Well, I have arrived in China and am preparing for my first session of competition later tonight. It's just before 7 a.m. on Saturday here, so you folks are actually still more than an hour away from catching the tape-delayed broadcast of the Opening Ceremony to the 29th Olympic Games in Beijing. You will not be disappointed.

The people here are showing so much pride in hosting the Games and there was an amazing buzz throughout the city last night. The reaction to the fireworks was unique. Imagine the Running of the Bulls, but with people. The second the fireworks started going off, hordes of people went sprinting toward the Olympic Stadium to catch a better view.

The venues, which have been hyped leading into the Games, are sensational. The Water Cube, where I'll be spending a good deal of time, really does look like it's encased in colorful bubble wrap. I'll be checking in when I can and will drop little tidbits of info along the way. Any questions, feel free to fire away.