kara patterson and the amazing race.

Allow me to preface this post with how extraordinary it is for us to find what we are looking for in China without some difficulty. If we find it on the first try and with little adversity, we are pretty excited. But sometimes, even if we get tragically lost along the way, we still wrap it all up into a tremendous day... proof that you're never really "lost" at all, just a little Beijing detour.

It's 7:00am... the Purdue students, uniform-clad and still groggy, gather on the front steps of the CUC International Center for a yearbook-like group photo. It was requested of us (and who wouldn't want an 8x10 glossy of us in those uniforms?) by some important people, so we obliged. And 7am is the only time we are all at the dorm at the same time.

With just enough time to change and get stuff together for the day, a bunch of us left for the beach volleyball venue where we had tickets for the day's matches. This is where the "amazing race" beings. It's clear that because it is about 8am there is no way we are going to get three taxis from CUC to Choyang Park. However, this takes us about 25 minutes to figure out. Begrudgingly heading to the subway some of us smile at how easy the solution to just take the subway in the first place might have been... but hey, a cab ride is pretty tempting, especially when we stood in line for about 12 minutes until we got to the train.

Upon arriving in Sanlitun, we hail cabs to take us the rest of the way to the park where the volleyball is... one cab makes it, two do not. This takes another fair amount of phone calls and patience to get everyone rounded up again. No sooner than we are through security and have our tickets checked that the group faces another transportation dilemma: a tram-like shuttle. Problem one: two of us have very very little cash on us, and since I already forked over the money for the cab ride, I wasn't about to pay another 10 yuan to get on a tram to somewhere I can easily (and willingly) walk to. Problem two: the tram didn't appear to have enough room to accommodate our large party. No big deal... the amazing race continues and the two of us walk over to the venue. After entering the least convenient door to where we sit (another glitch) we arrive at our seats to meet the group.

The matches were awesome... we saw Men's Angola vs. Australia and Women's China vs. Belgium. I've only watched beach volleyball on TV before, but it is super fun live. The venue was literally a little beach surrounded by spectator seating and had all kinds of music and energy just bouncing around inside. Even the rain didn't stop us from enjoying the matches.

Because Chris and I were off work today (in the photo world, we work in pairs... Val & Christina work opposite days that Chris and I do... at least until the 14th), and because my lovely friend and Team USA Olympic javelin goddess, Kara Patterson, arranged for us to hang out in the Olympic Village, we left to get some food before heading to the Village.

Based on recommendations from the group, we attempted to find a nearby Italian restaurant. We made it out of this huge park by using some of the few Chinese words we know "shi men" (West Gate) and finally made it to the street this restaurant was on. We walk one way... decided to walk the other... and decided to turn around again. At this point, we're revamping the plans and are okay with finding whatever food we can. No sooner do we agree to just ditch this original restaurant than it appears right before our eyes. Clearly, our navigation skills outsmarted us.

After lunch, however, is a little different. This is where "the race" really picks up. We finally touch base with Kara after some communication difficulties (namely, me not having a phone and leaving CUC so early that I didn't receive emails sent after 7:30am) and tell her we're grabbing a cab and we're on our way. A very enthusiastic elderly volunteer and his entire volunteer staff help us find the Olympic Village on the map and then translate to a taxi driver where to take us.

As it turns out, we really didn't know where we were heading because the first cab dropped us off... we asked another barely English-speaking volunteer for further directions. He helps us get yet another cab to where we need to go. (This is where it is important to remember we have very little cash on us).

After some attempted entrances to gates we (or our cab, for that matter) did not have clearance to, we finally get somewhere we think is close to the Village. We walk several blocks to a giant bus station and, once again call Kara (who, at this point is being remarkably patient with how deranged we are). A few more phone calls... a few more blocks walked... a few more barely English-speaking volunteers... a few blocks back-tracked... and we are at the correct entrance to the Village.

Because we are visitors, we have to check in, walk to guest services, go through security, hand over our passports for temporary security clearance (which was super cool that there were passes just waiting for us... with our names and everything) and finally get our accreditation beeped into the Village. Finally. In like sin.

