I'm HOME!!! FINAL POST!

So, I'm finally home! Most of you already know this.

Well, my trip home was terrible! First, my flight was delayed, as said in my previous post. Well, I had to wake up at 4 am to catch my shuttle to the airport. I did not sleep but for an hour that night. So I went two nights with about three hours of sleep total. Which, I could deal with hoping that I could sleep on the plane.

I got to the airport and stood in line for about three hours. As soon as it was my turn up at the desk the system shut down. Of course. So, I finally got checked in 30 minutes before my flight was supposed to leave, so I ran through the MASSIVE Beijing airport and got on the train to take me to the gate. I got to the gate and they hadn't even began boarding yet. So, I stood there for about 30 more minutes before finally getting on board.

There were a TON of athletes on the flight. I was sitting on the aisle, beside one of the USA Rowers that won Gold. Luckily, no one was in the middle so I had to room to spread out a little! So, I felt better knowing there were athletes on the plane because I am thoroughly convinced that they are the second safest people to fly with -- next to the President.

So, the take off was a little crazy for me because I had heard about the two plane crashes earlier in the week. So that along with my flight being delayed because of "Mechanical Adjustments" really messed with my head. But the flight was great! It was really smooth and peaceful. The movies sucked terribly and I only watched the one right before we got to DC. I did not sleep but for about two hours, but it really was not that bad. I didn't feel like I was in the air for about 12.5 hours.

One of my favorite parts of this trip was looking out the windows while we were going over the Polar Ice Caps. On the way back it was incredible because it was with the sunrise. Absolutely phenomenal! The ice was white and sparkling, there were clouds just kind of dusted below and the sun was rising which made the clouds look a pinkish, orange. It was one of the most amazing sites I have ever seen -- or will see, probably, ever!

Anyway, flight was alright. Food was terrible. Whatever. They lost my bags!

I got through customs and found that my bags were not there. They said if they weren't that they were in Chicago. How? I don't know. So, they said to go on through and my bags would be waiting for me in Raleigh. So, during my three hour layover, I called people and let them know that I was home. Well, as I was texting my friend Anna, who was picking me up at the airport, I became scared out of my mind.

I have pre-decisive text. So, as I'm typing it tries to guess what I'm saying. It's incredibly accurate -- my favorite feature on my phone. Well, as I was telling her what flight I was I got a little scare. I typed in United 459. As I was going to type in "Bags lost in Chicago, don't come in to baggage claim" I accidentally pressed a wrong button and my pre-decisive text said this: "United 459 crashes". I freaked out.

The take off was horrendous and my plane was extremely old. The seats wouldn't even lock in place on the floor. I was thoroughly convinced I was going to crash. But, I didn't. Obviously.

Got to Raleigh and immediately went to Wendy's where I ordered my FAVORITE Chicken Sandwich. Took one bite and about threw up because of all the grease. So, what a waste of money. But I got home and all was great. Except, still no bags.

My bags were not in Chicago. They were actually put on the next DC flight which left seven hours later... which was delayed about three hours. So they asked if I could stay up from Midnight-4 am that night to wait for my bags. I said yes, just hoping to get my stuff. So, I hadn't slept in nearly two days and I stayed up completely until 4 am. No bags.

I did get my bags the next evening though and everything was in tact and fine. Thankfully!

I'm SO HAPPY TO BE HOME!!! My apartment was just as I left it. My bed was just as comfortable as EVER and my friends were amazing. Courtney even came to cook me a homemade dinner on my first night back! It was amazing!

Overall, my trip was awesome! Looking back, I totally would have done it again! However with a few different things. I would have taken some snacks from the US. I would have tried to learn Mandarin (which I am still thoroughly convinced is IMPOSSIBLE) and I would have made myself not sleep so I could have tried to do more things. But all in all, I am extremely, extremely happy with my trip. It was incredible for my first trip out of the country.

The thing I probably took most from this trip was how amazing the United States of America is. I have always had this pride and nationalistic veneer about being from the USA but it is so much more powerful when you're in a different country. To see an American flag in another country... to hear OUR national anthem and watch OUR athletes on the medal stand... it is incredible and nearly brought tears to my eyes every time... I'm not going to lie...

I also realized how much I love my family and friends. You can ask anyone, the most important thing in my life is my family but being away from home really makes those feelings triple. I missed everyone so much and it was so great to finally be home and text and call them. I'm still waiting on Beth to get back to me so we can set up the conference call things to tell you about the trip!

I really appreciate everything in my life so much more now! Everything! All the material stuff, yes. But most importantly the people that I know and love so much. It was really tough to go to China and be away from everyone for so long.

I found out a lot about myself while I was there too. Some stuff I won't go into detail about because I find it to be very personal to me, but overall I found that I am a lot stronger and independent than I originally thought. However, I am still very dependent on other people to have a good time. Oh well -- I have a lot of things I took out of this trip, it's kind of hard to put it all into words.

Apparently I've lost a lot of weight while being there. Sadly, it is still not enough! But, I did. My roommate is kind of freaked out. Every time he sees me he just tells me how different and thinner I look. I can't really see it, I'm still very much overweight. However, it has been definitely helping me diet. I've been doing awesome since being back! I'm not snacking or anything. All it has been taking was someone who you never thought would notice something like that, to notice and tell you. Thanks, roommate! Haha.

Anyway, I'm going to go. I'm sorry this post was a little spacey, I've got a lot going on in the background right now.

Thanks for tuning into the blog! It's been great to see that people have been reading. I apologize for not making the final blog post until now. I have been extremely busy since being home. You can thank Jeremy for this, he called me out over email. This is what he wrote me:

"Where the hell is our last post..... To quote your post from your extra night in China.... "Anyhow, I'm going to go... just wanted to give you all a heads up. I will write a last post when I get back home." Aren't you safely back home???? I need an end to the story! How are you going to leave us all hanging??????? This is like watching a movie and then with 10 minutes left the dvd starts skipping.... COME ON MAN.... :)"

Haha--sorry Jeremy! I finally made the last post!

Anyhow, thanks so much for reading the blog and witnessing me being a complete DOOF! I had a lot of fun writing and it means a lot to me to know you've all read it! Just wait until next summer! At the moment it looks like I'll be touring Europe for a month! I'll keep a blog then too!!! :-) I LOVE MY JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Talk to you all soon-- send some emails if you want. bradleyy@unc.edu

This was my final post! I'm done! BOOK OVER!!!!!

I'm stranded in Beijing... ugh!

I'm stranded in Beijing.

I was supposed to leave today at 6:30 pm and then get into the states at 7:30 pm and finally be at home at 11 pm! However, my flight has been canceled.

My flight was canceled due to "Mechanical Adjustments" and is now flying out of Beijing at 8:30 am on the 26th. So, now, I will be getting home on Tuesday instead of Monday. I'm pissed. Legitimately pissed off.

The ride to get to the hotel they're keeping me in was terrible. It was expensive because when people were talking to me and telling me how to get to the shuttle bus, no one knew what was going on and I missed the shuttle and had to take a ride in a taxi that was expensive as crap. Then I'm in this hotel -- in the smallest room that I have ever seen in my entire life and have spent the 200 yuan to get Internet so I wouldn't lose my mind. Because, as my luck would continue, there is no English speaking channels on my TV.

