The final forty-eight

In 48 hours I will stand on American ground. As much as I've come to love living in Beijing--I couldn't ask for a better summer--I get butterflies at the thought of returning home. I miss my family, my friends, my boyfriend, and I can't wait to hear about everything I've been missing in the US.

Thank you to everyone who read my blog and left me comments so I knew I wasn't just speaking into the wind. I hope that despite my often exhausted and hurried state when blogging, I shed at least some light on the Olympics, Beijing and life as a volunteer/student/journalist/China outsider/Olympic insider in the vibrant and changing land of China.

Now I'm ready to take off on another grand adventure--rediscovering America. Bathtubs? Refrigerators? Cheese? What are these things! While readjusting to these physical comforts of home should pose no problem, readjusting to American attitudes, lifestyles, habits and values may provide a shock. But I came to China to expand my knowledge of a culture and to try to understand the perspective of the Chinese, and I think I've succeeded. Even if I never have a chance to return to China again, I won't let the experiences I take back with me fade.

With love, nostalgia and anticipation,

Traci

A whirlwind of activity

I'd like to break a cardinal rule of writing and use a sport cliche: the last few days have passed in a whirlwind. All us FQRs worked the final day of BMX, witnessing three Americans medal in the first-ever Olympic BMX event. Congratulations to Mike Day, Donny Robinson and Jill Kintner for winning silver, bronze and bronze, respectively! Today both the women and men raced in mountain biking, which the French, Swiss and Germans dominated. Both BMX and mountain biking took place in brutal heat. I hid under the shade of an NBC umbrella while I waited to gather quotes and found the spot ideal for meeting a diverse group of people: cameramen, sports correspondents and Chinese workers waiting and watching in case of any technical problems in the broadcast zone.

Working has taken up almost all my time this week, but I did have the chance one night to attend the women's bronze medal soccer match between Germany and Japan (Germany won!) and the gold medal soccer match at the Workers' Stadium. USA took the gold!!! Here's a photo montage of our soccer adventure:

Inside Workers' Stadium

Dancing Fuwa!

Val, me and Megan dolled up for Team USA

Val, our new friend CJ and me sporting our red, white and blue

Val applying face paint to a curious fan

Today, our last day of work, brought mixed emotions, as one would imagine--happiness to return to our friends and family at home, sadness at parting with a group of people and a sport we've come to love and nervousness at jumping back into our "former lives." But we have a few days left here with most of the group (Amy leaves tomorrow to fly to Japan), so we're trying to enjoy every last moment.

Bringing the BMX

Ah, morning at the Communication University of China: uniform-clad Purdue volunteers scrambling to make the bus, our Chinese neighbors clamoring in Mandarin in the hallway, the shriek of a woman practicing opera in the soccer field blaring through my window. In one week I will miss all these things.

As usual, life has moved at a hare's pace these last few days. I've accustomed myself to working from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and actually find myself missing the Velodrome during my time off. Today I start my shift at 3 p.m. and I have found myself sitting in my room, whipping my head in circles, looking for cyclists circling above me. I've found none. Alas, I must wait until the afternoon to get back in my element.

The Velodrome has become almost "home" here. Though work yesterday stretched from the early morning until the late evening, I enjoyed almost every second of it. In the morning, Megan, Leroy and I worked with Krystyna, Ernst and Amy (our supervisors) at the BMX course. The BMX atmosphere stood in complete contrast to the track cycling atmosphere. The riders and their crews welcomed the media and chatted with the ease of close friends. Cruising around the warm up area in baggy shorts, tank tops and bandanas, they gave off the vibe of college students relaxing on a sunny day off.

Check out the first few minutes:

That's about how the BMX area here feels.

Kamakazi

I gathered quotes from a biker from Australia named Kamakazi (yep, that's his full name and that's how he spells it), one of the favorites to medal. I wrote a story about the goofy character that I can hopefully post once the BMX event begins. For now, I believe it must remain in the INFO 2008 database for publications to use. 

