Korea, Day 1

Notice the picture on the left of the banner

The banner in our hotel lobby (photo above) sums up our GMS Committee. Our days are filled with behind the scenes, sometimes difficult, work as we're glued to computer screens prepping for the Games. But, as soon as we're in the clear to "clock out", we make sure to clock out. Our "Special Time" consists of food and drink, neither of which we skimp on.

Incidentally, I cannot confirm nor deny the existence of plans to secure the above banner for personal use when the Games are over.

Day 1 (I never count my arrival days as part of the trip) will probably be the easiest day of the Games. This is where we catch up with each other's lives, get acclimated to the time change, get bearings on our location in relation to where we need to be (all of the different sport venues), and get familiar with the Games setup (in GMS).

Although we didn't leave the hotel, we do have access to everything we need. There's plenty of electric outlets for all of our tech and toys, a Korean restaurant on site, a nicely stocked convenience store, and plenty of room to spread out.

I can tell you, with great confidence, that is is cold outside. Not Southern California cold; it's more of a "it's so cold that when I feel the air on my face it feels like someone has punched me" kind of cold. It doesn't help that the hotel lobby is kept in the high 50s - low 60s on average.

We're especially enjoying our hotel's frozen pool (click here for picture). We have tentative plans to purchase a grill, charcoal, variety of meats and veggies from the convenience store to host a poolside bbq. The only thing holding us back is the fear of being punched in the face by the cold.

The food has been pretty good. We haven't experienced anything out of the ordinary. It's interesting to see the varied reactions to kimchi and some of the other banchan (Korean side dishes) that is served with our meals. Beginning tomorrow, we'll be eating with other GOC volunteers on a preset menu which will offer both Korean and western-style cuisines. This is good as some of us are already missing our eggs and bacon breakfasts. Though, I really enjoyed my beef rib soup for breakfast, this morning.

I'm having fun catching up with my friends. There are some good conversations, both work and personal, that I've been looking forward to having. I love these experiences and am very excited for the next couple of weeks.