Oh well, some good has come from this. The view from my itty bitty window is great! I'm in a good area and I managed to walk around a bit more and experience more of Beijing as I could. So, now I'm sitting here and watching a movie online and eating my free dinner. At least it's good! Haha, just another story to tell when I get back!!!

China just didn't want me to leave yet!

Anyhow, I'm going to go... just wanted to give you all a heads up. I will write a last post when I get back home.

Loves to all!

USA Wins Bronze! Only a few more days!

Wow! As I am sitting here watching the start of the Gold medal game, it is now hitting me exactly how close I am to being home! It’s definitely a set of mixed emotions. The experience has been unbelievable and the stellar baseball competition has been insane and extremely enjoyable – apart from the US losses – however, I’m extremely ready to get back to the States.

Well, two sad things happened yesterday. Beth left and USA lost to Cuba in the semi-finals. So, as I sit here writing this blog, I am unfortunately not watching my team USA play for a gold medal. Instead, after their somewhat embarrassing loss last night (10-2; Cuba hit two 3-run home runs in the eighth inning) I am watching Korea take on Cuba. The intensity of this game will be crazy and it will be highly enjoyable to watch, but I still wish that team USA was in the finals.

I blame it on Beth.

Haha. Having Beth here for the few days she was here was amazing! We got to do a lot of stuff, she got to do a lot of the things she wanted to do and overall it was just great to have a familiar face with me that I don’t work with. Not that I don’t love the people I work with, but it was great to have one of my sisters here. I wish that all of my family could be here sharing this with me, but unfortunately that is significantly unrealistic. I’m just sad that Boo Boo left cause I had an amazing time while she was here. When I got back to my hotel room last night, the place was nearly empty and it was boring… so I just went to sleep.

I slept for like 9.5 hours!!! Talk about amazing! Really I just wanted to sleep off the loss and pretend that it never happened.

USA played Japan in the bronze medal game this morning. We were down 4-1 and gave up a three-run home run, which looked highly like the loss to Cuba, but our guys FINALLY woke up and won 8-4. It was great to see the guys medal. They celebrated a little, not too much since it was for a bronze, but they still celebrated for winning a medal and it was nice to see them win.

So, in between games we sat around and hung out. All of us have been talking about what we’re going to do when we get home and my plans are as follows. Sleep. Wake up. Sleep some more. Wake Up. Watch some American TV! Sleep. Wake up and watch some more American TV! And then go back to sleep! I feel like Tuesday is going to be a glorious day! A glorious day filled with TV that has shows that are in English… ahh, the good life!

So, this is my last game of the tournament. This is it! The culmination of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Baseball Tournament. I am sitting in history. I am sitting and watching what could potentially be the last baseball game in Olympic Games history (unfortunately). It’s a weird feeling. I’m just ready for this game to get over so I can watch the medal ceremony and get back to the hotel. I might be heading out with some people tonight, so that’ll be fun.

So, tomorrow is my final day.

HOLY CRAP! Korea just hit a blast… 2-run home run to left field in the top of the first inning. This is going to be a great game!

So, again, tomorrow is my final day. I am going to get up and head over to the Olympic Green and watch the end of the marathon and then try to get some pictures (I haven’t taken hardly any). I’m going to do some last minute gift-grabbing and head to the hotel and pack and get some sleep. I might be able to go to the Gold medal basketball game tomorrow. The USA v. Spain game. So, if that I works out, I’ll be at that game! I sure hope it does because it was amazing to see the “Redeem Team” win the gold medal.

Anyhow, my trip is almost over. I will only have about two more posts on this blog. It’s hard to believe! I have been in China for almost three full weeks and I feel like I’ve been here for a year. What a shock this is going to be coming back to the USA. I’m going to still be saying hello and thank you in Mandarin. Those are the only words that I have learned or really needed, haha.

Alright, I’m wrapping this up. Time to watch this game and soak in my last taste of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Baseball Tournament! Can’t wait to see team USA get their medals!

Loves to all! I will write tomorrow or before I head out to the airport!!

Brad and Beth Take On Beijing!!! (thanks for the title, Taylor)

WOW! Yesterday was CRAZY! As it was my birthday and all, we had a ton of stuff planned for the day. The major point being going to see the Great Wall of China! So, we had to be at the Westin Hotel at 8 am to meet our driver. Yeah, we had a driver. He drove an Audi A6, a sleek black one. We were so baller driving around in our Audi. We had him for 8 hours. Every time we passed someone, we know they were looking in there and saying, "Wow, those people are bad asses!" And they were right... we are bad asses.

Anyhow, getting back to the story. We got outside the hotel at about 7:40 am and it was raining and absolutely impossible to find a cab. We had to meet our driver at 8 and we finally, FINALLY got one at 8:05 am. Then we were in grid-lock traffic. The cab ride that is usually 7 minutes, ended up being about 28 minutes. We were for sure that the "Young Luck" was sure to strike again and we would miss our car, especially since the Great Wall was something that both Beth and I were adamant about doing -- pretty much, the ONLY thing I had to do while I was here.

So, we made our car--obviously since we looked like bad asses and got to the Wall and guess what... it was STILL raining. In fact, pouring as some points. So, along with the rain there was dense fog and it was chilly. Overall, I went to the Great Wall of China but did not see much of it! It was disappointing, extremely disappointing, but I truly made the best of it. We took some funny pictures and were extremely light-hearted about it all. We went with my boss, his wife and the USA baseball SID for the summer. So, it was wet and we saw nothing more than 500 feet in front of us. But it was still an experience to BE on the Great Wall. Summing it up, Page (Jake's wife) said it best, "Now we know how the Chinese working on the wall felt on a shitty day". Haha, it was a great time. I wish I could have seen a clear and beautiful view, but I didn't. But it was still an experience.

Now, on the way up the mountain, you take a cable car up the mountain. Well, we took it down and survived CABLE CAR CRASH 2008! That's what I'm calling it. As we got down at the bottom, the car in front of us was still unloading and our car came crashing into it! It was insane! All I could say though was how awesome it was that Beth and I were the first members of the Young family to be involved in a cable car crash, survive it, all in China! HAHA! It was great -- Cable Car Crash 2008 suffered no casualties!

So, as we were all soaking wet, we went to Pizza Hut for lunch with the Great Wall Crew for some amazing pizza and then went to the Hard Rock Cafe -- Beijing. It was disappointing for me, as it was my first Hard Rock experience (just the store, we didn't eat) and extremely disappointing to Beth. She has been to a lot of them and said that place sucked. So, after that we went back to the hotel in grid lock traffic and hung out. Boo Boo passed out and took a nap and I watched some TV.

We then went to the actual Silk Market. It was INSANE. I got nothing from the silk-market. I apologize to you all who may have been hoping to get something from there, but it was terrible. There was nothing there that I thought anyone would have liked -- honestly -- and the people there was terrible. I got extremely frustrated because people were grabbing me and I was about to punch the little girls in the face. But, we cooled down. We were in there, literally for two or three hours and I bought a t-shirt. That was it. It was an experience, absolutely! However, I bought nothing and don't care to go back, hahaha.

