Fixing Divots (and, "No, MSU isn't responsible for all the soccer fields")

The track and field events started on Friday, Aug. 15. When the turf was tested during a practice run in May (the Good Luck Beijing Games), the divots from the from the shot put were quite significant -- certainly big enough to disrupt a gold medal soccer match.

So the Chinese turf staff members will be busy at night repairing and replacing the divots. Since each divot will probably be only 2 to 4 inches wide, swapping out a module isn't necessary. (That would be like changing your golf shoes if you lost one spike.) Instead, the technicians will use a tool similar to the hole-cutter used to make a cup or hole in a putting green. The damaged area and 4 to 6 inches of soil will be removed and replaced with a fresh piece of a turf -- a "plug." No surprise to know that this is called "plugging" in turf lingo.

Trey Rogers (left) and Alec Kowalewski in front of the National Stadium (the Bird's Nest). The turf inside the Bird's Nest is the only field MSU is overseeing.

The removal of soil is key, as the turf is damaged, not dead, and the root system transfer is critical. If just the top is removed, there will have to be root regrowth, which is impossible in such a short time. The beauty of the plugging procedure with a modular field is that we can bring in just a few extra modules from outside and take plugs from them, moving the modules we we go.

The turf modules being moved into National Stadium. To patch divots from the shot put, workers will cut plugs from extra modules.

I have had people from back home contact me about the Olympic soccer matches they're seeing on TV. They're concerned because they see the turf in varied states and are worried that it's the turf MSU has been overseeing. (I see the games too and worry for the athletes in some cases.) Rest assured, the less than perfect turf you are seeing is not our turf. We are responsible only for one field -- the field in the National Stadium (the Bird's Nest). Grass is grass, and being a living entity, anything can happen over the next two weeks, but the National Stadium turf is our only field and right now it's beautiful.

-- Trey Rogers

Moving the Modules into National Stadium (More Detail)

Sunday morning, Aug. 10, the modules began their journey from the module nursery to the National Stadium (Bird's Nest). The first modules were placed in the stadium at 8 a.m.

Placing the modules on the floor of the stadium. Each module was carefully positioned and fixed into place.

Work was initially slow going because stadium workers were still breaking down the opening ceremony platform and setting up an unidentified structure that will be hidden under the field during the events. It's likely that the structure will be used in the closing ceremonies. Dr. Rogers, his daughter Rebecca, Dr. Zhao and Chris Scott, of GreenTech (the manufacturer of the modules), arrived Sunday morning to watch the move and make some final recommendations.

MSU turf researcher Trey Rogers (left) and Chris Scott, of GreenTech, inspect the field.

Work went on until about 6 p.m. that night and then started again at 8 a.m. on Monday morning. The pace got much faster on Monday because the stadium crew made way for the module movers. There were about 60 to 100 workers, 10 forklifts and countless trucks delivering, moving and placing modules -- the stadium looked like an ant colony crawling with activity.

Workers fixed the module seams with pitch forks and by hand, making the surface level by using tamps. The edges between the modules and the track were filled first with stone, then with sand and then covered with sod.

A worker fixes a seam in between modules by hand.

The edges between the turf and the track were filled in with stone and sand and then covered with sod.

Work continued into the night until the final modules were put in place at 4 a.m. on Tuesday morning (Aug. 12).

The grass looks good and is ready for play. Bring on the Olympians! The field will be used for track and field competition from Aug. 15-24 and wil be the site of the men's football (soccer to Americans) finals on Aug. 24.

After about 30 hours of work, the field is in and beautiful!

To celebrate the successful move-in, Dr. Rogers, Rebecca, Dr. Zhao, Heidi (my wife) and I went to watch softball at the Wukesong Cultural and Sports Center. We saw Canada beat Chinese Taipei 6 to 1, then saw the United States beat Venezuela by mercy ruling in the fifth inning.

-- Alec Kowalewski

The Field Moves and Is in Great Shape

The turf modules were moved into the National Stadium in about 30 hours -- 12 hours on Monday and 18 hours on Tuesday. Everyone was in a very good mood on Tuesday night, even after working 18 hours.

The workers were very well organized and it was a very smooth transaction. The field is in good shape and is in good condition, which is excellent considering the weather.

Now we can really say "job well done." Everyone here is very happy!

-- Weijun Zhao and Trey Rogers

Alec Kowalewski took the photos below of the crew installing the modules in National Stadium at 2 a.m. on Aug. 12.

