Olympic Magic!

Wow. Wow. Wow!!!! Over the last few days we attended three track and field sessions and had the privilege of watching the 100 meters contenders from the pre-qualification round through to the finals on Saturday night. And what a race it was to finish the evening. Usain Bolt dominated the field and is going home with a gold medal, Olympic Record and World Record. The experience of seeing those athletes in person is very special. They are on another level and seem to be beyond human in their physical abilities. We had excellent seats for the 100 meter final so be sure to check out the web album and watch the video of the race!

Link to photo album to see pictures and video related to this post:

http://picasaweb.google.com/meyer.ethan/OlympicEventsBeijing2008

The Olympic Games. This event really does play a unique role in our world. Granted there are complexities of politics, there is the history of athletics as a proxy for warfare, and now the dark under belly of commercialization of an event that ought to retain its purity as a unifying event for the nations of the world, yet despite all of that, the positive impact of the Olympics strikes me as uniquely special. It is not just a forum for our athletes to compete and demonstrate their prowess. It is also an opportunity to bridge the divide between nations and bring people together in a way that supercedes the barriers of language.

China has certainly succeeded in leveraging the Games as an opportunity for economic growth and deeper engagement with the world at large. The amount of progress made in eight years in all types of areas is quite astonishing. It remains to be seen if China and Beijing can sustain some of those changes. The leadership seems quite intent on long-term growth and continuing forward with the improvements necessary to have a strong nation. Time will tell.

Some of the improvements such as the increased density of green space in Beijing will be challenged by natural resource constraints such as availability of water. Beijing is also traditionally a very dry and dusty city with sand storms in the spring that leave the city, its inhabitants, cars and buildings dusted with sand, quite a gritty experience i am told.

From what i can see, China is just getting started and I hope their leadership will focus on bringing their people prosperity through sustainable and earth friendly practices. Think about 1.3 billion people with the life-style Americans take for granted. Ok, enough philosophizing!

On Monday we watched two basketball games. Croatia man-handled Iran despite Iran's seven foot plus center. The game was quite boring but Iran came around and started to play stronger but could not close the 30 point gap.

The next game was much more interesting although the result was pretty much the same. Australia and Lithuania had a hard fought match however Australia's firepower was just too much for Lietuva. The Aussie's were en fuego from the three point line and opened up a thirty point lead and after withstanding a strong push from Lietuva that closed the gap to under 10 points, they maintained a large margin for the balance of the game. Despite the big point gap, this game was great basketball and very fun to watch.

One thing to watch out for if you ever come to China are the grannies. These ladies are little pit bulls. I think we have the perception in the USA that old ladies are supposed to be nice little old ladies with good manners and limited mobility.

Well here in China it is the opposite. These ladies will bowl you over trying to get where ever they are going. It is as though they are oblivious of their surroundings or have developed survival tactics that include a take no prisoners attitude! On more than one occasion i have been walking to a particular place and out of no where, WHAM, someone collides into me and i look down to my waist to see who just accosted me only to see a little gray haired old lady with her elbow in my side driving her legs into the ground trying to push past me! A little surprising and at first humorous...but i am told that this is a common occurrence and loses its charm quite quickly.

I am now in QingDao for several days. Flew last night from Beijing to this port town which is also participating in the Olympics; sail boating and a few other open sea sports are being held here. I was speaking to the concierge tonight about the city and his response to my comment about this being a large city was "well, there are only eight million people here so it is not that large". HA. Eight million is not large. yeah right.

I think my blogging is pretty close to being wrapped up on this trip. I am sure QingDao will be interesting so perhaps there will be one final blog to recap the experiences and put up any more miscellaneous pictures. Well there is one more Olympic event on Friday that Brian and I will be attending so perhaps i'll get something up about that.

Hopefully you have been enjoying the blog thoughts, pictures and videos.

Hi to all my family friends and loved ones...can't wait to see everyone when i get back States side!!

Jia You! (Mandarin for "Let's Go!", when cheering someone on)

It has been a few days since posting...makes it harder actually, so much to sort through and articulate! I've had a blast since the last posting, some fantastic experiences.

