Posts from — August 2008

Friday, August 29, 2008

Hi all,

I am writing this last installment as I am on the flight traveling back to Atlanta. Closing ceremonies was a touch boring a times but exciting to be there none the less. Coke had a couple of extra closing tickets so we did a raffle for the local staff to come an enjoy. They were so excited and 2 gals from the F & B team were picked to go. Gloria was beside herself about getting a winning ticket. She told me the next day that being there was unbelievable. Which was a big word for her to use..and seeing David Becham was a thrill for her.

In true manipulative form of the Chinese Organizing Committee they told everyone that closing would be almost as long as opening. Many of the international staff thought this was weird. It is important to have accurate information because we need reliable information for staffing, the after party back at the hotel and ground transportation. [Read more →]

HI,
It all started yesterday when Wan Tu attending a meeting yesterday with all major sponsors and BOCOG to discuss closing. It was then that they told all sponsors that after tomorrow (the day of closing) that they couldn’t take anything out of their sponsor tents until August 28. Now this sort of sucks because we are all gone on the 28th and we have a lot of equipment in this area that we were planning on moving out on the 25th right after the Olympics. Plus like everything else BOCOG waited until the 9th hour to let folks now that once again the rules have changed. So Wan sprung into action and started immediately smuggling out whatever she could all afternoon. We had a lot of fun teasing her about her smuggling operation. [Read more →]

Hi, Michele is amazing person who has been hired to handle all the local staffing. She has amazing stories about interviewing over 600 people who applied to work For Coca-Cola during the Olympics. She has written training manuals; placed the staffed in various job positions; keep track of hours; payroll and of course be den mother to those who needed some assistance. In Michele’s notes she doesn’t even begin to go into depth of what all she has done.

This is her story. [Read more →]

Hi,

Sorry about yesterday – I had a big blog written. When I went to save it it screwed up and deleted the entire thing. I was so mad!! So I ended up missing a day. I am on my last week here in Beijing which I am ok with. I will be ready to go home but not one of those situations where I am running out of here. One of the things that is most difficult is working my 14 hour day and then running back to the room to get in 3 hours of the US business day. Last night I was offered tickets to Gold Medal Diving and I couldn’t go because I had too many conference calls. But at the end of the day it is all good.

I don’t know why I thought of this but I did the other day. For those of us who grew up watching ABC’s Wide World of Sports – like how great was that show. [Read more →]

Ok folks I did it!! I went there – I ate at McDonalds yesterday at the Olympic Green. This particular McDonalds was very much Americanized. They had only 4 different types of meals along with salads. The main difference was their regular burgers the patty was even thinner than what we have in the states so it was even more tasteless. What I did like is they offer sweet corn by the cup which was delicious..and it was cheap. A burger was .84 cents USD. Bottle water .50. [Read more →]

For starters why is the wave 3 liquor bill higher than the rest of the program?? Because on this wave we have the South African, Mexican, South American’s and the Russians all together. What better way to spell PARTY than watching these folks come together. I know because I do the liquor inventory each day with the hotel.

Today I am going to talk about the OHC The Olympic Hospitality Center..as I have written a couple of times – this is where many corporations put up their very decked out “tent” to host their customers while at the Olympic Green – which is the name for the compound in which many of the venues are housed..ie the bird’s nest, the water cube, the press tower etc. etc. [Read more →]

Hi, I am going to keep this short since I wrote so much yesterday. We are more than halfway through which I am ok with since getting up to be at work every morning at 6:00 am is starting to get a bit old.

Couple of updates that they have told us is – security wise if anything is going to happen here it will happen during this next week. Because the games are well under way and it has given folks time to scope it out. Although I doubt and pray this doesn’t happen and I am sure it won’t as the Chinese have been diligent in security here and everything is basically bugged. [Read more →]

Since I am in China I had to hire someone to help me with my business in the US. Everyone meet Erica who is an events person in Atlanta.

Since we are emailing back and forth quite a bit I was able to tell her the US won the all round gold and silver in gymnastics. We keep a tv on in the staff office (volumne turned down as it is in Mandrin) but we see what is happening live. Erica was excited about this bit of news about the US gynmastics. She emails me back telling me she is going to BET her husband on this tonight and win some money from him. Then this my morning and your night this is the email I get back from her via email.

CRAP. You didn’t tell me it was WOMEN’s ALL AROUND! I bet the men. I lost 40 Bucks!J Oh well! [Read more →]

Last night I was one lucky girl. The executive chef at the fine dining restaurant in Beijing is a very famous chef here in Beijing. He is rated one of the top 3 chef’s in Beijing and is starting to make a name for himself globally. He comes to New York and hangs out with all the top culinary people. Last night he invited me to eat at his chef’s table in the kitchen. It was one of the most amazing culinary experiences I have ever had. Plus the icing on the cake is that Brian sat with me most of the evening drinking wine and BS’ing with me. [Read more →]

Hi,

I am going to start off first with the Lost in Translation Story. We have all agreed this is the best one to date. The resident manager of the hotel is European. He wanted something light for dinner the other night. Stefan orderd a plate of fish with a side of broccoli. WHAT HE GOT WAS a Pizza Fish with Broccoli on top.!! YUCK…also besides a set of stairs that connects the 2 hotel towers by an over pass is a sign that should read “Watch your Step” instead it reads “Mind your steps”…it is all so cute. [Read more →]