August 16

Yesterday, we all cheered on for RJ. It was the first time I have ever watched a Judo match. I didn't know what to expect; but because the Chinese characters for Judo is "the gentle way", what I saw was not what I had in mind. There wasn't anyone to explain to me what was happening, so I was totally clueless as to how RJ lost. It was only later on that Neil explained to us that RJ lost because he wasn't aggressive enough and accrued penalties as a result. Oh well. He gave his all.

Being here, you cannot help but be immersed in the sporting world. Not only did I watch a Judo match, but also later in the evening, I watched USA women's basketball team beat Spain.

As I settled into my seat, Julienne elbowed me and told me to look to my right. To her and Jay's excitement, Lebron and Kobe and the rest of the USA basketball team were seated next to us. Just five seats away. I truly didn't appreciate the good fortune until half time. The moment the game took a break, a MOB descended onto our section; thankfully, the security guards prepared themselves and buffered us from the mob. There was this psycho lady who even threw a pen and pad towards them, asking for autographs. Instead of taking pictures of the celebrities, I turned my camera to the crowd. It was too funny. We even made it onto the TV screen as the cameras honed in towards them. yes, we were that close.

In the papers yesterday, it described the Olympics as the Hollywood of sports. No kidding.