The Adventures of Yum Yum

It all started with a round-trip ticket from Sydney to Beijing, China on Qantas Air. Packed away in a suitcase so he would be hidden from the airline personnel, quiet he would lay. Yum Yum, a golden retriever creeping up on his fifth birthday (in dog years) was going to make his first journey off Australia with owner Mark Kolbe to the Olympic Games, the best sporting event of them all. Some dogs are afraid to go to China (do I need to explain?) but Yum Yum isn’t some dogs, he is the bravest, toughest, smartest dog in all the land.
Before the trip started Yum Yum didn’t know what to expect. Would he be kept in Kolbe’s room all day or even worse put into a kennel for 30 days until he could be claimed to fly back home to Sydney. Happily no! Even in Yum Yum’s wildest doggie dreams he could not have expected to have the adventures he has had so far in Beijing.
The Great Wall of China, Tiananmen Square, opening ceremonies and swimming in the Water Cube are just a snippet of the Yum Yum adventures thus far.
"I think my favorite thing I have done so far is going for a swim in the now famous Water Cube," said Yum Yum through an interpreter. "To swim in the same pool as Steph Rice (she is so hot), Leisel Jones and my hero Grant Hackett is a dream. I think my fellow Aussies did a little better knowing that Yum Yum was ‘rooting’ them on."
Also completely unexpected, Yum Yum has met a friend named Herman. Herman, six-year-old English Bulldog from America belongs to some swimmer named Michael Phelps. Yum Yum and Herman have been seen around Beijing sniffing trees at the Summer Palace and relaxing at Taipan massage.
"We are just good friends," said Yum Yum. "I usually don’t like English dogs being an Aussie but Herman is pretty cool. I bet we stay friends for a long time."
Yum Yum still has another couple weeks in China and is hoping he can still met new people and experience new adventures. Say tuned!