Beijing Experience

2008 Olympic Games - KOMU Coverage

2008-08-25T21:00:00.014+08:00

Day 55 - An Extinguished Flame (Supplemental)

2008-08-25T17:03:00.004+08:00

Hey Everyone!

Again, last night was such an amazing experience. We left NIS for the last time and got to take pictures on the floor of the handball court. I talked with our venue manager and he was saying how depressed he was now that the Games are over. We're depressed, too, but I think for the Chinese it's much worse. I would compare it to hosting a huge party. This party has been seven years in the making. They threw it well, but now there's the clean up - and nobody likes cleaning up after parties. Seven years is a long time to wait and prepare for an event like the Olympics (well, maybe not as long as some workers would have liked). There's still Paralympics that will be held in eleven days. We even saw workers at our university placing placards up to show where traffic should go for the event. Here are pictures and video of the last day!

Ted

Day 55 - An Extinguished Flame

2008-08-25T00:55:00.003+08:00

Hey Everyone!

I can't believe it's been two weeks since we started...and now it's over! The entire day was filled with "lasts" - last time to check into security, last time to walk on the Green and last time to enter NIS.

The Olympic News Service volunteers gathered at a local bar to watch the closing ceremonies live on a big screen projection. It was incredibly awesome to watch it and be a part of it all. I couldn't help but feel sad as this was the end to the Olympics and our volunteer experience. It was also a celebration for our hard work the past two months.

So tired right now. I'm going to bed but I'll post pictures and video from the last day tomorrow. I feel like I've pushed so much to get as much as I can out of this experience and am really looking forward to some R and R. It has been so worth it!!!!

Enjoy the Closing Ceremonies - amazing visuals and use of people. As other news agencies have commented, Beijing has set a new standard for the Olympic celebration!

Ted

Day 54 - Women's Finals

2008-08-25T00:11:00.003+08:00

Hey Everyone!

Saturday we worked again for women's handball. We got to watch two matches including the gold medal match between Russia and Norway. I didn't know too much about handball going into the competition, but after watching a couple of matches, I find it much more interesting. I didn't realize how much each team scored during a game (sometimes getting as high as 30 points). We didn't do to much at the press tribune so it was nice to be able to just sit and watch the games. the rest of the day was spent trading pins and shopping at the super store.

Ted

Full Circle

2008-08-24T13:10:00.010+08:00

As my mother has been finishing up her ritual summer cleaning, she came across this news article. I am pictured to the left; this was during my gymnastic days, as an aspiring 11-year-old gymnast. Competing in gymnastic competitions was my life, and I loved every minute of it!

As I mentioned in my very first blog post, as a young girl, Shannon Miller was my idol. When I was just two-years-old, my mother enrolled me in gymnastic classes. I loved gymnastics, and I looked forward to class every week!

Shannon Miller once said, “Love what you do, do what you love.” Even though my dream, as an 11-year-old, to become an Olympic gymnast didn’t come true, covering gymnastics during the Olympic Games is definitely the next best thing! I’ve come full circle, and it’s amazing for me to look back on this journey. It’s been better than I ever could have imagined.

Tonight is the closing ceremony, and I can’t believe the end is finally here. Time flies when you’re having fun! Since the next Olympic Games will take place in London, London 2012 will unveil its blueprint in the Beijing 2008 closing ceremony. I’ve heard it will combine the best of British rock, glamour, culture and sport. If it’s anything like the opening ceremony, it’s guarantied to be absolutely phenomenal! Rock legend Jimmy Page and singer Leona Lewis will perform a stunning new version of the Led Zeppelin classic Whole Lotta Love, while footballer David Beckham will also have a guest appearance!

Hope you enjoy! I know I will!

Sarah

Day 53 - Day Passes

2008-08-23T22:52:00.004+08:00

Hey Everyone!

The Olympic Green has been off limits to only workers and spectators that have tickets for events that day. Someone told me corporation pavilions and the Super Store said they weren't getting a lot of the actual Olympic spectators. Within the past week, more and more people have been getting the opportunity to get on the Green using day passes. It's been great to see so many people on the Green - it's really alive! However, the crowds are sometimes difficult to manage. For pin trading, it's great because there is "fresh meat" to trade pins with. (We've become obsessed with the pins).

Friday we worked the upper press tribune. There isn't as much traffic for the handball competitions, so much of our time is spent just watching the Games which is totally fine with me. We got to see the men's semi finals. It's pretty laid back compared to gymnastics. I just feel lucky that I can watch some Olympic competitions. The rest of the work schedule fills up the rest of the week. We even work on the 24th, the last day of the Olympics!

Ted

Day 52 - Hello Handball

2008-08-22T15:00:00.002+08:00

Hey Everyone!

Wow - the first day of handball was weird. NIS is completely different... but not really. Workers transformed the venue last night into a handball stage. The broadcast mixed zone is completely gone and seats are now in its place. The floor is a handball court and the press mixed zone is completely reorganized. There was also a lot fewer people. It's like gymnastics was a dream. Things were completely changed and reorganized to the point of seeming like we weren't in the same building. It was a rainy morning and it took a little longer to get to work. We arrived at 9:ooAM and ended up sitting around for awhile. The BOB (Beijing Olympic Broadcasting) group was practicing with the new camera setup. Julie and I went down to the FOP (Field of Play) and asked the camera guy to get us on the jumbotron! It was so cool! Our job for the next few days will be to direct journalists to the press tribune to watch the handball matches. We got to watch one match and then ended up leaving because they were overstaffed. We walked around the Green and toured the Coca Cola pavilion. The entire building was focused on how green the company was trying to be. It was a neat display of ingenuity and creativity. They also had a line to get your picture with the Olympic torch. At night, a bunch of us went to Club Bud - the Budweiser pavilion - to party. It was amazing to rub shoulders with athletes and hang out with other ONS people.

Ted

U.S. beats Brazil

2008-08-22T12:20:00.003+08:00

I just had the most amazing night! I witnessed the U.S. win the Women’s Gold Medal Soccer Match, and I had front row seats! Carli Lloyd scored in the sixth minute of over time to give the United States a 1-0 victory over Brazil and the gold medal. After the game, I went to the USA House with all the athletes, and I also met Vince Vaughn! The USA House is set up mainly for U.S. athletes in Beijing during the Games. It helps promote the U.S. and its athletes. The USA House is located in a converted three-story restaurant with restaurant facilities that include menus inspired by a variety of great Chicago chefs. Enjoy the pictures…

Day 51 - Farewell Gymnastics

2008-08-20T22:42:00.005+08:00

Hey Everyone!

Today was our last official day as gymnastic volunteers. The atmosphere was kind of like those end-of-the-year grade school parties where people are in good moods. We showed up around noon and prepared to go to the press tribune. The Gymnastics Gala was the only event scheduled today. The stadium was transformed into a showcase stage with black lights and Chinese architecture. The show was spectacular and included Beijing Olympic medalists and Chinese acrobats. It was basically a "review" of the past two weeks. After the show, we headed down to the floor and got pictures standing with the apparatuses! It was SO cool to be on the floor. However, it was bittersweet because workers were already taking down the stage in preparation for the handball events that would take place soon. As we gathered our stuff in the ONS office, you couldn't help but get sad. The bare room had been our home for the past month. It didn't seem like it had been that long, but like Sally said, once the Games start things go really fast. In true ONS tradition, the managers and sports information specialists clapped as we left the office. It was an emotional day, but not the end. Tomorrow is a brand new day starting early at 9AM: same venue but different sport and job. I'll be working in the press tribune directing journalists. It's going to be weird, though. I'll be wanting to walk over to the ONS office, but a new group is taking over the flash quote reporting. I'm looking forward to a new day and new job!

Ted

Day 50 - ONS wraps up

2008-08-20T19:15:00.001+08:00

Hey Everyone!

Last night was our last official day of work for ONS! We covered parallel bars, horizontal bar, balance beam and men's trampoline. The competitions were amazing and it was great to see Jonathan Horton medal in the high bar. Trampoline was the last apparatus. I didn't even know it was a sport until now, but it's actually quite challenging. It was sad as everyone was completing their final flash quotes. I can't believe it's been so long since we've started working. It feels like things have flown by. I remember going stir crazy because we couldn't do enough work. Now, it's almost over, but the experiences we've had will stay with me forever!

Ted

Shawn gets GOLD!!!

2008-08-20T11:45:00.002+08:00

Shawn Johnson finally got her Olympic gold medal in the last event, the balance beam.

Shawn earned a 16.225 on her routine, which was full of difficult tricks. According to several newspaper articles, her grin was “wider than the 4-inch-wide beam she had just conquered.”

This week has just been full of excitement for me! The Mizzou students had the chance earlier this week to go to the Men’s 100m Final, which took place inside the Bird’s Nest. It was unbelievable witnessing Jamaica’s Usain Bolt win gold in the 100m, breaking the world record with his time of 9.69 seconds. No wonder his last name is Bolt!

The Olympic Green is full of people with Olympic Spirit! Check out the following pictures of this little boy who shaved his head like one of the Olympic mascots just for the Olympic Games…

During our stay in China, the media has become very fascinated with our volunteer work during the Olympic Games. Several Mizzou students have been interviewed. I was interviewed by the Shanghai Daily about my volunteer work with the Olympics and as Miss Missouri. Here is the article that was published…

(I wish I could translate this for you, but I can’t right now. I’ll have to ask one of the Chinese students.)

I honestly cannot believe I am going back to the states next week! This trip has gone by incredibly too fast, so I’m going to try and savor every last moment that I have left in China!

Sarah

Day 49 - I May Look Asian...

2008-08-19T23:07:00.005+08:00

Hey Everyone!

So I've been meaning to talk about something that's been quite the talk with my friends. I'm Asian...no that's not it - but rather I don't speak Chinese. All of the Chinese people I talk to say they first thought I was Chinese when they saw me. I guess I can understand that because of my appearance. I tell them I was born in Korea but was adopted to parents in the U.S. It's very common for me to be waiting at the subway or walking around on the Green and having someone walk up to me speaking Chinese. I shake my hand and say "Sorry! English!" The light bulb goes on in their head because the look on their face is priceless: first it's shocked, then it's embarrassed. They laugh and back away. It's pretty funny. In fact, it happened 30 times today - we counted. Jokingly, I asked one of my Chinese friends to make a sign that reads "I do not speak Chinese". I put two holes in the paper so it can hang from my lanyard, but I haven't worn it around yet. It's been the center of funny conversation, but I wish I could speak the language fluently. I feel stuck in the middle between being Caucasian and Asian. I've grown up in the U.S. all my life, but as corny as it sounds, I feel a connection with the people here - maybe because they look like me. I don't know, but it's been great being here.

Ted

Day 48 - Compare and Contrast

2008-08-18T00:12:00.004+08:00

Hey Everyone!

Today we didn't have to go to NIS until 16:00 - it felt so weird walking to work as the sun was preparing to set. Men's floor and pommel horse along with women's floor and vault were on the docket today. It was a very confusing shift because we were separated into groups working the different apparatuses. I worked men's pommel horse and stationed myself with NBC Sports. I also got an interview with the BBC crew. It was crazier than a circus in the broadcast mixed zone. There is limited space and NBC is at the end of a small passageway. To get to the NBC box, you have to finagle your way through light stands, tripods and people. It's quite a tight squeeze!

I realized how much the Olympics is a contrast between the extremely happy and extremely disappointed. One Chinese athlete that did not place in the floor exercise was interviewed on the in-house video system. She fought back tears as she gave the interview, while behind her, the medal ceremony was taking place. There, the happiest gymnasts stood beaming from ear to ear. One woman competing in wrestling lost the match. So distraught, she laid face down on the floor and wouldn't move even after the officials tried to drag her off the mat. Finally, as she was walked off the floor, the winner raised her hands in victory in the foreground. It's quite a contrast, but that's what the Olympics is all about. Some win and others lose in the Olympic rapids of competition.

Ted

Day 48- An Olympic Dream Come True

2008-08-17T23:34:00.004+08:00

Today I went two hours northeast of Beijing to the Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park. The bus ride was long, but I met some fun Canadians along the way.

I'm born and raised in Montreal, but haven't managed to meet any "Montrealais" yet. All have been from Toronto and Calgary.

There were several events at the rowing park today, most included either Team USA or Team Canada. Both teams did very, very well! Each picked up at least two medals at today's rowing events.

The Canadian 8-man rowing team was favored to win Gold, so the Canadian section was excited to see the event. The American 8-woman rowing team was favored to win Gold as well. Canadians in particular had been excited for this event because we didn't have ANY medals before Saturday rolled around!

At the venue, I met some Canadians from Toronto. They were really nice and we all flew our Canadian flags when the teams rowed by us. We were in a larger group of fans from Great Britain. Unfortunately, there weren't any fans in our section from the USA, or many on our side of the stadium for that matter!

Team Canada's men scullers took off and had a great lead time. They were almost a full 3/4 boat length ahead of the American team. Great Britain was coming in a close second, but Canada stayed strong. All of the fans were cheering so loud. As the teams got closer to the finish line, the Americans got a second wind and hauled full-speed ahead. We all had our eyes glued to the scoreboard and television monitors. Canadians were in a similar position in Athens, but lost any medal hopes in the last seconds.

The race finished. In the distance, the Union Jack, the Stars and Stripes and the Maple Leaf were all being waved back and forth. We knew which teams were going to get medals, but who was first? Who pulled it off? Then silence. The time was flashed up on the scoreboard. "Team Canada: 5:23:89"...

...then a ROAR from the Canadian cheering section. GOLD FOR CANADA!!!

It was a surreal and unique moment for each of us. Although some were in their 60's and some as young 6 years old, none of us had ever witnessed our country win a Gold medal! It was so exciting... I can't imagine what it's like for the Rowers!!!

We decided to head towards the flag poles and medal podiums. We had to see the ceremonies up close! We waited for almost 30 minutes, but our time came.

In Women's 8-person rowing, the Americans won Gold! I sang the US anthem, but got confused with some verses. It was actually the first time I had tried singing it. (An it was at an Olympic Event!)

Earlier in the day, Great Britain won a Gold, so I also was able to sing "God Save the Queen." Some lady saw me sing all three and asked how many more anthems I knew... I laughed and told her those were the only three I knew. I lucked out!!!

After the American anthem, the stage was all for Canada! We were so excited for the moment we could all sing "Oh Canada!" The medals for the men's event were awarded and the flags were brought out. The music started and we all burst out in song! It will be one of the most memorable moments in my life. It was on my "bucket list." I always wanted to sing the Canadian National Anthem at an Olympic event. I got my chance. That is what the Olympics are all about! Making dreams come true.

I highly suggest you all try it sometime. WOW! Still excited about it!

