On the eve of the @pyeongchang2018 Olympic Games the Intel Extreme Masters crowns it’s first Starcraft winner Scarlet from Canada #pyeongchang2018 pic.twitter.com/u3tEJutoN7
— Lisa Delpy Neirotti (@GWSportMngt) February 7, 2018
The Food Tastes Better When You Feel Welcome
I was so nervous that I was not going to be able to eat any of the food in Korea, or even be able to order it.
For starters, I am a very picky eater and dislike anything spicy. I have never been a fan of any kind of pepper or hot sauce, so I was worried when I learned that Korean food is extremely hot. And on the other hand, I do not know any Korean. I took five years of Spanish, and I still would not consider myself fluent. Moreover, I ate at this one Korean restaurant and loved the food and atmosphere! It reminded me of what the Olympics are all about.
It was called Hansot Dosirak, and the workers there were incredibility hospitable. Even though there was a language barrier, I was able to point and explain what I wanted through hand motions. During my time at the restaurant the workers made sure I was enjoying the food, had plenty to eat, and even added extra rice to my left over box because I couldn't finish all of the pork. This restaurant experience is just a small piece of a huge picture of how people come together for the Games and respect one another. My experience there is one that I will remember for the rest of my life because of the way I was welcomed with open arms.
The Olympics consist of a variety of culture backgrounds traveling to the host city, communicating and experiencing new things in a different environment. I will be forever grateful for the new friends I make along the way of this journey, and I’m excited to continue trying Korean food!
Gearing Up for the Games
We picked up our official Olympic uniforms!!! Such an awesome opportunity to meet Korean volunteers who make the Games possible. We definitely have a unique opportunity to see how large mega-sporting events are organized from behind the scenes. We're ready for the Games! Are you? #olympics #pyeongchang2018 #studyabroad #onlyatGW #gwu
Look who is attending the Games? Yao was off to meetings for 2022 Winter Games in Beijing
IOC Training
Today, we had our first day of training with the IOC. They taught us what we would be doing over the next few weeks!
For those who may not know, we are on a short-term study abroad program with school and our purpose is to collect data on security, seating, and transportation that the IOC can use to plan future games. At our training today, we learned how to gather the necessary information and input it into the app they use for this data collection.
After our initial training, we got to go wander around the Olympic park. It was surreal to be in an area that so many people dream of seeing firsthand.
We spent that night doing our first data collection as a group at Ski Jumping. I feel so lucky to have the opportunity to be so close to where everything happens and to be part of this team that is helping to improve future Games.
Kamsahamnida!
Alright I'll be honest, this is one of the only few Korean phrases I know. But it definitely came in handy in the cold today as I was desperately trying to stay positive.
After our grind from DCA-LAX-ICN-Gangneung, including sports law quiz sessions and Panda Express chronicles, Leila, Murphy and I finally arrived at our dorm at 2am. I rested surprisingly well the first night considering jetlag and the day-long travel. Shoutout to my roommate Paul for waiting on my arrival.
One of the highlight today I have to say is ice-cream for breakfast. The owner at the SQ25 has that OG vibe where he would be chucking on a joint while chatting with you. He got us a cab to our following destination too, needless to say I'll be getting ice-cream from him again tomorrow.
As Mike, Murphy and I were wondering in the city to get our uniforms and gears. We bumped into the myth, the legend, the lady Yang Yang herself, multiple Olympian gold winner, multiple World Championships, and continuing her legacy in the Chinese sports realm as a part of the IOC. All these I didn't know till today, thanks Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yang_Yang_(speed_skater,_born_1976)
Came the afternoon after I got my beloved gears, I made a rookie mistake by leaving my jackets behind and wearing only two layers against the -2 Celsius Gangneung freeze. But, this is when the kamsahamnida (thank you) and the annoyong haseyo (hello) served as lifesavers. When doing long hours of work, I always try to find the small things to entertain myself with. So as my victim, Allie was bombarded with my broken Korean phrases and the fact that I was saying them to virtually every Korean staff that walked pass us. On the other hand, I have to proudly say Allie indeed (potentially) learned those two phrases. (Picture below are of the Curling Center and dinner lounge in Gangneung).
By the end of our training, we had gone through the lounge, parking lots, seating sections and the security lanes. Another shoutout to Gloria for keeping me awake on the ride back home, chatting with me. We had been classmates for a semester but never gotten to know each other, it felt great to do so.
See, it's the small things that gives you that boost in the clutch to grind through.
Looking the part
We are so fortunate to have been given the opportunity to work with the International Olympic Committee to help them gather data to help plan and produce future Games. As part of this team, we are lucky enough to be fully outfitted in the same gear as the IOC (we have to look official, after all)!
