Mission Accomplished!

What can I say? To repeat some of the adjectives overheard from the students to describe this trip, it was at once "awesome," "unbelieveable," "wicked fun," "unforgettable," "amazing," "freaking incredible," and the like. Many of them asked if they could stay a few days longer, and at least some said they definitely will visit China again sometime. I am proud of the 13 students from Western New England College who signed up to join me and Dr. Dan Covell on this "expedition" to China and the Olympic Games. I was impressed by their open mindedness and willingness to venture out of their comfort zone and try new things, whether navigating the subway system and getting around via taxi without speaking a lick of Mandarin (except for AJ), or trying different foods, such as scorpian, sea horse, and assorted other exotic delights. Despite the long days, occasional foul weather, and extensive walking/running/climbing/standing that tested our physical stamina -- and various ailments that afflicted nearly every one of us -- the students were exemplary troupers without exception! This being the "test case" of the Seminar Abroad program of the Center for International Sport Business, I think we passed with flying colors!

Home Sweet Home!

We arrived at Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C., this evening after our 13+ hour non-stop flight from Beijing and happily, everyone was present and accounted for! While everyone was thoroughly exhausted after our eight-day, non-stop, sleep-deprived adventure -- Seminar Abroad '08: Beijing Olympics -- I think the students' facial expressions sum up their feelings of this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Even Golden Bear is smiling!

Farewell, China!

Dr. Dan Covell and I pose with Grace Liang, our very friendly and exceptionally capable tour guide, without whom we would not have had the extraordinary experience that we enjoyed in China. Without question, Grace contributed mightily to the students' overwhelmingly positive experience.

Xie Xie, Grace!

Grace Liang, our tour guide extraordinaire, poses with Golden Bear and the rest of our crew prior to our departure at Beijing Capital Airport. In front: Marti, Jenn, and Whitney; and at back: AJ, Shaq, Bre, Mike, Jake, Ashley, Rob, Lauren, Amanda, and Jess.

Chinese Twins

Whitney DePrizio and Marti Blum sport their Chinaman's hat and identical "I Climbed the Great Wall" t-shirts!

Shaq and Friend

Shaq Walker poses at the entrance of our hotel with his newly acquired plush, "Mr. Blizzard" (won with a scratch ticket at Dairy Queen!) . . . a perfect pillow for the plane ride home!

Pearls, Pearls, Pearls!

Amanda, Ashley, and Bre check out the merchandise at the Pearl Market, which is a six-floor department store of . . . you guessed it!

Last Chance for . . . Shopping!

On our last day in Beijing, Sunday, August 17, several students decided to do some last-minute shopping at the Pearl Market right after our final morning seminar (I gave them a break today and started a half hour later at 7:30 a.m.!). Apparently, Jess, Jake, Jenn, Amanda, Bre, Lauren, Ashley, Shaq, and Mike still had Chinese money to "get rid of" before departing for the airport at 2 p.m.

Raising of the Flag

This morning at 5 a.m., Jake Roy and I jogged over to Tiananmen Square -- about 10 minutes from our hotel -- to watch the daily flag-raising ceremony at sunrise, which today occurred around 5:23 a.m.. We observed the one-minute spectacle that attracts literally thousands of people (mostly Chinese) everyday to the square. In the background is the Great Hall of the People.

Morning Crowd at Tiananmen

To give you an idea of the bustling activity beginning around 4 a.m. near Tiananmen Square, here's a photo of a section near the famous plaza of people immediately after the flag-raising ceremony concluded . . . at around 5:25 a.m.!

Temple of Heaven

This afternoon, we visited the Temple of Heaven, another popular tourist attraction in Beijing. Larger in area than the Forbidden City but smaller than the Summer Palace, the temple was built in 1420 during the Ming Dynasty to offer sacrifice to Heaven. Here we are -- attracting attention to our banner -- in front of the iconic structure.

Summer Palace

Today was another glorious clear-blue sky day in Beijing (two in a row!), and this morning, we visited the Summer Palace, an historic park about 9 miles from the city center. The Palace proper occupies 764 acres (an area four times the size of the Forbidden City), three fourths of which is a lake. Begun in the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234), it was continuously improved, and now consists of ancient structures, tree-lined walkways, dragon boats, and beautiful vistas from almost any location. Here, Lauren, Jess, Whitney, Jenn, and Ashley take in the view of the lake.

Bargaining at the Silk Market

Today, after sightseeing tours of the Summer Palace and Temple of Heaven, we took a two-hour break to do some shopping at Beijing's famous Silk Market. Here, Jess and Lauren check out the merchandise. The hallmark of this six-story, department store-sized bazaar is that you haggle over price . . . and from all appearances, our students did quite well!

Contrast

This photo of the Olympic Village and edge of the Bird's Nest was taken yesterday, in sharp contrast to the clear blue sky that we enjoyed today!

Multi-purpose ID Card

In addition to serving as an ID card to remind us who we are (in case we lapse into amnesia), our "badges" attract the attention of curious onlookers, who attempt to see what organization we are with. The lanyard is also a good place to display our lapel pins, which invites people to trade theirs for one of ours, or vice versa. Perhaps most importantly, the back side of the ID card has a map of the area around our hotel, the hotel's address in Chinese (to show to a taxi driver in case we get lost), and emergency mobile phone numbers. Here, Ashley obliges me with a photo showing the reverse side of her ID card.

All Present and Accounted For!

To reassure any nervous parents, here's a photo of everyone in front of the equestrian venue at the Olympic Green. Notice that after nearly a week of a hectic and exhausting dawn-to-dusk schedule, everyone still looks fresh . . . and even happy!

Statue

Mike Kuchno takes advantage of the clear sky to get a photo of himself "holding up" the torch at Olympic National Stadium.

Clear Night Sky

Not only was the sky so clear today that you could actually see the sun, but it remained so this evening, as evidenced by the clear shot of the moon taken from the baseball venue.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Tonight, our crew split up into two groups, with some going to watch softball and others to baseball. At the baseball game between Canada and Korea, I was intrigued by the Korean spectators' precision with which they cheered for their team. Here, you can see a guy with a whistle and white gloves, who is sort of the "cheer conductor," and uniformed cheerleaders behind him, who lead their partisans in a chorus of cheers, which amazingly, everyone seems to know!

Meeting with US Diplomats

This afternoon, Marti Blum, Jenn Ashley, and Whitney DePrizio joined me in a meeting with two representatives of the US Embassy in China (unfortunately, other students who wished to attend were misdirected in the taxi ride over to the meeting location), who briefed us on the purpose of embassies and consulates, and the role of career foreign service officers. The gentlemen were friendly and engaging, and freely shared some of their experiences in the US foreign service, including the advice that more Americans should really learn to speak Mandarin (hint, hint). Because the meeting was frank and off the record, no specific details can be provided here -- and no photographs were allowed -- but suffice to say that the students obtained a rare look-see at what our diplomats do abroad.