Pictures...

...are up. Go to http://picasaweb.google.com/hayleyshanteau

I need to warn you, though...there are almost a thousand of them and they aren't all rotated...but it's a start.

Last one...

Hey guys!!! Thanks for checking in on us, and I am so sorry for the lack of updates...I am sure this will be the last post until we get home, as we leave for the airport around noon tomorrow. I will be sure and post a link to the photos once we get back to Valdosta. Until then...have a great one.

BTW...Meredith and Matt from the TODAY shoew are so nice...Pics to come.

A back room

Since we still had tickets to the finals session, we went ahead to the meet this morning. Last night there was some debate about our going or trying to sell our tickets, but I am so glad that we went. We were on the 2nd row, and I can not tell you how exciting it was to see that closely the U.S. women's 200x4 relay team win bronze and Jason Lezak win bronze in the 100 freestyle. After the meet, we met up with Eric, his girlfriend, and my in laws for lunch, and it was really nice to sit down and really get to enjoy everyone's company.

After lunch, Mrs. Shanteau and I went to the Silk Market, and lemme tell ya...it was a hoot. We got all kinds of stuff for so CHEAP...I think I am really getting the hang of this bargaining thing. After I got over the anxiety of it, it was a bit of a rush. The last store that we went into was a handbag/luggage store. We walked in and asked for a Hermes bag and were promptly shuffled into a hidden door in the wall. It was flooded with people looking and Chanel, Hermes, LV, Coach and so much more. After deciding that we didn't really want anything, I started out what I thought was another door and was yelled at and shuffled back to the door I entered through. There I saw a TV surveillance system and we had to wait for the coast to clear and then we were told, "Quick, quickly". I immediately cracked up laughing and got an ugly look from the sales girl. It was quite an afternoon to say the least.

Hope everyone's having a great week...I'm off to the NBC studios here in Beijing to see Eric and his dad give an interview for the TODAY show. If you get the chance it'll be on between 8:30 and 9 we think.

Pictures, Finally...

Opening Ceremonies...the beginning of the night.


During...




After...




Swim Meet Last Night...

Forbidden City/Tinamen (?) Square/Temple of Heaven

Our Visit to the Village...

I signed in support of world peace during the Olympic Games...

Ryan and I with our Olympian!!!

The zoo...

This next picture is not fit for kids to see. :)

This is a prime example of how the men here cool themselves off...

Lama Temple...




It's been a super busy few days. On Monday, we went to Tinamen Square, Forboidden City and the Temple of Heaven...It made for quite a long day, but it was all so beautiful. I am so glad I got to see it all. Yesterday, we spent the majority of the day at the Pearl Market. Within the first 5 minutes, I knew that I was in for a new experience. If you can imagine the most pushy car salesman, and multiply it by a million...that's what the people selling scarves and purses are like. Ryan had to physically remove one woman's had from his mom's arm. I was so freaked out...but once we got to the jewelery floor, it was great. I just kept saying, "No, thank you. Just looking" and they left me alone. We really got a lot of cool stuff. After the Pearl Market, we got ready and went over to the Cube for the prelims for Eric. He swam a personal best and looked good going into semis. He swam again this morning and if you watched, then you know that he was 10th, and needed to be 8th. He did, however swim a best time...it was just a really fast race. We couldn't be more proud of him. He swam a best time and honestly, I don't think that you can ask much more.

We're hanging out at the Bank of America Center, and I think we're going to have some dinner and call it a night. Tomorrow, I think we are going to the Silk Market and Summer Palace. Friday, we have scheduled a trip to the Great Wall at Badaling. After that, who knows, I am sure that we'll think of something!

Have a great day!

Things I have learned...

1. If you are participating in an event that people (ex: cab drivers) might want to watch on TV, there will NOT be any cabs to take you home when that event is over.

2. If you are a Chinese woman between the ages of 20 and 50, and you don't have children with you, chances are that you are wearing heels no matter where you go.

3. If you are a Chinese man, and you are hot and sweaty, it is perfectly acceptable to pull your shirt up to your chest and expose your midsection.

4. Public restrooms for women are a little jarring, as there aren't toilets, just porcelain lined holes in the floor.

5. Chinese concession stands serve things like bread and cake.

6. No one that is working in a hotel after midnight speaks any English.

I am going to go ahead and apologize for not having any photos to post, but I didn't realize I would be going anywhere with an internet cafe and I don't have the card reader. Right now, we are in the Olympic Village. We came to visit with Eric and have been enjoying the comforts of the Village all afternoon. First we had lunch with Eric, the food was awesome!!! Then we just walked around and took some photos. We also got the majority of our Olympic shopping done just now and it started to rain, so we found the internet cafe and came in to wait out the weather.

Ahhh...the weather...The last 2 days have been the hottest and most humid I think that I have ever endured. Ryan says that it's on par with Valdosta, but I am not outside as much as he is, so I wouldn't know.

The Opeing Ceremony was quite possibly (with the exception of the birth of my future children) the single most A-MA-ZING thing that I have ever witnessed. The performances were unbelievable, and our seats were great. It was so HOT, though...I think that the way the staduim is built traps heat rather than letting it out. Still, it was wonderful and I wouldn't trade the experience for anything.

