It Takes A Village

I'm a longtime critic of Olympic Villages. PyeongChang's Village team nailed it!

Since my first Games experience as an Atlanta Olympic Village housing coordinator/supervisor in 1996, I've looked at the housing areas with a manager's eye -- what works, what elements may remain in place as handed down from the Centennial Olympic Village, and what's new. 

South Korea's housing area featured some of each. 

Some additional context on my critiques: Later five-ringed travels afforded a day pass or two to the athlete housing areas at six Olympiads.  

More specifically, in Sydney I was a pre-Games Village volunteer (will never forget meeting Aussie hero Dawn Fraser on the bus one day after a shift). In Salt Lake I was just a visiting spectator (the director was a former Atlanta colleague), and later as an NOC guest it was fun visiting -- and critiquing -- the temporary homes of the Olympians in Beijing, Vancouver, London and Rio. 

Some Villages score on ambiance. Others on efficiency. Some exude an Olympic electricity while others get the job done with measured fun.

Visiting the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Village today, for the first time as a credentialed reporter, was an amazing experience. And the Korean village housing scored two big thumbs up from this blogger.

Here's a Olympic Village first: They have a robot! 

The PyeongChang Village near the mountain Alpensia venues sits along a river and in the foothills of a curving and wooded elevation, with about a dozen residential towers (600 rooms) close to a domed sports arena now serving thousands of meals per day as the main dining hall. 

After passing through security screening with fellow journalists and athletes from Team GB, Slovenia, Turkey and Ghana (yes, Ghana has a skeleton athlete), the Village Welcome Center opened into an international plaza decked out with flags of all 95 competing nations. 

And, yes, the North Korean flag enjoys a spot of prominence near the Olympic and South Korean banners. 

Olympic Villages consist of two main areas.

An International Zone featuring the team welcome ceremony stage, entertainment options and necessities like a post office, hair salon, general store and Olympic merchandise. 

All of the services for PyeongChang's athlete village are nestled into on giant tent (I understand the coastal village at Gangneung, with its 922 rooms, is similar).

Usually the adjacent Residential Zone forbids non-athletes from visiting, but today media got a rare chance to roam freely across a few acres of the Village, affording me photo opps in an athlete game room (i.e. billiards, pinball), lavanderia (since athletes, too, have dirty laundry) and the entry to the tower housing Team USA (the only larger nation in PyeongChang that did not deck the exterior walls with patriotic banners). 

I attended a couple of the Welcoming Ceremonies during which the host nation officially celebrates each arriving nation. 

Today's entrants included a lone alpine ski athlete and HRH Henri Grand Duke of Luxembourg, who were down for some pin trading, as well as Turkey, Australia, Thailand and India. 

According to the first of two Olympic Athletes from Russia (OAR) competitors met today, their competitors are/were not permitted to create a team pin. Anyone got an egg timer to see how long it takes for bootleg OAR pins to show up on the scene?

While enjoying the warmth of the retail areas, I stamped my passport with an Olympic Village post office postmark and enjoyed an introduction to an Ambassador of Morocco by IOC Member Ms. Nawal El Moutawkel, who asked me to share that her home nation will enjoy an African first: a shot at hosting a future Youth Olympic Games (she also requested a shout-out to her alma matter Iowa State University). 

Pin trading was robust both outside and in the Village. It was fun running into fellow Olympin members Bud and Sid (and his wife) trading near the security entrance. 

I arrived with about 50 pocketed pins and ran out of trading material in less than 90 minutes of trekking the Village, coming home with coveted 2018 NOC pins from Ghana, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Nigeria, Uzbekistan, Austria, and Mongolia, among others, and even scored a special-design IOC snow globe pin for PyeongChang ... for the win!

Most interesting conversations: short chats with arriving Team USA alpine and snowboard athletes checking in from their Seoul-to-PyeongChang bus ride. Everyone was all smiles, happy for the nomination of luge bronze medalist and four-time Olympian Erin Hamlin, who will carry the Stars and Stripes into the stadium tomorrow night.

It's going to be a great Games!

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver

Opening Ceremonies Forecast: Awesome!

Today in the Main Press Center (MPC), I learned three key facts regarding tomorrow night's Olympic Opening Ceremony.

