Opening Ceremony Fashion

Amy's taking the BAR today & tomorrow! WAHOO!! She'll be dressed in a suit & if I remember correctly, has to wear pantyhose....I love Virginia :)

Some of the headlines I've been reading:
the new traffic plan seems to have made little improvement for Beijing's air quality
Coach K & the boys are in China training
Ralph Lauren's Olympic Uniforms sneak peak :)

The opening ceremony is a mere 10 days away -- and we're getting VERY close to leaving!

Whoa- the CDC is rocking my world, in a good way.

The extremely comprehensive CDC website is awesome. I’ve spent the majority of my time there looking at the children’s section that includes facts about China, facts about the Olympics AND cool stuff to do on the plane! That was unexpected.

The remainder of this post highlights some of the health and safety issues we are to be aware of…

Amy – I know you haven’t used your inhaler since your were in high school, but perhaps now would be the time to bring it? :)

Posted from CDC :

Stay Healthy

• Follow safe food and water practices (see section below).
• Wash your hands with soap and water before you eat, after you cough or sneeze, and after you go to the bathroom. If you can’t wash your hands, use an alcohol-based hand gel (with at least 60% alcohol).
• To reduce the changes of heat-related illness:
• Drink plenty of water and eat regularly.
• An adult should drink about two liters of water each day (about eight, 8-ounce glasses) to stay hydrated. In extreme temperatures, two to four 8-ounce glasses of fluid an hour will help keep you hydrated and decrease the risks for heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
• Wear a hat or head covering to prevent sunburn, and wear sunglasses with UV protection to prevent sun damage to your eyes.
• Use sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher to prevent sunburn, and wear sunglasses with UV protection to prevent sun damage to your eyes.
• Use an insect repellent containing DEET (30-50%) or picaridin (up to 15%).
• Use condoms if you have sex.
• Avoid touching or petting animals, especially birds and dogs.
• Swim only in chlorinated water.

Follow safe food and water practices

Hygiene and safety standards for food and water are different in China from what you are used to at home. Use these tips to help make food choices:

• Eat foods that are fully cooked and served hot.
• Eat and drink only dairy products that have been pasteurized.
• Drink beverages that have been bottled and sealed (water, carbonated drinks, or sports drinks).
• Do not put ice in drinks.
• Eat only fruits and vegetables that you can wash and peel yourself.

Stay Safe

• Don’t drink and drive.
• Wear a helmet when you ride a bike or motorcycle.
• Wear a seatbelt.
• Be careful when participating in recreational activities, including swimming.
• Be careful crossing the street.
• Be careful and stay alert in crowds.
• Follow local laws and customs and Olympic Games security regulations.
• Avoid political protests and rallies.
• Make a photocopy of your passport to carry with you at all times.
• Develop plans for where to meet if you become separated from the group with whom you are traveling.

See a doctor before your trip

You’ll need to decide which travel vaccines and medicines are right for you. A doctor who is a travel medicine specialist or a doctor who is familiar with travel medicine can help. Plan to see the doctor at least 4-6 weeks before you leave to make sure you’ll have time to get all the vaccines you need. Also, take this opportunity to make sure you are up-to-date on routine vaccinations like measles/mumps/rubella and tetanus. To find a list of these vaccines and when it is recommended that you get them, visit www.cdc.gov/vaccines.

CDC does not recommend specific doctors, but you can use the information on the Travel Clinics webpage to help you find a travel clinic in your area.

Pack a health kit

Health products available in China are different from the ones in the United States. They may not be effective for you. Pack your own health supplies to be sure you have what you need, and talk to your doctor to make sure you pack everything for your specific health needs. Items to include:

• Any medicines you take every day in their original containers. (Bring more than you think you will need.)
• Copies of your prescriptions
• Malaria prevention medicine, if you need it
• Antibiotic for travelers’ diarrhea
• Over-the-counter medicines like pain relievers and diarrhea medicine
• Alcohol-based hand gel (at least 60% alcohol)
• Sunscreen (at least SPF 15)
• Insect repellent containing DEET (30-50%) or picaridin (up to 15%)
• Oral rehydration solution packets
• First aid items, such as bandages, gauze, and antiseptic ointment
• Thermometer
• Battery-powered smoke alarm

See other ideas for your health kit on the Travelers’ Health Kit page.

Prepare for an emergency

Register with the U.S. Department of State in case of an emergency.

