Leaving Tianjin

The U.S. team had a relaxing morning in Tianjin, holding a light training for the players who did not play the night before while the starters just jogged and stretched. The team had time for a leisurely lunch and then boarded the bus to the airport for its flight to back to Shanghai. Several players had time to play the ancient Chinese game of Mahjongg that Natasha Kai picked up while shopping. It looks pretty complicated, but apparently it’s some sort of combination of gin rummy and dominoes and the Chinese are always quite amused when they see the U.S. players break it out. During the game, the U.S. team was treated to a performance of a group of lounge singers that would have fit right into Las Vegas. While the singing certainly didn’t make the media interviews that were going on in the lobby too easy, the players playing Mahjongg did enjoy the rendition of Mariah Carey’s “A Hero Lies in You,” singing along during the chorus.