The Olympiada mania

Are the Olympics coming to Beijing? I have often felt in the last number of weeks that I have been here that the general population is totally unaware of what is coming.

In every class that I teach, my students that have more than a smattering of the language (English) they are so blase about the forthcoming event. The most important point is to be able to get a ticket and the ticketing opportunity will be by ballot for the last time in April.

Having been in Paris 10 odd years ago, when the late Pope came to visit, I have first hand experience of how 'choca bloc' a city can be. The Chinese government is not expecting so many people from the west, but from other provinces in China, August will become in Beijing like it was in other parts of China during the Spring festival.

I am encouraging my students to become excited, to be enthusiastic about their forthcoming sport events and be willing to go out on the streets, as opposed to sitting at home and watch the erected gigantic television screens. I personally will be there sitting on the street, munching my popcorn and sipping my water; when they hear me say this, they stop to think. I tell them
that if they want the opinion of the west to change towards them, they have to go out and be their own advocates!

Feelings about Spielberg run high, from disappointment to anger - none believe that it was his place to turn the opening into a political platform and has another reason for leaving. I personally feel a great excitement to be here at this time, to see, meet and be part of this
great metamorphis that is coming to this land.

Upon asking some of my students if they celebrated Valentines day, I was told that 'it's not my holiday', that caused me to be amused, as in Israel that is a common comment before January 1, when I am told the same words. I have found the youngsters to be openly affectionate on the buses or on the street, hugging, kissing and snuggling up to each other. Seeing couples hand in hand walking down the street, or on February 14 arms laden with flowers, shows that they are
just like any young lovers world wide.

Another thing that is like the middle east, is that the Chinese are very supersticious. It is common to see children with a red thin string around their necks, from which hangs an amulet of some kind or a red string on their wrist or finger for the same purpose.

It just goes to confirm my belief, that people are generally the same the world over, with common emotions, way of religion and codes of behaviour. When mentioning to my pupils my discomfort with the lack of nappies or nappy linings that babies have, they in turn looked at me in confusion and disbelief that this fact should in any way disturb me and still kept to their belief that nappies are unhealthy for the childs bowels and development!!