One of the best day at the Olympics...

Today was the Gala and yes- it is all it is made out to be. Plus I am kind of famous. Beth and I did end up leading the athletes to their apparatus so I got to lead the way for athletes such as Nastia Liukin (USA), Jonathan Horton (USA), the oldest female gymnast and 5 time Olympian, currently from Germany but previously from Russia, Oskana C., a rhythmic dancer from a country that was formerly with the USSR, and Deferr, a Spanish male gymnast.  I hope to write more on the experience later- but it was a blast! I was told that the MU people who were sitting in the stands yelled my name when they saw me leading some of the athletes- I guess I'm famous now! :) 

It was great to rub elbows with them and get a picture with a few before the job started. It was a little stressful in the beginning but got easier as we went along- although I never was quite sure where to stand, but I did figure out to move for the photographers! One of the Chinese managers was in such awe over Nastia Liukin that he stepped right in front of  photographers who were taking shots like crazy over her, especially when she was doing her tumbling. The photographers were yelling at him and he didn't have a clue so I had to tap him on the shoulder- I don't think he liked being told to move, but I don't like him getting in other people's way, especially when they are trying to do a job. 

My favorite was Jonathan Horton, although I have collected quotes from him previously. He has given some great quotes and is a wonderful person to be around. Some of the other athletes only wanted to talk to other athletes, their coaches, or no one- making them seem a little stuck up, but I can't blame them- the Chinese workers and volunteers were constantly hounding them for pictures and autographs so it must have been bothersome, especially whey they were about to perform in front of a packed arena that holds 18,000 people. My favorite was talking with Shawn Johnson (USA) when she was talking about how crazy it was with everyone trying to get photos- it made going anywhere that much more difficult. She was also a really sweet girl to work with, always smiling and eager to start up a conversation. 

The experience has left me a little tired, but I am so happy I had the opportunity. I was even able to meet some very important people along the way, including the announcer for the evening and one of my favorites, Frank, an Australian worker who managed the technical equipment for the venue. He had a great sense of humor and was always good for a few laughs whenever we bumped into him. 

It was absolutely crazy when the show ended. Volunteers and athletes alike came onto the stage to take pictures and even after the athletes had left, the volunteers were able to look at a few of the apparatus' which was a treat in its own. It was nice to finally get a perspective of what the athletes had been performing on after having watched closely for more than 13 days. It was also a sad departure at the end of the day. We all met back at the ONS office to say good bye to our international managers. Even though we will all continue to work, we will be in different venues now. Sally (Australia), John (USA), Carlyle (India) and Denyse (Canada) were all wonderful people to work for and I hope to meet, or even work with, them in the future. We said farewell to our Chinese counterparts and are all headed out to night for a little celebration now that our work is 'done.' (About half of the group volunteered to continue working at the National Indoor Stadium venue during Handball finals, myself included). 

I hope to add pictures sooner than later- my memory chip filled up about 30 minutes before we left the venue but hopefully I can get the photos somehow! :) 

I hope everyone back home had a great summer- I am actually starting to miss home, even though I am having a blast here. Can't wait to see everyone, I hope you didn't forget me! :)

Gymnastics Gala

Started in 1996 at the Atlanta Olympic Games, the Gymnastics Gala is the third most sold out even of the Olympics, after opening and closing ceremonies respectively. It combines talent with entertainment, featuring gymnasts that medalled, dancers, rhythmic gymnastics and Chinese pop stars this year. Working in the venue, we get the option of attending the Gala tomorrow. 

My good friend Beth is fluent in French and translated some papers from French to English for the commentator. To show his gratitude, he offered her two seats to sit with him at the Gala. Quite a treat- the best seats in the house. Beth offered me her second seat so we met with the man today to iron out the details about tomorrow (Wednesday 20th). I saw the seats he was offering us- right on the floor, where judges would sit! We then talked to his boss who is basically running the show and gets the last say. She offered us the job of leading the athletes from the warm-up hall to their correct podium. The lights will be dimmed so most likely we won't be seen on TV, but having never seen a Gala and not being 100% sure what is going to happen- I am crossing my fingers that someone back home will see me! :) So we were bumped from the best seats in the house to escorting the gymnastics medallists! Beth didn't even know who she was translating for when she was offered the task! Crazy how things work out- but I am super excited and am going to bed now so that I can be well rested for tomorrow- I can only imagine the excitement! 

