Postcards from Beijing

Monday 1 September

Hello from Australia, and farewell to Beijing!

The last few days in the 'Jing' as we affectionately called it were bitter sweet. As excited as we were to be going home, there was also a small part of us that wanted to stay. As the Olympic Games came to a close, the Chinese wasted no time in taking down Olympic banners and signs and the atmosphere around the city changed. It was almost depressing driving past the water cube knowing that we had already had our last day in the 'office,' and that the Olympic fever had well and truly gone for another four years.

But as the saying goes; all good things must come to an end, and landing back home well and truly brought home the feeling that we have had a life changing experience. Friendships were made, hard times were overcome, good times were definitely had and the experienced gained within the journalism field was invaluable. Once again, I would like to thank The University of Newcastle and all the people who were involved in making this wonderful opportunity come to fruition. I wish the rest the Communication students still in Beijing, all the best for the Paralympics and we can't wait to catch-up with you guys when you get home!

Thank you to everyone from the University, our families and our friends for your support!

Signing off,

Meredith

Tuesday 21 August

Hello again from Beijing!

Saturday proved one of the biggest, most exciting days I have had since arriving in Beijing. I witnessed the fastest man in the pool by day, and the fastest man on the track by night.

I watched Michael Phelps win his seventh gold medal first hand from the pool deck. I was lucky enough to be working in the 'BOB'. BOB is the broadcasting zone, which is the frontline for international television networks stationed on the pool deck ready to catch the athletes as they leave the pool. As the swimming wrapped up, we were ready to hit the Birds Nest for a night at the athletics.

The line up into the Birds Nest was chaotic to say the least. It was a mix between an international themed dress up party and a mosh pit at a concert, and it certainly got the excitement pumping. The atmosphere inside the Birds Nest was indescribable. It was totally surreal. My eyes were stinging from the bright lights and my ears ringing from the noise, but it was just fantastic. The Chinese started a Mexican wave, which we happily took part in. The Mexican wave successfully went the whole way around the nest, and all three levels of spectators were doing the wave in sync.

The whole stadium went quiet as the athletes took their positions on the start line for the Men's 100m sprint final, you couldn't help but have goose bumps. In a blink of an eye, the race was over and a world record was broken. There really are no words to describe what we saw, so I'll let the photos do the talking.

The excitement didn't stop there. On Sunday night we went to a party for the athletes at Bud House. It was rather surreal to see athletes just hanging out with their Olympic medals around their necks and a beer in their hand. I'm pretty sure our University acted like the paparazzi. Photos were being taken left right and centre of the athletes and their medals or us with their medals.

As Monday rocked around, it was back to work and the reality of this being our last working week kicked in. Things have slowed down in the water cube with the swimming coming to a close, but we still have the diving and synchronised swimming to go!

Bye from Beijing,

Meredith

Friday 15 August 2008

Hello again from Beijing!

Since my last blog the Olympic Games has well and truly kicked off! We all celebrated the Opening Ceremony in different ways. Some went to Tiananmen Square, others went to our local hangout and restaurant 'The Red Lantern,' while others attended a party hosted by the 7 Network for Aussie expats living in Beijing. A few of us threw a mini party in a friend's room and watched the Ceremony while eating Pizza. Most of us had an early night, as we had an early start for our first day at work.

The first day was hectic to say the least! The students working at the weightlifting events were over the moon to report on the first medal ceremony of the Games. While students in the water cube were ran off their feet covering a heat every three minutes, while our only Newcastle student covering the Handball had his first of many 16 hour days. The atmosphere is intense and the adrenalin definitely starts pumping! My first 'flash quote' interview was with Michael Phelps. Remember how I said the media scrum can be vicious? Well being front row centre trying to interview Michael Phelps was intense. My friend and fellow Newcastle student had the weight of over 40 International journalists leaning on us, all wanting to hear what Phelps had to say resulting in the barrier between us and Phelps to fall. We were lucky enough to have an Australian journalist behind us, who with her quick reflexes grabbed the collar of my shirt to stop me falling down with the barrier! After Phelps it was a quick procession of athletes: Hackett, Rice, Lochte, Hanson and Trickett to name a few!

As fantastic as it is to see all these amazing athletes up close and personal, I am always constantly reminding myself that we have a job to perform. We are all facing the pressure of writing down the best quotes and delivering them to international journalists and news agencies in under ten minutes. On my first day, I found this pressure hard to deal with and was starting to lose confidence in my ability to perform. But as the days progress and our journalism skills become more polished, I am amazed at what we can achieve. I am constantly amazed at what my fellow students are capable of doing. One of my fellow students was required to apply her language skills and attend a press conference for French media only. Not only did she attend the press conference, she was able to take down quotes in French, converse with the athletes in French and then transcribe her quotes into English for other news agencies to pick up. She lived in France for six months when she was only sixteen! So it has been a long time since she has spoken fluent French! Other Newcastle students I work with have this intense passion for journalism. They possess this confidence to chase down athletes and ask some of the most informed questions, that not only are the athletes impressed with their knowledge but also other professional journalists.

