cooking about ppa hong kong, the philippines, & liping bright

Anna Bright: It's Anna and Kate. We are back with episode three of Let Her Cook. Thank you so much everyone for listening to us Yap

Kate: Yes.

Anna Bright: and be on FaceTime with each other.

Kate: I missed you guys last week. I'm so excited to do

Anna Bright: Yeah.

Kate: this again.

Anna Bright: Yeah, we missed you guys. We miss you guys. It's fun. It's like getting to Saturday and Sunday. And I'm like, my gosh, Kate and I have to record soon. We got we gotta talk to each other. We gotta talk to all of our besties.

Kate: Every time something happens, I'm like, I can't wait to tell our besties on let her cook.

Anna Bright: Yeah, it's so fun. And so many things have happened lately. And I'm just all I think is like content. I'm like, that's content.

Kate: That's content. I have a a running notes app and I'm like, gotta say this on the pod. And then I run

Anna Bright: Yeah, it's so fun.

Kate: it by Charlie and he's like, confirmed.

Anna Bright: He's like, that's that's good. People will

Kate: That's good. Or he's like, No, that's too unhinged and I'm like, Fair.

Anna Bright: What's too unhinged? What was too unhinged lately?

Kate: Maybe like some of my birthday weekend. I had a lot of fun.

Anna Bright: You're literally married. What are you doing that's too unhinged?

Kate: No, no, just like having a little bit, just like a lot of fun. Like just saw my friends and I don't really like drink that often. And so I was like, I don't know. I'm I'm really a a lightweight. I'm like hated because I don't ever drink. And so then

Anna Bright: are you now?

Kate: when I drink, I'm like, yeah, no, it's bad. It's bad.

Anna Bright: my gosh, we need to get drunk together.

Kate: We do. I think you would you would definitely hold your liquor better than I would, honestly.

Anna Bright: Maybe at this point I've been casually drinking more, just like

Kate: Mm.

Anna Bright: a couple drinks, we've we've done that a time or two. And I'm I'm cringing less. I can drink white wine now, which is crazy to me. I've never been able to,

Kate: Ooh.

Anna Bright: but I can sip on some white wine.

Kate: Are you enjoying it? 'Cause I know you didn't like the taste before.

Anna Bright: I don't love it, but I I think I've been doing so much mingling that I just I want some alcohol to just make it a little bit easier. And I think I've developed enough of a taste for it that I don't hate it. So I think I think at the big age of twenty

Kate: That's good. It really does help socializing. it's just

Anna Bright: seven, I'm going through what most people went through at twenty one or younger.

Kate: I think you just need to find your cocktail where you're like you go to a bar and you can order it and you

Anna Bright: Yeah.

Kate: can enjoy it.

Anna Bright: I love a skinny marg. It just feels a little bit juvenile everyone's getting

Kate: No.

Anna Bright: an espresso martini. Can I get an Aperol spritz? Can I get a skinny margarita, please? Skinny? Skinny though. Skinny, please.

Kate: Go off skinny.

Anna Bright: You see you see tea. I don't I mean the skinny ones are still so sugary, but

Kate: I know. That's the thing, everyone's like, you ordered a skinny and I'm like, I literally just don't want the sugar. that's but sometimes they're like pre mixed. I want the alcohol.

Anna Bright: I want the alcohol. I want to be drunk. I just don't want the that sugar bomb. No, thank you.

Kate: No sugar bomb, just straight liquor. Thank you.

Anna Bright: Yeah, should just do straight up freaking shots, but

Kate: But you are in the Philippines. You just

Anna Bright: I am

Kate: got back from Hong Kong where you won gold. Gold, gold, gold. Thank

Anna Bright: Thank you, thank you.

Kate: you. That was amazing. How is how did

Anna Bright: That was a fun one.

Kate: the tournament go?

Anna Bright: The tournament was really fun. It was really, really well done. I'm always so impressed with the PPA Asia, the PPA Tour Asia team. They crush it. And I feel like organizing tournaments in the US is already, you know, not easy. The PPA Tour does a great job, obviously. But in Asia, the way they do it, when people don't even speak the same languages place to place, and you have different vendors and caterers, like It's really impressive what they're able to do. And the fanfare in Asia is insane. Everything has an opening ceremony. Yeah.

Kate: It it looked amazing.

Anna Bright: Everything has an opening ceremony, a closing ceremony. There's like dancers before every match. Like Hunter was almost dancing with the dancers. That

Kate: Yeah, some of it.

Anna Bright: was something in and of itself. Hunter's a character. Hunter

Kate: Incredible.

Anna Bright: will give you some content. Like he's Out there with the dancers when he wins his match. We were all chuckling when he beat Tama. And he's like, because there's the angle that like the that you guys see like when you're not there on social media, but then watching him borderline perform like for the camera is really funny. It and also

Kate: He was on one. I love that for him.

Anna Bright: my very first interaction with Hunter in Hong Kong is like Monday morning, Tuesday morning. I don't know. And I just see him at the hotel breakfast and I'm like, Congrats, Hunter on Australia. He just goes, Did you see my celebration? What'd you think?

Kate: Did you see it? And then you're like, no. And he's like, how did you not see it? everyone saw it.

Anna Bright: No, like his fur the first thing, not how's Hong Kong? How's the breakfast? How are you? Thanks. Did you see my celebration?

Kate: Thanks. Did you see my Trophy presentation?

Anna Bright: Literally and he's like, Did you like the jump? 'Cause I he like, I did like the Leighton Hewitt jump. And he was like, I I wouldn't usually do that much, but Christian, was like being a lot, so I had to do something and I was like, You crushed it. It was so

Kate: Absolutely.

Anna Bright: absolut I need to I should text him. Let me text him right now and say

Kate: We have to clip it. He literally texted me this morning saying happy birthday. And I was like, I love that for you. It's seven days late, but we're it's it's okay. it was so funny.

Anna Bright: Get there.

Kate: No like no recognition of like belated or anything, which like

Anna Bright: Really?

Kate: I'm really bad at people's birthdays too. So like literally no shame. But it was just like funny. It's just like happy birthday, Kate. I'm like, Thanks, honor. Congrats. Yeah.

Anna Bright: It's it's sweet. It's sweet. It's it's better. Like it's like funny. I l I love that. Let me text him right now. Hunter he's

Kate: He is literally the sweetest guy.

Anna Bright: so sweet. Like he's he's a funny guy, but like I'm from our time in the shock, I became a huge fan of Hunter. Hunter

Kate: Me too.

Anna Bright: loved the celly in Hong Kong. You you

Kate: he was back to back. I didn't realize. That's pretty amazing.

Anna Bright: you are him. Back to back.

Kate: I love the live texting.

Anna Bright: Yeah. I know also someone in the last episode commented, Did we ever get an answer on Christian's bench? So

Kate: yeah.

Anna Bright: let me let me find that message quickly. Christian's max is two fifteen. And I he said he's probably been able to do more than that the last few years, but he has not max benched in five years. So I think that's a pretty honest answer from him. So but his

Kate: Yeah.

