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Only six months has passed since the Beijing Olympics and the Birds Nest stadium which hosted the spectacular opening and closing ceremonies is already beginning to lose its shine. The paint is peeling and stains have appeared on its famous lattice design. Accelerating the deterioration of the iconic National Stadium is the absence of a permanent tenant. [...]
Posted on 11 February 2009 | 12:06 am
The Olympics are now over, but my adventures continue. You can continue following my travels in Asia here.
Posted on 17 October 2008 | 1:17 am
The opening ceremony for the Paralympics was held last night in Beijing. The ceremony was spectacular but perhaps not on the scale of the ceremony for the Beijing Olympics. Most of the show was performed by people with disabilities, including Li Yue, who lost her left leg in the Sichuan earthquake and performed [...]
Posted on 6 September 2008 | 7:44 pm
The Beijing Paralympics are just a day away from starting. Here are some pictures from Tiananmen Square which has some pretty impressive floral displays on show now.
Posted on 4 September 2008 | 8:59 pm
Posted on 4 September 2008 | 7:47 pm
The ticket scammers who defrauded people by selling non-existent tickets through the internet are getting ready for the Vancouver and London Olympics. “I was shocked by the brilliance and hard work of the thieves fleecing the Olympic family — and they are setting up to do the same thing in Vancouver in 2010 and London in [...]
Posted on 2 September 2008 | 8:23 pm
Beijing did a lot to improve the air quality leading up to the Beijing Olympics, with mixed results. The days before the opening ceremony were pretty bad, but a burst of rain cleared the air and pollution became less of a talking point. Almost straight after the closing ceremony the hazy skies returned. A [...]
Posted on 1 September 2008 | 3:56 am
Beijing recorded 6.52 million visitors for the 2008 Olympics, with 382,000 of those coming from overseas. Authorities long estimated that 500,000 foreigners would visit the city, but tougher visa controls reduced that number. The Xinhua news agency reported that tourist spots in the city reported total revenues of 162 million yuan (US$23 million), according to [...]
Posted on 31 August 2008 | 8:34 pm
To the athletes tonight: You were true role models. You have shown us the unifying power of sport. The Olympic spirit lives in the warm embrace of competitive rivals from nations in conflict. Keep that spirit alive when you return home. These were truly exceptional Games! (Source: Dr Jacques Rogge, Chairman of the International Olympic [...]
Posted on 24 August 2008 | 4:39 pm
The fireworks are still going on over Beijing tonight as the Olympics comes to a close. The closing ceremony wasn’t as long as the first one and not as spectacular, but still very well done. We had a short section to mark the handover of the Olympics from Beijing to London. London’s mayor [...]
Posted on 24 August 2008 | 7:16 am
The Daily Star has an interesting article about Sana Abu Bkheet, a Palestinian teenager who has been selected for the Athens Olympics who is currently in training in Gaza. It would be a training regime that is in stark contrast to that of many teams like the US, Australia, Britain who are currently in training camps with amazing facilities, support staff and resources.
"When we spoke, Sana had just finished several "laps" around her "track:" a small sandy lot just outside of the central Gaza Strip town of Deir al-Balah that winds its way around greenhouses and partially built tin-roof houses. It is littered with stray copper wires, refuse and thorny wild bushes.
No more than 2 kilometers north of us was the Jewish settlement of Nezarim, a hotspot for frequent exchange of gunfire between trigger-happy Israeli Army snipers and Palestinian resistance fighters. Israeli bullets have too often found their way into a young child's head around these parts.
This was Sana's domain. A far cry, of course, from the multi-million dollar stadium where she will be competing in Athens next month.
Olympic rules allow teams whose members fail to meet the qualifying times to enter two of their best athletes in any competition. Sana was chosen for the 800-meter run. While her chances of winning are slim by her own admission - her best time being a full 30 seconds off the Olympic qualifying time - Abu Bkheet says she's honored to simply be representing Palestine.
Sana is the very picture of determination, and it is clear where she gets her tenacity from. Her mother, Amina, is by her side at every training session, and for almost every event she competes in. With her husband sick and out of a job, Amina holds the house together. She actively encouraged her daughter to continue despite the quizzical looks she received running through the winding roads of her refugee camp." Read more at The Daily Star .