The National...

Completely random, but fun- I enjoy visiting different countries and hearing about their National... 

The National drink of Morocco is Green Tea- they always serve it to guests as a sign of hospitality and you can tell if it is quality Green Tea depending on if it has bubbles, which is a good sign. It is also sweet and served hot. 

The National plant (possibly flower?) of Scotland is the thistle- and yes I remember seeing some there. 

The National sport of China is Table Tennis- and they are hard core. I remember that in the first few weeks of training at our venue there were a couple of tennis tables set up so the Chinese workers could play during their lunch break after they had eaten. 

These make me wonder what the U.S. has dubbed its own. We are normally familiar with the motto, tree, or bird of a state but what about the country as a whole? I am aware that the National bird is the bald eagle- but what other objects embody our culture? I think that by knowing a country's national whatever helps you to better understand that country, its history and what is specific to its culture. I also believe that, if you scratch a little deeper than the surface, you can make discoveries by connecting dots with other information you are aware of. For example, the National sport of China is Table Tennis. Without really knowing the history of the sport I can hypothesize that maybe it is easier for everyone to play, regardless of age, gender or socio-economic standing. Also, I have noticed, especially being at the Olympics, that certain ethnicities are better at certain sports and certain countries are good as well. The fastest runners tend to be black people from developing countries, where as those good at hurdles are black people from developed countries. The best swimmers are white and from more developed countries where they can afford the proper training equipment. Asian cultures dominate at, what may seem to an American, the most random sports: shooting, table tennis, badminton. This is just scratching the surface myself and going off of what I have seen, heard and experienced. I haven't done any research but am interested in the idea of different nationalities or ethnicities being stronger in certain areas due to their genetics and environment (money, mountains, etc). Possibly, what strengths a certain group may have compared to another and why. 

It's kind of funny how in life we go from curious 5-year-olds always asking 'Why?' to young adults who, after years of being told without asking, begin to ask 'Why?' again. Only this time we want answers and if they mean that much to us, we can go out and do the research to find the answers ourselves. 

I can see already this topic has strayed- but I do believe that a lot can be inferred from a National ___. The eagle is very symbolic to Americans and Moroccans have shown me some of the best hospitality ever- I think the green tea represents their hospitable culture more than their love of tea. What else can we learn about a country and what they dub to be National? I hope that I remember this subject and am able to learn more about it. It almost has the feel for a good outline for a speech!

Today's Posts

The following are a few blogs from a few weeks ago. Things have gotten a little crazy with the Olympics starting but I found this that hadn't been posted on the net. Sorry for the delay but here's what I have...

Hey all- I'm getting behind some more. It's harder to blog when pictures won't upload- makes things a little bland. But as you will read, I am having a great time and keeping super busy. Things are about to get crazy. We got special stickers so gymnastics reporters get to be on the Olympic Green during opening ceremonies, watch the show on a big screen and see the fireworks up close. Today is my last day of rest. I have a professor dinner tonight- I will be eating a traditional Chinese meal with a professor from Renmin University. Tomorrow is opening ceremonies and I start work on the 9th (men's qualifications!!!) and 10th (women's qualifications!!!). We have a day off on the 11th and then start again. I turn 21 on Saturday. I work that day and get to interview the US men's team so that is really exciting- no doubt I will have an amazing birthday. Seeing how China has no drinking age I guess I can go out for a drink in American tradition but back to work on the 10th where I get to interview the female gymnast from Poland and other English speaking female gymnasts. This is going to be an intense few weeks and I couldn't be happier. This is what I came to do and am having a blast. I have already signed up to volunteer at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada!

Also, several of the posts are ones that I wrote yesterday during slower times at training so if I am talking in first person it is because I was there. Watching podium practice was amazing!

Podium Training

Today (yesterday) was the last day of training and the first taste of the real thing. I haven't been on an emotional roller coaster that intense since the last speech I gave in April. 

