Hanoi Diary Day 3 Sheraton Hotel

This is my first time to go with the national football team to a tournament abroad. What's it like? Well, it's like being with Smart Gilas except that many of the hoopsters (like Chris Tiu) were my friends before I hitched up. Here, the only one I really knew was Chieffy Caligdong (who doesn't know Chieffy?) and Ian Araneta. Of course there's Coach Edwin Cabalida from my Ateneo days. What I do is I hang out with all of them. One meal, I'm with the coaches, another with the military guys, in another it's with the Fil-Brits. I write the stories then send them to media friends back home so they can use and re-write for their own outfits. I have pieces on the Fil-foreigners, Simon McMenemy, and the coaching staff coming up. 

Today, I got fined a hundred bucks for going to the team breakfast wearing flip flops! Hahaha. My bad. Didn't read up on the team rules. Now that I'm the official media man for the national squad then I gotta follow rules. Hey, coach! Where's my kit! My track suit! I demand playing time versus Vietnam! Hahaha.

Was supposed to join the team in the swimming pool but on my way down I bumped into a few players who said it was freezing out there. Back up! Back up! Went and got a massage instead. Want to go out and see Hanoi. Will join the coaches when they go out again.


Chatting with Phil Younghusband on the team bus and he said that he's never seen so many people on motorbikes in all his life. He thought Taiwan had a lot but this is like the capital of motorbikes. It seems a little chaotic though. When some of our coaches went out to buy some stuff yesterday, they said their car hit a few of the motorbikes. Yikes!