I've got soul but I'm not a soldier

I'm really loving working at the Olympics, everything about it is just so positive and uplifiting.

My view whilst working :)

 When I go down and watch the events during breaks, the atmosphere of the crowd is incredible. Both nights I have watched Usain Bolt smash it out in the 100m and 200m mens final. The roar of the crowd is so loud its deafening. People are literally jumping up and down as they watch such an incredible athlete make history.








Major perks of the job also include the free food that I get to gorge at the end of the day. Working in the Olympic Family Lounge means only the best meals but so much of it gets thrown away which is a shame. Toffee puddings, tuna nicoise salade, sushi, pork shoulder, vegetarian mezze, exotic fruit platters, triple layered strawberry shortcake, ginger and honey cheesecake- it's torture to serve it to guests for six hours but absolutely worth it when I get to eat whats left at the end of the shift.

French Telletubbies woo

Everyone at the Olympics is also really friendly and happy all the time, it's just such a fun environment to be in. 

Soldier Boy

Last night after work, Red Mel and I along with some other OFL workers went to a Cocktail Bar and Club called 'Stratford Has Swagga'.  If the name wasn't enough of a give away already, it was the absolute worst place I have ever been to in my life. That said, it was so bad that it was good. The weird ass Latino RnB they played entertained us for many hours as did the two official Olympic Committee Workers that we traded clothes with because we wanted the purple and red shirts.

The three D's

My lack of posting lately has been due to my groundhog style days consisting of 10 hour shifts at work and crashing for 10 hours of sleep (note the lost four hours in there are generally spent eating).

This week I have been lucky enough to work in the Family Lounge, which as I explained in my obbsessive Wills and Kate post is where I serve Diplomats, Dignitaries and Distinguished Guests.
It feels too good to be true, that this is my job to work around such high profile athletes and celebrities.
I will give you a list of all the important people I have served just in the past four days.

-The Secretary General of Canada
-The Secretary General of Nambia
- The Secretary General of Fiji
-The President of Fiji
-The President of Cote d'Ivoire
-The President of El Salvador (had a good chat to him about capsicum ! )
-The President of Belarose
-The President of Nambia (she loves chicken)
- Robert Deans, head of the Australian Rugby Team
-Edward Miliband, head of the UK Labour Party
-Lord Sebastian Coe, former athlete and politician
- Princess Anne, the Queen's daughter
- KATE MIDDLETON AND PRINCE WILLIAM
- PRINCE HARRY

Those are the only ones I can remember right now because I just woke up and quite frankly, all the presidents tend to jumble into one another after a while.


Anyway I know you all miss me talking about the weird stuff I like back home- so because I have no photos to post from the past few days,  I will post pictures I like to remind you of all the conversations I have forced you to listen to (yes Dad, I am referring to the Max Factor Lip Stain reveiws I've given you)

A Royal Affair

OH MY GOD

Okay, I actually have to take a massive breather before I type this post because even just thinking about it triples my heart rate and enables me unable to talk/type/breath/function

I MET KATE AND WILLS

THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE

CATHERINE ELIZABETH MIDDLETON AND WILLIAM PHILIP ARTHUR LOUIS

THE FUTURE KING OF ENGLAND AND HIS WIFE

OH 
MY
GOD

Alright, so if you know me even slighty, you know I love royal family.
If you know me well at all, you will know I love Kate and Wills so much that I would sell my first born child if they told me to.

So basically, the gist of this post is that I work in 'Family Lounge' at Olympic Park now which is where all diplomats and important dignitaries go to have a meal and something to drink before they  watch an event. All I have to do is be like friendly and bubbly when they come over to my station (which is the buffet table) and assit them in any way they require.
It's a really fun job because you get to meet lots of important people and just have a chat with them about them their day or the food or whatever you feel like really.
Last night Kate and Wills came in.

Now if you want to continue thinking I'm normal, please skip to the end of this post as I am about to give a thorough break down of the event that took place when I met Kate and Wills.
If you already know I'm a freak, get ready- because I've told this story to my housemates about 5 times already and they say each time I get more excited and expressive in my descriptions


Last night I had been working on the buffet table when my supervisor, Linzi, (who I get along really well with cos she's like 19) came over and whispered to me "Oh my god Jenna did you see that? The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge just walked past".
I had previously told Linzi that I was obsessed Kate and Wills and that in my eyes the whole Royal Family revolved around them, not the Queen. At this point, I grabbed Linzi's arm and said "Oh my god, where?"
"They just walked past the door, I thought you saw them"
"No! I didn't see them, I have to see them! Take me to see them!" I said as my grip on Linz's blazer tightened and I tried to follow her around the room.
"Okay, just be cool" Linzi said as she peaked through the door they had just walked past. "I will get you to see them, don't you worry"