Beijing has gone absolutely Olympic Games crazy! It is almost like a maze, ducking and weaving through the thousands of people who just mill outside the water cube and birds nest, all just wanting a tiny glimpse of Olympic history. People just openly smile and wave to you, while wearing your Olympic uniform, which for me, reinforces that it is a privilege to be wearing the uniform and working at the Olympic Games. Wearing the uniform even comes with little perks. For instance yesterday the Chinese officials had blocked off the main highway, which takes us back to the University. All we had to do was flash our accreditation and uniform and the highway was open to us! So when we come home, it is really going to be a reality check!

Speaking of uniforms, I better go and get ready as my next shift at the water cube is soon!

Bye from Beijing,
Meredith

12 August 2008

Hello to the University of Newcastle!

My name is Meredith and I am a third year Communication student. I am currently studying Journalism and Public Relations, and I am one of the forty University of Newcastle students selected to volunteer at the Beijing Olympic Games.

I have been living, studying and working in Beijing now for a little over a month and loving it. I am here as a volunteer 'Flash Quote Reporter,' reporting on the Olympic Games. I am the type of journalist who works behind the scenes in an area called the 'mixed zone.' The mixed zone is where the athletes go after they finish competing in their event, and do a round of interviews with journalists from all over the world. The mixed zone is hidden underneath the grandstand, so the likelihood of seeing us on the television is unlikely. I have been working on having people in my personal space (riding the bus to work helps) as the media scrums in the mix zone are said to be very vicious. I will find out first hand on Sunday during my first shift covering events at the National Aquatic Centre (also known as the water cube). I am lucky enough to be covering the swimming, diving and synchronised swimming. I have also been lucky enough to interview some of the world's first class divers and swimmers. I have also interviewed lesser known athletes who capture the Olympic spirit and really bring home the reason why the Olympic Games exist.

Home for me here is the Beijing Foreign Studies University, which is the most popular University for Chinese students to attend if they are interested in studying English. Our campus is similar to Callaghan Campus as it is known for its' natural surroundings and is dubbed the 'garden campus.' We have all thrown ourselves into the college lifestyle- China style. Some of us have joined in on morning tai chi sessions on campus, while others make good use of the tennis and basketball courts, while the rest enjoy communal cooking in one person's room. I personally have bought a rice steamer in which two of my closest friends and I enjoy cooking up veggies, rice and sometimes pasta. We have eaten at some of the best places in Beijing, enjoying the best Peaking Duck China has to offer. So for any parents concerned we will come home half our size- no need to panic!

So far we have visited nearly every site the Lonely Planet Guide has suggested- the Summer and Winter Palaces, Tian amen Square, the Bug and Insect market, Silk Street and Ya Show Markets (more than once!) the Forbidden City, the Drum and Bell tower, the Temple of Heaven and of course the Great Wall of China. I am still recovering from the long walk and having a few falls on the way down! We were actually relieved that it was raining to take away the heat, but some of us weren't prepared for the sudden drop in temperature. So if you are ever to take a trip to the Great Wall of China, pack your raincoat and a jacket! I actually found out that you can spend a night on the Great Wall of China, which is on my to-do list the next time I visit.

I was actually surprised how beautiful the city of Beijing was when we arrived. As part of China's 'Green Olympics' the city is full of trees, shrubs and flowers. Every inch of spare space is taken up with greenery of some description, even under the bypasses and in the middle of roundabouts. The city never stops; even the little back lane behind our college is always full of people and taxis. As much as I love the city, I initially struggled with the smog when we first arrived, but I came here expecting it and now it isn’t a big deal. Although, it does make me appreciate home and its clear blue sky (which I hear not even you guys are getting much of!). I also appreciate the lack of traffic we have in Australia. The Chinese have restricted the number of cars that can drive on certain days. For instance today if your car's number plate ended in an even number, you would have to catch a bus or taxi as you aren't allowed on the road until the next day. As much as the traffic can be a little overwhelming, a taxi ride is always fun (sometimes not so fun when you have prang on top of a three lane bypass in pouring rain in peak hour traffic- but it certainly adds to the experience!).

The Chinese are very interested in Australia and are so proud to be hosting the Olympics. So with the combination of being Australian and working at the Olympic Games, we are treated almost like rock stars. On our first day of wearing our uniforms, we were stopped by countless people keen to have their photo taken with us with the water cube as the backdrop. It is going to take some adjusting when we get home, when people stop asking us for photos- we might need a pin to pop the bubble! While the Chinese make us feel welcome at every turn, I can't help but to feel embarrassed. The majority of young Chinese students I have met have excellent English, obviously speak fluent Mandarin and are some of the most open minded and intelligent people I have ever met. It is the honour of meeting these people that has made me relish this experience even more. At home I am usually terrible with directions (you can't afford not to know where you are in Beijing), I am not the most domestic person you'll ever meet, nor am I highly organised. But the privilege of being able to have this experience, meet new people and live here has changed all that (mind you I still like doing the washing!). I am sure that Newcastle University is proud of its Communication students here, as we are all working hard to represent our University, our families and ourselves in the best possible light. I think our efforts have paid off as we have several requests for more students to stay behind and continue representing the University at the Paralympics. I know am proud of my fellow students, and I am so grateful to the University of Newcastle for this life changing experience.

From Beijing,

Meredith.