At 4:30 p.m. track cycling started up again and one crazy event after another kept us all on the edge of our figurative seats. First, the biggest cycling crash of the Beijing Games happened about 20 feet from my face in the Women's Points Race. In the Points Race, 16 women circle the track 100 times, sprinting every 10 laps in an effort to be one of the first five to finish the sprint. Finishing a sprint in the top five earns riders points, as does lapping the field. Falling back a lap costs points, and each cyclist hopes to earn as many points as possible. In the crash, one cyclist clipped the wheel of another cyclist, causing the second woman to fall and take out two cyclists behind her.

Women's Points Race

A crash similar to last night's

Through the thin Plexiglas barrier separating me and all others in the broadcast zone from the crash, I saw the USA's Sarah Hammer collapse onto the track and grab her shoulder in agony. A mass of medical personnel swarmed instantly. Her injury proved manageable, and she rose after a few minutes and walked off the track with the aid of two men. But we could all see her emotional distress outweighed her physical pain--years of dedication and preparation flushed down the drain because of one competitor's poor decision. A Japanese cyclist also left the track in tears, unable to finish after the crash cost her many laps.

In the another momentous event of the night, members of the British team broke the world record in Men's Team Pursuit. The crowd, of course, exploded, and I had to restrain myself from joining in the revelry.

I can only imagine what the next few days, especially with the start of BMX, may bring!

Brits rule the day

Another adrenaline-fueled day at the Velodrome has passed. I ran around and wiggled may way through the broadcast zone, gathering quotes from medallists Chris Hoy, Steven Burke, Roger Kluge, Bradley Wiggins, Hayden Roulston and Joan Llaneras and one cyclist many people expected to win but instead sustained injuries in a crash, Theo Bos. The Brits dominated the day. BBC wrote this about today's events: Golden Britons sparkle in Beijing. Now it's midnight here (got off work around 10 p.m.) and I need to rest, since I leave for work in 6.5 hours. The cycling stories will have to continue tomorrow.

And they're off!

The Olympic spirit permeated yesterday, as the godsend rain worked its magic and turned the Beijing skies blue overnight. I awoke to this view:

Outside, a cool breeze greeted me as I headed to a road that runs alongside our university for a jog. Perfect weather.

All of us Purdue students left the CUC at 2 p.m. and traveled by shuttle bus to the Velodrome. Security forces blockaded the road leading to it, as today marked the first day of track cycling competition. Inside the venue, fans shook the Union Jack, chanted "Go China" in Mandarin, sported aboriginal headdresses (I think in support of Australia) and snapped photos of the colorful collage of teams in the center of the track. Most of the FQRs stationed themselves in the mixed zone for quote gathering. The ONS managers assigned Kelsey, Megan and me to the broadcast zone. Working in the broadcast zone meant the three of us found much sparser crowds of journalists to push through and had more of a chance to follow athletes from newscaster to newscaster. The catch? Get in a cameraman's shot and feel the wrath of angry newscasters.

The British team won the main event of the night, men's team sprint, and I jumped into taking quotes from the team members: Chris Hoy, Jamie Staff and Jason Kelly. The three stopped first to talk with a BBC reporter and I squeezed alongside her as her cameraman filmed the interview. Thinking back on the quote-taking, I maybe should have felt awestruck standing just a foot away, literally, from Olympic gold medalists. At the time though, only gathering quotes concerned me, and gather them I did. I followed the British cyclists for two interviews, then ran downstairs to enter them into the INFO 2008 database. A press conference commenced a few minutes later.

There, Lauren, Megan, Amy and I recorded highlights from the gold, silver and bronze medal winners--Great Britain, France and Germany, respectively. I've been cultivating a friendship with one of the German cyclists here, Rene Enders. In a typical day we greet each other with a smile and then he trains and I carry out my journalistic duties and, well, we never interact. But I am determined to make friends with my German brothers and sisters!! So during the press conference, I took a step to further our friendship. I asked him, "What are your emotions right now?" Gasp! Brave, no! He said, "I feel frankly nothing right now. I don't realize that we've won bronze." Talk about trying to play the macho man role. He bawled on the track after winning. But I'm one step closer to achieving my goal of befriending a German.