USA is ranked 1st for medals. Total: 65; Gold: 19; Silver: 21; Bronze: 25. WAY TO GO TEAM USA!!!!

Canada is ranked 17th for medals. Total: 7; Gold: 2, Silver: 1; Bronze:4.

Mark

Day 47 - World Records

2008-08-17T00:26:00.009+08:00

Hey Everyone!

Fellow bloggers back me up!

9.69 seconds - that's the new world record for the 100 meter dash. Jamaican Usain Bolt did exactly what his name promised... he bolted across the finish line in record time - and we were there! BOCOG gave us tickets to the athletics competition this evening - including what some say is the most watched event at the Olympics. The Bird's Nest was amazing. Like my friend Julie said: you can't truly experience the Olympics until you set foot inside National Stadium. It has not totally sunk in yet - what we saw. The evening started at 7PM and we got to see women's heptathlon and shot put finals. The main event was the 100 meter dash which was scheduled last in the evening around 10:30.

The stage was set with a special montage and entrance music. The athletes got into position and the crowd - screaming and talking throughout the night - dropped the volume to almost whispers. The anticipation was almost too much to handle. The gun exploded. With it, hundreds of photo flashes went off like a sparkling wave across the stadium. People cheered and the stadium was alive. One athlete pulled out from the pack. At 9.69 seconds, Bolt crossed the line - a new world record! Even before he crossed the line, he was already celebrating with his hands outstretched. It was over so fast that it took a second to see who had won. Bolt was overjoyed and made a victory lap - first embracing his friends and family and then addressing the crowd. With his shoes in hand and flag around his back, he embraced the new record as the world's fastest man.

Back in the stands, we all were going crazy. We had just witnessed history and couldn't believe we were present for a new world record. The atmosphere in the stadium was in full party mode. People were cheering and music blasted from the surround sound speakers throughout the stadium. Some people said that at these Olympics in Beijing no records would be broken. I'm wondering what they're thinking now.

Speaking of records: we watched Michael Phelps win his 7th gold this morning in the ONS office. We were all huddled around the television. The race was incredible! There was a moment of doubt at that photo finish, but when the scores came up and he had won by just a tenth of a second, the whole office went crazy!

Here in Beijing, it's Olympic mania. Almost everyone you meet has something Olympic. Every TV in every store and bar has the Olympics running. Even now, the TV in our room is tuned to CCTV 1 showing a handball match. It's Olympics 24/7 - something I've always wanted to experience.

Ted

Day 46 - Pin Culture

2008-08-16T00:12:00.005+08:00

Hey Everyone!

Today was probably the most perfect day outside since we arrived. It had rained for almost two days straight, but we were rewarded with a sunny Friday. Sarah did a great job describing what a lot of us having been going through these past few days. I can't believe I've been a part of this enormous story. It never really hits me until I'm sitting in the stands. I'll be watching the big screen television and then realize it's happening LIVE right in front of me! I usually watch it at home religiously (I used 16 VHS tapes in 2006!) and now, it's an entirely new experience.

Speaking of experiences: today, we went around the Green and ventured north to the super store. It is HUGE! You name it, they have it and more. THOUSANDS of pins to buy! For the most part, people want to trade the Missouri pins, but sometimes, they just don't like it. It happens most to non-Chinese people. Some people will physically try and take your pin from your lanyard! It's so fun to try and trade with people...you start to only look chest-level and ignore people's faces. We have entire strategies to get pins and it's always fun to see what new pins people got throughout the day. The most sought after ones: a Samsung pin that has a phone on it that actually slides open and closed. NBC pins are extremely valuable, too! It's an entire culture during the Olympics - and you have to learn the language if you want to collect! Check out some pins on my lanyard in the picture!

Ted

Nastia Liukin takes GOLD!!!

2008-08-15T18:32:00.012+08:00

The atmosphere inside the National Indoor Stadium has been so exciting this week. It’s hard for me to describe it in words! This week we covered the Women’s Team All-Around Finals. China was America’s main competition. After vault, the U.S. Team was ahead. Both the U.S. and China had solid bar routines. But when the teams began competing on beam and China’s best girl fell, I thought the U.S. possibly had a chance to win the gold. However, you could have heard a pen drop when Alicia Sacramento, the first U.S. gymnast to perform on beam, fell off while mounting the beam! I felt so bad for her! Then she fell again on the floor! My eyes started filling up with tears, and, of course, as a professional journalist, I had to hold it inside. It’s just so emotional feeling so bad for this young girl, but also feeling so proud of the U.S. while they where receiving their silver medals. I couldn’t believe, at that moment, I was actually at the Olympics and watching the presentation of the medals and the flags!

Being in the broadcast mixed zone with NBC was incredible as well! I was able to see an NBC reporter in action, asking the girls questions, which was their first interview after competition.

That night a group of Mizzou students decided to go to the Today Show, where I met Matt, Meredith, Ann, and Al! The U.S. Women’s Gymnastics Team was on set that day, and I loved watching Meredith interview the girls.

Today was the Women’s Individual Competition. And as you’ve probably heard, Nastia Liukin won the gold, while Shawn Johnson came in a close second. There was so much talk about Shawn winning the gold, but Nastia nailed her unbelievably difficult bar and beam routines putting her in first place.

I was overwhelmed with excitement and overjoyed to watch the victory ceremony. While our national anthem was playing, I felt so touched. This is an unbelievable moment that I wish I could share with all of you. Nothing compares to actually witnessing this event. Again, I was holding back tears of joy; however, when I saw Meredith Vieira crying as well, I didn’t feel so bad. Working in the NIS is amazing, and I feel so fortunate and honored to have this unbelievable opportunity!

Sarah

Day 45 - Rain on the Beach

2008-08-15T08:46:00.004+08:00

Hey Everyone!

Today was the men's final for all-around. We got to work around 9AM for the 11AM start time and got our seats in the press tribune. It was another great competition as we watched China's superstar, Yang Wei, perform. The U.S. team did very well, too, but not enough to place. By the time everything was done, it was raining out - pouring actually. The media entrance by our ONS office was buzzing with international reporters putting on bright pink ponchos and waiting for their rides. It was a privilege to meet Richard Engel, NBC's international reporter often seen in Iraq (and basically anywhere that is really dangerous). We got some ponchos and headed out after we were done putting our quotes into the computer. Three of us headed to the beach volleyball venue - remember that day we stood in line for 5 hours getting tickets? Despite the rain, we felt it would be a waste if we didn't at least go.

There was hardly anyone in the stadium, but we held onto our ponchos and umbrellas and watched four matches. We got to see the U.S. men play an incredible match! It was the first time we were able to cheer because we weren't working. It kind of felt weird doing it, too! The rain let up eventually and we were able to just enjoy the evening. It was actually cool and felt like an October evening. Unfortunately, both times we've come to beach volleyball, it's been raining. I guess we weren't meant to see beach volleyball the stereotypical "sunny" way.

Today Show - August 13, 2008

2008-08-15T07:02:00.003+08:00

More Today Show Appearances from Jen Reeves on Vimeo.

Mark and Sarah made appearances on the Today Show! I tried to get this online yesterday but other KOMU jobs got into the way. Anyway. You can see Mark OBVIOUSLY waving a KOMU sign and a Canadian flag!! I didn't get to add arrows, but the next shot you can see Sarah right under the time graphics. After that, you can see Sarah in the middle to the right as the anchors talk to a person from Chicago. There are a couple of other Mark and Sarah shots as well. Enjoy!

Going for Gold!

2008-08-13T23:19:00.006+08:00

Tonight, fate intervened in my life.

Tonight, I decided I wanted to go watch Swimming at the Water Cube, but accidentally ran into Brian William's assistant instead. I explained that I report for KOMU (an NBC affiliate) and asked her if she could get me a ticket to the Today Show. She had one in her hand and told me I could have it and to have fun. It just so happened other Mizzou students were there, so I met up with Sarah and Paige and we waited for almost two hours for the show to start.

I wanted to share one experience that I had at the Today Show this evening, but first a bit of background. I went to South Mecklenburg High School in Charlotte, N.C. At the time, my high school had an outstanding swimmer. His name was Ricky Berens. Everyone in Charlotte knows Ricky's name, he's a great guy and has an amazing reputation as a swimmer. Anyways, Ricky graduated the year after me and I found out he went to U-Texas at Austin and pursued swimming.

Well today, Ricky and the Team USA 200-meter freestyle relay team set a World Record and won Gold Medals at the Water Cube. I was working at the Field Hockey venue and had a chance to catch a glimpse of the race...needless to say, I was screaming at the screen! The Chinese people around me thought I was crazy for yelling that "I know him! I went to high school with him! I know his sister too!"

I can't explain how excited I am for Ricky and his family!

Well, if you watched the Today Show this morning, you saw Matt Lauer interview Ricky. I couldn't believe, of all days, I was there the day Ricky was interviewed! As soon as he appeared on the set, I wasn't sure if I would say hi since it's been almost 4 years since I last saw him. I decided to go and say hi, even if I would awkwardly explain that we went to high school, in case he didn't recognize me. As I walked over to the set, Team USA supporters chanted his name, took pictures and requested autographs. When I managed to get over to his area, I yelled out "RICKY!". Luckily, and to my relief, he remembered me. Not only did he recognize me, he knew who I was! He came over and I congratulated him over and over again, and said how proud I am to say I know him. We chatted for a bit, and I answered "So what exactly are you doing in Beijing?"

After his interview with Matt, Ricky came over one more time and I asked to take a picture with him. You can see the picture above. What you can't see is what happened moments before that picture was taken. Ricky let me HOLD HIS GOLD MEDAL!! I can't even describe how awesome it was! I couldn't believe I had an Olympic Gold Medal in my hands! (Although it was still attached to his neck!) It wasn't too heavy, was embossed with the Olympic logo and had jade set in the other side. It was so awesome, I can't say it enough.

If you couldn't tell, I'm still excited about my adventure over to the Olympic Green today. There are tons of more stories to share, but this is the story about one event that will stick with me for the rest of my life.

I could've decided to stay home and watch events on TV; I could've bought a ticket for the Water Cube; I could've walked past Brian Williams' assistant...but instead, fate intervened.

Mark

Day 44 - Silver and Gold

2008-08-13T20:48:00.007+08:00

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

Day 43 - Men's Team Final - Victory!

2008-08-12T23:34:00.004+08:00

Hey Everyone!

Today was Men's Team Final for gymnastics. We got to work at 8AM and prepared for the day. We had some extra time after looking up info on our athletes and a few of us went over to the McDonalds on the Green. I was CRAVING a hash brown and was dying for an excuse to go over and get one. After our fix, we headed to the press tribune to watch the events. The entire day was incredible. As you all probably saw on television, the men did a wonderful job! The last few rotations, the tension really started to build. At this time, we were all heading to our positions for the interviews. I headed to the broadcast mixed zone and got to watch the men compete on the pommel horse - about 20 feet away! When the U.S. team had finished and realized they just got the bronze metal, every single one of them went crazy including the coaches. It was a neat moment. The medal ceremony followed soon after.

Visit http://www.nbcolympics.com/gymnastics/news/nesid=199300.html#gymnasts+rally+bronze to see the interview in the mixed zone. I was literally inches from the camera and just a foot away from the athletes as they talked with Andrea. So coo!

I have to say that watching the medal ceremony was probably one of the coolest things I've seen during these Games. True, the U.S. did not win gold, but it was the atmosphere and nuances that made it so spectacular. The athletes cleared the floor and the podiums were set. The winning teams walked into a screaming stadium. The Chinese, with the gold, had the most supporters in the house and they were going wild. Set to dramatic/movie score music, the presenters handed out the bronze to the U.S. The Japanese came forward to receive the silver and shook the hands of the U.S. team. The Chinese walked up last and shook hands with the U.S. and Japanese teams. This was a special moment. Many local Chinese I've talked to say the Japanese aren't their closest friends - but here, they were joined through sport and had put that behind them. Both teams seemed amiable. The final announcement over the PA proclaiming China as the champion caused an immediate eruption from the crowd. Camera flashes went off like confetti all around me. It was like one of those endings to a Hollywood sports movie. As the Chinese national anthem played and the flags were raised, I couldn't help but get shivers at what I was witnessing. The U.S. men's team suffered the loss of two valuable players (Morgan and Paul Hamm), but they were able to surprise everyone and rise to the challenge. The Chinese were infinitely proud of this moment as well - and it showed. This truly was an Olympic moment.

Ted

Look who was on the Today Show!

2008-08-12T06:58:00.000+08:00

I thought I'd post a portion of the Today Show with the Beijing group showing off some pride:

Mizzou Pride at the Today Show from Jen Reeves on Vimeo.

-Jen Reeves
komu.com New Media Director

Day 42 - The "Tonight" Show

2008-08-11T23:29:00.000+08:00

Hey Everyone!

Man, it was an incredible day today - but what can you expect when you're in China for the Olympics? This morning we went to Beach Volleyball qualifications bought by BOCOG. It was a really pleasant surprise! We arrived early to make the 9AM start time. The sky was dark. Officials were handing out ponchos - and about half an hour in, we needed them. It didn't really rain too hard, and most of us were so into the matches anyway it didn't matter. It was a really awesome venue and the DJ did a pretty good job at getting everyone rowdy. Random 80's dance music would cut in between each point.

The Chinese "cheer" Lynette was talking about in an earlier blog post was resounding throughout the morning. We got to see Latvia and Argentina play in addition to three other matches. The Chinese women were especially fun to watch because the crowd was really into it. I got my hands on some "thunder sticks" (with help from Shawna!) which helped me cheer and blend in with the crowd.

In the evening, we headed to the Green to be in the crowd for the Today show...or should I say Tonight show. Due to time zone changes, the morning show is done live at 7PM here to be shown live 7AM on the east coast. It was SO cool to be there. I called home and told my mom to watch it. They took several bump shots - shots in and out of commercial break - of the crowd and many of the interviews done with athletes were done with the Mizzou crew in the background. Al Roaker even mentioned Mizzou before a weathercast! The talent came down to say hi during breaks and we got some great pictures.

Everyone was really nice and appreciative we were there. We also saw Cullen Jones and Sarah Brightman do some interviews and watched the Today Show crew try their hands at noodle-making. It was an amazing evening. Anne Curry spoke to us off the cuff during a break and told us journalism students some really great things. She said that journalism is alive and it is only as good as the people that are doing it. Fame isn't great - but it can help you do great things and help other people. I think that that was one of the coolest things of the evening - getting to hear Anne speak. It was totally in the moment and she was just seemed down to earth. It's probably easy to just hate coming to see the mobs of people that just want to take pictures and get autographs. Everyone, however, was genuinely happy to see us - something I'll always remember.

Ted

Where are the fans?

