2 phone calls, one from an agent and one from the Casting company. I got the job....out of 250 people. I did shoot the commercial today. Very easy! On a plane tomorrow and back home:)

Just sitting at HOME!

2008-11-21T20:31:00.000-08:00

So, I got back from a ten day vacation to Hawaii. What a great time. It was Heidi's wedding, but also a great vacation and time with good friends. The wedding was perfect, the weather was great (most of the time) and the people there were soooo much fun. I think it needs to be an annual trip. From the time I landed to the day I left we were busy....rehearsal breakfast, bbq, wedding, reception, north shore surf competition, driving around the island, eating garlic shrimp, swimming in a cage around the sharks, swimming, shopping, eating.....it goes on. It is times like these that I realize how great some of my friends are. However, upon return I also felt very missed by my San Diego friends......life is going good right now and is gonna get crazy once the club season starts.......but, I love it! Aloha

Hmmm, what's new

2008-10-27T20:03:00.000-07:00

So, I am nearing the end of my JV season with Carlsbad! It has been quite the challenge to be back in the coaching world! It's great though. I am starting to teach some mom's beach volleyball on Wednesday mornings. I am playing a bit and probably resting the least. Something about me finds it hard to relax! But, there are certainly the moments when I really need a break. Life is good between coaching, workouts, playing, yoga, eating, and sleeping I cannot complain. Lots of love to anyone that still reads this!

Sleepin In

2008-10-02T08:07:00.001-07:00

So, this morning is my so called day off. Sleeping in for me is about 7:30am and no alarm. I only have to coach his afternoon, so I consider it a light day. I think it has been a while since I last blogged, so a quick fill in.....been coaching every day, been playing a couple days a week, been doing my yoga and running a LOT of stairs. But, the best part is I get to hang out when I want cuz I do nor have to travel anywhere and no one really telling me when to get up......Club season is around the corner, so that will take up a big amount of time for me. But, all in all, life is good! And I am still lyin in bed!

Back in the Game

2008-09-13T20:20:00.000-07:00

So today was officially my first day back coaching.....boy, what was I missing! It was a blast. But, needless to say I am wiped out. CArlsbad played in their first tourney today and we played great. A lot to be improved on, but w good start and something to build from. I am so surprised at the level of jv volleyball teams these days. The girls are monsters. Well, life is sort of back to normal....I am training/playing with a group of teams tomorrow getting ready for the Manhattan AVP event that I CANNOT play in....a little bitter, but what can I do! well, off to bed, cuz I am exhausted. Good Day!

Another Great Tourney

2008-09-03T09:54:00.000-07:00

So I got back form Aspen yesterday morning.....What a fun weekend! We finished 3rd, but played great and lost only in the Semi's. Barefoot wine sponsored Angela and I so needless to say we were taken care of by Abby and the rest of the crew. Aspen is a very beautiful town and very expensive, so the filet and Crab legs were savored! Now, I am just winding down, getting ready to run some errands and recovering from 10 reps of stairs at Ponto beach. I think this might be a new weekly workout. It was Nancy, Veronica and I pounding away, burning up the stairs. Well, we have our first scrimmage this week, should be exciting!

Aspen Colorado

2008-08-31T13:16:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful place! Of all the places I have been in this world, and there are a lot, Aspen is up there with the best of them. The weather here is fabulous 22 hours out of the 24......the rain tends to come in about 2pm every day for 2 hours. Angela and I are playing the MOtherlode event together.....so far we are 2-0......woohooo! We have a tough match next, so we are surfing the net to get focused yet relaxed! I wish I had a good pic of Aspen now, but I will put it on soon! Have a lovely DAY:)

The Little Things

2008-08-26T20:56:00.000-07:00

I have found a great bathing suit for playing volleyball in. After watching Pri and Angela in Long Beach and San Diego, I went after the company that made the suits they play in. Just wanted to put it out there! This company is Zsu Zsi, check it out! I got a couple suits to try out and so far so good! It really is the little things that make me happy!

Life in the Fast Lane

2008-08-26T20:50:00.000-07:00

So it really feels like everyday is a whirlwind. I woke today, headed to Coffee bean, made final practice plans, then zoomed to Carlsbad HS. The JV team practiced for 3 hours, then I headed straight to SFC to meet with Maria about club try-outs....ALREADY!!!!!! From there, quick lunch, 2 lessons..........then a night out with the girls. Movie and dinner. Just got home. I left the house at 11:30am and arrived home at 8:27pm. ON the go......I am heading off to Aspen this weekend for the Motherlode, and hopefully to see mi familia. We will see!

Love it!

2008-08-23T22:52:00.001-07:00

So today was a good day. Many things that could have been done, but very few that got done. I woke, played volleyball at Ponto beach with Veronica, Colleen, and Kelly..... lot of fun! Drove to SFC to interview the new middle school coach, then straight to Oceanside to check out Zsu Zsi swimsuits. These swimsuits are awesome. They are cute and designed for athletic women. Stephanie, the owner, gave me a couple to wear for the Motherlode next weekend, so we will see how it works out. BUt, I gotta say I am very excited for a great swimsuit sponsor. After that, home....relax for a few minutes then off to the movies with Drew....we saw Tropic Thunder......Hilarious! Now I am off to bed! But ahead in the next week......more Carlsbad volleyball, meeting with Maria to get SBVC rolling for the next season and many, many lessons. Life is good, slower than normal for me, but sometimes I need this! tata

What's going on Today, August 21

2008-08-21T14:36:00.000-07:00

In case you are still checking out my blog, sorry for not keeping it up lately. Needless to say I have been busy. I am always busy, except for this very moment. So, here is what life has been for the past month, since my return from Marseille, and visit with family. I started coaching for Carlsbad high school, I had some good times with friends for 2 weeks, and I have been debating getting back into the gym to train for next season. Coaching is consuming most of my time right now, and I am having fun! We started with try-outs last Wednesday, had our teams set by Friday and have been running double days since. In between these practices I have been doing some lessons, trying to get girls ready for Fall season. Good times with my friends included being tour guide of San Diego, which I am not great at, a trip to Vegas, a trip to Huntington Beach (which is like a second home), and trips to the airport. I have also managed to move back into my condo, very happy about that. Well, that's my life! Kinda tired now, but its a good thing!

A Day in my Life

2008-07-26T20:39:00.001-07:00

So, after an eventful evening at the movies with the family....meaning I got carded to see the movie, and my 29 year old sister was not let in without her ID....I woke this morning on the air mattress in my condo. As I woke, Alicia, my sister in law, was watching tv. Soon, we were off to meet the rest of the gang for breaky at Swami's. Very Good! After that, off to the paint store (success), then to the bed store (success), then home! Once home, I had about 30 minutes to stop and breathe before heading off to yoga. Yoga was great today, and I was beat! After yoga, straight to the sista's house to load up the vehicles and get people to the airport. Upon return from the airport, stopped by Krystal's house for about an hour before heading home. Its 8:42pm, I am tired, and am eating leftover pizza before bed. The most exciting part is that when I wake, I am heading to LB to watch Lewis dominate at the AVP!
Good NIght!

