take families around

Day 19 at USOC HQ, Aug. 22, 2008

This morning, I continually work with Karen on the plan for the dept. of defense and visit of secretary of Labor Elaine Chao and her team. Due to Russian invasion of Geogia, Ms. Rice could not make the trip to China for closing ceremony. We will have lunchon tomorrow at USA House. A lot of business people and BOCOG group will come. After going over the plan, I was assigned to work for John Hendricks meeting with IOC members and checking out USOC process. This man is too well-known to many people and I think many of you have already heard about his legand, the most impressed me is his incredible memory. When I walk with him meeting tons of people in one day, he remembers everyone's name clearly and approach to people who want to talk to him but hesistate to do so. Personally I asked him a lot of questions, getting a private interview :) If you ask me the coolest thing I enjoy at USOC, having a personal decent conversation with individual and getting to know them definitely climb the chart.

Today is also the day I will take my parents, uncle and aunt to visit USA House.





It only opens to U.S. Team and business sponsors, the day pass ticket costs $160 per person, goodness, but, I have to say, it is too much fun, the money is well-worth it. I received 4 tickets from USOC for my guests. Taking them around and letting them know what I have been busy with everyday, esp. visually, help them to know why I am running all-over the map everyday and they rarely see me around home.

This is BMX room. Last couple day I have been to BMX game area. Oh my, that is definitely a dangous game I ever see. At the third floor, each room is named by its sport.



By the end of hallway, here is a showcase of all new Nike shoes. ye, my dad likes a lot.




While we are eating, here comes Shawn Johnson. I just arranged all her transportation early this morning, here she is at USA House. She is such a cute girl, friendly and happy to take picture with us. Most of all, she is still a kid, having a stuffed animal around, playing with it, not like other athlete.





While my dad enjoys the good coffee at second floor, I took my mom around, here, basically, everywhere you walk around, you will see the Olympian or this year athletes. We even met a group of Olympian (participate over 40 years ago) coming here to relax, plus having CNN and ABC interviews. My dad was very impressed with the efforts that U.S. team considers to bring the old Olympian to Beijing.





This is USOC Audio and Video person Mayo, who is showing my Dad about his working equipment. ye, my dad likes to check those out, I am just tagging along.


This is Erico, one of my buddies of hunting "international house" in Beijing :) He is leaving tomorrow and comes to say goodbye. It is so sad to say goodbye, though we promise to visit each other. Our funniest moment should be the time when we want to persuade each other in English about going somewhere. His Italian English and my Chinese English clearly could not make any sense to each other, or, we are too stubborn with each opinion. the only compromise we could get out is to go to both places in one day, which made Jenna and Carlotta laugh hard!


My dad has already made his way around, and made a friend here, a marathon Olympian in 1988, who comes here to help out 2016 Chicago Olympic Candidancy. For many times I wonder, how can my dad communicate with foreigner without an interpreter. They got along well and played cards for while.





This is Clark Randt, whose father is Clark Randt. He got me the table tennis tickets. He pretends to work hard behind I-zone counter, which is Lenovo sponsored internet zone. I have been covered his shift twice today, you can imagine how often he is around his working area :)




I left my family at USA House, and I head to Bird Nest for a few finals competition. They choose to stay at USA House to relax. Maybe I should stay, then I would not got myself into a new "trouble"!