Enders

Exhausted from the commotion of working in the mixed and broadcast zones, we all could have called it a night and gone to bed by 11:00. Not a chance. In true Purdue fashion, we ventured out to explore more of Beijing. Our ONS managers told us about a place called the Holland House. Many countries represented at the Olympics host "houses" where athletes, coaches and their family and friends gather to socialize. The Holland House takes that tradition a step further and allows media members and international visitors to join the festivities. The Holland House comprises a museum honoring Dutch achievements, a beer garden with ping pong tables and a stage and dance floor. Most of the FQRs from Purdue met up with our manager, Amy, and her FQRs from road cycling at the House.

A human sea of orange flowed through the grounds. Nearly everyone wore the color to support the Netherlands. Those who didn't sported their jerseys for the event they competed or will compete in. Yes, athletes roamed the crowds. I saw one of the Angolan beach volleyball players I had just watched play a few days ago.

After a full night at the Holland House, I found myself asking once again, "When else will I ever have a chance to do this?!"

Precipitation and public relations

View from my room

I am soaked from head to toe! Beijing finally received much-needed rain while an umbrella mishap left me walking between subway stops and stores unprotected from the monsoon. I couldn't care less! I skipped through puddles and dodged raindrops for blocks. When else will I be able to frolic in a Beijing rainstorm?

This morning, Lauren and I rose early to visit a PR agency owned by the husband of a former visiting Purdue professor. We traveled by subway to an area of the city we had yet to visit. There, brand new, upscale high rises towered over green, manicured parks and lawns. The professor I mentioned, Shen, told us the area popped up in just the last eight years. The Chinese government, which had previously maintained grassy fields on the land, opened the fields for development when it learned Beijing would host the 2008 Olympics. Shen and her husband, Strong, drove us from the subway stop to the PR agency, Jamewish. Shen gave us a tour and explained how her husband had come to found a PR agency in a country that has yet to fully embrace PR. Trained as a chemist, Strong worked as an engineer for years until creating brochures for a friend introduced him to the fledging specialty of PR. Strong saw an opportunity and pursued it, building an organization that now serves electric companies and similar industries, schools and more. Shen said Chinese companies often don't recognize the need for good PR, as government control of industry formerly made discussions about target audiences and corporate culture unnecessary. But the specialty has grown as government control has lessened.

Learning about PR in China intrigued Lauren and me. The fun only heightened when Shen took us out to lunch at a hopping Cantonese restaurant. In the vibrant atmosphere of red paper lanterns and laughter, Lauren and I bonded with Shen (and her young, well-spoken son) on a more personal level. We chomped down on chicken feet, jelly fish, fish skin, radish pastries, meat bread, leek quesadillas, sweet rice with sesame balls, and a whole fish cooked in red chilies and chili oil. We chatted about Purdue, life in the US versus Beijing and Chinese pop music. After the meal, thunderstorms left us sprinting and shrieking our way to the subway station together. We shared soggy hugs (Shen was a sweetheart!) before heading out.

Despite the storms, I made a quick visit to a bookstore. The hour ride to work every day allows me to devour books, so I've had to find stores with English-language novels to add to my collection. So far I've read here: Rant, The Road, Rape: A Love Story, and On the Road. I'm not sure how I developed a fetish for four-letter words beginning with "R."

Now, for a moment, I'm taking care of business in my dorm room and avoiding the showers outside.

Track cycling prelims start tomorrow!! Check back then to hear about me weaving through crowds of burly BBC and NBC journalists to snag a stupendous, news-making quote from Katie Mactier that illicits compliments on my quote-taking abilities from cycling star Arnaud Tournant and a big hug from the Netherlands' Theo Bos.