Love Volleyball Camp

2008-07-25T07:42:00.000-07:00

So, since I have been in the USA, I deplaned, drove home, ate, slept, woke and started coaching. We finish every day at 4pm....so 830am-4pm, I am coaching kids! After 4 pm, I have a million things on my brain. Unpacking has still not happened, laundry....nope,finding a decently comfortable bed....kind of, and deciding where I am going to live, think I got that taken care of. However, dinner with the family is mandatory every evening and usually an evening activity. So, basically, I have not really had any time for me. But, I cannot complain....I have my beautiful nephews here, Alicia and Bil also. It has been fun, tiring, but fun! Today is the last day of camp, and I think it is has been a good one this year.

Jetlag

2008-07-23T06:06:00.000-07:00

So I have been home for 3 days now, and my normal wake up time is anywhere from 4-6am. No one else is usually up, so I grab my computer and check out what's going on in the world. After that, I shower and get ready for camp. Camp, camp, camp.....there are over 60 kids we are coaching this week. There's nothing like getting off the plane, sleeping a few hours and then hanging out with 7-14 yr olds all day. But, really, I am beat! The whole family has been here for the week helping with camps, so every evening after camp finishes, we have a bbq or go out to dinner and then usually I am out by 9pm. Such is life, huh! Well, I hope all of you that read this know that I am home now, so drop me an email or phone call.

Coming Down

2008-07-19T07:01:00.000-07:00

Coucou everyone! So, we are in Dublin airport.....kind of hard to believe we are finished with this season. I am beat.....totally exhausted. I love volleyball and I love competing at the highest level, but there is a point of balance you need. I am so excited to be going home and getting back to some normalcy, but I will miss this spontaneity in life....of traveling to random places and meeting crazy people. Heidi and I have certainly made some great memories, and I hope they continue. I have camps to caoch for the next 3 weeks, Heidi's got a wedding to plan, and then who knows what's next. Our last night in Marseille, we shared a bottle of vino, sat on the port and just reminisced about how lucky we are to do what we do.....TRAVEL the world and play volleyball! These are 2 of the greatest things ever invented! Well, tata for now, I will do my best to keep this updated even when I am in the US.
Bisous

It's been good!!!!!!

2008-07-18T11:20:00.000-07:00

Well, we have come to the end of our season in Marseille, France. We ended on a positive note, by qualifying! This has really been an amazing summer and beside the fact that we did not qualify for Beijing, we played at the top of our game and have had an experience of a lifetime. So many people have followed this journey and kept up with where we are and how we are playing. We will leave tomorrow morning for NYC and then to LAX.......home sweet home!

Rough ONe!

2008-07-16T01:14:00.000-07:00

So yesterday we played in the qualifier. We had only one match to win, but do oyu realize how much pressure that is?????We were the number one seed playing the 16 seed, Netherlands. They were 2 young girls, but very athletic....We proceeded to get the most out of the day by losing the first game terribly...21-13. We continued to play very poorly, and were trailing all of the second game, until 12-14, then we scored 2 in a row, for the 14-14 switch. After that, we were point for point, but we got the 18-17 switch. From there, we pulled out the veteran plays and won 21-18. To start the third.....we scrapped for every point, then took a timr out at 4-7 (yes, we were down). We were thinking, but never said it out loud....we could be finished here. However, after that time-out, we scored 3 point to make it 7-7. Next thing we knew we were up 10-9, the switched at 11-9. We proceeded to finish the game out at 15-11. Woohoo......good ending. Today, we face Italy....the same team that knocked us out in Moscow. All we can do is have some fun while doing what we love.

See you all soon.....

In Marseille, France

2008-07-14T12:55:00.000-07:00

I know these titles are far from spectacular, but at least they get to the point. We arrived in Marseille this afternoon. Since the last blog we drove to Montpellier (la Grande Motte-to be exact) to stay with some friends in their parents house. It was a cute French house, fabulous food, and great people. It was a great change from the hotel and 5 Euro breakfast we have been feasting on. I think one of the best things you can do while traveling is immerse yourself in the culture. Well, now we play tomorrow...our last event....will let you know how we do!

8 more hours

2008-07-12T14:23:00.000-07:00

We started off this morning in Munich...frantically getting to the post office before it closed, then deciding we needed to DRIVE south. So, from 2:40pm til....now, 11:25pm we have been having a Smarty Party.....really, it was not sooo bad. Heidi did most of the driving from Munich to France, then I finished us off for about 300km to Lyon. We are at the Etap (cheap hotel) and will head south in the morning. Bonne Nuit!!!!!

Since Day 1 of Driving in Europe

2008-07-12T00:42:00.000-07:00

So we have been on the road....literally, driving for the last week. Last Sunday we left for Hamburg to meet up with Lauren, we stayed one night in Hamburg, before heading to Braunschweig to stay at the Dume's house. We arrived at midday and just relaxed, did a little shopping and ATE! Next day was gigantic breakfast and a lil more shopping, before heading to the Farmer's Market! This market was 3 minutes walk and we had bread, cheese, pommes frites, pickles, and wine. Just a lil wine! From there we walked to the neighbors house and finished the evening. Next day, we were off to Hamburg again to get our luggage from the Dutch girls. And, to watch them play on Thursday.....so we stayed in Hamburg for one night. Today, it is Saturday morning, we are 8 hours south of Hamburg in Munich, with Philip......We will begin our next leg of the journey to Marseille this afternoon.

Cruisin'-part 1

2008-07-07T13:06:00.000-07:00

So we are out o Moscow, Russia and on with our lives.....After a LONG travel day on Saturday, beginning in Moscow with a delayed flight (because there is only one runway most flights are delayed)...we flew to Rome, arrived at 8:45pm (15 minutes before our connection to Amsterdam)...we had passport control and customs to get through, which put as at our connecting gate at 9:15pm. This means our flight should have taken off....but again, DELAY til 10:30pm. The good news, free meal! We boarded, flew (slept the whole way), and landed in Amsterdam at 1:30am....poor Marleen picked us up bc our rental car co was closed. We woke the next morning 9:30am (wanted to be on the road at 8am) and drove back to the airport for our rental. We got a SMART car cabrio, woohooo!!!!!! What a fun piece of machinery, this made up for the lack of sleep the day before.

What are we doing today?

2008-07-04T01:29:00.000-07:00

Well, it is our 4th day in MOscow, Russia. We actually went sight seeing yesterday.....saw the Red Square and Hard Rock Cafe....woohoo! We are currently sitting on our hotel beds, which are fairly nice in comparison to anything outside the room, and blogging/ sleeping/ looking at pics of the summer/and figuring out our next week and half of Europe! We are not going to the Olympics as we are not in the top 24. We are , however, in the top 34....which should account for something:)
Here are some pics of the last few days!

In Russia Today!

2008-06-30T11:12:00.000-07:00

So we arrived Russia about 48 hours ago. Kind of gloomy, rained a bit and thunder and lightening. We play at 10 am tomorrow against Spain. We are going to bed now!