Anna Bright: max is two fifteen. That's the most, but who knows

Kate: Two fifteen.

Anna Bright: what he could do now. I would I have to think he could probably do two twenty five. Five years ago he's probably gotten stronger even if he doesn't actively lift. So that's that's our answer.

Kate: That's interesting. I feel like I was almost stronger in college because we lifted so much. we had such a strong emphasis. And he was like he played college tennis too. I wonder. But he's he's seemingly stronger now.

Anna Bright: I don't know. I was so weak in college. I was I was like struggling with like sixty five, seventy five pounds on the bar. I

Kate: Really?

Anna Bright: was really weak. I didn't lift like in high school or for anything for tennis in a college. I was, yeah. It wasn't.

Kate: They had us maxing out every day. it was crazy. I was just in a constant state of soreness. But

Anna Bright: But you saw the pickleball.com glow-up pictures. I was skinny. Did you see? I was little.

Kate: Yeah. When I first met you, yeah, you were little. Like your arms were like but I was always like jealous of your little arms.

Anna Bright: I was a little baby. I was a little baby girl. And I really wanted to make the joke there in the comments. I'll just say it here. I didn't feel appropriate for social media, but I really wanted to say, like, lost a couple hundred pounds to gain a couple pounds of muscle.

Kate: Okay. What is this saying? You gotta go backwards to go forwards. Yeah.

Anna Bright: But I just felt like I yeah. I just didn't feel like I could make that lost a man joke in a way that wasn't tacky. So I just didn't do it. But I'm doing it here for all my girls and boys. That's that's the sometimes

Kate: So good. That's and that's the T.

Anna Bright: that's the T. You gotta lose a couple hundred pounds to find to to glow up like that. I do look jacked AF in that. Something about that.

Kate: I don't think you I don't think you get enough credit for how strong you are. and how little time it took you. Like I feel like you kinda did a one eighty with like lifting. Like

Anna Bright: I kinda did.

Kate: you were always like into like working out and obviously being fit. Like you were never not fit, but like in the last year you've like gotten so strong.

Anna Bright: Became a muscle mommy. Yeah. I don't really know. I I'm I think I must have good genetics 'cause I I think the same. It's like I've lifted, but not super consistently. we travel so much and I was doing more I was honestly lifting more for pickleball before, like and now I just switched in December to just lifting like a fucking bodybuilder.

Kate: Yeah. We were like lifted that one time, and you're like, you're actually lifting like an athlete, and I'm literally just lifting to max out. And I'm like, as you should. Like, who cares?

Anna Bright: Yeah. Yeah. Kate and I were lifting together and she's doing landmine press, things for explosiveness. She's doing things

Kate: Mm-hmm.

Anna Bright: with bands and I'm just looking at her, I'm like, You can go heavier. Like what are you doing?

Kate: Yeah, you're like, what are what are these twenty fives in your hand? what are you doing? but no, but I do feel like it's helped your play, right? Like, I think you're hitting harder. Yeah.

Anna Bright: I think so. I think I'm I think I'm hitting harder. And I think I think, lifting is so important for women. If you're for everyone, but for women, if you're watching this, so many women are get osteoporosis. And the number

Kate: Yeah.

Anna Bright: one way to combat that, if you look at any study is to pick up and put down heavy shit a few times a week. my bone density is really high for all those interested. I I weigh a lot more than people like would think, which

Kate: yeah.

Anna Bright: which is funny. Like Kate and I look very similar. I weigh a good, a good amount more big mama season. And do you remember when Rich guessed my weight and then we told him

Kate: yeah.

Anna Bright: and he was almost disgusted?

Kate: He literally was like he did not like that.

Anna Bright: Yeah, it's like guess Rich. Do you remember what he guessed for for me?

Kate: Didn't he guess one fifteen or something?

Anna Bright: I think he guessed he guessed that I weighed a hundred fifty hundred twenty pounds and then I was like one one fitty, one fifty, and he was like

Kate: Which I'm like, thanks, Rich. But guess what? Honestly, you probably maybe way more than him.

Anna Bright: I might, I might. that was so funny. And it's like, do you think of me differently now? 'Cause I look the same as I looked when you thought I weighed one fifteen.

Kate: I think he definitely thought of you differently to this day. Hopefully he doesn't

Anna Bright: He might

Kate: remember. Honestly, like I feel like it helps pickleball, but it also just like helps like feeling confident. Like

Anna Bright: Yeah.

Kate: I love like being able to like see muscle and like when I see other girls with muscle and like go off. Like it's such a cool thing.

Anna Bright: Ugh. Go off 100%. 100%. It is, it is sick. So I forgot. You asked me about Hong Kong. What else do I want to say about

Kate: yeah.

Anna Bright: my pickleball experience in Hong Kong? Yeah, so impressed with the Asia team. I thought the level of play was really high. I thought the playing conditions were easier here than they were when we played in Vietnam. Earlier in the year,

Kate: Mm.

Anna Bright: more familiar, perhaps I should say we were using, the ball that we're used to. And Vietnam presented its own challenges with how humid the venue was and

Kate: my god.

Anna Bright: the questionable air conditioning, which was difficult. I've never felt felt more like a man in my life than in Vietnam.

Kate: My mom literally would watch the stream and be like, You look like you're dying. everyone was so pale because we weren't seeing the sun. And then everyone was just sweating. I don't think I've ever sweat that much in my life. hands down. changing mid match. I'd never do that.

Anna Bright: Never, never yeah, yeah. And I like ringing out my shirt, and it's like you could ring it out a bunch of times. It's like I didn't know that I was capable of this. So Hong Kong was not did not present like those types of challenges. And but it was it was really fun. One thing that was really funny about Hong Kong, I don't know if people noticed this in our mixed match. we had like a barn burner against J Dub in Georgia. There was a circle. There was a logo on the court for the main sponsor, a bank. And some people, it would the ball would skid really fast if you sliced and it hit that logo. So some of the men were like aiming for that logo. Yeah.

Kate: No way. Was it in the the transition zone? in the middle?

Anna Bright: No, it was in the kitchen. So you had to hit a really shallow

Kate: Holy sh

Anna Bright: dink and you had to slice it. If it topsman, it didn't do too much. But like. Jade of was

Kate: Is that what happened to to Tyra? remember when she missed a dink in the second game on the right? Or that was just another weird bounce?

Anna Bright: Yeah. No, I think the lines were generally skiddy. And there was other text in the kitchen.

Kate: Okay.

Anna Bright: She was on the right when that happened. So that would happen sometimes, but you didn't really aim for those. That would just happen. But left to left is where the logos were. So Jadop was,

Kate: my god.

Anna Bright: I think, definitely aiming for that. And I know like Jesse was talking about it. Some other people were talking about aiming for that logo. and at one point I told Hayden, I was like, if he if he keeps hitting that and you see it's gonna aim for that circle, like you just gotta like. backup extra. And he was like, I'm trying. It was so funny. But I don't it's totally valid. It's

Kate: I love how you so you say don't reach, just back up.

