A Ceremony of sorts

Hi All!

Matt and I wandered around Beijing last night. My goal was to see Tien'anmen Square and the National Theatre of Performing Arts lit up at night.

We arrived at the Tien'anmen West subway station at 7pm, and were greeted by thousands of people jam packed in the square, most of which facing the center. My first reaction was the time: 7pm. One hour and one week until the Opening Ceremonies, could it be for that? Matt finally tracked down an Olympic volunteer who spoke English. He told us something about the Chinese Flag and it being down. We put together "flag" and "down" and realized the nightly flag lowering ceremony was about to being, usually around 7:30pm. We had nothing to lose, and nowhere to be, so we watched the soldiers walk out from the Forbidden City, march across the eight lanes of traffic (which are stopped for the occassion) and mount the flag's platform. After about 2 minutes, the soldiers marched back into the Forbidden City with China's massive red and yellow flag. It was quite an experience!

With 20 minutes to go until 8pm, Matt and planned to race across to the official countdown clock. Instead, we talked to another Chinese student and found out August 1st marked a special date for the Chinese. Friday was "PLA Day," which accounted for the massive crowds. It was the 81st anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army, the official military branch of the Communist Party of China.

Now we only had a few minutes to pass through the security gates and crowds at Tien'anmen and get to the countdown clock hit 7 days: 00 hours: 00 minutes: 00 seconds until the Opening Ceremonies. It happened after we got there, people clapped and the lights across Tien'anmen Square lit up! No fireworks, but I hear they're saving it for next week!!!

With one final stop in mind, we walked an extra block east towards the National Theatre of Performing Arts. WOW...totally worth the visit. It was lit up with vibrant colors and crowds just stopped to look at the architecture of the building: it's a half-egg made of titanium and colored glass set in the middle of a lake. It's unbelievable.


Take Care,
Mark

Countdown to the Games...

Since my last blog post, I’ve been staying busy at BOCOG Training. It’s nice to see all the journalists finally arriving. The broadcast folks get here tomorrow, so that’s when my fun will begin.

Most of the athletes are here and have begun training in the National Indoor Stadium (NIS). As many of you know, Paul Hamm pulled out of the Olympics because his broken hand still isn’t healthy enough for him to compete.

As a result, Raj Bhavsar will take his place.

The group spends most the evenings in the Hou Hai (pronounced HO-hi) area, which is a manmade lake—the largest of three consecutive lakes lined with willow trees and surrounded by a maze of hutongs, shops, and cafes. The evening is a beautiful time to visit, since the courtyard stays lit through the evening.

Olympic tickets have also gone on sale here in China. Eric Durban, a Mizzou convergence major, decided to brave the massive “lines” for a chance at getting tickets. The Guardian, the New York Times of the UK, posted an article about their long wait in line. Unfortunately, after a full day of waiting they left with no tickets in hand. Here’s a picture of Eric, holding the sign, “Line Starts Here.”

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/gallery/2008/jul/24/olympics2008.china.beijing?picture=335958099


I trusted my dear friend, Sarah Orscheln, to buy us tickets on Beijing’s Craig’s list for the women’s gold medal football match. Sarah played soccer in college and stays up-to-date on any soccer news. She informed me that Abby Wambach recently broke her leg and will not be playing in the Olympic Games. Wambach is the U.S. Women’s leading scorer, and she broke her leg in a game in San Diego on July 16th.



I’m also including several photos that Sarah has taken during our trip. She is a convergence major at MU.

Sarah and I visited Wángfǔjǐng and the Night Market the other day. Wángfǔjǐng street, located in the Dongcheng District of Beijing, is one of China's most famous shopping streets. Much of the road is off-limits to cars and other motor vehicles, which is nice for pedestrians. You can find anything from dog brain soup to fried starfish! Sarah and I decided we’re going to come back with a group of kids, so we can try all the crazy foods together.

Sarah

Waiting for Dwyer

It has been nearly two weeks since I first stepped foot into the Olympic Green Field Hockey Stadium venue. In that short span of time, I have learned quite a bit about field hockey. Growing up in the Midwest where football is king, I had no experience with the sport whatsoever. But thanks to the knowledge and patience of a Sports Information Specialist Andy and a Olympic News Service Reporter Fidz, I have expanded my sports knowledge and mind.