C'est la Vie

2008-06-28T13:21:00.000-07:00

So, we arrived in Moscow, Russia tonight after 3 flights originating in Stavanger and transferring through Oslo and Stockholm. I am tired! We are all tired! And the front desk is closed for check in until 12:30am. So, again, Russia is proving itself to be the most "unfun" stop on this tour. But, I am going to try and turn things around. We left Stavanger in a hurry this am, and left the house with a kitchen (where we cooked fabulous meals) and the living room with 2 couches, the normal size beds and a washing machine. There was also very good weather in Norway. I hope for more here in MOscow. Well we are on the home stretch and counting down. It has been quite the adventure this season and the results are going to get better. We play Tuesday, and will have our draw on MOnday night. I will let you know who we play. Love you all and thank you for your support.

Stavanger

2008-06-24T14:34:00.000-07:00

Well, Stavanger came and went, as far as competition. We won our first macth vs. Czech and lost to Georgia! So, now are chances for the Olympics are getting slimmer. The chances are not gone, but are getting away! So, we really need to just finish our FIVB experience with a good attitude and ton of fun!!!!!!!!! Who knows?

On another note, Norway is SOOOOO expensive! Our Subway sandwich cost us $17. And, my coffee was $5. Therefore, we are eating in and grocery shopping, thank goodness we rented a house for the week. We have a cuisine of cultures in this place, so it is much fun. Just a random fact for everyone, my dinner tonight consisted of 2 hot dogs, spaghetti, vanilla cream cookies (6 of them) and 3 pieces of toast. I think it is all under $10........Well, that's all the excitement for now.......But, another cool fact about this place is that it stays light out until midnight!

In Paris!

2008-06-23T02:47:00.000-07:00

I know my titles are getting a little boring, but I am running out of creativity! So, we are heading to Stavanger in about 30 minutes! But a little recap of Paris........I got a free haircut at the volleyball tournament. And, we rented bikes one night, and BTW the nights have been soooooo warm and beautiful, and we spent a good 3 hours on our butts on our bikes. We had 3 French brother show us just about everything there could possibly be to see in this city. And, there is no lack of beauty in the churches and buildings. This night we were out was a National music festival and there were live bands everywhere, and people everywhere ti the wee hours of the night! BUt, it was a blast. I recommend doing this when you visit Paris.

its about killing time

2008-06-21T03:08:00.001-07:00

Well, there could be worse places to be when you have not a whole lot to do. We leave Monday for Stavanger and have been just hangin out in Paris. There is sooooooo much to see here, but once you've seen it, you have to get creative. Last night, we walked to the Eiffel, which takes about 6 minutes, and apparently high school finished, so there were about 5000 not so-sober high school kids wondering around. We just people watched for about 30 minutes, then headed over to the Notre Dame and did some more people watching.......as we attempted to get ourself home...we walked along the Seine, then a NICe gentleman picked us up and drove us to le Hotel!

Another Day in PARIS

2008-06-18T04:38:00.000-07:00

So, we lost in the qualifier in the PAris Grand Slam. And the last day has been running around this city trying to get ready for our event in Russia. Getting additional pages for the passport, obtaining visas, reserving flights, reserving hotel....not to mention the hotel reservation for the rest of our stay in Paris. The positive has been the weather is beautiful, we are all healthy and we are in Paris. We have certainly had our share of paninis and crepes, and done a ton of walking.

Happy Father's Day

2008-06-15T08:04:00.000-07:00

I think of all the people that look at this blog, dad will be the last.....but in case he does, just know I love you dad. And, yes, I am sending love from Paris. We arrived this morning via night train.....not a bad service. We practiced a bit and then started a photo shoot of Father's day poses. To all you dad's that may read this, have a great day and enjoy yourself.....and most of all, relax !

Day 1 Grand Slam

2008-06-11T13:57:00.000-07:00

We got grand slammed today......okay...we started off great in every match, then did not finish strong. Tomorrow is a new day and we have 1 more pool play match. The best part of today is the benches we got for the games. Let you know how we do.

Big Day in Berlin

2008-06-11T02:07:00.000-07:00

Well, after two matches yesterday and 2 victories, we are in the Main Draw of the Berlin Grand Slam. Baby steps! Our goal was to qualify for a Grand Slam and it happens to be the first one! We played hard and it payed off. I guess our loss to Japan in Poland was a blessing in disguise, cuz it gave us time to rest and recover and play focused, aggressive volleyball. We played Asao/Take of Japan and Semmler/Koehler of Germany. We won both in 2 sets. So today we are off to play Renata/Talita of Brazil and Cook/Barnett of Australia. We have our work cut out for us, now it is the next step we are aiming for. A finish of 17th or higher would be a huge baby step. Let you know how we do!

Berlin

2008-06-09T12:42:00.000-07:00

We are in Berlin now. What a beautiful city, with tons of people, and a hot sunshine. The weather is very much like POland. So we play tomorrow. First match is against Japan (Asao/Take) at 12pm. So rest tonight and a little of Season 3 of 24.

Off to the Airport

2008-06-06T23:31:00.000-07:00

We are finally leaving this beautiful town of Stare Jablonki....only to enter into Warsaw for the evening. Tomorrow we head to Berlin. Berlin is the first of 4 Grand Slams...........We are definitely feeling good and ready for our next event.

Traditional Polish Dinner!!

2008-06-06T15:27:00.000-07:00

So....there was a free dinner for the players and tournament peeps. They drove us on bus to a restaurant 15 minutes out of Stare Jablonki..........there was polish dancing, polish music, polish food, polish drink, and the few of us that dared to go had a blast. We are heading to Warsaw in the morning, maybe some good shopping there.
Now, it it well past bedtime!

Polish sausage

2008-06-04T12:28:00.000-07:00

We cannot seem to find them anywhere. Everyone has been asking what its like to eat Polish sausage in Poland. No have, only Polish Ravioli. Today was a rough one! Breakfast, internet, nap, 24, internet, lunch, 24, dinner, dessert, and now.....well, blogging! We really left our room only to eat breakfast and dinner. We had lunch in our room. No volleyball today. The break feels good. Our bodies are tired. Tomorrow, we will watch some and get a little workout in, then head to Warsaw on Friday. We will be sightseers for 24 hours before hopping on the plane to Berlin.

Stare Jablonki still

2008-06-04T02:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the qualifier and we were unlucky. We beat the Australians in 2 sets and lost to the LITTLE Japanese players in 3 sets. We did not play well, and they made very few errors. Not a good combo. Trying to figure out where to go in Europe next. We have one week til the Grand slams, so it is important to rest and recover. Talk to you lateskis!

Poland Day 2

2008-06-02T12:21:00.000-07:00

Last night was good sleep, no dogs, no roosters, and we closed the curtains. After breaky today we headed to the courts, practiced for an hour, then had a pedicure and massage. Pedicure was nothing special but long overdue, massage was interesting. After returning to the hotel for a little rest and food, we headed to the meeting. Yeah the meeting that tells us who we play to qualify. Our first round should be Australia (but they play Poland first). Then on the other side of the bracket, Japan plays South Africa. Could go either way. Our goal is to play the way we can and to be in control, with confidence, and intensity. We have all the skills to qualify here in Stare Jablonki. To all of you who read this, just know how much I appreciate your support and love. Through all these travels, its easy to lose touch with those people at home cuz you get so into what is happening right now (in my time zone). I know back home, graduations have occurred, school years ended and seasons ended. Congrats to everyone for taking the next step in life. We are all moving right along. Ciao!