After the end of the ceremonies, we went out to try and catch a cab, but couldn't find one...We walked around for 2 and a half hours looking. Finally, we went to Eric's girlfriend's hotel thinking that her conceirge could call one for us. He did indeed call one and told us that as long as we could be patient, he would get us one. Forty-five minutes later, he told us that he was sorry, but it would be 6 am before one could come. Then he said, "Good Luck, I am off of work, now." At that point, my lip began to quiver. We were able to cross the street and catch one about 15 minutes later. Still, it was worth it to be a part of Opening Ceremonies.

Yesterday, we went to the Beijing Zoo and Aquarium. It was pretty nice, but just your average zoo and aquarium. This morning, we went to the Lama Temple, and it, just like so much over here was so beautiful. We were truly amazed at the structures and all of the statues. It was absolutely awesome.

I guess that's it for now...I promise to try and get some pictures up sometime tomorrow.

Have a great week!

Jet lag is for wussies

So, we made it in yesterday (Thursday) around 6 pm, (that's 6 am for you Georgia folks) ate supper and crashed around 9:30 watching an extremely silly asian game show. The flight wasn't terrible...but it wasn't my favorite way to spend time either...I won't complain too much because I am so happy to be a part of this experience.

I honestly can not tell you how incredibly impressed with the staff at our hotel. I can't imagine having to answer questions and serve people that speak such a different language, but they are doing a great job. It really makes me stop and think about how big the world is and what a minute part of it that I am...

Today we woke up around 3:45 am and hung out until breakfast at the hotel. Shortly there after, we ventured out to go get Opening Ceremony tickets and have come to the Bank of America Hometown Hopefuls center that they have set up for athletes' families. They have food out and an internet cafe for us to use.

It's incredibly hot and humid here...but we're having a great time so far. Hopefully, I will be able to post some photos tomorrow of the ceremonies.

Hope you guys have a great weekend!

Leaving on a jet plane...

Well, our bags are almost completely packed...There are just a few things left in the dryer I need to throw into the suitcase.







We'll leave as soon as I get off of work tonight and go to Jacksonville to spend the night. Our flight to Chicago leaves at 7:30 tomorrow morning and from there we start the 13 hour trip to Beijing and should land sometime around 3 p.m. on the 7th.

Opening Ceremonies

This past weekend, Ryan and I went down to Suwannee, Florida with my aunt and uncle to relax before the trip. Once you get about 20 miles outside of Suwannee, you have absolutely no cell service. So, when I called my mother in law yesterday, she was acting a little funny. She started asking "you have no idea, do you? Have you checked anything since Friday afternoon? No voicemail, no email?"
My mind was racing...I immediately began asking "What's wrong? What's happened?" That's when she started laughing...
She told me to go get Ryan...she wanted to tell us something together. Apparently she was able to score Opening Ceremony tickets from some one at NBC. Excited doesn't even begin to describe how we feel!!

15 Days and Counting

Well, we're 15 days out and things are coming along nicely. We have our passports and our visas arrived last week. I think Ryan and I are going to sit down this week and try to figure out an itinerary. We want to be able to do some things with Eric if he is able to get time off, but we won't know about any of that until the time comes. There is so much we want to see, and with Ryan being a construction nerd, he's really excited about seeing some of the architecture. I want to see some of it, too...but I want to shop.

On the packing front, we have all of our toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, shave gel, lotion, body wash, hand sanitizer) and travel sized containers. In fact, Ryan has labeled them all using his label maker. I actually walked in on him filling them with shampoo and conditioner 2 nights ago. He looked a little offended at my suggestion that it could wait a week...or two.

We also got a portable DVD player for the plane ride over (uggh...13 hours). I did some shopping this past weekend and picked up a couple of pairs of shorts and t-shirts. I am such a princess when it comes to traveling and I am really trying not to over do it (I have already been told that I am not allowed to bring a fan or my pillow), but I like to have options. I have to keep reminding myself that the more I take, the less room I will have for bringing back stuff. I am sure that I'll get it figured out. It would be great if we knew we could wash and dry stuff, but we won't know that until we get there. I seriously think that if I can pack for a week of camp in a carry on sized bag and have more than enough to wear, I will be fine.

2 1/2 weeks to go...

Hmmm...What to say?!?!?! This blogging thing is a little harder than I expected it to be. Maybe it'll get easier when I have something more interesting to say. Maybe not, though.

We have about 17 days until we head to the Far East to cheer on Ryan's brother as he competes in the 200 meter breast stroke. This trip is also going to be the honeymoon we didn't get to take last year when we got married.

I don't think we could be more excited to be going. The past 2 weekends have been filled with many trips to the mall and Target as we start to think about all that we are going to need. I think we're covered, but if you know me at all, you know that I am that girl that smacks her forehead in realization that she's forgotten something (like her underwear or her toothbrush) as soon as she reaches her destination. Anyone ever traveled for more than 10 days? Anyone traveled internationally? Is there something that I might not be thinking about?

Lord, I feel like Elly Mae getting on a plane for the first time.