Hey there. Remember me? I used to contribute fun and exciting posts to 3Gen. Well I’m back here at Experience, ready to start writing. But first I wanted to fill you in on what I’ve been up to during my hiatus.

I spent an incredible two months in Beijing this summer volunteering for the Olympics. Seriously. Thirty-three students from my school, Emerson College, were selected to participate. Twenty Emerson students were assigned to the National Stadium (Bird’s Nest) as flash quote reporters for the Olympic News Service. Ten students covered different sports including softball, cycling, basketball, baseball and boxing. Lastly, three students were assigned to the Main Press Center (MPC), home to all the international and national journalists and photographers. I was in the last group, and initially wasn’t very happy about it.

What I originally chalked up as unfortunate luck turned out to be a blessing. The three of us were the only foreigners among 300+ Chinese volunteers working at the MPC. After the first week, we had alternating schedules which meant we never worked together. Instead, I worked every shift with a team of 8-10 Chinese volunteers.

Some of the benefits of my assignment (aside from the free tickets to events and the closing ceremonies) were my insights into the Chinese culture and work ethic. Stay tuned to read more about my experiences in China, specifically my observations about the Chinese work culture and environment.