First night in Beijing!

Well, we arrived to Beijing's impressive new airport and very high security, not to mention stifling heat and humidity. The excitement of all on our flight was palpable, from the few familiar faces of local athletes and families to the flight attendants so excited to be a part of it. Off to a good start! And our apartment is perfect, 3 bedrooms in a very quiet but secure part of the city. We are in the financial district near the Westin and Ritz and most importantly, the hotel where all the basketball players are staying. May have to venture over for some celebrity sightings! And almost equally good is the Starbucks on the corner. There are police everywhere throughout the city which is oddly comforting and as you get closer to the tourist section and the Famiily Center, the reality of where we are kicks in! The Family Center provides free food and beverage, internet cafe, live coverage of events and free tickets to venues that are available. Plus it provides an American respite and general help for us clueless Americans traveling in this strange and beautiful country! After inching back home in bumper to bumper traffic through Tiananmen and Forbidden city (not sure about the new restrictions for # of cars on the road!!!), we made it back "home" for some welcome sleep. So today we hope to catch some sand volleyball (tickets the kids scored last night at the family center!) and maybe get over to see our little Olympian! First game is tomorrow...against China! Should be crazy!