Today we went to pick up our uniforms! The IOC was so generous and I can't wait to wear all of my new things! We have options and layers for all the possible weather we could encounter and they will hopefully keep us warm during our shifts (it's freezing here)!
IAD -> ICN
We have arrived in PyeongChang! I flew to Seoul on Korean Air, an official partner of the Games. I took the opportunity to use some of the 14-hour flight to learn a little more about the various sports and events of the 35th Olympic Games. As part of the in-flight entertainment, Korean Air included short 10-15 minute Olympic sports informational videos which were narrated in Korean but included English subtitles. I was particularly glad to learn more about the rules of curling as that is one of the sports I am assigned to. (Who knew that curling stones weigh 38 to 44 pounds or that curlers wear special shoes with dissimilar soles, one slider and one gripper?!) I also learned about some of the new events of the PyeongChang games, including: mixed doubles curling, long-track speed skating mass start, mixed team alpine skiing and big air snowboarding. Additionally, the in-flight magazine included an overview of Korea's favorite olympic athletes. Korea’s speed-skating superstar Lee Sang-hwa is seeking her third gold medal in the women’s 500 meter. Sang-hwa, who is 28, is competing in her fourth Olympics. Another local favorite on the speed-skating track is Korea’s Lee Seunghoon. Seung-hoon unexpectedly won gold in Vancouver in the men’s 10,000 meter after Netherlands’ Swen Kramer was disqualified for an incorrect lane change. In addition to his gold medal, Seung-hoon has a silver in the 5,000 meter (Vancouver) and a silver in team pursuit (Sochi). I was also intrigued to learn that the men’s hockey coach is Korean-born Jim Paek, a former NHL player who has two Stanley cup rings from his time as a Pittsburg Penguin. Not only am I looking forward to following the Korean’s men’s hockey team, who are making their Olympic debut, but also the combined women’s hockey team from North and South Korea.
E-Sports at the Olympics
Following the arrival in PyeongChang, I was given the opportunity to join Dr. Neirotti to meet her colleagues in the e-sport industry. E-sports is becoming a big industry and money maker and is even being considered for the program for the Paris 2024 Olympics. This year, there was a lead-up competition prior to the Olympic Games for the IOC to see what kind of attention e-sports could bring to the Olympics. I was very excited to have the opportunity to get a glimpse into the conversation and the world of e-sports.
We arrived at the Golden Tulip to meet with Dr. Neirotti’s friend, Wendy, and throughout the evening I was intrigued by the increase in attention that e-sports has received and the growth that the sport has experienced these past few years. Wendy explained how the sport has become so formalized recently. She explained that over these past few years, neurosurgeons have developed technology and assessments that can determine whether or not a gamer has what it takes to become a professional. Assessments can measure a gamer’s greatest strengths and weaknesses and determine their place on a gaming team. I found this very interesting because this type of assessment is rarely heard about in more traditional sports such as basketball or baseball, but because e-sports is primarily cognitive, different types of assessments must occur.
Also, during our conversation, branding was addressed. Most recently, global brands have taken an interest in e-sports and interestingly, Loreal has become a newcomer in the industry. With the emergence of women in the sport, Loreal has taken an interest into seeing what this increasingly popular sport has to offer. As previously mentioned, e-sports is hoping to make an appearance at the Olympic Games in the 2024 Paris games, but a major concern when selecting sports and events for the Olympic program is the balance of men and women to maintain gender equality. While women are emerging in the sport, there is still a question of how the Olympic program will need to be shifted in order to maintain the balance of men and women with the current unbalanced demographic of e-sports. It will be interesting to see how e-sports will evolve in the future particularly in the Olympic games and with women.
Spending Two Days in an Airport
What do you do with yourself for 48 hours in the airport? It definitely has its range of emotions between draining, stressful, and a quick rush of adrenaline, but all in all it has gotten me ready for this experience.
Most people pass the time with Netflix or a book, but I suggest taking a look around and just watch the people nearby.
One of our responsibilities at the Games is to observe or take note of the facilities being used, so while waiting for one of my many flights, I had the chance to sit back, relax, and observe. People can be so interesting with their facial expressions while thinking or body language while waiting for their flight to be called. I have come to the conclusion that everyone has the mindset that they can be themselves at an airport.
I also noticed the trend of support of the Super Bowl winning team, the Philadelphia Eagles, on display at the Philadelphia airport. So, my high expectations of celebration for the Olympics when I landed in South Korea were met by countless amounts of “PyeongChang 2018” posters, flyers, and décor throughout the airport. I am so excited to see what the Villages and other venues have on display!