• The U.S. Department of State provides a free travel registration service to U.S. citizens who are traveling or living in another country. Registration allows a traveler to record information about his or her upcoming trip abroad that the Department of State can use to assist in case of an emergency. See the U.S. Department of State’s Travel Registration site.
• See the Tips for Traveling Abroad page on the U.S. Department of State website for more safety and security tips.

Check your health insurance plan to see if it will cover your health needs abroad.

• Think about purchasing additional health insurance for your trip if your health insurance does not cover you while you are traveling.
• To find a list of possible travel health and medical evacuation insurance companies, visit Medical Information for Americans Abroad (U.S. Department of State).
• For more information, visit the section Health: What You Need to Know in Advance of Travel (U.S. Department of State).
• Be prepared to pay out-of-pocket at the time you receive any medical services while traveling, even if you do have insurance.

Sitting

>

> Sitting at my new fab coffee shop in SOMA, attempting to type
> quickly on the iphone. I'm on a break from a video editing class at
> BAVC. We've watched 1film called from Mao to Mozart about the
> initial visit of an American concert violinist to China in the 70s.
> I'm wondering if there r any additional china documentarys that I
> could watch. It's just been too long and I wonder what our
> experience will be? How best to prepare and what I'm sure to be
> forgetting!
>
>
> Sent with my new iPhizzle

the Segway Squad

Reposting from http://www.danwei.org/
This article was contributed by Jennifer Conrad.
It also appears in the July issue of Beijing's Urbane,
a magazine on design, architecture and urban development.

The Securolympics: record breaking security

Posted by Lydia Wallace, July 15, 2008 11:40 AM

This Segway assault squad is prepared!

The Securolympics

While athletes from around the globe make use of years of intense training at August's Olympics, Beijing's law enforcement will be hoping their own preparations will pay off too. According to a report by the U.S. trade group Security Industry Association, China spent approximately USD 6.2 billion on security between 2004 and 2007. With all its new toys and rigorously trained personnel, Beijing's security teams should be well prepared to beat records at their own set of Olympic events.

Hide and Go Seek
RFID chips are embedded in tickets prevent reuse and counterfeits, but they can also be used to track a ticket-holder anywhere in a venue or to tell how many people are in an area. Tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies also contain digital versions of the holders' photos and passport data.
Record: USD 720, the estimated price of opening and closing ceremony tickets.

Scooter Racing
Self-balancing, battery-powered, nerd-hip Segway scooters have been purchased for use by Olympics grounds staff and anti-terror forces to ensure a quick and agile (if slightly awkward) response to security incidents.
Record: About 100 Segways

Capture the Flag
Volunteers, identifiable by their red armbands, will help visitors – and keep an eye out for for illicit banners emblazoned with taboo messages. Reportedly, volunteers will come prepared with large stickers to keep naughty T-shirts under wraps.
Record: Almost 60,000 volunteers

Synchronized Surveillance
Closed-circuit TV feeds from apartment complexes, public spaces and transportation hubs will all be networked with the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau, as part of the so-called Grand Beijing Safeguard Sphere.
Record: USD 28.5 million spent on video systems

Aerobatics
Beijing police have acquired the city's first surveillance helicopters in anticipation of the Games – one of many security upgrades that will hover over the city after the torch departs.
Record: About 30 choppers

Hoop Jumping
Though officials say they won't necessarily realize it, spectators
will be required to jump through a series of security hoops to enter each venue: the "soft ring" (protected by video surveillance); the "hard ring" (security checkpoints and bomb-detectors); and the "security zone" (access-control systems and patrols).
Record: 3 rings

Dog Sniffing
A pack of new explosive-sniffing dogs will join the 44 already nosing around Beijing.
Record: 160 new dogs

Missile Lobbing
Two camouflaged Hongqi 7 surface-to-air missile launchers have been temporarily installed in the Asian Games Village, just south of the Olympic Green. Only broadcasters' helicopters are permitted in the skies above the stadiums, but any wayward aircraft could result in fireworks bigger than those of the opening ceremony.
Record: 15 kilometers, the missile's maximum striking distance

"I don't eat meat" and other useful phrases...

I'm sure Amy's relying on my amazing Mandarin language skills, but after neglecting them for 5 years, I'm going to provide her with a few choice phrases. You too can learn Mandarin :)

I don't eat meat.