So, we went to Baskin Robbins to celebrate my BIRTHDAY! Thanks for all of the BDay wishes from emails, cards and Facebook! We got some ice cream and went down the list of people we still needed to buy for... which was a lot. So, we went back to the silk market (ugh!) and got the last bit of stuff.

I kicked some little girl's bargaining ass! Beth dealt with her the day before and was taken for a ride. So, in the middle of the bargaining she looked at me and told me to take over. So, I did. I kicked her ass. She tried raising her price on me and I took no mercy. It was hilarious because she was trying so hard to screw us, although she was hilarious and funny, but I was good. She was saying, "Ok, I give you these things... not this one for this price." And I was quick and told her no because they are now more per item than originally asking (I was so good) and she looked at me with squinting eyes, almost giggling and was like, "Ohhh, you clever!" Anyway, it ended up really well and I freaking won the bargaining war of 2008! Yes, after surviving Cable Car Crash 2008, I won the Bargaining War as well! Who's a baller? I'm a baller!

So, we then went back to the USA House to get a few more things and walked around the huge stadium for about 20 minutes to find out that we couldn't get in because they had teams in there and only special event people were able to attend. So, it was a wasted trip, but it was awesome to just hang out and walk around Beijing with Boo Boo!

So, we went back to the hotel and started to pack things up. Boo Boo is leaving today :-( and I was just trying to get some stuff put together. Let me tell you, I have so much new crap to take back it is INSANE! Beth had way more stuff than me, too. It was terrible! So, we watched The Prestige and hung out while she was packing and went to sleep!

My Birthday was one I'll never forget, that's for sure! It was crazy on all levels. Sure there were some disappointing points but overall it was a hilarious experience and I will have memories and stories to tell for ever. It was fantastic! However, I will be celebrating my birthday when I get back home as well.

So, today marks the semi-finals for baseball! Amazing games are happening today and tomorrow. Right now Korea is taking on Japan and Japan is up 2-0 in the top of the fourth inning. Team USA takes on Cuba at 6 pm. That game is going to be INTENSE beyond measure. I'm stoked and cannot wait! It starts at 6 am your time, it's on TV! Watch it!

Other news, USA Softball lost. How insane and disappointing is that. There are no words.

USA Women's soccer won the gold last night in what was apparently an amazing game. I have always been a fan of Hope Solo, even after her tirade after the World Cup last year so I was happy to see that she was vindicated in this effort. Apparently, she was the reason that USA won the gold medal!

USA Track and Field is struggling like mad crazy this year, and it was extremely disappointing to hear that both the women's and men's 4x100 relay teams dropped their batons during their race. That is just terrible. It's the Olympics and that happens... It is surprising after all of that that USA is still ahead in the medal counts. I don't think many USA people have gotten medals in T&F this year, but again, there are a lot of events.

So, I'm going to go and watch the rest of this game. It's getting pretty good!

I can't wait for these games because they'll be amazing, but I cannot wait to get home! MONDAY!!! Only a few more days!

LOVES TO ALL! I'll have more pictures up soon!

Boo Boo Needs Food!

My day yesterday was alright. Nothing special happened.

I got up -- late -- and went to the stadium. I watched two games that were pretty much blowouts, did my work and left. That was seriously my day, pretty much!

However, when I got back from the games, Beth and I went to the USA House. It is a restaurant/day spa, etc. that has been rented out for the entirety of the Olympic Games by the USOC. This house has food, drinks, massages, etc. and then has a USA Olympic Store and all American Staff -- they flew in all kinds of people, including a catering company from the USA. So, it was about 11 pm by the time we got there because the cab ride was insanely long and we didn't leave until about 11:45 pm.

Let me tell you what I learned.

You do not want to be around Boo Boo when she has no food in her stomach. It's a bad idea! Haha, I'm just kidding. You always want to be around Boo Boo. However, I provide caution to you all. If you're ever around Beth, make sure you have food in your pockets because if she's hungry and she can't eat... she's not happy. So, give her the food and RUN! If not, she gets a little cranky, and a cranky Boo Boo is an unhappy one.

Haha, I had to say something about that. Beth hadn't eaten all day and we went to the USA House because we weren't sure what time the store closed and we were going to go out to eat at the Hard Rock Cafe -- Beijing, but it was almost 12. So we tried to find a KFC -- because they're everywhere in Beijing!! So, we were both unhappy because we were starving and had to endure a 30 minute cab ride home, only to have issues with room service and it was a disaster. I won't be dealing with them again, that's for sure.

Anyhow, as much as I am loving my trip and as grateful I am for all that I have gotten to experience, I am extremely ready to come home! You know, being away from home for almost three weeks is bad enough when you're in the USA, but it is even worse when you're in a different country -- let alone on the other side of the globe. I'm a little torn though because this is the part of the Olympic Games I've been waiting for -- the baseball medal rounds -- but I'm just wishing it'll get over quickly so I can get back into my own bed!

That's pretty much all I have to talk about right now... haha. I'm lame, but it's ok, you love me.

Tomorrow is a special day, everyone. I'm just saying...

Hopefully I'll have some pix to share after tomorrow. We're going to go to the Great Wall and to (possibly) the Forbidden City and all kinds of places. I'm looking forward to it! Not just because we're going to cool places, but because it's a special day...

Gee, I wonder what could make it so special?

Hope all is well--I can't believe the trip is winding down :-(, however, I will be home in less than a week!!! :-)

Pick your own title!

I'm never good at making titles... I even find it difficult while I'm writing feature stories and recaps for my job. It is always difficult because I try to make them too complex in order to make me sound smarter than I really am. Because, let's face it, I'm not nearly as smart as I make myself out to be! I'm as awesome as I make myself out to be, probably even more so (:-p), but not as smart.... sooooooooooo, anyway you get to make up your own title for my blog today.

Monday was interesting! I woke up and went to work and then went back to my hotel and heard about how awesome Beth's day was and then I went to sleep.

Interesting, huh? Nah. My routine on a day to day basis is this: get up at 7:30 am, get ready and go eat at the continental breakfast. Oh, by the way, eating it in Beijing definitely makes the word "continental" mean just a little bit more... and then we load the shuttle to head to the baseball stadium at 8:50 am. I get to the stadium and go through security -- which is exactly like airport security except you don't take off your shoes, which is fantastic for me because that is the part of the airport security I hate... sorry, if you haven't already noticed in all of my other posts, I am very likely to go on a tangent.

So, after I get to the stadium and get my work station set up, we kind of hang out and talk with the people that will be throwing out the first pitch. So, I have gotten to meet a lot of the Presidents of the different countries' baseball federations and some of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) members. It's been wild getting to meet all of these people. I'm quite the overload on new customs and accents since I've met so many different people. So, we go down for the first pitch and then the game begins.

So, we watch the game and I write my recap throughout the game and after I help run the press conference. That's pretty much it. So we have about four hours in between each game (at least) and then we do it all over again and then I go back to the hotel.

