My time as GAMES MAKER! Part III

We all were given a "Games Maker Journal" and I managed to make some notes. This is what I had written at the time:

Monday 27th August

• Pick-up YLE broadcasting team from the Heathrow airport.
• "Beautiful eyes" lady at vehicle screening - scary!
• Opening ceremony rehearsal. I was marching under the Japanese flag. Great experience to walk to the Olympic Stadium!!!
• Got home just before 1am!

Tuesday 28th August

• Driving Rauno Saunavaara
• Finland's team welcoming ceremony. I almost got emotional, well, I think I did. Great to hear your National anthem and see your country's flag.
• "The equestrian girls" wanted to borrow my white and blue nail varnish.
• The ambassador of Finland visited together with some other delegates. Did not bother introducing themselves...
• Some of the bags were not delivered, because traces of explosives were discovered. Obviously from shooters' guns! But we got them after a few hours inspection and waiting.

Wednesday 29th August

• Traffic chaos in London: 10 miles in 1 hour and 20 minutes. 
• Katja's horse did not pass the vet inspection, hopefully everything is ok in the morning at the follow-up inspection.
• Opening ceremony: we escorted the Paralympians to the Olympic Stadium. What an atmosphere all the way!!! Great.
• Got home 1:30am.

Thursday 30th August

• Let's see what today brings... I am going to evening shift starting at 2pm. I will pick-up Reetta from Welling.
• Days go past so quickly that it is difficult to remember the day after what happened...
• I drove Rauno Saunavaara from Staybridge to Newham Leisure centre and stayed watching the training session for athletes. Toni Piispanen was there and also Team GP and Chinese athletes. After 2.5 hours standing (only +15 and wind), I was frozen. Rauno had said that it is only going to be an hour training... Never mind it was again a new experience for me.
• Got home at 10:40pm and went for a pint at the Ship Inn.

Friday 31st August

• I went early just to make sure that I am there in good time to take Ville Montonen for his appointment with eye specialist. I ended up spending the most of the day with him, but the things got sorted out, which was the main thing. (eye drops, new glasses, magnifying glass and a telescope)
• Bearnice called me in the morning - "where is the hand brake release in the Citroen?"
• I was officially made the driver for the luggage of the President of Finland for Sunday. - oooh, I feel so important! I am going to drive a vehicle number 4 in the convoy. Note, there are only 4 vehicles in the convoy... that is how important I am!
• Got home 10:40pm and went to the Ship Inn for a few pints... just to relax.

Saturday 1st September

• A driving day.
• 1st of all, Leo-Pekka Tähti made a new world record on 100m! Well done. I brought some ice-cream to the office for the celebration.
• I was driving quite a lot today: 1st took Kevin to the airport and them picked-up the luggage of the cyclist guys who where going to Brands Hatch. We could not fit everything into 2 vehicles and LOCOG organised yet another vehicle and a driver for us. Very nice and efficient.
• The guys had not taken their swimming trunks with them and asked if I could "organise" swimming pants to them....????
• Hanna B got a hump with me when she heard that I am officially transporting the President's luggage tomorrow. I tried to calm her down and explained that it is only the luggage and not Mr. President! Poor girl was so upset.

Sunday 2nd September

• Driving the luggage. Not only the luggage, but I did have a Finnish Police Officer travelling in my car as well, obviously making sure that I don't harm the luggage in any way. - Really, what could have I done?

Monday 3rd September

• I hate when somebody says that he/she is here to try his/her best, NO WAY, you are in these games to make your utmost to bloody win!
• Mr. President, Sauli Niinistö, visited Finland team office. Very relaxed atmosphere.

Tuesday 4th September

• 6:30am pick-up the luggage of the President's delegation and drive to Heathrow. The only thing, was that they did not informed me that I don't have to be there before 7am... Argh. 
• Saana-Maria is still in the hospital. I took our team doctor, her husband and the coach to the hospital. Discussion about her medication etc. but nothing seems to be happening! Finally we managed to convince the doctor to give her pain killers intravenous.
• There was a medal presentation at the Staybridge. Unfortunately I could not join the celebration, I was driving people around again, so I missed it... I haven't even touch a medal yet, saw one though.
• Left home 5:30am this morning and got back 9:30pm, a long day.

Wednesday 5th September

• Traffic was pants today.
• I managed to get to the main entrance and get everyone in (Vesa and Keijo).
• Saana was not responsive in the beginning, but then she tried to talk and was much more alert than yesterday. I told her that if she wants to get home she has to start trying! I also said that the "Hawk" - the nurse - is watching every minute and decision is made according her reports. I also asked Vesa (the Finnish team doctor) if we could somehow sneak Saana's own medication to her???
• We managed to get her medication in the end. The nurse told us that she was not allowed to give the medication unless a doctor from this particular hospital had prescribed them, but she let the Finnish doctor to do it.
• Very eventful day.

Thusday 6th September

• My day off!!!

