Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Beijing Olympics - My complicated journey

Oh MICHAEL PHELPS, how i adore thee!

yeah, i know i have been raving on and on and on about having a ticket to watch the beijing olympics men swimming at the water cube on 9th august ... BUT i didnt get to watch it. yes, how UNFORTUNATE!!! =(

so, nahoi and i bought tickets from ticketspot.com since march or february i think. and through emails they confirmed that we are going to get the tickets in beijing in the month of august. so nahoi and i, full of hope and dreams, that we are going to see the korean dong-seng (that young korean dude who won gold for butterfly) and michael phelps + ian thrope ...

so august came, and we called and called the company to ask for our tickets. they keep saying, "ouhh .. your tickets are not here yet ... tmr it will come!"
nahoi and i were very patient ... BUT when the event was on saturday and we still didnt get the tickets on thursday, we get really worried. so nahoi and i travelled far across beijing to this majestic looking building called CAPITAL MANSION. when we reached, the security guard said,"sorry, the company is closed for the day!" we were like,"wtf?!" just as we were about to go off .. nahoi heard a familiar voice (that bitch who were the person in charge for our tickets), she pointed her finger on her and shouted (yes, she shouted vehemently),"i want my tickets!"
the chirpy lady smiled, asked for our passport and receipt and disappear into the lift!!!!!
20 minutes later ... a mainlander came down with our passport and receipt and told us that the tickets are not ready!? so ... the usually nice and peaceful nahoi and i .. start scolding her! i think she was petrified .. but I DONT CARE!! i came so far away just to get our tickets .. paid so much money for them and still NO TICKETS?! wtf?! nahoi and i forced her to give us a specific time where we can pick up our tickets ... she not happy that two young girls just scolded her .. finally said out loud, "OMG! you damn lihai (chinese: pro)!" i took her name card and scream back, "you guys then lihai!!!!" and stormed off .. geeezzzzzz

next day ... FRIDAY ... we came back again. in a 'chirpier mood'
met another security guard >>>
us: hey, we want to get olympic tickets
guard: sorry! there is no one at the ticket office and you cant go up either
us: wtF?
canadians arrived ... asked the guard for the lift to go up too! guard rejected
us told canadians and soon after a whole of white ppl what happen ....
everyone got angry ... make a scene!
ticket ppl disappear ...

suddenly the lift door open .. it was empty .. and when the guard is not looking .. we RUSH in!!
guard found out ... stop the lift door with his hands .. lift start this annoying beeppppp
guard begged us to leave ... we refuse .. ignoring his stupid accented chinese .... 20 minutes ... a few capital mansion officials came down and begged us not to block the lift ... we told them to find the tickets ppl ... another 10 minutes .. a nonchalant looking guy came talking on the phone saying that he is the ticket ppl and told us to follow him .. we did

he brought us into this apartment ... pretty nice .. where there are gazillion other ppl waiting in line to get their tickets .... there were a couple of americans (the ticket ppl) sitting on the dining table punching numbers into their laptops and sorting the tickets .... the mainlander lady saw us ... got really scared ... quickly came to us and told us that she will help us ... 15 minutes ... she usher us to one of the ticket ppl ... drama begins:
white man (wm): we are sorry. i think the broker back out on us ... we dont have ur tickets ...
us: what?!
wm: our alternative is: refund you guys or we will get you guys other tickets ...
us, very emotional: sir, you dont understand. we came all the way here from the UNITED STATES, just to watch the olympics. wasting accommodation and flight tickets fees! we are just students! we book this from march! how can this happen! what shall we tell our parents? that we came here all the way to watch nothing?!
wm, scared: sorryyy ..
us (very very very emotional ... shouting that we are students blah blah blah to the listening crowd ....)
wm, v v v v scared: ok ... i can refund u and get u free tickets! i got badminton, judo, rowing, basketball ...
us: u dont understand, swimming is a very wanted event! we book them since long long ago! that is not very fair! we only want event in the water cube or the bird nest!
wm: we really dont have it ... sorryyy ....
nahoi: i think, IS ONLY FAIR if you guys award us with 2 sets of tickets. badminton and basketball ....

so in the end we got 5 tickets (3 badminton and 2 basketball) we get our friend penny a badminton ticket .... then in the struck of good luck ... one of our frens got extra gymnastic tickets that he is willing to trait ... 1 badminton ticket for 3 gymnastic tickets +300rmb .. good deal ... so nahoi and i watched a total of 3 game! in a day!!!
all our seats are pretty good .. basketball was eventful!
we get to see bush, and kobe bryant plus the whole men us basketball team =) happy!

1 comment:

Shuling said...

lol... u two super power lah... =) must learn from u! Aye, getting to watch the Olympic games live must be amazing though! Oh how i'd love to catch Table-Tennis live. <=)