Day 44 - Silver and Gold

Hey Everyone!

I'm finally getting a break from the incredible work and leisure schedule these past 24 hours.  Last night, four of us went to the Worker's Stadium - a venue southeast of the Olympic Green.  After we got off work yesterday, we went straight to the venue to watch two games of Women's Soccer - Brazil vs. Nigeria and Sweden vs. Canada.  The Brazilian women were great to watch and the three scores the team pumped out were all done by the same woman.  We were seated high in the stands and had a good view of the field.  There was a 45-minute break in between games and we got some food - popcorn, chips and snickers bars.  The venue food is very cheap, but it's not the healthiest.  I got a drink and candy bar for little over a dollar.  In the U.S., it would have cost at least $5.  The second game was more intense.  We had Canada fans to our left and Sweden fans to our right.  Every time the ball got close to the goal, everyone started screaming.  I had never been to a professional soccer game before.  Goal-scoring was probably the highlight of the evening.  The whole stadium erupted with cheers.

Today, I went to the NIS and observed the women's team final competition.  It was, again, an intense competition.  Tenths and hundredths of a point were crucial.  I kept watching the big monitor and then looking down at the actual competition live and couldn't believe I was there!  All of the ONS reporters sit up in the press tribune (boxes in the stands) during the competitions.

The competition was great today - still in awe of it all!

Ted