Gold on the Green

8.24.2008

Saturday morning I lay in bed, drooling away on my pillow, per usual. My phone rings. I answer it before being fully conscious of what I am doing.

"Hellooo?"

"Trace. Get up. Get your stuff together."

"Wha?"

"I just got two tickets to the gold medal football match today!"

"Today? What time? Are you serious?"

"Yes. Noon."

“What time is it now?”

“10:30. Can you be on the subway by 11? I’ll pick you up from there.”

“Um, yeah, sure, okay.”

I jumped up, totally awake now. Gold medal? Football? Inside the Bird’s Nest?! Surely I was still asleep and dreaming.

I took a shower & got ready in Olympic record time and ran to the subway, taking a "no unauthorized persons" shortcut, putting my head down to ignore the guards who usually prevent my passing.

I arrived at my stop at 11:30; soon after I was hopping in a van with Sean Matthew, on my way to the Olympic Green.

After several botched attempts at getting me through media checkpoints with only Sean Matthew's pass, we finally arrived at the "Spectator's Entrance." The line to get in, as well as the heat at this point, was overbearing. We saw one more shot at a shortcut: the media line (or lack thereof) at the spectator's entrance. Guarded only by a young volunteer, SM once again flashed his pass and after three rushed, "She's with me, she's with me, she's with me!" he relented and let us by.

We hurriedly walked toward the looming National Stadium, more commonly known as the Bird's Nest, and scrambled to our seats. We sat down, thankful for shade and rest, and looked out: our seats were dead center of this amazing field. Luckily we hadn't missed too much, as the score was still 0-0.

I tried to soak it all in, but being in a stadium that grand, along with almost 90,000 other spectators, watching a game that would be watched around the world, is a bit much to comprehend.

The game ended, but there was still more to take in. I had the whole Olympic Green to wander about for as long as I pleased. But after taking a few pictures with me and giving me a general guide to the Green, SM had to get back to work, leaving me to explore alone. And worst of all: meiyou gege! Bu hao. (No brother. No good.)

It was only about 2:30-- 5 hours until sunset-- but I decided I would try to travel around the Green until nightfall. I knew from afar how incredible the stadiums look at night; this would be my only chance during the Games to see them lit up, close up. Maybe I could stick it out.

I walked around and took pictures of nearly every building, every statue, and every display. I walked for 4 hours straight, only taking 10 minutes to rest while eating room temperature yogurt and some Ritz crackers I had picked up at a snack stand. My feet, legs, and knees ached, and my shoulders and chest burned from too much sun, but it didn't matter, I was at a historical place at a historical time. When I finally couldn't walk any longer, I sat on a bench next to the Today Show's set.

"Tracy?"

To my surprise, my friend Megan, also alone, was approaching me. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I've been here since noon-- for the soccer game. What about you?"

"I'm gonna be a guest on the Today Show." She proceeded to tell me her story about how she was asked to be on it last week and after becoming friends with one of the anchors, she was asked back again today. Grateful for company, we sat and chatted until it was time for the show. (Unfortunately, Obama's VP announcement caused her segment to be bumped last minute, but we still enjoyed playing the part of "dorky tourists in the background" as the show aired).

Meanwhile, the sun went down, and the Green's lights came on. It was hard to stop staring at the stadiums towering overhead, and the humongous torch burning above it all.

Sixiao and her parents then stopped by the set-- Sho was getting off of work and her parents were on their way to watch the athletic finals in the Nest. Sho pointed out some of her work she's been doing for the last year and a half, "That fencing there is mine.. those ladders are mine.. all those trailers-- mine," she said with a laugh. We took a few pictures and she set off.

After the show ended, SM was off work and we met up again. I insisted on more dorky tourists shots now that the stadiums were lit and the torch was more visible.

Finally, at almost 9:30, 10 hours after arriving, I walked back to the subway. I was exhausted. My legs were throbbing and my shoulders burning, but I was carrying a huge smile and a camera and mind full of Olympic memories.