And check out our Hotel!

2008-06-01T12:05:00.000-07:00

We have a very unique hotel room, hotel hallway, and route to the restaurant. Hotel Sanjimino. It is out in the middle of the nowhere, surrounded by fields of wheat, or corn or something. Here are some fotos of the inside and out. And our secret walk to the restaurant, through the kitchen.

A day in Stare Jablonki

2008-06-01T11:49:00.000-07:00

Today was a very exciting and funfilled day except for the 8 hours we spent in our 2 star hotel room trying to watch 24 on surfthechannel website while it buffered every....mmmm.....4 seconds. We are still not finished with one episode. This website allows you to download and watch for free a ton of shows......the catch is that some take FOREVER to download. So, once we woke at 3:52 am to the alarm I had set in Barcelona, we quickly fell back asleep, only to hear the farm dog outside barking away. After that came the rooster. And, i believe the sun went down about 11pm and rose around 3am. Kind of like Alaska....! Well, we caught the shuttle to the site, which is surrounded by lakes and barns. Practice for an hour, lifted weights, swam, saunad, showered and headed back to the hotel for lunch. That's it!

Poland Bound

2008-05-31T12:12:00.000-07:00

So, we have successfully sight see(saw) in Barcelona.......we hopped off the subway to see Sagrada Familia........ and have made our way to Stare Jablonki, Poland. Never in my life did I think I would make it to Poland, but again, volleyball comes through and sends me to a foreign farm country. We woke this morning at 4:00am and left by shuttle at 4:15am. Sat in the Barcelona airport for 2 hours, drank our shot of coffee, had our last chocolate croissant in Spain, then headed out. After a 1.5 hr flight, layover in Zurich, and another 1.5 hour flight, we landed in Warsaw. The FIVB shuttle was waiting for us. Along with Mexico, Angola, Japan, and Australia, we hopped in the 15 passenger van and began the 3 hour journey to STARE JABLONKI. It was a cramped space, 12 athletes, a couple coaches, and tons of luggage. I guess it comes with the territory. We drove about 1.5 hours, I slept, snacked some, and we arrived at the Polish KFC (not really) the driver was hungry so he picked KFC. Some lady was selling strawberries in the parking lot, so we bought. Literally, we arrived 12 hours later. We are at Hotel Sanjimino, just ate dinner, and keeping all my favorite people updated. This town is really like a fairy tale land. Not much going on. well, we are going ot find massage and facials tomorrow. I think we deserve it! Love you all and thank you for your prayers and support.

Barcelona Day 3

2008-05-29T07:11:00.000-07:00

So we played Germany this morning and were unlucky. I am beat! The sand is deep and we played 12 games. At the sight there is a museum and behind that the Stadium from the '92 Olympics. Heidi and I took a walk and found some great foto opps.

Barcelona Day 2

2008-05-28T22:57:00.000-07:00

Good morning from my end. It is 7:58 am, Heidi and I just ate a spanish breaky and getting ready to play Pohl/Rau of Germany. Yesterday we faced Germany #1, and won! Then we faced Brazil (Salgado/Salgado) and lost. IT was an ugly match. So, today we looked to pull another a huge upset. It is definitely in our capacity. We are feeling good and ready to play! This pic is the view from the main court in Barcelona.

Barcelona

2008-05-27T22:11:00.000-07:00

After a few long flights we arrived in Barcelona, Spain. We have already stayed in 2 hostels, very tiny rooms and now have managed to perch ourselves at the Main Draw 4 Star hotel. Which means we qualified yesterday by beating Australia and Canada to get in. It was not an easy day by any means. But, we managed to play together and keep our composure. Our first match today is at 11am vs. Germany!

Other Pics from Osaka

2008-05-25T21:30:00.001-07:00

Osaka Results

2008-05-25T20:59:00.000-07:00

So Osaka was good to us. Wr qualified and won 2 matches in the Main Draw to finish at 13th. We faced Japan and Spain in the Qualifier and China 1, Finland, and Austria in the Main Draw. We lost to China, but ended up beating Finland in 2 sets and Austria in 3 sets. WE are playing well. The best part about the week was that we had played Finland and Austria in the past. Finland we beat in Gstaad last summer and Austria we lost to in Norway, so we had something to prove.

Monday in Osaka

2008-05-19T03:11:00.000-07:00

We have been in Osaka for 2 days...Day 1 was a whirlwind...mostly a travel day! That is Picture 1.
Picture 2 is the size of the doors here. Chad and I are giants!
Day 2 was great. Weather was nice, we practiced at the tournament site-took the subway a total of 1 minute-Pic 3, explored the city baseball team-the Hinshan Tigers (baseball is HUGE here!), walked through the mall, and ate some great food. Today, we woke, ate McD for breaky and practiced-Pic 4 is the 3 of us at the tourney site.........other than that it's the Office or reading a book. I bought 2 more episodes of 24 so we can at least finish season 1. It is really difficult to stop watching once you start. I have never been into a show this much, I guess it is just a good way to pass the time! Well, going to bed soon, qualification draw is tomorrow....I will let you know all know who we play.

Made it to Osaka

2008-05-17T02:38:00.000-07:00

We have actually made it to Osaka. Took a very long time...bus, plane, train, walk. We are staying at the Hotel Keihan Tenmabashi. Everything in Osaka is very small...the cars, the doorways, the roadways, the people. It is definitely a different culture here. We tried to find some good Japanese food for lunch, but ended up at a bakery getting pizza and pastries. Well, tomorrow, we plan to try and catch a baseball game at the Koshien Stadium. Well, off to take a walk and get out of the tiniest hotel room in the world. These are a few more pics from Korea.......

Seoul Seeing

2008-05-16T01:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we played Brazil, then Germany. We played very well, but lost both. Tough to play some of these top seeded teams, but promising to know we are giving them trouble. Today is recovery day for our bodies......So once we woke, we ate, grabbed a Starbucks and headed to the courts to watch some matches. There was so much going on in Seoul. Many field trips and kids days. After all, we are staying at the Olympic Parktel which housed many athletes for the Seoul, Olympics in '88. Here are some pics from the day!

I'll explain later!

2008-05-14T05:37:00.000-07:00

Ok, this cute little dress that Carol gave me and these size 12 men's shoes. One night in Manila, we wanted to go out dancing. In order to keep my load light I packed a pair of tennis shoes and 2 pairs of slippers. When we arrived at the dance club, Heidi and I had slippers on. As soon as we jumped out of the car, the bouncers, said "No, they cannot wear those into the club". immediately Heidi called her local friend Corky and told him the news......he said, "ill search my wife's closet for something you two can wear" he arrived at the dance club ten minutes later with a grin. He said, well, she had nothing that would fit you, so I brought you 2 some of my shoes........so, we wore Corky's dress shoes into the club. It was hilarious!

