Official uniforms and shopping adventures of pretty ladies

Today made me feel like a true Olympic volunteer. In the morning, we signed the official Beijing Olympic volunteer forms, met with our venue managers (I'll likely work the BMX biking event), and tried on our uniforms. The uniform trying-on confused us all. Sizes in China do not match US sizes at all. Most women here are tiny, and the sizes reflect it. Many in our group unhappily found themselves fitting into XXL or larger sized shirts and pants. But the excitement of learning about our schedule for the next week tempered the pain.The Beijing Organizing Committee has planned for us a three-day tour of the city. We will visit historical sites such as the Summer Palace, eat traditional meals like the famous Peking roast duck, and even attend a Chinese opera.

After our Olympic meeting many of us headed out for shopping at the Silk Market. We found ourselves adventuring through a maze of shoes, purses, and clothes, hearing chants of "pretty lady, come look" coming from each consumer-snaring booth of products. I didn't buy anything. I plan to move in for the kill once I hone my haggling skills.

The shopping excursion continued at the high end Oriental Mall near Tianamen Square. The mall's BMW Lifestyle store featuring Z4's surrounded by racks of designer clothes wowed me. The Black Sesame and Almond Blizzard from Dairy Queen also put a smile on my face.

Topics to look forward to: massages, sewage treatment, and Mao's body!