In the competitive world of journalism, it's eat or be eaten.

At the NPC, the competition is even stiffer.

Ministers, economists, entrepreneurs and film stars become the target of recorders, mikes and cameras as they wade through the push-and-shove of the media scrum.

You, a lone reporter must get the story, that great grab, the quote that will set you apart from every other journalist.

Most session participants have to make their way through two lines of defence: on the sidestep outside the People's Great Hall and the lobby inside.

By the time you get to them, half your battle has already been lost and your would-be interview subject, isn't up for much talking.

"Could we find another time for the interview, as the session is to begin soon," Justin Lin Yifu, a renowned economist, pleaded several times but still failed to sway reporters' determination.

He then spent half an hour moving slowly through a crowd of unrelenting reporters and photographers,

Some reporters, persistent as they are, even followed their targets into the washroom, for an opportunity to ask several questions.

"There are times I wish I was a man," a female reporter complained to me when she saw a male colleague follow the interviewee into the toilet.

I also had a similar experience when waiting for Guo Shuqing, chairman of China Construction Bank. Once he stood up from his seat, trying to take a short break from the group discussion of the National Committee of CPPCC, reporters swarmed to the doorway in no time.

We made a half circle surrounding the toilet, waiting, almost stalking.

We waited and waited, but Guo, had no plan to come out in the short term.

Finally, one of my colleagues lost his patience, and strode into the bathroom.

"Hello, the big troops are waiting for you outside," he said to Guo, just to push things along.

The waiting game, however, doesn't always work, especially for senior officials.

We once spent a whole afternoon waiting for Premier Wen Jiabao and his ministers.

That was pointless. Due to tight security measures, we didn't even see him.

Although reporting on two sessions is exhausting, we amuse ourselves from time to time.

(China Daily 03/09/2007 page6)