Anna Bright: Yeah, I'm like, just just just come back. It's gonna skid, just come back. And he's

Kate: out of the air. Just just back up. Haul ass off the line. Here we go.

Anna Bright: he's like, I'm trying. He's like, he's like, I'm trying. I was like,

Kate: That's so funny. That was such a good match.

Anna Bright: It was a random challenge. It was. my gosh, thank goodness we won.

Kate: I was like I saw someone tweet why do I saw someone tweet why why are there more upsets in Asia? And I don't I know Vietnam, obviously the conditions were definitely not favorable, with the humidity and with the ball. So I feel like that led to some more upsets. But I'm curious to hear your take on Hong Kong 'cause I feel like it sounds like the the conditions were what we were used to in the US. Maybe it's probably travel fatigue, obviously, jet lags, stuff like that.

Anna Bright: Yeah, it's it is interesting. I saw that tweet and I was thinking about it too. cause I feel like the teams you would generally expect to win still won. or the teams you'd expect to see on Sunday still won, but it's kind of like the way the tournament progressed. There were a lot of upsets. I don't know because the the conditions were pretty similar, maybe a little different. You know, it is, you know, it was a rollout court, but it was a very good rollout court, all things considered. Like, some skids, but my back was fine actually. So I was worried about

Kate: That's good.

Anna Bright: that. But I think maybe just even anything that's a bit of a deviation from the norm is gonna favor underdogs. So you have all the travel, you have like the novelty of playing in Asia, you have slightly lower bounces. Like I'm not really sure. maybe some

Kate: Yeah.

Anna Bright: people like playing in front of like a big crowd is a little bit different. I know. I feel like

Kate: Mm.

Anna Bright: some people just kinda show up in Asia. I feel like Caitlin Christian shows up in

Kate: Yeah. Yeah.

Anna Bright: in Asia. Like obviously her and Dylan did lose to Hunter and Jamie Way, but still they had who did who did they beat? They beat someone and it was like, wow, that's a great win.

Kate: They beat Rachel and and Gabe, right? Yeah, that's a really good win.

Anna Bright: yeah. Rachel and Gabe. Yeah, that was that was a that was a really good, a really good win. Hunter speaking of Hunter, I haven't responded, but Hunter made a simmy and mixed as well. He had a great, a great week.

Kate: yeah.

Anna Bright: I also we also have to shout out Andy. I don't know how to say her last name. Dekoff's

Kate: my gosh.

Anna Bright: look of probably more disrespectful for me to try to say her name and then say it like that.

Kate: Yeah, I don't know how to pronounce it either. But we were hanging she's like also just the nicest girl ever. we were hanging out with her at the Yola Titans tour this earlier this year and just the sweetest person, so down to

Anna Bright: Yeah.

Kate: earth. And I don't I don't think she's played a tournament in the US or maybe she did play in Vietnam, but I haven't seen her play that much. But I was watching her and she's just like she crushed, didn't miss a ball,

Anna Bright: Yeah.

Kate: So fast. I was just, I was really impressed with her. And to win back to back that is really, really good. So that was that

Anna Bright: Yeah.

Kate: was sick.

Anna Bright: Yeah. I was really happy for her. She's so sweet. And she also works. If you guys follow her content, you guys should give her a follow. She's the sweetest. She also works full time in consulting. And I have so much respect for like a baddie balancing all of that. And I would it is. Consulting

Kate: It's pretty rare nowadays, yeah.

Anna Bright: is tough too. Like that, that that's that's a tough gig. I guess we should should we talk about Ben and Gabe losing? Ben has now lost four straight men's doubles titles.

Kate: yeah. 'Cause when he didn't play he played with Jack and Fed or yeah, Jack and Fed. I like I I

Anna Bright: Yeah, but also and two with Gabe.

Kate: didn't watch it live but like I watched it back 'cause I was curious and like I mean Fed and Hayden played really well, but it maybe it it looks like I don't know. It I d I don't know if there it looks like Ben and Gabe are out of sync or just like their stuff isn't really working as well. I don't know.

Anna Bright: I didn't watch too much of it. I felt like Gabe might have been a little off, was kind of what

Kate: Yeah.

Anna Bright: I was kind of my take. Like still they still were just points away from turning that match around. I mean, when they lost game one, I did I wanted Hayden to win, but Hayden and Fed to win, but I did think it would go three. I feel like I wonder because Ben and Gabe lose, right? And then I play mixed against Ben, and Ben is playing. Close to psycho ball. he's taking close to as much court as he was taking with Jade. And

Kate: Wow.

Anna Bright: it was so tough to play against that because he's speeding up balls. I'm not used to him speeding up. And if I don't

Kate: Dang.

Anna Bright: hit the ball to Ben, I'm hitting the ball to Anna Lee, who's balanced. She's covering so little court. And she's obviously unreal. So it was really tough. And I'm just wondering, like, but then when I'm watching men's, you know, Gabe is taking balls in the middle. And when Gabe is on, that's so good. But it's kind of like, when Ben wants to play in that fifth gear, I almost

Kate: Yeah.

Anna Bright: think you let him like this is let her cook, but I I think you almost have to let him cook. I don't know. My I'm not a men's doubles connoisseur. I haven't

Kate: Yeah.

Anna Bright: been watching it super actively lately. But the way Ben played

Kate: That's a good point.

Anna Bright: in mixed was scary.

Kate: Dang. That's a good point. Cause I feel like Ben a lot of the time like you see like him reaching. He's on the left, like towards the middle, and like Gabe likes that like forehand kind of like when he reaches like to

Anna Bright: Mm-hmm.

Kate: his left side with the forehand. So maybe that definitely threw off some of Ben's rhythm. But definitely interesting. I wanna see how worlds goes. 'Cause last year Hayden and Fed won it. They beat

Anna Bright: I know. Yeah.

Kate: I think they beat Gabe and Ben in like the semis or something.

Anna Bright: Semi, I think.

Kate: Yeah. It'll be interesting. I I still can't believe

Anna Bright: It'll be really interesting.

Kate: it's 3,000 points. the fact that it's three times and open is just crazy. Right? I'm like

Anna Bright: I wish it wasn't 3,000. I don't know why. I wish it wasn't 3,000. It's just, it feels so important. It feels so important. And I don't I feel like I think about like a slam.

Kate: I know.

Anna Bright: Does North Carolina, Atlanta is not really a big deal to me, but worlds is like, gotta lock in. It feels like it. It really feels

Kate: World is like do or die. you're like you're yeah.

Anna Bright: like it. There's been some drama that I don't think we should even get into with like people switching partners and stuff. I wasn't even thinking about.

Kate: yeah. Yeah.

Anna Bright: I thinking about other things. Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah. yeah, people people people wanna do well at worlds. People wanna some people some people get in a little catty. Yeah.

Kate: Lot of switches. Yeah, yeah. I know. I know. And like some like last minute, like I know, which is like you like, can you blame them? Because there's so many points, but then it's like, yeah.

Anna Bright: No you can't.

Kate: The partner dropping situation is is wild. It's

Anna Bright: I wonder when we'll start having contracts for partnerships.