This is my third time to go to Bird Nest, riding on the subway is easily way to get around. During the subway ride, I met a guy named Rudd from Israel who is lost, not sure which stop to get off to see the same track & field game I will go. I told him to follow me. When we reached Bird Nest, before presenting the ticket, I maybe walk too fast, seeing a long metal thing front, I lowered my head, maybe not low enough, for whatever reasons I have never figured out, my head hit on hard, soon, the blood came out, and dripped hard on my right side face. It came as a shock, I could not understand what just happened, so did Rudd. I did not have time to turn around looking at what hit at me, I was taken to Bird Nest inside emergency room. What really happened to me with emergency room. well, the visit went well, they said I got three long cut with sharp metal. They want to stitch me up, blahblahblah??? I could not imagine the quick change. but, when I asked how deep it is, they said not too deep. They said I could not take a shower and need part of hair removed, having stitches and taped up for a few days. Are they kidding? I have been looking forward to present my documents/speech at tomorrow lunchon with U.S. officials seriously. I am not going to have a crazy stitched head with many white stuff on the top. I told them no, you have to see their unbelievable eyes. trust me, this decision is based on true personal experience. I remember my doctor friend Dr. Spee told me that any cut around head will cause a lot of blood, making people much nervous. And when I was in Iowa at dorm, I accidently hit on a ceiling light corner(I am on the top bed, without wearing my glasses :), remember, Maria? that morning you took care of me. American doctor usually asks me to rest and no stitches, esp. taking a shower and having a normal life routine. Here, I can on and on talking about my medical accidents in U.S. :( But, clearly, I am much americanized, even with the medical point of view. I told emergency room docor, just clean the cut and wrapp up, plus giving me a bag of ice I will hold and put on top of my head. They thought I was crazy and went nuts. No one in China will give you ice when you are sick. Well, I put on my jacket and hat, putting the ice on the top of my head, going to see the game. During the game, I went back and changed the icebag 6 times. The emergency room loves to chat with me and ask my experience in U.S. and USOC. When they found out that I turned down the offer of M.P. to work for USOC, one doctor there took out a national magzine and find an article inside, pointing to me, saying "is that you?", I looked, ye, here is a story writing about my decision to choose USOC, my journey and a lot stuff about me, cool! how odd is that. I could not believe that. Clearly, I have no clue who has told the journalist about my story, just like the day I got a call from for an interview. So much fun! (I guess, cracking up the head does bring some surprise!)

Sitting at the tier 1, I watch the game, people around me, looking at me constently, as I am wearing too much, plus holding a bag of ice on my head. Ye, you can use your imagination here, a funny look! I only wish I will not meet anyone I know or vedioed on the TV like what I did during Judo game. A few atheletic looking guys from Urcraine pull my jacket and said that it is very hot now and I should take off the jacket. I turned around, looking at them, pulling off my jacket's hat, showing them my funny wrapped white cloth/sponge filled head, (looking like someone got back from a Chemical war), they gave me hugs and showed their symphathy. Then they began to call me a "Jewish" Chinese girl since what on my head looks like what Jewish weared on their head. we laughed and chat during the game.

This is my favorite Australian Pole Vault athelete Mr.Hooker . Every time he will failed the first two jump and succeed the third jump. In the middle of game, he almost quit. His coach sitting in front of me yelling at him. His crazy curly hair looks too much on the way when he jump, but he kept to make a funny face with it.



The U.S. Pole Vault athelete 3026 missed by couple cm, sadly walking out.




This is woman 4x100m relay final. After U.S. lost both men and women games, Jamica is clearly a winner, but they are right in front of me, loosing their women group's chance, I feel sad for them. these two girls scream loud for this unfortunate moment.
Only milli second they missed the correct passing, then doom the result.


Russian ladies won in the end.




U.S. Ryan won the men 10 competition.






Later the men 4x100m relay, Jamaca made it too easy. The guys are buff! (is that a correct word for me to use here??)







Here is me with jacket & hat, a volunteer who helped me kept asking me to go to hospital to see a doctor there.




Finally, by the end of game, I went with emergency room group to go to Friendship Hospital to have a futher check. There is a Olympic medical section. Wow, I have three experts, two doctors and three nurses. I told them that I only want to have tenenus(misspelling) shot. They continue another around of pursuasion on having stitches, no shower, no water, remove some hair and wrapped up. I asked them if they have medical glue or liquid bandage, they said they have not heard about it. Then I decided to only have a shot and have them clean the cut. I will see my USOC american doctor John tomorrow. Do not get me wrong, I really appreciate their help.




my emergency room doctors:




well, by the time I got home, I have to explain to my parents what happened. It did make my parents nervous, most of all, my mom said "we will never have heart attack problem, because you have tested any possible button to see our tolerance." :( I am sorry, mom, I did not mean to do that.

By the time you read this message, I have already checked with Doctor John next day, who said that I do not need stitches and should take shower as usual. aha, I am happy with my stubborn decision that night :)