I'm already marveling at the Olympic buzz of athletes and coaches and various other important-looking people when my favorite Olympian comes running toward me. Yay for Kara for not only inviting us to the Village, but for putting up with how late we were in arriving and the tens of phone calls it took for us to all finally be in the same place. (FYI: Kara Patterson is one of the two Team USA Women's Javelin throwers and fellow Purdue student. She and I met as BGR Supers in Shrevehart together last year... the best year of Shrevehart ever.)

And by the way, the Olympic Village is amazing. Kara took us to the common areas where people can hang out and work out... tons of people just playing ping pong, watching movies, watching other Olympic events, oh yeah, and getting drinks out of the Coke machines with literally a wave of the hand. (I drank a PowerAde in the Olympic Village. I am almost jealous of myself.) We saw the gardens nestled between the apartment buildings (also awesome) the athletes live in. We saw Kara's home for the next few weeks (and some of the awesome Team USA swag she now sports). We saw the different countries' flags flying from every balcony of the apartment buildings.

Oh yeah, and we saw Lindsey Davenport (amazing at tennis). Not to mention we saw tons of other crazy good athletes that I couldn't even name or recognize. But, we met (as in, I shook their Olympic hands) the other Team USA Women's Javelin thrower, Kim Kreiner, Alfred Kruger (Hammerthrow), Trevell Quinley (Long Jump) and Mike Robertson (Discus). It was just so cool to be walking through the Village and have Kara see a friend, say hello, and introduce us. I know that athletes are human... but it was just amazing to meet people so dedicated to their athleticism... people who the world will watch and cheer for... people who represent the country I miss and love so dearly since arriving in China. (Which brings up another point... now that the Games have begun, I can't help but secretly wave my invisible American flag everywhere I go. Although when in uniform I can't show any bias, I am going crazy cheering for the US at all other times.)

And so, naturally, Kara had to go practice being even more awesome at throwing javelins really really far. I gave her a huge Good Skill hug and Chris and I left the Village... overly satisfied with our outing. But now, it was back to the race.

Ah yes, what a lovely idea to take a taxi back to CUC. After such a long day already (it is about 4pm at this point), walking to find the appropriate subway seems daunting. Oh wait. Between the two of us, we only have about 14 yuan... and decide to buy water and ice cream (ok, so I wanted the ice cream) and hold out for the subway. Here's the problem, the subway lines that run up through the Olympic Green (the area with the Bird's Nest, Water Cube, Main Press Center, Olympic Village, etc.) are only accessible to those with the correct accreditation. But the buses, now those are available to any Olympic affiliate.

We wait for "number bus two" for about ten minutes... board the already packed bus and laugh about how this is the third mode of transport we have used today. A quick two stops later and Chris thinks we're at the right stop... depart bus... annnnnd realize it is not the right stop at all.

Laughing at how crazy it is for us to try and find our way through this city, we spend our last pennies (I literally gave some American pennies as payment) to some street vendors for "Go China!" ninja headbands. These headbands would give us the power to continue this journey.

More barely English-speaking volunteers help us along the way... and after about two kilometers of walking, we find a subway station... and some other rowdy Americans from Downers Grove, Illinois. We all bond in the subway about how life in China is nothing like we expected it, but so great all the same (kind of the theme of our rambling about the city today). And as they departed at their stop, I noticed how the train fell silent. Maybe we were being "loud Americans," and just talking up a storm. But this is when it occurred to me that my loudness was out of enthusiasm for fellow countrymen and friendly conversation, how could I think it was a bad thing? Call me a "loud American" all you want if it is in reference to chatting it up with strangers. Why is that so bad anyhow? I've been loud forever.

Upon arriving at the CUC dorm, we check the clock... 7:30pm. What an amazing race of a day... finding our way around a city with barely any money, one cell phone, various crummy maps that never seem to have what they need to have on them, a positive outlook on being lost, communication disadvantages and some rain gear.

After all, when you're lost, you usually find new ways home... and if you're lucky, you find ninja headbands.