A Day In the Life of a Foreign Olympic Volunteer

I have talked a lot about cycling and the Olympics but I don't think I have given great details on what my days are like here in Beijing.

5 - The sun begins to creep through the curtains that aren't really good at their job. Depending on the night before, the sun may or may not disturb my sleep in the morning.

7 - My roommate Chad hits the snooze button for the first time.

7:30 - Snooze No. 2.

8 - A morning shower is a must because starting the day without being 100 percent clean will result in an odor, for sure. Unlike in the States when you get a nice cool breeze on a 80 degree day, Beijing is an oven where you are constantly surrounded by stifling heat.

8:30 - Even though we don't have to be at the Laoshan Velodrome for another two hours, we have to allocate plenty of time to commute in a city this size. During morning rush hour, there is a line to enter the subway station. Then you have to go through a security check that has appeared recently and get a ticket. And then the real fun begins. Boarding a subway car in Beijing when it is busy is something all humans should do. Essentially you push the person in front of you until you are on and then hope the door doesn't close on you. Thankfully, the subway is free for Olympic volunteers.

10:20 - After the hour-plus subway commute and some walking, we arrive at the venue.

10:30 - Most days at the venue begin with an easy transition into the day. The real work doesn't begin until after "lunch."

11:30 - The description of our "lunch" that I think fits best for this was told to me on my first day at the venue. "The food is incredibly bad because they tried to make Chinese food Westerners would like, so the Chinese volunteers don't like it and it's not anything like what Westerners like." I will say that we can rely on three bottles of water, a Coke and a piece of fruit every day.

12 - Staking out at the track watching athletes practice is a primary practice. The goal here is learning how athletes ride the track and interviewing athletes after they get done training. So far, I have spoken with riders from Columbia, China and Uruguay.

15:30 - We are free to leave if we want. If not, there are athletes still on the track and plenty of cycling studying to be done.

18 - Shower No. 2. This is a must after spending an entire day in Beijing.

18:30 - Dinner has to take place earlier than normal because of the "lunch" at the venue. Depending on the mood, dinner may be Chinese or some Western-type food.

23 - I find myself going to sleep earlier than at home too. I think between the heat and long days I get exhausted easier.

I used the 24-hour time because that is life in China. Also, my evenings may also include blogging, basketball and drinking.