2008-08-11T00:47:00.000+08:00

Sitting in the press tribune tonight, I was quite disappointed with what I saw. I loved the field hockey matches. On pitch one, I got the pleasure of seeing the USA score the equalizer against heavy-favorite Argentina with just over five minutes to play. During the second game, Germany put on a clinic scoring five times and holding Great Britain to just one goal. What I was disappointed with is what I saw in the stands... a very small crowd.

Now I am sure tomorrow's newspaper will claim the consistent rain kept fans from the opening day of field hockey. I guess I will say that was part of the problem, but after talking with my dad who has been watching the Games religiously, he said unfilled seats are also present at beach volleyball and even gymnastics. For the record, gymnastics is not affected by rain. It's not the weather that is keeping people away, it is the ticket price.

Ticket prices for games are relatively reasonable. Rhythmic gymnastics for example sell at face value at around 30 bucks. Beach volleyball tickets are less than 5 and baseball is a whole $7.50. All the tickets are sold out, but why are the venues not filled. This is because scalpers believe the tickets are worth way more than they are. For example last night I received an email from a guy telling me he wanted 10,000 RMB for 2 semifinal baseball tickets. That is roughly $1,500. That is more than I would pay for Super Bowl tickets. So how do we get rid of scalpers that ruin the game and cause poor attendance at Olympics events?

I would like to propose the Lothrop Plan. For those in charge of the Vancouver Games in 2010 and London in 2012, feel free to further contact me about this theory. I will be more than happy to guide you. The plan is a hybrid model of Haymarket Park in Lincoln and the idea of Will Call. Here is how it would work. All tickets would be sold by will call. You could either order on line, in person, or by phone. However you would not be able to pick up the tickets until 72 hours before the event. This would cut down on the people buying the tickets and immediately reselling them. They would not have them in hand until 3 days before the event.

The second part of my plan is that if the tickets have not been claimed 3 hours before the game, they are resold at face value to the general public. Think of it this way, you could charge the face value to both the initial ticket purchaser and the guy who is actually going to the game. An empty seat and a full seat cost about the same to heat and cool. Also a full seat usually buys popcorn, soda, candy, pretzels, t-shirts, hats and programs. Also full venues make it at least look as if the locals care about the sport.

This plan is still in it's infancy stage as there are many ways it could be improved. But think about it, all the things we would like to see would happen. Those fanatics who want to go to the games could buy them weeks in advance and pick them up 3 days before the competition. Also casual fans could pick up a cheap ticket. Vendors could sell more Snickers bars. And most importantly in my mind, we could eliminate scalpers.

Cheers,
-Matt

Day 41 - Thunder and Rain

2008-08-10T22:45:00.000+08:00

Hey Everyone!

Today was another full day at the NIS. Thunderstorms exploded overhead while we worked inside. I got to work early to watch the U.S. Women's team compete. Later, I interviewed some German athletes during the third subdivision. There wasn't anyone in the broadcast mixed zone that spoke English (NBC, BBC, CBC not working at the time) so I helped out in the press mixed zone. After work, Ashley and I stopped in one of the sponsor pavilions. The Omega pavilion - the official timekeepers of the Games - had a store devoted to showing the history of their time pieces and the intricate detail that it takes to make one of the watches. Much of their handiwork could only be seen with magnification. It was really interesting. I'm hoping to stop by the other pavilions tomorrow. The atmosphere on the Green has really changed. Throughout the sponsor pavilion corridor, there are live bands and dancers. Last night, a Japanese group was doing a traditional dance. Today, a Chinese group was trying to do a Spanish song. There's also CocaCola, Samsung and Adidas pavilions - just to name a few. I hope they give out some freebees! Tomorrow evening, we're going to the Today Show on the Green. Tune into the show Monday morning and maybe you'll see us if we can make it out there!

Ted

Day 40 - The Opening Ceremonies - A Local Perspective

2008-08-09T22:44:00.001+08:00

Hey Everyone!

Wow - it has been a whirlwind these past 48 hours. Last night, I got to bed around 2:45AM and was up at 8 ready for work. This is the first chance I've had to reflect on the past few days. Here's what's been going on...

August 8th, I left the hotel at 12:30 to get to the Olympic Green. I wasn't sure how bad the traffic was going to be and I wanted to get some footage around the area. Security was the highest I've ever seen it and I ended up having to walk to the Green - we've always taken the bus. I must have passed through five checkpoints before I was even CLOSE to the Green. It was funny, I wasn't quite sure how many levels of clearance I had every time I approached a checkpoint. I pretended I knew what I was doing and walked briskly through. When I was

stopped, I tried to reason, but it doesn't help when the police officer doesn't speak English...and he thinks you speak Chinese. I walked around for awhile and finally ended up getting to the entrance around 4:00PM! I was dehydrated and tired from walking so long and being rejected by the guards.

At the NIS, we met journalists that had come to interview the athletes pre-Opening Ceremonies. The NIS was the staging area for all the athletes before the Parade of Nations. I went outside and watched the start of the Opening Ceremony with a bunch of volunteers on the Olympic Green.

About two hours before the ceremony, people started pouring in. I can only describe it as an international gathering and melting pot of countries from all over. Everyone was in a party mood and we took the opportunity to take pictures with as many people as we could. It was a mutual sharing of photos and there never seemed to be enough people to take the pictures!

There were monitors set up...but they were not showing what was happening inside! I was disapointed, but many of us made a pact that if it came to that, we would want to say we were there in person. We could watch it whenever we wanted to.

I got to see the drummers line up for the opening portion of the performance and got some pictures with the actors. They were all very popular! Then, we gathered around the large chute that was set up for the athletes to send them into the stadium for the Parade of Nations. It was incredible seeing all the countries go by. The Chinese people were feeding off the athletes when they responded to their cheers. It was one surprise after another.

the time 11:30PM rolled around, we were getting tired. Many of us wanted to stick it out to watch the flame. Close to midnight, the cauldron was illuminated and without hesitation, it was lit in a bright flash. Fireworks followed in a cornucopia of colors and shapes. One formation was in the Olympic rings. Not only were they shot off by the stadium, but down the entire Green. The sky was literally filled with fireworks and we were surrounded! It was one of the best shows I've seen! As an extra treat,

fireworks continued to go off as we headed to the subway - conviently, they were in the same

direction! Words cannot describe the evening...here's a better attempt. (waiting for the fireworks)

Today was our first day on the Olympic Green during the Games. Seeing the flame watching over us was very cool! We entered the NIS and got ready for our first round of competitions. I worked with the NBC Sports people - national. We interviewed all of the men's team after competition in subdivision 1. When you see the interviews with them, I'm standing literally inches from them scribbling down quotes. It was so much fun! I stuck around for the other subdivisions throughout the day helping out and

observing the competition.

I also heard today there was a murder near the Drum Tower. That is located in Ho Hai - an area we visited awhile back - the place with the rickshaws. It is very sad to hear about the incident. Haven't heard too much about that here locally. (Drum Tower performance weeks before)

Will try to keep you updated on this incredible journey. Hope you enjoyed the start to the Games! Thank you to all for checking out this blog - I hope it can help you see another side of China.

Ted

Fire in the sky!

2008-08-09T20:23:00.001+08:00

I'm sure you've all seen the coverage! The Games of the XXIX Olympiad are off to a great start! I uploaded my video from last night. The fireworks were out of this world, but could you expect any less from the people who invented them?

I'm sorry the video is shaky, I was a little excited at the time--there are a couple of shots where you'll tell I didn't know where to look!

Just a few points of reference. At the beginning, you'll see the faint light from the torch being lit, a few seconds later, the fireworks begin! Most of them are shot off from the east side of the Olympic Green, some others from the south. At the end of the video, a parting shot of fireworks at Tien'anmen Square.

Enjoy!

Mark

Opening Ceremonies & more...

2008-08-09T12:40:00.002+08:00

The opening ceremonies went beautifully. Lauren Wooldridge, my friend and Mizzou student, is currently writing for STLToday.com during our stay in China. She was invited to watch the opening ceremonies at Club Bud, and she invited some of the Mizzou students to join her. The Budweiser company and Beijing Games sponsor opened its largest Olympic party venue ever, giving journalists a first look at Club Bud during the viewing party for the opening ceremony. The venue holds about 2,000 people, but last nights limit was 250, which was great because we all got a fabulous view of the opening ceremony. My dear friend, Sarah Orscheln, was lucky enough to watch the rehearsal of the opening ceremony on August 5th, but according to her, this opening ceremony is made for TV! We had to watch CCTV’s telecast from Club Bud, but I sat next to a couple NBC cameramen, and they said that NBC’s airing of the opening ceremony is going to be incredible! So I hope you all enjoy watching the ceremony as much as I did! I called my family this morning as they were watching the opening ceremony. I completely forgot that it was currently airing in America, since I had already watched it last night.

Tonight will be my official first day of work during the Games! My last day of training was amazing. The women’s gymnastic teams were practicing, and I was able to work as a flash quotes reporter in the Broadcast Mixed Zone. I met so many wonderful people from NBC and BBC; I can’t wait to work with all of them throughout the Games! And as Ted mentioned, if you see any interviews on NBC, we are most likely standing right next to the camera, taking down the quotes. Watching the U.S. women’s gymnastic team was incredible; I honestly can’t wait to watch these girls in action during competition! Tonight is the only time I will be covering the men’s teams; otherwise, I will be working during the women’s competitions.

As many of you have probably heard already, the U.S. men’s team lost another Hamm brother. Morgan Hamm was forced to withdraw from the Games due to a left ankle injury. Hamm's withdrawal came just 10 days after his twin brother Paul also withdrew due to a hand injury.

I have to say most of the “women” competing are girls, around 16-years-old. Shawn Johnson has the entire world looking at her, and she’s just 16-years-old. However, there was one woman that stood out in the National Indoor Stadium that training day. Oksana Aleksandrovna Chusovitina is a 38-year-old gymnast, competing with Germany in the Games this year! She is already an Olympic medalist and World Champion gymnast. She formerly was a citizen of, and a competitor for, the Soviet Union. In 1988, at the age of 13, she won the all-around title at the USSR National Championships in the junior division. By 1990, Oksana was a vital member of the Soviet team. She was the vault gold medalist at the 1990 Goodwill Games and nearly swept the 1990 World Sports Fair in Japan, winning the all-around and every event except the uneven bars. The following year, she won gold for her floor routine at the 1991 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships and placed second on vault. In 1992, Oksana competed at the Olympics with the Unified Team, sharing in the team gold medal. But in 2002, Oksana’s son, Alisher, was diagnosed with leukemia. Seeking advanced medical treatment for her son, Oksana and her husband accepted an offer of help from Shanna and Peter Brüggemann, head coaches of the Toyota Cologne club, and moved to Germany. With prize money earned from gymnastics competitions, along with the help of the Brüggemanns and members of the international gymnastics community who fundraised and donated to the cause, Oksana was able to secure treatment for Alisher at the University of Cologne's hospital. While Alisher underwent treatment in Cologne, Oksana trained with the German team, and she will be competing with them this year.

I had the day off a couple of days ago and attempted to find this antique mall with some other Mizzou students. When the taxi driver dropped us off in the wrong area, we decided to take a look at China’s Military Museum since it was in the vicinity. The museum is composed of two four-story wings and a main building of seven stories topped with the emblem of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. After passing through the lobby, one comes to the central exhibition hall, which contains over 500-odd photographs and more than 1,000 mementos of the Chinese revolution led by Mao Zedong over the course of half a century. The first floor is devoted to the Second Revolutionary Civil War (1927-1937), the second floor to the War of Resistance Against Japan (1937-1945) and the third floor to the Third Revolutionary Civil War (1945-1949). It was just coincidence that Sarah Orscheln and I both wore our camo hats that day.

Our next stop was to the 798 Art District, which is a thriving artist community, among 50-year old decommissioned military factory buildings of unique architectural style. It is often compared with New York's Greenwich Village or SoHo. This was by far one of my favorite places in Beijing!

We also celebrated Sarah Orscheln’s Birthday on August 7th, while China celebrated the Qixi Festival, which falls on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, also known as Chinese Valentine’s Day! In the Chinese world, Qixi is regarded as the most romantic traditional festival. This year's Qixi is quite special for many in China because it fell just one day before the Beijing Olympic Games.

We’ve also found ourselves eating at a lot of rotating sushi restaurants; however, the food isn’t quite what you’d imagine...

Raw squid

A banana sushi roll
This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I feel so fortunate to have this opportunity. I’m enjoying every moment I’m here, and I’m thrilled the Games have finally begun!

Sarah

Quick note on the opening ceremony

2008-08-09T10:43:00.000+08:00

Hi guys! Just a quick note before I head back to work at the National Indoor Stadium. I spend most of my evening wandering around the spectators' stand and met a lot of athletes.

Here is a video of Yao Ming (flag bearer for China) getting ready to walk over to the Bird's Nest. I apologize for the lack of audio, my camera did not pick up the sound. But everyone was cheering for the Chinese team, chanting 中國, 加油! Literally, it means "China, add fuel", a Chinese way of saying "strive for the best".

Opening Ceremony!

2008-08-09T02:37:00.000+08:00

Hi all! As I write this, most of you are 6.5 hours away from the Opening Ceremony coverage on NBC. Not to rub it in, I watched it hours ago...and can't wait to see it again on Youtube!

Matt, Allie and I headed to the Olympic Green at noon today. We toured and toured and toured AROUND the Green, since we were missing the magic sticker that would let us on! Although we didn't get access to the Olympic grounds, we were super close and got access to the media village.
We only hung around for 14 hours, but made memories for a lifetime! I couldn't even start to share all of the fun and interesting things that happened. (It's 3:45am!)

I hate to reduce my "Favorite parts of today" to quick bullet points, but I don't want to go on forever!

Just to name a few...Spending all day at near the Olympic Green, evading security, acting like I belong in secured areas, trading pins with foreigners, meeting a hilarious French-speaker from Quebec, evading security, lunch in Media village, evading security, meeting people from around the world, sneaking into a hotel, seeing President Bush 30 feet away, acting like I belong in secured areas, seeing a high school friend in the parade of nations, seeing the torch lit with my own eyes, fireworks! fireworks! fireworks!, seeing Jackie Chan's son, knocking the torch lighting off my 'bucket list'...

I'll sleep on most of this and share a couple of stories with you tomorrow. I'd love to share more right now, but I really don't want to ruin it for you all.

My only advice is to watch the Opening Ceremony tonight 8/7central on NBC.

Mark

Day 39 - THE 2008 OLYMPICS HAVE BEGUN!!!!!!

2008-08-09T01:04:00.000+08:00

HEY EVERYONE!