One can dream :)

Olympic spirit in the form of photos, Fuwas and an Australian cyclist

Ahh, Wangfujing plaza at rush hour: crowds of tourists hustling to snap pictures of Olympic decorations, media members grabbing Western visitors for interviews, Beijingers doing the same for their personal photo collections, children begging their parents for stuffed Fuwas, sweaty/excited/exhausted people from all over the world smushing into cramped subway trains.

There is nothing like the Olympic spirit to make you feel alive!!! And today I felt the Olympic spirit like never before.

The highlight of my day was interviewing Australian cyclist Katie Mactier. Katie will race in the individual pursuit, starting Aug. 16, against fierce competitors like Rebecca Romero (GBR), who I mentioned a few posts ago, and the USA's Sarah Hammer. After hours of training, a television interview with Australian Channel 7 and a lengthy sit-down interview with another Australian media outlet, Katie chatted with me and an Associated Press reporter in the Velodrome. How she maintained such a energetic vibe and positive attitude toward dealing with the media, I have no idea. Maybe it has to do with her motto, "Good things happen to good people." Maybe her upcoming wedding to cycling world champion Greg Henderson (AUS) boosted her mood. Or maybe knowing that some publications list her as a favorite to win gold in the individual pursuit adds to her happy disposition. Whatever the case, interviewing Katie tops my list of exciting Velodrome events.

Mactier and teammate and friend Kate Bates

My post-workday dinner brought me, Chad and Phil (my FQR partners) to Wafujing plaza, where I witnessed the chaos and excitement I described in the first paragraph. I haven't ventured through the city much in the last week, as work's kept me too busy for sightseeing. Walking through the crowds today and watching people look in awe at billboards, shops, decorations and the wild assortment of people around them opened my eyes even more to the uniting power of the Olympics.

I can't wait to watch firsthand the progression of these special Olympic Games.

Aussie Aussie Aussie, oiy oiy oiy!

This entry is to be continued, but I wanted to post a few pictures of the Olympic event Jane, Howard, Kelsey, Jason, Christina, Val, Alysha, Chris and I watched this morning: Men's Beach Volleyball--Australia vs. Angola. We sat in front of a excited group of Aussies, and their enthusiasm for their team rubbed off on us Americans. In no time, many of us learned to shout their cry, "Aussie Aussie Aussie, oiy oiy oiy!"

The Aussies beat the Angolans in two swift games. Maybe the US should adopt a similar cheer.

Event tickets!

I have tickets for beach volleyball and track & field!!! The two Chinese officials who flew to the US and conducted the quote-reporting test and debate that allowed US college students like myself to work at these Games have arranged for international volunteers to see the two events. Lucky for me, I have off work the day of beach volleyball. We haven't received information as to which matches we'll see. I don't know much about the favorite teams, rivalries, etc. of beach volleyball, but a few weeks ago I knew none of these about cycling either. Now I feel familiar with many aspects of the sport.

I don't believe I can attend the track & field events, as many important cycling events take place the evening of Aug. 16, the time our tickets would allow us into the Bird's Nest. But, who knows, maybe a stroke of luck will allow me to see the events of the night: women's 800m, 100m, javelin throw and shot put and the men's long jump, 100m and hurdles.

I would have loved the chance to go inside the Bird's Nest. I had hoped to watch the opening ceremony in it, but volunteers did not receive tickets to it. Instead I watched the ceremony from inside a restaurant that aired the NBC broadcast. The performances transfixed me(!), until waitresses kept walking in front of the screen and students from other universities kept getting up to go to the bathroom and walking in front of me. Oh well, I still saw most of the ceremony, and what I did see wowed me!. As Paul, the owner of the restaurant said, "No one can put on a show like the Chinese!"

The majority of the Purdue group and students from

the University of Delaware watching the ceremony

朋友 = friends

Me and Li

I'm making friends! The group of volunteers I work with at the Velodrome consists of, well, mostly Purdue students, but three of the volunteers are Chinese: Eric, Li and Rita. I love talking with them, hearing stories about their lives in China. I've gotten to know Li more than the others, as I met him early on in our FQR adventures. Li attends the Communication University of China (where I stay now) and studies International Economics. He hopes to work in Shanghai when he graduates.

