For the opening ceremonies, I was told that I would be moving off site to “Club Bud” (Budweiser’s House) for the night because they needed a few caterers to work at the first party Budweiser was to hold. Myself, Cait, and Kathy from Kentucky were chosen to head over there and serve some of the world’s press. I met reporters from all over the world, most were from America, but overall everyone was there for the same reason…to eat our food, drink Budweiser and watch the Opening Ceremonies.
The Red Carpet
One of the bars at Club Bud
One VIP area
The Budweiser Pool
Now the ridiculously GREAT news…The Budweiser House, “Club Bud,” hosts a party every other night and I have complete access to all of them! Anyone important or any celebrities that come to the games will be seen here and all parities will go until 4am. I was credentialed for Club Bud because we have three more parties to work at in the next two weeks. (Johnson and Johnson, Adidas and Hilton!) I don’t understand how I got so lucky!!!!
(I am sitting in the VIP area of the pool deck)
The party went well and I was able to watch the entire Opening Ceremonies as I worked but the biggest tease was having to serve cold, fresh, Budweiser beer to reporters when all I wanted in the Beijing heat and humidity was one for myself. Knowing that this party was for the media, I didn’t expect to see anyone interesting because I assumed anyone important would be at the ceremonies. As I walked around the VIP section however, I recognized a set of eyes that I knew I had absolutely seen somewhere else. Sitting there in a tan suit with dark glasses was CARL LEWIS!
At one point, I was handing out huge chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies and raspberry cakes for dessert. When I approached his table, his buddy asked me if there was sugar in the cookies. I laughed and said, “hmm, I’m not sure but I’m going to go with yes.” And Carl Lewis started laughing and hitting his buddy. “Look at them man, what do you think?”
As the party started to die down a bit, I had a short break where I stood next to the bar and watched the athletes march into the Bird’s Nest. There has been so much talk amongst the athletes this week about what they were going to wear for the Opening Ceremonies so I was so excited to see. When they announced the United States, I realized that I was standing with a very tall woman alone next to the bar. It was Carl Lewis’ sister and we bonded for a good five minutes discussing the gorgeous Ralph Lauren outfits that our athletes were wearing. We also joked about how Kobe looked so “out of it” and it was no surprise that the basketball team was lagging behind at the end of the group.
The next morning I was in the elevator with Kara Goucher, a middle distance runner for the Track and Field Team and I asked her how the ceremonies went. She said they were awesome but they were sooooo hot in their outfits! Last night was incredibly humid and hot here in Beijing. But hey, they looked really good!
After the United States marched in, many of the guests left the party. Most of the stragglers were those that were beginning to stumble a bit and the Chinese reporters who were still glued to the four-hour show on the television. The Chinese that remained were so emotional. When the Chinese team walked through the doors with Yao Ming as their flag bearer and a 9-year old survivor of May’s devastating earthquake, I got goose bumps. It really continued to make me realize how important these games are for the 1.4 billion people of this nation. After the torch was lit, every single person in the room gave a standing ovation to the television. It was awesome!
Update—In a previous blog, I mentioned a boxer who was telling me that he was “too fat” and had to start cutting his weight to make is 119 weight class. Well I just heard that Gary Russell Jr. is no longer competing at the Olympics. Yesterday morning during his weigh in, he collapsed from dehydration. The stress that these athletes are under to cut weight is unreal.
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