Do you have a knife and fork?

• Thank you —— xiè xiè
[pronounced: shea-shea]

• I don’t understand —— wo bù míng bái
[pronounced: whoa - boo - ming - by]

• Help —— jiù mìng
[pronounced: jew ming]

• How much it is —— duō shao qián
[pronounced: doe-show (as in the beginning of 'shower') kwan]

• Goodbye —— zài jiàn
[pronounced: Zie (rhymes with die) Gin]

Real pretty XXIX tickets.

I received a FedEx today containing some b-e-a-utiful tickets! [see slide show pic] All of the sections are and events are correct -- smooth sailing!

Our events & links:

Canoe/Kayak Slalom
Beach Volleyball (women's finals)
Diving (men's 10m high dive finals)
Football/Soccer (men's final's)

Of course, we wanted to get gymnastics, track & field, basketball, swimming and obviously, table tennis, but weren't able to secure these tickets in the lottery. I can't believe it was May '07 when we were trying to decided which events to bid for...so long ago!

Bar review takes over my life...

I was getting the sense that Alden might replace me on our upcoming trip if i didn't write something soon. I'm living at the Eastern Shore these days cramming for the VA Bar Exam, which commences exactly 2 weeks from today and is 12 hours in length (over a period of 2 days). So needless to say, I don't imagine I'm be sending much in the way of updates until August rolls around, except for possibly the occasional "still studying...and have not attempted to drown boyfriend out of sheer frustration with Virginia law."

My visa experience was definitely better than Alden's, mostly because I took Helen with me to share the pain. Things were looking a bit grim at first, as the "now serving" ticker above the counter did not move from number 121 for the first 30 minutes that we were in the office (and I was number 148). Plus, I had gotten poor Helen all excited about going to the Chinese embassy, and it turns out that the Visa Office is entirely separate from the embassy, and in a run-of-the-mill office building. I think she forgave me, however, when the line starting actually moving and we were out the door in just under an hour.

That's all for now, as I must get back to secured transactions -- in a dispute between a purchase money security interest and an after-acquired collateral financier, who wins?

the holy iPhone cometh

today i parked my car in the Lucas garage at 6:45am...to walk down Chestnut street and get in line for the most glorious piece of technology ever invented.
the i*Phizzle.
[chorus of heavenly angels sing]

I ended up waiting for about 4 hours -- but after using the Lucas' transportation incentive giftcards I've been hording, I payed a mere $82 for the WHITE 16GB, for this peach of a product.

life is good. and i'll get over myself soon, but being in line with die hard fans of Apple (half the people in line already owned the first iPhone) for 4 hours really makes you obsessed with the hype. By the end of the line I was thinking, "I earned this. I totally deserve this phone. i am worth it." wtf? Obsessed.

visa

amy had no problems getting her visa @ the Embassy in DC. Over here on the left coast, obviously, I did. But only an hour and a half's worth of one. The agent didn't enjoy my "group hotel reservation" because it didn't have my "name on it" [i'm making those quotation marks with my fingers and rolling my eyes].

AND, I said thank you in Chinese (that's Xie Xie, pronouced "Shea Shea") and she was not pleased. shot me this look like, "Don't even think about patronizing me, crazy blonde lady. I hold your fate in my hands!" note to self: don't try to speak chinese with influential people.

trying to attain a visa

Tomorrow morning, I will journey to the majestic confines of the Chinese consulate, buried deep within San Francisco's Japantown. Japantown, huh....

This illusive office is only open for 6 hours a day. 9-12 and 1-3. Allegedly, there's no proper que and I'm supposed to bring every possible form of Olympic identification possible. This includes but is not limited to my passport and plane tickets, hotel reservations in china, travel itinerary in china, proof of purchase of Olympic tickets (because we haven't received them yet), 2nd form of identification, the visa application AND a check for $120. To this list, I also will be bringing a good book in preparation for the 2-3 hour wait. Jeez. I'll let you know how this goes.

Friday will bring a whole other kinda of line as I plan on arriving at the Apple store early for the piece of technology I'll be using the most in Zhongguo [that means China]. Sweet iPhone glory!

I'm starting to get really excited :) It's hard to believe I first purchased tickets almost a year and a half ago!

Countdown Begins

30 Days...
17 Hours...
10 Minutes...

until the Opening Ceremonies! It's time to think about packing...