Journey to be ONE of the 70,000 Olympic Volunteers

It has been a long journey until I received the letter of confirmation from BOCOG on 12 June 2008 that I am being selected as a Volunteer for the 29th Olympics Games in Beijing. YAY!

It started all the way back last year in March 2007 which my mum spotted a small advertisement in the local newspaper that BOCOG will be taking in volunteers from overseas. A simple question raised : "Are you interested?" without any doubt, i answered "YES!".

From there, i searched through the internet, enquiring some friends related to KBS, OCM... I registered through the general website of Beijing, and within a few months, the registration grew to an enormous number of applications from people all around the world. The chances of getting selected is smaller and smaller each and everyday...

I did not give up as this could be once in a lifetime opportunity to join and experience the biggest sports event in the world. Until i got to know that there will be a selection held in KL which I took a day off from my work to go for it. It was all worthwhile after a whole day of test and interview and hours of waiting... which I got selected!

However, this selection was only a preliminary one held locally, afterall it is all up to the decision from BOCOG, which everyone of us waited for months and months... with emails received from BOCOG requesting for information and more information... but not a final decisive answer on whether we are on the flight to Beijing.

At last, on 12th June 2008, the long awaited email arrived. Yes, 10 of us, the Olympic Volunteers from Malaysia are confirmed a ticket to Beijing!

I do hope that the 10 of us will do Malaysia proud and bring back all the sweet memories from (maybe) a once in a lifetime opportunity as an Olympic Volunteer.

We will carry the spirit of "Malaysia Boleh!" and "One World One Dream"

See you in Beijing, with 32 days to go...

- Joanne -

Thank you for the visit & encouragement

Hi all,



Thank you for the visit. I even got a ang pow from my friend to wish me all the best! Our Malaysia Chinese comunity still practising giving red pack with sum of $ to bring good luck to Beijing.



各路英雄：

欢迎浏览马奥运志愿者的部落客，日前拿到一位好友的红包，祝我一路顺风，好感动！



马来西亚华人依然保留传统文化，给出远门的亲友红包，(尤其是首次出国的)，以求一切顺利。



我的服务地点是奥林匹克公园北区场馆群，做观众服务，跟我做导游职业是异曲同工！



“好运”北京！等我33天！我快来了！兄弟姐妹们，京城见！



#KK 邓国球

那股热忱在延烧

得悉慧雯在三年前马尼拉东南亚运动会当志愿者的点点滴滴，真佩服这小妹子的热忱与付出，毕竟在功利社会里，她算是稀有动物了，8月2日抵京将为她人生添上更亮丽的色彩！

这也让我想起十年前吉隆坡的英联邦运动会，我在举重项目负责传媒事项，马来西亚举国欢腾，志愿者全力参与，使这项规模仅次于奥运的综合性盛会圆满成功。

2007年11月16日一个选拔赛让我们十人有缘在奥运相聚，马来西亚目前有卅三运动员有资格参加奥运，而志愿者只有十人，难度比运动员入选更高，我们更为珍惜感恩，希望藉着慧雯的热火燃烧，让我们在北京完成任务，成为我们人生中最璀灿的回忆。

加油！马来西亚志愿者！

The Past - 23rd SEA Games, Manila, Philippines

first of all, i must say i wanted
to type in mandarin,
but my crappy desktop doesn't
have the software installed!! =(
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2005, 23rd Sea Games, Manila, Philippines.
it was a single mindedness, a purpose,
because at a crossroad when you're 21,
you try real hard to find that meaning
in this society, in this world, cos
you've just been given the key to adulthood
and yet you're still cocooned in youth,
somehow i feel,
only REAL PHYSICAL WORK,
of giving and doing concrete things,
may be the answer to my doubts,
and pave way slowly towards something.
i dont know what, but the SEA GAMES LOGO
caught my eye in a local newspaper,
suddenly i knew i must go. i applied online,
not even sure of who i'm dealing with,
and at the airport armed with savings RM2000
(was meant to buy a brand new lap top)
i have a big luggage with mini wheels
(i was not familiar with bagpack back then)
and head to Manila for 10 days via Mas Airlines.
(everything was my own savings.)
and a lot of blessings from parents for my safety
alone, in a foreign country, for the first time.
thank goodness, i met Maria Rose Narag,
she's like savior, i practically RUN to her
when i saw her at the airport, cos she was waving my TAG!
(one of the proudest & teary moment for me!)
~ this is the OPENING CEREMONY~
our dresscode was red,
all we need to do was chant loudly
'Mabuhay Mabuhay - name of country-'
to welcome the SEA countries! I was sooo PROUD
when i saw Malaysian Flag & Athletes,
I scream with all my might the athletes names I know!
Was assign with the Secretariat,
what we do is we go to various sports venues,
and distribute allowance and volunteers booklet.
these are Chinese Filipinos!
can you imagine the amazement i felt when
they start speaking in mandarin & hokkien?!
hahaha, they are scouts volunteer
so young, earnest & adorable, they dont know
Lee Hom or Jay Chow, but they know.....
F4 from Meteor Garden! (=_=)