First, in a moment akin to Charlie Bucket discovering his golden ticket to Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, the Team USA press office handed me a media desk ticket to PyeongChang Olympic Stadium, so I'll be able to blog from the big event live, in person and (hopefully) in the comforts of a heated press box about 24 hours from now. Amazing!

The to-the-bone frigid mountain temperatures here bring me to the second news flash for Opening Ceremonies.

Point No. 2: It's freakin' cold here, but the South Korean national weather service predicts slightly warmer than normal temperatures -- closer to zero degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit) -- for the hours-long celebration. 

They won't ignite that cauldron soon enough (sidebar: the cauldron is spectacular-spectacular!).

On a patriotic note, the third big item du jour is that Team USA luger Erin Hamlin -- in her fourth consecutive Games and first since winning bronze in 2014 -- will carry the Stars and Stripes into Olympic Stadium during the parade of nations. 

I first met Hamlin at USA House in Sochi during a press event for then-client (by-partnership-with-UEG) Citi. What a great Olympian and person to represent USA on the world's stage. Newly engaged, she is a sweetheart with a lot of support from across the nation and her home stomping grounds of Remsen, N.Y.

At a press conference in MPC this morning, Hamlin answered questions about the announcement.

When I asked her how the flag bearer selection might rank in terms of life moments, as compared to qualifying for her first Games or winning bronze in Sochi, Hamlin said she's taking a wait-and-see approach to determine where the experience fits.

"It's up there pretty good," said Hamlin. "Winning a medal and accomplishing my athletic goals is a different feeling than being honored with something by my peers. It's exciting in the same aspects at being able to represent the U.S., and just being a part of the whole thing is awesome, so just gonna keep all of the [life moments] on the same level -- I haven't done it yet, so maybe [carrying the flag] will get it a couple notches higher afterwards."

Hamlin is the fourth U.S. luge athlete to be selected for Winter Olympic flag bearing duties. She said she won't change her routine now through Friday night, but maintaining her world champion shoulder and arm strength will be in the back of her mind while holding Old Glory aloft, not to mention managing a few butterflies in her stomach while billions of people are watching.

"The nerves will be flying for sure," said Hamlin. "

Olympic ticket and Erin Hamlin photos by Nicholas Wolaver. Weather image via PyeongChang 2018. 

Crossing South Korea by Rental Car

View from my first kilometer of solo driving in South Korea.

"It's going to be OK ... there, there!"

Words to live by -- and drive across South Korea by -- as spoken by the Avis car rental attendant, Jay, to this Olympic blogger as I burst into tears of anxiety around 6:30 a.m. Wednesday. 

Why the fuss? 

My first driving in Asia experience: A 3.5 hour whopper that ended with glee!

Though I had pondered an Olympic car rental for PyeongChang a few weeks ago while stateside, actually signing the contract and accepting the keys turned into a whole other story. 

By last night I was so anxious about the driving option (a DIY alternative to surrendering control to the Olympic transportation network and taxis/Uber), this writer logged almost no zzzz's Tuesday night in the Seoul hotel. 

Confidence was intact until the flight from Atlanta on Sunday, during which a fellow traveler who resides here said, "absolutely do not drive in Korea ... the drivers are crazier than New York or Rome!"

Then yesterday, on the Seoul Metro, a trio of Chicago-based business men echoed the anti-driving sentiment with comments like, "There are 50 million reasons not to drive in South Korea ... the other drivers!"

In the pre-dawn hours today, I psyched myself up reciting "if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere, it's up to you, just drive to PyeongChang ... da, da-da-da!" 

It worked, sort of. 

After crying with the rental car attendant, who (thankfully) programmed the on board GPS with accuracy, I also cried with the gas station attendant, the first toll booth lady and in the direction of the eastbound driver in a Bentley next to me in the lone Seoul traffic jam we traversed around 7:30 a.m.

By 8 a.m., however, confidence reigned and my appetite returned, eventually stopping for coffee and croissants at a Highway 50 rest area about half-way across the Korean Peninsula. 

Sidebar: A fun culinary discovery came in the form of a cream-puff by Olympic sponsor Beard Papa's, offering a "cheer UP!" five-ringed pastry in time for the Games. 