Seoul, Korea

2008-05-14T05:31:00.000-07:00

We did it! Well, if you see the scores of the first match in our Korea event it looks like we shut em out...but Norway, our first match forfeit due to injury. Then we faced Japan for the 3rd time in 2 years. It was certainly our turn. We played well and controlled every point. BUy, did it feel good. Now, we sleep and get ready for Brazil in our first round tomorrow. Just to recap last year Korea....we played Japan in the qualifier and lost in 2 games. Immediately we jumped on our computer bought a ticket home and got out of Seoul. Thank goodness this year is different. Let you know how we do tomorrow.
G'NIte!

2008-05-10T22:46:00.000-07:00

Made it to Korea, Pics from Manila

2008-05-10T22:25:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Korea this morning at 6am and had to kill 8 hours before check-in! So we stepped off plane, took about 30 minutes through customs and took an hour bus ride to get to hotel. Just gonna sit in the hotel today and sleep and eat and CHILLIN! Here are some pics I tried to post in Manila, but the internet was really SLOW!

Another Day in Paradise (Manila)

2008-05-07T18:28:00.000-07:00

So, its Thursday, our day off! We slept in til 630am....only because we were woken for breakfast. I cant say the service here isnt great! OUr laundry done for us, massages in the house, every meal cooked and room cleaned for us. It is nice. We continued watching 24 last night and will hopefully finish Season 1 before we leave here. We are off to Korea on Sunday morning and until then, shopping, movies, blogging and just soaking up the culture. To all of you that read this blog, thanks for keeping up with me. I sometimes forget about all those people out there supporting Heidi and I. So, just know how grateful I am of you.

Reflection in Manila

2008-05-05T23:18:00.000-07:00

So, we have been in Manila since Friday. Enduring the hottest days ever. We are practicing daily, which is great, dripping pounds of sweat and eating some interesting foods. It is great here. We stay at Tony's family's compound and have the luxury or being driven places and shopping at Green Hills. Right now Heidi is chatting with Steve, Chad is sleeping and I am just enjoying a little time to reflect. I have been "skyping" with Ryan a lot.....It s hard to be away from the people you love for so long and be 15 hours time difference from them. Ryan just finished his last baseball game of the season. Thank goodness. He also found out a close friend's dad passed away Sunday morning. I know his friend Andy, and Ryan was very close with the family. We have been talking about it a lot and it makes you really think about how powerful God is. Well, I know it has made me think of how strong Andy and his family have become through this. As well, how badly we all wish it does not happen to us. It is hard to understand. The only thing I can gather form this is how powerful our Lord is and He decides when it is time for us to go. When you are removed from a situation it can be hard to feel for them, but just knowing Andy's family makes it easy to believe his dad is at peace and so is the family. To all my family and friends that read this, just know that as I am FAR away, I miss you all and love you dearly and pray for you as often as I can. PS. Dont forget Mother's Day on Sunday! Bye for now!~

Down Time

2008-05-02T09:38:00.000-07:00

We are sitting in the Shanghai airport at 12:30 am waiting for our delayed flight on CebuPacific. We are not sure when it is coming or how long the flight is. All we know for sure is that we are tired. WE usually do not stay awake past 930pm and we get up about 6 am every day, so we are being stretched right now. Oh well. All in all, my experience with China has been pleasant, except for the loss against Netherlands. Weather was good, hotel was good, food was OKay, and shopping was great.

Shanghai, Smanghai

2008-04-30T06:08:00.000-07:00

Well, we played Netherlands. One of the four teams....we came out a little nervous, but very steady. We won the first game 21-13. I think we were shocked it happened so easily. Came out in game 2 knowing we had to step up our game. We played well. It was a close game, point for point. We were leading most of the game...then it came down to the last few points......we lost 24-22. So, we begin the third game. Now in 95% of cases that go three games, the team that wins the 2nd usually wins the 3rd.........so, we had to play better than we did in game 1. Well, in fact we ended up losing 15-12. Disappointing!

Now we are back in our hotel.......winding down and watching a bit if SCRUBS. Yes, we have four seasons of this stuff. Its a good laugh anytime you need it.

Starting off in Shanghai

2008-04-27T16:37:00.000-07:00

So, it has been a while since I have blogged simply cuz I cannot remember every single password and username for every single account I have for everything. So, I had lost all my info, thought about getting a new blog page....then, thought better find out how to log in and keep everyone updated. I think its going to work this time. We will all see, huh?

So we are at the Seagull Hotel in Jinshan District in China. We arrived Friday, April 25 at 9:30 am. We tracked down a $100 cab ride to our hotel, which was about 2 hours away-or so it seemed. But, we are here. We started off at the Jinshan Hotel, lasted less than 24 hours before we checked out. We really got what we paid for. $58/night equals no internet, no carpet, squeaky floors, a terrible view, and a scary night sleep. Not really, but we heard everyone else was staying at the Seagull. So, we switched and that is how I can blog right now in my hotel room. Shanghai is great, It is cheap, there is a Pizza Hut, McDonalds, and KFC....and many other Chinese food places. We have eaten in our hotel and Pizza Hut, that's it. It's different here.

The shuttle bus takes us to the VB courts everyday where we practice and get ready to redeem ourselves. Feeling great. Waking up at 5 am and asleep every night by 830pm, just like a farm kid. We really cannot sleep in past 5 am, which stinks cuz breaky is at 630am. We are almost finished with Season 2 of Scrubs. Yes, we have gone through season 1 already and have 2 more before we ran out. All is good, Chad has his air mattress. We are a big happy traveling group. Tata for now!

PLAY TODAY

2008-03-24T16:30:00.000-07:00

So, we awoke this morning to find it had poured all night. It is windy and cold. We will start the qualification this afternoon following all the country quota matches. heidi and I should be a top ten seed. We will find out about 1pm today. All is well and we are excited to start off the season.

Down Under in 2008

2008-03-19T21:29:00.000-07:00

So we have begun. Well, not yet, but soon. Heidi and I are in Adelaide, Australia. Arrived Tuesday, training everyday and sunshine mixed with wind. This is a quaint town. Not much to do, so we have been hanging in our apartment with the Dutch girls. Marlooes and Marleen are from the Netherlands, we met them a few years back in Korea. They had a reservation for a 2 bedroom apartment and asked for us to join. Its great. Kitchen, bathroom, washing machine, tv, and we all have a bed.
We will be here in Adelaide until March 29. We begin the event next Wednesday. That is Tuesday for you back home.
A great friend of mine from college lives here with his wife and 6 month old baby. Axel, Catherine, and Xavier. We bbq'd with them last night and had coffee this morning. It was great. So, more to come, but this is the start.

SD-Yuma-Vegas in a Day!

