A Little View from the Inside

Unique architecture in the park

The Media Mecca where I work

Crowds cheering in the Park Live on as Chris Hoy led Team GB Men's Track Cycling to victory

The crowds

Inside the park

Danny Boyle and Lord Sebastian Coe

Not everyday you get to see NBA. US Men's Basketball Press Conference   

Getting a chance to see an Olympic game. Women's Basketball Australia v Brazil 

Opening Ceremony

Phelps, Inspiring a Generation: In Honor of The Greatest Olympian

"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." - Dr. Seuss

London 2012 is indeed a historical Olympic Games. As of this week, I am proud to say that America is now the official home of the most decorated and greatest Olympian in history, Michael Phelps. In case you didn’t know, Phelps surpassed Russian Gymnast Larisa Latynina by receiving his 19th Olympic medal in swimming. He didn’t just stop there. Phelps went on to win three more gold medals, bringing his total count to 22, 18 of them goldies. His most recent race, the Men’s 4x100m Medley, to which Team USA struck gold, was his final competitive swim, bringing an end to his amazing athletic career. He is three years older than me and is retiring a true hero in the world of sports with a record unlikely to be surpassed by any future athlete. I broke the school, district and Presidential records for the Sit and Reach event in sixth grade gym class’ Presidential test, so I do know the feelings that must be going through Phelps’ mind.   

The point is, what drives me to feel so proud about someone, something or some event that I have no connection to or will possibly ever have an understanding of? I know it may sound crazy because I do not know this guy nor am I a passionate swimmer or professional athlete. I have a few trophies from sports I have participated in when I was younger, but it is safe for all of you to assume that I do not have any Olympic medals to my name and it is very likely I will never win one; unless Sit and Reach is introduced. But, I am truly proud of Michael Phelps and what he has done for swimming, sports and our generation. 

The best way I can answer this is to talk about a truly amazing moment I witnessed while working for London 2012. The start of the games didn’t look too promising for Phelps. He wasn’t ranking high in his heats and even missed the podium entirely... Phelps, much to the displeasure of many proud Yankees rooting for their champ to win gold, took silver in the 200m Butterfly while Chad le Clos, a 20-year-old from South Africa, took gold. I admit, I was one of the disappointed. It is a shame because it was a very close race and many of us complainers could train for years and never even finish a heat let alone get a silver medal at the Olympics. However, disappointment quickly turned to admiration as spectators witnessed Phelps, Le Clos’ childhood hero, happily mentoring the fresh-faced and ‘beautiful’ Olympian, guiding him through the victory ceremony as if he was passing the torch on to the next generation of athletes. Fitting as the theme of the London 2012 Olympic Games is ‘Inspire a Generation,’ so it was a very noble gesture of him to do such a thing. Impact of Michael Phelps on le Clos

Of course, in classic Phelps style, he stepped up his game and rightfully earned himself the gold medals he truly does deserve. But it is his humble and clam nature around winning competitions that makes him so very much admired and watchable. You can be great at something but disliked if you show attitude or sheer lack of respect towards anything that isn't your ego. Kanye West is coming to mind. 

So, here we are on the night marking the end of a true Olympians career. In a way, I have to thank Michael Phelps. He is well known for being humble and charitable, setting up foundations to encourage athleticism in youth. For a long time, though, I tried not to associate athletes as heroes. For me, I assumed they were all jocks looking to profit off million dollar contracts and hilarious endorsement deals. Well, to be fair, plenty of them probably are that type. I would guess many people wouldn’t turn down a large sum of money because running or swimming all day is fulfilling enough. Take away the sporting uniforms, medals, endorsements, and piles of money and you'd find teenagers, young adults, brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, friends who are doing what they love and work so very hard for to get a chance at glory and being a hero to someone or even a country. If we had royalty in America, Phelps would most certainly be Knighted. However, since we do not have royalty in America, we can settle with him being our Olympian.  

Phelps and 1 out of 22 Olympic medals. Matt Slocum/AP

T'was the night before the first day of the rest of my life...