Imagination vs Reality - sometimes our imagination creates hype that reality just can't match. This is not the case with the Great Wall. Similar to the Pyramids in Egypt (which i have yet to see in person), one wonders at the sheer scale of human effort necessary to build the Great Wall. Once you see the ruggedness of the mountains through which it passes and think about the effort necessary to haul all of the materials to construct the structure...mind boggling. 2500 miles in length zig zagging through the mountains, following the spine of the range. I must say, i thought i was out of shape, but now i know i am out of shape!! We hiked fourteen kilometers in about two hours. Lots of up and down, some of the wall was in good shape and in other places it was in disrepair which meant stepping carefully. By the end of the hike i was soaked in sweat, my knees were sore and i felt like i had just completed a serious work out. A bit stiff today, i must say! Along the way there were Chinese making efforts to sell t-shirts and drinks for refreshment. Tough gig. But good thing they are there...i would imagine that some folks underestimate the effort necessary to traverse the wall and they would be a saving grace.

Photos and Video for this post:
http://picasaweb.google.com/meyer.ethan/BeijingDays4And5



After finishing the hike our driver was waiting for us and we returned to Beijing. On the way out we were concerned we might not make it...he was nodding off at the wheel and i had to chat him up a bit and pat him on the shoulder to keep him awake! On the way back to Beijing, about a two hour drive, storm clouds brewed and eventually released a torrential downpour...thank goodness we were off the wall...my wonderful girlfriend, Elizabeth, sent me a note asking if I were still in good health since she had read that four people were struck by lightening on the Great Wall during this storm!! Fortunately, we were safely on our way home...and the driver managed to stay awake this time.



Glad to be home, we promptly went and got a foot massage, repeating an experience we had the day before. As we walked through a nice Hutong that had been converted to trendy shops and bars, we came across a place that does pedicures/manicures and.... hour long foot massages for $5.00! Now that is a smokin' deal. Great experience sitting there watching the Olympics on a flat screen TV, drinking tea and getting massaged. not bad. It also happened to be Brian's birthday - Happy Birthday Brian!! - so decided to buy some food and have a quiet evening at home.



I visited two primary attractions the day before yesterday, the Lama Temple and the Summer Palace. Both were very impressive. The Lama Temple has an amazing series of temple buildings each of which house increasingly large Budhha statues. The buildings are all very ornate and make for good pictures. The largest Buddha is incredible. 18 meters tall and made from a single trunk of a sandle wood tree. I had to sneak a photo since taking pictures was prohibited.

Then i went off to the Summer Palace. An old school Beijing taxi driver took me out there. As we pulled up he told me the total so i handed him a large bill rather than exact change. He gave me back less than he should have and smiled while nodding his head profusely. I swear he used a Jedi Mind Trick on me because i just started nodding too and promptly got out of the taxi letting him keep the tip he decided to keep! haha. the $1.50 wasn't worth getting worked up about but i told myself i wouldn't let it happen again...what is the adage? fool me once...

The Palace was amazing with a fascinating history. China certainly does not lack for intrigue. You will see from the pictures and videos the immensity of the place. The density of tourists was daunting. The interesting thing is that of all the tourists i see around, non-Chinese tourists probably make up under 5% of them. It would take two visits over two different days to actually visit all of the Summer Palace. An admirable cultural treasure.

So in addition to hiking part of the Great Wall, the last couple of days also included some other good physical activity including a workout in Liu Yin park with Brian, who if i haven't mentioned it, is a world class trainer with an exceptional understanding of movement and how to help people obtain peak performance by optimizing movement and the body and mind's potential. Liu Yin is a sweet little park across the street.

We also managed to go play some basketball with the Chinese guys. We lost our first two games and then had a three game winning streak. four on four, half court and games go to five. there are some good ballers here in China...as you can see from their Olympic team. BBall is a popular sport. Brian's three point shot was in full effect and my sky hook was hitting the mark, not something these guys were used to seeing so they gave me some oohs and ahhhs when i drained the full on Sky Hook a few times. They also appreciated Brian's NBA distance three point shots. Contrary to popular opinion, not all Chinese people are short. In a nation of one billion and a variety of ethnicities including the region bordering Mongolia where people are quite large, there are bound to be some tall people. Yao Ming being an example!

