Thank You, Forbidden Bloggers

Editor’s note: SportsFanLive would like to take this opportunity to express our deep and heartfelt thanks to Professor Lisa Delpy Neirotti and her class of pioneering students from The George Washington University.

Their efforts in filing stories, pictures and video were outstanding and admirable. Despite a packed schedule, a huge time-zone change and a shaky Internet connection, they delivered the goods — a truly inside look at the Beijing Olympics. Contributing with insight, depth and personality, the GWU class produced a blog that was professional and memorable. We had a great time working with and learning from them.

In closing this blog, here is a collection of tips, hints and observations from throughout their Olympic journey. Thanks again to the class, and please enjoy:

Emily, Anna and Sarah: The pedestrian’s position on the Beijing food chain ranks somewhere between cockroaches and street rats.

Gina: It is amazing how the Chinese know how to bargain in so many different languages.

Patrick: I am not usually afraid of bees. But during an afternoon lecture one day, I saw a bee near my Nescafe can of coffee. I found myself wondering if this was a special Chinese bee that I do not have antibodies for. I really don’t want to make this bee angry. But why is it still lingering? Cutting to the chase, I was not stung. Real drama, eh?

Emily, Anna and Sarah: Don’t fret if you’re the only American at an Olympic event; the Chinese have your back.

Gina: The only Chinese I managed to learn over the were weeks were ni hao (hello), ni hao ma (hello how are you?) and zai jian (goodbye). But that seemed to get me anywhere I needed to go. Eventually.

Molly: Just because there are three separate lanes on the road does not mean that only three cars may fit onto that road. Three lanes can easily fit six cars side by side and often do!

Emily, Anna and Sarah: Babies don’t wear diapers. Watch where you step.

Tiffany: On the long ride to the canoe/kayak facility, we saw giant — and I mean extra-extra large — pigs crammed in a truck. Someone in my taxi (I forget who) asked, “Why are all the pigs in there like that?” I replied, “They are on their way to being eaten.”

Gina: I will second-guess every designer item I ever consider buying now that I know it is exactly the same and far cheaper in China. And I would much rather give my money to someone that has the energy to bargain with me for 12 consecutive hours, full of energy.

Emily, Anna and Sarah: Marry a U.S. Olympian and you will be treated like gold.

Patrick: Have you ever tried navigating a whole computer in Chinese? My right mouse click is the most challenging part of my day. I will be happy to see my Apple again. Oh, Powerbook, how I have missed you.

Emily, Anna and Sarah: It doesn’t matter where your taxi drops you off; it’s all about the ride.

Gina: The Chinese people were far more hospitable than any other country I have visited and seemed to always carry a smile on their faces, with the occasional old man lifting his shirt up over his head to cool down, apparently a common and acceptable practice.

Maggie: After watching the Opening Ceremony, I am sure the London Olympic Committee was saying, “How are we going to top that!?!?!”

Emily, Anna and Sarah: If you want to feel welcome in a foreign country, come to China. You will never come across such kindness.

Gina: Three things I will hold off having for a while are definitely McDonald’s (only restaurant on the Green), Budweiser (only alcohol served in Club Bud) and nutrition bars (lunch everyday)! Thanks to the Chinese. I will be back again some day soon! Ciao ciao.

Kelly: I would definitely recommend adventurous travellers to come to Beijing soon. For those that are intimidated by different languages and foods, you may want to wait a few years as they will surely continue to evolve. Beijing is well on its way to becoming a great international city!

– Patrick Donnelly, Kelly Finn, Kara Franz, Matina Golias, Gina Graciano, Emily Grindstead, Anna Owsley, Rosina Romano, Molly Swanson, Tiffany, Maggie Webbert, Sarah Wirthlin, Shannon Helvey, Chris Hedquist, Enrico Campitelli, Kari Frontera, Kimya Gharib, Stephanie Baldwin, Mayer Weisel, Alex Steinberg, David Braun, Hae Ok Cho, Lex Butler, Nick Eddy, Lila Lee, Editra Allen, Dennis Chou, Tuo (Tony) Zhang, Lisa Delpy Neirotti.

To see a complete list of video clips, including those not on the blog, please visit www.youtube.com/ForbiddenBloggers.

Get On The Bus

Maggie: Public Transportation was the best way to get around Beijing during the Olympics. This Olympic bus is traveling from the field hockey venue past the Water Cube and the Bird’s Nest on its way to Tiananmen Square.