Last night I felt like a kid the night before the first day of school. Mental checklist: new shoes (check), new trousers and shirt (check, check), notepads and pens (check, check), new back with an umbrella and a water bottle (Cheeeeeeeeccck). I guess I should say that my wardrobe and complimentary accessories for the next month are courtesy of the Olympic committee. Came all this way and now I get to keep the clothes! Quite literally, I will be covered, head to toe, in Adidas. I do not mind at all, I love Adidas.

Today, waking up bright and early to the sounds of a boiling kettle, birds chirping, a gentle summers rain, and the mixture of police sirens and hungover party people stumbling home after a Thursday night out (oh, the faint college memories...), I start my first official day at the Olympic Park. Up until now, I have had the honor of venturing to various locations and meeting so many interesting people that I feel like I have already been working since the moment I exited Heathrow. However, it wasn't considered official until I donned the purple, neon-orange, and tan uniform. Gone are the days of black slacks and button tops. So, here I am in possibly the sexiest uniform of all time!

Shazaam!

And People Say History is Boring: An Amazing Moment of the Olympic Games

While researching the greatest moments in Olympics history, I stumbled upon this photo; The American Jesse Owens and the German Lutz Long striking up an unlikely friendship in Nazi Germany during the 1936 Games in Berlin. Good sportsmanship? I think so! The story behind it all is even more remarkable. Where's a tissue when I need one? Follow the links below to see other great moments!

Photo Courtesy of Getty Images, and Guardian.co.uk: 

50 Stunning Olympic Moments

The Story of Jesse Owens at the Berlin Olympics

The Yellow Brick Road That Led Me To Canary Wharf

I feel like I should be pinching myself. Today, I caught a glimpse of the future that I have been working towards for the whole five years of my educational life (although I mean for that to be humorous, for me, it feels like it has been a long time). Was I really spending the day on the top floor of one of Britain's tallest buildings, 360 degree views of the bustling city all around me? A cultural and media mecca laid out before me like a yellow brick road? all around me, phones ringing off the hook, people my age lounging in conference areas planning crucial media campaigns, and a group of people of all ages and ethnicities dressed in a mixture of tailored suits and the latest H&M fashions. I spent the whole day in Canary Wharf meeting these people who will be on my team during the Olympics. The whole experience reminded me of a mixture of both modern and the classic news bureaus of yore. Think of it like Mad Men meeting Broadcast News across the bar and, together, spending the evening dancing around like they were in a Fun. music video. Not only that, I felt so welcome. We laughed, we joked, I was even offered chances to come and sit in on some of the meetings and goings on. I can have an internship within an internship. I'm jumping in on that! I know I am gloating, but today I feel like I have every right to. Because today, for the first time in a while, I felt like I was right where I belonged. And tomorrow, it gets even better...

A little off in the distance is the Olympic Village. I just liked the view.

May not be impressive by American standards but I'd feel pretty awesome working up here.

My Midwestern Fifteen Minutes

A Kansas City Star feature story I am in. Most excellent!

http://www.kansascity.com/2012/07/01/3686295/these-non-athletes-are-part-of.html

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Olympics...

Waking up in London after a long, most uncomfortable flight, is worthy enough of celebration. I guess having a birthday on the departure day while flying on your father's Executive Platinum Miles is only enough to upgrade you to a seat next to smelly and creepy male passengers with extra long finger nails. Tried my best not to look over, even when the flight attendant asked for my dinner preference. "Manicotti or chicken?"she asked. If the classic film 'Airplane' taught me anything, it was to always avoid airplane meat. "Manicotti please!" Looking over to her would only invite this strange person to engage in conversation with me. I don't consider myself a cruel person, I love meeting new people. But as a solo traveling female, it is a truth universally acknowledge (by womankind) that a solo traveling man attempting to engage in conversation about taboo topics while invading one's personal bubble, must have creepy tendencies. Luckily he passed out quick and the flight attendants kept their eye on me. Still, why wasn't I bumped up to first class? I know birthdays after 21 aren't special, but what's wrong with wanting to feel special? I am not bitter. Back to the point, one of the worst parts of traveling was over. I officially landed in London this past weekend, marking my fifth time to step foot in the United Kingdom. Unlike previous trips, however, this one will be very different I had before. I am an official Games Maker with the London 2012 Olympic Games, an event of my life that has been nearly two years in the making.