Kate: Yeah, that's true. I've heard rumors

Anna Bright: It gets messy.

Kate: of some, but I haven't like it would make sense. So that stuff doesn't happen. Especially

Anna Bright: It w it would I don't know.

Kate: when it on when everyone's on prize money too. It's like

Anna Bright: Yeah. AL's

Kate: Yeah.

Anna Bright: gonna hit me with a contract. Thou shalt not play women's doubles with anyone else. And I'll be like, Yes, ma'am.

Kate: You're like, period. You're like, Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am. I'll do whatever you say. Yes, ma'am.

Anna Bright: Yes, ma'am, absolutely. It was actually so funny. She's playing Mesa and I wasn't playing Mesa. I was in Vietnam and I was like, girl, I really like if you want to play with your mom, because I felt bad that she was gonna go to Arizona and not play women's. I was like, you wanna play with your mom, whatever, I really don't don't mind. And she's like, No, we're a team. I just want to play with you. I was like, Okay, great. It is really sweet.

Kate: Aw, that's nice. yeah, I did hear you guys had some sort of agreement that like you wouldn't play without each other.

Anna Bright: Yeah, a loose, a loose agreement, I would say. I don't think it'd be like

Kate: Yeah.

Anna Bright: do or die or anything, but it's she's

Kate: That's nice.

Anna Bright: I love Annalie. I love Annalie. I know that people don't really know her that well and like you don't know her that well, and you they keep to themselves and everything, but I've kind of been let behind the curtain a little bit and like that's my girl. Like honestly, I really love her. Like we're and she's she's so cute in some ways. Like we're walking around. the venue ourselves once like usually she has Tyler who's like the big boy or her mom with her but for some reason we were like going to the bathroom ourselves and everyone is so nice they just want a photo or signature but we're kind of in like a rush and she's starting to get stopped and I like took on the security role. I was like keep moving keep moving and I was like nope we have to go sorry sorry I'm like

Kate: Nope. Thank you. Everyone's like and then they see you and they're like, Well, can I get your olive bone too? You're like

Anna Bright: And I'm like, no, I'm block I'm blocking the the pretty little blonde girl right now. I'm not Anna Bright. I'm security. I am security right now.

Kate: No. my god.

Anna Bright: You see these muscles? Like, we gotta go. That I just thought that was cute.

Kate: She probably does need security literally everywhere she goes. No, I have I have a lot of respect for her. I don't know her that well. I wish that we got to hang out with her more. I cause I feel like she doesn't rightly so, she doesn't really hang out in the pro lounge that much. But I feel like I would like her if I knew her.

Anna Bright: Yeah, I I think I think you guys like each other. She is funny. She she can be a little B-word, which is seems to be what I like in my friends. I was really antisocial this week in the pro lounge. I

Kate: Did you have your anti social iPad moments like me in Chicago?

Anna Bright: I did, yeah, basically. I would sometimes you could go outside the lounge and sit and kind of like look over all the amateur courts and everything. And I would go out there sometimes when people were in the lounge or I would just have my noise canceling headphones on. And then once Hayden literally called me, because I w I had them turned on full blast and he called me and I was like, Why are you calling me? And he like just wanted my attention and I wasn't responding. I was feeling A, I find it pretty overstimulating being there. And then Usually in the US, I don't really I'm not really a pro lounge girly. I'll hang out in the car or f or

Kate: Yeah.

Anna Bright: we'll find we'll have a separate spot, but there's no separate spot. So it's in the lounge. And sometimes I just I didn't I didn't want to be I just didn't want to be bothered. I don't know. It was weird. I was

Kate: That's so fair. I feel like I've like learning. I think I was like talking to you about this in Chicago. I'm like learning the hard way that like I do need like my antisocial time during the day because like it's so overstimulating. Cause like during the day, you're on court, you're warming up with your partner, you're just like constantly like people facing. And then

Anna Bright: Yeah.

Kate: like especially like I've been doing Airbnbs with other players, which is so fun. But like you share a car with someone, like you're just like 24-7, like with people. And like I feel like I'm a little bit more introverted. Like I need I need my alone time, especially at tournaments. you need that time by yourself.

Anna Bright: Yeah, 100%. I think people, yeah, they they see the they watch this show and they're like, my gosh, they're so fun. And we can be really fun, but sometimes we are not we are not fun and need need to be

Kate: Yeah.

Anna Bright: that way. And it was also just interesting, like being in the lounge and kind of hearing about how everyone is experiencing Hong Kong, like really differently. And I think travel is you just kind of like learn a lot about people. And a lot of the people, a lot of people were, You would have loved this. They were ripped like the main activity that a lot of the pros were getting into was going to these night markets and ripping, shopping for fake, fake goods.

Kate: my gosh. I bet Wrecker, Rachel Wrecker, our queen, was like she's the best at that. She could go pro in that.

Anna Bright: It was like an ex it was like an extreme sport, arguing whose stuff looked more or less fake. one day Paris left because Christian withdrew from Mix and I think she won women's and she had a little carry-on suitcase and she walked out of the lounge like, bye guys, I'm off to buy more fake bags. It's like how she's with the suitcase. With the suitcase. So I hope.

Kate: With a suitcase that's so iconic. She's like, literally, I brought this suitcase for purses. I love that.

Anna Bright: Yeah. So I hope it would be funny to get some hauls, but maybe they won't because they don't want people to know their stuff is fake. I'm just I just I'm just telling everyone out right now. I'm just

Kate: to know they're fake. That's so true. They're like, got this for Christmas. Did you get anything?

Anna Bright: No, I didn't. I actually wanted to on like Saturday night, but I just I finished so late that it

Kate: Yeah.

Anna Bright: it wasn't it wasn't gonna happen. And the hotel they put us in was gorgeous, but it was kind of far away from the action. Whereas I just I didn't want it as bad as some people. I was I was going on different random outings, but everyone had a different experience. Some people were struggling to eat in Hong Kong, which I found a bit ridiculous personally. They had had everything, but I think by the end of the tournament, everyone had found what worked for them. But Hong Kong's such a cool place, truly international city. Like my main, the main thing I didn't like about Hong Kong. This is my gripe with Hong Kong, the only thing I could really come up with. There's no consensus for what side of the sidewalk you walk on. the right or the left side. It's just a free-for-all. It's a free for all. Yeah, people, you it's

Kate: gosh. you're like when you're like passing people, yours when we go on the right. gosh.

Anna Bright: a free-for-all. So you you're often end up in that the like I don't know which way to go situation.

Kate: I would hate that.

Anna Bright: And I think cause they drive on the left, which is pretty trippy. But like in Malaysia, they drive on the

Kate: I didn't know that.

Anna Bright: left, but you also walk on the left. Here it's just kind of I don't know why.

Kate: Yeah.

Anna Bright: I don't know why that is. But that that is my main Hong Kong gripe. Is that

Kate: That's so weird that they just haven't come up with it. especially if you drive on the left, just walk on the left.