Final Preparation

The environment here is relentless. The temperatures and humidity are still very high and the hazy atmosphere keeps the turfgrass damp. The conditions are quite poor for managing grass. We're applying a number of liquid fertilizers and fungicides to nurse the grass along. China Sports Installation (CSI), the company I'm working with, is working around the clock at the stadium and at the turfgrass nursery. Yesterday we made our final fertilizer and fungicide applications and did a final mowing before the modules are moved.

The final mowing of the turf modules.

CSI is prepping the field for the move, which means that the spare modules were moved to the side and flags were placed into the corner of each module. The flags and the numbers written on the sides of the modules will ensure they're placed in the stadium in the same order and orientation.

Marking the turf modules to get them ready to move into the stadium.

Tomorrow we begin moving the modules early in the morning and plan to work late into the night. Dr. Rogers and Chris Scott, from GreenTech, the company that designed and manufactured the modules, are arriving today to help with the moving process.

-- Alec Kowalewski

Transforming Beijing

It's amazing how fast the scenery changed here. Our neighborhood has undergone an immense transformation since May.

The Beijing city center after being spruced up.
(Photo by Heidi Kowalewski)

The slums that weren't demolished have been masked by tall and decorative metal walls, most with the signature Olympic characters and other images and figures in celebration of the games. I suppose they couldn’t get rid of all the shantytowns; the massive migrant population needs somewhere to live while working. The migrants have been the key labor force building up the city in preparation for China's moment in the sun.

New brick sidewalks have been laid down by hand on almost every street. All sorts of foliage and flowers have been hung and planted on and over every patch of earth. Every park has received a facelift. Also, countless businesses have opened and many are still being built. I was most excited about the new Pizza Hut and the new coffee and doughnut shop that opened near our apartment.

The coffee and doughnut shop is awesome. American music plays inside. The coffee is very high quality -- delicious! -- and the doughnuts are even better. The owner really wants our business; she's always forcing free doughnuts on us. Though I initially say no thanks, of course I can never resist. I hope her business is successful. We never see very many other customers. Drinking coffee is a costly luxury that only the more affluent Chinese citizens can afford. But the prices are equivalent to what we'd pay in a nice shop in the States. One coffee costs about 30 yuan, which is a lot of money to a Chinese person. We definitely come out winners with the exchange rate. One U.S. dollar equals about 7 yuan.

All of the Western style restaurants in the city are too expensive for the average native, with the exception of McDonald's and KFC. I have paid 7 to 50 yuan for a single meal in traditional Chinese restaurants; in the Western-style restaurants I've paid 120 to 250 yuan for my meal. The pleasure of eating something comfortingly familiar is definitely worth the extra cash. By word of mouth and some exploring, we've discovered Italian, German, TexMex, Irish, Australian, and good old traditional American cuisine scattered around the city. Now we have Pizza Hut a few blocks away.

Alec in Beijing in front of a new Olympic mural.
(Photo by Heidi Kowalewski)

In Beijing, Pizza Hut is considered a touch classier than how it's viewed back home. I would say it's more like eating at the Olive Garden. The pizzas themselves are a little disappointing though. They don’t put enough sauce on them and offer non-traditional toppings such as shrimp, crab, tuna and shredded beef. I stick to the vegetarian, but even that's covered with corn and pineapple. Of course if I could speak Chinese I would customize my pizza, but alas, I can't.

I don’t know if I’m getting used to people staring, or if Chinese people are getting used to seeing foreigners and are not staring as much. I think it’s the latter. My wife and I both have noticed a surge of foreign faces, even in our neighborhood. The city is filled with officials, professionals and athletes here for the games. And there are also the fancy folk who, unlike us, could actually afford tickets to the events. All of the extra people make it a little difficult to travel around the city now. It's hard to get a taxi and the subway cars are a claustrophobic nightmare. I’m not claustrophobic, but I do get uncomfortable being packed so tightly together with other people. And sometimes people don’t smell so good after a 96-degree day.

I was very excited about this trip when I first arrived in the city. I was looking forward to having an exotic experience with my wife. However, after we had visited every tourist location within traveling distance, had eaten Chinese food every day for weeks on end, and had no friends to socialize with, my excitement waned. But, I am happy to say that I have regained that initial enthusiasm this past week. My wife and I have been visiting the busy city center to share in the exhilaration and enjoy the celebratory atmosphere. People are waving flags and donning patriotic clothing. Everyone is so happy and every face has a smile. I'm very privileged to have had the chance to be a part of this great event.

-- Alec Kowalewski