It is very bizarre to think that I am finally starting this job after two years of waiting around. Much like many people my age, living the modern post-Grad life is similar to that of a boomerang. One is thrown out into the world only to wind back around, ending back up at mom and dad's home once again, struggling to find the perfect job with a debt that will, most likely, never be paid off. Here's a brief version of the story of my journey to the Olympic Games. In summer of 2010, I moved to the United Kingdom to study for my Masters degree in media communications. I always had a love affair with Britain, even my undergraduate degree was in British history. It was around this time in 2010 that, after remembering that the Olympics were going to be in East London in 2012, I applied to be a London Olympics Games Maker, the name given to volunteers. For nearly one year, even after graduating early, job searching abroad and backpacking Europe, I heard no response. I assumed, like other job interviews I had in my post-Grad boomeranger life, my application was just put into the, what a dear friend of mine calls, FFC pile. Often times FFC stands ‘For Future Consideration,’ but in this case, which most of us may already know, that it subliminally stands for ‘Fat Fucking Chance.’ 

You see, the Games Maker volunteer position I applied for isn’t just a ticket taker or mopping up sweat after the events. Not to say those aren’t life-changing experiences. To be honest, knowing that there may be certain celebrities and famous athletes there, I wouldn’t mind the latter. Would I love to bathe in the sweat Daniel Craig? Why, sure! Anyway, the point I was trying to get to was this interview was one that required a more strict interview process. I was sure that out of the thousands of people that applied, I would not be one of the 50 selected. Consider it one of the best internships someone with my degree/status could have. Then one year later, almost exactly, I was offered a chance to interview with the Media and Public Relations Department, headquartered at the International Broadcast Centre of the Olympic Park. The position corresponded well with my degree in media communications. After cleaning off my glasses, making sure I was reading clearly, even yelping a bit, I went straight into work mode.

I spent weeks preparing my resume, portfolio, cover letters, outfits, practice questions, etc. Twiddling my thumbs in anticipation, the day of my interview arrived. I was lucky that I was still in the UK. My flight back to the midwest, originally scheduled for the day before, was pushed back the morning after. It cost me a pretty penny. I would have been foolish to pass this opportunity up. Flat broke, I had spent the summer flicking every last dime I had into touristy historic fountains hoping to one day return, I made my way into London on the cheapest ticket possible. (More on my wonderful money troubles later when I delve into how I plan to live the simple life in one of the most expensive cities on Earth.) 

I traveled into London, portfolio and excessive sweat intact. I found the location and spent about an hour sitting in a big warehouse-like building with a single television repeating the Games Maker informational video, hosted by Eddie Izzard. A part of me was hoping he would pop out from behind the purple velvet curtain that was behind the television screen. The group of us interviewees would erupt into cheers, all would be right in the world. I may have reached into my bag and made sure my camera was there, just in case. He must have saved his appearance until after my name was called. I tried my best to say my name over and over in my head to make sure that was officially me being called. Now, I’d love to describe the interview process itself, but for reasons, I cannot. It happened and then I left the building, the city, and eventually the country. I was certain I wasn't going to be selected. After all, I wasn't British, I'm a Kansas City girl (according to many foreigners, Kansas City is not a city, it is Dorothy land, meaning endless farms and little to no civilization) who lacks that certain pedigree that often gets others noticed before me.  

Arriving back in America was a reverse culture shock. I missed my friends and certain parts of my life in the UK as soon as I got on the plane. Don't get me wrong, I was excited to go home. No matter where you are in the world or how happy you are, there is no place like home... Alright, maybe the foreigners were right, I am from Dorothy land. When I came back home most of the friends I had growing up grew up and moved on. Married with kids, no time for hanging out with spinsters like me.  I had a string of unsuccessful job interviews with big companies. I couldn't afford to move out of my parents house and I invested, poorly. Things weren't looking up for this boomeranger. About a month into moving back home, however, things changed. I received an email that I was selected to join the Media and PR team of the London 2012 Olympic Games. Huzzah! Almost immediately afterward, things started looking up. I found employment, albeit part-time, at the wonderful Barnes & Noble in my hometown, meeting all sorts of new people. Companies were more interested in me knowing that I was to work for such a big event. FFC no longer stood for 'Fat Fucking Chance,' but I more confidently believed that it was 'For Future Consideration.' Things were looking up for me for a change.