So, no, my days aren't nearly as exciting as they were at the beginning because my day is absolutely shot for the most part, but I still get to do some amazing things while I'm here and I'm loving every minute of it. I mean, growing up, sports were my passion, it was all I did while I lived in Illinois. I was always out playing something and we always got to participate in the pee-wee and little leagues around the area. I was a pretty good athlete but baseball was where I excelled. So, to be able to work and have a career in the area in which I am passionate about and with something that I love so much, I'm truly blessed and extremely spoiled! This experience has been fantastic thus far and I can't wait for it to get even better.

So yesterday my first game was between Canada and Japan. Both of whom are extremely, extremely talented and good teams. Japan beat Canada 1-0. Canada's record at this point became 1-4 and that is ridiculous because they are a phenomenal team. Their four losses, were by a total of four runs. It is truly disappointing to see a team like that in the press conferences near tears because their hopes at attaining a medal for heir country has pretty much been shot. Yes, unfortunately, there is no shot for Canada to compete in the medal round.

This is when I was finally first introduced to other side of representing your country. You always get to see the interviews of the people who are celebrating their wins and are truly patriotic and are praised for representing their country so well, but never really get to see the utter disappointment and sadness some of these athletes display when they aren't representing their countries as well as they were hoping to. They truly feel like disappointments to their homelands and it is through these interviews I see their true love for not only the sport, but for the place they come from.

I know that is kind of a serious post, which is totally unlike my other blog posts, almost. Haha, yes, Brad is serious and very sincere as well, I just have not displayed that side of my personality so much in the blog. But, this is a blog that is to display my experience and it was eye-opening to be on the other side of the Olympic games. You know, not just talking to the winners but talking to those who weren't as successful. It is a little heartbreaking.

Anyhow, my second game was between Cuba and the Netherlands and Cuba blew them out 14-3 in eight innings. The game was pretty quick -- which I was quite a fan of.

The USA faced team China last night in a game that was HIGHLY emotional and intense. There were a total of seven hit batters -- China hit five American batters, USA hit Chinese two -- and two plate collisions. I was told the game was highly on edge (I went back to the hotel to hang out with Boo Boo instead of staying for the finishing of that game). It got ugly, is what I was told. USA won 9-1 and have now clinched a berth into the medal rounds.

I'm freaking stoked about the medal rounds!!! On Friday (WHICH IS THE DAY AFTER MY BIRTHDAY ) the top four teams are put into a tournament style format where the No. 1 seed takes on the No. 4 and the 2 takes on the 3. Right now, Korea and Cuba are both undefeated and are taking each other on tonight in what is going to be an awesome baseball game and they will vie for the number 1 spot. While USA and Japan will compete for the number 3 spot on Friday as they face each other that night. It's going to be crazy. Each match-up possibility is going to be crazy to watch and I cannot wait! This is what I came to the Olympics for and this is why I chose to work in baseball!!! The games that I will be witnessing are going to be utterly phenomenal and gut-wrenching. And I'm going to love every. single. minute of it. WOOT! I can't wait!

Anyway, I got back to the hotel to hear about Beth's day, which was more awesome than mine and I found myself extremely jealous that she got to do all of the stuff that she did, and we hung out and watched some TV and talked and passed out!

That's all I did. Yesterday wasn't very exciting! I did order room service for the first time. It was an interesting experience! I was trying to ask what they put on their club sandwiches and it turned into an issue for the guy. I feel bad because the people in China have made such an effort to learn our language but Mandarin is ridiculously difficult to learn. So, it was a little difficult but I got my club sandwich and it was great! Haha!

Alright, well I'm going to go and watch this game. Canada is taking on the Netherlands and it is tied right now. It might be because it just started though! The weather is gorgeous again and I'm loving it. Beth may be right, she may have brought the sunshine with her. It's been great since she's been here but when she was sick it was rainy. Weird.

Alright, I hope all is going well for all of you and I will be talking with you soon. I can't believe that my trip is almost over! I'll be home in less than a week! WOW!

I can't wait to talk to you guys over the phone!

Oh, I would like to thank all of you for reading the blog. I was not aware that so many people that I do not know were reading my blog, especially up in Gallipolis, Ohio! I hope you've enjoyed the insight into my life. I apologize for my craziness and my insane personality! You're getting to know me pretty well so far! Haha!

A McDonalds! FINALLY!

Well, Beth is here!!! It was an awesome hello when I got back from work Saturday night. We jumped around like idiots for a while, just because that is how we both are... AWESOME!

Anyhow, I gave her some stuff that she needed while in China and we talked and caught up and it was a great, relaxing evening! It was awesome! So, as one of my surprises for her since she was here, tickets to Beach Volleyball -- Misty May Traenor and Kerri Walsh! We were both stoked and we were ready to go! However, Boo Boo was really, really sick this morning. She tried really hard to go because this was pretty much the ONE thing at the Olympic Games but she was just too sick. It was extremely concerning, I was worried. I did not go to the game without her, even though she told me to numerous times, instead I stayed and hung out with her and watched "Fracture". Well, as she was still getting sick, I called my bosses to try and get in touch with the USA team doctor to see if they expected stuff like this when people got here and if she needed to go to the doctor. And after talking to him he just said to try a few things and that if she was still sick to call him and he'd come over and take care of her. First off, I think it's amazing and I'm so appreciative that USA Baseball was so willing to help my sister. It makes me feel great to be part of a family that would take care of my home family. I ended up going to the grocery store to get her some crackers (where I also found Oreos--don't worry I haven't eaten them all) and then got her some toast at the restaurant downstairs and after she pecked through the toast started feeling great! So after she scarfed down the toast, we were ready to go!

So, we got in the cab and went to the Silk Market! Although, it was about 3pm and I had to work this evening so we didn't have much time there... in fact, we didn't actually go into the silk market yet, haha. We got distracted in the other markets and we went through and bargained and got some really awesome stuff for people (hmm, maybe you were one of them).

When we FINALLY GOT TO A MCDONALDS!!! I just got some chicken nuggets. No french fries or anything. I just wanted some chicken nuggets. I tried to take pictures inside of there but they wouldn't let me. They actually came up and asked me to turn off my camera. What's is up with that?!

So after that we had to get back to the hotel to drop off our stuff and head to the baseball stadium. Bargaining is INSANE at the marketplace. Actually, the marketplace itself is INSANE. They try to like forcefully pull you into their section to try and get you to buy stuff. They ask for a lot of money and we ware them down, it was fun, actually! I got some cool stuff for me. I got a scroll with my name "Bradley" in Chinese characters, the actual translation (they had a book) and I got some fancy chopsticks and stuff. It was great! It was a little ridiculous because I am not forceful at all, I usually am very passive, so bargaining is not my strong suit but I managed well.

After, Beth and I took pictures of each other taking pictures of each other... just because, again, we're awesome!
Anyway, we went to the baseball stadium so I could work. Today was supposed to be a full rest day for all the teams and staff but one game was rained out on Friday so I covered the game for my boss while he had tickets to the Gold medal games for tennis. So, we got there and the game started in the sixth--the point in which it was rained out on Friday--and so Beth got to see where I worked and she met the CEO of baseball and other IBAF people and to watch some baseball!!

We were hoping the game to end quickly because we had tickets to the 8pm Beach Volleyball game...but for some reason Beijing does not want us to visit the Beach Volleyball venue as the game went into extra innings. I was a little perturbed. However, we got our stuff done and it was a great evening and game overall.

