I’ll start out by focusing on the good news. As far as the team goes, things have been great here in China. We’re undefeated and we’re one game away from the ultimate goal -- the gold medal. I’ve really been impressed with how focused and motivated this team has been. Every game I see improvement, and different players are stepping up on different nights to lead the way.

Dawn Staley directs traffic on the court, but not on the streets of China. USA Basketball photo

Now for the bad news -- since I’ve been in China I haven’t had any calls from recruits saying they’ve decided to play at Temple! This is probably the most nerve-racking part of being a college coach -- the waiting. I’ve made offers to some very talented high school players, so at this point I just have wait for them to make their final decision.

TAKEN FOR A RIDE
Nanjing is by far the biggest city on the trip, with a few million people living here. It’s been interesting to see the differences in the three stops on our trip. Nanjing is very busy, with heavy traffic, a lot of bikes and people everywhere. The team gets fewer stares here, which makes sense since they’re used to seeing more outsiders than in the smaller towns we were in.

One thing that really amazes me about China, and especially in a city of this size, is the fact that there are no traffic rules. There are hardly any lights and no stop signs, and pedestrians mostly have to cross the street at their own risk. It’s like a real-life game of frogger the way you have to dart through traffic. The general rule of the road seems to be that the bigger vehicle always has the right of way. So when we’re on the bus, the driver just pulls out in to traffic without even looking. We’ve passed a few accidents, and it’s a wonder there aren’t a lot more with everyone moving in their own direction.

Our bus ride to Nanjing was our last long-distance bus ride, which is a very good thing. It was about a two-hour ride from Changzhou. The Chinese version of a "large" bus is very different from our American version. And it’s not a peaceful trip because drivers here honk their horns constantly. We all haven’t been able to figure out why. Sometimes they honk to let a car or truck know that we’re passing, other times there are no other cars on the road, so your guess is as good as mine.

DEVELOPING NEW TASTES
Of course I can’t go for more than two weeks in China without giving an update about the food. I’ve traveled a lot and experienced a lot of different cultures, so I know that eating is bound to be an unusual experience on a trip like this. All the teams are staying in the same hotel, and they have a banquet room designated for us with buffets set up at mealtime. Pigeon, snake and chicken feet are a few of the items they’ve had for us. Luckily my stash of Cup of Soup has come in very handy. Plus we’ve managed to hunt down McDonalds’s and Kentucky Fried Chicken, which have helped us through.

But really, you can’t turn up your nose or have an attitude about stuff like that. We know that they are putting their best foot forward to treat us well, and I’m sure they’d find American food equally as strange. But it’s been an experience, to say the least.

Well, that’s the update from China. Thanks for following the USA!