Anna Bright: I don't know. I don't know why. Maybe it's because such an international city, or I don't know if that's maybe just in China, there's less of a

Kate: that's fair, yeah.

Anna Bright: culture of like you you always walk one way. Obviously, Hong Kong isn't China, but maybe it's similar. But that was a little, that was interesting to me because the first couple of days I was trying to figure it out. And then I just I talked to some locals. They're like, yeah, you just, you just kind of do whatever. And I was like, okay. All right. I just will follow. I will follow the leader.

Kate: Okay, you just figure it out.

Anna Bright: I will follow who is in front of me. That's what I will do.

Kate: You figure it out and hope to not body slam someone in the process. my

Anna Bright: Basically, basically, yes.

Kate: god, that's so funny.

Anna Bright: Hm. I guess Laping in Hong Kong. It's it's about time it's about that time. We probably should have let off with this, then we can talk about the Philippines a little bit, but

Kate: yeah. Have to. I just I wish I could have been a fly on the wall for Federico's interactions with Laping. Like they need to they need to start a podcast together, truthfully.

Anna Bright: They do. I don't know how much they'd be able to cover, but they really do. My mom is so funny. It was so special to get to be with her in Hong Kong and just to kind of see her a little bit more in her element. It's cute at first when she goes to China because she's been in the US for so long. She's very slow to switch between English and Mandarin. And someone

Kate: Mm.

Anna Bright: will look at her, obviously clock that she's from China, speak Mandarin to her, and she will stare at them blankly and then respond in English. And

Kate: No way.

Anna Bright: often the other person doesn't speak English and you just you can tell that they know that she just understood them. And it's hilarious. So Lynn was Lynn would speak Mandarin to her and she was just like tweaking out at first. But she picks

Kate: Because she just is so in American English mode.

Anna Bright: Yeah, yeah. But then then she gets quick with it. But the first couple of days and she hates when I make fun of her for that. She hates it. But it's kind of like I'll joke that she's useless. I'm like, I bring you here and you can't even translate for me. You can't even help me out. What are you doing here? Yeah,

Kate: You were translating for her.

Anna Bright: basically, basically with my 20 words I know of Mandarin.

Kate: Pretty good.

Anna Bright: I do know more than that. The more I hear, the more that comes back to me, which is crazy and cool. I'm very motivated. I'm gonna speak Mandarin.

Kate: That's cool.

Anna Bright: I'll speak Mandarin in a couple of years, everyone. I think it it's all it's just good business to learn Mandarin too. but everyone on

Kate: For sure. I just learned, and it might have been terrible that I just learned this, but it's the most widely spoken language in the world.

Anna Bright: It is, yeah. It's 'cause it's in China. It's also in Malaysia. It's in Singapore. yeah. It's it's a big

Kate: You were you were taking an online class, right? But then you stopped?

Anna Bright: I was, I was. I was taking classes online for I was pretty disciplined with it for a couple of weeks, but then brighter pickleball got going and that kind of took over my focus. So I think I might I'm still gonna work on brighter pickleball, but I think I might like cause there's only so much time in the day, I think I might prioritize the Mandarin more is what I'm I can, I can.

Kate: And you can practice with Le Ping. That's always good. And Len.

Anna Bright: She is she can't be my main teacher though, because she will just she would just point at this and say chair, lamp. painting, wall, door, just rapid fire words at me. And I'm like,

Kate: Just straight vocab. Just vocab.

Anna Bright: nothing will ever stick that way, woman. Thank you. Thank you so much. But nothing

Kate: No. Also like can't form sentences if I just know one word. Just

Anna Bright: Yeah, and it's just she just says it once and goes to the next thing. that's that's ever gonna stick. But everyone on the YOLA team is so nice. They help me keep track of Le Ping. Ben and Fed are fond of Le Ping. So she is she is so cheap. I sent her a lot of money for this trip. She's like, I wanna come. I'm like, great. I sent her a signific like more than enough money to cover everything.

Kate: Yeah.

Anna Bright: Cause I'm like, I don't want to be booking your travel. Like she's very autonomous. I'm just like, here, here's. I zelled her. There you go. There you go. Why are we here? I'm trying to help her get back to her hotel. She refuses to Uber. She refuses to let me buy her an Uber. She's like, no, I'll take the subway with the subway. The subway here is very safe. It's more of a will she get lost question. The subway is very safe. She's staying at a one-star hotel in a sketchy part of Hong Kong. Yes. Yes.

Kate: One star? no way.

Anna Bright: And the room is like tiny. We're filming with partners, and they're like, Why is your mom staying here? And I'm like I'm like, she's just making me look bad. She's she's just

Kate: She's like she's like my daughter Anna put me here. Yeah, she's like

Anna Bright: making me look bad. And and she buys no cell phone plan. She is unreachable if she's not on Wi Fi.

Kate: No. my God. She's just trying to pocket the money that you gave her. She's like, thanks.

Anna Bright: She's just trying to, she's just trying to do good business. She's like, I got like my free trip here. I'm trying to pocket a couple thousand dollars, trying to sell some pickle

Kate: Trying to sell some paddles.

Anna Bright: peacock merch with Anna's name on it. And I'm just like, she's literally making me look bad. And then she's so cheap. Like we're we're literally eating with YOLA. We did a YOLA event. We're all at hot pot. All Ben John's eats is hot pot, I swear. But we like it's late. I'm like, okay, just Uber back. I'm worried she's gonna get lost getting back to her hotel. She's like, no, no, no, no, no. And she won't let me get her an Uber. And then I hear, I understand in Mandarin that the the Yola team, like, they want to buy her an Uber. Like, it will not be my money. And she's still like, no. And I'm like, I curse at her. I'm like, they want to get you a fucking Uber. Get in the fucking Uber. Just I'm like, they YOLA sells.

Kate: Just let them. Yeah. Just literally let them.

Anna Bright: One paddle. They make so like an Uber here is like 10 bucks. Like Hong Kong is one of the most expensive cities in Asia, but the doll the US dollar is still like eight to one. I'm just like, you're gonna get fucking lost. Get in the fucking Uber, woman. Like get back to your one star hotel.

Kate: And the scary part is is that if she got lost, you wouldn't even know 'cause she couldn't reach you.

Anna Bright: Yeah, I know. I'm like, just get in the car. my gosh. And then

Kate: Yeah.

Anna Bright: the crazy thing is so literally, like everyone is kind of laughing at this drama between me and her as we're leaving a hot pot. And then she goes to the bathroom. We lose her. We lose her. We lose her in in five minutes. She's like a she's like a cat. She fleeced

Kate: No. She fleeced you guys. Yeah.

Anna Bright: us. So then I'm going in the bathroom. I'm like, mommy, mommy, we can't find her. Ben Johns is laughing because we lost her in Shanghai. couple last year on the Legends tour. That's why she wasn't on the Titans tour. She was so much trouble for me. We're losing her. She's losing her passport, whatever. That's why she wasn't on the Titans tour. I she was in timeout. She was in timeout. I was like, I can't do it. So

Kate: That's so funny. One year timeout.