Friday 7th September

• Finland got another GOLD! Well done men's goal ball team.
• The Finnish Education Minister, Mr. Jukka Gustafsson together with his wife Virpi visited us today. They both seemed to be very nice and I think they were actually "in real" interested in knowing more about Paralympians. 
• I met also Saana who has got home from the hospital yesterday. She seemed to be OK now, thank God.
• I was sorting out the cakes for Sunday's medal presentation together with Reetta.
• We went for drinks afterwards: Reetta, Maija, Guppy and I, but I had to take the train (11:32pm) back home and Guppy had a wedding to go on the following day, so we left Reetta and Maija to keep up the spirit of drinking.

Saturday 8th September

• Toni Piispanen, the 100m gold medallist asked me if one of us volunteers could assist him for a London bus tour. So we made "the date" at 10am and had really good tour of 2 hours. Sad thing was when a lady asked me if Toni was an athlete and which discipline? Why couldn't she ask Toni himself??? Anyway I told that he is a gold medallist and the reaction was screaming "Oh my gods..." etc. She asked if she could touch him??? PEOPLE, people, people...
• In the evening I drove to Brands Hatch to pick-up "the stuff", also Bearnice was transporting some of it to the Olympic village. 

Sunday 9th September

• The medal presentation at Staybridge. Mr. Jukka Gustafsson and his wife Virpi were the VIPs as well the head of Ministry of Education and Culture, Riitta Kaivosoja (the civil cervant). While we were waiting for the Minister and his wife to arrive, I asked Hanna to organise 3 chairs for our Guests of Honour. Mrs. Kaivosoja asked me that who are the Guests of Honour? I told her that "you are the Guest of Honour together with the Minister Gustafsson and his wife." - HELP -
• While having the coffee and cake, I went to chat with Mrs. Gustafsson and Mrs. Kaivosoja who pointed out that the ministry that is under her administration is so important because also sport and cultural issues are handled there. I fully agreed that it is important ministry and I asked if she has had any time to visit any culture activities and events while being here in London? She replied to me that there is Harrods at the terminal 3 at Heathrow airport, so that she can do some shopping... WHAT??? Mrs. Gustafsson as well as I were "gob-smashed"
• End of the games, I miss it all already!

My time as GAMES MAKER! Part II

My team - NPC Finland!

It was in July when I started to ask about which team I would be nominated for. The LOCOG gave me an answer, which I was really pleased with. My team would be FINLAND! I contacted the other "Ladies" nominated to be the assistants for the team Finland, and we even managed to meet with some of them before the Paralympics started.

Our 1st day in duty was the Tuesday 21st August, week before the Openings of the Games. We met with the Chef de Mission Kimmo Mustonen and his deputy Katja Saarinen. The work started by sorting out our premises both rooms and the office and inspecting the vehicles for the team etc. I was given Citroen Picasso 7-seater to be the "nominated" driver for. The other cars were BMWs, but "my Picasso" was much bigger and much more fun to drive! 

We had a very good team of NPC assistants: Maija was our team coordinator, Reetta, Hanna B, Hanna W, Bernice and Heidi, of course. All ladies are professionals and it was my pleasure to work together with them. The first couple of days were busy arranging rooms and finding duvets for everyone. In the end it was Bernice who said to the organisers that "we have first athletes coming and they don't even have duvets on their beds, they are our guests and they should feel welcome". Finally we managed to get the quilts for every bed!


The security

The security during the games was tight - or should I say - was supposed to be: anyway the vehicle screening was conducted every time coming in or going out of the Village and even if you only cross the road to the other side... The G4S was responsible of the screening and many of the workers probably saw a car at the first time ever... (Was I a bit harsh, now?) Every time they opened the bonnet,  doors and the boot until it happened that they broke the bonnet of my beloved Picasso! The hinge snapped and the bonnet could not be closed any longer. I had to ask our Chef de Mission to come and sign a new vehicle for me. Nevertheless, I was told that it was not the first time and during the Olympics the same bonnet of the very same car had already been repaired once. I heard afterwards that it had happened 70 times and the G4S guys were no longer allowed to open any bonnets, doors or hatches when inspecting the cars! So I had to get my bum out and go around opening the doors.

Another incident with the G4S was when one of the ladies working at the vehicle screening area started to flirt with me and told how stunned she was about my "beautiful" eyes... I was not too impressed, to be honest! And this was not all; the second time a G4S lady approached me... she was actually walking a step behind me when I was opening the doors and she was sniffing the air behind me and then she told me that I smell so good! I was not too impressed about that either!!! 

My time as GAMES MAKER! Part I

Training to be a Games Maker

My journey as Games Maker started in November 2010 when I applied for the volunteer job through the website. It took ages to fill in the information because all the other 250,000 applicants were online at the same time! That how it felt like, anyway!

I did not hear anything before the January 26th of this year, when I received a phone call asking if I would still be interested in the position of NPC (National Paralympic Committee) Assistant? - Of course I would, that was the greatest thing happening to me on that day even though my friends from Finland, Switzerland and England were gathering to celebrate my Hen Night in London on that weekend! Altogether 70,000 volunteers were accepted to make the Games successful.