I made the decision to accept my role as a Games Maker. I spent months attempting to save up money. Given the state of my current budget, I was very unsuccessful. However, it kept me busy. Before I knew it, my departure date had arrived, a few months shy of being a year since I was offered the role. This, however, wasn't to be a typical vacation. I knew as soon as I was to land in London I would be running around town like a chicken with it's head cut off. Meetings scheduled left and right. Luckily London is a second home to me so I was confident that I would make it. So, here I am now! For seven weeks, the Olympics will be life. I will be living a cozy Adidas life being a runner among major broadcast companies and press agencies, getting the chance to work with the Opening Ceremony, meeting all sorts of athletes and celebrities. As much as I am allowed, I will write about my experiences during the single greatest and most stressful job of my life, thus far. Along with that, I will get to spend my summer falling in love with this city all over again. I will reunite with the wonderful friends I have missed for nearly a long time. The only question I have is how will I not go skint while living in one of the most expensive cities in the world? Oh, this will be fun!

Shame: Raw and intense. Loses it with an unsatisfactory climax... Giggidy!

First, I would like to state that most film and television reviews consist of commentary on the characters performances, visual pleasure, displeasure, and, of course, the climax. Basically, the whole package! Second, given the nature of Shame a film about a depressive man, his impressive member (Classic Clooney himself even commented on it at the 2012 Golden Globe Awards) and his sex addiction, this review, while using the normal criticisms, will probably seem littered with innuendos. In summary, Shame starts out raw and intense but soon loses luster and leaves the film with an unsatisfactory climax. Yup, that’s what I said!

Shame, as previously stated, is a film that explores sex addiction. The story revolves around the main character of Brandon Sullivan (Michael Fassbender). Brandon is a seed of Ireland living in New York City. He is a handsome and established businessman living in a great apartment with amazing views of the concrete jungle outside. Also, Brandon likes sex, and I mean a lot of sex. However, Brandon likes sex in a way that no mentally stable person could like sex. He is an addict with hard drives, closets, memories, and thoughts full of incriminating material. He hires prostitutes, literally chases attractive women out of the subway, and when his is out of options, he visits gay bars. Yes, he is out of control and it is sad to see since people do really suffer from this that many other people, even critics, say isn’t a legitimate addiction, just indulgence.

There are an abundance of sex scenes and full frontal nudity (both male and female). However, Shame is in no way a sexy movie. It is a dark and depressing movie, even frightening at times. When Brandon attempts to attract a taken woman in bar later in the film, he lacks charm and exudes creepiness; but he still manages to draw her in (I guess good looking people never need to use charm?) It is a very chilling scene. He knows he is heading down a dark path and he is disgusted with himself. It gets to the point where he cannot, how you say, ‘rise to the occasion’ when he is with a female coworker that he genuinely likes. When he seems content with being at his worst, Brandon’s life gets turned even more upside down when his mentally unstable sister, Sissy (Carey Mulligan), stops by to visit for a few days. Suddenly, he is not able to have his ‘alone time.’ His personal and professional life are interrupted by the needy, broken hearted, Sissy. They fight their way through a very confusing sibling relationship. Just her presence reminds him that he is a bad man. She even attempts to reassure him by saying, “We aren’t bad people, we just come from a bad place.” I think this is one of the better lines in the film because it opens up that can of worms; Where did they come from? Why are they so messed up? Were they sexually abused? Neglected? Those questions, however, are never answered. Not even touch upon. This is where I feel the film fails.

