Beijing is psyched about the 2008 Olympics. There are olympic posters everywhere. They are training taxi drivers and other service staff in basic English. I got to experience this first hand, and let me say that I'm glad they have another two years to practice. I took a look at some of the olympic facilities which are under construction, and they look pretty damn impressive. I hear that construction is ahead of schedule.
The general attitude is that the 2008 Olympics will be China's chance to show the world that it's modernized and open for business. It will be interesting to see how they are going to handle the tourists, because Beijing transit, traffic, and hotels were already quite packed when I was there. There is no doubt in my mind that they'll find a way to handle it.
What are they going to do about the squat toilets? I will probably devote a whole entry on the state of the plumbing system in China, but they don't have sitting toilets there. They have squat toilets, where you squat over a hole in the floor. Most of the holes in the floor flush, but it's a tricky balancing act, and if you doing a #1 and a #2, then one of them is probably going to miss. Anyway, my point is that the tourists will not be happy about the squat toilets.
China really has a lot banking on these Olympics. The influx of people and publicity will really help shake a lot of the false preconceptions people have about the country. (Like the ones I had before I went there.) The fever about the Olympics is country-wide, as the entire country is working to ensure a spectacular 2008 Olympics that will impress the world. Believe me, it's an amazing (and slightly scary) thing to see so many people commit so much effort into a single task. I believe the 2008 will be a breath-taking spectacle for everyone to see. They've put a lot of thought into things, and they've create 5 lovable mascots that are simply irresistibly cute!
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