Wow - what a once-in-a-life-time experience! I'm super tired, but wanted to give you some quick thoughts before I head to bed. (working tomorrow at 10AM!) We got home around 12:30AM. The show was absolutely phenomenal - from the outside. We actually didn't get to see the show from the inside...but got to be in the atmosphere of the Olympic Green. It was electric about two hours before the start because everyone was coming to get into the Bird's Nest. We got pictures with people from all different countries. Everyone was so excited! Then, we positioned ourselves by the chute where the athletes would parade in before the Parade of Nations. It was so neat to see them walk by and the crowd got really energetic over athletes that responded to them. Then, we sat and watched the firework display on the Green. We were surrounded by fireworks at the finale and it was such an incredible sight! I am jealous you all get to watch it again! It was all that I had hoped it would be - and that's just the beginning! Tune into the gymnastics competition tomorrow to check out the men's qualifications. I'll be in the broadcast mixed zone - inside the arena in a line of cameras. If you see any interviews on NBC, I'll most likely be standing right there!

MUCH more to come later...now off to bed!

Ted

8 hours and counting!

2008-08-08T11:41:00.000+08:00

I woke up this morning and couldn't believe my eyes-- my computer and cell phone both say: 08.08.08! It's finally here!

Yesterday, I spent several hours around the Olympic Green searching for the best spot to watch the Opening Ceremony. I think I found it, but can't get a definite answer whether I can stand there or not.

I was hanging around the Water Cube, in front of the Athlete Village when I heard familiar voices. NBC Nightly News' Kevin Tibbles and Today Show contributor Dr. Nancy Schneiderman. I had a momentary memory lapse and had to call Ted to make sure I was right on Kevin's name! I was wearing my University of Missouri shirt, so Dr. Schneiderman came right over and started chatting. I was able to get a picture with Kevin...which made my day. We chatted for a few minutes, but the NBC crew was leaving for their headquarters in a nearby convention center.

I also witnessed something being hauled onto the Bird's Nest. I'm not sure what it is, but it could be the torch. I'll admit it's kind of small, but it is connected to the only large pipe running up the side of the stadium, which I figure to be the gas line. We'll find out for sure tonight!

I'm off to the Green. I plan on finding a great spot with my friends from Missouri to watch the torch lighting and the much-anticipated fireworks!!

Enjoy the opening tomorrow night!!

Mark

Day 38 [20.5 HOURS!!!] - Calm Before the Storm

2008-08-07T23:29:00.000+08:00

Hey Everyone!

I was on the Olympic Green tonight! Wanted to get one more viewing before the craziness begins. You can see it, too.

Ted

Day 38 [Olympics Eve!!!] - Beijing Huan Ying Ni!!!

2008-08-07T16:14:00.000+08:00

Hey Everyone!

It means: "Beijing Welcomes You" - one of the slogans for the Games.

This is it: it's the eve of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games and we are just one day away from the start to the festivities. Our managers at the NIS gave us special accreditation to get into the Olympic Green today and the 8th. The entire complex is on lockdown for the opening ceremonies. A lot of us at the NIS agree that even if we won't be able to watch what goes on inside the Bird's Nest (there MAY be a live site or monitor set up outside the stadium),

it's a rare chance to be at the center of the world for the evening. We'll get to see the athletes prepare for the Parade of Nations and experience the fireworks firsthand.

For those of you new to the site: welcome! Including myself, there are four other journalists contributing to this blog page. The five University of Missouri students are in Beijing working for the Olympic News Service, an internal news gathering operation that's unlike any other. A journalist working alone during these Games may not be able to cover every event he or she may want to. ONS covers every competition at every venue. We grab quotes from athletes as they finish their competition and put them on a wire service that journalists can access throughout the facilities. It's a way for journalists to gather information on the go. Lynette, Sarah and myself are at the gymnastics venue. Matt is at Field Hockey and Mark is working the Triathlon. We hope this blog can give you some behind the scenes stories as well as give you a unique perspective to the Olympic Games and China. We've been blogging for about a month now. Please feel free to check out our previous posts! Again, those new to the post: welcome! Those that started at the beginning with us: thanks for staying!

Ted

The beginning:

My first great story of the Olympics

2008-08-07T16:01:00.000+08:00

When people ask me why I want to pursue a career in sports journalism, the fame and money are not the reasons. Ask your local sportscaster if he gets recognized at the grocery store and he may say yes. Ask him if he drives a luxurious sports car and he’ll laugh in your face. So is it that I want to be recognized by the Hy-Vee sackers that I chose this career? Hardly. I truly believe that great sports stories can affect people on and off the court.

Look back and these stories that transcend the game helped define American culture. Who could forget the 1980 USA hockey team who made people believe in miracles. Or what about that first pitch in Yankee Stadium after 9/11. Barbaro captured the hearts of millions of Americans and the bond between Tiger Woods and his father Earl showed how special that father-son connection is. Cal Ripken showed us even superstars go to work everyday, and California showed Stanford that it ain’t over until it’s over.

One day before the Olympics even start in Beijing, I have already found one of these amazing stories. The athlete is South Africa’s Bruce Jacobs. Along with qualifying for his second Olympics, Jacobs is the first player of color to serve as captain for South Africa. While that is a story in itself, the story of his father is better.

Because of the conditions of the apartheid when Alan Jacobs played hockey, he was not allowed on the national team. Nobody of color was. His son Bruce was introduced to the sport when he was eight and grew up around the sport watching his dad play. He always dreamed that one day he would be able to do what his father never got the chance to, represent his country on the national level.

Jacobs called the 2004 Athens game special as he could live out his father’s dream. Four years later and 4,700 miles east, Jacobs will again be representing South Africa. While it doesn’t hold that first-time special feeling, it still retains importance Jacobs said in an interview with me today. It is tough to describe the passion in his eyes when he explained that it was special again this year. It is an honor to go he said, and a huge honor to lead my team in the Olympics.

South Africa will probably not win gold. They probably won’t even medal. Jacobs won’t end up on the SportsCenter's Top 10 in the next two weeks and his face won’t cover the next Wheaties box. His story probably won’t end up in the USA Today and after his retirement after the Olympics, he will become another Average Joe. But his story is everything I love about sports journalism and why it should never die.

Cheers,
-Matt

The Mess with Wess

2008-08-07T15:53:00.000+08:00

Today was another day of creating pre-Olympic stories for ONS. I had the pleasure to watch one of the greatest hockey players in the world, Jamie Dwyer play. After the few short moments I watched him, here is my analysis. He is fast, aggressive and can really smack that ball. After the friendly match between Australia and Germany, I was assigned to talk with German defender Timo Wess. This sounded like a pretty easy task. I looked through several photos online and focused on him on the field, as Germany was not wearing numbers. I swear I could have drawn what he looked like.

After the match I headed for the mixed zone to get my interview. There he was, just about to walk into the locker room when I said, “Hey Timo, can I get a few words.” He turned around and laughed saying “I’m not Timo, I’m Benny. Timo is over there.” Just then I had to laugh inside. Timo has a brother named Benjamin on the team. The entire time I was looking at the wrong guy.

I guess this probably served me right. My entire life I always wondered how people could possibly confuse my twin brother Brian and I. I could pick out 100 things different between us. I bet Timo and Benny can pick out 100 things that are different between them. I know how it feels to be called the wrong name, and often shrug it off and point to my brother. I’m glad Benny reacts the same way.

Which Wess is which?

Benny is on the left, Timo is on the right. It is not as easy as it sounds.

Cheers,
-Matt

Day 37 [2 DAYS TO GO!!!!] - Podium Training

2008-08-07T00:14:00.000+08:00

Hey Everyone!

Last night, Laura, Shawna and I went to the home of one of the professors from Renmin University. A cultural exchange program, started by Renmin, allowed small groups of students to visit with the school's professors. We took a cab to a large complex of apartment buildings. His apartment, shared with his wife, 50 day-old girl, mother in law and father in law, had a great view. We chatted for a bit and then headed to a nearby shopping district for dinner. He took us to one of his favorite restaurants: a hot pot. It was my first time to eat this type of food so I wasn't sure what to expect. The server showed up with a huge pot - divided in the center with one side containing spicy broth and the other containing mild. Then, she served different side dishes to place into the broths including lamb, beef, seaweed, root, mushroom and bamboo. It was really good and I tried most of everything!

The bamboo tasted the most exotic leaving a tangy sensation. The lamb was my favorite. The meal was wonderful and it was great to talk with a Chinese professor. He teaches economics at the college and it was interesting to hear a Chinese perspective of world economics.

Today, we had podium training at the NIS - the men's gymnastics groups were training on the different apparatuses in the main arena. We got to watch them try out the different apparatuses. After the different teams rotated around the arena, they all went through the mixed zone and we got to interview them. I got to interview two Canadian hot shots along with the Canadian press. It was a media circus, but it was a lot of fun and a great experience. I can't wait to start working in the broadcast mixed zone with NBC! We got done with work around 11PM...and started that morning at 9AM!! Long day, but exciting and a preview of the days to come! I can't believe we are only two days away. I can still remember when the countdown timer read 45 days. Now, we're just about to start. Once the 8th hits, I'll be soaking in as much Olympic mania I can get!

I even got to take a picture with one of the ladies that carry the flags for the parade of nations! Watch for them on the 8th!

Ted

Food at the Venue

2008-08-06T20:29:00.000+08:00

We get free meals at the venue during our training. Breakfast is provided if you arrive before 8:30am and I haven't had a chance to try that out yet. Lunch is from 11am-2pm and if we have evening shifts, we can eat dinner at the venue as well.

We started training a few days before the Chinese volunteers joined us. Back then, we had a buffet style lunch. There were about 10 family style dishes to choose from and I think most of them tasted really good.

I still remember how many of my classmates got a dish they thought was "cucumber and beef stir-fry" and it turned out to be "cucumber and pig's liver stir-fry" It did look a bit like beef, so I don't blame them. But they were really shocked when they put a piece of liver in their mouths. Now, I get quite a few inquiries about the dishes that we get, making sure they don't put weird stuff in their mouths.

As the Chinese volunteers came, we switched over to microwavable lunch boxes (like TV dinners).
Since there are so many volunteers at the National Indoor Stadium, each department get assigned a different time to go to lunch.

There are seven dishes in each set, usually half meat and have vegetables. Then, we also get a bottle of water, rice, soup and a fruit.
I think the dishes are alright, and out of the seven, I can usually pick two to three that I find okay.
Actually, the lunch in the picture was my least favorite since we start having these kind of lunches.
One of the slogans for this Olympics is "Green Olympics" and I'm really impressed by the recycling system at the venue. After every meal, we have to dispose our trash into three different bins. The smaller bins with yellow bags are for "food waste" and so we dump our left overs inside. Then the taller ones with black bags are for "other waste" which are things like the plastic lunch boxes and spoons. On the far left, there are blue bins (which are barely in the picture) for "recyclable waste" such as our water bottles.

Opening Ceremony

2008-08-05T19:40:00.003+08:00

As the Olympic Games draw near, several rehearsals have been taking place inside the Bird’s Nest. Unfortunately, we weren’t allowed inside, but we were allowed onto the Olympic Green. As many of you have probably heard already, a Korean film crew gained access to the Bird's Nest to rehearse the Korean national broadcast of the Olympic Games. While the cameramen were inside, they secretly filmed a rehearsal of the opening ceremony. This video has been banned on the Chinese news site Sina.com and has been removed from YouTube in China. China has spent more than $300,000,000 on this opening ceremony, and they’ve been preparing for more than three years. According to the Korean station, this is the most “magnificent, brilliant and mysterious” ceremony in Olympic history. The report claims the video features more than 10,000 performers, including kung-fu fighters, trapeze artists and traditional Chinese dancers, while using the “most modern of laser technology” to execute the 10-second Olympic countdown. The only mystery left is how the Olympic torch will arrive to the Bird's Nest and who will be the final torch bearer.

Here are some photos of the incredible firework finale...

I’ve also included some video footage of the firework show. Unfortunately, we were standing directly underneath the fireworks, so we don’t have the best view. But I can already tell it’s going to be an incredible view from inside the Bird’s Nest.

Sarah

Day 36 [3 DAYS TO GO!!!] - Video Promo

2008-08-05T10:54:00.000+08:00

Hey Everyone!

The video promo is up at the top of the page! It took about 30 hours to edit! This is just a promotion for the Olympics done in a la athlete profile sequences! Enjoy!

Ted

Day 35 [4 DAYS TO GO] - Press Conference

2008-08-04T22:49:00.000+08:00

Hey Everyone!

Press Conference: 4 DAYS TO GO!! Can't believe the waiting is almost over! I don't know about the rest of my blogger friends, but I feel like I am going to explode with anticipation. The Chinese, of course, are also extremely excited. It's been seven years in the making! I was on the Olympic Green today. Things are basically set for Friday. They've cordoned off a main part of the plaza for, I believe, the athletes to line up for the parade of nations. If you watched the Today Show this morning you would have seen Matt Lauer broadcasting live from the Great Wall. They took bump shots - the last shot before a commercial break - from the Green. I was standing right by the camera when they were taking shots of the Bird's Nest lit up. It was fun to watch. I also met up with a lady from my home station in Indianapolis (WTHR). I interned there a few summers ago and it turns out we'll be working together at the NIS! What are the odds! She's here working for NBC News Channel and will be following major athletes from Indiana.

Five weeks have gone by and it feels like it's been long and short. When I think back to some of the first experiences I've had here, it seems forever ago. However, with the Olympics right on top of us, it feels so short. We only have three more weeks to go before we leave...but these days are going to be the best! You can count on continuous updates during the Games!

Check out a panoramic picture of inside the Bird's Nest courtesy of my friend, Laura. You can really see how massive the stadium really is. Just click on the picture and scroll from side to side to pan around.

http://lmdotson.com/Pano/Birdsnest.html

Ted

High Speed Experience

2008-08-04T22:17:00.000+08:00

On Sunday, Matt and I went with two other Missouri students down to Tianjin. We read that China unveiled a new bullet train, and we had to experience it for ourselves.

Watch our video from our day trip. The trip was a lot of fun, I hope to return to Tianjin before the end of August!

Mark

What would Simon say?

2008-08-04T17:14:00.000+08:00

Few people often remember those who come in second place. The television show American Idol is no different. People remember Justin Guarini only because of his goofy hair and want to forget about Clay Aiken because his lyrics included being invisible and watching you in your room. Pretty creepy huh? In China it is no different as second place is often forgotten.

The first week in Beijing, I had the opportunity to visit a local news outlet known as the Beijing Youth Daily. During the hour-long tour, our guide named Tony showed several of us the convergence journalism happening at the paper. In a college dormitory-sized room, two men sat chatting with a couple. Tony told us that he was a celebrity. (Tony figured this as the woman sitting next to him was beautiful. That reminded me a little of America.) I snapped off a few pictures and then set out to find out who this guy was.
After five weeks of toting around a photo asking if someone knew who this guy was, I found an answer. I was talking to a few of my Chinese colleagues at the field hockey venue when a girl nicknamed Yezi started giggling. She said this guy named Wu Jian Fei was runner-up in the Chinese version of American Idol known as Good Boy. She also said he looked as he was more of a model. After searching that name, I confirmed that he is in fact a model.