2008-01-04T22:05:00.000-08:00

Started off Friday morning leaving North county at 730am, trying to get to Mission Beach by the 8 am departure. We(Bil, Jayden and me) were headed to Castlerock, Colorado by truck through Yuma, Arizona. I intended to go along for the ride and help keep Jayden busy and assist Bil with driving if needed. We made our way out of Mission Beach by 9:40am with the truck and shell top full. We headed first to Trader Joe's cuz Bil does not have one in Colorado. Next, across the street to WAl Mart. Then back on the freeway. About 5 miles later in El Cajon, we had to get gas. Also, Bil did not have breakfast, so we found an Alberto's for breakfast burrito. Now, we are on our way.....it is 11:30am. We're driving, driving, smooth.....Jayden has Geo Tracks on. Just passed El Centro,I had to pee. We stopped just past the quads playing in the sand. I got out, went to the bathroom and came back to Bil being on the phone with the trailor rental people( We needed the trailor to pick up the couch and chair from Yuma)The rental company said "Where are you?" Bil said El Centro. They said" oh, you're about 6 hours away" Bil said no, we are about an hour away. They said we are in Fortuna, California near Eureka. We needed the rental off Fortuna rd in Yuma....since our phone service came on and off, we had to wait for the 30 minute conversation to finish. Fortunately, the rental company in Yuma had plenty of trailors. Arrive in Yuma, rent trailer (takes 45 minutes...it is 2pm now). We head to storage unit to get couch. couch is in the back of the unit. So we unload everything. Bil and I and Jayden helped. Piece of cake. On the road by 3:30-after picking up KFC for lunch. Where we were headed next was a mystery until we decided to go through Vegas so Jayden could see the Polar Express 4-d film. The drive to Castlerock through Arizona and New Mexico was 16 hrs. The drive through Vegas was 17 hours. No biggie. Well, we were on a 2 lane highway for most of the drive, with a trailor attached. Going no more than 60mph. In fact we headed West a bit before driving north to Vegas. About 2 hours before getting to Vegas, Bil decided he was tired and it was too far to get to the hotel he had reserved in Richfield, Utah (this was 3 hours past Vegas). So, we pulled over, called Orbitz and cancelled our reservation. No problem. But, we had to reserve a hotel in Vegas......after some coercing, we got one....Holiday Inn express. So we get to Vegas and call the hotel...."Holiday inn Henderson" she says. Henderson, the town we passed 25 minutes ago. Wow....this is a long one.........TBC

Home for the Holidays

2007-12-29T21:20:00.001-08:00

So I have been in the US since Dec 17. I am officially enjoying an off season with no stress of training or touching a volleyball. But it is a short off season. After the new year, things will be back to normal. For Christmas, my entire family was in San Diego. My parents stayed at my sister's house, my brother, sister in law and nephews stayed in a beach house in Mission Beach. Drew and I stayed in our homes; however, we frequently congregated at the beach house. Over the course of the Christmas week, I rode the bumper cars at Belmont Park, played some catch with Ryan and Bil, opened a teddy bears belly to find a BEAUTIFUL sapphire and diamond necklace inside, played with Jensen and Jayden, got a game of Catchphrase in there, and spent some great time with my family. At the tail end of the week, my Hawaii grandmother surprised us all and came for a visit....on Friday, December 28 I decided I was going to drive to Colorado with my bro to help with Jayden........but it turned into a HUGE adventure...TBC

Home via Bangkok

2007-12-29T21:14:00.000-08:00

Since the last match in Korat vs. Indonesia, I have obviously not kept up with the blogging. To be brief about it, we headed straight to Bangkok on a bus the morning after we lost. We stayed at the Alexander hotel for 3 nights and had a blast. Bankgok is certainly a busy, fast paced city. We shopped, ate tons, saw the Grand palace, and went to the floating Market..........We really experienced some things that no other place in the world could match. Then we headed back to Los Angeles. And, we were very ready to be home.

Heidi is 30!

2007-12-12T07:21:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Heidi's 30th birthday in Nakhon Ratchasima...yes, that is where we are in the world. Last year we were in Doha, Qatar and the year before...Philippines. We went to a friend of Tony's, who has a beautiful home and played games, sang songs, ate a lot of Thai food, and cake.....it was fun!

Beat Vietnam

2007-12-12T07:18:00.000-08:00

So...update on the games.....we lost to Thai 2 21-19 and 29-27.....big bummer. It was only preliminary so we can still win the gold, we just have to beat Indonesia 1,Thai 1 and Thai 2 to win the gold. The road is long, but we are ready.

Thailand Match today

2007-12-10T20:58:00.000-08:00

Today is our toughest match. We played Laos yesterday. Yes, Laos has a beach volleyball team. We play Thai 2 which is really Thai 1. It is their country and their heat, but we have the ability to take em down. We are chillin in our AC dorm room until we go. We will have a huge cheering section since all the other sports know this is our biggest match. Not nervous, but excited. It should be a good game no matter what. Yesterday after Laos match we went to the mall and ate Sizzler for the second time, then we go the THE WORLD's BEST FOOT MASSAGE. It was an hour and 20 min, and we got tea afterward. I love this country for one reason....Thai Massage. Will let you know how we do.

Thailand Pics

2007-12-09T06:12:00.000-08:00

Tourist Day!

2007-12-09T06:05:00.000-08:00

Khao Yai National Park.......we saw a waterfall, a monkey, lots of elephant poop, and supposedly the grounds where Tiger roam. We strolled in the van for 1.5 hours to this national park. On the way out of the park we stopped for food and elephant rides....greatest thing I have done so far. After the elephants, we headed to Saveone market...basically a big swap meet with tons of junk and a few unique items.......lots of stinky food. I experienced using the squatter for second time....

SEAGAmes 2007

2007-12-09T05:56:00.000-08:00

So it has been sometime since I have updated. But, I promise to be better. Heidi and I are in Korat (short for Nakhon Ratchasima). We have been here since December 5....arrival time 4:30am from the Bangkok airport. But every minute since the arrival has been exciting, fun-filled, adventurous, and entertaining. The crew we brought along includes The Ilustre family-Hedder, Erlinda, Herme, Steve, Wayne, Ryan, Drew, Lynn and Rod Pascua. Yes, we brought our own cheering section. On Dec 6, we checked out the Athlete's Village-where we sleep, got Thai massage, and shopped. On Dec 7, we played our first match vs. Malaysia 2. Won! Dec 8-Day off...so we rented a driver and van and headed to Khao Yai National Park......TBC

Won our first match, now Malaysia!!

2007-11-08T22:36:00.000-08:00

So we began the Hong Kong Beach Volleyball Festival and won our first match vs. Kazakhstan. They were good, and made us play lower than our game. It forced us to dig deep and take care of the little things to beat them. We were hot, tired, and out of gas. Now we have Malaysia at 420pm.

Hong Kong Challenger

2007-11-07T23:30:00.000-08:00

So we made it to Hong Kong. We already took some sight seeing photos.

A day in Manila

2007-11-06T02:59:00.001-08:00

So we have spent the last 2 days running all around this big city of Manila. Boy, has it been an experience. Manila is big, tons of traffic, mass amounts of people, and jeepneys everywhere. But, Tony Boy was a great chauffeur....going from Rizal stadium, to the PNB Bank, to the NBN television station for interviews.
However, we ended the day at one of America's finest fast food joints....Taco Bell.

Thailand to Manila

2007-11-04T23:25:00.001-08:00

Well, Thailand was quite the adventure for us. Very hot and tough to play in, but beautiful island. Heidi and I did not get to see much of the place cuz we stayed in our AC room and/or got Thai massages. Which are cheaper than water. We tried to shop a bit, but got too hot and tired.