– Maggie Webbert.

We Had A Huge Audience

Maggie: During our first weekend in Beijing, we had the opportunity to be on TV. CCTV, the official Chinese network, was very interested in George Washington University students’ reactions to the USA-China men’s basketball game. Since it was nearly impossible to get tickets to the actual game, CCTV filmed us watching it in a local sports bar.

– Maggie Webbert.

Patrick’s Reflection Of The Olympic Experience

I spent the whole plane ride home reflecting on my trip (and sleeping).

First, I want to say this course was amazing. I know many of the blog entries I wrote (and probably others) focused on experiences outside of class rather than our site visits and speakers. A lot of the knowledge that we were exposed to, from leading experts in sports and marketing, was unreal. I have so many stars next to bullet points in my notes and boxes drawn around ideas that I intend to bring back to work. It’s honestly hard to reflect and document your whole experience when you are exhausted from fully living. I’ve learned a lot in and out of the classroom. Just wanted to state that up front.

I wrote in my paper that the Olympics are not an event but an experience. Maybe it’s a self-evident truth, but I was happy to come up with that thesis from a marketing perspective. I would imagine that even your reading of our activities on this blog has formed a different picture of the Games in your mind.

And that’s a key point: Before this trip, I was not able to write about the people who helped make this experience. With every event, the experience is truly personal, creating an image and memory of the Olympics that is different to each person who interacted with the Games at any level.  I see that I am getting too deep here and should revert back to my point.

My experience at the Games was not about seeing records broken and goals scored. My experience was that the individuals I met along the way were there to high-five and cheer with me when those records were broken and goals were scored. Friendships formed, and small moments of human connection between total strangers made me feel part of something bigger, and I had the wonderful opportunity to dedicate all my resources to enjoi ing this experience fully for two weeks (I typed it that way on purpose).

Can you imagine that my phone and iPod were off for two whole weeks?! I have so many small stories that I would love to share with everyone as I re-adjust to life back here in the States. I’ve had a great time: My classmates became my friends,  I rediscovered parts of myself through another culture and will love remembering what I love about America and my friends and family here. Hopefully I can continue to learn and experience the American culture as the same rate I did in Beijing.

Thank you, Lisa and everyone on the trip that helped make this experience possible. I hope that I was able to add to your experience as much as you did to mine. Now. To turn my phone back on … OMG.

Best,
Patrick Donnelly

Trade Show

Kara and Matina: Check out this serious pin collector in the Olympic Village.

– Kara Franz, Matina Golias.

Homeward Bound

Tiffany: The plane ride home was long. We had two layovers, one in Korea and one in LAX. Oddly, and I say oddly, it was a very smooth route security-wise. Even leaving China, I was not questioned, searched, pulled over — you get the point. Coming back to LA was fun. It was great to finally order some food and be able to communicate with the person behind the register. However, upon arriving at the gate, I saw McDonald’s — I hope not to eat there for years. In Beijing I definitely ate at McDonald’s five or six times, mostly because food in the Olympic Green was not good. One time I ate there because that was the only place open late.

Best of all, there was no humidity in LA. We had to walk outside to get from the international to the domestic terminal, and the skies were blue!

– Tiffany.

In Training

Matina: During our tour of the USOC High Performance Training Center’s gym, we saw beach volleyball players working out.

– Matina Golias.

Friendly Chatter

Rosina: For my last night in Beijing, Editra and I went to see the USA-Japan baseball game. The game was great and scoreless for the first 10 innings. The 11th inning started with players on first and second base, an Olympic rule we appreciated because otherwise I think we would have been there all night. Both teams finally scored with USA winning — what a great way to end my final Olympic event!

We were sitting near some die-hard Japan fans who were so much fun during the game. When the umpire made a bad call (in our humble opinion), we started to boo. This Japanese fan told us to “Boo nice.”

Maggie: I had a wonderful conversation with American triple-jump legend Willie Banks. The media had always portrayed him as a flamboyant athlete, but I found him to be very friendly and down to earth.  We talked about raising children overseas and the highs and lows of running an international business.  Now to me he is more than an American legend; he is an exceptional role model.

– Rosina Romano, Maggie Webbert.

Unbalanced Checks

Rosina: When Kara and I went to Chaoyang Park for beach volleyball, it really set in just how much venues operate differently from each other. Security for this venue, just like basketball and baseball, was much tighter than others, even those located on the Green. Not only were our bags X-rayed but they were also hand-searched, and we had to try on lotions and sprays in order to take them inside with us. Matina had a similar experience last week.