We have become film and literature buddies.

Li's a movie buff. A few days ago he introduced me to the movie Cinema Paradise. I loved it! He also recommended the book, A Year in Provence. His good track record has convinced me to check it out. Many young Chinese eat up Western pop culture. I'm happy to hang out with someone who can introduce me to non-mainstream-Western entertainment.

Rita is my controversial issue buddy.

We're sitting and chatting about innocuous issues before work today and, out of the blue, she asks, "Have you seen the L Word?" I told her I hadn't, but I'd heard of the series, which revolves around a group of lesbian women and gay men. She proceeded to ask me about how Americans treat gays and what rights they have. She said being gay in China is "forbidden." Her gay friend can never tell his parents about his sexual orientation. He's 30 years old and his parents are still trying to marry him off. She said though that young Chinese people accept gays much more than their parents.

I'm used to foreigners ask about American politics, but I didn't expect a questioning about gay rights... I suppose I'll count it as a cultural experience.

Appearance of the cycling stars

All I can think about is the amount of food in my stomach! We just finished celebrating Andrea's 23rd birthday with an indoor picnic of pizza, cream cheese, peanut butter sandwiches, cereal (yes, with real milk) and all sorts of other American comfort foods. But I promise, though food is a favorite blog topic, our lives here do not revolve around food.

We hung around the Velodrome today from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (or should I say 17:30, as China uses military time) waiting to interview athletes. However, most athletes were practicing for the first time on the track and wanted to avoid distractions, like talking to journalists. I wasn't able to interview any athletes, but I did see some of my favorite cyclists and Team USA members training!! Rebecca Romero (GBR), Theo Bos (NED), Chris Hoy (GBR), Sarah Hammer (USA) and Jennie Reed (USA) worked out at the Velodrome. 

Theo Bos

Chris Hoy

Sarah Hammer

Jennie Reed

Gaping mouths and dreamy eyes greeted many of the popular cyclists, especially Theo Bos. One 30-something-year-old Japanese reporter admitted with a giggle that she wanted to interview Bos "because he's cute!" Gaping mouths greeted other cyclists for very different reasons, too. One German athlete sported quads bigger than my waist. He could barely walk. I was just plain scared of and for him.

Oh, I almost forgot, the torch relay reached the Velodrome and I got to pose with the torch!

Colombians and Intriguing Cyclist #1

Blogging sometimes becomes a difficult task. I've written home about most of my initial reactions and have tried to look for cultural details and share anecdotes about my day. I wonder, what would you readers like to hear about? Have I ignored an aspect of life here or failed to delve deeply into another? Let me know what you think!

As for work today, I watched the Colombian cyclists train. They were all about business, the four riders circling the track for maybe an hour at a fast speed and in a tight line formation. Every few minutes, the leading rider would move to the outer track area, slow down, and move to the position of fourth rider behind his other teammates. I believe the training prepares the cyclists for the Team Pursuit event, in which four riders circle the track in line, the leading rider dropping to the back intermittently to take advantage of the lack of aerodynamic turbulence to regain his strength. Check out the video below for an illustration.

Cyclists from Uruguay also trained this afternoon. A few FQRs attempted to interview them. The cyclists hesitated to speak with American reporters, but eventually offered a few statements.

So far, I have yet to see any of the track cyclists who intrigue me most. At the moment, Rebecca Romero of Great Britain holds my attention, likely because I have a special place in my heart for rowers. Romero won a silver medal in rowing at Athens. "Disillusioned with rowing," she planned to retire from the sport and pursue a career in marketing when a British coach approached her about cycling. She dominated tryouts for the sport and soon found herself reigning as World Champion in the Team and Individual Pursuit races. If she medals here in Beijing, she will become the first British woman to win Olympic medals in two different sports.

