Laura Pramstaller- Mastercard Arena

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

               Our visit in Beijing came to an end with a tour of Mastercard Arena, led by senior event supervisor, James Zhu. The arena played host to the 2008 Olympic Games and is one of the two larger capacity facilities in the country. We were all thoroughly impressed with its eight sided JumboTron, movie-theatre style seats, luxury suites, and Bacardi VIP bar. We agreed that the amenities are very similar to the facilities in the U.S., if not better.

               It was at this venue where fans left their seats and raced to the stage during an Avril Lavigne concert. Both security and patrons in China have limited knowledge on what is allowed and what is not during shows of this size. This is a significant cultural issue that must be addressed as the sport and entertainment business continue to grow in China. In the end, Avril had to be escorted to the back of the house until the crowd was brought under control.

               Following the tour we were all excited to depart for Hong Kong… the girls in particular, as the city is known as a “shoppers’ paradise!” Our view of the harbor  from our 25^th floor room is not too shabby either!

Avril Lavigne Incident

Laura Pramstaller- The GREAT Wall

Sunday, May 20, 2012

               Despite our extensive sightseeing trip in the city yesterday, we were all eager for our excursion to the suburbs today. The Ming Tombs, the final resting place of 13 Ming emperors, Sacred Way, a series of courtyards and stone animals leading up to the main gate, and the Great Wall were on our list of must-see sights before leaving Beijing. Today we had reservations with a tour guide company to help us reach all of our destinations and to add some Chinese cultural knowledge to the experience. Little did we know we would view the business of China’s tourist dollar first hand! Our first stop was to a renovated jade factory for a five minute lesson on how to distinguish the “finest jade” and then ushered into a well-stocked show room filled with cases of, of course, jade. As the attractions today were a distance from the city, we were conveniently taken to a large, local restaurant following the tours of the Ming Tombs and Sacred Way. We pulled into a parking lot packed with dozens of 20 or more passenger vans and buses and were again educated on Chinese pottery before being directed through another store on our way to the table for lunch.

               The Great Wall was our final stop of the day. It was unsurprisingly magnificent. The appearance of the wall snaking throughout the mountainous scenery was not only breathtaking, but unbelievable. I found it difficult to not be distracted by the beauty without tripping on the brick and stone. Ironically, the local Chinese tourists also found it difficult to not be distracted by a group of Americans! Some of us were asked to take pictures, while others were awkwardly stared at followed by whispers of excitement.

               To sum up my touring experience of all the main attractions in Beijing, I must say I have learned one good lesson. If at all possible when using the public restroom, look for a handicapped stall, as the toilets are physically located in the ground!

Laura Pramstaller- Beijing Sport University

Friday, May 18th

Today was an earlier wake up, as we had a full day planned at Beijing Sport University. During our morning session with the Associate Dean, Lin Xianpen, we had a group discussion concerning the sustainability of Olympic venues post-games, specifically in regards to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Afterwards we moved to the restaurant above the university cafeteria for an endless family style lunch. I found myself comfortably satisfied after the first round of dishes, only to find out that another three to four courses were on their way! At the center of the table was rotating circular glass, whereby the plates were positioned so the entire table could easily taste and savor the various authentic dishes. We then moved to an afternoon session, where we directly interacted with the students at the university. We all spoke with five or six Chinese students in each of our groups and thoroughly enjoyed this opportunity. Our main topics focused on whether Olympic facilities are an economic burden on the host city, the impact of Olympic construction on local residents, and ambush marketing at the Olympics. If time allowed, many of the groups discussed the social misconnections between Chinese and American students and simply lifestyle and cultural disparities. It was particularly interesting to hear their views of Americans and our culture in general. At the close of our long day, we took the subway one stop from our hotel to Tiananmen Square, the Monument to the People’s Heroes, Gate of Heavenly Peace, and Chairman Mao Memorial Hall.

Laura Pramstaller- Our first day!

Wednesday, May 16th

Our day today was both the end of our very long journey and the beginning of an exciting, new experience! After many hours of restless sleep and a slightly rocky descent, we safely arrived to Beijing. As we all tightly packed onto the shuttle to the main terminal, we all agreed to have experienced our first cultural shock. During the drive to our hotel, I thought the highway into the city did not look quite different from the outskirts of Washington D.C., my hometown. It wasn’t until we hit the major downtown area where the scenery drastically changed. We had then arrived to what I like to call, a New York City in Asia. Although buildings were not quite as tall, and discounting the Chinese characters posted on all corners, the appearance and style of the city resembled the Big Apple. Despite our anticipation to explore, the twelve hour time change took a toll on most of us, submitting us to a much needed night of rest to prepare for the next day.

Steve's Blog- Traveling and Arriving in Beijing, China

05/15/2012

Today was very long and tiring. We departed from Columbia at 6:00 am making two stops at Washington and Chicago before traveling to Beijing, China. The first two flights were fairly easy, but the flight to China was 13 hours.  One highlight of the flight was watching a variety of movies and TV shows consisting of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, No Country For Old Men, The Patriot, and East Bound and Down.  After arriving in Beijing, we traveled to the Crown Plaza Hotel.  The hotel is amazing. After getting settled in, Michael our interpreter guided us to a great restaurant called Tai Hing. The best thing about restaurants in China that differs from the US is not having to tip the waiters because it is not expected.

Here are some pictures of Beijing, China:

Steve's Blog- Beijing Sport University

05/17/2012

Today was awesome! I started by having an elegant breakfast consisting of eggs, bacon, and even pancakes. I defiantly did not expect the breakfast to be so tasty and similar to American cuisine.  After a phenomenal meal, are class traveled to the Beijing Sport University where we had the opportunity of visiting the National Olympic Training Center.  Chinese Children are chosen at the age of 6 years old to train to become Olympic Athletes.  Americans associate this type of training with “Sports Slavery” and the Chinese refer to this type of training as “Economic Opportunity”.  It was a great experience and I enjoyed seeing the training facility that consisted of a huge track, a climbing wall, the long jump, and much more.

Here are some pictures from today:

Steve's Blog- Birds Nest & Forbidden City

05/19/2012

So far I had my best experience today!  I had the opportunity of visiting the Birds Nest, where the 2008 Olympic games were held.  The arena was absolutely beautiful.  We were able to explore the president’s box of the Beijing Olympic games and the room that the president of China resided during the event.  Additionally, the tour guide let us walk to the bottom of the stadium to view the arena from the bottom.  After such a great experience, are class was very hungry and we stopped at McDonalds.  It was my first time eating McDonalds in China and I was surprised by how tasty and similar the food was to America.  I even ordered an Oreo Mcflurry that was absolutely phenomenal.  Are next destination was the Forbidden City. The history and architecture was so gorgeous and elegant.  There were sculptures made of pure gold and endless buildings that were like nothing I have seen before.  Here are some pictures of the Birds Nest and the Forbidden City.

Here are some pictures from today:

Birds Nest

Forbidden City