Matina: We are at basketball right now, or least trying to get there. Security is out of control! They were not watching security screens and instead going through everyone’s bag and making people try on Chap Stick, deodorant, lotion — EVERYTHING!!!

Tiffany: We’ve been noticing that every time we go through security to get into the Olympic Green, it has been a different experience. I am not sure if it’s because we have entered different gates. This time, after walking through the metal detector and putting our stuff through the X-ray, some of my classmates were asked to open their bags.

Gina had a granola bar in her bag and she was told to eat it on the spot. I had a ton of granola bars but was not asked to open my bag. So Gina ate a few bites, then walked out of the security area. Apparently security did not check to see if she finished the bar.

On the other hand, Molly was carrying mascara and was asked to use it! It was a funny sight. If I remember correctly, there were female security and volunteers, so you would think they know what mascara looks like.

Rosina: When we were leaving beach volleyball, we found volunteers marching toward the exit, which was definitely strange compared to all our other interactions with volunteers who were typically college students.

– Rosina Romano, Matina Golias, Tiffany.

Into The Nest

Patrick: Come along as I try to find my seat in the Bird’s Nest Stadium.

– Patrick Donnelly.

Starting To Wind It Down

Molly: In the last two weeks, our group has been together through the bad and the good, but we’ve stuck it out and now it is over. Throughout our trip, I have had to constantly remind myself that this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity has actually been our reality! The chance to see China overcome hardship to host its first Olympic Games, watching multiple Americans win medals and meeting such a diverse group of people who impact the Games has been extraordinary.  I hope that I never forget what I have learned/seen/experienced while in Beijing, and I will try to continue to remind myself of this amazing opportunity that I was given.

Shannon: For our last night in Beijing we decided to take in a Chinese acrobatics show. It was fantastic! Unbelievable the way those young kids can twist their bodies like they have no spine. But they are extremely talented.

Tiffany: What these performers did was amazing and I could never do. I mean they were little kids, ranging from probably 7 or 8 years old to 18, showing off their flexibility. But, in two acts, things were falling apart. In one act, these boys were jumping or flipping through hoops, and the hoops kept getting knocked down. In another, these girls were on unicycles, chucking bowls from head to head. Well, the bowls fell to the ground two or three times. I guess I expected more. I wasn’t blown away by the performances.

– Molly Swanson, Shannon Helvey, Tiffany.

House Of Red, White and Blue

Chris: Thought we would check out the USA house at night. Usually this place is overrun during the day with corporate execs who gave a pretty penny to put their name on the wall. Nighttime is a bit different, though. This is where we watched USA basketball take on Argentina in the semis.

To my left is softball pitcher Jennie Finch. On my right is the field hockey team. In front of me are track guys LaShawn Merritt, Jeremy Wariner and David Neville, who just swept the 400-meter race. Downstairs are the BMX racers celebrating their two bronze medals and a silver alongside the beach volleyball champs.

So while the game is good, the atmosphere is unbeatable.

– Chris Hedquist with Enrico Campitelli.

New Place, Familiar Face

Kari and Maggie: Michael Phelps’ contagious smile can be seen on as many billboards in Beijing as in his hometown of Baltimore.

Matina, Rosina, Kara and Gina: Hello, McDreamy.

Kari: Small world: One day at the Bird’s Nest there were a lot of people snapping photos of the building.  You could tell which ones had an architectural interest in the building.  I spoke with one guy who happened to intern this summer in Gensler’s Shanghai office.  What are the chances that I travel to China and randomly run into someone from my company?

– Kari Frontera, Maggie Webbert, Matina Golias, Rosina Romano, Kara Franz, Gina Graciano.

Mastering Martial Arts

Kari and Maggie: Martial arts is a large part of Chinese culture and is still practiced by both young and old in Beijing. Here is a video with a martial arts master passing along this skill to her student during morning exercises at the Temple of Heaven.

Kari: One morning, I got to see some Tai Chi being performed in the parks of the Temple of Heaven at daybreak. It is funny to stop and think about it, but it is really just a group exercise class moved outdoors. I felt bad taking photos after considering how I would like it if a tourist came into the gym during my Body Flow class, staring and snapping pictures.

– Kari Frontera, Maggie Webbert.