This past week I have had the opportunity to watch some of the best field hockey players in the entire world. I have had the opportunity to interview coaches, chat with players, meet journalist and stand toe-to-toe with future colleagues. It has been quite a learning experience. I have learned who the best players are, who is favored to win, who has a tradition of winning and who could potentially play the role of spoilers.

I can tell you that Luciana Aymar from Argentina is one of the greatest female athletes of the generation. She plays a sport that gets little attention in North America, but when she laces up those bright pink shoes and grabs a stick, she is something else. I can also tell you that on the men's side, Teun de Nooijer is the best player I have seen in field hockey. I can tell you that fellow Dutchman Guus Vogels is one of the best goal keepers in the world, Australia's Melanie Wells is a great interview and Argentina's coach Gabriel Minadeo speaks Spanglish.

I haven't seen it all... yet. I am still anxious as ever to watch a real game and not just a training game. I am anxious to interview more athletes. I am anxious to see who will win, who will lose, great scores, great saves and totally embrace the sport of field hockey. I cannot lie, I am also anxious to see Australia's Jamie Dwyer play. Most regard him as the greatest hockey player in the world. He scores a lot of goals and has won countless awards and trophies, but there is another reason why I am so eager to watch and interview him. He is the best. According to sources at least, he is better at his job than anybody else is at his. What a thing to strive for.

Day 32 [7 Days To Go] - Green Nightlife

Hey Everyone!

Overnight, Laura and I went onto the Olympic Green to get some snapshots of the area at night. It was pretty spooky because there was hardly anyone on the subway and the Green was pretty much empty...but we got some wonderful shots! Below is some of the stuff I shot!

Ted

Day 31 [8 Days to Go] - Box to Go

Hey Everyone!

I was waiting for a 'lost in translation moment'. I had been waiting for one talking with local Chinese and keeping my eyes pealed for poorly translated signs. Tonight, we went to a dumpling restaurant along subway line 10. It was a hike to get there, but a friend had been earlier and said it was really good. The menu had every dumpling you could imagine, and you could get them dyed different colors if you wanted to as well. At 1 yuan a piece, we went dumpling crazy and ordered 60! Unfortunately, the server only brought out 42 dumplings - but it was plenty for dinner.

My friend Aja was hoping to take two batches back to a friend at Renmin so we got the menu out again and told the server. We added the important phrase: "Box to go". She didn't understand. We kept repeating the phrase: "Box to go"- this time using hand motions depicting an imaginary box. She seemed to understand and we went about finishing our dinner.

The extra dumplings arrived...on a plate. We all sighed and I told the lady again, "Can we have a box to go?" She seemed to be saying it was on its way, so we waited. It was 10 minutes before I got up and grabbed a box from the stack I had seen across the room. We piled the dumplings into the box and got up to leave. The server seemed alarmed and we immediately thought maybe we had to pay for the box (you have to pay for bags at the grocery store). We handed her money, but she didn't accept it. She made us sit, but we weren't sure why were being held against our will. She pulled out a menu, turned it to the back page and pointed to something in Chinese. We all immediately thought we had ordered something by accident, but we had already paid and everything was accounted for. The server then cleared the table and placed a single dish in the middle. It looked like squares of...something drenched in syrup.

"Ba-su-doo-go" she said. It took a second, but soon we realized the grave communication error that had just taken place. We laughed so hard people at other tables started looking at us. The server must have realized what was going on because she was smiling too and a group of them had shown up to watch. The English phrase "Box to Go" sounds a lot like the fried potato with sugar dessert titled "Ba-su-doo-go". We couldn't stop laughing as we left and it was the funniest thing that's happened in China since I arrived.

There's something to be said about going out and truly experiencing the trials and tribulations of an authentic restaurant where no one knows English. This was one of those times.

Ted

Box to go vs. "Basudoogoo"

Day 30 [9 Days To Go] - Food for Thought

Hey Everyone!

Back to work today! We opted out of taking the new line 8 to the Olympic Green because people said it was more of a headache than a convenience. Security at the Olympic Green was on HIGH alert today! We scanned our credentials into a terminal that had a camera attached to it. Our bags went through medal detectors and we were frisked. Everyone was very nice about the whole experience! To get into the NIS, there was another set of security measures we had to go through. As a helicopter circled overhead, I realized how tight security has become. The grounds have changed, too. There's a mores sense of urgency and professionalism. It's been really neat to see how the city and venues have started coming together. Every day there is something small added - an Olympic poster here, a new podium there. I just saw an article on CNN about how the Chinese are trying to curb pollution by implementing more restrictions on traffic and power plants. The past few days the pollution hasn't been too bad. It's actually been cool outside! I did notice the week before that I had a constant sore throat - maybe from particulates in the air? The rain really helps to keep the skies clear and I hope we get a good wash right before the Opening Ceremonies!

