A friend and I managed to watch a diving event as part of the "Good Luck Beijing" games -- sort of a rehearsal for the 2008 Olympics -- at the newly opened National Aquatics Center, popularly known as "The Water Cube" for its bubbly, transparent exterior. The event was the Men’s 3m Synchronized Preliminaries (part of the 16^th FINA Diving World Cup to select August’s Olympians).

Just getting the tickets was a mind-numbing experience.