So, as I, again, finagled (YES, I LEARNED HOW TO SPELL IT!) our way into an Olympic vehicle so we didn't have to spend the whole $4 for a taxi, we went back to the hotel where we then immediately got into a taxi and went to Pizza Hut! HAHA! There is also a Starbucks and a Dairy Queen there and so as Beth was finally starting to get part of her appetite back, we got to Pizza Hut and ordered a pizza that really, REALLY hit the spot and then as we were walking back we were going to get some DQ but it was closed. Beth, surprisingly, did not partake in any Starbucks. I think she might be extremely sick. She's gone two days without it! Plus, even if she does go she can't have her "Grande, no whip, double blended, double pumped (sometimes), mocha frappucino" because it's made of ice and it is extremely advised against eating ice because of the water.

Anyway, the locals have been extremely nice today (apart from the forceful marketers) and it was just overall a really great day! I was really happy that Beth was feeling better and got to enjoy the city today because I felt terrible that she got here and was immediately getting sick. I was worried that it was going to ruin her trip, but she's doing great now. She had some pizza and is feeling awesome. Actually, she's already passed out on the bed. Anyway, we're back to playing some baseball tomorrow! I have my full day ahead of me. I don't really have any great games to cover tomorrow so it'll be just a pretty low key day in terms of my job... yes, Beth has seen how I work and desperately wants my career! Anyway, I'm going to go, a movie I want to watch is coming on HBO and I'm going to go to bed! Don't forget my birthday is on Thursday. Send stuff to China. I'm in the Suyuan Jin Jiang hotel! :) Loves to all!

USA WINS!

I had to title the blog that! Although, keep it a secret. I'm supposed to be impartial.

USA beat Team Canada today 5-4. It was a great game.

Overall, I must say that I'm thoroughly impressed with the caliber of competition I have seen thus far. Obviously I wish that USA didn't have the two losses, but the competition has been fierce. I do have to say though, that I'm positive USA will medal... as long as we don't lose any more players to injury.

Today has been pretty uneventful thus far apart from the game. Beth (Boo Boo) arrived safely so I can't wait to get back to the hotel to see her!!!

I really haven't done much of anything to do. I came to the park, watched USA win (the game made me nervous since it was so close), hung out and watched a lot of ping pong. Oh, before I continue, all I have to say is that these Olympic Table Tennis teams have NOTHING on me and my sister, Heather. Oh snap, I said it. Heather, if they had co-ed table tennis, you and I would dominate on the international circuit just as we did at Matt's mom's basement! HOLLA!

Anyway, I met some cool people that are member of the IOC and the company of Mizuno. That was pretty cool. Other than that, it's been a pretty smooth day. The weather is still nice but I have a feeling tomorrow will not be. Oh well, what can you do, I guess?

The Netherlands are taking on China right now and it's going so slow that I want to poke myself in the eye for entertainment! Haha.

I took some cool pictures of the field I work at and some of the USA game so I'll have one of them posted a little later, hopefully. I wish I had more to write about but today was pretty low key! I am just ready to get back to see my sister! It'll be nice to have someone that I know and can hang out with in my hotel! Oh, by the way, there is a bowling alley in my hotel! HOLLA!

Alright, I'm going to go and eat my dessert of pound cake and ice cream. YES!

Loves to all, tomorrow I will have tons to write about as it's my first rest day and Beth and I are going around the city! Be nice to me, it may depend on if you get a present from Beijing! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA... especially from the silk market :-D

HOLLA!

Beijing can be beautiful...

Alright, so, yes, there is a load of smog and pollution in Beijing. However, Beijing is an extremely beautiful city. But you'll never know until you've visited after it rains. Yesterday it rained for pretty much half of the day. It rained out one game that has to be finished on my rest day, and finished another early. It pushed back the other games so I didn't get home until well after midnight. But when I looked outside this morning, it was totally worth it. For the first time that I've been here there was a blue sky! It is absolutely gorgeous outside. There is a breeze and it's about 77 degrees outside. It's a blue sky with little cloud coverage and for the first time, I saw the sun shine. Normally the sun is just a lightly glowing orb in the clouds that you can stare directly at and only see a hint of orange and mass of smog. But today, I could barely look up without being blinded.

What's most noticeable is the skylines of all of the hotels and buildings as you drive home. The colors and buildings are amazing. I never thought I would have seen Beijing like this. I was never really impressed with the city. It ranked lowest on my "Big Cities I've Been To" list, but to see it in it's cleanliness made me think otherwise. It's not better than Chicago, though... not even close. Anyhow, it is gorgeous outside and I have had the privilege of sitting outside all day watching baseball! How lucky am I?

Well, the USA dropped a heart-breaker of a game today to Cuba. As some of you know, and others do not, Cuba is absolutely dominant in international baseball. They have won three of the four gold medals (baseball has only been an Olympic Sport since 1992) -- the other going to the USA. Lately, USA has been beating Cuba often and pretty handily. But today, we hit a snag. We've lost one player to injury before today's game and after today's game it looks like we've lost one of our best for the rest of the Olympics as well. He was bunting and a ball hit him in the head. The coach thinks he through it at his head on purpose, Cuba disagrees... pretty typical USA v. Cuba baseball game.

There is a new tie-break rule that assisted in the USA loss. If the game goes into the 11th inning, a runner is placed on 1st and 2nd with no outs. Also, the managers meet and they can start at any point in their order. So, generally, as I saw twice today (yes, both morning games went into the tie-break) you put your best bunter in, advance the runners, and then let your best hitters knock them in. Cuba scored two runs in the top of the eleventh and USA scored one... our last out came on a foul ball that almost made it out of the park... disappointing. I was not working that game, I work only on Field 2. So, I was here for the China v. Chinese Taipei game.

Just to preface -- baseball is a brand new sport in China. They've never participated in international baseball before getting an automatic bid to the Olympic Games. I witnessed what people are saying is one of the most defining moments of Chinese Sports History as China won their first-ever Olympic Games Baseball Tournament game today in the 12th inning, 8-7. You should have heard the cheers and the screams! It was an amazing adventure to be a part of something that big for a country!

The game itself was crazy. It was 3-3 going into the twelfth. Chinese Taipei scored 4 runs and looked to have sucked the wind from the China sails, but China came back and scored 5 runs in the bottom of the twelfth to win the game. It was an amazing site to see! To be a part of a game that means so much to a country is sensational.

Anyhow, work is work! Nah, I'm just kidding. Everything is going fantastic over here! The weather is perfect today and the games have been wildly entertaining (/disappointing... don't worry USA still has a great chance for a Gold medal) and I couldn't love my job any more! Well, that's a lie, I would love it even more if everyone could be here sharing this with me and I got paid more ;-). Anyway, Korea and Canada are going head-to-head right now for what looks to be a brilliant baseball game. So, I'm going to get back to watching it/doing my job. Yes, I watch a baseball game and get paid. I do have to write a recap (this takes me about 10 minutes, tops--sometimes I'm finished before the game is over) and man the mix zone (press zone--10 minutes).