I spent the day at work looking up research for the male gymnasts. I will be working for most of the male competitions and compiled a database of all the athletes from the different countries. It took awhile, but I think it will help in the long run.

I thought it would be fun to show you how we are eating at the NIS...not your normal food court. Also included is a panorama of the Olympic Green Common Domain a week before the Games. You can see the Today Show set is really making progress and they already have the jib (crane) assembled. The stereo system has been running on the grounds and you can hear the famous "We Are Ready" song playing. More people have arrived on the Green and many are taking this "calm before the storm" as an opportunity to take pictures with the Bird's Nest and other venues. Can't wait until the Olympic spirit fills the grounds!

Ted

Day 29 [9 Days To Go] - The Saddle Cantina

Hey Everyone!

I spent the day catching up with more odds and ends. Today was my second day off. I met a Chinese friend for lunch today and we ate at a new restaurant right near our hotel. There's always new and exciting places to eat!

In the evening, all of the gymnastics ONS volunteers traveled by subway to The Saddle Cantina, a Mexican restaurant across town. The small, two-story restaurant looked like hacienda in Mexico. Strings of white lights strung across the outdoor porch and Mexican music played to add to the ambiance. It was a nice change from the bustling streets of Beijing. Sally, our international manager, invited us out to the restaurant for drinks: first round on ONS! It was a lot of fun to hang out with everyone outside of work. I got to talk with all the managers and the Chinese students who have been helping us at NIS.

Here's a picture of me, Sarah and Sally!

Didn't party too much cause I have to go to work!

Ted

First for the first time

I am going to take a break from the Beijing talk for just a minute to tell of something that happened today that has never happened before. First I must tell the backstory. Twenty two years ago today my grandfather's only daughter gave him the birthday gift of a lifetime. On July 30, 1986 at the age of 55, my grandpa welcomed twins grandsons into the world.

For 21 years I have had to listen to my older brother (all five minutes older) brag on how he was older than me. This year however, for the first time ever I celebrated my birthday before him. Thanks to the help of being 13 hours ahead of North America's Central Standard Time, I was 22 before my brother was. While it might not have been the Big 2-1 or even Sweet Sixteen, my 22nd birthday will be a momorable one as I was the first this year.

Happy Birthday Brian and Grandpa Dale.

Hockey Anyone?

Today I continued my training at the Olympic Green Field Hockey Stadium. While it has been the same old same old every day, last Saturday I got the opportunity to actually play hockey on the field. Our Olympic News Service Reporter Fidz and our Sports Information Specialist Andy taught the field hockey crew how to actually play. It's like most sports, watching from the grandstands is much easier than actually playing.

A beautiful day in the neighborhood!

Today was the nicest weather we've had for the entire trip. I'm actually staring out my window at BLUE SKIES!!!

I left the hotel this morning at 7:30 and couldn't believe the breeze was so...cold? I can't speak for those who work at the Olympic Green, but the Triathlon venue was stunning. No smog to dim the bright green mountains and no oppressive heat to fry the pavement...it was perfect! I checked the weather on INFO2008 and it said it was clear skies, low humidity and a temperature in the low 70's with a cool breeze.

I forgot my camera at the hotel this morning and wanted to kick myself for it. Today would've been the best day to get a panorama of my venue. I really wish I could share the sight with you. We've been training for almost two weeks, but none of us realized how stunning the mountains are with the Great Wall in the background. I hope I get another chance to see it so I could share it with you.

I have another 5 days off. I plan on walking the perimeter of the Olympic Green to get some pictures of the venues. It'll be good exercise and will hopefully give me a good view of what Beijing has been up to the past 7 years!

I finally got tickets for the Bird's nest!!! Jason, a Missourian photographer, and I each decided to spend the $90 US dollars on tickets to the Men's Track and Field finals on August 23rd. It's the most anticipated event of the games because world records are always broken. I was so excited last night when our order was confirmed that I had trouble going to sleep! I was a little groggy at work, but it was well worth it!