By 10:30 I was parking at the Holiday Inn Alpensia -- home of the Main Press Center (MPC) -- and checking in at the Team USA office for the first time. 

Further up the mountain I also checked into the PyeongChang Grass Fragrance Pension, a super-rural private home turned hostel for ski bums and Olympic bloggers, not to mention a security manager for Worldwide Olympic sponsor Bridgestone (we both discovered the pension via Hotels.com). The pension has its own YouTube Channel!

An enormous cat greeted me in the parking lot, and I was so very happy to land in my heated pension mattress and enjoy the proprietor's cappuccino in my room.

The owner/barista also served up a hot baked potato from her garden, roasted in her cedar-fueled pot-bellied stove!

There will be more driving and more stress, for sure. 

But today was a win. Tomorrow I'll post more about the MPC. 

Must catch up on zzz's.

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver

View from the PyeongChang Grass Fragrance Pension balcony.

Seoul Metro Map = Navigation Spaghetti

The first full day in South Korea was a designated for rest and recharge, with a block of hours also set aside to explore the nation's Olympic past.

I also awoke determined to tackle the Seoul subway system, which resembles a multicolored plate of spaghetti with one light blue noodle (at about the 9 o'clock part of the plate) loosely unfurled westward to ICN airport.

After a restful night at the Hotel Parkwood (a few kilometers from of Terminal One via elevated train), I returned to the airport to get directions for the rest of day and week. First stop: the Avis counter.

Up until this visit, I thought this 23-day winter Games experience might include a rental car and driving. However, staggering prices and a bit of anxiety -- fueled by conversations with fellow Americans who've attempted driving here in the past (universal "don't do it!" advice) -- combined and led me to throw in the Avis towel, now set to roll the dice with public transportation. 

Fingers crossed the speed train and Olympic shuttle system will serve my needs starting tomorrow. Prayers welcome!

In spite of the morning's rental car hemming and hawing, the set plan for this afternoon all along was to take the Seoul Metro into the city to explore the 1998 Seoul Olympic Park and museum. 

My God, I had no idea how big this city go on and on and on!

The two-hour urban journey -- on what proved to be a very clean, safe, remarkably efficient and easy-to-navigate subway -- was worth the time taken to trek round-trip (about 4.5 hours with walking and wait-times). It was cool to figure out the transfers from light blue to brown to the purple line (a welcome relief).

Upon exiting the metro station on the south end of Olympic Park, my weary traveler eyes at last caught sight of the massive Peace Gate constructed 30 years ago. 

Since it was a bitter cold winter work day in the city, the handful of pedestrians entering the park barely outnumbered the security and staff on hand to manage an outdoor skating rink, likely a "live site" for viewing the PyeongChang 2018 Games once they commence on Friday.

Only a few steps from the gate I found Seoul Olympic Museum, which fills the two lower levels of a midsized building. It was cool to discover the hand- and foot-prints of South Korean Olympic heroes cast in bronze to create a walk-of-fame approach to the museum's front door.

Inside -- Boom! Right there in the lobby visitors discover the massive drum that summoned the heroes of the 1988 Olympiad during that year's opening ceremonies. 

Guests also enjoy a look at the history of the Olympics (nice displays of historic sports gear and Olympic pins from as early as 1936), with a level-two series of galleries delving into Korea's winning Olympic bids, key moments from the 1988 Games, legacies of the Olympics presented in detail, full-sized models of the Olympic Park and nearby site for the 1988 Olympic stadium, and many displays of Games-time souvenirs or official gifts presented to the Olympic Village mayor 30 years ago.

The museum also includes a modest gift shop (lots of pins but not one for the museum itself nor for PyeongChang 2018), an Olympic studies center and a massive 5-D Theatre in which guests may "race" down an Olympic bobsleigh, ski jump or downhill course with wind in rider's hair (the ride simulation vehicles seat about 30 passengers, much like rides at Universal Studios or Disney World). 

For me one of the most interesting and poignant items on view regarded 1936 Olympian Sohn Kee-chung, who was the first Olympic medalists from Korea but forced to compete as part of Japan, which occupied the Korean Peninsula during the Berlin Games. Decades later, the marathon runner (whose unique toe-contoured shoes are on view in the museum) carried the Olympic torch into Seoul Olympic Stadium. 