Back to food! I tried to go off on my own and promptly got myself in trouble. Around the corner is a small restaurant for locals. I ordered some garlic crushed cucumbers which was great! However the chicken soup ended up being chopped chicken that had just a bit of meat on bones in a bowl of oil with hot peppers...yikes! it takes some practice to get used to getting the meat off those bones...i gave up after a little while. yup, first culinary adventure in ordering without understanding the language. I didn't get sick so no worries. Aside from that, we continue to eat excellent food at various restaurants ranging from traditional chinese food with dishes from various provinces to Russian cuisine. You can pretty much find anything here in Beijing!

The next blog posting will be more about Olympics. Today we will attend a few different sessions of athletics and i should have some good pictures and some videos as well.

Zai Jian (bye!)

Dui bu qi (Excuse Me)!

More action in the big city!

Title of this post is Dui bu qi which means "excuse me" because we finally stopped by the local police station to register me (if you stay in a private residence you have to register, and i was soundly reprimanded (it really wasn't too bad actually...the lady officers were polite enough).

i received a formal written warning from the Beijing Police for non-compliance with the foreign visitor registration law which requires foreign visitors to register at a police station within 24 hours of arrival. I officially have a mug shot in the Chinese law enforcement database. Geez, they are pretty serious about my safety...oh wait, maybe, just maybe there are other motives??? hmmm. at least the officers didn't make me pay the 2000 RMB ($300 USD) fine! Dui bu qi! Ting bu dong! (i don't understand!). Sometimes the "i am a foreigner" card is a good one to play!



View photos and videos relate to this post by clicking on this link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/meyer.ethan/BeijingDay3And4

Sunday...relaxing day. slow morning...hit the gym where Brian trains clients and then went over to the weightlifting competition. Tremendous amount of emotion in the competition area. These lifters are pushing themselves so hard and want to win so badly. To my left was a contingent of Korean fans who cheered loudly as their athlete competed. A woman from Thailand won her weight class (made it look easy) for a gold medal and the picture you see in the album is of a young Chinese lifter, 18 years old, who won his round to advance and set a junior world record in the process! I included a picture of an Olympic ticket...high quality ticket...reminds me of the golden ticket in the movie Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory!

We went out to dinner with a couple of Brian's friends (Scott and Trish) to eat Peking duck and a number of other excellent dishes. The restaurant was very modern and packed with diners. Scott is a Strong Man from Seattle...you know the guys that push big tires and pull airplanes? Trish is a 60ish woman who started lifting at age 55 and now competes in Masters lifting tournements around the world and last year won her first World Championship in her age group!

While waiting outside on the street i chatted with a security guard who spoke some English. As we spoke, two early twentish young men approached us. At a break in the conversation one of them asked me where i was from which lead to a conversation. I was the first foreigner they had ever met and their first time speaking English outside of the class room. They were quite pleased and were excited about basketball and the game that night between the USA and China which one billion people watched. WOW!! Yao Ming is the man...but he couldn't stop the 2008 dream team.

Food, food food!! i ate a meal at a local Chinese restaurant ( i was the only foreigner in there)...very simple place. $1.40 USD for a bowl of noodles with what looked like sauteed spinach and a tall Tsing Tao beer. So it is possible to eat very affordably here. The other end of the spectrum are the many restaurants where you can drop $50 a person easily. Ate with Brian at a Haka restaurant where we had the fish delicacy (perch), a beef delicacy and some tasty garlic vegetable dishes. Very good!

Went over to Houhai area to experience more Hutongs and one area in particular that is more tourist focused (for both foreigners and nationals). Very nice area in terms of the ambiance since it is a lake with a nice path around it for walking/cycling however many of the establishments are quite bland with names like Nuage (cloud in french), Liquid etc. Couches, pop music and advertisements for mixed drinks were the theme along the boardwalk. Nonetheless, among all of that there are some excellent options, including the restaurant where we ate the perch, and i really liked the area.

We rode by the Drum Tower where the Americans were attacked and the assailant took his life. It was closed. A moment of silence. Apparently the Drum Tower is a fascinating experience. A number of stories high, as you ascend the stairs you pass very large drums and every 30 mins drummers beat out a specific cadence that resonates throughout the surrounding area. I am hoping they will reopen before i leave but that may be unlikely.

