Sunday, August 24, 2008
Sports and Politics like Oil and Vinegar
At halftime of the game, NBC showed an interview with IOC President Jacques Rogge and Bob Costas, where they discussed the Games in general and whether China lived up to its end of the deal regarding human rights reforms and other political stances as a result of being granted the Games. I did not envy Mr. Rogge. Understanding China and its growth as an international economy, while still functioning under a very authoritarian government has so many layers, particularly when posited from a Western, first world perspective. Even after my several visits there, and upon numerous conversations with Chinese nationals, American political scientists, and other folks simply living in Beijing, an oft-repeated answer I get is "It's China." Getting absolute answers to complex questions is very difficult when discussing China. Often one must resign themselves to the fact that the answers they want to hear will not be given and understanding the depth of their development is impossible, particularly in sound-byte halftime interview form.
Despite this, I was very impressed with many of the answers that Mr. Rogge gave to Costas' tough questions. When asked about whether China has lived up to its promises regarding human rights and such since being granted the Games, Rogge mentioned that there was never a contract in place that required China to alter its practices in order to host the Olympics, but only that they would urge or hope that China would look at practices that are more in line with global community. Fair enough. I particularly like his answer to a follow-up question. He said, heads of state, multi-lateral organizations (United Nations), and international NGOs (Amnesty International) have been dealing with the issues for years and have made strides but continue to seek reforms. How can the Olympic Committee be asked to transform a country's political practices when other more significant global leaders have been trying to do this for years.
This seems like an obvious point, but one that I believe needed to be expressed. While the whole world is watching the Olympics, it would seem that the IOC can have the influence to alter nation's behaviors, but really how can they? They have done all that they can regarding open media for internationals allowing for more Western perspectives about China to be transmitted around the world, and have been effective in making the Olympics a safe and fair (for the most part) international event, but I think being asked to do much more is unfair.
It seems so simple coming from our Western perch to criticize other countries' practices, and seek easy answers to what are the most complex questions. Evidence of this attitude is supported by the fact that discussion of today's most complicated issues were shown during halftime of a basketball game. This is not to say that such questions should be ignored. China's stance on Darfur is shocking, their treatment of Tibet is brutal, and their labor records are spotty to say the least. Reforms in these areas and many others should continue, but to place a brunt of the responsibility on the IOC is completely unfair and I think Jacques Rogge expressed as much in the interview. I also appreciate that he highlighted the great success of Beijing as a host city, and acknowledged the generosity and dedication of the Chinese people to pull off such a great event.
Obviously, I'm biased here and have developed a soft spot for China after my several visits there over the past three years. China has so much history and with that comes thousands of years of successful cultural development and unfortunately a record of atrocities as well. In today's sound byte driven world with information traveling faster than ever imagined, I would hope that people are able to grasp the concept that answers to many questions are not easy. This is why I was worried that the interview at halftime would not serve any real purpose other than allowing Bob Costas to show the world how well-rounded an interviewer he thinks of himself. I hope that others recognize that the IOC has done as much as it possibly could (note: the IOC has proven itself to be a corrupt organization in the past, so please don't think I am sympathetic to them generally) and cannot possibly have all the answers all the time.
What the IOC can do though is to remove the 20K walk from the Games altogether...such a dumb sport.
Friday, August 15, 2008
My Very Own Closing Ceremonies
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Picture Diary (Day 1-Women's handball)
Here are some shots from Saturday's action:
As you can see, there was not too much action happening around the venue. It actually had the feel of a high school game or a Round 1 NCAA game.



We had pretty cool seats right behind the net of this crazy sport. Its like a cross between basketball and soccer and allows for crazy physical play. I actually enjoyed it.


Here are the two reasons I really enjoyed myself:


The exchange rate is 6.8 RMB to $1. Translated...beers cost about $0.75. Also, the second game featured Korea v. Russia. I still remember a lot of the cheers from World Cup 2002, so I found myself rooting for them. After an even match, the Russians took what seemed to be an insurmountable lead, but Korea showed resounding Olympic spirit and caught and ended the game in a 29-29 tie. Russia was bummed and Korea was lucky to escape with a tie.
As is the case with most of the games I've seen on TV and the two I've attended here, there are tons of empty seats despite being touted as sell-outs. Based on conversations I've had with folks, a huge allotment of seats are earmarked for corporate sponsors who often do not use their tickets. Such a waste. They also fill up sections of the stands with students and migrant workers. This I can dig because at least they're at the game. The unused seats thanks to Budweiser and Coca-Cola are a bummer.




Lastly, after the tons of cheap beer, I had no choice but to use the dreaded port- a-potty. Here is where the US can learn something from Chinese technology. Periodically, the squatter will fill up with suds in a mechanical self-cleaning mode. It's great. The booths don't reek and you don't have to see what lies beneath. You just see peaceful flowing suds like in a soothing bubble bath.
More soon...
Thursday, August 7, 2008
08.08.08 O My
A group of us will be watching the Ceremonies in typical ex-pat fashion- at a Western style, hip bar on a giant flat screen tv. Good times. It really feels like New Years Eve. Excitement is in the air, folks are making plans, and traffic is eerily light.
Quick weather update: much has been made about the weather here and the plans to blow up the clouds, shut down factories, etc. At 12:15pm on Aug 8, it is an overcast day. The air actually doesn't have the brownish tint that I've gotten used to, but is just a foggy day, almost SF style plus the ungodly heat. Hopefully, it will rain early this afternoon so the clouds could thin out, but at the moment, thoughts of a clear night doesn't seem likely.
Ticket update: I have been able to score some games and am hoping for more during my one week of Olympiad. Here's what I have so far:
- 8/9 Women's handball prelims- Korea-Russia & Kazakstan- Romania
- 8/10 rowing prelims
- 8/13 Men's soccer- US-Nigeria & Argentina-Serbia
- 8/15 boxing prelims- lightweight and bantamweight prelims
- 8/15 baseball- Japan-Netherlands
Later today I head to the NZ Embassy to try to score some of their unused tickets. More soon.
**UPDATE**: I just returned from the NZ Embassy. Nothing is better than getting tickets from nice folks that speak like Jemaine and Bret. Apparently a number of game tickets reserved by the Kiwis have gone unused. The games that they had available though were not too sexy. I picked up:
- 8/12 women's field hockey: US-Japan; Korea-Netherlands
The other sports they had included softball, equestrian (in HK), soccer (in Sheyang), and canoeing. Like I said, not too sexy. The bright side is the field hockey tickets only cost me 72 RMB each ($10.58). It also doesn't look like I'll be getting tickets to US-China hoops on Sunday night. I can't afford the $500 price tag. I did find out about a viewing party hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce. For 250 RMB ($36), all you can eat and drink at a BBQ joint during the game. Sounds like a sweet alternative, no?**
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Balling in Beijing
