Day 53 - Day Passes

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 46 - Pin Culture

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

Day 44 - Silver and Gold

Hey Everyone!

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

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

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

Ted 

Day 42 - The "Tonight" Show

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

Day 40 - The Opening Ceremonies - A Local Perspective

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.

By

 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!

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

8 hours and counting!

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

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!!!

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:

Day 33 [6 Days To Go] - Rehearsal

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

Waiting for Dwyer

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

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

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

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

Day 32 [7 Days To Go] - Green Nightlife

Hey Everyone!

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

Ted

Day 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

Hockey Anyone?

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

A beautiful day in the neighborhood!

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

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

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

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

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

Take Care,

Mark