Take Care,

Mark

Day 28 [10 Days To Go] - Authentic China

Hey Everyone!

The second shift of volunteers worked today which meant I had the day off. I had been waiting for a day where I could just catch up with odds and ends. I spent the day writing emails and taking care of "housekeeping" jobs like laundry. I hand-washed my uniform (in the sink) because some people said it would not be a good idea to take it to the cleaners.

In the evening, I went out with Lynette and some of the Chinese volunteers from the NIS. We left the main street in front of our university and traveled down some backstreets. It felt like I was in a different part of China. Vendors were selling fruit on the streets and kids were playing in parks. We ate at a restaurant called "2.2". Ordering family-style, we ate tofu, chicken and a fish soup that I wasn't too thrilled about. It all came to about 25 yuan a piece - that's about $3! I talked with the Chinese students about all sorts of things like what they thought of Barack Obama and their opinion of the food at NIS. They all liked Obama and were interested to see what my opinions were. The food at the NIS didn't sit well with them. They said it was pretty bad, and I would have to agree. Hearing them say the food wasn't good made me feel a little better. It was another dive into Chinese culture and cuisine!

Ted

Day 27 [11 Days To Go] - Sniffing

Hey Everyone!

Instead of heading to a church Sunday, I worked again. I can't describe how weird it feels to never have off on the weekend. Our work schedule has us working weekends. We have a day of work and then a day off. We are all on our new set of work rotations so now I work one day and then have two days off. We returned to work after the lockdown to find an army of dogs outside the NIS. They had gone inside and smelled all of our lockers the day before. The day consisted of a lecture in the morning and flash quote simulations in the afternoon. Our supervisors pretended to be famous athletes and tried to trip us up with mixed zone scenarios. We took quotes and asked questions and then went through the procedure to get them into the computer system.

Many people have asked whether China will be ready for the Olympics and whether they can pull it off. Within the past few weeks, it's been interesting to see how the city has transformed itself. Security has increased. Police officers at the entrance gate to Renmin (the university where we are housed) have begun requiring ID to get inside. Posters and placards are everywhere in the city promoting the Games. For me, the atmosphere is electric with anticipation of things to come. Everyone can see the Games in the distance, and it's almost too hard to wait. City volunteers are everywhere - in the subway helping people get to their destinations and on the city streets giving out Olympic information.

I see the volunteers in the blue uniform almost everywhere I go. We are an army of workers all with the same goal. Every time I wear my credentials, people stare. It's a great conversation starter and the Chinese are always fascinated to see an Olympic worker. I feel like everyone in the city is proud that Beijing is hosting the Games. On the flip side, the government has set up places around the city, mainly in parks away from the venues, where people can come and freely protest. Many are saying it's a way the government is showing it's not-so-strict control.

Here's video of "We Are Ready", a theme song of the preparation for the Olympic Games. (marking the 1 year countdown) It can be heard everywhere...and is a bit cheesy. Almost everyone you meet has said this phrase. I believe the hard work and dedication to the Games will make Beijing 2008 a complete success!

Ted

Day 26 - Melody

Hey Everyone!

We were off again due to a lockdown at the NIS. It was a scheduled day off to give security a chance to close off the venue to sweep through the entire building. A couple of friends and I took the opportunity to go to the YaShow Market - similar to the Pearl Market where you can buy knockoff brand clothing, purses and souvenirs. Later, we stopped to eat lunch at Subway which tasted exactly like back home.

One of the staff members from the University who is here with us set up a social event in the evening. At 7PM, we headed to Melody, a karaoke bar close to our campus.

Karaoke is extremely popular here in China. KTV, a big karaoke chain, is all over China. The inside of Melody was ultra-modern decked out with bright lights and marble floors. The rooms were amazing. Each was equipped with two wall-mounted plasma screen TVs and a "stage" area. There was a good sound system on the wall and it even had a disco ball. A computer in the corner had a database of hundreds of songs from which you could choose. Once selected, the music started to play and the words appeared on the screens.

I don't think the music videos to the songs were legal to use, so instead, random shots of the countryside or farm animals were the backdrop for the lyrics.

It was especially random to hear an Usher song and watch a sequence of shots of a llama on the TV. Microphones were passed around. A bunch of people also ordered drinks and food to liven up the party. By the end of the night, we were all singing our hearts out and having a blast.

Ted