I heard rumor yesterday that today was going to be a podium practice, where the athletes are all here and run through the motiosn of the big day. This includes walking through the mix zone where we get quotes. Knowing this I made sure I had time to do my hari and make up this morning! We got to work and the rumor became reality. The day was divided into 3 sections, just like the real event. My 1st job was to collect quotes from the U.S. Men's Team, who weren't expected to talk until a press conference in the afternoon. After an early lunch our group watched the 1st set of teams practice from the stands. Then went down to the Press Mixed Zone to get quotes. We got a little lost and darn the luck got stuck on an elevator with 3 French gymnasts who were practicing in the afternoon. Every face in the elevator turned red and all the French phrases we knew went out the door, except those of the French gymnasts! 

Once we got to the Mixed Zone we waited around. My nerves hit to roof at the beginning of practice and sky rocketed while waiting for the athletes to walk through. I felt like a 5-year-old waiting for Christmas. Me and Danielle were supposed to work together. She was nervous they would stop and talk and I was nervous they wouldn't! There was a miscommunication at teh higher up level and only three teams ended up walking through. One of them was the U.S. and of course their PR rep shut us down quick and hard but I tried to talk to a straggler into a  "small" quote. I didn't end up getting any words but I did get a smile- at that point I was happy to have gotten that much from both a personal coach and the U.S. Team Captain. I had accomplished my mission- to get a quote and if all else a smile. I want this to be fun for everyone. After that my adrenaline took a downward spiral and it took all I had not to cry in the middle of the Mixed Zone. That was my only chance to get quotes that day, the rest was to be copytaking- typing the quotes that others took. But I am stronger than that, plus I wanted to show my ONS Managers that I could handle anything and I think I did that. I wasn't upset that I didn't get the quote, I knew the whole time I probably wouldn't get one, but I was upset because that was my only chance to interview someone- kind of a catch 22. 

The second round I was more relaxed and by the third round at 8 pm I was getting tired and it was going to take a lot to shake me. My copytaking skills improved a lot during the second round, from my first set of quotes to my third I learned a lot and fixed the mistakes I had made the first time around. The third round I did pretty good, but it was a little more challenging because I was copy-taking quotes from the Chinese students and they had interview an English speaker- wrote the quote down in Chinese and had to translate back into English. Plus they had issues with getting incomplete or no quotes at all and the quotes they did get sometimes had words confused like fit instead of faith. It was harder to get what they were saying. I typed what they said and went back later to check. One of the ONS Managers had been around and had heard so he helped me fix the quotes but there were instances where they had not used the right tense as in had instead of have, which made a difference in the quotes they had taken. It was an extra challenge, but what do you do? I should now be a better copytaker  knowing how to deal with the different students and how they take quotes. I can learn to ask more questions to make sure the quotes are being published in the same context it was said- which overall is more important that getting the quote verbatim. 

Overall, Podium practice was a great experience. The 14 hours flew by quickly and I wish I could have done it today- but they didn't need the extra help, they just wanted me to get rested up. I am starting to really catch the Olympic fever. Choosing this internship came with some give and take and I am so happy I took this opportunity- there is no way this is going to be a negative experience. I am learning so much, and know that I will continue to learn from this experience for the rest of my life. I have been blessed. 

I spy with my little eye...

I saw the perfect body today- in almost 100 different ways! It still amazes me at the physique of a  gymnast. On average, they are shorter and pure muscle. Of all the tricks, maneuvers, and physical capabilities of a gymnast, flexibility is by far the most impressive to me. 

I have trouble keeping my legs perfectly straight and touch my toes. These boys can lift their leg above their chest at any given moment, do flits and twirls in the air then catch themselves hanging from only a bar, and the biggest shock to me- they can do more than a complete split, where their legs end up slightly behind their waist! I hurt for them. 

I will admit, since the first time I watched an Olympic training session, I have been doing daily stretches. I will never be as flexible as an Olympian but to improve my current abilities a little will make me happy. :) 

I will add though that I prefer training practice to podium practice because the boys don't wear shirts! :p It's like watching a Leonardo Da Vinci sketch come to life. I have nothing but the utmost respect for anyone who can take a GOD given body and get it to reach its maximum potential without using drugs like steroids. I can't even imagine the time and effort that goes into getting a physique like that, it's not something I will ever accomplish (partly because the height of a female gymnasts career is when she is 16 so I am past my maximum potential age) so I have even more respect for the person who dedicated countless hours and sweat and the inevitable injuries to reach that point. They are Olympians and deserve the title and respect that comes with it. 

