So a lot of people have been asking, why do I need tickets to get into Olympic events? Don’t I have a press pass? Can’t I get in anywhere?

The answer is no. I don’t have the sideways-8 Infinity sign all the press wear to get into any venue. As a volunteer, I’m accredited to get into the Mixed Zone (where press and athletes mix), but only in the National Indoor Stadium. I’m not accredited to get into any other venues. Sometimes, I’m not even accredited to get into the NIS press tribune, where the press watch the gymnastics meets! My bosses don’t care if I see the sport, just that I can ask good questions of the athletes.

That’s why scoring tickets to Athletics and Beach Volleyball was so huge for me. And only by sheer luck did I get to see the inside of the Bird’s Nest and Water Cube.

That’s also why it kills me to see so many empty seats. According to the Times Online, even parents of competitors are having trouble getting seats! Anyone out there going to the Games and had trouble finding tickets?
(more)

Well, I’ve shown you the Bird’s Nest and the National Indoor Stadium. All that’s left on the Olympic Green is…

The Water Cube!

Check out my three vlogs from the Water cube:

• The Water Cube at night
• The inside of the Water Cube
• Is the side of the Water Cube really squishy?

(more)

Just back from sitting right under the Olympic Flame at the Bird’s Nest National Stadium, where I watched the world’s fastest man Usain Bolt beat the Olympic record in Men’s 100 meter!

The 100M was the last event of a long day, but Bolt’s victory and victory dance woke me right up. His left shoe was untied when he crossed the finish line (not that it mattered, he was so far ahead.) He held up the shoe to the crowds and cameras, beaming. He ran a victory lap with the Jamaican flag, stopping every few yards to dance to reggae music and wave to screaming fans.

I and my Mizzou friends danced with him, though we were high up in the stands, surrounded by Chinese spectators more interested in our raucous cheering than in the athletes. They took pictures of us as we yelled “U-S-A” to American athletes (including former Lake Highlands resident Darvis "Doc" Patton!)

The Bird’s Nest was like a bigger, cleaner version of any other stadium I’ve been to. The music switched off between Coldplay and accordion solos. The concession stands sold sausages (not hot dogs) and a soft, buttery bread (no pretzels).

Biggest difference? I could only find squat toilets in the Bird’s Nest bathrooms. Why isn’t the premier stadium in the world right now equipped with modern bathrooms?

Click the links for my videos from the Bird’s Nest:

• A tour of the Bird’s Nest
• Checkin' out the field of play
• My view of a heat for men’s hurdles

(more)

Congratulations Nastia! Don’t you just love seeing a hometown girl do well?

I watched the medal ceremony for Women's Artistic Gymnastics Individual All-Around from the press area of the National Indoor Stadium, where I stood next to a crying and ecstatic Meredith Vieira. She just gazed at our two medalists, clutching her heart and smiling.

The other four members of the US Women’s Gymnastics Team were across the aisle, yelling for Natsia and Shawn and taking picture after picture of them on the podium. Once the Star Spangled Banner played, each of them had red eyes and quivering chins.

For great coverage of Nastia’s performances, check out the Dallas Morning News’ Olympics Blog here.


(more)

So you know how each gymnast has to wear a bib number to identify her? Here’s what my uncle Larkin noticed today…

Nastia Liukin, who won Gold today, wore bib #412. 4+1+2 adds to 7.
Shawn Johnson, Silver medalist, wore #411. 4+1+1=6.
Yang Yilin from China won Bronze in bib #325. 3+2+5=10.

So who had 8, China’s lucky number?

Jiang Yuyuan, the contending Chinese athlete who fell on her bum on vault and ended up in 6th place. She wore bib #323.

So much for Auspicious No. 8!
(more)

As of today, I have two weeks left in Beijing! Weird.

I just got back from the laundry center across campus where I dropped off a couple of loads, enough to last me till I go home.

It ain’t the media village, but they’ll wash your clothes for 5 RMB ($.70) per load, dry it for 6 RMB ($.90) per load, and fold it for free! All together, I paid 11 RMB ($1.60). Way cheap!

Just another interesting aspect of Chinese campus life.
(more)

Before work today, a group of us crowded around a friend’s laptop watching NBC’s broadcast of the Opening Ceremonies. I watched China Central Television’s version of the show last week, so it was interesting to watch the ceremony with commentary in English.

After the countdown, we watched the footstep “fireworks” make their way toward the Bird’s Nest in what we now know was a computer-animated image. I listened closely to hear what NBC had to say.

As the “fireworks” went off, one announcer told listeners they were watching the footsteps of history, “quite literally.” Then, it continues (transcript from Bloomberg):

Matt Lauer: “You're looking at a cinematic device employed by Zhang Yimou here. This is actually almost animation. A footstep a second, 29 in all, to signify the 29 Olympiads.”

Bob Costas: “We said earlier that aspects of this opening ceremony are almost like cinema in real time. Well this is quite literally cinematic.”

Click (more) for my Chinese friends’ reactions to “almost animation.”
(more)

A few weeks ago, I posted about how impossible it was to get a ticket for an Olympic event. And now look…

During men’s qualifications on 8/9, the National Indoor Stadium was only about half-full. It filled up a little more for women’s qualification, but I’ve yet to see the “sold out” stadium touted so often by the media.

But maybe it’s just gymnastics? Curious, I kept my eyes open when we watched Beach Volleyball a few days ago.

The crowd at Chao Yang Park was so sparse volunteer cheerleaders were called in. They’re hard to miss: wearing yellow uniforms with a fuwa-like mascot on their shirt, cheering in perfect unison with red ‘thunder sticks,’ and sitting in the only packed section in the entire stadium.

So now reporters are asking: Why all the empty seats? Click (more) to read some of the answers.
(more)

OK, so I'm just back from the Today Show.

If you watched the beginning this morning, I'm standing right behind Al during the weather wearing an orange shirt. My sign says "Ni hao Sport and Babydoll!" (nicknames for my grandparents.)

I only stayed for the first 15 minutes. Lame, I know. But I got a call about some possible Athletics tickets for the 16th, so I figured I have to check that out.

But don't worry, I'll go back. There was practically no one at the show, and it was really easy to get up to the front to meet Matt, Meredith, Al and the men's gymnastics team! It was kind of weird, actually. I mean, where are all the Americans? I thought I would be embarrassed by how ubiquitous US fans would be in Beijing. Instead, Americans here are far and few between. Why is the only red, white and blue I see from France?

Hilariously, a ton of Chinese people crowded the set to get a glimpse of what was going on, but they all left about 3 minutes before the show started. Apparently, they didn't quite know what was going on...

(more)

So rumor has it Melissa Lawson, an Arlington resident who recently won Nashville Star, is going to be on the Today show today!

It’s been so fun seeing hometown-girl Nastia Liukin compete at gymnastics that I thought I’d head down to the Olympic Green tonight and see if I can catch a glimpse of Melissa.

So if you watch this morning, keep an eye out for TWO Texas girls! I’ll be in an orange shirt.
(more)