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Summer Wine
Joined: 20 Mar 2005
Location: Next to a River
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 Posted: Sun May 25, 2008 7:52 pm Post subject: China's Olympics |
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I found this article on a blog I like to read and find that I agree with it, especially the bolded section. I wonder how many others can relate to how he feels.
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Torch Fatique in Suzhou
May 26th, 2008
My grandchildren will one day ask me where I was when the Olympic Torch passed through Suzhou, literally just a couple blocks from my apartment. I�ll probably lie, and tell them I was one of the guys running the length of Modern Avenue encouraging the torch bearers onward to the Run�s conclusion at the Science and Technology Museum.
Instead, I was shuffling around the apartment in my slippers, looking forward to drinking a coffee and reading the Sunday edition of the International Herald Tribune (online, of course). From the panoramic view of the Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) and Old Suzhou, I could see the traffic paralyzed and enthusiastic flag bearers weaving through the congestion. A bright sunny day was not enough to lure me out to Suzhou�s Olympics party. I had even bought a couple flags the evening before � small nylon affairs, one of the the Chinese national flag, and one the flag of the Olympics. I hadn�t bought them for myself, but instead to give them to my Chinese partner. Indeed, I encouraged her to part in the party that morning.
Recent events surrounding the torch relay around the world as well as portraitures in Chinese news about us devil-worshiping foreigners simply made the event, well, a non-event for me. Plus, I just couldn�t be bothered with a testosterone-fueled group of youths with too much energy and too few opportunities through which to channel their emotions other than to say annoying things about �the laowai�. I�m sure there were other Westerners out there, mixing with the crowds, waving the Chinese flag � or even their own country�s. I wasn�t one of them.
I simply didn�t have the feeling this Olympics was the world�s Olympics. Yours, mine, the Lithuanians�, whomever.
It�s China�s party, they�ve made it clear. And I wasn�t invited.
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Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Sun May 25, 2008 8:30 pm Post subject: |
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| So true. The Olympics became an over-hyped bore for me some time ago, but this year they seem especially anti-international. The torch relay just put the cap on it. |
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Pete82
Joined: 12 Apr 2008
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| Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 2:06 am Post subject: |
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Last edited by Pete82 on Mon Aug 03, 2015 7:19 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Cheonmunka
Joined: 04 Jun 2004
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| Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 3:32 am Post subject: |
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| This time around should be called the Special Olympics. |
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squexx
Joined: 24 Mar 2008
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 3:34 am Post subject: |
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| Or maybe the Olympics just before the economic crash! |
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the fingers of reason
Joined: 12 Nov 2007
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| Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 5:40 am Post subject: |
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Or, as usual, it will become an argument over which countries have the best athletes, based on the number of medals won.
Certainly China is going to finish first, the States second, Russia third, and probably Australia fourth. Then comes the per capita argument blah, blah, blah.
Athletes will be protesting at these Olympics, I wonder which country(ies) will have the best ones?
The Olympics in these times are a joke. I'm sure there are plenty of cities around the world that can accomodate the Games without having to build new stadiums each time. |
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