It was tough for me to believe that people can't remember who came in second. American Idol had 35.5 million viewers during the premier episode last season. But then I get thinking, who does win second. Quick without opening a new window or tab, tell me who got second in American Idol. It is a little tougher than you may think.

Second place answers: Justin Guarini, Clay Aiken, Diana DeGarmo, Bo Bice, Katharine McPhee, Blake Lewis and David Archuleta

Here's a little more food for thought. What do you think China's Ryan Seacrest looks like?
Lothrop out

Day 34 [5 DAYS TO GO] - Luggage

2008-08-03T22:15:00.000+08:00

Hey Everyone!

I was able to make it to church today - the second time this trip. It was nice to be back to the South Cathedral. Four priests from London were there helping celebrate Mass. Then I met some friends at the Silk Market - another tourist mall where you barter for items. My goal was to find a small luggage piece to take back because I have accumulated a lot of souvenirs and knickknacks. The rest of the day was spent lounging around and ended with a game of cards with friends. Again, here are some pictures from the other night. Truly spectacular!

Ted

Day 33 [6 Days To Go] - Rehearsal

2008-08-03T00:10:00.000+08:00

Hey Everyone!

WOW! What a day! We had training today at the NIS. Things are really coming along at the NIS. Almost ready! The men's U.S. team was there today and I got to interview the head coach on a number of current topics! It was such an amazing experience and I really felt like I was contributing to ONS. Again, I am unable to go into more detail due to privacy issues.

Today was a scheduled rehearsal day for the Opening Ceremonies. After noontime, the area was on lockdown and only those with special, extra credentials were allowed onto the Green. We were given the credentials which allowed us to come on and off the grounds. In the evening, we headed to the Green to watch the rehearsal. We meandered around the Green and took pictures of the fireworks. We camped out across the Bird's Nest - there's a lake south of the Bird's Nest and the reflection of the lights is really pretty. The show was amazing and included five Olympic rings done in firework displays and "2008" numbering with smiley face fireworks. We also got to see the inside of the Bird's Nest as well. It was one of those awestruck moments seeing the massive stage. I could have spent all night in there, but it was late. I think tonight was one of the coolest things I've done in a long time - yeah, it's sad to say that. Anyway, I really felt the Olympic spirit tonight!

Ted

A Ceremony of sorts

2008-08-02T17:06:00.001+08:00

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...

2008-08-02T14:40:00.001+08:00

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

2008-08-02T14:37:00.000+08:00

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

2008-08-01T20:49:00.000+08:00

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

2008-08-01T13:33:00.000+08:00

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

2008-07-31T00:30:00.000+08:00

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

2008-07-30T22:48:00.000+08:00

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

2008-07-30T15:20:00.001+08:00

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?

2008-07-29T20:25:00.000+08:00

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!

2008-07-29T16:53:00.001+08:00

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

2008-07-29T15:07:00.000+08:00

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

2008-07-28T15:01:00.000+08:00

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

2008-07-27T18:55:00.000+08:00

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

Fighting for Olympic tickets!

2008-07-26T16:53:00.000+08:00

Hi everyone! I'm Lynette and this is my first blogpost on our KOMU blog. I'm an international student from Singapore and I also lived in Hong Kong, before coming to the states for college. So, I've had the advantage of being able to communicate in Chinese with the locals. And knowing Chinese is really helpful when it comes to ordering food and buying Olympic tickets!

Round 1:
As Ted has mentioned on the previous post, four of us left our hotel at 6am to line up for tickets. Danielle (another Mizzou student) and I went to the Workers' Stadium to get football tickets. We wanted to get tickets for Men's Football (soccer) preliminaries with Nigeria vs Argentina and Serbia vs USA.

As we arrived, we found out that probably about 1,000 people camped out here last night and were lining up in the plaza outside the stadium. We joined a line of about 200 people outside the plaza and thought our chances were pretty good.

We anxiously waited for the ticket office to open at 9am. However, the line did not move until about 9:30 or 10 and each time we only moved 10 steps forward.

As waiting in line was boring, people began to chat with each other. The people around us were very interested in Danielle and I. They asked a lot of questions about the United States, including things like the education system, culture and food. They were also very interested in our experiences in China, asking if we had visited the Great Wall and Forbidden City etc. They also mentioned Chinese officials should visit western countries more often, so that China can improve her systems and have better development in the future.

Another interesting part was all the rumors that spread around. Usually when people leave the ticket office, the crowds would run up to them and asked what tickets they bought and how many were left. Then, it turned into all sorts of rumors such as all women's tickets were gone, all men's were gone and all cheap tickets were gone. Different "sources" gave different answers and there weren't any ways to verify the information. But finally, the official word came down that all men's tickets were sold out.

Finally, around noon, they've cleared all the people waiting inside the plaza. The fences you see in the middle of the picture lead right into the ticket office. But here came the problem: without a line to follow, people just pushed and ran through the plaza, and dashed into the fences.

When it was our turn to run, the guards suddenly decided that it was too chaotic and attempted to restore order. They formed a chain surrounding us and we were trapped in the worst condition. People behind us were trying to push forward, while guards went into the crowds trying to form small groups of people. I felt like being in a sauna while I was trapped in the crowd. Everyone was sweating so bad and it was extremely stuffy.

So finally, after an hour or so, the guards managed to organize us into lines and let people into the fences. Then it took us another 15 minutes before they let us into the ticket office.
On the left: the crowd that we were trapped in
On the right: people lining up inside the fences in groups of tens

We finally got our tickets!! We got tickets for women's preliminaries on Aug 12, with Nigeria vs Brazil and Canada vs Sweden. Since we waited in line for so long, we decided to treat ourselves with the best tickets, which in fact wasn't too expensive. They cost 150 yuan each, which is about $20.

Round 2:
According to the schedule, the ticket sales would be spread out into four days. My next target, volleyball on Aug 13 or 15, would be on sale on July 27. But as I woke up this morning and read the newspaper, the officials thought the crowd was too big already and started to sell all remaining tickets early. (They finished selling tickets for events inside the Olympic Green at 3am) Therefore, I hurried to the volleyball venue - Capital Indoor Stadium.
The line seemed to be very long! It circled around the plaza and streched into a tunnel outside the stadium.

It took us quite some time to find the end of the line. But, probably with the experience from yesterday, the line moved quite quickly and smoothly. It was also spacious throughout the line.
It was quite sunny, so some local students folded hats with their newspaper.
These few local students were very interested in America and Hong Kong as well. We chatted during our wait and we got seats right next to each other.
I got tickets for both women's and men's volleyball. I would be able to see the home team, China, competing in men's volleyball. The wait today was about 3 hours and each ticket costs 80 yuan, about $11.

Day 25 - People Soup

2008-07-26T00:10:00.000+08:00

Hey Everyone!

My alarm clock went off at 5:00AM this morning - not for work, but for a chance to buy Olympic tickets. The fourth phase of ticket selling began this morning at 9:00AM. The remaining 250,000 tickets for Beijing events went on sale Friday, and some are predicting they will be sold out the same day.

Some friends and I planned out or attack the night before. We left at 6AM from the hotel and caught the subway. We split up from there: two of us hoping to get beach volleyball tickets and the other two looking for football tickets. Ashley and I headed to the venue site for beach volleyball. It took an hour just to find the place. Once we did, we had to go through several security checkpoints just to get to the line. The crowd was huge...so long we couldn't see the end. For all we knew, it wrapped around the stadium. We learned that there were six ticket offices corresponding to the six chutes that people were gathering in. We were ushered into one of the chutes and began "the wait". Not surprisingly, it was the most humid day yet in Beijing. People were all around invading all personal space. Standing became tiring and we sat down - first brushing away street trash and then putting down a piece of paper to sit on. It was HOT. I was sticky from the humidity and the enormous number of people trapped in the heat. Many times throughout the wait I seriously thought about leaving, but we had come so far and stayed so long we HAD to see it through. Making matters worse, there wasn't a breeze.

We didn't move for more than an hour which gave me the opportunity to do a lot of thinking and observing. Two women started fighting over something intense and the police had to break it up. One man had tucked his shirt into his underwear - a fashion no-no and - I'm sure - an uncomfortable decision for the day. By 1:00PM, five hours later, we got to the front of the line. (Nothing compared to the two days some people waited for opening ceremony tickets, but it was still tough.) Here's the kicker: each chute corresponded to a specific box office which sold tickets for specific dates. We wanted tickets for the 17th, 18th or 19th, but the booth we were directed to was only selling the 13th-15th! We tried moving over to the correct booth, but weren't allowed. We bought the tickets for the 14th and hoped for the best. It turns out, we will be okay and will be able to make the event! The other group grabbed women's football (soccer) tickets, so we are going to that event, too! The morning was a true test of patience. We passed, but a retest probably wouldn't yield the same results.

Check out the video - notice how the novelty wears off as the hours melt by.

Ted

BOCOG Training

2008-07-25T15:50:00.000+08:00

During the past week, we’ve spent most of our time at BOCOG Training, which we are required to keep confidential. However, they released our schedules, and I will be a flash quotes reporter for the Olympic News Service. I’ll also be working alongside BBC, British Broadcasting Corporation, taking quotes from the athletes as they’re interviewed.

The Beijing News came one day to training to interview some of the volunteers. Ted and I were interviewed from our group. Here’s a link to the article, even though it’s written in Chinese.

http://www.thebeijingnews.com/news/olympic/2008/07-23/039@072024.htm

And the final members of the U.S. women's gymnastics team have been named...

Chellsie Memmel
Samantha Peszek
Alicia Sacramone
Bridget Sloan
Shawn Johnson
Nastia Liukin

(Three alternates were chosen: Jana Bieger, Ivana Hong and Corrie Lothrop.)

Day 24 - Schedules Released!

2008-07-25T10:54:00.000+08:00

Hey Everyone!

We completed another day of training today. We finished the day with another team-building game. This time, it was a ping pong balancing relay race. The Chinese students were really competitive and the Americans joked that the reason why the winning team came out on top was because they only had one American on the team to slow them down.

We also got our work schedule for the Olympic Games. I'm scheduled to work in the Broadcast Mixed Zone. Basically, I'll be grabbing quotes from athletes as they come off the field. After coming off the floor, they have to walk to the broadcast area (a row of partitioned spaces in the arena - see picture) and walk by all the television companies. This is the opportunity for the tv stations to grab the athletes for one-on-one interviews. Then, the athletes will go down to the Press Mixed Zone (where newspaper and other ONS reporters will get the chance to talk with athletes). I'll be working with the NBC team. The reporter for NBC NewsChannel is the main anchor at the NBC station I interned two summers ago. Small world! Anyway, our team is on rotation shifts and we will work alternating days. The last few work days (17-20), we will be working every day. Looking forward to focusing in on our tasks!

Ted

"Yeah, that's the ticket"

2008-07-25T10:06:00.000+08:00

Friday morning at 9 marked the time when domestic tickets could be purchased for the Olympic Games. A news release said that around 250,000 tickets would be available. Thinking that I might have a shot to score some gold medal baseball tickets at face value (150 RMB or a little over 20 dollars), I thought I would take a chance.

Along with KOMU's Mark Welsh, Trinity Nelson and three others, we packed our bags for an overnight stay. After making a quick stop at the Wal-Mart Super Center to purchase stuff to sleep on, we made our journey to the ticket office located south of the Olympic Green. Some wanted swimming tickets, some handball, some track and field and others gymnastics. At Wal-Mart we recieved the news that only diving, baseball and one other sport would be available on Friday morning. Upon arrival, I felt optimistic about my shot at getting tickets to baseball... then I saw the masses.

It's tough to explain with both words and pictures the amount of people we saw. Mark joking said over a million, Trinity claimed 75,000 and I said I thought somewhere between 25,000-30,000. In lines that snaked back and forth, people played cards, drank beer, ate dinner and chatted with friends. People were sitting on lawn chairs, laying on yoga mats and sleeping on newspaper. The lines appeared endless.

We exited the train station and thought we would beat the mob, but we were wrong. Some of us joked that arriving 14 hours before the ticket office opened would guarantee us tickets saying "we wouldn't need to be there more than a few hours before 9." The truth is we needed to be there much earlier. After talking with some of the people in line, I found out people had been there since noon... on Wednesday.

So it's a little depressing not to get Olympic tickets, but it was quite an experience to see the energy of the Beijing Olympics. For three niche sports, the people of Beijing skipped work, sat out in the sun and waited and waited and waited. I would love to see baseball at the Olympics as this year marks its final go, but I honestly think I am not as deserving of them as some people here who are willing to fight the weather, potential line jumpers, screaming kids and boredom.

People once called me a little crazy sitting outside Best Buy for Black Friday. If I am crazy for waiting a couple of hours for three dollar DVDs, are these people crazy? I don't think so. They have waited seven years for these games. What's another 48 hours.

Day 23 - A Major Headache...

2008-07-23T21:19:00.001+08:00

...Literally.

Hey Everyone!

Last night was probably the worst night I've had in Beijing. For some reason, I just couldn't get to sleep. I've been having headaches the past two days, but this morning, I was aching all over. I almost didn't get out of bed. I'm not sure if it's the way I'm sleeping, lack of sleep or stress (most possible case), but it hit me hard. I got ready and dragged along to work this morning. I felt okay during work. We participated in two emergency evacuation sequences which involved the entire volunteer staff - I'd estimate about 1,000 of us - going up to the highest seats in the stadium. We were then released and had to walk to an exit. I'm guessing this is to see how the traffic flow works during a mass exodus. It was interesting.

Ying Yao, the ONS manager, took us on a tour of the Olympic Green in the afternoon. We got to see the north side lake. As we were leaving the area, music began to play and water started shooting out of the lake. Our shock turned to amazement as we realized it was the hourly water show. Cameras immediately whipped out. We also saw the IT building in charge of computer operations. Appropriately enough, it was shaped like computer chips. At night, green lines run down the side of the building like the Matrix. Tease for photos to come?

A scavenger hunt was next on the agenda. We met with a whole bunch of ONS people and photo assistants. It was the first time the Americans worked with the Chinese on a team-building activity. We had to run around the stadium and find weird items like how many lockers were in the Press Workroom. It was fun working with our Chinese counterparts. The winning team (not me) was instructed to get up in front of all 200 of us and give a brief speech on how they felt about winning. It was hilarious and touching at the same time. Matt and Danielle, both from our group, seemed awkward and we all got a good laugh out of that. One Chinese girl said it was a miracle the team won because she does not have a lot of confidence and she will remember this day forever.