Anna Bright: Ben is like, Le Ping's lost in Hong Kong. It's just like Shanghai again. And then eventually, after five minutes, I get a call, not from Le Ping Bright, Federico Staxroot. Hey, we found your mom. I'm like, great. Then later, I

Kate: No way. Where do they find her?

Anna Bright: don't even know later, Fed's like, why did She's like, so I found your mom and she she didn't want to call you. She she wanted me to call you. Why? And I was like, She has no cell phone plan. Ha ha.

Kate: Yeah, she she physically can't call me. So that's why. It's impossible, Fed.

Anna Bright: She can't, she actually can't call me. Yeah, it's actually, it's just not in the bag. And so the whole car, it was like me, Ben, Fed, someone else. We were just having like a laughing attack. And that's when I was telling them that I I sponsored the trip. They're I'm not leaving her out to dry. She she chooses to make it.

Kate: Yeah, they're Why are you such a bad daughter?

Anna Bright: Yeah, she's like, she is, I'm like, she's She's choosing to make it as difficult as possible. And I'm worried that partners is gonna rep me as this bad daughter. my mom is staying in the the slums of Hong Kong, and I'm just like

Kate: They do try to make things as dramatic as possible. That's

Anna Bright: Yeah, so we'll see everyone's season one, it was like Anna's a psycho, she's terrible. Season two, it's gonna be like, She's a bad daughter, my gosh. I'm like Sure, sure, everyone, I'm sorry.

Kate: it was really cute to see her on your bench for the final. That was really wholesome and nice. She looked so happy when you won. That was so and then she

Anna Bright: I know, I know.

Kate: held the trophy. That was so cute. That was amazing. Aww.

Anna Bright: Was Anna Lee's idea, too? that's the thing people don't realize, AL's a sweetie. Annalise was like, Ann Anna, we have like get your mom to hold a trophy, and just clap. She's like,

Kate: I want her to make a shirt of her holding the trophy, that would be so cute.

Anna Bright: my gosh, I hope she doesn't listen. I we should make that for her and give that to her. Yes. Okay, I'm gonna announce

Kate: We should that'd be such a good idea. Let's definitely do that.

Anna Bright: it. I'm gonna announce it here first. I have to make a reel out of this, but I asked my mom on FaceTime, I asked her to play Split Age with me at Worlds.

Kate: And she said yes. I mean I ho I

Anna Bright: She said she was freaking out. She was like she's like, I'm I'm not at that level. I'm not at that level, but you don't mind?

Kate: She's like a four right?

Anna Bright: In her age group. Duper's probably three seven, three eight. But

Kate: Yeah. Okay.

Anna Bright: I'm like

Kate: Still. That's so cute. my god, I wanna come watch. You guys are gonna crush it. That's amazing.

Anna Bright: I'm like, it's for the memes, mommy. It's for I'm a little worried they're not gonna have, they're not gonna have enough women's teams to fill a split age draw. So that's one reason why I'm announcing it, posting a video. I'm like, I don't care if there's three teams. You need to,

Kate: We're playing it.

Anna Bright: you need to run the event. I need to get a text on my phone that I'm on court 17. Even if it's just us and one other, even if it's just Georgia and Julie Johnson, I don't

Kate: Yeah.

Anna Bright: care. We need to play one match. Ha ha ha ha.

Kate: We need to play one. I know I've always wanted to do Split Age, but I thought it would be like a lot with MLP and then the full schedule. But I it l like from the sounds of it, you've played Split Age, right? It sounds really fun. Yeah. I should do it.

Anna Bright: It's so fun. I love it. I I think I think women women's split age is fun because it's like mixed doubles for us where we're the man and you're just

Kate: Yeah.

Anna Bright: really lost on court. And then for us, mixed is fun because it's it's pretty even. like I'd say we're better. Yeah,

Kate: Yeah, I was gonna say, they can't play that big, right?

Anna Bright: like we're probably I think we're better than the senior pro men. I think when I played a couple years ago, like I don't know that I was better than Altov or Dane. But I would say that now I I do think that we are better than them, but it's a different skill set. they're really good at their body, they hold the line more. but it it is very it's very interesting. It it's fun.

Kate: I'm definitely gonna come watch, that'll be so cool. Are you playing mix

Anna Bright: Yeah.

Kate: too?

Anna Bright: I'm actually not, but I would. Annalie was like, Are you going for the the Quintuple crown? And I was like, This might be my only shot at a triple crown. Actually, let me let me give myself as many chances as possible. She's like, Are you

Kate: Is that

Anna Bright: are you playing singles too? probably thinking about WPR. She's like, Is Anna gonna play singles at Worlds? shit. And I'm like, Yeah,

Kate: how many points is she gonna get?

Anna Bright: I'm like, actually, no, no singles. Just just every split age event, just the Nations Cup, anything but singles, actually.

Kate: Anything but singles. I know, I hope you stay out of the dang singles draws. My god.

Anna Bright: I should play a one thousand though and just get a bye into the quarterfinals.

Kate: my God. Obviously you're better at singles than Andre, but that was literally f with that. My God. I wonder if they're

Anna Bright: Yeah.

Kate: gonna keep WPR with the seating and stuff. They can't keep WPR for the finals.

Anna Bright: It's a bit ridiculous. Yeah. Or Hunter shouldn't be playing in the round of sixty-four in Chicago. that's

Kate: No. Yeah, that was crazy. He literally just won and then like forty eight hours had to play like a guy that was really

Anna Bright: That's ridiculous.

Kate: good.

Anna Bright: that's that's ridiculous. I think it's a cool I think the WPR PR is great and everything, but using it for seating like that and double buys and stuff, especially when singles is so different, is gimmicky. I'm yeah. I don't think anyone

Kate: Yeah, singles literally only counts for 15%. I think it's cool for like a marketing perspective, like a you know, like just

Anna Bright: Mm-hmm.

Kate: to show it, but like yeah, I I think seating it's a little ridiculous. I don't think they should continue.

Anna Bright: Yeah, I I agree. I I think pretty much everyone agrees with that take. The only people

Kate: Yeah.

Anna Bright: that I've talked to who like the WPR and the double the double buy thing is Annalee and Federico, which

Kate: Yeah, Fed does like it.

Anna Bright: and they're the two people who regularly are in all three, like deep.

Kate: True.

Anna Bright: So for for them, for load management, it's great. But I think and Fed's like, ha Chris, ha Hunter, you guys aren't that great at doubles yet. you guys can grind in the round of 64. I'll be in the round of 16. So

Kate: Yeah. That's true. I just like I think it's so hard to just like start your tournament off in the round of sixteen because all the round of sixteens are brutal.

Anna Bright: Yeah, actually you go you go deep you're going deep in all three this year too, but you like it. Or you you prefer you're just a grinder.

Kate: Yeah, I know. I do like I think starting Wednesday is good. I do like the buys into the round of thirty two. yeah.

Anna Bright: I I agree. Mm-hmm. I think one buy is totally valid. The double buy is where things get crazy. I I don't like the double buy.

