It's not if you get sick in China, it's when you get sick in China....

I'm still not feeling too hot, I went to training this morning then came back and slept for a few hours. Hopefully I can get this all out of my system and be golden for the rest of my trip! I've heard a million times people say its not if you get sick here, it's when. I am very happy to get it out of the way when I have a little free time before the games start.

I just talked to my mom and she said that the Dairy Depot is celebrating 10 years of ice cream service by the Wardens. I really wish I could have a huge twist cone right now and have to say it is still at the top of my list for paying jobs I've had so far. I hope they have a great celebration!

So as far as training goes, we've basically been given a gag order- we have to ask permission if we want to be interviewed or talk to any media outlets. I am also not suppose to blog about anything I do while working or anything that happens. So I will probably be vague with my details at least for the start of my work- but I can send emails and call people to dish if anything super exciting happens. I will be at the Indoor National Stadium which will hold: Gymnastics, Trampoline, and the Handball finals! it is right on the olympic green besides the water cube and the birds nest. So I will be right in the middle of all the action, and although I can only get into the Indoor national stadium, I will try my hardest to find ways into the rest.

In other news I have spend the last 2 days being sick and learning about synchronized swimming.....why you ask? My lovely roommate, who was suppose to do "Crowd control" at the field hockey arena has been moved to synchronized swimming. For those of you who don't know Allie, she is on Missouri's swim team and has been dying for a way into the water cube since we found out we were going. She is now a synchronized swimming expert after stretching the truth a bit on her knowledge about synchronized swimming. My theory is that anyone can be an expert at about anything when they are given 2 days to prepare. I think most of life is just pretending to know what you're doing, or at least that is what has gotten me this far. Anyways after doing research, I am very very excited for her. There is a mixer for her venue at a bar tomorrow- everyone else at the water cube is either british or australian- so yes I will be attending her mixer tomorrow night to meet people with cool accents.

As for my job, I'm not exactly sure what I'm doing- but I have some clue. I will be in the main workroom in the national stadium. So basically I won't be around that many athletes, but I will be where every reporter is to watch the events and write their stories. I never thought I'd say this, but I'm almost more excited to be around the journalist than I am to be around the athletes. It'll be interesting to see how everything works. I already met my supervisor (her american name is Wendy) and got my own locker at the stadium- so I'm ready to move in! My supervisor is amazing from what I gathered in the 20 min. I got to meet her today- and I think she liked me considering I was so excited she kept laughing at me.

As for everyone else at the stadium, there are 3 other girls doing similar jobs to me and then about 20 other Missouri students doing flash quotes and interviewing the athletes. I did realize today how lucky I have been to have the opportunities I have had in the past 4 years. Mostly through Larry Larson, but even just being in the newsroom, seeing how the media works, being around the media relation guys at the Blue Jackets, just every single thing I've gotten to do in the past 4 years has prepared me for this moment. I feel very confident in my abilities and after some of the comments today from other students fell very prepared to be at this level of sporting event. Being around athletes after events, media people under tight deadlines, I am just so excited to observe it if anything else. I know a lot of people on this trip are kind of negative right now because we don't exactly know what we're doing or they're in jobs they didn't think they would be in- I could care less. I'm at the olympics- tell me where to go and I'll be there and if there's nothing to do, I'll make something for myself to do. I am just really excited for the next 6 weeks to jump in and just witness what I think is the greatest sporting event of all time.

I guess that's my rant for the day- haha I've had a little too much free time since I've not felt too hot the last few days. I will write more when I can- and sorry if the details in the coming weeks are not as specific, but I'll be home soon with lots of stories and feel free to email or call anytime!