Oh, something I'm excited about! Beth is going to be here tomorrow!!! For those of you who aren't in my family, Beth is one of my amazing sisters and one of my five WONDERFUL siblings (you've probably heard me call her Boo Boo) and she is coming to China to visit me and do some site-seeing. She'll be here to celebrate my birthday!!! Yes, my birthday is coming up! I'm turning 22 -- I'm not old, though. Alright -- the inning just ended so I have a few more minutes.

Oh, I left my laundry for the hotel to do... pretty normal procedure. It cost me $50.00! It was 324.00 RMB. That's INSANE! Had I known it was going to be that much I would have gotten some laundry soap and washed them in my tub instead of sleeping. Sheesh!

Where did all of my readers go? I know I'm not doing as amazing of things as I was before, but I've been taking part in some amazing moments people! I'll try to do more exciting things.

Oh, last night I fahnoogled (that is how I say it, don't know how to spell it) my way into an Olympic transport service! We usually take shuttles to and from the hotel but last night I missed mine while I was helping with the press conference. So, I went up to these Chinese girls and talked to them. I smiled a lot and laughed and talked to them for awhile and they hooked me up with a private car to get home... hmm, China girls think I'm cute... where are all of the American ones?!?!

Alright, back to game time. I swear to goodness, the Korean fans are blowing whistles and it's about to drive me ballistic. My streak of not causing an international incident could come to an end at 8 days while the 9th day is when I break.

Here is a picture of the baseball stadium here after the rain!! Michael Zarrilli took it... he's the photographer that I met at the party that we tried to find a McDonalds... still no luck in that department. I haven't brought my camera to any games yet because it's been gross, hopefully tomorrow will still be clear!

Oh, some other things... The food here is not that bad actually! I had some awesome stuff for dinner tonight as my appetite has finally gotten back to normal. Secondly, the people here love the song "You are my sunshine". They have 4 different versions -- including rock and rap that they've played while I was here in the baseball stadium.

Oh, I had a fun adventure in a cab ride today. I missed my shuttle this morning and had to take a taxi and they took me to the softball field. Then as I tried to explain in the Chinese that I know (none) that I wanted baseball, he started driving and got lost. It was a 40 minute ride altogether. Sheesh.

Wow, that was a lot of extra stuff.

Love to all!

SO BUSY!

First and foremost, I'm freaking psyched that the Baseball Tournament has finally started.

This will be a short post, just an FYI.

Yesterday it all began and boy was it stressful and busy and dramatic.

I won't go into detail right now, as I am currently in the middle of covering a game, but we had problems with press and game day procedures and blah blah... typical stuff to go wrong on the first day. It was a little stressful and made me extremely happy to go home and sleep. Especially since USA lost to Korea on the first night 8-7 in one of the most intense games I've ever watched.

Just a reference, Korea was up 6-4 going into the ninth. USA scored three runs in the top of the ninth to force them to go to the bottom of the inning to beat us... and they did. The whole game was just CRAZY. It was a heartbreaking loss for USA but as a baseball fan, those are the types of games you want to see when you come to a game of this magnitude. However, I just wish there was a different outcome.

Anyway, today was better and ran smoother, except the tumultuous rain. USA won 7-0 against the Netherlands and right now I'm covering the Cuba v. Canada game. Canada just scored two runs and are now only down 3-2. It's going to be a good game.

I will update a little more when I get home... maybe, depends on how tired I am.

Loves to all!

So much to write about!

I didn't get a chance to really write anything yesterday other than the little blurb about meeting George, so I have two days to write about.

Yesterday was, well... amazing! I finally got to see the baseball stadium. There are three fields: one Main Field that holds 10,000 people, Field 2 that holds 3,000 people and Field 1 that is the practice field. During the games, Jake will be manning the Main Field while I'll be manning Field 2. So we had a pretty long meeting and then took a little bit of a tour of the stadium. It was pretty uneventful. Oh wait, just kidding!

After the meeting was a circus! President Bush was stopping by to see the USA Baseball team right before he left to go home. Yes, we saw him right before he jumped on Air Force One. It was ridiculous. People were crazy and it was a mess. It was amazing though.

It was terribly difficult to get a picture with him, but President Bush is an amazing guy. He is very, very personable. It honestly surprised me. He is very laid back and so much of a people person that it is unreal. How you see him while giving speeches is totally unlike how he is while he's meeting people and having a conversation. He was great. The secret service was trying to get him to do all of these different things and what not and he was just shoving them off (not literally, metaphorically) saying that he was there to talk to the team and hang out with them--and he did.

We finally got our picture as we kind of snuck up there. The picture is of Jake, my boss, his wife, Page, and me with George. We shook hands and introduced myself. He said, "Nice to meet you, Brad." We took some pictures and shook my hand as we walked away and said, "Nice meeting you, Brad!" WORD! HOLLLLLLLLA! HOLLLLLLA!

Anyway, after that USA was playing an exhibition with China. In the third inning, after Bush left. Yes, Matt and for other admirers, Barbara was in attendance. His other daughter, was not though. She was in Beijing, just not at the baseball stadium. Yes, she's amazingly hot in person. She does not look even close to 25. Anyhow, after he left there was a seriously scary moment at the game when a photographer got slammed in the forehead with one of the hardest hit foul balls I've ever seen. At first I thought the ball hit her camera because it sounded like plastic had cracked but it was her forehead. She was fine though and walking around soon after.

So, after that I came back and we had an IBAF Reception at the fancy Westin Hotel. This reception made me feel like I was in a movie. It was one of those parties that you see that is in a courtyard and it's got all kinds of fancy people, fountains and they are all drinking champagne. That was the party I was at. At that moment, my idea of working in the sports world had been turned upside-down. I never expected this. Literally, I felt like I was in a movie. So, I drank some champagne and talked with the others in attendance of the reception. It was fancy!

After that Michael Zarrilli, a photographer for the IBAF, and I tried to find a McDonalds (No, I have not eaten at a McDonalds yet) but had no luck. So, we went back to the hotel and I passed out. It was a great day!

So... for today! First off, Happy Birthday, Chris! (My roommate). I feel bad because this is the second year in a row that we have lived together and I have not been there for his birthday either time. Sorry bro!

Today began with a longer, similar meeting at the baseball stadium since the Baseball Tournament starts tomorrow!!!!! FINALLY! We are all freaking ready for this to begin! So, after the meeting we just did some work and I came back to the hotel. I walked around the city a little bit more and it was awesome. The people here are amazing! They are extremely friendly and try so hard to make it easy on us to get around and get what we need. They are extremely hospitable and all-in-all have just been phenomenal. They are way more friendly than most people you'll meet in a big city in the states. But anyway, I just walked around and soaked in my last free day (other than the two rest days) that I could.

I then went to the USA v. Angola men's basketball game. It was awesome! Let me tell you, they LOVE Kobe here. It is insane. I wish I could have taken a picture of every Chinese person I saw that had a Kobe jersey or had something spray painted, painted or sewn on. It's crazy.

We dominated! Of course! We're going to win the Gold in basketball. Period. We have to. It was awesome getting to watch them as it was my first Olympic event. The atmosphere is amazing and again hearing the national anthem nearly brought me to tears. There is just something about hearing the Star Spangled Banner in a different country. It's phenomenal. I got some great pictures of the game but I will only upload one.