Kate: And then you play someone that's like two matches in, warm, playing well on a streak, so it's hard.

Anna Bright: Not a fan. Agree. Not a fan of the double buy. I feel bad. We're kind of just talking about me this episode, but I guess I

Kate: You had you had all the updates.

Anna Bright: guess I'm active. So okay, Philippine Philippines. My Filipino

Kate: Yes.

Anna Bright: besties. I'm sorry we've made you wait this long in the episode. Look at my haul so far, Kate.

Kate: I know I was liter my gosh, that's from people?

Anna Bright: Yeah, that's just day one. I'm gonna I'm gonna unbox it all. that's pretty consolidated too. There's a lot of bags inside of bags type of situation there. Yeah, I can't. Yes,

Kate: It's so nice. I see flowers. my god.

Anna Bright: I knew that people were so excited about pickleball here and everything, but the like the deep love is is is more than I would have expected. But mainly the the generosity and the kindness and the strong desire to like share their culture is

Kate: That's so nice.

Anna Bright: Incredible. It's so incredible. And I'm so thankful everyone giving me things. of course, often like I'm, h grinding, signing. Thank you so much. have to keep it moving. But everyone is so sweet. The signs are so so nice. And I'm super excited. I've liked most things I've tried. They really want me. I have somehow have

Kate: Mm.

Anna Bright: a reputation for being an adventurous eater.

Kate: I think you are, yeah.

Anna Bright: I guess I am. But yesterday I literally tried, they had me try chicken intestine, pig intestine, pig ears, and pig blood. And there are just 20,

Kate: How do you eat pig blood?

Anna Bright: it's on a stick. It's like on a skewer. I don't even it's like coagulated. And there are like 25 people recording me. So I have to do this. I I gotta do it.

Kate: So you gotta do it. Yeah, you can't check it out.

Anna Bright: I eat the pig blood. And five of the guys at the table go, We've never even tried that. And I was like

Kate: You're like, why did you give it to me then? my god. Was it good? Yeah.

Anna Bright: Why are you giving it to the little American chick? you guys don't even eat this.

Kate: Honestly, even if it's good sometimes, I feel like when your stomach isn't used to like certain thing, you can kinda

Anna Bright: Yeah.

Kate: get messed up.

Anna Bright: Totally. So I did that. That was at a lunch, with one of the the sponsors who brought me here, which was, great, awesome. And I tried some of their other local foods. That that was exotic. They knew that would be more, that's like street food that they wanted me to try. And then at my second event of the day, one part of the event before the meet and greet component, we're done playing games and everything, was literally like. I hit they put a hundred targets on the court, five different colors, and they just had a ball machine going and I just hit at the targets. Of course I hit a bunch of them. There's so many on the court and every color corresponded to different foods for me to try. So I tried like 15 foods with like hundreds of people watching me and recording.

Kate: You're like on the court trying these foods.

Anna Bright: I'm on the court. they have a table set up and they're serving me the foods. And I really wanted to make the joke. I was like, I'll never be nervous eating on a date again. There's and I'm

Kate: Yeah.

Anna Bright: trying like these ethnic foods. There was one thing that I I I generally, even if I don't love something, like I can eat it. There was one thing

Kate: Yeah.

Anna Bright: that I I did not like, but I had to be like, they were so excited. I'm like, yeah. Woo!

Kate: I know, you can't be like was it r was anything really spicy?

Anna Bright: No, the food is not that spicy here. Nothing that that I've had. the

Kate: Okay.

Anna Bright: cuisine that I've had leans a little bit sweeter. So far, the desserts

Kate: Mm.

Anna Bright: I love. Ube is huge here. My favorite thing so far that I've tried. yeah,

Kate: I love Ube.

Anna Bright: ube is huge. They do ube and cheese, which is interesting. Not my favorite

Kate: Mm.

Anna Bright: combination, but that's popular. But they had like ube cake for me. Delicious. Not that sweet, so good. But my favorite thing is called halo halo, which is in Asia they do a lot of like sweet. mixed things like mix of red bean, mochi, like boba, and that with ice, shaved ice, a like snow. And then ube ice cream on top. And there's also a lot of Spanish influence here because the Philippines was colonized by Spain for 300 years. So there's

Kate: Mm.

Anna Bright: flan in it too. That was delicious. So they had me try that

Kate: Dang.

Anna Bright: yesterday and then they started taking everything away to start the signing and I held on to that for a few extra bites. I need to get more of that. That's yeah,

Kate: You're like you're like, Can I ask for that?

Anna Bright: the the hollow hollow is my my the f my favorite thing I've had. Delicious. So

Kate: What is Ube again? Is it like is it like a sweet potato?

Anna Bright: It's like a purple, I think it's a sweet potato. It's like a purple root vegetable, I think. It's so pretty. Everything is so vibrant. It's vibrant purple. It's delicious. And the mangoes here.

Kate: a purple yam. that's cool. I feel like I've had stuff ube flavored. I think I had ube mochi one time and it was so good. my gosh. Yeah.

Anna Bright: Yeah. We should try to get some in Dallas, actually. Maybe it's like Anna and Kate go find Filipino food or something. We should. We should there for

Kate: that'd be fun. I bet they have places in Dallas.

Anna Bright: sure. I I don't know if there's a big Filipino community there, but there's Dallas has a lot of Asian Asian communities. my mom

Kate: Yeah.

Anna Bright: always complains about in Florida, she can't find good Asian food. she could when we lived in Texas. So we'll have to do that. That would be fun, that'd be good content.

Kate: If anybody has any Filipino Rex in Dallas, let us know.

Anna Bright: Yes, yes. People here ask me about you. They're like, where's Kate? We want Kate. It's awesome. It's so sweet.

Kate: I really wanna I I get I don't obviously don't get as many DMs as you, but like I get a a good amount of DMs like come to the Philippines, come to the Philippines, which would be

Anna Bright: Yeah.

Kate: so cool.

Anna Bright: It's also like it's so sweet here. I feel like I don't know why, but in Asia, it feels like as women, maybe we have a little bit more star power than we would relative

Kate: Mm.

Anna Bright: in the States. Like I was kind of thinking about this, like, I don't think in the United States I could do an event, but maybe I under I'm underestimating myself, but like that I could do an event with just me and have hundreds of people turn up. and be excited to see me and have levels of a mall with people watching. But here

Kate: do you think anyone could in the U in the US though?

Anna Bright: I don't know, maybe not. Pro probably not. honestly, probably not. But here, it's just

Kate: Yeah. Not yet, yeah.

Anna Bright: it's incredible and so flattering. And I've never seen more Scorpius paddles in my life, too. Apparently, yeah. So sweet I think a lot of people bought them for me.

Kate: Aww It's so nice.

Anna Bright: Cause they'll tell the my security will tell me to stop signing and I'll see someone waving a Scorpius. And I'm like, it's like a moth to a flame. have to. These are my people. These are my people. Exactly. But

Kate: You're like a have to. Yeah. You're like, get out of my way. Yeah.