I went back to my station and continued assisting the guest with their meals.
I was half way through talking to a lovely, old lady who was a Polish athlete about the vegetarian lasgane when Linzi came over to me in a hurry and said forcefully out the side of her mouth - "Jenna go to the loo, Kate is in the loo, go now".
Now I would like to take a moment to apoligise to this poor Polish athlete because at this point I sort of completely ignored you and said "Lisa will serve you" and thrust the spoon into my coworkers hand as I hurried out of the Family Lounge and towards the toilet. As I was frantically walking down the hall I was fumbling with the ties on my apron because my hands were already beginning to shake. I walk into the bathroom almost expecting to see paparazzi all lined up inside. Instead I see another girl who I recognise as a worker from the Family Lounge standing at a basin washing her hands. Realizig that she must be here to see Kate as I am, I follow her lead and begin to wash my hands.
No sooner had I reached the sink, Kate walks out of a cubicle and  starts washing her hands in the sink RIGHT NEXT TO ME.
I would like to point out that I had been a bit too excited to remember to turn the water on so I was just standing at the sink rubbing my dry hands together in washing motion.
Some Asian women who were blow drying their hands just about lost their shit and starting saying "Look who is it, look who it is!", Kate looked up in the miror and saw from the reflection they were taking photos of her on their iphones.
'Oh no, she's going to leave' I thought as I watched her fix her hair quickly and straighten he TEAM GB hoodie.
"Hello" I said, my heart pounding through my chest.
"Hello" replied Kate and she flashed a beautiful, full smile and then quickly walked to the direction of the hand dryers but then changed her course realizing her photographer fans were still madlly clicking away. Out the door she walked, her volumious curled hair bouncy as she left.

Now sadly, the next part of the story is entirely true.
 I really wish I could say I didn't have a panic attack and end up very close to  the fetal position, but unfortunately being the absolute class act that I am, this was exactly my reaction as soon as Kate left the room.

I turned to my coworker in absolute shock.
"Oh my god, did you just see who that was?" she asked me
I nodded unable to speak, I could feel a sort of delrium taking over.
My coworker grabbed my hand in excitement and I started saying "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god"
I could feel the heat rushing to my face and the sensation of tears building up in my eyes.
"Why are you crying?" my coworker (who let me point out I had never talked to before, great way to get aqauinted with someone) asked me with a massive grin across her face, clearly she was estatic to have seen the Duchess too.
"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god" I kept repeating, I started fanning myself with my hands and crouching over because my lungs had decided to forget how to inhale and exhale.
For the next minute and a half I proceeded to cling to Rachel's hand and repeat "Oh my god, don't leave me, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god" as I tried to process the fact that I had not only been in the same room as but spoken to Kate Middleton.

After my mini freak out had passed, Rachel and I recomposed ourselves (this mostly on my behalf) and went back into the Lounge to see PRINCE WILLIAM AND KATE STANDING AT MY STATION. 
I am deadly serious.
In one swift move, I slide into my position behind the buffet table and I was literally 30 centimetres from the future King of England. His head was down and I could clearly see him and Kate where trying to keep a low profiles as already people had surrounded our table taking photos of them helping themselves to the wide selection of food.
I have to say something I thought, this is a once in a life time chance!
So I said the only thing that I knew I could say without my tongue twisting it into some incoherent mumble of words.
"Good evening, how are you?"
Will looked up and smiled politely, "Hello, fine thanks" he said as he finished spooning the spicy, prawn pasta onto his plate.
No sooner had he said this, he and Kate quietly turned around and walked over to the drinks station, picked up a glass of champagne and left the room.

Now I can go to explain for the rest of the day I felt like I was on some sort of euphoric high, how when I told my room mate my news she cried got emotional because she was so happy for me, how literally in one night the biggest dream of my life came true - but I really don't think I need to. This post should give you more than enough of an idea of just how happy I was to have met Kate and Wills. It was the abosulte best night of my life.

Surrounded by beauty

Today was my first proper day off work in what felt like ages!
It was a nice sunny day so I decided to go into the city to wander around Hyde Park.

Hyde Park was so pretty! The beautiful walkways arched with trees and the flowers scattered accross the lawn made me want to sit down and have a picnic!

Due to the fact that I am hopeless which maps, I walked around the Park about four times before I found what I was looking for - The Diana, Princess of Wales, Memorial Walk.

The walk took you past many lovely garden statues, The Happiness Fountain, the Serpentine lake and ended at a Memorial Foutain. It was like a big hoop where water flowed down from the highest points on both sides and into a little pool at the bottom where you dip your feet
 (ps the water was freezing !)

I walked to the Albert Memorial and the Royal Albert Hall.
The Memorial was huge and very... decorated.
I know Queen Victoria commissed it to be built as a monument celebrating her humble husband's life but I found the thing really gaudy to look at.