Club Bud, This Time With Michael Phelps

Gina: Two nights after our whole group went to Club Bud, six of us made another visit. We saw Evander Holyfield (an inside source told us Bud pays him for appearances) and Chris Tucker, who was sporting a white hat and a Capri shirt. The Chinese had a blast dancing and taking pictures with Holyfield while Tucker was barely recognized.

We also saw Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte who were surrounded by media and fans — even athletes were taking pictures. We had the most fun talking with the U.S. men’s gymnastics team and Canadian baseball team. And boy, those Aussies sure love to dance!

– Gina Graciano with Matina Golias, Kara Franz, Rosina Romano, Patrick Donnelly, Tiffany.

The Learning Never Stops

Patrick: We toured two interesting sponsor houses on the Green the other day. The GE house had this cool dot-matrix waterfall and this even more fun interactive wall. Graphical interfaces coupled with human computer interactions is where it’s at — go computers! The Johnson & Johnson house was clean and contemporary, but the really cool part was that it had three of the Terra Cotta Warriors from Xian.

Kimya: Here’s a random thing that happened to me in the bathroom of the Johnson & Johnson center on the Olympic Green. As I reached for the toilet paper, I realized that on the metal flap covering the roll it said “Kimya” — my name! So apparently my name is also a brand for toilet paper roll holders. Who knew!?!

Matina: The family toilet at Beijing Airport has a small but interesting touch to it:

– Patrick Donnelly, Kimya Gharib, Matina Golias.

Up Close With Track Star Calvin Smith

Kelly and Mayer: The men’s 4×400 meter relays will be run this weekend. We interviewed one of the U.S. runners, Calvin Smith, back at Dulles Airport at the start of our trip.

– Kelly Finn, Mayer Weisel.

Water Venue Makes Quite A Splash

Kari: We just got back from the rowing and canoe/kayak facilities. They are amazing. Extremely tempting to hijack one of the shells and take it out for a row. It was definitely worth the hour drive out there to see the venue.

Alex: We went to the canoeing venue, which was an incredible place to see. According to the Secretary General of the Canoe/Kayak Federation, every time they turn on the slalom course it costs them $10,000.

David: Driving to see a canoe and kayak event, the taxi driver pulled up for us so we could take some quick photos. We strolled by a truck with 50 pigs divided in two small cages. Seeing pigs like that was crazy — and seeing them stuck in a small cage was even worse.

Rosina: I went to track and field and sat next to USA rowing gold medalist Anna Goodale and her family. We had great seats, fourth row off the track. It was fun to chat with Anna about Club Bud (she was there the same night as our group) and to see her gold medal up close.

Especially cool was that she didn’t wear her medal during most of the event — she had given it to her mom to wear, which was endearing and quite touching. It’s just a reminder that we should all thank our moms for everything we’ve accomplished — with or without our own gold medals. So here’s my shout-out to say thanks, Mom, for everything!

– Kari Frontera, Alex Steinberg, David Braun, Rosina Romano.

Road Rules (Or Lack Thereof)

Hae: I’ve experienced a slew of crazy cab drivers. It feels like I’m riding a roller-coaster.

Maggie: Traffic is much better than I remember four years ago, but still scary enough to have my classmates reach for their imaginary seatbelts when our taxi driver flips a U-turn against four lanes of oncoming traffic. One driver explained to me — while darting around bicyclists — that the light traffic is caused by a government-imposed restriction requiring odd/even numbered vehicles to drive on alternate days. The regulation decreases traffic, but definitely jacks up the number of people waving down taxis.

Matina: Tiffany, Gina and I all just fell asleep in a cab on our way back from the IBC. After waking up, we got nervous because none of us had any idea where we were. So we got out, then decided to get right back in another cab … that was scary! We still don’t know where we are….

Gina, Rosina and Kara: Another crazy day in Beijing. Not only do the taxi drivers apparently not speak English — many of them don’t read or understand Chinese. Of course they neglect to mention this when people hand them directions and wind up driving around the city lost.  After leaving the Bird’s Nest, our driver kicked us out of his cab and we had to get into another one — right on the highway.

–- Hae Ok Cho, Maggie Webbert, Matina Golias, Gina Graciano, Rosina Romano, Kara Franz.

Today Show, Another View

Matina: This is a quick video clip of U.S. gymnast Raj Bhavsar.

Stephanie: Click this link to see several pictures of our group cheering for Michael Phelps. The photos are organized by date. Look for us on August 19.

– Matina Golias, Stephanie Baldwin.