I left work with a headache and ate in the bistro downstairs. Right now, I feel bad, but I think sleeping will help because I feel really tired. Hopefully tomorrow, the headache will be gone.

Take a look at the buses we have to take to get on the Olympic Green. NO personal space. Also, here's a sample of the Olympic Green water show.

Ted

Day 22 - Editing

2008-07-23T21:11:00.000+08:00

Hey Everyone!

Training was pushed back to 2:00PM Tuesday. It was nice to wake up leisurely. We again ate in the courtyard I got some french toast - again, just a bit different. I think the toast was deep fried and it was served sans syrup. The new subway line 10 opened recently which takes us directly to the Olympic Green. Line 8, which actually takes us into the Olympic Green, won't open until the 25th. Training was normal, basically. We listened to another lecture about flash quotes and did a mock flash quote interview. It's the stereotypical scene - a bunch of us in a big huddle shouting out questions to the incoming athlete. The "athlete" (Sally) would play out different scenarios: an athlete that didn't talk much or an athlete who talked too fast. We had to cope with the situation as it developed.

The evening was spent editing a promo for KOMU. I've been working on a one-minute piece that will go on our blog - and maybe on television - as the games get closer. I estimate it took about 30 hours from start to finish. I'm pretty happy with the result and can't wait to show you guys soon!

Ted

Time to Tri(athlon) Something New

2008-07-22T19:24:00.000+08:00

Hi everyone! I'm official!!!

I started my training today at the Triathlon (tri) venue. It is located an hour north of Beijing, in the middle of nowhere! Honestly though, it's really nice to be in the mountains, away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

The tri venue is built on the side of the Ming Reservoir, although I found out the reservoir is to hold water for the defunct "Nine Dragons Amusement/Water Park." The tri offices (a.k.a trailers) are mixed in between the merry-go-round, lazy river and ticket offices for the old amusement park.

As you can see, the field of play (FOP) is still being built, but is almost done. It's going to be amazing when they finally get there. The blue mesh that you see is astro-turf (per se) it's the transition between the water and the cycling and the cycling and the running parts of the race. It's fun to walk on!

I was given preliminary access to the INFO2008 intranet. It is a private network for journalists that has our flashquotes, athlete biography, medal counts, and anything else you'd need as a journalist. The system was initially built for the 1996 Atlanta games, and has been updated every year since.

I'm off again for the next week. The triathlon specialist is busy this week and can't meet with us to teach us about the sport. To the right is the Mixed Zone at my venue. I'll be a Flash Quotes Reporter (FQR) during the triathlon on August 19 and 20. Now, I have to find something to do until next week!

Mark

Day 21 - Three Weeks

2008-07-21T11:42:00.000+08:00

Hey Everyone!

Today, we had the day off. This schedule we're on is totally throwing my body off balance. We have random weekdays off but work the whole weekend. We are scheduled to work tomorrow, but not until 2 in the afternoon. Today was spent catching up on emails and working on small projects I haven't had time for during the week. There's a courtyard bistro behind our hotel that we recently discovered. It has American food - something we all have been craving. The french fries are great, but a little greasy. I've noticed this with a lot of the Americanized food here: there is still a Chinese twist. It tastes just a bit different. Nevertheless, it's a nice break from the normal Chinese cuisine.

Correction: I guess Brian Williams and Bob Costas will NOT be broadcasting from this tower!! The Broadcasting Tower is for views of the Olympic Green. According to the Today Show guy I met, Nightly News will broadcast from the BICC on the other side of the Bird's Nest. I took a trip over there but couldn't find exactly where it was. That's my next mission!

Ted

Day 20 - Balancing Act

2008-07-20T23:48:00.000+08:00

Hey Everyone!

Training again! Unfortunately, due to BOCOG guidelines, we aren't and won't be allowed to go into detail on what we are doing at the NIS. We continued training and met some Chinese student volunteers. Lunch was interesting - a different catering service took over and we received tv dinner-like trays full of different Chinese dishes separated in small compartments. In the afternoon, we ran a simulation to see how the athletes will come through the mixed zone and if there were any traffic issues to deal with. Success!

In the evening, we went to see The Chinese Acrobats - a must-see attraction if you're in Asia. The acrobats are strong physically and spiritually which helps to focus on the Chinese philosophy of inner strength. Sarah did a great job describing the sights of the night. It was truly amazing. The show started with laser light show that produced 3-D images throughout the space of the theatre - too cool. Throughout the night, it was one act after another of amazing feats including balancing acts, diving through hoops and body-bending extremes. Riding a bike is simple enough, but the Chinese acrobats took it a step...ten steps...further. Assistants would bring out strange apparatuses and you were thinking "What are they going to do with that?" They pushed it to the max with everything. A part of me was nervous because everything they did could have turned into a disaster if gone wrong, but I'm sure they spend hours and hours practicing. I walked out of the theatre excited but also stressed...it was intense watching them! They pulled it off very well, though. So glad I went!

Ted

Chaoyang Theater Acrobatics World

2008-07-20T23:30:00.000+08:00

Tonight I attended the most incredible show I’ve ever seen in my life! Chaoyang Theater, located in Beijing, focuses on acrobatic performances. It was designated as the Tourist Performance Site by the Beijing government. After the late 1980s, Chaoyang Theater underwent a period of adjustments, adding singing and dancing into their performances. I literally couldn’t believe my eyes! There were contortionists, gymnasts, and people with the most incredible balancing skills. I was amazed at what the human body can actually achieve. I’ll try to get some video posted soon because words cannot even describe what my eyes saw. If you are ever in China, you cannot miss out on this show!

Sarah

Checking out some of the venues

2008-07-20T18:13:00.000+08:00

As Sunday marked one of our last free days before the games begin, I decided I would take the 50 minute subway route through three transfer stations to the Wukesong Baseball Field. I couldn't get super close so as for the field conditions, I have no opinion. The venue itself however doesn't look like much. While I was delighted to finally see something that resembles baseball in China (I haven't seen anything at all), I was a little let down on the venue itself. Athletics has the super cool Birds Nest and the Water Cube and Worker's Stadium, but Wukesong Baseball field looks like a high school field on steroids. I guess I can see why the Beijing Games will mark baseball's last hurray at the Olympics.

Also on a baseball note, it's too bad the US National team wasn't looking for at least a few more right handed pitchers. The crop to pick from this season was pretty weak according to a Baseball America podcast. The team included one college player in San Diego State's Stephen Strasburg passing on Missouri's Kyle Gibson. Currently the team has one open spot so the chance to see another Mizzou athlete in Beijing is still a possibility.

I also took some time to check out the basketball arena. It looks as if it has bamboo around it. Pretty interesting looking. I tried to get as close as I could to the venue, but guards and a fence kept me from getting closer. From what I have heard from many of the locals, they are anticipating the first game USA plays against China. It should be interesting. I believe it is August 10.

Day 19 - Transportation Woes

2008-07-20T15:26:00.000+08:00

Hey Everyone!

The weekend started with more training at the NIS where we spent the day going over more procedures and protocol for flash quotes (FQ). Later in the afternoon, Doreen, one of our Olympic supervisors, took us around the Olympic Green. I was magnetically pulled towards the Today Show set again and got to talk with an NBC freelance employee who was setting up the studio. Mark, from Hong Kong, gave us a quick tour of the set and told us to come back when they air and bring signs. We think Matt, Meredith and Al will start broadcasting the eve of the Opening Ceremonies,

but I think a lot of us are going to try and get down there the Monday after due to our work schedule. To the right, is the newly unveiled Line 10 - one of the lines Mark said just opened up. It's calm and peaceful...for now.

In addition to giving us access to our venues, our accreditation gets us free metro and bus transportation around the city. We decided to check it out and found the Beijing transportation system does not like us. The bus ride back from the Olympic Green was like being at a crowded party unable to move. It was hot and the smells on the bus were extremely strong. One of my friends had to get off the bus because the driver wasn't the smoothest stick shift operator. But we didn't have to pay - if it's truly worth it. Using the metro is a different story. Usually, you get a one-pass card to use. With our accreditation, you have to show it to the ticket booth and they will give you a card for free.

However, recently, they've been waving us to just go through the corral. The problem is, the person at the corral ushers us back to the ticket counter. One worker was so exasperated, she took off my accreditation pass and pointed with it to the ticket counter. An argument between the woman and the ticket officer ensued and ended with the upset woman sheepishly saying "sorry" as she let us through. I'm sure as the Games get closer, public transportation will become more interesting. It will be neat to see how the city accommodates the people.

To the right: some musicians were putting on a show on the metro as we were coming home from dinner.

Ted

Let's get this party started!

2008-07-20T11:52:00.000+08:00

In the last week, I have noticed a great transformation in this city! When we arrived on July 2, Beijing was still sorting out the final kinks before spectators arrived for the Olympic Games. In the last 7 days, this city has really started acting like the host of this summer's Olympic Games.

At 2pm yesterday (Saturday), three new subway lines FINALLY opened. The original open dates were set for 6-8 months ago. The Suzhoujie station is only a 5 minute walk from our hotel, which can get us to any point in the city for 2RMB (30 cents). I used to rely on taxis or the bus to get me to the other closest subway station--15 minutes away. As Ted mentioned earlier this week, our Olympic accreditation passes allow us to travel the subway for free, a welcomed perk :). The three new lines include the Olympic line (it runs under the Olympic Green), the airport line (fast-speed train from downtown Beijing to terminal 2 and 3) and our commuter line. In the past two years, Beijing went from two subway lines to 7 (with two more opening....???)
The city has also put up billboards and signs in the middle of its' highways with the Olympic logos and "One World, One Dream" slogan. Tourists are obviously here for one reason, but Beijing wants to remind its people that they must be on the best behavior too! Recently, the Chinese government published rules for its people to stand in lines (my favorite) and drive better. Better...I thought safer would've been a better word :)
(Photo Courtesy Larry Powell)

Similar to past games, Beijing designated one lane in every direction, on every major highway as an "Olympic Lane" to transport any dignitaries, athletes or volunteers to and from the Games quicker. The lanes were painted last weekend with the Olympic Rings. I tried taking pictures while we were in our bus, but the pictures didn't turn out.

Today is the day all Beijingers haven't been looking forward to--the start to more regulations on their mobility. Today is July 19, which means that all odd-numbered cars (determined by the last digit on their license plate) can drive. Tomorrow, July 20, all even-numbered cars can drive. MSNBC reports there are 3.3 million cars on Beijing's roads, and removing half each day will cut down on emissions, but more importantly traffic!

As I glance out my window, the sky is slightly hazy with a few clouds. Yesterday, we had bright Carolina-blue skies with big fluffy clouds--made it feel like home!

Have a great weekend,

Mark

Day 18 - Sexy Owl

2008-07-19T22:44:00.000+08:00

Hey Everyone!

Monday, the gymnastics team had the day off. I went to a shopping district on the east side of Beijing with some friends. Our first stop was Hooters Beijing - a new experience for me. Some of my friends wanted to pick up t-shirts as souvenirs. I ended up getting a picture with the Hooters staff - a souvenir unlike any other. Apparently, Hooters Beijing is quite different than Hooters in America. It is more family-oriented and one friend even has video of the whole restaurant doing a conga line. Someone told me the sign on the front of the restaurant roughly translates to sexy owl...hence the blog title.

After Hooters, I headed to the world's largest Adidas store - its location had eluded me for a week. There were signs for the store in Wangfujing - a ways away - but I couldn't find the store...even on the Internet. The store was four floors of clothes and shoes. The first floor had an entire section devoted to health exercises. One section included 10 columns in a circle. You were supposed to stand inside and when they lit up, you had to touch the light. There were also lights on the floor you had to step on. The exercise was supposed to test your reflexes. I scored in the "poor" category. With more practice, I made it to "average". It was hard! Another station consisted of an interactive mat and computer screen that measured how high you could jump, your balance and how fast you could run. The running portion involved running in place to see how many times you could step on the mat. It was quite a workout and I'm sure I looked ridiculous. Then, the computer printed out your stats. I apparently have a great BMI, but my speed could use improvement. It was a nice day off from working!

Ted

Winter & Summer Palace, CCTV, NIS and more

2008-07-19T15:15:00.000+08:00

I have been in Beijing for three weeks now, and it’s been amazing! My computer was on overload and wouldn’t upload anything this week. I had to buy an external hard drive, so I could delete several documents.

Since my last post, we visited the Summer Palace and Winter Palace. The Summer Palace or Yi he yuan ("Garden of Nurtured Harmony") is located in Beijing. Longevity Hill is located in the center of the Palace and is topped with three grand buildings: The Cloud-Dispelling Hall, the Temple of Buddhist Virtue, and the Sea of Wisdom Temple. In the center stands the Temple of Buddhist Virtue, which forms the focal point of the hill. Kunming Lake covers most of the area surrounding Longevity Hill. We were able to enjoy the lake with a rented four person boat. Kunming Lake was entirely man made and the excavated soil was used to build Longevity Hill. The Summer Palace is the largest imperial garden in China.

Here I am enjoying the Summer Palace with Fan Bu (aka "Bonnie"), one of our Mizzou grad students.
Our next stop was the great Yuan Ming Yuan Park (“Winter Palace”), which is the most magnificent garden in the history of China. When first build, the Winter Palace spanned a three-hundred-fifty hectare area with a fairyland of hills, ponds, lakes, ancient trees and palaces filled with one and half centuries of imperial treasure collections. However, it was tragically burned by the allied forces of the eight powers in 1860.

In the vast country of China, there are three construction works enjoying world-wide fame even today: The Great Wall, Stone Niche Temple of Dun Huan and Yuan Ming Yuan. Yuan Ming Yuan was the latest, yet the most ruined one.

For 139 years, Yuan Ming Yuan served for administration, vacation and living purposes for the six generations of emperors YongZheng, QianLong, JiaQing, DaoGuang and XianFeng in the Qing dynasty. The emperor and his wives would live in Yuan Ming Yuan after Chinese New Year until the end of autumn. Yuan Ming Yuan was the largest and most luxurious imperial garden, with a host of scenery sites representing different Chinese gardening styles.

After visiting Yuan Ming Yuan Park, we saw a modern opera performance at the Chang An Grand Theatre. The sound was quite difference than what we know as opera in the states. Take a look at the following video...

For tourists, the Chang An Grand Theatre in Beijing has English subtitles above the stage, which was very helpful. Each new character that walked onto stage blew me away with their incredible costumes, with such attention to detail. This Beijing opera house was originally constructed in 1937, and in 1996, reopened after a three-year renovation.