Anna Bright: also I think that. Paddle is more popular in Asia than in the US because they are ball knowers over here if you're listening in the United States. Kate does Kate Kate used to Kate used to use a score, but it's a really good shape for doubles. It's a really

Kate: It's an amazing paddle, yeah.

Anna Bright: good shape for doubles because you have less drag. So less hand speed, bigger sweet spot.

Kate: No, it's popular here too, right?

Anna Bright: It's popular here too, but it's more popular in Asia actually because there's more people who are familiar with table tennis. and it's more familiar, you know, because in in the US, also just like people just latch on to what's popular, but here. There's more of a table tennis ping pong background and so l there's more of a preference

Kate: Mm.

Anna Bright: for wide bodies actually. So it's it's cool to see and that really warms warms my heart, seeing so many of of those.

Kate: That's really amazing, yeah. Who do you think's more passionate about pickleball? Vietnam or Philippines?

Anna Bright: That's a really good question. You're putting me in a really tough spot here. I think from my very

Kate: I was actually thinking about that, I was curious.

Anna Bright: limited experiences so far, I feel like I feel more passion for me, for for like me as a person, probably in the Philippines. Like there's still tons of love

Kate: Okay.

Anna Bright: in Vietnam. It also might just, I might just it might get conveyed better to me because, you know, there's more English here. But just like the amount of gifts I've received, like personally, like Personal, I signed something for a woman yesterday, she started crying. Like I was playing with a little girl yesterday and she was like almost crying and like, can I hug you? Like more of that in the Philippines,

Kate: So nice. Yeah.

Anna Bright: I would say. So I'd feel like there's more personal love here. I haven't gotten enough of a pulse for the general passion around pickleball in the Philippines yet to be able to say maybe I can speak more

Kate: Yeah.

Anna Bright: on it next week. But I think I think passion for like individuals. I probably have felt more in the Philippines. There's still a ton in Vietnam, but just look at my look at my hall. Look at my hall.

Kate: Crazy. I literally just thought you did damaged shopping and I was gonna be like, give us a haul. But that's from people, that's so nice. It's incredible. Are you gonna have to get a new suitcase for all your stuff?

Anna Bright: No, it's so sweet. Yeah. I think I think on the vlog later I will I will I will show it off. I probably will. I think there's a lot of perishables. There's a lot of perishables in here. And so I will probably I will try as much of it as I can and probably will end up sharing it with a lot of it with the team here that's like supporting me and and everything. but I think there's a lot of souvenirs. There's a lot of I've seen a lot of like really sweet, memorable, things for me to clip onto my bag, things like that. Someone in Hong Kong

Kate: Mm.

Anna Bright: gave me a little clip on cookie monster. I just haven't put it on my bag yet. And I was like, because I love I love my cookies. I was like, that's so cute. Yeah. Yes. Cause

Kate: That's so cute. remember when Gabby gave us those clip-ons in Orlando?

Anna Bright: we're all best friends.

Kate: Best friends. And then I took Hayden's and she was like, absolutely not. Put that back right now. Look, Gabby. I know.

Anna Bright: Absolutely not. And Hayden was like, It's okay, Gabby. It's okay. Kate can have it. She was like, No, we're best friends. Hate it. We're best friends. Thank you.

Kate: I think that was after after the practice where Hayden said I've slow hands so he was feeling bad.

Anna Bright: Yeah, he was feeling bad. Hayden, Hayden quote of the week for me. I don't even

Kate: god.

Anna Bright: know if I should put him on blast here, but Hayden quote of

Kate: Here we go.

Anna Bright: the week. Hayden is not. Hayden and Gabe and some other people are not the most like they like what they like when it comes to food. Not very adventurous. Kate and I had a lot of canes and Chick-fil-A

Kate: No greens.

Anna Bright: our freshman year. My favorite quote of the week. Ben Johns also had a questionable one here, but you know, they love to ask you, like, you know, your thoughts on the culture, your thoughts on the food. They asked Hayden, like, What local food he's had? He says, yeah, I mean, love the food. I love dumplings. Yesterday I went to Heidi Lao. And you could just see them be like, Heidi Lao. Wait, wait, wait.

Kate: Hoo

Anna Bright: Wait, no, no, no. What's the one? I might be thinking of the wrong one. Ben Johns likes Heidi Lao. Ben said Heidi Lao. Heidi Lao is the hot pot, right? Okay,

Kate: I don't know. What is

Anna Bright: shoot, what's it called? I'm forgetting, but Hayden said a very popular chain, like Asian food. It's

Kate: is it like a chain that's in the US too?

Anna Bright: the one with the chocolate, the chocolate sea salt, cream buns.

Kate: yes.

Anna Bright: but no Ben John said hi de lao, and I was like, Ben, come on, don't say that. And then what was it? It's bothering me now.

Kate: I know exactly what you're talking about. I think there's one in Charlotte.

Anna Bright: It's like the chocolate, sea salt, din tai fung. Hayden said den tai fung.

Kate: Yes, yes.

Anna Bright: And they were like, nice. And Ben said Heidi Lao. And I was like, guys, just say dim sum. Like, just literally just

Kate: Just come up. Yeah, just come up with something.

Anna Bright: say dim sum. You know, and you can see all the interviews like, okay. Nice. Nice. If I just say dim sum. Just say pineapple bun. They they asked,

Kate: The interviews were so entertaining. Literally just say anything.

Anna Bright: yeah. They yeah, they they ask tougher questions here. It is funny. I like it.

Kate: Honestly, they should put us on the spot.

Anna Bright: They should. It's good. It it tests our media training. And because in the

Kate: Yeah.

Anna Bright: US we really just have Ireland interview us, but here they have actual media and they ask tougher questions.

Kate: Yeah. 'cause it's like doing a press conference after

Anna Bright: It is.

Kate: a game, which like we don't I guess the slam sometimes we do like postmatch interviews, like after losses, which is always tough. But like my god, one time poor the the poor guy.

Anna Bright: I'll be a bitch in those.

Kate: my god, I'm so I'm so bad. One time I literally I think it was I lost in like the quarters, in singles and I literally come I come up to the bench and I'm like crying and I'm like, I'm just here so I don't get fined. And they're like The guy's literally looking at me like, No, literally, and he's like, It's really not that serious. Like you need to get yourself together. I was like, that's so fair. I'm like, who do I think I am? this is crazy. I'm Serena Williams. I'm here so I don't get fine. Thank you.

LHCEp3: Hey everyone, it's Anna. Sorry to cut Kate off there. Thank you guys so much for listening to this episode. I'm back in the United States and we somehow lost the last 20 minutes of my footage. It's probably my fault. I probably cut off the recording too early before it could all upload. But we didn't talk about anything that interesting. You guys got the meat and potatoes of the episode. I am very back, very happy to be back in the USA, a little jet lagged. if you are listening to this right now, I'm recording this not too long before upload because I realized while editing. That we're missing footage, but I love you guys so much. Thanks for listening to Let Her Cook. I had the best time in Asia. And Kate and I will be back next Wednesday for more. Thank guys for listening to Let Her Cook and Keep Cooking.