The phone rings, our land land phone, and I know it is a generational call. Generational because the only people who call our land land are over 70. On the other end is someone who recognizes its me and I recognize they are not so pleased it is me since I don’t speak Chinese. They ask for Yang in Chinese and in my best Chinese I say she is sleeping. It is 9:20am and we had gone to a new popular Beijing nightclub last night which featured Russian transvestites so it can be forgiven if she was still a bit sleepy. The person on the other line says they are Sebastian’s grandmother (mom’s side) and then it dawns on me they must be calling because Sebastian is coming over for the swim club’s race. Then more Chinese, then with my Chinese listening skill I gather they are going to bring Sebastian to the phone so he can translate. I wait. And wait. I figure Sebastian must be going at his own pace, the pace of a ten year old, and I want some more. Then the grandfather comes on the line, says my name, and we both wait. We both wait for Sebastian to come on the line but, well, Sebastian is still on his way to our house from his other grandparents home.

Sebastian does arrive and in a haste him and Aidan head down to the pool with Yang. Aidan has been taking swimming lessons all summer and can now swim by himself. He is excited to be in the race. Sebastian swims, well, really well compared to the kids here. He is also ready to go and I have no doubt he will win.

Boys waiting for the race

The girls race first – Lydia decided not too -- and I take a break outside the pool room which is beyond a tolerable level of hot and humid. Then it is Sebastian’s turn, the boys he races against look a good three years older than him. Sebastian is the only one of the boys to dive in at the start and even though his stroke is far better the other boys length is hard to beat. In ends up in a dead tie, it looked to me like Seby hit the wall just ahead of the other boy.

Aidan was really a lot smaller then the other three boys in his race. His excitement and intensity was there, you would have thought it was the Olympics. The swim coach yelled what I am is assuming is “Ready, Set, Go!” because all four boys took off at once. And much to my surprise Aidan came out hard and swam better than I had seen him before. When he touch the wall in third place I pumped my fist and said “Not Last!”. Way to go Aidan.

Aidan with the forth place finisher.