Medal Count Perspective

The Olympic medal count has been a topic of conversation since August 9th when medals started being won. The official Beijing Olympic newspaper claims everyday that China is leading the medal count, while they have more golds, the U.S. has more medals. There have been side comments of bribery or thoughts of training athletes rigorously for some years- China has known they would host the Olympics for seven years- enough to train athletes in even the most random sports. The Chinese national pride bubble is getting bigger and more flashy with each passing day and Chinese win where their national anthem can be heard.

This morning I was searching for a medal count when I came across an interactive map that adds a lot of perspective to Olympic hosts and their medal count. It tracks each countries medal count since the 1896 Athens games. (This can also serve as a great history and geography lesson). I quickly discovered a trend- China has been moving higher in the ranks of medal contender for some time now, and more eye-opening than anything else, it has been a trend for 11 out of the 26 Olympics (excluding the current Beijing 2008) that the host country receives the  most medals. So for China to win the most medals or be in the top 3 is no phenomenon or a bribing scandal, but most likely, it is history repeating itself. 

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/08/04/sports/olympics/20080804_MEDALCOUNT_MAP.html?scp=1&sq=medal%20count&st=cse

Mizzou in Beijing

Hey all- I have plans on adding to my blog this evening. I am now getting ready to eat some delicious french toast which I discovered a little over a week ago and, on my day off, am going into work anyways so that I can watch the Women's (Girls- they are too young to be women) Individual All-Around Finals. Yesterday I was able to watch Yang Wei from China take gold as was expected, the surprise silver medalist Uchimura from Japan, and the most unexpected, Caranabe from France who randomly hit all of his marks with one solid routine after another earning him the bronze when no one was even looking for France to medal. 

Now that I have seen the boys it is time for the girls- which generally catches more attention than their male counterparts. 

I hope to blog more later this afternoon about working at the Olympics and being in China. I am also wanting to work on a story for the Ralls County Herald Enterprise and other local newspapers. 

If you are interested in following more about Mizzou in Beijing I highly recommend a visit to 

http://mojobeijing.wordpress.com

This website was created by our professors here and has had tremendous success. There are also links from that page to the individual blogs of others in our group. It is definitely worth checking out. Have Fun!!

Monday 11th in review

I will expand on this blog later but to give everyone a rough over view of what I have been doing I decided to post a little something. 

The past two days of have been hectic and sleep is... well I forget what sleep is because I get so little of it. Yesterday I spent my entire day at the Gymnastics venue watching the Women's Qualifications. It was amazing- there is nothing like seeing teenage women perform very difficult routines on Uneven Bars, Vault, Balance Beam and Floor Routine. Much more to come on that. My shift wasn't until the afternoon but with permission went early to watch because the 1st group included China and Romania, the second had the US team and the third included Russia. My group included Brazil and France, both of which made the finals but were not talked about as much- I was also very tired by the time that fourth round came. 

Getting only 5 hours of sleep last night, I woke up this morning to watch Beach Volleyball- BOCOG had given us free tickets to the event. Of the entire Mizzou group, I was the only person who willingly stayed the entire time until 3pm. Most left around 1pm and some left just after the first match, which started at 9am, ended. I really wanted to stay because when will I get a chance to go to an Olympics again and watch sporting events? I take what I can when I can and can handle sacraficing sleep for Olympics- I can take naps and not go out a few nights. 

After the matches I went to lunch at 3pm with my friend Beth. We ate a 1,000 and one nights- a Middle Easter restaurant that serves great lamb! We then met Ted, Ashley and Laura at the train station and headed on over to The Today Show. It was a great experience- my signs got on TV, I got autographs from the entire Today Show crew of reporters and TV personalities. The best part was getting insight from Ann Curry when she talked with our MU group during commercial break. Her words of wisdom were noted by our group and will not soon be forgotten. My shining moment is that in the last few minutes of the show one of my signs, "Hello Perry MO" is shown in the middle of the screen- I had to give a shout out to everyone back home. We then got McDonald's and pin trading was a part of my whole day. 

