American Tourist Killed

I'm sending this again from the doping control venue manager's computer. We have been quite busy with many drug tests. In addition to the usual testing plan, we test whenever an athlete breaks an Olympic or world record. During the past two days, many of the records have been bested. Earlier today, I watched an amazing race of the men's 4X100 freestyle relay. What a comeback for the USA to win the gold medal. I think the team broke the world record, which it set the night before in the preliminaries, by a good 4 seconds! Of course, my Chinese partners root for the Chinese athletes, but they cheer and applaud all winners and especially those who break records. I keep meeting a very delightful athlete from another country who has been quite successful and even set some new records. Every time she is tested, she says it is a pleasure (because of the circumstances).

As I mentioned in a previous note, we are working long hours, and it is exhausting. We are now alternating days of 0800-1700 with 0800-2400. Not a good thing when you need to pay strict attention to detail and accuracy. Today, I am off at 1700, which means I did not get much sleep between yesterday and today.

There was an incident a couple of days ago in which an American tourist was stabbed to death by a Chinese man who then committed suicide by jumping off a building. I saw the headline on CNN International just as I was going to bed: "American Tourist Killed in Olympic Attack;" and that was all the information provided. I needed to call my family, so they wouldn't worry. The American was the father of a former Olympian and the father-in-law of the coach of US men's volleyball team. How tragic and senseless. I can only imagine the anguish the family must be feeling. It was big news here the next day with more details, and my Chinese friends (workers) are now concerned about me taking the bus and subway home late at night, and then walking a good 15 minutes from subway to apartment. I realize it was a random and senseless act, but last night they insisted that I take a taxi home, and one came with me since it was on her way home too (I think she saw my stubbornness and guessed I was still going to take the subway). I was dropped off and then we had a "fight" about who was paying the taxi fare. This is typical of the kindness with which they treat me.