Tomorrow, the number of countries represented at the Velodrome should increase. Check back then for details about additional athletes I admire and others I see circling the track in my midst.

Extra American, hold the cheers

Mmm, Snickers and Doritos and Kerouac's On the Road. I'm feeling extra American today. You know what else makes me feel extra American? The arrival of other foreigners to Beijing. The athletes have come! I missed seeing the Colombian cyclists circle the track this morning, but did witness their camera crew exit the Bicycle Cluster. Later I had a chance to chat with a few members and coaches of the Russian team. They asked me how to find the Athlete's Stand in the Velodrome. I said I had no idea. They asked if I instead knew how to make coffee. AH, HAH!!...... hah? I also saw an athlete and a coach (I presume) in Netherlands' garb shopping for specialty foods.

Where before I simply felt Caucasian in a city of Asians, I now feel distinctly American. With the surge of incoming athletes comes a surge in my national pride. I love China, I love the people from other countries I have met here, and I'm thrilled by the idea of meeting cyclists from all over the world (it's happening tomorrow, woo!!). But when the competition heats up and the races start, I'll be cheering, "U-S-A, U-S-A!!!" (if only, because I am a journalist, loudly in my head).

Oh no, my Vitamin C's failed me

After weeks and weeks of watching my comrades fall ill to colds, stomach problems, and fatigue while I've somehow maintained good health, I've finally caught something. Inevitable. I knew it. I have a sinus infection.

Oh well, I've dosed up on Sudafed (thanks, Lauren!), so I should survive and flourish once again. Meanwhile, I'm using the extra downtime to reflect on the weeks I've spent here, more closely observe my current surroundings, and think ahead on what I want to do when I return for this fall semester and what I want to do, oh, basically with my life (AHHH!! Scary.).  About one-third of my lifelong to-do list thus far consists of travel goals. An immediate goal: I want to visit Missoula, MT, maybe even camp there.

Hmm, this tangental blog may or may not reveal insight into Beijing life... Thanks dizzying Sudafed! I should probably settle into bed now.

Just curious.

The curiosity of the Chinese people impresses me the most out of everything I've witnessed here. Nearly every day, a local will strike up conversation with one of us volunteers--testing his English, learning about us (where we come from, what we do), asking how we like China, and, yes, often inquiring about taking a photo as well. I can't tell you how many unflattering photos of sweaty, frizzy-haired, uniform-clad Traci are floating around China, but I don't turn down people who ask for photos. I'm intrigued that I (and all the rest of the Purdue students, obviously) intrigue people here. Some volunteers ask, "What if I went back to the US and started taking pictures of Asians? Wouldn't that be weird?" I agree, but I think context makes the situation here acceptable. Beijingers are curious!! Few caucasians live and visit here, even with the approaching Olympics. Those that do fascinate the locals.

I love their curiosity! As Americans, many of us take for granted the diversity and openness of our country. Both have jaded many of us. Instead of stopping and looking in wonder at the exciting, vibrant world around us, we get caught up wishing for Western toilets or dry laundry or homemade meatloaf (and, wow, do a few of us here want some!). What an opportunity we have here. I bet Beijing students would love to change places with us volunteers, to work in the US and experience the country and its culture and people at a defining moment in US history.

Oh, this means sappy quote time!

"One way to open your eyes is to ask yourself, 'What if I had never seen this before? What if I knew I would never see it again?'"

Rachel Carson

A petite hodge podge

Here are a few tidbits about events I've forgotten to mention over the past weeks:

The gang eating at Tim's Texas BBQ in Beijing. Out of place? Yes. Delicious? Oh, extremely. Texas A&M, Longhorn, Kansas State and TCU paraphernalia cover the walls, and the host said good bye with a hearty, "Bye, partner! Ya'll come back now!"

Chinese volunteers riding around on the official Olympic mopeds. I've had a chance to ride on one myself, and it was zippy!

Comment made by a Chinese volunteer to me:

"Traci, I am shocked you read."

"Why?"

"I thought pretty American girls only party."