that's our main hang out.
it comprises the media centre.
everything under one roof, main hub.
a lot things to do here.

like making new volunteers tags, typing certificate,
ensuring enough uniforms are distributed,
answering queries, catching up with results,

basically, we are Super Volunteers!
we do everything & go everywhere!

head all the way to Canlubang,
Malaysian Athlete, Lim Eng Seng, Golfer.
thats the bangga (proud) part about it,
watching your own national athlete competing!

We stayed in school dormitories,
this is a lovely lovely catholic school

Santa Isabel on Taft Avenue

time flies, and soon its the Closing Ceremony
we were there to arrange chairs!

with the usual bunch of hang out,
i still keep in touch with Daisy, Peach, Rose, Paul,

i was a bit silly to buy so many souvenirs.
DO NOT REPEAT AGAIN!
(i was nearly cant go home when i reach KLIA!)

most important of all, there was an incident,
(it occurs throughout my volunteer period too)
a school girl, her height reaches only my chest
she came over and hold my hand in hers,she said
"they say you're malaysian! i feel so honoured,
you came all the way from your country to help us!"
and then followed by her bunch of friends,
who came and they all hugged me!
i was both shocked and amaze and touch,
on my flight home, thinking if an individual,
can make such an impact
just by being there for someone,
pouring sincerity without
expecting anything in return,
the reward is indescribable.
i cant share it in words with you.
it could be the location,
it could be the people,
it could be the event,
it could be anything,
but as long as you've experience it once,
you know you can do something more
and better in other areas to see more happiness.

i actually thought that one experience
was humbling & enough answer for my search,
but someone came knocking on my door,
and invited me and encourage me
to apply for Asian Games & the Olympics
that was Christina (a friend who has
volunteered in Commonwealth,
currently studying in Australia)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
so here i am again,
this time arm with better knowledge,
contribution may differ from the last,
we will be ready for it. :)
~Fei Wen~

以奥运志愿者为荣！

很荣幸成为京奥志愿者，肩负着马来西亚国家形象的责任，我们十人义不容辞，要把工作做好，

我们的体育水平不高，但我要我的九个弟妹们(我是最老的)在奥运期间服务精神要最高，这是对

自己、国家、奥运的承诺！

弟妹们这段期间好好照顾身体，自身安全，确保我们平安抵京执行任务！

#KK

bagus (good) !!!

Fei Wen, thank you for ur fantastic job. Remember that i said we will very upset if you are not in our team. So happy u are with us after u solve ur problem.

To me, the most worried is i have to leave my lovely wife and 40weeks old son for more than two weeks. This is longest period i leave them. But i will come back one week b4 closing ceremony so i still can enjoy the olympic heat with my family. My son Jimmy Tang Hao know the Olympic Games thru his kinder garden & he loves Fuwa very much. I bought a cap for him and a shirt for my wife, Ann too.

Thanks for my wife support and make the dream come true.

Thank you Mr Loh & all MOVs too. Take care guys!

Visions Before We Go

this is where we will be heading to.
the National Stadium
the Main Venue
you will also see this during the
Opening & Closing Ceremony in August

these are some of the volunteers already
helping out throughout the games,
wish we could be there now!

volunteers costume????
COOL!
i love the GRAY ones!!!

this is the official volunteers logo. so lovely.
click here to the website
Official Beijing Olympic Volunteers

Welcome All !

This blog dedicated

in recording our every step

as 10 of us prepare for the

Beijing Summer Olympics 2008.

10 Malaysian Volunteers

will update this blog

as frequent as possible!

Catch all the updates &

amazing experience

right here in the all new

Malaysian Olympic Volunteers!