for anyone who hasn’t noticed, the titles of all my posts and the blog itself are all based on songs/numbers. So when I searched for Olympics- Insomniac Olympics came up. “Blockhead” surely has been to the Olympics.
it’s been a long-time coming- on this sunny, crisp autumn afternoon- my last in Mongolia (this visit)- with all day to spare till I board a train to China tonight, I have decided it’s a day of thank yous.
the first four months of my travels, I didn’t have any plans but one- to avoid Beijing during the Olympics- too expensive, too many people, not the true city it is without the grand event.
well I have to say I enjoyed Beijing for just those things- except the expensive part, of course!
after all, what do you do when big sis suggests I meet a good friend of their family’s in Beijing and soon after, sends a picture of him running with the Olympic torch You send him an email!
so far, my only brush with the Olympics had been in Bangkok, where my daypack was randomly searched as we waited for the torch to pass.
Deepak (Advani, the CMO of Lenovo), in his reply to my email, was really kind to offer me tickets if I came to Beijing. so, I rushed to the train station in Guilin, changed from a sleeper to Shanghai to a hard seat to Beijing.
the 27 hours are endured with me practicing Mandarin with the college student sitting next to me and then discovering, to my dismay, that we don’t have access to the dining car AND that I won’t be able to find my favorite snack- taro chips- in the north.
my time in Beijing passed in a kind of a daze. it was a wonderful show, the Olympics complex was magnificent, the atmosphere electric, the crowds frantic and still, there was always, always order among the chaos. every train i got on, i played the "guess the country" game. there were people from all over- friends on a reunion, families on vacations, and some, like me, showing up in hope of being a spectator at the majestic Bird’s Nest or Aquatic Center.
I get up early next morning, and in my “finest” traveling attire, go to the Grand Hyatt Lenovo reception desk to pick up my tickets. I meet Deep and his wife, Puja and soon am handed a stack (yes, a stack) of tickets ranging from basketball to rhythmic gymnastics! Not to seem too greedy (and being the pragmatic (or lethargic) person I am ;), I pick a few events. My tickets in hand for events beginning tomorrow, Puja asked me if I wanted to visit the Summer Palace with her in a CAR as part of a private tour for Lenovo guests!
Now, I haven’t been in any kind of "car" in almost six months (the limited cab, tuk-tuk rides don’t count) So I jump on the offer (instead of going to an Olympics Rowing event- I just heard Mayo and Astrid scream at me for that ;) and tag along and have a wonderful afternoon checking out this once playground for the royals- the only sightseeing I did in my week there.
the rest of the week I spent in trains (free with the tickets), enjoying basketball, gymnastics, taekwondo, volleyball, athletics, shouting ‘chaaaayo’ while waving the flag of China, making new friends, arranging my journey forward to Mongolia and making more friends.
one warm Beijing afternoon, however, I spent trying to spot tall guys in the Silk Market, so my new buddy, Kenzo could approach them and see if they have any connections with the US basketball team(??). We did manage to run into LeBron James’ managers and Dwight Howard’s manager. Little did we know then how important these acquaintances would turn up to be (for him)?
we also met the Michael Jordan of Australia in the train the same day (and numerous other sports stars from all over the world). Of course, as much as I know about basketball- US or Australian, I have already forgotten his name except the fact that he has a shoe line in Australia named after him.
Kenzo came with similar intentions as me but without Deepak’s email :) so, he spent a lot of time outside venues giving the scalpers some business.
All his effort was worth it when he got into the basketball final game for free, when an angel walking by just handed him a ticket just as he was about to buy them from someone else (they were going for $1000/piece!)
And, it didn’t end there- he even made it to the after-party with the basketball gods (thanks to Howard’s manager!)! I missed because I was too busy doing the salsa with my friend, Lei and her friends.
Basketball Gods party or not, it sure was overwhelming to be a part of the Olympics, one that I won’t forget and one that wouldn’t have happened without Deep and Puja’s thoughtfulness and my sister’s insistence that I meet them!
So thank you all! I owe you for letting me witness and experience this age-old tradition that is the Olympics!
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