Sari finds herself in Athens, Greece, where she is attending the 2004 Summer Olympic Games. She is cheering for both Finland, her native home, and for the United States of America. She shares some of her Olympic exploits with us.
Hai!
This is Sari! You will never guess in a million years where I am at! But I will give you a clue. It's on the Mediterranian Sea, and it is very warm here.
I am at the 2004 Summer Olympics, which are being held here in Athens, Greece, and I am having a BALL! I have seen some of the best events here, and I still keep wanting to pinch myself, to see if this is all still a dream! But I am here, and I have seen history in the making, including Micheal Phelps' swimming wins (he has won a record 8 medals, including six golds!), the men's gymnastic's silver medal-winning performance for the team all-around, and Carly Patterson's historic gold medal-win for the women's gymastic team all around! I have also seen some of the best women's softball action, and today, they are playing Australia for the gold medal. (It is still going on as I write this; I have no idea on how it is progressing or who is winning, but as soon as I find out anything, I will certainly be among the first to let you know!)
The weather is unbelievably hot here: my Finnish blood isn't used to the Greek style heat, and I am about ready to DIE! When I am not at the venues, I am holed up in my hotel room, trying to cool off, and/or I am swimming at the hotel's pool! But Micheal Phelps I am NOT! LOL He has no competition from ME! LOL (It'd be hard to be another Micheal Phelps: for one thing, I am NOT a guy! LOL)
I have met some of the athletes, and most seemed to be very nice. I met the U.S.A.'s Carly Patterson (what a little cutie she is!), Micheal Phelps (he is as tall in real life as he is on television; such long arms he has! WOW!), and Gail Devers (she didn't do too well yesterday; she is hobbling around on crutches, thanks to a calf injury; she was in a lot of pain, but she was still nice to me), and I also met Russia's Svetlana Khorkina, who reminded me of a grouchy old bear. She has the personality of a dead fish; she isn't very nice at all! I was very disappointed in that she is still complaining about Carly's win in the all-around competition for the women's gymnastics team, and even though I wanted to tell her off, I didn't. I kept my big mouth shut; I didn't want to stir up any controversy or trouble! But still, inside, I was boiling mad! I also met some of the athletes from Finland, and I wished them much in the way of luck!
(At last check, Finland has no medals, darn it! They don't seem to do as well as the winter Olympians; in the summer games, they perform rather poorly. But I am glad that they have some representatives from my homeland; it would be a boring Olympics without the Finns! LOL)
I have been collecting autographs and Olympic pins for my family back home in Ivalo, Finland, and I know they are going to be very pleased with what I have gotten so far! I also have been collecting autographs for my friends in America, and I know little Gemini Sandusky, daughter of Louisiana, will be happy: I got her Carly Patterson's autograph, and she is Carly Crazy! LOL She just ADORES her! (Gemini wants to be an Olympic gymnast; she is already quite good at the age of 13, and if she continues to do as well as she is at the present time, then she may be in Beijing, China, in 2008! I know that she is going to FREAK when she sees the autograph from Carly Patterson! LOL) I also got some of the Finnish athlete's autographs for Helvig, my Finnish friend who now lives in America; he was wanting some of their autographs, and I am happy to tell you that I, Sari Annike Gustaffssenn, delivered! LOL
Well, I just found out the results of the Australia-USA gold medal game for women's softball: the USA got the gold! They beat Australia 5-1! So the Americans have yet collected another gold medal, and I am very happy for them! TOLD you I would let you know how the game turned out once I heard the results; I kept my promise! LOL
I will write to you again; maybe I will write again from Athens, and maybe I will write on the flight back home to Finland. Who knows? But I WILL write with a full Olympic wrapup and this Finn's experiences there! I will let you know this much, though: if you HAVE to go to an Olympics, I hope you get that chance: there is nothing like seeing all the stuff LIVE, and there is nothing like hobnobbing with all the athletes and the fans who come from all over the world! And the Greeks are among the BEST cooks in the world: I have been pigging out on Greek food, and I am afraid that I have gained some unwanted pounds! I may be a little rounder by the time I get back home to Ivalo, Finland! (Time to break out the exercise equipment, Sari! LOL) My clothes have gotten a bit snug on my body all of a sudden! LOL
Until you next hear from me, this is Sari Annike Gustaffssenn, Finland's version of Katie Couric of the Today Show, signing off! (I met her too, and also Matt Lauer and Al Roker. Very nice people, they are!) I have also seen a few of the taped programs of the Today show, and they look like they were having fun!
Until next time, Nakemiin!
(((HUGS))) and much love, your friend from Finland (who is now in Athens, Greece!), Sari Annike. :)
"HOMEGROWN: The Making of the 1972-73 Providence College Friars" is a retrospective of that remarkable season as well as a history of the school's basketball program, which was responsible for drawing the local talent that propelled that team to succ
This book tells the story of the 1999 Providence College Friars baseball team, the last season that the sport was played at the institution. Baseball was set to be eliminated after that season in order for the school to comply with Title IX regulatio
This book tells the story of the 1999 Providence College Friars baseball team, the last season that the sport was played at the institution. Baseball was set to be eliminated after that season in order for the school to comply with Title IX regulatio
Hai!