Shopping is quite an experience here as well. Stopped in the Yashow Market for a little bargaining experience. Bought a phone charger for about $3.00. Brian pointed out a Custom Clothing store so i am having a shirt and pair of slacks made. $15 for the shirt and about $50 for the slacks. I go back for a fitting on Thursday and we'll see how the quality is. Will be interesting to compare to the threads i bought in Bangkok back in 2001. Bargaining is quite common here. It is best to have fun with it and be friendly yet firm. Speaking a little Mandarin makes it more fun (i speak very little but am picking up phrases here and there) and if you smile at the right time without taking it too seriously, it can be a pleasant experience (depending on the seller). All about the attitude and also making sure everyone keeps their "face" which is where saying the right thing and paying compliments can be helpful. It also helps to know what is a realistic price...and walking away will get you to the lowest price but shouldn't be employed too early or aggressively as a tactic...again, tact and face are important.

Trying to plan an excursion or two for next week...i was told by one travel agent that reservations are not made for the train more than four or five days ahead of time...i have not confirmed that with other sources but thought it was a little odd. Brian confirmed that this is quite common. So, need to wait to book anything.

Katja just walked in and handed me tickets to Basketball on the 18th!!! Yeehaw, now that is cool. that might change my plans. :)

I am enjoying China very much. Of course it REALLY helps to have a home base and friends who are local and can take me around to the best spots and help me get settled in. Brian and Katja are wonderful and Eliodoro is a blast...he loves playing Ultraman...an action hero with special powers :) He was quite excited about his new Tonka Truck that Brian got him. China is a big country with a tremendous amount of richness in history, culture and experiences for those with a sense of adventure. I am so pleased to finally be here in person to experience a place has inspired my imagination as i have seen it from afar through the lenses of literature and film.

Today i am planning on visiting the Lama Temple (big Buddha statues...only official/formal Buddhist Temple in Beijing) and the Summer Palace. We'll see how the day goes!

Day 2 - 3 Forbidden City

Well, apparently a couple of Americans were attacked at the Drum Tower which is north of Tian'an men square. Seems to have been a random attack by a lone assailant who, after killing one of the americans and injuring the second, took his own life. I have not once felt threatened or concerned about safety but you can bet this has increased my alertness.

pictures and video for this postng are at the following link: http://picasaweb.google.com/meyer.ethan/BeijingDay23

The Forbidden City was amazing. Huge complex of buildings, courtyards and gates. If you have ever seen chinese films such as the Last Emperor, seeing the City in person bridges the hollywood versions of Chinese history with the real thing...and brings to life what that reality could have been like. Tian'an men Square is also awe inspiring in its scale. The experience of anchoring historical events in one's own consciousness through first hand experience is one of the aspects of traveling that is most appealing to me. Being there brings to life the past and makes me feel connected to the world around me in ways that reading about it or seeing it on TV just can't do. It is also a venue for some level of marketing activities. I chatted with a Chinese University student who wanted me to take a look at the art exhibition (no purchase necessary of course haha). They seem to have trained these art students very well in English, good enough to sell the art once they get you to take a look! i did learn some interesting facts about Chinese culture such as the symbolism of red and its role in various types of ceremonies as a color of auspiciousness and luck.

After those two visits, i checked out the Hutong in one neighborhood, traditional Chinese neighborhoods made up of narrow alleys where people live and also have shops and restaurants. big contrast to the modern architecture and scale also present in Beijing. Went to a tea house and experienced a tea ceremony. Checked out some stores selling art such as scrolls.

Then i jumped in a cab over to Tim's Texas Grill to meet Brian to watch some Olympics Cycling. Tonight is weightlifting. Next week will be athletics (track and field) and Gymnastics. At this bar, one of the regulars that Brian knows is Alfred, ex-ambassador of Burundi to China who is now running a couple of businesses in import/export and consulting. Chatted with him for a few minutes before realizing that Burundi was an ex-Belgian Colony at which point we started chatting in French. He was quite a story. Fascinating people everywhere. His main business is import of aluminum and steel from China to Burundi where he has a plant that manufactures corrugated steel sheets used for roofs in housing in Africa. He has worked with African governments to try and fix the price of the product to prevent the wars and instability in Africa from increasing the price of his product and making it unattainable for the people who need it.