A life-sized statue of Sohn Kee-chung is encircled by ceramic busts of other Olympians of the ages. 

It was also interesting to see the two gold medals won by Korean Olympic wrestler Sim Kown-ho at Atlanta and Sydney. 

Upon exiting the museum it was fun to check out the park's collection of more than 100 large outdoor sculptures, but a huge bummer the SOMA Museum of Art was closed to take down a recent exhibition. Next time, right?

The rest of Tuesday was all about food. On the recommendation of a fellow American met en route to Seoul, I detoured to the international district of Itaewon in search of an Alabama-inspired joint named Linus' BBQ, and man, was it tasty! 

Yes, I know -- travelling half-way around the world only to eat food from back home defies logic, but after three days of South Korean cuisine, which I find to be universally delicious, I did crave some fried okra and Linus' delivered the goods, all tucked away in an off-alley hole-in-the-wall that was packed with locals.

Later, back near the hotel, also snacked on lightly-fried seaweed chips purchased at a pop-up food vendor's stand in one of the metro stations, found a new favorite coffee drink, and took-in dinner at a family-owned seafood restaurant that served the best steamed oysters and mussels with vegetables and colored noodles in a delectable steaming broth. Here we go again with the Seoul spaghetti!

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver

Flying On Top of the World

Somewhere north of Alaska

The commute from Atlanta to Seoul was smooth and easy, pretty good for my first 14.5 hour flight anywhere. I enjoyed a fair amount of sleep, three films, not a peep about the Super Bowl and two Korean-inspired meals that were delicious.

While booking passage via Delta Air Lines, it never occurred to me the flight path would progress due north from Georgia, across the Great Lakes and Hudson Bay, and up and over the North Pole (or at least pretty darn close) to follow the northern border of Alaska westward.

Also had no idea how many thousands of miles of Siberia we'd cross on a south-southeastern navigation. Who knew one could experience so much of the Arctic zones without a parka!

Upon touchdown at ICN, it was smooth sailing.

First stop: PyeongChang 2018's welcome desk to get my media accreditation laminated right there by the arrivals gate. I spotted the first international sports team -- in their red coats for Switzerland -- in line with a cadre of NBC worker bees from my flight. 

Once through customs there was another helpful team of silver-jacketed Olympic volunteers who directed me to the free shuttle from Terminal Two to the distant (several kilometers) Terminal One and its free magnetic rail line to the hotel from which I am typing. 

Tired and admittedly punchy from the long day, by 6:30 p.m. I was content to buy "dinner" at a 7-Eleven and feast on Korean beef jerky, oranges and white peach wedges (packaged in a curious clear colloidal goo) and a nice single-serve bottle of plum wine. 

Managed only one Olympic pin trade so far, cornering a Dutch speed skater for an orange team pin from The Netherlands. Also spotted a "Canada 150" pin with a postmodern artsy take on the traditional maple leaf logo (only guessing the 150 refers to the number of athletes on the 2018 Canadian Olympic Team). 

Oh, and it's perhaps worth mentioning, as we boarded in Atlanta the flight attendants paged a Mr. Lin-Manuel [family name mispronounced]. I did not spot the composer of "Hamilton" on board but hummed tunes from the Broadway show for part of the flight.

Looking forward to visiting the Seoul 1988 Olympic Park and Olympic Museum tomorrow. One happy traveler heading to bed. 

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver

PyeongChang Packing Complete

About eight hours from posting this, it's gonna be wheels up for this writer heading west on a direct Delta Air Lines flight from Atlanta to Seoul, South Korea.

I'm tired of the buildup. Let's get this Games going!

Truth be told, it was uncertain PyeongChang 2018 would be in the cards. 

This is to say I always knew I'd go, but thought perhaps for only a few days of this Olympiad.

With thanks to the U.S. Olympic Committee Media Relations team, a full media credential was, of course, a massive tipping point to book three full weeks for the winter sports experience. 

Now the pins are packed, the AirBNB's are booked, a rental car is secured and a blog schedule, of sorts, is finally starting to gel. 

