Swim!

 So after a wait of over a year, the pool is finally done!

And, boy, is it nice!

This new aquatics center is a result of an executive decision creating a subsequent domino effect.

The city of Taichung needed some Morrison land.

The land they needed contained the bottom half of our track.

Thus, the track needed to be moved. The only place to move it was where the pool sat.

So, the pool needed to be moved.

Unfortunately, the best place for the pool was exactly in the spot of the tennis courts.

Naturally, the tennis courts were demolished. As was the pool. If you want to experience the destruction, follow this link...

It all sounds so sad, but, not really.

See, the track was a cinder track, from way back. I think it was one of the last surviving of its kind. Sounds nostalgic, but it was just plain yucky.

Shoes and socks were permanently ruined after 1 lap. Black dust covered the legs. Falling meant black embers embedded into your skin. 

And the pool, while a nice facility, had a major problem. Having just been built prior to the 1999 earthquake, it suffered damage resulting in a small crack. Everyday, the pool would lose water. Everyday, the lost water needed to be replaced in order for the pool to remain swimmable. 

The waiting is finally over.

Monday was the ribbon cutting ceremony.

Speeches, dignitaries, cake and ice cream were the order of events.

Then the real fun began- The Community Swim Meet. Typically, this meet is held in the fall during swim season, but its hard to host a meet when you don't have a pool to swim in.

At a very weak moment, I agreed to be part of a relay team, which somehow turned into two relays. But how could I pass up a chance to participate in Abbi's last high school swim meet? Especially since she was swimming in the same relays! I'd like to say my team of mostly over 50 beat those youngsters, but to do so, I would have to lie!

They naturally broke the meet's record!

I only had two problems. The first being that after several days of warm "now this is swimming kind of weather" it turned chilly. And rainy. I think I burned more calories shivering than swimming!

My second problem, being into the second half of my life, was appearing in front of students and their parents in a bathing suit! Its hard getting old. I put aside my pride (and bought a new suit) and went for it. I will save you the torture of viewing all the pictures Carl took. They will be deleted soon from the camera!

I was so glad that these seniors had a chance to swim in the new Morrison pool. It was hard not having a home pool for their senior year, but they handled it with maturity and grace.

Now, how about those tennis courts?

Those will have to wait until an older housing unit is demolished. But that can't happen until a new faculty building is completed.

And so the dominoes continue to fall.