Woraburi hotel in Phuket

2007-10-29T21:40:00.001-07:00

Here are a few shots from the hotel we are staying in.

Before Phuket

2007-10-29T21:29:00.000-07:00

So, just before we left for Phuket, So Cal was hit with massive fires. It was pretty devastating...and still is. The aftermath is very awful. And, many homes were lost and even a few lives. We were forced to evacuate on Monday, so Sharee and I stayed in LA area for 3 days before we were allowed to head home. Here are some pics I shot on the drive through Camp Pendleton. It was pretty eerie and very depressing.

In Phuket.......

2007-10-29T08:39:00.000-07:00

So, we landed in Phuket about 3 hours ago. It was a long day on planes and in taxis. Lots of sleeping...which was necessary since i am fighting a cold......well, Phuket is humid and there is lots going on. Lights everywhere and people strolling. We are staying at the Woraburi hotel overlooking the playing site. will post picture tomorrow.

Beaches of Brazil

2007-09-28T13:42:00.000-07:00

so, today we visited Croco Beach. Best beach yet, I think. There was tons of beach and lots of swimming areas. Scott and I practiced our flip and dives, belly flops, and cart wheel entrances to the water. We had to return the buggy by noon, so after rolling over, opening the curtain and watching a few matches, we loaded up the buggy and headed out to use the last 2 hours of transportation we had......lots of fun...lots of sun! WE also had our authentic Acai smoothies!

FORTALEZA, BRAZIL

2007-09-26T17:36:00.000-07:00

We are in Brazil. It is beautiful, sort of! And very hot and windy. But, it is a great place to be right now. We lost in the qualifier to Brazil (Agatha Shalyn). Tough draw for us. So we have been tourists for now 36 hours. We started off today watching game out our window. We are facing the courts on the 10th floor of the Flat Classics. Then, we started walking to find a taxi and go to the mercado. But, were stalled by the buggy we saw parked! We decided to walk inside the car rental store and ask how much to rent........So, YES, we rented a buggy! It is yellow and green, no top cover, and very loud. But, awesome! We drove to the indoor mall, then drove to the Mercado centraal. Lots of shopping once again. Tomorrow we look for a beach up the coast and get some tan. Ciao!

Fundable

2007-09-17T19:06:00.000-07:00

For those that donated to fundable.com, the final day to raise funds was Saturday. And, unfortunately we did not hit our mark. We aimed pretty high. But, who shouldn't right? So, you will not be charged. If you are still interested in donating to the Philippine Volleyball team of Heidi Ilustre and Diane Pascua, please leave me a comment and I will let you know where to send the funds. At this point we have no support from the Philippine Volleyball Association, so we must raise money on our own. This is not easy task while also competing.

You can comment on this blog or email me at pascua77@gmail.com.
Thank you for your support.

Heading to BRAZIL

2007-09-17T19:02:00.000-07:00

Long time since my last blog. That is because I have been at home recovering from the last 2 months of travel. It has been wonderful. I have also been preparing for the next event in Fortaleza, Brazil. I leave in 3 days. CAnnot wait. I am excited to play, but also to check out the Brazilian coastline. So, I will keep this updated while I am away.

Tourist in Russia

2007-08-31T10:32:00.000-07:00

So I was told this place is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I would mostly agree. We walked around St. Petersburg for 2 days now and have seen some amazing architecture and OLD buildings. It seems that all the buildings are sooooo big. We walked through the Hermitage, saw Old Savior cathedral???, some other churches, some palaces, bought some Matryoshka dolls, bought some jewelery.........and took tons of pics. This is our last event until Brazil and will be home for 3 weeks.

FUNDABLE

2007-08-29T00:15:00.000-07:00

Heidi's fiance, Steve, has set up a donation account for Heidi and I. It has been a tremendous season so far. We have had many "once in a lifetime experiences." However, we have had to plan all of our own travel and budget off the personal sponsorships we have received up to now. We have definitely maxed out our budget and our into our own pockets now. We will continue this because we are determined to play every event until the Olympics. However, it is an added stress. So, if you feel in any way that you are capable of donating, please check out the site. The link is on the right side of the page "our funds". Love you all.

St. Petersburg, Russia

2007-08-29T00:07:00.000-07:00

We are in Russia. It is about 14 deg outside and we play at 2pm. Long story short, we won our first game and lost our second yesterday in the qualifier. We did, however, get lucky and manage to find a spot in the Main Draw because of the lucky losers process. So we play Turner and Wacholder at 2pm. It has been an interesting trip to say the least. First, it took a good long flight and train to get here. Then, we had no hotel to stay in, and our luggage was lost for 2 days.......yes, we had to borrow suits from another team and buy cold weather gear. And, we slept in the same thing for 2 nights. Kinda gross.
Well, another thing to mention is that Steve, Heidi's fiance, posted a fundable. com link for us. Please feel no obligation to donate, but we have been traveling most of this season with a very small budget(from some generous friends). Our Philippines volleyball federation has helped in no way monetarily. We have 2 more events this season and about 8 more next season before Beijing. So, if you feel that you can help, wonderful. Otherwise your prayers would be more than sufficient:)

Thank to all of you that support our dream.

Leaving Again!

2007-08-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

So...as you can tell, I have been home a week and have not updated this once while home.....because I have pretty much been lazy, yet content. We are leaving this evening for Russia and will return on September 2. Only a week. We will be in St. Petersburg. I am pretty excited for this trip (not the 12 hr flights). You can follow how Heidi and I are doing on FIVB, beach volleyball, then look for St. Petersburg on the right side of the page....go to results once you have opened the page. It was a great week home.....Ciao!

What a Day!!!!!!

2007-08-17T06:23:00.000-07:00

It was sooooo great to see all the girls at camp last night. I truly tried to make it back in time to pop my head in and see hard girls at work. And, coaches hard at work. What a long day of travel, but a very happy ending. Station Sushi is a great way to end the day!!!!!

London to LAX

2007-08-17T06:11:00.000-07:00

After messaging Guy, we hopped on the tube (London underground) and went straight to South Kensington. Guy met us there and took us straight to our hotel. Heidi and I tidied up and then we all went a walking in London. Never been there. It was spectacular. We saw some museums (dont remember the names), strolled by Harrod's and then stopped for a nibble at Harvey Nichols. Learned what snogging is. After a lite snack, Guy took us to the chicken place. What a delight. One of the greatest meals in a long time. After eats, straight to the hotel and asleep we went. We woke to one of the GREATEST breakfast buffets ever. Then walked to the tube, and "tubed" it to Heathrow only to be stopped in our tracks.
As we proceeded to check in, the ticket lady told us our tickets were exchanged, but not confirmed. WHAT??????did that mean. Well, we see you have a ticket change, but no confirmation on the changes.....WHAT??????So, what we thought was a few hours wait for a flight tunred into an eternity of waiting to find out if we were going to get on the London-LAX direct flight in AA 137. We waited and waited, peeps boarded the plane, others were making seat changes......then," ms. pascua, ms. Iustre, please proceed to the ticket counter...you got on, enjoy your flight" We were enroute to LAX!!!!!!!! GUY-You Rock. We are home safe. Thanks for everything!