This film marks the second time Fassbender has worked with director, Steve McQueen. No, not the late Bullitt or the Cooler King. This Steve McQueen is the British filmmaker whose mainstream film debut was the impressive Hunger (2008), also starring Mr. Fassbender. That film examined the hunger strike of the Irish Republicans at a prison in Northern Ireland. McQueen, who is new on the directing scene (Shame is his second major piece of work), seems to have found his niche; raw, gritty, and depressing with Fassbender as his muse. It is a good match. McQueen is talented because he uses techniques that can make his films feel very real. He includes an abundance of continuous shots of dialogue between two people (consider it a much less pretentious version of the Tarantino long shots). The slight stutters and mistakes from the actors seem natural and unscripted. There is a scene in Shame where Carey Mulligan serenades a crowd in a slow and haunting rendition of “New York, New York.” The camera cuts to Brandon shedding a a depressing tear. This scene was shot in real time, the actors emotions very real and unrehearsed. These are just a few examples where McQueen shines as a director. Where he fails, to me at least, is being able to complete a story in a satisfying way.

It would be very cliche to end Shame with Brandon changing his wayward ways, Sissy finding herself, and them establishing a better relationship with each other. However, the story could have answered the question about where these messed up siblings truly come from. They seem ashamed of their past and each other. They also seem to have bizarre boundary issues; including being naked in front of one another quite a bit. Don’t worry, there is no incest. In the end, I would have been more pleased with the film to know why these characters were so messed up. When the film ends, there just wasn’t any sort of resolution to work with. There wasn’t enough material to keep me guessing as to what will happen to the characters. It just ends. Not quite like the Sopranos series finale, but along the same lines.

I was highly impressed the casting. I have high hopes for Fassbender as an actor. He was nominated for a Golden Globe for this performance. Although, I wouldn’t consider this performance in Shame Oscar worthy, not really a fault of his, he does have the talent and intensity to do great things with any role he is given. He has a good resume to his name. In my opinion, he was one of the more watchable, albeit short-lived, characters in Inglorious Basterds, only after Christoph Waltz, of course. He turned the comic book villain of Magneto into an enigmatic and vengeful, and suave bad boy with a wardrobe straight out of a JCrew catalog. And, I am sure all movie fans remember the ‘fight in the shade’ line he muttered in 300. Next, he will appear in the highly anticipated Prometheus. Carey Mulligan is also very talented. Some of her best work includs the lead roles in An Education and the beautiful Never Let Me Go. She will appear this year in the Baz Luhrman adaptation of The Great Gatsby.

In summary, I was impressed with the idea, the film techniques, and the characters of Shame. The storyline just failed to impress me. I guess I just had higher hopes for the whole package... Giggidy!

An awesome review I found through Spill: http://my.spill.com/profiles/blogs/shame-audio-review

'Mad Men:' The Show Remains Strong Despite the Receding Hairlines

Decided I am going to start reviewing things! The first is about the season 5 premiere of Mad Men. There are spoilers in the text. You have been forewarned.

A lot has happened in the last Dark Ages; and by Dark Ages I mean the period of time that a persons favorite show is on hiatus. A brief period of time where fans are lost in confusion and slightly scared of the fact that the real world does exist and has to be lived. But I haven't experienced one as long as the Mad Men 18-month hiatus. Let's recap the major events of the past year and a half: Since the last Mad Men episode aired in October of 2010, a deadly earthquake struck Japan, Colonel Gadhafi, Bin Laden and Kim Jong Il perished, millions participated in a little event called Occupy Wall Street, the world lost Elizabeth Taylor and Whitney Huston, Snooki and the Kardashian sisters became 'authors,' two super bowls aired, two Oscar ceremonies were telecasted, and, well, you get the picture. A lot of things happened.

But on March 25th, 2012, Sterling Cooper Draper Price opened it's doors after a long holiday spent sunning in the Hamptons. This means the elusive Don Draper and the stunning cast are back! Don Draper is the man of constant sorrow, the nomad who spent four seasons suppressing the urge to burst at the seems by philandering, drinking, philosophizing, and inhaling a pack of 'Lucky Strikes' in five seconds flat. His 'born alone and die alone' mantra still remains a big part of who he truly is despite the fact that he plays along with societies rules; a quality that makes him so fascinating.