I also had the opportunity to visit one of China’s most famous late night talk shows on CCTV. There were five Mizzou students in attendance. We had to listen to the translations on headsets the entire time, which was a completely new experience for me. And, unfortunately, I think Chinese jokes are sometimes lost in translation everytime. The show was great and reminded me of Jay Leno in a way. In the photograph, we are pictured with the host.

Training has also begun, so I included the first photo I took inside the National Indoor Stadium where I’ll be working during the Olympic Games.

The following photo was also taken on the Olympic Green, and it symbolizes the Olympic torch runners.

Sarah

Day 17b - Posing

2008-07-18T23:59:00.001+08:00

Hey Everyone!

Here is the first of many photos I'm sure...workin the Olympic style! Do I look official?

Ted

Day 17 - Uniform Uniformity Part 2

2008-07-17T19:36:00.001+08:00

Hey Everyone!

Thursday we spent our first day at the National Indoor Stadium and started with a tour of the facility. It was amazing to see the large building and to think that in a few weeks, this will be the stage for world-class entertainment. We saw the mixed zone - where we will get interviews from athletes - and the press conference room. People were busy putting final touches all over the

place, but for the most part the building

is complete. Later, we watched some promotional Olympic videos in the press conference room and then got our uniforms! Sally gave us big Adidas bags full of clothes. We received three shirts, two pants, three pairs of socks, a pair of shoes, a poncho, jacket, water bottle, fanny pack and hat! We even get to keep all of this gear after the games!

National Indoor Stadium

Press Conference Room

Press Workroom (for AP, etc)

Uniforms!

The workers had a ping pong tournament while we were working - Sally represented, but unfortunately was defeated!

Press Mixed Zone - Sally and YangYao, our managers, explain how the athletes will come through the area.

Ted

Five days until training begins.

2008-07-17T16:18:00.000+08:00

After two days of training with BOCOG, I now have a bit of time off.

I will be working at the site of the Ming Dynasty Tombs for the Triathlon, 45 minutes north of Beijing. Unfortunately, the Triathlon only lasts two days during the second week of the Olympic Games, so I will most likely be placed in another venue for the first week of the Games. (I was told either Archery or Field Hockey, both sport I know nothing about, but am eager to learn more!)

I tell you this because I need to be issued extra clearance to get into more venues, which means I don't have my accreditation pass yet :( I've been looking forward to receiving it since we got here, but will have to wait almost another week to get it!

I have a five day weekend before heading back to training on Tuesday. As odd as this sounds, I would prefer to be working as hard as the Gymnastics FQR's who will be working from now until the games (and spending time on the Olympic Green!).

On that note, I haven't been able to get on the Olympic Green yet, and I'm wondering if I ever will! It seems like the security will be extra-tight this year, and that means a lock-down on the green. I will have clearance to get into the shuttle-bus area of the green, with high hopes of getting closer to the Bird's Nest and the Watercube!

I will try to explore the city over the next five days. I have the subway system down, getting used to the bus system, and am an expert at taxis! The city is awaiting the opening of three more subway lines. They were due to open earlier this year, but have been kept closed for unspecified reason. One of those stations is a block north of our hotel, once it opens--it will save us all a ton of time! We ride free with our Olympic accreditation passes!

That's all for now,

Mark

P.S. I'm feeling MUCH better now :)

Day 16 - Euphoria

2008-07-16T13:34:00.000+08:00

Hey Everyone!

I can't describe how EXCITING today was for me! After our ONS training, a friend and I hitched a ride with our international managers to see the Olympic Green up close and personal. This entire trip has been very surreal so far - visiting the Great Wall and being in Beijing. Today was no different as we took a stroll past world-famous landmarks that I've seen countless pictures of in books and magazines.

We used our press credentials we were given in the morning to get past security. Inside, we were free to walk around and get really close to all the sites including the Bird's Nest, Water Cube, National Indoor Stadium and Main Press Center.

National Indoor Stadium

We also saw where NBC's The Today Show will be

broadcasting live during the games. The studio was still being built. I will definitely be back for a taping!

Today Show outdoor studio in the main courtyard. (They have a GREAT view of the Bird's Nest behind them. I can see why they chose this spot)

We also saw where the big broadcasters will be telecasting from in a press tower that overlooks the entire Olympic Green. So cool!

Main Press Tower

Probably where NBC's Brian Williams and Bob Costas will broadcast from.

While on our tour, we saw a number of kids arriving in the main courtyard. I think they were Olympic volunteers participating in a performance for the opening ceremonies. They may have arrived for rehearsal.

The press passes we received grant us access to certain venues. For instance, mine allows me to get into the National Indoor Stadium represented by the NIS on the pass, the press areas (4), the Olympic Green Common Domain (OCD) and on the field of play in the NIS (blue strip at bottom). The pass also includes a holographic sticker that will allow us to use the bus and metro system for free starting July 20. Security is so tight that since I don't have a Bird's Nest clearance code, I will not be able to go inside it or any building I don't have clearance for. Students working at different venues will have different clearances.

Here's multimedia of the trip. Tomorrow, the gymnastics group will take a tour of the National Indoor Stadium!

Day 15 - Workin 9 to 5

2008-07-15T18:45:00.000+08:00

Hey Everyone!

Today was our first official day of Olympic training. We hailed a cab this morning and headed to the Mengxi hotel which was really close to the BOCOG headquarters in Beijing. The morning was spent with introductions and overviews of the ONS organization and what we'll be doing. Throughout the day, we were briefed on the ONS style guide and general issues like preferring open-ended questions rather than closed. Later, we met with our venue groups to discuss details on our actual jobs. Not all of the volunteers will be doing flash quotes and interviewing athletes. Other people will be in the press center of the venue writing copy. I guess the thing that surprises me the most is that if you're not working on the floor of the venue, you won't be watching the event and have to watch it on a television in one of the press rooms.

Anyway, the gymnastics group is going to be very busy these next few weeks. As of now, we only have two days off between now and the end of the Olympic games! Sally, our international manager from Australia, is coordinating things for our venue. She worked the 2006 Olympic Games in Torino. She seems really on top of things and I am looking forward to working with her.

We also learned we have to wear our uniforms starting next Monday! Still haven't gotten them yet, but apparently the package is quite nice and we get to keep all of our clothes right down to the Adidas Olympic-branded athletic shoes. There's also the gymnastics gala which is apparently the third most sought out event at the Olympics behind the opening and closing ceremonies. She's working on getting us into the event since we'll be working for that sport! Tomorrow is more training. Let the games begin!

Ted

Day 14 - Olympic Mania

2008-07-14T20:17:00.000+08:00

Hey Everyone!

Ok...I have it. Today was our final day off before our Olympic training begins. Tomorrow, we will be meeting at a hotel near the BOCOG headquarters to receive our first set of instructions and introductions for ONS (Olympic News Service). That's tomorrow. Today, a couple of us went down to Wangfuging - a famous shopping district and also home to the Olympic flagship store. Umbrella in hand, I walked into a building with a floor solely devoted to Olympic gear. If you wanted something Olympic - or at least Olympic branded - they had it. Chopsticks? You got it. Pins? Please...you want to buy a gold replica of the Bird's Nest to go along with it? Fuwa dolls (mascot)? They had an entire room devoted to them. I ended up spending way to much money in that store. The only real way to save money is to leave...which we all did five bags later. It was a fun day and I was able to cross off a lot of names on my gift list!

The rest of the day was spent back at the hotel relaxing before the frenzy. It will be very interesting to see how the city deals with the enormous influx of people. There's a subway station right near our hotel which has remained closed our entire stay so far. I'm hoping they will open it soon which will give us easy access to the Olympic venues. We have to provide transportation to and from our venues until July 20 when we will receive a pass for free travel until after the games. I am really looking forward to beginning my training and working for the Olympics!

For reference, here's some shorthand translations for the upcoming blogs:

BOCOG - Beijing Olympic Committe for the Olympic Games

ONS - Olympic News Service

NIS - National Indoor Stadium

IOC - International Olympic Committe

FQR - Flash Quote Reporter

Here's video of dinner one night on our BOCOG tour. Our lazy susan in the center of the table is used to rotate and share food around the table, but I used it another way. Check it out!

Ted

Pepto to the Rescue!

2008-07-14T15:41:00.000+08:00

I really don't think I could've reflected on the past three days better than Ted and Sarah. I can't believe how lucky we were to see all those historic and world-famous sites.

My little addition: BOCOG was gracious enough to pick up the tab for our six meals (and entrance fees to sites) this past weekend. With the exception of Sunday night's Cantonese-style dinner and the addition of Peking Duck Friday night, all of the restaurants served us the exact same dishes: Kung Pao Chicken, Bok Choy, a bowl of rice, a fish (head included), a beef dish, a pork dish, egg drop soup, mixed vegetables, two bottles of Coke and a bottle of Sprite and a plate of watermelon for dessert.

I've honestly got to admit, I didn't care at all! It was all sooo good and I was starving after climbing at some of those sites that I could probably eat the same dishes for my next six meals!

So, you were probably wondering about this blog's title: "Pepto to the rescue!"
I had a midnight snack last night with Matt at McDonalds. (I was craving cheese--which actually isn't available in China, except on "American" foods) Unfortunately, the ice that melted in my drink-- or so I believe-- kept me up all night. Finally around 5am, I remembered Pepto-Bismol works on the 5-symptoms of stupid travelers who eat at McDonalds. I took a dose, and it took a while to kick in, but I feel much, much better now. I'm still taking it easy, because I read that bacteria in water kicks back in two or three punches, so fortunately one punch is down, but unfortunately I have at least one left. I canceled my talk show appearance tonight, I wanted to stay close to a bathroom at all times. I was asked to sit in the audience of a Chinese talk show (a la Oprah style) and discuss my past as a civic volunteer. There are several other students going, including Sarah, so I'm sure they can fill in for me!

Have a great week, we'll be starting our BOCOG training on Tuesday and Wednesday!

Mark

P.S. Thanks for the comments from everyone reading this blog. I know I don't blog on this site enough, but it fun to see how much you enjoy "traveling" with us!

Day 13 - Seasonal Getaways

2008-07-14T10:19:00.000+08:00

Hey Everyone!

Third day of the BOCOG tour. Today we took in the Summer and Winter Palaces. Both were beautifully landscaped and included different and unique sights. The Summer Palace sits on the Kunming Lake, an idyllic setting for retreat and respite. The emperor and his wife would visit this "home away from home" to get away from the busy schedule of the Forbidden City. We took a tour of the accommodations and were able to take one of the dragon boats across the lake. It was really nice to sit on the boat - three days of intense sightseeing was taking its toll.

The Summer Palace also is home to the world's longest corridor - an interesting and random fact.

After lunch we switched seasons and toured the Winter Palace. My Renmin friend, Shawna, said this was the place of Chinese humiliation. Stone rubble stood where a beautiful palace once stood. It was destroyed in the late 1800s during the first war. There used to be a system of fountains that were controlled by a large basin in the center of the complex.

Later, we ate dinner and went to

see a performance by the Peking Opera entitled "The Marriage of the Dragon and Phoenix". It was very different than any musical performance I have ever seen. The costumes and colors were amazing and the singing and dancing gave me the sense I was experiencing a taste of traditional and authentic Chinese culture. The opera was subtitled, but the text would move so fast sometimes it was too hard to read. A band playing traditional instruments were stage left. It was equally fun to watch them play as well. Exhausted, we returned to the hotel and said goodbye to our BOCOG friends. It will be nice to have a day off Monday!

Ted

Food Frenzy

2008-07-14T00:36:00.000+08:00

This blog post is a little belated as the video and information is from last Thursday night. Mark and I needed some extra time as he has helped edit the video and I have been brushing my teeth for the past four days. Want to know why? Check out the following video of one of Beijing's most unique cuisine experiences, the Donghuamen Night Market.

The Great Wall of China

2008-07-12T23:00:00.000+08:00

Today we traveled to the Great Wall of China, and it was incredible! Upon arrival, we found out that Mexico’s President, Felipe Calderon Hinojosa, was visiting as well. We had to wait outside the wall, packed like sardines, for about an hour. For a while, I didn’t think we were going to make it inside. However, once the crowd started moving, it was like a current of human bodies pushing me inside! Once we made it actually onto the Great Wall, it was unbelievable! The stairs were so steep. I was very impressed at the numerous couples who appeared to be in their 80s, making their way to the top of the Wall. However, coming down was a steep slope. I actually slipped and fell, along with two other Mizzou students. It was pretty funny!

Now, just for some brief history… The Great Wall of China was built, rebuilt, and maintained between the 6th century BC and the 16th century to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire from Xiongnu attacks. The Great Wall stretches over approximately 4,000 miles from Shanhaiguan in the east to Lop Nur in the west, along an arc that roughly delineates the southern edge of Inner Mongolia, but stretches over 4,160 miles in total. At its peak, the Ming Wall was guarded by more than one million men. It has been estimated that somewhere in the range of 2 to 3 million Chinese died as part of the centuries-long project of building the wall.

Sarah

Day 12 - Scaling the Wall

2008-07-12T19:31:00.000+08:00

Hey Everyone!

We did it. Chairman Mao Zedong once said that everyone must walk a portion of the Great Wall to be a true hero, and today, we all accomplished it! After an hour bus ride

north of Beijing, we entered an area of land filled with steep

mountains and lush grasslands. The Great Wall was constructed around 320 B.C. The construction of the wall was all by hand and spanned three separate dynasties. While the wall served as a good defense, it was breached twice. (First in the 13th century by the Mongols and then again by the Manchus in the 17th century) Although much of the wall has deteriorated because of the weather, there are four main access points to the wall where it's been restored. We arrived at the most popular one: Badaling.

As we arrived at the entrance, police officers cordoned off the area. Rumors were flying that the president of Mexico was on his way to see the Great Wall as well. Unfortunately, his motorcade backlogged tourists and we were at a standstill in line. I can honestly say I have never experienced anything like it. We were shoulder to shoulder with people in the hot sun. I've been on the streets of Beijing and on buses, but this was the worst. The motorcade blocked the main entrance to the Great Wall so hundreds of us were forced through a small gateway.

The pushing was intense and I found myself pinned - literally pushed to the point where I could not push away - to the wall. Someone fell at the entrance as well. The force of the mob was stronger than I was and many of us were forced into each other as the group pushed. At the threshold, I was pushed forward and ended up smashing the police officer touching almost

every part of his body as I was rolled over him. It was the most intense three minutes I've ever experienced. In the back of my mind I was thinking if I fell, I would be trampled. One girl behind me screamed as men literally fell onto her.

I had my camera rolling through all of this. I've posted below the video in its entirety. The video is shaky, but what I find interesting is the sound. It's a little over 1:30, but worth the time.