About three hours and ten new blisters on my feet later, I was at the Victoria and Albert Museum. The V&A is known as the'decorative art and design' museum so it had lots of really cool and unsual peices to look at.

My favourite part was definitely looking at the Fashion Room which displayed clothing from Elizabethan costumes to Vivienne Westwood gowns, dated 1980s Armani outfits and designs from this years cat walk.

1920's Vogue

It was incredible to look at the progression of fashion throughout the decades !

The dress on the far right was worn by Princess Diana !

Just keeps getting better.

Wow
I think I might have been a leprechaun or something in a past life. I have had some serious good luck of late, the last 24 hours defs being another example of how I have miraculously managed to be at the right place at the right time.

My idea of heaven

Last night was my last night shift in logistics yayyyyyyy !!!
After four nights of pm to am work I was absolutely exhausted. I decided to reward myself for my hard nights of food scavenging labour with a bit of shopping ;)

I went into Forever 21 and when I saw they had an entire floor of the store dedicated to jewellery and accessories, I nearly died.










Work was flat out and my back was about to snap after doing 10 hours of lifting, sorting and delivering food- I was eager to go home. However, Mel and I made a pit stop at the largest McDonalds in the world for breakfast and couldn't muster the energy to leave till about 930am which meant Olympic Park was now swarming with crowds of spectators coming to watch the Games.





We had to walk past the Aquatics Centre in order to get home and the thought of the swimming going on so close by was just too tempting!


 Before I knew it- we had managed to talk our way into the Aquatics Centre and were sitting in the stadium watching the mens and womens heat time trials for the swimming semi-finals!







 We stayed for about two hours and saw quite a few Aussies qualify- including the womens 200 metre medley relay team who came first! We also saw Michael Phelp come second, much to the crowds' surprise.

Come on Australia !

The atmosphere inside the arena was electrifying. The roar of the crowd as we cheered for a team (no matter who it was!) was like nothing I'd ever experienced before- it was incredible.

After leaving the Aquatics Centre and walking back through Stradford to catch the tube, I saw up ahead two super tall men, dressed in head to toe green and gold- Aussie athletes!

1/5th of the Australian Water Polo Team

When we got home, we were on a serious high. We couldn't believe our luck- we had a such a fantastic time and it was all for free!
Working at the Olympics is like the sweetest job out !

Burning the midnight oil

Right now I am sitting on a train making my way back home through the peak hour rush after an exhausting 11 hour overnight shift.
 

This was one days worth of food hunting

This week I've been doing the overnight shifts at Olympic Stadium because the games don't start in the main stadium until next week and these are the only shifts available.
It's not bad though- it's actually been hell fun. My room mate Mel works with me and basically for us night shift really means eating loads and collecting as much free food as we can find to take home to our little family.

Biggest achievment fitting all this in our pockets

We just finished working in logistics which means lots of boxes and lots of food. It was English weather at its finest last night- constant drizzle which gave our hair a very sexy frizz and curl haha













We had to make a delivery to the Orbit (that ugly red modern art-esque building) today, which FYI is actually an observation deck. It normally has a mad view of city but unfortunately we couldn't see much because of the rain.

View of the stadium from the Orbit

 

Apart from that there's nothing much else to report. It's weird being awake all night and sleeping throughout the day. I miss out on seeing all my roommates because I'm constantly sleeping !
We finally have a TV now that plays more than one channel ( as much as I loved watching Indian International News 24/7 ) which means we can hopefully watch the games and see the Australia win some medals !

Will last a lifetime

Last night was incredible.
I have never felt so in awe, so excited and mostly so lucky in my entire life.

Yesterday was the Opening Ceremony for the Olympics and by some stroke of pure luck me and my housemate Jordan were able to get into the Olympic Stadium and actually watch the ceremony as it took place.

Jordan and I proving we actually got in !!

 It was outstanding. I felt like I had to keep pinching myself because it didn't feel real that I was so fortunate to be present at such an momentous event in history. 

The tribute to Great Britain's rich agriculutural history

Techically we were both supposed to be working in HR office all day but at dinner one of logistics managers I knew said he could sneak us in.

There on in things just kept getting better as the universe was most definitely on our side.

From talking our way into getting purple stickers (these would allow you into the stadium area), escaping the HR office, disposing of our uniforms without someone noticing we were skipping work to actually being offered seats by an official Olympic usher - we couldn't believe our good fortune, it felt too good to be true!

Tribute to England's Industrial Revolution

The ceremony was absolutely breath taking. I can't even put into words how incredible it was to be there and watch all the dancers, singers, actors, acrobats all going at once- there was just so much to see!

 It was honestly the most amazing thing I have ever seen and been a part of. Something I will never forget and will certainly be telling the story of how we were so lucky that it felt like fate that we were able to watch the London Olympics Opening Ceremony.