This morning, I went to my first swimming event. I’ve been dying to get inside the Cube ever since I saw the first photos of the arena months ago. It looked like such a cool place to watch swimming. Well, it was. Especially the way I experienced it: sitting 14 rows from the pool with…

Since I arrived in Beijing four days ago, my friends, family and co-workers have asked me one question repeatedly: Are you having fun? It has been a difficult question to answer. Yes, I am having an experience. Yes, I am excited and grateful to be here. Yes, I am enjoying the events and the infinity…

A bit of the weirdness I’ve noticed in less than 24 hours on the ground … The “grounds” (maze) our hotel is located on are peppered with statues of topless women playing sports. The grounds are also infested with the loudest cicadas on earth. The hotel pillows are stuffed with dried rice. (Q: What’s louder…

Ni hao! Welcome to Olympic City, or the city formerly known as Beijing. A magical city where everyone smiles and opens doors and finds chairs for you to sit on while you are waiting for the bus. A kinder, gentler, nicer Beijing. At the airport, each person I encountered was happy to answer my questions,…