The rest of the experience was breathtaking! Every step provided a new vista for incredible picture taking. At one of the junctions, you could veer right or left. A couple of us decided to go left because it looked less crowded and started making the hike up. The incline was so great that you were almost facing the ground as you walked. For the most part, there were no stairs. Stairs were only used when the incline was much greater. A few of us reached the high point. It was very liberating to see the mountain range and the length of the wall. Going down the wall was even more challenging. At some points, we had to run down the slope! I am so glad we did it, though. The weather was perfect. You know how when you see a famous landmark and dream about being there - and then you're actually there? It was surreal to walk the Great Wall.

After lunch, we headed to the Ming Tombs, the burial site for 13 Ming emperors. We took a tour of the area and went down into one of the tombs. This was very interesting and a nice contrast to activities earlier in the day.

For dinner, we went to The Olympic Green and ate just a few steps away from the Bird's Nest and the Water Cube. After dinner, a friend and I walked over to get some pictures of the buildings. The building to the right is modeled after a dragon and is directly west of the Bird's Nest. I'm sure you will see pretty shots of this building during the Olympic coverage. The tall building represents the head of the dragon, the next three buildings represent the body and the last building represents the tail.

The Bird's Nest is amazing. You don't truly get a good impression of the building until you get up close. The framework is so intricate and all of the pieces lock into place. It's hard to believe 100,000 people can fit inside. I'm hoping to come back at night to see these buildings lit up.

Here's video of the Great Wall. This was a really adventurous and awesome day!

P.S. - Someone asked about the pickpocketing here and if it was a problem. Since I've arrived here in Beijing, I've always kept my wallet in my front pocket. While this is a little different, it keeps my money closer to me. I've heard pickpocketing is bad here, but no one in the Missouri group has had any bad luck!

Ted

Day 11 - Clean Water and Ancient Traditions

2008-07-11T21:46:00.000+08:00

Hey Everyone!

Our first day of our BOCOG tour started out wet - figuratively and literally. It rained this morning as we left Renmin for the Beijing Drainage Group Qinghe Water Reclamation Plant. China's main concern is that with the enormous influx of people in an already booming city, there won't be enough clean water. The plant we visited has devoted an entire area to processing water for the Olympic Games. The plant, the biggest of its kind, uses complex UF membrane filtration to clean the water and can process 80,000 meters cubed per day. 60,000 of that is devoted to the games. Most of the water is used to replenish lakes on the Olympic Green. Additional water recycled at the plant is used to serve the northern part of the city.

After lunch, we took an hour drive XiangTang - what they're dubbing "New Olympics, New Village". Upon arrival we were inundated with signs saying "Enjoy life Enjoy being in paradise Be there at Xiangtang". I would compare this to an enclosed community in the States. Our tour guide told us this is were wealthy villagers lived and is serving as an experiment for future residents. We stopped by a row of connected houses. Each house began with a courtyard that led off to different rooms - kitchen, bedrooms, living room.

Residents of these new homes (built in 2002) sold their land to the government and the government put these people in the new homes. Everything was very clean and we could tell this was very nice living.

Our final area we visited included a Tai Chi demonstration where we were encouraged to join, a calligraphy class and a look at the local nursing home. One woman in the home was 102 years old! She cleaned her room especially for us.

Our friend Lauren posing with one of the nursing home residents.

In the evening, we went to a famous restaurant in Beijing known for its Peking Duck. We were all famished and ate so much. Everything was so wonderful. The thing that I have noticed is that there is always so much food left over. They bring out huge dishes (many of them!) and we are left wasting so much. There is no "take out" and I'm sure the food is thrown away. The duck was great. Take a look at the video to see clips of our day and the traditional way to eat Peking Duck!

Ted

Day 10 - Prayerful Afternoon

2008-07-10T23:20:00.000+08:00

Hey Everyone!

This morning, I spent 20 minutes trying to find the nearest piano to practice. I found out there was no piano on campus, but there is a School of Music in China and I have to take a taxi. After lunch, a couple of us went to the Lama Temple, the most famous Buddhist temple outside of Tibet.

1,500 monks used to live within the temple but now only 70 remain. The layout of the Lama Temple is similar to the Forbidden City in that you continuously walk through large courtyards separated by large buildings.

These buildings, including the Hall of the Heavenly Kings and Hall of Eternal Protection, house shrines of different manifestations of Buddha. The Hall of Ten Thousand Happinesses contains the largest Buddha carved out of sandalwood. It stands 80 feet high! One of the tour guides said the tree was purchased from the government and it took three years to get the tree to the temple and three years to carve the Buddha. Another interesting item was the prayer wheel.

Worshipers would place a prayer inside the wheel and spin it, sending the prayer to heaven.

Incense trays were outside each shrine and we saw many people praying. The place had a calm feeling attached to it and a number of us commented on how relaxed we were all feeling.

Right across the street was the Confucius Temple. This again was very tranquil. Preserving the Confucius Temple has been a priority for the government. Throughout the main square I kept hearing soothing flute-like music and thought it was a recording from hidden speakers. Later, I realized a woman was playing that music on an ancient pottery instrument (Xin?). The fingering was a lot like a flute except you were covering holes on a round object.

We each got a chance to try playing it, but to no avail. It was a lot harder than it looked!

After a long day we headed back, but not before stopping off at a Super Walmart. Other than the famous logo and smiley face mascot, this Wal Mart was a lot different than in the States. The store was three floors and you had to snake your way through everything to get to an exit. You accessed the different floors via ramp escalators that also allowed carts. While you were waiting to get to the next floor, boxes of merchandise lined the escalator so you could browse while waiting. If you wanted to be really lazy, you didn't even have to move your head and just watch boxes of merchandise pass by.

Tomorrow begins our three day tour presented by the Beijing Olympic Committee and begins with a tour of the Water Purification Plant. While it may seem random, clean water is a concern for the Chinese because they believe it may run out. The water is pure when it leaves the plant, but it is uncertain what is in the water when it comes out of the tap. This dilemma is one that I hope we learn about while touring tomorrow.

I hope to have lots to write about in the coming days! Thanks to all for posting comments! We get them all and appreciate your support and dedication to our blog site and to us. This has been a lot of fun and I hope it's fun for you, too. I hope you can experience China vicariously through us!

Ted

Lama Temple

2008-07-10T22:30:00.000+08:00

Lama Temple, or Yanghegong, was originally built in 1694 and used as the official residence for court eunuchs of the Ming dynasty. It was converted to the royal court of Prince Yongzheng, a son of Emperor Kang Xi of the Qing Dynasty. Before he ascended the throne, during the 33rd year (1693) of Kangxi's reign of the Qing dynasty, it was remamed Yonghegong. After the prince came to the throne in 1723, half of the residence was used as an imperial palace and the other half was converted to a lamasery, a monastery for Mongolian and Buddhist Monks as it remains today. Lama Temple is now a typical Tibetan Monastery. Having been closed for many years during the Cultural Revolution, it was refurbished and reopened in 1980. It was incredible to see people actually worshiping and praying in person. I find other religions fascinating! This was one experience I will never forget!

Wanfuge (Pavilion of Ten Thousand Happinesses) absolutely blew me away! It is the last formal palace to be visited in the Lama Temple. This is the highest palace because it is three stories high. Inside this pavilion there are tens of thousands of Buddhas displayed along every level, and in the centre there is an enormous statue of Maitreya positioned on a white marble base. It was built between 1748 and 1750 A.D. The statue (eighteen metres above ground and eight metres below ground) was carved from a single trunk of white sandal wood. In August 1990 A.D. this Buddha was in the Guinness Book of records. Unfortunately, since this is a practicing temple of worship, we were not allowed to take pictures inside because it’s disrespectful.

CCTV

2008-07-10T19:00:00.000+08:00

I was interviewed by China Central Television (CCTV), along with Alex Monnig, another Mizzou student. CCTV is a 24-hour news channel, China´s largest national TV network. CCTV is dedicated to reporting news and information to its global audience, with a special focus on China. CCTV covers the globe via six satellites. Its programs can now be seen by 45 million subscribers outside China. Here is a link to the newscast; however, our story doesn't play until about 20 minutes in. Enjoy!

http://www.cctv.com/video/xinwenlianbo/2008/07/xinwenlianbo_300_20080709_1.shtml

Sarah

Day 9 - Mascot Sighting

2008-07-10T11:09:00.000+08:00

Hey Everyone!

Wednesday was the first of two days we had free in Beijing this week. At 10AM, my roommate and I heard a knock at our door. Three men dressed in red decontamination suits and the maid were standing outside our door. They wanted to spray our room for bugs. This was a first for me. I told them to come back later when we were out of the room.

For lunch, a few friends and I went walking down the main strip outside of Renmin and took a gamble. We ordered a few dishes off the picture menu and hoped for the best...and the food was wonderful! A lot of the food was spicy including a tofu dish that was served heated by a cooking element and an eggplant dish. We also ordered a dish of ribs and potatoes that was very good. I've found that here, in China, you really can't go wrong with the food. It's all new and interesting!

In the afternoon, we decided to go to the Beijing Zoo to see the panda exhibit. The zoo entrance fee, including a special fee for the panda house, cost 20 yuan - about 3 dollars! The exhibit itself was very cool. In the United States, a zoo owning one or maybe two pandas receives nation-wide attention. Here, in the panda's native part of the world, it's quite different. We counted over 10 pandas in the zoo. One house had six pandas together. We came at just the right time because it was feeding time. The pandas couldn't have cared less that there were hundreds of humans face-pressed against the viewing glass. Some pandas were climbing on

logs, taking a bath in the man-made lake, but most were eating - many of them on their backs with their feet up in the air. It was an incredible sight.

<- Look at this little ride for kids at the zoo. It had a little motor that gave kids a ride around the main plaza. They even had one that looked like a mini rickshaw.

The ride back was a little less thrilling. The bus transit system is a little different in China. When you get on the bus, you have to instantly contort your body to fit in

between two other people. When it's time for someone to get off, they'll punch through a space no wider than your fist and somehow make it through. I was almost pushed onto an unfortunate man's lap. No one says anything. You just push until you get through. On the way to the zoo, I was one of the last to get on the bus. The bus started pulling away as my foot was on the first step - my other foot was still on the road. The door closed with me halfway in and my foot got caught! The driver started yelling and I tried to push the doors back open as we started pulling away. Luckily, they opened and I jumped on. My friends were surprised. The Chinese either didn't see the incident or found it routine. Check out the video of shots from the day - and somehow we got the bus closing on me on tape.

Ted

Temple of Heaven

2008-07-09T19:00:00.001+08:00

Yesterday we had the day off, so I decided to travel to the Temple of Heaven in the southern part of Beijing. The Temple of Heaven is China's largest existing complex of ancient sacrificial buildings. Occupying an area of 273 hectares, it is three times the area of the Forbidden City. It was built in 1420 for emperors to worship Heaven. The principle buildings include the Altar of Prayer for Good Harvests, Imperial Vault of Heaven and Circular Mound Altar. It was incredible to see this spiritual place of worship firsthand; however, I couldn’t help but wonder what the people of China think, having the Temple of Heaven no longer a place of worship, but a tourist attraction. I’m going to ask one of our Chinese grad students their opinion on this topic the first chance I get.

Lions, Tigers and Bears... Oh My

2008-07-09T16:48:00.000+08:00

I went with a few from the group and paid the low price of 20 yuan to see the Beijing Zoo. While it was not as big as the San Diego, Omaha or Chicago Zoo, it had a huge display of Gian Pandas, many that made their way here after the recent earthquake this spring severely damaged the Wolong Giant Panda Breeding Center and Reserve. This zoo has become a very important survival tool for the Giant Pandas as 30% of the world's panda population was affected by the latest earthquake. The food supply in the area around Wolong was also jeopardized.

The zoo had many different animals, but also had the basic monkey house, reptile house and even a spot for the penguins.

The animals were not the only things the locals wanted to take pictures of. As we left the penguins, a class of students who appeared between 4 and 5 years old came to get their picture taken with us. That happened several times as like at the Forbidden City, many Chinese people there had never seen anybody that looked different from them.

Beijing Experience

2008 Olympic Games - KOMU Coverage

Day 55 - An Extinguished Flame (Supplemental)

Day 55 - An Extinguished Flame

Day 54 - Women's Finals

Full Circle

Day 53 - Day Passes

Day 52 - Hello Handball

U.S. beats Brazil

Day 51 - Farewell Gymnastics

Day 50 - ONS wraps up

Shawn gets GOLD!!!

Day 49 - I May Look Asian...

Day 48 - Compare and Contrast

Day 48- An Olympic Dream Come True

Day 47 - World Records

Day 46 - Pin Culture

Nastia Liukin takes GOLD!!!

Day 45 - Rain on the Beach

Today Show - August 13, 2008

Going for Gold!

Day 44 - Silver and Gold

Day 43 - Men's Team Final - Victory!

Look who was on the Today Show!

Day 42 - The "Tonight" Show

Where are the fans?

Day 41 - Thunder and Rain

Day 40 - The Opening Ceremonies - A Local Perspective

Fire in the sky!

Opening Ceremonies & more...

Quick note on the opening ceremony

Opening Ceremony!

Day 39 - *****THE 2008 OLYMPICS HAVE BEGUN!!!!!!*****

8 hours and counting!

Day 38 [20.5 HOURS!!!] - Calm Before the Storm

Day 38 [Olympics Eve!!!] - Beijing Huan Ying Ni!!!

My first great story of the Olympics

The Mess with Wess

Day 37 [2 DAYS TO GO!!!!] - Podium Training

Food at the Venue

Opening Ceremony

Day 36 [3 DAYS TO GO!!!] - Video Promo

Day 35 [4 DAYS TO GO] - Press Conference

High Speed Experience

What would Simon say?

Day 34 [5 DAYS TO GO] - Luggage

Day 33 [6 Days To Go] - Rehearsal

A Ceremony of sorts

Countdown to the Games...

Waiting for Dwyer

Day 32 [7 Days To Go] - Green Nightlife

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

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

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

First for the first time

Hockey Anyone?

A beautiful day in the neighborhood!

Day 28 [10 Days To Go] - Authentic China

Day 27 [11 Days To Go] - Sniffing

Day 26 - Melody

Fighting for Olympic tickets!

Day 25 - People Soup

BOCOG Training

Day 24 - Schedules Released!

"Yeah, that's the ticket"

Day 23 - A Major Headache...

Day 22 - Editing

Time to Tri(athlon) Something New

Day 21 - Three Weeks

Day 20 - Balancing Act

Chaoyang Theater Acrobatics World

Checking out some of the venues

Day 19 - Transportation Woes

Let's get this party started!

Day 18 - Sexy Owl

Winter & Summer Palace, CCTV, NIS and more

Day 17b - Posing

Day 17 - Uniform Uniformity Part 2

Five days until training begins.

Day 16 - Euphoria

Day 39 - THE 2008 OLYMPICS HAVE BEGUN!!!!!!