Anyway, I'm beat! I've been doing a lot of work on a new media guide and I finally finished before writing this EXTREMELY LONG POST! Anyhow, I love you all! I miss you like crazy! You definitely understand how much you miss everyone when you're a world away from everyone. However, this experience is AMAZING and I'm loving every minute of it!

I hope everyone is doing well and I love the comments and emails. Keep them up!

Baseball starts tomorrow! It's going to be great!! My articles will be on www.ibaf.org and www.beijing2008.com I don't think my name will be on there but they will be the recaps of the baseball games (2 of them, Jake does the other 2).

Alright, I'm really ending it here, time for bed! Also, I have found that I'm not taking enough pictures. I've only taken pictures of Opening Ceremonies and the basketball game. I have none of the city. I'll work on it!

I met the President of the United States!

Holy Crap! I met President Bush today in Beijing as he was at the baseball complex meeting team USA. I shook hands with him TWICE and took a few pictures.

I will write more a little later with pictures hopefully! WOOT!

Rain!

Today was a little gloomy in Beijing. It was raining when I woke up and it rained on and off throughout the day and night. I was pretty wet by the time I just got back to my hotel but it was a great day overall.

I hung out in the room after a quick breakfast, watching "Happy Feet" on the only American speaking channel in my room. It was pretty relaxing and it helped with the anxiety I still felt because of the attacks the day before. However, I got really sick of sitting in the hotel room.

So, I went to the IBAF office and hung out there for a bit and watched some of the events on TV while getting to know a few members of the IBAF staff and just helped out around the office as much as I could. I actually was able to pick up a few tickets to some events. I picked up some tennis tickets for tomorrow, a ticket to the USA v. Angola Men's Basketball game for Tuesday night and some tickets for the Quarterfinals of the Women's Beach Volleyball. So, I kind of scored big! Thanks, IBAF for giving me those tickets!

After that I came back to the hotel to change as Jake, his wife, Page, and I were going to the USA House in Beijing for dinner. It was at a resort called Jasmine, something or other. It was a nice place. It was all American decorations and it was an all-American staff that the USOC actually flew over. I mean, they flew over waiters, retail cashiers, hostesses, the works... so it was nice to be surrounded by only English for an evening. So, we ate some dinner and had a few drinks with the other USA Baseball people in attendance. I, however, am not here working with USA Baseball. I am only working with the IBAF while I'm here but there are some guys from our office here and some other helpers that I have met while working with USA Baseball so it was nice to see them.

While we were there I was able to catch some of the USA v. Argentina field hockey (women's) game. Now, some of you don't know this but I have truly grown to love the sport of field hockey. It helped, though, that I went to a school that has an amazing field hockey program. I watched my first field hockey game this past year when our girls team went 25-0 and won the national championship. In fact, three of the girls from that team are on our Olympic team. While I've never actually met them face-to-face, it was nice to see them playing for team USA. It's a great sport that I've grown to love and it was nice to see our girls tie Argentina. Just as a side note, USA field hockey has never been a staple of International greatness for the sport. In fact, we hadn't qualified for the Olympic Games since 1996 and that was because we were the host country. But these girls have turned around the USA Field Hockey program and have represented well, beating a lot of the best teams in the world.

Anyway, talk about a tangent.

I stopped at the USOC store in the USA House and got a jacket and a souvenir for the trip. Afterward when we were ready to bail I got to sit out in the rain and watch the thunder-less thunderstorm that Beijing was throwing down while waiting for a taxi. The lightning was incredible and the rain was amazing. I love sitting in the rain so it was a plus for the evening.
So, we got back and now I'm just sitting here ready for bed, paying attention to the USA v. China men's basketball game. GO USA! Also, I just have to point out: Kobe Bryant is probably more popular here in China than any other Chinese athlete. The reaction to him during the Opening Ceremonies and on TV is insurmountable in comparison to other athletes at the games.

Anyway, not too much happened today but it was a great day. Tomorrow I have a meeting at the Baseball stadium early in the morning and then team USA is playing in an exhibition against China, where a certain predominant political figure in the world will be stopping by. Hmm... After that will be the game and I am so ready to watch some baseball!

Anyway, I'm off for some sleep!!! HOLLA!

A day of mixed emotions...

Well, yesterday was a day of mixed emotions.

The day started off really well! I got up and had some breakfast and then did some work in the hotel room. Then, when I was finished I decided that I was going to wonder the city a little bit and get some lunch. So, I walked around Beijing for about 2 hours. There really isn't much of anything in my area so I kind of just wondered and ended up in a really nice, expensive, area that had a lot of America restaurants and stores. So, I had lunch at Pizza Hut! I know! Try new things! But I will tell you it was the nicest Pizza Hut that I have EVER been in!

It was a great experience for me! Going through a big city that I have never been, where I do not know the language and finding my way around and seeing all kinds of new things. I almost was just going to ask a taxi-driver to take me to a restaurant, however I just decided to walk around a little bit. It was eye-opening to see how some of the people in Beijing live. I saw some people who literally live in a hole in a wall. Then I saw some extremely nice places. I saw a lot of the little restaurants that served terrible things on their menu (dog) and I saw some extremely fancy restaurants.

Overall, my ventures was a good one that was topped with a meat-lovers personal pan pizza and diet pepsi for a total of 58 RMD, which is about $9.25 in the U.S.

After that I walked around that area a bit more and it was very Americanized, it ended up being in the area of the hotel that my boss is at. So, after about a 3 hour venture, I went back to my hotel to rest a little bit. This was when I heard the bad news.

In case some of you have not heard, an American was killed and another wounded, as well as their Chinese tour guide, in downtown Beijing. First of all, please keep their family in your prayers. The man and woman involved in the attack were the in-laws of one of the men's volleyball coaches for team USA. The coaches wife was with her parents, but not at the same spot at that time.

So, this was a little scary. Especially since I had just wondered the city for so long. However, I found out at this time that Beijing is one of the safest cities on the Earth for Americans to be in. As they were talking about it, officials from America and China were talking about how attacks on foreigners are extremely rare because they hold extremely harsher punishments than if they were to attack a native of China. So, that eased my nerves a little, oddly.

So, I stayed in my hotel room the rest of the night. I had opportunities to go and do stuff, but I just felt a little bit more relaxed staying in the hotel. So, I did a little bit more work and watched some movies on the China HBO, which annoys the crap out of me because it is in all English but with tons of Chinese subtitles on the bottom.

It was a relaxing evening and I enjoyed the change of pace since we've been going non-stop since we've gotten here.

Right now it is 9:06 am on Sunday. It is raining in Beijing right now so I don't think I'll be venturing out to do anything touristy. I will probably head over to the other hotel to the IBAF office and do a little work just to get out of my room.

Anyhow, hopefully today will be a better day, not that yesterday was terrible or anything. It was just, as I said in the title, a day of mixed emotions. I plan on watching some TV and getting some last-minute stuff ready for the baseball tournament which starts on Wednesday (I can't wait!)! If the weather clears up I might see what Jake and Page are doing and see about getting some dinner with them.

Anyway, I hope all is well back home! I miss it like crazy!! I miss being able to go anywhere and speak in English!!! However, a lot of Chinese speak English fairly well.

