Saturday, 10 January 2009

• Beijing 2008: The Time of My Life

  Guest post submitted by ivorygem

   

  
  
  For the last two weeks, I traveled to Beijing and Shanghai for the 2008 Olympic Games. It was a trip built up from the vaguest inkling of a dream, and just last month, hobbled together into reality after an aunt in Beijing said she could host me. I was completely ecstatic. And now I return completely exhausted, but still so thrilled and grateful that I got to make this once-in-a-lifetime trip.
  
  Beijing 2008 has meant something special to me as a Chinese-American. I got to see both my countries battle it out on the world's largest stage, and I faced a dilemma I've never had before: Which side do I root for? Of course, in the end, having two identities meant having twice the "chance" to see your country do well, and I rooted for both, though I have to admit I got more frustrated when Americans did poorly and more excited when they delivered.

  

  
  Most importantly, going to the Olympics has shown me how far China has come. For all the political and human rights controversies China has weathered, I am still so proud of the country for putting on such a spectacular Olympics and for showing the world what it is capable of. This is a country full of potential.
  
  Now after the Olympics, I hope the U.S. learns to better modify its media depictions of China, which are so often portrayed as an up-and-coming but intimidating nation, an open target for criticism and mistrust. China's problems can't all be solved or fully understood through Western lenses. By virtue of its population size, it faces unique challenges that no other country has faced. What works in the U.S. may not be the best for China, and vice versa.
  
  What I saw in Beijing was intense pride, and even a little defiance (a sort of "Don't think we can rise to the top? We'll show you" mentality) -- a desperate desire to be just as good or better than the U.S. I hope China channels this energy into a friendly rivalry, because the true mark of a superpower is not world domination but its ability to stand equally and respectfully with other countries that are just as strong.
  
  Anyways, enough rambling...onto some pictures:
  
  The Bird's Nest
  
  By far the most impressive of all the venues, the Bird's Nest left me speechless the first time I stepped inside. I could not believe how beautiful it was (or how clearly you could see everything despite its ginormous size).

    

  

  
  I watched the men's 100m heat here and saw Tyson Gay run in a blink of an eye. (He had finished before I had a chance to take a picture.) He won that race in 10.22 sec., one of his last successes in Beijing. We will not discuss what happened later in the final or in the relays.
  
  The Water Cube
  
  Just looking at it makes me want to take a dip in water. It's so wonderfully bubbly and airy (both on the outside and inside, see below) that there could not have been a better place to hold all the swimming and diving competitions.

    
  
  Several heats took place here like clockwork one after another (men's 100m free, 200m fly, & 4X200 relay, women's 200m butterfly). All hell would break loose whenever any Chinese swimmer took the stage. There would be one Chinese guy in the audience who would lead the cheers: "China!" And everyone else would respond like thunder, "Jia Yo!" (Go China!)
  
  The National Indoor Stadium
  
  I didn't have any tickets for gymnastics (my favorite event) going into the Olympics, but on my last day in Beijing, I lucked out and bought one off the street. Being in the National Stadium felt unreal at first because I never thought I would actually be able to witness the women's individual all-around final.
  
  

       
  
  Something I never knew from watching TV was that most of the gymnastic competitions happened simultaneously (uneven bar on the left, floor in the center, balance beam on the upper right, and vault in the lower right corner). It made it both exciting and difficult to decide who to watch! All I could think at the time was, "Dang, Nastia's lookin' solid today." I still believed, though, that Shawn would win the gold. She certainly had a great floor exercise, so I was majorly surprised when Nastia ended up ahead. In retrospect, it was a win well deserved. While both Yang YiLin and Nastia Liukin seemed somewhat relaxed walking onto the podium, Shawn marched with her arms jutting out as if she was still competing. One American couple behind me said, "Relax, Shawn. You've won already."
  
  

    

  

  
  American and Chinese flags are raised. No wonder athletes tear up; I got a little emotional just listening to the anthem in this moment. As the scoreboard brimmed with Chinese and American names, a Korean guy sitting next to me said, "You must be so proud. Those are all your countries."
  
  The Olympic Green by Night
  
  In many ways, the Olympic venues looked most dazzling after dark.
  