The training started at Wembley by Orientation followed by 5 modules of role specific training, 2 sessions for driving training and then the last but not least visiting the Olympic / Paralympic Village before the Paralympics started. All modules and training were interesting and reasonably well organised. Although LOCOG (London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games) did not pay any expenses to and from to the training venues, I was still determined to participate. My husband (fiancé at the time) was nagging me about the costs and LOCOG taking "mickey out" of us volunteers, because there were not even proper meals provided during the training sessions. Ho hum, I didn't care...

The most memorable training session was the driver training when a professional driving instructor was commenting each individual's driving abilities. I asked whether anyone had failed the driving training and the instructor told me, that there have been several people that LOCOG has made decision not to allow to drive during the Games because of so poor performances. These are the same people who normally drive their cars on UK roads... Anyway I was told that I drive "absolutely beautifully" - I am glad he did not see my parking, though!

How Much is Much?

Everything is proportional. Quality is proportional, beauty is proportional, fun is proportional and so is money and everything else. I was thinking that how much we are willing to pay for different services and items and is it justified to pay double or triple for the same things in different countries?

I was in Norway, well one could ask that why did I go there; everyone knows it is bloody expensive country. But still, do you think it is justified to pay £20 for a hamburger, an apple and a bottle of diet coke at a service station?

I was somewhere on my way from Bergen to Stryn when I stopped for a call of nature and was hoping to get some grub as well since I knew that stopping for a decent meal would make my journey even longer. When the lady behind the counter told me that my grub would be 210 Norwegian kroner – I spontaneously asked: HOW MUCH? - Tvåhundra tio kroner - That is twenty quid I said, but the expression on her face did not change at all and I understood that – yes it is 20 quid for a hamburger, an apple and a bottle of diet coke.

Business Opportunities in Denmark?

I have been thinking that maybe starting a reasonably priced bed & breakfast with clean rooms (inc. bathrooms) and friendly staff would be a hit in Denmark. I believe there is a need for those...

Another good idea I had: start a business as a ferry operator, apparently there is a need for those as well in the country with ... I don't know how many - but many islands and not that many ferry crossings at all.

I know it was my cock-up. I was thinking of being clever and saving some time and driving. So I took a route from Odense to Nakskov including a ferry ride from Spodsbjerg to Nakskov. The whole journey would have been 95 km or 60 miles alltogether. I got into the ferry terminal at 2pm and a big sign told me that the next sailing is at 2:15pm which was fine to me, BUT when I reached the ticketing point and gave my credit card and said that I would like to have a single journey, the young man asked if I had a reservation?

A reservation, what sort of a reservation? Isn't this the ferry that goes between Spodsbjerg and Nakskov? Yes, but everything is fully booked till 5pm, the young man said. Well, I thanked him and turned my Avis Peugeot 207 pointing back to where it came from. That meant that I should have taken the route via Store Baelt which would have been 260km or 160 miles and would have taken about 3.5 hours to drive to Nakskov. No way to make it to the customer before the evening... and my EasyJet flight was on the same evening as well.

That made me wonder why on earth they have not increased the number of ferry crossings during the summer time, when especially as so many tourists from Sweden, Germany, Holland and other countries rush to the white sandy beaches of Danish coasts?

Definitely there are business opportunities in Denmark, it is just so sad that the language is so strange...

Did Bruce Springsteen steal all hotel rooms?

If I had known that Bruce Springsteen concert is in Herning, Denmark tonight, I hadn't bother coming here. I thought I am in good time for hunting a hotel room for tonight, but NO NO NO, I was wrong again. No hotel rooms available here or anywhere near, but a nice lady at the reception of Scandic hotel told me that there is one possibility to find a room and only about 10 minutes drive from here. I thanked her and took a map and headed towards Hammerum.

The hotel was closed when I arrived here and with my limited Danish language skills I understood the sign on the door was telling that the owners are on a holiday wishing everyone lovely summer or something similar, so that was that I thought, but then a nice young man at the parking area told me that he called to the number shown on the door and he had been told that he can get a room and someone is going to come and open the hotel in about 30 minutes time. GREAT news, so I dialled the number and a man told me that yes, they have a single room for tonight at a price of 690 DKK which equals £80!

Well, soon a lady aged between 60 and a coffin spot at graveyard came to the hotel to give the keys and take a payment. She served the other people first (by that time there were 4 people waiting to get a room) and then she asked if I am the English who called her boss? I obviously didn't understand a word but the young man helped me and translated it to me, so I nodded and she asked my credit card and put through 800 DKK! Well I was not very pleased with that and I told her that the man on the phone promised it at 690! In the end I paid 750 DKK =£87 (60 DKK for paying with credit card!). AND the room is without a bathroom, no breakfast included and the tv does not work at all!!!!

Sometimes I do wonder where the hell is the glamour of traveling as my pub friends back at home are always so envious about my job because I can travel like a loony around Europe...

So my question remains: did Bruce Springsteen steal all the hotel rooms and also did he make these Danish people greedier than ever before?