Remember Beijing?

Remember Michael Phelps…he swims? The Bird Cage…the stadium, not the movie? Remember China…the largest country in the world that wanted to get our attention? It was but a few weeks ago we were immersed in China, Beijing and the Summer Olympics. That’s all over now and we’re mired down in a huge global financial crisis and a presidential election that we all hope will elect someone who can help us out of this mess. In our 24/7 instant news world, nothing remains a hot topic for very long. It’s really a shame that we couldn’t hold onto the Olympic Spirit that China stirred in us for more than just a couple of weeks in August. It was truly special.
Beijing and the Chinese Government tried very hard to make a statement about their capabilities to perform on the world stage. Personally, I was impressed. The Beijing Olympic Games were a marvel of modern event planning and production. From influencing the weather to creating world class venues and making it safe and fun for athletes, officials and spectators, the Chinese thought of everything. Having the opportunity to see the Games live and to experience the blossoming of Beijing was an awe-inspiring occurrence.
If you take away the politics and the ideological issues and just look at the world-shaking event that was the Olympics, it could not have been done much better. Only the extremely lame attempt to pay tribute to Great Britain and London as the host of the 2012 event during the closing ceremonies kept it from being flawless. Whoever thought that a singer and guitar player who most of the world didn’t recognize and David Beckham rising on a bogus lift to kick a soccer ball into the crowd would WOW a world audience should be banished to Wasilla, Alaska. Even my British friends were embarrassed. It was a joke! Oh, well…
The city of Beijing, which stretches for 6500 square miles (compared to LA at 500) in all directions, was neat as pin. The streets were clean. The grass was mowed. The flowers in the parks looked beautiful and well-cared for, as did the people. They were friendly and welcoming. The bright smiles on their faces were something not noticed in past trips. Even the smog that was such a topic in advance of the games never really became a factor. With half the autos being taken off the road each day, coal plants closing and cloud-seeding on a regular basis, there was less pollution to begin with and then it rained almost every day during the Games cleansing the air very efficiently.
There were 34 different venues for the competitions. Some brand new with 21st Century designs and others that were around during the Cultural Revolution of the 1960’s. The Bird’s Nest has become the symbol of the Beijing Olympics. It’s a remarkably designed stadium. And within a mile or so of it are 12 other venues for these Games that are fresh and new and exciting. The athlete’s village was brand new with all the modern amenities you can imagine, including Wi-Fi everywhere. The accommodations were as good as any downtown hi-rise hotel! And I’m sure appreciated even more.
Almost 11,000 athletes took part in the competition and, from my observation, they were well cared for. They were very visible in town, touring, shopping, eating in restaurants and the nationalism of their teams and followers was inspiring. We toured one day with the family and supporters of an American judo competitor. All they could talk about was the wonderful treatment they were receiving from their hosts. Special events, discount cards, help with travel and tour arrangements, even tickets to movies (they wanted to see “The Dark Knight”, of course!) were readily available to them. And his mother said she didn’t need any more souvenirs because the night before her son had given her an Olympic locket with his picture inside. How cool is that!
Because I was working for the host committee, we did not have regular credentials. When time allowed, we were given special access and could fill-in when certain venues were not full. We saw table tennis (like nothing you’ve seen in your basement) at the Peking University Gymnasium; wrestling at the Chinese Agricultural University Gymnasium; and weight lifting at the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics Gymnasium. I don’t think I’d ever heard of synchronized diving before but watching it at the Water Cube was a truly thrilling experience. Every competition at the Games takes on a heightened level of expectation and reality. Like nothing you can imagine without witnessing it.
With passing time, I am beginning to reflect on the true meaning of this edition of our world’s most famous sporting competition. Both China and the US made their countries proud on the playing field. China offered the rest of us a taste of their culture that is fresh and new. Whether there is more to all this or not, only the future can tell us but, believe me, China will play an important role.
What I know for certain is that near the back door of the Forbidden City there is a small, cool, quiet grove of trees. In it are two cypresses whose branches have grown together. It is said that the last emperor and empress had their photo taken in front of the trees to show that “we wish to fly in heaven, two birds with one pair of wings, and to grow together on earth, two trees with branches interlaced.” That thought symbolizes the hope generated by the Beijing Olympic Games to me.
I am so fortunate to have been witness to such a momentous gathering and to feel the earth move just a teeny bit toward bringing us all closer together.
Dan Mc
“Don’t worry if others do not understand you. Worry if you do not understand them.”Confucius
Posted by Dan McConnell on November 3, 2008 10:17 AM Permalink