   
  
  Fountains set to music light up the plaza between the Water Cube and Bird's Nest.
  

  

  
  
  

  The media broadcast tower changes colors every few seconds.
  
  

  

  The Bird's Nest in all its fiery glory.
  
  Soccer in the Shanghai
  
  After Beijing, I traveled to the more sweltering Shanghai for two soccer matches in its own humongous stadium.
  

    

  First up was a men's semifinal match between Argentina (in blue) and Holland (in orange). Thanks in great part to their awesome star Messi, Argentina won 2-1 in overtime.
  

  

  
  
  My last Olympic event was a women's quarterfinal match between Brazil (yellow) and Germany (white). Marta really was on fire that night. Brazil won 4-1.
  
  Sightseeing in Beijing
  
  This being my first time traveling alone in Beijing, I couldn't leave the city without a few solo in-depth explorations. The great thing about traveling alone is that you have freedom to choose what to do and go at your own pace. The down side is you often end up pushing yourself harder than you would if you were with other people, and it can be exhausting. Still, I don't regret going to any of these places:
  
  The Forbidden City

    

  A lot of money was poured into a major facelift for many of the palace's facades. The result: While the new paints brought out the detail in some of the designs, it did make some ancient structures look artificially and disturbingly new. I prefer them a little run-down for authenticity's sake, though it's no secret that the Forbidden City has been in an almost constant state of reconstruction and repair since it was built in the 1400s.

   

  The emperor's throne in Tai He Dian. I spent six hours meandering, getting lost in the labyrinth inner palace, imagining what life might have been like here, and taking in various exhibits throughout. This trip was the culmination of many years of fascination with the Forbidden City.
  
  Tiananmen Square
  
  

  

  
  Mao's Mausoleum - Holy crap, that is some remarkable preservation! Rumors of a wax figure not withstanding, Mao still looks perfectly intact, with "healthy"skin tones and jet black hair. Staring at his body in that mausoleum, I just could. not. close. my. jaw.
  
  
  

    
  
  Various Olympic displays littered the square. This one was my favorite.
  
  
  Beihai Park
  
  It's a short walk from the exit of Forbidden City, and it's absolutely gorgeous. Huge waterlily ponds, lovely weeping willows, peaceful lakes, and classic Chinese architecture.
  

    

  I had my best meal in Beijing here by the lake:
  

  

  Peking duck and zha jiang noodles. Mmm...
  
  The Great Wall
  
  Eight years ago, I felt like I nearly died climbing a particularly nasty and steep stretch of the Great Wall. Full of stairs that were three times higher than your average steps, it actually hurt more going down than going up.
  
  It has always been a goal to return for a stretch that looked like what I had seen in pictures. Badaling totally delivered. Yes, it was way crowded, but when you're up there looking at how the Great Wall snakes majestically over the mountains, you just don't care.
  

    

   You can even ride this "slide car" up and down the mountain to get to the Wall. Going down, it felt like a roller coaster speeding through Chinese hills.

  

  Wangfujing Night Market
  

  

  Guidebooks and travel shows made me hunt down the fabled Beijing night market, full of critters that you'd normally stomp on rather than chew.
  

  

  
  Truth be told, scorpions weren't terrible. They were nicely marinated and crunchy.
  

  

  The starfish wasn't quite so tasty. The meat inside was soft, but the outer shell was just a bit too tough.
  
  

  

  Seahorses, lizards, and squids.

  Sightseeing in Shanghai
  
  It can be a struggle to find something of historical interest in cosmopolitan Shanghai, but here at Lane 248 behind Taikang Rd., I found an interesting literal transformation from the old to the new. Here, trendy boutique shops and espresso cafes open right next to (and are converted from) prewar brick houses, and decades-long residents mingle with foreign tourists.
  
     
     
  
  This mad dash to gentrify a gritty neighborhood was initiated by the life and posthumous success of one of China's most popular artists, Chen Yi Fei, who worked in a studio in Lane 210 next door:
  

  

  They say the Olympics won't happen in China again for another 100 years. This trip, however tiring it turned out to be, was an opportunity I just couldn't pass up. And now that I'm back from this Olympic whirlwind, I know I'll always look back on Beijing 2008 as 10 of the most exhilarating days of my life.

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