davidnielsen's blog
They love their basketball
I checked out the basketball venue the other night and caught a little bit of Lithuania’s victory over Russia and the U.S. men’s rout of Greece.
Cheering in the press box
At U.S. sporting events., there is an unwritten rule – no cheering in the press box.
We were reminded recently at the Water Cube that we are definitely not in America.
You are ... somebody
You are … somebody
Going to events like the Olympics can be humbling, and not just when you’re in the presence of athletes who are so much younger and in better physical shape.
What is truly humbling is when people forget your name.
Michael Phelps - back to the future?
Some people have speculated that Michael Phelps is part fish.
Others say he’s from another planet.
Today we heard another theory. A British swimmer told U.S. men’s team coach Eddie Reese that Phelps is actually from the future. Supposedly his father made a time machine and sixty years from now Phelps is an average swimmer, but he was sent back here to mop up.
Where did it go?
So the big news here today is Michael Phelps winning two more gold medals and the U.S. women gymnasts winning the silver medal.
But the other big news is what’s missing. The armored personnel carrier that appeared outside the MPC yesterday is gone this morning.
Or is it?
Exotic Americans
One interesting cultural phenomenon here is the fascination some Chinese have for Americans. Before I came here I had heard that Chinese people actively seek out Americans and ask to take pictures with them.
I thought that story might be apocryphal or a relic from an earlier era when China was closed off to the Western world.
Size doesn't matter
China and the U.S. are expected to battle for the medal count here, and with good reason. With 1.3 billion and 300 million people, each country has a vast population to fuel their athletic programs.
But as they say in other quarters: size doesn't matter.
Surprise visitor to the Main Press Center - UPDATED
You never know what you're going to see at the Main Press Center here -- or outside of it.
Check out the video for a glimpse at the surprise guest that arrived today.
Happiness 7,000 miles from home
Happiness is a seat on a media busYou can read Classic Peanuts comic strips in the English-l
The Water Cube
I’ll be spending a fair amount of time in the Water Cube covering swimming over the next week. So I took a few shots of the place I thought you’d enjoy.