The first episode of the two-hour premiere centered around the 40th birthday of Draper. In case you missed it, Draper is newly married to his former secretary Megan (Jessica Pare), an easy-on-the-eyes Canadian who is the epitome of the French New Wave that was prominent in the 60s and 70s. She is cute and loves to incorporate her little French-Canadian quirks into her everyday interactions; it is no surprise that Draper promoted her to a copywriter. However, her little quirks soon make her the joke of the office ('Zou Bisous Bisous'). Megan, a loving and doting wife, decides to throw her hubby a surprise party, despite the warning from Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss), a woman who has the rare gift of actually being able to read Don Draper, that men, specifically Don, don't like surprises. Megan ignores this and continues with the party planning. In the end, however, the surprise was ruined after an accidental rendezvous between Don, Megan and the Sterlings outside House Draper; one of the funnier scenes from the episode. Don's reaction is pure reluctance. Eventually Megan realizes that Don doesn't like people, doesn't like parties and especially doesn't like birthdays; after all, it is another man's birthday. A *face palm level of 3 (out of 5). There is a moment in the end where she looks like she is just about to 'give up.' She then spends most of episode two of the premiere throwing bizarre tantrums, at one point behaving as an erotic, borderline BDSM, maid with a serious grudge against Don. The irony? Don seems to be the one who is a bit nervous that he may have married a psychopath. I won't go too heavy into episode two, but I am highly intrigued to see how SCDP handles the radical changes happening in society in keeping up appearances.

Of course, there are other major characters that make the show. Peggy Olson (Moss) is back as the copywriter who always seems to be searching for that social scene that is a complete 180 of her Catholic upbringing. She has traits of a beatnik in a skirt and chic hairdo. she still has trouble expressing he inner feelings. Pete Campbell (an enigmatic Vincent Kartheiser) is back as the account man with a new life in the suburbs and, what seems to be, a receding hairline (I do believe his head was slightly shaved to coincide with his diminishing happiness). He is still married to Trudy (Allison Brie, Community), has a daughter, and now commutes, living out in the suburbs on a plot of land. It is noticeable that this new lifestyle makes him feel more physically isolated and emotionally detached from his true reality; city life and the admiration he has for a certain female coworker. Roger Sterling (silver fox John Slattery) is still a partner despite the fact he no longer contributes any work to SCDP besides his usual series of sassy one liners; he pulls off misogynistic pig humor very well. Joan Harris (Christina Hendricks) is back, baby in tow, struggling to get reacquainted with her old job and self. Lane Price (Jared Harris) is awkward, goofy, and unaccustomed, basically he is just British. All of the Draper kids make a brief appearance, I am certain, however, that Sally will be a flower child of the late 60s, early 70s. No sightings yet of Mr. and Mrs. Francis.

Kartheiser has proven to be a powerful performer on the caliber of John Hamm; combining sorrow, pity, and charm. He has come into his own character. Let's face it, Pete was was introduced to Mad Men audiences as a conniving, frat-boy weasel that we loved to hate. It wasn't until a turn in season two that we saw his character shift to a lost soul, his true self started to break from his shell. He became the person we hated to love. John Slattery is a natural comedian. Moss, although epitomizing feminism, still seems to be taking a while to truly shout from rooftop. Christina Hendricks is a sweetheart. I would argue that Jessica Pare is the character I am most excited to see developed. I have a gut feeling she will go mad and burn something down. And, of course, there is John Hamm. John Hamm plays Don Draper so well that we forget slight tweeks in writing or little plot holes. Hamm, a man who can naturally combine charm, good looks and the fact he is willing to embarrass himself (he is honestly very funny in real life), has the acting caliber capable of establishing Don Draper as a culturally iconic figure in film and television. I can only hope, however, to see him miserable once again. It is when he is miserable with life that his creative character truly shines.

There are a few downsides to the first two episodes. There are questions left unanswered from the previous seasons. However, this is a classic Mad Men technique of prolonging situations for intrigue, a factor that makes people critical of the show complain of it being too slow. Little plot holes are scattered throughout the show. I am guessing Cooper will always be lurking in the office even though he resigned? No sign of Betty 'Draper' Francis and husband in the first two episodes? They do appear in the next weeks episodes from the looks of the trailer. One of the bigger things was the character of Don Draper, as much as he was billed as the central character in every previous episode, didn't seem to have much material to work with. He has a slight personality change, doesn't seem to have a creative input, and seems to be completely clueless of everything going on around him. Maybe he will regret his decision of combining work with pleasure (work being his marriage.)