Husky volleyball team gets taste of culture shock

BEIJING — As Christal Morrison looked up from her breakfast, something other than jet lag was churning her stomach.

Withdrawal. Cell phone withdrawal.

The streets of the capital are choked with Chinese using their portable phones, but none of the 12 members of the Washington volleyball team has international service, so their ring tones have been silenced.

"And that's not all," Morrison lamented, "I'm also having major MySpace withdrawal, too."

Barely two days after landing in China, most of Morrison's teammates had adjusted to the summer heat and sizzling beat of what might be the world's most restless metropolis. But being nine time zones from home hasn't dulled the desire to share photos and feelings about the Huskies' historic tour, a 12-day journey that includes four volleyball matches, two in Beijing and two in Shanghai.

"I can't help it," admitted setter Courtney Thompson, "I keep reaching down for where my cell phone should be."

After a moderate workout on the well-worn parquet court at a local high school, the Huskies turned tourists. First stop was the Forbidden City, the otherworldly imperial palace headquarters for centuries of Chinese emperors. Walking along crumbling cobblestones beneath the menacing glare of rooftop gargoyles, the Huskies navigated through elaborate portals with names like the "Gate of Earthly Tranquility."

"It's amazing," sophomore Jill Collymore marveled. "We're walking the same ground where so much of civilization got its start."

Teammate Ashley Aratani agreed. "It's unbelievable that almost no one could walk in the place for centuries, yet here we are wandering around."

"Yeah," Collymore continued, "now there's a Starbucks inside."

Sure enough, in the same room where emperors held court with counselors, baristas in green aprons ground ice for green tea frappuccinos and more traditional Starbucks fare, priced at four bucks (32 yuan) a pop.

"It's kind of sad," said Collymore, "like the spirit of the place has been broken."

That didn't stop most of those in the 54-person UW contingent — including players, coaches, parents and boosters — from lining up for cold drinks.

A brief visit to Tiananmen Square offered a chance to pose for pictures beneath a portrait of Chairman Mao. Throughout the giant plaza, persistent vendors offered hats, books and the particularly-popular Mao wristwatch. Huskies coach Jim McLaughlin watched from a respectful distance.

"It's great," said McLaughlin. "Although we'll be playing volleyball, this trip isn't about volleyball. It's about experiencing China."

That experience so far has included occasional moments that go deeper than expensive coffee and cheap watches. Outside the gates of the Forbidden City, hordes of street vendors give way to occasional clusters of beggars. These aren't the kind of panhandlers one encounters on Seattle streets; the Huskies saw children in rags — some forced by nearby adults to shed tears as tourists approached. There, too, were people with contorted limbs or disfiguring burns.

"That was heartbreaking," said senior Janine Sandell.

The Huskies played their first match Thursday night in Beijing. All 12 players saw action as the UW defeated Jaiotong University, the defending Beijing-area collegiate champion. The scores were 25-23, 25-23, 25-13.

Friday, the Huskies faced Beihang Astronomic University, the defending Chinese national champions.