Beijing is celebrating yet another milestone today with 200 more days to go.
And what are Chinese people's wishes for the Olympics?
In an Internet survey, the top 10 were:
- To see Athens gold medallist Liu Xiang repeat his win at the 110m hurdles
- To become a torchbearer for the Beijing Olympics
- To watch the opening and closing ceremonies with family and friends
- A successful Olympics
- To pose for photographs in front of newly-built Olympics venues
- See the Chinese women's volleyball team successfully defend its Olympic title
- Smooth road traffic during the Games
- Count me as an Olympic volunteer
- To be photographed with sports stars and getting autographs
- To exchange Olympic pins with people from other countries
The pressure is on Liu Xiang, the poster boy of the Chinese team. No wonder he's currently in seclusion for training.
In some way the media is to blame for whipping up Olympic fever. There are non-stop Olympic-themed ads on the television. Almost everyday there's a story related to the Games.
On the bus, those with small TV screens not only show ads trying to tug at the heart strings showing past Olympic victories and defeats, but also stats of how many medals each country won in past summer Games. Some short programs even show the history of the modern Olympics, scenes of when Beijing was announced as the 2008 host city, or showcase the members of the women's volleyball team.
One wonders if all this excitement will dissipate once the Olympics is actually here. Being excited for seven years takes a lot of energy to sustain.
Posts
1 comment:
there is nothing wrong whipping up this type of enthusiasm as it did in most western countries. all this hype is to put beijing on the map and elevate the status of china on the international level. of
Post a Comment