Comparing the major east coast cities of mainland China to their US equivalents has always been a clear analogy to me. Guangzhou in the south, just across the water from Hong Kong, is like LA, warm, sunny, glitzy and very entertainment centric. Shanghai is New York City, the business capitol and long established in the global trade scheme. Beijing has been Washington, DC, the seat of political power, lots of monuments and stuffy, grey government buildings with military troops all around.
But today, the millions and millions of dollars that have been put into Beijing for these Olympic Games have elevated this city to world, cosmopolitan status on a par with Paris, London and Geneva.
It was fortunate that through friends we got an apartment which helped our hosts get us a very quick visa for Jane, so we could have this experience together. For a time, they had stopped issuing visas altogether. Persistance and opportunity were on our side.
We came into the city from the airport on a new six-lane highway that was as flat and straight as could be. It was raining and fairly late at night and there was little traffic. We made the 15 to 20 mile trip in less than half an hour. As far as the cost of doing business there goes, the taxi fares are the buy of the century. It is hard to spend more than the equivalent of $1.50 to go anywhere in the city. The ride from the airport was less than $10.
We stayed in an upscale apartment complex near what you might call Embassy Row. The Canadian and Columbian embassies were right next door and the new US Embassy was just down the street.There were pockets of old Beijing all around us. Within a block and a half of our apartment was a Hutong area, where families live in small, very spartan dwellings around a courtyard. There were shops on the streetside for fresh vegetables, meat and hardware. A bicycle repairman sets up his stand on the sidewalk and can disassemble a bicycle and repair anything on the spot. However, bicycles are being banned from certain areas of the city and cars a taking over, which is a bit sad in my mind.
Speaking of cars, the odd-even driving days during the Games have alleviated much of the congestion on the roads, though with 3 million cars in the city and 1000 new ones being sold everyday, the situation is certainly not getting better.
The rain has cured most of the pollution concerns and, with an occasional thunderstorm blowing through, even the humidity is bearable. No one is complaining about the air quality for now. The sky is blue and sun is bright.
Our first full day was spent getting the lay of the land and the rhythm of the city. I like to be as local as possible anywhere I go. I'll never be mistaken for Chinese but I like to do things the way they do...eat on their schedule, at their places (except for McDonald's, of course) and walk and shop away from the congestion of tourist stops. There are supposed to be over seven million visitors to the city during the Games and, believe me, they are obvious.
There was a french bakery in our complex...not bad croissants and coffee, although Starbucks is everywhere too. We ate dumplings (steamed buns) and noodles for lunch, a Beijing favorite. Lunch for two with all the trimmings was less than $20 at a very nice restaurant. You can eat dumplings from the street vendors, and I do, for a couple of bucks.
All the venues for the Games are north of the downtown. Our apartment was in the northeast quadrant and close to Worker's Stadium, which has been their major outdoor stadium until now. Some events are being held there but most are using the new venues, completed in the past few months.
I had a conference each day with members of the Beijing Organizing Committee to discuss relevant public issues that were potentially in the eye of the world's media attending the Games. These issues changed daily. How the local organizers would react and how Western media and public opinion could be affected were the topics of discussion. After that, we tried to see some of the competition and the sights.
Every day was filled with non-stop activities. There was no time to take a breath. We were going from 6am to midnight...and it was exhilarating and incredibly awesome.
I plan to do four more of these reports...one about the people, one about the issues, one about the Games/Venues and one about our trip to the Today Show. I hope you find them interesting. The atmosphere in Beijing was very positive and hopeful. It felt like this effort could definitely be world-changing. For the better, if we're lucky.
Dan Mc
Posted by Dan McConnell on August 19, 2008 10:38 AM Permalink
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