Day 49 - I May Look Asian...

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

The Mess with Wess

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

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

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

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

What would Simon say?

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

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

A Ceremony of sorts

Hi All!

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

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

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

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

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


Take Care,
Mark

Day 32 [7 Days To Go] - Green Nightlife

Hey Everyone!

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

Ted

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

Hey Everyone!

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

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

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

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

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

Ted

Box to go vs. "Basudoogoo"

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

Hey Everyone!

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

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

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

Ted

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

Hey Everyone!

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

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

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

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

Ted

Hockey Anyone?

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

Day 27 [11 Days To Go] - Sniffing

Hey Everyone!

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

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

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

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

Ted

Day 26 - Melody

Hey Everyone!

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

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

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

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

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

Ted

Fighting for Olympic tickets!

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

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