The Opening Ceremonies...

Yes... I got to go to the Opening Ceremonies...

... and it was remarkable!

I started off today hailing my first cab. "De She!" I went to the hotel where my boss is staying and the temporary office for the IBAF. So, I finally got to talk to my boss and meet the rest of the people I have worked with while they were in Lausanne, Switzerland. I sat through the exec meeting and learned a lot about the past, present and future of baseball not only in the Olympic Games but in general. It was extremely insightful, plus it was really awesome getting to watch, listen and speak to so many people from different countries. After that, I was offered a ticket to the Opening Ceremonies. (picture above)

I could NOT say no!

So, I took the ticket with open arms. However, I will tell you that the whole event was about a 10 hour experience. We had to load the bus at 4pm and then we left at 4:40pm. We then had to go to a security checkpoint halfway between our hotel and the "Bird's Nest". This was great because they checked the bus for harmful materials as well as all of the passengers. This way, we did not have to go through the security checkpoints at the "Bird's Nest" with the other 90,000 people. Again, thank God for working with the IBAF!

So we got there and I just have to say that the "Bird's Nest" is a gargantuan structure. Anyhow, as we talked around the tables and tables of free food we finally sat down for the Opening Ceremonies.

There are no words! The entire show was remarkable! It was extremely hot and humid. There were so many great things from the show that I cannot explain in this blog -- not the heat or humidity though -- so I will have to do it over the phone or in person.

The announcing of the teams/athletes took forever and I hope I never have to go through it again. However, when USA came out and I saw them with the flag and people were cheering, I never felt more special to be an American. It was a thrilling feeling that left me with chills as long as they were walking out of the tunnel (which took forever, we have easily over 400 athletes, we took up over 1/2 of the track while walking around).

Anyway, the whole show was just great. I can't wait to show pictures and talk to you all about it.

It's 2:20am now, so I need to get some sleep. Watch the opening ceremonies on TV, I think Robert told me it comes on at 8:08pm tonight in the States. It's definitely worth watching. Oh, especially the countdown and the ship choreography.

Loves to all! Thanks for all of the comments, they really made me feel great to know people were reading the blog, keep them up! Ask some questions if you want!

Until next time... HOLLA!

In Beijing! ...after a terrible travel day...

Well -- I am in Beijing. I made it!

The trip, however, was not so great.

It started with my first flight from Raleigh-Durham to Washington, D.C. This was the worst flight of my entire life. It was non-stop turbulence and cabin-shaking. It was so bad that the flight attendants weren't even allowed to stand up. They began passing out drinks and had to quit after about 5 minutes. They did not get up at all after that. That is how bad it was. Had it been my first time flying, I would never have gotten on a plane again in my life.

So, I made it to D.C. and then got on the HUGE plane to Beijing. We were to lift off at 12:30pm. Well, at about 1:30pm we were called off the runway and sent back to the gate. Why, you ask? Oh, because we were having OIL issues in our RIGHT-SIDE ENGINE. So, while I finally calmed down following the plane ride of death from Raleigh, I then started freaking out because of that too. I mean, 13.5 hours on a plane that was having oil problems, it's understandable for me to freak out. So, we lifted off and we had turbulence -- pretty hardcore turbulence -- for the first 30 minutes or so. So, at this point I was just praying for some vodka and Valium... however, I received neither.

After the third hour on the flight, though, everything was fine. It was all smooth sailing from there. We watched a few movies on the plane... "Kung Fu Panda", "Made of Honor", "Iron Man", "Be Kind Rewind", and "Nim's Island". I watched "Kung Foo Panda" and "Made of Honor", they were decent. I was not at all impressed with "Iron Man". I refused to watch "Be Kind Rewind" and then I fell asleep during the last one. Oh, yeah, I slept... for about an hour of the entire trip.

Anyway, the turbulence sucked... the food sucked... sitting down for 13.5 straight hours sucked... death rides in airplanes sucked really bad too, however there were some good points.

This Canadian synchronized swimmer was sitting near me and she was smokin'! So, I had something fun to look at while on the plane, haha. Seeing the "near" North Pole (we were about 100 miles away from the actual pole). It was awesome seeing the ice and glacier-ish fixtures floating around the water. It was a sight! By far the second greatest part of the flight. The Canadian Swimmer definitely being the first.

So, let me tell you a little bit about Beijing. The smog is existent, however it is not even CLOSE to how bad it was about a month ago. The city is nice... it is like any other city. It has some amazing parts and some not-so-amazing parts. I'm currently in a hotel that is definitely on the side of amazing. It isn't glorious, it's a 4 star hotel in China standards, but it is a lot better than most of the hotels I saw on my way in... speaking of my way in...

Working for the IBAF makes me a BALLER! Because I work for an International Federation all of my travel is paid for. I was taken to my hotel (a 60 minute drive) in a nice SKODA for free! It was great... plus, they have special lanes designated on the road for Olympic workers. So, I didn't have to sit in ANY traffic. For the first 20 minutes I honestly thought the driver and I were the only people in China because there was no one on the road, but getting into the city, it became a little congested but we just drove right through. Look at Brad, he's a Baller!

I saw the Bird's Nest! It's crazy! I just drove by, but it is truly an engineering masterpiece, I will take tons of pictures, don't worry. Other than that I've just been trying to settle in. I was supposed to meet my boss at the airport but my flight was delayed. So I checked around for him in case he stayed but I didn't see him so I've been alone this entire time. I've called his hotel and stuff but he is MIA. I just got an email from him and it looks like his flight was delayed even more than mine because he was just getting here at about 5 pm. So, at least I know he's in the city... it makes me feel a lot better than I was a little bit ago.

Anyway, this became way longer than I was expecting it to be. I'm exhausted. I'm going to try and take a light nap until I hear from Jake. Leave some comments or emails or something... I'm 12 hours ahead of you all!

HOLLA!

I'm Heading To CHINA!

Well -- Almost everyone I have talked to has asked if I plan on keeping a blog... so, I took the hint. So, as long as I do not defy any "blogging restrictions" set for the Olympic Games, I should be updating this thing as my travels in Beijing commence!

So, I'm leaving for China on Wednesday... my flight leaves from Raleigh-Durham Airport at 10:30 am and will arrive in Washington D.C. at 11:30 am. I will then fly directly from D.C. to Beijing. I will be arriving at 2 pm. of the next day! With the time difference (of 12 hours), I will be on the flight for 13 1/2 hours! I plan on sleeping, reading and watching movies... I just hope I don't go stir-crazy.

Well, a little bit about what I will be doing in China. I will not be working with USA Baseball while in Beijing. I will be working with the IBAF (International Baseball Federation). So, the primary responsibilities will be for me to write the recaps after the games are over. Baseball begins August 13 and will last until the 24th. So, log on to www.ibaf.org and read the recaps that Jake (my boss) and I will be posting! Also, there will be some photo galleries and videos.

Anyhow, I'm finished packing and I am just watching a movie, so I should really start getting ready for bed. I will try to log on and update as much as I can... apparently Internet access in Beijing is hard to come by and expensive! Anyhow, send comments and such! I'll try to bring home some gifts!