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Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 11:37 pm
by datura
It will be interesting to see if it provokes any change in the government there, there have already been small concessions made.
I love the Olympics, but then I'm a sucker for TV sports in general (except horse racing, which is shit).
Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 12:16 am
by danny bwoy
Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 3:18 am
by zoso
I thought the opening was visually spectacular
Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 6:36 am
by municiple
I am in Beijing for the games, and I watched the opening ceremony at a park with 5,000 people last night. It was awesome, for sure. Everyone is totally into it, so much feeling in the streets. I was with 2 journalist, and we certainly were NOT being followed, that is just so annoying to say. 10 years ago yes, but, frankly, China has bigger fish to fry than that right now. I speak fluent Chinese, can talk to everyone and I know waht the deal is. I am here with a major US politician, am staying in a small shitty hotel in an alley, and I am totally free to do whatever I like.
I shed a tear last night, it was so moving. Standing on the street at midnight, with fireworks in every direction, and thousands of people chanting "GO CHINA!" was amazing. 12 years of coming to China (this is my 36th time here) and I have never experienced anything so positive.
The political issues of China exist, but the majority of the people couldnt care less. The people who make a fuss are the people who are breaking the laws (sure, those law may be shitty, but show me a country that does not have shitty laws).
Overall, I am super proud of China, proud to speak Chinese, proud to be part of this amazing time in Chinese history.
On top of that, today is my birthday and I am off to Womens Beach Volleyball! Life is good!
????!
Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 8:01 am
by boy_arena
pk wrote:boy_arena wrote:Yea how do we follow an opening ceremony like that!! it will be epic SMH!
atomic kitten will pull out all the stops
lol i cant wait!
Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 10:29 am
by nesslei
so ... when's the synchronised swimming?
Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 10:47 am
by skipple
I just heard some Chinese guy attacked a couple of American tourists in downtown Beijing...one is dead the other in hospital and then he committed suicide. Not the best start to the games
Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 12:09 pm
by spooKs
nesslei wrote:so ... when's the synchronised swimming?
Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 12:53 pm
by RubiconMan
Start : Stop wrote:
I was in China last month and it's not right to see people kicking around on the street with no jobs & no life while the government is spending millions creating facilities for the olympics and making a false portrayal that everything has changed.
i agree that is a bad situation but not exclusive to china or any other communist ting, there is disgusting levels of povety in western countries that still spend millions on pretty pointless shit - so i would say that what you saw was not a chinese specific thing , its a wordwide thing - it is immoral for any country to spend owt on luxury when there citizens and starving and in need.
but yeh i guess china is a pretty extreme case
Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 2:55 pm
by mezi
I read that workers involved with the construction of the Bird's Nest earned as little as $75-$150 a month, living in squalid shanty towns on premise.
mmm rice and cold rat meat....
China really knows how to splurge; this building uses hybrid solar/LED panels.
Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 3:04 pm
by silentk
China has spent a total of $40 BILLION on their olympics :O
thats
40,000,000,000,000 !!
Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 4:03 pm
by guerillaeye
Skipple wrote:I just heard some Chinese guy attacked a couple of American tourists in downtown Beijing...one is dead the other in hospital and then he committed suicide. Not the best start to the games
It was actually a volleyball coaches family.. messed up.
also.. its best to not mention the whole tibet thing in china right now
Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 4:28 pm
by municiple
Yep, that is sad about the stabbing, especially since it is extremely rare. Oh well, here comes a media field day.
Best not to mention the whole Tibet thing until you have spent considerable time in Tibet, tbh. Otherwise you are just talking about some media shit that you have been spoon fed. Poor China = good. Rich China = bad.
Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 4:41 pm
by guerillaeye
municiple wrote:Yep, that is sad about the stabbing, especially since it is extremely rare. Oh well, here comes a media field day.
Best not to mention the whole Tibet thing until you have spent considerable time in Tibet, tbh. Otherwise you are just talking about some media shit that you have been spoon fed. Poor China = good. Rich China = bad.
How is this rare? China and Violence is commonplace... the media isnt able to report on the shit that goes down since the Chinese have mastered the art of suppression.
And how is talking about a China Occupied Tibet that was and is occupied by Force "talking about some media shit you have been spoon fed"???? Take your blinders off homey.
Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 7:41 pm
by nesslei
municiple wrote:Yep, that is sad about the stabbing, especially since it is extremely rare. Oh well, here comes a media field day.
Best not to mention the whole Tibet thing until you have spent considerable time in Tibet, tbh. Otherwise you are just talking about some media shit that you have been spoon fed. Poor China = good. Rich China = bad.
i don't know where poor and rich came into this equation.
we are talking about the balance of human, political, economic and cultural rights here. money has nothing to with it (although of course it has everything to do with it, if you choose to see it that way).
Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 7:43 pm
by deamonds
gold in cycling
Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 1:27 am
by municiple
No blinders here. Have lived here for years, actually in it. Sorry. Spent months in Tibet, and all that. I agree that there is some really bad stuff going down, but nothing worse than USA or UK or any other place, just more popular to critisize. I am glad that there is a dialogue about it, though, maybe it will bring some sort of global change. Anyway, I rooting for the people of China in the end, because they are the kindest, most welcoming and thoughtful people I have ever met. Governments come and go, but the soul of a nation lies in the heart of its people. Bigup, China. End rant, haha.
Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 7:29 am
by tr0tsky
tibet has the right to national autonomy and that should be defended to its fullest, but the whole issue is covered in masses of hypocracy.
1) the dali lama was an unelected feudal land baron that kept the tibetan people in abject poverty, tied to land they could never own with a tibet that had living standards at levels similar to that of the 15th century.
2) western governments refusal to support other national liberation struggles such as in ireland and palestine shows their real motive here,
Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 8:40 am
by djshiva
Piston wrote:we will all be speaking chinese in 200 years
200 years? i give it less than 50 years.
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/st ... seeing_eye
anyhow on to sports dorkery:
congrats to Brits for a gold in women's swimming.
big ups the US men's relay team for a stellar win! w00t!
i am such a dork.
waiting for table tennis...even tho it's no competition. chinese tt players on their home turf? that's gonna be nutty.
Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 9:52 am
by nesslei
i think the gymnasts are freaks.