Here are some target activities on the books so far:

• Securing a coveted ticket to the Opening Ceremony (one event for which the media credential does not guarantee access)
• Checking out Intel's first Games as a worldwide sponsor
• Attempting to share a coffee date with one of North Korea's hand-picked female sports ambassadors
• Another presidential selfie like this one
• Trading pins with my longtime five-ringed friend Nippy F. in the Olympic Village (where he is helping Team Australia)
• Cartwheeling through Beijing 2022 House
• Interviewing as many of Team USA's 243 or so winter Olympians as possible!

The past six months were challenging both professionally and personally. 

While 2017 was the "best year ever" in my independent public relations business, on the home front, as my inner circle of friends heard ad nauseum, I kind of got my guts kicked in on the romantic side and in terms of a seismic shift in personal growth. 

It was tough. It remains challenging. There's a long road ahead. And PyeongChang 2018 may help make some great strides while affording a clean break from curious influencers and influences. 

Looking for the "Where's Waldo?" good in a forest of poo emojis, with the help of some real friends, not to mention close family members, things are already on the up-and-up in 2018. 

Snow Angel (left) with Nick (no saint)

In the last 10 days, I enjoyed a "do over" with one acquaintance (friend? meh? -- tough call much of the time) who visited the South, while later I was popping north for a day to visit former stomping grounds in Milwaukee, mostly to surprise a longtime bestie (see photo) who celebrated a milestone birthday. 

While in the land of "Laverne & Shirley" I also stopped in to the Pettit National Ice Center in West Allis, Wis., and got a nice surprise in spotting Olympic champion Bonnie Blair on the speed skating oval in training with her daughter (see photo). So slick!

Olympic Champion Bonnie Blair (left)

The Pettit staff were understandably all abuzz about Team USA's speed skaters who embarked that very morning (Jan. 30) for PyeongChang. The Olympic excitement is contagious. 

Looking forward to touching down in South Korea soon, and welcome questions, ideas, topics or other inquiries and suggestions for this site in the weeks ahead. It's going to be a great Olympics!

Images via NBC and Yahoo! with personal photos in Wisconsin by Nicholas Wolaver

Samsung: It's Now Apropos to Download PyeongChang 2018 Mobile App

Fresh from the PyeongChang 2018 home page, Samsung is encouraging free downloads of the Games' new mobile app.

Interpreting the Korean/English promotion, I gather this new app -- which took about 10 minutes to upload to my Galaxy 3 purchased after a slick demo during Sochi 2014 -- is free now through January 31.

It's unclear whether the app will then be available for a buck, er, won or two during February (make that 1,000 or 2,000 won).

Upon launching the app, I found it easy to navigate and fairly basic, likely to become expansive and delightful in ease-of-use during Games time when daily activities, venue updates, results and transportation items are all the buzz of many an Android and iPhone.

Very handy: weather updates on the home screen (in Celsius -- it's minus 12 in Korea as I write this post). A finger click on the weather plus sign (+) expands the to a venue-by-venue page and list including temps and icons indicating snow, sun or other current conditions across the Olympic region.

The home screen also dons Omega's Olympic Games Countdown clock followed by sections for news and a series of boxes in Korean that I suspect may become the advertising/promotional nod.

The list icon at the top left of the home page expands to two core sections for Games and Spectators, with schedules, sports, venues, cheering/fan, official partner/sponsor and links.

In these app sections, I simply LOVE the link to the 2018 Olympic Torch Relay in progress (great calendar, maps and photos).

Also LOVE the section for the Cultural Progamme. Did you know the Korean National Ballet will perform "Anna Karenina" at the Gangneung Art Center, for instance? And I just bought my ticket for the Jarasum International Jazz Festival on Valentine's Day, also in Gangneung, via the app. Music to my fingers.

Rounding out the Spectator section: Explore Korea, Tickets, Transportation, Accommodations and Store links to official merchandise.

The only thing silly I found about the app is the image created to promote it. Is the guy in the over-sized red sweatshirt supposed to be Korea's answer to illusionist David Seth Kotkin?

Samsung's 2018 Olympic app -- apropos for any Korea-bound traveler for next month!

Images via PyeongChang2018.org