One thing that surprised me was the lack of girls in the tournament. I know this because a picture was taken at the banquet of all the tournament girls. We had a lot of fun. I found myself instantly as at ease with these people as I am with my friends back home. It goes to show that even across borders, time zones, and governments, it doesn't matter who your country had been at war with, or if you have nothing in common except that you are a girl competing in a Petanque tournament.
Laughter is the true universal language.
P.J. Mallette, Vanessa Steck, Alex Caffey, and Alie Mukenfuss. Well, I've had a truly fantastic time over here, and I've learned a lot about friendships that cross nations and ignore politics. I've learned how to work as a team, and that even though we didn't come out on top, we all did very, very well. That's all that really matters. We met two girls from a local Phuket school on Friday, and had a chance to talk about their lives during a lunch break in the tournament.