olympics :D!!

[bottledpoetry]

Out of curiousity - is anyone heading to beijing for the 2008 olympics? I'm pretty excited about going back, and after obsessively polling my friends have gotten two responses: 1. some will avoid bj like avian flu because of the traffic/tourism the olympics is sure to bring or 2. i'm going back no matter what, its time to represent!! How are expats feelings about this?

btw - the ticket request period for the olympics ends in July of this year (or thats what I understand), so if you are going, might want to check out this site for tickets. ^___^ I'm so excited!!

http://www.cosport.net/b2008/us/NeedToKnow_Perm.asp

[liuzhou]

The only place I promise NOT to be is Beijing in August 2008.

[heifeng]

I was originally excited about the games and will probably go to at least one event to check off that box off on my things to do in life list...but to be honest it's just olympic overkill out here...it's bad enough everything is olympics NOW...after the olympics they will probably be reminiscing about it for who knows how many years.....in essence the olympics will NEVER ever be over in Beijing and which ever Chinese athletes do win events we will probably see their replays of until the end of time...

[bottledpoetry]

heifeng - this is probably true but who am I to resist a $17 ticket for world class tennis? So what are you going to check out?

[heifeng]

I thinking maybe diving or gymnastics. I better start looking into buying tickets or entering the ticket lottery soon...I have a feeling these tickets may be harder to actually buy...

[Xiao Kui]

Thanks for the tip, bottled. I didn't know you had to get the tickets this early. I put in a request for diving and beach volleyball finals which are on consecutive days (don't want to spend too much time in BJ when it is overrun by the world). I wish I had more money in the bank rt now -I would have requested better seats for those finals, added track and field events, or requested tkts for the opening ceremonies, which are over $100 for the nosebleed section, $500 for the good seats. Well, I'm excited abt it - hope I get the tkts!

[taryn]

I'm planning to roll through Bejing during the games.

I'm definitely going to check out the BMX stuff (Aug. 19 & 20?) but I'm really torn over whether or not to sacrifice a week's pay for Opening Ceremony tickets which my traveling buddy is definitely not down for...

Tennis and diving sound good. What other events are folks looking at?

[david1978]

Blech! I'm definitely leaving BJ for the Olympics. I can only imagine the cacophonous orgy that city will turn into during the games. And I agree with Heifeng, the 08 Olympics will leave an indelible impression. Just think how many from the multitudes of tourists will be seduced by BJ and permanently stay on after the Olympics.

An aside: This morning I read an article concerning music and downloading in South Korea which brought up the issue of the Seoul Olympics where one Korean national noted:

"South Korea changed, he believes, after the Seoul Olympics. There were too many correspondents, too many opportunities to talk to the West, to speak frankly. It's hard to put that back in a bottle; it's hard to tell an 18-year-old, after that much freedom, that much exposure, to put his shoulder to the wheel and keep building a country."

http://www.economist.com/displayStory.cfm?story_id=9351850&fsrc=RSS

The implications of that statement with regards to China are obvious.

[taryn]

Implications?

More hottie C-pop stars. Count me in!

[pijiu]

My teacher gave me a link that gives us information on how to apply for a job helping out hotels or other venues for the Beijing Olympics which seemed interesting. In reality though the last place I want to be in summer 2008 is Beijing

[gougou]

Opening Ceremony tickets which my traveling buddy is definitely not down for

That's good, considering that you'd have a tough time to get two tickets anyway (let alone next to each other).

Personally, I am looking forward to the Olympics. I regretted a lot that I couldn't be back in Germany during the World Cup, and I am looking forward to be in Beijing when the whole world comes together for a couple of weeks. Agreed, it is going to be even more crowded than before, but I think that's going to be worth it.

[bottledpoetry]

yea. I don't personally see what the deal is about the crowdedness - I mean come on for the olympics? Hell to the yeah I'll let myself be pushed forth in a surge of flag-waving tourists for that! I'm going to see tennis and equestrian, maybe ice skating - artistic.