I had an amazing day and have so many great memories from just a short period of time. I have to work tomorrow Publish Post morning so I am going to bed now but can't wait to elaborate on my day more. 

Beijing: Different Aspects from Different Angles

Hey all- in case you wanted to look at some other blogs here are some from people on our trip who I know are doing a great job- more to come later this is just a starter list:

Ted is a great friend and amazing professional- no doubt he will go far. 

www.beijingexperience2008.blogspot.com 

I finally turned 21!!!!!

It's been a little over a week since my last blog and go figure I would finally get the chance to blog on my 21st birthday! But don't worry mom- I have some good friends who surprised me with a cake and took me out. They were smart and we went out a few days before everyone had to start working at their venue. My pictures have not been wanting to upload to the internet lately so hopefully I can figure something out in the next few days- blogging is just more fun with pictures.

I have known for more than three years now that I would turn 21 on a Saturday- crazy how that doesn't seem to matter in the end. I spent the evening of the 8th at the Olympic Green and while I was not inside the bird's nest for the Opening Ceremonies, I was right outside of it. By far my favorite part was hanging out with the people who came to watch the ceremonies. Decorated people from all of the world (that almost seems like an understatement) covered the Olympic Green. We got pictures with or of people who were decked out in their nations shirts, flags, face paints, hats and so much more. Meeting those people was so much fun. I also 'worked' so that I could get pictures of the National Indoor Stadium filled with athletes preparing to walk in the Ceremonies. My job consisted of sitting with reporters! We then spent the rest of the evening outside meeting people, watching fireworks and the athletes as they walked from one stadium to the next. It was a great experience and at midnight, I turned 21 on a subway where my friends proceeded to sing happy birthday very loudly!

I woke up today tired but excited. I ate french toast for breakfast (the best ever, it's not served with syrup but doesn't need it!) and headed to the Olympics. Once I got there my nerves went crazy. Today was the Men's Gymnastics Qualifications. I got to see 98 male gymnasts and my job was to interview the US team which was in the first group. I talked with the US team captain Kevin Tan, which was like Fuwa on my birthday cake. Who interviews an olympian on their 21st birthday? Who is at the Olympics on their 21st birthday or even in China for that matter? I was star struck by my own dumb luck for a good portion of the morning. My job lasted from 10am to 1pm but I had had such an amazing experience that I wanted to watch the second round of mens qualifications (there were three divisions). 

I ended up staying at the National Indoor Stadium until 10pm, having McDonald's for supper, and watching the qualifications to the end. Some people would watch the competition from the office but why watch on television what you get to see in real life? I can always watch the Olympics on t.v. but I can't always watch them in real life- that is a once in a life time opportunity. I find it funny that going to an Olympics was never a dream of mine, mainly because I thought it was impossible and I wanted to wish for possible things- it's crazy how the impossible becomes possible when you don't even try. I got to see the key athletes and watch some smile without regret and others cry with broken dreams. Talk about culture- no two people had the same experience today- even as spectators we were from different countries, were different ages and had different expectations. I know what today meant for me, I can only imagine what it may mean to a French pre-teen, Brandon O'Neile who watched his dreams quickly fade, Yang Wei who performed amazingly in front of his home crowd, the Chinese volunteers who wouldn't let us sit in the good seats that were completely empty the whole day, David Durante who watched as all of the US Men's Teams alternates competed, the YMCA group from St. Louis, MO, or the chunky little boy who was bouncing around and screaming. Oh to see the world through the eyes of another. 

I am getting ready to go to bed now. I texted my manager and she said I could come in early tomorrow! I really want to see all of the 'Women's' Qualifications (I don't know if barely 16 counts as a woman) and get a good feel for what is going on. Sure I could sleep but everyone has Monday off while gymnastics takes a break before finals so I can sleep then. I had originally planned to get a long massage today and eat some American food and just relax but who cares? My birthday happens every year, the Beijing Olympics don't. The most entertaining one-liner I have, "I turned 21... and China has no drinking age." 

I am going to try and catch up on some much needed rest so I can be bright eyed tomorrow. There's a good chance I could have a 13 hour day tomorrow- and I couldn't be more excited!