Out of Aland

2007-08-17T06:03:00.000-07:00

After a devastating loss to the Spaniards:( we decided it was time to start the journey home....(we actually has been planning this trip home for some time, but I never blogged it cuz i was trying to surprise a friend) so, we hopped on the 11:45pm ferry from Aland to Helsinki, getting us to Helsinki at 10 am the next day. Helsinki is the capitol city of Finland. We trammed, then bussed to the airport and proceeded immediately to the Finnair ticket counter. With puppy dog eyes, we asked "can we get on the next flight out of here?" With much finnagling, we were able to hop on the 2:05 pm flight to London, Heathrow...arrived at 3:10pm. Now what? Our connecting flight to LAX....yes, LAX....was 11:25 am the following day. So, we did what anyone would do, phoned the only person we knew in London, Guy Perry.

Poop

2007-08-14T09:02:00.000-07:00

We lost our second match today against Spain. It was not pretty. We did not play terrible, but not well enough to beat them. They are a consistent team and served us tough. Now, we take a breather and come back tough in Russia...........Who knows...we may get lucky tonight in the Lucky Losers draw.

Solana Beach Campers

2007-08-14T01:39:00.000-07:00

Hello to everyone checking this out. I am so sad I am missing camp right now, but I know you are having fun. Keep working hard and feel free to drop me an email at pascua77@gmail.com. Would be great to hear from you. Miss San Diego tremendously and cannot wait to get back there.

Aland, Finland

2007-08-14T01:37:00.000-07:00

So, it is 11:30 am here, we just won our first qualification match (vs. Finlad) and have one more against Spain at 3pm. If we win that, we are in the Main Draw. We are the 9th seed and they are the 8seed, so it should be a battle. Love those. Let you know how we do.

Turku-Day 2

2007-08-11T03:58:00.000-07:00

Played 4 matches now. It is 2pm on Saturday. We are 2-2. Don't ask who we lost 2. so we have 1 more and then maybe we are in the finals. To give you an idea of the situation, there is no prize money. We played 2 matches yesterday after a 620 am flight and may have 4 today. Tomorrow, exhibition match....just for fun. so, we pretty much are not too into this, just good exercise, touching the ball and soaking up the sun. Here are a few pics of the situation. Later.........

Turku, Finland

2007-08-10T07:03:00.000-07:00

We are in Turku, Finland right now playing in an exhibition event. It was a very last minute decision. However an easy one when they told us they would pay airfare, food, hotel and transportation to and from the airport. We are on a countdown now.......
We just finished our first match and lost to Georgia 21-16, 21-19. Don't forget we woke this am at 4:30, hopped on a 6:20 am flight and arrived in Turku at 12:30pm. First match was at 4pm and we play again at 6 pm.....tomorrow we have 3 matches and then the finals...woohoo....lots of volleyball!

Just another Day

2007-08-09T09:19:00.000-07:00

So, we woke early today, checked out of Hotel Norge cuz they are overbooked. Watched a few matches and walked around looking for a hotel for tonight. Luckily, Chad and Kimo are here to split room costs and hang with. But, there is no fun in walking around a town you don't know (and very expensive) looking for a bed to sleep in. Though, we found something. We are off to Finland manana, probably through Stockholm, then take a ferry to Aland Islands. I bet no one has been there before. Will take lots of pics.

Norway-Main Draw

2007-08-08T14:19:00.000-07:00

1-2 BBQ...that's all I got to say. We actually had a decent draw and we matched up well, but when some things are not flowing it is tough to beat these top teams. We played Adriana/Shelda first, then Schwaiger/Schwaiger. Lost both matches in 2 games. So, we are trying to figure out how to get to Aland, Finland......Here are some pics from the day. Oh...yeah, the men's Filipino team played today and almost beat France.....

Qualified

2007-08-07T13:49:00.001-07:00

We played at 6pm tonight against Asao/Take a Japan team. won in 2 sets.....tomorrow we have the number 7 seed, Adriana Shelda and Behar (Brazil) at 2pm......Would be great to go ahead and win both matches tomorrow.

Kristiansand, Norway

2007-08-07T00:33:00.000-07:00

So, we had dinner last night.......500 NOK. That comes out to be $80 USD..For 2 dinner plates and chips and salsa......and, my coke was $5.50. Pretty expensive...so we hope to get out of town as soon as possible, after we qualify! Let you know how we do today.

Klagenfurt, Austria-On the Train

2007-08-07T00:31:00.000-07:00

Supposedly this is the BEST FIVB event……Well, it was a pretty good set-up, but our results were not. We beat the Czech’s, but lost to Kuhn/Schwer, the Swiss team. So, we spent the next few days being tourists, practicing a bit, and enjoying the lake. Lake Woethersee was quite the source of entertainment…waterslide, diving boards, floating dock, Red Bull boat (which happened to take 16 of us out to the middle of the lake and do a few 360’s-then we got a ticket)……but, all in all the day was a much needed break from volleyball. We sat on the floating dock ALL day, then proceeded to the side event at Fabrik, in the evening…..Heidi and I held our own dance party-also, much needed!

Klagenfurt is a great little town, weather was great, and the side events were great. The last night there, we went on the Swatch Boat cruise. There were many players on board and we had a blast, free food, free Swatch squirt guns, and lots of dancing……..now to Norway and Finland………then, well…………

Massage Table

2007-08-07T00:29:00.000-07:00

So, it is 645 am, July 30. On a train from Villach to Klagenfurt, Austria. We began the journey in Bern, Switzerland thru Zurich……with many stops along the way. When we purchased our tickets, we were told there were no sleepers, so we would be sitting for the entire 10 hr train ride. This is pretty much how the European train system works. Well, to help you understand the situation better, we were asked by USA Volleyball to transport the team massage table from Gstaad to Klagenfurt. It was otherwise going to cost a lot of money to ship, so we agreed. However, a massage table is a large piece of luggage, and would not store easily in our train cabin. So, we decided to store it behind the seats on the car next to ours……..bad move. During our stop in Feldricht (?-around 10:30pm) we made a few forward, backward movements……it confused us. What was happening…….without further thought; we stayed in our seats, and waited for the train to continue to Villach. Well, we realized at 6am in the morning, as we went to retrieve the massage table, the train had split, and half went to Graz, while our train proceeded to Villach. Yes, the massage table we were asked to bring for the players went to another city. So, today, we begin to track it down and act like nothing happened. Stay tuned!

From Gstaad ro Klagenfurt

2007-07-30T14:37:00.000-07:00

So we arrived in Austria this am. Took the overnight train from Bern to Klagenfurt. we play in 2 days in the Qualifier for this event. It is a Grand Slam event......Countdown 31 days til we are on US soil! These are some pics from Gstaad. They do not really do it any justice.

Day 2 and Day 3-Gstaad

2007-07-26T03:15:00.000-07:00

So...we played Austria yesterday and lost in 2 sets to Montagnolli and Swoboda. Was a good match, just did not have all the shots. But, today we played Finland (Nystrom, Nystrom) and won in 2 sets. This should guarantee us 2nd seed in our pool and a bid to the 32 team sinlge elimination bracket....woohooo. Exciting.