Last night went to a dumpling restaurant which was an excellent experience. Chinese food is excellent. Lots of vegetable options and also lots of meat if you prefer. Dessert was a tasty mango fruit and puree over a type of shaved ice that was very fluffy...a unique experience...yummy and quite tasty.

This morning i awoke at 5:00 AM, jet lag. Brian happened to be up as well so after sitting on the roof and watching the city come to life while drinkin a Tsing Tao beer, we went off to have Dim Sum at a 24 hour Dim Sum restaurant. Good stuff and entertaining people watching - a number of people were finishing their night as we were starting our day needless to say there was some alcohol inspired behavior!

Then we walked off the shrimp dumplings and egg tarts by going through the Di Tan Park. Now this is a fascinating experience. The parks fill up at 6:00 AM with all types of people, many who are older, doing all manner of exercises and activities including: tai chi, stretching, jogging, singing, dancing chinese style, chinese aerobics, badminton without the net, hackey sack and more.

The Chinese can be very intense and action/accomplishment oriented yet their culture also emphasizes harmony. Riding the bicycle around has been a great way to see this in practice. At least in Beijing, there is a lot of traffic (vehicle, pedestrians and cyclists) yet there is a fairly unhurried sense of motion. At intersections all of this traffic has a natural way of blending together. There are definitely some people that seem to be a little dull witted and unaware of their surroundings or perhaps self-absorbed due to living in such a large city with over stimulus...none the less, for the most part it seems to work. Tai Pei, Taiwan was similar as was Lima, Peru in terms of how a sense of order seemed to have evolved, but in those two cities the traffic was by far crazier, faster and more chaotic with a sense of imminent danger!

Today is about getting some exercise, perhaps some shopping and seeing the weightlifting competition tonight! It is raining here in Beijing! Add that to the 90 degree weather. :)

PEK!

What a day! arrived to Beijing last night (airport code PEK) after a fairly smooth trans-pacific flight...and jumped straight into Beijing life! Day One was all about rolling around town on a too small bicycle, checking out the parks, learning the ropes of LARGE intersection crossing and taking in the Olympics Opening Ceremony (at a restaurant and home better to not sit in the stadium for 4.5 hours in the sweltering heat) and the excitement and pride this event instilled in the Chinese people. The weather is hot and humid (low to mid nineties i would say),

To view a full size photo album and see videos, click on the following link:
http://picasaweb.google.com/meyer.ethan/BeijingDay1

Beijing is both alive and quiet during these Olympic Games. According to my friends here, huge numbers of people (mostly the folks who would add to the chaos and texture of city life) such as street vendors and migrant workers have been moved out of the city during the Olympics. As you have probably read, many efforts are being taken to reduce pollution and also make the city more manageable during these two weeks.

I have been impressed with the people, very accomodating of a large obviously foreign guy. Beijing is an immense city with all that a major cosmopolitan city would bring in terms of crowds, traffic, skylines, shopping, nightlife, restaurants etc. Meeting the ex-pat community is always interesting - folks from all over the world doing interesting things. It seems foreigners living and working here have a decidely global life style and an ingrained sense of adventure. Recreational activities for this community of jetsetters include mountain biking in Inner Mongolia and long distance races in the Sahara.

My host family (Brian is one of my best friends dating back to highschool) is Brian, Katja and Eliodoro. Doro is a four year old who speaks Mandarin, German and English. Katja is working as an events planner for the Olympics putting on Galas and will then work for the German Chamber of Commerce as the Executive Chamber Manager (Katja is half German and half Italian).

Off to see the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square today! Zai Jian (Bye)!

Almost Ready

Prepping for my trip to China has been hectic...learning some basics of Mandarin, getting my gear together, making sure loose ends are tied up with work, friends and loved ones...and wondering if i need to take a face mask to avoid ruining my lungs!! latest news is that the smog has lifted in Beijing to reveal blue skies! nice.